A Parallel Biological Optimization Algorithm to Solve the Unbalanced Assignment Problem Based on DNA Molecular Computing.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaocai; Pu, Jun; Cao, Liling; Tan, Jian

2015-10-23

The unbalanced assignment problem (UAP) is to optimally resolve the problem of assigning n jobs to m individuals (m < n), such that minimum cost or maximum profit obtained. It is a vitally important Non-deterministic Polynomial (NP) complete problem in operation management and applied mathematics, having numerous real life applications. In this paper, we present a new parallel DNA algorithm for solving the unbalanced assignment problem using DNA molecular operations. We reasonably design flexible-length DNA strands representing different jobs and individuals, take appropriate steps, and get the solutions of the UAP in the proper length range and O(mn) time. We extend the application of DNA molecular operations and simultaneity to simplify the complexity of the computation.

Visual Literacy--A New Concept?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Samuel B., Jr.

It is fruitless to debate whether visual literacy is a new or old concept. It is important to train today's children in visual literacy because the mass media are more vital to them and take up more of their time than do the schools. As part of a pilot project designed to deal with the problems of reading and verbal-visual communication, a group…

Microgravity Research, An Agency-Wide Asset: Using NASA-Generated Knowledge to Solve its Own Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The National Center for Microgravity Research (NCMR) is a vital and successful operation, effectively supporting NASA's program in many ways beyond technical monitoring. NCMR is supplying leadership for certain new initiatives important to NASA's future. NASA might regard NCMR as kind of a small laboratory of innovative research management, and should support it generously.

Anthropology of Buddhism: The Importance of Personal Spiritual Maturity and Vital Aims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaldybay, Kainar K.; Abdrassilov, Turganbai K.; Myrzabekov, Muratbek M.; Beysenov, Aybek S.; Pazylova, Kalamkas A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to show the views of the major schools of Buddhism towards the notion of an individual in Buddhism. The problem of the human person in Buddhism is reflected through the perception of human desires and aspirations as the sources of "suffering." Essential Buddhism is not only a religion or philosophy--it is…

Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2010. Volume I, Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Lloyd D.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Schulenberg, John E.

2011-01-01

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study involves an ongoing series of national surveys of American adolescents and adults that has provided the nation with a vital window into the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illegal drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, anabolic steroid use, and psychotherapeutic drug use. For more than a third…

Radiofrequency use and management. Impacts from the World Administrative Radio Conference of 1979

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1982-01-01

The impacts on the United States of key decisions taken at the general World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) and options for preparation and participation in future international telecommunication conferences were evaluated. Congressional concern for the adequacy of existing machinery and procedures for U.S. policymaking and preparation for such conferences were reflected. WARC-79 and related international conferences demonstrate that contention for access to the radio spectrum and its important collateral element, the geostationary orbit for communication satellites, presents new and urgent challenges to vital U.S. national interests. Given the complexities of spectrum management in a changing world environment and the increased importance of telecommunications to both developed and developing nations, it is unlikely that traditional U.S. approaches to these issues are sufficient to protect vital U.S. interests in the future. Problems require strategies not yet developed or tested.

The cross-cultural importance of satisfying vital needs.

PubMed

Alvarez, Allen Andrew A

2009-11-01

Ethical beliefs may vary across cultures but there are things that must be valued as preconditions to any cultural practice. Physical and mental abilities vital to believing, valuing and practising a culture are such preconditions and it is always important to protect them. If one is to practise a distinct culture, she must at least have these basic abilities. Access to basic healthcare is one way to ensure that vital abilities are protected. John Rawls argued that access to all-purpose primary goods must be ensured. Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum claim that universal capabilities are what resources are meant to enable. Len Doyal and Ian Gough identify physical health and autonomy as basic needs of every person in every culture. When we disagree on what to prioritize, when resources to satisfy competing demands are scarce, our common needs can provide a point of normative convergence. Need-based rationing, however, has been criticized for being too indeterminate to give guidance for deciding which healthcare services to prioritize and for tending to create a bottomless-pit problem. But there is a difference between needing something (first-order need) and needing to have the ability to need (second-order need). Even if we disagree about which first-order need to prioritize, we must accept the importance of satisfying our second-order need to have the ability to value things. We all have a second-order need for basic healthcare as a means to protect our vital abilities even if we differ in what our cultures consider to be particular first-order needs.

Adolescents' Suicidal Thinking and Reluctance to Consult General Medical Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Coralie J.; Deane, Frank P.; Marshall, Kellie L.; Dalley, Andrew

2010-01-01

Appropriate help-seeking is widely recognized as a protective factor, and vital for early treatment and prevention of mental health problems during adolescence. General medical practitioners (GPs), that is, family doctors, provide a vital role in the identification of adolescents with mental health problems and the provision of treatment as well…

A Parallel Biological Optimization Algorithm to Solve the Unbalanced Assignment Problem Based on DNA Molecular Computing

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhaocai; Pu, Jun; Cao, Liling; Tan, Jian

2015-01-01

The unbalanced assignment problem (UAP) is to optimally resolve the problem of assigning n jobs to m individuals (m < n), such that minimum cost or maximum profit obtained. It is a vitally important Non-deterministic Polynomial (NP) complete problem in operation management and applied mathematics, having numerous real life applications. In this paper, we present a new parallel DNA algorithm for solving the unbalanced assignment problem using DNA molecular operations. We reasonably design flexible-length DNA strands representing different jobs and individuals, take appropriate steps, and get the solutions of the UAP in the proper length range and O(mn) time. We extend the application of DNA molecular operations and simultaneity to simplify the complexity of the computation. PMID:26512650

[Openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations].

PubMed

Jørgensen, Jørgen; Djurhuus, Jens Chr

2003-04-14

The past decades in Danish health services have been characterized by limited cooperation between health authorities, health employees, and private corporations. Today, society and legislature acknowledge the need to support this cooperation, which creates a great challenge to hospital management and its responsibility to create and secure strong research environments. This effort is often challenged by the tendency of the media to transform initial conflicts into problems of credibility. Society is also aware of the fact that increased cooperation is important to maintain the ability to develop new and better methods of treatment. It is therefore of vital importance to solve potential conflicts before the media interpret the problems, by encouraging openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations.

Bio-Inspired Genetic Algorithms with Formalized Crossover Operators for Robotic Applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Kang, Man; Li, Xiaojuan; Liu, Geng-Yang

2017-01-01

Genetic algorithms are widely adopted to solve optimization problems in robotic applications. In such safety-critical systems, it is vitally important to formally prove the correctness when genetic algorithms are applied. This paper focuses on formal modeling of crossover operations that are one of most important operations in genetic algorithms. Specially, we for the first time formalize crossover operations with higher-order logic based on HOL4 that is easy to be deployed with its user-friendly programing environment. With correctness-guaranteed formalized crossover operations, we can safely apply them in robotic applications. We implement our technique to solve a path planning problem using a genetic algorithm with our formalized crossover operations, and the results show the effectiveness of our technique.

[The Status, Change and Health Issues of Inpatients' Sixth Vital Sign in a Medical Center].

PubMed

Lin, Li-Ying; Huang, Ya-Hui; Hung, Chung-Lung; Chen, Ya-Mei; Kuo, Ching-Ju; Ku, Yan-Chiou

2017-04-01

Hospitalized patients generally have elevated levels of emotional distress. Gaining a better under-standing of the problem of emotional distress among hospitalized patients is conducive to providing appropriate emotional care and promoting their recovery. To analyze the scores for the "sixth vital sign" (i.e., emotional distress), diversification, and the health-related problems of hospitalized patients at a medical center in Taiwan. The results may offer an important reference for providing effective emotional care to hospitalized patients. A retrospective descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from all of the 27,885 inpatients that were registered at the target hospital in 2013. Further, a total of 245,814 attendance records were assessed to extract the data that were relevant to emotional distress. The findings revealed that 58.3% of hospitalized patients had earned a sixth vital sign score ≥ 1 and that 0.8% of these patients had earned a score ≥ 4. On the whole, the sixth vital sign scores of hospitalized patients were found to decrease progressively with the number of hospitalization days except for hematology and oncology, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery patients. The highest emotional distress scores were found among family medicine, dermatology, and plastic surgery patients. Moreover, emotional distress scores were significantly higher in patients who had health problems that involved pain, anxiety, or sleep disorder. The present study suggests that improving the emotional care of hematology, oncology, neurosurgery, family medicine, dermatology, and plastic surgery patients and of patients with health problems involving pain, anxiety, or sleep disorder may significantly improve the quality of inpatient holistic healthcare. Only 0.8% of the subjects in the present study had an emotional distress score ≥ 4, which is significantly lower than the level reported in other similar studies. Our findings suggest that related education and training for nursing staffs may improve their assessment and care practices in caring for patients with emotional distress. Furthermore, using more appropriate words, methods, and environments to evaluate the emotional distress of patients holds the potential to improve assessment and care for these patients.

Monitoring the Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2009. Volume I: Secondary School Students. NIH Publication No. 10-7584

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Lloyd D.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Schulenberg, John E.

2010-01-01

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study is an ongoing series of national surveys of American adolescents and adults that has provided the nation with a vital window into the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illegal drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, anabolic steroid use, and psychotherapeutic drug use. For more than a third of…

JPRS Report, East Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-08

under the leadership of the RCP , the vital center of the nation« Thanks to a broad and radically innovative theoretical and practical-political...revolutionary process, namely the RCP . In referring to the 49 critical importance of organizational and managerial problems to the success of the aims and...base of society, science and technology in general. His speech at the Plenum of the RCP Central Committee of 2^-25 March 1987, particularly- rich in

Monitoring the Future. National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2009. Volume I, Secondary School Students. NIH Publication Number 10-7584

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Lloyd D.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Schulenberg, John E.

2010-01-01

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study is an ongoing series of national surveys of American adolescents and adults that has provided the nation with a vital window into the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illegal drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, anabolic steroid use, and psychotherapeutic drug use. For more than a third of a…

[Play therapy in social work with children].

PubMed

Dvarionas, Dziugas

2002-01-01

This article introduces the results of scientific research performed in 1995-1997 in Kaunas primary school with 1st and 2nd grade children exhibiting behavioral disorders. Play therapy, a quite novel method in the country, seeks better improvement and an achievement of a better relationship for disadvantaged children in educational process. Play group counseling, or play media counseling, is shown as an important method in working with early primary grade children, especially those who present behavioral problems in the classroom. Another important aspect of group play therapy is the concentrated relationship with the counselor. Primary school children, especially those who are disadvantaged respond more to warmth than to praise for being right and doing well. Data analysis allow us to assume that behavioral difficulties of primary school children are connected with a low rate of self-esteem and dissatisfaction with their vital activities. Main conclusions to correspond with hypothesis held for the research are: a) children exhibiting behavioral problems are less active in educational process; b) by means of systematic use of play group counseling method in school, problematic children are able to solve their difficulties and to optimize their academic improvement; c) there is a complementary relationship between child's self-esteem and his/her satisfaction with his/her vital activity.

[The Present Implementation Status and Problems of Vital-signs Measurement by Community Pharmacists in Home Medical Care in Osaka].

PubMed

Niki, Kazuyuki; Takemura, Miho; Kitagawa, Kyosuke; Shimizu, Ruka; Takahashi, Yuri; Hatabu, Asuka; Uejima, Etsuko

2018-01-01

　While the community-based integrated care systems are in the process of being structured currently, more and more community pharmacists want to learn physical assessment skills. However, no large-scale survey focusing on present implementation status and problems of physical assessment by community pharmacists has been conducted yet. Osaka has the 2nd highest number of community pharmacies in Japan now, and the population aged ≥65 years will be expected to become the 3rd highest in 2025. Thus, Osaka can become a national leading model case for community pharmacists' activity in future home medical care. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the present implementation status and problems of physical assessment by community pharmacists in Osaka, especially focusing on vital-signs. The questionnaires were sent to all the 3571 insurance pharmacies belonging to the Osaka Pharmaceutical Association and 871 pharmacies responded. Many pharmacists recognized the necessity for vital-signs measurement by pharmacists in home medical care (81.5% of pharmacies that offered home medical care and 75.4% of pharmacies that did not offer one). However, the proportion of pharmacies that conduct vital-signs measurement in home medical care was 18.7%, therefore, it was suggested that the present problem is "many pharmacists cannot conduct vital-signs measurement, although they think it should be conducted". Moreover, the most common reason for not measuring vital-signs was the lack of instruments, such as stethoscopes and sphygmomanometer (43.2%). This is the latest report with a large-scale sample, thus, it can serve as valuable knowledge in considering what pharmacists do for the future.

A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhihua; Yang, Zhaochu; Dong, Tao

2017-01-01

Rapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden illnesses, falls, and so on can be ameliorated to some extent. Recently, advances in wearable and sensor technologies have improved the prospects of these service systems for assisting elderly people. In this article, we review state-of-the-art wearable technologies that can be used for elderly care. These technologies are categorized into three types: indoor positioning, activity recognition and real time vital sign monitoring. Positioning is the process of accurate localization and is particularly important for elderly people so that they can be found in a timely manner. Activity recognition not only helps ensure that sudden events (e.g., falls) will raise alarms but also functions as a feasible way to guide people’s activities so that they avoid dangerous behaviors. Since most elderly people suffer from age-related problems, some vital signs that can be monitored comfortably and continuously via existing techniques are also summarized. Finally, we discussed a series of considerations and future trends with regard to the construction of “smart clothing” system. PMID:28208620

A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time.

PubMed

Wang, Zhihua; Yang, Zhaochu; Dong, Tao

2017-02-10

Rapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden illnesses, falls, and so on can be ameliorated to some extent. Recently, advances in wearable and sensor technologies have improved the prospects of these service systems for assisting elderly people. In this article, we review state-of-the-art wearable technologies that can be used for elderly care. These technologies are categorized into three types: indoor positioning, activity recognition and real time vital sign monitoring. Positioning is the process of accurate localization and is particularly important for elderly people so that they can be found in a timely manner. Activity recognition not only helps ensure that sudden events (e.g., falls) will raise alarms but also functions as a feasible way to guide people's activities so that they avoid dangerous behaviors. Since most elderly people suffer from age-related problems, some vital signs that can be monitored comfortably and continuously via existing techniques are also summarized. Finally, we discussed a series of considerations and future trends with regard to the construction of "smart clothing" system.

Developmental commentary: individual and contextual influences on student-teacher relationships and children's early problem behaviors.

PubMed

Myers, Sonya S; Pianta, Robert C

2008-07-01

Understanding factors associated with children's early behavioral difficulties is of vital importance to children's school success, and to the prevention of future behavior problems. Although biological factors can influence the expression of certain behaviors, the probability of children exhibiting classroom behavior problems is intensified when they are exposed to multiple risk factors, particularly negative student-teacher interactions. Children who exhibit behavior problems during early childhood and the transition to kindergarten, without intervention, can be placed on a developmental trajectory for serious behavior problems in later grades. Using a developmental systems model, this commentary provides a conceptual framework for understanding the contributions of individual and contextual factors to the development of early student-teacher relationships. Parent, teacher, and student characteristics are discussed as they are related to shaping student-teacher interactions and children's adjustment to school.

[Notes on vital statistics for the study of perinatal health].

PubMed

Juárez, Sol Pía

2014-01-01

Vital statistics, published by the National Statistics Institute in Spain, are a highly important source for the study of perinatal health nationwide. However, the process of data collection is not well-known and has implications both for the quality and interpretation of the epidemiological results derived from this source. The aim of this study was to present how the information is collected and some of the associated problems. This study is the result of an analysis of the methodological notes from the National Statistics Institute and first-hand information obtained from hospitals, the Central Civil Registry of Madrid, and the Madrid Institute for Statistics. Greater integration between these institutions is required to improve the quality of birth and stillbirth statistics. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Troubleshooting for the observed problems in processing latex concentrate from natural resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afreen, S.; Haque, K. R.; Huda, M. K.

2013-06-01

Natural latex has special importance in the rubber industry for manufacturing different types of goods like gloves, balloons, male contraceptive and similar thin walled articles. This natural latex is much more sensitive a liquid to handle since it can easily become contaminated and thereby coagulated which makes it unfavourable for centrifuge and getting concentrate from it. Some other related measures also are included in consideration during the processing of concentrate latex from the natural raw latex. The problems that are being faced in a concentrate latex processing plant can be categorized in different groups like, problems related to the latex property, mechanical problems, electrical problems, handling and storage problems, transformation problems, problems related to environmental issues, etc. Among them, the most common and vital problems frequently observed in a concentrate latex processing plant are discussed here with a view to finding the measures for solution which will help to maintain the latex property in any latex processing plant.

Optical Cryogenic Tank Level Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffell, Amanda

2005-01-01

Cryogenic fluids play an important role in space transportation. Liquid oxygen and hydrogen are vital fuel components for liquid rocket engines. It is also difficult to accurately measure the liquid level in the cryogenic tanks containing the liquids. The current methods use thermocouple rakes, floats, or sonic meters to measure tank level. Thermocouples have problems examining the boundary between the boiling liquid and the gas inside the tanks. They are also slow to respond to temperature changes. Sonic meters need to be mounted inside the tank, but still above the liquid level. This causes problems for full tanks, or tanks that are being rotated to lie on their side.

Applications of polymeric smart materials to environmental problems.

PubMed Central

Gray, H N; Bergbreiter, D E

1997-01-01

New methods for the reduction and remediation of hazardous wastes like carcinogenic organic solvents, toxic materials, and nuclear contamination are vital to environmental health. Procedures for effective waste reduction, detection, and removal are important components of any such methods. Toward this end, polymeric smart materials are finding useful applications. Polymer-bound smart catalysts are useful in waste minimization, catalyst recovery, and catalyst reuse. Polymeric smart coatings have been developed that are capable of both detecting and removing hazardous nuclear contaminants. Such applications of smart materials involving catalysis chemistry, sensor chemistry, and chemistry relevant to decontamination methodology are especially applicable to environmental problems. PMID:9114277

CONFERENCE Proceedings of the computer Aided System Design and Simulation (50th) Held in Cesme/Ismir, Turkey on 22-25 May 1990 (Systeme de Conception Aide par Ordinateur et Simulation)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

vital problem. During flight conditions a sensor, or a combination of sensors might undergo a failure, causing the loss of sensor signals that are...by solving the optimization problem max I k - k I(Z 00 (55) d(zk) e n V~ l where k denotes the nominal sensor gains and I1.11 denotes the weighted I...the Weapon System. Parameters like volume and weight have to be approximately defined at the begining of this phase. It is equally important to obtain

Physical activity is associated with the physical, psychological, social and environmental quality of life in people with mental health problems in a low resource setting.

PubMed

Vancampfort, Davy; Van Damme, Tine; Probst, Michel; Firth, Joseph; Stubbs, Brendon; Basangwa, David; Mugisha, James

2017-12-01

There is a growing recognition of the importance of encouraging patients with mental health problems to become more active as an efficacious strategy to reduce the disability-associated burden. The aim of the current study was to investigate if there are differences in quality of life (QoL) outcomes between people with mental health problems that do and do not meet the recommendations of 150min per week of physical activity. 109 (36♀) Ugandan in- and outpatients (mean age = 34.2 ± 10.2 years) (depression = 7, bipolar disorder = 31, schizophrenia = 21, alcohol use disorder = 50) completed the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) method and World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment brief version. Those who did not achieve the minimum physical activity recommendations as assessed by the PAVS (n = 63) had a lower physical, psychological, social and environmental QoL. The current data offer further evidence that the PAVS method might be an important risk identification tool in people with mental health problems. The feasibility and acceptability of the PAVS may help promote the importance of physical activity assessment and prescription as a core part of the treatment of mental health problems in LMICs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Subject Matter of Process Improvement: A Topic and Reference Source for Software Engineering Educators and Trainers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-05-01

Random House Business Division, 1986. Ishikawa , Kaoru . What is Total Quality Control?: The Japanese Way. En- glewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall...by drawing attention to the vital few truly important problems. Cause-and-effect diagrams. Also called fishbone and Ishikawa diagrams due to their...February 1994. 5.2 The Seeds [Aguayo 91] [Crosby 79] [Crosby 92] [Deming 86] [Fellers 92] [Gitlow 87] [Gluckman 93] [Imai 86] [ Ishikawa 85] [Juran

Older persons' experiences of what influences their vitality - a study of 65- and 75-year-olds in Finland and Sweden.

PubMed

Söderbacka, Tina; Nyström, Lisbet; Fagerström, Lisbeth

2017-06-01

Throughout the world, life expectancy has noticeably increased during the past decade, and health promotive initiatives for older persons will therefore become ever more important. During the past few years, interest in what constitutes the source of health for human beings has markedly increased in health science research. An interesting and relatively unresearched domain is what provides older persons the strength and energy to look forward and what positively or negatively influences older persons' vitality. The aim of the study was to explore and describe older persons' vitality and their subjective experiences of what influences their vitality, despite disease and suffering. The study has an explorative and descriptive design. A comprehensive questionnaire including two open-ended questions about vitality was sent to 4927 older persons aged 65 and 75, and a total of 2579 responded to the open-ended questions. Qualitative content analyses were used. A safe and confirming communion, meaningful activities, an optimal state of health and an inner strength were important sources of vitality. Ageing that includes illness or a restricted life, happenings in the world and in one's close environment that threaten inner meaningfulness, and mental burdens that give rise to a feeling of hopelessness or depression decrease vitality. Vitality is an important health resource for 65- and 75-year-olds in that it influences a person's longing for life, love and meaning. Accordingly, it is of fundamental importance that Registered Nurses and other healthcare personnel strengthen older persons' vitality during the ageing process. By taking into consideration that which positively vs. negatively affects the vitality of each unique person, healthcare personnel can strengthen each older person's health resources and attempt to minimise and limit what negatively influences said person's vitality. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

The need for control, safety and trust in healthcare: A qualitative study among adolescents and young adults exposed to family violence.

PubMed

van Rosmalen-Nooijens, Karin A W L; Lo Fo Wong, Sylvie H; Prins, Judith B; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine L M

2017-06-01

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) exposed to family violence are in need of professional healthcare. However, only one-third of them seek professional help. This study investigates healthcare needs of twelve AYA exposed to family violence. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews using purposive sampling to reach diversity. Open thematic coding was used to identify the most important themes. Participants experienced emotional problems, distrusted others and felt unsafe as an important consequence of their exposure to family violence. All participants expressed a need for help, but as help involved informing others, they considered it unsafe. Trust, safety and control regarding healthcare interventions emerged as vital needs. The anonymity of the Internet was considered as offering safeguards in seeking and receiving help. Trust, safety and control regarding healthcare interventions emerged as vital needs for AYA exposed to family violence. The great importance of being in control of healthcare interventions has not been reported earlier. A personal bond can lower the need for control. To comply with the three basic needs, healthcare providers should grant AYA as much control as possible while still monitoring patient safety. The Internet can be an important resource for offering low-threshold professional and peer support. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bottom Line II Conference. Quality -- The Vital Link in Production and Readiness.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

Business schools teach the concept, and popular books such as MEGATRENDS and IN SEARC CF MMECELT11E, reiterate it. Similarly, it is important that leaders...work the Quality problem. You rarely find it in universities - Dr. Hunter, talked to the issue, but if you go back and look at the business schools , or...biggest. We have developed some sloppy management practices in this country. I think our business schools have turned out people disciplined to think

USSR Report, Problems of the Far East, No. 1, Jan-Mar 1983.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-13

to the tremendous expansion of the sphere of action of Soviet fo- reign policy, and to its vital importance for the destinies of all countries and...the upper crust of South Korea wary about the destiny of the regime. Sever- al theories were set forth as arguments in favour of preserving the US...active participant in the "war of Kaku and Fuku", a fact which affected his political destiny . Nakasone played a significant role in Tanaka’s election as

Reconstructing shifts in vital rates driven by long-term environmental change: a new demographic method based on readily available data.

PubMed

González, Edgar J; Martorell, Carlos

2013-07-01

Frequently, vital rates are driven by directional, long-term environmental changes. Many of these are of great importance, such as land degradation, climate change, and succession. Traditional demographic methods assume a constant or stationary environment, and thus are inappropriate to analyze populations subject to these changes. They also require repeat surveys of the individuals as change unfolds. Methods for reconstructing such lengthy processes are needed. We present a model that, based on a time series of population size structures and densities, reconstructs the impact of directional environmental changes on vital rates. The model uses integral projection models and maximum likelihood to identify the rates that best reconstructs the time series. The procedure was validated with artificial and real data. The former involved simulated species with widely different demographic behaviors. The latter used a chronosequence of populations of an endangered cactus subject to increasing anthropogenic disturbance. In our simulations, the vital rates and their change were always reconstructed accurately. Nevertheless, the model frequently produced alternative results. The use of coarse knowledge of the species' biology (whether vital rates increase or decrease with size or their plausible values) allowed the correct rates to be identified with a 90% success rate. With real data, the model correctly reconstructed the effects of disturbance on vital rates. These effects were previously known from two populations for which demographic data were available. Our procedure seems robust, as the data violated several of the model's assumptions. Thus, time series of size structures and densities contain the necessary information to reconstruct changing vital rates. However, additional biological knowledge may be required to provide reliable results. Because time series of size structures and densities are available for many species or can be rapidly generated, our model can contribute to understand populations that face highly pressing environmental problems.

Reconstructing shifts in vital rates driven by long-term environmental change: a new demographic method based on readily available data

PubMed Central

González, Edgar J; Martorell, Carlos

2013-01-01

Frequently, vital rates are driven by directional, long-term environmental changes. Many of these are of great importance, such as land degradation, climate change, and succession. Traditional demographic methods assume a constant or stationary environment, and thus are inappropriate to analyze populations subject to these changes. They also require repeat surveys of the individuals as change unfolds. Methods for reconstructing such lengthy processes are needed. We present a model that, based on a time series of population size structures and densities, reconstructs the impact of directional environmental changes on vital rates. The model uses integral projection models and maximum likelihood to identify the rates that best reconstructs the time series. The procedure was validated with artificial and real data. The former involved simulated species with widely different demographic behaviors. The latter used a chronosequence of populations of an endangered cactus subject to increasing anthropogenic disturbance. In our simulations, the vital rates and their change were always reconstructed accurately. Nevertheless, the model frequently produced alternative results. The use of coarse knowledge of the species' biology (whether vital rates increase or decrease with size or their plausible values) allowed the correct rates to be identified with a 90% success rate. With real data, the model correctly reconstructed the effects of disturbance on vital rates. These effects were previously known from two populations for which demographic data were available. Our procedure seems robust, as the data violated several of the model's assumptions. Thus, time series of size structures and densities contain the necessary information to reconstruct changing vital rates. However, additional biological knowledge may be required to provide reliable results. Because time series of size structures and densities are available for many species or can be rapidly generated, our model can contribute to understand populations that face highly pressing environmental problems. PMID:23919169

Refereed Publications of Vital Business Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaszczynski, Carol; Scott, James Calvert; Green, Diana J.

2009-01-01

Problem: No systematic research has explored the refereed publications records of vital business educators. Data Collection Procedures: A total of 120 prominent business educators were mailed a survey about their publication practices and history, yielding a 61% usable return rate from 73 completed questionnaires. Results: The six research…

Reproductive hazards in the workplace: what the practitioner needs to know about chemical exposures.

PubMed

Paul, M; Himmelstein, J

1988-06-01

A growing body of scientific evidence implicates occupational chemical exposures in the etiology of human adverse reproductive outcomes. Most reproductive toxins that have been investigated in sufficient detail have been shown to exert multiple effects on and through both men and women. In the face of growing public awareness, it is essential that clinicians develop a knowledgeable and effective approach to patient concerns about reproductive hazards in the workplace. Of vital importance is the accurate characterization of exposure at the worksite. Intervention strategies for worrisome situations include amelioration of worksite exposure or, as a last resort, temporary, compensated job modification or transfer. The clinician can obtain assistance in addressing the problem from several resources, including local regulatory agencies and occupational health clinics. Widespread involvement of knowledgeable health professionals can have a dramatic impact on improving this important contemporary public health problem.

Employment insecurity and employees' health in Denmark.

PubMed

Cottini, Elena; Ghinetti, Paolo

2018-02-01

We use register data for Denmark (IDA) merged with the Danish Work Environment Cohort Survey (1995, 2000, and 2005) to estimate the effect of perceived employment insecurity on perceived health for a sample of Danish employees. We consider two health measures from the SF-36 Health Survey Instrument: a vitality scale for general well-being and a mental health scale. We first analyse a summary measure of employment insecurity. Instrumental variables-fixed effects estimates that use firm workforce changes as a source of exogenous variation show that 1 additional dimension of insecurity causes a shift from the median to the 25th percentile in the mental health scale and to the 30th in that of energy/vitality. It also increases by about 6 percentage points the probability to develop severe mental health problems. Looking at single insecurity dimensions by naïve fixed effects, uncertainty associated with the current job is important for mental health. Employability has a sizeable relationship with health and is the only insecurity dimension that matters for the energy and vitality scale. Danish employees who fear involuntary firm internal mobility experience worse mental health. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

WHU at TREC KBA Vital Filtering Track 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

view the problem as a classification problem and use Stanford NLP Toolkit to extract necessary information. Various kinds of features are leveraged to...profile of an entity. Our approach is to view the problem as a classification problem and use Stanford NLP Toolkit to extract necessary information

Effects of cervical self-stretching on slow vital capacity.

PubMed

Han, Dongwook; Yoon, Nayoon; Jeong, Yeongran; Ha, Misook; Nam, Kunwoo

2015-07-01

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of self-stretching of cervical muscles, because the accessory inspiratory muscle is considered to improve pulmonary function. [Subjects] The subjects were 30 healthy university students 19-21 years old who did not have any lung disease, respiratory dysfunction, cervical injury, or any problems upon cervical stretching. [Methods] Spirometry was used as a pulmonary function test to measure the slow vital capacity before and after stretching. The slow vital capacity of the experimental group was measured before and after cervical self-stretching. Meanwhile, the slow vital capacity of the control group, which did not perform stretching, was also measured before and after the intervention. [Results] The expiratory vital capacity, inspiratory reserve volume, and expiratory reserve volume of the experimental group increased significantly after the cervical self-stretching. [Conclusion] Self-stretching of the cervical muscle (i.e., the inspiratory accessory muscle) improves slow vital capacity.

Plants and their microbial assistants: Nature's answer to Earth's environmental pollution problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C.

1990-01-01

The utilization of higher plants and their associated microorganisms to solve environmental pollution problems on Earth and in future space applications is briefly reviewed. If man is sealed inside closed facilities, he becomes a polluter of the environment. It is also common knowledge to most people that man cannot survive on Earth without green photosynthesizing plants and microorganisms. Therefore, it is vitally important to have a better understanding of the interactions of man with plants and microorganisms. Biosphere 2 and other related studies presently being conducted or planned, hopefully, will supply data that will help save planet Earth from impending environmental disaster. The development of means to utilize both air and water pollution as a nutrient source for growing green plants is examined.

Surviving the Eighties. Strategies and Procedures for Solving Fiscal and Enrollment Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayhew, Lewis B.

The survival of higher education institutions is addressed in this book. Strategies and procedures for assuring institutional vitality are outlined, based on the author's 30 years of studying and advising colleges and universities in various states of financial health. The major components of institutional vitality are enumerated, including a…

CDC Vital Signs: Legionnaires' Disease

MedlinePlus

... preventable with more effective water management. Problem Water management problems can lead to Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks. What ... process failures, like not having a Legionella water management program. About 1 in 2 (52%) are due ...

Bisphosphonate-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Maxilla Resembling a Persistent Endodontic Lesion.

PubMed

Mosaferi, Hossein; Fazlyab, Mahta; Sharifi, Sanaz; Rahimian, Sepideh

2016-01-01

A 52-year-old Caucasian woman suffering from pain in the anterior maxillary region, presented to the clinic. Examination revealed a draining sinus tract in the buccal vestibule of the maxilla in the left anterior segment and expansion in the middle of palate. On conventional radiographic examination the lesion was initially assumed to be a periapical problem related to the incisors but subsequently it was diagnosed to be a bisphosphonate osteonecrosis. Acquiring a comprehensive medical history from the patients, conducting the clinical vitality tests and most importantly being familiar with the non-odontogenic lesions that can be side effects of specific medications are important requirements for reaching a correct diagnosis.

Bisphosphonate-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Maxilla Resembling a Persistent Endodontic Lesion

PubMed Central

Mosaferi, Hossein; Fazlyab, Mahta; Sharifi, Sanaz; Rahimian, Sepideh

2016-01-01

A 52-year-old Caucasian woman suffering from pain in the anterior maxillary region, presented to the clinic. Examination revealed a draining sinus tract in the buccal vestibule of the maxilla in the left anterior segment and expansion in the middle of palate. On conventional radiographic examination the lesion was initially assumed to be a periapical problem related to the incisors but subsequently it was diagnosed to be a bisphosphonate osteonecrosis. Conclusion: Acquiring a comprehensive medical history from the patients, conducting the clinical vitality tests and most importantly being familiar with the non-odontogenic lesions that can be side effects of specific medications are important requirements for reaching a correct diagnosis. PMID:26843881

Vital Sign Monitoring and Mobile Phone Usage Detection Using IR-UWB Radar for Intended Use in Car Crash Prevention.

PubMed

Leem, Seong Kyu; Khan, Faheem; Cho, Sung Ho

2017-05-30

In order to avoid car crashes, active safety systems are becoming more and more important. Many crashes are caused due to driver drowsiness or mobile phone usage. Detecting the drowsiness of the driver is very important for the safety of a car. Monitoring of vital signs such as respiration rate and heart rate is important to determine the occurrence of driver drowsiness. In this paper, robust vital signs monitoring through impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar is discussed. We propose a new algorithm that can estimate the vital signs even if there is motion caused by the driving activities. We analyzed the whole fast time vital detection region and found the signals at those fast time locations that have useful information related to the vital signals. We segmented those signals into sub-signals and then constructed the desired vital signal using the correlation method. In this way, the vital signs of the driver can be monitored noninvasively, which can be used by researchers to detect the drowsiness of the driver which is related to the vital signs i.e., respiration and heart rate. In addition, texting on a mobile phone during driving may cause visual, manual or cognitive distraction of the driver. In order to reduce accidents caused by a distracted driver, we proposed an algorithm that can detect perfectly a driver's mobile phone usage even if there are various motions of the driver in the car or changes in background objects. These novel techniques, which monitor vital signs associated with drowsiness and detect phone usage before a driver makes a mistake, may be very helpful in developing techniques for preventing a car crash.

Vital Sign Monitoring and Mobile Phone Usage Detection Using IR-UWB Radar for Intended Use in Car Crash Prevention

PubMed Central

Leem, Seong Kyu; Khan, Faheem; Cho, Sung Ho

2017-01-01

In order to avoid car crashes, active safety systems are becoming more and more important. Many crashes are caused due to driver drowsiness or mobile phone usage. Detecting the drowsiness of the driver is very important for the safety of a car. Monitoring of vital signs such as respiration rate and heart rate is important to determine the occurrence of driver drowsiness. In this paper, robust vital signs monitoring through impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar is discussed. We propose a new algorithm that can estimate the vital signs even if there is motion caused by the driving activities. We analyzed the whole fast time vital detection region and found the signals at those fast time locations that have useful information related to the vital signals. We segmented those signals into sub-signals and then constructed the desired vital signal using the correlation method. In this way, the vital signs of the driver can be monitored noninvasively, which can be used by researchers to detect the drowsiness of the driver which is related to the vital signs i.e., respiration and heart rate. In addition, texting on a mobile phone during driving may cause visual, manual or cognitive distraction of the driver. In order to reduce accidents caused by a distracted driver, we proposed an algorithm that can detect perfectly a driver's mobile phone usage even if there are various motions of the driver in the car or changes in background objects. These novel techniques, which monitor vital signs associated with drowsiness and detect phone usage before a driver makes a mistake, may be very helpful in developing techniques for preventing a car crash. PMID:28556818

A clinical decision-making mechanism for context-aware and patient-specific remote monitoring systems using the correlations of multiple vital signs.

PubMed

Forkan, Abdur Rahim Mohammad; Khalil, Ibrahim

2017-02-01

In home-based context-aware monitoring patient's real-time data of multiple vital signs (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure) are continuously generated from wearable sensors. The changes in such vital parameters are highly correlated. They are also patient-centric and can be either recurrent or can fluctuate. The objective of this study is to develop an intelligent method for personalized monitoring and clinical decision support through early estimation of patient-specific vital sign values, and prediction of anomalies using the interrelation among multiple vital signs. In this paper, multi-label classification algorithms are applied in classifier design to forecast these values and related abnormalities. We proposed a completely new approach of patient-specific vital sign prediction system using their correlations. The developed technique can guide healthcare professionals to make accurate clinical decisions. Moreover, our model can support many patients with various clinical conditions concurrently by utilizing the power of cloud computing technology. The developed method also reduces the rate of false predictions in remote monitoring centres. In the experimental settings, the statistical features and correlations of six vital signs are formulated as multi-label classification problem. Eight multi-label classification algorithms along with three fundamental machine learning algorithms are used and tested on a public dataset of 85 patients. Different multi-label classification evaluation measures such as Hamming score, F1-micro average, and accuracy are used for interpreting the prediction performance of patient-specific situation classifications. We achieved 90-95% Hamming score values across 24 classifier combinations for 85 different patients used in our experiment. The results are compared with single-label classifiers and without considering the correlations among the vitals. The comparisons show that multi-label method is the best technique for this problem domain. The evaluation results reveal that multi-label classification techniques using the correlations among multiple vitals are effective ways for early estimation of future values of those vitals. In context-aware remote monitoring this process can greatly help the doctors in quick diagnostic decision making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vital Business Educators' Perceptions about the Usefulness of Business Education Periodicals: Making the Relevant Literature More Accessible

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, James Calvert; Blaszczynski, Carol; Green, Diana J.; Fagerheim, Britt Anna

2008-01-01

Problem: The business education literature isn't accessible. Research Questions: Which business education periodicals do vital business educators perceive to be more useful? In which databases and/or indices are they found? How much literature is fugitive? What strategies might increase literature accessibility? Research Method: Delphi technique.…

A New Classification of Endodontic-Periodontal Lesions

PubMed Central

Al-Fouzan, Khalid S.

2014-01-01

The interrelationship between periodontal and endodontic disease has always aroused confusion, queries, and controversy. Differentiating between a periodontal and an endodontic problem can be difficult. A symptomatic tooth may have pain of periodontal and/or pulpal origin. The nature of that pain is often the first clue in determining the etiology of such a problem. Radiographic and clinical evaluation can help clarify the nature of the problem. In some cases, the influence of pulpal pathology may cause the periodontal involvement and vice versa. The simultaneous existence of pulpal problems and inflammatory periodontal disease can complicate diagnosis and treatment planning. An endo-perio lesion can have a varied pathogenesis which ranges from simple to relatively complex one. The differential diagnosis of endodontic and periodontal diseases can sometimes be difficult, but it is of vital importance to make a correct diagnosis for providing the appropriate treatment. This paper aims to discuss a modified clinical classification to be considered for accurately diagnosing and treating endo-perio lesion. PMID:24829580

A new classification of endodontic-periodontal lesions.

PubMed

Al-Fouzan, Khalid S

2014-01-01

The interrelationship between periodontal and endodontic disease has always aroused confusion, queries, and controversy. Differentiating between a periodontal and an endodontic problem can be difficult. A symptomatic tooth may have pain of periodontal and/or pulpal origin. The nature of that pain is often the first clue in determining the etiology of such a problem. Radiographic and clinical evaluation can help clarify the nature of the problem. In some cases, the influence of pulpal pathology may cause the periodontal involvement and vice versa. The simultaneous existence of pulpal problems and inflammatory periodontal disease can complicate diagnosis and treatment planning. An endo-perio lesion can have a varied pathogenesis which ranges from simple to relatively complex one. The differential diagnosis of endodontic and periodontal diseases can sometimes be difficult, but it is of vital importance to make a correct diagnosis for providing the appropriate treatment. This paper aims to discuss a modified clinical classification to be considered for accurately diagnosing and treating endo-perio lesion.

City personification as problem solving to strengthen the wholeness of the city: study case in Serui city, Papua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardine, Y. R. I.; Herlily

2018-03-01

Serui City in Papua Province has many unique characters and must be maintained for the sake of the continuity of its identity. However, this city still lacks the facility and depend on other areas. Accordingly, it becomes vulnerable. The wholeness of the city is not just by having strong character but also having strength regarding vitality. The loss of it can affect the character and even eliminate it. Cities and people have many similarities regarding character and vitality. Therefore, there is a chance to solve the problems in the city using the similar approach to treat the human. We called city personification methods as problem-solving to the city. It means that we treat the city as a human being so that the problem can be solved as the human’s treatment. The personification of this city is conducted because of the many treatments that have proven effective in humans and may also be powerful to manifest in city. The personification makes the design will only focus on the particular networks and not on the whole “body,” remain in the hope for strengthening (maintain and improve) the quality of wholeness (character and vitality) city which in this case is Serui.

Research on the transfer learning of the vehicle logo recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei

2017-08-01

The Convolutional Neural Network of Deep Learning has been a huge success in the field of image intelligent transportation system can effectively solve the traffic safety, congestion, vehicle management and other problems of traffic in the city. Vehicle identification is a vital part of intelligent transportation, and the effective information in vehicles is of great significance to vehicle identification. With the traffic system on the vehicle identification technology requirements are getting higher and higher, the vehicle as an important type of vehicle information, because it should not be removed, difficult to change and other features for vehicle identification provides an important method. The current vehicle identification recognition (VLR) is mostly used to extract the characteristics of the method of classification, which for complex classification of its generalization ability to be some constraints, if the use of depth learning technology, you need a lot of training samples. In this paper, the method of convolution neural network based on transfer learning can solve this problem effectively, and it has important practical application value in the task of vehicle mark recognition.

Keep Talking & Monitoring: the importance of longitudinal research & community-based monitoring to support sustainable land management in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Projects come and go with researchers, development practioners and government staff initiating new forms of community engagement in environmental monitoring and land management practices. We analyse interventions from Botswana and Swaziland and highlight that for benefits to be long-lived and lead to sustainable land management, requires community engagement in project design, implementation and for project outputs to be used in developing community-led environmental monitoring tools that can then help to guide local decision-making systems. We stress the vital importance of continued participatory engagement of researchers with community leaders and key government staff beyond the timeframe of their initial research such that longitudinal research approaches can realise significant benefits to all concerned. In dynamic (non-equilibrium) dryland environments, it is vitally important that research approaches address temporal and spatial variability by mapping patterns of change, using a range of participatory tools to enhance understandings of the causes of land degradation and the opportunities for shifts towards more sustainable land management. Decision-support tools, such as rangeland assessment guides produced for various Kalahari rangeland settings in Botswana (via a UNEP project and affiliated research), provide opportunities to support more sustainable land management. However, at present benefits are not being fully realised as project and research staff move on after projects end. Similarly, findings from mixed farming systems in Swaziland (assessing a JICA-funded project) show problems in maintaining new institutional structures to manage rangeland degradation, whilst issues on arable areas associated with parasitic weeds (Striga asiatica) remain problematic. Findings from longitudinal research in Swaziland also show that community understandings of environmental problems have evolved over 10 years and identify new problems associated with intensified drought events linked to climate change. Returning to communities (even if irregularly) after project completion enables identification of local-level knowledge and institutional problems that are often the underlying cause of the post-project failings. In many cases, such failings have led to a lack of sustained benefits as significant community-level goodwill and knowledge is developed during projects, but limited input and guidance through remaining institutional channels means that any strong grounding for success is not harnessed or sustained. It is vital that researchers work pro-actively with formal state institutions (notably agricultural extension services) to ensure that research and development project outputs are understood and used in the post-project phase. Continued engagement with local and institutional actors through longitudinal research assessing multi-stakeholder partnerships and local management practices can realise significant additional benefits far beyond the small time and cost implications of such continued engagement. Shifts to trans-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder working need to address the need for such longer-term, longitudinal research processes to ensure that benefits are not immediately lost and that new forms of sustainable land management can indeed be sustained.

Sexual harassment: a concern for the athletic trainer.

PubMed

Velasquez, B J

1998-04-01

Sexual harassment is a vital social issue that affects the business community, educational institutions, and personnel in the U.S. military. Addressing sexual harassment in the athletic training clinical setting is an important issue for the athletic training professional. Athletic trainers need to understand the complex definitions of sexual harassment and how to identify and handle claims of sexual harassment in order to prevent sexual harassment from occurring and to prevent civil lawsuits of alleged sexual harassment. Professional journals, legal textbooks, policy handbooks, unpublished findings from the NATA Women in Athletic Training Committee report, and current news media sources were used to gain a greater understanding of this social problem. To make the athletic trainer aware of this important social issue and to offer suggestions for the athletic training staff to aid in preventing problems of sexual harassment. This article provides definitions and examples of sexual harassment, discussion of policy development, and suggestions for ways to eliminate sexual harassment in the athletic training environment.

Sexual Harassment: A Concern for the Athletic Trainer

PubMed Central

Velasquez, Benito J.

1998-01-01

Objective: Sexual harassment is a vital social issue that affects the business community, educational institutions, and personnel in the U.S. military. Addressing sexual harassment in the athletic training clinical setting is an important issue for the athletic training professional. Athletic trainers need to understand the complex definitions of sexual harassment and how to identify and handle claims of sexual harassment in order to prevent sexual harassment from occurring and to prevent civil lawsuits of alleged sexual harassment. Background: Professional journals, legal textbooks, policy handbooks, unpublished findings from the NATA Women in Athletic Training Committee report, and current news media sources were used to gain a greater understanding of this social problem. Description: To make the athletic trainer aware of this important social issue and to offer suggestions for the athletic training staff to aid in preventing problems of sexual harassment. Clinical Advantages: This article provides definitions and examples of sexual harassment, discussion of policy development, and suggestions for ways to eliminate sexual harassment in the athletic training environment. PMID:16558507

Determining problems experienced by student nurses in their work with clinical educators in Turkey.

PubMed

Elcigil, Ayfer; Yildirim Sari, Hatice

2007-07-01

Clinical education is considered an indispensable and vital part of nursing education. Educators have an important role in the successful completion of a student's clinical education. The clinical educator's approach, experience and knowledge have an influence on the students. Students encounter certain problems during their clinical practice under the supervision of educators. This study was conducted to determine the nature of the problems student nurses encounter during clinical training in Turkey. The focus-group interviews were used for this study. Three groups of 8, a total group of 24, composed of students completing their third year were included in the interviews. The students in this study had completed their practical training in the departments of internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry and public health. Among the problems mostly encountered by students, as established by the study, were inadequate assessment by the clinical educator, judgment, negative feedback, communication problems, inadequate guidance and overload. At the end of the research, recommendations were that educators should offer information in the direction of student expectations, increase their positive feedback and lighten the academic workload of these students.

Problem drinking - detection and assessment in general practice.

PubMed

Demirkol, Apo; Haber, Paul; Conigrave, Katherine

2011-08-01

Alcohol has long been an integral part of the social life of many Australians. However, alcohol is associated with significant harm to drinkers, and also to nondrinkers. This article explores the role of the general practitioner in the detection and assessment of problem drinking. Excessive alcohol use is a major public health problem and the majority of people who drink excessively go undetected. General practitioners are in a good position to detect excessive alcohol consumption; earlier intervention can help improve outcomes. AUDIT-C is an effective screening tool for the detection of problem drinking. National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines suggest that no more than two standard drinks on each occasion will keep lifetime risk of death from alcohol related disease or injury at a low level. Once an alcohol problem is detected it is important to assess for alcohol dependence, other substance use, motivation to change, psychiatric comorbidities and examination and investigation findings that may be associated with excessive alcohol use. A comprehensive assessment of the impact and risk of harm of the patient's drinking to themselves and others is vital, and may require several consultations.

A Self-Calibrating Radar Sensor System for Measuring Vital Signs.

PubMed

Huang, Ming-Chun; Liu, Jason J; Xu, Wenyao; Gu, Changzhan; Li, Changzhi; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2016-04-01

Vital signs (i.e., heartbeat and respiration) are crucial physiological signals that are useful in numerous medical applications. The process of measuring these signals should be simple, reliable, and comfortable for patients. In this paper, a noncontact self-calibrating vital signs monitoring system based on the Doppler radar is presented. The system hardware and software were designed with a four-tiered layer structure. To enable accurate vital signs measurement, baseband signals in the radar sensor were modeled and a framework for signal demodulation was proposed. Specifically, a signal model identification method was formulated into a quadratically constrained l1 minimization problem and solved using the upper bound and linear matrix inequality (LMI) relaxations. The performance of the proposed system was comprehensively evaluated using three experimental sets, and the results indicated that this system can be used to effectively measure human vital signs.

The factors that affect the frequency of vital sign monitoring in the emergency department.

PubMed

Johnson, Kimberly D; Winkelman, Chris; Burant, Christopher J; Dolansky, Mary; Totten, Vicken

2014-01-01

Vital signs are an important component of the nursing assessment and are used as early warning signs of changes in a patient's condition; however, little research has been conducted to determine how often vital signs are monitored in the emergency department. Additionally, it has not been determined what personal, social, and environmental factors affect the frequency of vital sign monitoring. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors may influence the time between recording vital signs in the emergency department. We performed a descriptive, retrospective chart review of 202 randomly selected adult ED patients' charts from representative times to capture a variety of ED levels of occupancy in an urban, Midwestern, teaching hospital. Descriptive and hierarchical regression analyses were used. The strongest predictor of the increased time between vital signs from the personal health factors was lower patient acuity (Emergency Severity Index). This relationship remained strong even when social factors and environmental factors were included. Increased length of stay and fewer routes of medications also had significant relationships to the increased time between vital sign monitoring. These findings are clinically important because greater time between vital sign recordings can lead to errors of omission by not detecting changes in vital signs that could reveal changes in the patient's condition. The findings of this study provide direction for future research focusing on determining whether higher frequency of vital signs surveillance contributes to higher quality care and linking quality of care to missing vital signs/inadequate monitoring. Copyright © 2014 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rheological characterisation of municipal sludge: a review.

PubMed

Eshtiaghi, Nicky; Markis, Flora; Yap, Shao Dong; Baudez, Jean-Christophe; Slatter, Paul

2013-10-01

Sustainable sludge management is becoming a major issue for wastewater treatment plants due to increasing urban populations and tightening environmental regulations for conventional sludge disposal methods. To address this problem, a good understanding of sludge behaviour is vital to improve and optimize the current state of wastewater treatment operations. This paper provides a review of the recent experimental works in order for researchers to be able to develop a reliable characterization technique for measuring the important properties of sludge such as viscosity, yield stress, thixotropy, and viscoelasticity and to better understand the impact of solids concentrations, temperature, and water content on these properties. In this context, choosing the appropriate rheological model and rheometer is also important. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solving Classical Insight Problems without Aha! Experience: 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danek, Amory H.; Wiley, Jennifer; Öllinger, Michael

2016-01-01

Insightful problem solving is a vital part of human thinking, yet very difficult to grasp. Traditionally, insight has been investigated by using a set of established "insight tasks," assuming that insight has taken place if these problems are solved. Instead of assuming that insight takes place during every solution of the 9 Dot, 8 Coin,…

Reaching out to take on TB in Somalia.

PubMed

Moore, David A J; Granat, Simo M

2014-01-01

Among the many challenges facing populations disrupted by complex emergencies, personal security and food security rank much higher than access to healthcare. However, over time health needs assume increasing importance. Many complex crises occur in settings where the background incidence of TB is already high; social and economic conditions in crises are then highly conducive to amplification of the existing TB problem. Innovative approaches to delivery of diagnostic and treatment services, transition planning and integration with other healthcare providers and services are vital. In the extremely challenging environment of Somalia, multiple partners are making headway though collaboration and innovation.

Ethics and American Power: Speeches by Caspar W. Weinberger and George P. Shultz. Responses by Philip Geyelin, Smith Hempstone, Carl F. H. Henry, Thomas Molnar, Richard John Neuhaus, David D. Newsom, William V. O'Brien, Paul Seabury, Roger L. Shinn, Seymour Siegel, Edward Teller, Richard M. Nixon. Ethics and Public Policy Essay 59.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefever, Ernest W., Ed.

Two cabinet secretaries address the problems of when and how the United States should use military power. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger emphasizes the importance of prudence and restraint in the use of military force in chapter 1: "The Uses of Military Power." Secretary of State George P. Shultz stresses the vital importance…

Mediating Role of Mindfulness on the Associations of Friendship Quality and Subjective Vitality.

PubMed

Akin, Umran; Akin, Ahmet; Uğur, Erol

2016-10-01

This research investigated the mediator role of mindfulness on the relationship between friendship quality and subjective vitality. Participants were 273 university students (M age = 21 years, SD = 1.1) who completed a questionnaire package that included the Friendship Quality Scale, the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale, and the Subjective Vitality Scale. Both mindfulness and subjective vitality were correlated positively with friendship quality and subjective vitality was correlated positively with mindfulness. Mindfulness mediated the relationship between friendship quality and subjective vitality. Together, the findings illuminate the importance of friendship quality in psychological and cognitive adjustment. © The Author(s) 2016.

Applying the Problem Behavior Theory to Adolescent Drug Use Among a Cross-Sectional Sample of Boys Participating in a Community-Based Youth Organization.

PubMed

Alexander, Adam C; Obong'o, Christopher O; Chavan, Prachi; Vander Weg, Mark W; Ward, Kenneth D

2018-03-21

Drug use remains an important public health concern in the United States, and understanding drug use among young adolescents is vital towards improving the health of the population. This study applied the Problem Behavior Theory (PBT) to lifetime drug use among a cross-sectional sample of Boy Scouts (N = 770). The PBT provides a conceptual framework for identifying risk and protective factors for adolescent problem behaviors, including drug use. Scouts reported their drug use and socio-demographics, and were assessed on several risk and protective factors. For analyses, sociodemographic and risk and protective factors were selected according to the framework provided by PBT, and use of each drug was regressed logistically on these selected factors. Final logistic models were assessed for goodness of fit and discriminatory power. The PBT demonstrated discriminatory power for all drugs (Tjur's R 2 values ≥.29), but fell sharply for illicit drug use (Tjur's R 2 =.20). There were no consistent correlates of drug use. Conclusions/Importance: The PBT had less explanatory power for illicit drug use compared to tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, which suggests different risk and protective factors were associated with illicit drug use.

Effectiveness of a problem-solving based intervention to prolong the working life of ageing workers.

PubMed

Koolhaas, Wendy; Groothoff, Johan W; de Boer, Michiel R; van der Klink, Jac J L; Brouwer, Sandra

2015-02-04

An ageing workforce combined with increasing health problems in ageing workers implies the importance of evidence-based interventions to enhance sustainable employability. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the 'Staying healthy at work' problem-solving based intervention compared to business as usual. This study was designed as a quasi-experimental trial with a one-year follow-up. Measurements were performed at baseline, three and twelve months. The problem-solving based intervention provides a strategy for increasing the awareness of ageing workers of their role and responsibility in living sustainable, healthy working lives. The primary outcomes were work ability, vitality and productivity. Secondary outcomes were perceived fatigue, psychosocial work characteristics, work attitude, self-efficacy and work engagement. Analyses were performed on the 64 workers in the intervention and 61 workers from the business as usual group. No effects on productivity (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.23-3.00) and adverse effects on work ability (B = -1.33, 95% CI -2.45 to -0.20) and vitality (OR = 0.10, 95% CI 0.02-0.46) were found. Positive results were found for the work attitude secondary outcome (B = 5.29, 95% CI -9.59 to -0.99), the self-efficacy persistence subscale (B = 1.45, 95% CI 0.43-2.48) and the skill discretion subscale of the Job Content Questionnaire (B = 1.78, 95% CI 0.74-2.83). The results of the problem-solving intervention showed no positive effects on the three outcome measures compared to business as usual. However, effectiveness was shown on three of the secondary outcome measures, i.e. work attitude, self-efficacy and skill discretion. We presume that the lack of positive effects on primary outcomes is due to programme failure and not to theory failure. The trial is registered with the Dutch Trial Register under number NTR2270 .

Developing Our Water Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volker, Adriaan

1977-01-01

Only very recently developed as a refined scientific discipline, hydrology has to cope with a complexity of problems concerning the present and future management of a vital natural resource, water. This article examines available water supplies and the problems and prospects of water resource development. (Author/MA)

Factor Structure and Item Level Psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised-Short Form in Traumatic Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Li, Chih-Ying; Waid-Ebbs, Julia; Velozo, Craig A.; Heaton, Shelley C.

2016-01-01

Primary Objective Social problem solving deficits characterize individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Poor social problem solving interferes with daily functioning and productive lifestyles. Therefore, it is of vital importance to use the appropriate instrument to identify deficits in social problem solving for individuals with TBI. This study investigates factor structure and item-level psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised Short Form (SPSI-R:S), for adults with moderate and severe TBI. Research Design Secondary analysis of 90 adults with moderate and severe TBI who completed the SPSI-R:S. Methods and Procedures An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), principal components analysis (PCA) and Rasch analysis examined the factor structure and item-level psychometrics of the SPSI-R:S. Main Outcomes and Results The EFA showed three dominant factors, with positively worded items represented as the most definite factor. The other two factors are negative problem solving orientation and skills; and negative problem solving emotion. Rasch analyses confirmed the three factors are each unidimensional constructs. Conclusions The total score interpretability of the SPSI-R:S may be challenging due to the multidimensional structure of the total measure. Instead, we propose using three separate SPSI-R:S subscores to measure social problem solving for the TBI population. PMID:26052731

A new fast algorithm for solving the minimum spanning tree problem based on DNA molecules computation.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaocai; Huang, Dongmei; Meng, Huajun; Tang, Chengpei

2013-10-01

The minimum spanning tree (MST) problem is to find minimum edge connected subsets containing all the vertex of a given undirected graph. It is a vitally important NP-complete problem in graph theory and applied mathematics, having numerous real life applications. Moreover in previous studies, DNA molecular operations usually were used to solve NP-complete head-to-tail path search problems, rarely for NP-hard problems with multi-lateral path solutions result, such as the minimum spanning tree problem. In this paper, we present a new fast DNA algorithm for solving the MST problem using DNA molecular operations. For an undirected graph with n vertex and m edges, we reasonably design flexible length DNA strands representing the vertex and edges, take appropriate steps and get the solutions of the MST problem in proper length range and O(3m+n) time complexity. We extend the application of DNA molecular operations and simultaneity simplify the complexity of the computation. Results of computer simulative experiments show that the proposed method updates some of the best known values with very short time and that the proposed method provides a better performance with solution accuracy over existing algorithms. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Factor structure and item level psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form in traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Li, Chih-Ying; Waid-Ebbs, Julia; Velozo, Craig A; Heaton, Shelley C

2016-01-01

Social problem-solving deficits characterise individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and poor social problem solving interferes with daily functioning and productive lifestyles. Therefore, it is of vital importance to use the appropriate instrument to identify deficits in social problem solving for individuals with TBI. This study investigates factor structure and item-level psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form (SPSI-R:S), for adults with moderate and severe TBI. Secondary analysis of 90 adults with moderate and severe TBI who completed the SPSI-R:S was performed. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), principal components analysis (PCA) and Rasch analysis examined the factor structure and item-level psychometrics of the SPSI-R:S. The EFA showed three dominant factors, with positively worded items represented as the most definite factor. The other two factors are negative problem-solving orientation and skills; and negative problem-solving emotion. Rasch analyses confirmed the three factors are each unidimensional constructs. It was concluded that the total score interpretability of the SPSI-R:S may be challenging due to the multidimensional structure of the total measure. Instead, we propose using three separate SPSI-R:S subscores to measure social problem solving for the TBI population.

An Expanded Model of Faculty Vitality in Academic Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dankoski, Mary E.; Palmer, Megan M.; Laird, Thomas F. Nelson; Ribera, Amy K.; Bogdewic, Stephen P.

2012-01-01

Many faculty in today's academic medical centers face high levels of stress and low career satisfaction. Understanding faculty vitality is critically important for the health of our academic medical centers, yet the concept is ill-defined and lacking a comprehensive model. Expanding on previous research that examines vital faculty in higher…

Learning as a Problem Solving Tool. Technical Report CS74018-R.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claybrook, Billy G.

This paper explores the use of learning as a practical tool in problem solving. The idea that learning should and eventually will be a vital component of most Artificial Intelligence programs is pursued. Current techniques in learning systems are compared. A detailed discussion of the problems of representing, modifying, and creating heuristics is…

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for Jordanian Tourist Police in Their Workplace: Needs and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldohon, Hatem Ibrahim

2014-01-01

With the rapid development of the global tourism industry, designing ESP-based curricula is now more vitally needed than ever. To work towards this goal, analyzing learners' problems and needs has become merely unavoidable. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the needs, functions and problems of 46 tourist police serving in different…

Manifesto for a healthy and health-creating society.

PubMed

Crisp, Nigel; Stuckler, David; Horton, Richard; Adebowale, Victor; Bailey, Sue; Baker, Maureen; Bell, John; Bird, John; Black, Carol; Campbell, Jane; Davies, Janet; Henry, Heather; Lechler, Robert; Mawson, Andrew; Maxwell, Patrick H; McKee, Martin; Warwick, Cathy

2016-12-10

Brexit and the troubled state of the NHS call for re-thinking the UK's approach to health. The EU referendum vote reveals deep social divisions as well as presenting the country with important decisions and negotiations about the future. At the same time, health problems are growing; the NHS faces severe financial constraints and appears to lurch from crisis to crisis, with leaving the European Union likely to exacerbate many problems including staffing issues across the whole sector. However, new scientific developments and digital technology offer societies everywhere massive and unprecedented opportunities for improving health. It is vital for the country that the NHS is able to adopt these discoveries and see them translated into improved patient care and population health, but also that the UK benefits from its capabilities and strengths in these areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aiding the search: Examining individual differences in multiply-constrained problem solving.

PubMed

Ellis, Derek M; Brewer, Gene A

2018-07-01

Understanding and resolving complex problems is of vital importance in daily life. Problems can be defined by the limitations they place on the problem solver. Multiply-constrained problems are traditionally examined with the compound remote associates task (CRAT). Performance on the CRAT is partially dependent on an individual's working memory capacity (WMC). These findings suggest that executive processes are critical for problem solving and that there are reliable individual differences in multiply-constrained problem solving abilities. The goals of the current study are to replicate and further elucidate the relation between WMC and CRAT performance. To achieve these goals, we manipulated preexposure to CRAT solutions and measured WMC with complex-span tasks. In Experiment 1, we report evidence that preexposure to CRAT solutions improved problem solving accuracy, WMC was correlated with problem solving accuracy, and that WMC did not moderate the effect of preexposure on problem solving accuracy. In Experiment 2, we preexposed participants to correct and incorrect solutions. We replicated Experiment 1 and found that WMC moderates the effect of exposure to CRAT solutions such that high WMC participants benefit more from preexposure to correct solutions than low WMC (although low WMC participants have preexposure benefits as well). Broadly, these results are consistent with theories of working memory and problem solving that suggest a mediating role of attention control processes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Forensic medical diagnostics of intra-vitality of the strangulation mark by morphological methods].

PubMed

Bogomolov, D V; Zbrueva, Yu V; Putintsev, V A; Denisova, O P

2016-01-01

The objective of the present study WaS to overview the current domestic and foreign literature concerning the up-to-date methods employed for the expert evaluation of intra-vitality of the strangulation mark. The secondary objective was to propose the new approaches for addressing this problem. The methods of expert diagnostics with a view to determining the time of infliction of injuries as exemplified by mechanical asphyxia are discussed. It is concluded that immunohistochemical and morphometric studies provide the most promising tools for the evaluation of intra-vitality of the strangulation mark for the purpose of forensic medical expertise.

[Environmental and occupational problems in the utilization of industrial and home waste].

PubMed

Rusakov, N V; Rakhmanin, Iu A

2002-01-01

One of the acute hygienic problems of today is handling industrial and consumer wastes stored in Russia in the amount of 30 milliard tons; 30 million of solid garbage and 120 million tons of industrial wastes being formed. There are 4 garbage-handling and 10 garbage disposal plants built in the country. A third of them don't operate now. An absence of the initial selection in garbage collection causes the situation when only 3% of solid garbage is being processed. There is no state unified wastes recycling and utilizing system, no training of personnel to work out special technologies and do this work. Special attention should be given to medical wastes dangerous for the epidemiological situation, since they contain pathogenic microorganisms and helminth eggs; they may as well be contaminated by toxic and radioactive chemicals. A complex solution of the problems of industrial and consumer wastes handling is of vital importance for human health protection and protection of environment.

Mid-Career Faculty Development in Academic Medicine: How Does It Impact Faculty and Institutional Vitality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campion, MaryAnn W.; Bhasin, Robina M.; Beaudette, Donald J.; Shann, Mary H.; Benjamin, Emelia J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Faculty vitality is integral to the advancement of higher education. Strengthening vitality is particularly important for midcareer faculty, who represent the largest and most dissatisfied segment. The demands of academic medicine appear to be another factor that may put faculty at risk of attrition. To address these issues, we initiated…

Vitality Forms Expressed by Others Modulate Our Own Motor Response: A Kinematic Study

PubMed Central

Di Cesare, Giuseppe; De Stefani, Elisa; Gentilucci, Maurizio; De Marco, Doriana

2017-01-01

During social interaction, actions, and words may be expressed in different ways, for example, gently or rudely. A handshake can be gentle or vigorous and, similarly, tone of voice can be pleasant or rude. These aspects of social communication have been named vitality forms by Daniel Stern. Vitality forms represent how an action is performed and characterize all human interactions. In spite of their importance in social life, to date it is not clear whether the vitality forms expressed by the agent can influence the execution of a subsequent action performed by the receiver. To shed light on this matter, in the present study we carried out a kinematic study aiming to assess whether and how visual and auditory properties of vitality forms expressed by others influenced the motor response of participants. In particular, participants were presented with video-clips showing a male and a female actor performing a “giving request” (give me) or a “taking request” (take it) in visual, auditory, and mixed modalities (visual and auditory). Most importantly, requests were expressed with rude or gentle vitality forms. After the actor's request, participants performed a subsequent action. Results showed that vitality forms expressed by the actors influenced the kinematic parameters of the participants' actions regardless to the modality by which they are conveyed. PMID:29204114

[Vital pulp therapy of damaged dental pulp].

PubMed

Xuedong, Zhou; Dingming, Huang; Jianguo, Liu; Zhengwei, Huang; Xin, Wei; Deqin, Yang; Jin, Zhao; Liming, Chen; Lin, Zhu; Yanhong, Li; Jiyao, Li

2017-08-01

The development of an expert consensus on vital pulp therapy can provide practical guidance for the improvement of pulp damage care in China. Dental pulp disease is a major type of illness that adversely affects human oral health. Pulp capping and pulpotomy are currently the main methods for vital pulp therapy. Along with the development of minimal invasion cosmetic dentistry, using different treatment technologies and materials reasonably, preserving healthy tooth tissue, and extending tooth save time have become urgent problems that call for immediate solution in dental clinics. This paper summarizes the experiences and knowledge of endodontic experts. We develop a clinical path of vital pulp therapy for clinical work by utilizing the nature, approach, and degree of pulp damage as references, defense and self-repairing ability of pulp as guidance, and modern technologies of diagnosis and treatment as means.

Connecting health-related quality of life and mental health in dementia caregivers from Colombia, South America.

PubMed

Perrin, Paul B; Morgan, Matthew; Aretouli, Eleni; Sutter, Megan; Snipes, Daniel J; Hoyos, Guillermo Ramirez; Buraye, Jacqueline Arabia; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

Research in Caucasian populations has begun to examine the broad associations between physical and mental health in dementia caregivers. However, the examination of this relationship in Latin America is largely absent from the literature despite the fact that the region will see a major increase in dementia cases over the next 20 years. The current study examined the associations between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health in 90 dementia caregivers from Colombia, South America. A canonical correlation found that higher caregiver HRQOL was related to better mental health, as expected. Caregivers with high vitality and low role limitations due to physical problems tended to have low depression and high satisfaction with life. Follow-up multiple regressions found that caregiver role limitations due to physical problems was uniquely associated with satisfaction with life, whereas vitality, role limitations due to physical problems, and pain were uniquely associated with burden (although the pain effect was likely error due to a suppressor effect). Additionally, vitality and social functioning were uniquely negatively related to depression. Because of the extremely high overlap between these two sets of variables, dementia interventions are needed in Latin America that target both caregiver mental and physical health, as both likely operate in unison and influence each other.

An American Vital Interest: Preserving the Nuclear Enterprise Supplier Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-15

not present significant problems since multiple sources are available and the suppliers are mostly small 7 companies that rely on Honeywell for...business. However, these vendors do present occasional problems in delivering incorrect parts, quantities or documentation. Honeywell continually...rectify vendor issues that require multi-agency involvement.8 Pantex also experiences similar problems with parts they procure separately from their

Adolescents' suicidal thinking and reluctance to consult general medical practitioners.

PubMed

Wilson, Coralie J; Deane, Frank P; Marshall, Kellie L; Dalley, Andrew

2010-04-01

Appropriate help-seeking is widely recognized as a protective factor, and vital for early treatment and prevention of mental health problems during adolescence. General medical practitioners (GPs), that is, family doctors, provide a vital role in the identification of adolescents with mental health problems and the provision of treatment as well as access to other specialists in mental health care services. The current study examined the association between suicidal ideation and intentions to seek help from a GP for suicidal thoughts, emotional problems and physical health problems, using a sample of 590 Australian high school students that was 56.7% female and aged 13-18 years (M = 15.56 years, SD = .66 years). Higher levels of suicidal ideation and general psychological distress were related to lower intentions to seek help from a GP for suicidal and physical problems. The results suggest that even at subclinical levels, increases in suicidal ideation or psychological distress may lead to help avoidance. School personnel and other gatekeepers need to be aware of this trend in order to be more assertive in encouraging and supporting appropriate help-seeking for mental health problems. School health promotion programs should consider including information to explicitly address the help-negation process.

On designing for quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vajingortin, L. D.; Roisman, W. P.

1991-01-01

The problem of ensuring the required quality of products and/or technological processes often becomes more difficult due to the fact that there is not general theory of determining the optimal sets of value of the primary factors, i.e., of the output parameters of the parts and units comprising an object and ensuring the correspondence of the object's parameters to the quality requirements. This is the main reason for the amount of time taken to finish complex vital article. To create this theory, one has to overcome a number of difficulties and to solve the following tasks: the creation of reliable and stable mathematical models showing the influence of the primary factors on the output parameters; finding a new technique of assigning tolerances for primary factors with regard to economical, technological, and other criteria, the technique being based on the solution of the main problem; well reasoned assignment of nominal values for primary factors which serve as the basis for creating tolerances. Each of the above listed tasks is of independent importance. An attempt is made to give solutions for this problem. The above problem dealing with quality ensuring an mathematically formalized aspect is called the multiple inverse problem.

Book Analysis of Containing the Soviet Union.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

30:239) The hardline "cold war internationalists" might caution against the lesson of Munich--"That appeasement leads to war and that tardy ...is exploiting turbulence to "weaken the United States and expand its own interests." (30:234) Potential problem areas include the Philippines , Mexico...like Central America, vital to American security, is threatened by Soviet surrogates; or an area like the Philippines , vital to the regional balance of

[Subatomic biology: electronic biology, biosemiconductivity].

PubMed

Ernst, E

1975-01-01

The author gives a critical and hystorical review of the existing in biology theories which on the molecular and electronic levels explain a number of mechanisms of vital phenomena such as excitation, muscle contraction etc. The author discusses in the hystorical aspect the problem of formation of electronic and biological semi-conductivity (as the author names it) called to explain the vital mechanisms. He shows is which way this theory can explain the process of excitation.

Design of a real-time and continua-based framework for care guideline recommendations.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Feng; Shie, Hsin-Han; Yang, Yi-Ching; Tseng, Vincent S

2014-04-16

Telehealth is an important issue in the medical and healthcare domains. Although a number of systems have been developed to meet the demands of emerging telehealth services, the following problems still remain to be addressed: (1) most systems do not monitor/predict the vital signs states so that they are able to send alarms to caregivers in real-time; (2) most systems do not focus on reducing the amount of work that caregivers need to do, and provide patients with remote care; and (3) most systems do not recommend guidelines for caregivers. This study thus proposes a framework for a real-time and Continua-based Care Guideline Recommendation System (Cagurs) which utilizes mobile device platforms to provide caregivers of chronic patients with real-time care guideline recommendations, and that enables vital signs data to be transmitted between different devices automatically, using the Continua standard. Moreover, the proposed system adopts the episode mining approach to monitor/predict anomalous conditions of patients, and then offers related recommended care guidelines to caregivers so that they can offer preventive care in a timely manner.

Time: a vital resource.

PubMed

Collins, Sandra K; Collins, Kevin S

2004-01-01

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

Design of a Real-Time and Continua-Based Framework for Care Guideline Recommendations

PubMed Central

Lin, Yu-Feng; Shie, Hsin-Han; Yang, Yi-Ching; Tseng, Vincent S.

2014-01-01

Telehealth is an important issue in the medical and healthcare domains. Although a number of systems have been developed to meet the demands of emerging telehealth services, the following problems still remain to be addressed: (1) most systems do not monitor/predict the vital signs states so that they are able to send alarms to caregivers in real-time; (2) most systems do not focus on reducing the amount of work that caregivers need to do, and provide patients with remote care; and (3) most systems do not recommend guidelines for caregivers. This study thus proposes a framework for a real-time and Continua-based Care Guideline Recommendation System (Cagurs) which utilizes mobile device platforms to provide caregivers of chronic patients with real-time care guideline recommendations, and that enables vital signs data to be transmitted between different devices automatically, using the Continua standard. Moreover, the proposed system adopts the episode mining approach to monitor/predict anomalous conditions of patients, and then offers related recommended care guidelines to caregivers so that they can offer preventive care in a timely manner. PMID:24743843

Falling Person Detection Using Multi-Sensor Signal Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toreyin, B. Ugur; Soyer, A. Birey; Onaran, Ibrahim; Cetin, E. Enis

2007-12-01

Falls are one of the most important problems for frail and elderly people living independently. Early detection of falls is vital to provide a safe and active lifestyle for elderly. Sound, passive infrared (PIR) and vibration sensors can be placed in a supportive home environment to provide information about daily activities of an elderly person. In this paper, signals produced by sound, PIR and vibration sensors are simultaneously analyzed to detect falls. Hidden Markov Models are trained for regular and unusual activities of an elderly person and a pet for each sensor signal. Decisions of HMMs are fused together to reach a final decision.

Application of Decision Tree in the Prediction of Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) Occurrence in Neonates After Neonatal Heart Surgery

PubMed Central

Jalali, Ali; Licht, Daniel J.; Nataraj, C.

2013-01-01

This paper is concerned with the prediction of the occurrence of Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) that occurs in neonates after heart surgery. The data which is collected over a period of 12 hours after the cardiac surgery contains vital measurements as well as blood gas measurements with different resolutions. The decision tree classification technique has been selected as a tool for prediction of the PVL because of its capacity for discovering rules and novel associations in the data. Vital data measured using near-inferred spectroscopy (NIRS) at the sampling rate of 0.25 Hz and blood gas measurement up to 12 times with irregular time intervals for 35 patients collected from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are used for this study. Vital data contain heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), right atrium pressure (RAP), blood hemoglobin (Hb), hemoglobin oxygen content (HbO2), oxygen saturation (SpO2) and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Features derived from the data include statistical moments (mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis), trend and min and max of the vital data and rate of change, time weighted mean and a custom defined out of range index (ORI) for the blood gas data. A decision tree is developed for the vital data in order to identify the most important vital measurements. In addition, a decision tree is developed for blood gas data to find important factors for the prediction of PVL occurrence. Results show that in blood gas data, maximum rate of change in the concentration of bicarbonate ions in blood (HCO3) and minimum rate of change in the partial pressure of dissolved CO2 in the blood (PaCO2) are the most important factors for prediction of the PVL. Among vital features the kurtosis of HR and Hb are the most important parameters. PMID:23367279

Challenge of biomechanics.

PubMed

Volokh, K Y

2013-06-01

The application of mechanics to biology--biomechanics--bears great challenges due to the intricacy of living things. Their dynamism, along with the complexity of their mechanical response (which in itself involves complex chemical, electrical, and thermal phenomena) makes it very difficult to correlate empirical data with theoretical models. This difficulty elevates the importance of useful biomechanical theories compared to other fields of engineering. Despite inherent imperfections of all theories, a well formulated theory is crucial in any field of science because it is the basis for interpreting observations. This is all-the-more vital, for instance, when diagnosing symptoms, or planning treatment to a disease. The notion of interpreting empirical data without theory is unscientific and unsound. This paper attempts to fortify the importance of biomechanics and invigorate research efforts for those engineers and mechanicians who are not yet involved in the field. It is not aimed here, however, to give an overview of biomechanics. Instead, three unsolved problems are formulated to challenge the readers. At the micro-scale, the problem of the structural organization and integrity of the living cell is presented. At the meso-scale, the enigma of fingerprint formation is discussed. At the macro-scale, the problem of predicting aneurysm ruptures is reviewed. It is aimed here to attract the attention of engineers and mechanicians to problems in biomechanics which, in the author's opinion, will dominate the development of engineering and mechanics in forthcoming years.

Peak Oil and Coal Fires: How Scientific Fact Becomes Debatable Political Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCurdy, K. M.

2008-12-01

Political consensus in the United States cannot be more different from a scientific consensus. The latter situation allows for resolution of problems large and small based on recognized facts and procedures. Once a compelling problem is recognized the scientific community is able to marshal resources to examine that phenomenon. Political consensus however allows for the unending reconsideration of problems in the political arena depending on the outcome of elections and the intensity and sustained length of citizen interest. Serious problems can be trivialized by election campaign rhetoric, or can fail to rise to the level of aggregation necessary to be considered. Coal fires are an example of the latter while OCS exploration and production is an example of the former. Peak oil is a problem that will be avoided until there is a crisis. With current scientific evidence mounting that an important tipping point is approaching, and that societal collapse is a probable outcome of maintaining the status quo, it is vitally important to understand the structural limitations of government decisions. Long standing consensus in the legislature is transferred to the bureaucracy, which can maintain a policy position long after its electoral support has vanished. A legislature and executive experiencing thin electoral margins (51-54% of the vote or seats) produces a different sort of political environment than what is possible with safe margins (>60%). Supermajorities with veto proof margins (>65%) are rare, but not unknown (e.g. 1935-37; 1965-67) and allow for revolutionary policy innovation.

Space-Related Applications of Intelligent Control: Which Algorithm to Choose? (Theoretical Analysis of the Problem)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreinovich, Vladik

1996-01-01

For a space mission to be successful it is vitally important to have a good control strategy. For example, with the Space Shuttle it is necessary to guarantee the success and smoothness of docking, the smoothness and fuel efficiency of trajectory control, etc. For an automated planetary mission it is important to control the spacecraft's trajectory, and after that, to control the planetary rover so that it would be operable for the longest possible period of time. In many complicated control situations, traditional methods of control theory are difficult or even impossible to apply. In general, in uncertain situations, where no routine methods are directly applicable, we must rely on the creativity and skill of the human operators. In order to simulate these experts, an intelligent control methodology must be developed. The research objectives of this project were: to analyze existing control techniques; to find out which of these techniques is the best with respect to the basic optimality criteria (stability, smoothness, robustness); and, if for some problems, none of the existing techniques is satisfactory, to design new, better intelligent control techniques.

The detection of 4 vital signs of in-patients Using fuzzy database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haris Rangkuti, A.; Erlisa Rasjid, Zulfany

2014-03-01

Actually in order to improve in the performance of the Hospital's administrator, by serve patients effectively and efficiently, the role of information technology become the dominant support. Especially when it comes to patient's conditions, such that it will be reported to a physician as soon as possible, including monitoring the patient's conditions regularly. For this reason it is necessary to have a Hospital Monitoring Information System, that is able to provide information about the patient's condition which is based on the four vital signs, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. To monitor the 4 vital signs, the concept of fuzzy logic is used, where the vital signs number approaches 1 then the patient is close to recovery, and on the contrary, when the vital signs number approaches 0 then the patient still has problems. This system also helps nurses to provide answers to the relatives of patients, who wants to know the development of the patient's condition, including the recovery percentage based on the average of Fuzzy max from the 4 vital signs. Using Fuzzy-based monitoring system, the monitoring of the patient's condition becomes simpler and easier.

Electronic textbooks as a professional resource after dental school.

PubMed

Bates, Michael L; Strother, Elizabeth A; Brunet, Darlene P; Gallo, John R

2012-05-01

In two previous studies of dental students' attitudes about the VitalSource Bookshelf, a digital library of dental textbooks, students expressed negative opinions about owning and reading electronic textbooks. With the assumption that dentists would find the digital textbooks useful for patient care, the authors surveyed recent graduates to determine if their attitude toward the VitalSource Bookshelf had changed. A brief survey was sent to 119 alumni from the classes of 2009 and 2010 of one U.S. dental school. Forty-seven (39.5 percent) completed the questionnaire. Eighteen respondents (48.3 percent) reported using the e-textbooks often or sometimes. The twenty-nine dentists who said they have not used the collection since graduation reported preferring print books or other online sources or having technical problems when downloading the books to a new computer. Only five respondents selected the VitalSource Bookshelf as a preferred source of professional information. Most of the respondents reported preferring to consult colleagues (37.8 percent), the Internet (20 percent), or hardcopy books (17.8 percent) for information. When asked in an open-ended question to state their opinion of the Bookshelf, nineteen (42.2 percent) responded positively, but almost one-third of these only liked the search feature. Six respondents reported that they never use the program. Twenty-two said they have had technical problems with the Bookshelf, including fifteen who have not been able to install it on a new computer. Many of them said they have not followed up with either the dental school or VitalSource support services to overcome this problem. Our study suggests that dentists, similar to dental students, dislike reading electronic textbooks, even with the advantage of searching a topic across more than sixty dental titles.

Evaluating New York City's abortion reporting system: insights for public health data collection systems.

PubMed

Toprani, Amita; Madsen, Ann; Das, Tara; Gambatese, Melissa; Greene, Carolyn; Begier, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

New York City (NYC) mandates reporting of all abortion procedures. These reports enable tracking of abortion incidence and underpin programs, policy, and research. Since January 2011, the majority of abortion facilities must report electronically. We conducted an evaluation of NYC's abortion reporting system and its transition to electronic reporting. We summarize the evaluation methodology and results and draw lessons relevant to other vital statistics and public health reporting systems. The evaluation followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. We interviewed key stakeholders and conducted a data provider survey. In addition, we compared the system's abortion counts with external estimates and calculated the proportion of missing and invalid values for each variable on the report form. Finally, we assessed the process for changing the report form and estimated system costs. NYC Health Department's Bureau of Vital Statistics. Usefulness, simplicity, flexibility, data quality, acceptability, sensitivity, timeliness, and stability of the abortion reporting system. Ninety-five percent of abortion data providers considered abortion reporting important; 52% requested training regarding the report form. Thirty percent reported problems with electronic biometric fingerprint certification, and 18% reported problems with the electronic system's stability. Estimated system sensitivity was 88%. Of 17 variables, education and ancestry had more than 5% missing values in 2010. Changing the electronic reporting module was costly and time-consuming. System operating costs were estimated at $80 136 to $89 057 annually. The NYC abortion reporting system is sensitive and provides high-quality data, but opportunities for improvement include facilitating biometric certification, increasing electronic platform stability, and conducting ongoing outreach and training for data providers. This evaluation will help data users determine the degree of confidence that should be placed on abortion data. In addition, the evaluation results are applicable to other vital statistics reporting and surveillance systems.

Lipidomics: the function of vital lipids in embryogenesis preventing autism spectrum disorders, treating sterile inflammatory diatheses with a lymphopoietic central nervous system component.

PubMed

Tallberg, Thomas; Dabek, Jan; Hallamaa, Raija; Atroshi, Faik

2011-01-01

The central role performed by billions of vital central nervous system (CNS) lipids "lipidomics" in medical physiology is usually overlooked. A metabolic deficiency embracing these vital lipids can form the aetiology for a variety of diseases. CNS lipids regulate embryogenesis, cell induction, mental balance by preventing autism spectrum disorders, depression, burn-out syndromes like posttraumatic stress disease PTSD, by guarding normal immunity, treating sterile inflammatory diatheses with a titanium containing lymphopoietic CNS lipid component. The propaganda driving for unphysiological fat-free diets is dangerous and can cause serious health problems for a whole generation. This article presents a broad list of various mental and motor bodily functions of which the healthy function depends on these vital CNS lipids. A rigorous fat-free diet can provoke these metabolic lipid deficiencies but they can fortunately be compensated by dietary supplementation, but not by pharmacologic treatment.

Prebiotic coordination chemistry: The potential role of transition-metal complexes in the chemical evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, M.

1979-01-01

In approaching the extremely involved and complex problem of the origin of life, consideration of the coordination chemistry appeared not only as a possibility but as a necessity. The first model experiments appear to be promising because of prebiotic-type synthesis by means of transition-metal complexes. It is especially significant that in some instances various types of vitally important substances (nucleic bases, amino acids) are formed simultaneously. There is ground to hope that systematic studies in this field will clarify the role of transition-metal complexes in the organizatorial phase of chemical evolution. It is obvious that researchers working in the fields of the chemistry of cyano and carbonyl complexes, and of the catalytic effect of transition-metal complexes are best suited to study these aspects of the attractive and interesting problem of the origin of life.

Analyzing public health policy: three approaches.

PubMed

Coveney, John

2010-07-01

Policy is an important feature of public and private organizations. Within the field of health as a policy arena, public health has emerged in which policy is vital to decision making and the deployment of resources. Public health practitioners and students need to be able to analyze public health policy, yet many feel daunted by the subject's complexity. This article discusses three approaches that simplify policy analysis: Bacchi's "What's the problem?" approach examines the way that policy represents problems. Colebatch's governmentality approach provides a way of analyzing the implementation of policy. Bridgman and Davis's policy cycle allows for an appraisal of public policy development. Each approach provides an analytical framework from which to rigorously study policy. Practitioners and students of public health gain much in engaging with the politicized nature of policy, and a simple approach to policy analysis can greatly assist one's understanding and involvement in policy work.

Relationship between nighttime vital sign assessments and acute care transfers in the rehabilitation inpatient.

PubMed

Pellicane, Anthony J

2014-01-01

To investigate the role of nighttime vital sign assessment in predicting acute care transfers (ACT) from inpatient rehabilitation. Retrospective chart review. Fifty patients unexpectedly discharged to acute care underwent chart review to determine details of each ACT. Seven of 50 ACT possessed new vital sign abnormalities at the 11 pm vital sign assessment the night before ACT. None of these seven underwent ACT during the night shift the abnormalities were detected. Two of 50 ACT were transferred between 11 pm and 6:59 am; both demonstrating normal vital sign at the 11 pm assessment. During study period, an estimated 5,607 11 pm vital sign assessments were performed. Nighttime vital sign assessments do not seem to be a good screening tool for clinical instability in the rehabilitation hospital. Eliminating sleep disturbance is important to the rehabilitation inpatient as inadequate sleep hinders physical performance. Tailoring vital sign monitoring to fit patents' clinical presentation may benefit this population. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Global Sensitivity Analysis for Identifying Important Parameters of Nitrogen Nitrification and Denitrification under Model and Scenario Uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, M.; Chen, Z.; Shi, L.; Zhu, Y.; Yang, J.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen reactive transport modeling is subject to uncertainty in model parameters, structures, and scenarios. While global sensitivity analysis is a vital tool for identifying the parameters important to nitrogen reactive transport, conventional global sensitivity analysis only considers parametric uncertainty. This may result in inaccurate selection of important parameters, because parameter importance may vary under different models and modeling scenarios. By using a recently developed variance-based global sensitivity analysis method, this paper identifies important parameters with simultaneous consideration of parametric uncertainty, model uncertainty, and scenario uncertainty. In a numerical example of nitrogen reactive transport modeling, a combination of three scenarios of soil temperature and two scenarios of soil moisture leads to a total of six scenarios. Four alternative models are used to evaluate reduction functions used for calculating actual rates of nitrification and denitrification. The model uncertainty is tangled with scenario uncertainty, as the reduction functions depend on soil temperature and moisture content. The results of sensitivity analysis show that parameter importance varies substantially between different models and modeling scenarios, which may lead to inaccurate selection of important parameters if model and scenario uncertainties are not considered. This problem is avoided by using the new method of sensitivity analysis in the context of model averaging and scenario averaging. The new method of sensitivity analysis can be applied to other problems of contaminant transport modeling when model uncertainty and/or scenario uncertainty are present.

Patients with mental problems - the most defenseless travellers.

PubMed

Felkai, Peter; Kurimay, Tamas

2017-09-01

Severe mental illness occurring abroad is a difficult situation for patients, their families, and for the local medical community. Patients with mental problem are doublely stigmatized due to their mental illness and because they are foreigners in an unfamiliar country. The appropriate treatment is often delayed, while patients are often dealt with in a manner that violates their human rights. Moreover, repatriation - which is vital in this case - is often delayed due to the lack of international protocols for the transportation and treatment of mentally ill travelers. Authors analyzed several factors related to acute mental health problems during travel: the etiology of symptoms, the appropriate treatment possibilities abroad, and medical evacuation and repatriation of the psychotic patient. The article presents a brief review of travel-related mental disorders, the epidemiology of mental health issues faced by travelers, and the significance of pre-travel advice for these patients. The first problem is to recognize (and redress) the particular challenges faced by a psychotic patient in a strange country. The second challenge is to prepare the patients, often in a poor psychiatric state, for medical evacuation by commercial aircraft. Another important question is the best way to take the patient through customs and security control. All of these, as yet unresolved, issues can make the mental patient virtually defenseless. Although timely repatriation of a mentally ill patient is vital and urgent, most travel insurance policies exclude treatment and repatriation costs incurred due to acute mental illness. The high cost of treatment and repatriation must be paid by the patient or their family, which could lead to severe financial strain or insolvency. Changing the approaches taken by the local mental health care community, police, airport security, and insurance companies remain a challenge for psychiatrists. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Poor quality vital anti-malarials in Africa - an urgent neglected public health priority

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major public health problem. A vital component of malaria control rests on the availability of good quality artemisinin-derivative based combination therapy (ACT) at the correct dose. However, there are increasing reports of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Methods Seven collections of artemisinin derivative monotherapies, ACT and halofantrine anti-malarials of suspicious quality were collected in 2002/10 in eleven African countries and in Asia en route to Africa. Packaging, chemical composition (high performance liquid chromatography, direct ionization mass spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry, stable isotope analysis) and botanical investigations were performed. Results Counterfeit artesunate containing chloroquine, counterfeit dihydroartemisinin (DHA) containing paracetamol (acetaminophen), counterfeit DHA-piperaquine containing sildenafil, counterfeit artemether-lumefantrine containing pyrimethamine, counterfeit halofantrine containing artemisinin, and substandard/counterfeit or degraded artesunate and artesunate+amodiaquine in eight countries are described. Pollen analysis was consistent with manufacture of counterfeits in eastern Asia. These data do not allow estimation of the frequency of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Conclusions Criminals are producing diverse harmful anti-malarial counterfeits with important public health consequences. The presence of artesunate monotherapy, substandard and/or degraded and counterfeit medicines containing sub-therapeutic amounts of unexpected anti-malarials will engender drug resistance. With the threatening spread of artemisinin resistance to Africa, much greater investment is required to ensure the quality of ACTs and removal of artemisinin monotherapies. The International Health Regulations may need to be invoked to counter these serious public health problems. PMID:22152094

Using Interactive Problem-Solving Techniques to Enhance Control Systems Education for Non English-Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamont, L. A.; Chaar, L.; Toms, C.

2010-01-01

Interactive learning is beneficial to students in that it allows the continual development and testing of many skills. An interactive approach enables students to improve their technical capabilities, as well as developing both verbal and written communicative ability. Problem solving and communication skills are vital for engineering students; in…

Teenage Pregnancy in South Carolina: Everybody's Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia.

This publication examines in detail the problem of teenage pregnancy in South Carolina. Following the executive summary and a listing of eight recommendations based on the report, chapter 1 presents tables of selected vital statistics related to teen pregnancy in South Carolina. All statistics are shown by county and by Department of Health and…

Marfan Syndrome: new diagnostic criteria, same anesthesia care? Case report and review.

PubMed

Araújo, Maria Rita; Marques, Céline; Freitas, Sara; Santa-Bárbara, Rita; Alves, Joana; Xavier, Célia

2016-01-01

Marfan's Syndrome (MFS) is a disorder of connective tissue, mainly involving the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and ocular systems. The most severe problems include aortic root dilatation and dissection. Anesthetic management is vital for the improvement on perioperative morbidity. 61-year-old male with MFS, presenting mainly with pectus carinatum, scoliosis, ectopia lens, previous spontaneous pneumothorax and aortal aneurysm and dissection submitted to thoracoabdominal aortic prosthesis placement. Underwent routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to lithiasis. Important findings on preoperative examination were thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis, metallic murmur on cardiac exam. Chest radiograph revealed Cobb angle of 70°. Echocardiogram showed evidence of aortic mechanical prosthesis with no deficits. Preoperative evaluation should focus on cardiopulmonary abnormalities. The anesthesiologist should be prepared for a potentially difficult intubation. Proper positioning and limb support prior to induction is crucial in order to avoid joint injuries. Consider antibiotic prophylaxis for subacute bacterial endocarditis. The patient should be carefully positioned to avoid joint injuries. Intraoperatively cardiovascular monitoring is mandatory: avoid maneuvers that can lead to tachycardia or hypertension, control airway pressure to prevent pneumothorax and maintain an adequate volemia to decrease chances of prolapse, especially if considering laparoscopic surgery. No single intraoperative anesthetic agent or technique has demonstrated superiority. Adequate postoperative pain management is vitally important to avoid the detrimental effects of hypertension and tachycardia. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Building new hospitals: a UK infection control perspective.

PubMed

Stockley, J M; Constantine, C E; Orr, K E

2006-03-01

Infection control input is vital throughout the planning, design and building stages of a new hospital project, and must continue through the commissioning (and decommissioning) process, evaluation and putting the facility into full clinical service. Many hospitals continue to experience problems months or years after occupying the new premises; some of these could have been avoided by infection control involvement earlier in the project. The importance of infection control must be recognized by the chief executive of the hospital trust and project teams overseeing the development. Clinical user groups and contractors must also be made aware of infection control issues. It is vital that good working relationships are built up between the infection control team (ICT) and all these parties. ICTs need the authority to influence the process. This may require their specific recognition by the Private Finance Initiative National Unit, the Department of Health or other relevant authorities. ICTs need training in how to read design plans, how to write effective specifications, and in other areas with which they may be unfamiliar. The importance of documentation and record keeping is paramount. External or independent validation of processes should be available, particularly in commissioning processes. Building design in relation to infection control needs stricter national regulations, allowing ICTs to focus on more local usage issues. Further research is needed to provide evidence regarding the relationship between building design and the prevalence of infection.

[Marfan Syndrome: new diagnostic criteria, same anesthesia care? Case report and review].

PubMed

Araújo, Maria Rita; Marques, Céline; Freitas, Sara; Santa-Bárbara, Rita; Alves, Joana; Xavier, Célia

2016-01-01

Marfan's Syndrome (MFS) is a disorder of connective tissue, mainly involving the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and ocular systems. The most severe problems include aortic root dilatation and dissection. Anesthetic management is vital for the improvement on perioperative morbidity. 61-year-old male with MFS, presenting mainly with pectus carinatum, scoliosis, ectopia lens, previous spontaneous pneumothorax and aortal aneurysm and dissection submitted to thoracoabdominal aortic prosthesis placement. Underwent routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to lithiasis. Important findings on preoperative examination were thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis, metallic murmur on cardiac exam. Chest radiograph revealed Cobb angle of 70°. Echocardiogram showed evidence of aortic mechanical prosthesis with no deficits. Preoperative evaluation should focus on cardiopulmonary abnormalities. The anesthesiologist should be prepared for a potentially difficult intubation. Proper positioning and limb support prior to induction is crucial in order to avoid joint injuries. Consider antibiotic prophylaxis for subacute bacterial endocarditis. The patient should be carefully positioned to avoid joint injuries. Intraoperatively cardiovascular monitoring is mandatory: avoid maneuvers that can lead to tachycardia or hypertension, control airway pressure to prevent pneumothorax and maintain an adequate volemia to decrease chances of prolapse, especially if considering laparoscopic surgery. No single intraoperative anesthetic agent or technique has demonstrated superiority. Adequate postoperative pain management is vitally important to avoid the detrimental effects of hypertension and tachycardia. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Dilemmas of a vitalizing vaccine market: lessons from the MMR vaccine/autism debate.

PubMed

Bragesjö, Fredrik; Hallberg, Margareta

2011-03-01

A number of issues related to vaccines and vaccinations in society are discussed in this paper. Our purpose is to merge an analysis of some recent changes in the vaccine market with social science research on the relationship between citizens and authorities. The article has two empirical parts. The first shows how the vaccine market, which for many years has had immense financial problems, nowadays seems to becoming economically vitalized, mostly due to the production of new and profitable vaccines. However prosperous the future may appear, certain reactions from the public regarding vaccination initiatives offer insight into inherent problems of vaccine policies in many Western countries. In the second part of the article, these problems are exemplified with the recent controversy over the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. We conclude that in spite of the improving profit-margins, the vaccine market remains vulnerable and insecure. Vaccines are permeated by society, even more so than pharmaceutics that are used to cure or alleviate illnesses. Radical changes in financial conditions with promises of a more profitable market will not, we argue, solve other even more fundamental problems.

Live ECG readings using Google Glass in emergency situations.

PubMed

Schaer, Roger; Salamin, Fanny; Jimenez Del Toro, Oscar Alfonso; Atzori, Manfredo; Muller, Henning; Widmer, Antoine

2015-01-01

Most sudden cardiac problems require rapid treatment to preserve life. In this regard, electrocardiograms (ECG) shown on vital parameter monitoring systems help medical staff to detect problems. In some situations, such monitoring systems may display information in a less than convenient way for medical staff. For example, vital parameters are displayed on large screens outside the field of view of a surgeon during cardiac surgery. This may lead to losing time and to mistakes when problems occur during cardiac operations. In this paper we present a novel approach to display vital parameters such as the second derivative of the ECG rhythm and heart rate close to the field of view of a surgeon using Google Glass. As a preliminary assessment, we run an experimental study to verify the possibility for medical staff to identify abnormal ECG rhythms from Google Glass. This study compares 6 ECG rhythms readings from a 13.3 inch laptop screen and from the prism of Google Glass. Seven medical residents in internal medicine participated in the study. The preliminary results show that there is no difference between identifying these 6 ECG rhythms from the laptop screen versus Google Glass. Both allow close to perfect identification of the 6 common ECG rhythms. This shows the potential of connected glasses such as Google Glass to be useful in selected medical applications.

Dual ECM Biomimetic Scaffolds for Dental Pulp Regenerative Applications

PubMed Central

Huang, Chun-Chieh; Narayanan, Raghuvaran; Warshawsky, Noah; Ravindran, Sriram

2018-01-01

Dental pulp is a highly vascularized and innervated tissue that provides sensitivity and vitality to the tooth. Chronic caries results in an infected pulp tissue prone to necrosis. Existing clinical treatments replace the living pulp tissue with a non-responsive resin filling resulting in loss of tooth vitality. Tissue engineering approaches to dental pulp tissue regeneration have been investigated to preserve tooth vitality and function. However, a critical criterion is the choice of growth factors that may promote mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and more importantly, vascularization. But, the problems associated with growth factor dosage, delivery, safety, immunological and ectopic complications affect their translatory potential severely. The purpose of this study is to develop, characterize and evaluate a biomimetic native extracellular matrix (ECM) derived dual ECM scaffold that consists of a pulp-specific ECM to promote MSC attachment, proliferation and differentiation and an endothelial ECM to promote migration of host endothelial cells and eventual vascularization in vivo. Our results show that the dual ECM scaffolds possess similar properties as a pulp-ECM scaffold to promote MSC attachment and odontogenic differentiation in vitro. Additionally, when implanted subcutaneously in a tooth root slice model in vivo, the dual ECM scaffolds promoted robust odontogenic differentiation of both dental pulp and bone marrow derived MSCs and also extensive vascularization when compared to respective controls. These scaffolds are mass producible for clinical use and hence have the potential to replace root canal therapy as a treatment for chronic dental caries. PMID:29887803

Consumer effects on the vital rates of their resource can determine the outcome of competition between consumers.

PubMed

Lee, Charlotte T; Miller, Tom E X; Inouye, Brian D

2011-10-01

Current competition theory does not adequately address the fact that competitors may affect the survival, growth, and reproductive rates of their resources. Ecologically important interactions in which consumers affect resource vital rates range from parasitism and herbivory to mutualism. We present a general model of competition that explicitly includes consumer-dependent resource vital rates. We build on the classic MacArthur model of competition for multiple resources, allowing direct comparison with expectations from established concepts of resource-use overlap. Consumers share a stage-structured resource population but may use the different stages to different extents, as they do the different independent resources in the classic model. Here, however, the stages are dynamically linked via consumer-dependent vital rates. We show that consumers' effects on resource vital rates result in two important departures from classic results. First, consumers can coexist despite identical use of resource stages, provided each competitor shifts the resource stage distribution toward stages that benefit other species. Second, consumers specializing on different resource stages can compete strongly, possibly resulting in competitive exclusion despite a lack of resource stage-use overlap. Our model framework demonstrates the critical role that consumer-dependent resource vital rates can play in competitive dynamics in a wide range of biological systems.

Advanced Hysteroscopic Surgery: Quality Assurance in Teaching Hospitals.

PubMed

Erian, Mark M S; McLaren, Glenda R; Erian, Anna-Marie

2017-01-01

Advanced hysteroscopic surgery (AHS) is a vitally important technique in the armamentarium for the management of many day-to-day clinical problems, such as menorrhagia, surgical excision of uterine myomata and septa in the management of female infertility, hysteroscopic excision of chronically retained products of conception (placenta accreta), and surgical removal of intramural ectopic pregnancy. In today's climate of accountability, it is necessary that gynecologists take a more active role in assuring the quality of their work. In this article, we discuss the quality assurance system from the point of view of the surgical audit meetings in some of the major teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia).

Advanced Hysteroscopic Surgery: Quality Assurance in Teaching Hospitals

PubMed Central

McLaren, Glenda R.; Erian, Anna-Marie

2017-01-01

Advanced hysteroscopic surgery (AHS) is a vitally important technique in the armamentarium for the management of many day-to-day clinical problems, such as menorrhagia, surgical excision of uterine myomata and septa in the management of female infertility, hysteroscopic excision of chronically retained products of conception (placenta accreta), and surgical removal of intramural ectopic pregnancy. In today's climate of accountability, it is necessary that gynecologists take a more active role in assuring the quality of their work. In this article, we discuss the quality assurance system from the point of view of the surgical audit meetings in some of the major teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia). PMID:28729781

Is editing the roadblock to the internationalization of Chinese academic journals?

PubMed

Lu, Jian-ping

2011-06-01

"China's internationalization" is in part realized through the dissemination of Chinese publications, such as academic journals. Therefore, editorial proficiency in the English language is of vital importance to the quality of the journals. This article analyzes the results of the two projects sponsored by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China in 2007 and 2010 respectively, namely the "Analytical Evaluation of Language and Editing Quality of Chinese Academic Journals in English Language Issued in 2006", and the "Evaluation of Publication Quality of the China-Grown English Periodicals Issued in 2009, Sanctioned from 2005 to 2009", and proposes solutions to the problems presented therein.

Electrode Build-Up of Reducible Metal Composites toward Achievable Electrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide.

PubMed

Lee, Seunghwa; Lee, Jaeyoung

2016-02-19

At the beginning of the 21st century, our world is faced with a global-warming problem due to the continuous increase in carbon dioxide emission, and thus, the development of novel experimental techniques is needed. The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into high-value organic compounds could be of vital importance to solve this issue. The biggest challenge has always been to develop an electrocatalyst that is chemically active and structurally stable. Herein, previous studies, recent approaches, and current points of view on the electrode structure of metal oxide composites for the advanced electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide are reviewed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Practical quantum digital signature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Hua-Lei; Fu, Yao; Chen, Zeng-Bing

2016-03-01

Guaranteeing nonrepudiation, unforgeability as well as transferability of a signature is one of the most vital safeguards in today's e-commerce era. Based on fundamental laws of quantum physics, quantum digital signature (QDS) aims to provide information-theoretic security for this cryptographic task. However, up to date, the previously proposed QDS protocols are impractical due to various challenging problems and most importantly, the requirement of authenticated (secure) quantum channels between participants. Here, we present the first quantum digital signature protocol that removes the assumption of authenticated quantum channels while remaining secure against the collective attacks. Besides, our QDS protocol can be practically implemented over more than 100 km under current mature technology as used in quantum key distribution.

Vital signs monitoring to detect patient deterioration: An integrative literature review.

PubMed

Mok, Wen Qi; Wang, Wenru; Liaw, Sok Ying

2015-05-01

Vital signs monitoring is an important nursing assessment. Yet, nurses seem to be doing it as part of a routine and often overlooking their significance in detecting patient deterioration. An integrative literature review was conducted to explore factors surrounding ward nursing practice of vital signs monitoring in detecting and reporting deterioration. Twenty papers were included. The structural component of a Nursing Role Effectiveness Model framework, which comprises of patient, nurse and organizational variables, was used to synthesize the review. Patient variables include signs of deterioration displayed by patients which include physical cues and abnormal vital signs. Nursing variables include clinical knowledge, roles and responsibilities, and reporting of deteriorating vital signs. Organizational variables include heavy workload, technology, and observation chart design. This review has highlighted current nursing practice in vital signs monitoring. A myriad of factors were found to surround ward practice of vital signs monitoring in detecting and reporting deterioration. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Municipal Solid Waste Management and its Energy Potential in Roorkee City, Uttarakhand, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Tabish; Kulkarni, Kishore

2016-03-01

Energy plays a vital role in the development of any country. With rapid economic growth and multifold urbanization, India faces the problem of municipal solid waste management and disposal. This problem can be mitigate through adoption of environment friendly technologies for treatment and processing of waste before it is disposed off. Currently, urban and industrial wastes throughout India receive partial treatment before its final disposal, except in few exceptional cases. This practice leads to severe environmental pollution problems including major threat to human health. There is an absolute need to provide adequate waste collection and treatment before its disposal. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is getting importance in recent years. The MSW management involves collection, transportation, handling and conversion to energy by biological and thermal routes. Based on the energy potential available, the energy conversion through biogas production using available waste is being carried out. Waste-to-energy is now a clean, renewable, sustainable source of energy. The estimation of energy content of MSW in Roorkee city is discussed in this paper. Furthermore this paper also takes into account the benefits of carbon credits.

Modern Church Construction in Urals. Problems and Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surin, D. N.; Tereshina, O. B.

2017-11-01

The article analyzes the problems of the modern Orthodox church architecture in Russia, special attention is paid to the problems of the Ural region. It justifies the importance of addressing to this issue connected with the Orthodox traditions revival in Russia over the last decades and the need to compensate for tens of thousands of the churches destroyed in the Soviet period. The works on the theory and history of the Russian architecture and art, studies of the architectural heritage and the art of building of the Ural craftsmen are used as a scientific and methodological base for the church architecture development. The article discloses the historically formed architectural features of the Russian Orthodox churches the artistic image of which is designed to create a certain religious and aesthetic experience. It is stated that the restoration of the Russian church construction tradition is possible on the background of architectural heritage. It sets the tendencies and vital tasks in church construction and outlines a complex of measures to solve these tasks at the public and regional levels.

From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship--Summary of a Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Didion, Catherine Jay; Guenther, Rita S.; Gunderson, Victoria

2012-01-01

Scientists, engineers, and medical professionals play a vital role in building the 21st- century science and technology enterprises that will create solutions and jobs critical to solving the large, complex, and interdisciplinary problems faced by society: problems in energy, sustainability, the environment, water, food, disease, and healthcare.…

Factors Contributing to the Problem of Student Absenteeism in a Rural School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durborow, Angela

2017-01-01

Student attendance would seem to be a vital link in measuring student success in school. If students are not in school, they miss instruction from the teacher. Without instruction it seems incredibly difficult to complete the work needed to pass classes and be successful in school. The research explored the problem of practice of student…

Problems and Practical Solutions of Web-Based Courses: Lessons Learned from Three Educational Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miltiadou, Marios; McIsaac, Marina S.

The purpose of this paper is to review problems encountered in World Wide Web-based courses delivered at three different educational institutions (i.e., two community colleges and a university) in the metropolitan Phoenix (Arizona) area. Implications are discussed based on distance education theories of interaction. Interaction is a vital issue to…

Multicultural Education of Multi-Ethnic Students at the Foreign Language Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorina, Anna V.; Vygodchikova, Natalya N.; Gatin, Rinat G.; Nazmutdinova, Munira A.; Gerasimova, Olga Y.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the problems stated in the article is determined by the fact that with the expansion of relations between the nations all over the world, the problems caused by misunderstanding, religion differences, and lack of cultural tolerance, have become more vital than ever. In this regard, this article is aimed at studying the conditions…

Some problems of Maryland towns as seen by their mayors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peake, H. J.

1978-01-01

Conversations were held with the mayors of six Maryland towns to discuss possible models and needs for technology transfer. An unexpected outcome of the discussions was a considerable insight into local problems as perceived by the mayors. Problems, whether administrative, socio-economic, or technological, are different, from town to town, in degree, not in kind. Recognition of this feature of local priorities is vital to any considerations of external assistance.

Health, vital goals, and central human capabilities.

PubMed

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-06-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or 'central human capabilities and functionings'. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings-or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

HEALTH, VITAL GOALS, AND CENTRAL HUMAN CAPABILITIES

PubMed Central

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-01-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or ‘central human capabilities and functionings’. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings—or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. PMID:22420910

IMPLEMENTATION OF DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITY SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 2000-2 AT WIPP

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

Jackson, K.; Wu, C.

2002-02-26

The Defense Nuclear Safeties Board (DNFSB) issued Recommendation 2000-2 on March 8, 2000, concerning the degrading conditions of vital safety systems, or systems important to nuclear safety, at DOE sites across the nation. The Board recommended that the DOE take action to assess the condition of its nuclear systems to ensure continued operational readiness of vital safety systems that are important for safely accomplishing the DOE's mission. To verify the readiness of vital safety systems, a two-phased approach was established. Phase I consisted of a qualitative assessment to approved criteria of the defined vital safety systems by operating contractor personnel,more » overseen by Federal field office personnel. Based on Phase I Assessment results, vital safety systems with significant deficiencies would be further assessed in Phase II, a more extensive quantitative assessment, by a contractor and Federal team, using a second set of criteria. In addition, Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board Recommendation 2000-2 concluded that the degradation of confinement ventilation systems was of major concern, and issued a separate set of criteria to perform a Phase II Assessment on confinement ventilation systems.« less

Benefits of Exercise for the Quality of Life of Drug-Dependent Patients.

PubMed

Giménez-Meseguer, Jorge; Tortosa-Martínez, Juan; de los Remedios Fernández-Valenciano, María

2015-01-01

This study combined quantitative and qualitative research methods to evaluate quality-of-life changes in drug-dependent patients after participation in a group-based exercise program. Quality of life (SF-36) and physical fitness (six-minute Walk Test, Timed Get Up and Go Test, and Chair Stand Test) were quantitatively determined in a group (n=37) of drug-dependent patients before and after a 12-week group exercise program (n=18) or routine care (n=19). Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted at the end of the program with a subsample of 11 participants from the exercise group. Quantitative results showed improvements in fitness and different aspects of quality of life, such as physical function, mental health, vitality, social function, and general health perception. Qualitative results showed specific physical benefits (decreased injuries and muscle pain, decreased weight, and increased vitality with improvement in activities of daily living), psychological benefits (forgetting about everyday problems, improved mood, decreased stress and anxiety), social benefits, and a reduction in craving. The results of this study provide insight into the importance of exercise for the quality of life and recovery process of drug-dependent patients.

The contribution of clinical leadership to service redesign: a naturalistic inquiry.

PubMed

Storey, John; Holti, Richard

2012-08-01

Numerous policy papers and academic contributions across a range of countries emphasize the importance of clinical leadership in health services. This is seen as especially vital at a time of simultaneous resource constraints and rising demand. Most of the literature in this topic area concerns itself with conceptual clarification of types of leadership and with delineation of requisite competences. But other work on leadership has emphasized the importance of attending to practice in concrete situations in order to identify the dynamics at play and the nature of the challenges. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this latter task by drawing upon a set of data which reveals crucial aspects of the problems facing potential clinical leaders of service redesign. This paper reports on the nature and extent of the challenges as identified by clinicians of different types as well as managers and commissioners.

Divided attention in computer game play: analysis utilizing unobtrusive health monitoring.

PubMed

McKanna, James A; Jimison, Holly; Pavel, Misha

2009-01-01

Divided attention is a vital cognitive ability used in important daily activities (e.g., driving), which tends to deteriorate with age. As with Alzheimer's and other neural degenerative conditions, treatment for divided attention problems is likely to be more effective the earlier it is detected. Thus, it is important that a method be found to detect changes in divided attention early on in the process, for both safety and health care reasons. We present here a new method for detecting divided attention unobtrusively, using performance on a computer game designed to force players to attend to different dimensions simultaneously in order to succeed. Should this model prove to predict scores on a standard test for divided attention, it could help to detect cognitive decline earlier in our increasingly computer-involved aging population, providing treatment efficacy benefits to those who will experience cognitive decline.

Refusing the cure: Sophocles's Philoctetes and the clinical problems of self-injurious spite, shame and forgiveness.

PubMed

Gottlieb, Richard M

2004-06-01

Sophocles's Philoctetes (409 BCE) is a dramatic masterpiece unfamiliar to most analysts. The play presents a complex portrait of self-injurious spite of heroic dimensions as it touches on issues of intense shame, feelings of helplessness and the refusal of forgiveness. Sophocles's protagonist, Philoctetes, is a man who, like some of our patients, refuses to be healed. He intends, through his continued sickness and misery, to exact revenge against those who mistreated him. These are recognizable clinical issues, playing roles in every psychoanalytic treatment, issues that may assume a special importance in protracted, stalemated or aborted analyses. There are patients who damage the analyst by damaging the analysis they are in, a malevolent project often undertaken in revenge for wrongs suffered during childhood. This paper links Sophocles's drama to these vitally important clinical considerations through the discussion of a particular case.

Sport activity and health-related quality of life after kidney transplantation.

PubMed

Mazzoni, D; Cicognani, E; Mosconi, G; Totti, V; Roi, G S; Trerotola, M; Nanni Costa, A

2014-09-01

Considering the importance of sport activity for enhancing quality of life, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of regular sport activity on quality of life of kidney transplant recipients. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed with the use of the SF-36 questionnaire on a group of 118 active kidney transplant patients (AKTPs) practicing different sports at low to moderate intensity (5±4 h/wk). Scores were compared with those of 79 sedentary kidney transplant patients (SKTPs) and with 120 active healthy control subjects (AHCs). AKTPs reported higher scores than SKTPs in the SF-36 scales of Physical Functioning (P<.05), Role Limitations due to Physical Problems (P<.05), General Health (P<.01), Vitality (P<.05), Social Functioning (P<.05), Role Limitations due to Emotional Problems (P<.05), and Mental Health (P<.01). AKTPs obtained higher scores than AHCs on the Mental Health (P<.01) and Social Functioning scales (P<.01) and similar scores (P>.05) on all the other scales. The effect of quantity of sport activity was significant on the General Health (P<.01; η2=0.05), and Role Physical scales (P=.04; η2=0.03), with higher sport activity associated with higher HRQoL. The effect of sex was significant for Bodily Pain (P=.05; η2=0.02), Vitality (P=.08; η2=0.06), Social Functioning (P=.08; η2=0.05), and Mental Health (P=.05; η2=0.02), with male participants scoring higher than female participants. This study indicates that regular sport activity significantly improves different dimensions of HRQoL among kidney transplant recipients. The benefits of sport activity go beyond its impact on physical health to involve psychologic and social components of quality of life. Spontaneous and low to moderate sport activity may play an important role after kidney transplantation that has been largely underestimated in the literature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validating Emergency Department Vital Signs Using a Data Quality Engine for Data Warehouse

PubMed Central

Genes, N; Chandra, D; Ellis, S; Baumlin, K

2013-01-01

Background : Vital signs in our emergency department information system were entered into free-text fields for heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature and oxygen saturation. Objective : We sought to convert these text entries into a more useful form, for research and QA purposes, upon entry into a data warehouse. Methods : We derived a series of rules and assigned quality scores to the transformed values, conforming to physiologic parameters for vital signs across the age range and spectrum of illness seen in the emergency department. Results : Validating these entries revealed that 98% of free-text data had perfect quality scores, conforming to established vital sign parameters. Average vital signs varied as expected by age. Degradations in quality scores were most commonly attributed logging temperature in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius; vital signs with this error could still be transformed for use. Errors occurred more frequently during periods of high triage, though error rates did not correlate with triage volume. Conclusions : In developing a method for importing free-text vital sign data from our emergency department information system, we now have a data warehouse with a broad array of quality-checked vital signs, permitting analysis and correlation with demographics and outcomes. PMID:24403981

Validating emergency department vital signs using a data quality engine for data warehouse.

PubMed

Genes, N; Chandra, D; Ellis, S; Baumlin, K

2013-01-01

Vital signs in our emergency department information system were entered into free-text fields for heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature and oxygen saturation. We sought to convert these text entries into a more useful form, for research and QA purposes, upon entry into a data warehouse. We derived a series of rules and assigned quality scores to the transformed values, conforming to physiologic parameters for vital signs across the age range and spectrum of illness seen in the emergency department. Validating these entries revealed that 98% of free-text data had perfect quality scores, conforming to established vital sign parameters. Average vital signs varied as expected by age. Degradations in quality scores were most commonly attributed logging temperature in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius; vital signs with this error could still be transformed for use. Errors occurred more frequently during periods of high triage, though error rates did not correlate with triage volume. In developing a method for importing free-text vital sign data from our emergency department information system, we now have a data warehouse with a broad array of quality-checked vital signs, permitting analysis and correlation with demographics and outcomes.

The Importance of Forward Presence in the Pacific Theater - How Vital and Can CINCPAC Carry Out His Mission in the Near Future?

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-19

AD-A253 216 .. , y .. < Ti ! ~JUL 2 8 i9 92 ; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE Newport, R.I. C The Importance of Forward Presence in the Pacific Theater - How Vital...China ........ .................... 14 India ............................... i Japan ........ .................... Ii North Korea... India , a growing Japanese Self Defense Force. a retrenching Soviet military and a decreasingly smaller American military presence are only a few of

CDC Vital Signs: Adults with Disabilities

MedlinePlus

... Problem More adults with disabilities need to get physical activity. Adults with disabilities who get no physical activity ... Adults with disabilities are more likely to get physical activity if doctors recommend it. Only 44% of adults ...

CDC Vital Signs: Reducing Sodium in Children's Diets

MedlinePlus

... sodium options of your family's favorite foods. Request restaurant nutrition information to make lower sodium choices. Problem ... burritos and tacos; and soup. Processed foods and restaurant foods. Most sodium is already in food before ...

[Validation of a triage scale: first step in patient admission and in emergency service models].

PubMed

Legrand, A; Thys, F; Vermeiren, E; Touwaide, M; D'Hoore, W; Hubin, V; Reynaert, M S

2003-03-01

At present, most emergency services handle the multitude of various demands in the same unity of place and by the same team of nurses aides, with direct consequences on the waiting time and in the handling of problems of varying degrees of importance. Our service examines other administrative models based on a triage of time and of orientation. In a prospective study on 679 patients, we have validated a triage tool inspired from the ICEM model (International Cooperation of Emergency Medicine) allowing patients to receive, while they wait, information and training, based on the resources provided, in order to deal with their particular medical problem. The validation of this tool was carried out in terms of its utilization as well as its reliability. It appears that, with the type of triage offered, there is a theoretical reserve of waiting time for the patients in which the urgency is relative, and which could be better used in the handling of more vital cases.

Optimal placement of FACTS devices using optimization techniques: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaur, Dipesh; Mathew, Lini

2018-03-01

Modern power system is dealt with overloading problem especially transmission network which works on their maximum limit. Today’s power system network tends to become unstable and prone to collapse due to disturbances. Flexible AC Transmission system (FACTS) provides solution to problems like line overloading, voltage stability, losses, power flow etc. FACTS can play important role in improving static and dynamic performance of power system. FACTS devices need high initial investment. Therefore, FACTS location, type and their rating are vital and should be optimized to place in the network for maximum benefit. In this paper, different optimization methods like Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) etc. are discussed and compared for optimal location, type and rating of devices. FACTS devices such as Thyristor Controlled Series Compensator (TCSC), Static Var Compensator (SVC) and Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) are considered here. Mentioned FACTS controllers effects on different IEEE bus network parameters like generation cost, active power loss, voltage stability etc. have been analyzed and compared among the devices.

How to improve vital sign data quality for use in clinical decision support systems? A qualitative study in nine Swedish emergency departments.

PubMed

Skyttberg, Niclas; Vicente, Joana; Chen, Rong; Blomqvist, Hans; Koch, Sabine

2016-06-04

Vital sign data are important for clinical decision making in emergency care. Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) have been advocated to increase patient safety and quality of care. However, the efficiency of CDSS depends on the quality of the underlying vital sign data. Therefore, possible factors affecting vital sign data quality need to be understood. This study aims to explore the factors affecting vital sign data quality in Swedish emergency departments and to determine in how far clinicians perceive vital sign data to be fit for use in clinical decision support systems. A further aim of the study is to provide recommendations on how to improve vital sign data quality in emergency departments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen physicians and nurses from nine hospitals and vital sign documentation templates were collected and analysed. Follow-up interviews and process observations were done at three of the hospitals to verify the results. Content analysis with constant comparison of the data was used to analyse and categorize the collected data. Factors related to care process and information technology were perceived to affect vital sign data quality. Despite electronic health records (EHRs) being available in all hospitals, these were not always used for vital sign documentation. Only four out of nine sites had a completely digitalized vital sign documentation flow and paper-based triage records were perceived to provide a better mobile workflow support than EHRs. Observed documentation practices resulted in low currency, completeness, and interoperability of the vital signs. To improve vital sign data quality, we propose to standardize the care process, improve the digital documentation support, provide workflow support, ensure interoperability and perform quality control. Vital sign data quality in Swedish emergency departments is currently not fit for use by CDSS. To address both technical and organisational challenges, we propose five steps for vital sign data quality improvement to be implemented in emergency care settings.

Compiling mortality statistics from civil registration systems in Viet Nam: the long road ahead.

PubMed

Rao, Chalapati; Osterberger, Brigitta; Anh, Tran Dam; MacDonald, Malcolm; Chúc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Hill, Peter S

2010-01-01

Accurate mortality statistics, needed for population health assessment, health policy and research, are best derived from data in vital registration systems. However, mortality statistics from vital registration systems are not available for several countries including Viet Nam. We used a mixed methods case study approach to assess vital registration operations in 2006 in three provinces in Viet Nam (Hòa Bình, Thùa Thiên-Hué and Bình Duong), and provide recommendations to strengthen vital registration systems in the country. For each province we developed life tables from population and mortality data compiled by sex and age group. Demographic methods were used to estimate completeness of death registration as an indicator of vital registration performance. Qualitative methods (document review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions) were used to assess administrative, technical and societal aspects of vital registration systems. Completeness of death registration was low in all three provinces. Problems were identified with the legal framework for registration of early neonatal deaths and deaths of temporary residents or migrants. The system does not conform to international standards for reporting cause of death or for recording detailed statistics by age, sex and cause of death. Capacity-building along with an intersectoral coordination committee involving the Ministries of Justice and Health and the General Statistics Office would improve the vital registration system, especially with regard to procedures for death registration. There appears to be strong political support for sentinel surveillance systems to generate reliable mortality statistics in Viet Nam.

Diagnosis of Vitality in Skin Wounds in the Ligature Marks Resulting From Suicide Hanging.

PubMed

Legaz Pérez, Isabel; Falcón, Maria; Gimenez, M; Diaz, F Martínez; Pérez-Cárceles, M D; Osuna, E; Nuno-Vieira, D; Luna, A

2017-09-01

Ascertaining the vital origin of skin wounds is one of the most challenging problems in forensic pathology. The forensic literature describes biomarkers and methods for differentiating vital and postmortem wounds, although no clear conclusions have been reached. The aim of this study was to characterize human vital wounds by analyzing the concentrations of metallic ions and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D in skin wounds in the ligature marks in a cohort of suicidal hangings for which vitality was previously demonstrated.A total of 71 skin wounds were analyzed within a postmortem interval of 19 to 36 hours. The concentration of Fe, Zn, Mg, and Ca and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D were analyzed together and separately. The majority of autopsied suicidal hangings were men (86%) with complete hanging mode (60.7%) in which there was a high frequency of subcutaneous injuries (78.3%). High concentrations of Ca and Mg compared with Fe and Zn were found. Ca and Zn concentrations decreased, and Fe concentration increased with the seriousness of the injury. A high percentage of moderately negative expression of both proteins was correlated with subcutaneous injury and low or medium concentrations of Fe.In conclusion, the joint study of metallic ions and proteins allows to characterize and to differentiate an injured vital wound of noninjured skin, especially when the damage in the tissue affects to the majority of the structures of the skin, but these results will need to be complemented with other biomarkers in time-controlled samples to further help in the differentiation of vital and postmortem wounds.

US health care policy and reform: implications for cardiac electrophysiology.

PubMed

Turakhia, Mintu P; Ullal, Aditya J

2013-03-01

In response to unsustainably rising costs, variable quality and access to health care, and the projected insolvency of vital safety net insurance programs, the federal government has proposed important health policy and regulatory changes in the USA. The US Supreme Court's decision to uphold most of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act will lead to some of the most sweeping government reforms on entitlements since the creation of Medicare. Furthermore, implementation of new organizational, reimbursement, and health care delivery models will strongly affect the practice of cardiac electrophysiology. In this brief review, we will provide background and context to the problem of rising health care costs and describe salient reforms and their projected impacts on the field and practice of cardiac electrophysiology.

What does Islam say about dieting?

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad Zakir

2014-08-01

Dieting is very important to maintain a healthy and peaceful life. Today, most of the health problems are related with dieting. Thus, the modern health science recommends a number of suggestions regarding dieting for better health such as learning the five basic food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat); eating three times a day; decreasing the amount of fat; increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables and grains; including an adequate amount of iron; and avoiding excessive rich food, salt, sugar, and fat. Religion can also play a vital role for our good health and lifestyle. The main concern of this paper was to present an analytical justification regarding what Islam as a religion advocates about dieting along with the modern food and nutrition sciences.

Is editing the roadblock to the internationalization of Chinese academic journals?*

PubMed Central

Lu, Jian-ping

2011-01-01

“China’s internationalization” is in part realized through the dissemination of Chinese publications, such as academic journals. Therefore, editorial proficiency in the English language is of vital importance to the quality of the journals. This article analyzes the results of the two projects sponsored by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People’s Republic of China in 2007 and 2010 respectively, namely the “Analytical Evaluation of Language and Editing Quality of Chinese Academic Journals in English Language Issued in 2006”, and the “Evaluation of Publication Quality of the China-Grown English Periodicals Issued in 2009, Sanctioned from 2005 to 2009”, and proposes solutions to the problems presented therein. PMID:21634045

Addressing global health, economic, and environmental problems through family planning.

PubMed

Speidel, J Joseph; Grossman, Richard A

2011-06-01

Although obstetrician-gynecologists recognize the importance of managing fertility for the reproductive health of individuals, many are not aware of the vital effect they can have on some of the world's most pressing issues. Unintended pregnancy is a key contributor to the rapid population growth that in turn impairs social welfare, hinders economic progress, and exacerbates environmental degradation. An estimated 215 million women in developing countries wish to limit their fertility but do not have access to effective contraception. In the United States, half of all pregnancies are unplanned. Voluntary prevention of unplanned pregnancies is a cost-effective, humane way to limit population growth, slow environmental degradation, and yield other health and welfare benefits. Family planning should be a top priority for our specialty.

Design, System, Value: The Role of Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Capabilities in Technology Education, as Perceived by Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schooner, Patrick; Nordlöf, Charlotta; Klasander, Claes; Hallström, Jonas

2017-01-01

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2013) defines its views on necessary skills for 21st century citizenship and life-long learning, advocating a generic skillset of literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving in technology-rich environments. Other sources also include critical thinking as a vital 21st Century skill.…

Genome-wide localization and expression profiling establish Sp2 as a sequence-specific transcription factor regulating vitally important genes

PubMed Central

Terrados, Gloria; Finkernagel, Florian; Stielow, Bastian; Sadic, Dennis; Neubert, Juliane; Herdt, Olga; Krause, Michael; Scharfe, Maren; Jarek, Michael; Suske, Guntram

2012-01-01

The transcription factor Sp2 is essential for early mouse development and for proliferation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts in culture. Yet its mechanisms of action and its target genes are largely unknown. In this study, we have combined RNA interference, in vitro DNA binding, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and global gene-expression profiling to investigate the role of Sp2 for cellular functions, to define target sites and to identify genes regulated by Sp2. We show that Sp2 is important for cellular proliferation that it binds to GC-boxes and occupies proximal promoters of genes essential for vital cellular processes including gene expression, replication, metabolism and signalling. Moreover, we identified important key target genes and cellular pathways that are directly regulated by Sp2. Most significantly, Sp2 binds and activates numerous sequence-specific transcription factor and co-activator genes, and represses the whole battery of cholesterol synthesis genes. Our results establish Sp2 as a sequence-specific regulator of vitally important genes. PMID:22684502

CDC Vital Signs: Heart Age - Is Your Heart Older Than You?

MedlinePlus

... Digital Press Kit Read the MMWR Science Clips Heart Age Is Your Heart Older Than You? Language: ... that increase heart age. Problem US adults have hearts 7 years older than they should be. Though ...

Overcoming the problem of diagnostic heterogeneity in applying measurement-based care in clinical practice: the concept of psychiatric vital signs.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Mark; Young, Diane; Chelminski, Iwona; Dalrymple, Kristy; Galione, Janine N

2012-02-01

Measurement-based care refers to the use of standardized scales to measure the outcome of psychiatric treatment. Diagnostic heterogeneity poses a challenge toward the adoption of a measurement-based care approach toward outcome evaluation in clinical practice. In the present article, we propose adopting the concept of psychiatric vital signs to facilitate measurement-based care. Medical vital signs are measures of basic physiologic functions that are routinely determined in medical settings. Vital signs are often a primary outcome measure, and they are also often adjunctive measurements. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services project, we examined the frequency of depression and anxiety in a diagnostically heterogeneous group of psychiatric outpatients to determine the appropriateness of considering their measurement as psychiatric vital signs. Three thousand psychiatric outpatients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV supplemented with items from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. We determined the frequency of depression and anxiety evaluated according to the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia items. In the entire sample of 3000 patients, 79.3% (n = 2378) reported clinically significant depression of at least mild severity, 64.4% (n = 1932) reported anxiety of at least mild severity, and 87.4% (n = 2621) reported either anxiety or depression. In all 10 diagnostic categories examined, most patients had clinically significant anxiety or depression of at least mild severity. These findings support the routine assessment of anxiety and depression in clinical practice because almost all patients will have these problems as part of their initial presentation. Even for those patients without depression or anxiety, the case could be made that the measurement of depression and anxiety is relevant and analogous to measuring certain physiologic parameters in medical practice such as blood pressure and body temperature regardless of the reason for the visit. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Vitality to Vital Exhaustion and Other States of "Tense Tiredness": A New Biopsychosocial Risk Domain.

PubMed

Rozanski, Alan; Cohen, Randy

2017-04-01

Fatigue is a common prodromal symptom for various medical conditions, including acute myocardial infarction. Fatigue is also the core component of vital exhaustion, which consists of a specific triad: excessive fatigue, increased irritability, and feelings of demoralization. In this issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, Frestad and Prescott present a meta-analysis of 16 studies, involving 53,337 participants, which found vital exhaustion to be associated with an increased risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and recurrent cardiac events among individuals with established CHD. After discussing methodological limitations of the studies included in this meta-analysis, we describe these findings in terms of a larger genre of risk that is biopsychosocial in origin and tied to two types of tiredness: "calm tiredness" and "tense tiredness." The former is regenerative, while the latter enhances disease risk. We propose that besides vital exhaustion, other symptoms of negative affect may combine with tiredness to produce increased clinical risk, such as the presence of depressed mood, an inability to relax or recover after work, and symptoms of burnout. We further propose that vital exhaustion can be considered as part of a larger paradigm, ranging from a positive state of vitality to a negative state of exhaustion of vitality. We conclude this editorial by emphasizing the importance of improving vitality and the need to clarify biobehavioral mechanisms that play a role in the association between vital exhaustion and adverse CHD outcomes. New interventions are needed that target reducing exhaustion and improving vitality for individuals at high risk of CHD.

A proposal to improve e-waste collection efficiency in urban mining: Container loading and vehicle routing problems - A case study of Poland.

PubMed

Nowakowski, Piotr

2017-02-01

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, is one of the most important waste streams with high recycling potential. Materials used in these products are valuable, but some of them are hazardous. The urban mining approach attempts to recycle as many materials as possible, so efficiency in collection is vital. There are two main methods used to collect WEEE: stationary and mobile, each with different variants. The responsibility of WEEE organizations and waste collection companies is to assure all resources required for these activities - bins, containers, collection vehicles and staff - are available, taking into account cost minimization. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly determine the capacity of containers and number of collection vehicles for an area where WEEE need to be collected. There are two main problems encountered in collection, storage and transportation of WEEE: container loading problems and vehicle routing problems. In this study, an adaptation of these two models for packing and collecting WEEE is proposed, along with a practical implementation plan designed to be useful for collection companies' guidelines for container loading and route optimization. The solutions are presented in the case studies of real-world conditions for WEEE collection companies in Poland. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Trustable Digital Evidence with PKIDEV: PKI Based Digital Evidence Verification Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzunay, Yusuf; Incebacak, Davut; Bicakci, Kemal

How to Capture and Preserve Digital Evidence Securely? For the investigation and prosecution of criminal activities that involve computers, digital evidence collected in the crime scene has a vital importance. On one side, it is a very challenging task for forensics professionals to collect them without any loss or damage. On the other, there is the second problem of providing the integrity and authenticity in order to achieve legal acceptance in a court of law. By conceiving digital evidence simply as one instance of digital data, it is evident that modern cryptography offers elegant solutions for this second problem. However, to our knowledge, there is not any previous work proposing a systematic model having a holistic view to address all the related security problems in this particular case of digital evidence verification. In this paper, we present PKIDEV (Public Key Infrastructure based Digital Evidence Verification model) as an integrated solution to provide security for the process of capturing and preserving digital evidence. PKIDEV employs, inter alia, cryptographic techniques like digital signatures and secure time-stamping as well as latest technologies such as GPS and EDGE. In our study, we also identify the problems public-key cryptography brings when it is applied to the verification of digital evidence.

The Vital@Work Study. The systematic development of a lifestyle intervention to improve older workers' vitality and the design of a randomised controlled trial evaluating this intervention

PubMed Central

Strijk, Jorien E; Proper, Karin I; van der Beek, Allard J; van Mechelen, Willem

2009-01-01

Background A major contributor of early exit from work is a decline in health with increasing age. As healthy lifestyle choices contribute to better health outcomes, an intervention aimed at an improved lifestyle is considered a potentially effective tool to keep older workers healthy and vital, and thereby to prolong labour participation. Methods Using the Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol, a lifestyle intervention was developed based on information obtained from 1) literature, 2) a short lifestyle questionnaire aimed at indentifying the lifestyle behaviours among the target group, and 3) focusgroup (FG) interviews among 36 older workers (aged 45+ years) aimed at identifying: a) key determinants of lifestyle behaviour, b) a definition of vitality, and c) ideas about how vitality can be improved by lifestyle. The main lifestyle problems identified were: insufficient levels of physical activity and insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables. Using information from both literature and FG interviews, vitality consists of a mental and a physical component. The interviewees suggested to improve the mental component of vitality by means of relaxation exercises (e.g. yoga); physical vitality could be improved by aerobic endurance exercise and strength training. The lifestyle intervention (6 months) consists of three visits to a Personal Vitality Coach (PVC) combined with a Vitality Exercise Programme (VEP). The VEP consists of: 1) once a week a guided yoga group session aimed at relaxation exercises, 2) once a week a guided aerobic workout group session aimed at improving aerobic fitness and increasing muscle strength, and 3) older workers will be asked to perform once a week for at least 45 minutes vigorous physical activity without face-to-face instructions (e.g. fitness). Moreover, free fruit will be offered at the group sessions of the VEP. The lifestyle intervention will be evaluated in a RCT among older workers of two major academic hospitals in the Netherlands. At baseline, after 6 and 12 months, measurements (primary: lifestyle and vitality, and secondary: work-engagement and productivity) will take place. Discussion The lifestyle programme is developed specifically tailored to the needs of the older workers and which is aimed at improving their vitality. Trial registration NTR1240 PMID:19903345

Effects of therapeutic touch on anxiety, vital signs, and cardiac dysrhythmia in a sample of Iranian women undergoing cardiac catheterization: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Zolfaghari, Mitra; Eybpoosh, Sana; Hazrati, Maryam

2012-12-01

To investigate the effects of Therapeutic Touch (TT) on anxiety, vital signs, and cardiac dysrhythmia in women undergoing cardiac catheterization. It was a quasi-experimental study. The participants had no history of hallucination, anxiety, or other psychological problems. Participants had to be conscious and have attained at least sixth-grade literacy level. Participants were randomly assigned into an intervention group (n = 23; received 10-15 minutes TT), a placebo group (n = 23; received 10-15 minutes simulated touch), and a control group (n = 23; did not receive any therapy). Data were collected using Spielberger's anxiety test, cardiac dysrhythmia checklist, and vital signs recording sheet. Statistical analyses were considered to be significant at α = .05 levels. Sixty-nine women ranging in age from 35 to 65 years participated. TT significantly decreased state anxiety p < 0.0001 but not trait anxiety (p = .88), decreased the incidence of all cardiac dysrhythmias p < 0.0001 except premature ventricular contraction (p = .01), and regulated vital signs p < 0.0001 in the intervention group versus placebo and control group. TT is an effective approach for managing state anxiety, regulating vital signs, and decreasing the incidence of cardiac dysrhythmia during stressful situations, such as cardiac catheterization, in Iranian cardiac patients.

Investigating the Predictive Role of Authenticity on Subjective Vitality with Structural Equation Modelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akin, Umran; Akin, Ahmet

2014-01-01

Authenticity is a basic personality characteristic that has an important influence on both the psychological and social lives of individuals. Subjective vitality also assumes a facilitative role regarding positive mental health indicators. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the predictive role of authenticity on subjective…

Evaluating the demographic buffering hypothesis with vital rates estimated for Weddell seals from 30years of mark-recapture data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rotella, J.J.; Link, W.A.; Chambert, T.; Stauffer, G.E.; Garrott, R.A.

2012-01-01

1.Life-history theory predicts that those vital rates that make larger contributions to population growth rate ought to be more strongly buffered against environmental variability than are those that are less important. Despite the importance of the theory for predicting demographic responses to changes in the environment, it is not yet known how pervasive demographic buffering is in animal populations because the validity of most existing studies has been called into question because of methodological deficiencies. 2.We tested for demographic buffering in the southern-most breeding mammal population in the world using data collected from 5558 known-age female Weddell seals over 30years. We first estimated all vital rates simultaneously with mark-recapture analysis and then estimated process variance and covariance in those rates using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. We next calculated the population growth rate's sensitivity to changes in each of the vital rates and tested for evidence of demographic buffering by comparing properly scaled values of sensitivity and process variance in vital rates. 3.We found evidence of positive process covariance between vital rates, which indicates that all vital rates are affected in the same direction by changes in annual environment. Despite the positive correlations, we found strong evidence that demographic buffering occurred through reductions in variation in the vital rates to which population growth rate was most sensitive. Process variation in vital rates was inversely related to sensitivity measures such that variation was greatest in breeding probabilities, intermediate for survival rates of young animals and lowest for survival rates of older animals. 4.Our work contributes to a small but growing set of studies that have used rigorous methods on long-term, detailed data to investigate demographic responses to environmental variation. The information from these studies improves our understanding of life-history evolution in stochastic environments and provides useful information for predicting population responses to future environmental change. Our results for an Antarctic apex predator also provide useful baselines from a marine ecosystem when its top- and middle-trophic levels were not substantially impacted by human activity. ?? 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology ?? 2011 British Ecological Society.

Algorithmic tools for interpreting vital signs.

PubMed

Rathbun, Melina C; Ruth-Sahd, Lisa A

2009-07-01

Today's complex world of nursing practice challenges nurse educators to develop teaching methods that promote critical thinking skills and foster quick problem solving in the novice nurse. Traditional pedagogies previously used in the classroom and clinical setting are no longer adequate to prepare nursing students for entry into practice. In addition, educators have expressed frustration when encouraging students to apply newly learned theoretical content to direct the care of assigned patients in the clinical setting. This article presents algorithms as an innovative teaching strategy to guide novice student nurses in the interpretation and decision making related to vital sign assessment in an acute care setting.

Loss of olfactory function and nutritional status in vital older adults and geriatric patients.

PubMed

Toussaint, Nicole; de Roon, Margot; van Campen, Jos P C M; Kremer, Stefanie; Boesveldt, Sanne

2015-03-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association of olfactory function and nutritional status in vital older adults and geriatric patients. Three hundred forty-five vital (mean age 67.1 years) and 138 geriatric older adults (mean age 80.9 years) were included. Nutritional status was assessed using the mini nutritional assessment-short form. The Sniffin' Sticks was used to measure olfactory function. Eleven percentage of the vital older adults were at risk of malnutrition, whereas 60% of the geriatric participants were malnourished or at risk. Only 2% of the vital older adults were anosmic, compared with 46% of the geriatric participants. Linear regression demonstrated a significant association (P = 0.015) between olfactory function and nutritional status in the geriatric subjects. However, this association became insignificant after adjustment for confounders. Both crude and adjusted analysis in the vital older adults did not show a significant association. The results indicate that, in both groups of elderly, there is no direct relation between olfactory function and nutritional status. We suggest that a decline in olfactory function may still be considered as one of the risk-factors for malnutrition in geriatric patients-once co-occurring with other mental and/or physical problems that are more likely to occur in those patients experience. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Greetings from Sherlock Holmes].

PubMed

Horn, B

1991-10-29

Just at a time, when practical education and post-graduate training is really a permanent problem, it is necessary to pay attention again and again to the rare problems, which also appear in the doctor's office. They are by far not only "rare and useless": The recognition by the physician may be vital for the patient. Four examples from daily practice illustrate the significance of rarities in the physician's office as a permanent challenge.

Maintaining Vitality: Pharmacists’ Continuing Professional Education Decision-Making in the Upper Midwest

PubMed Central

Henkel, Paul Jacob

2018-01-01

Continuing professional education (CPE) plays an important role in continuing professional development of pharmacists for providing quality pharmaceutical care but also to maintain professional and organizational vitality and meet changing community/population needs. The study objective was to describe and understand factors of importance in selection of CPE credit hours among Upper Midwest pharmacists. A cross-sectional study of licensed pharmacists (n = 1239) in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota included completion of a questionnaire on demographics and CPE decision-making. Factor analysis, t-test, and multivariate analyses were performed using Stata 10.1. Pharmacists placed greatest importance on maintaining licensure (mean = 2.72/3.00), personal interest (mean = 2.57), and self-improvement (mean = 2.42). Community/population need (mean = 1.83) was rated as slightly more important (p < 0.01) by retail/community pharmacists, females, and those with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree or pharmacy residency while business growth/development (mean = 1.33) was rated slightly more important (p < 0.01) by retail/community pharmacists. Despite findings that neither community/population need nor business development were among the most important factors in pharmacists’ CPE selection, there exists significant potential for pharmacists to utilize CPE to maintain professional and organizational vitality in the labor market, but more importantly to ensure continued provision of quality pharmaceutical care and patient education. PMID:29389850

Maintaining Vitality: Pharmacists' Continuing Professional Education Decision-Making in the Upper Midwest.

PubMed

Henkel, Paul Jacob; Marvanova, Marketa

2018-02-01

Continuing professional education (CPE) plays an important role in continuing professional development of pharmacists for providing quality pharmaceutical care but also to maintain professional and organizational vitality and meet changing community/population needs. The study objective was to describe and understand factors of importance in selection of CPE credit hours among Upper Midwest pharmacists. A cross-sectional study of licensed pharmacists ( n = 1239) in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota included completion of a questionnaire on demographics and CPE decision-making. Factor analysis, t -test, and multivariate analyses were performed using Stata 10.1. Pharmacists placed greatest importance on maintaining licensure (mean = 2.72/3.00), personal interest (mean = 2.57), and self-improvement (mean = 2.42). Community/population need (mean = 1.83) was rated as slightly more important ( p < 0.01) by retail/community pharmacists, females, and those with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree or pharmacy residency while business growth/development (mean = 1.33) was rated slightly more important ( p < 0.01) by retail/community pharmacists. Despite findings that neither community/population need nor business development were among the most important factors in pharmacists' CPE selection, there exists significant potential for pharmacists to utilize CPE to maintain professional and organizational vitality in the labor market, but more importantly to ensure continued provision of quality pharmaceutical care and patient education.

A longitudinal study on the effects of team building for university baseball team in Japan: from the view point of team-vitalization.

PubMed

Hochi, Yasuyuki; Mizuno, Motoki; Nakayama, Takahiro; Kitamura, Kaoru

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect in the experience of TB among university baseball team from the view point of team-vitalization. We carry out one university baseball team (102 males, 6 female). The average age of the participants was 19.99 years (SD = 1.41). Then, using Check List of Team- Vitalization that was developed by consulting firm in Japan, we examined the degrees of team-vitalization. The answers of this investigation were collected from the participants at fifth times (before intervention of TB, immediately after TB, after three months of TB, before intervention of follow-up training of TB, and immediately after follow-up training of TB). This study for eight months provided the following three conclusions; 1) University baseball team was vitalized through the experience of TB. 2) Team-vitalization was higher than before TB experience, but this effect of the TB did not seem to be permanent. 3) To keep intervention of TB was very important.

Enterprise Zones: Restoring Economic Vitality to Inner-City Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Robert

1982-01-01

Discusses how the proposed urban enterprise zones would solve problems of inner-city areas. The zones are designed to provide tax incentives which would attract new businesses to the inner city, create new jobs, and revitalize urban centers. (AM)

CDC Vital Signs: Binge Drinking a Serious, Under-Recognized Problem Among Women and Girls

MedlinePlus

... Underage drinking is affected by exposure to alcohol marketing. Underage drinking is also influenced by adult drinking, ... alcohol use. Reporting on youth exposure to alcohol marketing because it influences underage drinking. We know what ...

Collaborating for Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobrzeniecki, Aimee; Poole, Ken; Troppe, Mark

2006-01-01

Collaborating to define clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations can help a college and its partners avoid misunderstandings and "turf" problems. In this article, the authors describe vital partnerships between community colleges and economic development organizations to foster economic growth. The authors also share some lessons…

Insights into mortality patterns and causes of death through a process point of view model.

PubMed

Anderson, James J; Li, Ting; Sharrow, David J

2017-02-01

Process point of view (POV) models of mortality, such as the Strehler-Mildvan and stochastic vitality models, represent death in terms of the loss of survival capacity through challenges and dissipation. Drawing on hallmarks of aging, we link these concepts to candidate biological mechanisms through a framework that defines death as challenges to vitality where distal factors defined the age-evolution of vitality and proximal factors define the probability distribution of challenges. To illustrate the process POV, we hypothesize that the immune system is a mortality nexus, characterized by two vitality streams: increasing vitality representing immune system development and immunosenescence representing vitality dissipation. Proximal challenges define three mortality partitions: juvenile and adult extrinsic mortalities and intrinsic adult mortality. Model parameters, generated from Swedish mortality data (1751-2010), exhibit biologically meaningful correspondences to economic, health and cause-of-death patterns. The model characterizes the twentieth century epidemiological transition mainly as a reduction in extrinsic mortality resulting from a shift from high magnitude disease challenges on individuals at all vitality levels to low magnitude stress challenges on low vitality individuals. Of secondary importance, intrinsic mortality was described by a gradual reduction in the rate of loss of vitality presumably resulting from reduction in the rate of immunosenescence. Extensions and limitations of a distal/proximal framework for characterizing more explicit causes of death, e.g. the young adult mortality hump or cancer in old age are discussed.

Insights into mortality patterns and causes of death through a process point of view model

PubMed Central

Anderson, James J.; Li, Ting; Sharrow, David J.

2016-01-01

Process point of view models of mortality, such as the Strehler-Mildvan and stochastic vitality models, represent death in terms of the loss of survival capacity through challenges and dissipation. Drawing on hallmarks of aging, we link these concepts to candidate biological mechanisms through a framework that defines death as challenges to vitality where distal factors defined the age-evolution of vitality and proximal factors define the probability distribution of challenges. To illustrate the process point of view, we hypothesize that the immune system is a mortality nexus, characterized by two vitality streams: increasing vitality representing immune system development and immunosenescence representing vitality dissipation. Proximal challenges define three mortality partitions: juvenile and adult extrinsic mortalities and intrinsic adult mortality. Model parameters, generated from Swedish mortality data (1751-2010), exhibit biologically meaningful correspondences to economic, health and cause-of-death patterns. The model characterizes the 20th century epidemiological transition mainly as a reduction in extrinsic mortality resulting from a shift from high magnitude disease challenges on individuals at all vitality levels to low magnitude stress challenges on low vitality individuals. Of secondary importance, intrinsic mortality was described by a gradual reduction in the rate of loss of vitality presumably resulting from reduction in the rate of immunosenescence. Extensions and limitations of a distal/proximal framework for characterizing more explicit causes of death, e.g. the young adult mortality hump or cancer in old age are discussed. PMID:27885527

One World: Service Bees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomason, Rhonda

2009-01-01

Bees are a vital part of the ecology. People of conscience are a vital part of society. In Nina Frenkel's "One World" poster, the bee is also a metaphor for the role of the individual in a diverse society. This article presents a lesson that uses Frenkel's poster to help early-grades students connect these ideas and explore both the importance of…

The Vital Role of Basic Mathematics in Teaching and Learning the Mole Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrotra, Alka; Koul, Anjni

2016-01-01

This article focuses on the importance of activity-based teaching in understanding the mole concept and the vital role of basic mathematical operations. It describes needs-based training for teachers in a professional development programme in India. Analysis of test results before and after the training indicates that teachers improved their…

Impact of poor-quality medicines in the 'developing' world.

PubMed

Newton, Paul N; Green, Michael D; Fernández, Facundo M

2010-03-01

Since our ancestors began trading several millennia ago, counterfeit and substandard medicines have been a recurring problem, with history punctuated by crises in the supply of anti-microbials, such as fake cinchona bark in the 1600s and fake quinine in the 1800s. Unfortunately this problem persists, in particular afflicting unsuspecting patients in 'developing' countries. Poor-quality drugs are a vital (but neglected) public health problem. They contribute to a 'crevasse' between the enormous effort in therapeutic research and policy decisions and implementation of good-quality medicines. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of poor-quality medicines in the ‘developing’ world

PubMed Central

Newton, Paul N.; Green, Michael D.; Fernández, Facundo M.

2010-01-01

Since our ancestors began trading several millennia ago, counterfeit and substandard medicines have been a recurring problem, with history punctuated by crises in the supply of anti-microbials, such as fake cinchona bark in the 1600s and fake quinine in the 1800s. Unfortunately this problem persists, in particular afflicting unsuspecting patients in ‘developing’ countries. Poor-quality drugs are a vital (but neglected) public health problem. They contribute to a ‘crevasse’ between the enormous effort in therapeutic research and policy decisions and implementation of good-quality medicines. PMID:20117849

Future Lunar Sampling Missions: Big Returns on Small Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearer, C. K.; Borg, L.

2002-01-01

The next sampling missions to the Moon will result in the return of sample mass (100g to 1 kg) substantially smaller than those returned by the Apollo missions (380 kg). Lunar samples to be returned by these missions are vital for: (1) calibrating the late impact history of the inner solar system that can then be extended to other planetary surfaces; (2) deciphering the effects of catastrophic impacts on a planetary body (i.e. Aitken crater); (3) understanding the very late-stage thermal and magmatic evolution of a cooling planet; (4) exploring the interior of a planet; and (5) examining volatile reservoirs and transport on an airless planetary body. Can small lunar samples be used to answer these and other pressing questions concerning important solar system processes? Two potential problems with small, robotically collected samples are placing them in a geologic context and extracting robust planetary information. Although geologic context will always be a potential problem with any planetary sample, new lunar samples can be placed within the context of the important Apollo - Luna collections and the burgeoning planet-scale data sets for the lunar surface and interior. Here we illustrate the usefulness of applying both new or refined analytical approaches in deciphering information locked in small lunar samples.

Physics and Its Interfaces with Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Ricardo N.; Andricopulo, Adriano D.

2013-08-01

Medicinal chemistry is a multidisciplinary subject that integrates knowledge from a variety of fields of science, including, but not limited to, chemistry, biology, and physics. The area of drug design involves the cooperative work of scientists with a diverse range of backgrounds and technical skills, trying to tackle complex problems using an integration of approaches and methods. One important contribution to this field comes from physics through studies that attempt to identify and quantify the molecular interactions between small molecules (drugs) and biological targets (receptors), such as the forces that govern the interactions, the thermodynamics of the drug-receptor interactions, and so on. In this context, the interfaces of physics, medicinal chemistry, and drug design are of vital importance for the development of drugs that not only have the right chemistry but also the right intermolecular properties to interact at the macromolecular level, providing useful information about the principles and molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic action of drugs. This article highlights some of the most important connections between physics and medicinal chemistry in the design of new drugs.

Hybrid chickadees are deficient in learning and memory.

PubMed

McQuillan, Michael A; Roth, Timothy C; Huynh, Alex V; Rice, Amber M

2018-05-01

Identifying the phenotypes underlying postzygotic reproductive isolation is crucial for fully understanding the evolution and maintenance of species. One potential postzygotic isolating barrier that has rarely been examined is learning and memory ability in hybrids. Learning and memory are important fitness-related traits, especially in scatter-hoarding species, where accurate retrieval of hoarded food is vital for winter survival. Here, we test the hypothesis that learning and memory ability can act as a postzygotic isolating barrier by comparing these traits among two scatter-hoarding songbird species, black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), and their naturally occurring hybrids. In an outdoor aviary setting, we find that hybrid chickadees perform significantly worse on an associative learning spatial task and are worse at solving a novel problem compared to both parental species. Deficiencies in learning and memory abilities could therefore contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation between chickadee species. Given the importance of learning and memory for fitness, our results suggest that these traits may play an important, but as yet overlooked, role in postzygotic reproductive isolation. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Foot health and self-care activities of older people in home care.

PubMed

Stolt, Minna; Suhonen, Riitta; Puukka, Pauli; Viitanen, Matti; Voutilainen, Päivi; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2012-11-01

To assess the foot health of older people and their self-care activities in home care. The ultimate goal is to prevent foot problems in older people and to develop the assessment skills of nurses working in home care. Foot health problems are one reason why older people seek home care services. These problems are prevalent in older people, and they can impair performance of daily activities and threaten functional ability. However, studies in this field have concentrated on foot problems related to specific diseases. Non-disease-related research on foot health from the preventative perspective is lacking. A descriptive explorative design was used. The foot health of older people was assessed by visiting home nurses with the Foot Health Assessment Instrument, and older people's foot self-care activities were evaluated with the Foot Self-Care Activities Structured Interview in 2010. The data were analysed statistically. Older people in home care have multiple foot health problems. The most prevalent problems were oedema, dry skin, thickened and discoloured toenails and hallux valgus. Caring for one's feet was a problem for many older people. Older people's foot health needs to be assessed regularly to recognise foot health and self-care problems. Health care professionals have a vital role in preventing, recognising and caring for foot health in older people. The foot health of older people needs to be improved by supporting older people in foot self-care and developing preventive nursing interventions. Regular foot health assessments and their documentation are crucial in preventing serious foot problems in older people. Moreover, multiprofessional collaboration is important to promote foot health in older people. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A continuous usability evaluation of an electronic medication administration record application.

PubMed

Vicente Oliveros, Noelia; Gramage Caro, Teresa; Pérez Menéndez-Conde, Covadonga; Álvarez-Diaz, Ana María; Martín-Aragón Álvarez, Sagrario; Bermejo Vicedo, Teresa; Delgado Silveira, Eva

2017-12-01

The complexity of an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) has been underestimated by most designers in the past. Usability issues, such as poorly designed user application flow in eMAR, are therefore of vital importance, since they can have a negative impact on nursing activities and result in poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability of an eMAR application during its development. A usability evaluation was conducted during the development of the eMAR application. Two usability methods were used: a heuristic evaluation complemented by usability testing. Each eMAR application version provided by the vendor was evaluated by 2 hospital pharmacists, who applied the heuristic method. They reviewed the eMAR tasks, detected usability problems and their heuristic violations, and rated the severity of the usability problems. Usability testing was used to assess the final application version by observing how 3 nurses interacted with the application. Thirty-four versions were assessed before the eMAR application was considered usable. During the heuristic evaluation, the usability problems decreased from 46 unique usability problems in version 1 (V1) to 9 in version 34 (V34). In V1, usability problems were categorized into 154 heuristic violations, which decreased to 27 in V34. The average severity rating also decreased from major usability problem (2.96) to no problem (0.23). During usability testing, the 3 nurses did not encounter new usability problems. A thorough heuristic evaluation is a good method for obtaining a usable eMAR application. This evaluation points key areas for improvement and decreases usability problems and their severity. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Refining mortality estimates in shark demographic analyses: a Bayesian inverse matrix approach.

PubMed

Smart, Jonathan J; Punt, André E; White, William T; Simpfendorfer, Colin A

2018-01-18

Leslie matrix models are an important analysis tool in conservation biology that are applied to a diversity of taxa. The standard approach estimates the finite rate of population growth (λ) from a set of vital rates. In some instances, an estimate of λ is available, but the vital rates are poorly understood and can be solved for using an inverse matrix approach. However, these approaches are rarely attempted due to prerequisites of information on the structure of age or stage classes. This study addressed this issue by using a combination of Monte Carlo simulations and the sample-importance-resampling (SIR) algorithm to solve the inverse matrix problem without data on population structure. This approach was applied to the grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia to determine the demography of this population. Additionally, these outputs were applied to another heavily fished population from Papua New Guinea (PNG) that requires estimates of λ for fisheries management. The SIR analysis determined that natural mortality (M) and total mortality (Z) based on indirect methods have previously been overestimated for C. amblyrhynchos, leading to an underestimated λ. The updated Z distributions determined using SIR provided λ estimates that matched an empirical λ for the GBR population and corrected obvious error in the demographic parameters for the PNG population. This approach provides opportunity for the inverse matrix approach to be applied more broadly to situations where information on population structure is lacking. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Building the occupational health team: keys to successful interdisciplinary collaboration.

PubMed

Wachs, Joy E

2005-04-01

Teamwork among occupational health and safety professionals, management, and employees is vital to solving today's complex problems cost-effectively. No single discipline can meet all the needs of workers and the workplace. However, teamwork can be time-consuming and difficult if attention is not given to the role of the team leader, the necessary skills of team members, and the importance of a supportive environment. Bringing team members together regularly to foster positive relationships and infuse them with the philosophy of strength in diversity is essential for teams to be sustained and work to be accomplished. By working in tandem, occupational health and safety professionals can become the model team in business and industry delivering on their promise of a safe and healthy workplace for America's work force.

Women, violence with intimates, and substance abuse: relevant theory, empirical findings, and recommendations for future research.

PubMed

Hien, D; Hien, N M

1998-08-01

Evidence from the disparate domains of anthropology, criminology, psychology, and sociology indicates that women are involved in many of the same acts of aggression and violence as men, and that substance use may play an important role in these acts. Yet little is known of the pathways between violence and drugs for women. The aims of this paper are threefold: 1) To review and integrate existing literature addressing female violence and substance abuse, presenting available epidemiology, theories, and research applicable to the study of this problem. 2) To examine the political and methodological obstacles to conducting systematic research on female aggressiveness. 3) To offer recommendations for future epidemiological, preventive, and therapeutic research efforts in this vital yet grossly understudied area.

A review of causal inference for biomedical informatics

PubMed Central

Kleinberg, Samantha; Hripcsak, George

2011-01-01

Causality is an important concept throughout the health sciences and is particularly vital for informatics work such as finding adverse drug events or risk factors for disease using electronic health records. While philosophers and scientists working for centuries on formalizing what makes something a cause have not reached a consensus, new methods for inference show that we can make progress in this area in many practical cases. This article reviews core concepts in understanding and identifying causality and then reviews current computational methods for inference and explanation, focusing on inference from large-scale observational data. While the problem is not fully solved, we show that graphical models and Granger causality provide useful frameworks for inference and that a more recent approach based on temporal logic addresses some of the limitations of these methods. PMID:21782035

Peace and war: a study of morality and US strategic nuclear policies. Study project report

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

Ginder, D.B.; Hicks, I.

1983-05-01

The paper examines the quesitons of peace and war and the morality of nuclear deterrence. These vital and enduring questions have been again become a focus of societal debate, especially in the light of the Catholic Bishop's pastoral letter. The nuclear debate is all encompassing, raising philosophical, political, social, strategic an religious questions. These issues present problems that each informed citizen will have to discern both morally and politically. The purpose of the paper is not to evaluate the morality of the defense and deterrent policies/strategies of the United States, but to provide the reader with the information to allowmore » him to formulate judgment on this important question and be able to reconcile personal moral values with national policy and strategy.« less

Bringing air pollution into the climate change equation.

PubMed

Pettersen, Marit Viktoria; Fleck, Fiona

2014-08-01

As countries gear up for a major round of international climate talks next year in Paris, the growing problem of air pollution is fast becoming a vital part of the climate change and health debate. Fiona Fleck talks to Marit Viktoria Pettersen.

International Aviation: DOT's Efforts to Promote U.S. Air Cargo Carriers' Interest

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-10-18

International air cargo services play a vital role in facilitating U.S. trade. : As requested by Congress, the General Accounting Office (GAO) studied U.S. air : cargo airlines' reported problems in doing business abroad and examines the : efforts of...

The Academic Research Centre: A Vital Link between Industry and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner, Karl V.; Kukich, Diane S.

1995-01-01

The Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware opens up new funding sources and collaborative research opportunities and enhances student skills. Government-sponsored research is focusing on real-world problems in close cooperation with industry. (SK)

Task Shifting: The Use of Laypersons for Acquisition of Vital Signs Data for Clinical Decision Making in the Emergency Room Following Traumatic Injury.

PubMed

Haac, Bryce E; Gallaher, Jared R; Mabedi, Charles; Geyer, Andrew J; Charles, Anthony G

2017-12-01

In resource-limited settings, identification of successful and sustainable task-shifting interventions is important for improving care. To determine whether the training of lay people to take vital signs as trauma clerks is an effective and sustainable method to increase availability of vital signs in the initial evaluation of trauma patients. We conducted a quasi-experimental study of patients presenting with traumatic injury pre- and post-intervention. The study was conducted at Kamuzu Central Hospital, a tertiary care referral hospital, in Lilongwe, Malawi. All adult (age ≥ 18 years) trauma patients presenting to emergency department over a six-month period from January to June prior to intervention (2011), immediately post-intervention (2012), 1 year post-intervention (2013) and 2 years post-intervention (2014). Lay people were trained to take and record vital signs. The number of patients with recorded vital signs pre- and post-intervention and sustainability of the intervention as determined by time-series analysis. Availability of vital signs on initial evaluation of trauma patients increased significantly post-intervention. The percentage of patients with at least one vital sign recorded increased from 23.5 to 92.1%, and the percentage of patients with all vital signs recorded increased from 4.1 to 91.4%. Availability of Glasgow Coma Scale also increased from 40.3 to 88.6%. Increased documentation of vital signs continued at 1 year and 2 years post-intervention. However, the percentage of documented vital signs did decrease slightly after the US-trained medical student and surgeon who trained the trauma clerks were no longer available in country, except for Glasgow Coma Scale. Patients who died during emergency department evaluation were significantly less likely to have vital signs recorded. The training of lay people to collect vital signs and Glasgow Coma Scale is an effective and sustainable method of task shifting in a resource-limited setting.

The neural correlates of ‘vitality form’ recognition: an fMRI study

PubMed Central

Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Di Dio, Cinzia; Rochat, Magali J.; Sinigaglia, Corrado; Bruschweiler-Stern, Nadia; Stern, Daniel N.

2014-01-01

The observation of goal-directed actions performed by another individual allows one to understand what that individual is doing and why he/she is doing it. Important information about others’ behaviour is also carried out by the dynamics of the observed action. Action dynamics characterize the ‘vitality form’ of an action describing the cognitive and affective relation between the performing agent and the action recipient. Here, using the fMRI technique, we assessed the neural correlates of vitality form recognition presenting participants with videos showing two actors executing actions with different vitality forms: energetic and gentle. The participants viewed the actions in two tasks. In one task (what), they had to focus on the goal of the presented action; in the other task (how), they had to focus on the vitality form. For both tasks, activations were found in the action observation/execution circuit. Most interestingly, the contrast how vs what revealed activation in right dorso-central insula, highlighting the involvement, in the recognition of vitality form, of an anatomical region connecting somatosensory areas with the medial temporal region and, in particular, with the hippocampus. This somatosensory-insular-limbic circuit could underlie the observers’ capacity to understand the vitality forms conveyed by the observed action. PMID:23740868

Vital signs in older patients: age-related changes.

PubMed

Chester, Jennifer Gonik; Rudolph, James L

2011-06-01

Vital signs are objective measures of physiological function that are used to monitor acute and chronic disease and thus serve as a basic communication tool about patient status. The purpose of this analysis was to review age-related changes of traditional vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and temperature) with a focus on age-related molecular changes, organ system changes, systemic changes, and altered compensation to stressors. The review found that numerous physiological and pathological changes may occur with age and alter vital signs. These changes tend to reduce the ability of organ systems to adapt to physiological stressors, particularly in frail older patients. Because of the diversity of age-related physiological changes and comorbidities in an individual, single-point measurements of vital signs have less sensitivity in detecting disease processes. However, serial vital sign assessments may have increased sensitivity, especially when viewed in the context of individualized reference ranges. Vital sign change with age may be subtle because of reduced physiological ranges. However, change from an individual reference range may indicate important warning signs and thus may require additional evaluation to understand potential underlying pathological processes. As a result, individualized reference ranges may provide improved sensitivity in frail, older patients. Copyright © 2011 American Medical Directors Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sample registration of vital events with verbal autopsy: a renewed commitment to measuring and monitoring vital statistics.

PubMed Central

Setel, Philip W.; Sankoh, Osman; Rao, Chalapati; Velkoff, Victoria A.; Mathers, Colin; Gonghuan, Yang; Hemed, Yusuf; Jha, Prabhat; Lopez, Alan D.

2005-01-01

Registration of births, recording deaths by age, sex and cause, and calculating mortality levels and differentials are fundamental to evidence-based health policy, monitoring and evaluation. Yet few of the countries with the greatest need for these data have functioning systems to produce them despite legislation providing for the establishment and maintenance of vital registration. Sample vital registration (SVR), when applied in conjunction with validated verbal autopsy procedures and implemented in a nationally representative sample of population clusters represents an affordable, cost-effective, and sustainable short- and medium-term solution to this problem. SVR complements other information sources by producing age-, sex-, and cause-specific mortality data that are more complete and continuous than those currently available. The tools and methods employed in an SVR system, however, are imperfect and require rigorous validation and continuous quality assurance; sampling strategies for SVR are also still evolving. Nonetheless, interest in establishing SVR is rapidly growing in Africa and Asia. Better systems for reporting and recording data on vital events will be sustainable only if developed hand-in-hand with existing health information strategies at the national and district levels; governance structures; and agendas for social research and development monitoring. If the global community wishes to have mortality measurements 5 or 10 years hence, the foundation stones of SVR must be laid today. PMID:16184280

Development of a Vitality Scan related to workers' sustainable employability: a study assessing its internal consistency and construct validity.

PubMed

Brouwers, Livia A M; Engels, Josephine A; Heerkens, Yvonne F; van der Beek, Allard J

2015-06-16

Most validated sustainable employability questionnaires are extensive and difficult to obtain. Our objective was to develop a usable and valid tool, a Vitality Scan, to determine possible signs of stagnation in one's functioning related to sustainable employability and to establish the instrument's internal consistency and construct validity. A literature review was performed and expert input was obtained to develop an online survey of 31 items. A sample of 1722 Dutch employees was recruited. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. The underlying theoretical concepts were extracted by factor analysis using a principal component method. For construct validity, a priori hypotheses were defined for expected differences between known subgroups: 1) older workers would report more stagnation than younger workers, and 2) less educated workers would report more problems than the highly educated ones. Both hypotheses were statistically tested using ANOVA. Internal consistency measures and factor analysis resulted in five subscales with acceptable to good reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.72-0.87). These subscales included: balance and competence, motivation and involvement, resilience, mental and physical health, and social support at work. Three items were removed following these analyses. In accordance with our a priori hypothesis 1, the ANOVA showed that older workers reported the most problems, while younger workers reported the least problems. However, hypothesis 2 was not confirmed: no significant differences were found for education level. The developed Vitality Scan - with the 28 remaining items - showed good measurement properties. It is applicable as a user-friendly, evaluative instrument for worker's sustainable employability. The scan's value for determining whether or not the employee is at risk for a decrease in functioning during present and future work, should be further tested.

The psychometric properties of the cervical nonorganic signs in patients with neck pain: an assessment of pain expression.

PubMed

Lue, Yi-Jing; Chang, Jyh-Jong; Wu, Yuh-Yih; Lin, Rong-Fong; Lu, Yen-Mou

2018-04-01

Neck pain is a common cause of disability. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the cervical nonorganic signs (CNOS), a tool for assessing abnormal illness behaviors in patients with neck pain. The CNOS was administered on patients with neck pain. Reliability and validity analyses were used to evaluate the psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the dimensionality. Correlations with the Short Form-36 were used to investigate the convergent validity. The results supported the reliability (inter-rater reliability intra-class correlation: 0.920), validity (correlated with body pain (|ρ|=0.31) and vitality (|ρ| =0.30), and two-factor dimensionality (χ 2 =   5.904, p= 0.66; χ 2 /df = 0.738; RMSEA< 0.001; CFI = 1.000; TLI = 1.024; SRMR = 0.047) of the scale. The two factors were pain (severe pain) and vitality (poor vitality) expressed by the patients. The CNOS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing pain and vitality problems. It helps patients to express severe pain and lack of vitality. The rehabilitation discipline could use the scale to understand pain expression and to design proper rehabilitation programs. Implications for Rehabilitation The cervical nonorganic signs has two domains (pain and vitality). The scale is reliable and valid for patients with neck pain. Patients with high scores on the pain domain have severe body pain that may interfere with normal social activities. Clinicians should understand their suffering and try to help them to alleviate the pain.

Mid-career faculty development in academic medicine: How does it impact faculty and institutional vitality?

PubMed Central

Campion, MaryAnn W.; Bhasin, Robina M.; Beaudette, Donald J.; Shann, Mary H.; Benjamin, Emelia J.

2016-01-01

Purpose Faculty vitality is integral to the advancement of higher education. Strengthening vitality is particularly important for mid-career faculty, who represent the largest and most dissatisfied segment. The demands of academic medicine appear to be another factor that may put faculty at risk of attrition. To address these issues, we initiated a ten-month mid-career faculty development program. Methods A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the program's impact on faculty and institutional vitality. Pre/post surveys compared participants with a matched reference group. Quantitative data were augmented by interviews and focus groups with multiple stakeholders. Results At the program's conclusion, participants showed statistically significant gains in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and connectivity when compared to the referents. Conclusion Given that mid-career faculty development in academic medicine has not been extensively studied, our evaluation provides a useful perspective to guide future initiatives aimed at enhancing the vitality and leadership capacity of mid-career faculty. PMID:27942418

A simple intervention improves the recording of vital signs in children presenting to the emergency department.

PubMed

Bird, C; Shea, A; Michie, C A; George, G

2009-10-01

Vital signs are often not documented in paediatric patients at triage. This study was conducted to find out whether the use of a small, laminated aide memoire and a short teaching session might improve this situation. A preliminary audit of the measurement of vital signs in 106 children aged less than 6 years was carried out in a district general hospital emergency department (ED). A small card illustrating normal values for these was then distributed-this could be attached to staff identity cards. At the same time doctors and nursing staff were given a teaching session on the importance of these measures. The audit was then repeated in a further 106 children. There was significant improvement in recording of all vital signs with the exception of blood pressure and temperature. A low-cost card together with a short period of training offers a useful strategy to improve the rate of documentation of vital signs in children presenting to the ED.

Mid-career faculty development in academic medicine: How does it impact faculty and institutional vitality?

PubMed

Campion, MaryAnn W; Bhasin, Robina M; Beaudette, Donald J; Shann, Mary H; Benjamin, Emelia J

2016-09-01

Faculty vitality is integral to the advancement of higher education. Strengthening vitality is particularly important for mid-career faculty, who represent the largest and most dissatisfied segment. The demands of academic medicine appear to be another factor that may put faculty at risk of attrition. To address these issues, we initiated a ten-month mid-career faculty development program. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the program's impact on faculty and institutional vitality. Pre/post surveys compared participants with a matched reference group. Quantitative data were augmented by interviews and focus groups with multiple stakeholders. At the program's conclusion, participants showed statistically significant gains in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and connectivity when compared to the referents. Given that mid-career faculty development in academic medicine has not been extensively studied, our evaluation provides a useful perspective to guide future initiatives aimed at enhancing the vitality and leadership capacity of mid-career faculty.

[Good governance of publicly-produced health services: ideas for moving forward].

PubMed

Freire, José Manuel; Repullo, Jose Ramon

2011-06-01

The good performance of publicly-produced health services is of vital importance, well beyond the health sector. Taking into account the great complexity of the health services in the public sector due both to their public and professional nature, we identify seven Gordian Knots as being responsible for the most frequent problems of publicly produced health services in Spain and Latin America. From the concept of good governance we take its character as a normative and ethical benchmark and its potential to renew and invigorate the government of the public sector. From comparative analysis of publicly-produced health services in the best performing countries, we extract eight characteristics which contribute significantly to good performance. A final reflection is on the relevance of the importance of offsetting the potential hostility to a reformist impulse of the status-quo with alliances that strengthen public trust and the social contract between health professionals and citizens based on the values of public health systems.

Sing the mind electric - principles of deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Kringelbach, Morten L; Green, Alexander L; Owen, Sarah L F; Schweder, Patrick M; Aziz, Tipu Z

2010-10-01

The remarkable efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for a range of treatment-resistant disorders is still not matched by a comparable understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms. Some progress has been made using translational research with a range of neuroscientific techniques, and here we review the most promising emerging principles. On balance, DBS appears to work by restoring normal oscillatory activity between a network of key brain regions. Further research using this causal neuromodulatory tool may provide vital insights into fundamental brain function, as well as guide targets for future treatments. In particular, DBS could have an important role in restoring the balance of the brain's default network and thus repairing the malignant brain states associated with affective disorders, which give rise to serious disabling problems such as anhedonia, the lack of pleasure. At the same time, it is important to proceed with caution and not repeat the errors from the era of psychosurgery. © 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2010 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The design of the intelligent monitoring system for dam safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Chun-qiao; Jiang, Chen-guang; Wang, Guo-hui

2008-12-01

Being a vital manmade water-control structure, a dam plays a very important role in the living and production of human being. To make a dam run safely, the best design and the superior construction quality are paramount; moreover, with working periods increasing, various dynamic, alternative and bad loads generate little by little various distortions on the dam structure inevitably, which shall lead to potential safety problems or further a disaster (dam burst). There are many signs before the occurrence of a dam accident, so the timely and effective surveying on the distortion of a dam is important. On the basis of the cause supra, two intelligent (automatic) monitoring systems about the dam's safety based on the RTK-GPS technology and the measuring robot has been developed. The basic principle, monitoring method and monitoring process of these two intelligent (automatic) monitoring systems are introduced. It presents examples of monitor and puts forward the basic rule of dam warning based on data of actual monitor.

Military Interprofessional Health Care Teams: How USU is Working to Harness the Power of Collaboration.

PubMed

D'Angelo, Matthew R; Saperstein, Adam K; Seibert, Diane C; Durning, Steven J; Varpio, Lara

2016-11-01

Despite efforts to increase patient safety, hundreds of thousands of lives are lost each year to preventable health care errors. The Institute of Medicine and other organizations have recommended that facilitating effective interprofessional health care team work can help address this problem. While the concept of interprofessional health care teams is known, understanding and organizing effective team performance have proven to be elusive goals. Although considerable research has been conducted in the civilian sector, scholars have yet to extend research to the military context. Indeed, delivering the highest caliber of health care to our service men and women is vitally important. This commentary describes a new initiative as the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences aimed at researching the characteristics of successful military interprofessional teams and why those characteristics are important. It also describes the interprofessional education initiative that Uniformed Services University is launching to help optimize U.S. military health care. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Using OPC and HL7 Standards to Incorporate an Industrial Big Data Historian in a Health IT Environment.

PubMed

Cruz, Márcio Freire; Cavalcante, Carlos Arthur Mattos Teixeira; Sá Barretto, Sérgio Torres

2018-05-30

Health Level Seven (HL7) is one of the standards most used to centralize data from different vital sign monitoring systems. This solution significantly limits the data available for historical analysis, because it typically uses databases that are not effective in storing large volumes of data. In industry, a specific Big Data Historian, known as a Process Information Management System (PIMS), solves this problem. This work proposes the same solution to overcome the restriction on storing vital sign data. The PIMS needs a compatible communication standard to allow storing, and the one most commonly used is the OLE for Process Control (OPC). This paper presents a HL7-OPC Server that permits communication between vital sign monitoring systems with PIMS, thus allowing the storage of long historical series of vital signs. In addition, it carries out a review about local and cloud-based Big Medical Data researches, followed by an analysis of the PIMS in a Health IT Environment. Then it shows the architecture of HL7 and OPC Standards. Finally, it shows the HL7-OPC Server and a sequence of tests that proved its full operation and performance.

Importance of social capital at the workplace for return to work among women with a history of long-term sick leave: a cohort study.

PubMed

Rydström, Ingela; Dalheim Englund, Lotta; Dellve, Lotta; Ahlstrom, Linda

2017-01-01

The workplace is an essential source of social capital for many people; it provides mutual support and gives meaning to life. However, few prospective studies have thoroughly investigated the importance of aspects of social capital in the workplace. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between aspects of social capital (social support, sense of community, and quality of leadership) at the workplace, and work ability, working degree, and vitality among women with a history of long-term sick leave from human service organizations. A longitudinal cohort study was performed among women with a history of long-term sick leave. The study started in 2005, and the women were followed up at 6 months, 1 year, and 6 years using self-reported questionnaires (baseline n  = 283). Linear mixed models were used for longitudinal analysis of the repeated measurements of prospective degree of work ability, working degree, and vitality. Analyses were performed with different models; the explanatory variables for each model were social support, sense of community, and quality of leadership and time. Social capital in terms of quality of leadership (being good at solving conflicts and giving high priority to job satisfaction), sense of community (co-operation between colleagues) and social support (help and support from immediate superiors and colleagues) increased the women's work ability score (WAS) as well as working degree over time. Additionally, social capital in terms of quality of leadership increased the women's vitality score over time. A sustainable return-to-work process among individuals with a history of long-term sick leave, going in and out of work participation, could be supported with social support, good quality of leadership, and a sense of community at the workplace. The responsibility for the rehabilitation process can not be reduced to an individual problem, but ought to include all stakeholders involved in the process, such as managers, colleagues, health care services, and the social security agency.

Desktop Virtualization: Applications and Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgman, Matthew R.

2013-01-01

As educational technology continues to rapidly become a vital part of a school district's infrastructure, desktop virtualization promises to provide cost-effective and education-enhancing solutions to school-based computer technology problems in school systems locally and abroad. This article outlines the history of and basic concepts behind…

Vital physical signals measurements using a webcam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Jianfei; Yan, Yonggang; Yao, Lifeng

2013-10-01

Non-contact and remote measurements of vital physical signals are important for reliable and comfortable physiological self-assessment. In this paper, we provide a new video-based methodology for remote and fast measurements of vital physical signals such as cardiac pulse and breathing rate. A webcam is used to track color video of a human face or wrist, and a Photoplethysmography (PPG) technique is applied to perform the measurements of the vital signals. A novel sequential blind signal extraction methodology is applied to the color video under normal lighting conditions, based on correlation analysis between the green trace and the source signals. The approach is successfully applied in the measurement of vital signals under the condition of different illuminating in which the target signal can also be found out accurately. To assess the advantages, the measuring time of a large number of cases is recorded correctly. The experimental results show that it only takes less than 30 seconds to measure the vital physical signals using presented technique. The study indicates the proposed approach is feasible for PPG technique, which provides a way to study the relationship of the signal for different ROI in future research.

The vital signs of chronic disease management.

PubMed

Harries, Anthony D; Zachariah, Rony; Kapur, Anil; Jahn, Andreas; Enarson, Donald A

2009-06-01

The vital signs of pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature and respiratory rate are the 'nub' of individual patient management. At the programmatic level, vital signs could also be used to monitor the burden and treatment outcome of chronic disease. Case detection and treatment outcome constitute the vital signs of tuberculosis control within the WHO's 'DOTS' framework, and similar vital signs could be adapted and used for management of chronic diseases. The numbers of new patients started on therapy in each month or quarter (new incident cases) are sensitive indicators for programme performance and access to services. Using similar reporting cycles, treatment outcomes for all patients can be assessed, the vital signs being: alive and retained on therapy at the respective facility; died; stopped therapy; lost to follow-up; and transferred out to another facility. Retention on treatment constitutes the prevalent number of cases, the burden of disease, and this provides important strategic information for rational drug forecasting and logistic planning. If case numbers and outcomes of chronic diseases were measured reliably and consistently as part of an integrated programmatic approach, this would strengthen the ability of resource-poor countries to monitor and assess their response to these growing epidemics.

[Surgical therapeutic strategy in vital risk polytrauma with multiple organ injuries, case report].

PubMed

Munteanu, Iulia; Stefan, S; Isloi, Anca; Coca, I C; Baroi, Genoveva; Radu, L; Lăpuşneanu, A; Tamaş, Camelia

2008-01-01

The medical interest for trauma pathology is incresing, due to the gravity of the given injuries. The surgical therapeutic strategy used is directly related to the localization and to the type of the trauma. The supplementary lesions and their vital risk also matter. The multidisciplinary team approach is the key to resolve this type of lesions with a good outcome. We recently observed an increasing tendency toward the rise of number and variety of patients with trauma, due to the great diversity of the etiopathogenic agents. The most important factor, during the assessment of a politraumatised patient is to diagnose correctly the functional deficits of vital organs and establish the vital prognosis. It is necessary to adopt the best and fast therapeutic strategy in order to obtain rapid life-saving decisions.

Linking vital rates to invasiveness of a perennial herb.

PubMed

Ramula, Satu

2014-04-01

Invaders generally show better individual performance than non-invaders and, therefore, vital rates (survival, growth, fecundity) could potentially be used to predict species invasiveness outside their native range. Comparative studies have usually correlated vital rates with the invasiveness status of species, while few studies have investigated them in relation to population growth rate. Here, I examined the influence of five vital rates (plant establishment, survival, growth, flowering probability, seed production) and their variability (across geographic regions, habitat types, population sizes and population densities) on population growth rate (λ) using data from 37 populations of an invasive, iteroparous herb (Lupinus polyphyllus) in a part of its invaded range in Finland. Variation in vital rates was often related to habitat type and population density. The performance of the populations varied from declining to rapidly increasing independently of habitat type, population size or population density, but differed between regions. The population growth rate increased linearly with plant establishment, and with the survival and growth of vegetative individuals, while the survival of flowering individuals and annual seed production were not related to λ. The vital rates responsible for rapid population growth varied among populations. These findings highlight the importance of both regional and local conditions to plant population dynamics, demonstrating that individual vital rates do not necessarily correlate with λ. Therefore, to understand the role of individual vital rates in a species ability to invade, it is necessary to quantify their effect on population growth rate.

The determination of the pulse pile-up reject (PUR) counting for X and gamma ray spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabıdak, S. M.; Kaya, S.

2017-02-01

The collection the charged particles produced by the incident radiation on a detector requires a time interval. If this time interval is not sufficiently short compared with the peaking time of the amplifier, a loss in the recovered signal amplitude occurs. Another major constraint on the throughput of modern x or gamma-ray spectrometers is the time required for the subsequent the pulse processing by the electronics. Two above-mentioned limitations are cause of counting losses resulting from the dead time and the pile-up. The pulse pile-up is a common problem in x and gamma ray radiation detection systems. The pulses pile-up in spectroscopic analysis can cause significant errors. Therefore, inhibition of these pulses is a vital step. A way to reduce errors due to the pulse pile-up is a pile-up inspection circuitry (PUR). Such a circuit rejects some of the pulse pile-up. Therefore, this circuit leads to counting losses. Determination of these counting losses is an important problem. In this work, a new method is suggested for the determination of the pulse pile-up reject.

The Mandwa project: an experiment in community participation.

PubMed

Antia, N H

1988-01-01

The project at Mandwa was designed to study the problems of health in rural India and the delivery of health care by the existing public and private health systems. The results demonstrate the important role of socioeconomic and political factors not only in vital areas such as nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and housing, but also in the delivery of health services. The private sector showed a predominantly curative and monetary orientation, while the public sector demonstrated a lack of accountability to the people it was designed to serve. Under these conditions, an attempt was made to test the possibility of training local women in self-help with a minimal supportive service. The results reveal that adequate knowledge and technology exist for most of the prevalent problems of health and illness in developing countries, and that semiliterate villagers have the capacity to use these effectively if they are provided in a simple manner. This experiment also demonstrates the opposition from local vested interests to any change of the status quo, even in the relatively noncontroversial field of health.

Using interactive problem-solving techniques to enhance control systems education for non English-speakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamont, L. A.; Chaar, L.; Toms, C.

2010-03-01

Interactive learning is beneficial to students in that it allows the continual development and testing of many skills. An interactive approach enables students to improve their technical capabilities, as well as developing both verbal and written communicative ability. Problem solving and communication skills are vital for engineering students; in the workplace they will be required to communicate with people of varying technical abilities and from different linguistic and engineering backgrounds. In this paper, a case study is presented that discusses how the traditional method of teaching control systems can be improved. 'Control systems' is a complex engineering topic requiring students to process an extended amount of mathematical formulae. MATLAB software, which enables students to interactively compare a range of possible combinations and analyse the optimal solution, is used to this end. It was found that students became more enthusiastic and interested when given ownership of their learning objectives. As well as improving the students' technical knowledge, other important engineering skills are also improved by introducing an interactive method of teaching.

HPSLPred: An Ensemble Multi-Label Classifier for Human Protein Subcellular Location Prediction with Imbalanced Source.

PubMed

Wan, Shixiang; Duan, Yucong; Zou, Quan

2017-09-01

Predicting the subcellular localization of proteins is an important and challenging problem. Traditional experimental approaches are often expensive and time-consuming. Consequently, a growing number of research efforts employ a series of machine learning approaches to predict the subcellular location of proteins. There are two main challenges among the state-of-the-art prediction methods. First, most of the existing techniques are designed to deal with multi-class rather than multi-label classification, which ignores connections between multiple labels. In reality, multiple locations of particular proteins imply that there are vital and unique biological significances that deserve special focus and cannot be ignored. Second, techniques for handling imbalanced data in multi-label classification problems are necessary, but never employed. For solving these two issues, we have developed an ensemble multi-label classifier called HPSLPred, which can be applied for multi-label classification with an imbalanced protein source. For convenience, a user-friendly webserver has been established at http://server.malab.cn/HPSLPred. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The nurse response to abnormal vital sign recording in the emergency department.

PubMed

Johnson, Kimberly D; Mueller, Lindsey; Winkelman, Chris

2017-01-01

To examine what occurs after a recorded observation of at least one abnormal vital sign in the emergency department. The aims were to determine how often abnormal vital signs were recorded, what interventions were documented, and what factors were associated with documented follow-up for abnormal vital signs. Monitoring quality of care, and preventing or intervening before harm occurs to patients are central to nurses' roles. Abnormal vital signs have been associated with poor patient outcomes and require follow-up after the observation of abnormal readings to prevent patient harm related to a deteriorating status. This documentation is important to quality and safety of care. Observational, retrospective chart review. Modified Early Warning Score was calculated for all recorded vital signs for 195 charts. Comparisons were made between groups: (1) no abnormal vital signs, (2) abnormal vital sign present, but normal Modified Early Warning Score and (3) critically abnormal Modified Early Warning Score. About 62·1% of charts had an abnormal vital sign documented. Critically abnormal values were present in 14·9%. No documentation was present in 44·6% of abnormal cases. When interventions were documented, it was usually to notify the physician. The timing within the emergency department visit when the abnormalities were observed and the degree of abnormality had significant relationships to the presence of documentation. It is doubtful that nurses do not recognise abnormalities because more severely abnormal vital signs were more likely to have documented follow-up. Perhaps the interruptive nature of the emergency department or the prioritised actions of the nurse impacted documentation within this study. Further research is required to determine why follow-up is not being documented. To ensure safety and quality of patient care, accurate documentation of responses to abnormal vital signs is required. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Concluding Comments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Robert T.; Baldwin, Roger G.

1983-01-01

The issue of maintaining institutional vitality through the development of faculty confronts higher education with a new set of problems. Higher education should reexamine its basic premises on employee expectations and look at career paths of other professionals in other kinds of organizations. What is needed is a healthy flow of people through…

The Portable Pediatrician.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markel, Howard; And Others

This ready reference health guide features 240 major topics that occur regularly in clinical work with children and adolescents. It sorts out the information vital to successful management of common health problems and concerns by presentation of tables, charts, lists, criteria for diagnosis, and other useful tips. References on which the entries…

Warning: Parental Involvement May Be Hazardous.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Mark J.; Mosley, Mary H.

1999-01-01

Principals should not presume that all parental involvement is good while ignoring adverse home conditions (such as divorce, abuse and neglect, coercive family interactions, mental-health problems, poverty, and unemployment) that may interfere with quality involvement. School-parent alliances are vital but will grow more complex as society…

[Psychiatric patient: the most vulnerable traveller].

PubMed

Felkai, Péter; Kurimay, Tamás; Fülöp, Emoke

2011-01-23

Authors analyse questions of medical evacuation of the psychotic patient from abroad to homeland. This task can be considered the most difficult problem for the attending physician and the escorting medical team as well. The main challenge is to recognise the psychotic patient in a foreign country with a different health-care system and to overcome the language barrier and the different cultural background. The second issue is to prepare the patients - who are usually in a poor condition - for the medical evacuation by commercial aircraft. Another important issue is to take the patient through the strict security control. All of these (partially unsolved) problems make the mentally ill patient defenceless. Although the repatriation of a mentally ill patient is vital and urgent, travel insurance policy mostly excludes to cover the cost of treatment and repatriation. The high cost of treatment and repatriation of the patient should be paid by the patient or the family, who are often in the position of insolvency. In this paper authors present the history of a patient and give a brief review on travel-related mental disorders, the epidemiology of mental alterations during travel as well as the problems of appropriate evacuation. Authors conclude that there is a need for a better approach of the airport authorities and insurance decision makers to the mentally ill patient travelling abroad.

Discovering objects in a blood recipient information system.

PubMed

Qiu, D; Junghans, G; Marquardt, K; Kroll, H; Mueller-Eckhardt, C; Dudeck, J

1995-01-01

Application of object-oriented (OO) methodologies has been generally considered as a solution to the problem of improving the software development process and managing the so-called software crisis. Among them, object-oriented analysis (OOA) is the most essential and is a vital prerequisite for the successful use of other OO methodologies. Though there are already a good deal of OOA methods published, the most important aspect common to all these methods: discovering objects classes truly relevant to the given problem domain, has remained a subject to be intensively researched. In this paper, using the successful development of a blood recipient information system as an example, we present our approach which is based on the conceptual framework of responsibility-driven OOA. In the discussion, we also suggest that it may be inadequate to simply attribute the software crisis to the waterfall model of the software development life-cycle. We are convinced that the real causes for the failure of some software and information systems should be sought in the methodologies used in some crucial phases of the software development process. Furthermore, a software system can also fail if object classes essential to the problem domain are not discovered, implemented and visualized, so that the real-world situation cannot be faithfully traced by it.

Young children's imagination in science education and education for sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caiman, Cecilia; Lundegård, Iann

2017-09-01

This research is concerned with how children's processes of imagination, situated in cultural and social practices, come into play when they invent, anticipate, and explore a problem that is important to them. To enhance our understanding of young children's learning and meaning-making related to science and sustainability, research that investigates children's use of imagination is valuable. The specific aim of this paper is to empirically scrutinize how children's imaginations emerge, develop, and impact their experiences in science. We approach imagination as a situated, open, and unscripted act that emerges within transactions. This empirical study was conducted in a Swedish pre-school, and the data was collected `in between' a science inquiry activity and lunchtime. We gathered specific video-sequences wherein the children, lived through the process of imagination, invented a problem together and produced something new. Our analysis showed that imagination has a great significance when children provide different solutions which may be useful in the future to sustainability-related problems. If the purpose of an educational experience in some way supports children's imaginative flow, then practicing an open, listening approach becomes vital. Thus, by encouraging children to explore their concerns and questions related to sustainability issues more thoroughly without incautious recommendations or suggestions from adults, the process of imagination might flourish.

Vital Involvement Practice: strengths as more than tools for solving problems.

PubMed

Kivnick, Helen Q; Stoffel, Sharon A

2005-01-01

This article describes Vital Involvement Practice, a strength-based approach to clinical practice with elders, including those who are extremely frail. Using this approach, practitioners have been able to help elders increase later-life vitality and associated positive quality of life through: (1) systematic identification of individual strengths and assets (found both in the person and in the surrounding environment), and (2) consideration of these strengths alongside the individual and environmental deficits that are the subject of most geriatric practice. The approach utilizes original data-gathering tools (Occupational Profile; Life Strengths Interview Guide) and a stepwise, worksheet- structured consideration of these data in order to formulate action strategies for achieving client goals (Domain Scan; Domain Goals; Life Plan/Strategy). All elements of VIP emerged in pilot work with gerontological practitioners and their elder clients in such settings as: primary health care; government social service; subsidized senior housing; private clinical practice; community recreation. Limitations, implications, and promise are noted, with respect to practice and research.

Emergency nurses' decisions regarding frequency and nature of vital sign assessment.

PubMed

Lambe, Katherine; Currey, Judy; Considine, Julie

2017-07-01

To explore the factors emergency nurses use to inform their decisions regarding frequency and nature of vital sign assessment. Research related to clinical deterioration and vital sign assessment in the emergency department is in its infancy. Studies to date have explored the frequency of vital sign assessment in the emergency department; however, there are no published studies that have examined factors that emergency nurses use to inform their decisions regarding frequency and nature of ongoing vital sign assessment. A prospective exploratory design was used. Data were collected using a survey consisting of eight patient vignettes. The study was conducted in one emergency department in metropolitan Melbourne. Participants were emergency nurses permanently employed at the study site. A 96% response rate was achieved (n = 47/49). The most common frequency of patient reassessment nominated by participants was 15 or 30 minutely, with an equal number of participants choosing these frequency intervals. Abnormality in initial vital sign parameters was the most common factor identified for choosing either a 15- or 30-minute assessment interval. Frequency of assessment decisions was influenced by years of emergency nursing experience in one vignette and level of postgraduate qualification in three vignettes. Heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure were all nominated by over 80% of participants as vital signs that participants considered important for reassessment. The frequency and nature of vital signs selected varied according to vignette content. There were significant negative correlations between assessment of conscious state and years of nursing experience and assessment of respiratory rate and years of emergency nursing experience. Level of postgraduate qualification did not influence selection of parameters for reassessment. Emergency nurses are tailoring vital sign assessment to patients' clinical status, and nurses are integrating known vital sign data into vital sign decision-making. Accurate assessment and interpretation of vital sign data is fundamental to patient safety. Emergency nurses are responsible for the initial and ongoing assessment of undiagnosed or undifferentiated patients. Prior to medical assessment, emergency nurses are solely responsible for patient assessment, escalation of care and implementation of interventions within nursing scope of practice. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vital signs monitoring and nurse-patient interaction: A qualitative observational study of hospital practice.

PubMed

Cardona-Morrell, M; Prgomet, M; Lake, R; Nicholson, M; Harrison, R; Long, J; Westbrook, J; Braithwaite, J; Hillman, K

2016-04-01

High profile safety failures have demonstrated that recognising early warning signs of clinical and physiological deterioration can prevent or reduce harm resulting from serious adverse events. Early warning scoring systems are now routinely used in many places to detect and escalate deteriorating patients. Timely and accurate vital signs monitoring are critical for ensuring patient safety through providing data for early warning scoring systems, but little is known about current monitoring practices. To establish a profile of nurses' vital signs monitoring practices, related dialogue, and adherence to health service protocol in New South Wales, Australia. Direct observations of nurses' working practices were conducted in two wards. The observations focused on times of the day when vital signs were generally measured. Patient interactions were recorded if occurring any time during the observation periods. Participants (n=42) included nursing staff on one chronic disease medical and one acute surgical ward in a large urban teaching hospital in New South Wales. We observed 441 patient interactions. Measurement of vital signs occurred in 52% of interactions. The minimum five vital signs measures required by New South Wales Health policy were taken in only 6-21% of instances of vital signs monitoring. Vital signs were documented immediately on 93% of vitals-taking occasions and documented according to the policy in the patient's chart on 89% of these occasions. Nurse-patient interactions were initiated for the purpose of taking vital signs in 49% of interactions, with nurse-patient discourse observed during 88% of all interactions. Nurse-patient dialogue led to additional care being provided to patients in 12% of interactions. The selection of appropriate vital signs measured and responses to these appears to rely on nurses' clinical judgement or time availability rather than on policy-mandated frequency. The prevalence of incomplete sets of vital signs may limit identification of deteriorating patients. The findings from this study present an important baseline profile against which to evaluate the impact of introducing continuous monitoring approaches on current hospital practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining the Relationship between Psychosocial Work Factors and Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Computer Users in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Zakerian, SA; Subramaniam, ID

2011-01-01

Background: With computers rapidly carving a niche in virtually every nook and crevice of today’s fast-paced society, musculoskeletal disorders are becoming more prevalent among computer users, which comprise a wide spectrum of the Malaysian population, including office workers. While extant literature depicts extensive research on musculoskeletal disorders in general, the five dimensions of psychosocial work factors (job demands, job contentment, job control, computer-related problems and social interaction) attributed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been neglected. This study examines the aforementioned elements in detail, pertaining to their relationship with musculoskeletal disorders, focusing in particular, on 120 office workers at Malaysian public sector organizations, whose jobs require intensive computer usage. Methods: Research was conducted between March and July 2009 in public service organizations in Malaysia. This study was conducted via a survey utilizing self-complete questionnaires and diary. The relationship between psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal discomfort was ascertained through regression analyses, which revealed that some factors were more important than others were. Results: The results indicate a significant relationship among psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal discomfort among computer users. Several of these factors such as job control, computer-related problem and social interaction of psychosocial work factors are found to be more important than others in musculoskeletal discomfort. Conclusion: With computer usage on the rise among users, the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort could lead to unnecessary disabilities, hence, the vital need for greater attention to be given on this aspect in the work place, to alleviate to some extent, potential problems in future. PMID:23113058

Investigating Views of Teachers on Classroom Guidance Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siyez, Digdem M.; Kaya, Alim; Uz Bas, Asli

2012-01-01

Problem Statement: Comprehensive, developmental guidance and counseling programs are vital to the achievement of excellence in education for all students. The purpose of the guidance curriculum is to help all students develop basic life skills in the areas of personal/social, career planning, and academic development. Although the counselors'…

A Symphony of Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharratt, Lyn; Planche, Beate

2018-01-01

Skilled collaborative leaders are in high demand in schools, school systems, and districts worldwide. The success of schools as learning organizations hinges on how well people can work together as they seek to build collective capacity and problem solve to improve student outcomes. Collaborative learning has now emerged as the vital strategy for…

Criterion 3: Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley; Francisco X. Aguilar; Nianfu Song; Susan I. Stewart; David J. Nowak; Dale D. Gormanson; W. Keith Moser; Sherri Wormstead; Eric J. Greenfield

2012-01-01

Forest ecosystem health depends on stable forest composition and structure and on sustainable ecosystem processes. Forest disturbances that push an ecosystem beyond the range of conditions considered normal can upset the balance among processes, exacerbate forest health problems, and increase mortality beyond historical norms. Sometimes forest ecosystems respond to...

Don't Waste Your Attorney's Time: Heed This Wise Counsel on When Legal Advice Is Vital and When It's Wasteful.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Wandalyn

1982-01-01

Based on interviews with school board attorneys, this article discourages boards from paying an attorney to attend every meeting and encourages them to call a lawyer for problems regarding civil rights, bidding, finance, or policies that affect employees. (JM)

Perspective: Academic Controversies as a Vital Instructional Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, David W.; Johnson, Roger T.

1997-01-01

Advocates the use of academic controversies (student research and classroom debate on an issue with clearly defined positions). Identifies three ways that this educates students about civil justice: (1) students learn citizenship skills; (2) provides a procedure for resolving civil justice problems; and (3) increases academic learning. (MJP)

Sex Education: A Success in Our Social-Studies Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michner, James A.

2006-01-01

Whenever secondary schools permit students to participate in the determination of the social studies curriculum, sex education is almost always demanded. Adolescents are often-times more deeply interested in this question than most people suspect, for courtship and marriage relationships are vital problems. Because many students have been asking…

Integrative Learning: Making Liberal Education Purposeful, Personal, and Practical

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferren, Ann S.; Anderson, Chad B.

2016-01-01

This chapter explores three key features of integrative learning practice that play a vital role in fostering student success: guidance and support through critical transitions; entire development of the student; and engagement in project-based learning that connects learning to complex, real-world problems, and opportunities that can have…

Case Studies in Wilderness Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Melissa; Tarter, Shana Lee

Five case studies explore issues in wilderness medicine, with emphasis on evacuation decision making. The cases describe medical problems encountered during wilderness trips involving college or high school students. In each case, the situation and facts of the case are outlined, including the patient's medical history and vital signs, and at…

Lifelong Learning: Web-Based Information Literacy Module for Merchandisers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hines, Jean D.; Frey, Diane K.; Swinker, Mary E.

2005-01-01

Universities are strategically positioned to serve as a vital impetus in developing pre-professionals' lifelong learning skills. The development of a Web portal, InfoWIZARD, a tool for integrating information literacy and information technology in problem-based research assignments is described in this article. InfoWIZARD includes 20 modules in…

Using Solution-Focused Intervention for Behavioral Problems in an Inclusive Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quigney, Theresa A.; Studer, Jeannine R.

1999-01-01

Solution-focused intervention deviates from using negative labels (angry, aggressive, or shy) to describe misbehaving students, and reframes behavior descriptions more positively. Four steps (goal setting, looking for exceptions, visualizing a new life story, and practicing the desired behaviors) are vital to facilitating positive behavior…

Children and Adolescents: Should We Teach Them or Let Them Learn?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohwer, William D., Jr.

Research to date has provided too few answers for vital educational questions concerning teaching children or letting them learn. A basic problem is that experimentation usually begins by accepting conventional assumptions about schooling, ignoring experiments that would entail disturbing the ordering of current educational priorities.…

The Soviet Region, The Environment, and U.S. National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-01

environmental pollution is an international problem requiring international solutions. Second, environmental issues are integral to the prospect of economic vitality. Third, the Soviet Union has a history of environmental abuse and is now paying an economic and social price which must be reversed. And finally, since regional

RIT2: responsible and susceptible gene for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Daneshmandpour, Yousef; Darvish, Hossein; Emamalizadeh, Babak

2018-06-02

RIT2 gene was recently introduced as a susceptibility gene in neurological disorders, a group of major problems in human society affecting millions of people worldwide. Several variants, including single nucleotide polymorphisms and CNVs, have been identified and studied in different populations. In this review, we have summarized the studies relevant to the RIT2 gene and its related disorders, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and autism. The protein product of RIT2 is a member of the Ras superfamily that plays important roles in many vital cellular functions, such as differentiation and survival. We have also investigated the protein network of the RIT2 protein and the diseases related to members of this network so as to obtain some clues for future studies by identifying the molecular pathophysiology of neurological disorders and revealing new possible disorders related to RIT2.

Information filtering via preferential diffusion.

PubMed

Lü, Linyuan; Liu, Weiping

2011-06-01

Recommender systems have shown great potential in addressing the information overload problem, namely helping users in finding interesting and relevant objects within a huge information space. Some physical dynamics, including the heat conduction process and mass or energy diffusion on networks, have recently found applications in personalized recommendation. Most of the previous studies focus overwhelmingly on recommendation accuracy as the only important factor, while overlooking the significance of diversity and novelty that indeed provide the vitality of the system. In this paper, we propose a recommendation algorithm based on the preferential diffusion process on a user-object bipartite network. Numerical analyses on two benchmark data sets, MovieLens and Netflix, indicate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Specifically, it can not only provide more accurate recommendations, but also generate more diverse and novel recommendations by accurately recommending unpopular objects.

Information filtering via preferential diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Linyuan; Liu, Weiping

2011-06-01

Recommender systems have shown great potential in addressing the information overload problem, namely helping users in finding interesting and relevant objects within a huge information space. Some physical dynamics, including the heat conduction process and mass or energy diffusion on networks, have recently found applications in personalized recommendation. Most of the previous studies focus overwhelmingly on recommendation accuracy as the only important factor, while overlooking the significance of diversity and novelty that indeed provide the vitality of the system. In this paper, we propose a recommendation algorithm based on the preferential diffusion process on a user-object bipartite network. Numerical analyses on two benchmark data sets, MovieLens and Netflix, indicate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Specifically, it can not only provide more accurate recommendations, but also generate more diverse and novel recommendations by accurately recommending unpopular objects.

Detection of core-periphery structure in networks based on 3-tuple motifs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chuang; Xiang, Bing-Bing; Chen, Han-Shuang; Small, Michael; Zhang, Hai-Feng

2018-05-01

Detecting mesoscale structure, such as community structure, is of vital importance for analyzing complex networks. Recently, a new mesoscale structure, core-periphery (CP) structure, has been identified in many real-world systems. In this paper, we propose an effective algorithm for detecting CP structure based on a 3-tuple motif. In this algorithm, we first define a 3-tuple motif in terms of the patterns of edges as well as the property of nodes, and then a motif adjacency matrix is constructed based on the 3-tuple motif. Finally, the problem is converted to find a cluster that minimizes the smallest motif conductance. Our algorithm works well in different CP structures: including single or multiple CP structure, and local or global CP structures. Results on the synthetic and the empirical networks validate the high performance of our method.

Fort Collins Science Center - Fiscal Year 2008 Science Accomplishments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Juliette T.

2009-01-01

Public land and natural resource managers in the United States are confronted with increasingly complex decisions that have important ramifications for both ecological and human systems. The scientists and technical professionals at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) contribute a unique blend of ecological, socioeconomic, and technological expertise to investigating complicated ecological problems that address critical management questions. In Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08), FORT's scientific and technical professionals continued research vital to the science and management needs of U.S. Department of the Interior agencies and other entities. This annual report describes select FY08 accomplishments in research and technical assistance involving biological information management and delivery; aquatic, riparian, and managed-river ecosystems; invasive species; status and trends of biological resources (including human dimensions and social science); terrestrial ecosystems; and fish and wildlife resources.

Solving gas-processing problems. Part 8. Expansion processes, turboexpander efficiency vital for predicting liquid-recovery levels

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

Erbar, J.H.; Maddox, R.N.

1981-07-06

Expansion processes, using either Joule-Thomson or isentropic principles play an important role in the processing of natural gas streams for liquid recovery and/or hydrocarbon-dewpoint control. Constant-enthalpy expansion has been an integral part of gas processing schemes for many years. The constant entropy, or isentropic, process is more recent but has achieved wide-spread popularity. In typcial flow sheets for expansion processess, the expansion device is shown to be a value or choke. It also could be an expansion turbine to indicate an isentropic expansion. The expansion may be to lower pressure; or, in the case of turboexpansion, it could recover materialmore » or produce work. More frequently, the aim of the expansion is to produce low temperature and enhance liquid recovery.« less

A Review on Vital Pulp Therapy in Primary Teeth

PubMed Central

Parisay, Iman; Ghoddusi, Jamileh; Forghani, Maryam

2015-01-01

Maintaining deciduous teeth in function until their natural exfoliation is absolutely necessary. Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is a way of saving deciduous teeth. The most important factors in success of VPT are the early diagnosis of pulp and periradicular status, preservation of the pulp vitality and proper vascularization of the pulp. Development of new biomaterials with suitable biocompatibility and seal has changed the attitudes towards preserving the reversible pulp in cariously exposed teeth. Before exposure and irreversible involvement of the pulp, indirect pulp capping (IPC) is the treatment of choice, but after the spread of inflammation within the pulp chamber and establishment of irreversible pulpitis, removal of inflamed pulp tissue is recommended. In this review, new concepts in preservation of the healthy pulp tissue in deciduous teeth and induction of the reparative dentin formation with new biomaterials instead of devitalization and the consequent destruction of vital tissues are discussed. PMID:25598803

Advancements in medicine from aerospace research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooten, F. T.

1971-01-01

NASA has taken the lead in implementing the concept of technology utilization, and the Technology Utilization Program is the first vital step in the goal of a technological society to insure maximum benefit from the costs of technology. Experience has shown that the active approach to technology transfer is unique and is well received in the medical profession when appropriate problems are tackled. The problem solving approach is a useful one at the precise time when medicine is recognizing the need for new technology.

Design of continuous surface-relief phase plates by surface-based simulated annealing to achieve control of focal-plane irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; Kessler, T. J.; Lawrence, G. N.

1996-10-01

High-performance phase plates are of vital concern for controlling the far-field irradiance of laser-fusion systems. Several designs for solving this difficult problem have been reported in Optics Letters [e. g., S. N. Dixit et al., Opt. Lett. 19, 417 (1994)]. We report a surface-based form of simulated annealing that significantly improves the irradiance control while eliminating the high-scatter problems that have plagued other methods.

Managing Senegalese water resources: Definition and relative importance of information needs

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

Engi, D.

1998-09-01

This report provides an overview of the results of the Vital Issues process as implemented for the Senegal Water Resources Management Initiative, a collaborative effort between the Senegalese Ministry of Water Resources and Sandia National Laboratories. This Initiative is being developed to assist in the development of an efficient and sustainable water resources management system for Senegal. The Vital Issues process was used to provide information for the development of a proposal that will recommend actions to address the key management issues and establish a state-of-the-art decision support system (DSS) for managing Senegal`s water resources. Three Vital Issues panel meetingsmore » were convened to (1) develop a goal statement and criteria for identifying and ranking the issues vital to water resources management in Senegal; (2) define and rank the issues, and (3) identify and prioritize a preliminary list of information needed to address the vital issues. The selection of panelists from the four basic institutional perspectives (government, industry, academe, and citizens` interest groups) ensured a high level of stakeholder representation on the panels.« less

Vital exhaustion and anxiety are related to subjective quality of life in patients with acute myocardial infarct before cardiac rehabilitation.

PubMed

Rafael, Beatrix; Simon, Attila; Drótos, Gergely; Balog, Piroska

2014-10-01

To examine psychological risk factors and somatic factors in patients after myocardial infarction. To study the relationship between somatic and psychological factors, their influence on subjective quality of life (well-being) and also to examine possible gender differences. There has been a growing body of evidence that psychosocial factors are risk factors for incident and recurrent myocardial infarction. Descriptive correlational and cross-sectional survey design. In patients (n = 97, 67 men), the level of depression and anxiety, vital exhaustion, sleep disturbances and well-being were assessed. Left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular diastolic diameter, body mass index, metabolic equivalents and the number of diseased vessels were retrieved from medical records. Anxiety, vital exhaustion and sleep disturbances were significantly higher in women than in men. Well-being showed a significant linear correlation with body mass index, anxiety, depression, vital exhaustion and sleep disturbances scores. After adjustment for psychological risk factors and somatic parameters, only vital exhaustion and anxiety correlated significantly with well-being. However, there were gender differences in predictive variables of well-being. Anxiety in men and vital exhaustion in women showed a linear correlation with the subjective quality of life. Our study revealed that only vital exhaustion and anxiety showed a significant correlation with well-being in patients. During cardiac rehabilitation, it is important to detect and treat not only depression but also vital exhaustion and anxiety, because by reducing these psychological conditions, we can improve well-being. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bedside Teaching in Undergraduate Medical Education: Issues, Strategies, and New Models for Better Preparation of New Generation Doctors

PubMed Central

Salam, Abdus; Siraj, Harlina Halizah; Mohamad, Nabishah; Das, Srijit; Rabeya, Yousuf

2011-01-01

Bedside teaching is a vital component of medical education. It is applicable to any situation where teaching is imparted in the presence of patients. In teaching in the patients’ presence, learners have the opportunities to use all of their senses and learn the humanistic aspect of medicine such as role modeling, which is vital but difficult to communicate in words. Unfortunately, bedside teaching has been on the decline. To investigate the reasons for the decline in bedside teaching, its importance and its revival, a review of literature was carried out using PubMed and other data bases. The review revealed that the major concerns of bedside teaching were time constraint, false preceptors’ concern about patients’ comfort, short stay of patients in hospitals, learner distraction by technology, lack of experience and unrealistic faculty expectation. Whatsoever the reasons, bedside teaching cannot be replaced with anything else. There are newer approaches of effective bedside teaching, and the core focus of all such approaches is educational process. A bedside teacher must learn how to involve patients and learners in the educational processes. Moreover, bedside teaching is the process through which learners acquire the skills of communication by asking patients’ permission, establishing ground rules, setting time limit, introducing the team, diagnosing learner, diagnosing patient, conducting focused teaching, using simple language, asking patient if there is any question, closing with encouraging thanks, and giving feedback privately. It is most important to ensure a comfortable environment for all participants, the learner, the patient and the bedside teacher. Ongoing faculty development programs on educational processes and realistic faculty expectations may overcome the problems. PMID:23365470

Bedside teaching in undergraduate medical education: issues, strategies, and new models for better preparation of new generation doctors.

PubMed

Salam, Abdus; Siraj, Harlina Halizah; Mohamad, Nabishah; Das, Srijit; Rabeya, Yousuf

2011-03-01

Bedside teaching is a vital component of medical education. It is applicable to any situation where teaching is imparted in the presence of patients. In teaching in the patients' presence, learners have the opportunities to use all of their senses and learn the humanistic aspect of medicine such as role modeling, which is vital but difficult to communicate in words. Unfortunately, bedside teaching has been on the decline. To investigate the reasons for the decline in bedside teaching, its importance and its revival, a review of literature was carried out using PubMed and other data bases. The review revealed that the major concerns of bedside teaching were time constraint, false preceptors' concern about patients' comfort, short stay of patients in hospitals, learner distraction by technology, lack of experience and unrealistic faculty expectation. Whatsoever the reasons, bedside teaching cannot be replaced with anything else. There are newer approaches of effective bedside teaching, and the core focus of all such approaches is educational process. A bedside teacher must learn how to involve patients and learners in the educational processes. Moreover, bedside teaching is the process through which learners acquire the skills of communication by asking patients' permission, establishing ground rules, setting time limit, introducing the team, diagnosing learner, diagnosing patient, conducting focused teaching, using simple language, asking patient if there is any question, closing with encouraging thanks, and giving feedback privately. It is most important to ensure a comfortable environment for all participants, the learner, the patient and the bedside teacher. Ongoing faculty development programs on educational processes and realistic faculty expectations may overcome the problems.

[Suicide due to mental diseases based on the Vital Statistics Survey Death Form].

PubMed

Takizawa, Tohru

2012-06-01

Mental diseases such as schizophrenia and depression put patients at risk for suicide. It is extremely important to understand that one way of preventing suicide is to determine the actual mental state of the individual. The purpose of this study was to analyze the true mental state of suicide victims reported in the vital statistics. This study investigated the vital statistics of 30,299 suicide victims in Japan in 2008. The use of these basic statistics for non-statistical purposes was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The method involved reviewing the Vital Statistics Survey Death Form at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as well as analyzing their Online Reporting of Vital Statistics. Furthermore, this study was able to validate 29,799 of the 30,299 suicides (98.3%) that occurred in 2008. Mental diseases were validated not only from the "Cause of death" section as marked on the death certificate, but also by information found in sections for "Additional items for death by external cause" and "Other special remarks." RESULTS; From the Vital Statistics Survey Death Form and Online Reporting of Vital Statistics, 2964 individuals with either a mental disease or mental disorder were identified. Of the 2964 identified individuals, 55 had dementia (of which 13 were dementia in Alzheimer's disease), 116 had alcohol dependence/psychotic disorder, 550 had schizophrenia, 101 had bipolar affective disorder, 1,913 has had a depressive episode, 13 had obsessive-compulsive disorder, 22 had adjustment disorders, 14 had eating disorders, 49 had nonorganic sleep disorders, 24 had personality disorder, and 6 had pervasive developmental disorders. In addition, 125 individuals had more than one mental disease. The national police statistics from 2008 show that 1,368 suicide victims had schizophrenia and 6,490 had depression. These figures show quite a difference between the results of this study and the police statistics. Further, there have been controversies regarding autopsies of suicide victims. Thus, further investigation into the cause of death is of great importance.

Security in perspective; luxury or must?

PubMed

Bakker, A

1998-03-01

In this paper, security in health information systems is put into perspective. The further penetration of information technology into health care is discussed and it is concluded that information systems have already become a vital component, not only for the logistics of the health care institution but also for the rendering of care and cure. Health care depends heavily on adequate data, so availability and integrity are equally important. In view of the sensitive nature of many patient data, the importance of confidentiality was recognised long before computers were invented. For widespread use of IT in health care it is of vital importance that computers can be trusted in respect of confidentiality. This paper emphasises the need to pay attention to security and suggests a responsible approach with implementation of both technical and organisational measures.

The neural correlates of 'vitality form' recognition: an fMRI study: this work is dedicated to Daniel Stern, whose immeasurable contribution to science has inspired our research.

PubMed

Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Di Dio, Cinzia; Rochat, Magali J; Sinigaglia, Corrado; Bruschweiler-Stern, Nadia; Stern, Daniel N; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2014-07-01

The observation of goal-directed actions performed by another individual allows one to understand what that individual is doing and why he/she is doing it. Important information about others' behaviour is also carried out by the dynamics of the observed action. Action dynamics characterize the 'vitality form' of an action describing the cognitive and affective relation between the performing agent and the action recipient. Here, using the fMRI technique, we assessed the neural correlates of vitality form recognition presenting participants with videos showing two actors executing actions with different vitality forms: energetic and gentle. The participants viewed the actions in two tasks. In one task (what), they had to focus on the goal of the presented action; in the other task (how), they had to focus on the vitality form. For both tasks, activations were found in the action observation/execution circuit. Most interestingly, the contrast how vs what revealed activation in right dorso-central insula, highlighting the involvement, in the recognition of vitality form, of an anatomical region connecting somatosensory areas with the medial temporal region and, in particular, with the hippocampus. This somatosensory-insular-limbic circuit could underlie the observers' capacity to understand the vitality forms conveyed by the observed action. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Vitality, mental health, and satisfaction with information after breast cancer.

PubMed

Griggs, Jennifer J; Sorbero, Melony E S; Mallinger, Julie B; Quinn, Megan; Waterman, Margaret; Brooks, Beverly; Yirinec, Brian; Shields, Cleveland G

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with information about treatment-related and survivorship issues and mental health outcomes, including vitality, in long-term breast cancer survivors. Participants who had finished treatment for breast cancer at least 3 months before enrollment completed a survey instrument designed to evaluate satisfaction with diagnostic and treatment information and satisfaction with survivorship information. Mental health and vitality were measured using the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36, and distress was measured using the impact of events scale. Bivariate analyses and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between satisfaction with information, mental health, vitality, and distress controlling for clinical and treatment variables. The survey was completed by 231 participants (response rate 83%). More respondents were highly satisfied with treatment information (87%) than with survivorship information (30%, p=0.0001). There was a strong positive relationship between satisfaction with information (both treatment and survivorship issues) and vitality, mental health, and a strong negative relationship with distress. In multivariate analyses, satisfaction with treatment information was independently associated with mental health (p<0.01), and satisfaction with survivorship information was independently associated with vitality (p<0.05). Among patients who have completed treatment for breast cancer, satisfaction with diagnosis and treatment information is greater than satisfaction with survivorship issues and satisfaction with information may play an important role in mental health outcomes. Given the relationship between satisfaction with information and vitality, interventions to improve informational support regarding survivorship issues are warranted.

Importance of patient history and physical examination in rheumatoid arthritis compared to other chronic diseases: results of a physician survey.

PubMed

Castrejón, Isabel; McCollum, Lauren; Tanriover, Mine Durusu; Pincus, Theodore

2012-08-01

To survey physicians' opinions concerning the relative importance of 5 clinical encounter components-vital signs, patient history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and ancillary studies-in the diagnosis and management of 8 chronic diseases. A SurveyMonkey internet survey was e-mailed to 7,265 US physicians, including 3,542 rheumatologists and 3,723 nonrheumatologists, with the following query: "Please indicate the relative importance of 5 sources of information-vital signs, patient history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and ancillary studies-in diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF), diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, lymphoma, pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and ulcerative colitis." The response options were 0-20%, 21-40%, 41-60%, 61-80%, and 81-100%. A second query with an identical structure addressed management of the 8 diseases. The proportions of physicians who estimated each component as most (or tied for most) important in diagnosis or in management were computed. The survey was completed by 313 physicians (154 rheumatologists and 159 nonrheumatologists). More than 90% estimated vital signs as most important for hypertension, and laboratory tests for diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. More than 70% estimated ancillary studies as most important for lymphoma, pulmonary fibrosis, and ulcerative colitis. Patient history and physical examination were estimated as most important for RA and CHF by ≥50% of nonrheumatologists. RA and CHF were the only 2 of the 8 diseases studied for which ≥50% of nonrheumatologists estimated a patient history and physical examination as most important for diagnosis and management. Confirmation and extension of these observations in actual care may have implications for reimbursement and organization of clinical care. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Architectural design led approach to sustainable tourism for the waterfront development of Kunduchi in Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leus, M.; Winkels, P.; Hannes, E.

2018-04-01

In Kunduchi, located in the Kinondoni district of the Dar es Salaam Region, it is of vital importance for the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous people to preserve the typical ecosystems and ensure the identity and economic resilience of these areas. The problem statement is as follows: In what way can sustainable tourism in Kunduchi serve as an engine for economic and social empowerment? How can Kunduchi be an inspiring example for the development of the coast of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania that is threatened by large-scale tourist infrastructure? How to design sustainable solutions with respect for the local community and the local traditions? Firstly, a theoretical framework that connects sustainable tourism with the sustainable development of coastal areas is defined. Assumptions made on the basis of the literature review provide parameters that play an important role in the architectural concepts. Secondly, a research by design is presented in order to analyze and evaluate different scenarios to outline the opportunities of sustainable tourism on site of Kunduchi. Sustainable waterfront development is an obvious subtitle since the subtle spatial integration of these projects in the urban and water related context of Dares Salaam is of major importance.

The current situation and development of medical device testing institutes in China.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaofang; Mu, Ruihong; Fan, Yubo; Wang, Chunren; Li, Deyu

2017-04-01

This article analyses the current situation and development of Chinese medical device testing institutes from the perspectives of the two most important functions - testing functions and medical device standardization functions. Areas Covered: The objective of the Chinese government regulations for medical device industry is to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices for Chinese patients. To support the regulation system, the Chinese government has established medical device testing institutes at different levels for example, the national, provincial, and municipal levels. These testing institutes also play an important role in technical support during medical device premarket registration and post market surveillance, they are also the vital practitioners of Chinese medical device standardization. Expert Commentary: Chinese medical device testing institutes are technical departments established by government, and serve the regulatory functions of government agency. In recent years, with the rapid development of medical device industry as well as constantly increasing international and domestic medical device market, the importance of medical device testing institute is more prominent, However, there are still some problems unsolved, such as their overall capacity remains to be improved, construction of standardization is to be strengthened, etc.

Immunohistochemistry as an Important Tool in Biomarkers Detection and Clinical Practice

PubMed Central

de Matos, Leandro Luongo; Trufelli, Damila Cristina; de Matos, Maria Graciela Luongo; da Silva Pinhal, Maria Aparecida

2010-01-01

The immunohistochemistry technique is used in the search for cell or tissue antigens that range from amino acids and proteins to infectious agents and specific cellular populations. The technique comprises two phases: (1) slides preparation and stages involved for the reaction; (2) interpretation and quantification of the obtained expression. Immunohistochemistry is an important tool for scientific research and also a complementary technique for the elucidation of differential diagnoses which are not determinable by conventional analysis with hematoxylin and eosin. In the last couple of decades there has been an exponential increase in publications on immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry techniques. This review covers the immunohistochemistry technique; its history, applications, importance, limitations, difficulties, problems and some aspects related to results interpretation and quantification. Future developments on the immunohistochemistry technique and its expression quantification should not be disseminated in two languages—that of the pathologist and another of clinician or surgeon. The scientific, diagnostic and prognostic applications of this methodology must be explored in a bid to benefit of patient. In order to achieve this goal a collaboration and pooling of knowledge from both of these valuable medical areas is vital PMID:20212918

Comparison of the Perceived Quality of Life between Medical and Veterinary Students in Tehran.

PubMed

Labbafinejad, Yasser; Danesh, Hossein; Imanizade, Zahra

2016-01-01

Medical and veterinary professional programs are demanding and may have an impact on a student's quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study was to compare the perceived QOL of these two groups. In this study, we used the SF-36 questionnaire in which higher scores mean a better perceived QOL. Only the students in the internship phase of their program were selected so that we could compare the two groups in a similar way. In total, 308 valid questionnaires were gathered. Apart from age and body mass index (BMI), the two groups were demographically similar. The scores of five domains (physical activity limitation due to health problems, usual role limitation due to emotional problems, vitality, general mental health, and general health perception) and also the total score were statistically higher in medical students. Only the score of one domain (social activity limitation due to physical or emotional problems) was statistically higher in veterinary students. BMI, physical activity limitation due to health problems, and vitality lost their significance after binomial logistic regression. We found that, in general, veterinary students have lower scores for the perceived QOL with social function being the only exception. It can be assumed that in medical students, interaction with human patients may have a negative impact in the score of this domain. Even though medical students have shown lower perceived QOL than the general population in previous studies, veterinary students appear to have slightly lower perceived QOL than medical students.

Project-Based Learning to Enhance Teaching Embedded Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sababha, Belal H.; Alqudah, Yazan A.; Abualbasal, Abdelraheem; AlQaralleh, Esam A.

2016-01-01

Exposing engineering students during their education to real-world problems and giving them the chance to apply what they learn in the classroom is a vital element of engineering education. The Embedded Systems course at Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) is one of the main courses that bridge the gap between theoretical electrical…

Management of almond leaf scorch disease: long term data on yield, tree vitality, and disease progress

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Almond leaf scorch (ALS) disease has been a chronic problem for California almond growers. This disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and is transmitted by xylem-feeding insects. Previous research suggested that retaining, rather than roguing, ALS-affected trees may be more ...

The Effects of Viewpoint Diversity and Racial Diversity on Need for Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Kathleen M.

2017-01-01

Need for cognition is the enjoyment of and motivation to think, solve problems, and actively use one's mind, characteristics that are vital to learning. Diversity has been associated with many learning outcomes, yet critics of diversity claim that viewpoint diversity--not racial diversity--is sufficient for learning; therefore, I explored the…

Strengthening Higher Education: Simplify Student Aid & Emphasize Vital Science, Math, and Language Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkowitz, Peter

2007-01-01

Higher education in America faces such formidable problems as unaffordable tuition, lack of accountability, students ill-prepared for college, declining enrollment in math and science, and too few graduates fluent in critical foreign languages. This Opportunity 08 position paper recommends that the next President should take the following steps to…

Counselors Called for Service: Impact of Parental Deployment on Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waliski, Angie; Bokony, Patti; Edlund, Carrie N.; Kirchner, JoAnn

2012-01-01

Children and families often experience stress from the physical or emotional absence of a parent due to deployment. The health of the family system plays a vital role in the successful transition through deployment and redeployment phases. Even very young children show signs of behavioral problems, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and…

Problem-Based Learning in Physics: The Power of Students Teaching Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duch, Barbara J.

1996-01-01

Describes an honors general physics course designed to demonstrate to students that physics is vital to their understanding of physiology, medicine, the human body, rehabilitation, and other health fields. Presents evidence that indicates that active group learning and connections to real-world applications help students learn physics and apply…

Society Needs to Organize the Structures and Uses of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinbergen, Jan

1972-01-01

Points out that scientific advancements have contributed many gains, but also problems to the present society. Happiness can result in the future if the priority of human survival is kept above others in allocating resources for research. Joint decisions should be made by all nations on vital issues facing them. (PS)

Setting Our Sights on a Culture of Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowart, Kerry; Miller, Karin; Strasburger, Tom

2012-01-01

Providing a comprehensive approach for achieving the goal of a safe environment where the priority can be teaching and learning is vital to every district's success. To attain this goal, school districts must educate students, staff, and the community and provide tools that help anticipate potential problems and prevent them from escalating into…

A Comparative Study of Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors among University Students in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Xueqin; Hong, Ting; Liu, Lan; Tiefenbacher, John

2011-01-01

Environmental problems in China are intensifying and it is vital to evaluate the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the generation poised to inherit their management. This study examines a survey of environmental awareness among Chinese students (aged between 16 and 20 years). Considering the contrasting levels of regional…

Speaking My Mind: Stop Reading Shakespeare!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spangler, Susan

2009-01-01

Reading skills are vital to student success, and those skills could be practiced with Shakespeare "if students are taught reading skills in the classroom." The problem is that many teachers of English do not consider themselves reading specialists and do not teach reading skills to their students. Fred L. Hamel notes that teachers in a recent…

Factors Influencing Academic Failure of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Yousaf Ali; Ahamad, Zahoor; Kousar, Sadia

2013-01-01

There was a close link between education and development. Education played a vital role in human capital formation. Academic failure from university was a problem that had became a serious concern for higher education institutions. This study presented the result of a recent investigation at the University of Gujrat that attempted to identify the…

Aperture Averaging of Scintillation for Space-to-Ground Optical Communication Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-15

SCINTILLATION FOR SPACE-TO-GROUND OPTICAL COMUNICATION APPLICATIONS ........................ 5 REFERENCES...theoretical investigations necessary for the evaluation and applica- tion of scientific advances to now military space systems. Versatility and flexibility...systems. Expertise in the latest scientific developments is vital to the accomplishment of tasks related to these problems. The laboratories that con

Women: Managers Stuck in the Middle?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Virginia E.

Promoting women into higher level organizational positions is vital as a social issue and a subject for organizational theory and research. Recently, Henning and Jardin have identified an internal factor that poses a problem to women and their job-related aspirations. The absence of long-term career commitment has been found to inhibit the…

Scientists' Social Mobility and Problems of Its Regulation by the State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erokhina, K. S.

2009-01-01

The present era is characterized by scientists' high level of mobility, which is due to the characteristics of science work and its dynamic nature. Scientific activity knows no boundaries, and mobility is a vital factor of the mutual cultural and professional enrichment of scientific communities. The international migration of scientists is…

Hope-Focused Interventions in Substance Abuse Counselling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehn, Corinne; O'Neill, Linda; Sherry, John

2012-01-01

Hope is a vital component of psychological healing and plays a critical role in counselling. With despair so prominent for individuals with serious substance abuse problems, the question arises as to how to foster hope in such clients. There are recent suggestions in the general counselling literature that some of the work in counselling involve…

Harnessing insect-microbe chemical communications to control insect pest of agricultural systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect pests have long been known to impose serious yield, economic, and food safety problems to managed crops worldwide, and are known to vector microbes, many of which are pathogenic or toxigenic. At the heart of many of these studies has been the vital understanding of the plant-insect interactio...

Psychological Adjustment and Academic Achievement among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmood, Khalid; Iqbal, Muhammad Maqsood

2015-01-01

This study was studied that emotional and behavioural problems of young students who are directly related to their academic achievement and thus play a vital role in the development of young learners carrier. This study helped to fill a gap by conducting an exploration of psychological adjustment and academic achievement among adolescents. It also…

How the Accountability Model and Teacher-Student Relationships Impact Drop Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Kristi

2017-01-01

Limited research results have been provided on the influence of schools on dropout prevention, which consist of the accountability system and how teachers' attitudes affect students' decisions to dropout. The specific problem of interest was how the accountability model and teacher-student relationships plays a vital role in student dropout. The…

Reframing Michael Scott: Exploring Inappropriate Workplace Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Zachary A.

2010-01-01

Individuals who work in professional settings interact with others who may exhibit a variety of cultural beliefs and decision-making approaches. Page (2007) argues that cognitive diversity (i.e., how people approach and attempt to solve problems) is a vital asset in effective organizations. Michael Scott, who portrays the inept main character on…

Knowledge Transfer and Information Skills for Student-Centered Learning in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molina, Maria Pinto; Sales, Dora

2008-01-01

Knowing how to select, organize, and use information in order to solve problems, handle new situations, and continue learning are key issues in the teaching and learning scenario in contemporary society. Teaching these skills is particularly critical for European universities and is currently recognized as vital in the context of the European…

Learning While Exercising for Science Education in Augmented Reality among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao, Kuei-Fang; Chen, Nian-Shing; Huang, Shih-Yu

2012-01-01

Because of a shortage of physical exercise, concerns about adolescents have recently been raised in Taiwan. In educational environments where student exercise has been limited by scheduling constraints and the lack of physical exercise has become a vital problem, "learning while exercising" may be part of a possible solution. This study…

Impact of parking supply and demand management on central business district traffic congestion, transit performance measures and sustainable land use [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Parking is one of the thorniest problems facing local officials who wish to maintain the vitality of central business districts (CBD). Viewed in isolation, the solution often is seen as more parking, at least, and more free parking, if possible. But ...

When Directors Lose Their Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Margie

2011-01-01

Directors of early childhood programs are an amazing lot! There's so much dedication, such hard work and creative problem solving. But then that inevitable undertow of deadlines, crises, and illness begins to suck directors down. With crisis management becoming a way of life, they don't even recognize their vital signs slipping away. The author…

Retaining Intellectual Capital in U.S. Organizations: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Bobby

2017-01-01

Intellectual capital (IC) is a vital to the functionality of information technology (IT) businesses. Many companies recognize that enhancing and maintaining IC is critical to sustainability. The problem is that Fortune 500 IT businesses lack human resources in the United States needed for innovative development, resulting in an overreliance on…

Fire weather technology for fire agrometeorology operations

Treesearch

Francis Fujioka

2008-01-01

Even as the magnitude of wildfire problems increases globally, United Nations agencies are acting to mitigate the risk of wildfire disasters to members. Fire management organizations worldwide may vary considerably in operational scope, depending on the number and type of resources an organization manages. In any case, good fire weather information is vital. This paper...

New Learning Programs in Cognitive Vitality, Alzheimer's Disease, and Related Dementias

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovacich, Joann; Garrett, Ruth; Forti, Esther M.

2006-01-01

As the population continues to age there remains an unmet need in preventing, identifying, treating, and managing mental/behavioral health problems among older adults. The purpose of this paper is to describe educational and training programs offered through three Geriatric Education Centers: (1) the Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center,…

Teaching about Global Issues: Population, Health, Hunger, Culture, Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenburg, Hazel Sara, Ed.

This curriculum guide is a compilation of curriculum pieces that have appeared either in "Intercom" or in another earlier curriculum guide but are still vital and relevant; what binds the issues in the pieces together is the urgency of the problems they pose--urgent issues for both developed and "underdeveloped" nations…

Real Time Locations Systems or Outsourcing: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Cameron; Firth, David; Khumalo, Floyd

2013-01-01

Information Technology has transformed almost all aspects of modern healthcare and is playing a vital role in the administration of hospitals around the world. This case study examines one hospital's struggle to solve crucial operational problems related to the efficient management of medical equipment inventory. This case study is the result of…

A general CPL-AdS methodology for fixing dynamic parameters in dual environments.

PubMed

Huang, De-Shuang; Jiang, Wen

2012-10-01

The algorithm of Continuous Point Location with Adaptive d-ary Search (CPL-AdS) strategy exhibits its efficiency in solving stochastic point location (SPL) problems. However, there is one bottleneck for this CPL-AdS strategy which is that, when the dimension of the feature, or the number of divided subintervals for each iteration, d is large, the decision table for elimination process is almost unavailable. On the other hand, the larger dimension of the features d can generally make this CPL-AdS strategy avoid oscillation and converge faster. This paper presents a generalized universal decision formula to solve this bottleneck problem. As a matter of fact, this decision formula has a wider usage beyond handling out this SPL problems, such as dealing with deterministic point location problems and searching data in Single Instruction Stream-Multiple Data Stream based on Concurrent Read and Exclusive Write parallel computer model. Meanwhile, we generalized the CPL-AdS strategy with an extending formula, which is capable of tracking an unknown dynamic parameter λ in both informative and deceptive environments. Furthermore, we employed different learning automata in the generalized CPL-AdS method to find out if faster learning algorithm will lead to better realization of the generalized CPL-AdS method. All of these aforementioned contributions are vitally important whether in theory or in practical applications. Finally, extensive experiments show that our proposed approaches are efficient and feasible.

The importance of post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) in confrontation with conventional forensic autopsy of victims of motorcycle accidents.

PubMed

Moskała, Artur; Woźniak, Krzysztof; Kluza, Piotr; Romaszko, Karol; Lopatin, Oleksij

2016-01-01

Since traffic accidents are an important problem in forensic medicine, there is a constant search for new solutions to help with an investigation process in such cases. In recent years there was a rapid development of post-mortem imaging techniques, especially post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT). In our work we concentrated on a potential advantage of PMCT in cases of motorcycle accident fatalities. The results of forensic autopsy were compared with combined results of the autopsy and PMCT to check in which areas use of these two techniques gives statistically important increase in number of findings. The hypothesis was confirmed in case of pneumothorax and fractures of skull, spine, clavicle, scapula, lower leg bones. As for majority of other bone fractures locations and brain injures there were single cases with pathologies visible only in PMCT, but too few to reach expected level of p-value. In case of injuries of solid organs and soft tissues statistical analysis did not confirmed any advantage of unenhanced PMCT use. On the whole it has been shown that PMCT used as an adjunct to forensic autopsy can cause an increase in information about vitally important regions in case of motorcycle accident fatalities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a baby friendly non-contact method for measuring vital signs: First results of clinical measurements in an open incubator at a neonatal intensive care unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaessens, John H.; van den Born, Marlies; van der Veen, Albert; Sikkens-van de Kraats, Janine; van den Dungen, Frank A.; Verdaasdonk, Rudolf M.

2014-02-01

For infants and neonates in an incubator vital signs, such as heart rate, breathing, skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation are measured by sensors and electrodes sticking to the skin. This can damage the vulnerable skin of neonates and cause infections. In addition, the wires interfere with the care and hinder the parents in holding and touching the baby. These problems initiated the search for baby friendly 'non-contact' measurement of vital signs. Using a sensitive color video camera and specially developed software, the heart rate was derived from subtle repetitive color changes. Potentially also respiration and oxygen saturation could be obtained. A thermal camera was used to monitor the temperature distribution of the whole body and detect small temperature variations around the nose revealing the respiration rate. After testing in the laboratory, seven babies were monitored (with parental consent) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) simultaneously with the regular monitoring equipment. From the color video recordings accurate heart rates could be derived and the thermal images provided accurate respiration rates. To correct for the movements of the baby, tracking software could be applied. At present, the image processing was performed off-line. Using narrow band light sources also non-contact blood oxygen saturation could be measured. Non-contact monitoring of vital signs has proven to be feasible and can be developed into a real time system. Besides the application on the NICU non-contact vital function monitoring has large potential for other patient groups.

Metabolic Disturbance in PCOS: Clinical and Molecular Effects on Skeletal Muscle Tissue

PubMed Central

Silva Dantas, Wagner; Gualano, Bruno; Patrocínio Rocha, Michele; Roberto Grimaldi Barcellos, Cristiano; dos Reis Vieira Yance, Viviane; Miguel Marcondes, José Antonio

2013-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex hormonal disorder affecting the reproductive and metabolic systems with signs and symptoms related to anovulation, infertility, menstrual irregularity and hirsutism. Skeletal muscle plays a vital role in the peripheral glucose uptake. Since PCOS is associated with defects in the activation and pancreatic dysfunction of β-cell insulin, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in PCOS. Studies of muscle tissue in patients with PCOS reveal defects in insulin signaling. Muscle biopsies performed during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp showed a significant reduction in glucose uptake, and insulin-mediated IRS-2 increased significantly in skeletal muscle. It is recognized that the etiology of insulin resistance in PCOS is likely to be as complicated as in type 2 diabetes and it has an important role in metabolic and reproductive phenotypes of this syndrome. Thus, further evidence regarding the effect of nonpharmacological approaches (e.g., physical exercise) in skeletal muscle of women with PCOS is required for a better therapeutic approach in the management of various metabolic and reproductive problems caused by this syndrome. PMID:23844380

History of health, a valuable tool in public health

PubMed Central

Perdiguero, E; Bernabeu, J; Huertas, R; Rodriguez-Ocana, E

2001-01-01

The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of the history of public health for public health research and practice itself. After summarily reviewing the current great vitality of the history of collective health oriented initiatives, we explain three particular features of the historical vantage point in public health, namely the importance of the context, the relevance of a diachronic attitude and the critical perspective. In order to illustrate those three topics, we bring up examples taken from three centuries of fight against malaria, the so called "re-emerging diseases" and the 1918 influenza epidemic. The historical approach enriches our critical perception of the social effects of initiatives undertaken in the name of public health, shows the shortcomings of public health interventions based on single factors and asks for a wider time scope in the assessment of current problems. The use of a historical perspective to examine the plurality of determinants in any particular health condition will help to solve the longlasting debate on the primacy of individual versus population factors, which has been particularly intense in recent times.


Keywords: history PMID:11511647

Metabolic disturbance in PCOS: clinical and molecular effects on skeletal muscle tissue.

PubMed

Dantas, Wagner Silva; Gualano, Bruno; Rocha, Michele Patrocínio; Barcellos, Cristiano Roberto Grimaldi; dos Reis Vieira Yance, Viviane; Marcondes, José Antonio Miguel

2013-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex hormonal disorder affecting the reproductive and metabolic systems with signs and symptoms related to anovulation, infertility, menstrual irregularity and hirsutism. Skeletal muscle plays a vital role in the peripheral glucose uptake. Since PCOS is associated with defects in the activation and pancreatic dysfunction of β-cell insulin, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in PCOS. Studies of muscle tissue in patients with PCOS reveal defects in insulin signaling. Muscle biopsies performed during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp showed a significant reduction in glucose uptake, and insulin-mediated IRS-2 increased significantly in skeletal muscle. It is recognized that the etiology of insulin resistance in PCOS is likely to be as complicated as in type 2 diabetes and it has an important role in metabolic and reproductive phenotypes of this syndrome. Thus, further evidence regarding the effect of nonpharmacological approaches (e.g., physical exercise) in skeletal muscle of women with PCOS is required for a better therapeutic approach in the management of various metabolic and reproductive problems caused by this syndrome.

History of health, a valuable tool in public health.

PubMed

Perdiguero, E; Bernabeu, J; Huertas, R; Rodríguez-Ocaña, E

2001-09-01

The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of the history of public health for public health research and practice itself. After summarily reviewing the current great vitality of the history of collective health oriented initiatives, we explain three particular features of the historical vantage point in public health, namely the importance of the context, the relevance of a diachronic attitude and the critical perspective. In order to illustrate those three topics, we bring up examples taken from three centuries of fight against malaria, the so called "re-emerging diseases" and the 1918 influenza epidemic. The historical approach enriches our critical perception of the social effects of initiatives undertaken in the name of public health, shows the shortcomings of public health interventions based on single factors and asks for a wider time scope in the assessment of current problems. The use of a historical perspective to examine the plurality of determinants in any particular health condition will help to solve the longlasting debate on the primacy of individual versus population factors, which has been particularly intense in recent times.

Computational biology and bioinformatics in Nigeria.

PubMed

Fatumo, Segun A; Adoga, Moses P; Ojo, Opeolu O; Oluwagbemi, Olugbenga; Adeoye, Tolulope; Ewejobi, Itunuoluwa; Adebiyi, Marion; Adebiyi, Ezekiel; Bewaji, Clement; Nashiru, Oyekanmi

2014-04-01

Over the past few decades, major advances in the field of molecular biology, coupled with advances in genomic technologies, have led to an explosive growth in the biological data generated by the scientific community. The critical need to process and analyze such a deluge of data and turn it into useful knowledge has caused bioinformatics to gain prominence and importance. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary research area that applies techniques, methodologies, and tools in computer and information science to solve biological problems. In Nigeria, bioinformatics has recently played a vital role in the advancement of biological sciences. As a developing country, the importance of bioinformatics is rapidly gaining acceptance, and bioinformatics groups comprised of biologists, computer scientists, and computer engineers are being constituted at Nigerian universities and research institutes. In this article, we present an overview of bioinformatics education and research in Nigeria. We also discuss professional societies and academic and research institutions that play central roles in advancing the discipline in Nigeria. Finally, we propose strategies that can bolster bioinformatics education and support from policy makers in Nigeria, with potential positive implications for other developing countries.

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Fatumo, Segun A.; Adoga, Moses P.; Ojo, Opeolu O.; Oluwagbemi, Olugbenga; Adeoye, Tolulope; Ewejobi, Itunuoluwa; Adebiyi, Marion; Adebiyi, Ezekiel; Bewaji, Clement; Nashiru, Oyekanmi

2014-01-01

Over the past few decades, major advances in the field of molecular biology, coupled with advances in genomic technologies, have led to an explosive growth in the biological data generated by the scientific community. The critical need to process and analyze such a deluge of data and turn it into useful knowledge has caused bioinformatics to gain prominence and importance. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary research area that applies techniques, methodologies, and tools in computer and information science to solve biological problems. In Nigeria, bioinformatics has recently played a vital role in the advancement of biological sciences. As a developing country, the importance of bioinformatics is rapidly gaining acceptance, and bioinformatics groups comprised of biologists, computer scientists, and computer engineers are being constituted at Nigerian universities and research institutes. In this article, we present an overview of bioinformatics education and research in Nigeria. We also discuss professional societies and academic and research institutions that play central roles in advancing the discipline in Nigeria. Finally, we propose strategies that can bolster bioinformatics education and support from policy makers in Nigeria, with potential positive implications for other developing countries. PMID:24763310

An In Vitro Comparison of Non-Vital Bleaching Techniques in the Discolored Tooth.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

Thirty-nine extracted anterior teeth with intact crowns were immersed in 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution for approximately eight hours to loosen...tooth" model described previously was utilized.10 The experimental teeth with lingual access openings were placed in 5.25% sodium hypochlorite ...time was highly significant (p<O.O000). The bleaching of discolored non-vital teeth is an important phase of endodontic therapy. Bleaching is an attempt

Cognitive problems in patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Boyce-van der Wal, L W; Volker, W G; Vliet Vlieland, T P M; van den Heuvel, D M J; van Exel, H J; Goossens, P H

2015-08-01

Estimate prevalence of cognitive problems due to hypoxic brain injury in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors referred for cardiac rehabilitation and association with quality of life as well as autonomy and participation. Prospective cohort study. Consecutive OHCA patients. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) were administered 4 weeks after the OHCA. Cognitive problems were defined if MMSE <28, CFQ >32 or IQCODE >3.6. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPAQ) (participation/autonomy), the SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36) (quality of life) and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) (anxiety/depression) were administered. Correlations between cognitive problems and participation/autonomy and quality of life were calculated. 63 of 77 patients were male (82%), median age 59 years (range 15-84). MMSE median 29 (interquartile range 28-30), CFQ mean 20.9 (SD 9.4) and IQCODE mean 3.1 (SD 0.2). Eighteen patients (23%) scored positive for cognitive problems. Significant correlations were found between MMSE and IPAQ: autonomy inside (r = -0.38), family role (r = -0.26), autonomy outside (r = -0.32), social relations (r = -0.38) and social functioning (r = 0.32). MMSE was related to SF-36: social functioning (r = 0.32). The CFQ was related to IPAQ: autonomy outdoors (r = 0.29) and SF-36: bodily pain (r = -0.37), vitality (r = -0.25), mental health (r = -0.35) and role emotional (r = -0.40). The IQCODE was related to IPAQ: autonomy indoors (r = 0.26) and to SF-36: vitality (r = -0.33) and social functioning (r = -0.41). Twenty-three percent of the patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation showed cognitive problems. Associations were found between cognitive problems and several aspects of participation/autonomy and perceived quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing Nicaraguan Water Resources Definition and Relative Importance of Information Needs

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

Engi, D.; Guillen, S.M.; Vammen, K.

1999-01-01

This report provides an overview of the results of the Vital the Nicaraguan Water Resources Management Initiative, Issues process as implemented for a collaborative effort between the Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and Sandia National Laboratories. This initiative is being developed to assist in the development of an efficient and sustainable water resources management system for Nicamgua. The Vital Issues process was used to provide information for developing a project that will develop and implement an advanced information system for managing Nicaragua's water resources. Three Vital Issues panel meetings were convened to 1) develop a mission statement andmore » evaluation criteria for identifying and ranking the issues vital to water resources management in Nicaragua 2) define and rank the vital issues; and 3) identify a preliminary list of information needed to address the vital issues. The selection of panelists from the four basic institutional perspectives- government, industiy, academe, and citizens' groups (through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs))-ensured a high level of stakeholder representation on the panels. The already existing need for a water resource management information system has been magnified in the aftemnath of Hurricane Mitch. This information system would be beneficial for an early warning system in emergencies, and the modeling and simulation capabilities of the system would allow for advanced planning. Additionally, the outreach program will provide education to help Nicaraguan improve their water hygiene practices.« less

How basic psychological needs and motivation affect vitality and lifelong learning adaptability of pharmacists: a structural equation model.

PubMed

Tjin A Tsoi, Sharon L N M; de Boer, Anthonius; Croiset, Gerda; Koster, Andries S; van der Burgt, Stéphanie; Kusurkar, Rashmi A

2018-01-31

Insufficient professional development may lead to poor performance of healthcare professionals. Therefore, continuing education (CE) and continuing professional development (CPD) are needed to secure safe and good quality healthcare. The aim of the study was to investigate the hypothesized associations and their directions between pharmacists' basic psychological needs in CE, their academic motivation, well-being, learning outcomes. Self-determination theory was used as a theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected through four questionnaires measuring: academic motivation, basic psychological needs (BPN), vitality and lifelong learning adaptability of pharmacists in the CE/CPD learning context. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. Demographic factors like gender and working environment influenced the observed scores for frustration of BPN and factors like training status and working experience influenced the observed scores for academic motivation. A good model fit could be found only for a part of the hypothesized pathway. Frustration of BPN is positively directly related to the less desirable type of academic motivation, controlled motivation (0.88) and negatively directly related to vitality (- 1.61) and negatively indirectly related to learning outcomes in CE. Fulfillment or frustration of BPN are important predictors for well-being and learning outcomes. Further research should be conducted to discover how we can prevent these needs from being frustrated in order to design a motivating, vitalizing and sustainable CE/CPD system for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Basic psychological needs are very important predictors for well-being and learning outcomes. Further research should be conducted to discover how we can prevent these needs from being frustrated in order to design a motivating, vitalizing and sustainable CE/CPD system for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

Synthesis of biosurfactants and their advantages to microorganisms and mankind.

PubMed

Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh; Makkar, Randhir S; Kaur, Jasminder; Mehta, S K

2010-01-01

Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds synthesized by a wide variety of microorganisms. They are molecules that have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains and are capable of lowering the surface tension and the interfacial tension of the growth medium. Biosurfactants possess different chemical structures--lipopeptides, glycolipids, neutral lipids and fatty acids. They are nontoxic biomolecules that are biodegradable. Biosurfactants also exhibit strong emulsification of hydrophobic compounds and form stable emulsions. The low water solubility of these hydrophobic compounds limits their availability to microorganisms, which is a potential problem for bioremediation of contaminated sites. Microbially produced surfactants enhance the bioavailability of these hydrophobic compounds for bioremediation. Therefore, biosurfactant-enhanced solubility of pollutants has potential applications in bioremediation. Not only are the biosurfactants useful in a variety of industrial processes, they are also of vital importance to the microbes in adhesion, emulsification, bioavailability, desorption and defense strategy. These interesting facts are discussed in this chapter.

Bridging the gap: the role of pharmacists in managing the drug supply cycle within non-governmental organizations.

PubMed

Villacorta-Linaza, Rocio

2009-10-01

Access to essential medicines remains one of the biggest problems that developing countries are facing in health care systems. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are implementing health programmes on the ground in areas affected by natural disasters or conflict. A vital component of these health programmes is the drug supply system. Based on a field research conducted in Pakistan 2007 and a field work experience in Afghanistan within an international NGO-Merlin-this paper analysed the four functions of the Drug Supply Cycle (Selection, Procurement, Distribution and Use) focusing attention on the importance in management support systems once the emergency phase is over. It shows the core role that the pharmacist plays within NGOs as a member of the health staff with the ability to improve the management of the Drug Supply Cycle. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Logic models as a tool for sexual violence prevention program development.

PubMed

Hawkins, Stephanie R; Clinton-Sherrod, A Monique; Irvin, Neil; Hart, Laurie; Russell, Sarah Jane

2009-01-01

Sexual violence is a growing public health problem, and there is an urgent need to develop sexual violence prevention programs. Logic models have emerged as a vital tool in program development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded an empowerment evaluation designed to work with programs focused on the prevention of first-time male perpetration of sexual violence, and it included as one of its goals, the development of program logic models. Two case studies are presented that describe how significant positive changes can be made to programs as a result of their developing logic models that accurately describe desired outcomes. The first case study describes how the logic model development process made an organization aware of the importance of a program's environmental context for program success; the second case study demonstrates how developing a program logic model can elucidate gaps in organizational programming and suggest ways to close those gaps.

Regulation of water resources for sustaining global future socioeconomic development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; SHI, H.; Sivakumar, B.

2016-12-01

With population projections indicating continued growth during this century, socio-economic problems (e.g., water, food, and energy shortages) will be most likely to occur, especially if proper planning, development, and management strategies are not adopted. In the present study, firstly, we explore the vital role of dams in promoting economic growth through analyzing the relationship between dams and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at both global and national scales. Secondly, we analyze the current situation of global water scarcity based on the data representing water resources availability, dam development, and the level of economic development. Third, with comprehensive consideration of population growth as the major driving force, water resources availability as the basic supporting factor, and topography as the important constraint, this study addresses the question of dam development in the future and predicts the locations of future dams around the world.

Citizen science provides a reliable and scalable tool to track disease-carrying mosquitoes.

PubMed

Palmer, John R B; Oltra, Aitana; Collantes, Francisco; Delgado, Juan Antonio; Lucientes, Javier; Delacour, Sarah; Bengoa, Mikel; Eritja, Roger; Bartumeus, Frederic

2017-10-24

Recent outbreaks of Zika, chikungunya and dengue highlight the importance of better understanding the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes across multiple spatio-temporal scales. Traditional surveillance tools are limited by jurisdictional boundaries and cost constraints. Here we show how a scalable citizen science system can solve this problem by combining citizen scientists' observations with expert validation and correcting for sampling effort. Our system provides accurate early warning information about the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) invasion in Spain, well beyond that available from traditional methods, and vital for public health services. It also provides estimates of tiger mosquito risk comparable to those from traditional methods but more directly related to the human-mosquito encounters that are relevant for epidemiological modelling and scalable enough to cover the entire country. These results illustrate how powerful public participation in science can be and suggest citizen science is positioned to revolutionize mosquito-borne disease surveillance worldwide.

[Effects of agricultural practices on community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural ecosystem: a review].

PubMed

Sheng, Ping-Ping; Li, Min; Liu, Run-Jin

2011-06-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are rich in diversity in agricultural ecosystem, playing a vital role based on their unique community structure. Host plants and environmental factors have important effects on AM fungal community structure, so do the agricultural practices which deserve to pay attention to. This paper summarized the research advances in the effects of agricultural practices such as irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, intercropping, tillage, and pesticide application on AM fungal community structure, analyzed the related possible mechanisms, discussed the possible ways in improving AM fungal community structure in agricultural ecosystem, and put forward a set of countermeasures, i.e., improving fertilization system and related integrated techniques, increasing plant diversity in agricultural ecosystem, and inoculating AM fungi, to enhance the AM fungal diversity in agricultural ecosystem. The existing problems in current agricultural practices and further research directions were also proposed.

Photonic sensor applications in transportation security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krohn, David A.

2007-09-01

There is a broad range of security sensing applications in transportation that can be facilitated by using fiber optic sensors and photonic sensor integrated wireless systems. Many of these vital assets are under constant threat of being attacked. It is important to realize that the threats are not just from terrorism but an aging and often neglected infrastructure. To specifically address transportation security, photonic sensors fall into two categories: fixed point monitoring and mobile tracking. In fixed point monitoring, the sensors monitor bridge and tunnel structural health and environment problems such as toxic gases in a tunnel. Mobile tracking sensors are being designed to track cargo such as shipboard cargo containers and trucks. Mobile tracking sensor systems have multifunctional sensor requirements including intrusion (tampering), biochemical, radiation and explosives detection. This paper will review the state of the art of photonic sensor technologies and their ability to meet the challenges of transportation security.

Bioanalytical procedures for monitoring in utero drug exposure

PubMed Central

Gray, Teresa

2009-01-01

Drug use by pregnant women has been extensively associated with adverse mental, physical, and psychological outcomes in their exposed children. This manuscript reviews bioanalytical methods for in utero drug exposure monitoring for common drugs of abuse in urine, hair, oral fluid, blood, sweat, meconium, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord tissue, nails, and vernix caseosa; neonatal matrices are particularly emphasized. Advantages and limitations of testing different maternal and neonatal biological specimens including ease and invasiveness of collection, and detection time frames, sensitivities, and specificities are described, and specific references for available analytical methods included. Future research involves identifying metabolites unique to fetal drug metabolism to improve detection rates of in utero drug exposure and determining relationships between the amount, frequency, and timing of drug exposure and drug concentrations in infant biological fluids and tissues. Accurate bioanalytical procedures are vital to defining the scope of and resolving this important public health problem. PMID:17370066

Ubiquitin and Proteasomes in Transcription

PubMed Central

Geng, Fuqiang; Wenzel, Sabine; Tansey, William P.

2013-01-01

Regulation of gene transcription is vitally important for the maintenance of normal cellular homeostasis. Failure to correctly regulate gene expression, or to deal with problems that arise during the transcription process, can lead to cellular catastrophe and disease. One of the ways cells cope with the challenges of transcription is by making extensive use of the proteolytic and nonproteolytic activities of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Here, we review recent evidence showing deep mechanistic connections between the transcription and ubiquitin-proteasome systems. Our goal is to leave the reader with a sense that just about every step in transcription—from transcription initiation through to export of mRNA from the nucleus—is influenced by the UPS and that all major arms of the system—from the first step in ubiquitin (Ub) conjugation through to the proteasome—are recruited into transcriptional processes to provide regulation, directionality, and deconstructive power. PMID:22404630

Bayes plus Brass: Estimating Total Fertility for Many Small Areas from Sparse Census Data

PubMed Central

Schmertmann, Carl P.; Cavenaghi, Suzana M.; Assunção, Renato M.; Potter, Joseph E.

2013-01-01

Small-area fertility estimates are valuable for analysing demographic change, and important for local planning and population projection. In countries lacking complete vital registration, however, small-area estimates are possible only from sparse survey or census data that are potentially unreliable. Such estimation requires new methods for old problems: procedures must be automated if thousands of estimates are required, they must deal with extreme sampling variability in many areas, and they should also incorporate corrections for possible data errors. We present a two-step algorithm for estimating total fertility in such circumstances, and we illustrate by applying the method to 2000 Brazilian Census data for over five thousand municipalities. Our proposed algorithm first smoothes local age-specific rates using Empirical Bayes methods, and then applies a new variant of Brass’s P/F parity correction procedure that is robust under conditions of rapid fertility decline. PMID:24143946

Adolescent violence exposure, gender issues and impact.

PubMed

Munni, Ray; Malhi, P

2006-07-01

Youth violence is a growing problem worldwide. Research on adolescent violence in India is limited. Fifteen hundred high school students were investigated to study the prevalence and demographic characteristics of witnesses, victims and perpetrators of violence and to see the impact of violence exposure on their psychosocial adjustments. Sixty nine percent of students had witnessed violence in real life and 28% were of serious nature. Media violence exposure was universal. The prevalence of victims and perpetrators was 27% and 13% respectively. Bullying was prevalent. Male sex was the most important predictive risk factor for witnessing and perpetrating violence (P < or = 0.001). Victims were predominantly females. Those having exposure to violence had poorer school performance and adjustment scores (P < or = 0.05). Thus violence exposure is prevalent even in the lives of Indian adolescents and gender differences exist. Its impact on their psychosocial adjustments is detrimental. Early identification and corrective interventions of these adolescents is vital.

Global risk management in type 2 diabetes: blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipids--update on the background of the current guidelines.

PubMed

Clemens, A; Siegel, E; Gallwitz, B

2004-10-01

Diabetes mellitus presents a significant public health burden based on its increased morbidity, mortality, and economic cost. The high comorbidity and prevalence of concomitant diseases like hypertension and dyslipidemia in diabetic patients cause the high risk in developing secondary, cost intensive, and for the patient often disastrous late complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease). Therefore, patients with diabetes mellitus need a global risk management that takes the various individual clinical problems into account. The current global standards of therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus are focused on the control of glycemia, blood pressure, and lipid levels, as well as aspirin therapy and avoiding of smoking. There are a number of guidelines and recommendations to manage these global issues. Our review will summarize current recommendations and consolidate therapeutic goals and treatments that are of vital importance in the global risk management in diabetic patients.

ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CO SNOW LINE IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

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

Martin, Rebecca G.; Livio, Mario

2014-03-10

CO is thought to be a vital building block for prebiotic molecules that are necessary for life. Thus, understanding where CO existed in a solid phase within the solar nebula is important for understanding the origin of life. We model the evolution of the CO snow line in a protoplanetary disk. We find that the current observed location of the CO snow line in our solar system, and in the solar system analog TW Hydra, cannot be explained by a fully turbulent disk model. With time-dependent disk models we find that the inclusion of a dead zone (a region ofmore » low turbulence) can resolve this problem. Furthermore, we obtain a fully analytic solution for the CO snow line radius for late disk evolutionary times. This will be useful for future observational attempts to characterize the demographics and predict the composition and habitability of exoplanets.« less

The Astrocentric Hypothesis: proposed role of astrocytes in consciousness and memory formation.

PubMed

Robertson, James M

2002-01-01

Consciousness is self-awareness. This process is closely associated with attention and working memory, a special form of short-term memory, which is vital when solving explicit task. Edelman has equated consciousness as the "remembered present" to highlight the importance of this form of memory (G.M. Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire, Basic Books, New York, 1992). The majority of other memories are recollections of past events that are encoded, stored, and brought back into consciousness if appropriate for solving new problems. Encoding prior experiences into memories is based on the salience of each event (A.R. Damasio, Descartes' Error, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1994; G.M. Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire, Basic Books, New York, 1992). It is proposed that protoplasmic astrocytes bind attended sensory information into consciousness and store encoded memories. This conclusion is supported by research conducted by gliobiologist over the past 15 years. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

From entanglement witness to generalized Catalan numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, E.; Hansen, T.; Itzhaki, N.

2016-07-01

Being extremely important resources in quantum information and computation, it is vital to efficiently detect and properly characterize entangled states. We analyze in this work the problem of entanglement detection for arbitrary spin systems. It is demonstrated how a single measurement of the squared total spin can probabilistically discern separable from entangled many-particle states. For achieving this goal, we construct a tripartite analogy between the degeneracy of entanglement witness eigenstates, tensor products of SO(3) representations and classical lattice walks with special constraints. Within this framework, degeneracies are naturally given by generalized Catalan numbers and determine the fraction of states that are decidedly entangled and also known to be somewhat protected against decoherence. In addition, we introduce the concept of a “sterile entanglement witness”, which for large enough systems detects entanglement without affecting much the system’s state. We discuss when our proposed entanglement witness can be regarded as a sterile one.

From entanglement witness to generalized Catalan numbers.

PubMed

Cohen, E; Hansen, T; Itzhaki, N

2016-07-27

Being extremely important resources in quantum information and computation, it is vital to efficiently detect and properly characterize entangled states. We analyze in this work the problem of entanglement detection for arbitrary spin systems. It is demonstrated how a single measurement of the squared total spin can probabilistically discern separable from entangled many-particle states. For achieving this goal, we construct a tripartite analogy between the degeneracy of entanglement witness eigenstates, tensor products of SO(3) representations and classical lattice walks with special constraints. Within this framework, degeneracies are naturally given by generalized Catalan numbers and determine the fraction of states that are decidedly entangled and also known to be somewhat protected against decoherence. In addition, we introduce the concept of a "sterile entanglement witness", which for large enough systems detects entanglement without affecting much the system's state. We discuss when our proposed entanglement witness can be regarded as a sterile one.

From entanglement witness to generalized Catalan numbers

PubMed Central

Cohen, E.; Hansen, T.; Itzhaki, N.

2016-01-01

Being extremely important resources in quantum information and computation, it is vital to efficiently detect and properly characterize entangled states. We analyze in this work the problem of entanglement detection for arbitrary spin systems. It is demonstrated how a single measurement of the squared total spin can probabilistically discern separable from entangled many-particle states. For achieving this goal, we construct a tripartite analogy between the degeneracy of entanglement witness eigenstates, tensor products of SO(3) representations and classical lattice walks with special constraints. Within this framework, degeneracies are naturally given by generalized Catalan numbers and determine the fraction of states that are decidedly entangled and also known to be somewhat protected against decoherence. In addition, we introduce the concept of a “sterile entanglement witness”, which for large enough systems detects entanglement without affecting much the system’s state. We discuss when our proposed entanglement witness can be regarded as a sterile one. PMID:27461089

Image registration under translation and rotation in two-dimensional planes using Fourier slice theorem.

PubMed

Pohit, M; Sharma, J

2015-05-10

Image recognition in the presence of both rotation and translation is a longstanding problem in correlation pattern recognition. Use of log polar transform gives a solution to this problem, but at a cost of losing the vital phase information from the image. The main objective of this paper is to develop an algorithm based on Fourier slice theorem for measuring the simultaneous rotation and translation of an object in a 2D plane. The algorithm is applicable for any arbitrary object shift for full 180° rotation.

Argon laser application to endodontics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blankenau, Richard J.; Ludlow, Marvin; Anderson, David

1993-07-01

The application of laser technology to endodontics has been studied for some time. At the present time several major problems are being investigated: (1) removal of infected tissues, (2) sterilization of canals, (3) obturation of canals, and (4) preservation of the vitality of supporting tissues. This list is not intended to imply other problems do not exist or have been solved, but it is a starting point. This paper reviews some of the literature that relates to laser applications to endodontics and concludes with some of the findings from our investigation.

Design of continuous surface-relief phase plates by surface-based simulated annealing to achieve control of focal-plane irradiance

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

Lin, Y.; Kessler, T.J.; Lawrence, G.N.

1996-10-01

High-performance phase plates are of vital concern for controlling the far-field irradiance of laser-fusion systems. Several designs for solving this difficult problem have been reported in {ital Optics} {ital Letters} [e.g., S. N. Dixit {ital et} {ital al}., Opt. Lett. {bold 19}, 417 (1994)]. We report a surface-based form of simulated annealing that significantly improves the irradiance control while eliminating the high-scatter problems that have plagued other methods. {copyright} {ital 1996 Optical Society of America.}

Time and truth in plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazelton, Lyman R., Jr.

1990-01-01

Some of the logical components of a rule based planning and scheduling system are described. The researcher points out a deficiency in the conventional truth maintenance approach to this class of problems and suggests a new mechanism which overcomes the problem. This extension of the idea of justification truth maintenance may seem at first to be a small philosophical step. However, it embodies a process of basic human reasoning which is so common and automatic as to escape conscious detection without careful introspection. It is vital to any successful implementation of a rule based planning reasoner.

Expressing our internal states and understanding those of others.

PubMed

Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Di Dio, Cinzia; Marchi, Massimo; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2015-08-18

Vitality form is a term that describes the style with which motor actions are performed (e.g., rude, gentle, etc.). They represent one characterizing element of conscious and unconscious bodily communication. Despite their importance in interpersonal behavior, vitality forms have been, until now, virtually neglected in neuroscience. Here, using the functional MRI (fMRI) technique, we investigated the neural correlates of vitality forms in three different tasks: action observation, imagination, and execution. Conjunction analysis showed that, in all three tasks, there is a common, consistent activation of the dorsocentral sector of the insula. In addition, a common activation of the parietofrontal network, typically active during arm movements production, planning, and observation, was also found. We conclude that the dorsocentral part of the insula is a key element of the system that modulates the cortical motor activity, allowing individuals to express their internal states through action vitality forms. Recent monkey anatomical data show that the dorsocentral sector of the insula is, indeed, connected with the cortical circuit involved in the control of arm movements.

Fisheries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Artifacts from early coastal settlements show that fishing was an important activity for the inhabitants of Alaska. Today, the fish harvested from the waters around Alaska are in excess of two million metric tones per year. The industry is vitally important to the economy of coastal communities. ...

7 CFR 1980.472 - Protective advances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... lieu of additional loans, in particular, working capital loans. Protective advances are advances made... importance, but preserving collateral for maximum recovery is of vital importance. Elements which should... advances, sound judgment must be exercised in determining that the additional funds advanced will actually...

7 CFR 1980.472 - Protective advances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... lieu of additional loans, in particular, working capital loans. Protective advances are advances made... importance, but preserving collateral for maximum recovery is of vital importance. Elements which should... advances, sound judgment must be exercised in determining that the additional funds advanced will actually...

Learning oncogenetic networks by reducing to mixed integer linear programming.

PubMed

Shahrabi Farahani, Hossein; Lagergren, Jens

2013-01-01

Cancer can be a result of accumulation of different types of genetic mutations such as copy number aberrations. The data from tumors are cross-sectional and do not contain the temporal order of the genetic events. Finding the order in which the genetic events have occurred and progression pathways are of vital importance in understanding the disease. In order to model cancer progression, we propose Progression Networks, a special case of Bayesian networks, that are tailored to model disease progression. Progression networks have similarities with Conjunctive Bayesian Networks (CBNs) [1],a variation of Bayesian networks also proposed for modeling disease progression. We also describe a learning algorithm for learning Bayesian networks in general and progression networks in particular. We reduce the hard problem of learning the Bayesian and progression networks to Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). MILP is a Non-deterministic Polynomial-time complete (NP-complete) problem for which very good heuristics exists. We tested our algorithm on synthetic and real cytogenetic data from renal cell carcinoma. We also compared our learned progression networks with the networks proposed in earlier publications. The software is available on the website https://bitbucket.org/farahani/diprog.

A study of density modulation index in the inner heliospheric solar wind during solar cycle 23

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

Bisoi, Susanta Kumar; Janardhan, P.; Ingale, M.

2014-11-01

The ratio of the rms electron density fluctuations to the background density in the solar wind (density modulation index, ε {sub N} ≡ ΔN/N) is of vital importance for understanding several problems in heliospheric physics related to solar wind turbulence. In this paper, we have investigated the behavior of ε {sub N} in the inner heliosphere from 0.26 to 0.82 AU. The density fluctuations ΔN have been deduced using extensive ground-based observations of interplanetary scintillation at 327 MHz, which probe spatial scales of a few hundred kilometers. The background densities (N) have been derived using near-Earth observations from the Advancedmore » Composition Explorer. Our analysis reveals that 0.001 ≲ ε {sub N} ≲ 0.02 and does not vary appreciably with heliocentric distance. We also find that ε {sub N} declines by 8% from 1998 to 2008. We discuss the impact of these findings on problems ranging from our understanding of Forbush decreases to the behavior of the solar wind dynamic pressure over the recent peculiar solar minimum at the end of cycle 23.« less

Understanding healthcare professionals' self-efficacy to resolve interprofessional conflict.

PubMed

Sexton, Martha; Orchard, Carole

2016-05-01

Conflict within interprofessional healthcare teams, when not effectively resolved, has been linked to detrimental consequences; however, effective conflict resolution has been shown to enhance team performance, increase patient safety, and improve patient outcomes. Alarmingly, knowledge of healthcare professionals' ability to resolve conflict has been limited, largely due to the challenges that arise when researchers attempt to observe a conflict occurring in real time. Research literature has identified three central components that seem to influence healthcare professional's perceived ability to resolve conflict: communication competence, problem-solving ability, and conflict resolution education and training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of communication competence, problem-solving ability, and conflict resolution education and training on healthcare professionals' perceived ability to resolve conflicts. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that two of the three central components-conflict resolution education and training and communication competence-were found to be statistically significant predictors of healthcare professionals' perceived ability to resolve conflict. Implications include a call to action for clinicians and academicians to recognize the importance of communication competence and conflict resolution education and training as a vital area in interprofessional pre- and post-licensure education and collaborative practice.

Modelling sea ice dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murawski, Jens; Kleine, Eckhard

2017-04-01

Sea ice remains one of the frontiers of ocean modelling and is of vital importance for the correct forecasts of the northern oceans. At large scale, it is commonly considered a continuous medium whose dynamics is modelled in terms of continuum mechanics. Its specifics are a matter of constitutive behaviour which may be characterised as rigid-plastic. The new developed sea ice dynamic module bases on general principles and follows a systematic approach to the problem. Both drift field and stress field are modelled by a variational property. Rigidity is treated by Lagrangian relaxation. Thus one is led to a sensible numerical method. Modelling fast ice remains to be a challenge. It is understood that ridging and the formation of grounded ice keels plays a role in the process. The ice dynamic model includes a parameterisation of the stress associated with grounded ice keels. Shear against the grounded bottom contact might lead to plastic deformation and the loss of integrity. The numerical scheme involves a potentially large system of linear equations which is solved by pre-conditioned iteration. The entire algorithm consists of several components which result from decomposing the problem. The algorithm has been implemented and tested in practice.

[Current diagnosis of classic mastitis carcinomatosa].

PubMed

Borojević, N; Trbojević, P; Zamurović, J

1990-01-01

Mastitis carcinomatosa (inflammatory carcinoma) is a very rare form of breast cancer, with a rapid progress, generalisation and dissemination into the vital organs, and lethal issue. Inflammatory carcinoma of the breast (ICB) accounts for 1 to 4 per cent of all breast carcinomas. Only 3 to 6 per cent of patients survive for 5 years, and a great number of patients die within 1 to 2 years, with disseminated metastases. Undefined diagnostical criteria of the desease are responsible of undefined therapeutical procedures. There are still contra-many diction which are well documented in the literature. In this paper we tried to give our contribution to the solution of some of these problems. Today it is clear that tumour embolism in dermal lymphatics of the involved breast skin is a pathohistologic basis of this fatal desease. Accordingly consequences are visible in all clinical signs, which have a very poor prognosis. There is a very large group of local advanced breast carcinomas that are similar to the ICB, but that are not really ICB. In fact, although all these malignant deseases are very similar, their differentiation is very important esspecialy because of their evaluation. A great number of other benignant deseases have very similar signs. Therefore ICB is a interdisciplinary problem.

A proposed model of factors influencing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle acceptance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imanina, N. H. Noor; Kwe Lu, Tan; Fadhilah, A. R.

2016-03-01

Issues such as environmental problem and energy insecurity keep worsening as a result of energy use from household to huge industries including automotive industry. Recently, a new type of zero emission vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) has received attention. Although there are argues on the feasibility of hydrogen as the future fuel, there is another important issue, which is the acceptance of HFCV. The study of technology acceptance in the early stage is a vital key for a successful introduction and penetration of a technology. This paper proposes a model of factors influencing green vehicle acceptance, specifically HFCV. This model is built base on two technology acceptance theories and other empirical studies of vehicle acceptance. It aims to provide a base for finding the key factors influencing new sustainable energy fuelled vehicle, HFCV acceptance which is achieved by explaining intention to accept HFCV. Intention is influenced by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control from Theory of Planned Behaviour and personal norm from Norm Activation Theory. In the framework, attitude is influenced by perceptions of benefits and risks, and social trust. Perceived behavioural control is influenced by government interventions. Personal norm is influenced by outcome efficacy and problem awareness.

Assembling networks of microbial genomes using linear programming.

PubMed

Holloway, Catherine; Beiko, Robert G

2010-11-20

Microbial genomes exhibit complex sets of genetic affinities due to lateral genetic transfer. Assessing the relative contributions of parent-to-offspring inheritance and gene sharing is a vital step in understanding the evolutionary origins and modern-day function of an organism, but recovering and showing these relationships is a challenging problem. We have developed a new approach that uses linear programming to find between-genome relationships, by treating tables of genetic affinities (here, represented by transformed BLAST e-values) as an optimization problem. Validation trials on simulated data demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in recovering and representing vertical and lateral relationships among genomes. Application of the technique to a set comprising Aquifex aeolicus and 75 other thermophiles showed an important role for large genomes as 'hubs' in the gene sharing network, and suggested that genes are preferentially shared between organisms with similar optimal growth temperatures. We were also able to discover distinct and common genetic contributors to each sequenced representative of genus Pseudomonas. The linear programming approach we have developed can serve as an effective inference tool in its own right, and can be an efficient first step in a more-intensive phylogenomic analysis.

What we have learned about electroconvulsive therapy and its relevance for the practising psychiatrist.

PubMed

Sienaert, Pascal

2011-01-01

In this narrative review, the current knowledge base on the efficacy and the practice of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is reviewed, and its relevance for the practising psychiatrist is appreciated. In the past decade, several large-scale studies have confirmed the significant superiority of ECT in the treatment of severe and refractory psychiatric conditions, such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. However, the efficacy of ECT is not reflected in current treatment algorithms, where ECT is often reserved as a last resort. However, clinical characteristics, such as the presence of psychotic symptoms, suicidality, or catatonic signs, should prompt the clinician to consider ECT earlier in the treatment course. ECT is a safe procedure, without absolute contraindications for its use. Nevertheless, patients' fears and complaints should be acknowledged, and patients should be adequately informed about expected benefits and possible risks, such as memory problems, that are generally transient. Research focusing on further minimizing memory problems, while maintaining a superior efficacy, is ongoing. Adequate continuation treatment, either pharmacotherapy or continuation ECT, after a successful ECT course is of vital importance to maintain the benefits achieved and should be the focus of future research.

A course director's perspectives on problem-based learning curricula in biochemistry.

PubMed

Smith, Harold C

2002-12-01

Knowledge of the applications of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics in the practice of medicine has been and continues to be a vital part of medical students' and continuing education. The technical background and the rapid expansion of information and new applications have made it an arduous task to learn and teach this material within the already crowded medical school curriculum. Problem-based learning (PBL) formats are rapidly being adopted at all levels of education as not only a major paradigm shift in education but also a solution for the instruction of biochemistry in medical school. Designing an effective biochemistry curriculum with PBL-based or lecture-based formats requires an appreciation for their strengths and weakness. The author's experiences in the Double Helix Curriculum at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (which employs PBL cases and complementing lectures) has shown that students are excited about learning in the PBL environment and explore in depth ways of integrating biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology into the practice of medicine. At the same time, complementary lectures greatly enhance uniformity in the quality and, importantly, the accuracy of the students' learning.

Strengthening of local vital events registration: lessons learnt from a voluntary sector initiative in a district in southern India.

PubMed

Mony, Prem; Sankar, Kiruba; Thomas, Tinku; Vaz, Mario

2011-05-01

Birth and death registration rates are low in most parts of India. Poor registration rates are due to constraints in both the government system (supply-side) and the general population (demand-side). We strengthened vital event registration at the local level within the existing legal framework by: (i) involving a non-profit organization as an interface between the government and the community; (ii) conducting supply-side interventions such as sensitization workshops for government officials, training for hospital staff and building data-sharing partnerships between stakeholders; (iii) monitoring for vital events by active surveillance through lay-informants; and (iv) conducting demand-side interventions such as publicity campaigns, education of families and assistance with registration. In the government sector, registration is given low priority and there is an attitude of blaming the victim, ascribing low levels of vital event registration to "cultural reasons/ignorance ". In the community, low registration was due to lack of awareness about the importance of and procedures for registration. This initiative helped improve registration of births and deaths at the subdistrict level. Vital event registration was significantly associated with local equity stratifiers such as gender, socioeconomic status and geography. The voluntary sector can interface effectively between the government and the community to strengthen vital registration. With political support from the government, outreach activities can dramatically improve vital event registration rates, especially in disadvantaged populations. The potential relevance of the data and the data collection process to stakeholders at the local level is a critical factor for success.

The value of vital sign trends for detecting clinical deterioration on the wards

PubMed Central

Churpek, Matthew M; Adhikari, Richa; Edelson, Dana P

2016-01-01

Aim Early detection of clinical deterioration on the wards may improve outcomes, and most early warning scores only utilize a patient’s current vital signs. The added value of vital sign trends over time is poorly characterized. We investigated whether adding trends improves accuracy and which methods are optimal for modelling trends. Methods Patients admitted to five hospitals over a five-year period were included in this observational cohort study, with 60% of the data used for model derivation and 40% for validation. Vital signs were utilized to predict the combined outcome of cardiac arrest, intensive care unit transfer, and death. The accuracy of models utilizing both the current value and different trend methods were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results A total of 269,999 patient admissions were included, which resulted in 16,452 outcomes. Overall, trends increased accuracy compared to a model containing only current vital signs (AUC 0.78 vs. 0.74; p<0.001). The methods that resulted in the greatest average increase in accuracy were the vital sign slope (AUC improvement 0.013) and minimum value (AUC improvement 0.012), while the change from the previous value resulted in an average worsening of the AUC (change in AUC −0.002). The AUC increased most for systolic blood pressure when trends were added (AUC improvement 0.05). Conclusion Vital sign trends increased the accuracy of models designed to detect critical illness on the wards. Our findings have important implications for clinicians at the bedside and for the development of early warning scores. PMID:26898412

The value of vital sign trends for detecting clinical deterioration on the wards.

PubMed

Churpek, Matthew M; Adhikari, Richa; Edelson, Dana P

2016-05-01

Early detection of clinical deterioration on the wards may improve outcomes, and most early warning scores only utilize a patient's current vital signs. The added value of vital sign trends over time is poorly characterized. We investigated whether adding trends improves accuracy and which methods are optimal for modelling trends. Patients admitted to five hospitals over a five-year period were included in this observational cohort study, with 60% of the data used for model derivation and 40% for validation. Vital signs were utilized to predict the combined outcome of cardiac arrest, intensive care unit transfer, and death. The accuracy of models utilizing both the current value and different trend methods were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). A total of 269,999 patient admissions were included, which resulted in 16,452 outcomes. Overall, trends increased accuracy compared to a model containing only current vital signs (AUC 0.78 vs. 0.74; p<0.001). The methods that resulted in the greatest average increase in accuracy were the vital sign slope (AUC improvement 0.013) and minimum value (AUC improvement 0.012), while the change from the previous value resulted in an average worsening of the AUC (change in AUC -0.002). The AUC increased most for systolic blood pressure when trends were added (AUC improvement 0.05). Vital sign trends increased the accuracy of models designed to detect critical illness on the wards. Our findings have important implications for clinicians at the bedside and for the development of early warning scores. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and practice of a Telehealthcare Expert System (TES).

PubMed

Lin, Hanjun; Hsu, Yeh-Liang; Hsu, Ming-Shinn; Cheng, Chih-Ming

2013-07-01

Expert systems have been widely used in medical and healthcare practice for various purposes. In addition to vital sign data, important concerns in telehealthcare include the compliance with the measurement prescription, the accuracy of vital sign measurements, and the functioning of vital sign meters and home gateways. However, few expert system applications are found in the telehealthcare domain to address these issues. This article presents an expert system application for one of the largest commercialized telehealthcare practices in Taiwan by Min-Sheng General Hospital. The main function of the Telehealthcare Expert System (TES) developed in this research is to detect and classify events based on the measurement data transmitted to the database at the call center, including abnormality of vital signs, violation of vital sign measurement prescriptions, and malfunction of hardware devices (home gateway and vital sign meter). When the expert system detects an abnormal event, it assigns an "urgent degree" and alerts the nursing team in the call center to take action, such as phoning the patient for counseling or to urge the patient to return to the hospital for further tests. During 2 years of clinical practice, from 2009 to 2011, 19,182 patients were served by the expert system. The expert system detected 41,755 events, of which 22.9% indicated abnormality of vital signs, 75.2% indicated violation of measurement prescription, and 1.9% indicated malfunction of devices. On average, the expert system reduced by 76.5% the time that the nursing team in the call center spent in handling the events. The expert system helped to reduce cost and improve quality of the telehealthcare service.

The Isotopologue Record of Repeat Vital Effect Offenders: Tracking (Dis)equilibrium Effects in Sea Urchins and Nannofossil Using Clumped Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, C. M.; Davies, A.; Drury, A. J.

2016-12-01

Vital effects vary between species and affect various isotopic systems in unequal proportion. The magnitude of the response of different isotopic systems might thus be key in understanding biologically-mediated disequilibrium, especially in groups that show a tendency to be "repeat offenders" with regards to vital effects. Here we present carbon, oxygen, and clumped isotope data from echinoderm calcite and nannofossil ooze, both of which exhibit strong vital effects in bulk isotopes. Our study is the first to investigate the clumped isotope (dis)equilibrium of echinoids. Results from two echinoids, three marine gastropods and a bivalve mollusk from modern beach deposits of Bali, Indonesia, highlight a significant offset in clumped isotopes of a regular echinoid test from expected values, interpreted as evidence of a similar "vital effect" as observed in surface corals. This is in contrast to the test of an irregular "sand dollar" echinoid, with clumped isotope values within error of expected sea surface temperature. Furthermore, data on the inter-skeletal variability in the clumped isotopic composition of two regular echinoid species shows that the spines of the echinoids are in equilibrium with seawater with respect to clumped isotopes, but the test is not. For the nannofossil material, no clumped isotope vital effects are observed, consistent with previously published studies but at odds with strong vital effects in carbon and oxygen isotopes, often correlated with cell-size. In addition, we reveal that the <63 micron fraction of deep-sea ooze could constitute useful material for clumped isotope studies. An intriguing result of our study is that vital effects are mostly absent in clumped isotopes, even in phylums known for important isotopic effects. It remains to be explained why some parts of the echinoids show clear vital effects, notably enrichment in clumped isotopes of urchin tests. Mechanisms that could explain this include pH effects during calcification. Rapid precipitation of calcite is however not considered as a likely mechanism as skeletal components with the largest growth rates show no clear clumped isotope vital effects.

Does the name really matter? The importance of botanical nomenclature and plant taxonomy in biomedical research.

PubMed

Bennett, Bradley C; Balick, Michael J

2014-03-28

Medical research on plant-derived compounds requires a breadth of expertise from field to laboratory and clinical skills. Too often basic botanical skills are evidently lacking, especially with respect to plant taxonomy and botanical nomenclature. Binomial and familial names, synonyms and author citations are often misconstrued. The correct botanical name, linked to a vouchered specimen, is the sine qua non of phytomedical research. Without the unique identifier of a proper binomial, research cannot accurately be linked to the existing literature. Perhaps more significant, is the ambiguity of species determinations that ensues of from poor taxonomic practices. This uncertainty, not surprisingly, obstructs reproducibility of results-the cornerstone of science. Based on our combined six decades of experience with medicinal plants, we discuss the problems of inaccurate taxonomy and botanical nomenclature in biomedical research. This problems appear all too frequently in manuscripts and grant applications that we review and they extend to the published literature. We also review the literature on the importance of taxonomy in other disciplines that relate to medicinal plant research. In most cases, questions regarding orthography, synonymy, author citations, and current family designations of most plant binomials can be resolved using widely-available online databases and other electronic resources. Some complex problems require consultation with a professional plant taxonomist, which also is important for accurate identification of voucher specimens. Researchers should provide the currently accepted binomial and complete author citation, provide relevant synonyms, and employ the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III family name. Taxonomy is a vital adjunct not only to plant-medicine research but to virtually every field of science. Medicinal plant researchers can increase the precision and utility of their investigations by following sound practices with respect to botanical nomenclature. Correct spellings, accepted binomials, author citations, synonyms, and current family designations can readily be found on reliable online databases. When questions arise, researcher should consult plant taxonomists. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment for Hospital Buildings Using a Gis-Based Group Multi Criteria Decision Making Approach: a Case Study of Tehran, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delavar, M. R.; Moradi, M.; Moshiri, B.

2015-12-01

Nowadays, urban areas are threatened by a number of natural hazards such as flood, landslide and earthquake. They can cause huge damages to buildings and human beings which necessitates disaster mitigation and preparation. One of the most important steps in disaster management is to understand all impacts and effects of disaster on urban facilities. Given that hospitals take care of vulnerable people reaction of hospital buildings against earthquake is vital. In this research, the vulnerability of hospital buildings against earthquake is analysed. The vulnerability of buildings is related to a number of criteria including age of building, number of floors, the quality of materials and intensity of the earthquake. Therefore, the problem of seismic vulnerability assessment is a multi-criteria assessment problem and multi criteria decision making methods can be used to address the problem. In this paper a group multi criteria decision making model is applied because using only one expert's judgments can cause biased vulnerability maps. Sugeno integral which is able to take into account the interaction among criteria is employed to assess the vulnerability degree of buildings. Fuzzy capacities which are similar to layer weights in weighted linear averaging operator are calculated using particle swarm optimization. Then, calculated fuzzy capacities are included into the model to compute a vulnerability degree for each hospital.

International migration data: their problems and usefulness in Venezuela.

PubMed

Torrealba, R

1987-01-01

During the 1940s and 1950s Venezuela was an important destination for migrants from Southern Europe, a flow that disappeared almost entirely during the 1960s, to be replaced by border movements and the largely illegal migration of Colombians. The oil boom of the 1970s saw an increase of the latter, which may have subsided during the 1980s due to the more difficult economic conditions that have also led to significant emigration levels of Venezuelans and former immigrants. Methods of data collection systems that provide information on migrants include the National Population and Housing Census, the National Household Survey, migration surveys, arrival and departure statistics, registration systems operated by the Direccion General Sectorial de identificacion y Control de Extranjeros, the 1980 regularization drive, statistics gathered by the Ministry of Labor, and vital and civil registration statistics. The lack of effective coordination among the different government agencies gathering information and the administrative nature of the data collected give rise to problems of comparability. Mechanisms to publish and disseminate the data available are not well developed, so that researchers often have no access to potentially useful sources of information. Problems of timeliness in the publication of the most widely used information are also present, as is the large gap existing in data pertaining to emigration, be it of Venezuelan nationals or of immigrants leaving the country.

Vital Signs Screening for Alcohol Misuse in a Rural Primary Care Clinic: A Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seale, J. Paul; Guyinn, Monique R.; Matthews, Michael; Okosun, Ike; Dent, M. Marie

2008-01-01

Context: Alcohol misuse is more common in rural areas, and rural problem drinkers are less likely to seek alcohol treatment services. Rural clinics face unique challenges to implementing routine alcohol screening and intervention. Purpose: To assess the feasibility of using the single alcohol screening question (SASQ) during routine nursing vital…

Searching for Significance in Unstructured Data: Text Mining with Leximancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, David A.

2014-01-01

Scholars in many knowledge domains rely on sophisticated information technologies to search for and retrieve records and publications pertinent to their research interests. But what is a scholar to do when a search identifies hundreds of documents, any of which might be vital or irrelevant to his or her work? The problem is further complicated by…

University Planning: Who Needs It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curl, Sam E.

In order for the university to regain public confidence and survive as a vital force that makes decisions relevant to the problems of today and tomorrow, it has no alternative but to reexamine with commitment its purpose for being as well as to identify, clarify, and articulate its mission, goals, and objectives in order to chart its own course…

It Won't Happen to Me: The Role of Optimistic Bias in African-American Teens' Risky Sexual Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapin, John

Discovering why adolescents take sexual risks, despite knowledge of consequences, is a vital first step in combating the problem. Optimistic bias, the misperception that one is less likely than others to experience negative consequences from health behaviors, offers a promising explanation for adolescents' sexual risk-taking. Unfortunately,…

Learning Environments Designed According to Learning Styles and Its Effects on Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özerem, Aysen; Akkoyunlu, Buket

2015-01-01

Problem Statement: While designing a learning environment it is vital to think about learner characteristics (learning styles, approaches, motivation, interests… etc.) in order to promote effective learning. The learning environment and learning process should be designed not to enable students to learn in the same manner and at the same level,…

Better Living through Wise Use of Resources. Bulletin, 1950, No. 15

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher, Halene

1950-01-01

As never before, nations the world over are considering conservation a problem of vital concern to all peoples and an obligation which must be accepted by each person. It is becoming increasingly recognized that steps leading toward the establishment of harmonious relations between man and his environment will go a long way toward resolving the…

Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. United States Department of State Discussion Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Philip R., Jr.

Intended to provide background for study and discussion, this publication gives updated information on development in sub-Saharan Africa and provides a basis for understanding U.S. policy toward this vital region. The strengths, problems, politics, natural resources, and language and ethnolinguistic groups of this area of the world and the…

Perspectives on law enforcement in recreation areas

Treesearch

Lawrence C. Hadley

1971-01-01

The nature and scope of law-enforcement problems in the National Park System are of increasing concern to park and recreation area managers. A positive response by management in terms of formulating and executing a fully professional and effective enforcement program is vital for sustaining public confidence that Parks are safe for individual and family use. Law...

Shaping Computing and Information Processing as a Vital National Resource. (Keynote Address).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaser, George

New technical specialties are emerging within the computer industry at a rate threatening the ability of educational institutions to train those who would understand and apply them. The industry's ability to undertake more ambitious projects and to thereby solve more complex problems is limited by an inadequate force of skilled manpower. Thus, it…

Enabling Problem Based Learning through Web 2.0 Technologies: PBL 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tambouris, Efthimios; Panopoulou, Eleni; Tarabanis, Konstantinos; Ryberg, Thomas; Buus, Lillian; Peristeras, Vassilios; Lee, Deirdre; Porwol, Lukasz

2012-01-01

Advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), particularly the so-called Web 2.0, are affecting all aspects of our life: How we communicate, how we shop, how we socialise, how we learn. Facilitating learning through the use of ICT, also known as eLearning, is a vital part of modern educational systems. Established pedagogical…

Hang in there! Quick takes on Y2K.

PubMed

Lewis, A G; Weingart, V S

1998-11-01

Cliffhangers in movies are great fun. But not in real life. Think Y2K. If you haven't scripted a way to beat the millennium bug, there are workable solutions that can be created in six months. Here's how to begin production: Prioritize activities, expenditures and resources, and apply them to the most vital problems first.

Food for the World's Hungry. Public Affairs Pamphlet No. 511.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Maxwell S.

A review of the food crisis is concisely presented in this brief brochure. It is one of a series to educate the American public on vital economic and social problems. The background of the world food shortage and its causal factors are discussed. Suggestions for overcoming the crisis, such as political changes, land reform, public services,…

Supporting Young People at School with High Mental Health Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rickwood, Debra

2005-01-01

For young people still at school, the school setting is vital to their mental health and wellbeing. Not only does the school environment have a direct and indirect impact on mental health, it provides an opportunistic setting in which to identify and respond to emerging mental health problems. To do this effectively, schools and school staff must…

The Effect of Organizational Justice and Perceived Organizational Support on Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Organizational Identification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Kamile

2015-01-01

Problem of Study: Research on social exchange relationships does not take into account another vital component of organizational life--namely an individual's sense of belonging and identity. Organizational identification is one of the most crucial factors holding employees together and keeping them committed to the organization. Many studies…

Why Wait until Qualified?: The Benefits and Experiences of Undergoing Mental Health Awareness Training for PGCE Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bostock, Julie Ann; Kitt, Richard; Kitt, Candi

2011-01-01

This small-scale research project in England investigates the reasons why mental health training should be incorporated into the curriculum for initial teacher education (ITE). Most mental health problems begin in adolescence, but often remain undetected until adulthood. Early intervention is vital to recovery in the case of serious psychotic…

Arsenic uptake and phytoremediation potential by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Treesearch

Xinhua He; Erik Lilleskov

2014-01-01

Arsenic (As) contamination of soils and water is a global problem because of its impacts on ecosystems and human health. Various approaches have been attempted for As remediation, with limited success. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play vital roles in the uptake of water and essential nutrients, especially phosphorus (P), and hence enhance plant performance and...

Getting ahead of the wildfire problem: Quantifying and mapping management challenges and opportunities

Treesearch

Christopher D. O' Connor; Matthew P. Thompson; Francisco Rodriguez y Silva

2016-01-01

Wildfire is a global phenomenon that plays a vital role in regulating and maintaining many natural and human-influenced ecosystems but that also poses considerable risks to human populations and infrastructure. Fire managers are charged with balancing the short-term protection of human assets sensitive to fire exposure against the potential long-term benefits...

Machine learning techniques for fault isolation and sensor placement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnes, James R.; Fisher, Douglas H.

1993-01-01

Fault isolation and sensor placement are vital for monitoring and diagnosis. A sensor conveys information about a system's state that guides troubleshooting if problems arise. We are using machine learning methods to uncover behavioral patterns over snapshots of system simulations that will aid fault isolation and sensor placement, with an eye towards minimality, fault coverage, and noise tolerance.

[Evaluation of the vital emergency action plan at the Navarre Hospital (Spain)].

PubMed

Tirapu, Belén; Rodrigo, Isabel; Gost, Javier; Aranguren, María Isabel; Ezcurra, Paz

2010-07-01

Healthcare organizations are placing great emphasis on the care of patients with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) since interventions based on the scientific evidence can decrease both the mortality rate and sequelae. Nevertheless, there are limited comprehensive assessments covering all the resources and interventions required when a vital emergency arises. To evaluate the effectiveness of the vital emergency action plan at the Navarre Hospital by analyzing a panel of 70 indicators. Structure and process indicators were assessed in 25 clinical units at the Navarre Hospital from April to June 2008. The structure and review process of CPR carts were analyzed, defibrillators were tested and 40 simulations involving 144 professionals were evaluated. Nonconformities were found in 86% of the indicators evaluated. The percentages of compliance in the indicators of structure ranged from 39.6% to 100%. In the evaluation of process, conformity ranged from 2.5% to 100%. The percentages of simulations meeting time standards varied between 17.5% and 45%. In 37.5% of the simulations, at least 50% of trained staff were present in the unit. In 32.3% of the simulations, the standard for the number of people in the unit who participated in the simulations was achieved. This study identified problems in the structure and process of a vital emergency action plan without, at this stage, evaluating patient outcomes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

HTML5 May Provide Vital Link for Friendly Future Mobile Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

31Army Communicator HTML5 may provide vital link for friendly future mobile applications By LTC Gregory Motes An important thread that has exist...would be accomplished with the maturation of HTML5 . To fully grasp the opportunity, one needs to be aware of the history of Hy- perText Markup...number of devices in both on-line and off-line states. To many, this would be accomplished with the maturation of HTML5 . (Continued on page 32

Water, Water Everywhere, But is it Safe to Drink?

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been associated with adverse human health effects, including bladder cancer, early term miscarriage, and birth defects. While it is vitally important to kill harmful pathogens in water, it is also important to minimize harmful ...

Institutional development: from legal pluralism to institutional bricolage in West African pastoralism.

PubMed

Fokou, G; Bonfoh, B

2016-11-01

Pastoralists in Africa are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of globalisation, climate change and changes in land use. They are confronted with problems related to access to scarce natural resources and their regulation, the management of mobility, and too little investment in health systems, livestock production and social service delivery. However, this paper focuses on positive trends and vital innovations in pastoral societies. These rely on robust institutions and policy frameworks that contribute to economically secure, politically stable, and environmentally sustainable livelihoods for African pastoral societies. The authors analyse ways in which internal and external efforts can improve the economic viability and social aspects of pastoralism. The institutions that manage natural resources and their effects on livelihoods and access to social services must be critically reviewed. The authors suggest that a new model for the economic and social development of African pastoralism should be positioned between donor- or governmentdriven development (in other words, 'seeing like a state') and the autonomous development goals of pastoralists ('seeing like a pastoralist'). Pastoralists are resourceful, entrepreneurial and innovative people, fully able to support new institutional systems and services which recognise their way of life and production systems. It seems evident that African pastoralism will maintain its vitality and creativity through a process of 'bricolage', with institutional and policy innovations based on a constant renegotiation of norms, the reinvention or transformation of tradition, the importance of legitimate authority and the role of the people themselves in shaping such arrangements.

Neither logical empiricism nor vitalism, but organicism: what the philosophy of biology was.

PubMed

Nicholson, Daniel J; Gawne, Richard

2015-12-01

Philosophy of biology is often said to have emerged in the last third of the twentieth century. Prior to this time, it has been alleged that the only authors who engaged philosophically with the life sciences were either logical empiricists who sought to impose the explanatory ideals of the physical sciences onto biology, or vitalists who invoked mystical agencies in an attempt to ward off the threat of physicochemical reduction. These schools paid little attention to actual biological science, and as a result philosophy of biology languished in a state of futility for much of the twentieth century. The situation, we are told, only began to change in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when a new generation of researchers began to focus on problems internal to biology, leading to the consolidation of the discipline. In this paper we challenge this widely accepted narrative of the history of philosophy of biology. We do so by arguing that the most important tradition within early twentieth-century philosophy of biology was neither logical empiricism nor vitalism, but the organicist movement that flourished between the First and Second World Wars. We show that the organicist corpus is thematically and methodologically continuous with the contemporary literature in order to discredit the view that early work in the philosophy of biology was unproductive, and we emphasize the desirability of integrating the historical and contemporary conversations into a single, unified discourse.

Noncontact measurement of heart rate using facial video illuminated under natural light and signal weighted analysis.

PubMed

Yan, Yonggang; Ma, Xiang; Yao, Lifeng; Ouyang, Jianfei

2015-01-01

Non-contact and remote measurements of vital physical signals are important for reliable and comfortable physiological self-assessment. We presented a novel optical imaging-based method to measure the vital physical signals. Using a digital camera and ambient light, the cardiovascular pulse waves were extracted better from human color facial videos correctly. And the vital physiological parameters like heart rate were measured using a proposed signal-weighted analysis method. The measured HRs consistent with those measured simultaneously with reference technologies (r=0.94, p<0.001 for HR). The results show that the imaging-based method is suitable for measuring the physiological parameters, and provide a reliable and comfortable measurement mode. The study lays a physical foundation for measuring multi-physiological parameters of human noninvasively.

The feasibility study of corridor system in the commercial downtown area of winter cities based on behavioural architecture—A case study of Harbin Qiulin commercial area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lingling; Zhao, Jiaqi

2018-05-01

The commercial centre area is a critical part of urban land and it is public space which integrates shopping, leisure and entertainment. Due to the severe weather, winter cities have some problems such as inconvenient behaviours and lack of commercial vitality in winter. From the perspective of behavioural architecture, this paper adopts several methods of field observation, questionnaire survey, and instrumental measurement to study on the renovation design of Harbin Qiulin commercial area. Through this study, an implementable scheme for adding corridor system to activate commercial vitality in the commercial centre of winter cities has been obtained. It is expected to provide a reference for the commercial area design of winter cities in the future.

IoT based mobile health hub

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Diljo; Vineeth, V. L.; Siddharth, P. G.; Shanmugasundaram, M.

2017-11-01

Technological innovations have a great influence on bio medical field. Even in this advanced era people are struggling due to lack of medical attention or delay in arranging adequate health care. Most of the hospitals have emergency vehicle facility and they are successful in providing emergency response to the needy patient. But the delay in arranging medical attention in hospital is still a big issue. One solution to the above problem is to provide a channel of communication between the emergency vehicle and hospital such that the patient information along with the vitals can be made available to the hospital prior to the arrival of emergency vehicle. This paper proposes such a system where the patient information and vitals are measured and uploaded to a cloud facility. This information helps the doctor to arrange quick medical response.

Root canal revascularization. The beginning of a new era in endodontics.

PubMed

Alrahabi, Mothanna K; Ali, Mahmoud M

2014-05-01

Endodontic management of immature anterior teeth with necrotic pulps is a great challenge. Although there are different treatment procedures to deal with this problem such as apexification by using calcium hydroxide dressings or applying a barrier of mineral trioxide aggregate and gutta-percha obturation, the outcomes are still unsatisfactory and the root might still be weak. Recently, a new treatment protocol by revascularization of immature non-vital, infected teeth was introduced to regenerate dental structure and complete the root maturation. However, larger case series with longer follow-up periods are required to accept revascularization as the standard protocol for management of immature non-vital, infected teeth. In this review, we discuss the concept of root canal revascularization, revascularization mechanisms, and the structure of the regenerated tissues.

NASA Microgravity Combustion Science Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Merrill K.

1997-01-01

Combustion is a key element of many critical technologies used by contemporary society. For example, electric power production, home heating, surface and air transportation, space propulsion, and materials synthesis all utilize combustion as a source of energy. Yet, although combustion technology is vital to our standard of living, it poses great challenges to maintaining a habitable environment. For example, pollutants, atmospheric change and global warming, unwanted fires and explosions, and the incineration of hazardous wastes are major problem areas which would benefit from improved understanding of combustion. Effects of gravitational forces impede combustion studies more than most other areas of science since combustion involves production of high-temperature gases whose low density results in buoyant motion, vastly complicating the execution and interpretation of experiments. Effects of buoyancy are so ubiquitous that their enormous negative impact on the rational development of combustion science is generally not recognized. Buoyant motion also triggers the onset of turbulence, yielding complicating unsteady effects. Finally, gravity forces cause particles and drops to settle, inhibiting deconvoluted studies of heterogeneous flames important to furnace, incineration and power generation technologies. Thus, effects of buoyancy have seriously limited our capabilities to carry out 'clean' experiments needed for fundamental understanding of flame phenomena. Combustion scientists can use microgravity to simplify the study of many combustion processes, allowing fresh insights into important problems via a deeper understanding of elemental phenomena also found in Earth-based combustion processes and to additionally provide valuable information concerning how fires behave in microgravity and how fire safety on spacecraft can be enhanced.

Emerging Disinfection By-Products and Other Emerging Environmental Contaminants: What's New

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been associated with adverse human health effects, including bladder cancer, early term miscarriage, and birth defects. While it is vitally important to kill harmful pathogens in water, it is also important to minimize harmful ...

Importance of vital signs to the early diagnosis and severity of sepsis: association between vital signs and sequential organ failure assessment score in patients with sepsis.

PubMed

Kenzaka, Tsuneaki; Okayama, Masanobu; Kuroki, Shigehiro; Fukui, Miho; Yahata, Shinsuke; Hayashi, Hiroki; Kitao, Akihito; Sugiyama, Daisuke; Kajii, Eiji; Hashimoto, Masayoshi

2012-01-01

While much attention is given to the fifth vital sign, the utility of the 4 classic vital signs (blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, and heart rate) has been neglected. The aim of this study was to assess a possible association between vital signs and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in patients with sepsis. We performed a prospective, observational study of 206 patients with sepsis. Blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, and heart rate were measured on arrival at the hospital. The SOFA score was also determined on the day of admission. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that all of the vital signs were correlated with the SOFA score. Multiple regression analysis indicated that decreased values of systolic blood pressure (multivariate regression coefficient [Coef] = -0.030, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.046 to -0.013) and diastolic blood pressure (Coef = -0.045, 95% CI = -0.070 to -0.019), increased respiratory rate (Coef = 0.176, 95% CI = 0.112 to 0.240), and increased shock index (Coef = 4.232, 95% CI = 2.401 to 6.062) significantly influenced the SOFA score. Increased respiratory rate and shock index were significantly correlated with disease severity in patients with sepsis. Evaluation of these signs may therefore improve early identification of severely ill patients at triage, allowing more aggressive and timely interventions to improve the prognosis of these patients.

Comparison of SF-36 vitality scale and Fatigue Symptom Inventory in assessing cancer-related fatigue.

PubMed

Brown, Linda F; Kroenke, Kurt; Theobald, Dale E; Wu, Jingwei

2011-08-01

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important symptom in clinical practice and research. The best way to measure it, however, remains unsettled. The SF-36 vitality scale, a general measure of energy/fatigue, is a frequently cited measure. With only four items, however, its ability to adequately represent multiple CRF facets has been questioned. The 13-item Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI) was developed to assess multidimensional aspects of CRF. Our objectives were to assess the convergent validity and to compare the sensitivity to change of the two scales. We administered both scales at 1 month (n = 68) and 6 months (n = 96) to a subset of heterogeneous patients receiving treatment in 16 cancer centers who were enrolled in a clinical trial of pain and depression. Distributions of standardized response means (SRMs) were compared to assess sensitivity to change. Results of both scales were compared to scores on a single fatigue item from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Mean scores for both the FSI and the vitality scale demonstrated clinically significant fatigue in the sample. The vitality scale was strongly correlated with all three FSI scales (r = -0.68 to -0.77). The vitality and FSI scales also correlated strongly with the PHQ fatigue item. Moreover, distributions of SRMs for both scales were approximately normal. Both the FSI and the vitality scale are supported as valid measures of CRF. Both demonstrated sensitivity to change across a range of effect sizes. The vitality scale may be an excellent choice when brevity is paramount; the FSI may be more appropriate when tapping specific dimensions is warranted.

Dental pulp neurophysiology: part 2. Current diagnostic tests to assess pulp vitality.

PubMed

Abd-Elmeguid, Ashraf; Yu, Donald C

2009-03-01

In this second part of our 2-part review, we discuss recent research about pulp tests that determine the vitality of the tooth and clinically accepted pulp testers. A pain response to hot, cold or an electric pulp tester indicates the vitality of only a tooth's pulpal sensory supply; the response does not give any idea about the state of the pulp. Although the sensitivity of these tests is high, when false-positive and false-negative results occur, they may affect the treatment of the tooth. A tooth falsely diagnosed as nonvital with an electric pulp tester may undergo an unnecessary root canal, whereas one falsely diagnosed as vital may be left untreated, causing the necrotic tissue to destroy the supporting tissues (resorption). The vascular supply is more important to the determination of the health of the pulp than the sensory supply. Pulp death is caused by cessation of blood flow and may result in a necrotic pulp, even though the pulpal sensory supply may still be viable. The pulp can be healed only if the circulating blood flow is healthy. Although still under investigation, diagnostic devices that examine pulpal blood flow, such as the pulse oximeter and laser Doppler flowmetry, show promising results for the assessment of pulp vitality.

What You Don't Know May Kill You: The Importance of Including Sexual Health in Premarital Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, LaTrina M.; Cummings Aholou, Tiffiany M.

2009-01-01

Sexual health is a widespread concern for intimate partners. As couples transition to marriage, it is vitally important to explore issues related to sexual health. Moreover, premarital counselors are encouraged to facilitate a sexual health discussion with premarital couples. This article presents the importance of raising the topic of sexual…

A Simple, Inexpensive Pollen Trap

Treesearch

P. E. Hoekstra

1965-01-01

Pollen plays a role of vital importance in the sexual reproduction of all plants but it is especially important in forestry. With few exceptions, sexual reproduction is the only link between succeeding generations in the forest. To be sure, vegetative reproduction is important for special purposes, but it will probably not be used on a mass scale in timber...

Gudden's Ventral Tegmental Nucleus Is Vital for Memory: Re-Evaluating Diencephalic Inputs for Amnesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vann, Seralynne D.

2009-01-01

Mammillary body atrophy is present in a number of neurological conditions and recent clinical findings highlight the importance of these nuclei for memory. While most accounts of diencephalic amnesia emphasize the functional importance of the hippocampal projections to the mammillary bodies, the present study tested the importance of the other…

Similitude design for the vibration problems of plates and shells: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yunpeng; Wang, You; Luo, Zhong; Han, Qingkai; Wang, Deyou

2017-06-01

Similitude design plays a vital role in the analysis of vibration and shock problems encountered in large engineering equipment. Similitude design, including dimensional analysis and governing equation method, is founded on the dynamic similitude theory. This study reviews the application of similitude design methods in engineering practice and summarizes the major achievements of the dynamic similitude theory in structural vibration and shock problems in different fields, including marine structures, civil engineering structures, and large power equipment. This study also reviews the dynamic similitude design methods for thin-walled and composite material plates and shells, including the most recent work published by the authors. Structure sensitivity analysis is used to evaluate the scaling factors to attain accurate distorted scaling laws. Finally, this study discusses the existing problems and the potential of the dynamic similitude theory for the analysis of vibration and shock problems of structures.

Considerations for Altering Preparation Designs of Porcelain Inlay/Onlay Restorations for Nonvital Teeth.

PubMed

Homsy, Foudda; Eid, Rita; El Ghoul, Wiam; Chidiac, Jose Johann

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare all ceramic inlay/onlay survival rates in vital and nonvital teeth having the same cavity design. Filling the pulp chamber with ceramic materials or not was also discussed. Ceramic class II inlays/onlays were made on 11 premolars and 30 molars: 14 vital, 27 endodontically treated. The same tooth preparation design was performed on vital and nonvital teeth: In nonvital teeth the pulp chambers were covered by a glass ionomer cement until the pulpal floor depths were between 2 and 2.5 mm, more likely similar to the vital teeth preparations. In vital teeth, glass ionomer was used as a liner to achieve pulpal floor depths between 2 and 2.5 mm when needed. The restorations were assessed (at baseline, 6 months, 1 and 2 years) according to three criteria: marginal discoloration, marginal integrity, and fracture of teeth/restorations, consistent with United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. Eight teeth (19%) showed minor marginal discolorations, while three molars (7%) had loss of marginal integrity. These margins were adjusted using rubber polishing cups and were then judged clinically acceptable. From these three molars, one was vital and two were endodontically treated. No fracture of teeth or restorations was observed. Chi square and exact probability tests were used. There was no statistical difference between vital and nonvital teeth (p = 0.719 chi-squared and Fisher) or between premolars and molars (p = 0.564 chi-squared; 1.000, Fisher). Within the limitations of this study there was no difference for the same inlay/onlay cavity design between vital and nonvital teeth. In nonvital teeth, it seems that filling the pulp chamber with a ceramic core material is not important. Long-term observation periods are needed to reinforce the clinical behavior outcome. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Cross-kingdom amplification using bacteria-specific primers: complications for studies of coral microbial ecology.

PubMed

Galkiewicz, Julia P; Kellogg, Christina A

2008-12-01

PCR amplification of pure bacterial DNA is vital to the study of bacterial interactions with corals. Commonly used Bacteria-specific primers 8F and 27F paired with the universal primer 1492R amplify both eukaryotic and prokaryotic rRNA genes. An alternative primer set, 63F/1542R, is suggested to resolve this problem.

Cross-Kingdom Amplification Using Bacteria-Specific Primers: Complications for Studies of Coral Microbial Ecology▿

PubMed Central

Galkiewicz, Julia P.; Kellogg, Christina A.

2008-01-01

PCR amplification of pure bacterial DNA is vital to the study of bacterial interactions with corals. Commonly used Bacteria-specific primers 8F and 27F paired with the universal primer 1492R amplify both eukaryotic and prokaryotic rRNA genes. An alternative primer set, 63F/1542R, is suggested to resolve this problem. PMID:18931299

Agents Technology Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

multi-agent reputation management. State abstraction is a technique used to allow machine learning technologies to cope with problems that have large...state abstrac- tion process to enable reinforcement learning in domains with large state spaces. State abstraction is vital to machine learning ...across a collective of independent platforms. These individual elements, often referred to as agents in the machine learning community, should exhibit both

Managing Content, Managing Change: Content Strategy is Vital for Effective Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Kim

2013-01-01

When a website has become a virtual storage closet rather than a place where useful, usable content is created, published, and organized, there is a problem. If audiences cannot quickly and easily find what they are looking for when they visit a website--and are not interested in what they find when they get there--they will get frustrated and…

In Tune with Teens: A Guide for Communicating with Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Irene C.; Caps, John, Ed.

This guide, intended for adults who deal with adolescents, was originally designed as a companion to "No Hang-Ups!," a telephone tape call-in service addressing topics of vital concern to teenagers. The format of the guide consists of a series of brief two-page fact sheets on a wide range of adolescent issues: problems in school, teenage fears,…

Middle Attainers and 14-19 Progression in England: Half-Served by New Labour and Now Overlooked by the Coalition?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgson, Ann; Spours, Ken

2014-01-01

In the context of the international problem of "early school leaving", this paper explores the issue of sustained participation in upper secondary education in England. It focuses in particular on the position of middle attainers, who constitute a large proportion of the cohort and whose progress will be vital in realising the…

Moderate resolution remote sensing alternatives: a review of Landsat-like sensors and their applications

Treesearch

Scott L. Powell; Dirk Pflugmacher; Alan A. Kirschbaum; Yunsuk Kim; Warren B. Cohen

2007-01-01

Earth observation with Landsat and other moderate resolution sensors is a vital component of a wide variety of applications across disciplines. Despite the widespread success of the Landsat program, recent problems with Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 create uncertainty about the future of moderate resolution remote sensing. Several other Landsat-like sensors have demonstrated...

Focus on Profession: Teaching Insights Using a Technology in a SLA Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabayeva, Kamilya

2015-01-01

Modern higher education requires the problem of development of professional value insights of a teacher of a new formation to be solved. One of the vital tasks of the national education is development of axiological resources of a teacher's individuality and his value system and insights. It should be noted that teaching means of development of a…

Taking on the Perspective of the Other: Understanding Parents' and Teachers' Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Students' Educational Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Rene M.

2011-01-01

Parent involvement is considered a vital educational factor that is associated with students' academic success. Engaging parents in the educational process is a challenge confronting many school districts across the United States. This is a significant problem for schools in low socioeconomic communities where lack of resources for parents and…

The influence of COPD on health-related quality of life independent of the influence of comorbidity.

PubMed

van Manen, Jeannette G; Bindels, Patrick J E; Dekker, Friedo W; Bottema, Bernardus J A M; van der Zee, Jaring S; Ijzermans, C Joris; Schadé, Egbert

2003-12-01

The goal of this study was to determine the influence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on health-related quality of life (HRQL) independent of comorbidity. Patients with COPD in general practice, >/=40 years, were selected. To recruit controls, a random sample of persons without COPD and >/=40 years, was taken. HRQL was assessed with the SF-36 and comorbidity was determined by questionnaire. The influence of COPD on HRQL independent of comorbidity (represented by adjusted regression coefficients) was significant for physical functioning (-27.6), role functioning due to physical problems (-21.6), vitality (-14.4), and general health (-25.7), and was minor and not significant for social functioning (-5.6), mental health (-1.3), role functioning due to emotional problems (-2.7), and bodily pain (-2.5). Comorbidity contributed significantly to the HRQL of all domains (-7.6 to -27.1). COPD patients can be impaired in all domains of HRQL. However, impairments in physical functioning, vitality, and general health are related to COPD and to some extent to comorbidity, while impairments in social and emotional functioning do not seem to be related to COPD, but only to comorbidity.

Pollen genotyping in cotton for genetic linkage analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton is an important fiber and oil crop and thus makes very important contributions to US agricultural security and sustainable agriculture. Two species are vital for American cotton industry, i.e., Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and Pima cotton (G. barbadense) that are prized for high yields...

Confronting America's most ignored crime problem: the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.

PubMed

Dumond, Robert W

2003-01-01

Prisoner sexual assault has plagued American corrections since its infancy in the 19th century. Although the incidence of prisoner sexual assault is unknown, recent studies reliably suggest the problem is widespread, often affecting the most vulnerable prisoners. The mental health and public health consequences, both within institutions and the community, are complex and devastating, requiring comprehensive intervention and treatment. These crimes have been largely ignored by correctional managers, compromising the safety and security of correctional institutions. The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 could play a vital role in managing a national scandal.

A tensor Banach algebra approach to abstract kinetic equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, W.; van der Mee, C. V. M.

The study deals with a concrete algebraic construction providing the existence theory for abstract kinetic equation boundary-value problems, when the collision operator A is an accretive finite-rank perturbation of the identity operator in a Hilbert space H. An algebraic generalization of the Bochner-Phillips theorem is utilized to study solvability of the abstract boundary-value problem without any regulatory condition. A Banach algebra in which the convolution kernel acts is obtained explicitly, and this result is used to prove a perturbation theorem for bisemigroups, which then plays a vital role in solving the initial equations.

Temporal data representation, normalization, extraction, and reasoning: A review from clinical domain

PubMed Central

Madkour, Mohcine; Benhaddou, Driss; Tao, Cui

2016-01-01

Background and Objective We live our lives by the calendar and the clock, but time is also an abstraction, even an illusion. The sense of time can be both domain-specific and complex, and is often left implicit, requiring significant domain knowledge to accurately recognize and harness. In the clinical domain, the momentum gained from recent advances in infrastructure and governance practices has enabled the collection of tremendous amount of data at each moment in time. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have paved the way to making these data available for practitioners and researchers. However, temporal data representation, normalization, extraction and reasoning are very important in order to mine such massive data and therefore for constructing the clinical timeline. The objective of this work is to provide an overview of the problem of constructing a timeline at the clinical point of care and to summarize the state-of-the-art in processing temporal information of clinical narratives. Methods This review surveys the methods used in three important area: modeling and representing of time, Medical NLP methods for extracting time, and methods of time reasoning and processing. The review emphasis on the current existing gap between present methods and the semantic web technologies and catch up with the possible combinations. Results the main findings of this review is revealing the importance of time processing not only in constructing timelines and clinical decision support systems but also as a vital component of EHR data models and operations. Conclusions Extracting temporal information in clinical narratives is a challenging task. The inclusion of ontologies and semantic web will lead to better assessment of the annotation task and, together with medical NLP techniques, will help resolving granularity and co-reference resolution problems. PMID:27040831

The mental health of nurses in acute teaching hospital settings: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Perry, Lin; Lamont, Scott; Brunero, Scott; Gallagher, Robyn; Duffield, Christine

2015-01-01

Nursing is an emotionally demanding profession and deficiencies in nurses' mental wellbeing, characterised by low vitality and common mental disorders, have been linked to low productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism. Part of a larger study of nurses' health, the aim of this paper was to describe the mental health status and related characteristics of nurses working in two acute metropolitan teaching hospitals. A cross sectional survey design was used. The Registered and Enrolled Nurse workforce, employed on any form of contract, at two teaching hospitals in Sydney Australia were invited to participate. The survey tool was compiled of validated tools and questions. Family and medical history and health risk-related characteristics, current psycho-active medications, smoking status, alcohol intake, eating disorders, self-perceived general health, mental health and vitality, demographic, social and occupational details were collected. A total of 1215 surveys were distributed with a usable response rate of 382 (31.4%). Altogether 53 nurses (14%) reported a history of mental health disorders, of which n = 49 (13%) listed diagnoses of anxiety and/or depression; 22 (6%) were currently taking psychoactive medication. Symptoms that could potentially indicate a mental health issue were more common, with 248 (65.1%) reporting they had experienced symptoms sometimes or often in the last 12 month. Nurses had better mental health if they had better general health, lived with a spouse/ partner rather than alone, had fewer symptoms, sleep problems or disordered eating behaviours, were not an informal carer and did not work nights. Nurses had greater vitality if they were male, had better general health, fewer sleep problems or symptoms generally and lived with a spouse/ partner rather than alone; less vitality if they were an informal carer or had disordered eating. Nurses and their managers should strive to create workplaces where working practices promote nurses' health and wellbeing, or at least are configured to minimise deleterious effects; where both nurses and their managers are aware of the potential for negative effects on the mental health of the workforce; where cultures are such that this can be discussed openly without fear of stigma or denigration.

Expressing our internal states and understanding those of others

PubMed Central

Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Di Dio, Cinzia; Marchi, Massimo; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2015-01-01

Vitality form is a term that describes the style with which motor actions are performed (e.g., rude, gentle, etc.). They represent one characterizing element of conscious and unconscious bodily communication. Despite their importance in interpersonal behavior, vitality forms have been, until now, virtually neglected in neuroscience. Here, using the functional MRI (fMRI) technique, we investigated the neural correlates of vitality forms in three different tasks: action observation, imagination, and execution. Conjunction analysis showed that, in all three tasks, there is a common, consistent activation of the dorsocentral sector of the insula. In addition, a common activation of the parietofrontal network, typically active during arm movements production, planning, and observation, was also found. We conclude that the dorsocentral part of the insula is a key element of the system that modulates the cortical motor activity, allowing individuals to express their internal states through action vitality forms. Recent monkey anatomical data show that the dorsocentral sector of the insula is, indeed, connected with the cortical circuit involved in the control of arm movements. PMID:26243879

Long-term effects of melatonin on quality of life and sleep in haemodialysis patients (Melody study): a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Russcher, Marije; Koch, Birgit C P; Nagtegaal, J Elsbeth; van Ittersum, Frans J; Pasker-de Jong, Pieternel C M; Hagen, E Chris; van Dorp, Wim Th; Gabreëls, Bas; Wildbergh, Thierry X; van der Westerlaken, Monique M L; Gaillard, Carlo A J M; Ter Wee, Piet M

2013-11-01

The disturbed circadian rhythm in haemodialysis patients results in perturbed sleep. Short term melatonin supplementation has alleviated these sleep problems. Our aim was to investigate the effects of long-term melatonin supplementation on quality of life and sleep. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial haemodialysis patients suffering from subjective sleep problems received melatonin 3 mg day(-1) vs. placebo during 12 months. The primary endpoint quality of life parameter 'vitality' was measured with Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Secondary outcomes were improvement of three sleep parameters measured by actigraphy and nighttime salivary melatonin concentrations. Sixty-seven patients were randomized. Forty-two patients completed the trial. With melatonin, no beneficial effect on vitality was seen. Other quality of life parameters showed both advantageous and disadvantageous effects of melatonin. Considering sleep, at 3 months sleep efficiency and actual sleep time had improved with melatonin compared with placebo on haemodialysis days (difference 7.6%, 95% CI 0.77, 14.4 and 49 min, 95% CI 2.1, 95.9, respectively). At 12 months none of the sleep parameters differed significantly from placebo. Melatonin salivary concentrations at 6 months had significantly increased in the melatonin group compared with the placebo group. The high drop-out rate limits the strength of our conclusions. However, although a previous study reported beneficial short term effects of melatonin on sleep in haemodialysis patients, in this long-term study the positive effects disappeared during follow up (6-12 months). Also the quality of life parameter, vitality, did not improve. Efforts should be made to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the loss of effect with chronic use. © 2013 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.

Motivations for health and their associations with lifestyle, work style, health, vitality, and employee productivity.

PubMed

van Scheppingen, Arjella R; de Vroome, Ernest M M; ten Have, Kristin C J M; Zwetsloot, Gerard I J M; Bos, Ellen H; van Mechelen, Willem

2014-05-01

Investigate employees' underlying motivational regulatory styles toward healthy living and their associations with lifestyle, work style, health, vitality, and productivity. Regression analyses on cross-sectional data from Dutch employees (n = 629), obtained as baseline measurement before a workplace health promotion project. Controlled regulation was not associated with smoking and alcohol use, and negatively associated with physical activity, healthy dietary habits, relaxation, and a balanced work style. Autonomous regulation was positively associated with physical activity, healthy dietary habits, and relaxation, and negatively associated with smoking and alcohol use. Healthy lifestyle and work style were associated with perceived health and vitality, which in turn were associated with employees' productivity (absenteeism and presenteeism). Internalization of the value of health is important to promote a healthy lifestyle and work style among employees, and has meaningful business implications.

Community Vital Signs: Taking the Pulse of the Community While Caring for Patients.

PubMed

Hughes, Lauren S; Phillips, Robert L; DeVoe, Jennifer E; Bazemore, Andrew W

2016-01-01

In 2014 both the Institute of Medicine and the National Quality Forum recommended the inclusion of social determinants of health data in electronic health records (EHRs). Both entities primarily focus on collecting socioeconomic and health behavior data directly from individual patients. The burden of reliably, accurately, and consistently collecting such information is substantial, and it may take several years before a primary care team has actionable data available in its EHR. A more reliable and less burdensome approach to integrating clinical and social determinant data exists and is technologically feasible now. Community vital signs-aggregated community-level information about the neighborhoods in which our patients live, learn, work, and play-convey contextual social deprivation and associated chronic disease risks based on where patients live. Given widespread access to "big data" and geospatial technologies, community vital signs can be created by linking aggregated population health data with patient addresses in EHRs. These linked data, once imported into EHRs, are a readily available resource to help primary care practices understand the context in which their patients reside and achieve important health goals at the patient, population, and policy levels. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Dental management of patient with Williams Syndrome - A case report.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel; Ramachandra, Srinivas Sulugodu; Singh, Ashish Kumar

2015-01-01

Williams syndrome is a multisystemic rare genetic disorder caused by deletion of 26-28 genes in the long arm of chromosome 7. It is characterized by developmental and physical abnormalities including congenital cardiovascular abnormalities, mental retardation, neurological features, growth deficiency, genitourinary manifestations, gastrointestinal problems, musculoskeletal problems, unique behavioral characteristics, and dental problems. Dental abnormalities include malocclusion, hypodontia, malformed teeth, taurodontism, pulp stones, increased space between teeth, enamel hypoplasia, and high prevalence of dental caries. Authors report a 17-year-old female patient with underlying Williams syndrome. Oral features and problems seen in the patient are listed. Malocclusion and screwdriver shaped teeth were noticed. Generalized widening of the periodontal ligament space with vital teeth was seen. This finding has not been reported in cases of Williams syndrome earlier. Precautions taken during dental treatment in patients with Williams syndrome are also discussed.

Sibling Kinnections: A Clinical Visitation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavao, Joyce Maguire; St. John, Melissa; Cannole, Rebecca Ford; Fischer, Tara; Maluccio, Anthony; Peining, Suzanne

2007-01-01

The growing literature on sibling relationships throughout their lifespans is of great importance to those working in the child welfare system, and in adoption services in particular. Sibling bonds are important to all of us, but they are particularly vital to children from disorganized or dysfunctional families. These relationships assume even…

Understanding Sensemaking/Sensegiving in Transformational Change Processes from the Bottom up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kezar, Adrianna

2013-01-01

Government agencies, foundations, business and industry, and other important higher education stakeholders continue to invest in important and deep changes they think are necessary for the vitality and health of higher education particularly interdisciplinary teaching and research. But we know little about how transformational changes happen,…

In Search of Economic Equity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Patricia; Crocker, Elvira Valenzuela

This report is an evaluation of where Hispanic American women rank in the areas of education, employment, compensation, health, and politics. For Hispanics, both men and women, education is vitally important, and this importance is underscored by data that show that Hispanics overall lack the ability to cope economically. High dropout rates and…

Transference-focused psychotherapy with former child soldiers: meeting the murderous self.

PubMed

Draijer, Nel; Van Zon, Pauline

2013-01-01

This article describes the application of transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) to the treatment of former child soldiers suffering from dissociative identity disorder. It focuses on the problems with aggression faced in psychotherapy. TFP provides a psychodynamic, object relations model to understand the aggression arising in psychotherapy, focusing on the transference and countertransference in the here and now of the therapeutic relationship. Aggression is considered an essential and vital inner dynamic aimed at autonomy, distancing, and the prevention of injury and dependency. In extremely traumatized patients there may be aggressive and oppressive inner parts that want total control-identifying with childhood aggressors-thus avoiding vulnerability. According to TFP it is vital that this aggression is addressed as belonging to the patients themselves in order to reach some form of integration, balance, and health. This is illustrated in a case description.

Postprocedural problems in an overdenture population: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Ettinger, Ronald L; Qian, Fang

2004-05-01

This study reports on endodontic and other post-procedural problems experienced by overdenture patients from 1973 to 1996. There were 395 subjects enrolled in the study; 273 fulfilled the recall criteria. At recall, all subjects were examined by a single examiner, and appropriate maintenance care was performed. The 273 subjects had 666 abutments and 626 endodontically treated teeth; of these, 51 subjects had postprocedural problems in 81 teeth. Thus, 87.1% of the endodontically treated teeth had no postprocedural problems, and 12.9% had postprocedural problems. Of the subpopulation with postprocedural problems, the most common problem was endodontically treated teeth developing periradicular lesions (37.0%) because of recurrent caries causing loss of the restoration sealing the root canal. Twenty of the 30 teeth were successfully retreated. The next most common problem was vertical root fractures (30.9%), followed by vital teeth developing periradicular lesions (19.8%). Most of the failures could have been prevented by better oral hygiene. Vertical root fractures were statistically associated with abutments in the maxilla and opposed by natural teeth; protection of these abutments with thimble crowns could prevent fractures.

On Reflective Teaching of EFL Teachers in Local Universities of China--A Case Study of Leshan Normal University, Sichuan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Zou; Ye, Zhou

2016-01-01

Presently, China plays a vital role in the world. Therefore, Chinese passion for English has reached an unprecedented level. Nevertheless, various problems occur in EFL teaching. Thus, EFL teachers must make the teaching qualities better by reflective teaching, an effective way to improving EFL teaching. The paper is to study the definitions,…

Impact of parking supply and demand management on central business district (CBD) traffic congestion, transit performance measures and sustainable land use : a study of the impact of parking supply and demand management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

Parking is one of the thorniest problems facing local officials who wish to maintain the vitality of central business districts (CBD). Viewed in isolation, the solution often is seen as more parking, at least, and more free parking, if possible. But ...

India-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-03

Summary Long considered a “strategic backwater”from Washington’s perspective, South Asia has emerged in the 21st century as increasingly vital to... Asia focuses on ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, a problem rooted in unfinished business from the 1947 Partition, competing claims to the...and ballistic missiles in South Asia . Both India and Pakistan have resisted external pressure to sign the major nonproliferation treaties. In 1998

Life Support Systems. Environment Booklet 1. Teacher's Edition=Sistemas vitales. Libro del medio ambiente 1. Manual para El Maestro.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Los Angeles. National Dissemination and Assessment Center.

The booklet is part of a grade 10-12 social studies series produced for bilingual education. The series consists of six major thematic modules, with four to five booklets in each. The interdisciplinary modules are based on major ideas and designed to help students understand some major human problems and make sound, responsive decisions to improve…

Future Directions in Navy Electronic System Reliability and Survivability.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

CENTERSAN DIEGO, CA 92152 AN ACTIVITY OF THE NAVAL MATERIAL COMMAND SL GUILLE, CAPT, USN HLBLOOD Commander Technical Director ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION...maintenancepoiys proposed as one remedy to these problems. To implement this policy, electronic systems which are very reliable and which include health ...distribute vital data, data-processing capability, and communication capability through the use of intraship and intership networks. The capability to

Cohesion: The Vital Ingredient for Successful Army Units

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-19

responding in military life as well.𔄀 A special problem of social cohesion directly related to social background was the integration of minority troops...forces has been a powerful verification of sociological theory concerning social cohesion and organizational effectiveness. Sociological theory does not...prevent the development of groups with social cohesion committed to the military hierarchy. 2 5 Personality of Wnit Mmbers Among the characteristics

Hope for recovery - how clinicians may facilitate this in their work.

PubMed

Hobbs, Mia; Baker, Martyn

2012-04-01

The importance of having hope for recovery has been highlighted in numerous qualitative studies of recovery. It is identified as a vital part of this process, and guidelines suggest that service providers should therefore facilitate hope in their clinical work; however, they do not indicate how this guidance can be operationalised. To identify the sources of hope for recovery based on the accounts of people with experience of recovery; to ascertain how these accounts show service providers can facilitate such hope in their therapeutic work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people with experience of recovering from mental health problems. A grounded theory analysis was undertaken. A model conceptualising the role of hope in recovery was developed with three categories: "influence of others on hope", "personal hope" and "doing recovery". The model indicates a complex interaction between hope and recovery with an important role for social context and interpersonal relationships, including those with clinicians. Mental health service providers occupy a powerful position in relation to service users' hope, and must carefully consider how they communicate their own hopefulness about clients' recovery. Suggestions are made about facilitating hope for recovery.

Managers' perceptions of radiographers' skills: current and future needs.

PubMed

Akroyd, D; Wold, B

1996-01-01

As the healthcare delivery system changes, it is imperative to assess the skills of practitioners to ensure consistency between educational preparation and work place needs. The purpose of this study was to examine radiology managers' perception of selected workplace skills and new radiography graduates' ability to perform them. A random sample of 1,932 members of the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA) received a questionnaire containing 35 skills categorized as basic, intermediate or advanced. Skills were ranked by the magnitude of the difference between managers' rating of importance of each skill and their rating of graduates' ability to perform that skill satisfactorily. In the basic skill area, the four top-ranked skills represented problem-solving ability or critical thinking. Of the five highest-ranked intermediate skills, the top three were patient care skills: venipuncture, taking vital signs and monitoring patient equipment. In the advanced skill area, six skills exhibited high values for the difference between importance and ability. Two of those related to patient care, three were non-technical and the sixth was the ability to perform CT in addition to basic radiography. Employers and educators should work together to seek educational methods that produce radiographers who are better prepared for the fast-changing workplace.

Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem

PubMed Central

RAZZAQUE, M. Shawkat

2011-01-01

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23–klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review. PMID:20958267

Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem.

PubMed

Razzaque, M Shawkat

2011-02-01

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23-klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review.

Experimental investigations and guidelines for PCB design for a fuel injection ECU to meet automotive environmental, EMI/EMC and ESD standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalyankar-Narwade, Supriya; Kumar, C. Ramesh; Patil, Sanjay A.

2017-11-01

Engine Management ECU plays a vital role in controlling different important features related to the engine performance. ECU is an embedded system which includes hardware and firmware platform for control logics. However, it is necessary to verify its smooth performance by its functionality testing in the Electromagnetic environment for approval. If these requirements are not known at earlier stages, then ECU may not fulfil functional requirements during required automotive electronic test standards. Hence, focusing on EMS ECU, this paper highlights hardware, layout and software guidelines for solving problems related with Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) to comply ISO 7637, CISPR 25 standard, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) to comply ISO 11452-4,5 standard, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) to comply ISO 10605 standard and Environmental Testing to comply standards as per IEC standards. This paper specifies initially the importance, need and guidelines for reducing the EMI effect on PCB i.e. making ECU more electromagnetically compatible as per automotive standards. The guidelines are useful for the designers to avoid pitfalls at the later stage. After mentioned modifications in the paper, ECU successfully passed the requirements for all standard tests.

Pollution of water sources due to poor waste management--the case of Dar-es-Salaam.

PubMed

Makule, D E

2000-01-01

Pollution of water sources for the city of Dar-es-Salaam originates from haphazard disposal of solid wastes, discharge of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater to water sources, lack of standard sanitary facilities and poor hygienic practices. Contaminated water used for human consumption can lead to serious health problems e.g. cholera, typhoid, skin diseases, etc., which, in turn, leads to reduced working hours/manpower. This has a direct effect to production output which can lead to a deterioration of local community welfare. Having realised this as a problem, the Government of Tanzania stipulated, in its water policy of 1991, the need for protection of water sources. In achieving this goal, proper waste management was singled out to be of vital importance. Due to economic hardships, however, budget allocation by the central Government could not cover the costs needed for proper handling of waste. This left Tanzania with no alternative other than heavy reliance on donor and bilateral organisations for financial support of programmes. Nevertheless, these sources of funds proved to be unreliable for many different reasons. To deal with these problems, the Government currently emphasises involving local community and NGOs, the formation of stakeholder funds and organisations, and involvement of the private sector. Other efforts are intensification of education programmes to create more awareness to the local communities on the need for protection of water sources. Although at its infancy level, the system is showing some signs of improvement.

Vitality and mental health in disability: Associations with social relationships in persons with spinal cord injury and their partners.

PubMed

Tough, Hannah; Fekete, Christine; Brinkhof, Martin W G; Siegrist, Johannes

2017-04-01

Various social relationship constructs have been proposed to affect mental health. However, these constructs have rarely been studied in a comprehensive way in persons with chronic disabilities and their partners, inhibiting researchers from evaluating their relative importance. To investigate 1) the variation in the quantity and quality of social relationships in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their partners; 2) dyadic coherence within social relationship constructs; 3) the interrelationships between social relationship constructs; and 4) the associations of social relationship constructs with vitality and mental health. Cross-sectional survey data from 133 couples of persons with SCI and their partners was used. Quantitative (social networks) and qualitative aspects (social support, relationship quality, loneliness, and reciprocity in partnerships) of social relationships were assessed. Correlations were performed to analyse dyadic coherence and interrelationships of social relationship constructs and multivariable regressions were applied to examine associations with vitality and mental health. Loneliness, larger social networks and higher relationship quality were more prevalent in SCI. All social relationship constructs, apart from loneliness, were more similar within couples than between couples and the interrelationships between different constructs were small. Qualitative aspects of relationships were more important than the quantitative aspects in their associations to vitality and mental health. These associations were most consistent for loneliness, reciprocity and relationship quality in both groups. In the long-term management of community functioning in persons with SCI and their partners, the fostering of high quality intimate relationships should take priority. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isavuconazole treatment for rare fungal diseases and for invasive aspergillosis in patients with renal impairment: Challenges and lessons of the VITAL trial.

PubMed

Perfect, John R; Cornely, Oliver A; Heep, Markus; Ostrosky-Zeichner, Luis; Mullane, Kathleen M; Maher, Rochelle; Croos-Dabrera, Rodney; Lademacher, Christopher; Engelhardt, Marc; Chen, Caroline; Marty, Francisco M

2018-03-23

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) confers a substantial risk for morbidity and mortality to immunocompromised patients. Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is the most common IFD caused by moulds but the prevalence of other rare mould diseases, such as mucormycosis, hyalohyphomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis, may be increasing. Treatments are available for IA, but evidence to support efficacy and safety of antifungal agents for rare IFDs, or for IFDs in special patient populations, is limited or lacking. The VITAL trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole for the treatment of patients with IA and renal impairment, or with IFDs caused by rare moulds, yeasts or dimorphic fungi. These patients stand to benefit most from a new treatment option but are unlikely to be included in a randomised, controlled trial. In this article, we review the challenges faced in the design and conduct of the VITAL trial. We also review the findings of VITAL, which included evidence of the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole. Finally, we consider the importance of trials such as VITAL to inform therapeutic decision making for clinicians faced with the challenge of treating patients with rare IFDs and as one paradigm of how to determine efficacy and safety of new drugs for rare and resistant infections without a suitable comparator. © 2018 The Authors. Mycoses Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A linear-encoding model explains the variability of the target morphology in regeneration

PubMed Central

Lobo, Daniel; Solano, Mauricio; Bubenik, George A.; Levin, Michael

2014-01-01

A fundamental assumption of today's molecular genetics paradigm is that complex morphology emerges from the combined activity of low-level processes involving proteins and nucleic acids. An inherent characteristic of such nonlinear encodings is the difficulty of creating the genetic and epigenetic information that will produce a given self-assembling complex morphology. This ‘inverse problem’ is vital not only for understanding the evolution, development and regeneration of bodyplans, but also for synthetic biology efforts that seek to engineer biological shapes. Importantly, the regenerative mechanisms in deer antlers, planarian worms and fiddler crabs can solve an inverse problem: their target morphology can be altered specifically and stably by injuries in particular locations. Here, we discuss the class of models that use pre-specified morphological goal states and propose the existence of a linear encoding of the target morphology, making the inverse problem easy for these organisms to solve. Indeed, many model organisms such as Drosophila, hydra and Xenopus also develop according to nonlinear encodings producing linear encodings of their final morphologies. We propose the development of testable models of regeneration regulation that combine emergence with a top-down specification of shape by linear encodings of target morphology, driving transformative applications in biomedicine and synthetic bioengineering. PMID:24402915

A new compound arithmetic crossover-based genetic algorithm for constrained optimisation in enterprise systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Chenxia; Li, Fachao; Tsang, Eric C. C.; Bulysheva, Larissa; Kataev, Mikhail Yu

2017-01-01

In many real industrial applications, the integration of raw data with a methodology can support economically sound decision-making. Furthermore, most of these tasks involve complex optimisation problems. Seeking better solutions is critical. As an intelligent search optimisation algorithm, genetic algorithm (GA) is an important technique for complex system optimisation, but it has internal drawbacks such as low computation efficiency and prematurity. Improving the performance of GA is a vital topic in academic and applications research. In this paper, a new real-coded crossover operator, called compound arithmetic crossover operator (CAC), is proposed. CAC is used in conjunction with a uniform mutation operator to define a new genetic algorithm CAC10-GA. This GA is compared with an existing genetic algorithm (AC10-GA) that comprises an arithmetic crossover operator and a uniform mutation operator. To judge the performance of CAC10-GA, two kinds of analysis are performed. First the analysis of the convergence of CAC10-GA is performed by the Markov chain theory; second, a pair-wise comparison is carried out between CAC10-GA and AC10-GA through two test problems available in the global optimisation literature. The overall comparative study shows that the CAC performs quite well and the CAC10-GA defined outperforms the AC10-GA.

Event-Based Variance-Constrained ${\\mathcal {H}}_{\\infty }$ Filtering for Stochastic Parameter Systems Over Sensor Networks With Successive Missing Measurements.

PubMed

Wang, Licheng; Wang, Zidong; Han, Qing-Long; Wei, Guoliang

2018-03-01

This paper is concerned with the distributed filtering problem for a class of discrete time-varying stochastic parameter systems with error variance constraints over a sensor network where the sensor outputs are subject to successive missing measurements. The phenomenon of the successive missing measurements for each sensor is modeled via a sequence of mutually independent random variables obeying the Bernoulli binary distribution law. To reduce the frequency of unnecessary data transmission and alleviate the communication burden, an event-triggered mechanism is introduced for the sensor node such that only some vitally important data is transmitted to its neighboring sensors when specific events occur. The objective of the problem addressed is to design a time-varying filter such that both the requirements and the variance constraints are guaranteed over a given finite-horizon against the random parameter matrices, successive missing measurements, and stochastic noises. By recurring to stochastic analysis techniques, sufficient conditions are established to ensure the existence of the time-varying filters whose gain matrices are then explicitly characterized in term of the solutions to a series of recursive matrix inequalities. A numerical simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed event-triggered distributed filter design strategy.

From Dr. Steven Ashby, Director of PNNL

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

Ashby, Steven

Powered by the creativity and imagination of more than 4,000 exceptional scientists, engineers and support professionals, at PNNL we advance the frontiers of science and address some of the most challenging problems in energy, the environment and national security. As DOE’s premier chemistry, environmental sciences and data analytics laboratory, we provide national leadership in four areas: deepening our understanding of climate science; inventing the future power grid; preventing nuclear proliferation; and speeding environmental remediation. Other areas where we make important contributions include energy storage, microbial biology and cyber security. PNNL also is home to EMSL (the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory),more » one of DOE’s scientific user facilities. We apply these science strengths to address both national and international problems in complex adaptive systems that are too difficult for one institution to tackle alone. Take earth systems, for instance. The earth is a complex adaptive system because it involves everything from climate and microbial communities in the soil to emissions from cars and coal-powered industrial plants. All of these factors and others ultimately influence not only our environment and overall quality of life, but cause the earth to adapt in ways that must be further addressed. PNNL researchers are playing a vital role in finding solutions across every area of this complex adaptive system.« less

Feelings of uselessness and 3-year mortality in an Italian community older people: the role of the functional status.

PubMed

Curzio, Olivia; Bernacca, Emilia; Bianchi, Bruno; Rossi, Giuseppe

2017-09-01

Sense of self-worth influences the health status of the elderly and may be associated with mortality. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the association between subjective feelings of uselessness and mortality was confounded or modified by functional limitation in non-institutionalized older people. Participants were community-dwelling older people, aged 70 years and older, who lived in neighbourhoods of Massa and Carrara municipalities in northern Tuscany, Italy. At baseline, 2335 non-institutionalized older people were assessed with a short self-administered questionnaire; the analysis included 2132 older persons for whom vital statistical data were available after a 3-year follow-up. The feeling of uselessness was associated with an increased mortality at the 3-year follow-up, but only in older people who reported disability problems (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.97, 95% confidence interval = 1.48-2.63, P < 0.0001). People who reported disability problems and a feeling of uselessness may be vulnerable to an increased risk for poor health outcomes in later life. This study outlined the importance of enquiring about feelings of uselessness, which is a relational variable that is linked to both psychological and physical health status, especially in older people who need help in daily activities. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Neophilia Ranking of Scientific Journals.

PubMed

Packalen, Mikko; Bhattacharya, Jay

2017-01-01

The ranking of scientific journals is important because of the signal it sends to scientists about what is considered most vital for scientific progress. Existing ranking systems focus on measuring the influence of a scientific paper (citations)-these rankings do not reward journals for publishing innovative work that builds on new ideas. We propose an alternative ranking based on the proclivity of journals to publish papers that build on new ideas, and we implement this ranking via a text-based analysis of all published biomedical papers dating back to 1946. In addition, we compare our neophilia ranking to citation-based (impact factor) rankings; this comparison shows that the two ranking approaches are distinct. Prior theoretical work suggests an active role for our neophilia index in science policy. Absent an explicit incentive to pursue novel science, scientists underinvest in innovative work because of a coordination problem: for work on a new idea to flourish, many scientists must decide to adopt it in their work. Rankings that are based purely on influence thus do not provide sufficient incentives for publishing innovative work. By contrast, adoption of the neophilia index as part of journal-ranking procedures by funding agencies and university administrators would provide an explicit incentive for journals to publish innovative work and thus help solve the coordination problem by increasing scientists' incentives to pursue innovative work.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Inventory Management in Manufacturing SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Shiau Wei; Tasmin, R.; Nor Aziati, A. H.; Zuraidah Rasi, Raja; Ismail, Fadillah Binti; Yaw, Li Ping

2017-08-01

Effectiveness of inventory management is a vital part in the manufacturing organization to be more competitive. The previous studies have indicated that there are several factors influencing the effectiveness of inventory management in the organization but there is lack of researchers who carried out the research in the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Johor. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the problem of inventory management faced by the manufacturing small medium enterprise and also to determine the factors that will influence the effectiveness of inventory management. In completing this research, 80 employees were selected randomly from the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Batu Pahat, Johor and they were requested to complete questionnaires. The result have shown that the problems of inventory management faced by manufacturing organization were underproduction, overproduction, stock out situation, delays in the delivery of raw materials and discrepancy of records. The factors, documentation/store records, planning, knowledge of employees/staff skill have shown to significantly influence the effectiveness of inventory management while the funds have shown slightly significant influence on the inventory management in manufacturing small medium enterprises. This quantitative study is important to the manufacturing organization in Malaysia because it provides the guidelines to the employers of manufacturing small medium enterprises in Batu Pahat, Johor.

Algae-Based Carbon Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haoyang, Cai

2018-03-01

Our civilization is facing a series of environmental problems, including global warming and climate change, which are caused by the accumulation of green house gases in the atmosphere. This article will briefly analyze the current global warming problem and propose a method that we apply algae cultivation to absorb carbon and use shellfish to sequestrate it. Despite the importance of decreasing CO2 emissions or developing carbon-free energy sources, carbon sequestration should be a key issue, since the amount of carbon dioxide that already exists in the atmosphere is great enough to cause global warming. Algae cultivation would be a good choice because they have high metabolism rates and provides shellfish with abundant food that contains carbon. Shellfish’s shells, which are difficult to be decomposed, are reliable storage of carbon, compared to dead organisms like trees and algae. The amount of carbon that can be sequestrated by shellfish is considerable. However, the sequestrating rate of algae and shellfish is not high enough to affect the global climate. Research on algae and shellfish cultivation, including gene technology that aims to create “super plants” and “super shellfish”, is decisive to the solution. Perhaps the baton of history will shift to gene technology, from nuclear physics that has lost appropriate international environment after the end of the Cold War. Gene technology is vital to human survival.

Comparative Study of Sport Mental Toughness between Soccer Officials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miçoogullari, Bülent Okan; Gümüsdag, Hayrettin; Ödek, Ugur; Beyaz, Özkan

2017-01-01

Gucciardi et al. (2009) suggest that mental toughness is more a function of environment than domains, and as such, mental toughness is potentially important in any environment that requires performance setting, challenges, and adversities. Due to vital importance of mental toughness in sports and particularly in soccer, this paper focused on the…

Adaptation of Kirkpatrick's Four Level Model of Training Criteria to Assessment of Learning Outcomes and Program Evaluation in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Praslova, Ludmila

2010-01-01

Assessment of educational effectiveness provides vitally important feedback to Institutions of Higher Education. It also provides important information to external stakeholders, such as prospective students, parents, governmental and local regulatory entities, professional and regional accrediting organizations, and representatives of the…

The Importance of Radio News to Listeners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Ernie

While the news is considered a vitally important aspect of most radio stations' formats, broadcasters need to determine what a listener wants from the news-listening experience and how a station can program news in the form most desirable for the listener. This study, based on a Lawrence, Kansas, telephone survey of radio listeners, found that…

An Examination of Factors Affecting Organizational Commitment of Developmental Math Faculty at Florida Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin-Hickey, Rachel

2013-01-01

Community colleges play an important role in the accessibility of higher education to the American population and developmental coursework is of vital importance to college degree attainment. The large demand for student remediation in math requires optimal commitment of developmental math faculty members. Increased organizational commitment has…

Future Scenarios Regarding Tablet Computer Usage in Education and Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karadag, Ruhan; Kayabasi, Bekir

2013-01-01

Today, one of the most important sources forcing the educational institutions to alteration is the developments in informatics and communication technologies. Among these alterations, the internet and the tablet computers, which may cause a vital transformation in the history of education, are of importance. Making assumptions, based on today,…

Business Models of High Performance Computing Centres in Higher Education in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eurich, Markus; Calleja, Paul; Boutellier, Roman

2013-01-01

High performance computing (HPC) service centres are a vital part of the academic infrastructure of higher education organisations. However, despite their importance for research and the necessary high capital expenditures, business research on HPC service centres is mostly missing. From a business perspective, it is important to find an answer to…

Bridging classical and molecular genetics of cotton fiber quality and development

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton is the single most important natural fiber in the world and represents a vital agricultural commodity in the global economy. Ninety percent of cotton’s value resides in the lint fiber. Cotton fiber quality, defined by the physical properties of the lint fibers, is an important part of the cot...

Students' Perceptions on Using Different Listening Assessment Methods: Audio-Only and Video Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulaiman, Norazean; Muhammad, Ahmad Mazli; Ganapathy, Nurul Nadiah Dewi Faizul; Khairuddin, Zulaikha; Othman, Salwa

2017-01-01

The importance and usefulness of incorporating video media elements to teach listening have become part of the general understanding and commonplace in the academia nowadays (Alonso, 2013; Macwan, 2015; Garcia, 2012). Hence, it is of vital importance that students are taught effectively and assessed accordingly on their listening skills. The…

Critical Thinking: Ethical Reasoning and Fairminded Thinking, Part I

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Richard; Elder, Linda

2009-01-01

The development of ethical reasoning abilities is vitally important--both for living an ethical life and creating an ethical world. In this article, the authors set out some of the foundations of ethical reasoning. Their aim is to introduce some important intellectual tools and understandings for insightfully reasoning through ethical issues and…

Longitudinal Relationship Between Sitting Time on a Working Day and Vitality, Work Performance, Presenteeism, and Sickness Absence.

PubMed

Hendriksen, Ingrid J M; Bernaards, Claire M; Steijn, Wouter M P; Hildebrandt, Vincent H

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between sitting time on a working day and vitality, work performance, presenteeism, and sickness absence. At the start and end of a five-month intervention program at the workplace, as well as 10 months after the intervention, sitting time and work-related outcomes were measured using a standardized self-administered questionnaire and company records. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate the longitudinal relationship between sitting time and work-related outcomes, and possible interaction effects over time. A significant and sustainable decrease in sitting time on a working day was observed. Sitting less was significantly related to higher vitality scores, but this effect was marginal (b = -0.0006, P = 0.000). Our finding of significant though marginal associations between sitting time and important work-related outcomes justifies further research.

Pushing the boundaries of research on human resources for health: fresh approaches to understanding health worker motivation.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Aarushi; Scott, Kerry; Govender, Veloshnee; George, Asha

2018-04-01

A country's health workforce plays a vital role not only in serving the health needs of the population but also in supporting economic prosperity. Moreover, a well-funded and well-supported health workforce is vital to achieving universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This perspective article highlights the potential of underutilized health policy and systems research (HPSR) approaches for developing more effective human resources for health policy. The example of health worker motivation is used to showcase four types of HPSR (exploratory, influence, explanatory and emancipatory) that move beyond describing the extent of a problem. Most of the current literature aiming to understand determinants and dynamics of motivation is descriptive in nature. While this is an important basis for all research pursuits, it often gives little information about mechanisms to improve motivation and strategies for intervention. Motivation is an essential determinant of health worker performance, particularly for those working in difficult conditions, such as those facing many health workers in low- and middle-income countries. Motivation mediates health workforce performance in multiple ways: internally governing health worker behaviour; informing decisions on becoming a health worker; workplace location and ability to perform; and influencing willingness to engage politically. The four fresh research approaches described can help policy-makers better understand why health workers behave the way they do, how interventions can improve performance, the mechanisms that lead to change, and strategies for empowering health workers to be agents of change themselves.

Respiratory response to cigarette smoking among adolescent smokers: a pilot study.

PubMed

Prokhorov, A V; Emmons, K M; Pallonen, U E; Tsoh, J Y

1996-01-01

Because cigarette smoking affects the respiratory system earlier than many other systems of the human body, an attempt was made to identify objective and subjective respiratory problems among adolescent smokers. Two studies based on a pulmonary function test (PFT), respiratory symptom assessment, and other smoking-related variables were undertaken. Study 1 involved cigarette smokers (N = 18, 22% males, mean age 18.7 years) from a freshman college class who participated in an acute smoking experiment that involved performing a PFT before and after smoking a single cigarette. Study 2 was performed on a combined group of vocational-technical high school students and freshman college students (N = 44, 48% males, mean age 17.8 years) where PFT parameters, respiratory symptoms, and smoking-related health vulnerability were assessed among smokers vs nonsmokers. In Study 1, the average reduction across PFT parameters was 4.4% and the mean estimated lung age increased from 27.15 to 29.84 years. In Study 2, a consistent trend toward reduction of PFT values among smokers vs nonsmokers was observed; the mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec/forced vital capacity ratio (90.51% vs 94.59%), peak expiratory flow rate (80.32% vs 92.06%), and flow rate of 50% of forced vital capacity (88.39% vs 102.81%) differed significantly. Significant differences in respiratory symptoms were also observed among smokers vs nonsmokers. The beginning of respiratory health disorders can be identified among adolescent smokers. These findings might provide important clues on how to improve outcomes from health care provider-based adolescent smoking cessation counseling.

Chapter 10 : flying into the future.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

Since the Wright brothers historic flight, aviation has been a vital : national resource for the United States its strategic, economic, : and social importance remains unsurpassed. Aviation is critical : to our national well-being and interest...

[Jean-Jacques Rosseau the vitalist. The moralization of medical hygiene between diet and ethical food].

PubMed

Menin, Marco

2012-01-01

The historiographical prejudice that sees in Jean-Jacques Rousseau an implacable opponent of scientific knowledge has long prevented an objective evaluation of the important influence that medical thought exerted over his philosophy. The aim of this paper is to show not only Rousseau's familiarity with the most important expressions of eighteenth-century medical literature, but also his willingness to incorporate some medical suggestions in his philosophical and literary production. In the first part of this article, I try to show how Rousseau's sensibility theory presupposes precise medical ideals, related to Montpellier School of vitalism. In the second part, I stress how Rousseau's philosophy of alimentation (which has clear anthropological and political implications) can be regarded as a genuine application of an ambition typical of vitalism: to use medical hygiene, also and above all, for moral purpose.

Laser-optical methods and systems of computer-automated investigation of bio-objects (plants, seeds, food products, and others)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisker, Joseph S.

1999-01-01

A new conception of the scientific problem of information exchange in the system plant-man-environment is developed. The laser-optical methods and the system are described which allow computer automated investigation of bio-objects without damaging their vital function. The results of investigation of optical-physiological features of plants and seeds are presented. The effects of chlorophyll well and IR beg are discovered for plants and also the effects os water pumping and protein transformations are shown for seeds. The perspectives of the use of the optical methods and equipment suggested to solve scientific problems of agriculture are discussed.

Mind-body. Monistic dual aspect interactionism.

PubMed

Wallace, E R

1988-01-01

It is difficult to imagine a more perennially vexing topic to philosophers, scientists, and physicians than the mind-body problem. Recent literature bears out its continued vital interest for psychiatrists. This article briefly recapitulates the major perspectives on the problem, examines the relationship of meaning and mind to psychosocial and biological explanatory programs and to materiality, and promotes a monistic dual aspect interactionist approach to mind and body in health and illness. From this thesis conclusions are drawn in regard to the ultimate possibility of a psychiatric unitary field theory, the question of the autonomy of the psychological and biological explanatory programs, and the identity of the psychiatrist.

Strategy for earth explorers in global earth sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The goal of the current NASA Earth System Science initiative is to obtain a comprehensive scientific understanding of the Earth as an integrated, dynamic system. The centerpiece of the Earth System Science initiative will be a set of instruments carried on polar orbiting platforms under the Earth Observing System program. An Earth Explorer program can open new vistas in the earth sciences, encourage innovation, and solve critical scientific problems. Specific missions must be rigorously shaped by the demands and opportunities of high quality science and must complement the Earth Observing System and the Mission to Planet Earth. The committee believes that the proposed Earth Explorer program provides a substantial opportunity for progress in the earth sciences, both through independent missions and through missions designed to complement the large scale platforms and international research programs that represent important national commitments. The strategy presented is intended to help ensure the success of the Earth Explorer program as a vital stimulant to the study of the planet.

Scene text detection by leveraging multi-channel information and local context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Runmin; Qian, Shengyou; Yang, Jianfeng; Gao, Changxin

2018-03-01

As an important information carrier, texts play significant roles in many applications. However, text detection in unconstrained scenes is a challenging problem due to cluttered backgrounds, various appearances, uneven illumination, etc.. In this paper, an approach based on multi-channel information and local context is proposed to detect texts in natural scenes. According to character candidate detection plays a vital role in text detection system, Maximally Stable Extremal Regions(MSERs) and Graph-cut based method are integrated to obtain the character candidates by leveraging the multi-channel image information. A cascaded false positive elimination mechanism are constructed from the perspective of the character and the text line respectively. Since the local context information is very valuable for us, these information is utilized to retrieve the missing characters for boosting the text detection performance. Experimental results on two benchmark datasets, i.e., the ICDAR 2011 dataset and the ICDAR 2013 dataset, demonstrate that the proposed method have achieved the state-of-the-art performance.

The importance of scientific literacy to OCRWM's mission

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

King, G.P.

1990-01-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) has the unique mission of finding a permanent solution to the nation's high-level radioactive waste management problems. This paper explores a vital question: will OCRWM have sufficient scientific and technical resources as well as a sufficient level of public support to carry out its mission An affirmative answer to this question will require that adequate numbers of science and engineering students enter the field of radioactive waste management and that overall scientific literacy also be enhanced. This paper outlines current activities and programs within DOE and OCRWMmore » to increase scientific literacy and to recruit and develop scientists and engineers. While this paper offers only a summary inspection of the issues surrounding the solution of developing and maintaining the human technical capabilities to carry forth OCRWM's mission, it is meant to initiate a continuing examination by the American Nuclear Society, DOE, and professional and technical societies of fundamental scientific education issues.« less

Vital lines drawn from books: difficult feelings in Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and Are You My Mother?

PubMed

Bauer, Heike

2014-01-01

This article examines the representation of a transnational archive of queer books in Alison Bechdel's graphic memoirs Fun Home and Are You My Mother? for the insights it provides into the role of reading in making sense of the often difficult "felt experiences" of lesbian life. In both memoirs, books serve an important narrative function in the portrayal of Alison's lesbian identification and its complex emotional entanglements with the lives of parents who are trapped-killed even, in the case of the father-in the wastelands of patriarchy and heterosexual expectation. The article argues that in this complex family dynamic in which "sexual identity" itself is a problem and emotions remain largely unspoken, books act as fragile conduits of feelings, shaping familial relationships even as they allow Alison to contextualize her life in relation to historical events and social norms. Reading books allows her to understand the apparently U.S.-specific history of her family in relation to a wider queer history in the West.

A longitudinal study of 340 young people with or without a visible difference: The impact of teasing on self-perceptions of appearance and depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Feragen, Kristin Billaud; Stock, Nicola Marie

2016-03-01

Previous research in both the general population and in those with a visible facial difference has identified potential associations between teasing, dissatisfaction with appearance and emotional distress. However, most studies are based on cross-sectional and retrospective methodology, restricting the interpretation of findings. The present study explored the longitudinal impact of perceived teasing on satisfaction with appearance and depressive symptoms in young people with and without a visible congenital condition. Routine psychological assessments were conducted at ages 10 and 16 years (N=340). Experiences of teasing after the age of 10 significantly impacted on appearance evaluations and depressive symptoms in adolescent females. The impact of teasing on adolescent males was possibly counteracted by reports of more positive social experiences. Early identification of perceived teasing in all children to prevent the development of emotional problems and dissatisfaction with appearance is of vital importance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patients with chronic kidney disease: safety aspects in the preoperative management.

PubMed

Malovrh, Marko

2015-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide. Early detection and treatment of CKD can often prevent or delay some of the negative outcomes of CKD. This chapter shows how treatment of hypertension, proteinuria and metabolic disorders slow down the deterioration of renal function. Irrespective of the mode of renal replacement therapy, maintaining the veins in the upper extremities is of vital importance. Below are suggestions on how to protect blood vessels of the upper limbs and when to start preparing for the construction of vascular access. In this chapter, it is also shown how necessary it is to conduct a clinical evaluation of the blood vessels, which is required before the start of vascular access management. The methodology of noninvasive evaluation of vessels by duplex sonography is also presented. This method is very useful, especially if the vessels are not clinically visible, as well as the information concerning the morphological and functional properties of blood vessels. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

Performance modeling of terahertz (THz) and millimeter waves (mmW) pupil plane imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadian, Nafiseh; Furxhi, Orges; Zhang, Lei; Offermans, Peter; Ghazi, Galia; Driggers, Ronald

2018-05-01

Terahertz- (THz) and millimeter-wave sensors are becoming more important in industrial, security, medical, and defense applications. A major problem in these sensing areas is the resolution, sensitivity, and visual acuity of the imaging systems. There are different fundamental parameters in designing a system that have significant effects on the imaging performance. The performance of THz systems can be discussed in terms of two characteristics: sensitivity and spatial resolution. New approaches for design and manufacturing of THz imagers are a vital basis for developing future applications. Photonics solutions have been at the technological forefront in THz band applications. A single scan antenna does not provide reasonable resolution, sensitivity, and speed. An effective approach to imaging is placing a high-performance antenna in a two-dimensional antenna array to achieve higher radiation efficiency and higher resolution in the imaging systems. Here, we present the performance modeling of a pupil plane imaging system to find the resolution and sensitivity efficiency of the imaging system.

Real-time observational evidence of changing Asian dust morphology with the mixing of heavy anthropogenic pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, X.; Uno, I.; Wang, Z.; Nishizawa, T.; Sugimoto, N.; Yamamoto, S.; Kobayashi, H.; Sun, Y.; Fu, P.; Tang, X.; Wang, Z.

2017-12-01

Natural mineral dust and heavy anthropogenic pollution and its complex interactions cause significant environmental problems in East Asia. Due to restrictions of observing technique, real-time morphological change in Asian dust particles owing to coating process of anthropogenic pollutants is still statistically unclear. Here, we first used a newly developed, single-particle polarization detector and quantitatively investigate the evolution of the polarization property of backscattering light reflected from dust particle as they were mixing with anthropogenic pollutants in North China. The decrease in observed depolarization ratio is mainly attributed to the decrease of aspect ratio of the dust particles as a result of continuous coating processes. Hygroscopic growth of Calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) on the surface of the dust particles played a vital role, particularly when they are stagnant in the polluted region with high RH conditions. Reliable statistics highlight the significant importance of internally mixed, `quasi-spherical' Asian dust particles, which markedly act as cloud condensation nuclei and exert regional climate change.

Real-time observational evidence of changing Asian dust morphology with the mixing of heavy anthropogenic pollution.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaole; Uno, Itsushi; Wang, Zhe; Nishizawa, Tomoaki; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Yamamoto, Shigekazu; Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Sun, Yele; Fu, Pingqing; Tang, Xiao; Wang, Zifa

2017-03-23

Natural mineral dust and heavy anthropogenic pollution and its complex interactions cause significant environmental problems in East Asia. Due to restrictions of observing technique, real-time morphological change in Asian dust particles owing to coating process of anthropogenic pollutants is still statistically unclear. Here, we first used a newly developed, single-particle polarization detector and quantitatively investigate the evolution of the polarization property of backscattering light reflected from dust particle as they were mixing with anthropogenic pollutants in North China. The decrease in observed depolarization ratio is mainly attributed to the decrease of aspect ratio of the dust particles as a result of continuous coating processes. Hygroscopic growth of Calcium nitrate (Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ) on the surface of the dust particles played a vital role, particularly when they are stagnant in the polluted region with high RH conditions. Reliable statistics highlight the significant importance of internally mixed, 'quasi-spherical' Asian dust particles, which markedly act as cloud condensation nuclei and exert regional climate change.

[Aftercare for durability and profitability of single-unit and multi-unit fixed dental prostheses].

PubMed

de Baat, C; van Loveren, C; van der Maarel-Wierink, C D; Witter, D J; Creugers, N H J

2013-01-01

An important aim ofa treatment with single-unit and multi-unit fixed dental prostheses is a durable and profitable treatment outcome. That requires aftercare, too. First, the frequency of routine oral examinations should be assessed, using an individual risk profile. The objectives of the routine oral examinations are the prevention and, when necessary, the treatment of pathological conditions and complications. With regard to prevention, attention should be paid to information and instruction, oral biofilm and calculus, non-functional activities, hard tooth tissues, periodontal and peri-implant tissues, and saliva. Subsequently, it can be determined whether the intended durability and profitability have been achieved or can still be achieved, whether or not through indicated adjustments. Special attention should be paid to endodontically treated teeth. Restorative, repair or replacement treatments may be indicated in case ofcomplications, such as loose single- or multi-unitfixed dental prosthesis, fracture of a fixed dental prosthesis unit, lost tooth pulp vitality, tooth root fracture, and implant or implant abutment problems.

Emerging issue of e-waste in Pakistan: A review of status, research needs and data gaps.

PubMed

Iqbal, Mehreen; Breivik, Knut; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C

2015-12-01

This review article focuses on the current situation of e-waste in Pakistan with the emphasis on defining the major e-waste recycling sites, current and future domestic generation of e-waste, hidden flows or import of e-waste and discusses various challenges for e-waste management. Needed policy interventions and possible measures to be taken at governmental level are discussed to avoid the increasing problem of e-waste in the country. Our findings highlight that there is still a general lack of reliable data, inventories and research studies addressing e-waste related issues in the context of environmental and human health in Pakistan. There is therefore a critical need to improve the current knowledge base, which should build upon the research experience from other countries which have experienced similar situations in the past. Further research into these issues in Pakistan is considered vital to help inform future policies/control strategies as already successfully implemented in other countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The tongue and its control by sleep state-dependent modulators.

PubMed

Horner, R L

2011-12-01

The neural networks controlling vital functions such as breathing are embedded in the brain, the neural and chemical environment of which changes with state, i.e., wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and REM sleep, and with commonly administered drugs such as anaesthetics, sedatives and ethanol. One particular output from the state-dependent chemical brain is the focus of attention in this paper; the motor output to the muscles of the tongue, specifically the actions of state-dependent modulators acting at the hypoglossal motor pool. Determining the mechanisms underlying the modulation of the hypoglossal motor output during sleep is relevant to understanding the spectrum of increased upper airway resistance, airflow limitation, hypoventilation and airway obstructions that occur during natural and drug-influenced sleep in humans. Understanding the mechanisms underlying upper airway dysfunction in sleep-disordered breathing is also important given the large and growing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome which constitutes a major public health problem with serious clinical, social and economic consequences.

An insight into the exploration of druggable genome of Streptococcus gordonii for the identification of novel therapeutic candidates.

PubMed

Azam, Syed Sikander; Shamim, Amen

2014-09-01

The discovery of novel drug targets of a genome that can bind with high affinity to drug-like compounds is a significant challenge in drug development. Streptococcus gordonii initiates dental plaque formation and endocarditis by entering into the blood stream, usually after oral trauma. The prolonged use of antibiotics is raising a problem of multi-drug resistance and lack of an optimal therapeutic regime that necessitates the drug discovery of vital importance in curing various infections. To overcome this dilemma, the in silico approach paves the way for identification and qualitative characterization of promising drug targets for S. gordonii that encompass three phases of analyses. The present study deciphers drug target genomes of S. gordonii in which 93 proteins were identified as potential drug targets and 16 proteins were found to be involved in unique metabolic pathways. Highlighted information will convincingly render to facilitate selection of S. gordonii proteins for successful entry into drug design pipelines. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online social integration is associated with reduced mortality risk.

PubMed

Hobbs, William R; Burke, Moira; Christakis, Nicholas A; Fowler, James H

2016-11-15

Social interactions increasingly take place online. Friendships and other offline social ties have been repeatedly associated with human longevity, but online interactions might have different properties. Here, we reference 12 million social media profiles against California Department of Public Health vital records and use longitudinal statistical models to assess whether social media use is associated with longer life. The results show that receiving requests to connect as friends online is associated with reduced mortality but initiating friendships is not. Additionally, online behaviors that indicate face-to-face social activity (like posting photos) are associated with reduced mortality, but online-only behaviors (like sending messages) have a nonlinear relationship, where moderate use is associated with the lowest mortality. These results suggest that online social integration is linked to lower risk for a wide variety of critical health problems. Although this is an associational study, it may be an important step in understanding how, on a global scale, online social networks might be adapted to improve modern populations' social and physical health.

Predictive and Experimental Approaches for Elucidating Protein–Protein Interactions and Quaternary Structures

PubMed Central

Nealon, John Oliver; Philomina, Limcy Seby

2017-01-01

The elucidation of protein–protein interactions is vital for determining the function and action of quaternary protein structures. Here, we discuss the difficulty and importance of establishing protein quaternary structure and review in vitro and in silico methods for doing so. Determining the interacting partner proteins of predicted protein structures is very time-consuming when using in vitro methods, this can be somewhat alleviated by use of predictive methods. However, developing reliably accurate predictive tools has proved to be difficult. We review the current state of the art in predictive protein interaction software and discuss the problem of scoring and therefore ranking predictions. Current community-based predictive exercises are discussed in relation to the growth of protein interaction prediction as an area within these exercises. We suggest a fusion of experimental and predictive methods that make use of sparse experimental data to determine higher resolution predicted protein interactions as being necessary to drive forward development. PMID:29206185

Online social integration is associated with reduced mortality risk

PubMed Central

Hobbs, William R.; Burke, Moira; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

2016-01-01

Social interactions increasingly take place online. Friendships and other offline social ties have been repeatedly associated with human longevity, but online interactions might have different properties. Here, we reference 12 million social media profiles against California Department of Public Health vital records and use longitudinal statistical models to assess whether social media use is associated with longer life. The results show that receiving requests to connect as friends online is associated with reduced mortality but initiating friendships is not. Additionally, online behaviors that indicate face-to-face social activity (like posting photos) are associated with reduced mortality, but online-only behaviors (like sending messages) have a nonlinear relationship, where moderate use is associated with the lowest mortality. These results suggest that online social integration is linked to lower risk for a wide variety of critical health problems. Although this is an associational study, it may be an important step in understanding how, on a global scale, online social networks might be adapted to improve modern populations’ social and physical health. PMID:27799553

"Chase CRP", "Review patient": Improving the Quality of Weekend Medical Handover at a London Teaching Hospital.

PubMed

Saifuddin, Aamir; Magee, Lucia; Barrett, Rachael

2015-01-01

Clinical handover has been identified as a "major preventable cause of harm" by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). Whilst working at a London teaching hospital from August 2013, we noted substandard weekend handover of medical patients. The existing pro forma was filled incompletely by day doctors so it was difficult for weekend colleagues to identify unwell patients, with inherent safety implications. Furthermore, on-call medical staff noted that poor accessibility of vital information in patients' files was affecting acute clinical management. We audited the pro formas over a six week period (n=83) and the Friday ward round (WR) entries for medical inpatients over two weekends (n=84) against the RCP's handover guidance. The results showed poor documentation of several important details on the pro formas, for example, ceiling of care (4%) and past medical history (PMH) (23%). Problem lists were specified on 62% of the WR entries. We designed new handover pro formas and 'Friday WR sheets' to provide prompts for this information and used Medical Meetings and emails to explain the project's aims. Re-audit demonstrated significant improvement in all parameters; for instance, PMH increased to 52% on the pro formas. Only 10% of Friday WR entries used our sheet. However, when used, outcomes were much better, for example, problem list documentation increased to 100%. In conclusion, our interventions improved the provision of crucial information needed to prioritise and manage patients over the weekend. Future work should further highlight the importance of safe handover to all doctors to induce a shift in culture and optimise patient care.

In defense of genuine ignorance: supporting vitality and relevance in graduate curricula.

PubMed

Goren, S; Peter, L; Fischer, S

1992-01-01

Genuine ignorance, defined by John Dewey as curiosity and openmindedness in opposition to repetition of catch phrases and familiar propositions, is nurtured in graduate nursing curricula in which the educational process is congruent with course content. Preparation for advanced practice in the mental health environment of the foreseeable future required abandonment of the familiar medical model in favor of conceptual models consistent with current thinking in psychiatric nursing and exposure to current problems (homelessness, family violence, AIDS) and current problem solving strategies (brief treatment, family preservation). Involvement in practice-based research and operationalizing new perspectives on familiar clinical problems, are suggested as strategies for developing the advanced practitioner. Two of the authors, former graduate students, describe the impact of changed perspectives and research activity on their own practice.

[Thromboembolism prophylaxis in old age].

PubMed

Röhrig, Gabriele; Kolb, Gerald

2018-04-01

Anticoagulation in geriatric patients is challenging regarding the risk of bleeding complications and thromboembolic problems. Age, comorbidities, such as renal insufficiency and polymedication have a vital impact on bleeding and thromboembolic risks; however, age is not an exclusion criterion for withholding anticoagulation. Age is the main risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and atrial fibrillation becomes more relevant with aging. Older patients with atrial fibrillation have a particularly high risk of having a stroke. Therefore, very old patients benefit particularly from oral anticoagulation because the risk of bleeding is outweighed by the clinical benefit of stroke prevention. Risk of bleeding and thromboembolic problems can be easily assessed by established diagnostic tools. This article reviews the epidemiology of thromboembolic problems in the aged as well as current diagnostic and therapeutic steps for primary and secondary prevention.

Application of a non-hazardous vital dye for cell counting with automated cell counters.

PubMed

Kim, Soo In; Kim, Hyun Jeong; Lee, Ho-Jae; Lee, Kiwon; Hong, Dongpyo; Lim, Hyunchang; Cho, Keunchang; Jung, Neoncheol; Yi, Yong Weon

2016-01-01

Recent advances in automated cell counters enable us to count cells more easily with consistency. However, the wide use of the traditional vital dye trypan blue (TB) raises environmental and health concerns due to its potential teratogenic effects. To avoid this chemical hazard, it is of importance to introduce an alternative non-hazardous vital dye that is compatible with automated cell counters. Erythrosin B (EB) is a vital dye that is impermeable to biological membranes and is used as a food additive. Similarly to TB, EB stains only nonviable cells with disintegrated membranes. However, EB is less popular than TB and is seldom used with automated cell counters. We found that cell counting accuracy with EB was comparable to that with TB. EB was found to be an effective dye for accurate counting of cells with different viabilities across three different automated cell counters. In contrast to TB, EB was less toxic to cultured HL-60 cells during the cell counting process. These results indicate that replacing TB with EB for use with automated cell counters will significantly reduce the hazardous risk while producing comparable results. Copyright © 2015 Logos Biosystems, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strengthening ecological mindfulness through hybrid learning in vital coalitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sol, Jifke; Wals, Arjen E. J.

2015-03-01

In this contribution a key policy `tool' used in the Dutch Environmental Education and Learning for Sustainability Policy framework is introduced as a means to develop a sense of place and associated ecological mindfulness. The key elements of this tool, called the vital coalition, are described while an example of its use in practice, is analysed using a form of reflexive monitoring and evaluation. The example focuses on a multi-stakeholder learning process around the transformation of a somewhat sterile pre-school playground into an intergenerational green place suitable for play, discovery and engagement. Our analysis of the policy-framework and the case leads us to pointing out the importance of critical interventions at so-called tipping points within the transformation process and a discussion of the potential of hybrid learning in vital coalitions in strengthening ecological mindfulness. This paper does not focus on establishing an evidence base for the causality between this type of learning and a change in behavior or mindfulness among participants as a result contributing to a vital coalition but rather focusses on the conditions, processes and interventions that allow for such learning to take place in the first place.

[The history of the concept of vital force].

PubMed

Lohff, B

1981-12-01

This article deals with the term "Lebenskraft - vital force' from the terminological point of view (life vs. force), as well as from the historical one-(1774-1848), also considering the place this term occupies in colloquial speech. This term, however, first introduced into medicine by Kasimir Medicus in 1774, cannot be defined in a philosophical sense. Historically though, it can be proved that four different starting positions have caused the different ways of interpreting this "vital force'. Alongside the physical interpretations, i.e. the impossibility of a perpetuum mobile, there were some reflections on the chemical mode of action (chemical dynamism, J.Chr. Reil). Another aspect developed from the irritability concept (G.R. Treviranus); furthermore a special interpretation resulted from the microcosmos-macrocosmos-analogy (Fr.L. Augustin). Thus these different positions had influenced the investigations carried out in the fields of biochemistry, neuro-physiology and comparative anatomy. Since the investigations of Emil Du Bois-Reymond and his articles on "Lebenskraft' the term and the hypothesis of vital force was no longer of scientific importance. The term lived on in colloquial speech and thus became a characteristic of the difference between a scientific and non scientific approach to life.

A Web-based vital sign telemonitor and recorder for telemedicine applications.

PubMed

Mendoza, Patricia; Gonzalez, Perla; Villanueva, Brenda; Haltiwanger, Emily; Nazeran, Homer

2004-01-01

We describe a vital sign telemonitor (VST) that acquires, records, displays, and provides readings such as: electrocardiograms (ECGs), temperature (T), and oxygen saturation (SaO2) over the Internet to any site. The design of this system consisted of three parts: sensors, analog signal processing circuits, and a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). The first part involved selection of appropriate sensors. For ECG, disposable Ag/AgCl electrodes; for temperature, LM35 precision temperature sensor; and for SaO2 the Nonin Oximetry Development Kit equipped with a finger clip were selected. The second part consisted of processing the analog signals obtained from these sensors. This was achieved by implementing suitable amplifiers and filters for the vital signs. The final part focused on development of a GUI to display the vital signs in the LabVIEW environment. From these measurements, important values such as heart rate (HR), beat-to-beat (RR) intervals, SaO2 percentages, and T in both degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit were calculated The GUI could be accessed through the Internet in a Web-page facilitating the possibility of real-time patient telemonitoring. The final system was completed and tested on volunteers with satisfactory results.

Cross-kingdom amplification using Bacteria-specific primers: Complications for studies of coral microbial ecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galkiewicz, J.P.; Kellogg, C.A.

2008-01-01

PCR amplification of pure bacterial DNA is vital to the study of bacterial interactions with corals. Commonly used Bacteria-specific primers 8F and 27F paired with the universal primer 1492R amplify both eukaryotic and prokaryotic rRNA genes. An alternative primer set, 63F/1542R, is suggested to resolve this problem. Copyright ?? 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Army Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

the problem. Ntuen and Leedom (2007) emphasized that an agile and adaptive commander regularly engages in metacognitive processes to assess whether the...described reflective thinking and metacognition as vital components of design. They described reflective thinking as involving self-awareness of...and evolutionary. It wasn’t like we sat down to write a battalion operations order.” Finally, the ability to hold and consider two distinct, and

The Right to Remain Indian. The Failure of the Federal Government to Protect Indian Land and Water Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

All Indian Pueblo Council, Albuquerque, NM.

The document is submitted pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, in preparation for hearings held in New Mexico during November 1972. It covers the protection and preservation of the land and water rights of the American Indian tribes in the Southwest, which is as vital as any problem which now confronts the Pueblo…

Air Force Space Situational Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-13

knowledge sharing vital to innovation. CyberWorx deliberately reaches across specialties to bring diverse perspectives to a problem in a non -threatening...design sprint to lay out a fast, viable path forward for the AF to enable better experimentation and unity of efforts toward the future. Participants in...in industry and even in their personal lives. CyberWorx was asked to address the challenges of incorporating non - traditional (open source, academic

An Efficient Variable Screening Method for Effective Surrogate Models for Reliability-Based Design Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

surrogate model generation is difficult for high -dimensional problems, due to the curse of dimensionality. Variable screening methods have been...a variable screening model was developed for the quasi-molecular treatment of ion-atom collision [16]. In engineering, a confidence interval of...for high -level radioactive waste [18]. Moreover, the design sensitivity method can be extended to the variable screening method because vital

Examining Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis as One of the Main Views on the Relationship between Language and Thought

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tohidian, Iman

2009-01-01

One of those features that set human societies apart from animal societies is the use of language. Language is a vital part of every human culture and is a powerful social tool that we master at an early age. A second feature of humans is our ability to solve complex problems. For centuries philosophers have questioned whether these two abilities…

Robust Hidden Markov Model based intelligent blood vessel detection of fundus images.

PubMed

Hassan, Mehdi; Amin, Muhammad; Murtza, Iqbal; Khan, Asifullah; Chaudhry, Asmatullah

2017-11-01

In this paper, we consider the challenging problem of detecting retinal vessel networks. Precise detection of retinal vessel networks is vital for accurate eye disease diagnosis. Most of the blood vessel tracking techniques may not properly track vessels in presence of vessels' occlusion. Owing to problem in sensor resolution or acquisition of fundus images, it is possible that some part of vessel may occlude. In this scenario, it becomes a challenging task to accurately trace these vital vessels. For this purpose, we have proposed a new robust and intelligent retinal vessel detection technique on Hidden Markov Model. The proposed model is able to successfully track vessels in the presence of occlusion. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is evaluated on publically available standard DRIVE dataset of the fundus images. The experiments show that the proposed technique not only outperforms the other state of the art methodologies of retinal blood vessels segmentation, but it is also capable of accurate occlusion handling in retinal vessel networks. The proposed technique offers better average classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of 95.7%, 81.0%, 97.0%, and 90.0% respectively, which shows the usefulness of the proposed technique. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the murine orthotopic adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma PDX model by MRI in correlation with histology.

PubMed

Hölsken, Annett; Schwarz, Marc; Gillmann, Clarissa; Pfister, Christina; Uder, Michael; Doerfler, Arnd; Buchfelder, Michael; Schlaffer, Sven; Fahlbusch, Rudolf; Buslei, Rolf; Bäuerle, Tobias

2018-01-01

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (ACP) as benign sellar brain tumors are challenging to treat. In order to develop robust in vivo drug testing methodology, the murine orthotopic craniopharyngioma model (PDX) was characterized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology in xenografts from three patients (ACP1-3). In ACP PDX, multiparametric MRI was conducted to assess morphologic characteristics such as contrast-enhancing tumor volume (CETV) as well as functional parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) including area-under-the-curve (AUC), peak enhancement (PE), time-to-peak (TTP) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). These MRI parameters evaluated in 27 ACP PDX were correlated to histological features and percentage of vital tumor cell content. Qualitative analysis of MRI and histology from PDX revealed a similar phenotype as seen in patients, although the MRI appearance in mice resulted in a more solid tumor growth than in humans. CETV were significantly higher in ACP2 xenografts relative to ACP1 and ACP3 which correspond to respective average vitality of 41%, <10% and 26% determined histologically. Importantly, CETV prove tumor growth of ACP2 PDX as it significantly increases in longitudinal follow-up of 110 days. Furthermore, xenografts from ACP2 revealed a significantly higher AUC, PE and TTP in comparison to ACP3, and significantly increased ADC relative to ACP1 and ACP3 respectively. Overall, DCE-MRI and DWI can be used to distinguish vital from non-vital grafts, when using a cut off value of 15% for vital tumor cell content. MRI enables the assessment of craniopharyngioma PDX vitality in vivo as validated histologically.

Laboratory-grown coccoliths exhibit no vital effect in clumped isotope (Δ47) composition on a range of geologically relevant temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Amandine; Bonifacie, Magali; Hermoso, Michaël; Cartigny, Pierre; Calmels, Damien

2017-07-01

The carbonate clumped isotope (or Δ47) thermometer relies on the temperature dependence of the abundance of 13C18O16O22- ion groups within the mineral lattice. This proxy shows tremendous promise to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures (SSTs), but requires calibration of the relationship between Δ47 and calcification temperatures. Specifically, it is important to determine whether biologically-driven fractionation (the so-called "vital effect") overprints Δ47 values, as reported in some biominerals such as the foraminifera and the coccoliths for the carbon and oxygen isotope systems. Despite their abundance in the pelagic environment, coccolithophores have not been comprehensively investigated to test the reliability of coccolith Δ47-inferred temperatures. In this study, we cultured three geologically-relevant coccolith species (Emiliania huxleyi, Coccolithus pelagicus, and Calcidiscus leptoporus) at controlled temperatures between 7 and 25 ± 0.2 °C. Other variables such as pCO2, pH, alkalinity, nutrient concentrations and salinity were kept constant at mean present-day oceanic conditions. Although cultured coccoliths exhibit substantial species-specific oxygen and carbon isotope vital effects, we found that their Δ47 composition follows a statistically indistinguishable relationship with 1/T2 for all three species, indicating a lack of interspecific vital effects in coccoliths. Further, the Δ47 composition of coccolith calcite is identical to inorganic calcite precipitated at the same temperature, indicating an overall absence of clumped isotope vital effect in coccolith biominerals. From a paleoceanographic perspective, this study indicates that the Δ47 values of sedimentary coccoliths - even from highly diverse/mixed assemblages - can be analyzed to reconstruct SSTs with confidence, as such temperature estimates are not biased by taxonomic content or changing interspecies vital effects through time.

An interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method approach for the analysis of barriers of waste recycling in India.

PubMed

Chauhan, Ankur; Singh, Amol; Jharkharia, Sanjay

2018-02-01

Increasing amount of wastes is posing great difficulties for all countries across the world. The problem of waste management is more severe in developing countries such as India where the rates of economic growth and urbanization are increasing at a fast pace. The governments in these countries are often constrained by limited technical and financial capabilities, which prevent them from effectively addressing these problems. There is a limited participation from the private players too in terms of setting up of waste recycling units. The present study aims at identifying various barriers that challenge the establishment of these units, specific to India. Further, it attempts to identify the most influential barriers by utilizing multicriterion decision-making tools of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). The findings of the study suggest that the lack of funds, input material, and subsidy are the most influential barriers that are needed to be addressed for the development of waste recycling infrastructure in India. This work has been carried out to address the problem of proper waste management in India. To deal with this problem, the method of waste recycling has been felt appropriate by the government of various countries, including India. Therefore, the barriers that play vital role in waste recycling for private players have been identified and their importance has been established with the help of ISM and DEMATEL methods. Doing so will assist the government to take appropriate steps for the betterment of waste recycling infrastructure in India and enhance waste management.

Lessons learnt? The importance of metacognition and its implications for Cognitive Remediation in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Cella, Matteo; Reeder, Clare; Wykes, Til

2015-01-01

The cognitive problems experienced by people with schizophrenia not only impede recovery but also interfere with treatments designed to improve overall functioning. Hence there has been a proliferation of new therapies to treat cognitive problems with the hope that improvements will benefit future intervention and recovery outcomes. Cognitive remediation therapy (CR) that relies on intensive task practice can support basic cognitive functioning but there is little evidence on how these therapies lead to transfer to real life skills. However, there is increasing evidence that CR including elements of transfer training (e.g., strategy use and problem solving schemas) produce higher functional outcomes. It is hypothesized that these therapies achieve higher transfer by improving metacognition. People with schizophrenia have metacognitive problems; these include poor self-awareness and difficulties in planning for complex tasks. This paper reviews this evidence as well as research on why metacognition needs to be explicitly taught as part of cognitive treatments. The evidence is based on research on learning spanning from neuroscience to the field of education. Learning programmes, and CRT, may be able to achieve better outcomes if they explicitly teach metacognition including metacognitive knowledge (i.e., awareness of the cognitive requirements and approaches to tasks) and metacognitive regulation (i.e., cognitive control over the different task relevant cognitive requirements). These types of metacognition are essential for successful task performance, in particular, for controlling effort, accuracy and efficient strategy use. We consider metacognition vital for the transfer of therapeutic gains to everyday life tasks making it a therapy target that may yield greater gains compared to cognition alone for recovery interventions. PMID:26388797

A ZigBee-based wireless system for monitoring vital signs in hyperbaric chambers: Technical report.

PubMed

Carmona, Cristian; Alorda, Bartomeu; Gracia, Luis; Perez-Vidal, Carlos; Salinas, Antonio

2017-01-01

This paper presents the replacement of a traditional wired communication link of the hyperbaric chambers with a wireless ZigBee-based system. This move allows a reduction in the costs of seals capable of withstanding the internal pressures and gives rise to a more versatile system. The new system is able to capture and process individual vital signs like the electrocardiography signal, and other analog sources, sending the data to an external computer and allowing analysis, representation and sharing with medical staff. This system solves such problems as the attenuation of the signal produced by the metal walls of the hyperbaric chamber and has a coverage area large enough to manage up to six patients with an effective data rate conversion of 2kHz. Furthermore, a battery-based and multiparameter platform is designed for multipatient hyperbaric chambers. Copyright© Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.

Sleep Problems and Life Satisfaction as Predictors of Health in Men with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies.

PubMed

Fjermestad, Krister W; Stokke, Simen

2018-01-01

More knowledge is needed about men with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA). We present self-reported data from 53 men with SCA (M age = 36.8 years, SD = 12.3, range 19-67). The Health Survey-Short Form (SF-36) measured eight health domains (physical functioning, role-physical, role-emotional, vitality, emotional health, social functioning, pain, general health). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measured sleep problems. The Personal Wellbeing Index measured satisfaction with eight life domains. Compared to norms, SCA reported poorer health (mean d = -0.80) and more sleep problems (mean d = -0.85). Differences between SCA and norms on personal well-being were small, except lower health satisfaction in SCA (d = -1.06). Seven of eight regression models predicting the SF-36 domains from life satisfaction and sleep problems were significant (explained variance 12.2% to 46.2%), except physical functioning (ns). Clinical assessment/intervention for a broad range of health and sleep problems is indicated for men with SCA.

32 CFR 644.48 - Review and approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... as a means of resolving differences that might be found in two or more individual appraisals of a... vital importance to the successful operation of the real estate mission of the Corps of Engineers. It is...

32 CFR 644.48 - Review and approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... as a means of resolving differences that might be found in two or more individual appraisals of a... vital importance to the successful operation of the real estate mission of the Corps of Engineers. It is...

32 CFR 644.48 - Review and approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... as a means of resolving differences that might be found in two or more individual appraisals of a... vital importance to the successful operation of the real estate mission of the Corps of Engineers. It is...

32 CFR 644.48 - Review and approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... as a means of resolving differences that might be found in two or more individual appraisals of a... vital importance to the successful operation of the real estate mission of the Corps of Engineers. It is...

Effectiveness of the Vital Aging program to promote active aging in Mexican older adults

PubMed Central

Mendoza-Ruvalcaba, Neyda Ma; Fernández-Ballesteros, Rocío

2016-01-01

Introduction Aging is not only a population phenomenon but also an experience and an individual reality. Vital Aging® is a program that considers active aging as the lifelong adaptation process of maximizing health and independence, physical and cognitive functioning, positive affect regulation and control, and social engagement. Through its different versions and editions, it has demonstrated being an effective program to promote active aging. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the “face-to-face” and “combined” versions of the program to promote active aging in Mexican older adults trial. Methods Seventy-six older adults aged 60 years and over participated in a quasi-experimental study and were recruited in a senior center to participate in the two experimental conditions: Vital Aging face-to-face (VA-FF) (n=35) and Vital Aging combined (VA-C; multimedia/face-to-face) (n=15), and the remaining 26 adults were assigned to a control group. Pretest and posttest assessments were performed after the theoretical–practical intervention. Mean differences and size effects were calculated for estimating the effect of the program. Results At the end of the study, participants showed improvements in the active aging outcome measures. Positive effects were observed in the frequency of intellectual, cultural – artistic, and social activities, perceptions of aging, satisfaction with social relationships, and self-efficacy for aging. Additionally, those who participated in VA-FF showed better memory performance, meta-memory, and a trend to report less memory problems, while older persons in VA-C showed a trend to have better life satisfaction. No effects were observed in physical activity, frequency of social relationships, and subjective health. Conclusion Findings show that the Vital Aging program in face-to-face and combined versions encourages active aging in Mexican older persons. These results are in general similar to those found in editions performed in Spain, revealing its consistency as a cross-cultural practical initiative for promoting active aging. PMID:27881913

Effectiveness of the Vital Aging program to promote active aging in Mexican older adults.

PubMed

Mendoza-Ruvalcaba, Neyda Ma; Fernández-Ballesteros, Rocío

2016-01-01

Aging is not only a population phenomenon but also an experience and an individual reality. Vital Aging ® is a program that considers active aging as the lifelong adaptation process of maximizing health and independence, physical and cognitive functioning, positive affect regulation and control, and social engagement. Through its different versions and editions, it has demonstrated being an effective program to promote active aging. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the "face-to-face" and "combined" versions of the program to promote active aging in Mexican older adults trial. Seventy-six older adults aged 60 years and over participated in a quasi-experimental study and were recruited in a senior center to participate in the two experimental conditions: Vital Aging face-to-face (VA-FF) (n=35) and Vital Aging combined (VA-C; multimedia/face-to-face) (n=15), and the remaining 26 adults were assigned to a control group. Pretest and posttest assessments were performed after the theoretical-practical intervention. Mean differences and size effects were calculated for estimating the effect of the program. At the end of the study, participants showed improvements in the active aging outcome measures. Positive effects were observed in the frequency of intellectual, cultural - artistic, and social activities, perceptions of aging, satisfaction with social relationships, and self-efficacy for aging. Additionally, those who participated in VA-FF showed better memory performance, meta-memory, and a trend to report less memory problems, while older persons in VA-C showed a trend to have better life satisfaction. No effects were observed in physical activity, frequency of social relationships, and subjective health. Findings show that the Vital Aging program in face-to-face and combined versions encourages active aging in Mexican older persons. These results are in general similar to those found in editions performed in Spain, revealing its consistency as a cross-cultural practical initiative for promoting active aging.