THE STERN PROJECT–HANDS ON ROCKETS SCIENCE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENT

OpenAIRE

Schüttauf, Katharina; Stamminger, Andreas; Lappöhn, Karsten

2017-01-01

In April 2012, the German Aerospace Center DLR initiated a sponsorship program for university students to develop, build and launch their own rockets over a period of three years. The program designation STERN was abbreviated from the German “STudentische Experimental-RaketeN”, which translates to Student- Experimental-Rockets. The primary goal of the STERN program is to inspire students in the subject of space transportation through hands-on activities within a pro...

Adopting Disruptive Technologies in Traditional Universities: Continuing Education as an Incubator for Innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Walter; Anderson, Terry; Garrison, Randy

1999-01-01

Traditional universities are feeling the impact of "disruptive technologies" such as distance education. Seeing how businesses have responded to such disruptions, universities should "incubate" innovations in a semiautonomous unit such as continuing education, which can address new markets with low margins. (SK)

Comparison of traditional bullying and cyberbullying among students at the University of Ostrava

OpenAIRE

Maria Vašutová; Michal Panáček

2011-01-01

The theoretical part of the paper describes the problems of new media, bullying and its modified form – cyberbullying, place, time and characteristics of the protagonists of traditional bullying and cyberbullying, including a comparison of traditional bullying and cyberbullying, according to criteria that are specifically defined. The second part informs about the results of research of traditional bullying and cyberbullying among university students provided by Ostrava´s questionnaire of cyb...

Traditionalism and Feminism: A Typology of Strategies Used by University Women to Manage Career-Family Conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cote, James E.

1986-01-01

Presents an Eriksonian analysis of the impact of traditionalism and feminism on the identity formation of university-attending women and postulates four "identity strategies": traditionalism, ambivalent semi-traditionalism, confident semi-traditionalism, and feminism. Describes a study assessing the reliability and validity of an…

Hand injuries in foreign labour workers in an Irish university hospital.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sattler, Thorsten

2009-01-01

The present study reports on a new, rapidly growing patient subpopulation presenting with hand injuries to the Department of Plastic Surgery in Cork University Hospital (Ireland). The impact of the 10 new European Union accession states on the trauma workload is examined. The associated growth in expenditure on interpreter services is also examined. Potential risk factors in the foreign workers\\' new working environment is explored.

The Trouble with Online Undergraduate Business Degrees In Traditional Regional Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, M. Keith

2014-01-01

Because of the surging demand for undergraduate business degrees and the increasing availability of effective online educational content, many traditional regional universities have added, or are now considering adding, online undergraduate business degree programs to their classroom programs. Through a review of the literature bearing on that…

The universe in your hand a journey through space, time and beyond

CERN Document Server

Galfard, Christophe

2015-01-01

Imagine if The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy were a real, practical book about the mysteries of the universe...The Universe In Your Hand takes us on a wonder-filled journey to the surface of our dying Sun, shrinks us to the size of an atom and puts us in the deathly grip of distant Black Holes. Along the way you might come to understand, really understand, the mind-bending science that underpins modern life, from Quantum Mechanics to Einstein's theory of General Relativity. Through brilliant storytelling and humour rather than graphs and equations, internationally renowned astrophysicist Christophe Galfard has written an instant classic that brings the astonishing beauty of the universe to life - and takes us deep into questions about the beginning of time and the future of humanity.

Hands-on-Universe, Europe Bringing frontline interactive astronomy to the classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Ferlet, R.

Hands-on-Universe, Europe (EU-HOU) aims at re-awakening the interest for science in the young generations through astronomy and new technologies. It relies on real observations acquired through a worldwide internet-based network of automatic telescopes or with didactical tools (webcam, radiotelescope). Pupils manipulate images in the classroom environment, using specific software within pedagogical resources constructed in close collaboration between researchers and teachers. EU-HOU is freely available on the web, and trains european teachers.

Heterosexual and nonheterosexual young university students' involvement in traditional and cyber forms of bullying.

Science.gov (United States)

Wensley, Kate; Campbell, Marilyn

2012-12-01

Research has consistently found that school students who do not identify as self-declared completely heterosexual are at increased risk of victimization by bullying from peers. This study examined heterosexual and nonheterosexual university students' involvement in both traditional and cyber forms of bullying, as either bullies or victims. Five hundred twenty-eight first-year university students (M=19.52 years old) were surveyed about their sexual orientation and their bullying experiences over the previous 12 months. The results showed that nonheterosexual young people reported higher levels of involvement in traditional bullying, both as victims and perpetrators, in comparison to heterosexual students. In contrast, cyberbullying trends were generally found to be similar for heterosexual and nonheterosexual young people. Gender differences were also found. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of intervention and prevention of the victimization of nonheterosexual university students.

Aesthetic Preferences for Eastern and Western Traditional Visual Art: Identity Matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Yan; Yang, Taoxi; Lin, Xiaoxiong; Fang, Yuan; Wang, Yi; Pöppel, Ernst; Lei, Quan

2016-01-01

Western and Chinese artists have different traditions in representing the world in their paintings. While Western artists start since the Renaissance to represent the world with a central perspective and focus on salient objects in a scene, Chinese artists concentrate on context information in their paintings, mainly before the mid-19th century. We investigated whether the different typical representations influence the aesthetic preference for traditional Chinese and Western paintings in the different cultural groups. Traditional Chinese and Western paintings were presented randomly for an aesthetic evaluation to Chinese and Western participants. Both Chinese and Western paintings included two categories: landscapes and people in different scenes. Results showed a significant interaction between the source of the painting and the cultural group. For Chinese and Western paintings, a reversed pattern of aesthetic preference was observed: while Chinese participants gave higher aesthetic scores to traditional Chinese paintings than to Western paintings, Western participants tended to give higher aesthetic scores to traditional Western paintings than to Chinese paintings. We interpret this observation as indicator that personal identity is supported and enriched within cultural belongingness. Another important finding was that landscapes were more preferable than people in a scene across different cultural groups indicating a universal principle of preferences for landscapes. Thus, our results suggest that, on the one hand, the way that artists represent the world in their paintings influences the way that culturally embedded viewers perceive and appreciate paintings, but on the other hand, independent of the cultural background, anthropological universals are disclosed by the preference of landscapes.

Electronic versus Traditional Print Textbooks: A Comparison Study on the Influence of University Students' Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Rockinson- Szapkiw, Amanda J.; Courduff, Jennifer; Carter, Kimberly; Bennett, David

2013-01-01

University students are increasingly choosing to purchase e-textbooks for their mobile devices as an alternative to traditional textbooks. This study examines the relationship between textbook format and 538 university students' grades and perceived learning scores. Results demonstrate that there was no difference in cognitive learning and grades…

AUPress: A Comparison of an Open Access University Press with Traditional Presses

Science.gov (United States)

McGreal, Rory; Chen, Nian-Shing

2011-01-01

This study is a comparison of AUPress with three other traditional (non-open access) Canadian university presses. The analysis is based on the rankings that are correlated with book sales on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. Statistical methods include the sampling of the sales ranking of randomly selected books from each press. The results of one-way…

Design and analysis of doped left-handed materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hongxin; Bao Yongfang; Chen Tianming; Lü Yinghua; Wang Haixia

2008-01-01

We devise three sorts of doped left-handed materials (DLHMs) by introducing inductors and capacitors into the traditional left-handed material (LHM) as heterogeneous elements. Some new properties are presented through finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. On the one hand, the resonance in the traditional LHM is weakened and the original pass band is narrowed by introducing inductors. On the other hand, the original pass band of the LHM can be shifted and a new pass band can be generated by introducing capacitors. When capacitors and inductors are introduced simultaneously, the resonance of traditional LHM is somewhat weakened and the number of original pass bands as well as its bandwidth can be changed

Social media adoption among lecturers at a traditional university in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obrain T. Murire

2017-07-01

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine social media adoption among lecturers at a traditional university in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Method: The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT framework was used as the theoretical foundation of the questionnaire that was distributed to 300 full-time staff members. A response rate of 39% was attained. Factor analysis was used to test the relationship between variables. Contribution: The study’s contribution is to the theoretical body of knowledge that affirms that the UTAUT framework is an appropriate tool to use to test adoption of social media at traditional universities. Conclusion: The findings indicated that academics are conversant with emerging technologies and could incorporate these technologies into academic settings with an aim to increase communication and interaction among lecturers and learners. The results revealed that performance expectancy, social influence, effort expectancy and behavioural intention have a positive influence on social media adoption and continued use by academics in teaching and learning at traditional university. The facilitating condition scale was not statistically significant, but must be considered by management in order to improve the adoption of social media among lecturers.

Active Learning versus Traditional Teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.A. Azzalis

2009-05-01

Full Text Available In traditional teaching most of the class time is spent with the professor lecturing and the students watching and listening. The students work individually, and cooperation is discouraged. On the other hand,  active learning  changes the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners, in which students solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate during class;  moreover, students work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that assure positive interdependence and individual accountability. Although student-centered methods have repeatedly been shown to be superior to the traditional teacher-centered approach to instruction, the literature regarding the efficacy of various teaching methods is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to compare the student perceptions of course and instructor effectiveness, course difficulty, and amount learned between the active learning and lecture sections  in Health Sciences´ courses by statistical data from Anhembi Morumbi University. Results indicated significant  difference between active  learning and traditional  teaching. Our conclusions were that strategies promoting  active  learning to  traditional lectures could increase knowledge and understanding.

Tradition and Agency. Tracing cultural continuity and invention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tradition helps ensure continuity and stability in human affairs, signifying both the handing down of cultural heritage from one generation to the next, and the particular customs, beliefs and rituals being handed down. In the social sciences, tradition has been a central concept from the very st...... address the larger questions of cultural continuity, agency and the use of cultural resources. In the postscript, Terence Ranger offers a complementary perspective by tracing the effects of nationalism, imperialism and globalised exchange on tradition.......Tradition helps ensure continuity and stability in human affairs, signifying both the handing down of cultural heritage from one generation to the next, and the particular customs, beliefs and rituals being handed down. In the social sciences, tradition has been a central concept from the very...... revolutionize the understanding of tradition in anthropology, history and sociology, stimulating an enormous amount of research on invented and imagined traditions. However, most of this research has focussed on the cultural dynamics of specific local innovations and reactions to global developments...

From Traditional to Modern Universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anja Birch; Sort, Jesper Chrautwald; Nielsen, Christian

concludes that the performance management used today in universities in form of publications is overlooking the industries’ need of growth from the university knowledge. Hence motivating the scientists to engage in collaborations only from the university point of view and only to a limited extent concerning...... about the companies....

Microorganisms from hands of traditional Chinese medical doctors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: In a central hospital, the heavy clinical workload makes one to overlook its hazard to health and can to a large extent promote the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. It is not uncommon however, to observe practices that deviate from normal standards of hygiene. Hand contact between doctors of TCM ...

Occupational hand injury patterns at Avicenna University Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelmoughit Echchaoui

2017-08-01

Conclusion: Hand injuries are common in the workplace and affect mostly active and working-age people. Preventive measures are required and should receive appropriate attention and resources. [Hand Microsurg 2017; 6(2.000: 75-80

Implementation of the WHO multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in a University Hospital in Central Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfäfflin, Frieder; Tufa, Tafese Beyene; Getachew, Million; Nigussie, Tsehaynesh; Schönfeld, Andreas; Häussinger, Dieter; Feldt, Torsten; Schmidt, Nicole

2017-01-01

The burden of health-care associated infections in low-income countries is high. Adequate hand hygiene is considered the most effective measure to reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. We aimed to assess compliance with hand hygiene and perception and knowledge about hand hygiene before and after the implementation of a multimodal hand hygiene campaign designed by the World Health Organization. The study was carried out at Asella Teaching Hospital, a university hospital and referral centre for a population of about 3.5 million in Arsi Zone, Central Ethiopia. Compliance with hand hygiene during routine patient care was measured by direct observation before and starting from six weeks after the intervention, which consisted of a four day workshop accompanied by training sessions and the provision of locally produced alcohol-based handrub and posters emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene. A second follow up was conducted three months after handing over project responsibility to the Ethiopian partners. Health-care workers' perception and knowledge about hand hygiene were assessed before and after the intervention. At baseline, first, and second follow up we observed a total of 2888, 2865, and 2244 hand hygiene opportunities, respectively. Compliance with hand hygiene was 1.4% at baseline and increased to 11.7% and 13.1% in the first and second follow up, respectively (p hand hygiene was consistent across professional categories and all participating wards and was independently associated with the intervention (adjusted odds ratio, 9.18; 95% confidence interval 6.61-12.76; p hand hygiene actions. The median hand hygiene knowledge score overall was 13 (interquartile range 11-15) at baseline and increased to 17 (15-18) after training (p hand hygiene is feasible and sustainable in a resource-constrained setting using a multimodal improvement strategy. However, absolute compliance remained low. Strong and long-term commitment by hospital management and

Medical students preference of problem-based learning or traditional lectures in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Nahla Khamis; Banjar, Shorooq; Al-Ghamdi, Amal; Al-Darmasi, Moroj; Khoja, Abeer; Turkistani, Jamela; Arif, Rwan; Al-Sebyani, Awatif; Musawa, Al-Anoud; Basfar, Wijdan

2014-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is the most important educational innovations in the past 4 decades. The objective of the study was to compare between the preference of medical students for PBL and the preference for traditional lectures regarding learning outcomes (e.g., knowledge, attitude, and skills) gained from both methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students who studied the hybrid curriculum (PBL and traditional lectures) in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, in 2011. Data was collected through a pre-constructed, validated, confidentially anonymous, and self-administered questionnaire. Students' perceptions toward PBL and traditional lectures were assessed through their response to 20 statements inquired about both methods of learning using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive and analytic statistics were performed using SPSS, version 21 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill., USA). Learners preferred PBL more to traditional lectures for better linking the knowledge of basic and clinical sciences (t test=10.15, P .05) was observed regarding the amount of basic knowledge recalled from both methods. Students preferred PBL more to lectures for better learning attitudes, skills, future outcomes, and learning satisfaction (P learn better than lecturing (P traditional lectures for improving most of learning outcome domains, especially, learning attitudes and skills. Introducing hybrid-PBL curriculum in all Saudi universities is highly recommended.

Implementation of the WHO multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in a University Hospital in Central Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frieder Pfäfflin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The burden of health-care associated infections in low-income countries is high. Adequate hand hygiene is considered the most effective measure to reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. We aimed to assess compliance with hand hygiene and perception and knowledge about hand hygiene before and after the implementation of a multimodal hand hygiene campaign designed by the World Health Organization. Methods The study was carried out at Asella Teaching Hospital, a university hospital and referral centre for a population of about 3.5 million in Arsi Zone, Central Ethiopia. Compliance with hand hygiene during routine patient care was measured by direct observation before and starting from six weeks after the intervention, which consisted of a four day workshop accompanied by training sessions and the provision of locally produced alcohol-based handrub and posters emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene. A second follow up was conducted three months after handing over project responsibility to the Ethiopian partners. Health-care workers’ perception and knowledge about hand hygiene were assessed before and after the intervention. Results At baseline, first, and second follow up we observed a total of 2888, 2865, and 2244 hand hygiene opportunities, respectively. Compliance with hand hygiene was 1.4% at baseline and increased to 11.7% and 13.1% in the first and second follow up, respectively (p < 0.001. The increase in compliance with hand hygiene was consistent across professional categories and all participating wards and was independently associated with the intervention (adjusted odds ratio, 9.18; 95% confidence interval 6.61-12.76; p < 0.001. After the training, locally produced alcohol-based handrub was used in 98.4% of all hand hygiene actions. The median hand hygiene knowledge score overall was 13 (interquartile range 11–15 at baseline and increased to 17 (15–18 after training (p < 0.001. Health

Hand in Hand - SEI Programmes for School Staff

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Réol, Lise Andersen; Laursen, Hilmar Dyrborg

2017-01-01

This catalogue of research in the field of SEI programmes for the school staff’s and teachers’ SEI competencies is based on a review performed by the main researchers Birgitte Lund Nielsen, Lise Andersen Réol and Hilmar Dyrborg Laursen, VIA University College, Denmark, but discussed by the entire...... team of Hand in Hand partner countries and researchers. The aim was to identify the central aspects and elements concerning successful implementation, and school staff’s development of professional competencies in the specific field of supporting students’ social, emotional and intercultural (SEI......) competencies. Abstract: Framed by the EU-project Hand in Hand focusing on Social, Emotional and Intercultural (SEI) competencies among students and school staff, the paper discusses implementation and professional competencies based on a research review. The following five topics were identified: 1...

Right-handed sneutrino as cold dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asaka, Takehiko; Ishiwata, Koji; Moroi, Takeo

2006-01-01

We consider supersymmetric models with right-handed neutrinos where neutrino masses are purely Dirac-type. In this model, right-handed sneutrino can be the lightest supersymmetric particle and can be a viable candidate of cold dark matter of the universe. Right-handed sneutrinos are never thermalized in the early universe because of weakness of Yukawa interaction, but are effectively produced by decays of various superparticles. We show that the present mass density of right-handed sneutrino can be consistent with the observed dark matter density

Degloving injuries of the hand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Krishnamoorthy

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Avulsion of skin from the hand or fingers is an injury that has a dramatic presentation. The entire musculo-skeletal unit of the finger is intact, and the patient can often move the parts of his naked hand quite normally. The challenge for the reconstructive surgeon lies in resurfacing the hand or finger with a good quality pliable sensate skin cover while preserving the movements and function of the hand. Traditionally, skin grafting has been the standard method of reconstruction in such injuries. However, skin grafting does have many disadvantages, too. This article deals with the features of such injuries, management protocols and other reconstructive options available in the armamentarium of the hand surgeon.

The Persistence of Traditional Gender Stereotypes: Evidence from the Distribution of Academic Honors at a Female-Majority University

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, A. Lynn; Phillips, G. Michael

2010-01-01

A shift from male-majority to female-majority university campuses has opened up new areas for research on gender bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. At one large state university on the west coast, there were more female than male graduates in Spring, 2008 in 7 out of 8 colleges, including the traditionally male-majority areas of business and…

Between tradition and renewal: Some considerations about the use of tradition in reformed theology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willem van Vlastuin

2013-08-01

Full Text Available In the theology and practice of the Christian church a tension between tradition and renewal exists. This essay focuses on this tension to provide a first step of methodological reflection to deal with it. Firstly, this tension is illustrated from the reformed perspective of sola scripturathat led to criticism of the tradition on the one hand, whilst understanding the reformed movement as part of the tradition on the other hand. A danger of unqualified sola scriptura is subjectivity. Subsequently, the importance of tradition is elaborated from the perspective of the church as the body of Christ across all ages. This implies that Christians should study and love the traditional theology because of the fundamental unity of the church that transcends cultural diversity. Rejecting tradition will cut the church from its historical and spiritual roots. Thirdly, this raises the question whether the church is imprisoned by tradition, as well as the problem of the relation between tradition and renewal. In response, it is argued that the doctrine of incarnation guarantees openness to history. With the help of the philosophical and Christian view on structural contingency, the belief that tradition is principally open to renewal is defended. Some examples are given as illustrations of how classic theological concepts can be reframed in our postmodern context. The last part of this essay concludes with the insight of Cyprian that only the conveyed tradition can be renewed, implying that renewal is in essence not a new theology, but a new application of apostolic theology.

Cultural Earth Science in Hawai`i: Hands-on Place-Based Investigations that Merge Traditional Knowledge with Earth Science Inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Moxey, L.; Dias, R. K.; Legaspi, E.

2011-12-01

During the summer of 2011, the Mālama Ke Ahupua`a (to care of our watershed) GEARUP summer program provided 25 under-served and under-represented minority public high school students (Hawaiian, part-Hawaiian, Filipino, Pacific Islanders) from Farrington High School (Kalihi, Honolulu) with a hands-on place-based multidiscipline course located within Manoa Valley (Ahupua`a O Kona) with the objective of engaging participants in scientific environmental investigations while exploring Hawaii's linkages between traditional knowledge, culture and science. The 4-week field program enabled students to collect samples along the perennial Manoa Stream and conduct water quality assessments throughout the Manoa watershed. Students collected science quality data from eight different sampling stations by means of field- and laboratory-based quantitative water quality testing equipment and GPS/GIS technology. While earning Hawaii DOE academic credits, students were able to document changes along the stream as related to pollution and urbanization. While conducting the various scientific investigations, students also participated in cultural fieldtrips and activities that highlighted the linkages between historical sustainable watershed uses by native Hawaiian communities, and their connections with natural earth processes. Additionally, students also participated in environmental service-learning projects that highlight the Hawaiian values of laulima (teamwork), mālama (to care for), and imi `ike (to seek knowledge). By contextualizing and merging hands-on place-based earth science inquiry with native Hawaiian traditional knowledge, students experienced the natural-cultural significance of their ahupua`a (watershed). This highlighted the advantages for promoting environmental literacy and geoscience education to under-served and under-represented minority populations in Hawaii from a rich native Hawaiian cultural framework.

Control, Trust, and Rethinking Traditional Roles: Critical Elements in Creating a Mutually Beneficial University-School Partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewison, Mitzi; Holliday, Sue

1997-01-01

Describes a partnership between a university graduate student and the principal and teachers of a traditional elementary school who collaborated to engage in study group sessions, keep professional journals, and read and discuss research articles on writing instruction. The paper addresses issues of building trust, equalizing power, and…

Perceptions of Faculty toward Integrating Technology in Undergraduate Higher Education Traditional Classrooms at Research-Focused Regional Universities in South Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Shipman, Cheri Deann

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of faculty members who use technology in undergraduate higher education traditional classrooms in research-focused regional universities in South Texas. Faculty members at research-focused regional universities are expected to divide time judiciously into three major areas: research, service, and…

A Comparison of For-Profit and Traditional Universities' Student Persistence, Graduation Rate, and Job Placement

Science.gov (United States)

Sandlin, Deborah L.

2017-01-01

This research project is a study comparing for-profit schools and traditional universities related to student persistence, graduation rate, and job placement. The results based on a sample size of 92 students indicate that there is no significant difference between persistence, graduation rates and successful job placement at either school. There…

Sasang Constitutional Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Comparative Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junghee Yoo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM is a holistic typological constitution medicine which balances psychological, social, and physical aspects of an individual to achieve wellness and increase longevity. SCM has the qualities of preventative medicine, as it emphasizes daily health management based on constitutionally differentiated regimens and self-cultivation of the mind and body. This review's goal is to establish a fundamental understanding of SCM and to provide a foundation for further study. It compares the similarities and differences of philosophical origins, perspectives on the mind (heart, typological systems, pathology, and therapeutics between SCM and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM. TCM is based on the Taoist view of the universe and humanity. The health and longevity of an individual depends on a harmonious relationship with the universe. On the other hand, SCM is based on the Confucian view of the universe and humanity. SCM focuses on the influence of human affairs on the psyche, physiology, and pathology.

Tradition, Modernity and the Role of Confucianism in the Creation of the Japanese Nation-State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luka Culiberg

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The paper explores the development of Confucian thought in Japan, showing that Confucianism, with its key concept of the Way, remained the foundation of Japanese intellectual circles even as it underwent numerous transformations and reinterpretations. The universal Way as a natural Principle was transformed into a product of the sages within the framework of the kogaku school, whereas the kokugaku school applied the concept of the Way to the Japanese Shinto tradition. The adherents of the rangaku school, on the other hand, adopted Western science and technology in the Confucian intellectual universe. The new nation-state built by the Meiji revolutionaries thus became a mixture of all these intellectual currents. The Meiji state was a modern, industrial and technologically advanced state that identified itself with the imperial system and native Shinto tradition while being held together institutionally by a firm Confucian ideology.

Supporting Online, Non-Traditional Students through the Introduction of Effective E-Learning Tools in a Pre-University Tertiary Enabling Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Lambrinidis, George

2014-01-01

The increasing number of external students enrolling at Charles Darwin University has led to the university investing in new technologies to provide better support for students studying online. Many students, however, come from non-traditional backgrounds and lack some of the skills and confidence to participate successfully in an e-learning…

MARKETING OF TRADITIONAL PRODUCT IN TRANSYLVANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. MATIUTI

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Transylvania and the Banat are two historical regions that gave birth to several domestic animal breeds. Over the last 15 years, number have sunken dramatically, because these local breeds have been greatly replaced by imported ones. Although very many so- called agrotouristic pensions are now on the market, only about 1% of them promote real traditional food products obtained from local animal breeds. Only few people, especially old people, know traditional recipes older than two or three hundred years and the youth totally ignore them. On the one hand, a large variety of names for different products have appeared on the market, but they are manufactured by big firms and do not have the quality of the traditional products. On the other hand, small producers often have hygiene problems. The reinforcement of traditional products can only occur if people know the quality and the value of the products obtained from the local animal breeds, many of them being endangered species.

To evaluate and compare the efficacy, cleaning ability of hand and two rotary systems in root canal retreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shivanand, Sunita; Patil, Chetan R; Thangala, Venugopal; Kumar, Pabbati Ravi; Sachdeva, Jyoti; Krishna, Akash

2013-05-01

To evaluate and compare the efficacy, cleaning ability of hand and two rotary systems in root canal retreatment. Sixty extracted premolars were retreated with following systems: Group -ProTaper Universal retreatment files, Group 2-ProFile system, Group 3-H-file. Specimens were split longitudinally and amount of remaining gutta-percha on the canal walls was assessed using direct visual scoring with the aid of stereomicroscope. Results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA test. Completely clean root canal walls were not achieved with any of the techniques investigated. However, all three systems proved to be effective for gutta-percha removal. Significant difference was found between ProTaper universal retreatment file and H-file, and also between ProFile and H-file. Under the conditions of the present study, ProTaper Universal retreatment files left significantly less guttapercha and sealer than ProFile and H-file. Rotary systems in combination with gutta-percha solvents can perform superiorly as compared to the time tested traditional hand instrumentation in root canal retreatment.

CONSUMERS’ BRAND EQUITY PERCEPTIONS OF TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL BRANDS

OpenAIRE

Catli, Ozlem; Ermec Sertoglu, Aysegul; Ors, Husniye

2017-01-01

Thisstudy aims to compare consumers' brand perception of traditional brands withbrand perceptions of non-traditional brands.  Consumers livingin Ankara constitute the universe of work, and data were gathered in aface-to-face interview using the survey method. the demographic characteristicsof the participants was prepared with the aim of evaluating and comparing onetraditional brand and one non traditional brand of brand equity related to thebrand equity by the participants. According to...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... today; no cure tomorrow - Duration: 3:10. World Health Organization 69,414 views 3:10 Hand Washing ... Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health 408,436 views 5:46 83 videos Play ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health 408,436 views 5: ... Prevention (CDC) 97,277 views 5:12 Loading more suggestions... Show more Language: English Location: United States ...

Ability of Hand Hygiene Interventions Using Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Soap To Reduce Microbial Load on Farmworker Hands Soiled during Harvest.

Science.gov (United States)

de Aceituno, Anna Fabiszewski; Bartz, Faith E; Hodge, Domonique Watson; Shumaker, David J; Grubb, James E; Arbogast, James W; Dávila-Aviña, Jorgé; Venegas, Fabiola; Heredia, Norma; García, Santos; Leon, Juan S

2015-11-01

Effective hand hygiene is essential to prevent the spread of pathogens on produce farms and reduce foodborne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act Proposed Rule for Produce Safety recommends the use of soap and running water for hand hygiene of produce handlers. The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) may be an effective alternative hygiene intervention where access to water is limited. There are no published data on the efficacy of either soap or ABHS-based interventions to reduce microbial contamination in agricultural settings. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of two soap-based (traditional or pumice) and two ABHS-based (label-use or two-step) hygiene interventions to reduce microbes (coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp.) and soil (absorbance of hand rinsate at 600 nm [A600]) on farmworker hands after harvesting produce, compared with the results for a no-hand-hygiene control. With no hand hygiene, farmworker hands were soiled (median A600, 0.48) and had high concentrations of coliforms (geometric mean, 3.4 log CFU per hand) and Enterococcus spp. (geometric mean, 5.3 log CFU per hand) after 1 to 2 h of harvesting tomatoes. Differences in microbial loads in comparison to the loads in the control group varied by indicator organism and hygiene intervention (0 to 2.3 log CFU per hand). All interventions yielded lower concentrations of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli (P hands (P hand washing with soap at reducing indicator organisms on farmworker hands. Based on these results, ABHS is an efficacious hand hygiene solution for produce handlers, even on soiled hands.

The influence of out-of-institution environments on the university schooling project of non-traditional students in Uganda

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tumuheki, Peace Buhwamatsiko; Zeelen, Jacobus; Openjuru, George L.

2018-01-01

Participation and integration of non-traditional students (NTS) in university education is influenced by factors within the institution and those external to the institution, including participants’ self-perceptions and dispositions. The objective of this qualitative study is to draw from the

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 396 views 3:10 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 414 views 3:10 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 384 views 1:19 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 460 views 3:10 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson ...

[A multimodal strategy to improve adherence to hand hygiene in a university hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Fariñas-Alvarez, C; Portal-María, T; Flor-Morales, V; Aja-Herrero, A; Fabo-Navarro, M; Lanza-Marín, S; Lobeira-Rubio, R; Polo-Hernández, N; Sixto-Montero, M; Moreta-Sánchez, R; Ballesteros-Sanz, M Á; Yañez-San Segundo, L; Bartalome-Pacheco, M J; Armiñanzas-Castillo, C

Within the framework of the PaSQ (Patient Safety and Quality care) Project, this hospital decided to implement a multifaceted hospital-wide Hand Hygiene (HH) intervention based on a multimodal WHO approach over one year, focusing on achieving a sustained change in HH cultural change in this hospital. Setting: University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander (Spain), a tertiary hospital with 900 beds. Intervention period: 2014. An action plan was developed that included the implementation of activities in each component of the 5-step multimodal intervention. An observation/feedback methodology was used that included the provision of performance and results feedback to the staff. A 3/3 strategy (non-blinded direct observation audits performed during 3 randomised days every 3 weeks with pro-active corrective actions at the end of each observation period). HH compliance, alcohol-based hand-rub (ABHR) consumption, and rate of MRSA infection, were monitored during the intervention. Hospital ABHR consumption increased during the study period: from 17.5 to 19.7mL/patient-days. In the intervention units, this consumption was 24.8mL pre-intervention, 42.5mL during the intervention, and 30.4mL two months post-intervention. There were 137 evaluation periods in 30 different days, in which a total of 737 health-care workers were observed and 1,870 HH opportunities. HH compliance was 54.5%, ranging between 44.8% and 69.9%. The incidence of MRSA infection decreased during the intervention in the selected units, from 13.2 infections per 10,000 patient-days pre-intervention to 5.7 three months post-intervention. Our HH strategy, supported by a 3/3 strategy increased alcohol-based hand-rub consumption and compliance. A reduction in MRSA infections was observed. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Effect of Canal Preparation by Step Back Technique Using Hand Instruments and Gates Glidden Drills with ProTaper Universal Rotary System on the Root Resistance to Vertical Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Abbaszadegan

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cleaning and shaping of the root canal system with an efficient and safe technique are the major goals of root canal treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional root canal preparation technique by hand instruments and Gates Glidden drills with ProTaper Universal Rotary system on the root susceptibility to vertical fracture. Methods: Thirty extracted human mandibular premolars were randomly assigned to two groups. In group I, apical preparation was performed with k-files up to #40 utilizing step back technique and coronal flaring was done with Gates Glidden drills. In group II, ProTaper Universal Rotary instruments were used up to the file F4. All teeth were obturated with lateral compaction technique using gutta-percha and AH26 sealer. A simulated periodontal ligament was fabricated, and the teeth were mounted. A stainless steel finger spreader #35 was mounted in an Instron testing machine and the necessary load to cause a root fracture was inserted and recorded. The obtained data were analyzed statistically using T-test. Results: The force required to fracture was significantly lower for the roots prepared by ProTaper instruments in comparison with the specimens prepared by hand instruments and Gates Glidden drills (P< 0.001. Conclusion: Canal preparation with ProTaper rotary instruments can make the roots more susceptible to vertical fracture than traditional instrumentation with k-files and Gates Glidden drills.

Improving adherence to hand hygiene practice: a multidisciplinary approach.

OpenAIRE

Pittet, D.

2001-01-01

Hand hygiene prevents cross-infection in hospitals, but health-care workers' adherence to guidelines is poor. Easy, timely access to both hand hygiene and skin protection is necessary for satisfactory hand hygiene behavior. Alcohol- based hand rubs may be better than traditional handwashing as they require less time, act faster, are less irritating, and contribute to sustained improvement in compliance associated with decreased infection rates. This article reviews barriers to appropriate han...

Traditional manual acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy for shoulder hand syndrome after stroke within the Chinese healthcare system: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Le; Zhang, Chao; Zhou, Lan; Zuo, Hong-Xia; He, Xiao-Kuo; Niu, Yu-Ming

2018-04-01

To investigate the effectiveness of traditional manual acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy versus rehabilitation therapy alone for shoulder hand syndrome after stroke. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information Database, Wan Fang Database and reference lists of the eligible studies were searched up to July 2017 for relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials that compared the combined effects of traditional manual acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy to rehabilitation therapy alone for shoulder hand syndrome after stroke were included. Two reviewers independently screened the searched records, extracted the data and assessed risk of bias of the included studies. The treatment effect sizes were pooled in a meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 20 studies involving 1918 participants were included in this study. Compared to rehabilitation therapy alone, the combined therapy significantly reduced pain on the visual analogue scale and improved limb movement on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale and the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) on the Barthel Index scale or Modified Barthel Index scale. Of these, the visual analogue scale score changes were significantly higher (mean difference = 1.49, 95% confidence interval = 1.15-1.82, P < 0.00001) favoring the combined therapy after treatment, with severe heterogeneity ( I 2  = 71%, P = 0.0005). Current evidence suggests that traditional manual acupuncture integrated with rehabilitation therapy is more effective in alleviating pain, improving limb movement and ADL. However, considering the relatively low quality of available evidence, further rigorously designed and large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the results.

Testing a new alcohol-free hand sanitizer to combat infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyer, D L; Gerenraich, K B; Wadhams, P S

1998-08-01

Universal precautions require that perioperative health care personnel wash their hand before and after all patient contact. Time constraints, however, can make adhering to universal precautions, including proper hand washing, difficult. Some perioperative health care workers, therefore, routinely use rise-free hand sanitizers to supplement normal hand washing. This study evaluated immediate and persistent antimicrobial effectiveness of two alcohol--containing hand sanitizers and a novel surfactant, allantoin, benzalkonium chloride (SAB) hand sanitizer using a federally approved effectiveness protocol. Results indicate that all three products were equally effective after a single application. After repeated use, the alcohol-containing sanitizers did not meet federal performance standards, and the alcohol-free sanitizer did. These properties and others illustrated in this article indicate that the nonflammable, alcohol-free SAB hand sanitizer is the most favorable of the rise-free hand sanitizer formulas for normal hand washing.

Achieving Knowledge-Creating Companies in Mexico: the Advantage of University-Industry Alliances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karla Cedano

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we focused on developing a methodology to promote innovation through industry-university collaboration. So we analyzed two different scenarios. On one hand we have the traditional firm, that is striving to survive in the global knowledge-driven economic framework and on the other we have world class research universities that are trying to find the best way to put their knowledge in the market place, fostering spin-offs as well as promoting knowledge transfer to the traditional industry. We have analyzed the behavior of successful high-technology spin-offs, and knowledge transfer experiences worldwide. In particular, we have focused on the management paradigm of the "knowledge creating company", proposed by Nonaka [11], since it is one of the models that best describes the organizational environment in such successful experiences. Finally, we present the methodology developed as a result of this study that is currently being applied in our State University

A community sharing hands-on centers in engineer's training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

jean-pierre jpt Taboy

2006-02-01

Full Text Available As teachers in Technical Universities, we must think about the engineer's training. We need good applicants, up to date hardware and software for hand-on. Each university don't have enough money and technical people to cover the new needs. A community sharing remote hand-on centers could be a solution.

Traditional Cherokee Food.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrix, Janey B.

A collection for children and teachers of traditional Cherokee recipes emphasizes the art, rather than the science, of cooking. The hand-printed, illustrated format is designed to communicate the feeling of Cherokee history and culture and to encourage readers to collect and add family recipes. The cookbook could be used as a starting point for…

Youth Culture and Globalization: The Articulation of Tradition, Modernity, and Postmodernity in the Youth Culture of Students of the University of the Philippines, Diliman

OpenAIRE

Gerry M. Lanuza

2000-01-01

In my study of youth culture among the students of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, I was surprised to find out that despite the steady phase of modernization in the larger Philippine society, the youth culture of the students still betrays dominant traditional values and traits. I was surprised, that, given the fact that the university is a spatial field where modernization has its very likely stronghold, the students are very much attached to family values and traditional values ...

Graduates of an Historically Black Boarding School and Their Academic and Social Integration at Two Traditionally White Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander-Snow, Mia

2010-01-01

This naturalistic inquiry explored the cultural impact of a historically Black independent boarding school on the social and academic experiences of four of its graduates who attended two traditionally White universities. The study examined two primary questions: (a) What factors from the historically Black boarding school assisted or hindered…

Multiple faces of contemporary hand knitting

Science.gov (United States)

Pavko-Čuden, A.

2017-10-01

Knitting and crocheting are traditional textile techniques with great significance both in history and modern times. Similar to other textile techniques, knitting has developed into a diversified industrial sector, comprising the production of knitted fabrics, knitwear, hosiery and fashion accessories. At the same time, contemporary knitting and crocheting became hobbies as well as arts-and-crafts activities, extending to various areas of work and leisure. Historical and traditional ethnic knitting and crocheting patterns keep inspiring designers’ collections and also other industrial products. Not so long ago, knitting was seen as an ordinary and unchanging indoor activity and, in its domestic history, it was the preserve of older women making products of dainty work and taste. Today, knitting deals with urban population of all classes. The popularity of leisure hand knitting is increasing; moreover, hand knitting is becoming more and more widespread among young people. With the emergence of artistic and handicraft markets, hand-knitting and crocheting developed into a profitable market activity. Positive effects of hand knitting have become increasingly important - from generating creativity and innovativeness, through knitting and socializing in groups, to medical and therapeutic effects as well as social and global connections. Yarn bombing, yarn storming or graffiti knitting has been used to describe urban social practices of knitted objects placed, or tagged, in public spaces. Knitting became means of communication, artistic and social expression and statement. The advantage of hand knitting is its mobility. One can knit almost everywhere, and for hand knitting, only a ball of yarn and knitting needles are required. Handknitted products have nice touch, they are custom-made and therefore personalized.

Hands-On Hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Catherine E.; Monroe, Louise Nelson

2004-01-01

A professional school and university collaboration enables elementary students and their teachers to explore hydrology concepts and realize the beneficial functions of wetlands. Hands-on experiences involve young students in determining water quality at field sites after laying the groundwork with activities related to the hydrologic cycle,…

Hand Preference for Precision Grasping Predicts Language Lateralization

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Claudia L. R.; Goodale, Melvyn A.

2009-01-01

We investigated whether or not there is a relationship between hand preference for grasping and hemispheric dominance for language--and how each of these is related to other traditional measures of handedness. To do this we asked right- and left-handed participants to put together two different sets of 3D puzzles made out of big or very small…

Sequential Low Cost Interventions Double Hand Hygiene Rates ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sequential Low Cost Interventions Double Hand Hygiene Rates Among Medical Teams in a Resource Limited Setting. Results of a Hand Hygiene Quality Improvement Project Conducted At University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (Chuk), Kigali, Rwanda.

Double standard for traditional value of virginity and premarital sexuality in Turkey: a university students case.

Science.gov (United States)

Eşsizoğlu, Altan; Yasan, Aziz; Yildirim, Ejder Akgun; Gurgen, Faruk; Ozkan, Mustafa

2011-03-01

This study investigates the prevalence of myths regarding virginity and the hymen and their associations with sexuality prior to marriage. This study was conducted with 534 single, heterosexual male and female students from various faculties of Dicle University in Turkey. The findings demonstrated that the rates of masturbation (11.1%) and premarital sexual intercourse (4.3%) were much lower in women than in men (87.7% and 44.2% respectively) who were traditionally expected to maintain their virginity until marriage. A higher degree of commitment to religious faith was associated with a lower rate of masturbation and sexual contact experience. Also, the myth that the hymen symbolized virginity was slightly more prevalent among male students (74.2% vs. 72.1%). Female virginity was significantly more important among male students (76.7%) than females (11.1%), and male students more frequently (30.1% vs. 11.1%) stated that "the blood-stained bed sheet" should be displayed to the family on the day of marriage. Although some myths about virginity were frequently reported by females, less significance was attributed to virginity by females than by males. In conclusion, the traditional social structure that incites sexual double standards still prevails over the sexual attitudes and behaviors of university students in Turkey.

Hand-Based Biometric Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bebis, George (Inventor); Amayeh, Gholamreza (Inventor)

2015-01-01

Hand-based biometric analysis systems and techniques are described which provide robust hand-based identification and verification. An image of a hand is obtained, which is then segmented into a palm region and separate finger regions. Acquisition of the image is performed without requiring particular orientation or placement restrictions. Segmentation is performed without the use of reference points on the images. Each segment is analyzed by calculating a set of Zernike moment descriptors for the segment. The feature parameters thus obtained are then fused and compared to stored sets of descriptors in enrollment templates to arrive at an identity decision. By using Zernike moments, and through additional manipulation, the biometric analysis is invariant to rotation, scale, or translation or an in put image. Additionally, the analysis utilizes re-use of commonly-seen terms in Zernike calculations to achieve additional efficiencies over traditional Zernike moment calculation.

Psychotherapeutic Function of the Kazakh Traditional Music

Science.gov (United States)

Shakerimova, Zere S.; Nussupova, Aizada S.; Burambaeva, Maryam N.; Yermanov, Zhanat R.; Emreyeva, Akmaral E.; Janseitova, Sveta S.

2016-01-01

This article considers the psychotherapeutic parameters of traditional Kazakh music, best practices that were achieved in practical psychology. From the one hand, it allows us to see the music features in a new light, and from the other hand--to identify the ethnic psychology of the Kazakh nation. An important step in the study of the…

Copper sulphate burns to the hands, a complication of traditional medicine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lapid, Oren

2008-01-01

An 11-year-old girl of Bedouin origin presented with infected burns on the dorsum of both her hands. The burns had an unusual configuration in the form of spirals, and child abuse was suspected. The family reported that the burns had been caused by a treatment, for head aches, dispensed by a

Right-handed and left-handed neutrinos and the two galactic populations of the universe. Additional evidence for the neutrino mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fargion, D.

1981-01-01

There is astrophysical evidence in favour of the right-handed and left-handed nature of the neutrinos: the existence of our recent galactic population could be associated with a recent clustering of cosmological left-handed neutrinos, while a primordial galactic population could be created by a corresponding clustering of a cosmological right-handed neutrinos. This latter galactic population could be associated with an anomalous excess in the radiosource counts at a large red-shift which is consistent with the range of red-shifts predicted by our estimate, based on presently known elementary-particle physics and thermodynamics. (author)

A novel hand-type detection technique with fingerprint sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Narishige; Shinzaki, Takashi

2013-05-01

In large-scale biometric authentication systems such as the US-Visit (USA), a 10-fingerprints scanner which simultaneously captures four fingerprints is used. In traditional systems, specific hand-types (left or right) are indicated, but it is difficult to detect hand-type due to the hand rotation and the opening and closing of fingers. In this paper, we evaluated features that were extracted from hand images (which were captured by a general optical scanner) that are considered to be effective for detecting hand-type. Furthermore, we extended the knowledge to real fingerprint images, and evaluated the accuracy with which it detects hand-type. We obtained an accuracy of about 80% with only three fingers (index, middle, ring finger).

Hand eczema guidelines based on the Danish guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hand eczema

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menné, Torkil; Johansen, Jeanne D; Sommerlund, Mette

2011-01-01

Background. Classification of hand eczema has traditionally been based both on aetiology and clinical appearance. For 20% of cases, the aetiology is unknown. Objectives. To suggest a classification based on well-defined aetiology as well as on predefined clinical patterns and on the dynamics of h...

Drifting Apart or Converging? Grades among Non-Traditional and Traditional Students over the Course of Their Studies: A Case Study from Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Brändle, Tobias; Lengfeld, Holger

2017-01-01

Since 2009, German universities were opened by law to freshmen who do not possess the traditional graduation certificate required for entry into University, but who are rather vocationally qualified. In this article, we track the grades of these so-called non-traditional students and compare them to those of traditional students using a…

The Digital Archiving of Endangered Language Oral Traditions: Kaipuleohone at the University of Hawai‘i and C’ek’aedi Hwnax in Alaska

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea L. Berez

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This essay compares and contrasts two small-scale digital endangered language archives with regard to their relevance for oral tradition research. The first is a university-based archive curated at the University of Hawai‘i, which is designed to house endangered language materials arising from the fieldwork of university researchers. The second is an indigenously-administered archive in rural Alaska that serves the language maintenance needs of the Ahtna Athabaskan Alaska Native community.

Hands of beauty, hands of horror: fear and Egyptian art at the Fin de Siècle.

Science.gov (United States)

Briefel, Aviva

2008-01-01

This essay examines the gothicization of Egyptian manual productions in late-Victorian mummy narratives. These narratives often isolate the mummy's hand as a signifier of craftsmanship, a troubling object for a culture that was mourning the figurative loss of its artisans' hands to mechanized production. Focusing on Bram Stoker's 1903 novel, The Jewel of Seven Stars, I contend that the horror of the mummy's hand emanates from its ambiguous position as an artifact that is itself a means of production. It displaces Friedrich Engels's conception of the Western hand as a self-creating appendage into the atavistic domain of a long-lost Egyptian tradition, and in doing so, it forces the English observer to recognize the irrecoverable nature of aesthetic craftsmanship. Brought into violent contact with the creative potential of the mummy's hand, the characters in Stoker's novel try to disassociate the mummy from manual production but only succeed in confirming their own status as products of a mechanized age.

THE ROLE OF TRADITION IN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Morerod

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The human element is one of the most significant aspects of understanding tradition in the Church. It is true that the Holy Spirit is the principle active person and the guarantee of truth in the process of the handing down of tradition. But on the other hand, God Himself entrusted man with the duty of proclaiming the faith. Still, when man comes into the picture, so emerges the problem of human fallibility and the possibility of distorting the faith which is handed down. It is therefore vital to search for criteria which might help us to separate the truth from its distortion. These criteria are supplied by the authoritative voice of the Church. The problem of authority in the Church is for today one of the most essential questions touched upon in inter-confessional Christian dialogue. It is tightly linked to another problem — that of primacy within the Church — and this is being discussed in the framework of Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue

From Cultivation to Education: A Study of the Development of the Swedish Universities from a Traditional Cultural Institution to a Rational Educational Institution. R&D for Higher Education, 1980:9.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Lennart

The history of the Swedish universities and their roots in various traditions are traced. Attention is directed to the historico-sociological theory concerning the development and transformation of the Swedish universities from a traditional cultural institution to a rational educational institution. Six themes are covered: a general historical…

Hand and Wrist Injuries in Boxing and the Martial Arts.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Benjamin Todd; Lehman, Thomas P; Rayan, Ghazi

2017-02-01

Hand and wrist injuries in martial arts are typically a reflection of the combat nature of this discipline. In striking sports, the axial load mechanism of injury is common and causes fractures and dislocations; in grappling sports, sprain injuries and degenerative changes predominate. There is clear evidence to support that hand protection reduces the risk of hand injury. Traditional training in martial arts on proper technique and target selection in striking sports reduces the risk of hand injury, and is an important component of hand and wrist injury prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of directly observed patient hand hygiene for hospitalized patients by hand hygiene ambassadors in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Vincent C C; Tai, Josepha W M; Li, W S; Chau, P H; So, Simon Y C; Wong, Lisa M W; Ching, Radley H C; Ng, Modissa M L; Ho, Sara K Y; Lee, Doris W Y; Lee, W M; Wong, Sally C Y; Yuen, K Y

2016-06-01

The importance of compliance with hand hygiene by patients is increasingly recognized to prevent health care-associated infections. This descriptive study observed the effects of an education campaign, targeted to increase patients' self-initiated hand hygiene, and a hand hygiene ambassador-initiated directly observed hand hygiene program on patients' hand hygiene compliance in a university-affiliated hospital. The overall audited compliance of patients' self-initiated hand hygiene was only 37.5%, with a rate of 26.9% (112/416 episodes) before meals and medications, 27.5% (19/69 episodes) after using a urinal or bedpan, and 89.7% (87/97 episodes) after attending toilet facilities. Patients referred from a residential care home for older adults had significantly lower hand hygiene compliance (P = .007). Comparatively, the overall audited compliance of ambassador-initiated directly observed hand hygiene was 97.3% (428/440 episodes), which was significantly higher than patients' self-initiated hand hygiene via a patient education program (37.5%, 218/582 episodes, P hand hygiene can play an important role in improving compliance with hand hygiene by hospitalized patients. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Disinfection efficacy of hand hygiene based on chlorhexidine gluconate content and usage of alcohol-based hand-rubbing solution].

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Ippei; Watanabe, Kiyoshi; Nakaminami, Hidemasa; Azuma, Chihiro; Noguchi, Norihisa

2014-01-01

Recently, the procedure for surgical hand hygiene has been switching to a two-stage method and hand-rubbing method from the traditional hand-scrubbing method. Both the two-stage and hand-rubbing methods use alcohol-based hand-rubbing after hand washing. The former requires 5 min of antiseptic hand washing, and the latter 1 min of nonantiseptic hand washing. For a prolonged bactericidal effect in terms of surgical hand hygiene, chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) has been noted due to its residual activity. However, no detailed study comparing the disinfection efficacy and prolonged effects according to different contents of CHG and the usage of alcohol-based hand-rubbing has been conducted. The glove juice method is able to evaluate disinfection efficacy and prolonged effects of the disinfectants more accurately because it can collect not only transitory bacteria but also normal inhabitants on hands. In the present study, we examined the disinfection efficacy and prolonged effects on alcohol-based hand-rubbing containing CHG by six hand-rubbing methods and three two-stage methods using the glove juice method. In both methods, 3 mL (one pump dispenser push volume) alcohol-based hand-rubbing solution containing 1% (w/v) CHG showed the highest disinfection efficacy and prolonged effects, and no significant difference was found between the hand-rubbing and two-stage methods. In the two methods of hand hygiene, the hand-rubbing method was able to save time and cost. Therefore, the data strongly suggest that the hand-rubbing method using a one pump dispenser push volume of alcohol-based hand-rubbing solution containing 1% (w/v) CHG is suitable for surgical hand hygiene.

Comparison of traditional Chinese medicine education between mainland China and Australia-a case study

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ji Chen; Bertrand Loyeung; Chris Zaslawski; Fan-rong Liang; Wei-hong Li

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the curriculum and delivery of a Chinese and Australian university-level Chinese medicine program. METHODS:A review of PubMed and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant educational papers was undertaken. Online and paper documents available at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CDUTCM) were read and analyzed. In addition, in-depth interviews with academics from the two universities were conducted during 2014 to 2015. RESULTS:ThetwoChinese medicine programs share the common goal of providing health services to the local community, but differ in some aspects when the curricula are compared. Areas such as student profi le, curriculum structure, teaching approaches and education quality assurance were found to be different. The UTSprogramadopts a “fl ipped learning” approach with the use of educational technology aiming at improving learning outcomes. On the other hand, the CDUTCM has better clinical facilities and specialist physician resources. CONCLUSION: A better understanding of the different curricula and approaches to Chinese medicine education wil facilitate student learning and educational outcomes.

Air Muscle Actuated Low Cost Humanoid Hand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Scarfe

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The control of humanoid robot hands has historically been expensive due to the cost of precision actuators. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low-cost air muscle actuated humanoid hand developed at Curtin University of Technology. This hand offers 10 individually controllable degrees of freedom ranging from the elbow to the fingers, with overall control handled through a computer GUI. The hand is actuated through 20 McKibben-style air muscles, each supplied by a pneumatic pressure-balancing valve that allows for proportional control to be achieved with simple and inexpensive components. The hand was successfully able to perform a number of human-equivalent tasks, such as grasping and relocating objects.

Air Muscle Actuated Low Cost Humanoid Hand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Scarfe

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The control of humanoid robot hands has historically been expensive due to the cost of precision actuators. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low-cost air muscle actuated humanoid hand developed at Curtin University of Technology. This hand offers 10 individually controllable degrees of freedom ranging from the elbow to the fingers, with overall control handled through a computer GUI. The hand is actuated through 20 McKibben-style air muscles, each supplied by a pneumatic pressure-balancing valve that allows for proportional control to be achieved with simple and inexpensive components. The hand was successfully able to perform a number of human-equivalent tasks, such as grasping and relocating objects.

The seesaw with many right-handed neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, John; Lebedev, Oleg

2007-01-01

There are no upper limits on the possible number of massive, singlet (right-handed) neutrinos that may participate in the seesaw mechanism, and some string constructions motivate seesaw models with up to O(100) right-handed neutrinos. In this case, the seesaw mass scale can be significantly higher than that in the traditional scheme with just 3 right-handed neutrinos. We consider the possible phenomenological implications of such models, in particular, for lepton-flavour violation and electric dipole moments. Since the neutrino masses depend on the Majorana mass scale linearly, while supersymmetric loop corrections depend on it logarithmically, the magnitude of lepton-flavour- and CP-violating transitions may increase with the multiplicity of the right-handed neutrinos and may be enhanced by orders of magnitude. We also point out that, in the context of leptogenesis, the bounds on the reheating temperature and the lightest neutrino mass get relaxed compared to those in the case of 3 right-handed neutrinos

Aboriginal oral traditions of Australian impact craters

Science.gov (United States)

Hamacher, Duane W.; Goldsmith, John

2013-11-01

In this paper we explore Aboriginal oral traditions that relate to Australian meteorite craters. Using the literature, first-hand ethnographic records and field trip data, we identify oral traditions and artworks associated with four impact sites: Gosses Bluff, Henbury, Liverpool and Wolfe Creek. Oral traditions describe impact origins for Gosses Bluff, Henbury and Wolfe Creek Craters, and non-impact origins for Liverpool Crater, with Henbury and Wolfe Creek stories having both impact and non-impact origins. Three impact sites that are believed to have been formed during human habitation of Australia -- Dalgaranga, Veevers, and Boxhole -- do not have associated oral traditions that are reported in the literature.

Income Outcome: Life in the Corporate University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robyn Ferrell

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Higher education on the corporate model imagines students as consumers, choosing between knowledge products and brands. It imagines itself liberating the university from the dictates of the State/tradition/aristocratic self-replication, and putting it in the hands of its democratic stakeholders. It therefore naturally subscribes to the general management principles and practices of global corporate culture. These principles – transparency, accountability, efficiency – are hard to argue with in principle. But an abstract argument in political economy comes down to earth in the challenges facing the arts and humanities, after the ‘Education Revolution’, to justify their modes of life.

The hand of birds revealed by early ostrich embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Feduccia, Alan; Nowicki, Julie

2002-08-01

The problem of resolving the homology of the digits of the avian hand has been framed as a conflict between paleontological and embryological evidence, the former thought to support a hand composed of digits I, II, III, because of similarity of the phalangeal formulae of the earliest known bird Archaeopteryx to that of Mesozoic pentadactyl archosaurs, while embryological evidence has traditionally favored a II, III, IV avian hand. We have identified the critical developmental period for the major features of the avian skeleton in a primitive bird, the ostrich. Analysis of digit anlagen in the avian hand has revealed those for digits/metacarpals I and V, thus confirming previous embryological studies that indirectly suggested that the avian hand comprises digits II, III, IV, and was primitively pentadactyl.

Second-hand signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Carsten

2014-01-01

Studies of signaling theory have traditionally focused on the dyadic link between the sender and receiver of the signal. Within a science‐based perspective this framing has led scholars to investigate how patents and publications of firms function as signals. I explore another important type...... used by various agents in their search for and assessment of products and firms. I conclude by arguing how this second‐hand nature of signals goes beyond a simple dyadic focus on senders and receivers of signals, and thus elucidates the more complex interrelations of the various types of agents...

Multidisciplinary Graduate Training in Social Research Methodology and Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis: A Hands-On/Hands-Off Course Design

Science.gov (United States)

Bourque, Claude Julie; Bourdon, Sylvain

2017-01-01

Drawing on the experience of training graduate students and researchers in qualitative and mixed-methods analysis since the mid-1990s, the authors reflect on the evolution of a multidisciplinary graduate course developed in a Canadian university since 2007. The hands-on/hands-off course design based on the use of NVivo was developed in parallel…

Cathedral outreach: student-led workshops for school curriculum enhancement in non-traditional environments

Science.gov (United States)

Posner, Matthew T.; Jantzen, Alexander; van Putten, Lieke D.; Ravagli, Andrea; Donko, Andrei L.; Soper, Nathan; Wong, Nicholas H. L.; John, Pearl V.

2017-08-01

Universities in the United Kingdom have been driven to work with a larger pool of potential students than just the more traditional student (middle-class white male), in order to tackle the widely-accepted skills-shortage in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), whilst honoring their commitment to fair access to higher education. Student-led outreach programs have contributed significantly to this drive. Two such programs run by postgraduate students at the University of Southampton are the Lightwave Roadshow and Southampton Accelerate!, which focus on photonics and particle physics, respectively. The program ambassadors have developed activities to enhance areas of the national curriculum through presenting fundamental physical sciences and their applications to optics and photonics research. The activities have benefitted significantly from investment from international organizations, such as SPIE, OSA and the IEEE Photonics Society, and UK research councils, in conjunction with university recruitment and outreach strategies. New partnerships have been formed to expand outreach programs to work in non-traditional environments to challenge stereotypes of scientists. This paper presents two case studies of collaboration with education learning centers at Salisbury Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral. The paper outlines workshops and shows developed for pupils aged 6-14 years (UK key stages 2-4) on the electromagnetic spectrum, particle physics, telecommunications and the human eye using a combination of readily obtainable items, hand-built kits and elements from the EYEST Photonics Explorer kit. The activities are interactive to stimulate learning through active participation, complement the UK national curriculum and link the themes of science with the non-traditional setting of a cathedral. We present methods to evaluate the impact of the activity and tools to obtain qualitative feedback for continual program improvement. We also

Mobility, Emotion, and Universality in Future Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Chignell, Mark; Hosono, Naotsune; Fels, Deborah; Lottridge, Danielle; Waterworth, John

The Graphical user interface has traditionally supported personal productivity, efficiency, and usability. With computer supported cooperative work, the focus has been on typical people, doing typical work in a highly rational model of interaction. Recent trends towards mobility, and emotional and universal design are extending the user interface paradigm beyond the routine. As computing moves into the hand and away from the desktop, there is a greater need for dealing with emotions and distractions. Busy and distracted people represent a new kind of disability, but one that will be increasingly prevalent. In this panel we examine the current state of the art, and prospects for future collaboration in non-normative computing requirements. This panel draws together researchers who are studying the problems of mobility, emotion and universality. The goal of the panel is to discuss how progress in these areas will change the nature of future collaboration.

[Hand hygiene: first measure to control nosocomial infection].

Science.gov (United States)

Christiaens, G; Barbier, C; Mutsers, J; Warnotte, J; De Mol, P; Bouffioux, C

2006-01-01

Hand hygiene prevents cross infection in hospi tals, however adherence to guidelines is commonly poor. The hand-hygiene promotion programme started on May 2004 at the University Hospital of Liège after a baseline survey of compliance. We attempted to promote hand hygiene and most par ticularly alcohol-based hand disinfection. We measured MRSA transmission rates and consumption of alcohol-based handrub solution and soap in parallel. During the campaign, consump tion of alcohol-based handrub solution and soap increased by 56% and 24% respectively and MRSA transmission rates decreased from 11,04 to 7,07 cases per 1000 admissions.

Youth Culture and Globalization: The Articulation of Tradition, Modernity, and Postmodernity in the Youth Culture of Students of the University of the Philippines, Diliman

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Gerry M. Lanuza

2000-06-01

Full Text Available In my study of youth culture among the students of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, I was surprised to find out that despite the steady phase of modernization in the larger Philippine society, the youth culture of the students still betrays dominant traditional values and traits. I was surprised, that, given the fact that the university is a spatial field where modernization has its very likely stronghold, the students are very much attached to family values and traditional values associated with it. This paper is an attempt to explain this phenomenon, while at the same time connecting my analysis to the wider issue of globalization. My analysis is very tentative and is based mainly on my study of youth culture of the University of the Philippines. The analysis therefore can only be considered as preliminary and may not necessarily be applied to other forms of youth culture and subculture in other localities without further qualifications.

Hand-Eye Calibration and Inverse Kinematics of Robot Arm using Neural Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Haiyan; Tizzano, Walter; Andersen, Thomas Timm

2013-01-01

Traditional technologies for solving hand-eye calibration and inverse kinematics are cumbersome and time consuming due to the high nonlinearity in the models. An alternative to the traditional approaches is the articial neural network inspired by the remarkable abilities of the animals in dierent...

Papers published from 1995 to 2012 by six Traditional Chinese Medicine universities in China: a bibliometric analysis based on science citation index.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Kuo; Tian, Guihua; Ye, Qing; Zhai, Xing; Chen, Jianxin; Liu, Tiegang; Liu, Kaifeng; Zhao, Jingyi; Ding, Shengyun

2013-12-01

The quality and quantity of published research papers are important in both scientific and technology fields. Although there are several bibliometric studies based on citation analysis, very few have focused on research related to Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. The bibliometric method used in this study included the following focuses: publication outputs for each year, paper type, language of publication, distribution of internationally collaborative countries, sources of funding, authorization number, distribution of institutes regarding collaborative publications, research fields, distribution of outputs in journals, citation, data, and h-index. A total of 3809 papers published from 1995 to 2012 were extracted from the science citation index (SCI). The cumulative number of papers from all six universities is constantly increasing. The United States attained the dominant position regarding complementary and alternative medicine research. The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the greatest participator in collaborative efforts. Research field analysis showed that the research mainly focused on pharmacology pharmacy, chemistry, integrative complementary medicine, plant sciences, and biochemistry molecular biology. The Shanghai University of Chinese Medicine had the most citations. In recent years, in terms of SCI papers, the six Traditional Chinese Medicine universities studied here have made great advances in scientific research.

A new approach to hand-based authentication

Science.gov (United States)

Amayeh, G.; Bebis, G.; Erol, A.; Nicolescu, M.

2007-04-01

Hand-based authentication is a key biometric technology with a wide range of potential applications both in industry and government. Traditionally, hand-based authentication is performed by extracting information from the whole hand. To account for hand and finger motion, guidance pegs are employed to fix the position and orientation of the hand. In this paper, we consider a component-based approach to hand-based verification. Our objective is to investigate the discrimination power of different parts of the hand in order to develop a simpler, faster, and possibly more accurate and robust verification system. Specifically, we propose a new approach which decomposes the hand in different regions, corresponding to the fingers and the back of the palm, and performs verification using information from certain parts of the hand only. Our approach operates on 2D images acquired by placing the hand on a flat lighting table. Using a part-based representation of the hand allows the system to compensate for hand and finger motion without using any guidance pegs. To decompose the hand in different regions, we use a robust methodology based on morphological operators which does not require detecting any landmark points on the hand. To capture the geometry of the back of the palm and the fingers in suffcient detail, we employ high-order Zernike moments which are computed using an effcient methodology. The proposed approach has been evaluated on a database of 100 subjects with 10 images per subject, illustrating promising performance. Comparisons with related approaches using the whole hand for verification illustrate the superiority of the proposed approach. Moreover, qualitative comparisons with state-of-the-art approaches indicate that the proposed approach has comparable or better performance.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in a university hospital of traditional Chinese medicine: molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, S; Yang, L; Liu, H; Gao, F

2017-07-01

Stenotrophomona maltophilia has emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen that is highly antibiotic resistant. Analysis of antibiotic susceptibilities, drug-resistant gene profiles and molecular typing of S. maltophilia was undertaken in a university hospital of traditional Chinese medicine in East China. Resistance to sulphamethoxazole (SXT) was found to be an indicator of multi-drug resistance. SXT resistance was mediated by sul and dfrA genes in integrons, especially class 1. Some evidence of clonal dissemination was found, indicating the occurrence of cross-transmission of antibiotic-resistant strains within the hospital. This underscores the need for effective control and prevention measures in hospitals. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthropometric Data of Hand, Foot and Ear of University Students in Nigeria

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Olasunkanmi Salami ISMAILA

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Anthropometric data is needed in the design of products as it varies between individuals and nations. These data for Nigerians is presently scant and this study is an attempt to provide data on hand, foot and ear for the improvements of hand gloves, handles, shoes, pedal dimensions, ear-phones and other related products.A random sample of 500 students was taken and their ages were between 18 and 29 years (mean of 21.7 years. Two hundred and fifty of the samples were males and the same numbers were females. The dimensions measured were ▪ hand: length and breadth; ▪ foot: length, breadth and height; ▪ ear: height and breadth. The study presents the anthropometric data for the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles for the above-presented variables.The study established that foot breadths of the females were larger than those of the males while the males had larger foot lengths. There were no significant differences between the hand dimensions of the males and those of the females. Similarly, there were no significant differences between the ear dimensions of males and the females

Hand sanitizer-dispensing door handles increase hand hygiene compliance: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Babiarz, Lukasz S; Savoie, Brent; McGuire, Mark; McConnell, Lauren; Nagy, Paul

2014-04-01

Improving rates of hand hygiene compliance (HHC) has been shown to reduce nosocomial disease. We compared the HHC for a traditional wall-mounted unit and a novel sanitizer-dispensing door handle device in a hospital inpatient ultrasound area. HHC increased 24.5%-77.1% (P sanitizer-dispensing door handle, whereas it remained unchanged for the other rooms. Technical improvements like a sanitizer-dispensing door handle can improve hospital HHC. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The upper hand on compartment syndrome.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Dolan, Roisin T

2012-11-01

Metacarpal fractures are common injuries, accounting for approximately 30% to 40% of all hand fractures and with a lifetime incidence of 2.5%. Traditionally regarded as an innocuous injury, metacarpal fractures tend to be associated with successful outcomes after closed reduction and immobilization. Hand compartment syndrome (HCS) is a rare clinical entity with potential devastating consequences in terms of loss of function and quality-of-life outcomes. We discuss the case of a 44-year-old woman presenting with multiple closed metacarpal fractures as a result of low-energy trauma, complicated by acute HCS. We review the presentation, clinical assessment, and optimal surgical management of acute HCS with reference to international literature.

Perceptions and behaviors related to hand hygiene for the prevention of H1N1 influenza transmission among Korean university students during the peak pandemic period

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Kim Seon-Ung

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was performed to better assess the perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with the use of hand washing to prevent H1N1 influenza transmission during the peak pandemic period in Korea. Methods A cross-sectional survey questionnaire was completed by 942 students at a university campus in Suwon, Korea, between December 1 and 8, 2009. The survey included questions regarding individual perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with hand washing for the prevention of H1N1 influenza transmission. Results Compared to one year prior, 30.3% of participants reported increasing their hand washing frequency. Female students were more likely to practice more frequent hand washing. Women also perceived the effectiveness of hand washing to be lower, and illness severity and personal susceptibility to H1N1 infection to be higher. Study participants who were female (OR: 1.79-3.90 who perceived of hand washing to be effective (OR: 1.34-12.15 and illness severity to be greater (OR: 1.00-3.12 washed their hands more frequently. Conclusions Korean students increased their frequency of hand hygiene practices during the pandemic, with significant gender differences existing in the attitudes and behaviors related to the use of hand hygiene as a means of disease prevention. Here, the factors that affected hand washing behavior were similar to those identified at the beginning of the H1N1 or SARS pandemics, suggesting that public education campaigns regarding hand hygiene are effective in altering individual hand hygiene habits during the peak periods of influenza transmission.

Stiegler's University

Science.gov (United States)

Featherstone, Mark

2017-01-01

In this article, Mark Featherstone proposes to explore Bernard Stiegler's work through the lens of the politics of education and in particular the idea of the university, which becomes a pharmacological space of, on the one hand, utopian possibility, and, on the other hand, dystopian limitation, destruction, and death in his recent "States of…

Review of Medicinal Remedies on Hand Eczema Based on Iranian Traditional Medicine: A Narrative Review Article

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MANSOURI, Parvin; KHADEMI, Aleme; PAHLEVAN, Daryoush; MEMARIANI, Zahra; ALIASL, Jale; SHIRBEIGII, Laila

2016-01-01

Background: Hand Eczema (HE) is a dermatological disorder with frequent relapses and multiple causes such as atopic, allergic and irritant contact dermatitis. The management is complex because of the wide range of different pathogenesis. Efficacy of some of available treatments is not well established and it can affect patients’ quality of life significantly. Methods: Reports on HE such as diagnosis, pathophysiology, pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapy that described in medieval Iranian medicine, were gathered and analyzed from selected medical and pharmaceutical textbooks of Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM). The search of databases such as PubMed, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Science direct, Scopus, Google scholar, Web of science, Sid, Iran medex, Irandoc, was performed to reconfirm the efficacy of ITM remedies in conventional medicine from 1980-Jan-1 to 2015-Dec-30. Results: According to their opinion, HE is highly associated with liver function. This disorder was categorized into two main types as wet and dry ones. Most Iranian textbook explained signs of HE, as excessive skin itching, redness, burning and dryness. Treatments recommended by Iranian scientists were lifestyle modification, dietary intervention and performing the rules of prevention as well as herbal therapy and special manipulations. Conclusion: Iranian practitioners believed that, six essential principles, diet therapy and medicinal plants have high impact on treatment of HE. These remedies based on Iranian scholar’s experiences might be useful for further studies to the management of HE. PMID:27928524

Can theoretical intervention improve hand hygiene behavior among nurses?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baghaei R

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Rahim Baghaei,1 Elham Sharifian,1 Aziz Kamran2 1Inpatient Safety Research Center, Nursing and Midwifery School, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, 2Public Health Department, Khalkhal Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, IranBackground: Hand washing is the best strategy to prevent known nosocomial infections but the nurses' hand hygiene is estimated to be poor in Iran.Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of BASNEF (Behavior, Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Enabling Factors model on hand hygiene adherence education.Methods: This controlled quasi-experimental study was conducted on 70 hemodialysis unit nurses (35 case and 35 control in the health and educational centers of the University of Medical Sciences of Urmia, Iran. To collect the data, a six-part validated and reliable questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS version18, using Wilcoxon, Mann–Whitney, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests. The significance level was considered P<0.05.Results: The mean age was 38.4±8.1 years for the intervention group and 40.2±8.0 years for the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups for any demographic variables. Also, before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups for any components of the BASNEF model. Post-intervention, the attitude, subjective norms, enabling factors, and intention improved significantly in the intervention group (P<0.001, but hand hygiene behavior did not show any significant change in the intervention group (P=0.16.Conclusion: Despite the improving attitudes and intention, the intervention had no significant effect on hand hygiene behavior among the studied nurses.Keywords: hand hygiene, adherence, education nurse, behavior

Congenital hand anomalies in Upper Egypt

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Tarek Abulezz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Congenital hand anomalies are numerous and markedly variant. Their significance is attributed to the frequent occurrence and their serious social, psychological and functional impacts on patient's life. Patients and Methods: This is a follow-up study of 64 patients with hand anomalies of variable severity. All patients were presented to Plastic Surgery Department of Sohag University Hospital in a period of 24 months. Results: This study revealed that failure of differentiation and duplication deformities were the most frequent, with polydactyly was the most common anomaly encountered. The mean age of presentation was 6 years and female to male ratio was 1.46:1. Hand anomalies were either isolated, associated with other anomalies or part of a syndrome. Conclusion: Incidence of congenital hand anomalies in Upper Egypt is difficult to be estimated due to social and cultural concepts, lack of education, poor registration and deficient medical survey. Management of hand anomalies should be individualised, carefully planned and started as early as possible to achieve the best outcome.

Robot hand tackles jobs in hazardous areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simms, Mark; Crowder, Richard.

1989-01-01

A robot hand and arm designed to mimic the operation of its human counterpart, developed at the University of Southampton for use in a standard industrial glovebox, is described. It was specifically designed for use in a radioactive environment moving high dosage components around. As dosage limits go down, there is a legal requirement to remove people from that environment. The nine-axis arm is for use in a glove designed for a human hand. Drive for the motors used to power the hand is from three-phase MOSFET inventor cards, the switching pattern controlled by the Hall effect communication sensors integral to each motor. The computer software for the arm allows the hand to be positioned using a joystick on a control box, with three levels of command for grip, pinch and touch. (author)

Preoperative Hand Decontamination in Ophthalmic Surgery: A Comparison of the Removal of Bacteria from Surgeons' Hands by Routine Antimicrobial Scrub versus an Alcoholic Hand Rub.

Science.gov (United States)

Forer, Yaara; Block, Colin; Frenkel, Shahar

2017-09-01

The goal of this experiment was to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of routine preoperative hand washing using commercial medicated sponge brushes versus an alcoholic hand rub, by comparing bacterial growth on ophthalmic surgeons' hands after application of each of these methods. Twenty ophthalmic surgeons were recruited at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Samples were collected twice from the hands of each surgeon after hand decontamination using two different protocols during routine surgical practice. The routine preparation consisted of a 3-minute surgical scrub using commercial brush-sponges incorporating either 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) or 1% povidone-iodine (PVP-I) formulations with detergent, followed by drying the hands with a sterile towel, while the 70% ethanol solution was applied for 60-seconds and allowed to air dry. Half of the group was randomly assigned to provide samples first after the routine method and the alcoholic solution a week later, and the other half of the group was sampled in the reverse order. Viable counts of bacteria were evaluated using a modified glove juice method. Bacterial colonies were enumerated after incubation for 24 hours and expressed as colony forming units (CFU)/mL for each pair of hands. Geometric mean counts were 1310 and 39 CFU/mL, in the routine and alcohol rub groups, respectively, representing a mean log 10 reduction in 1.53. The difference between the paired bacterial counts for the routine versus the alcohol rub was statistically significant (p surgical hand preparation with PVP-I and CHG in a population of practicing ophthalmic surgeons in the operative clinical setting. Thus, it provides a safe alternative as a preoperative hand disinfection method.

Hand hygiene in emergency medical services.

Science.gov (United States)

Teter, Jonathan; Millin, Michael G; Bissell, Rick

2015-01-01

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) affect millions of patients annually (World Health Organization. Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare. Geneva: WHO Press; 2009). Hand hygiene compliance of clinical staff has been identified by numerous studies as a major contributing factor to HAIs around the world. Infection control and hand hygiene in the prehospital environment can also contribute to patient harm and spread of infections. Emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners are not monitored as closely as hospital personnel in terms of hand hygiene training and compliance. Their ever-changing work environment is less favorable to traditional hospital-based aseptic techniques and education. This study aimed to determine the current state of hand hygiene practices among EMS providers and to provide recommendations for improving practices in the emergency health services environment. This study was a prospective, observational prevalence study and survey, conducted over a 2-month period. We selected participants from visits to three selected hospital emergency departments in the mid-Atlantic region. There were two data components to the study: a participant survey and hand swabs for pathogenic cultures. This study recruited a total sample of 62 participants. Overall, the study revealed that a significant number of EMS providers (77%) have a heavy bacterial load on their hands after patient care. All levels of providers had a similar distribution of bacterial load. Survey results revealed that few providers perform hand hygiene before (34%) or in between patients (24%), as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. This study demonstrates that EMS providers are potential vectors of microorganisms if proper hand hygiene is not performed properly. Since EMS providers treat a variety of patients and operate in a variety of environments, providers may be exposed to potentially pathogenic organisms, serving as vectors for the exposure of

(Re)Discovering University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book challenges traditional approach to university autonomy which is based on four pillars: organisational, financial, human resource, and academic. The main thesis is that a fuller understanding of university autonomy can only be obtained through a more holistic view of the complex inter......-relationships between stakeholders and policies which can reinforce and equally pull in opposite directions. The holistic view is expressed in a model of institutional university autonomy that brings together the traditional basic four pillars of autonomy, and five interfaces: government–university; university......–university staff; academic staff–students; university–business; and university–internationalisation. This model is explored through international case studies that give new insights and reinforce our understanding that the issues relating to institutional university autonomy are complex, interactive and genuinely...

Temari Reiki: a new hands-off approach to traditional Reiki.

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Jane Stewart

2013-04-01

This paper encapsulates the history of Reiki, an ancient healing art, from its origins in Japan to current practice in the United States. It defines Reiki therapy and discusses the development of a new Reiki method called Temari Reiki and the use of two additional chakras. Lastly, sample clients scenarios are provided. Because of the success of Temari Reiki in my practice, recommendations include that it be integrated as therapy to augment traditional Western medicine-based patient care plans for patients with cancer, pain, stress and other disabling health issues. Also, additional research using randomized clinical trials is recommended to examine the benefits of Temari Reiki for improving patients' well-being in mind, body and spirit. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Self-reported hand hygiene practices, and feasibility and acceptability of alcohol-based hand rubs among village healthcare workers in Inner Mongolia, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y; Wang, Y; Yan, D; Rao, C Y

2015-08-01

Good hand hygiene is critical to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections. Limited data are available on hand hygiene practices from rural healthcare systems in China. To assess the feasibility and acceptability of sanitizing hands with alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) among Chinese village healthcare workers, and to assess their hand hygiene practice. Five hundred bottles of ABHR were given to village healthcare workers in Inner Mongolia, China. Standardized questionnaires collected information on their work load, availability, and usage of hand hygiene facilities, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of hand hygiene. In all, 369 (64.2%) participants completed the questionnaire. Although 84.5% of the ABHR recipients believed that receiving the ABHR improved their hand hygiene practice, 78.8% of recipients would pay no more than US$1.5 out of their own pocket (actual cost US$4). The majority (77.2%) who provided medical care at patients' homes never carried hand rubs with them outside their clinics. In general, self-reported hand hygiene compliance was suboptimal, and the lowest compliance was 'before touching a patient'. Reported top three complaints with using ABHR were skin irritation, splashing, and unpleasant residual. Village doctors with less experience practised less hand hygiene. The overall acceptance of ABHR among the village healthcare workers is high as long as it is provided to them for free/low cost, but their overall hand hygiene practice is suboptimal. Hand hygiene education and training is needed in settings outside of traditional healthcare facilities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Attitudes and practices of Irish hospital-based physicians towards hand hygiene and hand rubbing using alcohol-based hand rub: a comparison between 2007 and 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingston, L M; Slevin, B L; O'Connell, N H; Dunne, C P

2017-09-01

Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention and control practices, and reduces healthcare-associated infections significantly. However, international evidence suggests that medical doctors demonstrate poor compliance. To explore and compare practices and attitudes towards hand hygiene, particularly hand rubbing using alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR), among hospital-based physicians in Ireland between 2007 and 2015. In 2007, a random sample of doctors in a large teaching hospital was invited to complete a postal survey using a validated questionnaire. In 2015, the study was replicated among all doctors employed in a university hospital group, including the setting of the original study, using an online survey. Data were analysed using SPSS and Survey Monkey. Predominately positive and improving attitudes and practices were found, with 86% of doctors compliant with hand hygiene before patient contact in 2015, compared with 58% in 2007. Ninety-one percent of doctors were compliant after patient contact in 2015, compared with 76% in 2007. In 2015, only 39% of respondents reported that they 'almost always' used ABHR for hand hygiene. However, this represents 13.5% more than in 2007. Stated barriers to use of ABHR included dermatological issues, poor acceptance, tolerance and poor availability of ABHR products. Greater awareness of hand hygiene guidelines and greater governance appear to have had a positive impact on practice. However, despite this, practice remains suboptimal and there is scope for substantial improvement. Continued and sustained efforts are required in order to build on progress achieved since the World Health Organization hand hygiene guidelines were published in 2009. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating Knowledge and Attitude of Nursing Students Towards Iranian Traditional Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Khorasgani, Sahar Rabani; Moghtadaie, Leila

2014-01-01

The present study aimed at Investigating the knowledge and attitude of Nursing Students towards Iranian Traditional Medicine in universities of Tehran in 2012-2013. 300 students of nursing studying at different universities in Tehran participated in this descriptive, cross-sectional study. The data was collected through a standard questionnaire with an acceptable validity and reliability. The questionnaire was made of five sections including demographic, general knowledge of the Iranian traditional medicine, general attitude towards it, resources of the Iranian traditional medicine and the barriers to it. The results revealed that general knowledge of the students about Iranian traditional medicine and complementary medicine is low. The attitude of the students towards including Iranian traditional medicine and complementary medicine in their curriculum is positive. General attitude of students towards Iranian traditional medicine is positive too. The majority of the participants had not passed any course on Iranian traditional medicine. There was no relationship between participants’ attitude towards Iranian traditional medicine and the number of semesters they had passed. Considering the participants’ positive attitude and their low level of knowledge, it seems necessary for the university policy makers to provide nursing students with different training courses on Iranian traditional medicine and complementary medicine in order to increase their knowledge. PMID:25363119

Student learning or the student experience: the shift from traditional to non-traditional faculty in higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Tasso Eira de Aquino

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Trends in higher education indicate transformations from teachers to facilitators, mentors, or coaches. New classroom management requires diverse teaching methods for a changing population. Non-traditional students require non-traditional faculty. Higher education operates similar to a traditional corporation, but competes for students, faculty, and funding to sustain daily operations and improve academic ranking among peers (Pak, 2013. This growing phenomenon suggests the need for faculty to transform the existing educational culture, ensuring the ability to attract and retain students. Transitions from student learning to the student experience and increasing student satisfaction scores are influencing facilitation in the classroom. On-line facilitation methods are transforming to include teamwork, interactive tutorials, media, and extending beyond group discussion. Faculty should be required to provide more facilitation, coaching, and mentoring with the shifting roles resulting in transitions from traditional faculty to faculty-coach and faculty mentor. The non-traditional adult student may require a more hands on guidance approach and may not be as self-directed as the adult learning theory proposes. This topic is important to individuals that support creation of new knowledge related to non-traditional adult learning models.

Hands as markers of fragmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Barnard

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Margaret Atwood is an internationally read, translated, and critiqued writer whose novels have established her as one of the most esteemed authors in English (McCombs & Palmer, 1991:1. Critical studies of her work deal mainly with notions of identity from psychoanalytical perspectives. This study has identified a gap in current critical studies on Atwood’s works, namely the challenging of textual unity which is paralleled in the challenging of the traditional (single narrative voice. The challenging of textual unity and the single narrative voice brings about the fragmentation of both. This article will focus on the role that hands play as markers of fragmentation in “The Blind Assassin” (2000. In the novel, the writing hand destabilises the narrative voice, since it is not connected to the voice of a single author. If the author of the text – the final signified – is eliminated, the text becomes fragmentary and open, inviting the reader to contribute to the creation of meaning. Hands play a signficant role in foregrounding the narrator’s fragmented identity, and consequently, the fragmentation of the text. We will investigate this concept in the light of Roland Barthes’ notion of the scriptor, whose hand is metaphorically severed from his or her “voice”. Instead of the text being a unified entity, it becomes unstable and it displays the absence of hierarchical textual levels. Based mainly on Barthes’ writings, this article concludes that hands foreground the narrator’s fragmented identity, which is paralleled in the fragmented text.

Comparison of Spiritual Traditions in the Context of Universality of Mysticism

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Slavomír Gálik

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In this article, the authors study similarities in mysticism of Western Christian tradition and selected Eastern spiritual traditions based on comparative analysis of prayer degrees (mansions in The Interior Castle in Teresa of Avila and Yogic psychical centres (the so-called chakras that are known also in other Eastern spiritual traditions (Taoism and Buddhism. The authors note that especially higher degrees – from the fourth to the seventh – show formal similarities, while the seventh degree also reveals similarities in contents. They speak of importance of revealing these similarities in the perspective of understanding of human being, his further spiritual development, and also interreligious dialogue.

Hand hygiene knowledge of college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, J Kyle; Basco, Roselyne; Zaied, Aya; Ward, Chelsea

2010-01-01

An observational study was conducted to evaluate hygiene habits of students with fields of study, gender, and understanding of hygiene at a university in Alabama. One hundred students were randomly observed in ten restrooms on campus to determine whether or not students washed their hands. The study was divided into an observational stage, a quiz to ascertain student's knowledge of hygiene and the spread of pathogens, and a survey of self-reported illness rates. Females had a tendency to wash their hands more often than males while visiting the bathroom (p = 0.02, chi2 = 11.6). Science majors were more likely to wash their hands than non-science majors (p < or = 0.001, chi2 = 5.2). Females (p < or = 0.0001, df = 98, F = 21.5) and science majors (p < or = 0.0001, df = 98, F = 81.4) scored significantly higher on the survey than males and nonscience majors, and that those observed not washing their hands reported being sick more often than those observed washing their hands (chi2 = 155.0, df= 3, p < 0.001, Fisher's exact p < 0.001).

A hand tracking algorithm with particle filter and improved GVF snake model

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yi-qi; Wu, Ai-guo; Dong, Na; Shao, Yi-zhe

2017-07-01

To solve the problem that the accurate information of hand cannot be obtained by particle filter, a hand tracking algorithm based on particle filter combined with skin-color adaptive gradient vector flow (GVF) snake model is proposed. Adaptive GVF and skin color adaptive external guidance force are introduced to the traditional GVF snake model, guiding the curve to quickly converge to the deep concave region of hand contour and obtaining the complex hand contour accurately. This algorithm realizes a real-time correction of the particle filter parameters, avoiding the particle drift phenomenon. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the root mean square error of the hand tracking by 53%, and improve the accuracy of hand tracking in the case of complex and moving background, even with a large range of occlusion.

Augmenting traditional instruments with a motion capture system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Götzen, Amalia De; Vidolin, Alvise; Bernardini, Nicola

2013-01-01

This paper describes some composition works where the real instruments have been augmented through a motion capture system (Phasespace). While playing his instrument in the traditional way, the player is also controlling some other sound effects by moving his hands: the instrument becomes totally...

Novel Longitudinal and Propensity Score Matched Analysis of Hands-On Cooking and Nutrition Education versus Traditional Clinical Education among 627 Medical Students

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Dominique J. Monlezun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Physicians are inadequately equipped to respond to the global obesity and nutrition-associated chronic disease epidemics. We investigated superiority of simulation-based medical education with deliberate practice (SBME-DP hands-on cooking and nutrition elective in a medical school-based teaching kitchen versus traditional clinical education for medical students. Materials and Methods. A 59-question panel survey was distributed to an entire medical school twice annually from September 2012 to May 2014. Student diet and attitudes and competencies (DACs counseling patients on nutrition were compared using conditional multivariate logistic regression, propensity score-weighted, and longitudinal panel analyses. Inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis (IVWM was used for planned subgroup analysis by year and treatment estimates across the three methods. Results. Of the available 954 students, 65.72% (n=627 unique students were followed to produce 963 responses. 11.32% (n=109 of responses were from 84 subjects who participated in the elective. SBME-DP versus traditional education significantly improved fruit and vegetable diet (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.07–1.79, p=0.013 and attitudes (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.40–2.35, p<0.001 and competencies (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.54–1.92, p<0.001. Conclusions. This study reports for the first time superiority longitudinally for SBME-DP style nutrition education for medical students which has since expanded to 13 schools.

Web-based interactive drone control using hand gesture

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhenfei; Luo, Hao; Song, Guang-Hua; Chen, Zhou; Lu, Zhe-Ming; Wu, Xiaofeng

2018-01-01

This paper develops a drone control prototype based on web technology with the aid of hand gesture. The uplink control command and downlink data (e.g., video) are transmitted by WiFi communication, and all the information exchange is realized on web. The control command is translated from various predetermined hand gestures. Specifically, the hardware of this friendly interactive control system is composed by a quadrotor drone, a computer vision-based hand gesture sensor, and a cost-effective computer. The software is simplified as a web-based user interface program. Aided by natural hand gestures, this system significantly reduces the complexity of traditional human-computer interaction, making remote drone operation more intuitive. Meanwhile, a web-based automatic control mode is provided in addition to the hand gesture control mode. For both operation modes, no extra application program is needed to be installed on the computer. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system, including control accuracy, operation latency, etc. This system can be used in many applications such as controlling a drone in global positioning system denied environment or by handlers without professional drone control knowledge since it is easy to get started.

Web-based interactive drone control using hand gesture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhenfei; Luo, Hao; Song, Guang-Hua; Chen, Zhou; Lu, Zhe-Ming; Wu, Xiaofeng

2018-01-01

This paper develops a drone control prototype based on web technology with the aid of hand gesture. The uplink control command and downlink data (e.g., video) are transmitted by WiFi communication, and all the information exchange is realized on web. The control command is translated from various predetermined hand gestures. Specifically, the hardware of this friendly interactive control system is composed by a quadrotor drone, a computer vision-based hand gesture sensor, and a cost-effective computer. The software is simplified as a web-based user interface program. Aided by natural hand gestures, this system significantly reduces the complexity of traditional human-computer interaction, making remote drone operation more intuitive. Meanwhile, a web-based automatic control mode is provided in addition to the hand gesture control mode. For both operation modes, no extra application program is needed to be installed on the computer. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system, including control accuracy, operation latency, etc. This system can be used in many applications such as controlling a drone in global positioning system denied environment or by handlers without professional drone control knowledge since it is easy to get started.

The commercialization of traditional medicine in modern Cambodia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ros, Bandeth; Lê, Gillian; McPake, Barbara; Fustukian, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Globally, traditional medicine has long been used to address relatively common illness, mental ill health and during childbirth and post-natal care. However, traditional medicine is primarily provided by the private sector and it is unclear how far expenditures on traditional medicine contribute to household impoverishment. A life history method was used to understand the health seeking experience of 24 households over the last 60 years in Cambodia, a country with high out-of-pocket expenditures for health. The life histories suggest that traditional medicine in Cambodia has been undergoing a process of commercialization, with significant impacts on poor households. In the earlier lives of respondents, payments for traditional medicine were reported to have been flexible, voluntary or appropriate to patients' financial means. In contrast, contemporary practitioners appear to seek immediate cash payments that have frequently led to considerable debt and asset sales by traditional medicine users. Given traditional medicine's popularity as a source of treatment in Cambodia and its potential to contribute to household impoverishment, we suggest that it needs to be included in a national conversation about achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Mechanical design of a shape memory alloy actuated prosthetic hand.

Science.gov (United States)

De Laurentis, Kathryn J; Mavroidis, Constantinos

2002-01-01

This paper presents the mechanical design for a new five fingered, twenty degree-of-freedom dexterous hand patterned after human anatomy and actuated by Shape Memory Alloy artificial muscles. Two experimental prototypes of a finger, one fabricated by traditional means and another fabricated by rapid prototyping techniques, are described and used to evaluate the design. An important aspect of the Rapid Prototype technique used here is that this multi-articulated hand will be fabricated in one step, without requiring assembly, while maintaining its desired mobility. The use of Shape Memory Alloy actuators combined with the rapid fabrication of the non-assembly type hand, reduce considerably its weight and fabrication time. Therefore, the focus of this paper is the mechanical design of a dexterous hand that combines Rapid Prototype techniques and smart actuators. The type of robotic hand described in this paper can be utilized for applications requiring low weight, compactness, and dexterity such as prosthetic devices, space and planetary exploration.

The Role and Responsibility of the University Library in Publishing in a University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bas Savenije

2000-06-01

Full Text Available As a consequence of developments in information technology, the traditional information chain is subject to change: the separate functions in this chain become more and more integrated and the roles played by the traditional parties are most uncertain. Several new models in scholarly publishing and communication are emerging, in which the scientific community and the scientists themselves play a central role. It is more than natural for universities to support these developments in order to realise new models of scientific communication that are more in tune with the needs of the academic community than the traditional model, which has led to a serious serials crisis. An important step in this direction is that each university encourages scientists to make more use of ICT in their research publications. However, it is also necessary to give serious attention to organisational matters: in this respect every university should take responsibility for collecting, archiving and disclosing the scientific output of its own scientists. The provision of scientific information is the traditional core business of university libraries and it is a natural extension of this role for university libraries to support this development and to organise the processes needed. The paper describes the role that universities and their libraries have to play. It also gives some examples of library initiatives in this field, including an evaluation of their impact on the innovation of scientific communication.

Design of a 3-DOF Parallel Hand-Controller

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Chengcheng Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hand-controllers, as human-machine-interface (HMI devices, can transfer the position information of the operator’s hands into the virtual environment to control the target objects or a real robot directly. At the same time, the haptic information from the virtual environment or the sensors on the real robot can be displayed to the operator. It helps human perceive haptic information more truly with feedback force. A parallel hand-controller is designed in this paper. It is simplified from the traditional delta haptic device. The swing arms in conventional delta devices are replaced with the slider rail modules. The base consists of two hexagons and several links. For the use of the linear sliding modules instead of swing arms, the arc movement is replaced by linear movement. So that, the calculating amount of the position positive solution and the force inverse solution is reduced for the simplification of the motion. The kinematics, static mechanics, and dynamic mechanics are analyzed in this paper. What is more, two demonstration applications are developed to verify the performance of the designed hand-controller.

Hand hygiene compliance in transplant and other special patient groups: an observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Graf, Karolin; Ott, Ella; Wolny, Michael; Tramp, Nadine; Vonberg, Ralf-Peter; Haverich, Axel; Chaberny, Iris Freya

2013-06-01

This study evaluates hand hygiene behavior of health care workers in a German university hospital stratified for treatment of special patient groups (eg, transplant patients). From 2008 to 2010, comprehensive education and training of all health care workers was implemented to improve hand hygiene compliance. Consumption rates of alcohol-based hand rub and gloves were collected and evaluated. Of the 5,647 opportunities of hand disinfection evaluated, 1,607 occurred during care for transplant patients. To our knowledge, this is the largest survey of hand hygiene compliance in special patient groups on intensive care units in a university hospital in Germany. Health care workers on surgical intensive care units showed lower hand hygiene compliance compared with health care workers on other types of intensive care units. Compliance toward hand hygiene was significantly higher on hemato-oncologic and pediatric wards. In general, hand disinfection was performed significantly more frequently after an intervention than before (P hand hygiene compliance when caring for transplant patients or other patients (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 0.95-1.42). Nurse's and physician's hand hygiene compliance improved because of education. Hand hygiene compliance is not increased in the care for transplant patients (despite their predisposition for nosocomial infections) compared with other patients. Additional studies will be necessary to further investigate these findings. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Getting Their Hands Dirty: Qualitative Study on Hands-on Learning for Architectural Students in Design-build Course

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Zunaibi B. Abdullah

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This qualitative study provides an in-depth perspective of hands-on learning through the observation and analysis of architectural students' views in a design-build program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the fall semester of 2008. Qualitative data was gathered from 14 participants involved in the construction of a low energy double-storey house in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska. The study inventoried the requisite characteristics of a design-build course. Participants' views and activities were studied to ascribe the qualitative benefits of hands-on learning. In addition, students' motivation towards hands-on activities were evaluated in reference to student confidence and independence levels towards their future career as architects, designers or other design-build professionals. The findings showed the design-build course could offer a specific knowledge that link between theoretical subjects and the practical expect of building contractions.

Science Academies Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Admin

The National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad. In collaboration with. Botanical Garden & Herbarium, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore from 15 to 29 November. 2012. A Refresher Course on Traditional and Modern Approaches in Plant Taxonomy for postgraduate college/university teachers and research ...

A synergy-driven approach to a myoelectric hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, S B; Ajoudani, A; Catalano, M; Grioli, G; Bicchi, A

2013-06-01

In this paper, we present the Pisa/IIT SoftHand with myoelectric control as a synergy-driven approach for a prosthetic hand. Commercially available myoelectric hands are more expensive, heavier, and less robust than their body-powered counterparts; however, they can offer greater freedom of motion and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The Pisa/IIT SoftHand is built on the motor control principle of synergies through which the immense complexity of the hand is simplified into distinct motor patterns. As the SoftHand grasps, it follows a synergistic path with built-in flexibility to allow grasping of a wide variety of objects with a single motor. Here we test, as a proof-of-concept, 4 myoelectric controllers: a standard controller in which the EMG signal is used only as a position reference, an impedance controller that determines both position and stiffness references from the EMG input, a standard controller with vibrotactile force feedback, and finally a combined vibrotactile-impedance (VI) controller. Four healthy subjects tested the control algorithms by grasping various objects. All controllers were sufficient for basic grasping, however the impedance and vibrotactile controllers reduced the physical and cognitive load on the user, while the combined VI mode was the easiest to use of the four. While these results need to be validated with amputees, they suggest a low-cost, robust hand employing hardware-based synergies is a viable alternative to traditional myoelectric prostheses.

Tuition fees and funding – barriers for non-traditional students? First results from the international research project Opening Universities for Lifelong Learning (OPULL)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moissidis, Sonja; Schwarz, Jochen; Yndigegn, Carsten

2011-01-01

Project OPULL – Opening Universities for Lifelong Learning – is undertaking research into ways of opening up higher education to vocationally qualified and experienced target groups in four European countries. Open university models in Germany, Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom are being...... investigated in three research phases between 2009 and 2012 with the aim of identifying critical success factors for building open universities for Europe. This paper presents the first phase, in which educational systems in the participant countries have been mapped and interviews with lifelong learning...... experts undertaken. The current situation and perspectives in each country together with critical issues on how fees and funding influence higher education access for non-traditional students in these countries are discussed and explored through the interview evidence. The initial findings of the first...

Exploration of Hand Grasp Patterns Elicitable Through Non-Invasive Proximal Nerve Stimulation

OpenAIRE

Shin, Henry; Watkins, Zach; Hu, Xiaogang

2017-01-01

Various neurological conditions, such as stroke or spinal cord injury, result in an impaired control of the hand. One method of restoring this impairment is through functional electrical stimulation (FES). However, traditional FES techniques often lead to quick fatigue and unnatural ballistic movements. In this study, we sought to explore the capabilities of a non-invasive proximal nerve stimulation technique in eliciting various hand grasp patterns. The ulnar and median nerves proximal to th...

Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition and History (HEARTH)

Science.gov (United States)

Click here to go to the Mann Library Home Page Click here to return to the HEARTH Home Page Click , Tradition and History HEARTH is a core electronic collection of books and journals in Home Economics and Archive: Research, Tradition and History (HEARTH). Ithaca, NY: Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University

MARKETING COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF NEW MEDIA AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA: THE INSIGHTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. ADZHARUDDIN

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The paper demonstrates the current trend of advertising research that has moved towards integrating two or more media using both the traditional media and the new media. Recent advertising researches have shown that the repetition of a particular advertising feature across two different media has been found to reinforce the effectiveness of marketing communication. It has also been proven influential in improving memory and the attitude of consumers. Based on the positive and encouraging recent findings, more studies should focus on examining advertising effects using the integration of the traditional medium (television and the new medium (the Internet. Bearing in mind that the position of the Internet have progressed rapidly in the past, it is possible that the Internet can play a major role in advertising, going hand in hand with the traditional medium especially television.

The Visible Hand of Research Performance Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, Julian

2016-01-01

Far from allowing a governance of universities by the invisible hand of market forces, research performance assessments do not just measure differences in research quality, but yield themselves visible symptoms in terms of a stratification and standardization of disciplines. The article illustrates this with a case study of UK history departments…

Women and culture. The case for universal rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruether, R R

1996-01-01

As the movement for women's human rights has become globalized, the charge that feminism is a form of Western cultural imperialism has emerged. An African Anglican priest used this as a response to the author's lecture on Christian feminism and added that "you can't challenge culture." The author responded that since racism could be considered a part of traditional White culture, does this mean that racism can't be challenged. The priest's argument is a common one used by Third World men, Third World women, and First World men to denounce the concept of human rights as women's rights. The Vatican used this argument during recent international conferences to oppose such things as the international approval of family planning and safe abortion, the diversity of notions of family, and an acknowledgement of homosexuality. In UN forums, Islamic nations also argue against women's rights and against the universalization of human rights, which they feel are properly superseded by local cultures. These concepts translated into debates at the Fourth World Conference on Women on topics such as conflicts between religious laws and women's inheritance rights. The culture-human rights argument is also used to defend the practice of female genital mutilation, which is used to control female sexuality in some traditional societies. Western feminist theory must guard against postmodernist critiques of modernity in the name of cultural diversity, since such critiques can make women vulnerable to right-wing male exploitation under premodern patriarchal norms. Classical philosophies of natural law, on the other hand, assume that the cosmos is a whole and that its nature implies ethical norms which govern human well-being. In this tradition, culture is a particular version of the common whole and must constantly be tested against discernment of the universals of human nature in order to be corrected. Feminists must temper their zeal for cultural diversity with an underlying acceptance

Hybrid Universities in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Molly; Wan, Chang Da; Sirat, Morshidi

2017-01-01

Are Asian universities different from those in Western countries? Premised on the hypothesis that Asian universities are different because of hybridization between Western academic models and local traditional cultures, this paper investigates the hybrid characteristics in Malaysian universities resulting from interaction between contemporary…

Poor practice and knowledge among traditional birth attendants in Eastern Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, A A; Siddig, M F

2012-11-01

To identify and understand knowledge and practice among traditional birth attendants (TBAs), a total of 111 TBAs were interviewed at Kassala, Eastern Sudan between March and April 2011. Hand-washing prior to the delivery was a universal practice but only 25.2% of the interviewed TBAs used sterilised equipment. TBAs in this study appeared to have a low level of awareness about when a mother should be referred to hospital, and lacked basic information on family planning and HIV/AIDS. None of these 111 TBAs knew or used equipment for neonatal resuscitation (such as bag, tube and mask) or knew neonatal signs that needed extra attention such as change in skin colour, weak suckling and respiratory distress, and nearly one-third (28.8%) of the respondents believed in a few days delay in milk production. Thus, substantial effort is needed to improve the knowledge and practice among TBAs in Eastern Sudan, including training programmes, and this might be the best hope to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Blending Online and Traditional Instruction in the Mathematics Classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Gene; Haefner, Jeremy

2002-01-01

Describes the MathOnline system at the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), a learning delivery method that, in addition to blending synchronous and asynchronous learning, combines traditional mathematics instruction with distance learning. Student surveys indicate the system greatly enhances traditional learners' educational experiences…

Acute burns of the hands – physiotherapy perspective.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

University of KwaZulu-Natal, Occupational therapy Department. Abstract: ... trajectory of the trauma care continuum. Keywords: Burns ... challenges during their recovery process.1 Hand burn in- ... major teaching institutions situated within a metropolitan area and .... education and motivation and provide basic counselling.

A kaleidoscopic vision about university teaching

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Eduardo FERNÁNDEZ RODRÍGUEZ

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper tries to open a debate about teaching knowledge avai­lable today in the university, showing a plurality of learning practices developed in it, some of which have become, whereas others proposals are ignored or hidden. To account for the analysis about teaching university, our methodology take it some experts have described like traditions of teacher education: the academic tra­dition, the technological tradition, the practice tradition, the personalist-humanist tradition, the critic/poscritic tradition. From these, we use two hermeneutics propo­sals: the paradigms of teacher education from Kenneth Zeichner, the hermeneutical strategies used by Nancy Fraser to discuss social policies. At the end, this paper defended the need to thinking about our practices as teachers, so that the analysis of discourse on the university teaching, our identification with them or not, and the subsequent debate, may emerging processes of professional development and teaching innovation.

[Evaluation of traditional German undergraduate surgical training. An analysis at Heidelberg University].

Science.gov (United States)

Schürer, S; Schellberg, D; Schmidt, J; Kallinowski, F; Mehrabi, A; Herfarth, Ch; Büchler, M W; Kadmon, M

2006-04-01

The medical faculty of Heidelberg University implemented a new problem-based clinical curriculum (Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale, or Heicumed) in 2001. The present study analyses the evaluation data of two student cohorts prior to the introduction of Heicumed. Its aim was to specify problems of the traditional training and to draw conclusions for implementation of a new curriculum. The evaluation instrument was the Heidelberg Inventory for the Evaluation of Teaching (HILVE-I). The data were analysed calculating differences in the means between defined groups, with the 13 primary scales of the HILVE I-instrument as dependent variables. Teaching method and subject had no systematic influence on evaluation results. Thus, didactic lecture in orthopedic surgery achieved better results than small group tutorials, while the data on vascular and general surgery showed opposite results. Major factors for success were continuity and didactic training of lecturers and tutors. This is convincingly reflected by the results of the lecture course "Differential diagnosis in general surgery". The good evaluation data on small group tutorials resulted largely from the "participation" and "discussion" scales, which represent interactivity in learning. The results of the present study suggest the importance of two major pedagogic ideas: continuity and didactic training of lecturers and tutors. These principles were widely implemented in Heicumed and have contributed to the success of the new curriculum.

Youth, bohemia and social movements: student cultures and struggles at the University of Coimbra.

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Elísio Estanque

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This text takes up some of its author’s recent work on student youth in Coimbra. Centered around the Coimbra university environment and an academic tradition of over 700 years of history, its primary objective is to question some current tendencies among university students, through the acute gaze of a professor who has been involved in the student and daily life of the city for over 20 years. It attempts to identify subjectivities, participatory logics and attitudes of indifference/demarcation among different segments of the student population. More than a phenomenological register of daily life in academia, the text is meant to capture of the past and the ways in which they can (or cannot be appropriated by the current generation of students. On the other hand, the profound changes of recent decades, both in Portugal itself and within the Portuguese higher educational system, have reoriented behavior, expectations and forms of action of the current university population, encouraging its distancing with regard to this past and a ‘forgetting’ of the meaning of the social movements which during the 1960s contributed to undermining the Salazar and Caetano dictatorship. The reflections that are proposed here attempt to explain this phenomenon, while at the same time looking at this particular context as an expression of other more general phenomena that affect Portugal and the European democracies as a whole today. Keywords: youth, university, Coimbra, students, student movement, social movements, tradition, bohemia.

Insomnia in Iranian Traditional Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Feyzabadi, Zohre; Jafari, Farhad; Feizabadi, Parvin Sadat; Ashayeri, Hassan; Esfahani, Mohammad Mahdi; Badiee Aval, Shapour

2014-01-01

Context: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders characterized by sleep difficulty that impairs daily functioning and reduces quality of life. The burden of medical, psychiatric, interpersonal, and societal consequences of insomnia expresses the importance of diagnosing and treatment of insomnia. The aim of study was to investigate causes of insomnia from the viewpoint of Iranian traditional medicine. Evidence Acquisition: In this review study, we searched insomnia in a few of the most famous ancient textbooks of Iranian traditional medicine from different centuries. This books includeThe Canon of Medicine by Avicenna (the first version of Beirut), Zakhire Kharazmshahi by Jurjani (the scanned version of Bonyade Farhang-e Iran), Malfaregh by Razes (the first version of Iran University of Medical Sciences), and Aqili’s cure by Aqili (the first version of Iran University of Medical Sciences). Results: This study found that in Iranian traditional medicine manuscripts, insomnia was called sahar and even though many factors induce insomnia, most of them act through causing brain dystemperament. Conclusions: The brain dystemperament is considered one of the main causes of insomnia and insomnia can be well managed with an organized line of treatment, by correcting the brain dystemperament through elimination of causes. This study helps to find new solutions to treat insomnia. PMID:24829786

Mechanical Model of Traditional Thai Massage for Integrated Healthcare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salinee Rattanaphan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a mechanical model was developed, aiming to provide standardized and programmable traditional Thai massage (TTM therapy to patients. The TTM was modeled and integrated into a mechanical hand (MH system, and a prototype massage chair was built and tested for user satisfaction. Three fundamental principles of Thai massage were integrated: pull, press, and pin. Based on these principles, the mechanics of Thai massage was studied and a mathematical model was developed to describe the dynamics and conditions for the design and prototyping of an MH. On average, it was found that users were satisfied with the treatment and felt that the treatment was similar to that performed by human hands. According to the interview results, users indicated that they were likely to utilize the MH as an alternative to traditional massage. Therefore, integrated TTM with an MH may help healthcare providers deliver standardized, programmable massage therapy to patients as opposed to variable, inconsistent human massage.

Human-inspired feedback synergies for environmental interaction with a dexterous robotic hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Benjamin A; Engeberg, Erik D

2014-11-07

Effortless control of the human hand is mediated by the physical and neural couplings inherent in the structure of the hand. This concept was explored for environmental interaction tasks with the human hand, and a novel human-inspired feedback synergy (HFS) controller was developed for a robotic hand which synchronized position and force feedback signals to mimic observed human hand motions. This was achieved by first recording the finger joint motion profiles of human test subjects, where it was observed that the subjects would extend their fingers to maintain a natural hand posture when interacting with different surfaces. The resulting human joint angle data were used as inspiration to develop the HFS controller for the anthropomorphic robotic hand, which incorporated finger abduction and force feedback in the control laws for finger extension. Experimental results showed that by projecting a broader view of the tasks at hand to each specific joint, the HFS controller produced hand motion profiles that closely mimic the observed human responses and allowed the robotic manipulator to interact with the surfaces while maintaining a natural hand posture. Additionally, the HFS controller enabled the robotic hand to autonomously traverse vertical step discontinuities without prior knowledge of the environment, visual feedback, or traditional trajectory planning techniques.

Human-inspired feedback synergies for environmental interaction with a dexterous robotic hand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kent, Benjamin A; Engeberg, Erik D

2014-01-01

Effortless control of the human hand is mediated by the physical and neural couplings inherent in the structure of the hand. This concept was explored for environmental interaction tasks with the human hand, and a novel human-inspired feedback synergy (HFS) controller was developed for a robotic hand which synchronized position and force feedback signals to mimic observed human hand motions. This was achieved by first recording the finger joint motion profiles of human test subjects, where it was observed that the subjects would extend their fingers to maintain a natural hand posture when interacting with different surfaces. The resulting human joint angle data were used as inspiration to develop the HFS controller for the anthropomorphic robotic hand, which incorporated finger abduction and force feedback in the control laws for finger extension. Experimental results showed that by projecting a broader view of the tasks at hand to each specific joint, the HFS controller produced hand motion profiles that closely mimic the observed human responses and allowed the robotic manipulator to interact with the surfaces while maintaining a natural hand posture. Additionally, the HFS controller enabled the robotic hand to autonomously traverse vertical step discontinuities without prior knowledge of the environment, visual feedback, or traditional trajectory planning techniques. (paper)

A comparative study of hand hygiene and alcohol-based hand rub use among Irish nursing and medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingston, Liz M; O'Connell, Nuala H; Dunne, Colum P

2018-04-01

In Ireland, the setting for this study, the national prevalence rate of health care-associated infection (HCAI) in acute-care facilities is 5.2%. Hand hygiene and in particular hand rubbing using alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is highly efficacious in preventing HCAI transmission. Yet, compliance among healthcare professionals is sub-optimal. Less is known about the practices of nursing and medical students and no study comparing practices among these groups in Ireland was found. Hence, the aim of this study was to provide insight into the current hand hygiene and hand rubbing practices of nursing and medical students in Ireland and, by doing so, contribute to the broader understanding of this topic. This observational study employed a cross-sectional, self-reported design. An electronically administered questionnaire was sent to all nursing and medical students from one university. Data were analysed using appropriate software. The response rate was 37% (323/872). Higher compliance with the World Health Organisation 'my five moments for hand hygiene' model was reported among nursing students (NS) than medical students (MS), with scope for improvement in both disciplines identified. Hand hygiene compliance was highest after body fluid exposure (99.5% NS, 91% MS) and lowest after touching a patient's surroundings (61.5% NS, 57.5% MS). Attitudes towards hand rubbing were largely positive in both disciplines. 16% of NS were not aware of the clinical contraindications to ABHR use, compared to 45% of MS. 9% of NS did not know when to use soap and water and when to use ABHR, compared to 36% of MS. In contrast, more medical students (46%) than nursing students (22%) were routinely using alcohol-based hand rub for decontamination of hands as recommended. Results suggest scope to review current hand hygiene curricula focusing on the knowledge gaps, the practice deficits and the barriers to ABHR usage identified. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Predicaments of Language Learners in Traditional Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Shafie, Latisha Asmaak; Mansor, Mahani

2009-01-01

Some public universities in developing countries have traditional language learning environments such as classrooms with only blackboards and furniture which do not provide conducive learning environments. These traditional environments are unable to cater for digital learners who need to learn with learning technologies. In order to create…

Hand-held cell phone use while driving legislation and observed driver behavior among population sub-groups in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toni M. Rudisill

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cell phone use behaviors are known to vary across demographic sub-groups and geographic locations. This study examined whether universal hand-held calling while driving bans were associated with lower road-side observed hand-held cell phone conversations across drivers of different ages (16–24, 25–59, ≥60 years, sexes, races (White, African American, or other, ruralities (suburban, rural, or urban, and regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Methods Data from the 2008–2013 National Occupant Protection Use Survey were merged with states’ cell phone use while driving legislation. The exposure was presence of a universal hand-held cell phone ban at time of observation. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of drivers having a hand-held cell phone conversation. Sub-groups differences were assessed using models with interaction terms. Results When universal hand-held cell phone bans were effective, hand-held cell phone conversations were lower across all driver demographic sub-groups and regions. Sub-group differences existed among the sexes (p-value, <0.0001 and regions (p-value, 0.0003. Compared to states without universal hand-held cell phone bans, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR of a driver hand-held phone conversation was 0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI: 0.28, 0.41] for females versus 0.47 (CI 0.40, 0.55 for males and 0.31 (CI 0.25, 0.38 for drivers in Western states compared to 0.47 (CI 0.30, 0.72 in the Northeast and 0.50 (CI 0.38, 0.66 in the South. Conclusions The presence of universal hand-held cell phone bans were associated lower hand-held cell phone conversations across all driver sub-groups and regions. Hand-held phone conversations were particularly lower among female drivers and those from Western states when these bans were in effect. Public health interventions concerning hand-held cell phone use while driving could reasonably target all drivers.

MALAYSIAN TRADITIONAL AS A TREATMENT AND COMPLEM ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-11-10

Nov 10, 2017 ... e Management and Business, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, ... traditional medicines are becoming increasingly popular for a .... on the respondents' experiences, views and opinions, open-ended questions were employed.

[HAND HYGIENE BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS OF NURSING STUDENTS].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-García, Ignacio; Cardoso-Muñoz, Antonio Manuel

2016-05-01

A key element to promote the compliance of hand hygiene (HH) among health care workers (HCWs) is to analyze their perceptions of it. Our objective was to evaluate the beliefs and perceptions that nursing students have on HH. A cross-sectional study was performed during the 2011-2012 school year. It included all enrolled nursing students from a Spanish University. The information was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire, which assessed the importance of HH to control nosocomial infections (NI), beliefs (by Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale-HHBS) and perceptions of the importance given to HH in the curriculum (by Hand Hygiene Importance Scale-HHIS). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression. 146 students of the 270 (54.1%) completed the questionnaire. Assessing the importance of HH as NI control measure ranged from 4 to 10 points (median = 9). The more agreement HHIS item was to consider HH as an important part of the curriculum (76.1%), while HHBS item was to believe that hands washing after going to the toilet reduces the transmission of infectious diseases (100%). Importance of HH to control NI valued with > 9 points was associated with the agreement to consider it as an relevant part of the curriculum (OR:2.5), and to believe that HCWs play an important role in preventing NI (OR: 4.3). HH was rated as an important NI control measure. Educational programs should be carried out at universities to students do HH, whether they observe poor compliance among HCWs in their practices.

Financial impact of hand surgery programs on academic medical centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Jafar S; Chung, Kevin C; Storey, Amy F; Bolg, Mary L; Taheri, Paul A

2007-02-01

This study analyzes the financial performance of hand surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan. This analysis can serve as a reference for other medical centers in the financial evaluation of a hand surgery program. Fiscal year 2004 billing records for all patients (n = 671) who underwent hand surgery procedures were examined. The financial data were separated into professional revenues and costs (relating to the hand surgery program in the Section of Plastic Surgery) and into facility revenues and costs (relating to the overall University of Michigan Health System). Professional net revenue was calculated by applying historical collection rates to procedural and clinic charges. Facility revenue was calculated by applying historical collection rates to the following charge categories: inpatient/operating room, clinic facility, neurology/electromyography, radiology facilities, and occupational therapy. Total professional costs were calculated by adding direct costs and allocated overhead costs. Facility costs were obtained from the hospital's cost accounting system. Professional and facility incomes were calculated by subtracting costs from revenues. The net professional revenue and total costs were 1,069,836 and 1,027,421 dollars, respectively. Professional operating income was 42,415 dollars, or 3.96 percent of net professional revenue. Net facility revenue and total costs were 5,500,606 and 4,592,534 dollars, respectively. Facility operating income was 908,071 dollars, or 16.51 percent of net facility revenues. While contributing to the academic mission of the institution, hand surgery is financially rewarding for the Department of Surgery. In addition, hand surgery activity contributes substantially to the financial well-being of the academic medical center.

Cloud and traditional videoconferencing technology for telemedicine and distance learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei-Li; Zhang, Kai; Locatis, Craig; Ackerman, Michael

2015-05-01

Cloud-based videoconferencing versus traditional systems are described for possible use in telemedicine and distance learning. Differences between traditional and cloud-based videoconferencing systems are examined, and the methods for identifying and testing systems are explained. Findings are presented characterizing the cloud conferencing genre and its attributes versus traditional H.323 conferencing. Because the technology is rapidly evolving and needs to be evaluated in reference to local needs, it is strongly recommended that this or other reviews not be considered substitutes for personal hands-on experience. This review identifies key attributes of the technology that can be used to appraise the relevance of cloud conferencing technology and to determine whether migration from traditional technology to a cloud environment is warranted. An evaluation template is provided for assessing systems appropriateness.

Plasma universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfven, H.

1986-04-01

Traditionally the views in our cosmic environment have been based on observations in the visual octave of the electromagnetic spectrum, during the last half-century supplemented by infrared and radio observations. Space research has opened the full spectrum. Of special importance are the X-ray-gamma-ray regions, in which a number of unexpected phenomena have been discovered. Radiations in these regions are likely to originate mainly from magnetised cosmic plasma. Such a medium may also emit synchrotron radiation which is observable in the radio region. If we try to base a model of the universe on the plasma phenomena mentioned we find that the plasma universe is drastically different from the traditional visual universe. Information about the plasma universe can also be obtained by extrapolation of laboratory experiments and magnetospheric in situ measurements of plasma. This approach is possible because it is likely that the basic properties of plasma are the same everywhere. In order to test the usefulness of the plasma universe model we apply it to cosmogony. Such an approach seems to be rather successful. For example, the complicated structure of the Saturnian C ring can be accounted for. It is possible to reconstruct certain phenomena 4-5 bilions years ago with an accuracy of better than 1 percent

Comparison of Leiomyoma of Modern Medicine and Traditional Persian Medicine.

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Tansaz, Mojgan; Tajadini, Haleh

2016-04-01

Leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the pelvic that is associated with reproductive problems such as infertility, frequent abortions, and undesirable prenatal outcomes. High prevalence of leiomyoma and its relation with important gynecological complications, especially during reproductive ages, on the one hand, and high medical expenses and significant complications of common treatments, on the other, made us search traditional Persian medicine texts for a similar disease. In traditional Persian medicine, a condition has been introduced similar to leiomyoma (Oram-e-rahem). In this article, by collecting materials from traditional medicine texts on leiomyoma, we aim to provide theories for further studies on this topic, as there is an obvious difference between traditional Persian medicine and modern medicine with regard to leiomyoma. When modern medicine has not found a suitable response to treatment, reviewing of traditional Persian medicine for finding better treatment strategies is wise. © The Author(s) 2015.

FOCUS ON HAND WASHING Yakubu Tahir Maigari Departm

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

2014-10-24

Oct 24, 2014 ... Management and Social Sciences, Federal University Kashere,. Gombe State ... Peace can also be maintained with fellow human beings through ... talent and skill to build a mighty ship with which he and his people took .... One important aspect of Islamic rituals where washing of hands is prominent is ...

Hand Gesture Recognition Using Modified 1$ and Background Subtraction Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazem Khaled

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Computers and computerized machines have tremendously penetrated all aspects of our lives. This raises the importance of Human-Computer Interface (HCI. The common HCI techniques still rely on simple devices such as keyboard, mice, and joysticks, which are not enough to convoy the latest technology. Hand gesture has become one of the most important attractive alternatives to existing traditional HCI techniques. This paper proposes a new hand gesture detection system for Human-Computer Interaction using real-time video streaming. This is achieved by removing the background using average background algorithm and the 1$ algorithm for hand’s template matching. Then every hand gesture is translated to commands that can be used to control robot movements. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve high detection rate and small recognition time under different light changes, scales, rotation, and background.

Back to basics: hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Spruce, Lisa

2013-11-01

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant issue in the United States and throughout the world, but following proper hand hygiene practices is the most effective and least expensive way to prevent HAIs. Hand hygiene is inexpensive and protects patients and health care personnel alike. The four general types of hand hygiene that should be performed in the perioperative environment are washing hands that are visibly soiled, hand hygiene using alcohol-based products, surgical hand scrubs, and surgical hand scrubs using an alcohol-based surgical hand rub product. Barriers to proper hand hygiene may include not thinking about it, forgetting, skin irritation, a lack of role models, or a lack of a safety culture. One strategy for improving hand hygiene practices is monitoring hand hygiene as part of a quality improvement project, but the most important aspect for perioperative team members is to set an example for other team members by following proper hand hygiene practices and reminding each other to perform hand hygiene. Copyright © 2013 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of WHO multimodal strategy for improvement of hand hygiene: a quasi-experimental study in a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital in Xi'an, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Li; Wang, Xiaoqing; An, Junming; An, Jialu; Zhou, Ning; Sun, Lu; Chen, Hong; Feng, Lin; Han, Jing; Liu, Xiaorong

2017-01-01

Hand hygiene (HH) is an essential component for preventing and controlling of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), whereas compliance with HH among health care workers (HCWs) is frequently poor. This study aimed to assess compliance and correctness with HH before and after the implementation of a multimodal HH improvement strategy launched by the World Health Organization (WHO). A quasi-experimental study design including questionnaire survey generalizing possible factors affecting HH behaviors of HCWs and direct observation method was used to evaluate the effectiveness of WHO multimodal HH strategy in a hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Multimodal HH improvement strategy was drawn up according to the results of questionnaire survey. Compliance and correctness with HH among HCWs were compared before and after intervention. Also HH practices for different indications based on WHO "My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene" were recorded. In total, 553 HCWs participated in the questionnaire survey and multimodal HH improvement strategy was developed based on individual, environment and management levels. A total of 5044 observations in 23 wards were recorded in this investigation. The rate of compliance and correctness with HH improved from 66.27% and 47.75% at baseline to 80.53% and 88.35% after intervention. Doctors seemed to have better compliance with HH after intervention (84.04%) than nurses and other HCWs (81.07% and 69.42%, respectively). When stratified by indication, compliance with HH improved for all indications after intervention ( P  Implementing the WHO multimodal HH strategy can significantly improve HH compliance and correctness among HCWs.

Hand-held cell phone use while driving legislation and observed driver behavior among population sub-groups in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudisill, Toni M; Zhu, Motao

2017-05-12

Cell phone use behaviors are known to vary across demographic sub-groups and geographic locations. This study examined whether universal hand-held calling while driving bans were associated with lower road-side observed hand-held cell phone conversations across drivers of different ages (16-24, 25-59, ≥60 years), sexes, races (White, African American, or other), ruralities (suburban, rural, or urban), and regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West). Data from the 2008-2013 National Occupant Protection Use Survey were merged with states' cell phone use while driving legislation. The exposure was presence of a universal hand-held cell phone ban at time of observation. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of drivers having a hand-held cell phone conversation. Sub-groups differences were assessed using models with interaction terms. When universal hand-held cell phone bans were effective, hand-held cell phone conversations were lower across all driver demographic sub-groups and regions. Sub-group differences existed among the sexes (p-value, phone bans, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of a driver hand-held phone conversation was 0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28, 0.41] for females versus 0.47 (CI 0.40, 0.55) for males and 0.31 (CI 0.25, 0.38) for drivers in Western states compared to 0.47 (CI 0.30, 0.72) in the Northeast and 0.50 (CI 0.38, 0.66) in the South. The presence of universal hand-held cell phone bans were associated lower hand-held cell phone conversations across all driver sub-groups and regions. Hand-held phone conversations were particularly lower among female drivers and those from Western states when these bans were in effect. Public health interventions concerning hand-held cell phone use while driving could reasonably target all drivers.

Stiff Hands

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Stiff Hands Email to a friend * required fields ...

Hand Infections

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Hand Infections Email to a friend * required fields ...

The “Lieutenant Generation” and the Traditions of MGIMO-University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexei V. Shestopal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As a new age in the history of Russia was started by the events of 2014, we, the MGIMO alumni pondered deeply both upon the history of our country and upon the history of alma mater. Thus, we see the coincidence of MGIMO's 70th anniversary and of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War as far more meaningful than just a reason for formal celebration. The establishment of the groundwork of the MGIMO corporate ethic: exigency and amicability, proactiveness and responsibility, openness to the outside world and firmness in defending one's positions - is inseparably connected with the years of the "lieutenant generation", with its first enrollments and first graduations. The main accomplishments of the lieutenant generation of MGIMO graduates took place in 1950's-1970's, in the period of the development and realization of the policy of peaceful coexistence and detente. The policy of peaceful coexistence revealed in full measure both the pursuit of peace and the sober realism based upon the global balance of power. The idea of peaceful coexistence may well be seen as a prototype of the concept of a polycentric world, formulated by the successors of the lieutenant generation at the turn of the XXI century. Hard times did not pass MGIMO by. Fortunately, though, among the merits of the lieutenant generation was the merit of bringing up another MGIMO generation, which preserved the school during the turmoil of the 1990's. In the 1990's-2000's drawing upon its initial traditions, MGIMO became a full-fledged university with manifold international ties both in the West and in the East. Studies dedicated to the Great Patriotic war occupy a particular place in the research activities of MGIMO scholars. These studies have not only historical but also a great educational value, drawing a wide student response and inspiring youth to engage in cross-generation dialogue.

Development of safety culture - A Chinese traditional cultural perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Weihong . E-mail zhouwh@lanps.com

2002-01-01

Living in a social community, the culture of an enterprise is certainly under the influence of that society. Safety culture of nuclear utilities is the core of the enterprise culture. As a formal expression as defined in INSAG 3 and 4 by IAEA, it as a matter of fact originated from the summing up of the experiences of western nuclear industry, particularly after such epoch-making accidents of Three Miles Island and Chernobyl. In view of the geographical culture theory, whether or not this conception of western industrial culture will be absorbed and assimilated by Chinese Nuclear Industry is a challenging issue. This is because, on the one hand, Nuclear Power is comparatively speaking a newly developing industry in China and, on the other hand, China has enjoyed an uninterrupted history of traditional culture over five thousand years. In other words, whether the new and alien values will conflict with or be constructively assimilated by our traditional mindset is a critical question to be answered in any development program of safety culture. (author)

Survey of attitudes and practices of Irish nursing students towards hand hygiene, including handrubbing with alcohol-based hand rub.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingston, Liz M; O'Connell, Nuala H; Dunne, Colum P

2017-05-01

Hand hygiene is widely recognised as the most important measure a healthcare worker can take in preventing the spread of healthcare associated infections. As a member of the healthcare team, nursing students have direct patient contact during clinical practice; hence, good hand hygiene practice among nursing students is essential. Low to moderate levels of hand hygiene knowledge and poor attitudes and practices are reported among nursing students. However, less is known about their attitudes and practices of handrubbing with ABHR, even though handrubbing is the recommended optimum practice in most situations. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes and practices of hand hygiene, in particular handrubbing with alcohol-based hand rub, among nursing students in Ireland. This survey employed a descriptive, self-report design using a questionnaire to gather data. It was administered electronically to all undergraduate nursing students (n=342) in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Limerick, Ireland in March and April 2015. Response rate was 66%. Attitudes towards hand hygiene were generally positive. Compliance with hand hygiene after contact with body fluid was high (99.5%) and before a clean or aseptic procedure (98.5%). However, suboptimal practices emerged, before touching a patient (85%), after touching a patient (87%) and after touching patients' surroundings (61%), with first year students more compliant than fourth year students. 16% of students were not aware of the clinical contraindications for using alcohol-based hand rub and 9% did not know when to use soap and water and when to use alcohol-based hand rub. Educators and practitioners play an important role in ensuring that nursing students develop appropriate attitudes towards hand hygiene and engage in optimal handrubbing practices. Raising awareness among nursing students of their responsibility in preventing the occurrence and reducing the transmission of HCAI as an on

traditional and modern art in nigeria: a comparative analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Modern art on the other hand is referred to as a marriage of the old tradition with the new artistic expression in terms of materials, techniques and tools by the college-trained artists. The current state of the arts in Nigeria is examined and suggestions are made for the reconstruction and revitalization of the art profession, and ...

Competitive universities need to internationalize learning: Perspectives from three European universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Maria Lara

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The process of restructuring European universities in order to harmonize their educational systems is rapidly approaching a key milestone as 2010 looms large on the horizon. This paper describes an approach to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA based on a real case study of students that belong to five European Universities (University of Burgos, Technical University of Valencia, University of Valladolid, University of Basque Country and University of Applied Sciences Cologne. The objective of this paper is two-fold: on the one hand, to analyze from the student’s point of view how they value the restructuring of teaching as a result of the Bologna process and what are the implications for students with regards to both their academic qualifications and their future incorporation into the labour market; and, on the other hand, to deduce from the results obtained recommendations which may help to guide teachers towards successful internationalization and collaboration between interuniversity networks, as well as achieving greater standards of quality within university teaching. Only this would permit an environment in which students are capable of developing the necessary competences, and put into practice learning outcomes. The results show that students value communication, innovative proposals and cooperation between universities; the internationalization of knowledge between universities has been positively accepted and this has motivated research to place a stronger focus on this aspect; it impacts strongly on scientific productivity, improves the quality of education offered by the teaching staff, and leads to greater student mobility. This strategy is intrinsically linked to learning from local experiences shared by members of the same university as well as from more global experiences made available through inter-university networks. It implies being willing to listen, to communicate, to engage in dialogue and means that we must

sequential low cost interventions double hand hygiene rates among

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-02-02

Feb 2, 2014 ... Request for reprints to: Onyema Ogbuagu, Yale University School of Medicine, Address – 135 College Street, suite 323, ... Objective: To assess the impact of multimodal low-cost interventions on hand hygiene ... system change including investment in provision ... Statistical software used was IBM SPSS.

A Comparison of Alienation among Alternatively and Traditionally Certified Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoho, Alan R.; Martin, Nancy K.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of alienation among alternatively and traditionally certified teachers. A total of 228 teachers in grades K-12 from a public university offering both traditional certification (TC) and cooperative alternative certification (AC) graduate programs were assessed using the School Alienation…

Do hospital visitors wash their hands? Assessing the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a hospital lobby.

Science.gov (United States)

Birnbach, David J; Nevo, Igal; Barnes, Susan; Fitzpatrick, Maureen; Rosen, Lisa F; Everett-Thomas, Ruth; Sanko, Jill S; Arheart, Kristopher L

2012-05-01

Reports regarding hand hygiene compliance (HHC) among hospital visitors are limited. Although there is an implicit assumption that the availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (AHS) promotes visitor HHC, the degree of AHS use by visitors remains unclear. To assess AHS use, we observed visitor HHC and how it is affected by visual cues in a private university hospital. Using an observational controlled study, we tested 3 interventions: a desk sign mandating all visitors to use AHS, a free-standing AHS dispenser directly in front of a security desk, and a combination of a freestanding AHS dispenser and a sign. HHC was 0.52% at baseline and did not improve significantly when the desk sign was provided as a cue 0.67% (P = .753). However, HHC did improve significantly with use of the freestanding AHS dispenser (9.33%) and the sign and dispenser combination (11.67%) (P hand hygiene behavior. Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Raman spectroscopy compared against traditional predictors of shear force in lamb m. longissimus lumborum.

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Stephanie M; Schmidt, Heinar; van de Ven, Remy; Wynn, Peter; Hopkins, David L

2014-12-01

A Raman spectroscopic hand held device was used to predict shear force (SF) of 80 fresh lamb m. longissimus lumborum (LL) at 1 and 5days post mortem (PM). Traditional predictors of SF including sarcomere length (SL), particle size (PS), cooking loss (CL), percentage myofibrillar breaks and pH were also measured. SF values were regressed against Raman spectra using partial least squares regression and against the traditional predictors using linear regression. The best prediction of shear force values used spectra at 1day PM to predict shear force at 1day which gave a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 13.6 (Null=14.0) and the R(2) between observed and cross validated predicted values was 0.06 (R(2)cv). Overall, for fresh LL, the predictability SF, by either the Raman hand held probe or traditional predictors was low. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Universal Robot Hand Equipped with Tactile and Joint Torque Sensors: Development and Experiments on Stiffness Control and Object Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki NAKAMOTO

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Various humanoid robots have been developed and multifunction robot hands which are able to attach those robots like human hand is needed. But a useful robot hand has not been depeveloped, because there are a lot of problems such as control method of many degrees of freedom and processing method of enormous sensor outputs. Realizing such robot hand, we have developed five-finger robot hand. In this paper, the detailed structure of developed robot hand is described. The robot hand we developed has five fingers of multi-joint that is equipped with joint torque sensors and tactile sensors. We report experimental results of a stiffness control with the developed robot hand. Those results show that it is possible to change the stiffness of joints. Moreover we propose an object recognition method with the tactile sensor. The validity of that method is assured by experimental results.

Assessment of hand hygiene techniques using the World Health Organization's six steps.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, Ariadna V; Garcell, Humberto G; Ochoa, Yagdeline R; Arias, Katiana F; Miranda, Fernando R

2016-01-01

The quality of hand hygiene was evaluated via direct observation for compliance with the six recommended World Health Organization steps. A total of 2497 HH opportunities, of which 1573 (63.0%) were hand rubs, were monitored over a five month period. Compliance was higher in nurses compared with physicians and auxiliaries and in steps 1 and 2 for hand rubs as well as the first three steps of hand washing, with lower rates after these steps. Rubbing of the thumbs and fingertips achieved the lowest rates of compliance in both HH types. A combination of the five recommended moments and six steps and staff education is recommended to improve the quality of hand hygiene. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acute alcohol intoxication in a child following ingestion of an ethyl-alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertzog, James H; Radwick, Allison

2015-07-01

While uncommon, ingestion of ethanol-based hand sanitizers by children may be associated with significant intoxication. We report the case of a 7-year-old with acute alcohol intoxication following hand sanitizer ingestion. Alcohol elimination in this patient followed zero-order kinetics with a clearance rate of 22.5 mg/kg/h, consistent with the limited pharmacokinetic information available for children who experience alcohol intoxication from more traditional sources.

(Re)Discovering University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book challenges traditional approach to university autonomy which is based on four pillars: organisational, financial, human resource, and academic. The main thesis is that a fuller understanding of university autonomy can only be obtained through a more holistic view of the complex inter-re...

Adherence to hand hygiene guidelines - significance of measuring fidelity.

Science.gov (United States)

Korhonen, Anne; Ojanperä, Helena; Puhto, Teija; Järvinen, Raija; Kejonen, Pirjo; Holopainen, Arja

2015-11-01

The aim was to evaluate the usability of fidelity measures in compliance evaluation of hand hygiene. Adherence to hand hygiene guidelines is important in terms of patient safety. Compliance measures seldom describe how exactly the guidelines are followed. A cross-sectional observation study in a university hospital setting was conducted. Direct observation by trained staff was performed using a standardised observation form supplemented by fidelity criteria. A total of 830 occasions were observed in 13 units. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, percentages and range) were used as well as compliance rate by using a standard web-based tool. In addition, the binomial standard normal deviate test was conducted for comparing different methods used in evaluation of hand hygiene and in comparison between professional groups. Measuring fidelity to guidelines was revealed to be useful in uncovering gaps in hand hygiene practices. The main gap related to too short duration of hand rubbing. Thus, although compliance with hand hygiene guidelines measured using a standard web-based tool was satisfactory, the degree of how exactly the guidelines were followed seemed to be critical. Combining the measurement of fidelity to guidelines with the compliance rate is beneficial in revealing inconsistency between optimal and actual hand hygiene behaviour. Evaluating fidelity measures is useful in terms of revealing the gaps between optimal and actual performance in hand hygiene. Fidelity measures are suitable in different healthcare contexts and easy to measure according to the relevant indicators of fidelity, such as the length of hand rubbing. Knowing the gap facilitates improvements in clinical practice. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stereomicroscopic evaluation of defects caused by torsional fatigue in used hand and rotary nickel-titanium instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Asthana, Geeta; Kapadwala, Marsrat I; Parmar, Girish J

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate defects caused by torsional fatigue in used hand and rotary nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments by stereomicroscopic examination. One hundred five greater taper Ni-Ti instruments were used including Protaper universal hand (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), Protaper universal rotary (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), and Revo-S rotary (MicroMega, Besançon, France) files. Files were used on lower anterior teeth. After every use, the files were observed with both naked eyes and stereomicroscope at 20× magnification (Olympus, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan) to evaluate defects caused by torsional fatigue. Scoring was assigned to each file according to the degree of damage. The results were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. A greater number of defects were seen under the stereomicroscope than on examining with naked eyes. However, the difference in methods of evaluation was not statistically significant. Revo-S files showed minimum defects, while Protaper universal hand showed maximum defects. The intergroup comparison of defects showed that the bend in Protaper universal hand instruments was statistically significant. Visible defects in Ni-Ti files due to torsional fatigue were seen by naked eyes as well as by stereomicroscope. This study emphasizes that all the files should be observed before and after every instrument cycle to minimize the risk of separation.

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ke; Lippelt, Dominique P; Hommel, Bernhard

2017-03-01

Studies investigating how people represent themselves and their own body often use variants of "ownership illusions", such as the traditional rubber-hand illusion or the more recently discovered enfacement illusion. However, these examples require rather artificial experimental setups, in which the artificial effector needs to be stroked in synchrony with the participants' real hand or face-a situation in which participants have no control over the stroking or the movements of their real or artificial effector. Here, we describe a technique to establish ownership illusions in a setup that is more realistic, more intuitive, and of presumably higher ecological validity. It allows creating the virtual-hand illusion by having participants control the movements of a virtual hand presented on a screen or in virtual space in front of them. If the virtual hand moves in synchrony with the participants' own real hand, they tend to perceive the virtual hand as part of their own body. The technique also creates the virtual-face illusion by having participants control the movements of a virtual face in front of them, again with the effect that they tend to perceive the face as their own if it moves in synchrony with their real face. Studying the circumstances that illusions of this sort can be created, increased, or reduced provides important information about how people create and maintain representations of themselves.

EthoHand: A dexterous robotic hand with ball-joint thumb enables complex in-hand object manipulation

OpenAIRE

Konnaris, C; Gavriel, C; Thomik, AAC; Aldo Faisal, A

2016-01-01

Our dexterous hand is a fundmanetal human feature that distinguishes us from other animals by enabling us to go beyond grasping to support sophisticated in-hand object manipulation. Our aim was the design of a dexterous anthropomorphic robotic hand that matches the human hand's 24 degrees of freedom, under-actuated by seven motors. With the ability to replicate human hand movements in a naturalistic manner including in-hand object manipulation. Therefore, we focused on the development of a no...

Hand-related physical function in rheumatic hand conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klokker, Louise; Terwee, Caroline B; Wæhrens, Eva Ejlersen

2016-01-01

as well as those items from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) item bank that are relevant to patients with rheumatic hand conditions. Selection will be based on consensus among reviewers. Content validity of selected items will be established......INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus about what constitutes the most appropriate patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) instrument for measuring physical function in patients with rheumatic hand conditions. Existing instruments lack psychometric testing and vary in feasibility...... and their psychometric qualities. We aim to develop a PROM instrument to assess hand-related physical function in rheumatic hand conditions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will perform a systematic search to identify existing PROMs to rheumatic hand conditions, and select items relevant for hand-related physical function...

Hand-related physical function in rheumatic hand conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klokker, Louise; Terwee, Caroline; Wæhrens, Eva Elisabet Ejlersen

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus about what constitutes the most appropriate patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) instrument for measuring physical function in patients with rheumatic hand conditions. Existing instruments lack psychometric testing and vary in feasibility...... and their psychometric qualities. We aim to develop a PROM instrument to assess hand-related physical function in rheumatic hand conditions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will perform a systematic search to identify existing PROMs to rheumatic hand conditions, and select items relevant for hand-related physical function...... as well as those items from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) item bank that are relevant to patients with rheumatic hand conditions. Selection will be based on consensus among reviewers. Content validity of selected items will be established...

Determinants of hand hygiene compliance in Egypt: building blocks for a communication strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohiniva, A-L; Bassim, H; Hafez, S; Kamel, E; Ahmed, E; Saeed, T; Talaat, M

2015-10-02

Hand hygiene of health-care staff is one of the most important interventions in reducing transmission of nosocomial infections. This qualitative study aimed to understand the behavioural determinants of hand hygiene in order to develop sustainable interventions to promote hand hygiene in hospitals. Fourteen focus group discussions were conducted with nurses in 2 university hospitals in Egypt. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted by 2 independent investigators. The findings highlighted that nurses did not perceive the benefits of hand hygiene, and that they linked the need to wash hands to a sense of dirtiness. Knowledge of hand hygiene and related products was limited and preference for water and soap was obvious. Environmental constraints, lack of role models and social control were identified as barriers for compliance with hand hygiene. A multi-faceted hand hygiene strategy was developed based on existing cultural concepts valued by the hospital staff.

Hand Motion-Based Remote Control Interface with Vibrotactile Feedback for Home Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design and implementation of a hand-held interface system for the locomotion control of home robots. A handheld controller is proposed to implement hand motion recognition and hand motion-based robot control. The handheld controller can provide a ‘connect-and-play’ service for the users to control the home robot with visual and vibrotactile feedback. Six natural hand gestures are defined for navigating the home robots. A three-axis accelerometer is used to detect the hand motions of the user. The recorded acceleration data are analysed and classified to corresponding control commands according to their characteristic curves. A vibration motor is used to provide vibrotactile feedback to the user when an improper operation is performed. The performances of the proposed hand motion-based interface and the traditional keyboard and mouse interface have been compared in robot navigation experiments. The experimental results of home robot navigation show that the success rate of the handheld controller is 13.33% higher than the PC based controller. The precision of the handheld controller is 15.4% more than that of the PC and the execution time is 24.7% less than the PC based controller. This means that the proposed hand motion-based interface is more efficient and flexible.

61 Traditional Settlement of Dispute amongst Ikwerre Ethnic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

First Lady

2013-01-28

Jan 28, 2013 ... Ogoloma, Fineface I. - Institute of Foundation Studies (IFS), Rivers. State University .... There are many case studies that emphasize Traditional Dispute Settlement in ..... Religion and Social Conflict Management (The case of.

Ukraine Open University: Its prospects in distance education development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bohdan Shunevych

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The genesis, initiation, and expansion of distance education at the Ukraine Open International University for Human Development, located in Kyiv, will be examined in this case study, starting with a brief look at the positive changes taking place in Ukraine's traditional educational system, as well as recent developments in the country's distance education (DE system. To help readers understand the University's development from an insider's perspective, societal factors that currently influence its inter- and extra-institutional environment will also be examined. Next, the history, organizational structure, institutional activities, and background of the Ukraine Open International University for Human Development, along with the reasons driving the University's dual mode activities - both traditional and distance education - will be briefly analyzed. Included in this analysis is a summary of the challenges surrounding the application of both traditional and distance education models.The author concludes his case study by reflecting upon Ukraine Open International University for Human Development's experiences within the context of its being both a traditional education provider and new dual-mode distance education provider. Also discussed are some key indicators and predictions about what the future may hold for the University.

Relic right-handed Dirac neutrinos and implications for detection of cosmic neutrino background

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Jue Zhang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available It remains to be determined experimentally if massive neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. In this connection, it has been recently suggested that the detection of cosmic neutrino background of left-handed neutrinos νL and right-handed antineutrinos ν‾R in future experiments of neutrino capture on beta-decaying nuclei (e.g., νe+H3→He3+e− for the PTOLEMY experiment is likely to distinguish between Majorana and Dirac neutrinos, since the capture rate is twice larger in the former case. In this paper, we investigate the possible impact of right-handed neutrinos on the capture rate, assuming that massive neutrinos are Dirac particles and both right-handed neutrinos νR and left-handed antineutrinos ν‾L can be efficiently produced in the early Universe. It turns out that the capture rate can be enhanced at most by 28% due to the presence of relic νR and ν‾L with a total number density of 95 cm−3, which should be compared to the number density 336 cm−3 of cosmic neutrino background. The enhancement has actually been limited by the latest cosmological and astrophysical bounds on the effective number of neutrino generations Neff=3.14−0.43+0.44 at the 95% confidence level. For illustration, two possible scenarios have been proposed for thermal production of right-handed neutrinos in the early Universe.

Games Unplugged! "Dolanan Anak," Traditional Javanese Children's Singing Games in the 21st-Century General Music Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jui-Ching

2015-01-01

Educated in a digital world, millennial children lack social interaction and actual hands-on activities involving tactile and kinesthetic training. To counteract this educational trend, traditional singing games that allow children to explore and make sense of their world physically can be valuable. This article introduces the traditional Javanese…

The potential of traditional leafy vegetables for improving food security in Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dube, Praxedis; Heijman, Wim J.M.; Ihle, Rico; Ochieng, Justus

2017-01-01

Feeding the quickly growing population in Africa remains a global challenge. As the demand for food increases, climate change, on the other hand, poses more challenges to agricultural productivity, implying that the provision of sufficient quantities and qualities of food is threatened. Traditional

Universities between Traditional Forces and Modern Demands: The Role of Imprinting on the Missions of German Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Oertel, Simon; Söll, Matthias

2017-01-01

Universities find themselves faced with the conflicting institutional demands of being cathedrals of learning and research as well as introducing managerial and corporate-like structures. Despite many studies in higher education research that focus on how this situation affects the mission of universities, the role of imprinting has not received…

A Comparison of Success and Failure Rates between Computer-Assisted and Traditional College Algebra Sections

Science.gov (United States)

Herron, Sherry; Gandy, Rex; Ye, Ningjun; Syed, Nasser

2012-01-01

A unique aspect of the implementation of a computer algebra system (CAS) at a comprehensive university in the U.S. allowed us to compare the student success and failure rates to the traditional method of teaching college algebra. Due to space limitations, the university offered sections of both CAS and traditional simultaneously and, upon…

Hand and goods judgment algorithm based on depth information

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mingzhu; Zhang, Jinsong; Yan, Dan; Wang, Qin; Zhang, Ruiqi; Han, Jing

2016-03-01

A tablet computer with a depth camera and a color camera is loaded on a traditional shopping cart. The inside information of the shopping cart is obtained by two cameras. In the shopping cart monitoring field, it is very important for us to determine whether the customer with goods in or out of the shopping cart. This paper establishes a basic framework for judging empty hand, it includes the hand extraction process based on the depth information, process of skin color model building based on WPCA (Weighted Principal Component Analysis), an algorithm for judging handheld products based on motion and skin color information, statistical process. Through this framework, the first step can ensure the integrity of the hand information, and effectively avoids the influence of sleeve and other debris, the second step can accurately extract skin color and eliminate the similar color interference, light has little effect on its results, it has the advantages of fast computation speed and high efficiency, and the third step has the advantage of greatly reducing the noise interference and improving the accuracy.

Hand Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is ... Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy ... DESCRIPTION The bones of the hand serve as a framework. This framework supports the muscles that make the wrist and fingers move. When ...

Immersive, hands-on, team-based geophysical education at the University of Texas Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course

Science.gov (United States)

Saustrup, S.; Gulick, S. P.; Goff, J. A.; Davis, M. B.; Duncan, D.; Reece, R.

2013-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), part of the Jackson School of Geosciences, annually offers a unique and intensive three-week marine geology and geophysics field course during the spring/summer semester intersession. Now entering its seventh year, the course transitions students from a classroom environment through real-world, hands-on field acquisition, on to team-oriented data interpretation, culminating in a professional presentation before academic and industry employer representatives. The course is available to graduate students and select upper-division undergraduates, preparing them for direct entry into the geoscience workforce or for further academic study. Geophysical techniques used include high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection, CHIRP sub-bottom profiling, multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, sediment coring, grab sampling, data processing, and laboratory analysis of sediments. Industry-standard equipment, methods, software packages, and visualization techniques are used throughout the course, putting students ahead of many of their peers in this respect. The course begins with a 3-day classroom introduction to the field area geology, geophysical methods, and computing resources used. The class then travels to the Gulf Coast for a week of hands-on field and lab work aboard two research vessels: UTIG's 22-foot, aluminum hulled Lake Itasca; and NOAA's 82-foot high-speed catamaran R/V Manta. The smaller vessel handles primarily shallow, inshore targets using multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, and grab sampling. The larger vessel is used both inshore and offshore for multichannel seismic, CHIRP profiling, multibeam bathymetry, gravity coring, and vibracoring. Field areas to date have included Galveston and Port Aransas, Texas, and Grand Isle, Louisiana, with further work in Grand Isle scheduled for 2014. In the field, students work in teams of three, participating in survey design, instrument set-up, field deployment

Impact of a multicomponent hand hygiene intervention strategy in reducing infection rates at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Kuwaiti, Ahmed

2017-09-01

Few studies have reported the correlation between hand hygiene (HH) practices and infection rates in Saudi Arabia. This work was aimed to study the effect of a multicomponent HH intervention strategy in improving HH compliance and reducing infection rates at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia between January 2014 and December 2016. A yearlong multicomponent HH intervention, which included various strategies recommended by the World Health Organization, was introduced. HH compliance among staff and infection rates observed in the inpatient wards were assessed and compared at pre- and post-interventional phases. There was a significant increase in mean HH compliance from 50.17% to 71.75% after the intervention ( P  infection (HAI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates decreased from 3.37 to 2.59 and from 3.73 to 1.75, respectively ( P  infection rates. Further studies on cost-effectiveness of such a model could augment to these findings.

Iterative co-creation for improved hand hygiene and aseptic techniques in the operating room: experiences from the safe hands study.

Science.gov (United States)

Erichsen Andersson, Annette; Frödin, Maria; Dellenborg, Lisen; Wallin, Lars; Hök, Jesper; Gillespie, Brigid M; Wikström, Ewa

2018-01-04

Hand hygiene and aseptic techniques are essential preventives in combating hospital-acquired infections. However, implementation of these strategies in the operating room remains suboptimal. There is a paucity of intervention studies providing detailed information on effective methods for change. This study aimed to evaluate the process of implementing a theory-driven knowledge translation program for improved use of hand hygiene and aseptic techniques in the operating room. The study was set in an operating department of a university hospital. The intervention was underpinned by theories on organizational learning, culture and person centeredness. Qualitative process data were collected via participant observations and analyzed using a thematic approach. Doubts that hand-hygiene practices are effective in preventing hospital acquired infections, strong boundaries and distrust between professional groups and a lack of psychological safety were identified as barriers towards change. Facilitated interprofessional dialogue and learning in "safe spaces" worked as mechanisms for motivation and engagement. Allowing for the free expression of different opinions, doubts and viewing resistance as a natural part of any change was effective in engaging all professional categories in co-creation of clinical relevant solutions to improve hand hygiene. Enabling nurses and physicians to think and talk differently about hospital acquired infections and hand hygiene requires a shift from the concept of one-way directed compliance towards change and learning as the result of a participatory and meaning-making process. The present study is a part of the Safe Hands project, and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02983136 ). Date of registration 2016/11/28, retrospectively registered.

Semi-Commercial and Traditional Hunting of Baar Tribe in Riung, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kayat Kayat

2017-01-01

Hunting is one of the aspects that influence number of wild animals. The article aims at describing semi-comercial and traditional hunting concept of Baar Tribe in East Nusa Tenggara as an alternative for wild animal conservation.  The data collection methods are guided interview, in-depth interview and participant observation. The findings show that in the semi-comercial and traditional hunting concept of Baar Tribe in East Nusa Tenggara, traditional wisdom is represented by hunting techniques and equipments. It is likely that rapid semi-commercial hunting conducted by certain members of Baar tribe causes sharp decline in the population of wild animals. On the other hand, annual traditional hunting which strictly follows traditional code of conduct can maintain Timor deer population in Timor. Keywords: hunting, population, semi-commercial, traditional, Timor deer

A Methodology for the Design of Robotic Hands with Multiple Fingers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Eduardo Parada Puig

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology that has been applied for a design process of anthropomorphic hands with multiple fingers. Biomechanical characteristics of human hand have been analysed so that ergonomic and anthropometric aspects have been used as fundamental references for obtaining grasping mechanisms. A kinematic analysis has been proposed to define the requirements for designing grasping functions. Selection of materials and actuators has been discussed too. This topic has been based on previous experiences with prototypes that have been developed at the Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM of the University of Cassino. An example of the application of the proposed method has been presented for the design of a first prototype of LARM Hand.

Developing an Innovative and Creative Hands-on Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing Experiments for Engineering Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Badawi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to develop an innovative and creative hands-on project based on Lean Six Sigma experiments for engineering education at the College of Engineering at the University of Hail. The exercises were designed using junction box assembly to meet the following learning outcomes: 1-to provide students with solid experience on waste elimination and variation reduction and 2-to engage students in exercises related to assembly line mass production and motion study. To achieve these objectives, students were introduced to the principles of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma through various pedagogical activities such as classroom instruction, laboratory experiments, hands-on exercises, and interactive group work. In addition, Minitab 17 statistical package and Quality Companion 3 software were used to facilitate The Lean Six Sigma exercises. The software application and hands-on manufacturing assembly were found to be extremely valuable in giving students the chance to identify which variables to control in order to minimize variation and eliminate waste. This research was funded by a grant from the Deanship of Academic Research at University of Hail for project number E-26-IC, and under the umbrella of Ministry of Education within the framework of the National Initiative on Creativity and Innovation in Saudi Universities at University of Hail.

Factors Predicting the Choice of an Online versus a Traditional Course

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Ryan P.; Doverspike, Dennis

2006-01-01

Universities sometimes offer students the choice of an online course as an alternative to the traditional classroom. We employed the theory of planned behavior (Azjen, 1991) to examine an individual's intention to enroll in an online experimental psychology class versus a traditional class. General attitudes and subjective norms significantly…

Recruiting and Serving Online Students at a Traditional University

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Rebel

2016-01-01

There have been many drastic changes in higher education in recent years. State funding has decreased, leaving schools responsible for their own revenue growth and for balancing their budgets. Colleges and universities are closing departments and are no longer offering majors that are producing few or no graduates. Small colleges are closing, and…

The Idea of a University: Rethinking the Malaysian Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang Da Wan

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article explores the idea of a university with a specific focus in the Malaysian context. We begin the article guided by these questions—“What is a university?” and “What are universities for?”—in examining the historical and conceptual development of universities. This is followed by asking a more specific question—“What are Malaysian universities for?”—in which we discussed the overarching roles of public and private universities in this developing country. Having examined the roles of public and private universities, and taken into context the complexity and challenges surrounding these important societal institutions, we discuss two “experimental” initiatives in Malaysia: the APEX University (Accelerated Program for Excellence focusing on sustainability and the “humanversity”. On the one hand, these initiatives are intended to prepare and transform Malaysian universities to address not only the needs of society today, but critically, of tomorrow. On the other hand, they have implications and contributions to frame our thinking about the future ideas of a university not only in Malaysia, but regionally and globally.

Hand hygiene amongst dental professionals in a tertiary dental clinic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To evaluate hand washing attitude and practices among Dentists and Dental Students treating patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Dental Clinic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Dentists and Dental Students treating patients in University of Benin Teaching Hospital was conducted between February ...

Hand Matters: Left-Hand Gestures Enhance Metaphor Explanation

Science.gov (United States)

Argyriou, Paraskevi; Mohr, Christine; Kita, Sotaro

2017-01-01

Research suggests that speech-accompanying gestures influence cognitive processes, but it is not clear whether the gestural benefit is specific to the gesturing hand. Two experiments tested the "(right/left) hand-specificity" hypothesis for self-oriented functions of gestures: gestures with a particular hand enhance cognitive processes…

Micro-computed tomographic comparison of nickel-titanium rotary versus traditional instruments in C-shaped root canal system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xingzhe; Cheung, Gary Shun-Pan; Zhang, Chengfei; Masuda, Yoshiko Murakami; Kimura, Yuichi; Matsumoto, Koukichi

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of instrumentation of C-shaped canals with ProTaper rotary system and traditional instruments by using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Twenty-four mandibular molars with C-shaped canals were selected in pairs and sorted equally into 2 groups, which were assigned for instrumentation by ProTaper rotary system (ProTaper group) or by K-files and Gates-Glidden burs (Hand Instrument group). Three-dimensional images were constructed by micro-CT. The volume of dentin removed, uninstrumented canal area, time taken for instrumentation, and iatrogenic error of instrumentation were investigated. Hand Instrument group showed greater amount of volumetric dentin removal and left less uninstrumented canal area than ProTaper group (P ProTaper group than for Hand Instrument group (P Hand Instrument group than for ProTaper group. It was concluded that ProTaper rotary system maintained the canal curvature with speediness and few procedural errors, whereas traditional instrumentation can clean more canal surface. Copyright (c) 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic living donor nephrectomy at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge.

Science.gov (United States)

Gjertsen, H; Sandberg, A-K A; Wadström, J; Tydén, G; Ericzon, B-G

2006-10-01

Living donor kidney transplantation accounts for about 50% of the total number of renal transplantations at our center. From 1999 through 2005, 75 out of 220 living donor nephrectomies were performed with a laparoscopic technique (LLDN). In June 2005, we introduced the technique of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (HARS) for living donors. Since the introduction until the end of 2005, 11 out of 18 living donor nephrectomies (LDN) were performed with HARS. Reduced operation time was observed for the HARS group (mean, 166 minutes) compared with the LLDN (mean, 244 minutes). Two grafts showed delayed function, one in the LLND group and one in the HARS group. No major perioperative or postoperative complications were observed in the HARS group, whereas one patient who underwent LLDN developed severe pancreatitis. So far in our hands HARS is a fast and safe procedure with results comparable with open LDN. Compared to LLDN, we experienced reduced operation time together with the advantage of retroperitoneal access.

[Hand osteoarthritis].

Science.gov (United States)

Šenolt, Ladislav

Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic disorder causing pain and limitation of mobility of affected joints. The prevalence of hand OA increases with age and more often affects females. Clinical signs obviously do not correlate with radiographic findings - symptomatic hand OA affects approximately 26 % of adult subjects, but radiographic changes can be found in up to two thirds of females and half of males older than 55 years.Disease course differ among individual patients. Hand OA is a heterogeneous disease. Nodal hand OA is the most common subtype affecting interphalangeal joints, thumb base OA affects first carpometacarpal joint. Erosive OA represents a specific subtype of hand OA, which is associated with joint inflammation, more pain, functional limitation and erosive findings on radiographs.Treatment of OA is limited. Analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the only agents reducing symptoms. New insights into the pathogenesis of disease should contribute to the development of novel effective treatment of hand OA.

Exploring Public Universities as Social Enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Morgan P.; Verreynne, Martie-Louise; McAuley, Andrew; Hammond, Kevin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how universities attempt to balance meeting their traditional mission of education, research and community engagement while remaining economically sustainable. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey was conducted in 2014 of university executives and found that universities in Australia are rapidly…

Optics and optronics in university courses for officers of the Federal Armed Forces - special curricula and hands-on lessons vs. academic requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Hahlweg, Cornelius; Rothe, Hendrik

2016-09-01

For more than two decades lessons in optics, digital image processing and optronics are compulsory optional subjects and as such integral parts of the courses in mechanical engineering at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg. They are provided by the Chair for Measurement and Information Technology. Historically, the curricula started as typical basic lessons in optics and digital image processing and related sensors. Practical sessions originally concentrated on image processing procedures in Pascal, C and later Matlab. They evolved into a broad portfolio of practical hands-on lessons in lab and field, including high-tech and especially military equipment, but also homemaker style primitive experiments, of which the paper will give a methodical overview. A special topic - as always with optics in education - is the introduction to the various levels of abstraction in conjunction with the highly complex and wide-ranging matter squeezed into only two trimesters - instead of semesters at civil universities - for an audience being subject to strains from both study and duty. The talk will be accompanied by striking multi-media material, which will be also part of the multi-media attachment of the paper.

Profile and birthing practices of Maranao traditional birth attendants

OpenAIRE

Maghuyop-Butalid, Roselyn; Mayo, Norhanifa A; Polangi, Hania T

2015-01-01

Roselyn Maghuyop-Butalid, Norhanifa A Mayo, Hania T Polangi College of Nursing, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines Abstract: This study determined the profile and birthing practices in both modern and traditional ways among Maranao traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in Lanao del Norte, Philippines. It employed a descriptive research design. The respondents were 50 Maranao TBAs selected through the snowball sampling technique. A quest...

Neymar, defender of brazilian tradition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisca Islandia Cardoso da Silva

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to analyze how university students of Teresina-PI appropriate of the message of a report of the television show Esporte Espetacular. There was use of the technique of focus groups and analytical-descriptive method for collecting and analyzing data. The sample consisted of 24 university students, aged between 18 and 24 years. The report features Neymar as responsible to follow the "tradition" of Brazilians and to be crowned as the best player in the world. The subjects of research said that the speech conveyed by the report can reproduce and create a reality sometimes dreamlike, because objective to confer to Neymar great importance with regard to national identity.

Growth curves and their implications in hand-fed Monk parrots (Myiopsitta monachus

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Petzinger C

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Christina Petzinger,1,2 J Jill Heatley,3 John E Bauer1,2 1Comparative Animal Nutrition Research Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 2Intercollegiate Faculty of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, 3Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA Abstract: Monk parrots (Myiopsitta monachus were hand-fed over two chick seasons spanning of 2010 to 2011. Information from the growth curve of chicks hand-fed in 2010 was used to develop a feeding protocol for the 2011 season (Protocol-2011. This protocol addressed the problems of delayed followed by excessive growth experienced by parrots hand fed in 2010. Monk parrots that were hand-fed in 2011 following the new protocol experienced delayed growth after 20 days of age. However, some Monk parrots were fed in excess of Protocol-2011 and did not experience a major delay in growth. The energy requirement equations used to construct Protocol-2011 were low when compared to adult Monk parrot maintenance energy requirements. The data suggest that growing birds do not require approximately twice their adult maintenance energy requirements, as is the case for growing dogs. Additionally, there appear to be fluctuations in energy needs as Monk parrots grow. A major increase in energy needs occurred between days 18 and 23 posthatching, which corresponds to feather development and growth in Monk parrot chicks. Thus, multiple equations estimating energy requirements, rather than just one equation, are likely needed from hatching to fledging in order to ensure adequate energy is provided to chicks. More research on the energy requirements of growing Monk parrots, especially around the time of fledging and weaning, is needed to improve hand-fed methods and potentially the adult health of hand-fed birds. Keywords

An Investigation of the Perceptions of Business Students Regarding Non-Traditional Business Education Formats.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, John W.; Hadjimarcou, John

1999-01-01

A survey of 118 undergraduate business students at a major southwestern university found that most consider non-traditional education as a viable option to traditional education. However, respondents also identified disadvantages of non-traditional programs, such as cost, external validity of degrees, and impersonalized learning environment.…

Academic Medicine Meets Traditional African Healing

Science.gov (United States)

Lindow, Megan

2008-01-01

Cyril Naidoo, who directs the department of family medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, conducts workshops to traditional healers on how to help patients with AIDS and HIV. In Dr. Naidoo's workshop, the group discusses how to counsel patients about HIV and AIDS, how to refer them for testing, and then…

Distance Learning Can Be as Effective as Traditional Learning for Medical Students in the Initial Assessment of Trauma Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shervin Farahmand

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Distance learning is expanding and replacing the traditional academic medical settings. Managing trauma patients seems to be a prerequisite skill for medical students. This study has been done to evaluate the efficiency of distance learning on performing the initial assessment and management in trauma patients, compared with the traditional learning among senior medical students. One hundred and twenty senior medical students enrolled in this single-blind quasi-experimental study and were equally divided into the experimental (distance learning and control group (traditional learning. All participants did a written MCQ before the study. The control group attended a workshop with a 50-minute lecture on initial management of trauma patients and a case simulation scenario followed by a hands-on session. On the other hand, the experimental group was given a DVD with a similar 50-minute lecture and a case simulation scenario, and they also attended a hands-on session to practice the skills. Both groups were evaluated by a trauma station in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE after a month. The performance in the experimental group was statistically better (P=0.001 in OSCE. Distance learning seems to be an appropriate adjunct to traditional learning.

Denmark: HAND in HAND Policy Questionnaire

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Hilmar Dyrborg; Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

2018-01-01

Som del af det internationale EU finansierede projekt Hand in Hand, der fokuserer på de såkaldte SEI-kompetencer (Social, Emotional, Intercultural), er dansk policy i relation til elevernes sociale, emotionelle og interkulturelle læring kortlagt i denne rapport. Der refereres bl.a. til "elevernes...

Tradition, modernity and the future of African theology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

During my research in the field of African traditional religion and Christianity I .... and their protest against the old is a cry for psychological, social and spiritual ...... B.A.(Theology) Dissertation, University of Malawi, 1996; for the Christian faith,.

Motives for consumer choice of traditional food and European food in mainland China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ou; De Steur, Hans; Gellynck, Xavier; Verbeke, Wim

2015-04-01

The demand for European (-style) foods in mainland China has been increasing dramatically during the last decade. Nevertheless, European food producers often appear to be not capable to fully exploit this huge market potential, partially due to the competition with traditional (Chinese) foods. This study examines the determinants of mainland Chinese consumers' choice of traditional food and European food. A web-based survey was administered with 541 consumers from two cities: Shanghai and Xi'an. Thereby, the Food Choice Motives model, predominantly used thus far in a European or developed context, is applied to mainland China in order to address the lack of knowledge on food motives of its consumer market and to detect associations between these motives, attitudes, and purchase intentions. Factor analysis resulted in a new Food Choice Motive construct that is considered more appropriate within the context of mainland Chinese consumers, encompassing six dimensions: Health concern, Time or money saving, Sensory appeal, Availability and familiarity, Mood and Food safety concern. Path analysis demonstrated that Time or money saving was negatively associated with attitude toward traditional food on the one hand and purchase intentions toward European food on the other hand. Availability and familiarity had a positive association with attitude toward traditional food. Mood was a positive factor driving attitude toward European food. For both food types, Sensory appeal and Attitude were positively linked to purchase intentions. Furthermore, Mood was negatively linked to the purchase intention toward traditional food in Shanghai. Food safety concern was positively associated with attitudes toward traditional food in Xi'an. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hand Surgery: Anesthesia

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Hand Surgery Anesthesia Email to a friend * required ...

The Exploitation of the Traditional Component in Restructuring Modern Food Offer in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Bobe

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Food and eating habits, together with adjacent agricultural activities have had and an important role in the development of modern society and the individual itself. Besides its nutritional role, food has become a main socio-cultural determinant, food consumption patterns being influenced, on one hand, by psycho-sensory and quality characteristics of the food product and, on the other hand, by the physiological state of the consumer and its main determinants: traditions, religion and culture. These elements, together with economic considerations have a significant share in shaping the modern eating habits. In this context, the present paper aims to identify and analyze the main capitalization methods of the food’s traditional potential in reshaping the modern food offer, starting with a literature review and continuing with an exploratory analyze of the traditional food sector in Romania. Considering the main directions outlined by literature, this article tries to identify a set of specific features of the traditional food sector in Romania both in terms of producer and consumer perspectives. In this regard, an interview and an exploratory based questionnaire study were conducted. Having as a starting point the wide variety of Romanian food resources, this study aims to highlight how culinary customs have been modeled throughout history in order to establish eating patterns as an assessment method based on the impact of technological progress on the future alimentation.

Hand Anatomy

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is ... Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons Anatomy The upper extremity is ...

International Symposium: “Scientific School of L.S. Vygotsky: Traditions and Innovations” and International ISCAR Summer University for PhD Students

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Baykovskaya N.A.,

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article represents a brief report on the work of the International Symposium: «Scientific School of L.S. Vygotsky: Traditions and Innovations» and VI th International ISCAR Summer University for PhD Students and young scholars, that were held in Moscow State University of Psychology & Education on June, 28 — July, 3 in 2016 in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the great Russian psychologist L.S. Vygotsky. The main goals of the events organised by MSUPE include: analysis of the basic principles and the system of concepts of L.S. Vygotsky’s scientific school, discussion of the current state and the prospect for the development of the cultural-historical theory in Russia and abroad, integration of the ideas of the cultural-historical psychology and activity approach in various kinds of social and educational practices, as well as conducting research in the international scientific space. Symposium gathered the world’s leading experts and young scholars in the field of cultural-historical theory and activity approach from 19 countries, including United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Greece, Brasil and USA.

Impact of traditional processing methods on some physico chemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJB SERVER

2006-10-16

Oct 16, 2006 ... 1Department of Food Science and Technology, University of ... need to educate traditional processors on good manufacturing practices, .... Table 3. Physical Contaminants in Fermented Cassava flour (“Kpor Umilin”) Samples.

Integrating traditional ecological knowledge with western science for optimal natural resource management

Science.gov (United States)

Serra J. Hoagland

2017-01-01

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been recognized within indigenous communities for millennia; however, traditional ecological knowledge has received growing attention within the western science (WS) paradigm over the past twenty-five years. Federal agencies, national organizations, and university programs dedicated to natural resource management are beginning...

Student Media Usage Patterns and Non-Traditional Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zawacki-Richter, Olaf; Müskens, Wolfgang; Krause, Ulrike; Alturki, Uthman; Aldraiweesh, Ahmed

2015-01-01

A total of 2,338 students at German universities participated in a survey, which investigated media usage patterns of so-called traditional and non-traditional students (Schuetze & Wolter, 2003). The students provided information on the digital devices that they own or have access to, and on their usage of media and e-learning tools and…

Analysis of Information Remaining on Hand Held Devices Offered for Sale on the Second Hand Market

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Andy Jones

2008-06-01

resellers.The study was carried out by the security research team at the BT IT Futures Centre in conjunction with Edith Cowan University in Australia and the University of Glamorgan in the UK. The basis of the research was to acquire a number of second hand held devices from a diverse range of sources and then determine whether they still contained information relating to a previous owner or whether the information had been effectively removed. The devices that were obtained for the research were supplied blind to the researchers through a third party. The ‘blind’ supply of the devices meant that the people undertaking the research were provided with no information about the device and that the source of the devices and any external markings were hidden from them. This process was put in place to ensure that any findings of the research were based solely on the information that could be recovered from the digital storage media that was contained within the device.The underlying methodology that was used in the research was based on the forensic imaging of the devices. A forensic image of a device is a copy of the digital media that has been created in a scientifically sound manner to a standard that is acceptable to the courts. This procedure was implemented to ensure that the evidential integrity of the devices was maintained, with the devices also then being stored in a secure manner.  All subsequent research was then conducted on the image of the device. This was considered to be a sensible precaution against the possibility that information discovered on a device might indicate criminal activity and require the involvement of law enforcement.  Following the forensic imaging of the devices, the images that were created were then analyzed to determine whether any information remained and whether it could be easily recovered using commonly available tools and techniques that anyone who had purchased the device could acquire.

Managing fleet capacity effectively under second-hand market redistribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Quillérou, Emmanuelle; Roudaut, Nolwenn; Guyader, Olivier

2013-09-01

Fishing capacity management policies have been traditionally implemented at national level with national targets for capacity reduction. More recently, capacity management policies have increasingly targeted specific fisheries. French fisheries spatially vary along the French coastline and are associated to specific regions. Capacity management policies, however, ignore the capital mobility associated with second-hand vessel trade between regions. This is not an issue for national policies but could limit the effectiveness of regional capacity management policies. A gravity model and a random-effect Poisson regression model are used to analyze the determinants and spatial extent of the second-hand market in France. This study is based on panel data from the French Atlantic Ocean between 1992 and 2009. The trade flows between trading partners is found to increase with their sizes and to be spatially concentrated. Despite the low trade flows between regions, a net impact analysis shows that fishing capacity is redistributed by the second-hand market to regions on the Channel and Aquitaine from central regions. National capacity management policies (constructions/destructions) have induced a net decrease in regional fleet capacity with varying magnitude across regions. Unless there is a change of policy instruments or their scale of implementation, the operation of the second-hand market decreases the effectiveness of regional capacity management policies in regions on the Channel and Aquitaine.

keV right-handed neutrinos from type II seesaw mechanism in a 3-3-1 model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cogollo, D.; Diniz, H.; Pires, C.A. de S

2009-01-01

We adapt the type II seesaw mechanism to the framework of the 3-3-1 model with right-handed neutrinos. We emphasize that the mechanism is capable of generating small masses for the left-handed and right-handed neutrinos and the structure of the model allows that both masses arise from the same Yukawa coupling. For typical values of the free parameters of the model we may obtain at least one right-handed neutrino with mass in the keV range. Right-handed neutrino with mass in this range is a viable candidate for the warm component of the dark matter existent in the universe.

Hand dermatitis and symptoms from the fingers among Swedish dental personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Lönnroth, E C; Shahnavaz, H

1998-01-01

Hand dermatitis among dental personnel has been an issue in recent years. Dental personnel manually handle polymer materials which are known to irritate skin, and also cause allergy. In addition, dental personnel wash their hands frequently, and use latex gloves, and are therefore at risk to develop hand dermatitis. To survey the occurrence of hand dermatitis among dental personnel, questionnaires were sent to all dental teams (dentist + chair assistant) working in the two northern Swedish counties. Referents were; researchers, teachers, and secretaries from a university and high schools, from the same geographical area. The response rate was 76% for dental teams, and 66% for referents. The results show that male dentists reported a significantly higher prevalence of hand dermatitis than male reference. In contrast to chair assistants and referents, dentists (both male and female) reported a higher extent of hand dermatitis on the left than on the right hand. There was an association between hand dermatitis among dental personnel and; age, eczema in childhood, and hay fever but, not with; sex, asthma, frequent washing of the hands, and glove use. Whitening of the fingers increased with increasing age among dental personnel. Pricking was also associated with frequent glove use. Pricking of the fingers was associated with sex, and 3.5 times more common among female dental personnel than male dentists. Numbness of the fingers, and finger pain was reported by more dentists than chair assistants and referents.

Critical Capability Pedagogies and University Education

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Melanie

2010-01-01

The article argues for an alliance of the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen with ideas from critical pedagogy for undergraduate university education which develops student agency and well being on the one hand, and social change towards greater justice on the other. The purposes of a university education in this article are taken to…

The effectiveness of home hand exercise programmes in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Alison; Prior, Yeliz

2016-09-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commonly reduces hand function. We systematically reviewed trials to investigate effects of home hand exercise programmes on hand symptoms and function in RA. We searched: Medline (1946-), AMED, CINAHL, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, OT Seeker, the Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science from inception to January 2016. Nineteen trials were evaluated. Only three were randomized controlled trials with a low risk of bias (n = 665). Significant short-term improvements occurred in hand function, pain and grip strength, with long-term improvements in hand and upper limb function and pinch strength. Heterogeneity of outcome measures meant meta-analysis was not possible. Evaluation of low and moderate risk of bias trials indicated high-intensity home hand exercise programmes led to better short-term outcomes than low-intensity programmes. Such programmes are cost-effective. Further research is required to evaluate methods of helping people with RA maintain long-term home hand exercise. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Islamic Bookbinding Tradition. A Book Archaeological Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scheper, Catharina Helena (Karin)

2014-01-01

The technique of Islamic bookbinding explores the development of the bookbinding tradition in the Islamic world. Based on an assessment of the collections in the University Library Leiden, the various sewing techniques, constructions and the application of covering materials are described in detail.

Improving hand hygiene compliance for the reduction of nosocomial infections: recommendations for behaviour change in a health care setting

OpenAIRE

Reason, Florence Paige

2008-01-01

Nosocomial infection rates are highly dependent on hand hygiene compliance within health care facilities. This paper examines the literature concerning elements of effective hand hygiene interventions and relevant behaviour change theory, in addition to current practice surrounding hand hygiene interventions in leading institutions, in order to inform and propose recommendations for the improvement and success of the University Health Network’s current hand hygiene initiative. The results of ...

The Entrepreneurial University: Vision and Metrics

Science.gov (United States)

Etzkowitz, Henry

2016-01-01

Forged in different academic and national traditions, the university is arriving at a common entrepreneurial format that incorporates and transcends its traditional missions. The academic entrepreneurial transition arises from the confluence of the internal development of higher education institutions and external influences on academic structures…

Barriers to Blended Digital Distance Vocational Learning for Non-Traditional Students

Science.gov (United States)

Safford, Kimberly; Stinton, Julia

2016-01-01

This research identifies and examines the challenges of blending digital distance and vocational learning for non-traditional and low-socio-economic status students who are new to university education. A survey of students in vocational primary education and early years qualifications in a distance university is illuminated by interviews with…

The structuralist tradition in economics: methodological and macroeconomics aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FABRÍCIO MISSIO

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the structuralist tradition in economics, emphasizing the role that structures play in the economic growth of developing countries. Since the subject at hand is evidently too large to cover in a single article, an emphasis has been brought to bear upon the macroeconomic elements of such a tradition, while also exploring its methodological aspects. It begins by analysing some general aspects of structuralism in economics (its evolution and origins associated with ECLAC thought, in this instance focusing on the dynamics of the center-periphery relationship. Thereafter, the macroeconomic structuralism derived from the works of Taylor (1983, 1991 is presented, followed by a presentation of neo-structuralism. Centred on the concept of systemic competitiveness, this approach defines a strategy to achieve the high road of globalization, understood here as an inevitable process in spite of its engagement being dependent on the policies adopted. The conclusions show the genuine contributions of this tradition to economic theory.

Efektivitas Hand Sanitizer Dibanding Mencuci Tangan Memakai Sabun dalam Menjaga Kebersihan Tangan pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Sumatera Utara Angkatan 2012

OpenAIRE

Akim, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Hand washing is a simple way to remove impurities and minimize germs on hand with water flowing and can be done by adding certain ingredients. Hand washing can prevent more than 1 million deaths per year due to diarrhea problems, whilst hand washing with soap can reduce diarrhea until 47 %. The goals is to determine the effectiveness of hand sanitizing compared to hand washing with soap in maintaining hand hygiene of students in Faculty of Medicine, North Sumatera University, class of 2012...

Real-Time Hand Posture Recognition Using a Range Camera

Science.gov (United States)

Lahamy, Herve

The basic goal of human computer interaction is to improve the interaction between users and computers by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs. Within this context, the use of hand postures in replacement of traditional devices such as keyboards, mice and joysticks is being explored by many researchers. The goal is to interpret human postures via mathematical algorithms. Hand posture recognition has gained popularity in recent years, and could become the future tool for humans to interact with computers or virtual environments. An exhaustive description of the frequently used methods available in literature for hand posture recognition is provided. It focuses on the different types of sensors and data used, the segmentation and tracking methods, the features used to represent the hand postures as well as the classifiers considered in the recognition process. Those methods are usually presented as highly robust with a recognition rate close to 100%. However, a couple of critical points necessary for a successful real-time hand posture recognition system require major improvement. Those points include the features used to represent the hand segment, the number of postures simultaneously recognizable, the invariance of the features with respect to rotation, translation and scale and also the behavior of the classifiers against non-perfect hand segments for example segments including part of the arm or missing part of the palm. A 3D time-of-flight camera named SR4000 has been chosen to develop a new methodology because of its capability to provide in real-time and at high frame rate 3D information on the scene imaged. This sensor has been described and evaluated for its capability for capturing in real-time a moving hand. A new recognition method that uses the 3D information provided by the range camera to recognize hand postures has been proposed. The different steps of this methodology including the segmentation, the tracking, the hand

Passing the Torch: Maintaining Faith-Based University Traditions during Transition of Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Joseph R.; Bottom, Todd L.; Gutierrez, Robert E.

2010-01-01

Catholic universities face a dramatic shift, as religious orders of priests gradually turn leadership control of the university to lay individuals. This study examined the tactics used to build sustainability of mission and values during leadership transition, from programming to strategic planning, placing emphasis on the role of evaluation…

Deep Visual Attributes vs. Hand-Crafted Audio Features on Multidomain Speech Emotion Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michalis Papakostas

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Emotion recognition from speech may play a crucial role in many applications related to human–computer interaction or understanding the affective state of users in certain tasks, where other modalities such as video or physiological parameters are unavailable. In general, a human’s emotions may be recognized using several modalities such as analyzing facial expressions, speech, physiological parameters (e.g., electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms etc. However, measuring of these modalities may be difficult, obtrusive or require expensive hardware. In that context, speech may be the best alternative modality in many practical applications. In this work we present an approach that uses a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN functioning as a visual feature extractor and trained using raw speech information. In contrast to traditional machine learning approaches, CNNs are responsible for identifying the important features of the input thus, making the need of hand-crafted feature engineering optional in many tasks. In this paper no extra features are required other than the spectrogram representations and hand-crafted features were only extracted for validation purposes of our method. Moreover, it does not require any linguistic model and is not specific to any particular language. We compare the proposed approach using cross-language datasets and demonstrate that it is able to provide superior results vs. traditional ones that use hand-crafted features.

How Students with Autism Spectrum Conditions Understand Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Yoon-Suk; Dillon-Wallace, Julie; Campbell, Marilyn; Ashburner, Jill; Saggers, Beth; Carrington, Suzanne; Hand, Kirstine

2018-01-01

Students with ASC are at heightened risk for bullying and their understanding of bullying is known to protect them from involvement in it (Humphrey and Hebron 2015). However, only a handful of studies have examined how students with ASC understand traditional bullying and none of them focused on cyberbullying. To fill this gap, we investigated how…

The effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, Felita

Student achievement in the Twenty First Century demands a new rigor in student science knowledge, since advances in science and technology require students to think and act like scientists. As a result, students must acquire proficient levels of knowledge and skills to support a knowledge base that is expanding exponentially with new scientific advances. This study examined the effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the influence of hands-on science instruction versus traditional science instruction on the science test scores of middle school students. The subjects in this study were one hundred and twenty sixth-grade students in six classes. Instruction involved lecture/discussion and hands-on activities carried out for a three week period. Specifically, the study ascertained the influence of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the science test scores of middle school students. Additionally, this study assessed the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the attitudes of sixth grade students toward science. The two instruments used to collect data for this study were the Prentice Hall unit ecosystem test and the Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers Study (SWEPT) student's attitude survey. Moreover, the data for the study was treated using the One-Way Analysis of Covariance and the One-Way Analysis of Variance. The following findings were made based on the results: (1) A statistically significant difference existed in the science performance of middle school students exposed to hands-on science instruction. These students had significantly higher scores than the science performance of middle school students exposed to traditional instruction. (2) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of male and female middle school students. (3) A statistically

[Traditional medicine under Japanese rule after 1930s].

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Dong-won

2003-12-01

Japan, which occupied Korea from 1910 through the end of World War II, transformed traditional medicine. Japanese colonialists propagandized the "benefits of modern civilization such as western medicine" and rejected the advantages of traditional medicine. This bias against Korean traditional medicine mirrored the government's rejection of its own traditional medicine. So, Korean traditional medicine was marginalized in the national health care system: traditional doctors were excluded from public institutions and references to traditional medicine were purged from school textbooks and newspapers. The wars that Japan waged between 1931 and 1944 effected a favorable change toward traditional medicines, however. The wars created a severe shortage of drugs and medical personnel. Thus the colonial government was eager for Koreans to cultivate and gather herbal drugs; it also built a large research institute for herbalism at the Keijo Imperial University in 1938. The colonial government made pharmacopoeia for traditional herbal drugs including plant and animal drugs from 1937 to 1942, independently from Japan. Under these conditions, the prestige of traditional medicine was greatly improved. Influential newspapers and magazines covered the traditional medicine and public lectures on traditional medicine drew large audiences. The wartime government abandoned its opposition to traditional medicine, and appointed a traditional practitioner to the staff of the public hospital in 1934. Moreover, the government allowed the association of the traditional medical doctors in Seoul to train three hundred more practitioners between 1937 and 1942. Japanese colonial policy toward traditional medicine reflected the contradiction between modernizing ideology and the reality of poor colonial medical care. Japanese propaganda promised that the colonial regime would provide more advanced medicine to Korea, but the promise was an empty one. In this situation, traditional medical doctors

Sleep dissolves illusion: sleep withstands learning of visuo-tactile-proprioceptive integration induced by repeated days of rubber hand illusion training.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motoyasu Honma

Full Text Available Multisensory integration is a key factor in establishing bodily self-consciousness and in adapting humans to novel environments. The rubber hand illusion paradigm, in which humans can immediately perceive illusory ownership to an artificial hand, is a traditional technique for investigating multisensory integration and the feeling of illusory ownership. However, the long-term learning properties of the rubber hand illusion have not been previously investigated. Moreover, although sleep contributes to various aspects of cognition, including learning and memory, its influence on illusory learning of the artificial hand has not yet been assessed. We determined the effects of daily repetitive training and sleep on learning visuo-tactile-proprioceptive sensory integration and illusory ownership in healthy adult participants by using the traditional rubber hand illusion paradigm. Subjective ownership of the rubber hand, proprioceptive drift, and galvanic skin response were measured to assess learning indexes. Subjective ownership was maintained and proprioceptive drift increased with daily training. Proprioceptive drift, but not subjective ownership, was significantly attenuated after sleep. A significantly greater reduction in galvanic skin response was observed after wakefulness compared to after sleep. Our results suggest that although repetitive rubber hand illusion training facilitates multisensory integration and physiological habituation of a multisensory incongruent environment, sleep corrects illusional integration and habituation based on experiences in a multisensory incongruent environment. These findings may increase our understanding of adaptive neural processes to novel environments, specifically, bodily self-consciousness and sleep-dependent neuroplasticity.

Sleep dissolves illusion: sleep withstands learning of visuo-tactile-proprioceptive integration induced by repeated days of rubber hand illusion training.

Science.gov (United States)

Honma, Motoyasu; Yoshiike, Takuya; Ikeda, Hiroki; Kim, Yoshiharu; Kuriyama, Kenichi

2014-01-01

Multisensory integration is a key factor in establishing bodily self-consciousness and in adapting humans to novel environments. The rubber hand illusion paradigm, in which humans can immediately perceive illusory ownership to an artificial hand, is a traditional technique for investigating multisensory integration and the feeling of illusory ownership. However, the long-term learning properties of the rubber hand illusion have not been previously investigated. Moreover, although sleep contributes to various aspects of cognition, including learning and memory, its influence on illusory learning of the artificial hand has not yet been assessed. We determined the effects of daily repetitive training and sleep on learning visuo-tactile-proprioceptive sensory integration and illusory ownership in healthy adult participants by using the traditional rubber hand illusion paradigm. Subjective ownership of the rubber hand, proprioceptive drift, and galvanic skin response were measured to assess learning indexes. Subjective ownership was maintained and proprioceptive drift increased with daily training. Proprioceptive drift, but not subjective ownership, was significantly attenuated after sleep. A significantly greater reduction in galvanic skin response was observed after wakefulness compared to after sleep. Our results suggest that although repetitive rubber hand illusion training facilitates multisensory integration and physiological habituation of a multisensory incongruent environment, sleep corrects illusional integration and habituation based on experiences in a multisensory incongruent environment. These findings may increase our understanding of adaptive neural processes to novel environments, specifically, bodily self-consciousness and sleep-dependent neuroplasticity.

Robotic hand project

OpenAIRE

Karaçizmeli, Cengiz; Çakır, Gökçe; Tükel, Dilek

2014-01-01

In this work, the mechatronic based robotic hand is controlled by the position data taken from the glove which has flex sensors mounted to capture finger bending of the human hand. The angular movement of human hand’s fingers are perceived and processed by a microcontroller, and the robotic hand is controlled by actuating servo motors. It has seen that robotic hand can simulate the movement of the human hand that put on the glove, during tests have done. This robotic hand can be used not only...

A real-time vision-based hand gesture interaction system for virtual EAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, K.R.; Xiao, B.J.; Xia, J.Y.; Li, Dan; Luo, W.L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Hand gesture interaction is first introduced to EAST model interaction. • We can interact with EAST model by a bared hand and a web camera. • We can interact with EAST model with a distance to screen. • Interaction is free, direct and effective. - Abstract: The virtual Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak device (VEAST) is a very complicated 3D model, to interact with which, the traditional interaction devices are limited and inefficient. However, with the development of human-computer interaction (HCI), the hand gesture interaction has become a much popular choice in recent years. In this paper, we propose a real-time vision-based hand gesture interaction system for VEAST. By using one web camera, we can use our bare hand to interact with VEAST at a certain distance, which proves to be more efficient and direct than mouse. The system is composed of four modules: initialization, hand gesture recognition, interaction control and system settings. The hand gesture recognition method is based on codebook (CB) background modeling and open finger counting. Firstly, we build a background model with CB algorithm. Then, we segment the hand region by detecting skin color regions with “elliptical boundary model” in CbCr flat of YCbCr color space. Open finger which is used as a key feature of gesture can be tracked by an improved curvature-based method. Based on the method, we define nine gestures for interaction control of VEAST. Finally, we design a test to demonstrate effectiveness of our system.

A real-time vision-based hand gesture interaction system for virtual EAST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, K.R., E-mail: wangkr@mail.ustc.edu.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Xiao, B.J.; Xia, J.Y. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Li, Dan [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Luo, W.L. [709th Research Institute, Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (China)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Hand gesture interaction is first introduced to EAST model interaction. • We can interact with EAST model by a bared hand and a web camera. • We can interact with EAST model with a distance to screen. • Interaction is free, direct and effective. - Abstract: The virtual Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak device (VEAST) is a very complicated 3D model, to interact with which, the traditional interaction devices are limited and inefficient. However, with the development of human-computer interaction (HCI), the hand gesture interaction has become a much popular choice in recent years. In this paper, we propose a real-time vision-based hand gesture interaction system for VEAST. By using one web camera, we can use our bare hand to interact with VEAST at a certain distance, which proves to be more efficient and direct than mouse. The system is composed of four modules: initialization, hand gesture recognition, interaction control and system settings. The hand gesture recognition method is based on codebook (CB) background modeling and open finger counting. Firstly, we build a background model with CB algorithm. Then, we segment the hand region by detecting skin color regions with “elliptical boundary model” in CbCr flat of YCbCr color space. Open finger which is used as a key feature of gesture can be tracked by an improved curvature-based method. Based on the method, we define nine gestures for interaction control of VEAST. Finally, we design a test to demonstrate effectiveness of our system.

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May ... 34 How The Clean Hands - Safe Hands System Works - Duration: 3:38. Clean Hands-Safe Hands 5, ...

Rubber Hands Feel Touch, but Not in Blind Individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrsson, H. Henrik

2012-01-01

Psychology and neuroscience have a long-standing tradition of studying blind individuals to investigate how visual experience shapes perception of the external world. Here, we study how blind people experience their own body by exposing them to a multisensory body illusion: the somatic rubber hand illusion. In this illusion, healthy blindfolded participants experience that they are touching their own right hand with their left index finger, when in fact they are touching a rubber hand with their left index finger while the experimenter touches their right hand in a synchronized manner (Ehrsson et al. 2005). We compared the strength of this illusion in a group of blind individuals (n = 10), all of whom had experienced severe visual impairment or complete blindness from birth, and a group of age-matched blindfolded sighted participants (n = 12). The illusion was quantified subjectively using questionnaires and behaviorally by asking participants to point to the felt location of the right hand. The results showed that the sighted participants experienced a strong illusion, whereas the blind participants experienced no illusion at all, a difference that was evident in both tests employed. A further experiment testing the participants' basic ability to localize the right hand in space without vision (proprioception) revealed no difference between the two groups. Taken together, these results suggest that blind individuals with impaired visual development have a more veridical percept of self-touch and a less flexible and dynamic representation of their own body in space compared to sighted individuals. We speculate that the multisensory brain systems that re-map somatosensory signals onto external reference frames are less developed in blind individuals and therefore do not allow efficient fusion of tactile and proprioceptive signals from the two upper limbs into a single illusory experience of self-touch as in sighted individuals. PMID:22558268

Rubber hands feel touch, but not in blind individuals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria I Petkova

Full Text Available Psychology and neuroscience have a long-standing tradition of studying blind individuals to investigate how visual experience shapes perception of the external world. Here, we study how blind people experience their own body by exposing them to a multisensory body illusion: the somatic rubber hand illusion. In this illusion, healthy blindfolded participants experience that they are touching their own right hand with their left index finger, when in fact they are touching a rubber hand with their left index finger while the experimenter touches their right hand in a synchronized manner (Ehrsson et al. 2005. We compared the strength of this illusion in a group of blind individuals (n = 10, all of whom had experienced severe visual impairment or complete blindness from birth, and a group of age-matched blindfolded sighted participants (n = 12. The illusion was quantified subjectively using questionnaires and behaviorally by asking participants to point to the felt location of the right hand. The results showed that the sighted participants experienced a strong illusion, whereas the blind participants experienced no illusion at all, a difference that was evident in both tests employed. A further experiment testing the participants' basic ability to localize the right hand in space without vision (proprioception revealed no difference between the two groups. Taken together, these results suggest that blind individuals with impaired visual development have a more veridical percept of self-touch and a less flexible and dynamic representation of their own body in space compared to sighted individuals. We speculate that the multisensory brain systems that re-map somatosensory signals onto external reference frames are less developed in blind individuals and therefore do not allow efficient fusion of tactile and proprioceptive signals from the two upper limbs into a single illusory experience of self-touch as in sighted individuals.

Rubber hands feel touch, but not in blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Petkova, Valeria I; Zetterberg, Hedvig; Ehrsson, H Henrik

2012-01-01

Psychology and neuroscience have a long-standing tradition of studying blind individuals to investigate how visual experience shapes perception of the external world. Here, we study how blind people experience their own body by exposing them to a multisensory body illusion: the somatic rubber hand illusion. In this illusion, healthy blindfolded participants experience that they are touching their own right hand with their left index finger, when in fact they are touching a rubber hand with their left index finger while the experimenter touches their right hand in a synchronized manner (Ehrsson et al. 2005). We compared the strength of this illusion in a group of blind individuals (n = 10), all of whom had experienced severe visual impairment or complete blindness from birth, and a group of age-matched blindfolded sighted participants (n = 12). The illusion was quantified subjectively using questionnaires and behaviorally by asking participants to point to the felt location of the right hand. The results showed that the sighted participants experienced a strong illusion, whereas the blind participants experienced no illusion at all, a difference that was evident in both tests employed. A further experiment testing the participants' basic ability to localize the right hand in space without vision (proprioception) revealed no difference between the two groups. Taken together, these results suggest that blind individuals with impaired visual development have a more veridical percept of self-touch and a less flexible and dynamic representation of their own body in space compared to sighted individuals. We speculate that the multisensory brain systems that re-map somatosensory signals onto external reference frames are less developed in blind individuals and therefore do not allow efficient fusion of tactile and proprioceptive signals from the two upper limbs into a single illusory experience of self-touch as in sighted individuals.

Comparative Geometrical Investigations of Hand-Held Scanning Systems

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Kersten, T. P.; Przybilla, H.-J.; Lindstaedt, M.; Tschirschwitz, F.; Misgaiski-Hass, M.

2016-06-01

An increasing number of hand-held scanning systems by different manufacturers are becoming available on the market. However, their geometrical performance is little-known to many users. Therefore the Laboratory for Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning of the HafenCity University Hamburg has carried out geometrical accuracy tests with the following systems in co-operation with the Bochum University of Applied Sciences (Laboratory for Photogrammetry) as well as the Humboldt University in Berlin (Institute for Computer Science): DOTProduct DPI-7, Artec Spider, Mantis Vision F5 SR, Kinect v1 + v2, Structure Sensor and Google's Project Tango. In the framework of these comparative investigations geometrically stable reference bodies were used. The appropriate reference data were acquired by measurement with two structured light projection systems (AICON smartSCAN and GOM ATOS I 2M). The comprehensive test results of the different test scenarios are presented and critically discussed in this contribution.

Augmented robotic device for EVA hand manoeuvres

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Matheson, Eloise; Brooker, Graham

2012-12-01

During extravehicular activities (EVAs), pressurised space suits can lead to difficulties in performing hand manoeuvres and fatigue. This is often the cause of EVAs being terminated early, or taking longer to complete. Assistive robotic gloves can be used to augment the natural motion of a human hand, meaning work can be carried out more efficiently with less stress to the astronaut. Lightweight and low profile solutions must be found in order for the assistive robotic glove to be easily integrated with a space suit pressure garment. Pneumatic muscle actuators combined with force sensors are one such solution. These actuators are extremely light, yet can output high forces using pressurised gases as the actuation drive. Their movement is omnidirectional, so when combined with a flexible exoskeleton that itself provides a degree of freedom of movement, individual fingers can be controlled during flexion and extension. This setup allows actuators and other hardware to be stored remotely on the user's body, resulting in the least possible mass being supported by the hand. Two prototype gloves have been developed at the University of Sydney; prototype I using a fibreglass exoskeleton to provide flexion force, and prototype II using torsion springs to achieve the same result. The gloves have been designed to increase the ease of human movements, rather than to add unnatural ability to the hand. A state space control algorithm has been developed to ensure that human initiated movements are recognised, and calibration methods have been implemented to accommodate the different characteristics of each wearer's hands. For this calibration technique, it was necessary to take into account the natural tremors of the human hand which may have otherwise initiated unexpected control signals. Prototype I was able to actuate the user's hand in 1 degree of freedom (DOF) from full flexion to partial extension, and prototype II actuated a user's finger in 2 DOF with forces achieved

Using Online Video Lectures to Enrich Traditional Face-to-Face Courses

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Makarem, Suzanne C.

2015-01-01

University educators need to meet changing needs of the digital generation by integrating technology through online content delivery. Despite the many advantages of online education, a large number of university professors are reluctant to make the transition from traditional-face-to-face lectures to online delivery, mainly due to the time, cost,…

Student Perceptions of Team-based Learning vs Traditional Lecture-based Learning.

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Frame, Tracy R; Cailor, Stephanie M; Gryka, Rebecca J; Chen, Aleda M; Kiersma, Mary E; Sheppard, Lorin

2015-05-25

To evaluate pharmacy student perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) vs traditional lecture-based learning formats. First professional year pharmacy students (N=111) at two universities used TBL in different courses during different semesters (fall vs spring). Students completed a 22-item team perceptions instrument before and after the fall semester. A 14-item teaching style preference instrument was completed at the end of the spring semester. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test. Students who experienced TBL in the fall and went back to traditional format in the spring reported improved perceptions of teams and preferred TBL format over a traditional format more than students who experienced a traditional format followed by TBL. Students at both universities agreed that the TBL format assists with critical-thinking, problem-solving, and examination preparation. Students also agreed that teams should consist of individuals with different personalities and learning styles. When building teams, faculty members should consider ways to diversify teams by considering different views, perspectives, and strengths. Offering TBL early in the curriculum prior to traditional lecture-based formats is better received by students, as evidenced by anecdotal reports from students possibly because it allows students time to realize the benefits and assist them in building teamwork-related skills.

Motivating Change from Lecture-Tutorial Modes to Less Traditional Forms of Teaching

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McLaren, Helen J.; Kenny, Paul L.

2015-01-01

Teaching academics are under pressure to move away from traditional lecture-tutorial teaching modes to less traditional forms. Such pressures are in addition to changes to funding arrangements and other developments that increasingly oblige universities to operate as businesses. The flow-on effects for teachers are increased student:staff ratios,…

Perception of Students of Addis Ababa University Institute of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

1 Department of Science and Mathematics Education, College of Education and. Behavioural Studies ... transforming Ethiopia into a middle- .... applications and hands-on experimentation pervade ...... their peers in the traditional high school.

Application of iota and kappa carrageenans to traditional several food using modified cassava flour

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Al-Baarri, A. N.; Legowo, A. M.; Rizqiati, H.; Widayat; Septianingrum, A.; Sabrina, H. N.; Arganis, L. M.; Saraswati, R. O.; Mochtar, Rr C. P. R.

2018-01-01

Carrageenan has been known well as hydrocolloids that forming viscous dispersions and gels when dispersed in water. The carrageenan has not been widely applied to traditional foods. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the effect of kappa and iota carrageenans in traditional food models using modified cassava flour, sugar, and coconut milk. The textural properties, i.e. hardness, cohesiveness, springiness and adhesiveness have been measured using texture analyzer. The study indicated that traditional food models added kappa carrageenan at 2% generated remarkably higher in the hardness, cohesiveness, and springiness than those added iota carrageenan. On the other hand, the reserve result were found in the adhesiveness parameter. As conclusion, kappa carrageenan scan be potentially used for producing traditional foods based on the hard-texture-oriented foods whereas iota carrageenan can be used for the traditional foods with better adhesiveness.

Environmental factors and their association with emergency department hand hygiene compliance: an observational study.

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Carter, Eileen J; Wyer, Peter; Giglio, James; Jia, Haomiao; Nelson, Germaine; Kauari, Vepuka E; Larson, Elaine L

2016-05-01

Hand hygiene is effective in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Environmental conditions in the emergency department (ED), including crowding and the use of non-traditional patient care areas (ie, hallways), may pose barriers to hand hygiene compliance. We examined the relationship between these environmental conditions and proper hand hygiene. This was a single-site, observational study. From October 2013 to January 2014, trained observers recorded hand hygiene compliance among staff in the ED according to the World Health Organization 'My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene'. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyse the relationship between environmental conditions and hand hygiene compliance, while controlling for important covariates (eg, hand hygiene indication, glove use, shift, etc). A total of 1673 hand hygiene opportunities were observed. In multivariable analyses, hand hygiene compliance was significantly lower when the ED was at its highest level of crowding than when the ED was not crowded and lower among hallway care areas than semiprivate care areas (OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.55; OR=0.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.97). Unique environmental conditions pose barriers to hand hygiene compliance in the ED setting and should be considered by ED hand hygiene improvement efforts. Further study is needed to evaluate the impact of these environmental conditions on actual rates of infection transmission. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Innovation of University Teaching Faculty Management Mode

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Han, Yuzheng; Wang, Boyu

2015-01-01

With the deepening of university reform in China, the traditional teaching faculty management mode has been exposed more and more defects. To make innovation of the university teaching faculty management mode becomes the voice of the times. Universities should conduct careful research on this issue in the development. Starting from the…

Entropy and the Typicality of Universes

OpenAIRE

Barbour, Julian; Koslowski, Tim; Mercati, Flavio

2015-01-01

The universal validity of the second law of thermodynamics is widely attributed to a finely tuned initial condition of the universe. This creates a problem: why is the universe atypical? We suggest that the problem is an artefact created by inappropriate transfer of the traditional concept of entropy to the whole universe. Use of what we call the relational $N$-body problem as a model indicates the need to employ two distinct entropy-type concepts to describe the universe. One, which we call ...

Myoelectric control of prosthetic hands: state-of-the-art review

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Geethanjali P

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Purushothaman Geethanjali School of Electrical Engineering Department of Control and Automation VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract: Myoelectric signals (MES have been used in various applications, in particular, for identification of user intention to potentially control assistive devices for amputees, orthotic devices, and exoskeleton in order to augment capability of the user. MES are also used to estimate force and, hence, torque to actuate the assistive device. The application of MES is not limited to assistive devices, and they also find potential applications in teleoperation of robots, haptic devices, virtual reality, and so on. The myoelectric control-based prosthetic hand aids to restore activities of daily living of amputees in order to improve the self-esteem of the user. All myoelectric control-based prosthetic hands may not have similar operations and exhibit variation in sensing input, deciphering the signals, and actuating prosthetic hand. Researchers are focusing on improving the functionality of prosthetic hand in order to suit the user requirement with the different operating features. The myoelectric control differs in operation to accommodate various external factors. This article reviews the state of the art of myoelectric prosthetic hand, giving description of each control strategy. Keywords: EMG, assistive device, amputee, myoelectric control, electric powered, body ­powered, bioelectric signal control

The Case for Hand Stencils and Prints as Proprio-Performative

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Patricia Dobrez

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Hand stencils and prints are found globally in rock art, reflecting the sine qua non role of the hand in human evolution. The body itself is the tool, and it affords the registering, in the form of a trace, of what perceptual psychology terms an “ecological self”. More than a “signature”, a hand mark is uniquely “proprio-performative”, combining inscription of individuality with direct address. The first part of this paper looks at what might get in the way of a universally readable primary meaning by methodically addressing issues of technique and cultural specificity. Having cleared the ground, it proceeds to make its argument for hand stencils and prints as constituting a special category of rock art imagery. It does this by having recourse to ideas currently under discussion in cognitive psychology: awareness of self-agency and body-ownership, as well as the notion of perceived looming in pictures. Finally, an appeal is made to the claim for a key mirror neuron role in communication. Because they are traces of actions eliciting mirror-neuronal responses, hand marks are seen as affording a readily accessible external term in an exchange of meaning on which a system of graphic communication might be built.

Mapping the Iranian Research Literature in the Field of Traditional Medicine in Scopus Database 2010-2014.

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GhaedAmini, Hossein; Okhovati, Maryam; Zare, Morteza; Saghafi, Zahra; Bazrafshan, Azam; GhaedAmini, Alireza; GhaedAmini, Mohammadreza

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to provide research and collaboration overview of Iranian research efforts in the field of traditional medicine during 2010-2014. This is a bibliometric study using the Scopus database as data source, using search affiliation address relevant to traditional medicine and Iran as the search strategy. Subject and geographical overlay maps were also applied to visualize the network activities of the Iranian authors. Highly cited articles (citations >10) were further explored to highlight the impact of research domains more specifically. About 3,683 articles were published by Iranian authors in Scopus database. The compound annual growth rate of Iranian publications was 0.14% during 2010-2014. Tehran University of Medical Sciences (932 articles), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (404 articles) and Tabriz Islamic Medical University (391 articles), were the leading institutions in the field of traditional medicine. Medicinal plants (72%), digestive system's disease (21%), basics of traditional medicine (13%), mental disorders (8%) were the major research topics. United States (7%), Netherlands (3%), and Canada (2.6%) were the most important collaborators of Iranian authors. Iranian research efforts in the field of traditional medicine have been increased slightly over the last years. Yet, joint multi-disciplinary collaborations are needed to cover inadequately described areas of traditional medicine in the country.

Characterization of a Viking Blade Fabricated by Traditional Forging Techniques

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Vo, H.; Frazer, D.; Bailey, N.; Traylor, R.; Austin, J.; Pringle, J.; Bickel, J.; Connick, R.; Connick, W.; Hosemann, P.

2016-12-01

A team of students from the University of California, Berkeley, participated in a blade-smithing competition hosted by the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society at the TMS 2015 144th annual meeting and exhibition. Motivated by ancient forging methods, the UC Berkeley team chose to fabricate our blade from historical smithing techniques utilizing naturally-occurring deposits of iron ore. This approach resulted in receiving the "Best Example of a Traditional Blade Process/Ore Smelting Technique" award for our blade named "Berkelium." First, iron-enriched sand was collected from local beaches. Magnetite (Fe3O4) was then extracted from the sand and smelted into individual high- and low-carbon steel ingots. Layers of high- and low-carbon steels were forge-welded together, predominantly by hand, to form a composite material. Optical microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Vickers hardness mechanical testing were conducted at different stages throughout the blade-making process to evaluate the microstructure and hardness evolution during formation. It was found that the pre-heat-treated blade microstructure was composed of ferrite and pearlite, and contained many nonmetallic inclusions. A final heat treatment was performed, which caused the average hardness of the blade edge to increase by more than a factor of two, indicating a martensitic transformation.

The Web-Lecture - a viable alternative to the traditional lecture format?

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Meibom, S.

2004-12-01

Educational research shows that students learn best in an environment with emphasis on teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on experience. Still professors spend the majority of their time with students in the traditional lecture-hall setting where the combination of large classes and limited time prevents sufficient student-teacher interaction to foster an active learning environment. Can modern computer technology be used to provide "lecture-type" information to students via the World Wide Web? If so, will that help professors make better and/or different use of their scheduled time with the students? Answering these questions was the main motivation for the Extra-Solar Planet Project. The Extra-Solar Planet Project was designed to test the effectiveness of a lecture available to the student on the World Wide Web (Web-Lecture) and to engage the students in an active learning environment were their use the information presented in the Web-Lecture. The topic of the Web-Lecture was detection of extra-solar planets and the project was implemented into an introductory astronomy course at University of Wisconsin Madison in the spring of 2004. The Web-Lecture was designed to give an interactive presentation of synchronized video, audio and lecture notes. It was created using the eTEACH software developed at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Engineering. In my talk, I will describe the project, show excerpts of the Web-Lecture, and present assessments of student learning and results of student evaluations of the web-lecture format.

Hand biometric recognition based on fused hand geometry and vascular patterns.

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Park, GiTae; Kim, Soowon

2013-02-28

A hand biometric authentication method based on measurements of the user's hand geometry and vascular pattern is proposed. To acquire the hand geometry, the thickness of the side view of the hand, the K-curvature with a hand-shaped chain code, the lengths and angles of the finger valleys, and the lengths and profiles of the fingers were used, and for the vascular pattern, the direction-based vascular-pattern extraction method was used, and thus, a new multimodal biometric approach is proposed. The proposed multimodal biometric system uses only one image to extract the feature points. This system can be configured for low-cost devices. Our multimodal biometric-approach hand-geometry (the side view of the hand and the back of hand) and vascular-pattern recognition method performs at the score level. The results of our study showed that the equal error rate of the proposed system was 0.06%.

The hand hygiene compliance of student nurses during clinical placements.

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Sundal, Jorun Saetre; Aune, Anne Grethe; Storvig, Eline; Aasland, Jenny Kristin; Fjeldsaeter, Kaja Linn; Torjuul, Kirsti

2017-12-01

To observe student nurses' overall and moment-specific hand hygiene compliance during clinical placement. Hand hygiene is the single most important measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections. However, research has shown low compliance among healthcare workers. During clinical placements, student nurses perform various nursing tasks and procedures to a large number of patients, requiring extensive patient contact. It is crucial that they practice correct hand hygiene to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Open, standardised and nonparticipating observations. Twenty-nine student nurses were observed three times for 20 ± 10 min during clinical placement in a Norwegian university hospital. To measure compliance, we used WHO's Hand Hygiene Observation tool, based on the model "My five moments for hand hygiene". Overall hand hygiene compliance in the student group was 83.5%. Highest moment-specific compliance was after touching patient surroundings, after touching patients and after body fluid exposure risk. Lowest moment-specific compliance was recorded before touching patients or patient surroundings, and before clean/aseptic procedures. Nurse education needs to be improved both theoretically and during clinical placements in order to advance and sustain compliance among student nurses. Increasing healthcare workers' compliance with hand hygiene guidelines remains a challenge to the clinical community. In order to reduce healthcare-associated infections, it is important to educate student nurses to comply with the guidelines during clinical placements. Identifying student nurses' hand hygiene performance is the first step towards developing teaching methods to improve and sustain their overall and moment-specific compliance. As a measure to ensure student compliance during clinical placements, mentors should be aware of their influence on students' performance, act as hand hygiene ambassadors, encourage students to comply with established guidelines

Hand Hygiene With Alcohol-Based Hand Rub: How Long Is Long Enough?

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Pires, Daniela; Soule, Hervé; Bellissimo-Rodrigues, Fernando; Gayet-Ageron, Angèle; Pittet, Didier

2017-05-01

BACKGROUND Hand hygiene is the core element of infection prevention and control. The optimal hand-hygiene gesture, however, remains poorly defined. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the influence of hand-rubbing duration on the reduction of bacterial counts on the hands of healthcare personnel (HCP). METHODS We performed an experimental study based on the European Norm 1500. Hand rubbing was performed for 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 seconds, according to the WHO technique using 3 mL alcohol-based hand rub. Hand contamination with E. coli ATCC 10536 was followed by hand rubbing and sampling. A generalized linear mixed model with a random effect on the subject adjusted for hand size and gender was used to analyze the reduction in bacterial counts after each hand-rubbing action. In addition, hand-rubbing durations of 15 and 30 seconds were compared to assert non-inferiority (0.6 log10). RESULTS In total, 32 HCP performed 123 trials. All durations of hand rubbing led to significant reductions in bacterial counts (Phand rubbing were not significantly different from those obtained after 30 seconds. The mean bacterial reduction after 15 seconds of hand rubbing was 0.11 log10 lower (95% CI, -0.46 to 0.24) than after 30 seconds, demonstrating non-inferiority. CONCLUSIONS Hand rubbing for 15 seconds was not inferior to 30 seconds in reducing bacterial counts on hands under the described experimental conditions. There was no gain in reducing bacterial counts from hand rubbing longer than 30 seconds. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical significance of our findings. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:547-552.

Profile and birthing practices of Maranao traditional birth attendants

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Maghuyop-Butalid R

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Roselyn Maghuyop-Butalid, Norhanifa A Mayo, Hania T Polangi College of Nursing, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines Abstract: This study determined the profile and birthing practices in both modern and traditional ways among Maranao traditional birth attendants (TBAs in Lanao del Norte, Philippines. It employed a descriptive research design. The respondents were 50 Maranao TBAs selected through the snowball sampling technique. A questionnaire was developed by the researchers to identify the respondents’ modern birthing practices utilizing the Essential Intrapartum and Newborn Care (EINC Protocol. To determine their profile and traditional birthing practices, items from a previous study and the respondents’ personal claims were adapted. This study shows that Maranao TBAs have less compliance to the EINC Protocol and they often practice the traditional birthing interventions, thus increasing the risk of complications to both mother and newborn. Keywords: intrapartum and newborn care, modern birthing practices, traditional birthing practices 

Traditional Chinese medicine for human papillomavirus (HPV) infections: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jing; Chen, Lanting; Qiu, Xuemin; Zhang, Na; Guo, Qiting; Wang, Yan; Wang, Mingyan; Gober, Hans-Jürgen; Li, Dajin; Wang, Ling

2017-07-24

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are common and generally harmless, but persistent infections can bring health problems like cancer and genital warts. For the uninfected group, HPV vaccines provide safe and effective protection, but they're type-restricted and expensive. For those infected, so far there have been a handful of treatments for HPV-associated benign or malignant diseases, traditional Chinese medicine being one of them. This systematic review focuses on the application of traditional Chinese medicine in HPV infection and related diseases on the basis of clinical findings. Moreover it covers compositions and mechanisms based on in vitro laboratory methods and animal models. Traditional Chinese medicine improves clinical index in the treatment of cervical cancer and genital warts; the mechanisms behind the effectiveness might be the regulation of cell apoptosis, viral gene transcription and translation, cell signal transduction pathways, and immune function.

The value of adding transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (VitalStim) to traditional therapy for post-stroke dysphagia: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, L; Li, Y; Huang, R; Yin, J; Shen, Y; Shi, J

2015-02-01

Dysphagia is not uncommon after stroke. Dysphagia may delay the functional recovery and substantially affects the quality of life after stroke, mainly if lest untreated. To detect and treat dysphagia as early as possible is critical for patients' recovery after stroke. Electrical stimulation has been reported as a treatment for pharyngeal dysphagia in recent studies, but the therapeutic effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (VitalStim®) therapy lacks convincing supporting evidence, needs further clinical investigation. To investigate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (VitalStim®) and traditional swallowing therapy on recovery of swallowing difficulties after stroke. Randomized controlled trial. University hospital. 135 stroke patients who had a diagnosis of dysphagia at the age between 50-80. 135 subjects were randomly divided into three groups: traditional swallowing therapy (N. = 45), VitalStim® therapy (N. = 45), and VitalStim® therapy plus traditional swallowing therapy (N. = 45). The traditional swallowing therapy included basic training and direct food intake training. Electrical stimulation was applied by an occupational therapist, using a modified hand-held battery-powered electrical stimulator (VitalStim® Dual Channel Unit and electrodes, Chattanooga Group, Hixson, TN, USA). Surface electromyography (sEMG), the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA), Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess swallowing function before and 4 weeks after the treatment. The study included 118 subjects with dysphagia, 40 in the traditional swallowing therapy group and VitalStim® therapy group, 38 in the VitalStim and traditional swallowing therapy group. There were significant differences in sEMG value, SSA and VFSS scores in each group after the treatment (P VitalStim® and traditional swallowing therapy group than the other two groups (P VitalStim® therapy coupled with traditional

Hand Biometric Recognition Based on Fused Hand Geometry and Vascular Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Park, GiTae; Kim, Soowon

2013-01-01

A hand biometric authentication method based on measurements of the user's hand geometry and vascular pattern is proposed. To acquire the hand geometry, the thickness of the side view of the hand, the K-curvature with a hand-shaped chain code, the lengths and angles of the finger valleys, and the lengths and profiles of the fingers were used, and for the vascular pattern, the direction-based vascular-pattern extraction method was used, and thus, a new multimodal biometric approach is proposed. The proposed multimodal biometric system uses only one image to extract the feature points. This system can be configured for low-cost devices. Our multimodal biometric-approach hand-geometry (the side view of the hand and the back of hand) and vascular-pattern recognition method performs at the score level. The results of our study showed that the equal error rate of the proposed system was 0.06%. PMID:23449119

Direct and mediated ties to universities : “Scientific” absorptive capacity and innovation performance of pharmaceutical firms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belderbos, R.; Gilsing, Victor; Suzuki, S.

2016-01-01

Extant literature on firm–university collaboration has emphasized two different strategies that firms in science-based industries adopt to source scientific knowledge and expertise. On one hand, firms engage in direct research collaborations with universities. On the other hand, firms establish

COMPARATIVE GEOMETRICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF HAND-HELD SCANNING SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. P. Kersten

2016-06-01

Full Text Available An increasing number of hand-held scanning systems by different manufacturers are becoming available on the market. However, their geometrical performance is little-known to many users. Therefore the Laboratory for Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning of the HafenCity University Hamburg has carried out geometrical accuracy tests with the following systems in co-operation with the Bochum University of Applied Sciences (Laboratory for Photogrammetry as well as the Humboldt University in Berlin (Institute for Computer Science: DOTProduct DPI-7, Artec Spider, Mantis Vision F5 SR, Kinect v1 + v2, Structure Sensor and Google’s Project Tango. In the framework of these comparative investigations geometrically stable reference bodies were used. The appropriate reference data were acquired by measurement with two structured light projection systems (AICON smartSCAN and GOM ATOS I 2M. The comprehensive test results of the different test scenarios are presented and critically discussed in this contribution.

Evaluating the effectiveness of real-time feedback on the bedside hand hygiene behaviors of nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Lora K; Irani, Vida R

2015-05-01

Traditional hand hygiene teaching methods lack long-term effectiveness. A longitudinal, within-subject design explored the influence of real-time hand microbe feedback and a critical-thinking decision exercise on nursing student hand hygiene behaviors. In three community hospitals, the students' (n = 68) hand swabs were tested for normal flora, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus at three time points. Students completed the Partnering to Heal (PTH) online exercise on hospital-acquired infection prevention decisions. Normal flora colony counts decreased across the semester and MRSA-positive cultures increased in frequency and colony counts. MRSA-positive cultures were not associated with caring for patients in isolation precautions. Significantly higher colony counts were noted in the students who completed the PTH than those who did not complete the PTH. This study explores innovative pedagogy bringing the nonvisible microbial risk to the consciousness of nursing students in an attempt to change hand hygiene behaviors. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Employing Discourse: Universities and Graduate "Employability"

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, Rebecca; Nedeva, Maria

2010-01-01

What constitutes graduate employability is discursively framed. In this paper we argue that whilst universities in the UK have long had an involvement in producing useful and productive citizens, the ongoing neoliberalisation of higher education has engendered a discursive shift in definitions of employability. Traditionally, universities regarded…

Guideline Implementation: Hand Hygiene.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, Judith L

2017-02-01

Performing proper hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis is essential to reducing the rates of health care-associated infections, including surgical site infections. The updated AORN "Guideline for hand hygiene" provides guidance on hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis, the wearing of fingernail polish and artificial nails, proper skin care to prevent dermatitis, the wearing of jewelry, hand hygiene product selection, and quality assurance and performance improvement considerations. This article focuses on key points of the guideline to help perioperative personnel make informed decisions about hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis. The key points address the necessity of keeping fingernails and skin healthy, not wearing jewelry on the hands or wrists in the perioperative area, properly performing hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis, and involving patients and visitors in hand hygiene initiatives. Perioperative RNs should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance when writing and updating policies and procedures. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMPARISON OF YOUNG CONSUMERS' BRAND EQUITY PERCEPTIONS FOR TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL BRANDS ACROSS VARIOUS PRODUCT CATEGORIES

OpenAIRE

Catli, Ozlem; Ermec Sertoglu, Aysegul; Ors, Husniye

2017-01-01

Purpose - Thisstudy aims to compare consumers' brand perception of traditional andnon-traditional brands. Methodology -  Consumerswho live in Ankara constitute the universe of the study. The data werecollected using the face-to-face survey method. The questionnaire containsstatements measuring brand value of both traditional and non-traditional brandsfor soup and sport shoes . Findings- According to the results obtained in the study, brandperceptions of traditional brands were found high...

A singular art : a theoretical and artistic survey on miniature and hybrid possibilities of traditional arts in contemporary art

OpenAIRE

Şener, Seval

2007-01-01

Ankara : The Department of Graphic Design and the Institute of Fine Arts of Bilkent University, 2007. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2007. Includes bibliographical references leaves 81-83 The aim of this study is to point out the problems which are stemmed from the use of traditional arts, particularly miniature, in contemporary art. A theoretical survey on seeing and representation of traditional arts and miniature was made. The result of the survey is that tradit...

Emerging Entrepreneurial Universities in University Reforms: The Moderating Role of Personalities and the Social/Economic Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Berács, József

2014-01-01

University education, research and other services are increasingly becoming private goods as opposed to the traditional public goods concept. This trend is a highly debated process, and its consequences for universities are unquestionable. One of the consequences may be the diffusion of entrepreneurship in the higher education sector. The aim of…

RESEARCH NOTE A Universal, rapid, and inexpensive method for ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Navya

success of the extracted gDNA to be submitted into post-PCR analysis. ... The application of the universal method for DNA extraction not restricted into routine ... On the other hand, the universal method has proven its feasibility to be utilized.

Maltravieso. A hands sanctuary in Extremadura

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Ripoll López, Sergio

1999-12-01

Full Text Available The project of investigation carried out in the cave of Maltravieso has not only yielded a notable increase in the inventory of artistic depictions -hands, zoomorphs and ideomorphs- that are known in the cave, but has also produced some new information with regard to the chronological framework of the production of the various depictions, their phases'of execution, the techniques used in creating the figures, and the typology of the motifs. Another important contribution of our work has been the observation that mutilations of these hands do not exist. The supposed amputations, which have been commented on widely in the traditional literature, are nothing of the kind-they are simply an obscuring of the little finger, with the same pigment as was used to make the hand stencil.

El proyecto de investigación llevado a cabo en la cueva de Maltravieso, no sólo ha supuesto un notable incremento en el inventario de representaciones artísticas -manos, zoomorfos e ideomorfos- conocidos en la cueva de Maltravieso, sino que aporta importantes novedades, respecto al momento cronológico de realización de las distintas manifestaciones, fases de ejecución, técnica empleada en la elaboración de las figuras y tipología de los motivos. Otra novedad importante derivada de nuestra investigación, ha sido la constatación de la inexistencia de mutilaciones en las manos. Estas amputaciones, tan largamente comentadas por la bibliografía tradicional, no son tales, sino simples ocultaciones intencionales del dedo meñique con el mismo pigmento empleado para plasmar la mano en negativo.

Quantum cosmology of an anisotropic universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duncan, M.J.; Jensen, L.G.

1989-01-23

Surveys of the microwave background indicate that the universe is isotropic to more than one part in 10/sup 5/. Due to the arbitrariness of the initial conditions of the universe at the big bang singularity one cannot predict this; it is usually put in by hand. We therefore construct the quantum cosmology of an anisotropic universe according to the 'no-boundary' prescription of Hartle and Hawking. Such a model has a well-defined behavior at the classical singularity. We then show it also implies that a large universe, such as ours, is isotropic.

Hand washing in operating room: a procedural comparison

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Alessia Stilo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Hand washing has been considered a measure of personal hygiene for centuries and it is known that an improper hand hygiene by healthcare workers is responsible for about 40% of nosocomial infections. Therefore, surgical hand preparation is a critical element for healthcare safety in order to reduce microbial contamination of  surgical wound in case of non detected break of the gloves. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy three antiseptics: Povi-iodine scrub; EPG (Ethanol, Hydrogen Peroxide, Glycerol, recommended by WHO, and common marseille soap type in a liquid formulation. METHODS It was designed a randomized, double-blind, single-center study conducted in the University Hospital of Messina, from January to June 2013. We asked operators to put the fingertips of their right hand (if not left-handed for one minute on the PCA medium, before washing with the three types of antiseptics, and after washing and drying. Drying was made using sterile gauzes or disposable wipes. Then, we measured the number of colony forming units per mL (CFU/mL and calculated the percentage of microbial load reduction. RESULTS 211 samples have been considered for statistical analysis: in 42 samples, in fact, initial microbial load was lower than after washing. Washing with EPG reduced CFU/ml from  a mean of 38,9 to 4,1 (86,5% reduction, washing with povi-iodine scrub from 59,55 to 12,9 (75,9% reduction and washing with Marseille soap from 47,26 to 12,7 (64,3% reduction. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that washing with EPG has superior efficacy in CFU reduction. Antiseptic hand washing, however, cannot be considered the only measure to reduce infections: the anomaly of some results (initial microbial load lower than after washing  demonstrates that drying is an essential phase in the presurgical preparation. Therefore, hand hygiene must be part of a more complex strategy of surveillance and control of nosocomial infections

Inspections of Hand Washing Supplies and Hand Sanitizer in Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Mary M.; Blea, Mary; Trujillo, Rebecca; Greenberg, Cynthia

2010-01-01

Hand washing and hand antisepsis are proven infection control measures in the school setting, yet barriers such as lack of soap, paper towels, and hand sanitizer can hinder compliance. This pilot study measured the prevalence of hand cleaning supplies in public schools. Ten school districts (93 schools) participated in school nurse inspections. In…

Hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch--anal anastomosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Luca; Guadagni, Simone; Mariniello, Maria Donatella; Furbetta, Niccolò; Pisano, Roberta; D'Isidoro, Cristiano; Caprili, Giovanni; Marciano, Emanuele; Di Candio, Giulio; Boggi, Ugo; Mosca, Franco

2015-08-01

Few studies have reported minimally invasive total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We herein report a novel hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic technique for patients with FAP and UC. Between February 2010 and March 2014, six patients underwent hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic total proctocolectomy with IPAA. The abdominal colectomy was performed laparoscopically with hand assistance through a transverse suprapubic incision, also used to fashion the ileal pouch. The proctectomy was carried out with the da Vinci Surgical System. The IPAA was hand-sewn through a trans-anal approach. The procedure was complemented by a temporary diverting loop ileostomy. The mean hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) time was 154.6 (±12.8) min whereas the mean robotic time was 93.6 (±8.1) min. In all cases, a nerve-sparing proctectomy was performed, and no conversion to traditional laparotomy was required. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 13.2 (±7.4) days. No anastomotic leakage was observed. To date, no autonomic neurological disorders have been observed with a mean of 5.8 (±1.3) bowel movements per day. The hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic approach to total proctocolectomy with IPAA has not been previously described. Our report shows the feasibility of this hybrid approach, which surpasses most of the limitations of pure laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Further experience is necessary to refine the technique and fully assess its potential advantages.

Chapter 05: Basic characters used in the identification of wood with a hand lens

Science.gov (United States)

Alex Wiedenhoeft

2011-01-01

The characters presented in this chapter represent the minimal set of terms and concepts necessary to build skill and proficiency in wood identification with a hand lens. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it in complete agreement with the characters used by other authors, in other references, or in traditional microscopic wood anatomy.

Effect of hand sanitizer location on hand hygiene compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Cure, Laila; Van Enk, Richard

2015-09-01

Hand hygiene is the most important intervention to prevent infection in hospitals. Health care workers should clean their hands at least before and after contact with patients. Hand sanitizer dispensers are important to support hand hygiene because they can be made available throughout hospital units. The aim of this study was to determine whether the usability of sanitizer dispensers correlates with compliance of staff in using the sanitizer in a hospital. This study took place in a Midwest, 404-bed, private, nonprofit community hospital with 15 inpatient care units in addition to several ambulatory units. The usability and standardization of sanitizers in 12 participating inpatient units were evaluated. The hospital measured compliance of staff with hand hygiene as part of their quality improvement program. Data from 2010-2012 were analyzed to measure the relationship between compliance and usability using mixed-effects logistic regression models. The total usability score (P = .0046), visibility (P = .003), and accessibility of the sanitizer on entrance to the patient room (P = .00055) were statistically associated with higher observed compliance rates. Standardization alone showed no significant impact on observed compliance (P = .37). Hand hygiene compliance can be influenced by visibility and accessibility of dispensers. The sanitizer location should be part of multifaceted interventions to improve hand hygiene. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of a questionnaire on hand hygiene in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmerman, Johan G; Zilaout, Hicham; Heederik, Dick; Spee, Ton; Smit, Lidwien A M

2014-10-01

Construction workers are at risk of developing occupational contact dermatitis. Gloves, when used properly, may protect against chemicals and coarse materials. We investigated the prevalence and determinants of contact dermatitis in a population of Dutch construction workers and aimed at validating questionnaire items on hand hygiene. A cross-sectional study was conducted at 13 construction sites, yielding data of 177 subjects (95% response rate). A questionnaire covering questions on hand hygiene and contact dermatitis symptoms was used. Agreement between workplace observations and a number of questionnaire items was assessed by calculating Cohen's kappa. Log-binomial regression analysis was used to assess the association between contact dermatitis and various hand hygiene-related determinants. The 1-year prevalence of self-reported contact dermatitis in our study sample was 46.9%. Multiple regression analysis showed a positive association with difficulties with hand cleaning (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.52), hand contamination at the end of the working day (PR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.14-4.65), and intensive hand cream use (PR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.42-3.01). Observations of hand contamination, glove use, and glove types were found to agree well with the self-reported data from the questionnaire (Cohen's kappa's 0.75, 0.97, and 0.88). Self-reported contact dermatitis prevalence in construction workers was high and related to hand hygiene. A strong agreement was found between workplace observations and self-reported questionnaire data. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Hand Hygiene and Its Individual and Organizational Predictors

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Malihe Asadollahi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Based on recommendations from World Health Organization, hand hygiene is the most important way to control the hospital infections. Due to the critical role of nurses in patient care, they should have essential and updated information regarding hand hygiene. So this study aims at determining the knowledge of hand hygiene and its individual and organizational predictors among nurses in neonatal units. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in neonatal units in the hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The participants surveyed in this study were 150 nurses who were invited by census sampling method. A researcher prepared questionnaire that investigated the knowledge of participants about hand hygiene and was used after approving its validity and reliability. The quantitative analysis of this study used Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 13 by descriptive statistics and pearson correlation test, independent samples t-test, One-way ANOVA. For multivariable explanation of nurses’ knowledge based on independent variables multiple linear regressions was used. Results: Most of participants have an acceptable level of knowledge regarding hand hygiene. The highest score was for infection control domain and the lowest score was for definition of hand hygiene domain. Multivariable analysis showed that work experience and history of previous training were the most important predictors of participants’ knowledge about hand hygiene. Conclusion: It is recommended that infection control committees should revise their educational methods and give more emphasis on update guidelines regarding hand hygiene. Also, more experienced nurses should be employed in neonatal units.

Classification of radiolarian images with hand-crafted and deep features

Science.gov (United States)

Keçeli, Ali Seydi; Kaya, Aydın; Keçeli, Seda Uzunçimen

2017-12-01

Radiolarians are planktonic protozoa and are important biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental indicators for paleogeographic reconstructions. Radiolarian paleontology still remains as a low cost and the one of the most convenient way to obtain dating of deep ocean sediments. Traditional methods for identifying radiolarians are time-consuming and cannot scale to the granularity or scope necessary for large-scale studies. Automated image classification will allow making these analyses promptly. In this study, a method for automatic radiolarian image classification is proposed on Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of radiolarians to ease species identification of fossilized radiolarians. The proposed method uses both hand-crafted features like invariant moments, wavelet moments, Gabor features, basic morphological features and deep features obtained from a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Feature selection is applied over deep features to reduce high dimensionality. Classification outcomes are analyzed to compare hand-crafted features, deep features, and their combinations. Results show that the deep features obtained from a pre-trained CNN are more discriminative comparing to hand-crafted ones. Additionally, feature selection utilizes to the computational cost of classification algorithms and have no negative effect on classification accuracy.

Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Multilevel Mixed Effects Panel Analysis of Hands-On Cooking and Nutrition Education versus Traditional Curriculum for Medical Students as Preventive Cardiology: Multisite Cohort Study of 3,248 Trainees over 5 Years

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Dominique J. Monlezun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Cardiovascular disease (CVD annually claims more lives and costs more dollars than any other disease globally amid widening health disparities, despite the known significant reductions in this burden by low cost dietary changes. The world’s first medical school-based teaching kitchen therefore launched CHOP-Medical Students as the largest known multisite cohort study of hands-on cooking and nutrition education versus traditional curriculum for medical students. Methods. This analysis provides a novel integration of artificial intelligence-based machine learning (ML with causal inference statistics. 43 ML automated algorithms were tested, with the top performer compared to triply robust propensity score-adjusted multilevel mixed effects regression panel analysis of longitudinal data. Inverse-variance weighted fixed effects meta-analysis pooled the individual estimates for competencies. Results. 3,248 unique medical trainees met study criteria from 20 medical schools nationally from August 1, 2012, to June 26, 2017, generating 4,026 completed validated surveys. ML analysis produced similar results to the causal inference statistics based on root mean squared error and accuracy. Hands-on cooking and nutrition education compared to traditional medical school curriculum significantly improved student competencies (OR 2.14, 95% CI 2.00–2.28, p<0.001 and MedDiet adherence (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07–1.84, p=0.015, while reducing trainees’ soft drink consumption (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37–0.85, p=0.007. Overall improved competencies were demonstrated from the initial study site through the scale-up of the intervention to 10 sites nationally (p<0.001. Discussion. This study provides the first machine learning-augmented causal inference analysis of a multisite cohort showing hands-on cooking and nutrition education for medical trainees improves their competencies counseling patients on nutrition, while improving students’ own diets. This

Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Multilevel Mixed Effects Panel Analysis of Hands-On Cooking and Nutrition Education versus Traditional Curriculum for Medical Students as Preventive Cardiology: Multisite Cohort Study of 3,248 Trainees over 5 Years

Science.gov (United States)

Dart, Lyn; Vanbeber, Anne; Smith-Barbaro, Peggy; Costilla, Vanessa; Samuel, Charlotte; Terregino, Carol A.; Abali, Emine Ercikan; Dollinger, Beth; Baumgartner, Nicole; Kramer, Nicholas; Seelochan, Alex; Taher, Sabira; Deutchman, Mark; Evans, Meredith; Ellis, Robert B.; Oyola, Sonia; Maker-Clark, Geeta; Budnick, Isadore; Tran, David; DeValle, Nicole; Shepard, Rachel; Chow, Erika; Petrin, Christine; Razavi, Alexander; McGowan, Casey; Grant, Austin; Bird, Mackenzie; Carry, Connor; McGowan, Glynis; McCullough, Colleen; Berman, Casey M.; Dotson, Kerri; Sarris, Leah; Harlan, Timothy S.; Co-investigators, on behalf of the CHOP

2018-01-01

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) annually claims more lives and costs more dollars than any other disease globally amid widening health disparities, despite the known significant reductions in this burden by low cost dietary changes. The world's first medical school-based teaching kitchen therefore launched CHOP-Medical Students as the largest known multisite cohort study of hands-on cooking and nutrition education versus traditional curriculum for medical students. Methods This analysis provides a novel integration of artificial intelligence-based machine learning (ML) with causal inference statistics. 43 ML automated algorithms were tested, with the top performer compared to triply robust propensity score-adjusted multilevel mixed effects regression panel analysis of longitudinal data. Inverse-variance weighted fixed effects meta-analysis pooled the individual estimates for competencies. Results 3,248 unique medical trainees met study criteria from 20 medical schools nationally from August 1, 2012, to June 26, 2017, generating 4,026 completed validated surveys. ML analysis produced similar results to the causal inference statistics based on root mean squared error and accuracy. Hands-on cooking and nutrition education compared to traditional medical school curriculum significantly improved student competencies (OR 2.14, 95% CI 2.00–2.28, p < 0.001) and MedDiet adherence (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07–1.84, p = 0.015), while reducing trainees' soft drink consumption (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37–0.85, p = 0.007). Overall improved competencies were demonstrated from the initial study site through the scale-up of the intervention to 10 sites nationally (p < 0.001). Discussion This study provides the first machine learning-augmented causal inference analysis of a multisite cohort showing hands-on cooking and nutrition education for medical trainees improves their competencies counseling patients on nutrition, while improving students' own diets. This study suggests that

Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Multilevel Mixed Effects Panel Analysis of Hands-On Cooking and Nutrition Education versus Traditional Curriculum for Medical Students as Preventive Cardiology: Multisite Cohort Study of 3,248 Trainees over 5 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Monlezun, Dominique J; Dart, Lyn; Vanbeber, Anne; Smith-Barbaro, Peggy; Costilla, Vanessa; Samuel, Charlotte; Terregino, Carol A; Abali, Emine Ercikan; Dollinger, Beth; Baumgartner, Nicole; Kramer, Nicholas; Seelochan, Alex; Taher, Sabira; Deutchman, Mark; Evans, Meredith; Ellis, Robert B; Oyola, Sonia; Maker-Clark, Geeta; Dreibelbis, Tomi; Budnick, Isadore; Tran, David; DeValle, Nicole; Shepard, Rachel; Chow, Erika; Petrin, Christine; Razavi, Alexander; McGowan, Casey; Grant, Austin; Bird, Mackenzie; Carry, Connor; McGowan, Glynis; McCullough, Colleen; Berman, Casey M; Dotson, Kerri; Niu, Tianhua; Sarris, Leah; Harlan, Timothy S; Co-Investigators, On Behalf Of The Chop

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) annually claims more lives and costs more dollars than any other disease globally amid widening health disparities, despite the known significant reductions in this burden by low cost dietary changes. The world's first medical school-based teaching kitchen therefore launched CHOP-Medical Students as the largest known multisite cohort study of hands-on cooking and nutrition education versus traditional curriculum for medical students. This analysis provides a novel integration of artificial intelligence-based machine learning (ML) with causal inference statistics. 43 ML automated algorithms were tested, with the top performer compared to triply robust propensity score-adjusted multilevel mixed effects regression panel analysis of longitudinal data. Inverse-variance weighted fixed effects meta-analysis pooled the individual estimates for competencies. 3,248 unique medical trainees met study criteria from 20 medical schools nationally from August 1, 2012, to June 26, 2017, generating 4,026 completed validated surveys. ML analysis produced similar results to the causal inference statistics based on root mean squared error and accuracy. Hands-on cooking and nutrition education compared to traditional medical school curriculum significantly improved student competencies (OR 2.14, 95% CI 2.00-2.28, p < 0.001) and MedDiet adherence (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07-1.84, p = 0.015), while reducing trainees' soft drink consumption (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.85, p = 0.007). Overall improved competencies were demonstrated from the initial study site through the scale-up of the intervention to 10 sites nationally ( p < 0.001). This study provides the first machine learning-augmented causal inference analysis of a multisite cohort showing hands-on cooking and nutrition education for medical trainees improves their competencies counseling patients on nutrition, while improving students' own diets. This study suggests that the public health and medical sectors can

Die Sprache der Hande zu den Handen sprechen (Talking the Language of the Hands to the Hands). DB-LINK.

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Barbara

This paper examines the importance of hands for the person who is deafblind, reviews hand development, and identifies specific teaching skills that facilitate hand development and expressiveness in persons who are deafblind. It notes that the hands of a deafblind individual serve not only as tools but also as sense organs (to compensate for their…

The e-Learning Effectiveness Versus Traditional Learning on a Health Informatics Laboratory Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Zogas, Spyros; Kolokathi, Aikaterini; Birbas, Konstantinos; Chondrocoukis, Gregory; Mantas, John

2016-01-01

This paper presents a comparison between e-Learning and traditional learning methods of a University course on Health Informatics domain. A pilot research took place among University students who divided on two learning groups, the e-learners and the traditional learners. A comparison of the examinations' marks for the two groups of students was conducted in order to find differences on students' performance. The study results reveal that the students scored almost the same marks independently of the learning procedure. Based on that, it can be assumed that the e-learning courses have the same effectiveness as the in-classroom learning sessions.

Hand hygiene strategies

OpenAIRE

Yazaji, Eskandar Alex

2011-01-01

Hand hygiene is one of the major players in preventing healthcare associated infections. However, healthcare workers compliance with hand hygiene continues to be a challenge. This article will address strategies to help improving hand hygiene compliance. Keywords: hand hygiene; healthcare associated infections; multidisciplinary program; system change; accountability; education; feedback(Published: 18 July 2011)Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2011, 1: 72...

The human hand as an inspiration for robot hand development

CERN Document Server

Santos, Veronica

2014-01-01

“The Human Hand as an Inspiration for Robot Hand Development” presents an edited collection of authoritative contributions in the area of robot hands. The results described in the volume are expected to lead to more robust, dependable, and inexpensive distributed systems such as those endowed with complex and advanced sensing, actuation, computation, and communication capabilities. The twenty-four chapters discuss the field of robotic grasping and manipulation viewed in light of the human hand’s capabilities and push the state-of-the-art in robot hand design and control. Topics discussed include human hand biomechanics, neural control, sensory feedback and perception, and robotic grasp and manipulation. This book will be useful for researchers from diverse areas such as robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, and anthropologists.

Health Professionals and hand hygiene: a question of pediatric patient safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisy Zanchi de Abreu Botene

Full Text Available This paper is a qualitative descriptive study, which aims to analyze how the academic education concerning hand hygiene contributes to the pediatric patient safety. This research was developed in an university hospital in Southern Brazil, in the pediatric unit, during the period of August to December, 2012. Sixteen healthcare professionals participated (doctors, nurses and physical therapists. A semi-structured interview was used to gather information. Data was organized by the software QSR Nvivo and analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results allowed us to list two thematic categories: "Hand hygiene and healthcare professionals' academic education"; and "Hand hygiene and professional life". The first thematic category will be presented in this paper. It was identified that the academic education contributes in an ineffective way to the creation of a patient safety culture. According to the professionals, there are gaps during the educational process regarding hand hygiene. The topic is treated in an ineffective and not very significant way to the learning and adhesion of hand hygiene in the professional life. It is recommended that, for the internalization of the practice by future professionals, a transversal, continuous and systematical approach is adopted during the professional's training, evaluations concerning the hand hygiene are done throughout the academic life as well as healthcare professors bethink the topic.

Sterile neutrinos in the early universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malaney, R.A. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)); Fuller, G.M. (California Univ., San Diego, La Jolla, CA (USA). Dept. of Physics)

1990-11-14

We discuss the role played by right-handed sterile neutrinos in the early universe. We show how well known {sup 4}He constraint on the number of relativistic degrees of freedom at early times limits the equilibration of the right handed neutrino sea with the background plasma. We discuss how this allows interesting constraints to be placed on neutrino properties. In particular, a new limit on the Dirac mass of the neutrino is presented. 12 refs.

Ownership and Agency of an Independent Supernumerary Hand Induced by an Imitation Brain-Computer Interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Bashford, Luke; Mehring, Carsten

2016-01-01

To study body ownership and control, illusions that elicit these feelings in non-body objects are widely used. Classically introduced with the Rubber Hand Illusion, these illusions have been replicated more recently in virtual reality and by using brain-computer interfaces. Traditionally these illusions investigate the replacement of a body part by an artificial counterpart, however as brain-computer interface research develops it offers us the possibility to explore the case where non-body objects are controlled in addition to movements of our own limbs. Therefore we propose a new illusion designed to test the feeling of ownership and control of an independent supernumerary hand. Subjects are under the impression they control a virtual reality hand via a brain-computer interface, but in reality there is no causal connection between brain activity and virtual hand movement but correct movements are observed with 80% probability. These imitation brain-computer interface trials are interspersed with movements in both the subjects' real hands, which are in view throughout the experiment. We show that subjects develop strong feelings of ownership and control over the third hand, despite only receiving visual feedback with no causal link to the actual brain signals. Our illusion is crucially different from previously reported studies as we demonstrate independent ownership and control of the third hand without loss of ownership in the real hands.

A Low Cost Implementation of an Existing Hands-on Laboratory Experiment in Electronic Engineering

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Clement Onime

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In engineering the pedagogical content of most formative programmes includes a significant amount of practical laboratory hands-on activity designed to deliver knowledge acquisition from actual experience alongside traditional face-to-face classroom based lectures and tutorials; this hands-on aspect is not always adequately addressed by current e-learning platforms. An innovative approach to e-learning in engineering, named computer aided engineering education (CAEE is about the use of computer aids for the enhanced, interactive delivery of educational materials in different fields of engineering through two separate but related components; one for classroom and another for practical hands-on laboratory work. The component for hands-on laboratory practical work focuses on the use of mixed reality (video-based augmented reality tools on mobile devices/platforms. This paper presents the computer aided engineering education (CAEE implementation of a laboratory experiment in micro-electronics that highlights some features such as the ability to closely implement an existing laboratory based hands-on experiment with lower associated costs and the ability to conduct the experiment off-line while maintaining existing pedagogical contents and standards.

The quantum cosmology of an anisotropic universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, M.J.; Jensen, L.G.

1989-01-01

Surveys of the microwave background indicate that the universe is isotropic to more than one part in 10 5 . Due to the arbitrariness of the initial conditions of the universe at the big bang singularity one cannot predict this; it is usually put in by hand. We therefore construct the quantum cosmology of an anisotropic universe according to the 'no-boundary' prescription of Hartle and Hawking. Such a model has a well-defined behavior at the classical singularity. We then show it also implies that a large universe, such as ours, is isotropic. (orig.)

Lightwand-Guided Endotracheal Intubation Performed by the Nondominant Hand is Feasible

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Yi-Wei Kuo

2007-10-01

.3%, group L 5%, group R 7.5%, p = 0.04. We concluded that LWEI performed by either dominant or nondominant hands resulted in similar efficiency, and could be a suitable alternative to traditional laryngoscopy. It is both feasible and logical for an experienced anesthesiologist to use the nondominant hand to perform LWEI.

Aspects of Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine

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Yusup, Abdiryim

2009-01-01

Two consecutive conferences on ‘Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine’ were held in Xinjiang Medical University on July 3 and Kanazawa Medical University on October 6, 2007. The Vice president Halmurat Upur presided over the meeting and gave congratulatory address on holding of the conference. In order to understand mutually and discuss the possibility of the Uighur Medicine as CAM and the situation of medicine in the global sense, specialist scholars of Traditional Uighur Medicine and postgraduates attended this conference. In the meeting of the CAM, the achievements on the research of Traditional Uighur Medicine were exchanged and warmly discussed. Presentations were made in the consecutive conference. PMID:19470524

Çankırı Yaran Group and Traditional Clothing Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melek TUFAN

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Yaran Group is the one which isoriginated from the integration of turkish customs, rituals and traditions with islamic moral sandvirtues; which is managed by the fundamentals of ahi community; which grow shone startisans in philosophy of innocen tsale and quality production; which is an education and moral tyassociation where superior quality peopl e raise who take part in any layer of society and where respectand love are lived in a top - end way; which is our cultural heritage from Oghuzs up to now (Absaroğlu,2012:3. In this researh, it is analysed that Yaran Group which still maintains its folk traditions and taces of history, and its traditional clothings. The purpose of there search is toke epexisting clothes, to record the mand to hand down to next generations by examining the traditional clothes cepkin, göynek, vızka, peĢtamal and poĢu which are used for centuries by the members of this education association in terms of material, colour, cut, sewing and ornamentation.

Constraint Study for a Hand Exoskeleton: Human Hand Kinematics and Dynamics

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Fai Chen Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the last few years, the number of projects studying the human hand from the robotic point of view has increased rapidly, due to the growing interest in academic and industrial applications. Nevertheless, the complexity of the human hand given its large number of degrees of freedom (DoF within a significantly reduced space requires an exhaustive analysis, before proposing any applications. The aim of this paper is to provide a complete summary of the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the human hand as a preliminary step towards the development of hand devices such as prosthetic/robotic hands and exoskeletons imitating the human hand shape and functionality. A collection of data and constraints relevant to hand movements is presented, and the direct and inverse kinematics are solved for all the fingers as well as the dynamics; anthropometric data and dynamics equations allow performing simulations to understand the behavior of the finger.

Changing Traditions and Village Development in Kalotaszentkirály

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Wayne Kraft

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The continuity of village traditions depends on the stability and cohesion of village communities. Since the opening of Transylvania after the fall of Nicolae Ceauşescu, there has been a sort of revival of Hungarian village dance and music, on the one hand, but, on the longer term, the communities themselves are threatened by economic challenges and by consequent demographic changes. This essay is based on field research conducted in Kalotaszentkirály (Sincraiu from 1995 to 2010.

An elaboration of Thai vocal instructors in Thai university classes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jantana Khochprasert

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper documents a qualitative investigation on the study of instructive methods of Thai traditional singing instructors in higher education in Thailand. The information was collected in the form of document analysis and interviews with Thai traditional music instructors from several universities across Thailand. The results of the analysis of Thai traditional singing instruction methods in higher education in Thailand revealed that there are 11 universities that offer Thai traditional singing instruction. The instruction is a part of curricula under four different governing bodies and four classifications of curriculum. The sets of practicum repertoires in every university were found to be almost identical. It was found that the instructors used several techniques. Some techniques were similar while some were different. All the techniques were transmitted orally. In order to successfully produce graduates of the desired standard, singing must be correctly taught from the basics, whether theory, pronunciation or rhyming. At the same time, creativity should also be encouraged

The university with conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José María Ripalda Crespo

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The model of the national university is being substituted by that of the global university. At the same time, new dogmas that appear with economic labels are being imposed. All this is accompanied by important cultural changes. The Spanish university was one of the instances that was taken care of by the post-Francoist regime. Now, this regime feels strong against it, and on the other hand this university – as the whole of the productive structure – requires a reform. It is not expected that this reform will go in the direction of the university having more social presence, but rather more presence of companies. It is neither expected that it will imply more internal democracy, but more discipline. All resistance or alternative has to take into account the new situation and join the still dispersed forces that still have, however, a constitutive capacity.

The Avocado Hand

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Rahmani, G

2017-11-01

Accidental self-inflicted knife injuries to digits are a common cause of tendon and nerve injury requiring hand surgery. There has been an apparent increase in avocado related hand injuries. Classically, the patients hold the avocado in their non-dominant hand while using a knife to cut\\/peel the fruit with their dominant hand. The mechanism of injury is usually a stabbing injury to the non-dominant hand as the knife slips past the stone, through the soft avocado fruit. Despite their apparent increased incidence, we could not find any cases in the literature which describe the “avocado hand”. We present a case of a 32-year-old woman who sustained a significant hand injury while preparing an avocado. She required exploration and repair of a digital nerve under regional anaesthesia and has since made a full recovery.

Healthcare personnel perceptions of hand hygiene monitoring technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellingson, Katherine; Polgreen, Philip M; Schneider, Amy; Shinkunas, Laura; Kaldjian, Lauris C; Wright, Donald; Thomas, Geb W; Segre, Alberto M; Herman, Ted; McDonald, L Clifford; Sinkowitz-Cochran, Ronda

2011-11-01

To assess healthcare personnel (HCP) perceptions regarding implementation of sensor-based electronic systems for automated hand hygiene adherence monitoring. Using a mixed-methods approach, structured focus groups were designed to elicit quantitative and qualitative responses on familiarity, comfort level, and perceived impact of sensor-based hand hygiene adherence monitoring. A university hospital, a Veterans Affairs hospital, and a community hospital in the Midwest. Focus groups were homogenous by HCP type, with separate groups held for leadership, midlevel management, and frontline personnel at each hospital. Overall, 89 HCP participated in 10 focus groups. Levels of familiarity and comfort with electronic oversight technology varied by HCP type; when compared with frontline HCP, those in leadership positions were significantly more familiar with ([Formula: see text]) and more comfortable with ([Formula: see text]) the technology. The most common concerns cited by participants across groups included lack of accuracy in the data produced, such as the inability of the technology to assess the situational context of hand hygiene opportunities, and the potential punitive use of data produced. Across groups, HCP had decreased tolerance for electronic collection of spatial-temporal data, describing such oversight as Big Brother. While substantial concerns were expressed by all types of HCP, participants' recommendations for effective implementation of electronic oversight technologies for hand hygiene monitoring included addressing accuracy issues before implementation and transparent communication with frontline HCP about the intended use of the data.

Electronic hand-drafting and picture management system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tsung-Han; Ku, Cheng-Yuan; Yen, David C; Hsieh, Wen-Huai

2012-08-01

The Department of Health of Executive Yuan in Taiwan (R.O.C.) is implementing a five-stage project entitled Electronic Medical Record (EMR) converting all health records from written to electronic form. Traditionally, physicians record patients' symptoms, related examinations, and suggested treatments on paper medical records. Currently when implementing the EMR, all text files and image files in the Hospital Information System (HIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) are kept separate. The current medical system environment is unable to combine text files, hand-drafted files, and photographs in the same system, so it is difficult to support physicians with the recording of medical data. Furthermore, in surgical and other related departments, physicians need immediate access to medical records in order to understand the details of a patient's condition. In order to address these problems, the Department of Health has implemented an EMR project, with the primary goal of building an electronic hand-drafting and picture management system (HDP system) that can be used by medical personnel to record medical information in a convenient way. This system can simultaneously edit text files, hand-drafted files, and image files and then integrate these data into Portable Document Format (PDF) files. In addition, the output is designed to fit a variety of formats in order to meet various laws and regulations. By combining the HDP system with HIS and PACS, the applicability can be enhanced to fit various scenarios and can assist the medical industry in moving into the final phase of EMR.

Relaxation incisions of venomous snake "Japanese mamushi" bites to the hand

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Sugamata A

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Akira Sugamata, Naoki Yoshizawa, Takahiro OkadaDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, JapanAbstract: Gloydius blomhoffii, commonly known as Japanese mamushi, is a venomous viper species found widely in Japan. The most frequently bitten regions are the fingers and toes, and severe swelling causes compression of peripheral arteries and/or compartment syndrome of the extremities. We experienced four cases of mamushi bites to the hand, and undertook relaxation incision in the hands of three of these patients. As a result, the patients who underwent relaxation incision did not show any skin necrosis or permanent sensory disturbance in the affected fingers. Relaxation incision can be useful to not only decompress subcutaneous and compartment pressure of the hand, but also to wash out the venom from the bitten region by improving venous and lymphatic drainage.Keywords: mamushi, snakebite, viper, relaxation incision

Patch and Prick Tests in Hand Eczema: Results of A Sixty Seven Patient Series

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Bilge Fettahlıoğlu Karaman

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: The patch and prick tests have a place in the management of patients with hand eczema. In this study, we investigated whether some of the clinical features patients with hand eczema could provide us with the predictability of skin test results. Methods: In Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, 67 consecutive patients with hand eczema; evaluated in terms of duration of disease, morphology and severity. All of the patients were undergoes patch tested with the European Standard Series, and needle testing with routine aeroallergens. Results: Patch test with at least one allergen was positive in 46.3% of the patients; wheras this rate was 23.9% for prick test. The likelihood of having a contact sensitivity of patients complaining of hand eczema for at least three years was statistically more significant [odds ratio (OR 0.9]. Although statistically not significant, it is less likely to be sensitized to patients with keratotic and/or licheniform hand eczema (OR 0.3. The severity of hand eczema was not predictive of patch test, there was no indicator of needle test positivity. Conclusion: We strongly recommend patch testing in all patients with prolonged hand eczema.

Hand Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

... from conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow , as well as from chronic problems such as ... Tools Advice from a Certified Hand Therapist on Tennis Elbow Advice from a Certified Hand Therapist: Living with( ...

Efficacy of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Department, 3Department of Vascular Surgery, The Teaching Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,. Chengdu, Sichuan ... Background: The rate of gastrointestinal adenomatous polyps, often regarded as precancerous lesions, developing ..... Ling-Bai-Zhu on promoting apoptosis of transplanted.

Comparison of the Effect of Canal Preparation by Step Back Technique Using Hand Instruments and Gates Glidden Drills with ProTaper Universal Rotary System on the Root Resistance to Vertical Fracture

OpenAIRE

A Abbaszadegan; Z Sadat Aleyasin; M Sedigh Shamsi; Sh Shahriari

2013-01-01

Introduction: Cleaning and shaping of the root canal system with an efficient and safe technique are the major goals of root canal treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional root canal preparation technique by hand instruments and Gates Glidden drills with ProTaper Universal Rotary system on the root susceptibility to vertical fracture. Methods: Thirty extracted human mandibular premolars were randomly assigned to two groups. In group I, apical preparation was performed ...

The historical evolution of university and technikon education and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article discusses articulation between university and technikon LIS education and training in the context of the historical evolution and traditional purposes of university and technikon education and training; major similarities and differences between university and technikon LIS education and training and current ...

Conceptualisation of learning satisfaction experienced by non-traditional learners in Singapore

OpenAIRE

Khiat, Henry

2013-01-01

This study uncovered the different factors that make up the learning satisfaction of non-traditional learners in Singapore. Data was collected from a component of the student evaluation exercise in a Singapore university in 2011. A mixed-methods approach was adopted in the analysis. The study stated that non-traditional learners’ learning satisfaction can be generally grouped into four main categories: a) Desirable Learning Deliverables; b) Directed Learning Related Factors; c) Lecturer/Tutor...

Supporting Disadvantaged Students in an English Primary School: Matters of Entrepreneurial and Traditional Professionalism

Science.gov (United States)

Keddie, Amanda

2018-01-01

This paper explores issues of teacher professionalism. The focus is on the competition, control and standardisation that tend to be associated with 'entrepreneurial' professionalism on the one hand, and the autonomy, care and criticality that tend to be associated with 'traditional' professionalism, on the other. The paper presents a series of…

Learning and training. Education in eighteenth-century traditional Polynesia

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Henri J.M. Claessen

2009-10-01

Full Text Available In this article some methods and types of education in traditional Polynesia will be presented. The emphasis will fall on the second half of the eighteenth century. This period has been selected for on the one hand it covers the final years of the Polynesian culture before it was deeply influenced by good intended efforts of missionaries and administrators who tried to erase heathen customs and introduce dresses, and introducing reading and writing and the negative forces of traders, whalers and colonizers, who came to the islands to relax after arduous travels, and to buy cheap goods and food. On the other hand many voyagers, missionaries, administrators and traders left us in their logs and journals detailed descriptions of the islanders and their cultures as they had seen them and tried to understand them. These publications will be considered here as ‘sources’.

Universal Precautions: A Review

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DATONYE ALASIA

and hazards could cause devastating effects on. 2 health and ... (splash of blood or other body fluids into the eyes, nose or ... nurses, laboratory staff and aides who work in .... electric hand dryers are available which is ideal. ... self, patient and co-workers from infection. All ... with universal precautions include the absence of ...

Regulation of proprietary traditional Chinese medicines in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, David T

2017-01-01

This review article describes the regulation of proprietary Chinese medicines for the Australian market, which may permit many medicines used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to have a simplified process of market access provided that certain criteria for acceptable public safety are met. Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What is the most cost-effective strategy to screen for left ventricular systolic dysfunction: natriuretic peptides, the electrocardiogram, hand-held echocardiography, traditional echocardiography, or their combination?

Science.gov (United States)

Galasko, Gavin I W; Barnes, Sophie C; Collinson, Paul; Lahiri, Avijit; Senior, Roxy

2006-01-01

To assess the screening characteristics and cost-effectiveness of screening for left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in community subjects. A total of 1392 members of the general public and 928 higher risk subjects were randomly selected from seven community practices. Attending subjects underwent an ECG, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) serum levels, and traditional echocardiography (TE). A total of 533 consecutive subjects underwent hand-held echocardiography (HE). The screening characteristics and cost-effectiveness (cost per case of LVSD diagnosed) of eight strategies to predict LVSD (LVSD cost-effective, screening low-risk subjects least cost-effective. TE screening was the least cost-effective strategy. NTproBNP screening gave similar cost savings to ECG screening; HE screening greater cost-savings, and HE screening following NTproBNP or ECG pre-screening the greatest cost-savings, costing approximately 650 Euros per case of LVSD diagnosed in high-risk subjects (63% cost-savings vs.TE). Thus several different modalities allow cost-effective community-based screening for LVSD, especially in high-risk subjects. Such programmes would be cost-effective and miss few cases of LVSD in the community.

Hand hygiene--evaluation of three disinfectant hand sanitizers in a community setting.

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Rita Babeluk

Full Text Available Hand hygiene is acknowledged as the single most important measure to prevent nosocomial infections in the healthcare setting. Similarly, in non-clinical settings, hand hygiene is recognised as a key element in helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three different disinfectant hand sanitizers in reducing the burden of bacterial hand contamination in 60 healthy volunteers in a community setting, both before and after education about the correct use of hand sanitizers. The study is the first to evaluate the efficacy and ease of use of different formulations of hand rubs used by the general population. The products tested were: Sterillium (perfumed, liquid, desderman pure gel (odorless, gel and Lavit (perfumed, spray. Sterillium and desderman are EN1500 (hygienic hand rub certified products (available in pharmacy and Lavit is non EN1500 certified and available in supermarkets. The two EN1500 certified products were found to be significantly superior in terms of reducing bacterial load. desderman pure gel, Sterillium and Lavit reduced the bacterial count to 6.4%, 8.2% and 28.0% respectively. After education in the correct use of each hand rub, the bacterial load was reduced even further, demonstrating the value of education in improving hand hygiene. Information about the testers' perceptions of the three sanitizers, together with their expectations of a hand sanitizer was obtained through a questionnaire. Efficacy, followed by skin compatibility were found to be the two most important attributes of a hand disinfectant in our target group.

ACEH IN HISTORY: Preserving Traditions and Embracing Modernity

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Amirul Hadi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper attempts to critically discuss on how the Acehnese in history, while trying to embrace the modern world, have made every effort at preserving their traditions. As an ethnic group which has a glorious past, Aceh has strongly been connected to “identity”; and this is expressed in various means, including “social memory.” For this very reason, “traditions”, including those of the past, are explored and preserved. Yet, the challenges of modernity are also apparent. It is in this context that the Acehnese are trapped at the crossroad. On the one hand, they tend to preserve their traditions, yet, on the other, they need to embrace modern lives. The Acehnese seem to have encountered considerable obstacles on this issue, for they tend to focus more on historical “romanticism” (nostalgia rather than historical “awareness” (consciousness. Eventually, the “spirit” of the past cannot be brought into light.

Developing Traditional Food Service: A Portrait of Women in Culinary Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Maukar, S. M. D.; Langitan, F. W.; Tangkere, T. F. S.; Dondokambey, A.

2018-02-01

The purpose of this research is to obtain data about development of traditional food service for small woman business in Minahasa Toulour, Indonesia. The type of research used is descriptive qualitative method. The result of this research is to show that the profile data of the development of the service quality of the catering service business and the traditional home industry of the small business women at the grassroots around Lake Tondano, Minahasa, is in desperate need of rocks and guidance, because although it has the strength and opportunities such as traditional food products, the taste is quite good and popular consumer, the main raw material is the main agricultural products Minahasa so the price is relatively affordable, the role of print media and electronics to support the socialization of traditional foods Regional, National, International so it can be exported abroad, but on the other hand is also faced with weaknesses both internally and externally such as the lack of traditional entrepreneurial knowledge of Minahasa’s traditional cuisine, suffering from a lack of capital, and the impact of lack of knowledge and lack of capital result in the following items being prepared, as limited and monotonous as well lack of innovation, inadequate food business equipment, lack of clear health insurance, information dissemination and limited development, although facilities exist but cannot be implemented due to lack of funds, poor sanitation is noticed.

In a demanding task, three-handed manipulation is preferred to two-handed manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdi, Elahe; Burdet, Etienne; Bouri, Mohamed; Himidan, Sharifa; Bleuler, Hannes

2016-02-25

Equipped with a third hand under their direct control, surgeons may be able to perform certain surgical interventions alone; this would reduce the need for a human assistant and related coordination difficulties. However, does human performance improve with three hands compared to two hands? To evaluate this possibility, we carried out a behavioural study on the performance of naive adults catching objects with three virtual hands controlled by their two hands and right foot. The subjects could successfully control the virtual hands in a few trials. With this control strategy, the workspace of the hands was inversely correlated with the task velocity. The comparison of performance between the three and two hands control revealed no significant difference of success in catching falling objects and in average effort during the tasks. Subjects preferred the three handed control strategy, found it easier, with less physical and mental burden. Although the coordination of the foot with the natural hands increased trial after trial, about two minutes of practice was not sufficient to develop a sense of ownership towards the third arm.

A four-dimensional virtual hand brain-machine interface using active dimension selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rouse, Adam G

2016-06-01

Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) traditionally rely on a fixed, linear transformation from neural signals to an output state-space. In this study, the assumption that a BMI must control a fixed, orthogonal basis set was challenged and a novel active dimension selection (ADS) decoder was explored. ADS utilizes a two stage decoder by using neural signals to both (i) select an active dimension being controlled and (ii) control the velocity along the selected dimension. ADS decoding was tested in a monkey using 16 single units from premotor and primary motor cortex to successfully control a virtual hand avatar to move to eight different postures. Following training with the ADS decoder to control 2, 3, and then 4 dimensions, each emulating a grasp shape of the hand, performance reached 93% correct with a bit rate of 2.4 bits s(-1) for eight targets. Selection of eight targets using ADS control was more efficient, as measured by bit rate, than either full four-dimensional control or computer assisted one-dimensional control. ADS decoding allows a user to quickly and efficiently select different hand postures. This novel decoding scheme represents a potential method to reduce the complexity of high-dimension BMI control of the hand.

Exploration of Hand Grasp Patterns Elicitable Through Non-Invasive Proximal Nerve Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Henry; Watkins, Zach; Hu, Xiaogang

2017-11-29

Various neurological conditions, such as stroke or spinal cord injury, result in an impaired control of the hand. One method of restoring this impairment is through functional electrical stimulation (FES). However, traditional FES techniques often lead to quick fatigue and unnatural ballistic movements. In this study, we sought to explore the capabilities of a non-invasive proximal nerve stimulation technique in eliciting various hand grasp patterns. The ulnar and median nerves proximal to the elbow joint were activated transcutanously using a programmable stimulator, and the resultant finger flexion joint angles were recorded using a motion capture system. The individual finger motions averaged across the three joints were analyzed using a cluster analysis, in order to classify the different hand grasp patterns. With low current intensity (grasp patterns including single finger movement and coordinated multi-finger movements. This study provides initial evidence on the feasibility of a proximal nerve stimulation technique in controlling a variety of finger movements and grasp patterns. Our approach could also be developed into a rehabilitative/assistive tool that can result in flexible movements of the fingers.

Traditional perception of Greeks in Serbian oral tradition

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Konjik Ivana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Based on material on Greeks from Vuk’s corpus of epic poems, we discuss the construction of ethnic stereotype of Greeks in Serbian language. However, the limitation of the paper’s possible conclusion lies in the nature of the corpus: Vuk had deliberately chosen one material over another, therefore, the corpus relating to Greeks cannot be considered as representative of the whole Serbian folk poems. Therefore, the discussion is limited to certain elements of the stereotype. Nevertheless, these Serbian epic folk poems contain many layers: historical, geographical, sociological, mythological and so on, with a strong foundation in traditional culture; thus, they provide an insight into geo-political situation of the time period, viewpoints, perspectives and experiences of other ethnic groups that Serbs have been into contact with. In particular, the relationship toward Greeks was marked with pronounced patriarchal attitude concerning others: we-others, ours-foreign, good-bad. In this sense, Greeks are portrayed as foreign, and as such, as a potential source of danger. On the other hand, Greeks are Christian Orthodox, which associates them with the category ours. In socio-economic sense, they were traders and wealthy, respected gentlemen. In epical-heroic profile, they were not considered as great heroes, but as "lousy army", and frequently, as unfaithful.

Blended Design Approach of Long Span Structure and Malay Traditional Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Sundari, Titin

2017-12-01

The growing population in the world is so fast, which is followed by the increasing need of some new and large activities. Architects face the problem on how to facilitate buildings with various activities such as for large meeting, conference, indoors gymnasium and sports, and many others. The long span structure of building is one of the solutions to solve that problem. Generally, large buildings which implemented this structure will look as a technological, modern and futuristic ones or even neo futuristic performance. But on the other hand, many people still want to enjoy the specific and unique senses of local traditional architecture. So is the Malay people who want an easy pleasant large facilities which can be fulfilled by implementing modern long span building structure technology. In the same time, their unique sense of Malay traditional architecture can still be maintained. To overcome this double problems of design, it needs a blended design approach of long span structure and Malay Traditional Architecture.

About Hand Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... Find a hand surgeon near you. © 2009 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Definition developed by ASSH Council. Other Links CME Mission Statement and Disclaimer Policies and Technical Requirements Exhibits and Partners ASSH 822 W. Washington Blvd. ... 2018 by American Society for Surgery of the Hand × Search Tips Tip ...

Perfection of technical and tactical preparation of sportsmen of hand-to-hand fight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serebryak V.V.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Essence of innovative hike is considered to upgrading preparation of sportsmen of hand-to-hand fight. 58 sportsmen of section of hand-to-hand fight took part in research. Age of sportsmen are from 17 to 22 years. Developed and approved the most effective technical and tactical charts of construction of duel with the opponents of different styles of single combats. It is well-proven that offered approach instrumental in development of operative thought and adaptation to sparring of hand-to-hand fight.

E-learning may improve adherence to alcohol-based hand rubbing: a cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Sussie; Bibby, Bo Martin; Kristensen, Brian

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Since 2004, we have promoted alcohol-based hand rubbing (HR) with an e-learning program (ELP) among hospital staff. This study sought to determine whether an ELP improves adherence to correct HR. METHODS: This was a cohort study of staff members at Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, ...

An Ergonomic Study on Influence of Touch-screen Phone Size on Single-hand Operation Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Rui

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Touch-screen smart phones have gradually occupied the market of traditional Qwerty Phones and become the mainstream products of mobile phone industry. However, few ergonomics research has been conducted on the touch screens of smart phones, while it has led to tendosynovitis among users owing to the overuse of thumbs. Sizes of smart phones in market range from 3.0 to 7.0 inches. What’s more, 4.0 inches and above are the common size of current touch screens. Also, considering the users’ habits, one-hand operation is preferred when the other hand is occupied. This paper has collected hand parameters of 80 subjects and has adopted an experiment which includes the performance testing and surveys of subjective evaluation by means of usability evaluation. After analysing correlation between touch-screen sizes and operation performances, the result indicates that under one-hand operation, the size of touch screen affects the operation performance significantly. However, it’s hard to implement one-hand operation if the touch-screen size is over 5.7 inches. Additionally, the thickness of smart phones affects the degree of comfort remarkably.

Osteoarthritis of the Hand

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Osteoarthritis Email to a friend * required fields From * ...

Patient safety incident reports related to traditional Japanese Kampo medicines: medication errors and adverse drug events in a university hospital for a ten-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Yutaka; Fujimoto, Makoto; Nogami, Tatsuya; Watari, Hidetoshi; Kitahara, Hideyuki; Misawa, Hiroki; Kimbara, Yoshiyuki

2017-12-21

Kampo medicine is traditional Japanese medicine, which originated in ancient traditional Chinese medicine, but was introduced and developed uniquely in Japan. Today, Kampo medicines are integrated into the Japanese national health care system. Incident reporting systems are currently being widely used to collect information about patient safety incidents that occur in hospitals. However, no investigations have been conducted regarding patient safety incident reports related to Kampo medicines. The aim of this study was to survey and analyse incident reports related to Kampo medicines in a Japanese university hospital to improve future patient safety. We selected incident reports related to Kampo medicines filed in Toyama University Hospital from May 2007 to April 2017, and investigated them in terms of medication errors and adverse drug events. Out of 21,324 total incident reports filed in the 10-year survey period, we discovered 108 Kampo medicine-related incident reports. However, five cases were redundantly reported; thus, the number of actual incidents was 103. Of those, 99 incidents were classified as medication errors (77 administration errors, 15 dispensing errors, and 7 prescribing errors), and four were adverse drug events, namely Kampo medicine-induced interstitial pneumonia. The Kampo medicine (crude drug) that was thought to induce interstitial pneumonia in all four cases was Scutellariae Radix, which is consistent with past reports. According to the incident severity classification system recommended by the National University Hospital Council of Japan, of the 99 medication errors, 10 incidents were classified as level 0 (an error occurred, but the patient was not affected) and 89 incidents were level 1 (an error occurred that affected the patient, but did not cause harm). Of the four adverse drug events, two incidents were classified as level 2 (patient was transiently harmed, but required no treatment), and two incidents were level 3b (patient was

The meaning of alcohol to traditional Muscogee Creek Indians.

Science.gov (United States)

Wing, D M; Thompson, T

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to learn the meaning of alcohol to the traditional Muscogee Creek Indians of eastern Oklahoma. Using Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality as the theoretical base, the authors conducted interviews of 24 traditional people to elicit both emic and etic meanings of alcohol. The conceptualization of alcohol as a dichotomy of power to do both good and evil emerged as the central theme. Other meanings of alcohol were explicated in relation to five social structure dimensions. The findings suggest culturally competent nursing implications for preserving, accommodating, and repatterning the meaning of alcohol.

Leuven/Louvain--The World's Oldest Catholic University Is a House Divided.

Science.gov (United States)

Altschull, J. Herbert

1981-01-01

Louvain University is divided due to conflicting languages and cultural traditions that could not coexist. As a result, two universities, the medieval university at Leuven (Dutch-speaking) and the new university at Louvain-La-Neuve (French-speaking), have been established. Both universities seem to be functioning peacefully. (LC)

Using Online Video Lectures to Enrich Traditional Face-to-Face Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne C. Makarem

2015-07-01

Full Text Available University educators need to meet changing needs of the digital generation by integrating technology through online content delivery. Despite the many advantages of online education, a large number of university professors are reluctant to make the transition from traditional-face-to-face lectures to online delivery, mainly due to the time, cost, and technical competence requirements to make this transition, in addition to the lack of beliefs in the legitimacy of online education. This article demonstrates the use of online video lectures to adapt traditional university courses to a blended format. The study is implemented for a School of Business Marketing course. We illustrate a cost-effective and timeefficient way for faculty members to record and share online video lectures with limited training and technical support. Using a student sample from two sections of the same marketing course, the study findings support the use of online video lectures as an effective way to free class time for learner-centred activities, without sacrificing student performance outcomes or course satisfaction.

Assimilating Traditional Healing Into Preventive Medicine Residency Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesler, Denece O; Hopkins, L Olivia; Torres, Eliseo; Prasad, Arti

2015-11-01

Comprehensive cultural competency includes knowledge and awareness of culturally based healing and wellness practices. Healthcare providers should be aware of the individual patient's beliefs, culture, and use of culturally based health practices because patients may adopt such practices for general wellness or as adjunct therapies without the benefit of discussion with their healthcare provider. This article describes the culturally based traditional healing curriculum that has been implemented in the University of New Mexico Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program in order to fulfill this knowledge necessity. Curricular elements were added in a stepwise manner starting in 2011, with the full content as described implemented starting in 2013. Data were collected annually with evaluation of the full curriculum occurring in 2015. New Mexico has a diverse population base that includes predominantly Hispanic and Native American cultures, making the inclusion of curriculum regarding traditional healing practices very pertinent. Residents at the University of New Mexico were educated through several curricular components about topics such as Curanderismo, the art of Mexican Folk Healing. An innovative approach was used, with a compendium of training methods that included learning directly from traditional healers and participation in healing practices. The incorporation of this residency curriculum resulted in a means to produce physicians well trained in approaching patient care and population health with knowledge of culturally based health practices in order to facilitate healthy patients and communities. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology-based vs. traditional instruction. A comparison of two methods for teaching the skill of performing a 12-lead ECG.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffries, Pamela R; Woolf, Shirley; Linde, Beverly

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an interactive, multimedia CD-ROM with traditional methods of teaching the skill of performing a 12-lead ECG. A randomized pre/posttest experimental design was used. Seventy-seven baccalaureate nursing students in a required, senior-level critical-care course at a large midwestern university were recruited for the study. Two teaching methods were compared. The traditional method included a self-study module, a brief lecture and demonstration by an instructor, and hands-on experience using a plastic manikin and a real 12-lead ECG machine in the learning laboratory. The second method covered the same content using an interactive, multimedia CD-ROM embedded with virtual reality and supplemented with a self-study module. There were no significant (p method, or perception of self-efficacy in performing the skill. Overall results indicated that both groups were satisfied with their instructional method and were similar in their ability to demonstrate the skill correctly on a live, simulated patient. This evaluation study is a beginning step to assess new and potentially more cost-effective teaching methods and their effects on student learning outcomes and behaviors, including the transfer of skill acquisition via a computer simulation to a real patient.

Factors influencing hand/eye synchronicity in the computer age.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, A H

1992-09-01

In using a computer, the relation of vision to hand/finger actuated keyboard usage in performing fine motor-coordinated functions is influenced by the physical location, size, and collective placement of the keys. Traditional nonprehensile flat/rectangular keyboard applications usually require a high and nearly constant level of visual attention. Biometrically shaped keyboards would allow for prehensile hand-posturing, thus affording better tactile familiarity with the keys, requiring less intense and less constant level of visual attention to the task, and providing a greater measure of freedom from having to visualize the key(s). Workpace and related physiological changes, aging, onset of monocularization (intermittent lapsing of binocularity for near vision) that accompanies presbyopia, tool colors, and background contrast are factors affecting constancy of visual attention to task performance. Capitas extension, excessive excyclotorsion, and repetitive strain injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) are common and debilitating concomitants to computer usage. These problems can be remedied by improved keyboard design. The salutary role of mnemonics in minimizing visual dependency is discussed.

Hand eczema

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibler, K.S.; Jemec, G.B.E.; Flyvholm, M.-A.

2012-01-01

Background. Healthcare workers are at increased risk of developing hand eczema. Objectives. To investigate the prevalence and severity of self-reported hand eczema, and to relate the findings to demographic data, occupation, medical speciality, wards, shifts, and working hours. Patients/materials......Background. Healthcare workers are at increased risk of developing hand eczema. Objectives. To investigate the prevalence and severity of self-reported hand eczema, and to relate the findings to demographic data, occupation, medical speciality, wards, shifts, and working hours. Patients...... dermatitis, younger age, male sex (male doctors), and working hours. Eighty nine per cent of subjects reported mild/moderate lesions. Atopic dermatitis was the only factor significantly related to severity. Sick leave was reported by 8% of subjects, and notification to the authorities by 12%. Conclusions...... or severity, but cultural differences between professions with respect to coping with the eczema were significant. Atopic dermatitis was related to increased prevalence and severity, and preventive efforts should be made for healthcare workers with atopic dermatitis....

Studies on the Estimation of Stature from Hand and Foot Length of an Individual

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. S. Saka

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Studies on the estimation of stature from hand and foot length of an individual are essential study in personal identification. Aim and Objectives: This study is to find out correlation between statures with hand and foot dimensions in both sexes and gender comparison from an individual in Lautech Staff College in Ogbomoso and College ogbomoso and College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Material and Methods: A sample of 140 students and staff; 70 male and 70 female Students and staff of Lautech Staff College in Ogbomoso and College ogbomoso and College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, between 16-35years were considered and measurements were taken for each of the parameters. Gender differences for the two parameters were determined using Student t-test. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r was used to examine the relationship between two anthropometric parameters and standing height (stature. All these measurements were done by using standard anthropometric instruments and standard anthropometric techniques. Results: The findings of the study indicated that the males mean values are not significantly difference when compared with females mean values in all measured parameters. The study showed significant (p<0.001 positive correlation between the stature with hand lengths and foot lengths. The hand and foot length provide accurate and reliable means in establishing the height of an individual. Conclusion: This study will be useful for forensic scientists and anthropologists as well as anatomists in ascertain medico-legal cases

The Effect of Antibacterial Formula Hand Cleaners on the Elimination of Microbes on Hands

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, J. R.

2002-05-01

: The purpose of this project is to find out which one of the antibacterial hand cleanser (antibacterial bar soap, antibacterial liquid hand soap, and liquid hand sanitizer) is more effective in eliminating microbes. If antibacterial- formula liquid hand soap is used on soiled hands, then it will be more effective in eliminating microbes. Germs are microorganisms that cause disease and can spread from person-to-person. Bacteria are a kind of microbe, an example of which is Transient Flora that is often found on hands. Hand washing prevents germs from spreading to others. During the procedure, swabs were used to take samples before and after the soiled hands had been washed with one of the antibacterial hand cleansers. Nutrient Easygel was poured into petri dishes to harden for 1 day, and then samples were swabbed on the gel. The Petri dishes were placed in an incubator for 24 hours, and then data was recorded accordingly. The antibacterial liquid hand soap was sufficient in eliminating the majority of bacteria. The hands had 65% of the bacteria on them, and after the liquid hand soap was used only 37% of the bacteria remained.

A point prevalence survey on hand hygiene, with a special focus on Candida species.

Science.gov (United States)

Brühwasser, Christina; Hinterberger, Guido; Mutschlechner, Wolfgang; Kaltseis, Josef; Lass-Flörl, Cornelia; Mayr, Astrid

2016-01-01

A 1-day point prevalence study evaluated hand hygiene compliance, yeast colonization, and contamination, focusing on the hands of health care workers (HCWs) and patient-oriented surfaces. Hand hygiene compliance was evaluated by applying the direct observation technique and the World Health Organization's compliance program, "My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene." A total of 128 samples from HCWs working in intensive care (n = 11) and intermediate care (n = 2) units and 65 environmental samples from Innsbruck Medical University Hospital were investigated. Hand hygiene compliance was superior for nurses (83.5%) and moderate for medical doctors (45.2%). In general, fungal growth was unique; only 9 of 128 HCW samples and only 4 of 65 environmental samples yielded positive results. The genetic relatedness of yeasts from the same species was investigated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing. RAPD profiles exhibited the potential for cross-transmission of yeasts. In general, the fungal colonization and contamination rate was low, but a high level of hand hygiene compliance was lacking. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Value Education on Pela Tradition (An Ethnographic Study of Ambonese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frans Thomas

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Pendidikan Nilai dalam Tradisi Pela (Kajian Etnografis Masyarakat Ambon Abstract: The value that has meaning in pela tradition in Ambon society is something that has been handled as personally and can be internalized in human behaviour. The reality of pela tradition value order has been processing in institutionalized as the education direction of social values. The purpose of this qualitative research is to describe the values in the tradition of pela for educational value in Ambon community. The Exposure to the data, data explanation and understanding of discourse data tradition of pela is done in depth. The Study of pela discourse tradition with hermeneutics gives holistic-emic views of how the tradition of pela is able to package and legitimize the Ambonese community life philosophy. The results of the study describes the values in the tradition of pela include (1 the value of religion that regulates the dimensions of God in human life, (2 the value of the philosophy that is universal and will be impacted by the ending value and subjectivity, and (3 the value of ethical consequences of individual responsibility in achieving a moral obligation. Key Words: value education, culture, pela tradition Abstrak: Nilai yang memiliki arti dalam tradisi pela masyarakat Ambon adalah sesuatu yang telah diberikan sejak turun temurun secara pribadi dan dapat diinternalisasi dalam perilaku manusia. Pada kenyataannya, nilai pada tradisi pela telah dilembagakan menjadi arahan dalam pendidikan nilai-nilai sosial. Tujuan penelitian kualitatif ini adalah menggambarkan nilai-nilai yang terkandung dalam tradisi pela sebagai pendidikan nilai masyarakat Ambon. Paparan data, cara penjelasan data, dan pemahaman data wacana tradisi pela dilakukan secara mendalam. Kajian wacana tradisi pela dengan ancangan hermeneutika memberikan gambaran holistik-emik tentang bagaimana tradisi pela mampu mengemas dan melegitimasi falsafah hidup komunitas masyarakat Ambon. Hasil

Robotic Hand

Science.gov (United States)

1993-01-01

The Omni-Hand was developed by Ross-Hime Designs, Inc. for Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. The multiple digit hand has an opposable thumb and a flexible wrist. Electric muscles called Minnacs power wrist joints and the interchangeable digits. Two hands have been delivered to NASA for evaluation for potential use on space missions and the unit is commercially available for applications like hazardous materials handling and manufacturing automation. Previous SBIR contracts resulted in the Omni-Wrist and Omni-Wrist II robotic systems, which are commercially available for spray painting, sealing, ultrasonic testing, as well as other uses.

Collaborative Thinking: The Challenge of the Modern University

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Kevin

2012-01-01

More collaborative work in the humanities could be instrumental in helping to break down the traditional rigid boundaries between academic divisions and disciplines in modern universities. The value of the traditional model of the solitary humanities scholar or the collaborative science paradigm should not be discounted. However, increasing the…

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics' Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course: A Hand-On Education Approach to Applied Geophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, M. B.; Goff, J.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Fernandez, R.; Duncan, D.; Saustrup, S.

2016-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, offers a 3-week marine geology and geophysics field course. The course provides hands-on instruction and training for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in high-resolution seismic reflection, CHIRP sub-bottom profiling, multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, and sediment sampling and analysis. Students first participate in 3 days of classroom instruction designed to communicate geological context of the field area along with theoretical and technical background on each field method. The class then travels to the Gulf Coast for a week of at-sea field work at locations that provide an opportunity to investigate coastal and continental shelf processes. Teams of students rotate between UTIG's 26' R/V Scott Petty and NOAA's 82' R/V Manta. They assist with survey design, instrumentation set up, and learn about acquisition, quality control, and safe instrument deployment. Teams also process data and analyze samples in onshore field labs. During the final week teams integrate, interpret, and visualize data in a final project using industry-standard software. The course concludes with team presentations on their interpretations with academic and industry supporters. Students report a greater understanding of marine geology and geophysics through the course's intensive, hands-on, team approach and high instructor/student ratio (sixteen students, three faculty, and three teaching assistants). Post-class, students may incorporate course data in senior honors or graduate thesis and are encouraged to publish and present results at national meetings. This course (to our knowledge) remains the only one of its kind, satisfies field experience requirements for some degree programs, and provides an alternative to land-based field courses. Alumni note the course's applicability to energy, environmental, and geotechnical industries as well as coastal restoration/management fields.

Flavor physics and right-handed models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shafaq, Saba

2010-08-20

The Standard Model of particle physics only provides a parametrization of flavor which involves the values of the quark and lepton masses and unitary flavor mixing matrix i.e. CKM (Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Masakawa) matrix for quarks. The precise determination of elements of the CKM matrix is important for the study of the flavor sector of quarks. Here we concentrate on the matrix element vertical stroke V{sub cb} vertical stroke. In particular we consider the effects on the value of vertical stroke V{sub cb} vertical stroke from possible right-handed admixtures along with the usually left-handed weak currents. Left Right Symmetric Model provide a natural basis for right-handed current contributions and has been studied extensively in the literature but has never been discussed including flavor. In the first part of the present work an additional flavor symmetry is included in LRSM which allows a systematic study of flavor effects. The second part deals with the practical extraction of a possible right-handed contribution. Starting from the quark level transition b{yields}c we use heavy quark symmetries to relate the helicities of the quarks to experimentally accessible quantities. To this end we study the decays anti B{yields}D(D{sup *})l anti {nu} which have been extensively explored close to non recoil point. By taking into account SCET (Soft Collinear Effective Theory) formalism it has been extended to a maximum recoil point i.e. {upsilon} . {upsilon}{sup '} >>1. We derive a factorization formula, where the set of form factors is reduced to a single universal form factor {xi}({upsilon} . {upsilon}{sup '}) up to hard-scattering corrections. Symmetry relations on form factors for exclusive anti B {yields} D(D{sup *})l anti {nu} transition has been derived in terms of {xi}({upsilon} . {upsilon}{sup '}). These symmetries are then broken by perturbative effects. The perturbative corrections to symmetry-breaking corrections to first order in the strong

The interplay between experiential and traditional learning for competency development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara eBonesso

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Extensive research demonstrated that firms may pursue several advantages in hiring individuals with the set of emotional, social, and cognitive (ESC competencies that are most critical for business success. Therefore, the role of education for competency development is becoming paramount. Prior studies have questioned the traditional methods, grounded in the lecture format, as a way to effectively develop ESC competencies. Alternatively, they propose experiential learning techniques that involve participants in dedicated courses or activities. Despite the insights provided by these studies, they do not take into account a comprehensive set of learning methods and their combined effect on the individual’s competency portfolio within educational programs that aim to transfer primarily professional skills. Our study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the impact of the interplay between different learning methods on ESC competencies through a sample of students enrolled in the first year of a master’s degree program. After providing a classification of three learning methods (traditional learning, individual experiential learning, and social experiential learning, the study delves into their combined influence on ESC competencies, adopting the Artificial Neural Network. Contrary to prior studies, our results provide counterintuitive evidence, suggesting that traditional learning needs to be implemented together, on the one hand, with individual experiential learning to achieve a significant effect on emotional competencies and, on the other hand, with social experiential learning to have an impact on social competencies. Moreover, individual experiential learning plays a prominent role in stimulating cognitive competencies. Our research contributes to educational literature by providing new insights on the effective combination of learning methods that can be adopted into programs that transfer technical knowledge and skills to promote

Dental Student Hand Hygiene Decreased With Increased Clinical Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaembut, Nanmanas; Ampornaramveth, Ruchanee S; Pisarnturakit, Pagaporn P; Subbalekha, Keskanya

2016-01-01

To investigate the effectiveness, related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of hand hygiene (HH) among dental students with different levels of clinical experience. This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Bacterial samples on the participants' hands were obtained using a swab technique before and after handwashing, for oral surgical procedures. After culturing, the colony-forming units were counted. Self-reported questionnaires reflecting the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to HH were completed by the participants. This study was performed in a primary oral health care institution, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand). Bacterial samples and self-reported questionnaires were collected in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Bacterial culture was performed in the Department of Microbiology. The 120 participants comprised first, second, third-year clinical training students (CTs), and postgraduate dental students (PGs) (32, 34, 30, and 24 participants, respectively). More than 99% of the bacteria were eliminated from the participants' hands after handwashing. Significantly higher numbers of bacteria were recovered from the hands of the PGs compared with those of the CTs, and the hands of the third-year CTs compared with those of the first-year CTs (p < 0.001), after HH. The first-year CTs had the highest attitude scores, whereas the PGs had the lowest practice scores. The knowledge scores were similar in all groups. HH effectiveness, attitudes, and practices of dental students decreased as students gained more clinical experience, whereas knowledge did not. Our results suggest that HH instruction should be given throughout the duration of dental students' education. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hand-arm vibration in orthopaedic surgery: a neglected risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, F; Ferguson, K B; Clarke, J; Hill, K; Macdonald, E B; Macdonald, D J M

2017-12-30

Hand-arm vibration syndrome is an occupational disease caused by exposure to hand-arm transmitted vibration. The Health and Safety Executive has set limits for vibration exposure, including an exposure action value (EAV), where steps should be taken to reduce exposure, and an exposure limit value (ELV), beyond which vibrating equipment must not be used for the rest of the working day. To measure hand-arm transmitted vibration among orthopaedic surgeons, who routinely use hand-operated saws. We undertook a cadaveric study measuring vibration associated with a tibial cut using battery-operated saws. Three surgeons undertook three tibial cuts each on cadaveric tibiae. Measurements were taken using a frequency-weighted root mean square acceleration, with the vibration total value calculated as the root of the sums squared in each of the three axes. A mean (SD) vibration magnitude of 1 (0.2) m/s2 in the X-axis, 10.3 (1.9) m/s2 in the Y-axis and 4.2 (1.3) m/s2 in the Z-axis was observed. The weighted root mean squared magnitude of vibration was 11.3 (1.7) m/s2. These results suggest an EAV of 23 min and ELV of 1 h 33 min using this equipment. Our results demonstrate that use of a battery-operated sagittal saw can transmit levels of hand-arm vibration approaching the EAV or ELV through prolonged use. Further study is necessary to quantify this risk and establish whether surveillance is necessary for orthopaedic surgeons. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A ubiquitous but ineffective intervention: Signs do not increase hand hygiene compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Birnbach, David J; Rosen, Lisa F; Fitzpatrick, Maureen; Everett-Thomas, Ruth; Arheart, Kristopher L

Proper hand hygiene is critical for preventing healthcare-associated infection, but provider compliance remains suboptimal. While signs are commonly used to remind physicians and nurses to perform hand hygiene, the content of these signs is rarely based on specific, validated health behavior theories. This observational study assessed the efficacy of a hand hygiene sign disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an intensive care unit compared to an optimized evidence-based sign designed by a team of patient safety experts. The optimized sign was developed by four patient safety experts to include known evidence-based components and was subsequently validated by surveying ten physicians and ten nurses using a 10 point Likert scale. Eighty-two physicians and 98 nurses (102 females; 78 males) were observed for hand hygiene (HH) compliance, and the total HH compliance rate was 16%. HH compliance was not significantly different among the signs (Baseline 10% vs. CDC 18% vs. OIS 20%; p=0.280). The findings of this study suggest that even when the content and design of a hand hygiene reminder sign incorporates evidence-based constructs, healthcare providers comply only a fraction of the time. Copyright © 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of hand hygiene practice among Saudi nursing students: A cross-sectional self-reported study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Jonas P; Bashtawi, Meshrif A

2016-01-01

Hand hygiene is an important component of infection control, which is critical to ensuring patients' safety in hospitals. Nursing students are regarded as healthcare workers in training and can also be vehicles of cross-contamination within the hospital. Thus, this study aimed to identify the predictors of hand hygiene practice among Saudi nursing students. A descriptive, cross-sectional, self-reported study was conducted among 198 Saudi nursing students. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of hand hygiene were assessed using the WHO Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire for Health-Care Workers and its adopted scales. A regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of hand hygiene practice. The respondents demonstrated moderate knowledge of hand hygiene (mean 13.20±2.80). The majority displayed a moderate attitude toward hand hygiene (52.1%), while only a few reported a poor attitude (13.1%). Approximately 68.7%, 29.8%, and 1.5% of the respondents reported moderate, good, and poor practice of hand hygiene, respectively. Having a good attitude toward hand hygiene, being male, being aware that hand hygiene is an effective intervention in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), attendance at hand hygiene trainings and seminars, and being in the lower academic level of nursing education were identified as predictors of better hand hygiene practice. The importance of ensuring a positive attitude toward hand hygiene and improving awareness of hand hygiene is emphasized, as are educational interventions. Educational interventions should be implemented to reinforce knowledge and instill a positive attitude toward hand hygiene. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Object-Based Attention on Social Units: Visual Selection of Hands Performing a Social Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jun; Xu, Haokui; Duan, Jipeng; Shen, Mowei

2018-05-01

Traditionally, objects of attention are characterized either as full-fledged entities or either as elements grouped by Gestalt principles. Because humans appear to use social groups as units to explain social activities, we proposed that a socially defined group, according to social interaction information, would also be a possible object of attentional selection. This hypothesis was examined using displays with and without handshaking interactions. Results demonstrated that object-based attention, which was measured by an object-specific attentional advantage (i.e., shorter response times to targets on a single object), was extended to two hands performing a handshake but not to hands that did not perform meaningful social interactions, even when they did perform handshake-like actions. This finding cannot be attributed to the familiarity of the frequent co-occurrence of two handshaking hands. Hence, object-based attention can select a grouped object whose parts are connected within a meaningful social interaction. This finding implies that object-based attention is constrained by top-down information.

Modeling and evaluation of hand-eye coordination of surgical robotic system on task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yuanqian; Wang, Shuxin; Li, Jianmin; Li, Aimin; Liu, Hongbin; Xing, Yuan

2017-12-01

Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery changes the direct hand and eye coordination in traditional surgery to indirect instrument and camera coordination, which affects the ergonomics, operation performance, and safety. A camera, two instruments, and a target, as the descriptors, are used to construct the workspace correspondence and geometrical relationships in a surgical operation. A parametric model with a set of parameters is proposed to describe the hand-eye coordination of the surgical robot. From the results, optimal values and acceptable ranges of these parameters are identified from two tasks. A 90° viewing angle had the longest completion time; 60° instrument elevation angle and 0° deflection angle had better performance; there is no significant difference among manipulation angles and observing distances on task performance. This hand-eye coordination model provides evidence for robotic design, surgeon training, and robotic initialization to achieve dexterous and safe manipulation in surgery. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hand hygiene compliance: is there a theory-practice-ethics gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Mortell, Manfred

Practice is usually based on tradition, rituals and outdated information; there is often an additional gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in practice. This theory-practice gap has long existed (Allmark, 1995; Hewison et al, 1996). It often arises when theory is ignored because it is seen as idealistic and impractical, even if it is practical and beneficial. Most research relating to the lack of integration between theory and practice has concluded that environmental factors are responsible and will affect learning and practice outcomes. The author believes an additional dimension of ethics is required to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This would be a moral obligation to ensure theory and practice are integrated. To implement new practices effectively, healthcare practitioners must deem these practices worthwhile and relevant to their role. This introduces a new concept that the author calls the theory-practice-ethics gap. This theory-practice-ethics gap must be considered when examining some of the unacceptable outcomes in healthcare practice (Mortell, 2009). The literature suggests that there is a crisis of ethics where theory and practice integrate, and practitioners are failing to fulfil their duty as providers of healthcare and as patient advocates. This article examines the theory-practice-ethics gap when applied to hand hygiene. Non-compliance exists in hand hygiene among practitioners, which may increase patient mortality and morbidity rates, and raise healthcare costs. Infection prevention and control programmes to improve hand hygiene among staff include: ongoing education and training; easy access to facilities such as wash basins; antiseptic/alcohol handgels that are convenient, effective, and skin- and user-friendly; and organisational recognition and support for clinicians in hand washing and handgel practices. Yet these all appear to have failed to achieve the required and desired compliance in hand hygiene.

Development of five-finger robotic hand using master-slave control for hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Koki; Yamada, Hiroshi; Kato, Ryu; Seki, Tatsuya; Yokoi, Hiroshi; Mukai, Masaya

2016-08-01

This study aims to develop a robotic hand as a substitute for a surgeon's hand in hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS). We determined the requirements for the proposed hand from a surgeon's motions in HALS. We identified four basic behaviors: "power grasp," "precision grasp," "open hand for exclusion," and "peace sign for extending peritoneum." The proposed hand had the minimum necessary DOFs for performing these behaviors, five fingers as in a human's hand, a palm that can be folded when a surgeon inserts the hand into the abdomen, and an arm for adjusting the hand's position. We evaluated the proposed hand based on a performance test and a physician's opinions, and we confirmed that it can grasp organs.

Hands in Systemic Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is ... Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy ... hands, being composed of many types of tissue, including blood vessels, nerves, skin and skin-related tissues, bones, and muscles/tendons/ligaments, may show changes that reflect a ...

Multi-axial correction system in the treatment of radial club hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Suneel B; Kamath, Atul F; Sehgal, Kriti; Horn, B David; Hosalkar, Harish S

2009-12-01

Radial club hand is a well-recognized congenital malformation characterized by hypoplasia of bone and soft tissue on the radial aspect of the forearm and hand. The modalities of treatment have traditionally varied from stretching casts with soft-tissue procedures to the use of multiple corrective osteotomies. These osteotomies can be stabilized by a variety of methods, including external fixators that allow the possibility of gradual distraction with neohistiogenesis. This current study outlines the usage of one such device (multi-axial correction system [MAC]) in the management of deformity associated with severe radial club hand. Three consecutive cases of unilateral or bilateral severe (Bayne type IV) congenital radial club hand were corrected using MAC fixation in the last 5 years. This is a retrospective review of all three cases. Data parameters included: patient demographics, presentation findings, degree of deformity, amount of correction/lengthening, length of procedure, length of treatment, and associated complications. The surgical technique is described in detail for the benefit of the readership. The three patients with severe congenital radial club hand had a total of four limb involvements that underwent correction using osteotomies and usage of the MAC device for external fixation. All three patients underwent successful correction of deformity with the restoration of alignment, lengthening of forearm for improvement of function, and stabilization of the wrist (mean duration, mean lengthening, mean time to consolidation). The MAC system was well tolerated in all patients and associated complications were limited. The MAC fixator seems to be a good alternative modality of stabilization and correction for severe congenital radial club hand deformities. Its usage is fairly simple and it provides the ease of application of a mono-lateral fixator with far superior three-dimensional control, like the circular external fixator. We recommend that

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Traditional and Alternative Principal Preparation Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Pannell, Summer; Peltier-Glaze, Bernnell M.; Haynes, Ingrid; Davis, Delilah; Skelton, Carrie

2015-01-01

This study sought to determine the effectiveness on increasing student achievement of principals trained in a traditional principal preparation program and those trained in an alternate route principal preparation program within the same Mississippi university. Sixty-six Mississippi principals and assistant principals participated in the study. Of…

Visualizing Queer Spaces: LGBTQ Students and the Traditionally Heterogendered Institution

Science.gov (United States)

Pryor, Jonathan T.

2018-01-01

As colleges and universities have increased campus programs, LGBTQ students continue to experience marginalization within the very spaces intended to support them. This study explored how LGBTQ college students experienced campus climate at a Midwest Urban Public (MUP) institution through a framework of the traditionally heterogendered institution…

Providing open-access online materials and hands-on sessions for GIS exercises

Science.gov (United States)

Oguchi, T.; Yamauchi, H.; Hayakawa, Y. S.

2017-12-01

Researchers of GIS (Geographical Information Systems/Sciences) in Japan have collaborated to provide materials for GIS lecture classes in universities for the last 20 years. The major outcomes include 1) a GIS core curriculum, 2) a GIS "body of knowledge" explaining the details of the curriculum, 3) a series of PowerPoint presentations, and 4) a comprehensive GIS textbook. However, materials for GIS exercises at university classes using GIS software have been limited in Japan. Therefore, we launched a project to provide such materials which will be available online and accessible by anybody. The materials cover broad basic aspects of GIS including geoscientific applications such as terrain analysis using digital elevation models. The materials utilize public-domain and open-source software packages such as QGIS and GRASS. The data used are also freely available ones such as those from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. The use of the GitHub platform to distribute the materials allow easier online interactions by both material producers and users. Selected sets of the materials have been utilized for hands-on activities including both official university classes and public instructions. We have been updating the materials based on the opinions of people who took the hands-on courses for better GIS education. The current materials are in Japanese, but we plan to translate some of them into English.

The Potential Role of Non-Traditional Donors' Aid in Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragelund, Peter

. Moreover, it is important to bear in mind that for most African countries, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian and South African development assistance is not an alternative to traditional aid but rather complements it. It is therefore of utmost importance that traditional donors continue their efforts to build...... capacity in African countries in order to increase the positive developmental effects of the additional flows of development assistance. Moreover, there are some opportunities for collaboration among the two groups of donors provided that ownership of the interventions is on African hands. This could......The fast growth of big economies like China and India has resulted in a new-found interest in the economic and political consequences for the developed economies. However, the global rise of emerging economies also affects the potentials of South-South collaboration. Emerging economies...

Cost-effectiveness of home telemedical cardiotocography compared with traditional outpatient monitoring.

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Tõrõk, M; Kovács, F; Doszpod, J

2000-01-01

We compared the cost of passive sensor telemedical non-stress cardiotocography performed at home and the same test performed by traditional equipment in an outpatient clinic in the Budapest area. The costs were calculated using two years' registered budget data from the home monitoring service in Budapest and the outpatient clinic of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Haynal Imre University of Health Sciences. The traditional test at the university outpatient clinic cost 3652 forint for the health-care and 1000 forint in additional expenses for the patient (travel and time off work). This means that the total cost for each test in the clinic was 4652 forint. The cost of home telemedical cardiotocography was 1500 forint per test, but each test took 2.1 times as long. For a more realistic comparison between the two methods, we adjusted the cost to take account of the extra length of time that home monitoring required. The adjusted cost for home care was 3150 forint, some 32% lower than in the clinic. Passive sensor telemedical non-stress cardiotocography at home was therefore less expensive than the same test performed in the traditional way in an outpatient clinic.

Hand Hygiene – Evaluation of Three Disinfectant Hand Sanitizers in a Community Setting

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Babeluk, Rita; Jutz, Sabrina; Mertlitz, Sarah; Matiasek, Johannes; Klaus, Christoph

2014-01-01

Hand hygiene is acknowledged as the single most important measure to prevent nosocomial infections in the healthcare setting. Similarly, in non-clinical settings, hand hygiene is recognised as a key element in helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three different disinfectant hand sanitizers in reducing the burden of bacterial hand contamination in 60 healthy volunteers in a community setting, both before and after education about the correct use of hand sanitizers. The study is the first to evaluate the efficacy and ease of use of different formulations of hand rubs used by the general population. The products tested were: Sterillium (perfumed, liquid), desderman pure gel (odorless, gel) and Lavit (perfumed, spray). Sterillium and desderman are EN1500 (hygienic hand rub) certified products (available in pharmacy) and Lavit is non EN1500 certified and available in supermarkets. The two EN1500 certified products were found to be significantly superior in terms of reducing bacterial load. desderman pure gel, Sterillium and Lavit reduced the bacterial count to 6.4%, 8.2% and 28.0% respectively. After education in the correct use of each hand rub, the bacterial load was reduced even further, demonstrating the value of education in improving hand hygiene. Information about the testers' perceptions of the three sanitizers, together with their expectations of a hand sanitizer was obtained through a questionnaire. Efficacy, followed by skin compatibility were found to be the two most important attributes of a hand disinfectant in our target group. PMID:25379773

Magnetoencephalographic study of hand and foot sensorimotor organization in 325 consecutive patients evaluated for tumor or epilepsy surgery

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Ronald B. Willemse

2016-01-01

Conclusions: MEG localization of sensorimotor cortex activation was more successful for the hand compared to the foot. In patients with neural lesions, there were signs of brain reorganization as measured by more frequent ipsilateral motor cortical activation of the foot in addition to the traditional sensory and motor activation patterns in the contralateral hemisphere. The presence of ipsilateral neural reorganization, especially around the foot motor area, suggests that careful mapping of the hand and foot in both contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres prior to surgery might minimize postoperative deficits.

Molecular analogs of the hemihelix: A computational study of chain molecules containing left- and right-handed helices

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Pichierri, Fabio

2014-08-01

Using density functional theory (DFT) we design two novel chain molecules containing a left-handed (thia)helicene unit connected to a right-handed (thia)helicene unit via a phosphoroussbnd phosphorous (Psbnd P) bond. These chains represent the molecular analogs of the novel hemihelix structure recently discovered by a group of Harvard University scientists. The HOMO and LUMO levels of the heterochiral chains, termed hemihelicenes, are localized on the left- and right-handed blocks, respectively. In contrast, the frontier orbitals of the chains containing homochiral (thia)helicenes connected by a Psbnd P bond are delocalized all over the chain.

Efficacy of alcohol-based hand sanitizer on hands soiled with dirt and cooking oil.

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Pickering, Amy J; Davis, Jennifer; Boehm, Alexandria B

2011-09-01

Handwashing education and promotion are well established as effective strategies to reduce diarrhea and respiratory illness in countries around the world. However, access to reliable water supplies has been identified as an important barrier to regular handwashing in low-income countries. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) is an effective hand hygiene method that does not require water, but its use is not currently recommended when hands are visibly soiled. This study evaluated the efficacy of ABHS on volunteers' hands artificially contaminated with Escherichia coli in the presence of dirt (soil from Tanzania) and cooking oil. ABHS reduced levels of E. coli by a mean of 2.33 log colony forming units (CFU) per clean hand, 2.32 log CFU per dirt-covered hand, and 2.13 log CFU per oil-coated hand. No significant difference in efficacy was detected between hands that were clean versus dirty or oily. ABHS may be an appropriate hand hygiene method for hands that are moderately soiled, and an attractive option for field settings in which access to water and soap is limited.

Evaluation of Real-Time Hand Motion Tracking Using a Range Camera and the Mean-Shift Algorithm

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Lahamy, H.; Lichti, D.

2011-09-01

Several sensors have been tested for improving the interaction between humans and machines including traditional web cameras, special gloves, haptic devices, cameras providing stereo pairs of images and range cameras. Meanwhile, several methods are described in the literature for tracking hand motion: the Kalman filter, the mean-shift algorithm and the condensation algorithm. In this research, the combination of a range camera and the simple version of the mean-shift algorithm has been evaluated for its capability for hand motion tracking. The evaluation was assessed in terms of position accuracy of the tracking trajectory in x, y and z directions in the camera space and the time difference between image acquisition and image display. Three parameters have been analyzed regarding their influence on the tracking process: the speed of the hand movement, the distance between the camera and the hand and finally the integration time of the camera. Prior to the evaluation, the required warm-up time of the camera has been measured. This study has demonstrated the suitability of the range camera used in combination with the mean-shift algorithm for real-time hand motion tracking but for very high speed hand movement in the traverse plane with respect to the camera, the tracking accuracy is low and requires improvement.

Changes in bacterial flora associated with skin damage on hands of health care personnel.

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Larson, E L; Hughes, C A; Pyrek, J D; Sparks, S M; Cagatay, E U; Bartkus, J M

1998-10-01

In a prospective observational study of 40 nurses (20 with diagnosed hand irritation and 20 without), nurses with damaged hands did not have higher microbial counts (P = .63), but did have a greater number of colonizing species (means: 3.35 and 2.63, P = .03). Although numbers were small, nurses with damaged hands were significantly more likely to be colonized with Staphylococcus hominis (P = .03). Fifty-nine percent of S hominis isolates from nurses with damaged hands were resistant to methicillin compared with 27% of isolates from those with healthy skin (P = .14). Twenty percent of nurses with damaged hands were colonized with Staphylococcus aureus compared with none of the nurses with normal hands (P = .11). Nurses with damaged hands were also twice as likely to have gram-negative bacteria (P = .20), entercocci (P = .13), and Candida (P = .30) present on the hands. Antimicrobial resistance of the coagulase-negative staphylococcal flora (with the exception of S hominis) did not differ between the 2 groups, nor did a trend toward increasing resistance exist when compared with other studies during the past decade. Skin moisturizers and protectant products were used almost universally by nurses at work, primarily products brought from home. Efforts to improve hand condition are warranted because skin damage can change microbial flora. Such efforts should include assessment or monitoring of hand care practices, formal institutional policy adoption and control of use of skin protectant products or lotions, and prudent use of latex gloves or more widespread use of powder-free and nonlatex products.

Student Media Usage Patterns and Non-Traditional Learning in Higher Education

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Olaf Zawacki-Richter

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A total of 2,338 students at German universities participated in a survey, which investigated media usage patterns of so-called traditional and non-traditional students (Schuetze & Wolter, 2003. The students provided information on the digital devices that they own or have access to, and on their usage of media and e-learning tools and services for their learning. A distinction was made between external, formal and internal, informal tools and services. Based on the students’ responses, a typology of media usage patterns was established by means of a latent class analysis (LCA. Four types or profiles of media usage patterns were identified. These types were labeled entertainment users, peripheral users, advanced users and instrumental users. Among non-traditional students, the proportion of instrumental users was rather high. Based on the usage patterns of traditional and non-traditional students, implications for media selection in the instructional design process are outlined in the paper.

"Puffy hand syndrome".

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Chouk, Mickaël; Vidon, Claire; Deveza, Elise; Verhoeven, Frank; Pelletier, Fabien; Prati, Clément; Wendling, Daniel

2017-01-01

Intravenous drug addiction is responsible for many complications, especially cutaneous and infectious. There is a syndrome, rarely observed in rheumatology, resulting in "puffy hands": the puffy hand syndrome. We report two cases of this condition from our rheumatologic consultation. Our two patients had intravenous drug addiction. They presented with an edema of the hands, bilateral, painless, no pitting, occurring in one of our patient during heroin intoxication, and in the other 2 years after stopping injections. In our two patients, additional investigations (biological, radiological, ultrasound) were unremarkable, which helped us, in the context, to put the diagnosis of puffy hand syndrome. The pathophysiology, still unclear, is based in part on a lymphatic toxicity of drugs and their excipients. There is no etiological treatment but elastic compression by night has improved edema of the hands in one of our patients. Copyright © 2016 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

METHOD OF PHYSIOTHERAPY MEDICAL PROCEDURES FOR THERMAL IMPACT ON SELECTED AREAS WITH HUMAN HANDS THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES

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A. B. Sulin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The device for thermal impact on separate zones of a hand of the person executed on the basis of thermoelectric converters of energy is considered. The advantages consisting in high environmental friendliness, noiselessness, reliability, functionality, universality are noted it. The technique of carrying out medical (preventive physiotherapeutic procedures, the hands of the person consisting in contrast thermal impact on a site with various level of heating and cooling, and also lasting expositions is described.

Horizontal and Vertical Networks for Innovation in the Traditional Food Sector

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Xavier Gellynck

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The locus of innovation is not the individual firm anymore but increasingly the network in which the firm is embedded. Hence, in this paper innovation is investigated in the broader context of networks and applied to the traditional food sector. Networking refers to a process of identifying and acting on complementary interests with or without formal means of cooperation and plays an important role for the diffusion and adoption of innovations, because they increase the flow of information. Two main types of networks exist. Vertical networks relate to cooperation of partners belonging to the same chain. Meanwhile, horizontal networks refer to coopereation among firms which are primarily competitors. Data were collected during focus groups and in-depths interviews in three European contries: Belgium, Hungary, and Italy.In each country, data are collected from retailers/wholesalers, food manufacturers and suppliers in the beer, hard and half hard cheese, ham, sausage, or white paprika chain. In the investigated countries both vertical and horizontal networks exist. However, the intensity of using the network differs. On the one hand vertical networks are well developed based on quality assurance schemes and traceability, though these networks often face difficulties due to high lack of trust. On the other hand, horizontal networks are well developed when a producer consortium is involved. However, these networks can be inhibited through strong competition. The partners in traditional food networks focus mainly on innovation related to product characteristics such as new size, form and packaging without changing the traditional character of the product. The main barriers for innovation in the traditional food networks are the lack of understanding the benefits of networking activities for innovation, the lack of trust, the lack of knowledge of appropriate methods and skills, and the lack of financial and physical resources. Our study points out

Children's hand hygiene behaviour and available facilities: an observational study in Dutch day care centres.

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van Beeck, A H Elise; Zomer, Tizza P; van Beeck, Eduard F; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Voeten, Helene A C M; Erasmus, Vicki

2016-04-01

Children attending day care centres are at increased risk of infectious diseases, in particular gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Hand hygiene of both caregivers and children is an effective prevention measure. This study examined hand hygiene behaviour of children attending day care centres, and describes hygiene facilities at day care centres. Data were collected at 115 Dutch day care centres, among 2318 children cared for by 231 caregivers (August to October 2010). Children's hand hygiene behaviour was observed and data on hand hygiene facilities of the day care centres collected by direct unobtrusive observation. National guidelines indicate hand hygiene is required before eating, after toilet use and after playing outside. Among 1930 observed hand hygiene opportunities for children, overall adherence to hand hygiene guidelines was 31% (95% CI: 29-33%). Adherence after both toilet use and playing outside was 48%. Hands were less frequently washed before eating, where guideline adherence was 15%. In 38% of the playrooms there was no soap within reach of children and 17% had no towel facilities. In over 40% of the playrooms, appropriate hand hygiene facilities for children were lacking. Adequate hand washing facilities were available for children in only half of the participating day care centres in our study and children washed their hands in only 15-48% of the occasions defined by official guidelines. More attention is needed to hand hygiene of children attending day care centres in the prevention of infectious diseases. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Hand eczema classification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diepgen, T L; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Brandao, F M

2008-01-01

of the disease is rarely evidence based, and a classification system for different subdiagnoses of hand eczema is not agreed upon. Randomized controlled trials investigating the treatment of hand eczema are called for. For this, as well as for clinical purposes, a generally accepted classification system...... A classification system for hand eczema is proposed. Conclusions It is suggested that this classification be used in clinical work and in clinical trials....

On the interaction between radon progeny and particles generated by electronic and traditional cigarettes

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Vargas Trassierra, C.; Cardellini, F.; Buonanno, G.; De Felice, P.

2015-04-01

During their entire lives, people are exposed to the pollutants present in indoor air. Recently, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, mainly known as electronic cigarettes, have been widely commercialized: they deliver particles into the lungs of the users but a "second-hand smoke" has yet to be associated to this indoor source. On the other hand, the naturally-occurring radioactive gas, i.e. radon, represents a significant risk for lung cancer, and the cumulative action of these two agents could be worse than the agents separately would. In order to deepen the interaction between radon progeny and second-hand aerosol from different types of cigarettes, a designed experimental study was carried out by generating aerosol from e-cigarette vaping as well as from second-hand traditional smoke inside a walk-in radon chamber at the National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI) of Italy. In this chamber, the radon present in air comes naturally from the floor and ambient conditions are controlled. To characterize the sidestream smoke emitted by cigarettes, condensation particle counters and scanning mobility particle sizer were used. Radon concentration in the air was measured through an Alphaguard ionization chamber, whereas the measurement of radon decay product in the air was performed with the Tracelab BWLM Plus-2S Radon daughter Monitor. It was found an increase of the Potential Alpha-Energy Concentration (PAEC) due to the radon decay products attached to aerosol for higher particle number concentrations. This varied from 7.47 ± 0.34 MeV L-1 to 12.6 ± 0.26 MeV L-1 (69%) for the e-cigarette. In the case of traditional cigarette and at the same radon concentration, the increase was from 14.1 ± 0.43 MeV L-1 to 18.6 ± 0.19 MeV L-1 (31%). The equilibrium factor increases, varying from 23.4% ± 1.11% to 29.5% ± 0.26% and from 30.9% ± 1.0% to 38.1 ± 0.88 for the e-cigarette and traditional cigarette, respectively. These growths still continue for long

The Use of Molecular Modeling as "Pseudoexperimental" Data for Teaching VSEPR as a Hands-On General Chemistry Activity

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Martin, Christopher B.; Vandehoef, Crissie; Cook, Allison

2015-01-01

A hands-on activity appropriate for first-semester general chemistry students is presented that combines traditional VSEPR methods of predicting molecular geometries with introductory use of molecular modeling. Students analyze a series of previously calculated output files consisting of several molecules each in various geometries. Each structure…

New frontiers in the rubber hand experiment: when a robotic hand becomes one's own.

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Caspar, Emilie A; De Beir, Albert; Magalhaes De Saldanha Da Gama, Pedro A; Yernaux, Florence; Cleeremans, Axel; Vanderborght, Bram

2015-09-01

The rubber hand illusion is an experimental paradigm in which participants consider a fake hand to be part of their body. This paradigm has been used in many domains of psychology (i.e., research on pain, body ownership, agency) and is of clinical importance. The classic rubber hand paradigm nevertheless suffers from limitations, such as the absence of active motion or the reliance on approximate measurements, which makes strict experimental conditions difficult to obtain. Here, we report on the development of a novel technology-a robotic, user- and computer-controllable hand-that addresses many of the limitations associated with the classic rubber hand paradigm. Because participants can actively control the robotic hand, the device affords higher realism and authenticity. Our robotic hand has a comparatively low cost and opens up novel and innovative methods. In order to validate the robotic hand, we have carried out three experiments. The first two studies were based on previous research using the rubber hand, while the third was specific to the robotic hand. We measured both sense of agency and ownership. Overall, results show that participants experienced a "robotic hand illusion" in the baseline conditions. Furthermore, we also replicated previous results about agency and ownership.

Hand Hygiene: When and How

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Hand Hygiene When and How August 2009 How to handrub? How to handwash? RUB HANDS FOR HAND HYGIENE! WASH HANDS WHEN VISIBLY SOILED Duration of the ... its use. When? YOUR 5 MOMENTS FOR HAND HYGIENE 1 BEFORETOUCHINGA PATIENT 2 B P ECFLOER R ...

A phenomenological study of millennial students and traditional pedagogies.

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Toothaker, Rebecca; Taliaferro, Donna

The Millennial generation comprises the majority of learners in the traditional university setting. Nurse educators identify problems developing teaching strategies in education that undergraduate Millennial nursing students find engaging and meaningful. The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of Millennial students participating in traditional pedagogies and its significant implications for nursing education. This interpretive phenomenological study recorded the lived experiences of Millennial nursing students' experiences in traditional classrooms. One on one interviews with 13 Millennial students were conducted. Data collection and analysis aligned with van Manen's method. There are five themes that emerged from the data: physically present, mentally dislocated; unspoken peer pressure; wanting more from the professors; surface learning; and lack of trust. The essence focuses around the central theme of belonging, while students identified the most significant challenge in a classroom was disengaging professors. Recommendations for faculty to engage nursing students through a method of shared responsibility of educational approach are given. Blended teaching pedagogies that offer traditional and active methods are recommended. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hand hygiene of medical students and resident physicians: predictors of attitudes and behaviour.

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Barroso, Violeta; Caceres, Wendy; Loftus, Pooja; Evans, Kambria H; Shieh, Lisa

2016-09-01

We measured medical students' and resident trainees' hand hygiene behaviour, knowledge and attitudes in order to identify important predictors of hand hygiene behaviour in this population. An anonymous, web-based questionnaire was distributed to medical students and residents at Stanford University School of Medicine in August of 2012. The questionnaire included questions regarding participants' behaviour, knowledge, attitude and experiences about hand hygiene. Behaviour, knowledge and attitude indices were scaled from 0 to 1, with 1 representing superior responses. Using multivariate regression, we identified positive and negative predictors of superior hand hygiene behaviour. We investigated effectiveness of interventions, barriers and comfort reminding others. 280 participants (111 students and 169 residents) completed the questionnaire (response rate 27.8%). Residents and medical students reported hand hygiene behaviour compliance of 0.45 and 0.55, respectively (p=0.02). Resident and medical student knowledge was 0.80 and 0.73, respectively (p=0.001). The attitude index for residents was 0.56 and 0.55 for medical students. Regression analysis identified experiences as predictors of hand hygiene behaviour (both positive and negative influence). Knowledge was not a significant predictor of behaviour, but a working gel dispenser and observing attending physicians with good hand hygiene practices were reported by both groups as the most effective strategy in influencing trainees. Medical students and residents have similar attitudes about hand hygiene, but differ in their level of knowledge and compliance. Concerns about hierarchy may have a significant negative impact on hand hygiene advocacy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The Worldhood university

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Bengtsen, Søren Smedegaard; Nørgård, Rikke Toft

Universities and higher education today are sites for entanglement of multiple forms of agency and lifeworlds. Enhanced focus is given to higher education strategies and frameworks that integrate more traditional forms of higher education curriculum with moral and political awareness, social agency...... the mode 2 university, where the university is ‘for sale’ (Shumar, 1997) and where higher education curricula are being defined and shaped by the needs and current drivers of the job market and the shifting neoliberalist company strategies. As Ronald Barnett underlines “the contemporary vocabulary...... politically, socially, ethically, and philosophically. It requires, among other things, new conceptions of academic citizenship, belonging in higher education, and what we have called ‘placeful universities’ where “academic citizenship emerges through dialogical integration and ‘Mitsein’ in the critically...

The 4-percent universe

CERN Document Server

Panek, Richard

2012-01-01

It is one of the most disturbing aspects of our universe: only four per cent of it consists of the matter that makes up every star, planet, and every book. The rest is completely unknown. Acclaimed science writer Richard Panek tells the story of the handful of scientists who have spent the past few decades on a quest to unlock the secrets of “dark matter" and the even stranger substance called “dark energy". These are perhaps the greatest mysteries in science,and solving them will reshape our understanding of the universe and our place in it. The stakes could not be higher. Panek's fast-paced

Porosity and Health: Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine

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Tafazoli, Vahid; Nimrouzi, Majid; Daneshfard, Babak

2016-01-01

Background: The authors of this manuscript aimed to show the importance of porosity and condensation in health according to traditional Persian medicine (TPM) with consideration of new evidence in conventional medicine. Methods: Cardinal traditional medical and pharmacological texts were searched for the traditional terms of takhalkhol (porosity) and takassof (condensity) focused on preventive methods. The findings were classified and compared with new medical findings. Results: According to traditional Persian medicine, porosity and condensity are the two crucial items that contribute to human health. Somatotype is a taxonomy based on embryonic development, which may be considered in parallel with porosity and condensation. However, these terms are not completely the same. There are many causes for acquired porosity comprising hot weather, too much intercourse, rage, starvation, and heavy exercises. In general, porosity increases the risk of diseases as it makes the body organs vulnerable to external hot and cold weather. On the other hand, the porose organs are more susceptible to accumulation of morbid matters because the cellular wastes cannot be evacuated in the normal way. There are some common points between traditional and conventional medicine in the context of porosity and condensity. The relation between diet and somatotype is an example. Conclusion: Condensity and porosity are the two basic items cited in the TPM resources and contribute to health maintenance and disease prevention of body organs. Creating a balance between these two states in different body organs, strongly contributes to disease prevention, treatment and diminishing chronic diseases period. Choosing proper modality including diet, drug therapy, and manual therapy depends on the amount porosity and stiffness of the considered organ and the preferred porosity of the affected organ keeping in a normal healthy state. PMID:27840513

Is the hand to speech what speech is to the hand?

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Mildner, V

2000-01-01

Interference between the manual and the verbal performance on two types of concurrent verbal-manual tasks was studied on a sample of 48 female right-handers. The more complex verbal task (storytelling) affected both hands significantly, the less complex (essentially phonemic) task affected only the right hand, with insignificant negative influence on the left-hand performance. No significant reciprocal effects of the motor task on verbalization were found.

Candidate Quality Measures for Hand Surgery.

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2017-11-01

Quality measures are tools used by physicians, health care systems, and payers to evaluate performance, monitor the outcomes of interventions, and inform quality improvement efforts. A paucity of quality measures exist that address hand surgery care. We completed a RAND/UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) Delphi Appropriateness process with the goal of developing and evaluating candidate hand surgery quality measures to be used for national quality measure development efforts. A consortium of 9 academic upper limb surgeons completed a RAND/UCLA Delphi Appropriateness process to evaluate the importance, scientific acceptability, usability, and feasibility of 44 candidate quality measures. These addressed hand problems the panelists felt were most appropriate for quality measure development. Panelists rated the measures on an ordinal scale between 1 (definitely not valid) and 9 (definitely valid) in 2 rounds (preliminary round and final round) with an intervening face-to-face discussion. Ratings from 1 to 3 were considered not valid, 4 to 6 as equivocal or uncertain, and 7 to 9 as valid. If no more than 2 of the 9 ratings were outside the 3-point range that included the median (1-3, 4-6, or 7-9), the panelists were considered to be in agreement. If 3 or more of the panelists' ratings of a measure were within the 1 to 3 range and 3 or more ratings were in the 7 to 9 range, the panelists were considered to be in disagreement. There was agreement on 43% (19) of the measures as important, 27% (12) as scientifically sound, 48% (21) as usable, and 59% (26) as feasible to complete. Ten measures met all 4 of these criteria and were, therefore, considered valid measurements of quality. Quality measures that were developed address outcomes (patient-reported outcomes for assessment and improvement of function) and processes of care (utilization rates of imaging, antibiotics, occupational therapy, ultrasound, and operative treatment). The consortium developed 10

Middle Byzantine Historiography: Tradition, Innovation, and Reception

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Staffan Wahlgren

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an overview of Greek historical writing of the Middle Byzantine period (approx. 800 until 1000 A.D., with a particular focus on the major chronicles, such as Theophanesthe Confessor (early 9th c., George the Monk (probably late 9th c., and Symeon the Logothete (second half of the 10th c.. On the one hand, it is discussed how the chroniclers engage with tradition and either accept it or reject it. Acceptance of tradition is illustrated by many cases where chroniclers keep very close to the narrative modes of their predecessors and in particular where they copy them extensively. Rejection of, or at least deviation from tradition is illustrated by many cases where new narrative techniques and modes of expression are apparent. Particular attention is paid to some aspects of narrative technique which seem to be innovative. In short, there seems to be an increased tendency towards greater logical (and hence, narrative coherence in the chronicles and an increased tendency towards concentration on a small number of settings, issues and persons (in particular, there is an increased concentration on the Capital of Constantinople and the Emperor’s person. Further, reception is discussed, and especially how Middle Byzantine historical texts were read and used in later writings, including the Slavic literatures. The need for further research in order to understand the transmission processes, especially in the form of the philological study of manuscripts, is stressed.

Fostering Organizational Change through Deliberations: The Deliberative Jury in a University Setting

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Lindell, Juha

2014-01-01

Universities in Europe face a variety of reform initiatives, and university reform can be seen as a wicked problem that should be resolved through collaborative efforts. In Finland, there has been considerable resistance to proposed reforms, with university personnel complaining that they have not been heard. Students, on the other hand, seem…

Hand Hygiene Adherence Among Health Care Workers at Japanese Hospitals: A Multicenter Observational Study in Japan.

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Sakihama, Tomoko; Honda, Hitoshi; Saint, Sanjay; Fowler, Karen E; Shimizu, Taro; Kamiya, Toru; Sato, Yumiko; Arakawa, Soichi; Lee, Jong Ja; Iwata, Kentaro; Mihashi, Mutsuko; Tokuda, Yasuharu

2016-03-01

Although proper hand hygiene among health care workers is an important component of efforts to prevent health care-associated infection, there are few data available on adherence to hand hygiene practices in Japan. The aim of this study was to examine hand hygiene adherence at teaching hospitals in Japan. An observational study was conducted from July to November 2011 in 4 units (internal medicine, surgery, intensive care, and/or emergency department) in 4 geographically diverse hospitals (1 university hospital and 3 community teaching hospitals) in Japan. Hand hygiene practice before patient contact was assessed by an external observer. In a total of 3545 health care worker-patient observations, appropriate hand hygiene practice was performed in 677 (overall adherence, 19%; 95% confidence interval, 18%-20%). Subgroup rates of hand hygiene adherence were 15% among physicians and 23% among nurses. The ranges of adherence were 11% to 25% between hospitals and 11% to 31% between units. Adherence of the nurses and the physicians to hand hygiene was correlated within each hospital. There was a trend toward higher hand hygiene adherence in hospitals with infection control nurses, compared with hospitals without them (29% versus 16%). The hand hygiene adherence in Japanese teaching hospitals in our sample was low, even lower than reported mean values from other international studies. Greater adherence to hand hygiene should be encouraged in Japan.

Students Awareness towards Traditional Cultural Dances in Sarawak, Malaysia

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Ahmad R. Albattat

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Malaysia has many ethnic groups, and each ethnic group has own custom and tradition that most Malaysians are not aware, especially traditional dances. Among the Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak, situated in the Borneo Island have the most diverse ethnic groups in Sarawak. It has more than 30 ethnic groups. Each of the ethnic groups has its own language, cultures and lifestyle. In this regards, this research focuses on the main ethnic groups of Sarawak which are Orang Ulu, Malays, Melanau, Bidayuh, Chinese and Ibans. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of awareness among the Management and Science University (MSU students regarding their level of awareness and knowledge about traditional dances of Sarawak. The data were gathered by distributing questionnaires among MSU students. The data were then analysed using SPSS system version 18.0. Results concluded that, most of MSU students have limited knowledge about Sarawak traditional dances. Interests, internet, performing arts clubs and family background are the independent variable factors to learn and gain knowledge about Sarawak traditional dances. The level of awareness among MSU students towards Sarawak traditional dances can be enhanced through events and special occasions to increase level of awareness towards Sarawak cultures. The government plays a major role in introducing Sarawak cultures to the whole of Malaysia. Future studies could focus on factors that influence the level of awareness towards Sarawak traditional dances, and the contribution of Sarawak’s traditional dances to Malaysia’s cultural and heritage tourism.

Hand hygiene in reducing transient flora on the hands of healthcare workers: an educational intervention.

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Kapil, R; Bhavsar, H K; Madan, M

2015-01-01

Hand hygiene has now been recognised as one of the most effective intervention to control the transmission of infections in a hospital and education is an important tool to ensure its implementation. In order to convince the users and as a part of education, it is important to generate evidence on the role of hand hygiene in reducing the bacterial flora on their hands. The present study was undertaken in a tertiary care hospital to demonstrate the presence of bacterial flora on the hands of healthcare workers (HCW) in different categories, to teach them proper hand hygiene technique using alcohol-based hand rub and determine the outcome for reduction of bacteria. A total sample size of 60 subjects including resident doctors, medical students, nurses and hospital attendants were included in the study after obtaining informed consent. Each person was educated on the technique of hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub and hand impressions were cultured before and after hand hygiene. All the subjects were also given a questionnaire to assess their perception on hand hygiene. The WHO posters on proper hand hygiene were displayed in the appropriate areas of the hospital in addition, as an educational tool. Majority (42 out of 60) of the HCWs had bacterial count up to 100 colonies or more on both hands before the application of hand rub while working in the hospital. After use of alcohol hand rub with a proper hand hygiene technique, it was found that the percentage reduction was 95-99% among doctors and nurses, 70% among hospital attendants and 50% among sanitary attendants. Staphylococcus aureus was present on the hands of eight persons of which three were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The study demonstrates that transient bacteria are present on the hands of HCWs but majority could be removed by proper hand hygiene, which needs continuous education to be effective. It also shows that active education by demonstrating the proper hand hygiene technique

An evaluation of hand hygiene in an intensive care unit: Are visitors a potential vector for pathogens?

Science.gov (United States)

Birnbach, David J; Rosen, Lisa F; Fitzpatrick, Maureen; Arheart, Kristopher L; Munoz-Price, L Silvia

2015-01-01

Patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) are frequently immunocompromised and might be highly susceptible to infection. Visitors to an ICU who do not adequately clean their hands could carry pathogenic organisms, resulting in risk to a vulnerable patient population. This observational study identifies pathogens carried on the hands of visitors into an ICU and investigates the effect of hand hygiene. Two observers, one stationed outside and one inside the ICU, evaluated whether visitors performed hand hygiene at any of the wall-mounted alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers prior to reaching a patient's room. Upon reaching a patient's room, the dominant hand of all of the participants was cultured. Of the 55 participating visitors, 35 did not disinfect their hands. Among the cultures of those who failed to perform hand hygiene, eight cultures grew Gram-negative rods and one grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Of the cultures of the 20 individuals who performed hand hygiene, 14 (70%) had no growth on the cultures, and the remaining six (30%) showed only the usual skin flora. The visitors who do not perform hand hygiene might carry pathogens that pose a risk to ICU patients. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The advantages and disadvantages of using high technology in hand rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Levanon, Yafi

2013-01-01

A brief review of the history of occupational therapy shows that the relationship between health and activity was of great concern to the founders of the Occupational Therapy (OT) field, and continues to be of concern to today's occupational therapists. Today, computers and Virtual Reality (VR) take the place of clay and the weaving loom. The goal of this article is to describe both known and innovative computerized equipment being used in interventions for hand rehabilitation and evaluations, as well as answer the question: 'what are the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in hand rehabilitation?' Our conclusion, based on clinical experience and supported by the literature, appears to emphasize that advanced technology can enrich treatment and help patients who are unable to visit the clinic regularly, to get appropriate treatment. However, advanced technology has not been found to be superior to traditional treatment and cannot replace the occupational therapist. Copyright © 2013 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hand aperture patterns in prehension.

Science.gov (United States)

Bongers, Raoul M; Zaal, Frank T J M; Jeannerod, Marc

2012-06-01

Although variations in the standard prehensile pattern can be found in the literature, these alternative patterns have never been studied systematically. This was the goal of the current paper. Ten participants picked up objects with a pincer grip. Objects (3, 5, or 7cm in diameter) were placed at 30, 60, 90, or 120cm from the hands' starting location. Usually the hand was opened gradually to a maximum immediately followed by hand closing, called the standard hand opening pattern. In the alternative opening patterns the hand opening was bumpy, or the hand aperture stayed at a plateau before closing started. Two participants in particular delayed the start of grasping with respect to start of reaching, with the delay time increasing with object distance. For larger object distances and smaller object sizes, the bumpy and plateau hand opening patterns were used more often. We tentatively concluded that the alternative hand opening patterns extended the hand opening phase, to arrive at the appropriate hand aperture at the appropriate time to close the hand for grasping the object. Variations in hand opening patterns deserve attention because this might lead to new insights into the coordination of reaching and grasping. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Exudate Detection between Machine Learning and Traditional Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Sopharak, Akara; Uyyanonvara, Bunyarit; Barman, Sarah; Williamson, Thomas

To prevent blindness from diabetic retinopathy, periodic screening and early diagnosis are neccessary. Due to lack of expert ophthalmologists in rural area, automated early exudate (one of visible sign of diabetic retinopathy) detection could help to reduce the number of blindness in diabetic patients. Traditional automatic exudate detection methods are based on specific parameter configuration, while the machine learning approaches which seems more flexible may be computationally high cost. A comparative analysis of traditional and machine learning of exudates detection, namely, mathematical morphology, fuzzy c-means clustering, naive Bayesian classifier, Support Vector Machine and Nearest Neighbor classifier are presented. Detected exudates are validated with expert ophthalmologists' hand-drawn ground-truths. The sensitivity, specificity, precision, accuracy and time complexity of each method are also compared.

Quality and safety of traditional foods: the role of microbiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiana Garofalo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The typical and traditional foods represent an heritage of undisputed value and a significant development opportunity for large part of the territory of our country. Their protection and enhancement can not prescind from thorough knowledge, based on objective data, concerning both the strengths and weaknesses of this type of productions. Most of the traditional and origin-protected foods are fermented foods and most of them have great value in the daily diet, as bread and other leavened baked goods, cheeses, fermented milks and different kinds of fermented meat products. The fermentation processes of these traditional productions are based on the activities of characteristic microbial communities, often very heterogeneous and complex, defined “autochthonous” since they are specifically associated to raw materials and production environments. The role of these microbial communities is essential in determining the nutritional and sensory properties of the traditional and typical foods, therefore, their knowledge is crucial for giving value to these products. On the other hand, it is necessary that the typical and traditional productions guarantee the same level of safety present in current products obtained through more standardized processes. To this aim, both a deep knowledge of the mechanisms leading to the occurrence of possible risks and the development of appropriate control tools (respectful of the traditional nature of these productions are needed. Food Microbiologists have given an essential contribution in both these directions carrying out researches dealing with the microbial populations of the typical and traditional productions, focused on either autochthonous microorganisms that play a pro-technology role, or pathogen micro-organisms and toxic metabolite producers. This brief review summarizes the contributions collected from the Microbiologists of the SIMTREA presented at the Congress of the AISSA.

Quality and safety of traditional foods: the role of microbiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Clementi

Full Text Available The typical and traditional foods represent an heritage of undisputed value and a significant development opportunity for large part of the territory of our country. Their protection and enhancement can not prescind from thorough knowledge, based on objective data, concerning both the strengths and weaknesses of this type of productions. Most of the traditional and origin-protected foods are fermented foods and most of them have great value in the daily diet, as bread and other leavened baked goods, cheeses, fermented milks and different kinds of fermented meat products. The fermentation processes of these traditional productions are based on the activities of characteristic microbial communities, often very heterogeneous and complex, defined “autochthonous” since they are specifically associated to raw materials and production environments. The role of these microbial communities is essential in determining the nutritional and sensory properties of the traditional and typical foods, therefore, their knowledge is crucial for giving value to these products. On the other hand, it is necessary that the typical and traditional productions guarantee the same level of safety present in current products obtained through more standardized processes. To this aim, both a deep knowledge of the mechanisms leading to the occurrence of possible risks and the development of appropriate control tools (respectful of the traditional nature of these productions are needed. Food Microbiologists have given an essential contribution in both these directions carrying out researches dealing with the microbial populations of the typical and traditional productions, focused on either autochthonous microorganisms that play a pro-technology role, or pathogen micro-organisms and toxic metabolite producers. This brief review summarizes the contributions collected from the Microbiologists of the SIMTREA presented at the Congress of the AISSA.

Enterovirus 71-associated hand, foot and mouth diseases with neurologic symptoms, a university hospital experience in Korea, 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hye Kyung Cho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose : Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD is a common viral illness in children, which is usually mild and self-limiting. However, in recent epidemics of HFMD in Asia, enterovirus 71 (EV71 has been recognized as a causative agent with severe neurological symptoms with or without cardiopulmonary involvement. HFMD was epidemic in Korea in the spring of 2009. Severe cases with complications including death have been reported. The clinical characteristics in children with neurologic manifestations of EV71 were studied in Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. Methods : Examinations for EV71 were performed from the stools, respiratory secretion or CSF of children who presented neurologic symptoms associated with HFMD by realtime PCR. Clinical and radiologic data of the patients were collected and analyzed. Results : EV71 was isolated from the stool of 16 patients but not from respiratory secretion or CSF. Among the 16 patients, meningitis (n=10 was the most common manifestation, followed by Guillain-Barr&eacute; syndrome (n=3, meningoencephalitis (n=2, poliomyelitis-like paralytic disease (n=1, and myoclonus (n=1. Gene analysis showed that most of them were caused by EV71 subgenotype C4a, which was prevalent in China in 2008. Conclusion : Because EV71 causes severe complications and death in children, a surveillance system to predict upcoming outbreaks should be established and maintained and adequate public health measures are needed to control disease.

Sun et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2013) 10(6):563 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cadewumi

1Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Pharmaceuticals, Jinan 250011, SD, .... Fracture of nasal bone. 1. Fang, 2007. Protrusion .... Discussion. Relationship between allergic shock and gender and ages.

Unimanual SNARC Effect: Hand Matters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianna eRiello

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A structural representation of the hand embedding information about the identity and relative position of fingers is necessary to counting routines. It may also support associations between numbers and allocentric spatial codes that predictably interact with other known numerical spatial representations, such as the mental number line. In this study, 48 Western participants whose typical counting routine proceeded from thumb-to-little on both hands performed magnitude and parity binary judgments. Response keys were pressed either with the right index and middle fingers or with the left index and middle fingers in separate blocks. 24 participants responded with either hands in prone posture (i.e. palm down and 24 participants responded with either hands in supine (i.e. palm up posture. When hands were in prone posture, the counting direction of the left hand conflicted with the direction of the left-right mental number line, whereas the counting direction of the right hand was consistent with it. When hands were in supine posture, the opposite was true. If systematic associations existed between relative number magnitude and an allocentric spatial representation of the finger series within each hand, as predicted on the basis of counting habits, interactions would be expected between hand posture and a unimanual version of the Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC effect. Data revealed that with hands in prone posture a unimanual SNARC effect was present for the right hand, and with hands in supine posture a unimanual SNARC effect was present for the left hand. We propose that a posture-invariant body structural representation of the finger series provides a relevant frame of reference, a within-hand directional vector, that is associated to simple number processing. Such frame of reference can significantly interact with stimulus-response correspondence effects that have been attributed to the mapping of numbers on a mental

Efficient storage, retrieval and analysis of poker hands: An adaptive data framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gorawski Marcin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In online gambling, poker hands are one of the most popular and fundamental units of the game state and can be considered objects comprising all the events that pertain to the single hand played. In a situation where tens of millions of poker hands are produced daily and need to be stored and analysed quickly, the use of relational databases no longer provides high scalability and performance stability. The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient way of storing and retrieving poker hands in a big data environment. We propose a new, read-optimised storage model that offers significant data access improvements over traditional database systems as well as the existing Hadoop file formats such as ORC, RCFile or SequenceFile. Through index-oriented partition elimination, our file format allows reducing the number of file splits that needs to be accessed, and improves query response time up to three orders of magnitude in comparison with other approaches. In addition, our file format supports a range of new indexing structures to facilitate fast row retrieval at a split level. Both index types operate independently of the Hive execution context and allow other big data computational frameworks such as MapReduce or Spark to benefit from the optimized data access path to the hand information. Moreover, we present a detailed analysis of our storage model and its supporting index structures, and how they are organised in the overall data framework. We also describe in detail how predicate based expression trees are used to build effective file-level execution plans. Our experimental tests conducted on a production cluster, holding nearly 40 billion hands which span over 4000 partitions, show that multi-way partition pruning outperforms other existing file formats, resulting in faster query execution times and better cluster utilisation.

Large-scale Assessment Yields Evidence of Minimal Use of Reasoning Skills in Traditionally Taught Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Thacker, Beth

2017-01-01

Large-scale assessment data from Texas Tech University yielded evidence that most students taught traditionally in large lecture classes with online homework and predominantly multiple choice question exams, when asked to answer free-response (FR) questions, did not support their answers with logical arguments grounded in physics concepts. In addition to a lack of conceptual understanding, incorrect and partially correct answers lacked evidence of the ability to apply even lower level reasoning skills in order to solve a problem. Correct answers, however, did show evidence of at least lower level thinking skills as coded using a rubric based on Bloom's taxonomy. With the introduction of evidence-based instruction into the labs and recitations of the large courses and in a small, completely laboratory-based, hands-on course, the percentage of correct answers with correct explanations increased. The FR format, unlike other assessment formats, allowed assessment of both conceptual understanding and the application of thinking skills, clearly pointing out weaknesses not revealed by other assessment instruments, and providing data on skills beyond conceptual understanding for course and program assessment. Supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Challenge grant #1RC1GM090897-01.

The Association between Cultural Orientation and Drinking Behaviors among University Students in Wuhan, China

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Hongxiu; Cai, Weibin; Wang, Hongjing; Zhang, Qing; Qian, Ling; Shell, Duane F.; Newman, Ian M.; Yin, Ping

2013-01-01

Objectives This study examines the association between cultural orientation and drinking behaviors among university students. Cultural orientation is the measure of how the cultural values of individuals living in their own society are influenced by cultural values introduced from the outside. Methods In 2011, a cross-sectional survey collected data from 1279 university students from six universities in central China. Participants used a likert scale to rank a series of statements reflecting cultural values from the previously validated Chinese Cultural Orientation Scale and answered questions about their drinking behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics. Results Statistically significant differences in cultural orientation were observed for gender, hometown and type of university attendance. Traditional-oriented students were more likely to be occasional drinkers or nondrinkers, while marginal-oriented students, bicultural-oriented students and western-oriented students were more likely to be regular drinkers. Bicultural orientation (OR = 1.80, Pstudent being regular drinking, compared to students with traditional orientations. Males (OR = 4.40, Pstudents (OR = 2.59, Pstudents from urban areas (OR = 1.79, Pstudents attending key universities (OR = 0.48, Pattending general universities. Conclusions Cultural orientation influences drinking behaviors. Traditional cultural orientation was associated with less drinking while western cultural orientation, marginal cultural orientation and bicultural orientation were associated with more drinking. The role of gender, hometown and university attendance is partially moderated through the influence of cultural orientation. The relationship between a traditional cultural orientation and alcohol drinking suggests that traditional Chinese cultural values should be examined for their role in possibly reducing alcohol-related risks through education and policy initiatives. PMID:23359611

A Strategic View of University Timetabling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindahl, Michael; Mason, Andrew; Stidsen, Thomas Jacob Riis

2018-01-01

University Timetabling has traditionally been studied as an operational problem where the goal is to assign lectures to rooms and timeslots and create timetables of high quality for students and teachers. Two other important decision problems arise before this can be solved: what rooms are necess......University Timetabling has traditionally been studied as an operational problem where the goal is to assign lectures to rooms and timeslots and create timetables of high quality for students and teachers. Two other important decision problems arise before this can be solved: what rooms....... The relationship and differences between operational, tactical and strategic timetabling problems are reviewed. Based on the formulation of curriculum-based course timetabling and data from the Second International Timetabling Competition (ITC 2007), three new bi-objective mixed-integer models are formulated. We...

Wash Your Hands

Science.gov (United States)

... hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals from hands. Be cautious when ... Health Promotion Materials Fact Sheets Podcasts Posters Stickers Videos Web Features Training & Education Our Partners Publications, Data & ...

Radiological evaluation of the skeleton: traumatology of the distal forearm, wrist, and hand; Radiologische Skelettdiagnostik: Traumatologie des distalen Unterarmes, der Handgelenke und der Hand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neumann, K. [Universitaetsklinikum Essen (Germany). Zentralinstitut fuer Roentgendiagnostik; Langer, R. [Universitaetsklinikum Essen (Germany). Zentralinstitut fuer Roentgendiagnostik

1996-07-01

Plain X-ray films including some special radiographic views are still the basis of the radiological evaluation of injuries of the distal forearm, the wrist, and the hand. Especially, in the diagnosis of fractures of the distal radius the exact positioning of the arm and hand is essential. For the description of fractures of the distal forearm the AO classification of fractures should be used, which is comprehensive and universally applicable. Conventional tomography and computed tomography (CT) of the radio-ulnar joint and the wrist are used in patients with persisting complaints or equivocal findings on plain radiographs, and difficult anatomical situations. Suspected ligamentous injuries of the wrist including tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) are evaluated by wrist arthrography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the latter requiring a highly skilled imaging and interpretation technique. MRI is the method of choice for the detection of osteonecrosis. Ultrasound examinations are of minor importance in the work up of wrist and hand injuries. (orig.) [Deutsch] Fuer die radiologische Beurteilung von Verletzungen des distalen Unterarmes, des Handgelenkes und der Hand steht die konventionelle Roentgenuntersuchung einschliesslich einiger Spezialeinstellungen nach wie vor im Vordergrund. Bei der Beschreibung insbesondere der distalen Radiusfrakturen sollten die historische Benennung oder aeltere Einteilungen zugunsten der allgemeingueltigen und umfassenderen AO-Klassifikation verlassen werden. Die Computertomographie und Magnetresonanztomographie kommen in der Frakturdiagnostik bei unklaren anatomischen Verhaeltnissen oder konventionell nicht zufriedenstellend erklaerbaren Beschwerden zur Anwendung. Vermutete ligamentaere Verletzungen der Handwurzel lassen sich arthrographisch oder magnetresonanztomographisch abklaeren. (orig.)

Robotically enhanced rubber hand illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Arata, Jumpei; Hattori, Masashi; Ichikawa, Shohei; Sakaguchi, Masamichi

2014-01-01

The rubber hand illusion is a well-known multisensory illusion. In brief, watching a rubber hand being stroked by a paintbrush while one's own unseen hand is synchronously stroked causes the rubber hand to be attributed to one's own body and to "feel like it's my hand." The rubber hand illusion is thought to be triggered by the synchronized tactile stimulation of both the subject's hand and the fake hand. To extend the conventional rubber hand illusion, we introduce robotic technology in the form of a master-slave telemanipulator. The developed one degree-of-freedom master-slave system consists of an exoskeleton master equipped with an optical encoder that is worn on the subject's index finger and a motor-actuated index finger on the rubber hand, which allows the subject to perform unilateral telemanipulation. The moving rubber hand illusion has been studied by several researchers in the past with mechanically connected rigs between the subject's body and the fake limb. The robotic instruments let us investigate the moving rubber hand illusion with less constraints, thus behaving closer to the classic rubber hand illusion. In addition, the temporal delay between the body and the fake limb can be precisely manipulated. The experimental results revealed that the robotic instruments significantly enhance the rubber hand illusion. The time delay is significantly correlated with the effect of the multisensory illusion, and the effect significantly decreased at time delays over 100 ms. These findings can potentially contribute to the investigations of neural mechanisms in the field of neuroscience and of master-slave systems in the field of robotics.

An Artist in the University Medical Center. Review.

Science.gov (United States)

James, A. Everette, Jr.

1991-01-01

Reviews "An Artist in the University Medical Center" (M. Lesser, New Orleans: Tulane University Press, 1989), in which the artist captures the human side of the complex Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans (Louisiana). The interplay of drawings, etchings, watercolors, and prose conveys traditions of nurturing in the hospital. (SLD)

Wearable Sensors for eLearning of Manual Tasks: Using Forearm EMG in Hand Hygiene Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutafina, Ekaterina; Laukamp, David; Bettermann, Ralf; Schroeder, Ulrik; Jonas, Stephan M

2016-08-03

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to eLearning that makes use of smart wearable sensors. Traditional eLearning supports the remote and mobile learning of mostly theoretical knowledge. Here we discuss the possibilities of eLearning to support the training of manual skills. We employ forearm armbands with inertial measurement units and surface electromyography sensors to detect and analyse the user's hand motions and evaluate their performance. Hand hygiene is chosen as the example activity, as it is a highly standardized manual task that is often not properly executed. The World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene are taken as a model of the optimal hygiene procedure, due to their algorithmic structure. Gesture recognition procedures based on artificial neural networks and hidden Markov modeling were developed, achieving recognition rates of 98 . 30 % ( ± 1 . 26 % ) for individual gestures. Our approach is shown to be promising for further research and application in the mobile eLearning of manual skills.

Efficacy of ProTaper universal retreatment files in removing filling materials during root canal retreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Giuliani, Valentina; Cocchetti, Roberto; Pagavino, Gabriella

2008-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the ProTaper Universal System rotary retreatment system and of Profile 0.06 and hand instruments (K-file) in the removal of root filling materials. Forty-two extracted single-rooted anterior teeth were selected. The root canals were enlarged with nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary files, filled with gutta-percha and sealer, and randomly divided into 3 experimental groups. The filling materials were removed with solvent in conjunction with one of the following devices and techniques: the ProTaper Universal System for retreatment, ProFile 0.06, and hand instruments (K-file). The roots were longitudinally sectioned, and the image of the root surface was photographed. The images were captured in JPEG format; the areas of the remaining filling materials and the time required for removing the gutta-percha and sealer were calculated by using the nonparametric one-way Kruskal-Wallis test and Tukey-Kramer tests, respectively. The group that showed better results for removing filling materials was the ProTaper Universal System for retreatment files, whereas the group of ProFile rotary instruments yielded better root canal cleanliness than the hand instruments, even though there was no statistically significant difference. The ProTaper Universal System for retreatment and ProFile rotary instruments worked significantly faster than the K-file. The ProTaper Universal System for retreatment files left cleaner root canal walls than the K-file hand instruments and the ProFile Rotary instruments, although none of the devices used guaranteed complete removal of the filling materials. The rotary NiTi system proved to be faster than hand instruments in removing root filling materials.

Teaching genetics using hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppe, Stephanie Ann

Teaching genetics can be challenging because of the difficulty of the content and misconceptions students might hold. This thesis focused on using hands-on model activities, problem solving, and inquiry-based teaching/learning methods in order to increase student understanding in an introductory biology class in the area of genetics. Various activities using these three methods were implemented into the classes to address any misconceptions and increase student learning of the difficult concepts. The activities that were implemented were shown to be successful based on pre-post assessment score comparison. The students were assessed on the subjects of inheritance patterns, meiosis, and protein synthesis and demonstrated growth in all of the areas. It was found that hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based activities were more successful in learning concepts in genetics and the students were more engaged than tradition styles of lecture.

Coordination of hand shape.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesyna, Colin; Pundi, Krishna; Flanders, Martha

2011-03-09

The neural control of hand movement involves coordination of the sensory, motor, and memory systems. Recent studies have documented the motor coordinates for hand shape, but less is known about the corresponding patterns of somatosensory activity. To initiate this line of investigation, the present study characterized the sense of hand shape by evaluating the influence of differences in the amount of grasping or twisting force, and differences in forearm orientation. Human subjects were asked to use the left hand to report the perceived shape of the right hand. In the first experiment, six commonly grasped items were arranged on the table in front of the subject: bottle, doorknob, egg, notebook, carton, and pan. With eyes closed, subjects used the right hand to lightly touch, forcefully support, or imagine holding each object, while 15 joint angles were measured in each hand with a pair of wired gloves. The forces introduced by supporting or twisting did not influence the perceptual report of hand shape, but for most objects, the report was distorted in a consistent manner by differences in forearm orientation. Subjects appeared to adjust the intrinsic joint angles of the left hand, as well as the left wrist posture, so as to maintain the imagined object in its proper spatial orientation. In a second experiment, this result was largely replicated with unfamiliar objects. Thus, somatosensory and motor information appear to be coordinated in an object-based, spatial-coordinate system, sensitive to orientation relative to gravitational forces, but invariant to grasp forcefulness.

Inexpensive and Time-Efficient Hand Hygiene Interventions Increase Elementary School Children's Hand Hygiene Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Michelle; White, George L.; Kim, Han S.

2008-01-01

Routine hand hygiene has been cited by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a cost-effective and important hygiene measure in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Several studies have explored children's hand hygiene habits, effects of scheduled hand hygiene, hand hygiene environmental…

Patterns of radiographic changes in hands and feet of rheumatoid arthritis in Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Arfaj, Abdurhman S.; Al-Boukai, Ahmad A.

2005-01-01

The aim of the study was to characterize the pattern of radiographic changes in the hands and feet of rheumatoid arthritis in Saudi patients. The radiographs of hands and feet of rheumatoid arthritis patients attending rheumatology outpatient clinics of King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, over the period extending from March to June 2001, were examined and reported for the presence of osteopenia, joint space narrowing, and erosions. Fifty-six rheumatoid arthritis patients were studied. Their mean age was 50 + 1.9 years, and mean disease duration was 9.07 + 0.84 years. Generalized osteopenia was seen in 16/56 (29%) and periarticular osteopenia in 38/56 (68%). Joint space narrowing was present in 9/56 (16%) of feet and 35/56 (63%) of hand x-rays. Erosions were seen in 3/56 (6%) of feet and in 22/56 (39%) of hand x-rays. Significant correlation was seen between joints space narrowing, joint erosions, and disease duration. Radiographic changes in hands and feet of Saudi rheumatoid arthritis patients are less severe than those reported from the West, and the pattern is also different with less affection of the feet. (author)

Towards universal access to skilled birth attendance: the process of transforming the role of traditional birth attendants in Rural China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hong; Qian, Xu; Chen, Lili; Li, Jian; Escobar, Erin; Story, Mary; Tang, Shenglan

2016-03-21

Institution-based childbirth, with the ultimate goal of universal access to skilled birth attendance (SBA), has been selected as a key strategy to reduce the maternal mortality rate in many developing countries. However, the question of how to engage traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in the advocacy campaign for SBA poses a number of challenges. This paper aims to demonstrate how TBAs in rural regions of China have been integrated into the health system under a policy of institutional delivery. Research was conducted through literature and document reviews and individual in-depth interviews with stakeholders of the safe motherhood program in rural Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. A total of 33 individual interviews were conducted with regional and local politicians, policy makers, health managers, health providers, civil society members, village cadres for women affairs, former TBAs, village maternal health workers, mothers and their mother-in-laws. Since 1998, TBA's traditional role of providing in-home care during childbirth has been restructured and their social role has been strengthened in rural Guangxi. TBAs were redesigned to function as the linkage between women and the health system. A new policy in 1999 shifted the role of TBAs to village maternal health workers whose responsibilities were mainly to promote perinatal care and institution-based delivery of pregnant women. This successful transformation involved engaging with government and other actors, training TBAs for their new role, and providing incentives and sanctions for human resources management. The China experience of transforming the role of TBAs in Guangxi rural area is an example of successfully engaging TBAs in promoting institution-based childbirth.

Clean Hands Count

Science.gov (United States)

... intended to promote or encourage adherence to CDC hand hygiene recommendations. It is a component of the Clean ... also aims to address myths and misperceptions about hand hygiene and empower patients to play a role in ...

University Experiences and Women Engineering Student Persistence

Science.gov (United States)

Ayers, LoAnn Debra Gienger

Riverside University (a pseudonym), like many universities, has not significantly increased the number of women who graduate with bachelor's degrees in engineering. The purpose of the study is to understand how the university experiences of women students influence the decision to persist in an undergraduate engineering degree and to understand the role of self-perception in how the students perceive experiences as supporting or hindering their persistence in the major. Archival data, documents and artifacts, observations, individual interviews, and a focus group with women engineering students provide insights into students' perceived barriers and supports of student success. Analysis of the data results in two major themes. First, students' self-confidence and self-efficacy influence how women assimilate university experiences as either supportive or diminishing of academic success. Second, university policies and practices shape the campus environment within which student experiences are formed and influence a student's level of institutional, academic, and social integration. The results of the study indicate opportunities for university leadership to enhance strategies that positively shape students' institutional, academic and social integration as precursors toward increasing the number of women students who successfully complete undergraduate engineering degrees at Riverside University. Future research is indicated to better understand how gender and gender identity intersects with other demographic factors, such as socio-economic status, immigration status, and life stage (e.g., traditional versus non-traditional students), to support or deter the persistence of engineering students to degree completion.

Evaluation of the Multimodal Strategy for Improvement of Hand Hygiene as Proposed by the World Health Organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Eliana B S; Jorge, Miguel T; Oliveira, Elias J; Júnior, Alberto Lopes Ribeiro; Santos, Lauro R L; Mendes-Rodrigues, Clesnan

Hand hygiene has the biggest impact and is the least expensive way to prevent and control health care-associated infections. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of the multimodal strategy of the World Health Organization to improve health care-associated infection rates, hand hygiene compliance, and the related knowledge of health care professionals in a Brazilian university hospital. We observed the necessity for an alternative approach in hospitals with high staff turnover and low attendance of educational sessions.

Programming of left hand exploits task set but that of right hand depends on recent history.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Rixin; Zhu, Hong

2017-07-01

There are many differences between the left hand and the right hand. But it is not clear if there is a difference in programming between left hand and right hand when the hands perform the same movement. In current study, we carried out two experiments to investigate whether the programming of two hands was equivalent or they exploited different strategies. In the first experiment, participants were required to use one hand to grasp an object with visual feedback or to point to the center of one object without visual feedback on alternate trials, or to grasp an object without visual feedback and to point the center of one object with visual feedback on alternating trials. They then performed the tasks with the other hand. The result was that previous pointing task affected current grasping when it was performed by the left hand, but not the right hand. In experiment 2, we studied if the programming of the left (or right) hand would be affected by the pointing task performed on the previous trial not only by the same hand, but also by the right (or left) hand. Participants pointed and grasped the objects alternately with two hands. The result was similar with Experiment 1, i.e., left-hand grasping was affected by right-hand pointing, whereas right-hand grasping was immune from the interference from left hand. Taken together, the results suggest that when open- and closed-loop trials are interleaved, motor programming of grasping with the right hand was affected by the nature of the online feedback on the previous trial only if it was a grasping trial, suggesting that the trial-to-trial transfer depends on sensorimotor memory and not on task set. In contrast, motor programming of grasping with the left hand can use information about the nature of the online feedback on the previous trial to specify the parameters of the movement, even when the type of movement that occurred was quite different (i.e., pointing) and was performed with the right hand. This suggests that

Clean Hands Count

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Full Text Available ... today; no cure tomorrow - Duration: 3:10. World Health Organization 75,362 views 3:10 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Jefferson Health 412,404 views 5:46 Hand Washing Technique - ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... today; no cure tomorrow - Duration: 3:10. World Health Organization 74,478 views 3:10 Wash 'Em - Hand Hygiene Music Video - Duration: 5:46. Jefferson Health 411,292 views 5:46 Hand Washing Technique - ...

Clean Hands Count

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... to promote or encourage adherence to CDC hand hygiene recommendations. It is a component of the Clean ... aims to address myths and misperceptions about hand hygiene and empower patients to play a role in ...

Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course

Science.gov (United States)

Kulhavy, David L.; Unger, Daniel R.; Hung, I-Kuai; Douglass, David

2015-01-01