Magnetic field measurements using the transient internal probe (TIP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galambos, J.P.; Bohnet, M.A.; Jarboe, T.R.; Mattick, A.T.

1995-01-01

Knowledge of the internal magnetic field profile in hot plasmas is fundamental to understanding the structure and behavior of the current profile. The transient internal probe (TIP) is a novel diagnostic designed to measure internal magnetic fields in hot plasmas. The diagnostic involves shooting a magneto-optic probe through the plasma at high velocities (greater than 2 km/s) using a two stage light gas gun. Local fields are obtained by illuminating the probe with an argon ion laser and measuring the amount of Faraday rotation in the reflected beam. Initial development of the diagnostic is complete. Results of magnetic field measurements conducted at 2 km/s will be presented. Helium muzzle gas introduction to the plasma chamber has been limited to less than 0.4 Torr-ell. Magnetic field resolution of 40 Gauss and spatial resolution of 5 mm have been achieved. System frequency response is 10 MHz

Modeling Routinization in Games: An Information Theory Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wallner, Simon; Pichlmair, Martin; Hecher, Michael

2015-01-01

Routinization is the result of practicing until an action stops being a goal-directed process. This paper formulates a definition of routinization in games based on prior research in the fields of activity theory and practice theory. Routinization is analyzed using the formal model of discrete......-time, discrete-space Markov chains and information theory to measure the actual error between the dynamically trained models and the player interaction. Preliminary research supports the hypothesis that Markov chains can be effectively used to model routinization in games. A full study design is presented...

Internal field probing of translating FRCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armstrong, W.T.; Chrien, R.E.; Milroy, R.D.

1984-11-01

Magnetic field probes have been employed to study the internal field structure of Field-Reversed Configurations (FRCs) translating past the probes in the FRX-C/T device. Internal closed flux surfaces can be studied in this manner with minimal perturbation because of the rapid transit of the plasma (translation velocity v/sub z/ approx. 10 cm/μs). Data have been taken using a 5-mtorr-D 2 gas-puff mode of operation in the FRC source coil which yields an initial plasma density of approx. 1 x 10 15 cm -3 and x/sub s/ approx. 0.40. FRCs translate from the approx. 25 cm radius source coil into a 20 cm radius metal translation vessel. Of many translation conditions studied, the condition considered here is translation into a weak guide field resulting in expansion of the FRC to conditions of density approx. 3 x 10 14 and x/sub s/ approx. 0.7. The expected reversed B/sub z/ structure is observed. Evidence of island structure is also observed. Fluctuating levels of B/sub THETA/ are observed with amplitudes less than or equal to B 0 /3 and values of flux approx. 4 x the poloidal flux. Values of β on the separatrix of β/sub s/ approx. = 0.3 (indexed to the external field) are implied from the field measurements. This decrease of β/sub s/ with increased x/sub s/ is expected, and desirable for improved plasma confinement

Community-driven demand creation for the use of routine viral load testing: a model to scale up routine viral load testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Killingo, Bactrin M; Taro, Trisa B; Mosime, Wame N

2017-11-01

HIV treatment outcomes are dependent on the use of viral load measurement. Despite global and national guidelines recommending the use of routine viral load testing, these policies alone have not translated into widespread implementation or sufficiently increased access for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Civil society and communities of PLHIV recognize the need to close this gap and to enable the scale up of routine viral load testing. The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) developed an approach to community-led demand creation for the use of routine viral load testing. Using this Community Demand Creation Model, implementers follow a step-wise process to capacitate and empower communities to address their most pressing needs. This includes utlizing a specific toolkit that includes conducting a baseline assessment, developing a treatment education toolkit, organizing mobilization workshops for knowledge building, provision of small grants to support advocacy work and conducting benchmark evaluations. The Community Demand Creation Model to increase demand for routine viral load testing services by PLHIV has been delivered in diverse contexts including in the sub-Saharan African, Asian, Latin American and the Caribbean regions. Between December 2015 and December 2016, ITPC trained more than 240 PLHIV activists, and disbursed US$90,000 to network partners in support of their national advocacy work. The latter efforts informed a regional, community-driven campaign calling for domestic investment in the expeditious implementation of national viral load testing guidelines. HIV treatment education and community mobilization are critical components of demand creation for access to optimal HIV treatment, especially for the use of routine viral load testing. ITPC's Community Demand Creation Model offers a novel approach to achieving this goal. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & sons Ltd on behalf of

Direct internal dosimetry. A new way for routine incorporation monitoring of γ-emitting radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerfel, H.

1996-01-01

The INDOS detector system offers the following advantages with respect to routine incorporation monitoring: The measurement is performed automatically and there is no need for trained staff. The measuring time is short and thus a relative large number of persons may be monitored with a relative high measuring frequency. First estimates of the individual effective dose equivalent rate are available immediately after the measurement. 1) The direct determination of the dose equivalent in principle is more precise than the conventional procedures for internal dosimetry, because (i) the retention of radionuclides in the body may be measured explicitly and (ii) the dependence of the dose equivalent on the body proportions is corrected implicitly. 2) The measuring procedure is comparable to the external dosimetry with respect to accuracy and lower limit of detection. Thus, the results of internal and external dosimetry can be summed up in an easy and reasonable manner. 3) The detector system can be installed in any building; it also can be installed as a mobile unit in a car or a container for long distance transportation by aircraft or train. 4) Last but not least, the cost for monitoring with INDOS is much lower than for the conventional monitoring procedures using whole body counters. (author)

Magnetostatic modes in ferromagnetic samples with inhomogeneous internal fields

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, Rodrigo

2015-03-01

Magnetostatic modes in ferromagnetic samples are very well characterized and understood in samples with uniform internal magnetic fields. More recently interest has shifted to the study of magnetization modes in ferromagnetic samples with inhomogeneous internal fields. The present work shows that under the magnetostatic approximation and for samples of arbitrary shape and/or arbitrary inhomogeneous internal magnetic fields the modes can be classified as elliptic or hyperbolic, and their associated frequency spectrum can be delimited. This results from the analysis of the character of the second order partial differential equation for the magnetostatic potential under these general conditions. In general, a sample with an inhomogeneous internal field and at a given frequency, may have regions of elliptic and hyperbolic character separated by a boundary. In the elliptic regions the magnetostatic modes have a smooth monotonic character (generally decaying form the surfaces (a ``tunneling'' behavior)) and in hyperbolic regions an oscillatory wave-like character. A simple local criterion distinguishes hyperbolic from elliptic regions: the sign of a susceptibility parameter. This study shows that one may control to some extent magnetostatic modes via external fields or geometry. R.E.A. acknowledges Financiamiento Basal para Centros Cientificos y Tecnologicos de Excelencia under Project No. FB 0807 (Chile), Grant No. ICM P10-061-F by Fondo de Innovacion para la Competitividad-MINECON, and Proyecto Fondecyt 1130192.

Methods to improve routine bioassay monitoring for freshly separated, poorly transported plutonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bihl, D.E.; Lynch, T.P.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Sula, M.J.

1988-09-01

Several human cases involving inhalation of plutonium oxide at Hanford have shown clearance half-times from the lung that are much longer than the 500-day half-time recommended for class Y plutonium in Publication 30 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection(ICRP). The more tenaciously retained material is referred to as super class Y plutonium. The ability to detect super class Y plutonium by current routine bioassay measurements is shown to be poor. Pacific Northwest Laboratory staff involved in the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program investigated four methods to se if improvements in routine monitoring of workers for fresh super class Y plutonium are feasible. The methods were lung counting, urine sampling, fecal sampling, and use of diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) to enhance urinary excretion. Use of DTPA was determined to be not feasible. Routine fecal sampling was found to be feasible but not recommended. Recommendations were made to improve the detection level for routine annual urinalysis and routine annual lung counting. 12 refs., 9 figs., 7 tabs

The International Geomagnetic Reference Field: the twelfth generation

Science.gov (United States)

Thebault, Erwan; Finlay, Christopher; The IGRF Working Group

2015-04-01

The IGRF is an internationally-agreed reference model of the Earth's magnetic field produced under the auspices of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy. The IGRF-12 is the latest update of this well-known model which is used each year by many thousands of users for both industrial and scientific purposes. In October 2014, ten institutions worldwide have made contributions to the IGRF. These models were evaluated and the twelfth generation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) was adopted in December 2014. In this presentation, we will report on the IGRF activities, briefly describe the candidate models, summarize the evaluation of models performed by different independent teams, show how the IGRF-12 models were calculated and finally discuss some of the main magnetic features of this new model.

Practical issues in implementing whole-genome-sequencing in routine diagnostic microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossen, J W A; Friedrich, A W; Moran-Gilad, J

2018-04-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being used in clinical microbiology. Like every new technology adopted in microbiology, the integration of NGS into clinical and routine workflows must be carefully managed. To review the practical aspects of implementing bacterial whole genome sequencing (WGS) in routine diagnostic laboratories. Review of the literature and expert opinion. In this review, we discuss when and how to integrate whole genome sequencing (WGS) in the routine workflow of the clinical laboratory. In addition, as the microbiology laboratories have to adhere to various national and international regulations and criteria for their accreditation, we deliberate on quality control issues for using WGS in microbiology, including the importance of proficiency testing. Furthermore, the current and future place of this technology in the diagnostic hierarchy of microbiology is described as well as the necessity of maintaining backwards compatibility with already established methods. Finally, we speculate on the question of whether WGS can entirely replace routine microbiology in the future and the tension between the fact that most sequencers are designed to process multiple samples in parallel whereas for optimal diagnosis a one-by-one processing of the samples is preferred. Special reference is made to the cost and turnaround time of WGS in diagnostic laboratories. Further development is required to improve the workflow for WGS, in particular to shorten the turnaround time, reduce costs, and streamline downstream data analyses. Only when these processes reach maturity will reliance on WGS for routine patient management and infection control management become feasible, enabling the transformation of clinical microbiology into a genome-based and personalized diagnostic field. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Non-routine activities in RP Group in 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoefert, M.; Stevenson, G.R.

1996-01-01

The activities not directly concerned with the daily routine, but nevertheless essential to ensure a steady progress in radiation protection at CERN, concern mostly tests and intercomparisons of existing methods (quality control), development of new ideas, methods, and instruments. New projects, another non-routine activity, require in most cases profound studies to prove their feasibility with respect to radiation protection requirements. All these activities are documented in Divisional Reports, Internal Reports and Technical Memoranda, and are listed

Saturn's Internal Magnetic Field Revealed by Cassini Grand Finale

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, H.; Dougherty, M. K.; Khurana, K. K.; Hunt, G. J.; Provan, G.; Kellock, S.; Burton, M. E.; Burk, T. A.

2017-12-01

Saturn's internal magnetic field has been puzzling since the first in-situ measurements during the Pioneer 11 Saturn flyby. Cassini magnetometer measurements prior to the Grand Finale phase established 1) the highly axisymmetric nature of Saturn's internal magnetic field with a dipole tilt smaller than 0.06 degrees, 2) at least an order of magnitude slower secular variation rate compared to that of the current geomagnetic field, and 3) expulsion of magnetic fluxes from the equatorial region towards high latitude. The highly axisymmetric nature of Saturn's intrinsic magnetic field not only challenges dynamo theory but also makes an accurate determination of the interior rotation rate of Saturn extremely difficult. The Cassini spacecraft entered the Grand Finale phase in April 2017, during which time the spacecraft dived through the gap between Saturn's atmosphere and the inner edge of the D-ring 22 times before descending into the deep atmosphere of Saturn. The unprecedented proximity to Saturn (reaching 2500 km above the cloud deck) and the highly inclined nature of the Grand Finale orbits provided an ideal opportunity to decode Saturn's internal magnetic field. The fluxgate magnetometer onboard Cassini made precise vector measurements during the Grand Finale phase. Magnetic signals from the interior of the planet, the magnetospheric ring current, the high-latitude field-aligned current (FAC) modulated by the 10.7 hour planetary period oscillation, and low-latitude FACs were observed during the Grand Finale phase. Here we report the magnetometer measurements during the Cassini Grand Finale phase, new features of Saturn's internal magnetic field revealed by these measurements (e.g., the high degree magnetic moments of Saturn, the level of axisymmetry beyond dipole), and implications for the deep interior of Saturn.

THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AS A STUDY FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Amatucci

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The field of International Business lies at a crossroads of analytical levels, themes and theoretical traditions, and it will probably remain at this point in the near future. This work follows five years (2001-2006 of the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS to analyse the scope and evolution of themes, methodologies and theoretical traditions in 199 articles. After this phase, it discusses, with the help of colleagues gathered in two workshops, the future of the area in terms of two hypotheses: the convergence hypothesis of the dominance of a theoretical and thematic mainstream, and the divergence hypothesis of a “theoretical quilt” configuration of the field. It concludes that the editorial preferences of JIBS favour traditional approaches to the field and that the second “future” is the most likely to occur, leading International Business to evolve as a social reference more than an epistemological entity.

Improvements in routine internal monitoring - An overview of the IDEA project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitzer, C.; Fischer, H.; Andrasi, A.; Bouvier, C.; Carlan, L.; Franck, D.; Hollriegl, V.; Li, W. B.; Oeh, U.; Ritt, J.; Roth, P.; Wahl, W.; Zombori, P.

2007-01-01

The IDEA project aimed to improve the assessment of incorporated radionuclides through developments of advanced in vivo and bioassay monitoring techniques and making use of such enhancements for improvements in routine monitoring. Many of these findings are not new in the sense that they are being already employed in advanced laboratories or for specialised applications. The primary goal was to categorise those new developments regarding their potential and eligibility for the routine monitoring community. Attention has been given to in vivo monitoring techniques with respect to detector characteristics and measurement geometry to improve measurement efficiency with special attention to low energy gamma emitters. Calibration - specifically supported by or through methods of numerical simulation - have been carefully analysed to reduce overall measurement uncertainties and explore ways to accommodate the individual variability based on characteristic features of a given person. For bioassay measurements at low detection limits, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy offers significant advantages both in accuracy, speed, and sample preparation. Specifically, the determination of U and Th in urine and the associated models have been investigated. Finally, the scientific achievements have been analysed regarding their potential to offer benefits for routine monitoring. These findings will be presented in greater detail in other papers at this conference, whereas this paper intends to give an overview and put both the scientific achievements as well as the derived benefits into perspective. (authors)

Improvements in routine internal monitoring - an overview of the IDEA project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitzer, C.; Fischer, H.; Schlagbauer, M.; Bouvier, C.; Carlan, L.; Franck, D.; Ritt, J.; Hoellriegl, V.; Li, W.B.; Oeh, U.; Roth, P.; Wahl, W.; Andrasi, A.; Zombori, P.

2005-01-01

Full text: The IDEA project aimed to improve the assessment of incorporated radionuclides through developments of advanced in-vivo and bioassay monitoring techniques and making use of such enhancements for improvements in routine monitoring. Many of those findings are not new in the sense that they are being already employed in advanced laboratories or for specialized applications. The primary goal was to categorize those new developments regarding their potential and eligibility for the routine monitoring community. Attention has been given to in-vivo monitoring techniques with respect to detector characteristics and measurement geometry to improve measurement efficiency with special attention to low energy gamma emitters. Calibration - specifically supported by or through methods of numerical simulation - have been carefully analyzed to reduce overall measurement uncertainties and explore ways to accommodate the individual variability based on characteristic features of a given person. For bioassay measurements at low detection limits, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy offers significant advantages both in accuracy, speed, and sample preparation. Specifically, the determination of U and Th in urine and the associated models have been investigated. Finally, the scientific achievements have been analyzed regarding their potential to offer benefits for routine monitoring. These findings will be presented in greater detail in other papers at this conference, whereas this paper intends to give an overview and put both the scientific achievements as well as the derived benefits into perspective. (author)

CTEPP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING INTERNAL FIELD AUDITS AND QUALITY CONTROL (SOP-2.25)

Science.gov (United States)

This SOP describes the method for conducting internal field audits and quality control procedures. Internal field audits will be conducted to ensure the collection of high quality data. Internal field audits will be conducted by Field Auditors (the Field QA Officer and the Field...

Quantum field theory and the internal states of elementary particles

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Greben, JM

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A new application of quantum field theory is developed that gives a description of the internal dynamics of dressed elementary particles and predicts their masses. The fermionic and bosonic quantum fields are treated as interdependent fields...

Diagnosing somatisation disorder (P75) in routine general practice using the International Classification of Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefert, Rainer; Laux, Gunter; Kaufmann, Claudia; Schellberg, Dieter; Bölter, Regine; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Sauer, Nina; Herzog, Wolfgang; Kuehlein, Thomas

2010-09-01

(i) To analyze general practitioners' diagnosis of somatisation disorder (P75) using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC)-2-E in routine general practice. (ii) To validate the distinctiveness of the ICD-10 to ICPC-2 conversion rule which maps ICD-10 dissociative/conversion disorder (F44) as well as half of the somatoform categories (F45.0-2) to P75 and codes the other half of these disorders (F45.3-9), including autonomic organ dysfunctions and pain syndromes, as symptom diagnoses plus a psychosocial code in a multiaxial manner. Cross-sectional analysis of routine data from a German research database comprising the electronic patient records of 32 general practitioners from 22 practices. For each P75 patient, control subjects matched for age, gender, and practice were selected from the 2007 yearly contact group (YCG) without a P75 diagnosis using a propensity-score algorithm that resulted in eight controls per P75 patient. Of the 49,423 patients in the YCG, P75 was diagnosed in 0.6% (302) and F45.3-9 in 1.8% (883) of cases; overall, somatisation syndromes were diagnosed in 2.4% of patients. The P75 coding pattern coincided with typical characteristics of severe, persistent medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). F45.3-9 was found to indicate moderate MUS that otherwise showed little clinical difference from P75. Pain syndromes exhibited an unspecific coding pattern. Mild and moderate MUS were predominantly recorded as symptom diagnoses. Psychosocial codes were rarely documented. ICPC-2 P75 was mainly diagnosed in cases of severe MUS. Multiaxial coding appears to be too complicated for routine primary care. Instead of splitting P75 and F45.3-9 diagnoses, it is proposed that the whole MUS spectrum should be conceptualized as a continuum model comprising categorizations of uncomplicated (mild) and complicated (moderate and severe) courses. Psychosocial factors require more attention. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Properties of electret ionization chambers for routine dosimetry in photon radiation fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerschel, B.; Pretzsch, G.

1985-01-01

The main properties of photon routine dosemeters are their energy and angular dependence as well as their measuring range and accuracy. The determination of radiation exposure from dosemeter response is based on the choice of an appropriate conversion factor taking into account the influence of body backscattering on the dosemeter response. Measuring range and accuracy of an electret ionization chamber first of all depend on electret stability, methods of charge measurement, and geometry of the chamber. The dosemeter performance is described for an electret ionization chamber which was designed for application to routine monitoring of radiation workers. (author)

Calculation of the internal electric field within doped semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phelps, G J

2012-01-01

A detailed model for the calculation of the internal potential and electric field profile within doped semiconductors is developed from a first-principles approach and presented in this paper. The model utilizes Poisson's equation and basic Boltzmann statistics to develop a standard nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation (NPBE) for doped semiconductors. The resultant NPBE links the internal electrostatic potential within the doped semiconductor to the doping concentration profile of the semiconductor device under consideration. The NPBE is solved by the application of numerical methods, is general in formulation, supporting multiple simultaneous dopant configurations, and may be applied to any semiconductor type. Calculated results of the electric field profile for various semiconductor dopant structures derived using the model are additionally presented in this paper. The electric field results predicted by the model are shown to be in excellent agreement with those found by other methods. The model may be expanded to accommodate effects involving internal substrate electron–hole pair generation (gemination) caused by photo-ionization for application to and the modeling of solar cell device structures. (paper)

Field theory of the spinning electron: Internal motions

OpenAIRE

Salesi, Giovanni; Recami, Erasmo

1996-01-01

We present here a field theory of the spinning electron, by writing down a new equation for the 4-velocity field v^mu (different from that of Dirac theory), which allows a classically intelligible description of the electron. Moreover, we make explicit the noticeable kinematical properties of such velocity field (which also result different from the ordinary ones). At last, we analyze the internal zitterbewegung (zbw) motions, for both time-like and light-like speeds. We adopt in this paper t...

International standardization in the field of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmann, K.

1991-01-01

The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an international federation of national standards bodies. Its activities increasingly take health and environmental effects into account; in the future, standardization will also focus on identification systems that could facilitate recycling and proper disposal. Three technical committees in particular are concerned with standardization as it relates to air, water and soil quality. Other ISO work concerns product-oriented standardization, e.g. in the fields of fire protection equipment, refrigeration, thermal insulation, fibre-reinforced cement, and material and equipment used in the petroleum and natural gas industries. (author)

Should the lateral chest radiograph be routinely performed?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osman, Fatuma; Williams, Imelda

2014-01-01

Background: The chest x-ray is one of the most common plain film radiographic examinations performed. Inclusion of the lateral chest radiograph varies internationally and nationally across radiology departments and states in Australia. Search strategy: A search strategy of the databases Cochrane Library, Ovid Medline/Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct was conducted. The results were restricted to those published between 1985 and 2013 and those published in English. The following search terms were used: ‘lateral chest’, ‘radiograph’, ‘digital radiography’, ‘chest x-ray’, ‘plain film radiography’, ‘ionising radiation’. The results were restricted to publications with these terms in the title, abstract and/or keywords. Main findings: There are few national or international guidelines pertaining to the inclusion of the lateral chest x-ray as routine. Primary concerns are the increased radiation dose associated with the additional chest view and reduction of medical imaging services cost. Modern digital imaging systems result in a lower radiation dose. The diagnostic yield of the lateral chest x-ray is highly dependent on the clinical indications of the patient. Further research into the routine inclusion of the lateral chest x-ray is recommended. Conclusion: Review of the literature suggests that the lateral chest radiograph should not be performed routinely unless clinically indicated

International cooperation in the field of reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busekist, O. von

1983-01-01

Following a definition of the concept of international cooperation, this paper discusses existing and possible legal and institutional arrangements in the reprocessing field, with particular reference to the legal framework set up for the European Company for the Chemical Processing of Irradiated Fuels (Eurochemic). (NEA) [fr

Routine maintenance prolongs ESP time between failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurst, T.; Lannom, R.W.; Divine, D.L.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that routine maintenance of electric submersible motors (ESPs) significantly lengthened the mean time between motor failures (MTBF), decreased operating costs, and extended motor run life in the Sacroc Unit of the Kelly-Snyder field in West Texas. After the oil price boom of the early 1980s. rapidly eroding profit margins from producing properties caused a much stronger focus on reducing operating costs. In Sacroc, ESP operating life and repair costs became a major target of cost reduction efforts. The routine ESP maintenance program has been in place for over 3 years

International Field School on Permafrost, Polar Urals, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Streletskiy, D. A.; Grebenets, V.; Ivanov, M.; Sheinkman, V.; Shiklomanov, N. I.; Shmelev, D.

2012-12-01

The international field school on permafrost was held in the Polar Urals region from June, 30 to July 9, 2012 right after the Tenth International Conference on Permafrost which was held in Salekhard, Russia. The travel and accommodation support generously provided by government of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region allowed participation of 150 permafrost young research scientists, out of which 35 students from seven countries participated in the field school. The field school was organized under umbrella of International Permafrost Association and Permafrost Young Research Network. The students represented diverse educational backgrounds including hydrologists, engineers, geologists, soil scientists, geocryologists, glaciologists and geomorphologists. The base school camp was located near the Harp settlement in the vicinity of Polar Urals foothills. This unique location presented an opportunity to study a diversity of cryogenic processes and permafrost conditions characteristic for mountain and plain regions as well as transition between glacial and periglacial environments. A series of excursions was organized according to the following topics: structural geology of the Polar Urals and West Siberian Plain (Chromite mine "Centralnaya" and Core Storage in Labitnangy city); quaternary geomorphology (investigation of moraine complexes and glacial conditions of Ronamantikov and Topographov glaciers); principles of construction and maintains of structures built on permafrost (Labitnangy city and Obskaya-Bovanenkovo Railroad); methods of temperature and active-layer monitoring in tundra and forest-tundra; cryosols and soil formation in diverse landscape condition; periglacial geomorphology; types of ground ice, etc. Every evening students and professors gave a series of presentations on climate, vegetation, hydrology, soil conditions, permafrost and cryogenic processes of the region as well as on history, economic development, endogenous population of the Siberia and the

Internal Gravity Waves in the Magnetized Solar Atmosphere. I. Magnetic Field Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vigeesh, G.; Steiner, O. [Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstrasse 6, D-79104 Freiburg (Germany); Jackiewicz, J., E-mail: vigeesh@leibniz-kis.de [New Mexico State University, Department of Astronomy, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 4500, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States)

2017-02-01

Observations of the solar atmosphere show that internal gravity waves are generated by overshooting convection, but are suppressed at locations of magnetic flux, which is thought to be the result of mode conversion into magnetoacoustic waves. Here, we present a study of the acoustic-gravity wave spectrum emerging from a realistic, self-consistent simulation of solar (magneto)convection. A magnetic field free, hydrodynamic simulation and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation with an initial, vertical, homogeneous field of 50 G flux density were carried out and compared with each other to highlight the effect of magnetic fields on the internal gravity wave propagation in the Sun’s atmosphere. We find that the internal gravity waves are absent or partially reflected back into the lower layers in the presence of magnetic fields and argue that the suppression is due to the coupling of internal gravity waves to slow magnetoacoustic waves still within the high- β region of the upper photosphere. The conversion to Alfvén waves is highly unlikely in our model because there is no strongly inclined magnetic field present. We argue that the suppression of internal waves observed within magnetic flux concentrations may also be due to nonlinear breaking of internal waves due to vortex flows that are ubiquitously present in the upper photosphere and the chromosphere.

Photochemical model estimated fire impacts on ozone and aerosol evaluated with field studies and routine data sources

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, K. R.

2017-12-01

Highly instrumented field studies provide a unique opportunity to evaluate multiple aspects of photochemical grid model representation of fire emissions, dispersion, and chemical evolution. Fuel information and burn area for a specific fire coupled with near-fire and downwind chemical measurements provides information needed to constrain model predicted fire plume transport and chemical evolution of important pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5) that have deleterious health effects. Most local to regional scale field campaigns to date have made relatively few transects through plumes from fires with well characterized fuel type and consumption. While more comprehensive field studies are being planned for 2018 and beyond (WE-CAN, FIREX, FIRE-CHEM, and FASMEE), existing measurement data from multiple field campaigns including 2013 SEAC4RS, satellite data, and routine surface networks are used to assess how a regulatory modeling system captures fire impacts on local to regional scale ozone and PM2.5. Key aspects of the regulatory modeling system include fire location and burn area from SMARTFIRE2, emissions from BlueSky framework, and predictions of ambient O3 and PM2.5 from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) photochemical transport model. A comparison of model estimated O3 from specific fires with routine surface measurements at rural locations in proximity to the 2013 Rim fire, 2011 Wallow fire, and 2011 Flint Hills fires suggest the modeling system over-estimates smoke impacts on hourly ozone. Sensitivity simulations where solar radiation and photolysis rates are more aggressively attenuated by smoke reduced O3 predictions but did not ameliorate the over prediction bias. PM2.5 organic carbon tends to be overpredicted at rural surface sites downwind from the 2011 Flint Hills prescribed fires while results were mixed at rural sites downwind of the 2013 Rim fire and 2011 Wallow fire suggesting differences in fuel characterization (e

Understanding Internal Accountability in Nigeria’s Routine Immunization System: Perspectives From Government Officials at the National, State, and Local Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Erchick

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background Routine immunization coverage in Nigeria has remained low, and studies have identified a lack of accountability as a barrier to high performance in the immunization system. Accountability lies at the heart of various health systems strengthening efforts recently launched in Nigeria, including those related to immunization. Our aim was to understand the views of health officials on the accountability challenges hindering immunization service delivery at various levels of government. Methods A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview immunization and primary healthcare (PHC officials from national, state, local, and health facility levels in Niger State in north central Nigeria. Individuals were selected to represent a range of roles and responsibilities in the immunization system. The questionnaire explored concepts related to internal accountability using a framework that organizes accountability into three axes based upon how they drive change in the health system. Results Respondents highlighted accountability challenges across multiple components of the immunization system, including vaccine availability, financing, logistics, human resources, and data management. A major focus was the lack of clear roles and responsibilities both within institutions and between levels of government. Delays in funding, especially at lower levels of government, disrupted service delivery. Supervision occurred less frequently than necessary, and the limited decision space of managers prevented problems from being resolved. Motivation was affected by the inability of officials to fulfill their responsibilities. Officials posited numerous suggestions to improve accountability, including clarifying roles and responsibilities, ensuring timely release of funding, and formalizing processes for supervision, problem solving, and data reporting. Conclusion Weak accountability presents a significant barrier to performance of the routine immunization

Review of international near-field modeling for high-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apted, M.J.; Andersson, K.; Pescatore, C.

1993-01-01

The primary components of nuclear waste repositories that mitigate radionuclide release are the near-field and the far-field subsystems. The near-field encompasses the waste package, which is composed of engineered barriers; the far-field includes the natural barriers. An international survey and review is being conducted on the latest developments in modeling of near-field performance, with particular emphasis on the conceptual and mathematical models for source-term calculations. The objectives of this review will be to establish the status and commonality among models and methods for assessing near-field performance, as well as to identify possible future needs for continued comparison and collaboration. In parallel with the technical evaluation, an international technical Workshop on near-field performance assessment will be held, in association with the Nuclear Energy Agency, on May 11-13, 1993 in Cadarache, France

International cooperation in the field of radiation application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Shoichi

1993-01-01

Bilateral and multilateral research cooperations have been implemented at TRCRE, JAERI, producing favourable results in the field of radiation application. Frameworks and some achievements are described and the significance of the international cooperation is discussed. (Author)

Future of international cooperative activity for graduate school education in nuclear field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obara, Toru

2008-01-01

Further improvement of graduate school education in nuclear field is one of the important issues in universities in nuclear field. The COE-INES program has performed international cooperative activities for graduate school education with foreign universities in nuclear field. There are a lot of possibilities in international cooperation with foreign universities for graduate school education. The use of Internet can be a strong tool for the activities. (author)

International Field School on Permafrost: Yenisei, Russian Federation - 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Nyland, K. E.; Streletskiy, D. A.; Grebenets, V. I.

2013-12-01

The International Field School on Permafrost was established in Russia as part of International Polar Year activities. The first course was offered in 2007 in Northwestern Siberia and attracted students from Russia, Germany, and the United States. Over the past seven years undergraduate and graduate students representing eight different countries in North America, Europe, and Asia have participated in the field school. This annual summer field course visits different regions of the Russian Arctic each year, but the three course foci remain consistent, which are to make in depth examinations of, 1) natural permafrost characteristics and conditions, 2) field techniques and applications, and 3) engineering practices and construction on permafrost. During these field courses students participate in excursions to local museums and exhibitions, meet with representatives from local administrations, mining and construction industries, and learn field techniques for complex permafrost investigations, including landscape and soil descriptions, temperature monitoring, active-layer measurements, cryostratigraphy, and more. During these courses students attend an evening lecture series by their professors and also give presentations on various regionally oriented topics of interest, such as the local geology, climate, or historical development of the region. This presentation will relate this summer's (July 2013) field course which took place in the Yenisei River region of central Siberia. The course took place along a bioclimatic transect from south to north along the Yenisei River and featured extended stays in the cities of Igarka and Noril'sk. This year's students (undergraduate, masters, and one PhD student) represented universities in the United States, Canada, and the Russian Federation. The organization of this course was accomplished through the cooperation of The George Washington University's Department of Geography and the Lomonosov Moscow State University

International tourist preference of Lodok Rice Field natural elements, the cultural rice field from Manggarai - Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

March Syahadat, Ray; Trie Putra, Priambudi; Nuraini; Nailufar, Balqis; Fatmala Makhmud, Desy

2017-10-01

Lodok Rice Field or usually known as spiderweb rice field is a system of land division. It cultural rice field only found on Manggarai, Province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The landscape of Lodok Rice Field was aesthetic and it has big potential for tourism development. The aim of this study was to know the perception of natural elements of Lodok Rice Field landscape that could influence international tourist to visited Lodok Rice Field. If we know the elements that could influenced the international tourist, we could used the landscape image for tourism media promotion. The methods of this study used scenic beauty estimation (SBE) by 85 respondents from 34 countries and Kruskal Wallis H test. The countries grouped by five continents (Asia, America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania). The result showed that the Asian respondents liked the elements of sky, mountain, and the rice field. Then, the other respondent from another continent liked the elements of sunshine, mountain, and the rice field. Although the Asian had different perception about landscape elements of rice field’s good view, it’s not differ significantly by Kruskal Wallis H test.

Internal Stresses in Wires for High Field Magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, K.; Embury, J.D.; Lawson, A.C.; Von Dreele, R.B.; Wood, J.T.; Richardson, J.W. Jr.

1998-01-01

The codeformation of Cu-Ag or Cu-Nb composite wires used for high field magnets has a number of important microstructural consequences, including the production of very fine scale structures, the development of very high internal surface area to volume ratios during the drawing and the storage of defects at interphase interfaces. In addition, the fabrication and codeformation of phases which differ in crystal structure, thermal expansion, elastic modulus and lattice parameter lead to the development of short wavelength internal stresses. These internal stresses are measured by neutron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy as a function of the imposed drawing strain. The internal stresses lead to important changes in elastic plastic response which can be related to both magnet design and service life and these aspects will be described in detail

The international liability funds in the maritime field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mišo Mudrić

2009-08-01

Full Text Available This Paper aims to explore the current system of the international liability funds in the maritime field. Through the systematic economical, legal and political analysis of the current and envisaged international, regional and national liability funds connected to the pollution of the seas, an overview of the function, efficiency and critical considerations of the chosen liability funds will be presented. A comparison between the international system of the compensation for the oil pollution damage (and the pending hazardous and noxious substances compensation model, and that of the United States is necessary, in order to determine a difference in approaches these two systems use to tackle the burning issues of oil (and hazardous and noxious substances spills. A special consideration will be devoted to the questions of limited or unlimited liability, scope and strength of the Protection & Indemnity insurance and reinsurance market, problems of the channeling of the liability, moral hazard of the financial caps, and the general lack of the liability funds in the maritime field. Finally, an attempt will be made to consolidate the difference in opinions regarding the previously mentioned issues, and to predict the possible routes of changes awaiting the fund compensation systems.

Separation of the Magnetic Field into External and Internal Parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Nils; Glassmeier, K.-H.; Jia, X.

2010-01-01

The magnetic field of a planet or a planetary moon contains contributions from a variety of sources in the environment of the body (external sources) and its interior (internal sources). This chapter describes different methods that have been developed for the separation of external and internal...

Magnetorheological measurements with consideration for the internal magnetic field in samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kordonski, W; Gorodkin, S [QED Technologies International, 1040 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607 (United States)], E-mail: kordonski@qedmrf.com

2009-02-01

The magnetically induced yield stress in a sample of suspension of magnetic particles is associated with formation of a field-oriented structure, the strength of which depends on the degree of particles magnetization. This factor is largely defined by the actual magnetic field strength in the sample. At the same time it is common practice to present and analyze magnetorheological characteristics as a function of the applied magnetic field. Uncertainty of an influence function in magnetorheology hampers interpretation of data obtained with different measurement configurations. It was shown in this paper that rheological response of magnetorheological fluid to the applied magnetic field is defined by the sample's actual (internal) magnetic field intensity, which, in turn, depends on sample geometry and field orientation all other factors being equal. Utilization of the sample's actual field as an influence function in magnetorheology allows proper interpretation of data obtained with different measuring system configurations. Optimization of the actual internal field is a promising approach in designing of energy efficient magnetorheological devices.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Yoshiko; Osawa, Susumu

2015-10-01

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

Virtual Field and Internal Structure of Half-Dressed Extended Particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Compagno, G.; Persico, F.

1988-01-01

A new method is proposed to investigate the internal geometrical structure of an extended particle surrounded by an incomplete virtual dressing field. This method involves analysing the time-dependent virtual field at large distances from the particle, without any direct interaction with the latter. As an example, the pulselike, time-dependent virtual field of an extended QED source is investigated using a model which has a well-known counterpart in meson theory. In the framework of nonrelativistic QED it is shown that, contrary to the case of a point source, the pulse has finite width and height. For the case of a spherically symmetric source, it is explicitly shown that the width and shape of the pulse at distance r from the particle depend on the parameters determining the space structure of the source. It is concluded that the study of the field of half-dressed particles may provide a new method to investigate their internal structure

Internal electric fields and color shift in Cr3+-based gemstones

Science.gov (United States)

Aramburu, J. A.; Garcia-Fernandez, P.; García-Lastra, J. M.; Barriuso, M. T.; Moreno, M.

2012-06-01

Seeking to better understand the origin of the different colors of emerald and ruby, both ab initio periodic and cluster calculations have been carried out. The calculations reproduce the interatomic distances measured for pure Be3Si6Al2O18 and Al2O3 as well as the Cr3+-O2- distances in emerald and ruby. The mean Cr3+-O2- distance for Be3Si6Al2O18:Cr3+ and Al2O3:Cr3+ is found to be practically equal to 1.97 Å, in agreement with recent experimental values. The present calculations confirm that the variations of optical properties due to Cr3+ impurities along the series of ionic oxides can be understood merely through the CrO69- unit but subject to the electric field due to the rest of the lattice ions. As a salient feature it is proved that changes in electronic density and covalency due to the internal field are not the cause of the color shift. Therefore, the red color of ruby is not due to the polarization of the electronic cloud around chromium as a result of the C3 local symmetry. The present study also demonstrates that the variation of the ligand field splitting parameter, 10Dq, induced by the internal electric field comes mainly from the contributions of first shells of ions around the CrO69- unit. As a consequence, 10Dq in emerald is not influenced by the internal field, as the contribution from Be2+ first neighbors is practically compensated by that of Si4+ second neighbors. In contrast, in ruby the t2g levels are shifted by the internal field 0.24 eV more than the eg ones, so explaining the color shift in this gemstone in comparison with emerald. This result is shown to arise partially from the asymmetric form of the internal electrostatic potential along the C3 axis in Al2O3.

International conference on electromagnetic fields hazard protection of the human being

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigor'ev, Yu.G.

1999-01-01

The Second International conference concerning the problems of electromagnetic protection of the human being, fundamental and applied studies, normalization of the EMP: philosophy, criteria and harmonization which took place in Moscow in September 1999 is reported. The topics of reports covered both the mechanism of biological action of electromagnetic fields and aspects of impact of electromagnetic fields from various household appliances on the health of practically all modern people (television, radio, energetic, communication). The plenary section on evaluation of hazards of the mobile communication electromagnetic fields and the round table meeting dealing with evaluation of hazards of electromagnetic fields of the cellular communication base stations were conducted in the course of the conference. The plenary meetings were devoted to harmonization of the electromagnetic protection standards of Russia and western countries. The above conference constitutes one of the stages of the WHO international program concerning electromagnetic fields and the human being [ru

FeetForward: On Blending New Classroom Technologies into Secondary School Teachers’ Routines

OpenAIRE

An , Pengcheng; Bakker , Saskia; Eggen , Berry

2017-01-01

Part 5: Interaction at the Workplace; International audience; Secondary school teachers have complex, intensive and dynamic routines in their classrooms, which makes their attentional resources limited for human-computer interaction. Leveraging principles of peripheral interaction can reduce attention demanded by technologies and interactions could blend more seamlessly into the everyday routine. We present the design and deployment of FeetForward - an open-ended, and foot-based peripheral in...

Plasma confinement in a magnetic field of the internal ring current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafranov, Vitaly; Popovich, Paul; Samitov, Marat

2000-01-01

Plasma confinement in compact region surrounding an internal ring current is considered. As the limiting case of large aspect ratio system the cylindrical plasma is considered initially. Analysis of the cylindrical tubular plasma equilibrium and stability against the most dangerous flute (m=0) and kink (m=1) modes revealed the possibility of the MHD stable plasma confined by magnetic field of the internal rod current, with rather peaked plasma pressure and maximal local beta β(γ)=0.4. In case of the toroidal internal ring system an additional external magnetic field creates the boundary separatrix witch limits the plasma volume. The dependence of the plasma pressure profiles, marginally stable with respect to the flute modes, from the shape of the external plasma boundary (separatrix) in such kind closed toroidal systems is investigated. The internal ring system with circular poloidal magnetic mirror, where the ring supports could be placed, is proposed. (author)

Investigation of the international comparability of population-based routine hospital data set derived comorbidity scores for patients with lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lüchtenborg, Margreet; Morris, Eva J A; Tataru, Daniela; Coupland, Victoria H; Smith, Andrew; Milne, Roger L; Te Marvelde, Luc; Baker, Deborah; Young, Jane; Turner, Donna; Nishri, Diane; Earle, Craig; Shack, Lorraine; Gavin, Anna; Fitzpatrick, Deirdre; Donnelly, Conan; Lin, Yulan; Møller, Bjørn; Brewster, David H; Deas, Andrew; Huws, Dyfed W; White, Ceri; Warlow, Janet; Rashbass, Jem; Peake, Michael D

2018-04-01

The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) identified significant international differences in lung cancer survival. Differing levels of comorbid disease across ICBP countries has been suggested as a potential explanation of this variation but, to date, no studies have quantified its impact. This study investigated whether comparable, robust comorbidity scores can be derived from the different routine population-based cancer data sets available in the ICBP jurisdictions and, if so, use them to quantify international variation in comorbidity and determine its influence on outcome. Linked population-based lung cancer registry and hospital discharge data sets were acquired from nine ICBP jurisdictions in Australia, Canada, Norway and the UK providing a study population of 233 981 individuals. For each person in this cohort Charlson, Elixhauser and inpatient bed day Comorbidity Scores were derived relating to the 4-36 months prior to their lung cancer diagnosis. The scores were then compared to assess their validity and feasibility of use in international survival comparisons. It was feasible to generate the three comorbidity scores for each jurisdiction, which were found to have good content, face and concurrent validity. Predictive validity was limited and there was evidence that the reliability was questionable. The results presented here indicate that interjurisdictional comparability of recorded comorbidity was limited due to probable differences in coding and hospital admission practices in each area. Before the contribution of comorbidity on international differences in cancer survival can be investigated an internationally harmonised comorbidity index is required. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Development of transient internal probe (TIP) magnetic field diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galambos, J.P.; Bohnet, M.A.; Jarboe, T.R.; Mattick, A.T.

1994-01-01

The Transient Internal Probe (TIP) is designed to permit measurement of internal magnetic fields, in hot, high density plasmas. The concept consists of accelerating a probe to high velocities (2.2 Km/s) in order to minimize probe exposure time to plasma. Faraday rotation within the probe is used to measure the local magnetic field. An Argon laser illuminates the probe consisting of a Faraday-rotator material with a retro-reflector that returns the incident light to the detection system. Performance results of the light gas gun and optical detection system will be shown. To date, the gas gun has been extensively tested consistently achieving velocities between 2 and 3 km/s. The probe and detection scheme have been tested by dropping the probe through a static magnetic field. Magnetic field resolution of 20 gauss and spatial resolution of 5 mm has been achieved. System frequency response is 10Mhz. Work is currently being conducted to integrate the diagnostic system with laboratory plasma experiments. Specifically a gas interfaced system has been developed to prevent helium muzzle gas from entering the plasma chamber with the probe. Additionally the probe must be separated from the sabot which protects the probe during acceleration in the gas gun. Data will be presented showing the results of various separation techniques

Radiation internal exposure measurements archiving system (REMAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bitar, A.; Maghrabi, M.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a personal-computer-based software, REMAS, which helps users to estimate intake activity and resulting internal doses for all radionuclides existing in (International Commission on Radiological Protection) ICRP 78 and other important elements. In addition to its use in internal dose calculations, it facilitates management of data of monitored persons who are occupationally exposed to unsealed radioactive substances. Furthermore, REMAS offers the possibility to generate different reports of results. The program is suitable for laboratories working in the field of assessment of occupational intake and also for users of radioactive material who are routinely monitored. REMAS, which is bilingual program (English and Arabic), was built with GUI environment and was developed using Microsoft FoxPro. It runs on Microsoft Windows XP operating systems. (authors)

Rules and routines in organizations and the management of safety rules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weichbrodt, J. Ch.

2013-07-01

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between rules and routines in organizations and how the former can be used to steer the latter. Rules are understood as formal organizational artifacts, whereas organizational routines are collective patterns of action. While research on routines has been thriving, a clear understanding of how rules can be used to influence or control organizational routines (and vice-versa) is still lacking. This question is of particular relevance to safety rules in high-risk organizations, where the way in which organizational routines unfold can ultimately be a matter of life and death. In these organizations, an important and related issue is the balancing of standardization and flexibility – which, in the case of rules, takes the form of finding the right degree of formalization. In high-risk organizations, the question is how to adequately regulate actors’ routines in order to facilitate safe behavior, while at the same time leaving enough leeway for actors to make good decisions in abnormal situations. The railroads are regarded as high-risk industries and also rely heavily on formal rules. In this thesis, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) were therefore selected for a field study on rules and routines. The issues outlined so far are being tackled theoretically (paper 1), empirically (paper 2), and from a practitioner’s (i.e., rule maker’s) point of view (paper 3). In paper 1, the relationship between rules and routines is theoretically conceptualized, based on a literature review. Literature on organizational control and coordination, on rules in human factors and safety, and on organizational routines is combined. Three distinct roles (rule maker, rule supervisor, and rule follower) are outlined. Six propositions are developed regarding the necessary characteristics of both routines and rules, the respective influence of the three roles on the rule-routine relationship, and regarding organizational aspects such as

Rules and routines in organizations and the management of safety rules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weichbrodt, J. Ch.

2013-01-01

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between rules and routines in organizations and how the former can be used to steer the latter. Rules are understood as formal organizational artifacts, whereas organizational routines are collective patterns of action. While research on routines has been thriving, a clear understanding of how rules can be used to influence or control organizational routines (and vice-versa) is still lacking. This question is of particular relevance to safety rules in high-risk organizations, where the way in which organizational routines unfold can ultimately be a matter of life and death. In these organizations, an important and related issue is the balancing of standardization and flexibility – which, in the case of rules, takes the form of finding the right degree of formalization. In high-risk organizations, the question is how to adequately regulate actors’ routines in order to facilitate safe behavior, while at the same time leaving enough leeway for actors to make good decisions in abnormal situations. The railroads are regarded as high-risk industries and also rely heavily on formal rules. In this thesis, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) were therefore selected for a field study on rules and routines. The issues outlined so far are being tackled theoretically (paper 1), empirically (paper 2), and from a practitioner’s (i.e., rule maker’s) point of view (paper 3). In paper 1, the relationship between rules and routines is theoretically conceptualized, based on a literature review. Literature on organizational control and coordination, on rules in human factors and safety, and on organizational routines is combined. Three distinct roles (rule maker, rule supervisor, and rule follower) are outlined. Six propositions are developed regarding the necessary characteristics of both routines and rules, the respective influence of the three roles on the rule-routine relationship, and regarding organizational aspects such as

Role of internal demagnetizing field for the dynamics of a surface-modulated magnonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, M.; Röder, F.; Gallardo, R. A.; Schneider, T.; Stienen, S.; Gatel, C.; Hübner, R.; Bischoff, L.; Lenz, K.; Lindner, J.; Landeros, P.; Fassbender, J.

2017-05-01

This work aims to demonstrate and understand the key role of local demagnetizing fields in hybrid structures consisting of a continuous thin film with a stripe modulation on top. To understand the complex spin dynamics of these structures, the magnonic crystal was reconstructed in two different ways—performing micromagnetic simulations based on the structural shape as well as based on the internal demagnetizing field, which both are mapped on the nanoscale using electron holography. The simulations yield the frequency-field dependence as well as the angular dependence revealing the governing role of the internal field landscape around the backward-volume geometry. Simple rules for the propagation vector and the mode localization are formulated in order to explain the calculated mode profiles. Treating internal demagnetizing fields equivalent to anisotropies, the complex angle-dependent spin-wave behavior is described for an in-plane rotation of the external field.

Development and Validation of the Pediatric Diabetes Routines Questionnaire for Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Jessica S; Jordan, Sara S; Arnau, Randolph C

2018-04-06

This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of an adolescent self-report version of the Pediatric Diabetes Routines Questionnaire (PDRQ:A), a measure of diabetes-specific routines for youth with type 1 diabetes, and further validation of the parent-version (PDRQ:P) in an adolescent sample. Participants included 120 parent-adolescent dyads (ages 12-17) and an additional 24 parents who completed measures of diabetes-specific adolescent routines, general adolescent routines, diabetes self-care, and family support of youth diabetes care. The PDRQ:P/A demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and parent-child agreement, and adequate validity coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor model. Promising results were obtained. The PDRQ:P/A is a clinically feasible parent- and self-report measure that can provide valuable information regarding how frequently adolescents engage in their diabetes management tasks in a consistent manner. Addition of an adolescent report format will enhance the utility of the measure for clinical and research use.

The cognitive role of routine activities: the case of familiar field interventions in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noizet, A.

2000-01-01

Routine works incorporate part of the environment as their own control (exo-monitoring). The routine activity is itself in the self-monitoring situation of a cognitive control, which moves with the constraints, and which is not in direct relation with the errors made and detected, but which is in relation with the check of mastery. (J.S.)

Evolutionary convergence of the patterns of international research collaborations across scientific fields

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, L.; Coccia, M.

2015-01-01

Frame and Carpenter (1979) analysed the pattern of international research collaboration among scientific fields in 1970s. Starting from this pioneering work, this paper investigates international collaborations over 1997-2012 and compares the critical results with earlier studies to detect the

47 CFR 0.457 - Records not routinely available for public inspection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... inspection. 0.457 Section 0.457 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION General Information Public Information and Inspection of Records § 0.457 Records not routinely... a determination is pending. (b) Materials that are related solely to the internal personnel rules...

Internal and External Factors Affecting The Size of Paddy Field Sold

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endang Rostiana

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study attempted  to identify internal condition of the farmers who sold their paddy field and analyze the effects of age, education level, number of family members, field productivity, location, and production cost to the total area of paddy field sold. This study used quantitative descriptive method. This research found that age, education level, number of family members, and location of the land had positive relation to the total area of paddy field sold. On the other hand, production cost and field productivity had negative relation to the total area of paddy field sold. Partially, field production and number of family members had no significant effect to the total area of paddy field sold.

Density-functional theory for internal magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Tellgren, Erik I.

2018-01-01

A density-functional theory is developed based on the Maxwell-Schrödinger equation with an internal magnetic field in addition to the external electromagnetic potentials. The basic variables of this theory are the electron density and the total magnetic field, which can equivalently be represented as a physical current density. Hence, the theory can be regarded as a physical current density-functional theory and an alternative to the paramagnetic current density-functional theory due to Vignale and Rasolt. The energy functional has strong enough convexity properties to allow a formulation that generalizes Lieb's convex analysis formulation of standard density-functional theory. Several variational principles as well as a Hohenberg-Kohn-like mapping between potentials and ground-state densities follow from the underlying convex structure. Moreover, the energy functional can be regarded as the result of a standard approximation technique (Moreau-Yosida regularization) applied to the conventional Schrödinger ground-state energy, which imposes limits on the maximum curvature of the energy (with respect to the magnetic field) and enables construction of a (Fréchet) differentiable universal density functional.

International Accounting Convergence in the Field of Fair Value Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Cozma Ighian

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The investors’ desire for high-quality, internationally comparable financial information that is useful for decision-making in increasingly global capital markets imposed an international convergence, the ultimate goal of which is a single set of international accounting standards that companies worldwide would use for both domestic and cross-border financial reporting. The guidance, set out in IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement and the update to Topic 820 (formerly referred to as SFAS 157, completes a major project of the boards’ joint work to improve IFRSs and US GAAP and to bring about their convergence. This article describes the controversial history of fair value measurement and the main novelties in the field of fair value measurement, arising from the international convergence process.

The International Gravity Field Service (IGFS): Present Day Activities And Future Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Barzaghi, R.; Vergos, G. S.

2016-12-01

IGFS is a unified "umbrella" IAG service that coordinates the servicing of the geodetic and geophysical community with gravity field related data, software and information. The combined data of the IGFS entities will include global geopotential models, terrestrial, airborne, satellite and marine gravity observations, Earth tide data, GPS/levelling data, digital models of terrain and bathymetry, as well as ocean gravity field and geoid from satellite altimetry. The IGFS structure is based on the Gravity Services, the "operating arms" of IGFS. These Services related to IGFS are: BGI (Bureau Gravimetrique International), Toulouse, France ISG (International Service for the Geoid), Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy IGETS (International Geodynamics and Earth Tides Service), EOST, Strasbourg, France ICGEM (International Center for Global Earth Models), GFZ, Potsdam, Germany IDEMS (International Digital Elevation Model Service), ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA The Central Bureau, hosted at the Aristotle Thessaloniki University, is in charge for all the interactions among the services and the other IAG bodies, particularly GGOS. In this respect, connections with the GGOS Bureaus of Products and Standards and of Networks and Observations have been recently strengthened in order to align the Gravity services to the GGOS standards. IGFS is also strongly involved in the most relevant projects related to the gravity field such as the establishment of the new Global Absolute Gravity Reference System and of the International Height Reference System. These projects, along with the organization of Geoid Schools devoted to methods for gravity and geoid estimate, will play a central role in the IGFS future actions in the framework of GGOS.

Experiences with an International Digital Slide Based Telepathology System for Routine Sign-out between Sweden and Hungary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamás Micsik

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Digital microscopy combines the benefits of traditional optical microscopy and the advantages of computer sciences. Using digital whole slides in all areas of pathology is increasingly popular. Telepathology or long distance diagnosis is one such area. In our study we have evaluated digital slide based histopathology diagnosis in an international setting, between Sweden and Hungary. Routine cases from the Sundsvall County Hospital (Landstinget Vasternorrland were collected. Glass slides were scanned using Pannoramic 250 Flash II. (3DHISTECH Ltd., Budapest, Hungary. During the first round of evaluation the glass slides were shipped to Hungary for primary diagnosis. Two pathologists from Hungary, reading glass slides and one pathologist from Sweden reading digital slides signed out 500 cases. Pathologists from Hungary reached the hospital information system with a secure connection. During the second round the pathologists in Hungary reevaluated 200 from the 500 cases using digital slides after three months washout period. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated and diagnostic errors was graded according to clinicopathological consequences. In 182/200 (91% cases digital and optical diagnoses were in full agreement. Out of the remaining 18 cases, 1 (0.5% critical error was identified. In this case the error had therapeutic and prognostic consequence and no uncertainty either because of case complexity or poor image quality was recorded by the pathologist. We think language and communication issues as well as differences in minimal data sets of pathological reports and in guidelines used in Sweden and in Hungary are factors potentially limiting the widespread use of digital slides in a teleconsultation service provided to Sweden from Hungary. We found the quality of digital slides in our study setting acceptable to reach correct primary diagnosis in routine, unselected, random cases of a small-to-medium sized pathology department in Sweden.

Challenges Handling Magnetospheric and Ionospheric Signals in Internal Geomagnetic Field Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Finlay, Chris; Lesur, V.; Thébault, E.

2017-01-01

systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. In order to fully exploit magnetic data to probe the physical properties and dynamics of the Earth’s interior, field models with suitable treatments of external sources, and their associated induced signals, are essential. Here we review the methods presently......-by-track analysis to characterize magnetospheric field fluctuations, differences in internal field models that result from alternative treatments of the quiet-time ionospheric field, and challenges associated with rapidly changing, but spatially correlated, magnetic signatures of polar cap current systems. Possible...

INAA analysis of rocks: A routine method using Fe as an internal flux monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kay, R.W.; Kay, S. Mahlburg

1992-01-01

Over the past decade at Cornell, trace elements in over 2500 rocks have been analyzed by INAA. The samples, mainly volcanic rocks, have known concentrations of major elements (e.g. Si, Ti, Al, Mg, Ca, K, Fe, Na) and the last two of these (Fe and Na) are also determined by activation, using rock standards (e.g. USGS standards BCRl, BHVO, etc.). Differences between Fe determined by INAA and that determined as a part of the major element analysis are mainly attributed to volatile (H 2 O, CO 2 ) loss (especially when major element analyses were done by electron microprobe on fused powders, whereas the INAA analyses were done on the powders), and to flux variability during irradiation. Instead of reporting two values for Fe we use Fe as an internal flux monitor, with Na and the trace elements being reported relative to the given Fe value. The ratio Na/Fe is used as a sensitive check on the identity of the sample and as a monitor of alkali loss affecting the major element analysis. Other than this modification (Kay et aL 1987, also reported in Chappell and Hergt, 1989) we use an INAA method similar to mat practiced by many labs. Powdered samples (about 0.5 g) are sealed in high-purity silica tubes and irradiated in the Cornell Triga reactor. Samples are counted for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 10 hours) 7 and 40 days after irradiation. Data are reduced using a program written at Cornell, with peak and background regions that have been checked for interferences. Corrections are routinely applied for Ce (Fe), Nd (Br), Tb (Th), Eu (Ba), Lu (U), and Yb (Th) (interference is from element in parentheses). A U fission yield correction is applied to La, Ce, Nd, and Ba. A correction for Ta introduced by grinding in WC containers can be made using known Ta/W ratios in the grinding containers. The correction amounted to 10-20% of the Ta gross peak. Recently, samples have been prepared in a ceramic grinding containers; for these, no Ta correction is needed. Trace elements determined

Culture Studies in the Field of International Business Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Worm, Verner; Li, Xin; Jakobsen, Michael

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the status of culture studies within the field of international business research, and to examine how two main paradigms – essentialism and social constructivism – relate to the discourse in this field. We analyze the main points of the two...... in this paper. Practical implications: We encourage practitioners to learn how to switch, both sequentially and spatially, between the two paradigms of culture (fundamentally incommensurable though they are). This involves taking a “both/or” approach to the two paradigms. Originality/Value: We show...

Nordic Internationalists' Contribution to the Field of Comparative and International Education

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, Teodora

2016-01-01

This paper stems from a PhD dissertation research focusing on the Nordic representatives' contribution to the field of comparative and international education (CIE) since the middle of the 20th century to the present days. Following the idea of the clear-cut distinction between the two component parts of the field in the region in question, the…

British Isles Field Experience: An Initiative in International Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, William J.

The British Isles Field Experience (BIFE) program was initiated at Williamsport Area Community College (WACC) to provide a group of WACC faculty and staff members with individual and group activities of a personal, professional, and cultural nature in order to promote an international perspective that can be infused into student, collegiate, and…

Perspectives of Turkish Intern and Non-Intern Students towards Sport Management Internship within the Context of Field Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Coknaz, Dilsad

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between intern and non-intern students in terms of their perspectives on sport management internship within the context of field experience. The subjects of the study were a total of 189 students. They were 4th year students who completed their internship and 3rd year students who were yet to…

Collaboration in Education: International Field Class on Permafrost

Science.gov (United States)

Streletskiy, D. A.; Shiklomanov, N. I.; Grebenets, V. I.

2011-12-01

Field work is a dominant research component in the earth sciences. Understanding and proper use of field methods can enhance the quality of research, while lack of understanding in acquiring data can lead to misleading interpretation of results. Early involvement in field work helps students to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications and to be better prepared for future jobs. However, many University curriculums lack adequate, required field methods courses. Presented are results of collaboration between the George Washington and Moscow State Universities in organization of field courses on Arctic physical and social environments. The latest field course took place in summer 2011 in the Central Siberian region and is a part of the International Permafrost Association education and outreach effort initiated during International Polar Year. The 25 day course involved fifteen Russian and US students who traveled from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk, and then along Yenisey river to Norilsk. This route was chosen as having diversity of natural conditions and variety of economic, engineering, and demographic problems associated with development. The main goal of the class was to investigate permafrost conditions of Central Siberia; dynamics of upper permafrost due to changing climate and under anthropogenic influence; and to understand factors responsible for the diversity of permafrost conditions in the region. The students and instructors were required to make presentations on a variety of topics focusing on the region or research methods, such as climate, vegetation, hydrology, history of development, economics, remote sensing, etc. The emphasis in the field was made on understanding permafrost in relation to other components of the natural system. For example, landscape conditions (including microclimatic, biogeographic and pedologic conditions) were described at every site located in natural settings. Sites located in settlements were evaluated

The embeddedness of selfish Routines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul Houman

2001-01-01

Routines have traditionally been seen as an organisational feature. However, like genes, routines may be carriers and initiators of organisations as well......Routines have traditionally been seen as an organisational feature. However, like genes, routines may be carriers and initiators of organisations as well...

Internal dosimetry hazard and risk assessments: methods and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, G.A.

2006-01-01

Routine internal dose exposures are typically (in the UK nuclear industry) less than external dose exposures: however, the costs of internal dosimetry monitoring programmes can be significantly greater than those for external dosimetry. For this reason decisions on when to apply routine monitoring programmes, and the nature of these programmes, can be more critical than for external dosimetry programmes. This paper describes various methods for performing hazard and risk assessments which are being developed by RWE NUKEM Limited Approved Dosimetry Services to provide an indication when routine internal dosimetry monitoring should be considered. (author)

Superstrong fields in Plasmas: First International Conference. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lontano, M.; Mourou, G.; Pegoraro, F.; Sindoni, E.

1998-01-01

These proceedings are based on papers presented at the first International Conference on Superstrong Fields in Plasmas held in Varenna, Italy in August endash September, 1997. The conference attracted more than 100 participants from fourteen countries. A wide range of topics were discussed, including fundamental atomic and plasma processes, relativistic nonlinear optics, solid density plasmas, laser systems for ultrahigh-intensity physics, applications of ultrastrong fields and applications of ultraintense pulses to astrophysics. The progress in laser technology was brought into focus at this conference, especially the creation of pulses with peak power exceeding multiple TW range and the interaction of these pulses with superrelativistic electrons. There were 74 papers presented; out of these, 6 have been abstracted for the Energy Science and Technology database

Modern Radiation Therapy for Extranodal Lymphomas: Field and Dose Guidelines From the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yahalom, Joachim, E-mail: yahalomj@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Illidge, Tim [Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The Christie National Health Service Foundation Trust, Manchester (United Kingdom); Specht, Lena [Department of Oncology and Hematology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark); Hoppe, Richard T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California (United States); Li, Ye-Xiong [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing (China); Tsang, Richard [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Wirth, Andrew [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, St. Andrews Place, East Melbourne (Australia)

2015-05-01

Extranodal lymphomas (ENLs) comprise about a third of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used as either primary therapy (particularly for indolent ENL), consolidation after systemic therapy, salvage treatment, or palliation. The wide range of presentations of ENL, involving any organ in the body and the spectrum of histological sub-types, poses a challenge both for routine clinical care and for the conduct of prospective and retrospective studies. This has led to uncertainty and lack of consistency in RT approaches between centers and clinicians. Thus far there is a lack of guidelines for the use of RT in the management of ENL. This report presents an effort by the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) to harmonize and standardize the principles of treatment of ENL, and to address the technical challenges of simulation, volume definition and treatment planning for the most frequently involved organs. Specifically, detailed recommendations for RT volumes are provided. We have applied the same modern principles of involved site radiation therapy as previously developed and published as guidelines for Hodgkin lymphoma and nodal NHL. We have adopted RT volume definitions based on the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), as has been widely adopted by the field of radiation oncology for solid tumors. Organ-specific recommendations take into account histological subtype, anatomy, the treatment intent, and other treatment modalities that may be have been used before RT.

Modern Radiation Therapy for Extranodal Lymphomas: Field and Dose Guidelines From the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahalom, Joachim; Illidge, Tim; Specht, Lena; Hoppe, Richard T.; Li, Ye-Xiong; Tsang, Richard; Wirth, Andrew

2015-01-01

Extranodal lymphomas (ENLs) comprise about a third of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used as either primary therapy (particularly for indolent ENL), consolidation after systemic therapy, salvage treatment, or palliation. The wide range of presentations of ENL, involving any organ in the body and the spectrum of histological sub-types, poses a challenge both for routine clinical care and for the conduct of prospective and retrospective studies. This has led to uncertainty and lack of consistency in RT approaches between centers and clinicians. Thus far there is a lack of guidelines for the use of RT in the management of ENL. This report presents an effort by the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) to harmonize and standardize the principles of treatment of ENL, and to address the technical challenges of simulation, volume definition and treatment planning for the most frequently involved organs. Specifically, detailed recommendations for RT volumes are provided. We have applied the same modern principles of involved site radiation therapy as previously developed and published as guidelines for Hodgkin lymphoma and nodal NHL. We have adopted RT volume definitions based on the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), as has been widely adopted by the field of radiation oncology for solid tumors. Organ-specific recommendations take into account histological subtype, anatomy, the treatment intent, and other treatment modalities that may be have been used before RT

Generating Novelty Through Interdependent Routines: A Process Model of Routine Work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deken, F.; Carlile, P.R.; Berends, H.; Lauche, K.

2016-01-01

We investigate how multiple actors accomplish interdependent routine performances directed at novel intended outcomes and how this affects routine dynamics over time. We report findings from a longitudinal ethnographic study in an automotive company where actors developed a new business model around

Assessing the need for a routine monitoring program in three Nuclear Medicine centers in Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astudillo, R.; Hermosilla, A.; Diaz-Londono, G.; Garcia, M.

2015-01-01

The workers performing different activities with radionuclides in nuclear medicine centers are at potential risk of external exposure and internal contamination. The IAEA Safety Guide No. RS-G-1.2 proposed criteria for determining the need for a routine monitoring program to assess internal contamination. For this purpose, an Excel template containing the IAEA criteria was applied in three nuclear medicine centers in Chile. The results show that it is necessary to carry out a routine monitoring program for five workers who handle 131 I and three for 99m Tc. We propose to implement this template at a national level in order to improve the conditions of radiation protection in the participating centers. (authors)

8th International Conference on Field and Service Robotics

CERN Document Server

Tadokoro, Satoshi

2014-01-01

FSR, the International Conference on Field and Service Robotics, is the leading single track conference of robotics for field and service applications. This book presents the results of FSR2012, the eighth conference of Field and Service Robotics, which was originally planned for 2011 with the venue of Matsushima in Tohoku region of Japan. However, on March 11, 2011, a magnitude M9.0 earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, and a large-scale disaster was caused by the Tsunami which resulted, therefore the conference was postponed by one year to July, 2012. In fact, this earthquake raised issues concerning the contribution of field and service robotics technology to emergency scenarios. A number of precious lessons were learned from operation of robots in the resulting, very real and challenging, disaster environments. Up-to-date study on disaster response, relief and recovery was then featured in the conference. This book offers 43 papers on a broad range of topics including: Disaster Response, Se...

International Scientific Cooperation in the Field of Spatial Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Aleksandrovich Minakir

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses the existing structure of international cooperation of scientific organizations in the field of regional studies in different parts of the world. The authors define current major organizations that coordinate the work of scientific subdivisions in the field of regional studies in the whole world and also in Europe, North and South America and the Asia-Pacific region. The researchers offer the new term - ‘public-scientific partnership’ (PSP - and discuss PSP mechanisms and its implementation ways that may strengthen regional scientific research in Russia. The authors also debate the idea of creation of the Russian Association of Regional Science

Bedtime routines child wellbeing & development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitsaras, George; Goodwin, Michaela; Allan, Julia; Kelly, Michael P; Pretty, Iain A

2018-03-21

Bedtime routines has shown important associations with areas associated with child wellbeing and development. Research into bedtime routines is limited with studies mainly focusing on quality of sleep. The objectives of the present study were to examine the relationship between bedtime routines and a variety of factors associated with child wellbeing and to examine possible determinants of bedtime routines. A total of 50 families with children between 3 and 5 years old took part in the study. Data on bedtime routines, parenting styles, school readiness, children's dental health, and executive function were collected. Children in families with optimal bedtime routines showed better performance in terms of executive function, specifically working memory (t (44)= - 8.51, p ≤ .001), inhibition and attention (t (48)= - 9.70, p ≤ .001) and cognitive flexibility (t (48)= - 13.1, p ≤ .001). Also, children in households with optimal bedtime routines scored higher in their readiness for school (t (48)= 6.92, p ≤ .001) and had better dental health (U = 85.5, p = .011). Parents in households with suboptimal bedtime routines showed worse performance on all measures of executive function including working memory (t (48)= - 10.47, p ≤ .001), inhibition-attention (t (48)= - 10.50, p ≤ .001) and cognitive flexibility (t (48)= - 13.6, p ≤ .001). Finally, parents with optimal bedtime routines for their children deployed a more positive parenting style in general (i.e. authoritative parenting) compared to those with suboptimal bedtime routines (t (48)= - 6.45, p ≤ .001). The results of the present study highlight the potentially important role of bedtime routines in a variety of areas associated with child wellbeing and the need for further research.

Internal and external Field of View: computer games and cybersickness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, S.C. de; Bos, J.E.; Emmerik, M.L. van; Groen, E.L.

2007-01-01

In an experiment with a computer game environment, we studied the effect of Field-of-View (FOV) on cybersickness. In particular, we examined the effect of differences between the internal FOV (IFOV, the FOV which the graphics generator is using to render its images) and the external FOV (EFOV, the

International Cooperation of the Republic of Croatia in the Field of Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novosel, N.; Rosandic, L.

2010-01-01

International cooperation of the Republic of Croatia in the field of nuclear safety can be divided in two parts - political part, for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is responsible, and technical part, for which the State Office for Nuclear Safety is responsible, in cooperation with other state administration bodies, where applicable. According to the Nuclear Safety Act (OG 73/2003) the State Office for Nuclear Safety: 'coordinates technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency for all participants from the Republic of Croatia'; 'fulfills the obligations which the Republic of Croatia has assumed through international conventions and bilateral agreements concerning nuclear safety and the application of protective measures aimed at the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons' and 'cooperates with international organizations and associations in the area of nuclear safety, and appoints its own expert representatives to take part in the work of such organizations and associations or to monitor their work'. In this paper various aspects of the technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as international conventions and bilateral agreements in the field of nuclear safety, will be presented. Also, cooperation with other international organizations and associations in the nuclear area, such as Nuclear Suppliers Group, Zangger Committee, Wassenaar Arrangement, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Euratom and certain civil expert groups of NATO, will be described.(author).

Analysis of Russian Federation Foreign Policy in the Field of International Information Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena S. Zinovieva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Information and communication technologies (ICT play an essential role in the improvement of the quality of life, economic and socio-political of individual countries and humanity in general. However, ICT development is fraught with new challenges and threats to international and national security. Interstate rivalry in the information sphere generates conflicts, an extreme form of which is an information war. Since 1998, the Russian initiative supports the international cooperation on information security at the global and regional level as well as within the framework of the bilateral relations. The article analyzes the characteristics of the global information society, which has a decisive influence on the international security in the information age, as well as international cooperation in this field. The analysis of Russian foreign policy initiatives in the field of international information security is also presented. Today more than 130 countries develop cyber capabilities, both defensive and offensive, that pose serious threats to the international stability. It's difficult to trace the source of information attacks and its consequences can be devastating and cause retaliation, including the use of conventional weapons. In this situation Russian approach, advocating for the development of the rules of conduct of States and demilitarization of information space in order to ensure its safety, seems urgent and relevant with the international situation.

International Permafrost Field Courses in Siberia: the Synthesis of Research and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ablyazina, D.; Boitsov, A.; Grebenets, V.; Kaverin, D.; Klene, A.; Kurchatova, A.; Pfeiffer, E. M.; Zschocke, A.; Shiklomanov, N.; Streletskiy, D.

2009-04-01

During summers of 2007 and 2008 a series of International University Courses on Permafrost (IUCP) were conducted in West Siberia, Russia. Courses were organized as part of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) International Polar Year activities. The North of West Siberia region was selected to represent diverse permafrost, climatic and landscape conditions. The courses were jointly organized by the Moscow State University (MSU) and the Tumen' Oil and Gas University (TOGU) with the help from German and U.S. institutions. The program attracted undergraduate and graduate students with diverse interests and backgrounds from Germany, Russia and the U.S. and involved instructors specializing in different aspects of permafrost research. Courses were designed to address three major topics of permafrost-related research: a) permafrost environments characteristic of the discontinuous and continuous zones; b) field instrumentation and techniques; c) permafrost engineering and problems of development in permafrost regions. Methodologically, courses consisted of systematic permafrost investigations at long-term monitoring sites and survey-type expeditions. Systematic, process-based investigations were conducted at a network of sites which constitute the TEPO established by TOGU in collaboration with the gas company NadymGasProm. The observation complex includes an array of 30-m deep boreholes equipped with automatic data collection systems and representing characteristic permafrost landscapes of West Siberia. Boreholes are complemented by sites for snow cover, vegetation, soil, ground ice, and geomorphologic investigations. As part of student research activities, four new Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) sites were established in proximity to boreholes for monitoring spatial distribution and long-term dynamic of the active layer. New sites represent diverse landscapes characteristic of the West Siberian previously underrepresented in the CALM network

Towards the system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in routine practice: Lessons from a pilot study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianan; Prodinger, Birgit; Reinhardt, Jan D; Stucki, Gerold

2016-06-13

In 2011 the Chinese leadership in rehabilitation, in collaboration with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Research Branch, embarked on an effort towards the system-wide implementation of the ICF in the healthcare system in China. We report here on the lessons learned from the pilot phase of testing the ICF Generic Set, a parsimonious set of 7 ICF categories, which have been shown to best describe functioning across the general population and people with various health conditions, for use in routine clinical practice in China. The paper discusses whether classification and measurement are compatible, what number of ICF categories should be included in data collection in routine practice, and the usefulness of a functioning profile and functioning score in clinical practice and health research planning. In addition, the paper reflects on the use of ICF qualifiers in a rating scale and the particularities of certain ICF categories contained in the ICF Generic Set when used as items in the context of Chinese rehabilitation and healthcare. Finally, the steps required to enhance the utility of system-wide implementation of the ICF in rehabilitation and healthcare services are set out.

Internal bias field in glycine phosphite crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayeem, Jannatul; Wakabayashi, Hiroshi; Kikuta, Toshio; Yamazaki, Toshinari; Nakatani, Noriyuki

2003-01-01

The distributions of internal bias field E b have been investigated under the carbon-powder pattern and mercury electrode techniques in GPI ferroelectric crystals. Polarity and intensity of E b are distributed depending on crystal growth sectors. Crystal symmetry 2/m is observed obviously in the distribution of E b . The polarities of E b are head-to-head manner in those growth sectors where a surface is growing parallel to the crystallographic a-axis and tail-to-tail manner in the other growth sectors in the crystal. The maximum intensity of E b is found in the sectors (010) where the growing surfaces are perpendicular to the ferroelectric b-axis

Experimental determination of radiated internal wave power without pressure field data

OpenAIRE

Lee, Frank M.; Paoletti, M. S.; Swinney, Harry L.; Morrison, P. J.

2014-01-01

We present a method to determine, using only velocity field data, the time-averaged energy flux $\\left$ and total radiated power $P$ for two-dimensional internal gravity waves. Both $\\left$ and $P$ are determined from expressions involving only a scalar function, the stream function $\\psi$. We test the method using data from a direct numerical simulation for tidal flow of a stratified fluid past a knife edge. The results for the radiated internal wave power given by the stream function method...

Climate engineering field research : The favorable setting of international environmental law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reynolds, J.L.(Jesse)

2014-01-01

As forecasts for climate change and its impacts have become more dire, climate engineering proposals have come under increasing consideration and are presently moving toward field trials. This article examines the relevant international environmental law, distinguishing between climate engineering

9th International Conference on Field and Service Robotics

CERN Document Server

Corke, Peter; Roberts, Jonathan

2015-01-01

FSR, the International Conference on Field and Service Robotics, is a robotics Symposium which has established over the past ten years the latest research and practical results towards the use of field and service robotics in the community with particular focus on proven technology. The first meeting was held in Canberra, Australia, in 1997. Since then the meeting has been held every two years in the pattern Asia, America, Europe.   Field robots are non-factory robots, typically mobile, that operate in complex, and dynamic environments; on the ground (of earth or planets), under the ground, underwater, in the air or in space. Service robots are those that work closely with humans to help them with their lives. This book present the results of the ninth edition of Field and Service Robotics, FSR13, held in Brisbane, Australia on 9th-11th December 2013. The conference provided a forum for researchers, professionals, and robot manufactures to exchange up-to-date technical knowledge and experience. This book off...

Internal electric-field-lines distribution in CdZnTe detectors measured using X-ray mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolotnikov, A.E.; Camarda, G.S.; Cui, Y.; Hossain, A.; Yang, G.; Yao, H.W.; James, R.B.

2009-01-01

The ideal operation of CdZnTe devices entails having a uniformly distributed internal electric field. Such uniformity especially is critical for thick long-drift-length detectors, such as large-volume CPG and 3-D multi-pixel devices. Using a high-spatial resolution X-ray mapping technique, we investigated the distribution of the electric field in real devices. Our measurements demonstrate that in thin detectors, 1 cm, with a large aspect ratio (thickness-to-width ratio), we observed two effects: the electric field lines bending away from or towards the side surfaces, which we called, respectively, the focusing field-line distribution and the defocusing field-line distribution. In addition to these large-scale variations, the field-line distributions were locally perturbed by the presence of extended defects and residual strains existing inside the crystals. We present our data clearly demonstrating the non-uniformity of the internal electric field

The Development of International Law in the Field of Renewable Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Mulyana

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Energy plays a pivotal role in ensuring economic growth, social equity and live-able environment. In this regard, the non-renewable or conventional source of energy such as oil, gas and coal continue to supply the energy demand throughout the world. Nevertheless, as the awareness of the international society towards the protection and preservation of the global environment is rapidly growing, the utilization of energy resources has been gradually shifted from the non-renewable to renewable ones. Observing the international developments in the field of energy, further international legal instruments is required to be able to regulate renewable energy activities undertaken by the countries today. Although there have been a number of rules in international law, but until recently, most of these regulations is still not legally binding. Moreover, to achieve world order that uses renewable energy, international law also had to resolve some fundamental issues, namely the issue of state sovereignty and energy security.

A Computer-Controlled SEM-EDX Routine for Characterizing Respirable Coal Mine Dust

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Johann-Essex

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A recent resurgence in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (or “black lung” and concerns over other related respiratory illnesses have highlighted the need to elucidate characteristics of airborne particulates in occupational environments. A better understanding of particle size, aspect ratio, or chemical composition may offer new insights regarding causal factors of such illnesses. Scanning electron microscopy analysis using energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX can be used to estimate these particle characteristics. If conducted manually, such work can be very time intensive, limiting the number of particles that can be analyzed. Moreover, potential exists for user bias in interpretation of EDX spectra. A computer-controlled (CC routine, on the other hand, can allow similar analysis at a much faster rate, increasing total particle counts and reproducibility of results. This paper describes a CCSEM-EDX routine specifically developed for analysis of respirable dust samples from coal mines. The routine is verified based on reliability of results obtained on samples of known materials, and reproducibility of results obtained on a set of 10 dust samples collected in the field. The characteristics of the field samples are also discussed with respect to mine occupational environments.

Lightweight space radiator with leakage control by internal electrostatic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H.; Bankoff, S.G.; Miksis, M.J.

1991-01-01

An electrostatic liquid film space radiator is proposed. This will employ an internal electrostatic field to prevent leakage of the liquid-metal coolant out of a puncture. This overcomes the major disadvantage of membrane radiators, which is their vulnerability to micrometeorite impacts. Calculations show that leaks of liquid lithium at 700 degree K can easily be stopped from punctures which are several mm in diameter, with very large safety factors. The basic idea lends itself to a variety of radiator concepts, both rotating and non-rotating. Some typical film thickness and pressure calculations in the presence of an electric field are shown

Comparison of performance of tile drainage routines in SWAT 2009 and 2012 in an extensively tile-drained watershed in the Midwest

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Tian; Gitau, Margaret; Merwade, Venkatesh; Arnold, Jeffrey; Srinivasan, Raghavan; Hirschi, Michael; Engel, Bernard

2018-01-01

Subsurface tile drainage systems are widely used in agricultural watersheds in the Midwestern US and enable the Midwest area to become highly productive agricultural lands, but can also create environmental problems, for example nitrate-N contamination associated with drainage waters. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been used to model watersheds with tile drainage. SWAT2012 revisions 615 and 645 provide new tile drainage routines. However, few studies have used these revisions to study tile drainage impacts at both field and watershed scales. Moreover, SWAT2012 revision 645 improved the soil moisture based curve number calculation method, which has not been fully tested. This study used long-term (1991-2003) field site and river station data from the Little Vermilion River (LVR) watershed to evaluate performance of tile drainage routines in SWAT2009 revision 528 (the old routine) and SWAT2012 revisions 615 and 645 (the new routine). Both the old and new routines provided reasonable but unsatisfactory (NSE runoff. The calibrated monthly tile flow, surface flow, nitrate-N in tile and surface flow, sediment and annual corn and soybean yield results from SWAT with the old and new tile drainage routines were compared with observed values. Generally, the new routine provided acceptable simulated tile flow (NSE = 0.48-0.65) and nitrate in tile flow (NSE = 0.48-0.68) for field sites with random pattern tile and constant tile spacing, while the old routine simulated tile flow and nitrate in tile flow results for the field site with constant tile spacing were unacceptable (NSE = 0.00-0.32 and -0.29-0.06, respectively). The new modified curve number calculation method in revision 645 (NSE = 0.50-0.81) better simulated surface runoff than revision 615 (NSE = -0.11-0.49). The calibration provided reasonable parameter sets for the old and new routines in the LVR watershed, and the validation results showed that the new routine has the potential to accurately

International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirshblum, S C; Biering-Sorensen, F; Betz, R

2014-01-01

The International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) is routinely used to determine the levels of injury and to classify the severity of the injury. Questions are often posed to the International Standards Committee of the American Spinal Injury Associat......The International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) is routinely used to determine the levels of injury and to classify the severity of the injury. Questions are often posed to the International Standards Committee of the American Spinal Injury...

The significance of routines in nursing practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Rytterström, Patrik; Unosson, Mitra; Arman, Maria

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to illuminate the significance of routines in nursing practice. Clinical nursing is performed under the guidance of routines to varying degrees. In the nursing literature, routine is described as having both negative and positive aspects, but use of the term is inconsistent, and empirical evidence is sparse. In the research on organisational routines, a distinction is made between routine as a rule and routine as action. A qualitative design using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Data collection from three focus groups focused on nurses' experience of routines. Seventeen individual interviews from a previous study focusing on caring culture were also analysed in a secondary qualitative analysis. All participants were employed as 'qualified nursing pool' nurses. Routines are experienced as pragmatic, obstructive and meaningful. The aim of the pragmatic routine was to ensure that daily working life works; this routine is practised more on the basis of rational arguments and obvious intentions. The obstructive routine had negative consequences for nursing practice and was described as nursing losing its humanity and violating the patient's integrity. The meaningful routine involved becoming one with the routine and for the nurses, it felt right and meaningful to adapt to it. Routines become meaningful when the individual action is in harmony with the cultural pattern on which the nursing work is based. Instead of letting contemporary practice passively become routine, routines can be assessed and developed using research and theoretical underpinnings as a starting point for nursing practice. Leaders have a special responsibility to develop and support meaningful routines. One approach could be to let wards examine their routines from a patient perspective on the basis of the themes of pragmatic, meaningful and obstructive routine. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Possibility of internal transport barrier formation and electric field bifurcation in LHD plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanuki, H.; Itoh, K.; Yokoyama, M.; Fujisawa, A.; Ida, K.; Toda, S.; Itoh, S.-I.; Yagi, M.; Fukuyama, A.

1999-05-01

Theoretical analysis of the electric field bifurcation is made for the LHD plasma. For given shapes of plasma profiles, a region of bifurcation is obtained in a space of the plasma parameters. In this region of plasma parameters, the electric field domain interface is predicted to appear in the plasma column. The reduction of turbulent transport is expected to occur in the vicinity of the interface, inducing a internal transport barrier. Within this simple model, the plasma with internal barriers is predicted to be realized for the parameters of T e (0) ∼ 2 keV and n(0) ≅ 10 18 m -3 . (author)

European cooperation in the field of security and defence. International Relation theories perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacek Czaputowicz

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses various theoretical explanations of the European cooperation in the field of security and defence. According to realist explanations this cooperation was a response to external evolutions in the international system, i.e. changes in polarity and distribution of power. Liberals say that it was rather due to internal factors. Constructivists argue that it was a result of elites’ socialisation, while according to Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory, it was caused by civil servants and military staff at the policy implementation level. The paper argues that external factors underlined by realists were decisive, i.e. America’s decreasing involvement in European security.

Data format translation routines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burris, R.D.

1981-02-01

To enable the effective connection of several dissimilar computers into a network, modification of the data being passed from one computer to another may become necessary. This document describes a package of routines which permit the translation of data in PDP-8 formats to PDP-11 or DECsystem-10 formats or from PDP-11 format to DECsystem-10 format. Additional routines are described which permit the effective use of the translation routines in the environment of the Fusion Energy Division (FED) network and the Elmo Bumpy Torus (EBT) data base

Routines and Organizational Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yi, Sangyoon; Becker, Markus; Knudsen, Thorbjørn

2014-01-01

Routines have been perceived as a source of inertia in the process of organizational change. In this study, we suggest an overlooked, but prevalent, mechanism by which the inertial nature of routines helps, rather than hinders, organizational adaptation. Routine-level inertia plays a hidden role...... to cope with its task environment. In our nuanced perspective, inertia is not only a consequence of adaptation but also a source of adaptation. This logic is helpful to understand why reliable but apparently inertial organizations keep surviving and often exhibit outstanding performance. We conclude...

Internal electric fields due to piezoelectric and spontaneous polarizations in CdZnO/MgZnO quantum well with various applied electric field effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, H.C.; Lee, S.J.; Kang, T.W.; Park, S.H.

2012-01-01

The strain-induced piezoelectric polarization and the spontaneous polarization can be reduced effectively using the applied electric field in the CdZnO/ZnMgO quantum well (QW) structure with high Cd composition. That is, optical properties as a function of internal and external fields in the CdZnO/ZnMgO QW with various applied electric field result in the increased optical gain due to the fact that the QW potential profile is flattened as a result of the compensation of the internal field by the reverse field as confirmed. These results demonstrate that a high-performance optical device operation can be realized in CdZnO/MgZnO QW structures by reducing the droop phenomenon.

Internal electric fields due to piezoelectric and spontaneous polarizations in CdZnO/MgZnO quantum well with various applied electric field effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, H.C. [Quantum-functional Semiconductor Research Center, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, S.J., E-mail: leesj@dongguk.edu [Quantum-functional Semiconductor Research Center, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, T.W. [Quantum-functional Semiconductor Research Center, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Park, S.H. [Department of Electronics Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Kyeongbuk 712-702 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

The strain-induced piezoelectric polarization and the spontaneous polarization can be reduced effectively using the applied electric field in the CdZnO/ZnMgO quantum well (QW) structure with high Cd composition. That is, optical properties as a function of internal and external fields in the CdZnO/ZnMgO QW with various applied electric field result in the increased optical gain due to the fact that the QW potential profile is flattened as a result of the compensation of the internal field by the reverse field as confirmed. These results demonstrate that a high-performance optical device operation can be realized in CdZnO/MgZnO QW structures by reducing the droop phenomenon.

The International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) generation 12: BGS candidates and final models

OpenAIRE

Beggan, Ciaran D.; Hamilton, Brian; Taylor, Victoria; Macmillan, Susan; Thomson, Alan

2015-01-01

The International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) model is a reference main field magnetic model updated on a quinquennial basis. The latest revision (generation 12) was released in January 2015. The IGRF-12 consists of a definitive model (DGRF2010) of the main field for 2010.0, a model for the field at 2015.0 (IGRF2015) and a prediction of secular variation (IGRF-12 SV) for the forthcoming five years until 2020.0. The remaining coefficients of IGRF-12 are unchanged from IGRF-11. Nin...

Concerning the work of the II international field archaeological school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sitdikov Ayrat G.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The II international field archaeological school was held in Bolgar, 17-30 August, 2015. Basic theoretical lectures were included into syllabus, as well as methodical studies and work of such scientific sections as: History of ancient metallurgy and metal processing; Palaeoanthropology; Archeobiological methods in archaeology; Techniques of field conservation and restoration; Geoinformational systems in archaeology; History of ancient ceramics; Experimental and traseology study of ancient tools; Archaeological glass. The Bolgar school is an example of organisation an academic educational centre which is focused on practical acquisition of contemporary techniques of complex archaeological monuments’ study with wide usage of experimental research methods.

Routine environmental reaudit of the Argonne National Laboratory - West

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-04-01

This report documents the results of the Routine Environmental Reaudit of the Argonne National Laboratory - West (ANL-W), Idaho Falls, Idaho. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents and reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW), and DOE contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted from October 11 to October 22, 1993, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). DOE 5482.113, {open_quotes}Environment, Safety, and Health Appraisal Program,{close_quotes} established the mission of EH-24 to provide comprehensive, independent oversight of Department-wide environmental programs on behalf of the Secretary of Energy. The ultimate goal of EH-24 is enhancement of environmental protection and minimization of risk to public health and the environment. EH-24 accomplishes its mission by conducting systematic and periodic evaluations of the Department`s environmental programs within line organizations, and by utilizing supplemental activities that serve to strengthen self-assessment and oversight functions within program, field, and contractor organizations.

Routine environmental reaudit of the Argonne National Laboratory - West

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This report documents the results of the Routine Environmental Reaudit of the Argonne National Laboratory - West (ANL-W), Idaho Falls, Idaho. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents and reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW), and DOE contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted from October 11 to October 22, 1993, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). DOE 5482.113, open-quotes Environment, Safety, and Health Appraisal Program,close quotes established the mission of EH-24 to provide comprehensive, independent oversight of Department-wide environmental programs on behalf of the Secretary of Energy. The ultimate goal of EH-24 is enhancement of environmental protection and minimization of risk to public health and the environment. EH-24 accomplishes its mission by conducting systematic and periodic evaluations of the Department's environmental programs within line organizations, and by utilizing supplemental activities that serve to strengthen self-assessment and oversight functions within program, field, and contractor organizations

International Education Is a Broken Field: Can "Ubuntu" Education Bring Solutions?

Science.gov (United States)

Piper, Benjamin

2016-01-01

"Ubuntu" is an African philosophy of human kindness; applying it in the Global South would fundamentally alter the design of the education sector. This essay argues, however, that the field of international educational development is not, in fact, structured to support an education influenced by "ubuntu" ideals. Specifically,…

International collaborative study for the calibration of proposed International Standards for thromboplastin, rabbit, plain and for thromboplastin, recombinant, human, plain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van den Besselaar, A M H P; Chantarangkul, V; Angeloni, F

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: The availability of International Standards for thromboplastin is essential for the calibration of routine reagents and hence the calculation of the International Normalized Ratio (INR). Stocks of the current 4(th) International Standards are running low. Candidate replacement materia......) international standard (rTF/09). The candidate materials have been accepted by WHO as the 5(th) International Standards for thromboplastin, rabbit plain, and thromboplastin, recombinant, human, plain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.......BACKGROUND: The availability of International Standards for thromboplastin is essential for the calibration of routine reagents and hence the calculation of the International Normalized Ratio (INR). Stocks of the current 4(th) International Standards are running low. Candidate replacement materials...... have been prepared. This report describes the calibration of the proposed 5(th) International Standards for thromboplastin, rabbit, plain (coded RBT/16) and for thromboplastin, recombinant, human, plain (coded rTF/16). METHODS: An international collaborative study was carried out for the assignment...

The first law of black hole mechanics for fields with internal gauge freedom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabhu, Kartik

2017-01-01

We derive the first law of black hole mechanics for physical theories based on a local, covariant and gauge-invariant Lagrangian where the dynamical fields transform non-trivially under the action of some internal gauge transformations. The theories of interest include General Relativity formulated in terms of tetrads, Einstein–Yang–Mills theory and Einstein–Dirac theory. Since the dynamical fields of these theories have some internal gauge freedom, we argue that there is no natural group action of diffeomorphisms of spacetime on such dynamical fields. In general, such fields cannot even be represented as smooth, globally well-defined tensor fields on spacetime. Consequently the derivation of the first law by Iyer and Wald cannot be used directly. Nevertheless, we show how such theories can be formulated on a principal bundle and that there is a natural action of automorphisms of the bundle on the fields. These bundle automorphisms encode both spacetime diffeomorphisms and internal gauge transformations. Using this reformulation we define the Noether charge associated to an infinitesimal automorphism and the corresponding notion of stationarity and axisymmetry of the dynamical fields. We first show that we can define certain potentials and charges at the horizon of a black hole so that the potentials are constant on the bifurcate Killing horizon, giving a generalised zeroth law for bifurcate Killing horizons. We further identify the gravitational potential and perturbed charge as the temperature and perturbed entropy of the black hole which gives an explicit formula for the perturbed entropy analogous to the Wald entropy formula. We then obtain a general first law of black hole mechanics for such theories. The first law relates the perturbed Hamiltonians at spatial infinity and the horizon, and the horizon contributions take the form of a ‘potential times perturbed charge’ term. We also comment on the ambiguities in defining a prescription for the total

Internal additive noise effects in stochastic resonance using organic field effect transistor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Yoshiharu; Asakawa, Naoki [Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376-8515 (Japan); Matsubara, Kiyohiko [KOOROGI LLC, 6-1585-1-B Sakaino-cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376-0002 (Japan)

2016-08-29

Stochastic resonance phenomenon was observed in organic field effect transistor using poly(3-hexylthiophene), which enhances performance of signal transmission with application of noise. The enhancement of correlation coefficient between the input and output signals was low, and the variation of correlation coefficient was not remarkable with respect to the intensity of external noise, which was due to the existence of internal additive noise following the nonlinear threshold response. In other words, internal additive noise plays a positive role on the capability of approximately constant signal transmission regardless of noise intensity, which can be said “homeostatic” behavior or “noise robustness” against external noise. Furthermore, internal additive noise causes emergence of the stochastic resonance effect even on the threshold unit without internal additive noise on which the correlation coefficient usually decreases monotonically.

Increased Exposure to Rigid Routines Can Lead to Increased Challenging Behavior Following Changes to Those Routines

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, Leah E.; Oliver, Chris; Callaghan, Eleanor; Woodcock, Kate A.

2015-01-01

Several neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with preference for routine and challenging behavior following changes to routines. We examine individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, who show elevated levels of this behavior, to better understand how previous experience of a routine can affect challenging behavior elicited by disruption to…

The German remote monitoring field test -- First results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, B.; Neumann, G.; Rudolf, K.; Schink, F.J.; Johnson, C.S.; Martinez, R.L.

1996-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency strives to increase the efficiency of its safeguards by reducing the inspection effort without losing safeguards effectiveness. Remote data transmission may have a potential to automate routine safeguards. The German government sponsors a field trial to study technical and non-technical issues related to the remote transmission of safeguards and status data as well as mailing-in of data carriers. Major technical issues of the field trial are the authenticity and confidentiality of the remotely received data as well as the reliability of the transmission techniques and data storage on removable data carriers. Non-technical issues are related to the release of data including the timing of data transmissions. The field trial takes place in the commercial Ahaus Dry Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel with participation of Sandia National Laboratories. The paper describes the first results

Non-routine activities in RP Group in 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoefert, M.; Foerkel-Wirth, D.; Otto, T.; Silari, M.; Stevenson, G.R.

1999-01-01

This chapter describes activities not directly concerned with the daily routine. These activities are nevertheless an important part of the Group's work as they encompass new projects and developments that require, in most cases, profound studies to prove their feasibility with respect to the radiation protection issues involved. In addition, there are technical and organizational developments in a quest not only to keep the standard of radiation protection at CERN high, but to ensure its constant improvement. All these activities are documented in Divisional Reports, Internal Reports and Technical Memoranda, and are listed in the tables of this chapter

Toehold-mediated internal control to probe the near-field interaction between the metallic nanoparticle and the fluorophore

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Y. S.; Yung, L. Y. L.

2014-10-01

Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) are known to alter the emission of vicinal fluorophores through the near-field interaction, leading to either fluorescence quenching or enhancement. Much ambiguity remains in the experimental outcome of such a near-field interaction, particularly for bulk colloidal solution. It is hypothesized that the strong far-field interference from the inner filter effect of the MNPs could mask the true near-field MNP-fluorophore interaction significantly. Thus, in this work, a reliable internal control capable of decoupling the near-field interaction from far-field interference is established by the use of the DNA toehold concept to mediate the in situ assembly and disassembly of the MNP-fluorophore conjugate. A model gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-Cy3 system is used to investigate our proposed toehold-mediated internal control system. The maximum fluorescence enhancement is obtained for large-sized AuNP (58 nm) separated from Cy3 at an intermediate distance of 6.8 nm, while fluorescence quenching is observed for smaller-sized AuNP (11 nm and 23 nm), which is in agreement with the theoretical values reported in the literature. This work shows that the toehold-mediated internal control design can serve as a central system for evaluating the near-field interaction of other MNP-fluorophore combinations and facilitate the rational design of specific MNP-fluorophore systems for various applications.Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) are known to alter the emission of vicinal fluorophores through the near-field interaction, leading to either fluorescence quenching or enhancement. Much ambiguity remains in the experimental outcome of such a near-field interaction, particularly for bulk colloidal solution. It is hypothesized that the strong far-field interference from the inner filter effect of the MNPs could mask the true near-field MNP-fluorophore interaction significantly. Thus, in this work, a reliable internal control capable of decoupling the near-field

International co-operation in the nuclear field. Europe and OCDE countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strohl, P.

1981-05-01

This report highlights the political factors underlying nuclear cooperation in the European context. It analyses the institutional structure for such cooperation and describes the different vocations of international organisations in the nuclear field (NEA, IAEA, Euratom). Finally the report gives concrete examples of international nuclear cooperation, with an emphasis on its legal aspects. (NEA) []Le present expose fait ressortir les facteurs politiques de la cooperation nucleaire notamment dans le contexte europeen. Il analyse la structure institutionnelle de cette cooperation et evoque les differentes vocations des organismes internationaux dans le domaine nucleaire (AEN, AIEA, Euratom). Il donne enfin des exemples concrets en mettant l'accent sur ses aspects juridiques

Routine programs of health care systems as an opportunity toward communication skills training for family physicians: A randomized field trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, Ahmad Reza; Motamedi, Narges; Farajzadegan, Ziba

2015-01-01

To have high-quality primary health care services, an adequate doctor-patient communication is necessary. Because of time restrictions and limited budget in health system, an effective, feasible, and continuous training approach is important. The aim of this study is to assess the appropriateness of a communication skills training program simultaneously with routine programs of health care system. It was a randomized field trial in two health network settings during 2013. Twenty-eight family physicians through simple random sampling and 140 patients through convenience sampling participated as intervention and control group. The physicians in the intervention group (n = 14) attended six educational sessions, simultaneous organization meeting, with case discussion and peer education method. In both the groups, physicians completed communication skills knowledge and attitude questionnaires, and patients completed patient satisfaction of medical interview questionnaire at baseline, immediately after intervention, and four months postintervention. Physicians and health network administrators (stakeholders), completed a set of program evaluation forms. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test, t-test, and repeated measure analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Use of routine program as a strategy of training was rated by stakeholders highly on "feasibility" (80.5%), "acceptability" (93.5%), "educational content and method appropriateness" (80.75%), and "ability to integrating in the health system programs" (approximate 60%). Significant improvements were found in physicians' knowledge (P Communication skills training program, simultaneous organization meeting was successfully implemented and well received by stakeholders, without considering extra time and manpower. Therefore it can be a valuable opportunity toward communication skills training.

Practicing Reiki does not appear to routinely produce high-intensity electromagnetic fields from the heart or hands of Reiki practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Ann Linda; Rand, William Lee; Schwartz, Gary E

2013-06-01

The study objective was to determine whether Reiki practice increases the electromagnetic field strength from the heart and hands of Reiki practitioners. This study repeated experiments performed 20 years ago that detected exceptionally high-strength electromagnetic fields (100 nT) from the hands of several energy healers. The equipment used was far more sensitive than in the original studies. Using a Magnes 2500 WH SQUID, the electromagnetic field from the hands and heart of each of 3 Reiki masters was measured when they were (1) not practicing Reiki, (2) sending Reiki to a distant person, and (3) sending Reiki to a person in the room. Similar measurements were made on 4 Reiki-naïve volunteers before and after they received a Reiki training/attunement enabling them to self-administer Reiki. The study setting was the Scripps Institute, San Diego, CA. Magnetic field intensity of hands and heart recorded over 5-minute sessions with corresponding frequency spectra. For all subjects, under all conditions, sensors closest to the heart and the hands produced spikes of 2 pT corresponding to the heartbeat. Recordings from 2 Masters and 1 volunteer showed a low-intensity sine wave oscillation of 0.25-0.3 Hz (intensity 0.1-0.5 pT) whether or not they were practicing Reiki. This oscillation probably reflected respiratory sinus arrhythmia, judged by comparison with recent previous studies. These signals were not detected in the original studies. In the current study, no electromagnetic field intensities greater than 3 pT were observed in any of the recordings. Practicing Reiki does not appear to routinely produce high-intensity electromagnetic fields from the heart or hands. Alternatively, it is possible that energy healing is stimulated by tuning into an external environmental radiation, such as the Schumann resonance, which was blocked in the present study by the strong magnetic shielding surrounding the SQUID.

Proceedings of the international colloquium on modern quantum field theory II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, S.R.; Mandal, G.; Mukhi, S.; Wadia, S.R.

1995-01-01

In the second International Colloquium on Modern Quantum Field Theory an attempt was made to cover a broad spectrum of topics in theoretical physics that included string theory, quantum gravity, statistical mechanics, condensed matter theory, complexity, lattice gauge theory and epistemological aspects of quantum mechanics. Papers relevant to INIS in the published proceedings are indexed separately

Developing non-routine problems for assessing students’ mathematical literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Murdiyani, N. M.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to develop non-routine problems for assessing the mathematics literacy skills of students, which is valid, practical, and effective. It is based on the previous research said that Indonesian students’ mathematical literacy is still low. The results of this study can be used as a guide in developing the evaluation questions that can train students to improve the ability of solving non-routine problems in everyday life. This research type is formative evaluation that consists of preliminary, self evaluation, expert reviews, one-to-one, small group, and field test. The sample of this research is grade 8 students at one of Junior High School in Yogyakarta. This study results in mathematics literacy problems prototype consisting of level 1 to level 6 problems similar to PISA problems. This study also discusses the examples of students’ answer and their reasoning.

42 CFR 493.931 - Routine chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Routine chemistry. 493.931 Section 493.931 Public... Proficiency Testing Programs by Specialty and Subspecialty § 493.931 Routine chemistry. (a) Program content and frequency of challenge. To be approved for proficiency testing for routine chemistry, a program...

International Relations as a Field of Study in the Canadian System of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Istomina, Kateryna

2015-01-01

The research presents an attempt to investigate the current state of international relations as a field of study in the context of higher education system in Canada. It contains a general overview of the field of study, focusing predominantly on the role and function of the given academic discipline. The scientific investigation covers the issue…

Clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness of accelerated diagnostic protocol in a chest pain center compared with routine care of patients with chest pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Asher, Elad; Reuveni, Haim; Shlomo, Nir; Gerber, Yariv; Beigel, Roy; Narodetski, Michael; Eldar, Michael; Or, Jacob; Hod, Hanoch; Shamiss, Arie; Matetzky, Shlomi

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare in patients presenting with acute chest pain the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of an accelerated diagnostic protocol utilizing contemporary technology in a chest pain unit versus routine care in an internal medicine department. Hospital and 90-day course were prospectively studied in 585 consecutive low-moderate risk acute chest pain patients, of whom 304 were investigated in a designated chest pain center using a pre-specified accelerated diagnostic protocol, while 281 underwent routine care in an internal medicine ward. Hospitalization was longer in the routine care compared with the accelerated diagnostic protocol group (pdiagnostic protocol patients (98%) vs. 57 (20%) routine care patients underwent non-invasive testing, (pdiagnostic imaging testing was performed in 125 (44%) and 26 (9%) patients in the routine care and accelerated diagnostic protocol patients, respectively (pdiagnostic protocol patients compared with those receiving routine care was associated with a lower incidence of readmissions for chest pain [8 (3%) vs. 24 (9%), pdiagnostic protocol remained a predictor of lower acute coronary syndromes and readmissions after propensity score analysis [OR = 0.28 (CI 95% 0.14-0.59)]. Cost per patient was similar in both groups [($2510 vs. $2703 for the accelerated diagnostic protocol and routine care group, respectively, (p = 0.9)]. An accelerated diagnostic protocol is clinically superior and as cost effective as routine in acute chest pain patients, and may save time and resources.

Radiation field of an optically finite homogeneous atmosphere with internal sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viik, T.

2010-01-01

The equation of radiative transfer in an optically finite homogeneous atmosphere with different internal sources is solved using the method of kernel approximation the essence of which is to approximate the kernel in the equation for the Sobolev resolvent function by a Gauss-Legendre sum. This approximation allows to solve the equation exactly for the resolvent function while the solution is a weighted sum of exponents. Since the resolvent function is closely connected with the Green function of the integral radiative transfer equation, the radiation field for different internal sources can be found by simple integration. In order to simplify the obtained formulas we have defined the x and y functions as the generalization of the well-known Ambarzumian-Chandrasekhar X and Y functions. For some types of internal sources the package of codes in Fortran-77 can be found at (http://www.aai.ee/~viik/HOMOGEN.FOR).

A methodological protocol for selecting and quantifying low-value prescribing practices in routinely collected data: an Australian case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brett, Jonathan; Elshaug, Adam G; Bhatia, R Sacha; Chalmers, Kelsey; Badgery-Parker, Tim; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

2017-05-03

Growing imperatives for safety, quality and responsible resource allocation have prompted renewed efforts to identify and quantify harmful or wasteful (low-value) medical practices such as test ordering, procedures and prescribing. Quantifying these practices at a population level using routinely collected health data allows us to understand the scale of low-value medical practices, measure practice change following specific interventions and prioritise policy decisions. To date, almost all research examining health care through the low-value lens has focused on medical services (tests and procedures) rather than on prescribing. The protocol described herein outlines a program of research funded by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council to select and quantify low-value prescribing practices within Australian routinely collected health data. We start by describing our process for identifying and cataloguing international low-value prescribing practices. We then outline our approach to translate these prescribing practices into indicators that can be applied to Australian routinely collected health data. Next, we detail methods of using Australian health data to quantify these prescribing practices (e.g. prevalence of low-value prescribing and related costs) and their downstream health consequences. We have approval from the necessary Australian state and commonwealth human research ethics and data access committees to undertake this work. The lack of systematic and transparent approaches to quantification of low-value practices in routinely collected data has been noted in recent reviews. Here, we present a methodology applied in the Australian context with the aim of demonstrating principles that can be applied across jurisdictions in order to harmonise international efforts to measure low-value prescribing. The outcomes of this research will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals. Results will also be presented at national and

Comparison of performance of tile drainage routines in SWAT 2009 and 2012 in an extensively tile-drained watershed in the Midwest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Guo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Subsurface tile drainage systems are widely used in agricultural watersheds in the Midwestern US and enable the Midwest area to become highly productive agricultural lands, but can also create environmental problems, for example nitrate-N contamination associated with drainage waters. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT has been used to model watersheds with tile drainage. SWAT2012 revisions 615 and 645 provide new tile drainage routines. However, few studies have used these revisions to study tile drainage impacts at both field and watershed scales. Moreover, SWAT2012 revision 645 improved the soil moisture based curve number calculation method, which has not been fully tested. This study used long-term (1991–2003 field site and river station data from the Little Vermilion River (LVR watershed to evaluate performance of tile drainage routines in SWAT2009 revision 528 (the old routine and SWAT2012 revisions 615 and 645 (the new routine. Both the old and new routines provided reasonable but unsatisfactory (NSE  <  0.5 uncalibrated flow and nitrate loss results for a mildly sloped watershed with low runoff. The calibrated monthly tile flow, surface flow, nitrate-N in tile and surface flow, sediment and annual corn and soybean yield results from SWAT with the old and new tile drainage routines were compared with observed values. Generally, the new routine provided acceptable simulated tile flow (NSE  =  0.48–0.65 and nitrate in tile flow (NSE  =  0.48–0.68 for field sites with random pattern tile and constant tile spacing, while the old routine simulated tile flow and nitrate in tile flow results for the field site with constant tile spacing were unacceptable (NSE  =  0.00–0.32 and −0.29–0.06, respectively. The new modified curve number calculation method in revision 645 (NSE  =  0.50–0.81 better simulated surface runoff than revision 615 (NSE  =  −0.11–0.49. The calibration

Internal fields on Gd3+ ions diluted in Eu2CuO4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zysler, R.D.

1990-01-01

The EPR spectrum of dilute Gd 3+ ions substituting for Eu 3+ in Eu 2 CuO 4 at 9 GHz and 35 GHz in the temperature range of room temperature down 1.5K have been measured. Each one of the resonance lines shows a splitting into two or more weaker lines below T N ∼ 215K. The simultaneous appearance of a low field microwave absorption signal is attributed to the onset of long range antiferromagnetic ordering with a weak ferromagnetic component. The splitting of the EPR spectrum is associated with different Gd sites in the magnetically ordered structure. A reduction of the local symmetry of the rare earth sites below T N is described in terms of an internal magnetic field lying in the ab-plane. Dipolar and exchange contributions to the internal field are discussed. A strong dependence of the GdEPR spectrum and the microwave absorption on the magnetic history of the samples has been observed, suggesting the formation of magnetic domains or a glassy state. (Author) [es

The potential of high resolution melting analysis (hrma) to streamline, facilitate and enrich routine diagnostics in medical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruskova, Lenka; Raclavsky, Vladislav

2011-09-01

Routine medical microbiology diagnostics relies on conventional cultivation followed by phenotypic techniques for identification of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. This is not only due to tradition and economy but also because it provides pure culture needed for antibiotic susceptibility testing. This review focuses on the potential of High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) of double-stranded DNA for future routine medical microbiology. Search of MEDLINE database for publications showing the advantages of HRMA in routine medical microbiology for identification, strain typing and further characterization of pathogenic bacteria and fungi in particular. The results show increasing numbers of newly-developed and more tailor-made assays in this field. For microbiologists unfamiliar with technical aspects of HRMA, we also provide insight into the technique from the perspective of microbial characterization. We can anticipate that the routine availability of HRMA in medical microbiology laboratories will provide a strong stimulus to this field. This is already envisioned by the growing number of medical microbiology applications published recently. The speed, power, convenience and cost effectiveness of this technology virtually predestine that it will advance genetic characterization of microbes and streamline, facilitate and enrich diagnostics in routine medical microbiology without interfering with the proven advantages of conventional cultivation.

Microfoundations of Routines and Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felin, Teppo; Foss, Nicolai Juul; Heimriks, Koen H.

We discuss the microfoundations of routines and capabilities, including why a microfoundations view is needed and how it may inform work on organizational and competitive heterogeneity. Building on extant research, we identify three primary categories of micro-level components underlying routines...

Measurement of internal magnetic field pitch using Li pellet injection on TFTR (invited)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terry, J.L.; Marmar, E.S.; Howell, R.B.; Bell, M.; Cavallo, A.; Fredrickson, E.; Ramsey, A.; Schmidt, G.L.; Stratton, B.; Taylor, G.; Mauel, M.E.

1990-01-01

A diagnostic technique which measures the direction of the internal magnetic field pitch angle has been used successfully on TFTR. The technique requires the injection of high-speed Li pellets. The magnetic field direction is measured by observing the polarization direction of the intense visible line emission from Li + (λ∼5485 A, 1s2p 3 P 0,1,2 →1s2s 3 S 0 ) in the pellet ablation cloud. The presence of the large (primarily toroidal) magnetic field causes the line to be split due to the Zeeman effect, and the unshifted π component is polarized with its polarization direction parallel to the local magnetic field. In devices with sufficiently strong fields (B approx-gt 4.5 T), the Zeeman splitting of the line is large enough, relative to the linewidth of each Zeeman component, that enough residual polarization remains. Because the pellet moves about 1 cm before the Li + is ionized (τ ionization approx-lt 10 μs), the time history of the polarization direction (as the pellet penetrates from the outside toward the plasma center) yields the local magnetic field direction. In the TFTR experiment, spatial resolution of the measurement is typically ∼7 cm, limited by the requirement that a large number of photons must be collected in order to make the measurement of the polarization angle. Typically, the pitch of the field is measured with an accuracy of ±0.01 rad, limited by the photon statistics. The measurements of the internal field pitch angle, combined with external magnetic measurements, have been used in a code which finds the solution of the Grad--Shafranov equation, yielding the equilibrium which is the best fit to the measured inputs

Canonical particle tracking in undulator fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuestefeld, G.; Bahrdt, J.

1991-01-01

A new algebraic mapping routine for particle tracking across wiggler and undulator fields in presented. It is based on a power series expansion of the generating function to guarantee fully canonical transformations. This method is 10 to 100 times faster than integration routines, applied in tracking codes like BETA or RACETRACK. The tracking method presented is not restricted to wigglers and undulators, it can be applied to other magnetic fields as well such as fringing fields of quadrupoles or dipoles if the suggested expansion converges

International intercomparison of environmental dosimeters under field and laboratory conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gesell, T.F.; de Planque Burke, G.; Becker, K.

1975-04-01

Based on the results of a pilot study at ORNL in 1973, a more comprehensive international intercomparison of integrating dosimeters for the assessment of external penetrating environmental radiation fields was carried out. Forty-one laboratories from eleven countries participated in this study. A total of 56 sets of six detectors each were mailed to and from Houston, Texas, where they were exposed for three months (July to September 1974) as follows: two in an unprotected space out-of-doors 1 m above ground; two in an air-conditioned shielded area with a known, low exposure rate; and two with the second group, but with an additional exposure to 30 mR. Evaluation of the dosimeters provides information on the calibration precision, the accuracy of field measurement, and transit exposure. Results are discussed. (U.S.)

Consuming technologies - developing routines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten

2008-01-01

technologies and in this article these processes will be investigated from three different perspectives: an historical perspective of how new technologies have entered homes, a consumer perspective of how both houses and new technologies are purchased and finally, as the primary part of the article, a user...... perspective of how routines develop while these technologies are being used. In the conclusion these insights are discussed in relation to possible ways of influencing routines....

Study of nuclear medicine practices in Portugal from an internal dosimetry perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bento, J.; Teles, P.; Neves, M.; Santos, A. I.; Cardoso, G.; Barreto, A.; Alves, F.; Guerreiro, C.; Rodrigues, A.; Santos, J. A. M.; Capelo, C.; Parafita, R.; Martins, B.

2012-01-01

Nuclear medicine practices involve the handling of a wide range of pharmaceuticals labelled with different radionuclides, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This work intends to evaluate the potential risks of internal contamination of nuclear medicine staff in several Portuguese nuclear medicine services and to conclude about the requirement of a routine internal monitoring. A methodology proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), providing a set of criteria to determine the need, or not, for an internal monitoring programme, was applied. The evaluation of the risk of internal contaminations in a given set of working conditions is based on the type and amount of radionuclides being handled, as well as the safety conditions with which they are manipulated. The application of the IAEA criteria showed that 73.1 % of all the workers included in this study should be integrated in a routine monitoring programme for internal contaminations; more specifically, 100 % of workers performing radioimmunoassay techniques should be monitored. This study suggests that a routine monitoring programme for internal exposures should be implemented in Portugal for most nuclear medicine workers. (authors)

International Cooperation of the Republic of Croatia in the Field of Radiological and Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novosel, N.

2011-01-01

International cooperation of the Republic of Croatia in the field of radiological and nuclear safety can be divided in two parts - political part, for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is responsible, and technical part, for which the State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety is responsible. According to the Radiological and Nuclear Safety Act (OG 28/10) the State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety: ''coordinates technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency for all participants from the Republic of Croatia''; ''fulfils the obligations which the Republic of Croatia has assumed through international conventions and bilateral agreements concerning protection against ionising radiation, nuclear safety and the application of protective measures aimed at the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons'' and ''cooperates with international and domestic organisations and associations in the area of protection against ionising radiation and nuclear safety, and appoints its own expert representatives to take part in the work of such organisations and associations or to monitor their work''. In this paper various aspects of the technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as international conventions and bilateral agreements in the field of radiological and nuclear safety, are presented. Also, cooperation with other international organizations and associations in the area of radiological and nuclear safety, such as Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Zangger Committee, the Wassenaar Arrangement, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Euratom and certain civil expert groups of NATO, is described. (author)

Technique for comparing automatic quadrature routines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyness, J N; Kaganove, J J

1976-02-01

The present unconstrained proliferation of automatic quadrature routines is a phenomenon which is wasteful in human time and computing resources. At the root of the problem is an absence of generally acceptable standards or benchmarks for comparing or evaluating such routines. In this paper a general technique, based on the nature of the performance profile, is described which can be used for evaluation of routines.

International student Arctic Field School on Permafrost and urban areas study

Science.gov (United States)

Suter, L.; Tolmanov, V. A.; Grebenets, V. I.; Streletskiy, D. A.; Shiklomanov, N. I.

2017-12-01

Arctic regions are experiencing drastic climatic and environmental changes. These changes are exacerbated in the Russian Arctic, where active resource development resulted in further land cover transformations, especially near large settlements. There is a growing need in multidisciplinary studies of climate and human- induced changes in the Arctic cities. In order to fill this gap, International Arctic Field Course on Permafrostand Northern Studies was organized in July 2017 to the Russian Arctic. The course was organized under the umbrella of the Arctic PIRE project in cooperation between the George Washington University, Moscow State University, and the Russian Center for Arctic Development. The course attracted twenty undergraduate and graduate students from Russia, USA, and EU countries and involved instructors specializing in Arctic system science, geocryology, permafrost engineering, and urban sustainability. The field course was focused on studying typical natural Arctic landscapes of tundra and forest tundra; transformations of natural landscapes in urban and industrial areas around Vorkuta and Salekhard; construction and planning on permafrost and field methods and techniques, including permafrost and soil temperature monitoring, active layer thickness (ALT) measurements, studying of cryogenic processes, stratigraphic and soil investigations, vegetation and microclimate studies. The students were also engaged in a discussion of climatic change and historical development of urban areas on permafrost,and were exposed to examples of both active and passive construction principles while conducting a field survey of permafrost related building deformations. During the course, students collected more than 800 ALT and soil temperature measurements in typical landscapes around Vorkuta and Salekhard to determine effects of soil and vegetation factors on ground thermal regime; surveyed several hundreds of buildings to determine locations with most deformation

Debye series analysis of internal and near-surface fields for a homogeneous sphere illuminated by an axicon-generated vector Bessel beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Shitong; Li, Renxian; Yang, Ruiping; Ding, Chunying

2017-01-01

The interaction of an axicon-generated vector Bessel beam (AGVBB) with a homogeneous sphere is investigated in the framework of generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT). An analytical expression of beam shape coefficients (BSCs) is derived using angular spectrum decomposition method (ASDM), and the scattering coefficients are expanded using Debye series (DSE) in order to isolate the contribution of single scattering process. The internal and near-surface electric fields are numerically analyzed, and the effect of beam location, polarization, order of beam, half-cone angle, and scattering process (namely Debye mode p) are mainly discussed. Numerical results show that a curve formed by extreme peaks can be observed, and the electric fields can be locally enhanced after the interaction of AGVBBs with the particle. Internal and near-surface fields, especially its local enhancement, are very sensitive to the beam parameters, including polarization, order, half-cone angle, etc. The internal fields can also be enhanced by various scattering process (or Debye mode p). Such results have important applications in various fields, including particle sizing, optical tweezers, etc. - Highlights: • Debye series is employed to the analysis of internal and near-surface fields for a sphere illuminated by a vector Bessel beam. • Analytical expressions of BSCs for vector Bessel beams with selected polarizations are derived using ASDM. • The local enhancement of internal and near-surface fields is investigated. • The polarization, order, half-cone angle of the beam affect the local enhancement. • The local enhancement of internal fields is sensitive to the scattering process.

Performance test of dosimetric services in the EU member states and Switzerland for the routine assessment of individual doses (photon, beta and neutron)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bordy, J.M.; Stadtmann, H.; Ambrosi, P.

2000-01-01

of the dosimetry of routine services. It was assumed that each service would have already done a type test before performing routine dosimetry: the radiation fields were chosen to simulate, as far as possible, workplace radiation fields by mixing combining energies and incident angles. The results of photon...... for External Radiation. The other two papers are included in this issue of Radiation Protection Dosimetry....

IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTION, DISABILITY AND HEALTH IN FIELD OF PEDIATRICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragoslav KOPACHEV

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The author, as an active participant at the Seminar IMPLEMENTATION OF ICF IN THE FIELD OF PEDIATRICS, held on 14-15 July 2004 at the hotel Panorama – Skopje, states his insight about the organization, work and aims of the seminar. He makes a review on attitudes and fields ICF in pediatric field commits. The commitments of ICF (International Classification of Function, Disability and Health in the Field of Pediatrics have been put on the child with developmental disabilities to be attention-centered; on bio-developmental model in interaction with the environment, on greater possibilities, safety and satisfaction of needs, as well as on greater freedom in participation in the community to realize the legal rights. It is pointed out that ICF in the field of pediatrics supports the idea ‘One for all’.

Internal electric fields and color shift in Cr^₃+-based gemstones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aramburu, J. A.; Garcia-Fernandez, P.; García Lastra, Juan Maria

2012-01-01

to the polarization of the electronic cloud around chromium as a result of the C3 local symmetry. The present study also demonstrates that the variation of the ligand field splitting parameter, 10Dq, induced by the internal electric field comes mainly from the contributions of first shells of ions around the CrO69...

Impact of the internal contamination monitoring for national and international regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaburo, J.C.; Sordi, G.M.

1996-01-01

An evaluation of the internal radiation dose received by workers between 1984 and 1994 was performed, after a brief description of IPEN facility. The National and International Recommendation aims to reduce the workers' doses below 1/10 of the annual limits. The routine monitoring should be eliminated, if the individual annual dose is below 3/10 of the annual limits. In this case, only the operational monitoring should be maintained. In principle, the concept of restricted area should be reviewed, because, according to Publication 26 of ICRP, 1977, it should be a supervised area instead. The new concept of restricted area recommended by the Publication 60, ICRP 1991, should be adjusted accordingly. Thus, the classification used by the Commission-controlled areas and supervised areas will be with the foreseeable dose and not with the actual dose. When the individual annual dose is kept below 1/10 of the annual limits, the routine monitoring is not necessary, and only operational monitoring is needed. Finally, the future possible activities of the Individual Internal Dosimetry Laboratory at IPEN are discussed, after the elimination of individual monitoring. (authors). 8 refs

Comparing routine neurorehabilitation program with trunk exercises based on Bobath concept in multiple sclerosis: pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Keser, Ilke; Kirdi, Nuray; Meric, Aydin; Kurne, Asli Tuncer; Karabudak, Rana

2013-01-01

This study compared trunk exercises based on the Bobath concept with routine neurorehabilitation approaches in multiple sclerosis (MS). Bobath and routine neurorehabilitation exercises groups were evaluated. MS cases were divided into two groups. Both groups joined a 3 d/wk rehabilitation program for 8 wk. The experimental group performed trunk exercises based on the Bobath concept, and the control group performed routine neurorehabilitation exercises. Additionally, both groups performed balance and coordination exercises. All patients were evaluated with the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS), and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) before and after the physiotherapy program. In group analysis, TIS, BBS, ICARS, and MSFC scores and strength of abdominal muscles were significantly different after treatment in both groups (p 0.05). Although trunk exercises based on the Bobath concept are rarely applied in MS rehabilitation, the results of this study show that they are as effective as routine neurorehabilitation exercises. Therefore, trunk exercises based on the Bobath concept can be beneficial in MS rehabilitation programs.

Internal and external potential-field estimation from regional vector data at varying satellite altitude

Science.gov (United States)

Plattner, Alain; Simons, Frederik J.

2017-10-01

When modelling satellite data to recover a global planetary magnetic or gravitational potential field, the method of choice remains their analysis in terms of spherical harmonics. When only regional data are available, or when data quality varies strongly with geographic location, the inversion problem becomes severely ill-posed. In those cases, adopting explicitly local methods is to be preferred over adapting global ones (e.g. by regularization). Here, we develop the theory behind a procedure to invert for planetary potential fields from vector observations collected within a spatially bounded region at varying satellite altitude. Our method relies on the construction of spatiospectrally localized bases of functions that mitigate the noise amplification caused by downward continuation (from the satellite altitude to the source) while balancing the conflicting demands for spatial concentration and spectral limitation. The `altitude-cognizant' gradient vector Slepian functions (AC-GVSF) enjoy a noise tolerance under downward continuation that is much improved relative to the `classical' gradient vector Slepian functions (CL-GVSF), which do not factor satellite altitude into their construction. Furthermore, venturing beyond the realm of their first application, published in a preceding paper, in the present article we extend the theory to being able to handle both internal and external potential-field estimation. Solving simultaneously for internal and external fields under the limitation of regional data availability reduces internal-field artefacts introduced by downward-continuing unmodelled external fields, as we show with numerical examples. We explain our solution strategies on the basis of analytic expressions for the behaviour of the estimation bias and variance of models for which signal and noise are uncorrelated, (essentially) space- and band-limited, and spectrally (almost) white. The AC-GVSF are optimal linear combinations of vector spherical harmonics

Development, validation and routine control of a radiation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishor Mehta

2010-01-01

Today, radiation is used in industrial processing for variety of applications; from low doses for blood irradiation to very high doses for materials modification and even higher for gemstone colour enhancement. At present, radiation is mainly provided by either radionuclides or machine sources; cobalt-60 is the most predominant radionuclide in use. Currently, there are several hundred irradiation facilities worldwide. Similar to other industries, quality management systems can assist radiation processing facilities in enhancing customer satisfaction and maintaining and improving product quality. To help fulfill quality management requirements, several national and international organizations have developed various standards related to radiation processing. They all have requirements and guidelines for development, validation and routine control of the radiation process. For radiation processing, these three phases involve the following activities. Development phase includes selecting the type of radiation source, irradiation facility and the dose required for the process. Validation phase includes conducting activities that give assurance that the process will be successful. Routine control then involves activities that provide evidence that the process has been successfully realized. These standards require documentary evidence that process validation and process control have been followed. Dosimetry information gathered during these processes provides this evidence. (authors)

Active Movement Warm-Up Routines

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Teri; Quint, Ashleigh; Fischer, Kim; Kiger, Joy

2011-01-01

This article presents warm-ups that are designed to physiologically and psychologically prepare students for vigorous physical activity. An active movement warm-up routine is made up of three parts: (1) active warm-up movement exercises, (2) general preparation, and (3) the energy system. These warm-up routines can be used with all grade levels…

Fit Between Organization Design and Organizational Routines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constance E. Helfat

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Despite decades of research on both organization design and organizational routines, little research has analyzed the relationship between them. Here we propose a normative theory in which the effectiveness of organization design and redesign depends on the characteristics of routines. The analysis shows which types of organization designs may be useful as well as which design changes may or may not succeed depending on (a the specificity of routines and (b the dynamic versus static purposes of organizational routines.

Experimental determination of radiated internal wave power without pressure field data

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Frank M.; Paoletti, M. S.; Swinney, Harry L.; Morrison, P. J.

2014-04-01

We present a method to determine, using only velocity field data, the time-averaged energy flux left and total radiated power P for two-dimensional internal gravity waves. Both left and P are determined from expressions involving only a scalar function, the stream function ψ. We test the method using data from a direct numerical simulation for tidal flow of a stratified fluid past a knife edge. The results for the radiated internal wave power given by the stream function method agree to within 0.5% with results obtained using pressure and velocity data from the numerical simulation. The results for the radiated power computed from the stream function agree well with power computed from the velocity and pressure if the starting point for the stream function computation is on a solid boundary, but if a boundary point is not available, care must be taken to choose an appropriate starting point. We also test the stream function method by applying it to laboratory data for tidal flow past a knife edge, and the results are found to agree with the direct numerical simulation. The supplementary material includes a Matlab code with a graphical user interface that can be used to compute the energy flux and power from two-dimensional velocity field data.

Experimental determination of radiated internal wave power without pressure field data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Frank M.; Morrison, P. J.; Paoletti, M. S.; Swinney, Harry L.

2014-01-01

We present a method to determine, using only velocity field data, the time-averaged energy flux (J) and total radiated power P for two-dimensional internal gravity waves. Both (J) and P are determined from expressions involving only a scalar function, the stream function ψ. We test the method using data from a direct numerical simulation for tidal flow of a stratified fluid past a knife edge. The results for the radiated internal wave power given by the stream function method agree to within 0.5% with results obtained using pressure and velocity data from the numerical simulation. The results for the radiated power computed from the stream function agree well with power computed from the velocity and pressure if the starting point for the stream function computation is on a solid boundary, but if a boundary point is not available, care must be taken to choose an appropriate starting point. We also test the stream function method by applying it to laboratory data for tidal flow past a knife edge, and the results are found to agree with the direct numerical simulation. The supplementary material includes a Matlab code with a graphical user interface that can be used to compute the energy flux and power from two-dimensional velocity field data

A multigrid based 3D space-charge routine in the tracking code GPT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pöplau, G.; Rienen, van U.; Loos, de M.J.; Geer, van der S.B.; Berz, M.; Makino, K.

2005-01-01

Fast calculation of3D non-linear space-charge fields is essential for the simulation ofhigh-brightness charged particle beams. We report on our development of a new 3D spacecharge routine in the General Particle Tracer (GPT) code. The model is based on a nonequidistant multigrid Poisson solver that

Initial Results of the SSPX Transient Internal Probe System for Measuring Toroidal Field Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Holcomb, C. T.; Jarboe, T. R.; Mattick, A. T.; Hill, D. N.; McLean, H. S.; Wood, R. D.; Cellamare, V.

2000-10-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA. The Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment (SSPX) is using a field profile diagnostic called the Transient Internal Probe (TIP). TIP consists of a verdet-glass bullet that is used to measure the magnetic field by Faraday rotation. This probe is shot through the spheromak by a light gas gun at speeds near 2 km/s. An argon laser is aligned along the path of the probe. The light passes through the probe and is retro-reflected to an ellipsometer that measures the change in polarization angle. The measurement is spatially resolved down to the probes’ 1 cm length to within 15 Gauss. Initial testing results are given. This and future data will be used to determine the field profile for equilibrium reconstruction. TIP can also be used in conjunction with wall probes to map out toroidal mode amplitudes and phases internally. This work was performed under the auspices of US DOE by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48.

Internal electric fields of electrolytic solutions induced by space-charge polarization

Science.gov (United States)

Sawada, Atsushi

2006-10-01

The dielectric dispersion of electrolytic solutions prepared using chlorobenzene as a solvent and tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylborate as a solute is analyzed in terms of space-charge polarization in order to derive the ionic constants, and the Stokes radius obtained is discussed in comparison with the values that have been measured by conductometry. A homogeneous internal electric field is assumed for simplicity in the analysis of the space-charge polarization. The justification of the approximation by the homogeneous field is discussed from two points of view: one is the accuracy of the Stokes radius value observed and the other is the effect of bound charges on electrodes in which they level the highly inhomogeneous field, which has been believed in the past. In order to investigate the actual electric field, numerical calculations based on the Poisson equation are carried out by considering the influence of the bound charges. The variation of the number of bound charges with time is clarified by determining the relaxation function of the dielectric constant attributed to the space-charge polarization. Finally, a technique based on a two-field approximation, where homogeneous and hyperbolic fields are independently applied in relevant frequency ranges, is introduced to analyze the space-charge polarization of the electrolytic solutions, and further improvement of the accuracy in the determination of the Stokes radius is achieved.

Streamwise-body-force-model for rapid simulation combining internal and external flow fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cui Rong

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A streamwise-body-force-model (SBFM is developed and applied in the overall flow simulation for the distributed propulsion system, combining internal and external flow fields. In view of axial stage effects, fan or compressor effects could be simplified as body forces along the streamline. These body forces which are functions of local parameters could be added as source terms in Navier-Stokes equations to replace solid boundary conditions of blades and hubs. The validation of SBFM with uniform inlet and distortion inlet of compressors shows that pressure performance characteristics agree well with experimental data. A three-dimensional simulation of the integration configuration, via a blended wing body aircraft with a distributed propulsion system using the SBFM, has been completed. Lift coefficient and drag coefficient agree well with wind tunnel test results. Results show that to reach the goal of rapid integrated simulation combining internal and external flow fields, the computational fluid dynamics method based on SBFM is reasonable.

Improving care coordination using organisational routines.

Science.gov (United States)

Prætorius, Thim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to systematically apply theory of organisational routines to standardised care pathways. The explanatory power of routines is used to address open questions in the care pathway literature about their coordinating and organising role, the way they change and can be replicated, the way they are influenced by the organisation and the way they influence health care professionals. Theory of routines is systematically applied to care pathways in order to develop theoretically derived propositions. Care pathways mirror routines by being recurrent, collective and embedded and specific to an organisation. In particular, care pathways resemble standard operating procedures that can give rise to recurrent collective action patterns. In all, 11 propositions related to five categories are proposed by building on these insights: care pathways and coordination, change, replication, the organisation and health care professionals. Research limitations/implications - The paper is conceptual and uses care pathways as illustrative instances of hospital routines. The propositions provide a starting point for empirical research. The analysis highlights implications that health care professionals and managers have to consider in relation to coordination, change, replication, the way the organisation influences care pathways and the way care pathways influence health care professionals. Originality/value - Theory on organisational routines offers fundamental, yet unexplored, insights into hospital processes, including in particular care coordination.

Technological learning through international collaboration: Lessons from the field

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Danielle; Weigel, Annalisa

2013-02-01

Countries on every continent are making new or renewed commitments to domestic satellite programs. These programs have the potential to address national needs by enhancing access to information, improving infrastructure and providing inspiration to the public. How do countries without local expertise in space technology begin a new satellite program? What is the role of international collaboration in supporting the efforts of a new space fairing country? This paper explores such questions by highlighting outputs from intensive field work in Africa and Asia. Specifically, the study explores case studies of early space activity in these countries to search for lessons about the management of a young space program. The observations from field work are compared to ideas from scholarly literature on technological learning. The findings are organized using principles from systems architecture. The paper presents a model that captures many of the influences and strategic decision areas for a collaborative satellite development project. The paper also highlights the growth of capability among African countries in the area of satellite technology.

Towards the system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health in routine clinical practice: Empirical findings of a pilot study from Mainland China.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, Jan D; Zhang, Xia; Prodinger, Birgit; Ehrmann-Bostan, Cristina; Selb, Melissa; Stucki, Gerold; Li, Jianan

2016-06-13

The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Generic Set in routine clinical practice, and of creating a functioning score based on it, and, subsequently, to examine its sensitivity to change. In this prospective cohort study, data from 761 adult inpatients from 21 Chinese hospitals were analysed. Each patient was assessed at admission and discharge. Feasibility was evaluated by analysing mean assessment time. The Rasch model was used to create a metric of functioning. Sensitivity to change was analysed with mixed-effects regression and by calculating standardized effect size based on Cohen's f2. Mean duration of assessment was 5.3 min, with a significant decrease between admission and discharge. After removal of the item remunerative employment, the remaining ICF Generic Set categories fitted the Rasch model well. With a mean improvement in functioning of 12.1 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 11.5-12.6), this metric proved sensitive to change, both in terms of statistical significance (p ICF Generic Set is feasible for use in routine clinical practice and is promising to serve as the basis for the development of a functioning score that is sensitive to change.

42 CFR 493.1210 - Condition: Routine chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition: Routine chemistry. 493.1210 Section 493....1210 Condition: Routine chemistry. If the laboratory provides services in the subspecialty of Routine chemistry, the laboratory must meet the requirements specified in §§ 493.1230 through 493.1256, § 493.1267...

Radiological impact from airborne routine discharges of Coal-Fired power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norasalwa Zakaria; Rohyiza Baan; Kathiravale, Sivapalan

2010-01-01

Radioactivity exists everywhere in nature. We are exposed to intense and continuous natural radiation coming from the sun, cosmic radiation, telluric radiation and even to the internal radiation of our own body. The fly ash emitted from burning coal for electricity by a power plant carries into the surrounding environment 100 times more radiation than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy. This paper presents the information of studies on the radiological impact from airborne routine discharge of coal-fired power plants. (author)

The International Science and Technology Center: Scope of activities and scientific projects in the field of nuclear data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klepatsky, Alexander B.

2002-01-01

The review of the ISTC (The International Science and Technology Center) Programs and activities including Science Project Program, Partner Program, Seminar Program and others is presented. Project funding by technology area, by funding Parties, by CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) States etc. is demonstrated with emphasis on projects in the field of nuclear data. The ISTC opportunities for international cooperation in the fields of nuclear data measurements, calculation, evaluation and dissemination are discussed. (author)

Remediating radium contaminated legacy sites: Advances made through machine learning in routine monitoring of “hot” particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varley, Adam, E-mail: a.l.varley@stir.ac.uk [Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA (United Kingdom); Tyler, Andrew, E-mail: a.n.tyler@stir.ac.uk [Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA (United Kingdom); Smith, Leslie, E-mail: l.s.smith@cs.stir.ac.uk [Department of Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA (United Kingdom); Dale, Paul, E-mail: paul.dale@sepa.org.uk [Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Radioactive Substances, Strathallan House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZ (United Kingdom); Davies, Mike, E-mail: Mike.Davies@nuvia.co.uk [Nuvia Limited, The Library, Eight Street, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RL (United Kingdom)

2015-07-15

The extensive use of radium during the 20th century for industrial, military and pharmaceutical purposes has led to a large number of contaminated legacy sites across Europe and North America. Sites that pose a high risk to the general public can present expensive and long-term remediation projects. Often the most pragmatic remediation approach is through routine monitoring operating gamma-ray detectors to identify, in real-time, the signal from the most hazardous heterogeneous contamination (hot particles); thus facilitating their removal and safe disposal. However, current detection systems do not fully utilise all spectral information resulting in low detection rates and ultimately an increased risk to the human health. The aim of this study was to establish an optimised detector-algorithm combination. To achieve this, field data was collected using two handheld detectors (sodium iodide and lanthanum bromide) and a number of Monte Carlo simulated hot particles were randomly injected into the field data. This allowed for the detection rate of conventional deterministic (gross counts) and machine learning (neural networks and support vector machines) algorithms to be assessed. The results demonstrated that a Neural Network operated on a sodium iodide detector provided the best detection capability. Compared to deterministic approaches, this optimised detection system could detect a hot particle on average 10 cm deeper into the soil column or with half of the activity at the same depth. It was also found that noise presented by internal contamination restricted lanthanum bromide for this application. - Highlights: • Land contaminated with radium is hazardous to human health. • Routine monitoring permits identification and removal of radioactive hot particles. • Current alarm algorithms do not provide reliable hot particle detection. • Spectral processing using Machine Learning significantly improves detection.

Remediating radium contaminated legacy sites: Advances made through machine learning in routine monitoring of “hot” particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varley, Adam; Tyler, Andrew; Smith, Leslie; Dale, Paul; Davies, Mike

2015-01-01

The extensive use of radium during the 20th century for industrial, military and pharmaceutical purposes has led to a large number of contaminated legacy sites across Europe and North America. Sites that pose a high risk to the general public can present expensive and long-term remediation projects. Often the most pragmatic remediation approach is through routine monitoring operating gamma-ray detectors to identify, in real-time, the signal from the most hazardous heterogeneous contamination (hot particles); thus facilitating their removal and safe disposal. However, current detection systems do not fully utilise all spectral information resulting in low detection rates and ultimately an increased risk to the human health. The aim of this study was to establish an optimised detector-algorithm combination. To achieve this, field data was collected using two handheld detectors (sodium iodide and lanthanum bromide) and a number of Monte Carlo simulated hot particles were randomly injected into the field data. This allowed for the detection rate of conventional deterministic (gross counts) and machine learning (neural networks and support vector machines) algorithms to be assessed. The results demonstrated that a Neural Network operated on a sodium iodide detector provided the best detection capability. Compared to deterministic approaches, this optimised detection system could detect a hot particle on average 10 cm deeper into the soil column or with half of the activity at the same depth. It was also found that noise presented by internal contamination restricted lanthanum bromide for this application. - Highlights: • Land contaminated with radium is hazardous to human health. • Routine monitoring permits identification and removal of radioactive hot particles. • Current alarm algorithms do not provide reliable hot particle detection. • Spectral processing using Machine Learning significantly improves detection

Technical basis for internal dosimetry at Hanford

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sula, M.J.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.

1991-07-01

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program, administered by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, provides routine bioassay monitoring for employees who are potentially exposed to radionuclides in the workplace. This report presents the technical basis for routine bioassay monitoring and the assessment of internal dose at Hanford. The radionuclides of concern include tritium, corrosion products ({sup 58}Co, {sup 60}Co, {sup 54}Mn, and {sup 59}Fe), strontium, cesium, iodine, europium, uranium, plutonium, and americium,. Sections on each of these radionuclides discuss the sources and characteristics; dosimetry; bioassay measurements and monitoring; dose measurement, assessment, and mitigation and bioassay follow-up treatment. 78 refs., 35 figs., 115 tabs.

Technical basis for internal dosimetry at Hanford

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sula, M.J.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.

1989-04-01

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program, administered by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, provides routine bioassay monitoring for employees who are potentially exposed to radionuclides in the workplace. This report presents the technical basis for routine bioassay monitoring and the assessment of internal dose at Hanford. The radionuclides of concern include tritium, corrosion products (/sup 58/Co, /sup 60/Co, /sup 54/Mn, and /sup 59/Fe), strontium, cesium, iodine, europium, uranium, plutonium, and americium. Sections on each of these radionuclides discuss the sources and characteristics; dosimetry; bioassay measurements and monitoring; dose measurement, assessment, and mitigation; and bioassay follow-up treatment. 64 refs., 42 figs., 118 tabs.

Technical basis for internal dosimetry at Hanford

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sula, M.J.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.

1991-07-01

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program, administered by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, provides routine bioassay monitoring for employees who are potentially exposed to radionuclides in the workplace. This report presents the technical basis for routine bioassay monitoring and the assessment of internal dose at Hanford. The radionuclides of concern include tritium, corrosion products ( 58 Co, 60 Co, 54 Mn, and 59 Fe), strontium, cesium, iodine, europium, uranium, plutonium, and americium,. Sections on each of these radionuclides discuss the sources and characteristics; dosimetry; bioassay measurements and monitoring; dose measurement, assessment, and mitigation and bioassay follow-up treatment. 78 refs., 35 figs., 115 tabs

Technical basis for internal dosimetry at Hanford

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sula, M.J.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.

1989-04-01

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program, administered by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, provides routine bioassay monitoring for employees who are potentially exposed to radionuclides in the workplace. This report presents the technical basis for routine bioassay monitoring and the assessment of internal dose at Hanford. The radionuclides of concern include tritium, corrosion products ( 58 Co, 60 Co, 54 Mn, and 59 Fe), strontium, cesium, iodine, europium, uranium, plutonium, and americium. Sections on each of these radionuclides discuss the sources and characteristics; dosimetry; bioassay measurements and monitoring; dose measurement, assessment, and mitigation; and bioassay follow-up treatment. 64 refs., 42 figs., 118 tabs

Investigation of the internal behavior in segmented PEMFCs of different flow fields during cold start process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, R.; Ren, Y.S.; Lin, X.W.; Jiang, Z.H.; Yang, Z.; Chang, Y.T.

2017-01-01

In this study, we have researched the internal behavior in segmented proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with three different flow fields during cold start process. The change of internal current density and temperature in fuel cells with different flow fields could be obviously shown by the printed circuit board (PCB) technology, and the study shows that the flow field is significant for enhancing the cold start ability and durability. Single serpentine flow field has the best cold start performance, while triple channel serpentine flow field has the best uniformity. It is found that without a robust temperature rising tendency, the cell temperature reaching 0 °C does not definitely mean a successful cold start because the cell temperature might drop down 0 °C again. Polarization curves show that there is almost no performance degradation after successful cold start, but the cell degrades quickly after the failed cold start at −7 °C and −10 °C. Based on these characteristics, we optimized the rapid cold start strategy by using electric heating and make it possible to start up the PEMFC at temperatures down to −20 °C within about 11 min. - Highlights: • Segmented fuel cell were used to record the internal current density and temperature distributions during the cold start. • The effects of flow fields on the PEMFC cold start capacity were evaluated. • The effect of cold start on the performance of fuel cell was evaluated. • An optimized strategy was adopted to improve the cold start capacity.

The Wide Field Imager of the International X-ray Observatory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stefanescu, A., E-mail: astefan@hll.mpg.d [Max-Planck-Institut Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Muenchen (Germany); Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet, Inst. f. anorganische und analytische Chemie, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Bautz, M.W. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Burrows, D.N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Bombelli, L.; Fiorini, C. [Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Milano (Italy); INFN Sezione di Milano, Milano (Italy); Fraser, G. [Space Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Heinzinger, K. [PNSensor GmbH, Roemerstr. 28, 80803 Muenchen (Germany); Herrmann, S. [Max-Planck-Institut Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Muenchen (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr., 85748 Garching (Germany); Kuster, M. [Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Institut fuer Kernphysik, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Lauf, T. [Max-Planck-Institut Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Muenchen (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr., 85748 Garching (Germany); Lechner, P. [PNSensor GmbH, Roemerstr. 28, 80803 Muenchen (Germany); Lutz, G. [Max-Planck-Institut Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Muenchen (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Foehringer Ring 6, 80805 Muenchen (Germany); Majewski, P. [PNSensor GmbH, Roemerstr. 28, 80803 Muenchen (Germany); Meuris, A. [Max-Planck-Institut Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Muenchen (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr., 85748 Garching (Germany); Murray, S.S. [Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2010-12-11

The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) will be a joint X-ray observatory mission by ESA, NASA and JAXA. It will have a large effective area (3 m{sup 2} at 1.25 keV) grazing incidence mirror system with good angular resolution (5 arcsec at 0.1-10 keV) and will feature a comprehensive suite of scientific instruments: an X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer, a High Time Resolution Spectrometer, an X-ray Polarimeter, an X-ray Grating Spectrometer, a Hard X-ray Imager and a Wide-Field Imager. The Wide Field Imager (WFI) has a field-of-view of 18 ftx18 ft. It will be sensitive between 0.1 and 15 keV, offer the full angular resolution of the mirrors and good energy resolution. The WFI will be implemented as a 6 in. wafer-scale monolithical array of 1024x1024 pixels of 100x100{mu}m{sup 2} size. The DEpleted P-channel Field-Effect Transistors (DEPFET) forming the individual pixels are devices combining the functionalities of both detector and amplifier. Signal electrons are collected in a potential well below the transistor's gate, modulating the transistor current. Even when the device is powered off, the signal charge is collected and kept in the potential well below the gate until it is explicitly cleared. This makes flexible and fast readout modes possible.

[Use of PubMed to improve evidence-based medicine in routine urological practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Rink, M; Kluth, L A; Shariat, S F; Chun, F K; Fisch, M; Dahm, P

2013-03-01

Applying evidence-based medicine in daily clinical practice is the basis of patient-centered medicine and knowledge of accurate literature acquisition skills is necessary for informed clinical decision-making. PubMed is an easy accessible, free bibliographic database comprising over 21 million citations from the medical field, life-science journals and online books. The article summarizes the effective use of PubMed in routine urological clinical practice based on a common case scenario. This article explains the simple use of PubMed to obtain the best search results with the highest evidence. Accurate knowledge about the use of PubMed in routine clinical practice can improve evidence-based medicine and also patient treatment.

Influence of Complete Coriolis Force on the Dispersion Relation of Ocean Internal-wave in a Background Currents Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Yongjun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this thesis, the influence of complete Coriolis force (the model includes both the vertical and horizontal components of Coriolis force on the dispersion relation of ocean internal-wave under background currents field are studied, it is important to the study of ocean internal waves in density-stratified ocean. We start from the control equation of sea water movement in the background of the non-traditional approximation, and the vertical velocity solution is derived where buoyancy frequency N(z gradually varies with the ocean depth z. The results show that the influence of complete Coriolis force on the dispersion relation of ocean internal-wave under background currents field is obvious, and these results provide strong evidence for the understanding of dynamic process of density stratified ocean internal waves.

Effects of multi-photon interferences from internally generated fields in strongly resonant systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Lu; Payne, Marvin G.; Garrett, William R.

2006-01-01

In studies of various nonlinear optical phenomena, strong resonant features in the atomic or molecular response to multi-photon driven processes have been used to greatly enhance the visibility of otherwise weak higher-order processes. However, there are well defined circumstances where a multi-photon-resonant response of a target system leads to the generation of one or more new electromagnetic fields that can drastically change the overall system response from what would be expected from the imposed laser fields alone. New effects can occur and dominate some aspects of the nonlinear optical response because of the constructive or destructive interference between transition amplitudes along multiple excitation pathways between a given set of optically coupled states, where one of the pathways involve internally generated field(s). Under destructive interference some resonant enhancements can become completely canceled (suppressed). This review focuses on the class of optical interference effects associated with internally generated fields, that have been found to be capable of influencing a very significant number of basic physical phenomena in gas or vapor phase systems. It provides a historical overview of experimental and theoretical developments and a modern understanding of the underlying physics and its various manifestations that include: suppression of multi-photon excitation processes, suppression of stimulated emissions (Raman, hyper-Raman, and optically pumped stimulated emissions), saturation of parametric wave-mixing, pressure and beam-geometry dependent shifting of multi-photon-resonant absorption lines, and the suppression of Autler-Townes splitting and ac-stark shifts. Additionally, optical interference effects in some modern contexts, such as achieving multi-photon induced transparency, establishing single-photon self-interference based induced transparency, and generating entangled single photon states, are reviewed

Routines Are the Foundation of Classroom Management

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Robin Rawlings; Allanson, Patricia Bolton; Notar, Charles E.

2017-01-01

Classroom management is the key to learning. Routines are the foundation of classroom management. Students require structure in their lives. Routines provide that in all of their life from the time they awake until the time they go to bed. Routines in a school and in the classroom provide the environment for learning to take place. The paper is…

Evaluation of Routine Atmospheric Sounding Measurements Using Unmanned Systems (ERASMUS) Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de Boer, Gijs [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES); Lawrence, Dale [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Palo, Scott [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Argrow, Brian [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); LoDolce, Gabriel [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Curry, Nathan [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Weibel, Douglas [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Finnamore, W [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); D' Amore, P [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Borenstein, Steven [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Nichols, Tevis [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Elston, Jack [Blackswift Technologies, Boulder, CO (United States); Ivey, Mark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bendure, Al [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schmid, Beat [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Long, Chuck [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Telg, Hagen [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES); Gao, Rushan [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Hock, T [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Bland, Geoff [National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, DC (United States)

2017-03-01

The Evaluation of Routine Atmospheric Sounding Measurements using Unmanned Systems (ERASMUS) campaign was proposed with two central goals; to obtain scientifically relevant measurements of quantities related to clouds, aerosols, and radiation, including profiles of temperature, humidity, and aerosol particles, the structure of the arctic atmosphere during transitions between clear and cloudy states, measurements that would allow us to evaluate the performance of retrievals from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility remote sensors in the Arctic atmosphere, and information on the spatial variability of heat and moisture fluxes from the arctic surface; and to demonstrate unmanned aerial system (UAS) capabilities in obtaining measurements relevant to the ARM and ASR programs, particularly for improving our understanding of Arctic clouds and aerosols.

Variations in Target Volume Definition for Postoperative Radiotherapy in Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Analysis of an International Contouring Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spoelstra, Femke; Senan, Suresh; Le Pechoux, Cecile; Ishikura, Satoshi; Casas, Francesc; Ball, David; Price, Allan; De Ruysscher, Dirk; Soernsen de Koste, John R. van

2010-01-01

Purpose: Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer with mediastinal involvement is controversial because of the failure of earlier trials to demonstrate a survival benefit. Improved techniques may reduce toxicity, but the treatment fields used in routine practice have not been well studied. We studied routine target volumes used by international experts and evaluated the impact of a contouring protocol developed for a new prospective study, the Lung Adjuvant Radiotherapy Trial (Lung ART). Methods and Materials: Seventeen thoracic radiation oncologists were invited to contour their routine clinical target volumes (CTV) for 2 representative patients using a validated CD-ROM-based contouring program. Subsequently, the Lung ART study protocol was provided, and both cases were contoured again. Variations in target volumes and their dosimetric impact were analyzed. Results: Routine CTVs were received for each case from 10 clinicians, whereas six provided both routine and protocol CTVs for each case. Routine CTVs varied up to threefold between clinicians, but use of the Lung ART protocol significantly decreased variations. Routine CTVs in a postlobectomy patient resulted in V 20 values ranging from 12.7% to 54.0%, and Lung ART protocol CTVs resulted in values of 20.6% to 29.2%. Similar results were seen for other toxicity parameters and in the postpneumectomy patient. With the exception of upper paratracheal nodes, protocol contouring improved coverage of the required nodal stations. Conclusion: Even among experts, significant interclinician variations are observed in PORT fields. Inasmuch as contouring variations can confound the interpretation of PORT results, mandatory quality assurance procedures have been incorporated into the current Lung ART study.

Routine sputum culture

Science.gov (United States)

Sputum culture ... There, it is placed in a special dish (culture). It is then watched to see if bacteria ... Elsevier; 2018:chap 36. Chernecky CC, Berger BJ. Culture, routine. In: Chernecky CC, Berger BJ, eds. Laboratory ...

Electromagnetic field standards in Central and Eastern European countries: current state and stipulations for international harmonization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gajsek, P; Pakhomov, A G; Klauenberg, B J

2002-04-01

Electromagnetic field standards in the West are based on well-established acute biological effects that could be considered as signaling a potentially adverse health effect. The specific absorption rate, which is proportional to the tissue heating (thermal effects), represents the basic restriction of exposure to Radio-Frequency (RF) fields. On the other hand, Eastern European standards are designed to protect from potential non-thermal effects that might be caused by chronic exposure to very low intensities, where a so-called "power load" (a product of field intensity and duration of exposure) represents the basic limitation. Thus, electromagnetic field standards in Eastern European countries differ considerably from those which are proposed by the International Commission of Non-ionizing Radiation Protection and the Standards Coordinating Committee 28 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. In the present paper, the strategies for development of exposure limit values in electromagnetic fields standards currently in force in Eastern and Central European countries are discussed. Some differences as well as similarities of the national health and safety standards and the main obstacles to harmonization of these standards with those being established by Western national and international organizations and agencies are presented.

The International Data Sharing Challenge: Realities and Lessons Learned from International Field Projects and Data Analysis Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, S. F.; Moore, J. A.

2014-12-01

One of the major challenges facing science in general is how foster trust and cooperation between nations that then allows the free and open exchange of data. The rich data coming from many nations conducting Arctic research must be allowed to be brought together to understand and assess the huge changes now underway in the Arctic regions. The NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory has been supporting a variety of international field process studies and WCRP sponsored international projects that require international data collection and exchange in order to be successful. Some of the programs include the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), the Arctic Climate Systems Study (ACSYS), the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO), and the Coordinated Energy and water-cycle Observations Project (CEOP) to name a few. EOL played a major role in the data management of these projects, but the CEOP effort in particular involved coordinating common site documentation and data formatting across a global network (28 sites). All these unique projects occurred over 25 years but had similar challenges in the international collection, archival, and access to the rich datasets that are their legacy. The Belmont Forum offers as its main challenge to deliver knowledge needed for action to avoid or adapt to environmental change. One of their major themes is related to the study of these changes in the Arctic. The development of capable e-infrastructure (technologies and groups supporting international collaborative environments networks and data centers) to allow access to large diverse data collections is key to meeting this challenge. The reality of meeting this challenge, however, is something much more difficult. The authors will provide several specific examples of successes and failures when trying to meet the needs of an international community of researchers specifically related to Belmont Forum Work Package Themes regarding standards of

FASTPLOT, Interface Routines to MS FORTRAN Graphics Library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: FASTPLOT is a library of routines that can be used to interface with the Microsoft FORTRAN Graphics library (GRAPHICS.LIB). The FASTPLOT routines simplify the development of graphics applications and add capabilities such as histograms, Splines, symbols, and error bars. FASTPLOT also includes routines that can be used to create menus. 2 - Methods: FASTPLOT is a library of routines which must be linked with a user's FORTRAN programs that call any FASTPLOT routines. In addition, the user must link with the Microsoft FORTRAN Graphics library (GRAPHICS.LIB). 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: None noted

Reference radiation fields - Simulated workplace neutron fields - Part 2: Calibration fundamentals related to the basic quantities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

ISO 8529-1, ISO 8529-2 and ISO 8529-3, deal with the production, characterization and use of neutron fields for the calibration of personal dosimeters and area survey meters. These International Standards describe reference radiations with neutron energy spectra that are well defined and well suited for use in the calibration laboratory. However, the neutron spectra commonly encountered in routine radiation protection situations are, in many cases, quite different from those produced by the sources specified in the International Standards. Since personal neutron dosimeters, and to a lesser extent survey meters, are generally quite energy dependent in their dose equivalent response, it might not be possible to achieve an appropriate calibration for a device that is used in a workplace where the neutron energy spectrum and angular distribution differ significantly from those of the reference radiation used for calibration. ISO 8529-1 describes four radionuclide based neutron reference radiations in detail. This part of ISO 12789 includes the specification of neutron reference radiations that were developed to closely resemble radiation that is encountered in practice

External Agents' Effect on Routine Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busse Hansen, Nicolai

Prior investigations on organizational routines have called for re- search to enlighten our understanding of how social actors establish and main- tain of routines as well as the causes of their disruption. The present paper con- tributes to this call by conducting systematic microethnographic...... and affiliation are central to how routines are maintained but also susceptible to disruption in case of mis- management. Also the paper contributes with a more fine-tuned understanding of action in terms of them being organized in accordance with preference, which basically means that some actions are preferred...... over others. In producing an action, the relevant next action is projected. However the relevant next action is projected in a specific way and if this is not taken in to account then the routine becomes disrupted. Another core aspect is the notion of deontics that lends itself towards describing who...

The internal wave field in Sau reservoir : Observation and modeling of a third vertical mode

OpenAIRE

Vidal Hurtado, Javier; Casamitjana, Xavier; Colomer, Jordi; Serra Putellas, Teresa

2005-01-01

Water withdrawal from Mediterranean reservoirs in summer is usually very high. Because of this, stratification is often continuous and far from the typical two-layered structure, favoring the excitation of higher vertical modes. The analysis of wind, temperature, and current data from Sau reservoir (Spain) shows that the third vertical mode of the internal seiche (baroclinic mode) dominated the internal wave field at the beginning of September 2003. We used a continuous stratification two-dim...

Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechtel Nevada

1998-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy manages the Nevada Test Site in a manner that meets evolving DOE Missions and responds to the concerns of affected and interested individuals and agencies. This Routine Radiological Monitoring Plan addressess complicance with DOE Orders 5400.1 and 5400.5 and other drivers requiring routine effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance on the Nevada Test Site. This monitoring plan, prepared in 1998, addresses the activities conducted onsite NTS under the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. This radiological monitoring plan, prepared on behalf of the Nevada Test Site Landlord, brings together sitewide environmental surveillance; site-specific effluent monitoring; and operational monitoring conducted by various missions, programs, and projects on the NTS. The plan provides an approach to identifying and conducting routine radiological monitoring at the NTS, based on integrated technical, scientific, and regulatory complicance data needs

Rigidity in routines and the development of resistance to change in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Haig, E L; Woodcock, K A

2017-05-01

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) commonly show debilitating resistance to change, which has been linked to cognitive deficits in task switching. Anecdotal reports suggest that exposure to flexibility in routines during development may be beneficial for limiting subsequent resistance to change in people with PWS, which is consistent with a beneficial role of such exposure on the development of task switching, highlighted in typical children. Here, we aim to investigate the development of resistance to change in individuals with PWS and hypothesise that exposure to increased rigidity in routines will be associated with increased subsequent resistance to change. An author-compiled informant report interview and two previously validated questionnaires were administered to the caregivers of 10 individuals with PWS (5-23 years). The interview examined rigidity in routines and resistance to change across life stages defined by easily distinguishable events (before school, during primary school, during secondary school, after school, currently), using open-ended and structured yes/no and 5-point Likert questions. Open-ended data were coded using an author-compiled system. Responses from two additional informants and data from the questionnaires were used to assess inter-informant reliability and concurrent validity of the structured questions. The validity of the interview was supported by acceptable inter-rater reliability of the open-ended coding system and inter-informant reliability, internal consistency and concurrent validity of structured questions. Descriptive analyses of ratings of behaviour change showed a pattern of increasing resistance to change over the life course for the four oldest individuals, who had all been exposed to substantial rigidity in routines before and during primary school. Furthermore, only one individual - currently in primary school - was exposed to very little rigidity in routines before and during primary school, and he had

The effect of internal and external fields of view on visually induced motion sickness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, J.E.; Vries, S.C. de; Emmerik, M.L. van; Groen, E.L.

2010-01-01

Field of view (FOV) is said to affect visually induced motion sickness. FOV, however, is characterized by an internal setting used by the graphics generator (iFOV) and an external factor determined by screen size and viewing distance (eFOV). We hypothesized that especially the incongruence between

Advancing internal erosion monitoring using seismic methods in field and laboratory studies

Science.gov (United States)

Parekh, Minal L.

This dissertation presents research involving laboratory and field investigation of passive and active methods for monitoring and assessing earthen embankment infrastructure such as dams and levees. Internal erosion occurs as soil particles in an earthen structure migrate to an exit point under seepage forces. This process is a primary failure mode for dams and levees. Current dam and levee monitoring practices are not able to identify early stages of internal erosion, and often the result is loss of structure utility and costly repairs. This research contributes to innovations for detection and monitoring by studying internal erosion and monitoring through field experiments, laboratory experiments, and social and political framing. The field research in this dissertation included two studies (2009 and 2012) of a full-scale earthen embankment at the IJkdijk in the Netherlands. In both of these tests, internal erosion occurred as evidenced by seepage followed by sand traces and boils, and in 2009, eventual failure. With the benefit of arrays of closely spaced piezometers, pore pressure trends indicated internal erosion near the initiation time. Temporally and spatially dense pore water pressure measurements detected two pore water pressure transitions characteristic to the development of internal erosion, even in piezometers located away from the backward erosion activity. At the first transition, the backward erosion caused anomalous pressure decrease in piezometers, even under constant or increasing upstream water level. At the second transition, measurements stabilized as backward erosion extended further upstream of the piezometers, as shown in the 2009 test. The transitions provide an indication of the temporal development and the spatial extent of backward erosion. The 2012 IJkdijk test also included passive acoustic emissions (AE) monitoring. This study analyzed AE activity over the course of the 7-day test using a grid of geophones installed on the

In search for effective methods of routine formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kandora Marcin

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Organizational routines are a frequently researched phenomenon in contemporary management science. Although the available theoretical foundations of Routine Theory seem to have reached a significant degree of maturity over the last thirty years, the same could not be said about the availability of material advice for the management practice. This paper addresses this gap and proposes a framework for an effective routine shaping process. It builds on a brief analysis of available literature on routine formation, supported by case study findings. The approach proposed stresses the importance of the controlled learning process and underlines the importance of deliberate implementation, in contrast to the evolutionary and engineering views on routine emergence.

International and National Expert Group Evaluations: Biological/Health Effects of Radiofrequency Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijayalaxmi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The escalated use of various wireless communication devices, which emit non-ionizing radiofrequency (RF fields, have raised concerns among the general public regarding the potential adverse effects on human health. During the last six decades, researchers have used different parameters to investigate the effects of in vitro and in vivo exposures of animals and humans or their cells to RF fields. Data reported in peer-reviewed scientific publications were contradictory: some indicated effects while others did not. International organizations have considered all of these data as well as the observations reported in human epidemiological investigations to set-up the guidelines or standards (based on the quality of published studies and the “weight of scientific evidence” approach for RF exposures in occupationally exposed individuals and the general public. Scientists with relevant expertise in various countries have also considered the published data to provide the required scientific information for policy-makers to develop and disseminate authoritative health information to the general public regarding RF exposures. This paper is a compilation of the conclusions, on the biological effects of RF exposures, from various national and international expert groups, based on their analyses. In general, the expert groups suggested a reduction in exposure levels, precautionary approach, and further research.

Report of the First International Workshop on molecular blood group genotyping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daniels, G.; van der Schoot, C. E.; Olsson, M. L.

2005-01-01

The use of molecular genetic technology for blood group typing is becoming routine procedure in many reference laboratories worldwide. A First International Workshop was organized on behalf of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and the International Council for Standardization in

Project Adopsys as an example of international collaboration in the field of photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Zoric, Nenad; Livshits, Irina; Urbach, Paul

2015-01-01

Tendencies of international cooperation in engineering education became very visible during recent years. We demonstrate this statement on one currently running EU project ADOPSYS in the field of optical design, which is an important part of engineering education in photonics. This example shows the importance of the input from different countries and organizations - both from industry and academia. Seven universities and eight optical companies are involved in the project ADOPSYS. Sharing experience of Academia education activity we provide new international type of education "free-of borders". We are going to discuss the key enable technology - PHOTONICS, which is widely used in modern society. Engineering science became very international. For communicating between people from different countries the English language is now used almost exclusively. For a fruitful collaboration between people from different nations, in multi-national projects, tolerance and respect are required between people of different political, cultural, educational backgrounds.

The Philanthropic Mission of Comparative and International Education Bequeathed by Jullien: Continuing Capstone of the Field

Science.gov (United States)

Wolhuter, C. C.

2017-01-01

The aim of this lead article of this special issue of "Compare" is to assess the value of Jullien's vision for the field of comparative and international education today. The life, writings and ideas of Jullien are sketched, followed by a survey of the path of development of the field since the time of Jullien. In view of the exigencies…

Quality of routine spirometry tests in Dutch general practices

Science.gov (United States)

Schermer, Tjard RJ; Crockett, Alan J; Poels, Patrick JP; van Dijke, Jacob J; Akkermans, Reinier P; Vlek, Hans F; Pieters, Willem R

2009-01-01

Background Spirometry is an indispensable tool for diagnosis and monitoring of chronic airways disease in primary care. Aim To establish the quality of routine spirometry tests in general practice, and explore associations between test quality and patient characteristics. Design of study Analysis of routine spirometry test records. Setting Fifteen general practices which had a working agreement with a local hospital pulmonary function laboratory for spirometry assessment regarding test quality and interpretation. Method Spirometry tests were judged by a pulmonary function technician and a chest physician. Proportions of test adequacy were analysed using markers for manoeuvre acceptability and test reproducibility derived from the 1994 American Thoracic Society spirometry guideline. Associations between quality markers and age, sex, and severity of obstruction were examined using logistic regression. Results Practices performed a mean of four (standard deviation = 2) spirometry tests per week; 1271 tests from 1091 adult patients were analysed; 96.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 95.6 to 97.2) of all tests consisted of ≥3 blows. With 60.6% of tests, forced expiratory time was the marker with the lowest acceptability rate. An overall 38.8% (95% CI = 36.0 to 41.6) of the tests met the acceptability as well as reproducibility criteria. Age, sex, and severity of obstruction were associated with test quality markers. Conclusion The quality of routine spirometry tests was better than in previous reports from primary care research settings, but there is still substantial room for improvement. Sufficient duration of forced expiratory time is the quality marker with the highest rate of inadequacy. Primary care professionals should be aware of patient characteristics that may diminish the quality of their spirometry tests. Further research is needed to establish to what extent spirometry tests that are inadequate, according to stringent international expert criteria

Skin dose assessment in routine personnel beta/gamma dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, P.

1980-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (Publication 26) has recommended a tissue depth of 5 to 10 mg.cm -2 for skin dose assessments. This requirement is generally not fulfilled by routine monitoring procedures because of practical difficulties in using very thin dosemeters with low sensitivity and therefore a high minimum detectable dose. Especially for low-energy beta-ray exposures underestimations of the skin dose by a factor of more than ten may occur. Low-transparent graphite-mixed sintered LiF and Li 2 B 4 0 7 : Mn dosemeters were produced which show a skin-equivalent response to beta and gamma exposures over a wide range of energies. These have found wide-spread application for extremity dosimetry but have not yet been generally introduced in routine personnel beta/gamma monitoring. The following adaptations of existing routine monitoring systems for improved skin dose assessments have been investigated: 1) Placement of a supplementary, thin, skin-dose equivalent dosemeter in the TLD badge to give additional information on low-energy exposures. 2) Introduction of a second photomultiplier in the read-out chamber which enables a simultaneous determination of emitted TL from both sides of the dosemeter separately. This method makes use of the selfshielding of the dosemeter to give information on the low-energy dose contribution. 3) By diffusion of Li 2 B 4 0 7 into solid LiF-dosemeters it was possible to produce a surface layer with a new distinct glow-peak at about 340 deg C which is not present in the undiffused part of the LiF chip, and which can be utilized for the assessment of the skin-dose. Data on energy response and accuracy of dose measurement for beta/gamma exposures are given for the three methods and advantages and disadvantages are discussed (H.K.)

40 CFR 141.621 - Routine monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Routine monitoring. 141.621 Section....621 Routine monitoring. (a) Monitoring. (1) If you submitted an IDSE report, you must begin monitoring..., you must monitor at the location(s) and dates identified in your monitoring plan in § 141.132(f...

International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirshblum, S C; Biering-Sørensen, Fin; Betz, R

2014-01-01

The International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) is routinely used to determine levels of injury and to classify the severity of the injury. Questions are often posed to the International Standards Committee of the American Spinal Injury Association...

Regional cooperation based on multilateral international agreements in nuclear field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valcic, I.

1996-01-01

Multilateral international agreements have defined the framework of behavior and cooperation in various fields and aspects of peaceful use of nuclear energy. Thus, obligations have been defined in the following areas: nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, physical protection of nuclear material, liability for nuclear damage, nuclear safety, early notification about a nuclear accident and assistance in case of nuclear accident. Obligations regarding radioactive waste management should be defined soon. This paper gives a review of obligations from particular agreements with a special emphasis on those which are being realized through mutual cooperation of concerned countries and are important for safe use of nuclear energy. (author)

ISS-Lobster: A Proposed Wide-Field X-Ray Telescope on the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Jordan

2012-01-01

The Lobster wide-field imaging telescope combines simultaneous high FOV, high sensitivity and good position resolution. These characteristics can open the field of X-Ray time domain astronomy, which will study many interesting transient sources, including tidal disruptions of stars, supernova shock breakouts, and high redshift gamma-ray bursts. Also important will be its use for the X-ray follow-up of gravitational wave detections. I will describe our present effort to propose the Lobster concept for deployment on the International Space Station through a NASA Mission of Opportunity this fall.

Publications | Page 340 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 3391 - 3400 of 6388 ... This book is intended to assist both external and internal efforts to ... "information revolution," and "information economy" are used routinely to illustrate ... Urban agriculture, it is argued, can reduce this dependency.

An investigation of coupling of the internal kink mode to error field correction coils in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazarus, E.A.

2013-01-01

The coupling of the internal kink to an external m/n = 1/1 perturbation is studied for profiles that are known to result in a saturated internal kink in the limit of a cylindrical tokamak. It is found from three-dimensional equilibrium calculations that, for A ≈ 30 circular plasmas and A ≈ 3 elliptical shapes, this coupling of the boundary perturbation to the internal kink is strong; i.e., the amplitude of the m/n = 1/1 structure at q = 1 is large compared with the amplitude applied at the plasma boundary. Evidence suggests that this saturated internal kink, resulting from small field errors, is an explanation for the TEXTOR and JET measurements of q 0 remaining well below unity throughout the sawtooth cycle, as well as the distinction between sawtooth effects on the q-profile observed in TEXTOR and DIII-D. It is proposed that this excitation, which could readily be applied with error field correction coils, be explored as a mechanism for controlling sawtooth amplitudes in high-performance tokamak discharges. This result is then combined with other recent tokamak results to propose an L-mode approach to fusion in tokamaks. (paper)

Temporal coherence of the acoustic field forward propagated through a continental shelf with random internal waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Zheng; Chen, Tianrun; Ratilal, Purnima; Makris, Nicholas C

2013-11-01

An analytical model derived from normal mode theory for the accumulated effects of range-dependent multiple forward scattering is applied to estimate the temporal coherence of the acoustic field forward propagated through a continental-shelf waveguide containing random three-dimensional internal waves. The modeled coherence time scale of narrow band low-frequency acoustic field fluctuations after propagating through a continental-shelf waveguide is shown to decay with a power-law of range to the -1/2 beyond roughly 1 km, decrease with increasing internal wave energy, to be consistent with measured acoustic coherence time scales. The model should provide a useful prediction of the acoustic coherence time scale as a function of internal wave energy in continental-shelf environments. The acoustic coherence time scale is an important parameter in remote sensing applications because it determines (i) the time window within which standard coherent processing such as matched filtering may be conducted, and (ii) the number of statistically independent fluctuations in a given measurement period that determines the variance reduction possible by stationary averaging.

Improving care coordination using organisational routines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prætorius, Thim

2016-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to systematically apply theory of organisational routines to standardised care pathways. The explanatory power of routines is used to address open questions in the care pathway literature about their coordinating and organising role, the way they change......: care pathways and coordination, change, replication, the organisation and health care professionals. Research limitations/implications – The paper is conceptual and uses care pathways as illustrative instances of hospital routines. The propositions provide a starting point for empirical research....... Practical implications – The analysis highlights implications that health care professionals and managers have to consider in relation to coordination, change, replication, the way the organisation influences care pathways and the way care pathways influence health care professionals. Originality...

Earth's external magnetic fields at low orbital altitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Klumpar, D. M.

1990-01-01

Under our Jun. 1987 proposal, Magnetic Signatures of Near-Earth Distributed Currents, we proposed to render operational a modeling procedure that had been previously developed to compute the magnetic effects of distributed currents flowing in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. After adaptation of the software to our computing environment we would apply the model to low altitude satellite orbits and would utilize the MAGSAT data suite to guide the analysis. During the first year, basic computer codes to run model systems of Birkeland and ionospheric currents and several graphical output routines were made operational on a VAX 780 in our research facility. Software performance was evaluated using an input matchstick ionospheric current array, field aligned currents were calculated and magnetic perturbations along hypothetical satellite orbits were calculated. The basic operation of the model was verified. Software routines to analyze and display MAGSAT satellite data in terms of deviations with respect to the earth's internal field were also made operational during the first year effort. The complete set of MAGSAT data to be used for evaluation of the models was received at the end of the first year. A detailed annual report in May 1989 described these first year activities completely. That first annual report is included by reference in this final report. This document summarizes our additional activities during the second year of effort and describes the modeling software, its operation, and includes as an attachment the deliverable computer software specified under the contract.

International education is a broken field: Can ubuntu education bring solutions?

Science.gov (United States)

Piper, Benjamin

2016-02-01

Ubuntu is an African philosophy of human kindness; applying it in the Global South would fundamentally alter the design of the education sector. This essay argues, however, that the field of international educational development is not, in fact, structured to support an education influenced by ubuntu ideals. Specifically, the educational development milieu includes donors, implementers and academicians who do not sufficiently question the power dynamics which underpin education development. This creates a field where the power imbalances between donors and host governments are not interrogated, where development workers place too much faith in their own knowledge rather than that of local education experts, and where development practitioners rarely appreciate the privilege of working in countries which are not their own. An ubuntu education would alter the educational development field in myriad critical ways, a few of which are suggested in this essay. Educational development programmes in universities and intake programmes for implementers and donors should teach officers humility, appreciating existing local talent and expertise. Donor programmes should incentivise reflective practice which formally embeds appreciation for local culture and expertise, thereby supporting structures which help educational development experts to review their metacognitive processes. The field should also dramatically increase the numbers of local, minority and female educational development practitioners and provide more avenues for advancement for those groups. These are activities which are critical to supporting the education development field, but require a fundamental change of attitude by practitioners to ensure the right kind of relationships between the West and the Global South.

PARMELA-B A new version of PARMELA with coherent synchrotron radiation effects and a finite difference space charge routine

CERN Document Server

Koltenbah, B E C; Greegor, R B; Dowell, D H

2002-01-01

Recent interest in advanced laser light sources has stimulated development of accelerator systems of intermediate beam energy, 100-200 MeV, and high charge, 1-10 nC, for high power FEL applications and high energy, 1-2 GeV, high charge, SASE-FEL applications. The current generation of beam transport codes which were developed for high-energy, low-charge beams with low self-fields are inadequate to address this energy and charge regime, and better computational tools are required to accurately calculate self-fields. To that end, we have developed a new version of PARMELA, named PARMELA_B and written in Fortran 95, which includes a coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) routine and an improved, generalized space charge (SC) routine. An electron bunch is simulated by a collection of macro-particles, which traverses a series of beam line elements. At each time step through the calculation, the momentum of each particle is updated due to the presence of external and self- fields. The self-fields are due to CSR and S...

[The controversy of routine articulator mounting in orthodontics].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Han, Xianglong; Bai, Ding

2013-06-01

Articulators have been widely used by clinicians of dentistry. But routine articulator mounting is still controversial in orthodontics. Orthodontists oriented by gnathology approve routine articulator mounting while nongnathologic orthodontists disapprove it. This article reviews the thoughts of orthodontist that they agree or disagree with routine articulator mounting based on the considerations of biting, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), periodontitis, and so on.

PRISM: Processing routines in IDL for spectroscopic measurements (installation manual and user's guide, version 1.0)

Science.gov (United States)

Kokaly, Raymond F.

2011-01-01

This report describes procedures for installing and using the U.S. Geological Survey Processing Routines in IDL for Spectroscopic Measurements (PRISM) software. PRISM provides a framework to conduct spectroscopic analysis of measurements made using laboratory, field, airborne, and space-based spectrometers. Using PRISM functions, the user can compare the spectra of materials of unknown composition with reference spectra of known materials. This spectroscopic analysis allows the composition of the material to be identified and characterized. Among its other functions, PRISM contains routines for the storage of spectra in database files, import/export of ENVI spectral libraries, importation of field spectra, correction of spectra to absolute reflectance, arithmetic operations on spectra, interactive continuum removal and comparison of spectral features, correction of imaging spectrometer data to ground-calibrated reflectance, and identification and mapping of materials using spectral feature-based analysis of reflectance data. This report provides step-by-step instructions for installing the PRISM software and running its functions.

An Experimenting Field Approach for the Numerical Solution of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Salama, Amgad; Sun, Shuyu; Bao, Kai

2015-01-01

In this work, we apply the experimenting pressure field technique to the problem of the flow of two or more immiscible phases in porous media. In this technique, a set of predefined pressure fields are introduced to the governing partial differential equations. This implies that the velocity vector field and the divergence at each cell of the solution mesh can be determined. However, since none of these fields is the true pressure field entailed by the boundary conditions and/or the source terms, the divergence at each cell will not be the correct one. Rather the residue which is the difference between the true divergence and the calculated one is obtained. These fields are designed such that these residuals are used to construct the matrix of coefficients of the pressure equation and the right-hand side. The experimenting pressure fields are generated in the solver routine and are fed to the different routines, which may be called physics routines, which return to the solver the elements of the matrix of coefficients. Therefore, this methodology separates the solver routines from the physics routines and therefore results in simpler, easy to construct, maintain, and update algorithms.

An Experimenting Field Approach for the Numerical Solution of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Salama, Amgad

2015-07-14

In this work, we apply the experimenting pressure field technique to the problem of the flow of two or more immiscible phases in porous media. In this technique, a set of predefined pressure fields are introduced to the governing partial differential equations. This implies that the velocity vector field and the divergence at each cell of the solution mesh can be determined. However, since none of these fields is the true pressure field entailed by the boundary conditions and/or the source terms, the divergence at each cell will not be the correct one. Rather the residue which is the difference between the true divergence and the calculated one is obtained. These fields are designed such that these residuals are used to construct the matrix of coefficients of the pressure equation and the right-hand side. The experimenting pressure fields are generated in the solver routine and are fed to the different routines, which may be called physics routines, which return to the solver the elements of the matrix of coefficients. Therefore, this methodology separates the solver routines from the physics routines and therefore results in simpler, easy to construct, maintain, and update algorithms.

International symposium and field seminar on karst waters and environmental impacts. Abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunay, G; Tezcan, L; Atilla, A O [comps.

1996-12-31

The international symposium and field seminar on karst waters and environmental impacts was held on 10-20 September 1995 in Beldibi,Antalya, Turkey. The specialists discussed COST Action 65, Environmental Impact sand Legal Aspects, Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, Research Methods, Tracing Techniques, Hydro chemistry, Environmental Isotopes in Karst, Transport Processing, Modeling and Flow Systems, Karst Morphology and Paleoenvironment, Regional Karst Systems, James F. Quinlay Pollution Control and Karst Water Protection Session and Hydrology. Almost 140 papers were presented in the meeting.

International symposium and field seminar on karst waters and environmental impacts. Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunay, G.; Tezcan, L.; Atilla, A.O.

1995-01-01

The international symposium and field seminar on karst waters and environmental impacts was held on 10-20 September 1995 in Beldibi,Antalya, Turkey. The specialists discussed COST Action 65, Environmental Impact sand Legal Aspects, Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, Research Methods, Tracing Techniques, Hydro chemistry, Environmental Isotopes in Karst, Transport Processing, Modeling and Flow Systems, Karst Morphology and Paleoenvironment, Regional Karst Systems, James F. Quinlay Pollution Control and Karst Water Protection Session and Hydrology. Almost 140 papers were presented in the meeting

Work Demands, Work-Family Conflict, and Child Adjustment in African American Families: The Mediating Role of Family Routines

Science.gov (United States)

McLoyd, Vonnie C.; Toyokawa, Teru; Kaplan, Rachel

2008-01-01

Using data from a sample of 455 African American children (ages 10 to 12 years) and their parents, this study tests a hypothesized model linking (a) maternal work demands to family routines through work-family conflict and depressive symptoms and (b) maternal work demands to children's externalizing and internalizing problems through family…

The Endogenous Origins of Experience, Routines and Organizational Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foss, Nicolai Juul; Felin, Teppo

2011-01-01

In this paper we discuss the origins and emergence of organizational routines and capabilities. We first argue that there are theoretical and endogeneity-related concerns associated with the key antecedents and mechanisms specified by the extant routines and capabilities literature. Specifically,...... or rationalist, choice-based approach can provide a more fruitful (though preliminary) foundation for understanding organizational behavior and capabilities.......In this paper we discuss the origins and emergence of organizational routines and capabilities. We first argue that there are theoretical and endogeneity-related concerns associated with the key antecedents and mechanisms specified by the extant routines and capabilities literature. Specifically......, we explicate the behaviorist and empiricist foundations of the organizational routines and capabilities literature and the extant emphasis placed on experience, repetition, and observation as the key antecedents and mechanisms of routines and capabilities. Based on this discussion we highlight...

International co-operation in the nuclear field - past, present and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldschmidt, B.

1978-01-01

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its creation, the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (NEA/OECD) held a symposium in Paris on 1 and 2 February 1978. Some 200 participants from the 23 Member countries of the NEA as well as representatives of the Commission of European Communities, FORATOM and the IAEA attended the symposium. At a panel discussion at the symposium, led by Dr. Sigvard Eklund, Director General of the IAEA, the future of international co-operation between advanced nations in the nuclear field was discussed. While recognizing that nuclear energy is at present going through a period of uncertainty pending resolution of the intertwined problems of gaining public confidence and of non-proliferation, the panel expressed its strong confidence in the future of nuclear power, and the vital contribution it would make, particularly between now and the end of the century. During the meeting, a critical review was made of the way in which international co-operation has evolved since the early stages of peaceful nuclear development, and of the influence on this co-operation of the changing relationship between government and industry. The contribution of international co-operation - and its limitations - was carefully scrutinized, notably in the crucial area of the nuclear fuel cycle

Routine versus on demand removal of the syndesmotic screw; A protocol for an international randomised controlled trial (RODEO-trial)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.A. Dingemans (Siem); Birnie, M.F.N. (M. F.N.); Sanders, F.R.K. (F. R.K.); M.P.J. van den Bekerom (Michel); Backes, M. (M.); E.F. van Beeck (Ed); F.W. Bloemers (Frank); B.A. van Dijkman (Bart); E.R. Flikweert (Elvira); D.J. Haverkamp; H.R. Holtslag (Herman); Hoogendoorn, J.M. (J. M.); P. Joosse (Pieter); Parkkinen, M. (M.); G.R. Roukema (Gert); N.L. Sosef (Nico L.); B. Twigt (Bas); R.N. van Veen (Ruben); Van Der Veen, A.H. (A. H.); Vermeulen, J. (J.); Winkelhagen, J. (J.); Van Der Zwaard, B.C. (B. C.); S. Van Dieren (Susan); J.C. Goslings (Carel); T. Schepers (Tim)

2018-01-01

textabstractBackground: Syndesmotic injuries are common and their incidence is rising. In case of surgical fixation of the syndesmosis a metal syndesmotic screw is used most often. It is however unclear whether this screw needs to be removed routinely after the syndesmosis has healed. Traditionally

Description of work for routine groundwater sampling at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, B.H.

1996-09-01

This document provides a description of work and field implementation guidance for routine (post-baseline) groundwater monitoring sampling program at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. The purpose of this program is to (1) meet the intent of the applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements; (2) document baseline groundwater conditions; (3) monitor those conditions for change; and (4) allow for modifications to groundwater sampling if required by the leachate management program

The institutionalization of a routine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian

2008-01-01

-which has before largely been treated in overview by institutionalism-plays an important role in the making of a routine. In my empirical study, I demonstrate that the concept and practice of the valve changes, and that it is identified in a number of ways, as it passes through the testing phase...... of production. I argue that the negotiation of these changes during test production is the fulcrum in the routinization of the production procedure. It is through these identity shifts that the valve is both reified, and rendered producible and applicable in the customer world....

The prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma in routine clinical practice.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Davenport, Colin

2012-02-01

The prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma (AI) on computed tomography (CT) in the general population has been reported to be as high as 4.2%. However, many of the previous studies in this field utilised a prospective approach with analysis of CT scans performed by one or more radiologists with a specialist interest in adrenal tumours and a specific focus on identifying the presence of an adrenal mass. A typical radiology department, with a focus on the patient\\'s presenting complaint as opposed to the adrenal gland, may not be expected to diagnose as many adrenal incidentalomas as would be identified in a dedicated research protocol. We hypothesised that the number of AI reported in routine clinical practice is significantly lower than the published figures would suggest. We retrospectively reviewed the reports of all CT thorax and abdomen scans performed in our hospital over a 2 year period. 3,099 patients underwent imaging, with 3,705 scans performed. The median age was 63 years (range 18-98). Thirty-seven true AI were diagnosed during the time period studied. Twenty-two were diagnosed by CT abdomen (22\\/2,227) and 12 by CT thorax (12\\/1,478), a prevalence of 0.98 and 0.81% with CT abdomen and thorax, respectively, for AI in routine clinical practice.

Routine versus on demand removal of the syndesmotic screw; a protocol for an international randomised controlled trial (RODEO-trial)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dingemans, S. A.; Birnie, M. F. N.; Sanders, F. R. K.; van den Bekerom, M. P. J.; Backes, M.; van Beeck, E.; Bloemers, F. W.; van Dijkman, B.; Flikweert, E.; Haverkamp, D.; Holtslag, H. R.; Hoogendoorn, J. M.; Joosse, P.; Parkkinen, M.; Roukema, G.; Sosef, N.; Twigt, B. A.; van Veen, R. N.; van der Veen, A. H.; Vermeulen, J.; Winkelhagen, J.; van der Zwaard, B. C.; van Dieren, S.; Goslings, J. C.; Schepers, T.

2018-01-01

Background: Syndesmotic injuries are common and their incidence is rising. In case of surgical fixation of the syndesmosis a metal syndesmotic screw is used most often. It is however unclear whether this screw needs to be removed routinely after the syndesmosis has healed. Traditionally the screw is

ORGANIZATIONAL ROUTINES IN RUSSIAN COMPANIES: REVIEW OF PRACTICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Valieva

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Results of the first stage of the researches conducted in 2012-2013 are presented in article. Researches are connected with studying of transformational processes intra corporate of managemetn practices in the Russian companies and their subsequent institutionalization. Preliminary results showed that in the companies there is a standard set of organizational routines which part are information, and administrative routines, routines of the power of the founder, genetic, institutional and development routines. During research statistically significant connection between types of organizational structures, the sizes of the organization, information processing and administrative practices is established. It is revealed as change of approaches to management of the organization can affect a corruption component.

Search Results | Page 720 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 7191 - 7200 of 9175 ... This book is intended to assist both external and internal efforts to ... "information revolution," and "information economy" are used routinely to illustrate ... Urban agriculture, it is argued, can reduce this dependency.

Search Results | Page 762 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 7611 - 7620 of 9601 ... This book is intended to assist both external and internal efforts to ... "information revolution," and "information economy" are used routinely to illustrate ... Urban agriculture, it is argued, can reduce this dependency.

Integrated Design of Superconducting Magnets with the CERN Field Computation Program ROXIE

CERN Document Server

Russenschuck, Stephan; Bazan, M; Lucas, J; Ramberger, S; Völlinger, Christine

2000-01-01

The program package ROXIE has been developed at CERN for the field computation of superconducting accelerator magnets and is used as an approach towards the integrated design of such magnets. It is also an example of fruitful international collaborations in software development.The integrated design of magnets includes feature based geometry generation, conceptual design using genetic optimization algorithms, optimization of the iron yoke (both in 2d and 3d) using deterministic methods, end-spacer design and inverse field calculation.The paper describes the version 8.0 of ROXIE which comprises an automatic mesh generator, an hysteresis model for the magnetization in superconducting filaments, the BEM-FEM coupling method for the 3d field calculation, a routine for the calculation of the peak temperature during a quench and neural network approximations of the objective function for the speed-up of optimization algorithms, amongst others.New results of the magnet design work for the LHC are given as examples.

Routine environment audit of the Kansas City Plant, Kansas City, Missouri

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-11-01

This report documents the results of the routine environmental audit of the Kansas City Plant, Kansas City, Missouri. During this audit the activities the audit team conducted included reviews of internal documents and reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted October 24-November 4, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety, and Health (EH). DOE 5482.1 B, {open_quotes}Environment, Safety, and Health Appraisal Program,{close_quotes} establishes the mission of EH-24, which is to provide comprehensive, independent oversight of Department-wide environmental programs on behalf of the Secretary of Energy. The ultimate goal of EH-24 is enhancement of environmental protection and minimization of risk to public health and the environment. EH-24 accomplishes its mission by conducting systematic and periodic evaluations of the Department`s environmental programs within line organizations and by using supplemental activities that strengthen self-assessment and oversight functions within program, field, and contractor organizations. The audit evaluated the status of programs to ensure compliance with Federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations; compliance with DOE Orders, guidance, and directives; and conformance with accepted industry practices and standards of performance. The audit also evaluated the status and adequacy of the management systems developed to address environmental requirements.

Routine environmental audit of the Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

This report documents the results of the routine environmental audit of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12 Plant), Anderson County, Tennessee. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents and reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), State of Tennessee regulatory, and contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted August 22-September 2, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). DOE 5482.1 B, open-quotes Environment, Safety, and Health Appraisal Program,close quotes establishes the mission of EH-24 to provide comprehensive, independent oversight of DOE environmental programs on behalf of the Secretary of Energy. The ultimate goal of EH-24 is enhancement of environmental protection and minimization of risk to public health and the environment. EH-24 accomplishes its mission by conducting systematic and periodic evaluations of DOE's environmental programs within line organizations, and by using supplemental activities that strengthen self-assessment and oversight functions within program, field, and contractor organizations. The audit evaluated the status of programs to ensure compliance with Federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations; compliance with DOE Orders, guidance, and directives; and conformance with accepted industry practices and standards of performance. The audit also evaluated the status and adequacy of the management systems developed to address environmental requirements

42 CFR 493.1267 - Standard: Routine chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Routine chemistry. 493.1267 Section 493.1267 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Systems § 493.1267 Standard: Routine chemistry. For blood gas analyses, the laboratory must perform the...

A method for gear fatigue life prediction considering the internal flow field of the gear pump

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Haidong; Li, Zhiqiang; Qi, Lele; Qiao, Liang

2018-01-01

Gear pump is the most widely used volume type hydraulic pump, and it is the main power source of the hydraulic system. Its performance is influenced by many factors, such as working environment, maintenance, fluid pressure and so on. It is different from the gear transmission system, the internal flow field of gear pump has a greater impact on the gear life, therefore it needs to consider the internal hydraulic system when predicting the gear fatigue life. In this paper, a certain aircraft gear pump as the research object, aim at the typical failure forms, gear contact fatigue, of gear pump, proposing the prediction method based on the virtual simulation. The method use CFD (Computational fluid dynamics) software to analyze pressure distribution of internal flow field of the gear pump, and constructed the unidirectional flow-solid coupling model of gear to acquire the contact stress of tooth surface on Ansys workbench software. Finally, employing nominal stress method and Miner cumulative damage theory to calculated the gear contact fatigue life based on modified material P-S-N curve. Engineering practice show that the method is feasible and efficient.

MRI EVALUATION OF INTERNAL DERANGEMENT OF KNEE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok Srikar Chowdhary

2018-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Internal derangement of knee means loss of normal knee function due to ligament or meniscal injuries. MRI is a routinely utilised noninvasive modality for evaluation of various knee disorders including internal derangement. MRI provides excellent soft tissue contrast and multiplanar images when compared to other musculoskeletal imaging modalities. The aim of the study is to study the demographic profile of patients presenting with internal derangement of knee, identify the various ligament and meniscal injuries causing internal derangement of knee and describe the MRI features of the ligament and meniscal injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was undertaken from January 2016 to mid-December 2017 in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, Hoskote. The study population consisted of 108 patients with internal derangement of knee who underwent MRI of knee. All the MRI scans of the knee in this study were performed using Siemens Magnetom Essenza (A Tim+Dot system MR machine with a 1.5 tesla field strength magnet using a flex coil. RESULTS The study population consisted of 108 patients comprising of 90 males and 18 females. The age of the patients ranged from 16 to 67 years. Majority of the patients belonged to the age group of 21-30 years constituting about 41% of the total study population. Anterior cruciate ligament injury was the commonest followed by medial and lateral meniscus tears. Flap tear was the commonest type of meniscal tear. Posterior horn of the meniscus was the commonest tear site. CONCLUSION MRI is the investigation of choice in evaluating internal derangement of knee. MRI can accurately diagnose ligament and meniscal injuries and guide arthroscopy.

Breaking the Waves: Routines and Rituals in Entrepreneurship Education

Science.gov (United States)

Neergaard, Helle; Christensen, Dorthe Refslund

2017-01-01

Learning is related to the environment created for the learning experience. This environment is often highly routinized and involves a certain social structure, but in entrepreneurship education, such routinization and structure may actually counteract the learning goals. This article investigates how classroom routines and rituals impact on…

The quality of clinical maternal and neonatal healthcare - a strategy for identifying 'routine care signal functions'.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephan Brenner

Full Text Available A variety of clinical process indicators exists to measure the quality of care provided by maternal and neonatal health (MNH programs. To allow comparison across MNH programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs, a core set of essential process indicators is needed. Although such a core set is available for emergency obstetric care (EmOC, the 'EmOC signal functions', a similar approach is currently missing for MNH routine care evaluation. We describe a strategy for identifying core process indicators for routine care and illustrate their usefulness in a field example.We first developed an indicator selection strategy by combining epidemiological and programmatic aspects relevant to MNH in LMICs. We then identified routine care process indicators meeting our selection criteria by reviewing existing quality of care assessment protocols. We grouped these indicators into three categories based on their main function in addressing risk factors of maternal or neonatal complications. We then tested this indicator set in a study assessing MNH quality of clinical care in 33 health facilities in Malawi.Our strategy identified 51 routine care processes: 23 related to initial patient risk assessment, 17 to risk monitoring, 11 to risk prevention. During the clinical performance assessment a total of 82 cases were observed. Birth attendants' adherence to clinical standards was lowest in relation to risk monitoring processes. In relation to major complications, routine care processes addressing fetal and newborn distress were performed relatively consistently, but there were major gaps in the performance of routine care processes addressing bleeding, infection, and pre-eclampsia risks.The identified set of process indicators could identify major gaps in the quality of obstetric and neonatal care provided during the intra- and immediate postpartum period. We hope our suggested indicators for essential routine care processes will contribute to streamlining

The quality of clinical maternal and neonatal healthcare - a strategy for identifying 'routine care signal functions'.

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Stephan; De Allegri, Manuela; Gabrysch, Sabine; Chinkhumba, Jobiba; Sarker, Malabika; Muula, Adamson S

2015-01-01

A variety of clinical process indicators exists to measure the quality of care provided by maternal and neonatal health (MNH) programs. To allow comparison across MNH programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a core set of essential process indicators is needed. Although such a core set is available for emergency obstetric care (EmOC), the 'EmOC signal functions', a similar approach is currently missing for MNH routine care evaluation. We describe a strategy for identifying core process indicators for routine care and illustrate their usefulness in a field example. We first developed an indicator selection strategy by combining epidemiological and programmatic aspects relevant to MNH in LMICs. We then identified routine care process indicators meeting our selection criteria by reviewing existing quality of care assessment protocols. We grouped these indicators into three categories based on their main function in addressing risk factors of maternal or neonatal complications. We then tested this indicator set in a study assessing MNH quality of clinical care in 33 health facilities in Malawi. Our strategy identified 51 routine care processes: 23 related to initial patient risk assessment, 17 to risk monitoring, 11 to risk prevention. During the clinical performance assessment a total of 82 cases were observed. Birth attendants' adherence to clinical standards was lowest in relation to risk monitoring processes. In relation to major complications, routine care processes addressing fetal and newborn distress were performed relatively consistently, but there were major gaps in the performance of routine care processes addressing bleeding, infection, and pre-eclampsia risks. The identified set of process indicators could identify major gaps in the quality of obstetric and neonatal care provided during the intra- and immediate postpartum period. We hope our suggested indicators for essential routine care processes will contribute to streamlining MNH program

A review of patient safety measures based on routinely collected hospital data.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Carmen; Palmer, William; Bottle, Alex; Majeed, Azeem; Aylin, Paul

2012-01-01

The literature on patient safety measures derived from routinely collected hospital data was reviewed to inform indicator development. MEDLINE and Embase databases and Web sites were searched. Of 1738 citations, 124 studies describing the application, evaluation, or validation of hospital-based medical error or complication of care measures were reviewed. Studies were frequently conducted in the United States (n = 88) between 2005 and 2009 (n = 77) using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety indicators (PSIs; n = 79). The most frequently cited indicators included "postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma" and "accidental puncture and laceration." Indicator refinement is supported by international coding algorithm translations but is hampered by data issues, including coding inconsistencies. The validity of PSIs and similar adverse event screens beyond internal measurement and the effects of organizational factors on patient harm remain uncertain. Development of PSIs in ambulatory care settings, including general practice and psychiatric care, needs consideration.

PARMELA sub B a new version of PARMELA with coherent synchrotron radiation effects and a finite difference space charge routine

CERN Document Server

Koltenbah, B E C; Greegor, R B; Dowell, D H

2002-01-01

Recent interest in advanced laser light sources has stimulated development of accelerator systems of intermediate beam energy, 100-200 MeV, and high charge, 1-10 nC, for high power FEL applications and high energy, 1-2 GeV, high charge, SASE-FEL applications. The current generation of beam transport codes which were developed for high-energy, low-charge beams with low self-fields are inadequate to address this energy and charge regime, and better computational tools are required to accurately calculate self-fields. To that end, we have developed a new version of PARMELA, named PARMELA sub B and written in Fortran 95, which includes a coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) routine and an improved, generalized space charge (SC) routine. An electron bunch is simulated by a collection of macro-particles, which traverses a series of beam line elements. At each time step through the calculation, the momentum of each particle is updated due to the presence of external and self-fields. The self-fields are due to CSR an...

42 CFR 493.841 - Standard; Routine chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Routine chemistry. 493.841 Section 493.841 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.841 Standard; Routine chemistry. (a) Failure to attain a score of at least 80 percent...

Development of a one-stop beam verification system using electronic portal imaging devices for routine quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Sangwook; Ma, Sun Young; Jeung, Tae Sig; Yi, Byong Yong; Lee, Sang Hoon; Lee, Suk; Cho, Sam Ju; Choi, Jinho

2012-01-01

In this study, a computer-based system for routine quality assurance (QA) of a linear accelerator (linac) was developed by using the dosimetric properties of an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (EPID). An acrylic template phantom was designed such that it could be placed on the EPID and be aligned with the light field of the collimator. After irradiation, portal images obtained from the EPID were transferred in DICOM format to a computer and analyzed using a program we developed. The symmetry, flatness, field size, and congruence of the light and radiation fields of the photon beams from the linac were verified simultaneously. To validate the QA system, the ion chamber and film (X-Omat V2; Kodak, New York, NY) measurements were compared with the EPID measurements obtained in this study. The EPID measurements agreed with the film measurements. Parameters for beams with energies of 6 MV and 15 MV were obtained daily for 1 month using this system. It was found that our QA tool using EPID could substitute for the film test, which is a time-consuming method for routine QA assessment.

Development of a one-stop beam verification system using electronic portal imaging devices for routine quality assurance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Sangwook, E-mail: medicalphysics@hotmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Seo-gu, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Ma, Sun Young; Jeung, Tae Sig [Department of Radiation Oncology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Seo-gu, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Byong Yong [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Lee, Sang Hoon [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cheil General Hospital and Women' s Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Jung-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Suk [Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Sam Ju [Department of Radiation Oncology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Nowon-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jinho [Department of Radiation Oncology, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Namdong-gu, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-01

In this study, a computer-based system for routine quality assurance (QA) of a linear accelerator (linac) was developed by using the dosimetric properties of an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (EPID). An acrylic template phantom was designed such that it could be placed on the EPID and be aligned with the light field of the collimator. After irradiation, portal images obtained from the EPID were transferred in DICOM format to a computer and analyzed using a program we developed. The symmetry, flatness, field size, and congruence of the light and radiation fields of the photon beams from the linac were verified simultaneously. To validate the QA system, the ion chamber and film (X-Omat V2; Kodak, New York, NY) measurements were compared with the EPID measurements obtained in this study. The EPID measurements agreed with the film measurements. Parameters for beams with energies of 6 MV and 15 MV were obtained daily for 1 month using this system. It was found that our QA tool using EPID could substitute for the film test, which is a time-consuming method for routine QA assessment.

Is routine measurement of TSH in hospitalized patients necessary?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Bashkin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available TSH routine testing in hospitalized patients has low efficacy, but may be beneficial in a selected subgroup of patients. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of routine thyroid function tests among patients admitted to internal medicine departments. It is a retrospective study. A randomly selected cohort of hospitalized patients with abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH blood tests drawn as part of admission protocol. Patient data were collected from the electronic medical files and analyzed for its efficacy. TSH as a screening test was proven unnecessary in 75% (174 of the study population. Leading causes were non-thyroidal illness syndrome, drugs affecting the test results and subclinical disorders. TSH testing was found to be clinically helpful in only 9 patients; however, all of them had other clinical need for TSH testing. We found a clinically abnormal TSH in 20 patients, hypothyroidism in 11 patients and thyrotoxicosis in 9 patients. Low efficacy ascribed to TSH screening test by this study correlates with recent recommendations that indicate TSH screening in admitted patients only with accompanying clinical suspicion. Most probably, the majority of patients found by screening to have thyrotoxicosis have non-thyroidal illness or drug effects so the threshold for FT4 to diagnose overt thyrotoxicosis should be higher than that in ambulatory patients. In elderly patients, clinically relevant TSH disturbances are more frequent and are harder to diagnose, therefore, TSH screening in this group of patients might be beneficial.

International Curriculums.

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Larry L.

This workshop presentation on international curriculums in the field of parks, recreation, leisure, cultural services, and travel/tourism comments that the literature is replete with articles addressing what the field is about, but not about curriculum issues, models, and structure. It reports an international survey of 12 college educators…

[The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) : The implementation of the ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions in clinical routine as an example of application].

Science.gov (United States)

Coenen, Michaela; Rudolf, Klaus-Dieter; Kus, Sandra; Dereskewitz, Caroline

2018-05-24

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a standardized language of almost 1500 ICF categories for coding information about functioning and contextual factors. Short lists (ICF Core Sets) are helpful tools to support the implementation of the ICF in clinical routine. In this paper we report on the implementation of ICF Core Sets in clinical routine using the "ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions" and the "Lighthouse Project Hand" as an example. Based on the ICF categories of the "Brief ICF Core Set for Hand Conditions", the ICF-based assessment tool (ICF Hand A ) was developed aiming to guide the assessment and treatment of patients with injuries and diseases located at the hand. The ICF Hand A facilitates the standardized assessment of functioning - taking into consideration of a holistic view of the patients - along the continuum of care ranging from acute care to rehabilitation and return to work. Reference points for the assessment of the ICF Hand A are determined in treatment guidelines for selected injuries and diseases of the hand along with recommendations for acute treatment and care, procedures and interventions of subsequent treatment and rehabilitation. The assessment of the ICF Hand A according to the defined reference points can be done using electronic clinical assessment tools and allows for an automatic generation of a timely medical report of a patient's functioning. In the future, the ICF Hand A can be used to inform the coding of functioning in ICD-11.

Revealing by secondary electronic emission of internal electric fields in the yttriated zirconia, irradiated by electrons of 1 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaise, G.; Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay

2007-01-01

The defects due to irradiation in a dielectric material present an activity which can generate macroscopic internal electric fields. A method of investigation of these fields, based on the measure of the Secondary Electronic Emission coefficient, has been developed on a scanning electric microscope. This ones contains two low noise detectors which respectively measure the influence current I IC produced by the charges trapping in the material and the current I SB due to secondary and backscattered electrons which come from the sample. The Secondary Emission coefficient is given by σ=I SB /(I SB +I IC ). The charges trapping during an electrons injection leads to a variation of σ for its intrinsic value σ 0 relative to the uncharged material, until the stationary value σ st =1 corresponding to the auto-regulated condition. This variation is due to the development of an internal electric field produced by the accumulation of the charges trapped during injection. In comparing the evolutions of σ of a fresh yttriated zirconia and of an yttriated zirconia irradiated by electrons of 1 MeV with a dose rate of 10 18 e/cm 2 , it has been revealed that an internal field (due to irradiation) of about 0.5*10 6 V/m exists at a depth of the micron order. This field, directed towards the outside of the material surface, is attributed to the F + defects and to the T centers produced by the impact of the electrons of 1 MeV. In carrying out annealings until 1000 K, a progressive disappearance of this field is observed in the temperature range of 400-600 K, directly due to the F + defects and T centers recovery, as it has been observed by ESR. An internal field three times weaker than the preceding ones has been revealed at a few nm under the surface. Its disappearance from a temperature of 1000 K suggests that it is due to the redistribution of the chemical species into the surface, during the irradiation with electrons of 1 MeV. (O.M.)

Towards system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in routine practice: Developing simple, intuitive descriptions of ICF categories in the ICF Generic and Rehabilitation Set.

Science.gov (United States)

Prodinger, Birgit; Reinhardt, Jan D; Selb, Melissa; Stucki, Gerold; Yan, Tiebin; Zhang, Xia; Li, Jianan

2016-06-13

A national, multi-phase, consensus process to develop simple, intuitive descriptions of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories contained in the ICF Generic and Rehabilitation Sets, with the aim of enhancing the utility of the ICF in routine clinical practice, is presented in this study. A multi-stage, national, consensus process was conducted. The consensus process involved 3 expert groups and consisted of a preparatory phase, a consensus conference with consecutive working groups and 3 voting rounds (votes A, B and C), followed by an implementation phase. In the consensus conference, participants first voted on whether they agreed that an initially developed proposal for simple, intuitive descriptions of an ICF category was in fact simple and intuitive. The consensus conference was held in August 2014 in mainland China. Twenty-one people with a background in physical medicine and rehabilitation participated in the consensus process. Four ICF categories achieved consensus in vote A, 16 in vote B, and 8 in vote C. This process can be seen as part of a larger effort towards the system-wide implementation of the ICF in routine clinical and rehabilitation practice to allow for the regular and comprehensive evaluation of health outcomes most relevant for the monitoring of quality of care.

Monitoring requirements for assessment of internal dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerman, K.F.

1985-01-01

Data obtained by routine personnel monitoring is usually not a sufficient basis for estimation of dose. Collected data must be interpreted carefully and supplemented with appropriate information before reasonably accurate estimates of dose (i.e., accurate enough to indicate whether or nor personnel are exposed in excess of recommended limits) can be developed. When the exposure is of sufficient magnitude that a rather precise estimate of dose is needed, the health physicist will bring to bear on the problem other, more refined, methods of dosimetry. These might include a reconstruction of the incident and, for internal emitters, an extensive series of in vivo measurements or analyses of excreta. Thus, cases of special significance must often be evaluated using techniques and resources beyond those routinely employed. This is not a criticism of most routine monitoring programs. These programs are usually carefully designed in a manner commensurate with the degree of exposure routinely encountered and the requirement of a practical program of radiation protection. 10 refs

Innovative Telemonitoring System for Cardiology: From Science to Routine Operation

Science.gov (United States)

Kastner, P.; Morak, J.; Modre, R.; Kollmann, A.; Ebner, C.; Fruhwald, FM.; Schreier, G.

2010-01-01

Objective Results of the Austrian MOBITEL (MOBIle phone based TELemonitoring for heart failure patients) trial indicate that home-based telemonitoring improves outcome of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and reduces both frequency and duration of hospitalizations. Based on lessons learned, we assessed the weak points to clear the way for routine operations. Methods We analyzed the system with respect to recommendations of the ESC Guidelines and experiences gained throughout the trial to identify potential improvements. The following components have been identified: a patient terminal with highest usability, integrated way to document drug-intake and well-being, and automated event detection for worsening of CHF. As a consequence the system was extended by Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and by an event management tool. Results Usability evaluation with 30 adults (14f, median 51y. IQR[45-65]) showed that 21 (8f) were able to immediately operate the system after reading a step-by-step manual. Eight (6f) needed one time demonstration and one man (80y) failed to operate the blood pressure meter. Routine operation of the revised system started in March 2009. Within 9 months, 15 patients (4f, median 74y. IQR[71-83], all NYHA-III) transmitted 17,149 items. 43 events were detected because of body weight gain of more then 2kg within 2 days. 49 therapy adjustments were documented. Three patients stopped using the system, two (1f) because of non-compliance and one (m, 82y) because of death. Overall, the rate of adherence to daily data transfer was 78%. Conclusion First results confirm the applicability of the revised telemonitoring system in routine operation. PMID:23616835

Isothermal multiple displacement amplification: a methodical approach enhancing molecular routine diagnostics of microcarcinomas and small biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mairinger, Fabian D; Walter, Robert Fh; Vollbrecht, Claudia; Hager, Thomas; Worm, Karl; Ting, Saskia; Wohlschläger, Jeremias; Zarogoulidis, Paul; Zarogoulidis, Konstantinos; Schmid, Kurt W

2014-01-01

Isothermal multiple displacement amplification (IMDA) can be a powerful tool in molecular routine diagnostics for homogeneous and sequence-independent whole-genome amplification of notably small tumor samples, eg, microcarcinomas and biopsies containing a small amount of tumor. Currently, this method is not well established in pathology laboratories. We designed a study to confirm the feasibility and convenience of this method for routine diagnostics with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples prepared by laser-capture microdissection. A total of 250 μg DNA (concentration 5 μg/μL) was generated by amplification over a period of 8 hours with a material input of approximately 25 cells, approximately equivalent to 175 pg of genomic DNA. In the generated DNA, a representation of all chromosomes could be shown and the presence of elected genes relevant for diagnosis in clinical samples could be proven. Mutational analysis of clinical samples could be performed without any difficulty and showed concordance with earlier diagnostic findings. We established the feasibility and convenience of IMDA for routine diagnostics. We also showed that small amounts of DNA, which were not analyzable with current molecular methods, could be sufficient for a wide field of applications in molecular routine diagnostics when they are preamplified with IMDA.

Reference values for generic instruments used in routine outcome monitoring: the leiden routine outcome monitoring study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schulte-van Maaren Yvonne WM

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI, Mood & Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire −30 (MASQ-D30, Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36, and Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Short Form (DAPP-SF are generic instruments that can be used in Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM of patients with common mental disorders. We aimed to generate reference values usually encountered in 'healthy' and ‘psychiatrically ill’ populations to facilitate correct interpretation of ROM results. Methods We included the following specific reference populations: 1294 subjects from the general population (ROM reference group recruited through general practitioners, and 5269 psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with mood, anxiety, or somatoform (MAS disorders (ROM patient group. The outermost 5% of observations were used to define limits for one-sided reference intervals (95th percentiles for BSI, MASQ-D30 and DAPP-SF, and 5th percentiles for SF-36 subscales. Internal consistency and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC analyses were performed. Results Mean age for the ROM reference group was 40.3 years (SD=12.6 and 37.7 years (SD=12.0 for the ROM patient group. The proportion of females was 62.8% and 64.6%, respectively. The mean for cut-off values of healthy individuals was 0.82 for the BSI subscales, 23 for the three MASQ-D30 subscales, 45 for the SF-36 subscales, and 3.1 for the DAPP-SF subscales. Discriminative power of the BSI, MASQ-D30 and SF-36 was good, but it was poor for the DAPP-SF. For all instruments, the internal consistency of the subscales ranged from adequate to excellent. Discussion and conclusion Reference values for the clinical interpretation were provided for the BSI, MASQ-D30, SF-36, and DAPP-SF. Clinical information aided by ROM data may represent the best means to appraise the clinical state of psychiatric outpatients.

International opportunities and value creation in international entrepreneurship.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mainela, Tuija; Puhakka, Vesa; Wakkee, Ingrid; Marinova, Svetla; Larimo, Jorma; Nummela, Niina

2016-01-01

International entrepreneurship (IE) as a field of research has emerged at the intersection of internationalization and entrepreneurship theories. At this intersection it has come to emphasize the activities centered on international opportunities. International opportunities, then, are about value

Outsourcing of internal audit and independence of auditors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Seetharaman

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Internal audit which is an integral part of any organization has long been overlooked. In fact, most organizations look at internal audit as a routine function in an organization. However, in the recent years, internal audit has taken a front seat for many organizations. Others are also looking at various options such as outsourcing of the internal audit function of their organizations. However, where outsourcing is concerned, one important issue arises, which is the independence of the external auditor to perform the internal audit function. This paper takes a look at the various aspects of the internal audit process as well as the impact and independence of external auditors who perform internal audit

Accreditation and training on internal dosimetry in a laboratory network in Brazil: an increasing demand.

Science.gov (United States)

Dantas, B M; Dantas, A L A; Acar, M E D; Cardoso, J C S; Julião, L M Q C; Lima, M F; Taddei, M H T; Arine, D R; Alonso, T; Ramos, M A P; Fajgelj, A

2011-03-01

In recent years, Brazilian Nuclear Programme has been reviewed and updated by government authorities in face of the demand for energy supply and its associated environmental constraints. The immediate impact of new national programmes and projects in nuclear field is the increase in the number of exposed personnel and the consequent need for reliable dosimetry services in the country. Several Technical Documents related to internal dosimetry have been released by the International Atomic Energy Agency and International Commission on Radiological Protection. However, standard bioassay procedures and methodologies for bioassay data interpretation are still under discussion and, in some cases, both in routine and emergency internal monitoring, procedures can vary from one laboratory to another and responses may differ markedly among Dosimetry Laboratories. Thus, it may be difficult to interpret and use bioassay data generated from different laboratories of a network. The main goal of this work is to implement a National Network of Laboratories aimed to provide reliable internal monitoring services in Brazil. The establishment of harmonised in vivo and in vitro radioanalytical techniques, dose assessment methods and the implementation of the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements will result in the recognition of technical competence of the network.

The prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma in routine clinical practice.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Davenport, Colin

2011-03-10

The prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma (AI) on computed tomography (CT) in the general population has been reported to be as high as 4.2%. However, many of the previous studies in this field utilised a prospective approach with analysis of CT scans performed by one or more radiologists with a specialist interest in adrenal tumours and a specific focus on identifying the presence of an adrenal mass. A typical radiology department, with a focus on the patient\\'s presenting complaint as opposed to the adrenal gland, may not be expected to diagnose as many adrenal incidentalomas as would be identified in a dedicated research protocol. We hypothesised that the number of AI reported in routine clinical practice is significantly lower than the published figures would suggest. We retrospectively reviewed the reports of all CT thorax and abdomen scans performed in our hospital over a 2 year period. 3,099 patients underwent imaging, with 3,705 scans performed. The median age was 63 years (range 18-98). Thirty-seven true AI were diagnosed during the time period studied. Twenty-two were diagnosed by CT abdomen (22\\/2,227) and 12 by CT thorax (12\\/1,478), a prevalence of 0.98 and 0.81% with CT abdomen and thorax, respectively, for AI in routine clinical practice.

Diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome in routine clinical practice

Science.gov (United States)

Hills, J; Machin, SJ; Cohen, H

2013-01-01

The updated international consensus criteria for definite antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are useful for scientific clinical studies. However, there remains a need for diagnostic criteria for routine clinical use. We audited the results of routine antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) in a cohort of 193 consecutive patients with aPL positivity-based testing for lupus anticoagulant (LA), IgG and IgM anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-ß2glycoprotein-1 antibodies (aß2GPI). Medium/high-titre aCL/aβ2GPI was defined as >99th percentile. Low-titre aCL/aβ2GPI positivity (>95th < 99th percentile) was considered positive for obstetric but not for thrombotic APS. One hundred of the 145 patients fulfilled both clinical and laboratory criteria for definite APS. Twenty-six women with purely obstetric APS had persistent low-titre aCL and/or aβ2GPI. With the inclusion of these patients, 126 of the 145 patients were considered to have APS. Sixty-seven out of 126 patients were LA-negative, of whom 12 had aCL only, 37 had aβ2GPI only and 18 positive were for both. The omission of aCL or aβ2GPI testing from investigation of APS would have led to a failure to diagnose APS in 9.5% and 29.4% of patients, respectively. Our data suggest that LA, aCL and aβ2GPI testing are all required for the accurate diagnosis of APS and that low-titre antibodies should be included in the diagnosis of obstetric APS. PMID:22988029

The measurement of internal stress fields in weldments and around cracks using high resolution neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, A.J.; Hutchings, M.T.; Windsor, C.G.

1987-01-01

The paper describes and illustrates the capability of neutron diffraction to measure the complete internal lattice macrostrain field, and hence the stress field, within steel components and weldments arising from their fabrication. A brief outline is given of the theory of the neutron method. The experimental considerations are discussed. The method is illustrated by its application to the measurement of the stress distribution in a:- uniaxially stressed mild steel rod, a double - V test weld, a tube-plate weld, and a cracked fatigue test specimen. (U.K.)

Adoption of routine telemedicine in Norway: the current picture

Science.gov (United States)

Zanaboni, Paolo; Knarvik, Undine; Wootton, Richard

2014-01-01

Background Telemedicine appears to be ready for wider adoption. Although existing research evidence is useful, the adoption of routine telemedicine in healthcare systems has been slow. Objective We conducted a study to explore the current use of routine telemedicine in Norway, at national, regional, and local levels, to provide objective and up-to-date information and to estimate the potential for wider adoption of telemedicine. Design A top-down approach was used to collect official data on the national use of telemedicine from the Norwegian Patient Register. A bottom-up approach was used to collect complementary information on the routine use of telemedicine through a survey conducted at the five largest publicly funded hospitals. Results Results show that routine telemedicine has been adopted in all health regions in Norway and in 68% of hospitals. Despite being widely adopted, the current level of use of telemedicine is low compared to the number of face-to-face visits. Examples of routine telemedicine can be found in several clinical specialties. Most services connect different hospitals in secondary care, and they are mostly delivered as teleconsultations via videoconference. Conclusions Routine telemedicine in Norway has been widely adopted, probably for geographical reasons, as in other settings. However, the level of use of telemedicine in Norway is rather low, and it has significant potential for further development as an alternative to face-to-face outpatient visits. This study is a first attempt to map routine telemedicine at regional, institutional, and clinical levels, and it provides useful information to understand the adoption of telemedicine in routine healthcare and to measure change in future updates. PMID:24433942

Evaluation of a program for routine implementation of shared decision-making in cancer care: study protocol of a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholl, Isabelle; Hahlweg, Pola; Lindig, Anja; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Coym, Anja; Hanken, Henning; Müller, Volkmar; Smeets, Ralf; Witzel, Isabell; Kriston, Levente; Härter, Martin

2018-03-27

Shared decision-making (SDM) has become increasingly important in health care. However, despite scientific evidence, effective implementation strategies, and a prominent position on the health policy agenda, SDM is not widely implemented in routine practice so far. Therefore, we developed a program for routine implementation of SDM in oncology by conducting an analysis of the current state and a needs assessment in a pilot study based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Based on these results, the main aim of our current study is to evaluate the process and outcome of this theoretically and empirically grounded multicomponent implementation program designed to foster SDM in routine cancer care. We use a stepped wedge design, a variant of the cluster randomized controlled trial. The intervention to be implemented is SDM. Three participating clinics of one comprehensive cancer center will be randomized and receive the multicomponent SDM implementation program in a time-delayed sequence. The program consists of the following strategies: (a) SDM training for health care professionals, (b) individual coaching for physicians, (c) patient activation strategy, (d) provision of patient information material and decision aids, (e) revision of the clinics' quality management documents, and (f) critical reflection of current organization of multidisciplinary team meetings. We will conduct a mixed methods outcome and process evaluation. The outcome evaluation will consist of four measurement points. The primary outcome is adoption of SDM, measured by the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire. A range of other implementation outcomes will be assessed (i.e., acceptability, readiness for implementing change, appropriateness, penetration). The implementation process will be evaluated using stakeholder interviews and field notes. This will allow adapting interventions if necessary. This study is the first large study on routine implementation of

Understanding teachers’ routines to inform classroom technology design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

An, P.; Bakker, S.; Eggen, J.H.

2017-01-01

Secondary school teachers have quite busy and complex routines in their classrooms. However, present classroom technologies usually require focused attention from teachers while being interacted with, which restricts their use in teachers’ daily routines. Peripheral interaction is a human-computer

Perspectives on global nursing leadership: international experiences from the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckner, E B; Anderson, D J; Garzon, N; Hafsteinsdóttir, T B; Lai, C K Y; Roshan, R

2014-12-01

Nursing leaders from six countries engaged in a year-long discussion on global leadership development. The purpose of these dialogues was to strengthen individual and collective capacity as nursing leaders in a global society. Field experiences in practice and education were shared. Perspectives on global leadership can strengthen nurses' contributions to practice, workplace and policy issues worldwide. Transformational leadership empowers nurses' increasing confidence. Mentoring is needed to stimulate leadership development but this is lacking in many settings where nurses practice, teach and influence policy. Organizations with global mission provide opportunity for nurses' professional growth in leadership through international dialogues. Dialogues among participants were held monthly by conference calls or videoconferences. Example stories from each participant illustrated nursing leadership in action. From these exemplars, concepts were chosen to create a framework. Emerging perspectives and leadership themes represented all contexts of practice, education, research and policy. The cultural context of each country was reflected in the examples. Themes emerged that crossed global regions and countries. Themes were creativity, change, collaboration, community, context and courage. Relationships initially formed in professional organizations can be extended to intentionally facilitate global nursing leadership development. Exemplars from the dialogues demonstrated nursing leadership in health policy development within each cultural context. Recommendations are given for infrastructure development in organizations to enhance future collaborations. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

PREFACE: 3rd International Workshop on Materials Analysis and Processing in Magnetic Fields (MAP3)

Science.gov (United States)

Sakka, Yoshio; Hirota, Noriyuki; Horii, Shigeru; Ando, Tsutomu

2009-07-01

The 3rd International Workshop on Materials Analysis and Processing in Materials Fields (MAP3) was held on 14-16 May 2008 at the University of Tokyo, Japan. The first was held in March 2004 at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, USA. Two years later the second took place in Grenoble, France. MAP3 was held at The University of Tokyo International Symposium, and jointly with MANA Workshop on Materials Processing by External Stimulation, and JSPS CORE Program of Construction of the World Center on Electromagnetic Processing of Materials. At the end of MAP3 it was decided that the next MAP4 will be held in Atlanta, USA in 2010. Processing in magnetic fields is a rapidly expanding research area with a wide range of promising applications in materials science. MAP3 focused on the magnetic field interactions involved in the study and processing of materials in all disciplines ranging from physics to chemistry and biology: Magnetic field effects on chemical, physical, and biological phenomena Magnetic field effects on electrochemical phenomena Magnetic field effects on thermodynamic phenomena Magnetic field effects on hydrodynamic phenomena Magnetic field effects on crystal growth Magnetic processing of materials Diamagnetic levitation Magneto-Archimedes effect Spin chemistry Application of magnetic fields to analytical chemistry Magnetic orientation Control of structure by magnetic fields Magnetic separation and purification Magnetic field-induced phase transitions Materials properties in high magnetic fields Development of NMR and MRI Medical application of magnetic fields Novel magnetic phenomena Physical property measurement by Magnetic fields High magnetic field generation> MAP3 consisted of 84 presentations including 16 invited talks. This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains the proceeding of MAP3 with 34 papers that provide a scientific record of the topics covered by the conference with the special topics (13 papers) in

Building shielding effects on radiation doses from routine radionuclide releases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1977-01-01

In calculating population doses from the release of radionuclides to the atmosphere, it is usually assumed that man spends all of his time outdoors standing on a smooth infinite plane. Realistically, however, man spends most of the time indoors, so that substantial reductions in radiation doses may result compared with the usual estimates. Calculational models were developed to study the effects of building structures on radiation doses from routine releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere. Both internal dose from inhaled radionuclides and external photon dose from airborne and surface-deposited radionuclides are considered. The effect of building structures is described quantitatively by a dose reduction factor, which is the ratio of the dose inside a structure to the corresponding dose with no structure present. The internal dose from inhaled radionuclides is proportional to the radionuclide concentration in the air. Assuming that the outdoor airborne concentration is constant with time, the time-dependence of the indoor airborne concentration in terms of the structure air ventilation rate, the deposition velocities for radionuclides on the inside floor, walls, and ceiling, and the radioactive decay constant, were calculated

Behavioral Logistics - Analysis of behavioral routines and governance structures in the interorganizational maritime transport chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The strong improvements in information and communication systems as well as better transshipment technologies provide the platform for more efficient transport within interorganizational transport chains. Nevertheless these technologies do not automatically optimize systems based on routines and behavioral patterns, established over the last decades. Logisticians - in theory and practice - have to consider the field of behavioral science to describe and analyse transport problems regarding to involved actors' strategic behavior and social embeddedness, too. The objective of this paper is to illustrate behavioral aspects of supposed technical problems in interorganizational transport chains. Therefore, this paper analyses behavioral routines and governance structures in the interorganizational maritime transport chain using a case study, dealing with the generation and circulation of transport information at the earliest point available, so called "estimated time of arrival" (ETA.

DEVELOPING AND INSTRUCTING PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINES FOR TENPIN BOWLING COMPETITIONS (1).

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seungmin; Lee, Keunchul; Kwon, Sungho

2015-06-01

This preliminary study developed pre-performance routines for tenpin bowlers and instructed them. To develop the routine, the situations before throwing the ball were divided into four phases; participants were examined through interviews and observations. This study used an A-B design; the A stage included the development of the routines for 3 wk., while the B stage included the instruction and two evaluations of the routine consistency. Practice was implemented for 4 hr. per day for 9 wk. The participants noted they understood the developed routine easily and experienced an atmosphere similar to that of a competition during training through the routines. They found it difficult to practice the relaxation phase, but emphasized that the relaxation phase was helpful. Consistent routines were associated with an improved mental state and performance in a competition. This study suggests that pre-performance routines stabilize the mental state of the athletes, apparently giving them a competitive advantage.

The emergence and change of management accounting routines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Steen, M.P.

2011-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics involved in the emergence and change of management accounting routines. It seeks to provide an understanding of the ways in which these complex routines foster stability and change in management accounting practices.

Quality assurance in the field of nuclear power, international and Romanian practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogociu, Ioan

1997-01-01

Electricity should be generated in nuclear power plants under nuclear safety regulations with a high reliability level. In order to achieve this requirement it is necessary to work under quality assurance (QA) mode. The term of 'quality assurance' was used for the first time in USA in 1967. Since then, the situation has continuously developed. The most comprehensive standards in the fields are the USA ones. The IAEA agency in Vienna developed the first standards in 1978. The developed countries have their own legislation in the field. The IAEA standards, are based on the USA, German, Japanese, British, Canadian and French legislation. Romania drafted the Law No. 6/1982, repealed by the Law No. 11 in 1996. There is no satisfactory Romanian standard at present to regulate the activities of quality assurance in the nuclear power field. The works at Unit 1 of Cernavoda nuclear power plant were performed under the Canadian QA standards. The Canadian nuclear power company Ontario Hydro has been lately confronted with difficulties that may lead to decommission of 7 out of 19 units now in operation. To avoid the Canadian system deficiencies Romania needs standards based on the experience gained in this field by all developed countries, such as: USA, Japan, Germany, France, etc and IAEA regulations. The present paper is a pleading in favour of the Romanian legislation drafting at the level of the international demands. (author)

Routine environmental audit of the Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-09-01

This report documents the results of the routine environmental audit of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12 Plant), Anderson County, Tennessee. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents and reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), State of Tennessee regulatory, and contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted August 22-September 2, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). DOE 5482.1 B, {open_quotes}Environment, Safety, and Health Appraisal Program,{close_quotes} establishes the mission of EH-24 to provide comprehensive, independent oversight of DOE environmental programs on behalf of the Secretary of Energy. The ultimate goal of EH-24 is enhancement of environmental protection and minimization of risk to public health and the environment. EH-24 accomplishes its mission by conducting systematic and periodic evaluations of DOE`s environmental programs within line organizations, and by using supplemental activities that strengthen self-assessment and oversight functions within program, field, and contractor organizations. The audit evaluated the status of programs to ensure compliance with Federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations; compliance with DOE Orders, guidance, and directives; and conformance with accepted industry practices and standards of performance. The audit also evaluated the status and adequacy of the management systems developed to address environmental requirements.

Homogenization of linear viscoelastic three phase media: internal variable formulation versus full-field computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanc, V.; Barbie, L.; Masson, R.

2011-01-01

Homogenization of linear viscoelastic heterogeneous media is here extended from two phase inclusion-matrix media to three phase inclusion-matrix media. Each phase obeying to a compressible Maxwellian behaviour, this analytic method leads to an equivalent elastic homogenization problem in the Laplace-Carson space. For some particular microstructures, such as the Hashin composite sphere assemblage, an exact solution is obtained. The inversion of the Laplace-Carson transforms of the overall stress-strain behaviour gives in such cases an internal variable formulation. As expected, the number of these internal variables and their evolution laws are modified to take into account the third phase. Moreover, evolution laws of averaged stresses and strains per phase can still be derived for three phase media. Results of this model are compared to full fields computations of representative volume elements using finite element method, for various concentrations and sizes of inclusion. Relaxation and creep test cases are performed in order to compare predictions of the effective response. The internal variable formulation is shown to yield accurate prediction in both cases. (authors)

The importance of international cooperation in the field of high level radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaacs, Thomas H.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses the importance of international collaboration in the field of radioactive waste management and points out how cooperation has benefited the U.S. civilian waste management program. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) oversees the handling, transportation, storage, and final deposition of high-level radioactive wastes for the U.S. commercial sector. Because OCRWM shares many of the same waste management concerns as various other countries with nuclear programs, and since one country's waste management program will ultimately have an impact on the waste management programs of other countries, it is clearly in the interest of all countries to work together in search of solutions to common waste management problems. To facilitate this. cooperation, OCRWM is a participating member of international organizations, such as the IAEA and the OECD/NEA. OCRWM further has in place several bilateral agreements with various individual countries and with the Commission of the European Communities (CEC). Other international waste management initiatives are also currently being considered. (author)

Understanding Teachers' Routines to Inform Classroom Technology Design

Science.gov (United States)

An, Pengcheng; Bakker, Saskia; Eggen, Berry

2017-01-01

Secondary school teachers have quite busy and complex routines in their classrooms. However, present classroom technologies usually require focused attention from teachers while being interacted with, which restricts their use in teachers' daily routines. Peripheral interaction is a human-computer interaction style that aims to enable interaction…

Structural characteristics of proposed ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor] TF [toroidal field] coil conductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, C.R.; Miller, J.R.

1988-01-01

This paper analyzes the effect of transverse loading on a cable-in-conduit conductor which has been proposed for the toroidal field coils of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The primary components of this conductor are a loose cable of superconducting wires, a thin-wall tube for helium containment, and a U-shaped structural channel. A method is given where the geometry of this conductor can be optimized for a given set of operating conditions. It is shown, using finite-element modeling, that the structural channel is effective in supporting loads due to transverse forces and internal pressure. In addition, it is shown that the superconducting cable is effectively shielded from external transverse loads that might otherwise degrade its current carrying capacity. 10 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs

Evaluation of Eigenvalue Routines for Large Scale Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.A. Tischler

1994-01-01

Full Text Available The NASA structural analysis (NASTRAN∗ program is one of the most extensively used engineering applications software in the world. It contains a wealth of matrix operations and numerical solution techniques, and they were used to construct efficient eigenvalue routines. The purpose of this article is to examine the current eigenvalue routines in NASTRAN and to make efficiency comparisons with a more recent implementation of the block Lanczos aLgorithm. This eigenvalue routine is now availabLe in several mathematics libraries as well as in severaL commerciaL versions of NASTRAN. In addition, the eRA Y library maintains a modified version of this routine on their network. Several example problems, with a varying number of degrees of freedom, were selected primarily for efficiency bench-marking. Accuracy is not an issue, because they all gave comparable results. The block Lanczos algorithm was found to be extremely efficient, particularly for very large problems.

Computer-aided diagnosis in routine mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sittek, H.; Perlet, C.; Helmberger, R.; Linsmeier, E.; Kessler, M.; Reiser, M.

1998-01-01

Purpose: Computer-aided diagnosis in mammography is a topic many study groups have been concerned with since the first presentation of a system for computer-aided interpretation in 1967. Currently, there is only one system avilable for clinical use in mammography, the CAD-System Image Checker (R2 Technology). The purpose of our prospective study was to evaluate whether the integration of the CAD-system into the routine of a radiological breast diagnosis unit is feasible. Results: After the installation of the CAD-system, 300 patients with 1110 mammograms were included for evaluation in the present study. In 54 of these cases histological examination was indicated due to suspect criteria on conventional mammography. In 39 of 54 cases (72,2%) malignancy could be proven histologically. The CAD-system marked 82,1% of the histologically verified carcinomas correctly 94,3% of all 1797 marks made by the CAD-system indicated normal or benign structures. Routinely performed CAD analysis prolonged patients waiting time by about 15 min because the marks of the CAD system had to be interpreted in addition to the routine diagnostic investigations. Conclusion: Our experience with the use of the CAD-system in daily routine showed that CAD analysis can easily be integrated into a preexisting mammography unit. However, the diagnostic benefit is not yet clearly established. Since the rate of false negative marks by the CAD-system Image Checker is still high, the results of CAD analysis must be checked and corrected by an observer well experienced in mammography reading. (orig.) [de

Routine quality control of high dose rate brachytherapy equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman Calcina, Carmen S.; Almeida, Adelaide de; Rocha, Jose R. Oliveira

2001-01-01

A Quality Assurance program should be installed also for High Dose Rate brachytherapy, in the order to achieve a correct dose administration to the patient and for the safety to those involved directly with the treatment. The work presented here has the following purposes: Analyze the types of equipment tests presented by the official protocols (TG40, TG56 e ARCAL XXX), evaluate the brachytherapy routine tests of protocols from various national and international radiotherapy services and compare the latter with those presented in the official protocols. As a result, we conclude the following: TG56 presents a higher number of tests when compared to the other official protocols and most of the tests presented by the analyzed services are present in TG56. A suggestion for a basic protocol is presented, emphasizing the periodicity and tolerance level of each of the tests. (author)

Routine environmental audit of the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-05-01

This report documents the results of the routine environmental audit of the Hanford Site (Hanford), Richland, Washington. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents an reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with US Department of Energy (DOE), State of Washington regulatory, and contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted May 2--13, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The audit evaluated the status of programs to ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations; compliance with DOE orders, guidance, and directives; and conformance with accepted industry practices and standards of performance. The audit also evaluated the status and adequacy of the management systems developed to address environmental requirements.

Routine environmental audit of the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-05-01

This report documents the results of the routine environmental audit of the Hanford Site (Hanford), Richland, Washington. During this audit, the activities conducted by the audit team included reviews of internal documents an reports from previous audits and assessments; interviews with US Department of Energy (DOE), State of Washington regulatory, and contractor personnel; and inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. The onsite portion of the audit was conducted May 2--13, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The audit evaluated the status of programs to ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations; compliance with DOE orders, guidance, and directives; and conformance with accepted industry practices and standards of performance. The audit also evaluated the status and adequacy of the management systems developed to address environmental requirements

User manual for two simple postscript output FORTRAN plotting routines

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, T. X.

1991-01-01

Graphics is one of the important tools in engineering analysis and design. However, plotting routines that generate output on high quality laser printers normally come in graphics packages, which tend to be expensive and system dependent. These factors become important for small computer systems or desktop computers, especially when only some form of a simple plotting routine is sufficient. With the Postscript language becoming popular, there are more and more Postscript laser printers now available. Simple, versatile, low cost plotting routines that can generate output on high quality laser printers are needed and standard FORTRAN language plotting routines using output in Postscript language seems logical. The purpose here is to explain two simple FORTRAN plotting routines that generate output in Postscript language.

Level-3 Cholesky Factorization Routines Improve Performance of Many Cholesky Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gustavson, Fred G.; Wasniewski, Jerzy; Dongarra, Jack J.

2013-01-01

Four routines called DPOTF3i, i = a,b,c,d, are presented. DPOTF3i are a novel type of level-3 BLAS for use by BPF (Blocked Packed Format) Cholesky factorization and LAPACK routine DPOTRF. Performance of routines DPOTF3i are still increasing when the performance of Level-2 routine DPOTF2 of LAPACK...

Rationale for a GRAVSAT-MAGSAT mission: A perspective on the problem of external/internal transient field effects

Science.gov (United States)

Hermance, J. F.

1985-01-01

The Earth's magnetic field at MAGSAT altitudes not only has contributions from the Earth's core and static magnetization in the lithosphere, but also from external electric current systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, along with induced electric currents flowing in the conducting earth. Hermance assessed these last two contributions; the external time-varying fields and their associated internal counter-parts which are electromagnetically induced. It is readily recognized that during periods of magnetic disturbance, external currents often contribute from 10's to 100's of nanoteslas (gammas) to observations of the Earth's field. Since static anomalies from lithospheric magnetization are of this same magnitude or less, these external source fields must be taken into account when attempting to delineate gross structural features in the crust.

Thinking Routines: Replicating Classroom Practices within Museum Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Wolberg, Rochelle Ibanez; Goff, Allison

2012-01-01

This article describes thinking routines as tools to guide and support young children's thinking. These learning strategies, developed by Harvard University's Project Zero Classroom, actively engage students in constructing meaning while also understanding their own thinking process. The authors discuss how thinking routines can be used in both…

Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring Plan. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bechtel Nevada

1999-12-31

The U.S. Department of Energy manages the Nevada Test Site in a manner that meets evolving DOE Missions and responds to the concerns of affected and interested individuals and agencies. This Routine Radiological Monitoring Plan addressess complicance with DOE Orders 5400.1 and 5400.5 and other drivers requiring routine effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance on the Nevada Test Site. This monitoring plan, prepared in 1998, addresses the activities conducted onsite NTS under the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. This radiological monitoring plan, prepared on behalf of the Nevada Test Site Landlord, brings together sitewide environmental surveillance; site-specific effluent monitoring; and operational monitoring conducted by various missions, programs, and projects on the NTS. The plan provides an approach to identifying and conducting routine radiological monitoring at the NTS, based on integrated technical, scientific, and regulatory complicance data needs.

Laboratory capacity building for the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]) in resource-poor countries: the experience of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).

Science.gov (United States)

Masanza, Monica Musenero; Nqobile, Ndlovu; Mukanga, David; Gitta, Sheba Nakacubo

2010-12-03

Laboratory is one of the core capacities that countries must develop for the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]) since laboratory services play a major role in all the key processes of detection, assessment, response, notification, and monitoring of events. While developed countries easily adapt their well-organized routine laboratory services, resource-limited countries need considerable capacity building as many gaps still exist. In this paper, we discuss some of the efforts made by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in supporting laboratory capacity development in the Africa region. The efforts range from promoting graduate level training programs to building advanced technical, managerial and leadership skills to in-service short course training for peripheral laboratory staff. A number of specific projects focus on external quality assurance, basic laboratory information systems, strengthening laboratory management towards accreditation, equipment calibration, harmonization of training materials, networking and provision of pre-packaged laboratory kits to support outbreak investigation. Available evidence indicates a positive effect of these efforts on laboratory capacity in the region. However, many opportunities exist, especially to support the roll-out of these projects as well as attending to some additional critical areas such as biosafety and biosecuity. We conclude that AFENET's approach of strengthening national and sub-national systems provide a model that could be adopted in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa.

The Quality of Clinical Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare – A Strategy for Identifying ‘Routine Care Signal Functions’

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Stephan; De Allegri, Manuela; Gabrysch, Sabine; Chinkhumba, Jobiba; Sarker, Malabika; Muula, Adamson S.

2015-01-01

Background A variety of clinical process indicators exists to measure the quality of care provided by maternal and neonatal health (MNH) programs. To allow comparison across MNH programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a core set of essential process indicators is needed. Although such a core set is available for emergency obstetric care (EmOC), the ‘EmOC signal functions’, a similar approach is currently missing for MNH routine care evaluation. We describe a strategy for identifying core process indicators for routine care and illustrate their usefulness in a field example. Methods We first developed an indicator selection strategy by combining epidemiological and programmatic aspects relevant to MNH in LMICs. We then identified routine care process indicators meeting our selection criteria by reviewing existing quality of care assessment protocols. We grouped these indicators into three categories based on their main function in addressing risk factors of maternal or neonatal complications. We then tested this indicator set in a study assessing MNH quality of clinical care in 33 health facilities in Malawi. Results Our strategy identified 51 routine care processes: 23 related to initial patient risk assessment, 17 to risk monitoring, 11 to risk prevention. During the clinical performance assessment a total of 82 cases were observed. Birth attendants’ adherence to clinical standards was lowest in relation to risk monitoring processes. In relation to major complications, routine care processes addressing fetal and newborn distress were performed relatively consistently, but there were major gaps in the performance of routine care processes addressing bleeding, infection, and pre-eclampsia risks. Conclusion The identified set of process indicators could identify major gaps in the quality of obstetric and neonatal care provided during the intra- and immediate postpartum period. We hope our suggested indicators for essential routine care processes

Breaking Out of the Local: International dimensions of science shops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caspar DeBok

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In this article we want to give an overview of the international dimension and the interest of the European Union (EU in the concept of Science Shops. The European Commission (EC manages the day-to-day business by initiating and implementing EU policies and spending EU funds. The EC support for Science Shops has been an important factor for the international interest and progress of the Science Shop movement. This article will not give detailed information about daily routines of a Science Shop. Detailed information about the Science Shop concept can be found at the Living Knowledge website (www.livingknowledge.org. Living Knowledge represents the international Science Shop Network. In this article international developments of the Science Shop Network, like the project TRAMS, and Science Shop backgrounds will be linked with past and new EU policies like the EU 7th Framework Programme for Research. It shows how community-based research does not only have a local dimension. The international Science Shop activities show the strengths of international cooperation to break out of the local and to bring local issues on the international agenda. Detailed information about the Science Shop concept and daily routines of a Science Shop can be found at the Living Knowledge website (www.livingknowledge.org, e.g. at the FAQ section and in the toolbox.

Assessment of Routine Immunization Coverage in Nyala Locality, Reasons behind Incomplete Immunization in South Darfur State, Sudan

OpenAIRE

Ismail, Ismail Tibin Adam; El-Tayeb, Elsadeg Mahgoob; Omer, Mohammed Diaaeldin F.A.; Eltahir, Yassir Mohammed; El-Sayed, El-Tayeb Ahmed; Deribe, Kebede

2014-01-01

Little is known about the coverage of routine immunization service in South Darfur state, Sudan. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the vaccination rate and barriers for vaccination. A cross-sectional community-based study was undertaken in Nyala locality, south Darfur, Sudan, including urban, rural and Internal Displaced Peoples (IDPs) population in proportional representation. Survey data were collected by a questionnaire which was applied face to face to parents of 213 childr...

International Atomic Energy Agency/Hanford Site shared use of calorimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsh, T.L.

1997-01-01

Hanford Site operators combine gamma ray isotopic and calorimetry measurements for nondestructive plutonium assay. Such measurements offer lower variability (particularly for heterogeneous materials) and decreased radiation exposure, cost, waste, intrusiveness, and material handling compared to destructive analysis. Until now, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has relied on destructive analysis to perform the most accurate verification requirements for plutonium stored under safeguards at the Hanford Site. It was recognized that using calorimetry could significantly reduce the need for the IAEA to perform destructive analysis. To authorize the operator's calorimeters for routine IAEA use, however, it was necessary to develop authentication features and perform independent 1558 testing. Authentication features include IAEA control of the hardware and calorimeter operating system software, measurement of certified IAEA standards, sealing of calorimeter chambers, and limited destructive analysis of IAEA selected items. A field test of these authentication features was performed at the Hanford Site in June 1997. The field test also was meant to enhance the credibility the IAEA imputes to calorimetry prior to its implementation. Progress in shared use of the Hanford Site calorimeters is reported

Superconducting spin switch with infinite magnetoresistance induced by an internal exchange field.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Roschewsky, Niklas; Assaf, Badih A; Eich, Marius; Epstein-Martin, Marguerite; Heiman, Don; Münzenberg, Markus; Moodera, Jagadeesh S

2013-03-01

A theoretical prediction by de Gennes suggests that the resistance in a FI/S/FI (where FI is a ferromagnetic insulator, and S is a superconductor) structure will depend on the magnetization direction of the two FI layers. We report a magnetotransport measurement in a EuS/Al/EuS structure, showing that an infinite magnetoresistance can be produced by tuning the internal exchange field at the FI/S interface. This proximity effect at the interface can be suppressed by an Al(2)O(3) barrier as thin as 0.3 nm, showing the extreme confinement of the interaction to the interface giving rise to the demonstrated phenomena.

Internal dosimetry technical basis manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The internal dosimetry program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) consists of radiation protection programs and activities used to detect and evaluate intakes of radioactive material by radiation workers. Examples of such programs are: air monitoring; surface contamination monitoring; personal contamination surveys; radiobioassay; and dose assessment. The objectives of the internal dosimetry program are to demonstrate that the workplace is under control and that workers are not being exposed to radioactive material, and to detect and assess inadvertent intakes in the workplace. The Savannah River Site Internal Dosimetry Technical Basis Manual (TBM) is intended to provide a technical and philosophical discussion of the radiobioassay and dose assessment aspects of the internal dosimetry program. Detailed information on air, surface, and personal contamination surveillance programs is not given in this manual except for how these programs interface with routine and special bioassay programs

Internal dosimetry technical basis manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-20

The internal dosimetry program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) consists of radiation protection programs and activities used to detect and evaluate intakes of radioactive material by radiation workers. Examples of such programs are: air monitoring; surface contamination monitoring; personal contamination surveys; radiobioassay; and dose assessment. The objectives of the internal dosimetry program are to demonstrate that the workplace is under control and that workers are not being exposed to radioactive material, and to detect and assess inadvertent intakes in the workplace. The Savannah River Site Internal Dosimetry Technical Basis Manual (TBM) is intended to provide a technical and philosophical discussion of the radiobioassay and dose assessment aspects of the internal dosimetry program. Detailed information on air, surface, and personal contamination surveillance programs is not given in this manual except for how these programs interface with routine and special bioassay programs.

[Emotional Intelligence Index: a tool for the routine assessment of mental health promotion programs in schools].

Science.gov (United States)

Veltro, Franco; Ialenti, Valentina; Morales García, Manuel Alejandro; Gigantesco, Antonella

2016-01-01

After critical examination of several aspects relating to the evaluation of some dimensions of emotional intelligence through self-assessment tools, is described the procedure of construction and validation of an Index for its measurement, conceived only for the routine assessment of health promotion programs mental in schools that include among their objectives the improvement of emotional intelligence specifically "outcome-oriented". On the basis of the two most common international tools, are listed 27 items plus 6 of control, illustrated two Focus Group (FG) of students (face validity). The scale obtained by FG was administered to 300 students, and the results were submitted to factorial analysis (construct validity). It was also evaluated the internal consistency with Cronbach's Alpha and studied concurrent validity with the emotional quotient inventory, a scale of perceived self-efficacy and a stress test rating. From the analysis of FG all the original items were modified, deleted 4, and reduced the encoding system from 6 to 4 levels of Likert scale. Of the 23 items included in the analysis have emerged five factors (intra-psychic dimension, interpersonal, impulsivity, adaptive coping, sense of self-efficacy) for a total of 15 items. Very satisfactory were the results of the validation process of internal consistency (0.72) and the concurrent validity. The results are positive. It is obtained in fact the shortest routine assessment tool currently available in Italy which constitutes a real Index, for which compilation are required on average 3 minutes. Is emphasized the characteristic of an Index, and not of questionnaire or interview for clinical use, highlighting the only specific use for mental health promotion programs in schools.

The application of private international law in the field of labor relationship complicated by a foreign element in the Russian Federation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matorina T.A.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available the article analyzes urgent issues of application of international law in the field of labor relations. The inclusion of international law in the Russian legal system has become a necessity because at the present time the most universally recognized norms of international law and international treaties can actually be achieved and implemented solely through the judicial system. The main domestic legal norm permitting courts of the Russian Federation to be guided by the provisions contained in international law is set out in part 4 of article 15 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Intelligent Routines

CERN Document Server

Anastassiou, George A

“Intelligent Routines II: Solving Linear Algebra and Differential Geometry with Sage” contains numerous of examples and problems as well as many unsolved problems. This book extensively applies the successful software Sage, which can be found free online http://www.sagemath.org/. Sage is a recent and popular software for mathematical computation, available freely and simple to use. This book is useful to all applied scientists in mathematics, statistics and engineering, as well for late undergraduate and graduate students of above subjects. It is the first such book in solving symbolically with Sage problems in Linear Algebra and Differential Geometry. Plenty of SAGE applications are given at each step of the exposition.

Helmholtz international Summer school quantum field theory at the limits. From strong fields to heavy quarks (HQ 2016). Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Ahmed; Blaschke, David; Issadykov, Aidos; Ivanov, Mikhail

2017-04-01

The Helmholtz International Summer School (HISS) entitled ''Quantum Field Theory at the Limits: from Strong Fields to Heavy Quarks (SF→HQ)'', was held in the period July 18-30, 2016 at the Bogolyubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (BLTP) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia, as part of the activities of the Dubna International Advanced School of Theoretical Physics (DIAS-TH). It was co-organized by Ahmed Ali (DESY Hamburg), David Blaschke (JINR Dubna, MEPhI and Univ. Wroclaw), Holger Gies (HI Jena), and Mikhail Ivanov (JINR Dubna), and was attended by 82 participants (faculty+students), not counting the JINR physicists who attended some lectures as non-registered participants. The school (SF→HQ) continued the workshops and schools of the HISS series held earlier in Dubna (1993, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2013), Bad Honnef (1994) and Rostock (1997). The scientific program of the school consisted of five regular (one-hour long) lectures in the morning and afternoon sessions, with typically two contributed talks given by younger participants (students and postdocs), each half-hour long, in the late afternoons. Altogether, we had sixty lectures by the faculty and participants. In addition, black-board exercises were held in the post-lunch periods on selected aspects of strong fields and field theory. The HISS series of schools has played an important role in bringing together an international faculty and young physicists (Ph.D. and postdocs), mostly from Russia and Germany, but increasingly also from other countries, including those affiliated to JINR Dubna. They participate in two-week long intense scientific discourse, mainly dedicated lectures on selected topics covering the foundation and the frontiers of high energy physics and cosmology. The novelty of this year's school was its bifocal interest, which brought together two different physical science communities - particle and laser physicists. There were

Helmholtz international Summer school quantum field theory at the limits. From strong fields to heavy quarks (HQ 2016). Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, Ahmed; Blaschke, David; Issadykov, Aidos; Ivanov, Mikhail (eds.)

2017-04-15

The Helmholtz International Summer School (HISS) entitled ''Quantum Field Theory at the Limits: from Strong Fields to Heavy Quarks (SF→HQ)'', was held in the period July 18-30, 2016 at the Bogolyubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (BLTP) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia, as part of the activities of the Dubna International Advanced School of Theoretical Physics (DIAS-TH). It was co-organized by Ahmed Ali (DESY Hamburg), David Blaschke (JINR Dubna, MEPhI and Univ. Wroclaw), Holger Gies (HI Jena), and Mikhail Ivanov (JINR Dubna), and was attended by 82 participants (faculty+students), not counting the JINR physicists who attended some lectures as non-registered participants. The school (SF→HQ) continued the workshops and schools of the HISS series held earlier in Dubna (1993, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2013), Bad Honnef (1994) and Rostock (1997). The scientific program of the school consisted of five regular (one-hour long) lectures in the morning and afternoon sessions, with typically two contributed talks given by younger participants (students and postdocs), each half-hour long, in the late afternoons. Altogether, we had sixty lectures by the faculty and participants. In addition, black-board exercises were held in the post-lunch periods on selected aspects of strong fields and field theory. The HISS series of schools has played an important role in bringing together an international faculty and young physicists (Ph.D. and postdocs), mostly from Russia and Germany, but increasingly also from other countries, including those affiliated to JINR Dubna. They participate in two-week long intense scientific discourse, mainly dedicated lectures on selected topics covering the foundation and the frontiers of high energy physics and cosmology. The novelty of this year's school was its bifocal interest, which brought together two different physical science communities - particle and laser physicists. There were

An intelligent stochastic optimization routine for nuclear fuel cycle design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, G.T.

1990-01-01

A simulated annealing (Metropolis algorithm) optimization routine named AMETROP, which has been developed for use on realistic nuclear fuel cycle problems, is introduced. Each stage of the algorithm is described and the means by which it overcomes or avoids the difficulties posed to conventional optimization routines by such problems are explained. Special attention is given to innovations that enhance AMETROP's performance both through artificial intelligence features, in which the routine uses the accumulation of data to influence its future actions, and through a family of simple performance aids, which allow the designer to use his heuristic knowledge to guide the routine's essentially random search. Using examples from a typical fuel cycle optimization problem, the performance of the stochastic Metropolis algorithm is compared to that of the only suitable deterministic routine in a standard software library, showing AMETROP to have many advantages

Evaluating Mobile Survey Tools (MSTs for Field-Level Monitoring and Data Collection: Development of a Novel Evaluation Framework, and Application to MSTs for Rural Water and Sanitation Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael B. Fisher

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Information and communications technologies (ICTs such as mobile survey tools (MSTs can facilitate field-level data collection to drive improvements in national and international development programs. MSTs allow users to gather and transmit field data in real time, standardize data storage and management, automate routine analyses, and visualize data. Dozens of diverse MST options are available, and users may struggle to select suitable options. We developed a systematic MST Evaluation Framework (EF, based on International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC software quality modeling standards, to objectively assess MSTs and assist program implementers in identifying suitable MST options. The EF is applicable to MSTs for a broad variety of applications. We also conducted an MST user survey to elucidate needs and priorities of current MST users. Finally, the EF was used to assess seven MSTs currently used for water and sanitation monitoring, as a validation exercise. The results suggest that the EF is a promising method for evaluating MSTs.

Tailoring intervention procedures to routine primary health care practice; an ethnographic process evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruijnzeels Marc

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tailor-made approaches enable the uptake of interventions as they are seen as a way to overcome the incompatibility of general interventions with local knowledge about the organisation of routine medical practice and the relationship between the patients and the professionals in practice. Our case is the Quattro project which is a prevention programme for cardiovascular diseases in high-risk patients in primary health care centres in deprived neighbourhoods. This programme was implemented as a pragmatic trial and foresaw the importance of local knowledge in primary health care and internal, or locally made, guidelines. The aim of this paper is to show how this prevention programme, which could be tailored to routine care, was implemented in primary care. Methods An ethnographic design was used for this study. We observed and interviewed the researchers and the practice nurses. All the research documents, observations and transcribed interviews were analysed thematically. Results Our ethnographic process evaluation showed that the opportunity of tailoring intervention procedures to routine care in a pragmatic trial setting did not result in a well-organised and well-implemented prevention programme. In fact, the lack of standard protocols hindered the implementation of the intervention. Although it was not the purpose of this trial, a guideline was developed. Despite the fact that the developed guideline functioned as a tool, it did not result in the intervention being organised accordingly. However, the guideline did make tailoring the intervention possible. It provided the professionals with the key or the instructions needed to achieve organisational change and transform the existing interprofessional relations. Conclusion As tailor-made approaches are developed to enable the uptake of interventions in routine practice, they are facilitated by the brokering of tools such as guidelines. In our study, guidelines facilitated

Individual values, learning routines and academic procrastination.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietz, Franziska; Hofer, Manfred; Fries, Stefan

2007-12-01

Academic procrastination, the tendency to postpone learning activities, is regarded as a consequence of postmodern values that are prominent in post-industrialized societies. When students strive for leisure goals and have no structured routines for academic tasks, delaying strenuous learning activities becomes probable. The model tested in this study posits that postmodern value orientations are positively related to procrastination and to a lack of daily routines concerning the performance of academic activities. In contrast, modern values are negatively related to procrastination and positively to learning routines. Academic procrastination, in-turn, should be associated with the tendency to prefer leisure activities to schoolwork in case of conflicts between these two life domains. Seven hundred and four students from 6th and 8th grade with a mean age of 13.5 years participated in the study. The sample included students from all tracks of the German educational system. Students completed a questionnaire containing two value prototypes as well as scales on learning routines and procrastination. Decisions in motivational conflicts were measured using two vignettes. Results from structural equation modelling supported the proposed model for the whole sample as well as for each school track. A planned course of the day can prevent procrastination and foster decisions for academic tasks in case of conflicts. Students' learning takes place within a societal context and reflects the values held in the respective culture.

Quality in practice: integrating routine collection of patient language data into hospital practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudelson, Patricia; Dominicé Dao, Melissa; Durieux-Paillard, Sophie

2013-09-01

Timely identification of patients' language needs can facilitate the provision of language-appropriate services and contribute to quality of care, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. At the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, timely organization of interpreter services was hindered by the lack of systematic patient language data collection. We explored the feasibility and acceptability of a procedure for collecting patient language data at the first point of contact, prior to its hospital-wide implementation. During a one-week period, receptionists and triage nurses in eight clinical services tested a new procedure for collecting patient language data. Patients were asked to identify their primary language and other languages they would be comfortable speaking with their doctor. Staff noted patients' answers on a paper form and provided informal feedback on their experience with the procedure. Registration staff encountered few difficulties collecting patient language data and thought that the two questions could easily be incorporated into existing administrative routines. Following the pilot test, two language fields with scroll-down language menus were added to the electronic patient file, and the subsequent filling-in of these fields has been rapid and hospital wide. Our experience suggests that routine collection of patient language data at first point of contact is both feasible and acceptable and that involving staff in a pilot project may facilitate hospital-wide implementation. Future efforts should focus on exploring the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed questions, as well as the impact of data collection on interpreter use.

Daily life activity routine discovery in hemiparetic rehabilitation patients using topic models.

Science.gov (United States)

Seiter, J; Derungs, A; Schuster-Amft, C; Amft, O; Tröster, G

2015-01-01

Monitoring natural behavior and activity routines of hemiparetic rehabilitation patients across the day can provide valuable progress information for therapists and patients and contribute to an optimized rehabilitation process. In particular, continuous patient monitoring could add type, frequency and duration of daily life activity routines and hence complement standard clinical scores that are assessed for particular tasks only. Machine learning methods have been applied to infer activity routines from sensor data. However, supervised methods require activity annotations to build recognition models and thus require extensive patient supervision. Discovery methods, including topic models could provide patient routine information and deal with variability in activity and movement performance across patients. Topic models have been used to discover characteristic activity routine patterns of healthy individuals using activity primitives recognized from supervised sensor data. Yet, the applicability of topic models for hemiparetic rehabilitation patients and techniques to derive activity primitives without supervision needs to be addressed. We investigate, 1) whether a topic model-based activity routine discovery framework can infer activity routines of rehabilitation patients from wearable motion sensor data. 2) We compare the performance of our topic model-based activity routine discovery using rule-based and clustering-based activity vocabulary. We analyze the activity routine discovery in a dataset recorded with 11 hemiparetic rehabilitation patients during up to ten full recording days per individual in an ambulatory daycare rehabilitation center using wearable motion sensors attached to both wrists and the non-affected thigh. We introduce and compare rule-based and clustering-based activity vocabulary to process statistical and frequency acceleration features to activity words. Activity words were used for activity routine pattern discovery using topic models

Integrated field modelling[Oil and gas fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazarian, Bamshad

2002-07-01

This research project studies the feasibility of developing and applying an integrated field simulator to simulate the production performance of an entire oil or gas field. It integrates the performance of the reservoir, the wells, the chokes, the gathering system, the surface processing facilities and whenever applicable, gas and water injection systems. The approach adopted for developing the integrated simulator is to couple existing commercial reservoir and process simulators using available linking technologies. The simulators are dynamically linked and customised into a single hybrid application that benefits from the concept of open software architecture. The integrated field simulator is linked to an optimisation routine developed based on the genetic algorithm search strategies. This enables optimisation of the system at field level, from the reservoir to the process. Modelling the wells and the gathering network is achieved by customising the process simulator. This study demonstrated that the integrated simulation improves current capabilities to simulate the performance of the entire field and optimise its design. This is achieved by evaluating design options including spread and layout of the wells and gathering system, processing alternatives, reservoir development schemes and production strategies. Effectiveness of the integrated simulator is demonstrated and tested through several field-level case studies that discuss and investigate technical problems relevant to offshore field development. The case studies cover topics such as process optimisation, optimum tie-in of satellite wells into existing process facilities, optimal well location and field layout assessment of a high pressure high temperature deepwater oil field. Case study results confirm the viability of the total field simulator by demonstrating that the field performance simulation and optimal design were obtained in an automated process with treasonable computation time. No significant

Microfoundations of Routines and Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felin, Tippo; Foss, Nicolai Juul; Heimericks, Koen H.

2012-01-01

This article introduces the Special Issue and discusses the microfoundations of routines and capabilities, including why a microfoundations view is needed and how it may inform work on organizational and competitive heterogeneity. Building on extant research, we identify three primary categories ...

Unsupervised daily routine and activity discovery in smart homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jie Yin; Qing Zhang; Karunanithi, Mohan

2015-08-01

The ability to accurately recognize daily activities of residents is a core premise of smart homes to assist with remote health monitoring. Most of the existing methods rely on a supervised model trained from a preselected and manually labeled set of activities, which are often time-consuming and costly to obtain in practice. In contrast, this paper presents an unsupervised method for discovering daily routines and activities for smart home residents. Our proposed method first uses a Markov chain to model a resident's locomotion patterns at different times of day and discover clusters of daily routines at the macro level. For each routine cluster, it then drills down to further discover room-level activities at the micro level. The automatic identification of daily routines and activities is useful for understanding indicators of functional decline of elderly people and suggesting timely interventions.

Internal tilting and classical transport for field-reversed configurations based on the Maschke--Hernegger solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemente, R.A.; Grillo, C.E.

1984-01-01

It is shown that elongated field-reversed configurations based on the Maschke--Hernegger solution of the Grad--Shafranov equation are unstable to internal tilting. The particle transport properties across the flux surfaces of such a model are also considered in the limit of large elongation of the separatrix. An estimation of the time of confinement of particles in terms of classical conductivity, which is lower than previous estimates, is given

Various dedicated imaging systems for routine nuclear medical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bela Kari; Tamas Gyorke; Erno Mako; Laszlo Nagy; Jozsef Turak; Oszkar Partos

2004-01-01

The most essential problems of nuclear medical imaging are resolution, signal/noise ratio (S/N) and sensitivity. Nowadays, the vast majority of the Anger system gamma cameras in clinical application are using parallel projection. The main problem of this projection method is the highly dependence of the image quality on the distance from the collimator surface as well as any improvement in the resolution with the distance -i.e. reduction of image blur- significantly reduces sensitivity. The aim of our research and development work was to create imaging geometry, collimator and detector constructions optimized to particular organs (brain, heart, thyroid), where it is simultaneously possible to increase the resolution and sensitivity. Main concept of the imaging geometry construction is based on the size, location and shape of a particular organ. In case of brain SPECT imaging a multiple head (4 heads in cylinder symmetric approximation) arrangement with extra high intrinsic resolution (<2.5 mm) dedicated detector design provide feasible solution for routine clinical application. The imaging system was essentially designed for Tc-99m and I-123 isotopes. The application field can be easily extended for functional small animal research and new born baby studies. Very positive feedbacks were received from both technical (stability and reproducibility of the technical parameters) and clinical sides in the past 2 years routine applications. A unique, novel conception ultra compact dedicated dual head SPECT system has been created only for 2D, 3D nuclear cardiac applications for Tc-99m and T1-201 labeled radio-pharmaceuticals. The two rectangular detectors (with <2.6 mm intrinsic resolution) are mounted fix in 90 degree geometry and move inside the special formed gantry arrangement. The unique and unusual gantry is designed to keep the detector heads as close as possible to the patient, while the patient is not exposed by any moving part. This special construction also

International Cooperation in the Field of International Space Station (ISS) Payload Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Heimann, Timothy; Larsen, Axel M.; Rose, Summer; Sgobba, Tommaso

2005-01-01

In the frame of the International Space Station (ISS) Program cooperation, in 1998, the European Space Agency (ESA) approached the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with the unique concept of a Payload Safety Review Panel (PSRP) "franchise" based at the European Space Technology Center (ESTEC), where the panel would be capable of autonomously reviewing flight hardware for safety. This paper will recount the course of an ambitious idea as it progressed into a fully functional reality. It will show how a panel initially conceived at NASA to serve a national programme has evolved into an international safety cooperation asset. The PSRP established at NASA began reviewing ISS payloads approximately in late 1994 or early 1995 as an expansion of the pre-existing Shuttle Program PSRP. This paper briefly describes the fundamental Shuttle safety process and the establishment of the safety requirements for payloads intending to use the Space Transportation System and International Space Station (ISS). The paper will also offer some historical statistics about the experiments that completed the payload safety process for Shuttle and ISS. The paper 1 then presents the background of ISS agreements and international treaties that had to be taken into account when establishing the ESA PSRP. The detailed franchising model will be expounded upon, followed by an outline of the cooperation charter approved by the NASA Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight, and ESA Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity. The resulting ESA PSRP implementation and its success statistics to date will then be addressed. Additionally the paper presents the ongoing developments with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The discussion will conclude with ideas for future developments, such to achieve a fully integrated international system of payload safety panels for ISS.

ORCODE.77: a computer routine to control a nuclear physics experiment by a PDP-15 + CAMAC system, written in assembler language and including many new routines of general interest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickens, J.K.; McConnell, J.W.

1977-01-01

ORCODE.77 is a versatile data-handling computer routine written in MACRO (assembler) language for a PDP-15 computer with EAE (extended arithmetic capability) connected to a CAMAC interface. The Interrupt feature of the computer is utilized. Although the code is oriented for a specific experimental problem, there are many routines of general interest, including a CAMAC Scaler handler, an executive routine to interpret and act upon three-character teletype commands, concise routines to type out double-precision integers (both octal and decimal) and floating-point numbers and to read in integers and floating-point numbers, a routine to convert to and from PDP-15 FORTRAN-IV floating-point format, a routine to handle clock interrupts, and our own DECTAPE handling routine. Routines having specific applications which are applicable to other very similar applications include a display routine using CAMAC instructions, control of external mechanical equipment using CAMAC instructions, storage of data from an Analog-to-digital Converter, analysis of stored data into time-dependent pulse-height spectra, and a routine to read the contents of a Nuclear Data 5050 Analyzer and to prepare DECTAPE output of these data for subsequent analysis by a code written in PDP-15-compiled FORTRAN-IV

DO WE STILL NEED A CONVENTION IN THE FIELD OF HARMONISATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL LAW?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Korzhevskaya

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper critically discusses the opinion of certain scholars that the use of multilateral treaties (conventions in the field of harmonisation of international commercial law has been in a state of steady decline. They believe that traditional treaty law has been gradually replaced in recent years by softer methods of making international law, such as the use of restatements and model laws. Some scholars even claim that treaty law is dead or dying. The work assesses whether this view has reasonable grounds, providing an overview of the most prominent hard law and soft law harmonising instruments and outlining issues relating to the success of conventions, their advantages, drawbacks and tensions arising in this area. The paper suggests that conventions remain necessary where the third party or public interest are at stake, however, further improvements are needed to make conventions more successful instruments in international commercial law.

Pupillary anomaly masquerading as a glaucomatous visual field defect: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tey Adrian

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients are often referred to ophthalmologists with focal visual field defects on routine testing, possibly related to a potential diagnosis of glaucoma. However, examination of the individual patient's ocular characteristics as well as facial characteristics may often reveal a cause of the visual field defect. Case presentation We describe a patient who was found to have a superior visual field defect on routine testing by the optician. Repeat perimetry with pharmacological dilatation of the pupil revealed that the cause of the field defect was related to an eccentric inferiorly displaced pupil, secondary to trauma some years previously. Discussion Individual patient characteristics, including both ocular, as well as facial, need to be considered, when interpreting any visual field defect.

Can international safety overcome national prejudice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, S.

1986-01-01

Following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a proposal has been made that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should carry out a programme of reactor assessments and inspections to ensure that the plant is competently run. The 13 proposals for improving safety that arose from the recent IAEA meeting in Vienna about the events at Chernobyl are listed. They also propose international collaboration on many points. This article draws attention to the difficulties in achieving international cooperation. Comparison is made with the case of international air and marine transport and an attempt to get an agreement to reduce emissions of acid rain precursors by 30%. The essential requirements for international regulation are stated. Four specific activities that could be covered are discussed. These are inspection of operating plant, enforcement of minimum standards for routine emissions, establishment of design standards and establishment of post-accident procedures for international co-operation. (UK)

Conversational routines in English convention and creativity

CERN Document Server

Aijmer, Karin

2014-01-01

It is surprising how much of everyday conversation consists of repetitive expressions such as 'thank you', 'sorry', would you mind?' and their many variants. However commonplace they may be, they do have important functions in communication.This thorough study draws upon original data from the London-Lund Corpus of Spoken English to provide a discoursal and pragmatic account of the more common expressions found in conversational routines, such as apologising, thanking, requesting and offering.The routines studied in this book range from conventionalized or idiomatized phrases t

Changing of the Guard: How Different School Leaders Change Organizational Routines

Science.gov (United States)

Enomoto, Ernestine K.; Conley, Sharon

2008-01-01

While providing stability and uniformity, organizational routines can foster continuous change. Using Feldman's (2000) performative model of routinized action theory, coupled with leadership succession research, we examined how three successive administrations in a California high school revised a student attendance (tardy-monitoring) routine over…

Optimizing the Internal Medicine Clinic at Evans Army Community Hospital

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bonilla, Jose

2003-01-01

...) 2002, the Internal Medicine (IM) clinic at Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado, failed to meet access to care standards for routine appointments, and was only marginally successful in meeting standards for urgent appointments...

International regulations concerning radiosterilization; Aktualne przepisy miedzynarodowe dotyczace sterylizacji radiacyjnej

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaluska, I [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland)

1997-10-01

European norms (EN 552) and international regulations (ISO 11137) concerning commercial radiosterilization have been described. Licensing of irradiation installation as well as sterilization procedure requirements, and routine control have been discussed in detail. 3 refs.

Endocarditis : Effects of routine echocardiography during Gram-positive bacteraemia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, F J; Bleeker-Rovers, C P; Sturm, P D; Krabbe, P F M; van Dijk, A P J; Oyen, W J G; Kullberg, B J

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Despite firm recommendations to perform echocardiography in high-risk patients with Gram-positive bacteraemia, routine echocardiography is not embedded in daily practice in many settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a regime including routine echocardiography results in

Spontaneous generation and reversals of mean flows in a convectively-generated internal gravity wave field

Science.gov (United States)

Couston, Louis-Alexandre; Lecoanet, Daniel; Favier, Benjamin; Le Bars, Michael

2017-11-01

We investigate via direct numerical simulations the spontaneous generation and reversals of mean zonal flows in a stably-stratified fluid layer lying above a turbulent convective fluid. Contrary to the leading idealized theories of mean flow generation by self-interacting internal waves, the emergence of a mean flow in a convectively-generated internal gravity wave field is not always possible because nonlinear interactions of waves of different frequencies can disrupt the mean flow generation mechanism. Strong mean flows thus emerge when the divergence of the Reynolds stress resulting from the nonlinear interactions of internal waves produces a strong enough anti-diffusive acceleration for the mean flow, which, as we will demonstrate, is the case when the Prandtl number is sufficiently low, or when the energy input into the internal wavefield by the convection and density stratification are sufficiently large. Implications for mean zonal flow production as observed in the equatorial stratospheres of the Earth, Saturn and Jupiter, and possibly occurring in other geophysical systems such as planetary and stellar interiors will be briefly discussed. Funding provided by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program through Grant Agreement No. 681835-FLUDYCO-ERC-2015-CoG.

Blurring Boundaries : Carnap, Quine, and the Internal-External Distinction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaegh, Sander

Quine is routinely perceived as saving metaphysics from Carnapian positivism. Where Carnap rejects metaphysical existence claims as meaningless, Quine is taken to restore their intelligibility by dismantling the former's internal-external distinction. The problem with this picture, however, is that

A problem-solving routine for improving hospital operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Manimay; Sobek Ii, Durward K

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically why a systematic problem-solving routine can play an important role in the process improvement efforts of hospitals. Data on 18 process improvement cases were collected through semi-structured interviews, reports and other documents, and artifacts associated with the cases. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Adherence to all the steps of the problem-solving routine correlated to greater degrees of improvement across the sample. Analysis resulted in two models. The first partially explains why hospital workers tended to enact short-term solutions when faced with process-related problems; and tended not seek longer-term solutions that prevent problems from recurring. The second model highlights a set of self-reinforcing behaviors that are more likely to address problem recurrence and result in sustained process improvement. The study was conducted in one hospital setting. Hospital managers can improve patient care and increase operational efficiency by adopting and diffusing problem-solving routines that embody three key characteristics. This paper offers new insights on why caregivers adopt short-term approaches to problem solving. Three characteristics of an effective problem-solving routine in a healthcare setting are proposed.

Informational Aspects of Telepathology in Routine Surgical Pathology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Gombas

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Application of computer and telecommunication technology calls serious challenges in routine diagnostic pathology. Complete data integration, fast access patients' data to usage of diagnosis thesaurus labeled with standardized codes and free text supplements, complex inquiry of the data contents, data exchange via teleconsultation and multilevel data protection are required functions of an integrated information system. Increasing requirement for teleconsultation transferring a large amount of multimedia data among different pathology information systems raises new questions in telepathology. Creation of complex telematic systems in pathology requires efficient methods of software engineering and implementation. Information technology of object‐oriented modeling, usage of client server architecture and relational database management systems enables more compatible systems in field of telepathology. The aim of this paper is to present a practical example how to unify text based database, image archive and teleconsultation in a frame of an integrated telematic system and to discuss the main conceptual questions of information technology of telepathology.

Reversed field pinch diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, P.G.

1986-01-01

The Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) is a toroidal, axisymmetric magnetic confinement configuration characterized by a magnetic field configuration in which the toroidal magnetic field is of similar strength to the poloidal field, and is reversed at the edge compared to the center. The RFP routinely operates at high beta, and is a strong candidate for a compact fusion device. Relevant attributes of the configuration will be presented, together with an overview of present and planned experiments and their diagnostics. RFP diagnostics are in many ways similar to those of other magnetic confinement devices (such as tokamaks); these lectures will point out pertinent differences, and will present some diagnostics which provide special insights into unique attributes of the RFP

Near-field optical microscope using a silicon-nitride probe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hulst, N.F.; Moers, M.H.P.; Moers, M.H.P.; Noordman, O.F.J.; Noordman, O.F.J.; Tack, R.G.; Segerink, Franciscus B.; Bölger, B.; Bölger, B.

1993-01-01

Operation of an alternative near-field optical microscope is presented. The microscope uses a microfabricated silicon- nitride probe with integrated cantilever, as originally developed for force microscopy. The cantilever allows routine close contact near-field imaging o­n arbitrary surfaces without

Literature Review Lifestyles and routine activities of South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health ... Lifestyles and routine activities of South African teenagers at risk of being trafficked for involuntary prostitution. Thozama ... Actual lifestyle and routine activities of South African teenagers and risky behaviours (substance abuse, intergenerational sex and child prostitution) are ...

International Acquisitons in Multinacionals: Under a Force Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Américo da Costa Ramos Filho

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this essay is to debate the performance of multinational companies concerning the management alternatives of their foreign unities, especially the ones derived from acquisitions, with consequences on the interaction between the headquarters and its subsidiaries or colligates and the managerial learning and knowledge associated to this process. First the problematic of internationalized companies by foreign direct investments – FDI’s, mainly by acquisitions and strategic alliances, is discussed. The intensity of the assimilation and interchange of values and practices within organizations in interacting process is stressed, including a set of typologies derived from the existing related literature. After this, a more specific approach about intra and interorganization aspects of the multinationals is performed, related to strategies, competences and roles of headquarters and subsidiaries, as well as their impact on the knowledge flux and its derived learning modes, evolving a established typologies set. The next step is to discuss two visions about the opposition between the universal and the particular in international management, with global and contextual aspects: a convergence-divergence opposition, like a force field, impacting on the knowledge transfer. Finally, some concluding comments are made, emphasizing, for the purpose of contribution, another type of multinationals typology relating the convergence-divergence duality to the organizational and national levels, as well the positioning of the companies in the resulted matrix.

Artificial neural networks to predict presence of significant pathology in patients presenting to routine colorectal clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Maslekar, S; Gardiner, A B; Monson, J R T; Duthie, G S

2010-12-01

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are computer programs used to identify complex relations within data. Routine predictions of presence of colorectal pathology based on population statistics have little meaning for individual patient. This results in large number of unnecessary lower gastrointestinal endoscopies (LGEs - colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopies). We aimed to develop a neural network algorithm that can accurately predict presence of significant pathology in patients attending routine outpatient clinics for gastrointestinal symptoms. Ethics approval was obtained and the study was monitored according to International Committee on Harmonisation - Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) standards. Three-hundred patients undergoing LGE prospectively completed a specifically developed questionnaire, which included 40 variables based on clinical symptoms, signs, past- and family history. Complete data sets of 100 patients were used to train the ANN; the remaining data was used for internal validation. The primary output used was positive finding on LGE, including polyps, cancer, diverticular disease or colitis. For external validation, the ANN was applied to data from 50 patients in primary care and also compared with the predictions of four clinicians. Clear correlation between actual data value and ANN predictions were found (r = 0.931; P = 0.0001). The predictive accuracy of ANN was 95% in training group and 90% (95% CI 84-96) in the internal validation set and this was significantly higher than the clinical accuracy (75%). ANN also showed high accuracy in the external validation group (89%). Artificial neural networks offer the possibility of personal prediction of outcome for individual patients presenting in clinics with colorectal symptoms, making it possible to make more appropriate requests for lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. © 2010 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2010 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Isothermal multiple displacement amplification: a methodical approach enhancing molecular routine diagnostics of microcarcinomas and small biopsies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mairinger FD

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Fabian D Mairinger,1 Robert FH Walter,2 Claudia Vollbrecht,3 Thomas Hager,1 Karl Worm,1 Saskia Ting,1 Jeremias Wohlschläger,1 Paul Zarogoulidis,4 Konstantinos Zarogoulidis,4 Kurt W Schmid1 1Institute of Pathology, 2Ruhrlandklinik, West German Lung Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, 3Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany; 4Pulmonary Department, Oncology Unit, G Papanikolaou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Background and methods: Isothermal multiple displacement amplification (IMDA can be a powerful tool in molecular routine diagnostics for homogeneous and sequence-independent whole-genome amplification of notably small tumor samples, eg, microcarcinomas and biopsies containing a small amount of tumor. Currently, this method is not well established in pathology laboratories. We designed a study to confirm the feasibility and convenience of this method for routine diagnostics with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples prepared by laser-capture microdissection. Results: A total of 250 µg DNA (concentration 5 µg/µL was generated by amplification over a period of 8 hours with a material input of approximately 25 cells, approximately equivalent to 175 pg of genomic DNA. In the generated DNA, a representation of all chromosomes could be shown and the presence of elected genes relevant for diagnosis in clinical samples could be proven. Mutational analysis of clinical samples could be performed without any difficulty and showed concordance with earlier diagnostic findings. Conclusion: We established the feasibility and convenience of IMDA for routine diagnostics. We also showed that small amounts of DNA, which were not analyzable with current molecular methods, could be sufficient for a wide field of applications in molecular routine diagnostics when they are preamplified with IMDA. Keywords: isothermal multiple displacement amplification, isothermal, whole

SPIRIT: Systematic Planning of Intelligent Reuse of Integrated Clinical Routine Data. A Conceptual Best-practice Framework and Procedure Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hackl, W O; Ammenwerth, E

2016-01-01

Secondary use of clinical routine data is receiving an increasing amount of attention in biomedicine and healthcare. However, building and analysing integrated clinical routine data repositories are nontrivial, challenging tasks. As in most evolving fields, recognized standards, well-proven methodological frameworks, or accurately described best-practice approaches for the systematic planning of solutions for secondary use of routine medical record data are missing. We propose a conceptual best-practice framework and procedure model for the systematic planning of intelligent reuse of integrated clinical routine data (SPIRIT). SPIRIT was developed based on a broad literature overview and further refined in two case studies with different kinds of clinical routine data, including process-oriented nursing data from a large hospital group and high-volume multimodal clinical data from a neurologic intensive care unit. SPIRIT aims at tailoring secondary use solutions to specific needs of single departments without losing sight of the institution as a whole. It provides a general conceptual best-practice framework consisting of three parts: First, a secondary use strategy for the whole organization is determined. Second, comprehensive analyses are conducted from two different viewpoints to define the requirements regarding a clinical routine data reuse solution at the system level from the data perspective (BOTTOM UP) and at the strategic level from the future users perspective (TOP DOWN). An obligatory clinical context analysis (IN BETWEEN) facilitates refinement, combination, and integration of the different requirements. The third part of SPIRIT is dedicated to implementation, which comprises design and realization of clinical data integration and management as well as data analysis solutions. The SPIRIT framework is intended to be used to systematically plan the intelligent reuse of clinical routine data for multiple purposes, which often was not intended when the

Studies of field distortions in a time projection chamber for the International Linear Collider

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zenker, Klaus

2014-12-01

The International Linear Collider (ILC) will allow to do precision measurements of Standard Model parameter and to search for new physics. The ILD detector concept, which is developed for the ILC, uses a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) as central tracking device. The momentum resolution goal for the ILD TPC is δ(1/p t ) ≅ 10 -4 (GeV/c) -1 at a magnetic field of B=3.5 T. Field distortions of the magnetic or electric field inside the sensitive volume of the TPC distort the momentum measurements. Therefore, one needs to keep them under control and correct them with high precision. In this thesis the main sources of field distortions in the TPC are identified and their effects are determined. Furthermore, possibilities to reduce the identified field distortions are presented. One known source of distortions of the electric field are ions, produced by the gas amplification in the TPC anode, that drift into the sensitive volume of the TPC. In the first part of this work the creation of these ions in Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM), which are used for the gas amplification, is studied. It will be shown that the resulting field distortions are not acceptable at the ILD TPC. By tuning the parameters of the gas amplification at the anode the field distortion can be reduced, which is shown in measurements and simulations. In addition measurements using a modified GEM show that it is possible to further reduce the field distortions with such a GEM. In the second part of this work field distortions arising at boundaries between individual readout modules are investigated using simulation studies. It will be shown in simulations, which are verified by measurement results, that these field distortions significantly influence the readout module performance. Based on the simulation results the GEM based readout module developed at DESY is optimised and the field distortions are reduced. These performance improvements could also be verified in measurements. Finally, a laser

Revising the WHO verbal autopsy instrument to facilitate routine cause-of-death monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Leitao, Jordana; Chandramohan, Daniel; Byass, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Bundhamcharoen, Kanitta; Choprapawon, Chanpen; de Savigny, Don; Fottrell, Edward; França, Elizabeth; Frøen, Frederik; Gewaifel, Gihan; Hodgson, Abraham; Hounton, Sennen; Kahn, Kathleen; Krishnan, Anand; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Masanja, Honorati; Nichols, Erin; Notzon, Francis; Rasooly, Mohammad Hafiz; Sankoh, Osman; Spiegel, Paul; AbouZahr, Carla; Amexo, Marc; Kebede, Derege; Alley, William Soumbey; Marinho, Fatima; Ali, Mohamed; Loyola, Enrique; Chikersal, Jyotsna; Gao, Jun; Annunziata, Giuseppe; Bahl, Rajiv; Bartolomeus, Kidist; Boerma, Ties; Ustun, Bedirhan; Chou, Doris; Muhe, Lulu; Mathai, Matthews

2013-01-01

Objective Verbal autopsy (VA) is a systematic approach for determining causes of death (CoD) in populations without routine medical certification. It has mainly been used in research contexts and involved relatively lengthy interviews. Our objective here is to describe the process used to shorten, simplify, and standardise the VA process to make it feasible for application on a larger scale such as in routine civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. Methods A literature review of existing VA instruments was undertaken. The World Health Organization (WHO) then facilitated an international consultation process to review experiences with existing VA instruments, including those from WHO, the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health in Developing Countries (INDEPTH) Network, InterVA, and the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium (PHMRC). In an expert meeting, consideration was given to formulating a workable VA CoD list [with mapping to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) CoD] and to the viability and utility of existing VA interview questions, with a view to undertaking systematic simplification. Findings A revised VA CoD list was compiled enabling mapping of all ICD-10 CoD onto 62 VA cause categories, chosen on the grounds of public health significance as well as potential for ascertainment from VA. A set of 221 indicators for inclusion in the revised VA instrument was developed on the basis of accumulated experience, with appropriate skip patterns for various population sub-groups. The duration of a VA interview was reduced by about 40% with this new approach. Conclusions The revised VA instrument resulting from this consultation process is presented here as a means of making it available for widespread use and evaluation. It is envisaged that this will be used in conjunction with automated models for assigning CoD from VA data, rather than involving physicians. PMID

Indications and expectations for neuropsychological assessment in routine epilepsy care: Report of the ILAE Neuropsychology Task Force, Diagnostic Methods Commission, 2013-2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Sarah J; Baxendale, Sallie; Barr, William; Hamed, Sherifa; Langfitt, John; Samson, Séverine; Watanabe, Masako; Baker, Gus A; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Hermann, Bruce P; Smith, Mary-Lou

2015-05-01

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Diagnostic Methods Commission charged the Neuropsychology Task Force with the job of developing a set of recommendations to address the following questions: (1) What is the role of a neuropsychological assessment? (2) Who should do a neuropsychological assessment? (3) When should people with epilepsy be referred for a neuropsychological assessment? and (4) What should be expected from a neuropsychological assessment? The recommendations have been broadly written for health care clinicians in established epilepsy settings as well as those setting up new services. They are based on a detailed survey of neuropsychological assessment practices across international epilepsy centers, and formal ranking of specific recommendations for advancing clinical epilepsy care generated by specialist epilepsy neuropsychologists from around the world. They also incorporate the latest research findings to establish minimum standards for training and practice, reflecting the many roles of neuropsychological assessment in the routine care of children and adults with epilepsy. The recommendations endorse routine screening of cognition, mood, and behavior in new-onset epilepsy, and describe the range of situations when more detailed, formal neuropsychological assessment is indicated. They identify a core set of cognitive and psychological domains that should be assessed to provide an objective account of an individual's cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial functioning, including factors likely contributing to deficits identified on qualitative and quantitative examination. The recommendations also endorse routine provision of feedback to patients, families, and clinicians about the implications of the assessment results, including specific clinical recommendations of what can be done to improve a patient's cognitive or psychosocial functioning and alleviate the distress of any difficulties identified. By canvassing the breadth and depth

User's Manual: Routines for Radiative Heat Transfer and Thermometry

Science.gov (United States)

Risch, Timothy K.

2016-01-01

Determining the intensity and spectral distribution of radiation emanating from a heated surface has applications in many areas of science and engineering. Areas of research in which the quantification of spectral radiation is used routinely include thermal radiation heat transfer, infrared signature analysis, and radiation thermometry. In the analysis of radiation, it is helpful to be able to predict the radiative intensity and the spectral distribution of the emitted energy. Presented in this report is a set of routines written in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) and incorporating functions specific to Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) that are useful for predicting the radiative behavior of heated surfaces. These routines include functions for calculating quantities of primary importance to engineers and scientists. In addition, the routines also provide the capability to use such information to determine surface temperatures from spectral intensities and for calculating the sensitivity of the surface temperature measurements to unknowns in the input parameters.

On the internal resonant modes in marching-on-in-time solution of the time domain electric field integral equation

KAUST Repository

Shi, Yifei; Bagci, Hakan; Lu, Mingyu

2013-01-01

Internal resonant modes are always observed in the marching-on-in-time (MOT) solution of the time domain electric field integral equation (EFIE), although 'relaxed initial conditions,' which are enforced at the beginning of time marching, should in theory prevent these spurious modes from appearing. It has been conjectured that, numerical errors built up during time marching establish the necessary initial conditions and induce the internal resonant modes. However, this conjecture has never been proved by systematic numerical experiments. Our numerical results in this communication demonstrate that, the internal resonant modes' amplitudes are indeed dictated by the numerical errors. Additionally, it is shown that in a few cases, the internal resonant modes can be made 'invisible' by significantly suppressing the numerical errors. These tests prove the conjecture that the internal resonant modes are induced by numerical errors when the time domain EFIE is solved by the MOT method. © 2013 IEEE.

On the internal resonant modes in marching-on-in-time solution of the time domain electric field integral equation

KAUST Repository

Shi, Yifei

2013-08-01

Internal resonant modes are always observed in the marching-on-in-time (MOT) solution of the time domain electric field integral equation (EFIE), although \\'relaxed initial conditions,\\' which are enforced at the beginning of time marching, should in theory prevent these spurious modes from appearing. It has been conjectured that, numerical errors built up during time marching establish the necessary initial conditions and induce the internal resonant modes. However, this conjecture has never been proved by systematic numerical experiments. Our numerical results in this communication demonstrate that, the internal resonant modes\\' amplitudes are indeed dictated by the numerical errors. Additionally, it is shown that in a few cases, the internal resonant modes can be made \\'invisible\\' by significantly suppressing the numerical errors. These tests prove the conjecture that the internal resonant modes are induced by numerical errors when the time domain EFIE is solved by the MOT method. © 2013 IEEE.

Routine outcome measurement in mental health service consumers: who should provide support for the self-assessments?

Science.gov (United States)

Gelkopf, Marc; Pagorek-Eshel, Shira; Trauer, Tom; Roe, David

2015-06-01

This study examined whether mental health community service users completed outcome self-reports differently when assessments were supervised by internal vs. external staff. The examination of potential differences between the two has useful implications for mental health systems that take upon themselves the challenge of Routine Outcome Measurement (ROM), as it might impact allocation of public resources and managed care program planning. 73 consumers completed the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), a shortened version of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS), and a functioning questionnaire. Questionnaires were administered, once using support provided by internal staff and once using support provided by external professional staff, with a one-month time interval and in random order. A MANOVA Repeated Measures showed no differences in outcomes of quality of life and recovery between internal and external support. Functioning scores were higher for the internal support when the internal assessments were performed first. Overall, except for the differences in functioning assessment, outcome scores were not determined by the supporting agency. This might indicate that when measuring quality of life and recovery, different supporting methods can be used to gather outcome measures and internal staff might be a good default agency to do this. Differences found in functioning assessment are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding teachers’ routines to inform classroom technology design

OpenAIRE

An, P.; Bakker, S.; Eggen, J.H.

2017-01-01

Secondary school teachers have quite busy and complex routines in their classrooms. However, present classroom technologies usually require focused attention from teachers while being interacted with, which restricts their use in teachers’ daily routines. Peripheral interaction is a human-computer interaction style that aims to enable interaction to take place both in the center and periphery of users’ attention and naturally shift between the two. We believe that classroom technologies emplo...

Between demarcation and discretion: The medical-administrative boundary as a locus of safety in high-volume organisational routines.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Suzanne; Guthrie, Bruce

2018-04-01

Patient safety is an increasing concern for health systems internationally. The majority of administrative work in UK general practice takes place in the context of organisational routines such as repeat prescribing and test results handling, where high workloads and increased clinician dependency on administrative staff have been identified as an emerging safety issue. Despite this trend, most research to date has focused on the redistribution of the clinical workload between doctors, nurses and allied health professionals within individual care settings. Drawing on Strauss's negotiated order perspective, we examine ethnographically the achievement of safety across the medical-administrative boundary in key high-volume routines in UK general practice. We focus on two main issues. First, GPs engaged in strategies of demarcation by defining receptionist work as routine, unspecialised and dependent upon GP clinical knowledge and oversight as the safety net to deal with complexity and risk. Receptionists consented to this 'social closure' when describing their role, thus reinforcing the underlying inter-occupational relationship of medical domination. Second, in everyday practice, GPs and receptionists engaged in informal boundary-blurring to safely accommodate the complexity of everyday high-volume routine work. This comprised additional informal discretionary spaces for receptionist decision-making and action that went beyond the routine safety work formally assigned to them. New restratified intra-occupational hierarchies were also being created between receptionists based on the complexity of the safety work that they were authorised to do at practice level, with specialised roles constituting a new form of administrative 'professional project'. The article advances negotiated order theory by providing an in-depth examination of the ways in which medical-administrative boundary-making and boundary-blurring constitute distinct modes of safety in high

Use of routine interventions in vaginal labor and birth: findings from the Maternity Experiences Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalmers, Beverley; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Levitt, Cheryl; Dzakpasu, Susie; O'Brien, Beverley; Lee, Lily; Boscoe, Madeline; Young, David

2009-03-01

Intervention rates in maternity practices vary considerably across Canadian provinces and territories. The objective of this study was to describe the use of routine interventions and practices in labor and birth as reported by women in the Maternity Experiences Survey of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Rates of interventions and practices are considered in the light of current evidence and both Canadian and international recommendations. A sample of 8,244 estimated eligible women was identified from a randomly selected sample of recently born infants drawn from the May 2006 Canadian Census and stratified primarily by province and territory. Birth mothers living with their infants at the time of interview were invited to participate in a computer-assisted telephone interview conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada. Interviews averaged 45 minutes long and were completed when infants were between 5 and 10 months old (9-14 mo in the territories). Completed responses were obtained from 6,421 women (78%). Women frequently reported electronic fetal monitoring, a health care practitioner starting or speeding up their labor (or trying to do so), epidural anesthesia, episiotomy, and a supine position for birth. Some women also reported pubic or perineal shaves, enemas, and pushing on the top of their abdomen. Several practices and interventions were commonly reported in labor and birth in Canada, although evidence and Canadian and international guidelines recommend against their routine use. Practices not recommended for use at all, such as shaving, were also reported.

How to Analyze Routines in Teachers' Thinking Processes during Lesson Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bromme, Rainer

A justification for the study of teachers' routines, as they affect the preparation of lesson plans, prefaces this paper on teachers' thought processes during lesson planning. In focusing on the importance of research into teachers' routines, it is pointed out that lesson preparation and classroom routines permit teachers to direct attention to…

A CR-39 track dosemeter for routine individual neutron monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luszik-Bhadra, M.; Alberts, W.G.; Dietz, E.; Guldbakke, S.; Matzke, M.; d'Errico, F.

1994-01-01

A personal neutron dosemeter for routine individual monitoring is proposed. It is based on a CR-39 track detector covered on three separate areas by converters with different boron contents and inserted into a commercial TLD albedo dosemeter capsule. The dose readings from three areas of the electrochemically etched CR-39 detector are combined to yield a dose equivalent response which is almost independent of the incident neutron energy in the range from thermal neutrons up to 20 MeV. In addition, the dose contributions of thermal, intermediate and fast neutrons can be determined separately. Unlike the TLD albedo dosemeter, which in general requires prior in-field calibration and whose use is then restricted to that field, this dosemeter can be used in neutron fields without any knowledge of the spectral distribution with the same calibration factor. The angular dependence of the dosemeter's response has been measured and compared with that of the directional dose equivalent H'(10). The lower limit of detection is 0.15 mSv. It is possible to obtain an independent, second dose reading from the same Cr-39 detector for neutron energies above 100 keV. The dosemeter has also been successfully tested for use in accident dosimetry applying chemical etching and an optical density reading of the CR-39 detector. (author)

Optical Control of Internal Electric Fields in Band Gap-Graded InGaN Nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Erhard, N.; Sarwar, A. T. M. Golam; Yang, F.; McComb, D. W.; Myers, R. C.; Holleitner, A. W.

2015-01-01

InGaN nanowires are suitable building blocks for many future optoelectronic devices. We show that a linear grading of the indium content along the nanowire axis from GaN to InN introduces an internal electric field evoking a photocurrent. Consistent with quantitative band structure simulations we observe a sign change in the measured photocurrent as a function of photon flux. This negative differential photocurrent opens the path to a new type of nanowire-based photodetector. We demonstrate that the photocurrent response of the nanowires is as fast as 1.5 ps.

Transient Occlusion of Bilateral Internal Iliac Arteries Facilitates Bloodless Operative Field in Subcapsular Prostatectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takumi Takeuchi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Transurethral resection of the prostate is the gold standard of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH. Nevertheless, open subcapsular prostatectomy is still performed for large BPH. While enucleation of prostatic adenoma is being performed, unneglectable bleeding can occur and surgeons need to rush to remove adenomas, often using fingers and in a blinded fashion. The blood supply to the prostatic capsule and adenoma can be reduced to a marked extent in subcapsular prostatectomy if the bilateral internal iliac arteries are transiently occluded. Thus, a bloodless operative field is reasonably acquired during enucleation of adenoma, which would, otherwise, be a cause for concern to surgeons due to bleeding. It is not always applicable, but it could be an option if the estimated volume of BPH is more than 100 mL. In two cases, bilateral internal iliac arteries were occluded with Bulldog clamps, and then adenomas of 159 and 97 g were enucleated.

Improving Automation Routines for Automatic Heating Load Detection in Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Timlin

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Energy managers use weather compensation data and heating system cut off routines to reduce heating energy consumption in buildings and improve user comfort. These routines are traditionally based on the calculation of an estimated building load that is inferred from the external dry bulb temperature at any point in time. While this method does reduce heating energy consumption and accidental overheating, it can be inaccurate under some weather conditions and therefore has limited effectiveness. There remains considerable scope to improve on the accuracy and relevance of the traditional method by expanding the calculations used to include a larger range of environmental metrics. It is proposed that weather compensation and automatic shut off routines that are commonly used could be improved notably with little additional cost by the inclusion of additional weather metrics. This paper examines the theoretical relationship between various external metrics and building heating loads. Results of the application of an advanced routine to a recently constructed building are examined, and estimates are made of the potential savings that can be achieved through the use of the routines proposed.

Technical and economic analysis use of flare gas into alternative energy as a breakthrough in achieving zero routine flaring

Science.gov (United States)

Petri, Y.; Juliza, H.; Humala, N.

2018-03-01

The activity of exploring natural oil and gas will produce gas flare 0.584 MMSCFD. A gas flare is the combustion of gas remaining to avoid poisonous gas like H2S and CO which is very dangerous for human and environmental health. The combustion can bring about environmental pollution and losses because it still contains valuable energy. It needs the policy to encourage the use of flare gas with Zero Routine Flaring and green productivity to reduce waste and pollution. The objective of the research was to determine the use of gas flare so that it will have economic value and can achieve Zero Routine Flaring. It was started by analysing based on volume or rate and composition gas flare was used to determine technical feasibility, and the estimation of the gas reserves as the determination of the economy of a gas well. The results showed that the use of flare gas as fuel for power generation feasible to be implemented technically and economically with Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 19.32% and the Payback Period (PP) 5 year. Thus, it can increase gas flare value economically and can achieve a breakthrough in Zero Routine Flaring.

Internal Thoracic Artery Encircled by an Unusual Phrenic Nerve Loop

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Fu-Chean Chen

2007-12-01

Full Text Available We report an anatomic variation of the phrenic nerve. During a routine gross anatomical dissection course at our medical university, we found an unusual loop of the left phrenic nerve around the internal thoracic artery, about 1 cm from the take-off of the left subclavian artery. The phrenic nerve is close to the internal thoracic artery and is easily injured when dissecting the internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass conduit. Therefore, we suggest that the anatomic relationship of the phrenic nerve and internal thoracic artery is important in preventing incidental injury of the phrenic nerve.

Family routines and rituals following separation: continuity and change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, W.; Karsten, L.; Mulder, C.H.

2015-01-01

Separation always changes family life. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the everyday practices of ‘doing family’ after separation. We focus on two central elements of family life: routines and rituals. While in most families both parents are involved in family routines and rituals, this

Cyclophosphamide administration routine in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaian Amorim Teles

Full Text Available Abstract Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent widely used for the treatment of malignant neoplasia and which can be used in the treatment of multiple rheumatic diseases. Medication administration errors may lead to its reduced efficacy or increased drug toxicity. Many errors occur in the administration of injectable drugs. The present study aimed at structuring a routine for cyclophosphamide use, as well as creating a document with pharmacotherapeutic guidelines for the patient. The routine is schematized in three phases: pre-chemotherapy, administration of cyclophosphamide, and post-chemotherapy, taking into account the drugs to be administered before and after cyclophosphamide in order to prevent adverse effects, including nausea and hemorrhagic cystitis. Adverse reactions can alter laboratory tests; thus, this routine included clinical management for changes in white blood cells, platelets, neutrophils, and sodium, including cyclophosphamide dose adjustment in the case of kidney disease. Cyclophosphamide is responsible for other rare - but serious - side effects, for instance, hepatotoxicity, severe hyponatremia and heart failure. Other adverse reactions include hair loss, amenorrhea and menopause. In this routine, we also entered guidelines to post-chemotherapy patients. The compatibility of injectable drugs with the vehicle used has been described, as well as stability and infusion times. The routine aimed at the rational use of cyclophosphamide, with prevention of adverse events and relapse episodes, factors that may burden the health care system.

Assessment of new small-field detectors against standard-field detectors for practical stereotactic beam data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKerracher, C.; Thwaites, D.I.

1999-01-01

Two new detectors (0.015 cm 3 ion chamber from PTW, 0.6 mm diameter diode from Scanditronix AB) designed specifically for use in small stereotactic fields were compared against similar, more routine, detectors (0.125 cm 3 ion chamber, parallel plate chamber, shielded and unshielded diodes and film). Percentage depth doses, tissue maximum ratios, off-axis ratios and relative output factors were compared for circular fields in the 40-12.5 mm diameter range, with a view to identifying the optimum detector for stereotactic beam data acquisition. Practical suggestions for beam data collection and analysis are made, with an emphasis on what is achievable practically in radiotherapy departments where the primary demand is to provide a routine service. No single detector was found to be ideal, and neither of the two new measurement devices had any significant advantages over more routine devices, in the situations measured. Although the new 0.015 cm 3 ion chamber was an improvement on a 0.125 cm 3 ion chamber in the measurement of profiles, it was still too large when compared with a diode. The new small diode had a low signal to noise ratio which made reliable data difficult to extract and its only advantage is possibly improved resolution in fields smaller than the range tested. The use of a larger unshielded diode is recommended for all measurements, with the additional cross-checking of data against at least one small ion chamber and film. A simple method of obtaining reliable output data from the detectors used is explained. (author)

An Element of Practical Knowledge in Education: Professional Routines

Science.gov (United States)

Lacourse, France

2011-01-01

The question of practical knowledge and its teaching has arisen more perceptibly since the appearance of the aim to professionalize teachers. How can imperceptible knowledge such as professional routines be taught? To establish a social fabric and effective class management, it is essential to call on creative and adaptive professional routines.…

Field infestation of rambutan fruits by internal-feeding pests in Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

McQuate, G T; Follett, P A; Yoshimoto, J M

2000-06-01

More than 47,000 mature fruits of nine different varieties of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) were harvested from orchards in Hawaii to assess natural levels of infestation by tephritid fruit flies and other internal feeding pests. Additionally, harvested, mature fruits of seven different rambutan varieties were artificially infested with eggs or first-instars of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), or oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to assess host suitability. When all varieties were combined over two field seasons of sampling, fruit infestation rates were 0.021% for oriental fruit fly, 0.097% for Cryptophlebia spp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and 0.85% for pyralids (Lepidoptera). Species of Cryptophlebia included both C. illepida (Butler), the native Hawaiian species, and C. ombrodelta (Lower), an introduced species from Australia. Cryptophlebia spp. had not previously been known to attack rambutan. The pyralid infestation was mainly attributable to Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Milliere), a species also not previously recorded on rambutan in Hawaii. Overall infestation rate for other moths in the families Blastobasidae, Gracillariidae, Tineidae, and Tortricidae was 0.061%. In artificially infested fruits, both species of fruit fly showed moderately high survivorship for all varieties tested. Because rambutan has such low rates of infestation by oriental fruit fly and Cryptophlebia spp., the two primary internal-feeding regulatory pests of rambutan in Hawaii, it may be amenable to the alternative treatment efficacy approach to postharvest quarantine treatment.

User modeling and adaptation for daily routines providing assistance to people with special needs

CERN Document Server

Martín, Estefanía; Carro, Rosa M

2013-01-01

User Modeling and Adaptation for Daily Routines is motivated by the need to bring attention to how people with special needs can benefit from adaptive methods and techniques in their everyday lives. Assistive technologies, adaptive systems and context-aware applications are three well-established research fields. There is, in fact, a vast amount of literature that covers HCI-related issues in each area separately. However, the contributions in the intersection of these areas have been less visible, despite the fact that such synergies may have a great impact on improving daily living.Presentin

32 CFR 701.121 - Processing “routine use” disclosures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY DOCUMENTS AFFECTING THE PUBLIC DON Privacy Program § 701.121 Processing “routine use... be in writing and state that it is being made under a “routine use” established by a specific PA... and maintain a disclosure accounting of the information released. (See § 701.111.) (b) Failure to cite...

Methods and Models of the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program, PNNL-MA-860

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carbaugh, Eugene H.; Bihl, Donald E.; Maclellan, Jay A.; Antonio, Cheryl L.; Hill, Robin L.

2009-09-30

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program (HIDP) provides internal dosimetry support services for operations at the Hanford Site. The HIDP is staffed and managed by the Radiation and Health Technology group, within the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Operations supported by the HIDP include research and development, the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities formerly used to produce and purify plutonium, and waste management activities. Radioelements of particular interest are plutonium, uranium, americium, tritium, and the fission and activation product radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, and 60Co. This manual describes the technical basis for the design of the routine bioassay monitoring program and for assessment of internal dose. The purposes of the manual are as follows: • Provide assurance that the HIDP derives from a sound technical base. • Promote the consistency and continuity of routine program activities. • Provide a historical record. • Serve as a technical reference for radiation protection personnel. • Aid in identifying and planning for future needs.

Predictors of routine episiotomy in primigravida women in Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ghammari, Khadija; Al-Riyami, Zainab; Al-Moqbali, Moza; Al-Marjabi, Fatma; Al-Mahrouqi, Basma; Al-Khatri, Amal; Al-Khasawneh, Esra M

2016-02-01

Episiotomy is still the most common surgical procedure performed on women, despite the evidence against its routine use. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the practice and predictors of routine episiotomy on primigravidae in Oman. Demographic data, reasons for and rate of performing routine episiotomies, and perceptions of 269 obstetricians, midwives and nurses from 11 hospitals in Oman regarding the procedure were recorded and analyzed. The rate of episiotomies was 66%. In terms of performing routine episiotomies (p<0.05): non-Omanis were 4.49 times more likely than Omanis; bachelor's degree-holders were 2.26 more likely than diploma-holders; and regional hospitals were 2.36 times more likely than tertiary hospitals. The majority perceived episiotomies "reduce spontaneous perineal tearing risk", "reduce shoulder dystocia complications", and allow for "easier suturing". The rate of episiotomies was higher than other similar contexts. An urgent intervention is necessary to curb this excessive practice, and create a culture of evidence-based practice to deal with misleading perceptions. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International safeguards for critical facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ney, J.F.; Todd, J.L.

1979-01-01

A study was undertaken to investigate various approaches to provide international safeguards for critical facilities and to select an optimized system. Only high-inventory critical facilities were considered. The goal of the study was to detect and confirm the protracted or abrupt diversion of 8kg of plutonium or 25kg of the uranium isotope 235 within approximately a week of the diversion. The general safeguards alternatives considered were (1) continuous inspections by resident inspectors, with varying degrees of comprehensiveness, (2) periodic inspections by regional inspectors at varying time intervals, (3) unattended containment/surveillance measures, and (4) various combinations of the above. It was concluded that a practical and effective international safeguards system can be achieved by employing a method of continuously monitoring facility activities which could lead to diversion. This is in addition to the routine inspections typical of current international safeguards. Monitoring detects inventory discrepancies and violations of agreed-upon procedural restrictions, as well as unauthorized removal of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM). A special inventory is used following detection to confirm any suspected diversion. Comparison of 28 safeguards options led to the selection of a system for further development which uses a combination of surveillance and inspection by resident IAEA personnel, containment/surveillance by unattended equipment, and routine inventory sampling. A development programme is described which is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of several containment and surveillance measures proposed in the study. Included are a personnel portal and an instrument/material pass-through as well as associated recording and tamper-protection features. (author)

Reading comics for the field of International Relations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lene

2017-01-01

This article draws attention to a medium that has escaped the attention of International Relations scholars: comics. Comics are combinations of text and drawings and they come in a variety of formats: as newspaper strips, as stories printed in magazines and as long narratives presented in free......-standing books. Comics have been central to how generations of children have encountered foreign places and comics artists have successfully captured public attention, with comics offering explicit engagements with foreign policy events. Theoretically, comics provide a unique combination of text and images...... through which central questions on the research agenda of International Relations scholars working on visuality, practices and intertextuality can be pursued. Drawing on comics scholarship, this article presents a theoretical framework aimed specifically at analysing comics as international relations...

Biological effects of electromagnetic fields | Yalçın | African Journal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Recently, the possible effects of extra low frequency electromagnetic fields on the public health have become an interesting subject. Generally, electromagnetic fields occur around the high voltage lines. However, electromagnetic fields also occur with some electrical machines use for fun and TV used routinely at our home ...

The effect of air flow, panel curvature, and internal pressurization on field-incidence transmission loss. [acoustic propagation through aircraft fuselage

Science.gov (United States)

Koval, L. R.

1975-01-01

In the context of sound transmission through aircraft fuselage panels, equations for the field-incidence transmission loss (TL) of a single-walled panel are derived that include the effects of external air flow, panel curvature, and internal fuselage pressurization. These effects are incorporated into the classical equations for the TL of single panels, and the resulting double integral for field-incidence TL is numerically evaluated for a specific set of parameters.

[Routine fluoroscopic investigations after primary bariatric surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Gärtner, D; Ernst, A; Fedtke, K; Jenkner, J; Schöttler, A; Reimer, P; Blüher, M; Schön, M R

2016-03-01

Staple line and anastomotic leakages are life-threatening complications after bariatric surgery. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract X-ray examination with oral administration of a water-soluble contrast agent can be used to detect leaks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of routine upper GI tract fluoroscopy after primary bariatric surgery. Between January 2009 and December 2014 a total of 658 bariatric interventions were carried out of which 442 were primary bariatric operations. Included in this single center study were 307 sleeve gastrectomies and 135 Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses. Up to December 2012 upper GI tract fluoroscopy was performed routinely between the first and third postoperative days and the detection of leakages was evaluated. In the investigation period 8 leakages (2.6 %) after sleeve gastrectomy, 1 anastomotic leakage in gastrojejunostomy and 1 in jejunojejunostomy after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass occurred. All patients developed clinical symptoms, such as abdominal pain, tachycardia or fever. In one case the leakage was detected by upper GI fluoroscopy and in nine cases radiological findings were unremarkable. No leakages were detected in asymptomatic patients. Routine upper GI fluoroscopy is not recommended for uneventful postoperative courses after primary bariatric surgery.

Building Micro-Foundations for the Routines, Capabilities, and Performance Links

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abell, Peter; Felin, Teppo; Foss, Nicolai Juul

2007-01-01

a neglect of micro-foundations - is incomplete. There are no mechanisms that work solely on the macro-level, directly connecting routines and capabilities to firm-level outcomes. While routines and capabilities are useful shorthand for complicated patterns of individual action and interaction, ultimately...... they are best understood at the micro-level. Second, we provide a formal model that shows precisely why macro explanation is incomplete and which exemplifies how explicit micro-foundations may be built for notions of routines and capabilities and for how these impact firm performance....

[Routine screening of splenic or portal vein thrombosis after splenectomy].

Science.gov (United States)

Bouvier, A; Gout, M; Audia, S; Chalumeau, C; Rat, P; Deballon, O

2017-01-01

Portal and/or splenic vein thrombosis (PSVT) is common after splenectomy. It can be a life-threatening complication, with a risk of bowel ischemia and portal hypertension. An early diagnosis allows an effective medical treatment and prevents life-threatening complications. There is no consensus regarding the benefit of systematic screening of patients after splenectomy for PSVT. We started in January 2012 a routine screening of PSVT after elective splenectomy. The aim of this study was to assess this policy. Since January 2012, all patients undergoing an elective splenectomy had an abdominal CT-scan on postoperative-day 7. Demographic data, pathology, type of surgery, platelet counts before and after surgery, outcome, results of medical imaging, and management of PSVT and its results were recorded. Over 3 years, 52 patients underwent an elective splenectomy. All of them had a CT-scan at postoperative-day 7. A PSVT was found in 11 patients (21.2 %). They were all asymptomatic. Lymphoma and splenomegaly were the main factors associated with PSVT in the univariate analysis. All patients with PSVT were treated with anticoagulation and no complication of PSVT occurred. The follow-up CT confirmed the efficacy of anticoagulation therapy in all patients. Routine screening of PSVT after elective splenectomy is warranted because it allows to start anticoagulant therapy and avoid further life-threatening complications. The incidence of PSVT is particularly high among patients operated on for lymphoma or with splenomegaly. Copyright © 2016 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

International Cooperation in the Field of International Space Station (ISS) Payload Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Grayson, C.; Sgobba, T.; Larsen, A.; Rose, S.; Heimann, T.; Ciancone, M.; Mulhern, V.

2005-12-01

In the frame of the International Space Station (ISS) Program cooperation, in 1998 the European Space Agency (ESA) approached the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with the unique concept of a Payload Safety Review Panel (PSRP) "franchise" based at the European Space Technology Center (ESTEC), where the panel would be capable of autonomously reviewing flight hardware for safety. This paper will recount the course of an ambitious idea as it progressed into a fully functional reality. It will show how a panel initially conceived at NASA to serve a national programme has evolved into an international safety cooperation asset. The PSRP established at NASA began reviewing ISS payloads approximately in late 1994 or early 1995 as an expansion of the pre- existing Shuttle Program PSRP. This paper briefly describes the fundamental Shuttle safety process and the establishment of the safety requirements for payloads intending to use the Space Transportation System and ISS. The paper will also offer some historical statistics about the experiments that completed the payload safety process for Shuttle and ISS. The paper then presents the background of ISS agreements and international treaties that had to be considered when establishing the ESA PSRP. The paper will expound upon the detailed franchising model, followed by an outline of the cooperation charter approved by the NASA Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight, and ESA Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity. The paper will then address the resulting ESA PSRP implementation and its success statistics to date. Additionally, the paper presents ongoing developments with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The discussion will conclude with ideas for future developments, such to achieve a fully integrated international system of payload safety panels for ISS.

Revenue, relationships and routines: the social organization of acute myocardial infarction patient transfers in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Veinot, Tiffany C; Bosk, Emily A; Unnikrishnan, K P; Iwashyna, Theodore J

2012-11-01

Heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is a leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). The most effective therapy for AMI is rapid revascularization: the mechanical opening of the clogged artery in the heart. Forty-four percent of patients with AMI who are admitted to a non-revascularization hospital in the U.S. are transferred to a hospital with that capacity. Yet, we know little about the process by which community hospitals complete these transfers, and why publicly available hospital quality data plays a small role in community hospitals' choice of transfer destinations. Therefore, we investigated how community hospital staff implement patient transfers and select destinations. We conducted a mixed methods study involving: interviews with staff at three community hospitals (n = 25) in a Midwestern state and analysis of U.S. national Medicare records for 1996-2006. Community hospitals in the U.S., including our field sites, typically had longstanding relationships with one key receiving hospital. Community hospitals addressed the need for rapid AMI patient transfers by routinizing the collective, interhospital work process. Routinization reduced staff uncertainty, coordinated their efforts and conserved their cognitive resources for patient care. While destination selection was nominally a physician role, the decision was routinized, such that staff immediately contacted a "usual" transfer destination upon AMI diagnosis. Transfer destination selection was primarily driven at an institutional level by organizational concerns and bed supply, rather than physician choice or patient preference. Transfer routinization emerged as a form of social order that invoked tradeoffs between process speed and efficiency and patient-centered, quality-driven decision making. We consider the implications of routinization and institutional imperatives for health policy, quality improvement and health informatics interventions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Master schedule for CY-1978. Hanford Environmental Surveillance Routine Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumer, P.J.; Myers, D.A.; Fix, J.J.

1977-12-01

This report provides the current schedule of data collection for the routine environmental surveillance program at the Hanford Site. No results are presented in this report. The data collected are available in routine reports issued by the Environmental Evaluations staff

International co-operation in the field of wind energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolff, J. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1998-10-01

The use of wind energy is expanding rapidly worldwide. At the end of 1996 over 6000 MW was installed and the annual increase has during the last years exceeded 1000 MW. The development is also reaching more and more countries. In order to maintain technical and commercial development international co-operation is needed to secure cost-effectiveness, reliability and safety of the technology. International recommendations, harmonisation and standardisation is promoted by several international organizations like IEA, IEC and the classification organisations

Learning Together and Working Apart: Routines for Organizational Learning in Virtual Teams

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Nancy

2017-01-01

Purpose: Research suggests that teaming routines facilitate learning in teams. This paper identifies and details how specific teaming routines, implemented in a virtual team, support its continual learning. The study's focus was to generate authentic and descriptive accounts of the interviewees' experiences with virtual teaming routines.…

Study of Low Temperature Baking Effect on Field Emission on Nb Samples Treated by BEP, EP, and BCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Andy; Jin, Song; Rimmer, Robert; Lu, Xiang Yang; Zhao, K.; MacIntyre, Laura; Ike, Robert

2010-01-01

Field emission is still one of the major obstacles facing Nb superconducting radio frequency (SRF) community for allowing Nb SRF cavities to reach routinely accelerating gradient of 35 MV/m that is required for the international linear collider. Nowadays, the well know low temperature baking at 120 C for 48 hours is a common procedure used in the SRF community to improve the high field Q slope. However, some cavity production data have showed that the low temperature baking may induce field emission for cavities treated by EP. On the other hand, an earlier study of field emission on Nb flat samples treated by BCP showed an opposite conclusion. In this presentation, the preliminary measurements of Nb flat samples treated by BEP, EP, and BCP via our unique home-made scanning field emission microscope before and after the low temperature baking are reported. Some correlations between surface smoothness and the number of the observed field emitters were found. The observed experimental results can be understood, at least partially, by a simple model that involves the change of the thickness of the pent-oxide layer on Nb surfaces.

Spatial Variation of Diapycnal Diffusivity Estimated From Seismic Imaging of Internal Wave Field, Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, Alex; White, N. J.; Caulfield, C. P.

2017-12-01

Bright reflections are observed within the upper 1,000 m of the water column along a seismic reflection profile that traverses the northern margin of the Gulf of Mexico. Independent hydrographic calibration demonstrates that these reflections are primarily caused by temperature changes associated with different water masses that are entrained into the Gulf along the Loop Current. The internal wave field is analyzed by automatically tracking 1,171 reflections, each of which is greater than 2 km in length. Power spectra of the horizontal gradient of isopycnal displacement, ϕξx, are calculated from these tracked reflections. At low horizontal wave numbers (kxcpm), ϕξx∝kx-0.2±0.6, in agreement with hydrographic observations of the internal wave field. The turbulent spectral subrange is rarely observed. Diapycnal diffusivity, K, is estimated from the observed internal wave spectral subrange of each tracked reflection using a fine-scale parametrization of turbulent mixing. Calculated values of K vary between 10-8 and 10-4 m2 s-1 with a mean value of K˜4×10-6 m2 s-1. The spatial distribution of turbulent mixing shows that K˜10-7 m2 s-1 away from the shelf edge in the upper 300 m where stratification is strong. Mixing is enhanced by up to 4 orders of magnitude adjacent to the shoaling bathymetry of the continental slope. This overall pattern matches that determined by analyzing nearby suites of CTD casts. However, the range of values recovered by spectral analysis of the seismic image is greater as a consequence of significantly better horizontal resolution.

GRAIN ALIGNMENT INDUCED BY RADIATIVE TORQUES: EFFECTS OF INTERNAL RELAXATION OF ENERGY AND COMPLEX RADIATION FIELD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, Thiem; Lazarian, A.

2009-01-01

Earlier studies of grain alignment dealt mostly with interstellar grains that have strong internal relaxation of energy which aligns the grain axis of maximum moment of inertia (the axis of major inertia) with respect to the grain's angular momentum. In this paper, we study the alignment by radiative torques for large irregular grains, e.g., grains in accretion disks, for which internal relaxation is subdominant. We use both numerical calculations and the analytical model of a helical grain introduced by us earlier. We demonstrate that grains in such a regime exhibit more complex dynamics. In particular, if initially the grain axis of major inertia makes a small angle with angular momentum, then radiative torques can align the grain axis of major inertia with angular momentum, and both the axis of major inertia and angular momentum are aligned with the magnetic field when attractors with high angular momentum (high-J attractors) are available. For alignment without high-J attractors, beside the earlier studied attractors with low angular momentum (low-J attractors), there appear new low-J attractors. In addition, we also study the alignment of grains in the presence of strong internal relaxation, but induced not by a radiation beam as in earlier studies but instead induced by a complex radiation field that can be decomposed into dipole and quadrupole components. We found that in this situation the parameter space q max , for which high-J attractors exist in trajectory maps, is more extended, resulting in the higher degree of polarization expected. Our results are useful for modeling polarization arising from aligned dust grains in molecular clouds.

Older adults' personal routine at time of hospitalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zisberg, Anna; Gur-Yaish, Nurit

This study is the first to explore whether hospitalization disrupts the daily routines of dependent and independent older adults. Data were collected as part of a prospectively designed study from 330 hospitalized older adults age 70+. Patients reported prehospitalization frequency, duration, and timing of basic activities of daily living and leisure activities at hospital admission. Hospital routine was assessed on day of discharge. Results indicated that frequency and duration of most basic activities decreased during hospitalization; the sharpest decrease was in frequency of getting dressed. Showering occurred 2 h earlier in the hospital setting, and getting dressed occurred an hour and a half later. For dependent respondents, the greatest change was in duration; for independent respondents, the greatest change was in frequency. Given the importance of routine maintenance to health and well-being, understanding the dynamics of its disruption in the hospital setting is imperative. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drag with external and pressure drop with internal flows: a new and unifying look at losses in the flow field based on the second law of thermodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herwig, Heinz; Schmandt, Bastian

2013-01-01

Internal and external flows are characterized by friction factors and drag coefficients, respectively. Their definitions are based on pressure drop and drag force and thus are very different in character. From a thermodynamics point of view in both cases dissipation occurs which can uniformly be related to the entropy generation in the flow field. Therefore we suggest to account for losses in the flow field by friction factors and drag coefficients that are based on the overall entropy generation due to the dissipation in the internal and external flow fields. This second law analysis (SLA) has been applied to internal flows in many studies already. Examples of this flow category are given together with new cases of external flows, also treated by the general SLA-approach. (paper)

Spatial Variation of Diapycnal Diffusivity Estimated From Seismic Imaging of Internal Wave Field, Gulf of Mexico

OpenAIRE

Dickinson, Nicholas; White, Nicholas Jeremiah; Caulfield, Colm-cille Patrick

2017-01-01

Bright reflections are observed within the upper 1000~m of the water column along a seismic reflection profile that traverses the northern margin of the Gulf of Mexico. Independent hydrographic calibration demonstrates that these reflections are primarily caused by temperature changes associated with different water masses that are entrained into the Gulf along the Loop Current. The internal wave field is analyzed by automatically tracking 1171 reflections, each of which is greater th...

SU-E-P-10: Establishment of Local Diagnostic Reference Levels of Routine Exam in Computed Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, M; Wang, Y; Weng, H

2015-01-01

Introduction National diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs) can be used as a reference dose of radiological examination can provide radiation dose as the basis of patient dose optimization. Local diagnostic reference levels (LDRLs) by periodically view and check doses, more efficiency to improve the way of examination. Therefore, the important first step is establishing a diagnostic reference level. Computed Tomography in Taiwan had been built up the radiation dose limit value,in addition, many studies report shows that CT scan contributed most of the radiation dose in different medical. Therefore, this study was mainly to let everyone understand DRL’s international status. For computed tomography in our hospital to establish diagnostic reference levels. Methods and Materials: There are two clinical CT scanners (a Toshiba Aquilion and a Siemens Sensation) were performed in this study. For CT examinations the basic recommended dosimetric quantity is the Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI). Each exam each different body part, we collect 10 patients at least. Carried out the routine examinations, and all exposure parameters have been collected and the corresponding CTDIv and DLP values have been determined. Results: The majority of patients (75%) were between 60–70 Kg of body weight. There are 25 examinations in this study. Table 1 shows the LDRL of each CT routine examination. Conclusions: Therefore, this study would like to let everyone know DRL’s international status, but also establishment of computed tomography of the local reference levels for our hospital, and providing radiation reference, as a basis for optimizing patient dose

SU-E-P-10: Establishment of Local Diagnostic Reference Levels of Routine Exam in Computed Tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yeh, M; Wang, Y; Weng, H [Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital of The C.G.M.F, Puzi City, Chiayi County, Taiwan (China)

2015-06-15

Introduction National diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs) can be used as a reference dose of radiological examination can provide radiation dose as the basis of patient dose optimization. Local diagnostic reference levels (LDRLs) by periodically view and check doses, more efficiency to improve the way of examination. Therefore, the important first step is establishing a diagnostic reference level. Computed Tomography in Taiwan had been built up the radiation dose limit value,in addition, many studies report shows that CT scan contributed most of the radiation dose in different medical. Therefore, this study was mainly to let everyone understand DRL’s international status. For computed tomography in our hospital to establish diagnostic reference levels. Methods and Materials: There are two clinical CT scanners (a Toshiba Aquilion and a Siemens Sensation) were performed in this study. For CT examinations the basic recommended dosimetric quantity is the Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI). Each exam each different body part, we collect 10 patients at least. Carried out the routine examinations, and all exposure parameters have been collected and the corresponding CTDIv and DLP values have been determined. Results: The majority of patients (75%) were between 60–70 Kg of body weight. There are 25 examinations in this study. Table 1 shows the LDRL of each CT routine examination. Conclusions: Therefore, this study would like to let everyone know DRL’s international status, but also establishment of computed tomography of the local reference levels for our hospital, and providing radiation reference, as a basis for optimizing patient dose.

Effects of indoor residence on radiation doses from routine releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1980-01-01

Dose reduction factors from indoor residence during routine releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere were studied using models that are suitable for application to arbitrary source terms. Dose reduction factors for internal exposure to inhaled radionuclides account for air ventilation and deposition on inside building surfaces. Estimated internal dose reduction factors are approx. 0.2 to 0.8 for particulates and 0.07 to 0.4 for radioiodine. Dose reduction factors for external photon exposure from airborne and surface-deposited sources are based on the point-kernel integration method. Values for source terms from a fuel reprocessing plant and a hypothetical reactor accident are within a factor of 2 of the value 0.5 adopted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for population dose assessments. For the release at Three Mile Island nuclear station, however, the external dose reduction factor may be an order of magnitude less than the value adopted by the NRC

Measuring unintended effects in peacebuilding: What the field of international cooperation can learn from innovative approaches shaped by complex contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemon, Adrienne; Pinet, Mélanie

2018-06-01

Capturing unintended impacts has been a persistent struggle in all fields of international development, and the field of peacebuilding is no exception. However, because peacebuilding focuses on relationships in complex contexts, the field of peacebuilding has, by necessity, made efforts towards finding practical ways to reflect upon both the intended and unintended effects of this work. To explore what lessons can be learned from the peacebuilding field, this study examines the evaluations of Search for Common Ground, a peacebuilding organisation working in over 35 countries across the world. Analysis focuses on 96 evaluations completed between 2013 and 2016 in 24 countries across Africa, Asia, and the MENA regions that found unintended effects. Programmes focusing on women, youth, and radio were most effective at identifying and explaining unintended effects, likely because the project design guided broader lines of questioning from the beginning. The paper argues that OECD-DAC guidelines are not enough on their own to guide evaluators into exploration of unintended effects, and teams instead need to work together to decide where, when and how they will look for them. Different approaches were also used to capture positive and negative outcomes, suggesting that evaluators need to decide at what level they are evaluating and how to tie effects back to the project's contribution. This study explores evaluation techniques and approaches used to understand impact in complex contexts in the peacebuilding field, and draws on lessons learned for the benefit of other fields dealing with similar complexities in international development and cooperation among actors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating population effects of vaccination using large, routinely collected data.

Science.gov (United States)

Halloran, M Elizabeth; Hudgens, Michael G

2018-01-30

Vaccination in populations can have several kinds of effects. Establishing that vaccination produces population-level effects beyond the direct effects in the vaccinated individuals can have important consequences for public health policy. Formal methods have been developed for study designs and analysis that can estimate the different effects of vaccination. However, implementing field studies to evaluate the different effects of vaccination can be expensive, of limited generalizability, or unethical. It would be advantageous to use routinely collected data to estimate the different effects of vaccination. We consider how different types of data are needed to estimate different effects of vaccination. The examples include rotavirus vaccination of young children, influenza vaccination of elderly adults, and a targeted influenza vaccination campaign in schools. Directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Intelligent stochastic optimization routine for in-core fuel cycle design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, G.T.

1988-01-01

Any reactor fuel management strategy must specify the fuel design, batch sizes, loading configurations, and operational procedures for each cycle. To permit detailed design studies, the complex core characteristics must necessarily be computer modeled. Thus, the identification of an optimal fuel cycle design represents an optimization problem with a nonlinear objective function (OF), nonlinear safety constraints, many control variables, and no direct derivative information. Most available library routines cannot tackle such problems; this paper introduces an intelligent stochastic optimization routine that can. There has been considerable interest recently in the application of stochastic methods to difficult optimization problems, based on the statistical mechanics algorithms originally attributed to Metropolis. Previous work showed that, in optimizing the performance of a British advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel stringer, a rudimentary version of the Metropolis algorithm performed as efficiently as the only suitable routine in the Numerical Algorithms Group library. Since then the performance of the Metropolis algorithm has been considerably enhanced by the introduction of self-tuning capabilities by which the routine adjusts its control parameters and search pattern as it progresses. Both features can be viewed as examples of artificial intelligence, in which the routine uses the accumulation of data, or experience, to guide its future actions

Bilateral internal laryngoceles mimicking asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif A Aksoy

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Laryngocele is an air-filled, abnormal dilation of the laryngeal saccule that extends upward within the false vocal fold, in communication with the laryngeal lumen. A case of 43-year-old male with bilateral internal laryngoceles, who has been treated as asthma for 4 years, is presented. The patient had dyspnea, cough, and excessive phlegm for a month and a late onset stridor. Flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy showed bilateral cystic enlargements of the false vocal folds and true vocal folds could not be visualized. Laryngeal CT without contrast enhancement showed bilateral internal laryngoceles. Submucosal total excision of bilateral cystic masses including parts of false vocal folds was performed. The symptoms resolved immediately after surgery. Although the incidence of internal laryngocele is rare, it should be remembered in the differential diagnosis of upper airway problems and diagnostic flexible nasopharnygolaryngoscopy is routinely indicated for airway evaluation in at-risk patients.

IONEOS: a fast, analytic, ion equation-of-state routine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cranfill, C.W.; More, R.

1978-10-01

A routine IONEOS has been developed to compute ion pressure and specific energy along with their derivatives. The theoretical model used is due to R.D. Cowan and includes non-ideal-gas behavior. The routine is designed for use in large hydrodynamics codes as an improved procedure for splitting the total pressure and specific energy (which are usually tabulated) into ion and electron components

42 CFR 493.941 - Hematology (including routine hematology and coagulation).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hematology (including routine hematology and....941 Hematology (including routine hematology and coagulation). (a) Program content and frequency of challenge. To be approved for proficiency testing for hematology, a program must provide a minimum of five...

Marshalling embedded routines in support of firm creation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Houman Andersen, Poul; Norus, Jesper

2003-01-01

The paper has a dual purpose. First, we suggest that entrepreneurs in their establishment of new businesses draw on a range of pre-existing socially embedded routines for creating acceptance by their environment. Also they draw upon external resources that are used in patterning specific practices....... This ability is treated as entrepreneurial assets. Secondly, we argue that the existence and patterning of these socially embedded routines used in new business development are contingent on the institutional context. We see the institutional context as complex and fragmented, composed and shaped by different...

The gravity field and GGOS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forsberg, René; Sideris, M.G.; Shum, C.K.

2005-01-01

The gravity field of the earth is a natural element of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). Gravity field quantities are like spatial geodetic observations of potential very high accuracy, with measurements, currently at part-per-billion (ppb) accuracy, but gravity field quantities are also...... unique as they can be globally represented by harmonic functions (long-wavelength geopotential model primarily from satellite gravity field missions), or based on point sampling (airborne and in situ absolute and superconducting gravimetry). From a GGOS global perspective, one of the main challenges...... is to ensure the consistency of the global and regional geopotential and geoid models, and the temporal changes of the gravity field at large spatial scales. The International Gravity Field Service, an umbrella "level-2" IAG service (incorporating the International Gravity Bureau, International Geoid Service...

Scattering of inhomogeneous circularly polarized optical field and mechanical manifestation of the internal energy flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekshaev, A. Ya; Angelsky, O. V.; Hanson, Steen Grüner

2012-01-01

between the forward- and backward-scattered momentum fluxes in the Rayleigh scattering regime appears due to the spin part of the internal energy flow in the incident beam. The transverse ponderomotive forces exerted on dielectric and conducting particles of different sizes are calculated and special......Based on the Mie theory and on the incident beam model via superposition of two plane waves, we analyze numerically the momentum flux of the field scattered by a spherical, nonmagnetic microparticle placed within the spatially inhomogeneous circularly polarized paraxial light beam. The asymmetry...

Field Education as the Signature Pedagogy of Social Work Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wayne, Julianne; Bogo, Marion; Raskin, Miriam

2010-01-01

In its EPAS, CSWE (2008) identifies field education as the signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005b) of social work education. This article analyzes the field education-signature pedagogy fit. It finds congruence in selected organizational arrangements that are pervasive and routine, and disparities with respect to expectations about public student…

Effect of toroidal field ripple on the formation of internal transport barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vries, P C de; Hawkes, N C; Challis, C D; Andrew, Y; Beurskens, M; Brix, M; Giroud, C; Zastrow, K-D [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Joffrin, E [EFDA-JET CSU, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Litaudon, X [Association EURATOM-CEA, DSM/DFRC, CEA Cadarache, 13108, St Paul lez Durance (France); Brzozowski, J; Johnson, T [Association EURATOM-VR, Fusion Plasma Physics, EES, KTH, Stockholm (Sweden); Crombe, K [Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Hobirk, J [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Euratom Association, 85748 Garching (Germany); Loennroth, J; Salmi, A [Association Euratom-Tekes, Helsinki University of Technology, PO Box 4100, 02015 TKK (Finland); Tala, T [Association Euratom-Tekes, VTT, PO Box 1000, 02044 VTT (Finland); Yavorskij, V [Institute for Theoretical Physics, Association EURATOM-OEAW, University of Innsbruck (Austria)], E-mail: Peter.de.Vries@jet.uk

2008-06-15

The effect of a toroidal field (TF) ripple on the formation and performance of internal transport barriers (ITBs) has been studied in JET. It was found that the TF ripple had a profound effect on the toroidal plasma rotation. An increased TF ripple up to {delta} = 1% led to a lower rotation and reduced the rotational shear in the region where the ITBs were formed. ITB triggering events were observed in all cases and it is thought that the rotational shear may be less important for this process than, for example, the q-profile. However, the increase in the pressure gradient following the ITB trigger was reduced in discharges with a larger TF ripple and consequently a lower rotational shear. This suggests that toroidal rotation and its shear play a role in the growth of the ITB once it has been triggered.

Development of wireless communication system in real-time internal radiation dose measurement system using magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Fumihiro; Shinohe, Kohta; Takura, Tetsuya; Matsuki, Hidetoshi; Yamada, Syogo; Sato, Tadakuni

2009-01-01

In radiation therapy, excessive radiation occurs because the actual delivered dose to the tumor is unknown. To overcome this problem, we need a system in which the delivered dose is measured inside the body, and the dose data are transmitted from the inside to the outside of the body. In this study, a wireless communication system, using magnetic fields was studied, and an internal circuit for obtaining radiation dose data from an x-ray detector was examined. As a result, a communication distance of 200 mm was obtained. An internal circuit was developed, and a signal transmission experiment was performed using the wireless communication system. As a result, the radiation dose data from an x-ray detector was transmitted over a communication distance of 200 mm, and the delivered dose was determined from the received signal

Developing Routines in Large Inter-organisational Projects: A Case Study of an Infrastructure Megaproject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Therese Eriksson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available General management research has increasingly recognised the significance of routines in organisational performance. Among organisational tasks, megaprojects depend more on routines selected and created within the project than standard, small-scale projects do, owing largely to their size, duration, and uniqueness. Within this context, the present paper investigates how project routines were established and developed during the early design phase of an inter-organisational megaproject. A case study of a large public infrastructure project was conducted, in which data were collected during observations, semi-structured interviews, and project document studies over the course of three years. Results of analysis revealed that the client exerted the greatest impact on choice of routines and that the temporary nature of tasks limited efforts to fine-tune routines. Changes in routines were primarily reactive to new knowledge concerning project needs. The findings suggest that meta-routines to consciously review routines should be used to a greater extent and designed to capture supplier experiences as well.

Magnetic fields and uniformity of radio frequency power deposition in low-frequency inductively coupled plasmas with crossed internal oscillating currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsakadze, E.L.; Ostrikov, K.; Tsakadze, Z.L.; Vladimirov, S.V.; Xu, S.

2004-01-01

Radial and axial distributions of magnetic fields in a low-frequency (∼460 kHz) inductively coupled plasma source with two internal crossed planar rf current sheets are reported. The internal antenna configuration comprises two orthogonal sets of eight alternately reconnected parallel and equidistant copper litz wires in quartz enclosures and generates three magnetic (H z , H r , and H φ ) and two electric (E φ and E r ) field components at the fundamental frequency. The measurements have been performed in rarefied and dense plasmas generated in the electrostatic (E) and electromagnetic (H) discharge modes using two miniature magnetic probes. It is shown that the radial uniformity and depth of the rf power deposition can be improved as compared with conventional sources of inductively coupled plasmas with external flat spiral ('pancake') antennas. Relatively deeper rf power deposition in the plasma source results in more uniform profiles of the optical emission intensity, which indicates on the improvement of the plasma uniformity over large chamber volumes. The results of the numerical modeling of the radial magnetic field profiles are found in a reasonable agreement with the experimental data

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in Mid-Latitude Geomagnetic Field During International Quiet Days: BOH Magnetometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junga Hwang

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute researchers have installed and operated magnetometers at Bohyunsan Observatory to measure the Earth's magnetic field variations in South Korea. In 2007, we installed a fluxgate magnetometer (RFP-523C to measure H, D, and Z components of the geomagnetic field. In addition, in 2009, we installed a Overhauser proton sensor to measure the absolute total magnetic field F and a three-axis magneto-impedance sensor for spectrum analysis. Currently three types of magnetometer data have been accumulated. In this paper, we use the H, D, Z components of fluxgate magnetometer data to investigate the characteristics of mid-latitude geomagnetic field variation. To remove the temporary changes in Earth’s geomagnetic filed by space weather, we use the international quiet days’ data only. In other words, we performed a superposed epoch analysis using five days per each month during 2008-2011. We find that daily variations of H, D, and Z shows similar tendency compared to previous results using all days. That is, H, D, Z all three components’ quiet intervals terminate near the sunrise and shows maximum 2-3 hours after the culmination and the quiet interval start from near the sunset. Seasonal variations show similar dependences to the Sun. As it becomes hot season, the geomagnetic field variation’s amplitude becomes large and the quiet interval becomes shortened. It is well-known that these variations are effects of Sq current system in the Earth’s atmosphere. We confirm that the typical mid-latitude geomagnetic field variations due to the Sq current system by excluding all possible association with the space weather.

A Response to: Global Security, Religion and Education Development--A Crisis for the Field of Comparative and International Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Ozanne, Bill

2011-01-01

This paper presents the author's response to "Global security, religion and education development: a crisis for the field of comparative and international education?" Prof. Lynn Davies's introduction to the Forum is interesting and provocative, and the author advances his response in the spirit of dialogue by looking at Davies's arguments, the…

Identifying complications of interventional procedures from UK routine healthcare databases: a systematic search for methods using clinical codes.

Science.gov (United States)

Keltie, Kim; Cole, Helen; Arber, Mick; Patrick, Hannah; Powell, John; Campbell, Bruce; Sims, Andrew

2014-11-28

Several authors have developed and applied methods to routine data sets to identify the nature and rate of complications following interventional procedures. But, to date, there has been no systematic search for such methods. The objective of this article was to find, classify and appraise published methods, based on analysis of clinical codes, which used routine healthcare databases in a United Kingdom setting to identify complications resulting from interventional procedures. A literature search strategy was developed to identify published studies that referred, in the title or abstract, to the name or acronym of a known routine healthcare database and to complications from procedures or devices. The following data sources were searched in February and March 2013: Cochrane Methods Register, Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science, Econlit, EMBASE, Health Management Information Consortium, Health Technology Assessment database, MathSciNet, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in-process, OAIster, OpenGrey, Science Citation Index Expanded and ScienceDirect. Of the eligible papers, those which reported methods using clinical coding were classified and summarised in tabular form using the following headings: routine healthcare database; medical speciality; method for identifying complications; length of follow-up; method of recording comorbidity. The benefits and limitations of each approach were assessed. From 3688 papers identified from the literature search, 44 reported the use of clinical codes to identify complications, from which four distinct methods were identified: 1) searching the index admission for specified clinical codes, 2) searching a sequence of admissions for specified clinical codes, 3) searching for specified clinical codes for complications from procedures and devices within the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) coding scheme which is the methodology recommended by NHS Classification Service, and 4) conducting manual clinical

International relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2008-01-01

Concerning international relations, the different meetings in the field of nuclear safety are reported (Western european nuclear regulator association or Wenra, Nea, IAEA, northern dimension environmental partnership or N.D.E.P., nuclear safety and security group or N.S.S.G., international nuclear regulators association or I.N.R.A.). (N.C.)

Factors for Radical Creativity, Incremental Creativity, and Routine, Noncreative Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Madjar, Nora; Greenberg, Ellen; Chen, Zheng

2011-01-01

This study extends theory and research by differentiating between routine, noncreative performance and 2 distinct types of creativity: radical and incremental. We also use a sensemaking perspective to examine the interplay of social and personal factors that may influence a person's engagement in a certain level of creative action versus routine,…

See, Say, Write: A Writing Routine for the Preschool Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Copp, Stefanie B.; Cabell, Sonia Q.; Tortorelli, Laura S.

2016-01-01

See, Say, Write is an adaptable classroom writing routine that teachers can use across a range of activities in the preschool classroom. This preschool writing routine offers an opportunity for teachers to build on a shared experience through engagement in rich conversation and writing. After a shared experience, teachers will provide a visual…

Probability and statistics with integrated software routines

CERN Document Server

Deep, Ronald

2005-01-01

Probability & Statistics with Integrated Software Routines is a calculus-based treatment of probability concurrent with and integrated with statistics through interactive, tailored software applications designed to enhance the phenomena of probability and statistics. The software programs make the book unique.The book comes with a CD containing the interactive software leading to the Statistical Genie. The student can issue commands repeatedly while making parameter changes to observe the effects. Computer programming is an excellent skill for problem solvers, involving design, prototyping, data gathering, testing, redesign, validating, etc, all wrapped up in the scientific method.See also: CD to accompany Probability and Stats with Integrated Software Routines (0123694698)* Incorporates more than 1,000 engaging problems with answers* Includes more than 300 solved examples* Uses varied problem solving methods

Efficient linear algebra routines for symmetric matrices stored in packed form.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlrichs, Reinhart; Tsereteli, Kakha

2002-01-30

Quantum chemistry methods require various linear algebra routines for symmetric matrices, for example, diagonalization or Cholesky decomposition for positive matrices. We present a small set of these basic routines that are efficient and minimize memory requirements.

Reduction of the internal electric field in GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on the a-plane of SiC substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garro, N.; Cros, A.; Budagosky, J.A.; Cantarero, A. [Institut de Ciencia dels Materials, Universitat de Valencia, 46071 Valencia (Spain); Vinattieri, A.; Gurioli, M. [INFM, Dept. of Physics and LENS, Universita di Firenze, Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Founta, S.; Mariette, H.; Daudin, B. [CEA-CNRS Group ' ' Nanophysique et Semiconducteurs' ' , Departement de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matiere Condensee, CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble (France)

2005-11-01

We present a study of the emission of a multi-layer stack of self-assembled GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on the a-plane of 6H-SiC. We look for signatures of the internal electric field in the power dependence of the time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. The lack of a dynamical red-shift reveals that internal electric fields are significantly reduced in these dots. A band on the low energy side of the emission is observed whose intensity quenches fast when increasing the temperature. The polarization selection rules of the emission are examined in order to determine the physical nature of this band. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Is Routine Preoperative Chest X-ray Indicated in Elderly Patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: In our hospital pre-operative chest x-ray (CXR) are routinely requested without prior establishment of any medical indication for patients of 70 or more years of age who are undergoing elective surgery. The aim of this study was to determine if routine preoperative chest x-rays are justifiably indicated for elderly ...

Alanine/ESR dosimetry system for routine use in radiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojima, T.; Haruyama, Y.; Tachibana, H.; Tanaka, R.; Okamoto, J.; Hara, H.; Kashiwazaki, S.

1993-01-01

A new alanine-polystyrene(PS) dosimeter prepared with simplified molding procedure and an automatic desk-top dose-reader of alanine dosimeter were developed for the purpose of routine use. Combination of these two allows us to apply a reliable alanine/ESR dosimetry system to routine dosimetric process control in industrial gamma radiation processing. (Author)

Linking child travel routes and routine health data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Mizen

2017-04-01

Depending on modelled accuracy, a GIS and data linkage approach may allow the investigation of natural experiments and intervention evaluation at the scale of the total population. This is the first step towards anonymously modelling part of the daily exposure environment using routine data. A limitation is the lack of routinely collected BMI data for older children and teenagers an age when they are more likely to have the option to choose to buy food on the school route. This work will have many potential applications, including the delivery and evaluation of multiple school and workplace commuting interventions.

Models og International Entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rask, Morten; Servais, Per

2015-01-01

on International Entrepreneurship, and specifically but not exclusively, International New Ventures (INVs). The three resulting ‘meta-models’ depict the activities and loci of such firms, the motivating factors that give rise to such firms and their growth modalities and strategies. These models reflect the merger...... of entrepreneurship and international business into the field of international entrepreneurship....

Total internal reflection effect on gyrotropic interface

Science.gov (United States)

Glushchenko, Alexander G.; Glushchenko, Eugene P.; Zhukov, Sergey V.

2018-02-01

This article considers the physical features of total internal reflection at gyrotropic and isotropic interfaces for two cases: electrical gyrotropy (plasma) and magnetic gyrotropy (ferrite). It is shown that the plasma magnetization may lead to the formation of the total internal reflection effect, which does not occur in isotropic plasma. The threshold values of the magnetic field, which are necessary for the total internal reflection effect, are determined. The total internal reflection effect on a ferrite-dielectric interface for waves emanating from different angles is observed in various frequency ranges and magnetization fields. The study points out the possibility of changing the total internal reflection angle value in large limits due to a change in the external magnetic field magnitude. The calculation results of the total internal reflection angle dependence on the external magnetic field magnitude are presented. The formulas are elaborated for calculating the total internal reflection angles of different interfaces for gyrotropic and isotropic media. The generalized formulas are defined for calculating the Doppler effect in the gyrotropic media. The study demonstrates how the velocity of the media interface affects the limiting angle of total internal refection.

Breaking Out of the Local: International dimensions of science shops

OpenAIRE

DeBok, Caspar; Steinhaus, Norbert

2008-01-01

In this article we want to give an overview of the international dimension and the interest of the European Union (EU) in the concept of Science Shops. The European Commission (EC) manages the day-to-day business by initiating and implementing EU policies and spending EU funds. The EC support for Science Shops has been an important factor for the international interest and progress of the Science Shop movement. This article will not give detailed information about daily routines of a Science ...

The evolution of the small business and entrepreneurship field: A bibliometric investigation of articles published in the International Small Business Journal

OpenAIRE

Volery, Thierry; Mazzarol, Tim

2015-01-01

Abstract This article analyses the evolution of the small business management and entrepreneurship fields as reflected in articles published in its premier journal, the International Small Business Journal. It investigates the evolution of the fields through bibliometric examination of all 660 articles published between 1982 and 2012. While small business management has remained the main focus of the journal, there has been a significant growth in the number of articles focusing specif...

New trends in the field of nuclear standardization on national, European and international level with the background of the German 'Energiewende'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Janine

2014-01-01

Participation in standardization in the nuclear energy field in Germany is still very high, because the involved parties have recognized that standards in the context of the energy transition in Germany will remain very important. However, in the last few years, international standardization has been carried out without German participation. Existing international bodies are currently greatly influenced by the leadership of France, which is also reflected in the content of international standards. In addition, on French initiative, a European body (CEN/TC 430 'Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection') has been set up with the remit to replace all national standards in Europe with international standards. The present article summarizes this development and offers an overview for German experts on how they can respond to this trend. (orig.)

Internal trim coils for CBA superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, P.A.; Aronson, S.; Cottingham, J.G.; Garber, M.; Hahn, H.; Sampson, W.B.

1983-01-01

In order to correct iron saturation effects and shape the beam working line, superconducting trim coils have been constructed, which operate inside the main coils. Detailed studies of mechanical properties, quench behavior, fields produced, and hysteresis have lead to the production of accelerator-quality coils generating the required-strength harmonics up to cos (7theta). These are routinely installed in CBA main magnets and operate at 80% of short sample with negligible training in an ambient field of more than 5.3T

Microfoundations and the birth of a firm's identity: How entrepreneurs deal with routines to entrench their start-up in an ecosystem

OpenAIRE

Kokshagina , Olga; Hooge , Sophie; Canet , Emilie

2016-01-01

International audience; How to shape successful ventures; ensure that an entrepreneur’s journey will lead to create viable businesses over time? It is argued that organizations are built on habits and routines in place that are defined as dispositions to follow certain behavioral tendencies motivated by appropriate contexts and environments (Abell et al., 2007; Becker, 2012; Cohen, 2012; Nelson & Sidney, 1982). Prior work stressed that the individual identity, founders’ habits influence the e...

Laboratory and field based evaluation of chromatography ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA) is an on-line ion-chromatography-based instrument designed for speciation of the inorganic gas and aerosol ammonium-nitrate-sulfate system. Previous work to characterize the performance of the MARGA has been primarily based on field comparison to other measurement methods to evaluate accuracy. While such studies are useful, the underlying reasons for disagreement among methods are not always clear. This study examines aspects of MARGA accuracy and precision specifically related to automated chromatography analysis. Using laboratory standards, analytical accuracy, precision, and method detection limits derived from the MARGA chromatography software are compared to an alternative software package (Chromeleon, Thermo Scientific Dionex). Field measurements are used to further evaluate instrument performance, including the MARGA’s use of an internal LiBr standard to control accuracy. Using gas/aerosol ratios and aerosol neutralization state as a case study, the impact of chromatography on measurement error is assessed. The new generation of on-line chromatography-based gas and particle measurement systems have many advantages, including simultaneous analysis of multiple pollutants. The Monitor for Aerosols and Gases in Ambient Air (MARGA) is such an instrument that is used in North America, Europe, and Asia for atmospheric process studies as well as routine monitoring. While the instrument has been evaluat

GRALIB, DISSPLA Plot Routines Emulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunford, L.

1999-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: GRALIB is a library of graphics subroutines used by PLOTEF. 2 - Method of solution: The PLOTEF library contains routines to generate and manipulate data which are independent of the output graphics device. In order to produce output for a given graphics device - which interact with GRALIB using the DISSPLA conventions - a device driver must be written by the user for this device

Pulse processing routines for neutron time-of-flight data

CERN Document Server

Žugec, P; Guerrero, C; Gunsing, F; Vlachoudis, V; Sabate-Gilarte, M; Stamatopoulos, A; Wright, T; Lerendegui-Marco, J; Mingrone, F; Ryan, J A; Warren, S G; Tsinganis, A; Barbagallo, M

2016-01-01

A pulse shape analysis framework is described, which was developed for n_TOF-Phase3, the third phase in the operation of the n_TOF facility at CERN. The most notable feature of this new framework is the adoption of generic pulse shape analysis routines, characterized by a minimal number of explicit assumptions about the nature of pulses. The aim of these routines is to be applicable to a wide variety of detectors, thus facilitating the introduction of the new detectors or types of detectors into the analysis framework. The operational details of the routines are suited to the specific requirements of particular detectors by adjusting the set of external input parameters. Pulse recognition, baseline calculation and the pulse shape fitting procedure are described. Special emphasis is put on their computational efficiency, since the most basic implementations of these conceptually simple methods are often computationally inefficient.

Electric-field-induced internal deformation in piezoelectric BiB{sub 3}O{sub 6} crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, O.; Gorfman, S.; Pietsch, U. [Solid State Physics Department, University of Siegen (Germany)

2008-11-15

For the first time electric-field-induced atomic displacements (internal strains) in non-ferroelectric polar BiB{sub 3}O{sub 6} single crystal plates (point symmetry 2) were investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. The intensity variations of selected Bragg reflections were collected for three different orientations of the applied external electric field vector with respect to the crystal lattice and used for calculating the microscopic structural response of BiB{sub 3}O{sub 6}. Due to the limited number of the reflections providing measurable changes in Bragg intensities we restricted ourselves in analyzing the shift of the B{sub 3}O{sub 6} sublattice relative to the Bi one. In addition, we considered the deformation of the Bi-O, B(1)-O and B(2)-O bond lengths and identified the [B(2)O{sub 3}] group as the most sensitive structural unit to an external electric perturbation. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Use of dual-head gamma camera in radionuclide internal contamination monitoring on radiation workers from a nuclear medicine department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Laguna, A.; Brandan, M.E.

2008-01-01

As a part of an internal dosimetry program that is performed at the Mexican National Institute of Cancerology - Nuclear Medicine Department, in the present work we suggest a procedure for the routinely monitoring of internal contamination on radiation workers and nuclear medicine staff. The procedure is based on the identification and quantification of contaminating radionuclides in human body by using a dual-head whole-body gamma camera. The results have shown that the procedures described in this study can be used to implement a method to quantify minimal accumulated activity in the main human organs to evaluate internal contamination with radionuclides. The high sensitivity of the uncollimated gamma camera is advantageous for the routinely detection and identification of small activities of internal contamination. But, the null spatial resolution makes impossible the definition of contaminated region of interest. Then, the use of collimators is necessary to the quantification of incorporated radionuclides activities in the main human organs and for the internal doses assessment. (author)

The present status of international training and education in nuclear field held in Japan for Asian countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-11-01

This report summarizes the training and educational courses for Asian countries carried out in Japan by the related institutions. The 2nd Workshop on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field was held on 27 and 28 of November 2000, based on FNCA (Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia) organized by the Nuclear Energy Commission, and then the following day ''The Present Status of the International Training and Education in Japan for Asian Countries'' was reported for Asian participants on 29, November. This report is the Japanese edition of the handout distributed at the meeting. I believe it can be helpful for the related institutions in Japan to support the human resources development in the nuclear field efficiently and effectively in future. (author)

Taking medicine at home - create a routine

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000613.htm Taking medicine at home - create a routine To use the ... teeth. Find Ways to Help You Remember Your Medicines You can: Set the alarm on your clock, ...

Evaluation of internal dose of handlers of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for medical use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesar, R.B.P.; Mesquita, C.H. de

1987-01-01

The internal dose of workers from IPEN/CNEN-SP (Brazil) is evaluated according to models described by the ICPR-30 (International Comission on Radiological Protection). The workers, monitored by a whole-body counter, are divided into six groups: research and development, routine production, quality control, packaging, radiological protection and maintenance. The results of 970 counting, done in three years, are presented. (M.C.A.) [pt

Investigation of Factors Affecting Body Temperature Changes During Routine Clinical Head Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Myeong Seong

2016-01-01

Background Pulsed radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields, required to produce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals from tissue during the MRI procedure have been shown to heat tissues. Objectives To investigate the relationship between body temperature rise and the RF power deposited during routine clinical MRI procedures, and to determine the correlation between this effect and the body’s physiological response. Patients and Methods We investigated 69 patients from the Korean national cancer center to identify the main factors that contribute to an increase in body temperature (external factors and the body’s response) during a clinical brain MRI. A routine protocol sequence of MRI scans (1.5 T and 3.0 T) was performed. The patient’s tympanic temperature was recorded before and immediately after the MRI procedure and compared with changes in variables related to the body’s physiological response to heat. Results Our investigation of the physiological response to RF heating indicated a link between increasing age and body temperature. A higher increase in body temperature was observed in older patients after a 3.0-T MRI (r = 0.07, P = 0.29 for 1.5-T MRI; r = 0.45, P = 0.002 for 3.0-T MRI). The relationship between age and body heat was related to the heart rate (HR) and changes in HR during the MRI procedure; a higher RF power combined with a reduction in HR resulted in an increase in body temperature. Conclusion A higher magnetic field strength and a decrease in the HR resulted in an increase in body temperature during the MRI procedure. PMID:27895872

A method for simultaneous quantification of phospholipid species by routine ³¹P NMR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinkmann-Trettenes, Ulla; Stein, Paul C.; Klösgen, Beate Maria

2012-01-01

We report a 31P NMR assay for quantification of aqueous phospholipid samples. Using a capillary with trimethylphosphate as internal standard, the limit of quantification is 1.30mM. Comparison of the 31P NMR quantification method in aqueous buffer and in organic solvent revealed that the two methods...... are equal within experimental error. Changing the pH of the buffer enables peak separation for different phospholipid species. This is an advantage compared to the commercial enzyme assay based on phospholipase D and choline oxidase. The reported method, using routine 31P NMR equipment, is suitable when...... fast results of a limited number of samples are requested. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.....

[How do residents in urology evaluate their daily routine at work-a survey analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Necknig, U; Borowitz, R; Wöhr, M; Leyh, H; Weckermann, D

2018-05-28

The changing conditions in German hospitals is causing a shortage of young people. In order to identify starting point for improvements, the Bavarian association of urologists in collaboration with the German Society of Residents in Urology (GeSRU) conducted an online survey among residents in urology in summer of 2017. A standardised survey composed of 38 questions was distributed to participants through a mailing list of the GeSRU. Most questions were closed-ended; however, some did allow participants to respond by means of an open-ended answer. A total of 218 participants provided a total of 11,764 responses: 58% were female and 42% were male. Over 70% were aged between 31 and 35 years. In all, 29% of participants responded negatively to the question asking whether they feel like their medical studies at university prepared them well for the daily routine in their workplace. Participants particularly demanded a higher degree of practical experience during their studies, as well as more teaching of soft skills. In relation to choosing their specialisation, participants considered the intern year and their clinical traineeships as crucial factors. Participants did express appreciation of their field of specialization in relation to the broad range of available treatments, the opportunity of further specialising, the clientele of patients, the opportunity of working in a small team, innovations, and the high possibilities of opening their own medical practice. On a personal level, participants specifically wished for a more structured plan relating to their further internship, involving regular meetings. They also expressed the wish for more personalised career plans, more flexible work hours, and improved advanced training, both internally and externally. With the aim of making urology even more attractive, participants' wishes and suggestions should be taken into consideration. These, in general, involve a more structured training plan, better working

There be dragons: Canadian explorers in international fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Meara, D

1999-11-01

International hotspots of Canadian exploration and production companies are described. Examples of mid-sized Canadian companies competing successfully in many parts of the world are recounted. Being Canadian and having access to countries that Americans do not because of trade sanctions, allows Canadian companies to bring to these countries all the North American technology without the associated politics. Successes by Canadian Occidental Petroleum in Yemen, in Africa, the former Soviet Union and South America, or Alberta Energy Company International's recent commitment to explore in Azerbaijan with estimated reserves of 5.9 billion barrels of oil-equivalent, are only some of the examples where Canadian explorers have been very successful. Some of the problems faced by international operators such as scarcity of indigenous trained personnel, lack of infrastructure, unstable governments, and/or unfriendly government policies, tribal wars, unfavourable public reaction 'back home' to repressive regimes in parts of the world ( e.g. Talisman Energy in Sudan) are some of the dangers faced by companies venturing into the global arena, driven by dreams of untold riches, but also by the prospects of diminishing reserves on home turf.

There be dragons: Canadian explorers in international fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Meara, D.

1999-11-01

International hotspots of Canadian exploration and production companies are described. Examples of mid-sized Canadian companies competing successfully in many parts of the world are recounted. Being Canadian and having access to countries that Americans do not because of trade sanctions, allows Canadian companies to bring to these countries all the North American technology without the associated politics. Successes by Canadian Occidental Petroleum in Yemen, in Africa, the former Soviet Union and South America, or Alberta Energy Company International's recent commitment to explore in Azerbaijan with estimated reserves of 5.9 billion barrels of oil-equivalent, are only some of the examples where Canadian explorers have been very successful. Some of the problems faced by international operators such as scarcity of indigenous trained personnel, lack of infrastructure, unstable governments, and/or unfriendly government policies, tribal wars, unfavourable public reaction 'back home' to repressive regimes in parts of the world ( e.g. Talisman Energy in Sudan) are some of the dangers faced by companies venturing into the global arena, driven by dreams of untold riches, but also by the prospects of diminishing reserves on home turf.

Manual on internal dose computation and reporting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawant, Pramilla D.; Sawant, Jyoti V.; Gurg, R.P.; Rudran, Kamala; Gupta, V.K.; Abani, M.C.

1999-05-01

Whole body counting and bioassay measurement are carried out for estimation of radioactivity content in the whole body or in a particular organ/tissue of interest. These measurements are routinely carried out for occupational workers at nuclear power plants, reprocessing plants, radiochemical laboratories, radioisotope laboratories and radioactive waste management facilities to evaluate individual internal dose due to 3 H, 60 Co, 90 Sr, 137 Cs, transuranics and other isotopes of interest. This manual is prepared to provide guidelines for computation of intake, committed equivalent dose and committed effective dose from direct measurement of tissue and/or body content of radioactivity for 60 Co, 131 I, and 137 Cs employing in-vivo monitoring procedures and/or bioassay measurements only. Bioassay measurements are used for determination of 90 Sr in the body since it is a pure beta emitter. This manual can be used as a ready reckoner for assessment of radiation dose due to internal contamination of occupational workers as estimated using above techniques in the middle and back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle operations. The methodology used in computation of dose is based on the principles and biokinetic models given by ICRP. Recording level recommended in the manual is 0.6 mSv for both, routine as well as special monitoring, which is lower than 1 mSv recommended by ICRP (ICRP-75, 1997) for individual routine monitoring and 0.66 mSv for special monitoring. The Annual Limit on Intake is taken equivalent to Annual Effective Dose Limit of 20 mSv as prescribed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), India. (author)

Modification of the internal electric field by biasing of the divertor plates in the Tokamak de Varennes (TdeV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafrance, D.; Huang, R.; Stansfield, B.L.; Haddad, E.; Lachambre, J.

1997-01-01

The radial electric field inside the separatrix has been deduced from spectroscopic measurements of impurities on TdeV (Tokamak de Varennes), using the reduced radial momentum balance and two neoclassical models [R. D. Hazeltine, Phys. Fluids 17, 961 (1974) and Y. B. Kim, P. H. Diamond, and R. J. Groebner, Phys. Fluids B 3, 2050 (1991)]. The results from all three models are in fair agreement. Furthermore, the electric field has been deduced using the same models both with and without biasing the divertor plates relative to the machine wall, showing an inward propagation of the effect of the biasing created in the scrape-off layer (SOL). Undeniably, the electric field has been modified well inside the separatrix (0.6 approx-lt r/a approx-lt 0.9), revealing the possibility of modifying the internal electric field by external means. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Design considerations for ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor] toroidal field coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalsi, S.S.; Lousteau, D.C.; Miller, J.R.

1987-01-01

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a new tokamak design project with joint participation from Europe, Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and the United States. This paper describes a magnetic and mechanical design methodology for toroidal field (TF) coils that employs Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductor technology. Coil winding is sized by using conductor concepts developed for the US TIBER concept. The nuclear heating generated during operation is removed from the windings by helium flowing through the conductor. The heat in the coil case is removed through a separate cooling circuit operating at approximately 20 K. Manifold concepts are presented for the complete coil cooling system. Also included are concepts for the coil structural arrangement. The effects of in-plane and out-of-plane loads are included in the design considerations for the windings and case. Concepts are presented for reacting these loads with a minimum amount of additional structural material. Concepts discussed in this paper could be considered for the ITER TF coils. 6 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

International research co-operation in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This 26th report by the Swiss Federal Office for Education and Science presents a review of work done in Swiss institutes in 2003 as part of international research into thermonuclear fusion. A broad outline of the project and of its significance within the wider field of thermonuclear fusion research is given. This is followed by a review of the significant events in the world of fusion research, with emphasis placed on ITER and on the EURATOM fusion programme. A further chapter summarises events in Switzerland in 2003 and the report closes with a list of contacts for more information. Three annexes provide information on the current situation in fusion research, as well as scientific and technical highlights of the work performed in 2003 at the Plasma Physics Research Centre CRPP at the Federal Institute of Technology EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. Annex 3 reports on results obtained at the Physics Institute of the University of Basle. The annexes are for the benefit of the technically and scientifically versed reader, and brief summaries of them are given in the main body of the report

Symptoms and Cognitive Effects of Exposure to Magnetic Stray Fields of MRI Scanners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vocht, Frank Gérard de

2006-01-01

People working routinely with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems report a number of symptoms related to their presence in the inhomogeneous static magnetic fields (the stray field) surrounding these scanners. Experienced symptoms and neurobehavioral performance among engineers manufacturing

Internal dosimetry from IPEN workers involved in the medical radioisotopes production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesar, R.B.P.; Mesquita, C.H. de

1988-01-01

The internal dose from IPEN workers involved in the medical radioisotopes products is related. In the workers population, six groups were classified: development and research, routine production, quality control, package, radioprotection supervision and maintenance. The internal doses were calculated according to the methodology described by the ICRP-30, using resuls from a whole-body counter. The results described were obtained from 970 whole-body radioactivity measurements during the last three years (1985 a 1987). (author) [pt

Models of international entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rask, Morten; Servais, Per

2012-01-01

on International Entrepreneurship, and specifically but not exclusively, International New Ventures (INVs). The three resulting ‘meta-models’ depict the activities and loci of such firms (Figure 1), the motivating factors that give rise to such firms (Figure 2) and their growth modalities and strategies (Figure 3......). These models reflect the merger of entrepreneurship and international business into the field of international entrepreneurship. Managers in international entrepreneurial firms and students in international business and entrepreneurship can use the models as framework for understanding international...... entrepreneurship....

The International Coal Statistics Data Base program maintenance guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-06-01

The International Coal Statistics Data Base (ICSD) is a microcomputer-based system which contains information related to international coal trade. This includes coal production, consumption, imports and exports information. The ICSD is a secondary data base, meaning that information contained therein is derived entirely from other primary sources. It uses dBase III+ and Lotus 1-2-3 to locate, report and display data. The system is used for analysis in preparing the Annual Prospects for World Coal Trade (DOE/EIA-0363) publication. The ICSD system is menu driven and also permits the user who is familiar with dBase and Lotus operations to leave the menu structure to perform independent queries. Documentation for the ICSD consists of three manuals -- the User's Guide, the Operations Manual, and the Program Maintenance Manual. This Program Maintenance Manual provides the information necessary to maintain and update the ICSD system. Two major types of program maintenance documentation are presented in this manual. The first is the source code for the dBase III+ routines and related non-dBase programs used in operating the ICSD. The second is listings of the major component database field structures. A third important consideration for dBase programming, the structure of index files, is presented in the listing of source code for the index maintenance program. 1 fig

The Emergence of Routines: Entrepreneurship, Organization, and Business History

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lubinski, Christina

2018-01-01

Book review of: The Emergence of Routines: Entrepreneurship, Organization, and Business History. Edited by Daniel M. G. Raff and Philip Scranton. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. xii + 358 pp. Figures, notes, index. Cloth, $90.00. ISBN: 978-0-19-878776-1.......Book review of: The Emergence of Routines: Entrepreneurship, Organization, and Business History. Edited by Daniel M. G. Raff and Philip Scranton. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. xii + 358 pp. Figures, notes, index. Cloth, $90.00. ISBN: 978-0-19-878776-1....

Sequencing-based breast cancer diagnostics as an alternative to routine biomarkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rantalainen, Mattias; Klevebring, Daniel; Lindberg, Johan; Ivansson, Emma; Rosin, Gustaf; Kis, Lorand; Celebioglu, Fuat; Fredriksson, Irma; Czene, Kamila; Frisell, Jan; Hartman, Johan; Bergh, Jonas; Grönberg, Henrik

2016-11-30

Sequencing-based breast cancer diagnostics have the potential to replace routine biomarkers and provide molecular characterization that enable personalized precision medicine. Here we investigate the concordance between sequencing-based and routine diagnostic biomarkers and to what extent tumor sequencing contributes clinically actionable information. We applied DNA- and RNA-sequencing to characterize tumors from 307 breast cancer patients with replication in up to 739 patients. We developed models to predict status of routine biomarkers (ER, HER2,Ki-67, histological grade) from sequencing data. Non-routine biomarkers, including mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and ERBB2(HER2), and additional clinically actionable somatic alterations were also investigated. Concordance with routine diagnostic biomarkers was high for ER status (AUC = 0.95;AUC(replication) = 0.97) and HER2 status (AUC = 0.97;AUC(replication) = 0.92). The transcriptomic grade model enabled classification of histological grade 1 and histological grade 3 tumors with high accuracy (AUC = 0.98;AUC(replication) = 0.94). Clinically actionable mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and ERBB2(HER2) were detected in 5.5% of patients, while 53% had genomic alterations matching ongoing or concluded breast cancer studies. Sequencing-based molecular profiling can be applied as an alternative to histopathology to determine ER and HER2 status, in addition to providing improved tumor grading and clinically actionable mutations and molecular subtypes. Our results suggest that sequencing-based breast cancer diagnostics in a near future can replace routine biomarkers.

The effect of internal and external fields of view on visually induced motion sickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Bos, Jelte E; de Vries, Sjoerd C; van Emmerik, Martijn L; Groen, Eric L

2010-07-01

Field of view (FOV) is said to affect visually induced motion sickness. FOV, however, is characterized by an internal setting used by the graphics generator (iFOV) and an external factor determined by screen size and viewing distance (eFOV). We hypothesized that especially the incongruence between iFOV and eFOV would lead to sickness. To that end we used a computer game environment with different iFOV and eFOV settings, and found the opposite effect. We speculate that the relative large differences between iFOV and eFOV used in this experiment caused the discrepancy, as may be explained by assuming an observer model controlling body motion. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Routine viral load monitoring in HIV-infected infants and children in low- and middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Arpadi, Stephen M; Shiau, Stephanie; De Gusmao, Eduarda Pimentel; Violari, Avy

2017-11-01

The objective of this commentary is to review considerations for implementing routine viral load (VL) monitoring programmes for HIV-infected infants and children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Since 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend VL testing as the preferred monitoring approach for all individuals treated with ART in order to assess treatment response, detect treatment failure and determine the need to switch to a second-line regimen in a timely manner. More recently, WHO guidelines from 2016 identify HIV-infected infants and children as a priority group for routine VL monitoring. There are a number of reasons why HIV-infected infants and children should be prioritized for routine VL monitoring. Data from national VL monitoring programmes as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses from LMIC indicate rates of viral suppression are lower for infants and children compared to adults. The number of antiretroviral drugs and palatable formulations suitable for young children are limited. In addition, emotional and developmental issues particular to children can make daily medication administration difficult and pose a challenge to adherence and achievement of sustained viral suppression. VL monitoring can be instrumental for identifying those in need of additional adherence support, reducing regimen switches and preserving treatment options. The needs of infants and children warrant consideration in all aspects of VL monitoring services. If capacity for paediatric venipuncture is not assured, platforms that accept dried blood spot specimens are necessary in order for infants and children to have equitable access. Healthcare systems also need to prepare to manage the substantial number of infants and children identified with elevated VL, including adherence interventions that are appropriate for children. Establishing robust systems to evaluate processes and outcomes of routine VL monitoring services and to support

Personality disorders in heart failure patients requiring psychiatric management: comorbidity detections from a routine depression and anxiety screening protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Tully, Phillip J; Selkow, Terina

2014-12-30

Several international guidelines recommend routine depression screening in cardiac disease populations. No previous study has determined the prevalence and comorbidities of personality disorders in patients presenting for psychiatric treatment after these screening initiatives. In the first stage 404 heart failure (HF) patients were routinely screened and 73 underwent structured interview when either of the following criteria were met: (a) Patient Health Questionnaire ≥10; (b) Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire ≥7); (c) Response to one item panic-screener. Or (d) Suicidality. Patients with personality disorders were compared to the positive-screen patients on psychiatric comorbidities. The most common personality disorders were avoidant (8.2%), borderline (6.8%) and obsessive compulsive (4.1%), other personality disorders were prevalent in less than patients. Personality disorder patients had significantly greater risk of major depression (risk ratio (RR) 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-13.3), generalized anxiety disorder (RR 3.2; 95% CI 1.0-10.0), social phobia (RR 3.8; 95% CI 1.3-11.5) and alcohol abuse/dependence (RR 3.2; 95% 1.0-9.5). The findings that HF patients with personality disorders presented with complex psychiatric comorbidity suggest that pathways facilitating the integration of psychiatric services into cardiology settings are warranted when routine depression screening is in place. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contextualising renal patient routines: Everyday space-time contexts, health service access, and wellbeing.

Science.gov (United States)

McQuoid, Julia; Jowsey, Tanisha; Talaulikar, Girish

2017-06-01

Stable routines are key to successful illness self-management for the growing number of people living with chronic illness around the world. Yet, the influence of chronically ill individuals' everyday contexts in supporting routines is poorly understood. This paper takes a space-time geographical approach to explore the everyday space-time contexts and routines of individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We ask: what is the relationship between renal patients' space-time contexts and their ability to establish and maintain stable routines, and, what role does health service access play in this regard? We draw from a qualitative case study of 26 individuals with CKD in Australia. Data comprised self-reported two day participant diaries and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was guided by an inductive-deductive approach. We examined the embeddedness of routines within the space-time contexts of participants' everyday lives. We found that participants' everyday space-time contexts were highly complex, especially for those receiving dialysis and/or employed, making routines difficult to establish and vulnerable to disruption. Health service access helped shape participants' everyday space-time contexts, meaning that incidences of unpredictability in accessing health services set-off 'ripple effects' within participants' space-time contexts, disrupting routines and making everyday life negotiation more difficult. The ability to absorb ripple effects from unpredictable health services without disrupting routines varied by space-time context. Implications of these findings for the deployment of the concept of routine in health research, the framing of patient success in self-managing illness, and health services design are discussed. In conclusion, efforts to understand and support individuals in establishing and maintaining routines that support health and wellbeing can benefit from approaches that contextualise and de

[Routine oral examinations and specific after-care for removable partial dentures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baat, C. de; Witter, D.J.; Keltjens, H.M.A.M.; Creugers, N.H.J.

2011-01-01

Following treatment with a removable partial denture, routine oral examinations are required to stabilize the existing condition in a sustainable way and to make possible the timely treatment of anomalies which have appeared. In cases of problems assessed during a routine oral examination in

Evidence for Acute Electrophysiological and Cognitive Changes Following Routine Soccer Heading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas G. Di Virgilio

2016-11-01

Discussion: Sub-concussive head impacts routine in soccer heading are associated with immediate, measurable electrophysiological and cognitive impairments. Although these changes in brain function were transient, these effects may signal direct consequences of routine soccer heading on (long-term brain health which requires further study.

Adaptation to the International Business Environment: A Resource Advantage Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Portugal Ferreira

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the importance of the adaptation of the firm to the International Business Environment. Using concepts from the literature on resource advantage, we posit that the firms' adaptation capability to different International Business Environments is a valuable, difficult to imitate, non-tradeable, rare butnot scarce and path dependent resource. We further suggest that adaptation to International Business Environment is a non-substitutable core source of competitive advantage for the multinational enterprises, developed over time through the firms experiences and built into their routines. In line with this argument, some propositions are formulated. We conclude with a broad discussion and suggesting some avenues for future research\\.

Factors influencing selection of internal medicine residency--a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereg, David; Gronich, Naomi; Lishner, Michael

2006-08-01

Recently, the popularity of internal medicine residency has been decreasing. We studied the effect of an improved working environment and a decrease in residents' workload on the selection of internal medicine residency. An organizational diagnosis team joined our department and identified several causes for residents' heavy workload. These findings were subsequently discussed in a workshop and led to a modification of the daily routine and a parallel decrease in workload and rise in residents' satisfaction. Following these changes, the demand for residency in our department rose. We conclude that an improvement in the working environment and workload during residency increases the residents' satisfaction and the demand for residency in internal medicine.

Clinician’s Attitudes to the Introduction of Routine Weighing in Pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Hasted

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Excessive gestational weight gain poses significant short- and long-term health risks to both mother and baby. Professional bodies and health services increasingly recommend greater attention be paid to weight gain in pregnancy. A large Australian tertiary maternity hospital plans to facilitate the (reintroduction of routine weighing of all women at every antenatal visit. Objective. To identify clinicians’ perspectives of barriers and enablers to routinely weighing pregnant women and variations in current practice, knowledge, and attitudes between different staff groups. Method. Forty-four maternity staff from three professional groups were interviewed in four focus groups. Staff included midwives; medical staff; and dietitians. Transcripts underwent qualitative content analysis to identify and examine barriers and enablers to the routine weighing of women throughout pregnancy. Results. While most staff supported routine weighing, various concerns were raised. Issues included access to resources and staff; the ability to provide appropriate counselling and evidence-based interventions; and the impact of weighing on patients and the therapeutic relationship. Conclusion. Many clinicians supported the practice of routine weighing in pregnancy, but barriers were also identified. Implementation strategies will be tailored to the discrete professional groups and will address identified gaps in knowledge, resources, and clinician skills and confidence.

Explaining the judicial independence of international courts: a comparative analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beach, Derek

What factors allow some international courts (ICs) to rule against the express preferences of powerful member states, whereas others routinely defer to governments? While judicial independence is not the only factor explaining the strength of a given international institution, it is a necessary...... condition. The paper first develops three sets of competing explanatory variables that potentially can explain variations in the judicial independence of ICs. The causal effects of these explanatory variables upon variance in judicial independence are investigated in a comparative analysis of the ACJ, ECJ...

Numerical analysis of the internal flow field in screw centrifugal blood pump based on CFD

Science.gov (United States)

Han, W.; Han, B. X.; Y Wang, H.; Shen, Z. J.

2013-12-01

As to the impeller blood pump, the high speed of the impeller, the local high shear force of the flow field and the flow dead region are the main reasons for blood damage. The screw centrifugal pump can effectively alleviate the problems of the high speed and the high shear stress for the impeller. The softness and non-destructiveness during the transfer process can effectively reduce the extent of the damage. By using CFD software, the characteristics of internal flow are analyzed in the screw centrifugal pump by exploring the distribution rules of the velocity, pressure and shear deformation rate of the blood when it flows through the impeller and the destructive effects of spiral blades on blood. The results show that: the design of magnetic levitation solves the sealing problems; the design of regurgitation holes solves the problem of the flow dead zone; the magnetic levitated microcirculation screw centrifugal pump can effectively avoid the vortex, turbulence and high shear forces generated while the blood is flowing through the pump. Since the distribution rules in the velocity field, pressure field and shear deformation rate of the blood in the blood pump are comparatively uniform and the gradient change is comparatively small, the blood damage is effectively reduced.

Infectious Diseases and Immunizations in International Adoption.

Science.gov (United States)

Obringer, Emily; Walsh, Linda

2017-02-01

Children who are adopted internationally have an increased risk of infectious diseases due to endemic conditions and variable access to preventive health care, such as vaccines, in their country of origin. Pediatricians and other providers who care for children should be familiar with the recommended screening for newly arrived international adoptees. Testing for gastrointestinal pathogens, tuberculosis, hepatitis, syphilis, and HIV should be routinely performed. Other endemic diseases and common skin infections may need to be assessed. Evaluation of the child's immunization record is also important, as nearly all international adoptees will require catch-up vaccines. The provider may also be asked to review medical records prior to adoption, provide travel advice, and ensure that parents and other close contacts are up-to-date on immunizations prior to the arrival of the newest family member. The pediatrician serves a unique role in facilitating the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in international adoptees. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(2):e56-e60.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Routine medicare and radiation exposure. Introductory remarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirata, Hideki; Saito, Tsutomu

2013-01-01

As an introduction of the title series, outlines of radiation in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biological effect and protection are explained from the clinical doctors' aspect of routine medicare, and of radiation exposure in which people's interest is raised after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident in 2011. For physics, ionizing effects of radiation are described in relation to its quantum energy transfer and its medical utilization like imaging and radiotherapy. Then mentioned in brief is the radiation from elements consisting of human body, cosmic ray and background radiation from the earth, with reference to natural and standardized limits of exposure doses. Radiations from 226 Rn and 40 K are explained as an instance of environmental natural sources together with the concepts of radioactive decay series/scheme, of internal exposure, of hazard like double strand break (DSB) and of medical use such as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). For an artifact radiation source, shown are fission products of 235 U by neutron, first yielded in 1945. Evidence of evolution in biochemical repair mechanisms of DSB is explained with a comparison of irradiated drosophila mutation where linear non-threshold (LNT) hypothesis is proposed, and human non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination. Historical process of occupational, medical, public exposures and their protection is finally described from the discovery of X-ray in 1895 to the first ICRP publication in 1958 via the A-bomb explosion in 1945. (T.T.)

Sensitivity of the near-surface vertical electric field land Controlled-Source Electromagnetic monitoring

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaller, A.M.; Hunziker, J.W.; Streich, R.; Drijkoningen, G.G.

2014-01-01

We investigate potential benefits of measuring the vertical electric field component in addition to the routinely measured horizontal electric field components in onshore time-lapse controlled-source electromagnetics. Synthetic electromagnetic data based on a model of the Schoonebeek onshore oil

The precautionary principle in international environmental law and international jurisprudence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tubić Bojan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analysis international regulation of the precautionary principle as one of environmental principles. This principle envisages that when there are threats of serious and irreparable harm, as a consequence of certain economic activity, the lack of scientific evidence and full certainty cannot be used as a reason for postponing efficient measures for preventing environmental harm. From economic point of view, the application of precautionary principle is problematic, because it creates larger responsibility for those who create possible risks, comparing to the previous period. The precautionary principle can be found in numerous international treaties in this field, which regulate it in a very similar manner. There is no consensus in doctrine whether this principle has reached the level of international customary law, because it was interpreted differently and it was not accepted by large number of countries in their national legislations. It represents a developing concept which is consisted of changing positions on adequate roles of science, economy, politics and law in the field of environmental protection. This principle has been discussed in several cases before International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

The international power market: Creating a level playing field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, J.B.

1993-01-01

This presentation examines current foreign government practices in international trade and the impact of these practices on US companies competitiveness in foreign energy related markets. The topics of the presentation include a statement of the problem, comparative government practices, industry trends, making the US more competitive in the international arena, and the role of USAID. The published presentation consists of the outline and slides used in the presentation

Benchmarking routine psychological services: a discussion of challenges and methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgadillo, Jaime; McMillan, Dean; Leach, Chris; Lucock, Mike; Gilbody, Simon; Wood, Nick

2014-01-01

Policy developments in recent years have led to important changes in the level of access to evidence-based psychological treatments. Several methods have been used to investigate the effectiveness of these treatments in routine care, with different approaches to outcome definition and data analysis. To present a review of challenges and methods for the evaluation of evidence-based treatments delivered in routine mental healthcare. This is followed by a case example of a benchmarking method applied in primary care. High, average and poor performance benchmarks were calculated through a meta-analysis of published data from services working under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme in England. Pre-post treatment effect sizes (ES) and confidence intervals were estimated to illustrate a benchmarking method enabling services to evaluate routine clinical outcomes. High, average and poor performance ES for routine IAPT services were estimated to be 0.91, 0.73 and 0.46 for depression (using PHQ-9) and 1.02, 0.78 and 0.52 for anxiety (using GAD-7). Data from one specific IAPT service exemplify how to evaluate and contextualize routine clinical performance against these benchmarks. The main contribution of this report is to summarize key recommendations for the selection of an adequate set of psychometric measures, the operational definition of outcomes, and the statistical evaluation of clinical performance. A benchmarking method is also presented, which may enable a robust evaluation of clinical performance against national benchmarks. Some limitations concerned significant heterogeneity among data sources, and wide variations in ES and data completeness.

Gastric Reflux on Routine Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary Scintigraphy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kang Wook; Lee, Heon Young [Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-06-15

Reflux of bile and digestive enzymes from the small bowel and duodenum into stomach has been observed in patients with various gastroduodenal diseases. Tc-99m iminodiacetic acid derivatives hepatobiliary scan has been used as a noninvasive method to detect duodenogastric reflux. Sometimes, gastric reflux can be observed incidentally on routine Tc-99m DISA hepatobiliary scintigraphy. To evaluate the clinical meaning of gastric reflux on routine Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scan, we analyzed 36 patients showed gastric reflux incidentally on the routine Tc-99m-DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy from December 1991 to June 1995 in Chungnam National University Hospital. The results were as follows: 1) The gastric reflux was observed in 2.3% of 1,553 cases of routine Tc-99m DISIDA Hepatobiliary scintigraphy for 43 months. 2) Nineteen percent of patients with gastric reflux had the past medical history of operations on stomach or biliary system. And that history was more prevalent in patients with reflux than those without reflux, significantly (p<0.01). 3) On fiberoptic gastroduodenpscopic examination, 87% of the patients with gastric reflux had the gastroduodenal diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, duodenal cancer and ampullary diverticulosis. We thought that the gastric reflux can be observed considerably in patients without any operation history on stomach or duodenum, although the operation history is more prevalent in patients with gastric reflux than those without reflux, significantly and most of patients with gastric reflux on routine Tc-99m DISIDA scan has various gastroduodenal diseases.

Gastric Reflux on Routine Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary Scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kang Wook; Lee, Heon Young

1995-01-01

Reflux of bile and digestive enzymes from the small bowel and duodenum into stomach has been observed in patients with various gastroduodenal diseases. Tc-99m iminodiacetic acid derivatives hepatobiliary scan has been used as a noninvasive method to detect duodenogastric reflux. Sometimes, gastric reflux can be observed incidentally on routine Tc-99m DISA hepatobiliary scintigraphy. To evaluate the clinical meaning of gastric reflux on routine Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scan, we analyzed 36 patients showed gastric reflux incidentally on the routine Tc-99m-DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy from December 1991 to June 1995 in Chungnam National University Hospital. The results were as follows: 1) The gastric reflux was observed in 2.3% of 1,553 cases of routine Tc-99m DISIDA Hepatobiliary scintigraphy for 43 months. 2) Nineteen percent of patients with gastric reflux had the past medical history of operations on stomach or biliary system. And that history was more prevalent in patients with reflux than those without reflux, significantly (p<0.01). 3) On fiberoptic gastroduodenpscopic examination, 87% of the patients with gastric reflux had the gastroduodenal diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, duodenal cancer and ampullary diverticulosis. We thought that the gastric reflux can be observed considerably in patients without any operation history on stomach or duodenum, although the operation history is more prevalent in patients with gastric reflux than those without reflux, significantly and most of patients with gastric reflux on routine Tc-99m DISIDA scan has various gastroduodenal diseases.

Eigenvalue routines in NASTRAN: A comparison with the Block Lanczos method

Science.gov (United States)

Tischler, V. A.; Venkayya, Vipperla B.

1993-01-01

The NASA STRuctural ANalysis (NASTRAN) program is one of the most extensively used engineering applications software in the world. It contains a wealth of matrix operations and numerical solution techniques, and they were used to construct efficient eigenvalue routines. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current eigenvalue routines in NASTRAN and to make efficiency comparisons with a more recent implementation of the Block Lanczos algorithm by Boeing Computer Services (BCS). This eigenvalue routine is now available in the BCS mathematics library as well as in several commercial versions of NASTRAN. In addition, CRAY maintains a modified version of this routine on their network. Several example problems, with a varying number of degrees of freedom, were selected primarily for efficiency bench-marking. Accuracy is not an issue, because they all gave comparable results. The Block Lanczos algorithm was found to be extremely efficient, in particular, for very large size problems.

Equipment recommendations for uniform work places for routine stomatological radiodiagnosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rother, U [Rostock Univ. (German Democratic Republic). Radiologische Klinik; Taschner, P [Staatliches Amt fuer Atomsicherheit und Strahlenschutz, Berlin (German Democratic Republic); Wiltschke, F; Tonne, E; Kuehling, U; Nenning, K

1977-03-01

Corresponding to the different objectives, the Working Group on Radiology of the Stomatological Society has designed 6 standardized work places for routine radiodiagnosis in stomatology. Apart from the objectives, the problems related to the division of rooms, equipment, radioprotection and film processing are dealt with separately and specifically. The work places for routine stomatological radiodiagnosis are intended for achieving an improvement in a sector of stomatological care.

Water droplets' internal fluidity during horizontal motion on a superhydrophobic surface with an external electric field.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Munetoshi; Kono, Hiroki; Nakajima, Akira; Sakai, Hideki; Abe, Masahiko; Fujishima, Akira

2010-02-02

On a superhydrophobic surface, the internal fluidity of water droplets with different volumes (15, 30 microL) and their horizontal motion in an external electric field were evaluated using particle image velocimetry (PIV). For driving of water droplets on a superhydrophobic coating between parallel electrodes, it was important to place them at appropriate positions. Droplets moved with slipping. Small droplets showed deformation that is more remarkable. Results show that the dielectrophoretic force induced the initial droplet motion and that the surface potential gradient drove the droplets after reaching the middle point between electrodes.

Gauge invariance and canonical quantization applied in the study of internal structure of gauge field systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fan; Chen Xiangsong; Lue Xiaofu; Sun Weiming; Goldman, T.

2010-01-01

It is unavoidable to deal with the quark and gluon momentum and angular momentum contributions to the nucleon momentum and spin in the study of nucleon internal structure. However, we never have the quark and gluon momentum, orbital angular momentum and gluon spin operators which satisfy both the gauge invariance and the canonical momentum and angular momentum commutation relations. The conflicts between the gauge invariance and canonical quantization requirement of these operators are discussed. A new set of quark and gluon momentum, orbital angular momentum and spin operators, which satisfy both the gauge invariance and canonical momentum and angular momentum commutation relations, are proposed. The key point to achieve such a proper decomposition is to separate the gauge field into the pure gauge and the gauge covariant parts. The same conflicts also exist in QED and quantum mechanics and have been solved in the same manner. The impacts of this new decomposition to the nucleon internal structure are discussed.

Optimising investment performance through international diversification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Swart

2014-01-01

Full Text Available International portfolio diversification is often advocated as a way of enhancing portfolio performance particularly through the reduction of portfolio risk. Portfolio managers in Europe have for decades routinely invested a substantial portion of their portfolios in securities that were issued in other countries. During the last decade US investors have held a significant amount of foreign securities with over a trillion dollars invested in foreign assets by 1994. South African institutions have been allowed some freedom to diversify internationally since mid 1995 and individual investors since July 1997. In this paper the potential diversification benefits for South African investors are considered. The stability over time of the correlation structure is investigated and simple ex-ante investment strategies are formulated and evaluated.

Implementation of internal monitoring programs for workers occupationally exposed by 131I in nuclear medicine services in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, S.M.; Dantas, A.L.A.; Dantas, B.M.

2017-01-01

In nuclear medicine services (NMS), workers routinely handle radionuclides for diagnostic and therapy. This practice represents a risk of incorporation by these radionuclides. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends the implementation of an internal monitoring program on workers exposed to annual effective doses greater than 1 mSv, as for example, those who handle 131 I for therapy in NMS. Currently, in Brazil, there are not enough available laboratories qualified to provide internal monitoring services to attend all possible demand of internal monitoring if it such regulation were applied by the Brazilian Nuclear Regulatory Board (CNEN). The objective of this work is to disseminate simple and inexpensive methods for in vivo routine thyroid monitoring of 131 I using equipment available in the NMS. Devices available in two public hospitals located in the city of Rio de Janeiro were calibrated for use in occupational internal monitoring. The equipment evaluated in this work presented enough sensitivity for such application, being suitable to access intakes of 131 I in the thyroid and able to estimate doses below 1 mSv. (author)

Routine Design for Mechanical Engineering

OpenAIRE

Brinkop, Axel; Laudwein, Norbert; Maasen, Rudiger

1995-01-01

COMIX (configuration of mixing machines) is a system that assists members of the EKATO Sales Department in designing a mixing machine that fulfills the requirements of a customer. It is used to help the engineer design the requested machine and prepare an offer that's to be submitted to the customer. comix integrates more traditional software techniques with explicit knowledge representation and constraint propagation. During the process of routine design, some design decisions have to be mad...

Early detection of children at risk for antisocial behaviour using data from routine preventive child healthcare

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Youth antisocial behaviour is highly prevalent. Young people are usually not willing to disclose such behaviour to professionals and parents. Our aim was to assess whether child health professionals (CHP) working in preventive child healthcare could identify pre-adolescents at risk for antisocial behaviour through using data that they obtain in routine practice. Methods CHPs examined a national sample of 974 pre-adolescents aged 8-12 years (response 79.1%), and interviewed parents and children during routine well-child assessments. We obtained data on family background and current health of the child from the CHP; on developmental concerns from parents, and on social and emotional well-being, injuries, and substance use from the children. Antisocial behaviour concerned the adolescent-reported 15 item International Self-Reported Delinquency study questionnaire, among which are 5 items on violence against people. Results The prevalence of 2+acts of any antisocial behaviour was 21.8%, and 33.9% for 1+acts of violence (10.5% for 2+). Children who were male, had a young mother, no parent employed, recent injuries, poor performance at school or who were bored by school, and who had parental concerns more often reported 2+antisocial acts and 1+violence against people. Detection algorithms on the basis of these variables were moderately able to classify outcomes, with Areas-Under-the-Curves ranging from 0.66 to 0.71. Conclusions Data from routine well-child assessment can help CHPs to detect pre-adolescents at risk for antisocial behaviour, but detection algorithms need to be further improved. This could be done by obtaining additional information on factors that are associated with antisocial behaviour. PMID:22405493

Early detection of children at risk for antisocial behaviour using data from routine preventive child healthcare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reijneveld Sijmen A

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Youth antisocial behaviour is highly prevalent. Young people are usually not willing to disclose such behaviour to professionals and parents. Our aim was to assess whether child health professionals (CHP working in preventive child healthcare could identify pre-adolescents at risk for antisocial behaviour through using data that they obtain in routine practice. Methods CHPs examined a national sample of 974 pre-adolescents aged 8-12 years (response 79.1%, and interviewed parents and children during routine well-child assessments. We obtained data on family background and current health of the child from the CHP; on developmental concerns from parents, and on social and emotional well-being, injuries, and substance use from the children. Antisocial behaviour concerned the adolescent-reported 15 item International Self-Reported Delinquency study questionnaire, among which are 5 items on violence against people. Results The prevalence of 2+acts of any antisocial behaviour was 21.8%, and 33.9% for 1+acts of violence (10.5% for 2+. Children who were male, had a young mother, no parent employed, recent injuries, poor performance at school or who were bored by school, and who had parental concerns more often reported 2+antisocial acts and 1+violence against people. Detection algorithms on the basis of these variables were moderately able to classify outcomes, with Areas-Under-the-Curves ranging from 0.66 to 0.71. Conclusions Data from routine well-child assessment can help CHPs to detect pre-adolescents at risk for antisocial behaviour, but detection algorithms need to be further improved. This could be done by obtaining additional information on factors that are associated with antisocial behaviour.

Balloon-borne radiometer profiler: Field observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, W.J.; Whiteman, C.D.; Anderson, G.A.; Alzheimer, J.M.; Hubbe, J.M.; Scott, K.A.

1995-03-01

This project involves the development of the capability of making routine soundings of broadband radiative fluxes and radiative flux divergences to heights of 1500m AGL. Described in this document are radiometers carried on a stabilized platform in a harness inserted in the tetherline of a tethered balloon meteriological sounding system. Field test results are given

Design of a high power cross field amplifier at X band with an internally coupled waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eppley, K.; Ko, K.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that cross field amplifiers (CFA) have been used in many applications where high power, high frequency microwaves are needed. Although these tubes have been manufactured for decades, theoretical analysis of their properties is not as highly developed as for other microwave devices such as klystrons. The authors have developed a simulation model for CFAs using the PIC code CONDOR. The authors simulations indicate that there are limits to the maximum RF field strength that a CFA can sustain. When the fields become too high, efficiency becomes very poor, and the currents drawn may become so large that secondary emission cannot be maintained. It is therefore desirable to reduce the circuit impedance of a very high power tube. One method for doing this, proposed by Feinstein, involves periodically coupling a standard CFA circuit to an internal waveguide. Most of the power flows in the waveguide, so the overall impedance is much reduced. By adjusting the guide dimensions one can vary the impedance. Thus one can retain high impedance at the low power end but low impedance at the high power end. In principle one can maintain constant RF voltage throughout the tube

Instrumental neutron activation analysis - a routine method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruin, M. de.

1983-01-01

This thesis describes the way in which at IRI instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been developed into an automated system for routine analysis. The basis of this work are 20 publications describing the development of INAA since 1968. (Auth.)

Cultural Responsiveness and Routines: When Center and Home Don't Match

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet

2010-01-01

This article discusses cultural responsiveness and routines of child care centers that do not match what families are accustomed to at home. It can be difficult to discuss cultural differences in some routine caregiving activities because of the standards, rules, regulations, best practices, and health concerns that those trained in early…

Examining the cost of delivering routine immunization in Honduras.

Science.gov (United States)