What constitutes meaningful engagement for patients and families as partners on research teams?

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Agnes; Strain, Kimberly; Wallsworth, Christine; Charlton, Sara-Grey; Chang, Wilma; McNamee, Kate; Hamilton, Clayon

2018-01-01

Objective There is growing emphasis on health care organizations to ensure that lay people are meaningfully engaged as partners on research teams. Our aim was to explore the perspectives of patients, family members and informal caregivers who have been involved on health care research teams in Canada and elicit their recommendations for meaningful engagement. Methods We conducted a qualitative study guided by thematic analysis of transcripts of focus groups and interviews of 19 experienced patient research partners in Canada. Results We identified four main themes: research environment, expectations, support and value, which highlight participants' combined perspectives on important factors to ensure their engagement in research is meaningful. Conclusions Our findings add to the evolving evidence base on the perspectives of lay people involved in health care research and their recommendations for research leaders on meaningful engagement. Our study suggests that research leaders should provide a welcoming research environment, outline appropriate expectations for patient research partners on research teams, support patient research partners' engagement in projects and recognize the value patient research partners bring to health research.

Meaningful Human Control over Autonomous Systems: A Philosophical Account

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Filippo Santoni de Sio

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Debates on lethal autonomous weapon systems have proliferated in the past 5 years. Ethical concerns have been voiced about a possible raise in the number of wrongs and crimes in military operations and about the creation of a “responsibility gap” for harms caused by these systems. To address these concerns, the principle of “meaningful human control” has been introduced in the legal–political debate; according to this principle, humans not computers and their algorithms should ultimately remain in control of, and thus morally responsible for, relevant decisions about (lethal military operations. However, policy-makers and technical designers lack a detailed theory of what “meaningful human control” exactly means. In this paper, we lay the foundation of a philosophical account of meaningful human control, based on the concept of “guidance control” as elaborated in the philosophical debate on free will and moral responsibility. Following the ideals of “Responsible Innovation” and “Value-sensitive Design,” our account of meaningful human control is cast in the form of design requirements. We identify two general necessary conditions to be satisfied for an autonomous system to remain under meaningful human control: first, a “tracking” condition, according to which the system should be able to respond to both the relevant moral reasons of the humans designing and deploying the system and the relevant facts in the environment in which the system operates; second, a “tracing” condition, according to which the system should be designed in such a way as to grant the possibility to always trace back the outcome of its operations to at least one human along the chain of design and operation. As we think that meaningful human control can be one of the central notions in ethics of robotics and AI, in the last part of the paper, we start exploring the implications of our account for the design and use of non

Sensitivity of NTCP parameter values against a change of dose calculation algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brink, Carsten; Berg, Martin; Nielsen, Morten

2007-01-01

Optimization of radiation treatment planning requires estimations of the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). A number of models exist that estimate NTCP from a calculated dose distribution. Since different dose calculation algorithms use different approximations the dose distributions predicted for a given treatment will in general depend on the algorithm. The purpose of this work is to test whether the optimal NTCP parameter values change significantly when the dose calculation algorithm is changed. The treatment plans for 17 breast cancer patients have retrospectively been recalculated with a collapsed cone algorithm (CC) to compare the NTCP estimates for radiation pneumonitis with those obtained from the clinically used pencil beam algorithm (PB). For the PB calculations the NTCP parameters were taken from previously published values for three different models. For the CC calculations the parameters were fitted to give the same NTCP as for the PB calculations. This paper demonstrates that significant shifts of the NTCP parameter values are observed for three models, comparable in magnitude to the uncertainties of the published parameter values. Thus, it is important to quote the applied dose calculation algorithm when reporting estimates of NTCP parameters in order to ensure correct use of the models

The estimation of parameter compaction values for pavement subgrade stabilized with lime

Science.gov (United States)

Lubis, A. S.; Muis, Z. A.; Simbolon, C. A.

2018-02-01

The type of soil material, field control, maintenance and availability of funds are several factors that must be considered in compaction of the pavement subgrade. In determining the compaction parameters in laboratory desperately requires considerable materials, time and funds, and reliable laboratory operators. If the result of soil classification values can be used to estimate the compaction parameters of a subgrade material, so it would save time, energy, materials and cost on the execution of this work. This is also a clarification (cross check) of the work that has been done by technicians in the laboratory. The study aims to estimate the compaction parameter values ie. maximum dry unit weight (γdmax) and optimum water content (Wopt) of the soil subgrade that stabilized with lime. The tests that conducted in the laboratory of soil mechanics were to determine the index properties (Fines and Liquid Limit/LL) and Standard Compaction Test. Soil samples that have Plasticity Index (PI) > 10% were made with additional 3% lime for 30 samples. By using the Goswami equation, the compaction parameter values can be estimated by equation γd max # = -0,1686 Log G + 1,8434 and Wopt # = 2,9178 log G + 17,086. From the validation calculation, there was a significant positive correlation between the compaction parameter values laboratory and the compaction parameter values estimated, with a 95% confidence interval as a strong relationship.

Models for setting ATM parameter values

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Søren; Gravey, A.; Romæuf, L.

1996-01-01

essential to set traffic characteristic values that are relevant to the considered cell stream, and that ensure that the amount of non-conforming traffic is small. Using a queueing model representation for the GCRA formalism, several methods are available for choosing the traffic characteristics. This paper......In ATM networks, a user should negotiate at connection set-up a traffic contract which includes traffic characteristics and requested QoS. The traffic characteristics currently considered are the Peak Cell Rate, the Sustainable Cell Rate, the Intrinsic Burst Tolerance and the Cell Delay Variation...... (CDV) tolerance(s). The values taken by these traffic parameters characterize the so-called ''Worst Case Traffic'' that is used by CAC procedures for accepting a new connection and allocating resources to it. Conformance to the negotiated traffic characteristics is defined, at the ingress User...

Use of cut-off values as meaningfulness limits in probabilistic studies and its effect on NPPs risk assessment and safety improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrangeli, G.; Valeri, A.; Zaffiro, C.

1991-01-01

This paper discusses the use of cut-off values in probabilistic risk assessment/probabilistic safety assessment (PRA/PSA) of nuclear power plants (NPPs), in order to explore under which conditions this practice may help improve the meaningfulness of the results of the analyses and safety of plants, and how it may affect the assessment of risk. Reference is made, in particular, to some past practical applications, also taken from the experience of the authors within the frame of the Italian licensing process. The paper describes the Italian probabilistic criteria which use probabilistic targets and cut-off values to assess safety and identify plant safety improvements. The rationale of the approach is also discussed in the paper and results of sample applications are illustrated. The paper concludes that the use of cut-off values, if properly implemented, could be productive to improve the plant safety as it helps the analyst to focus on a restricted field of analysis, ignoring lower probability and less known events. It also points out that cut-off values should be considered as living numbers to be lowered and even eliminated as soon as significant advancements are made, through research and operational experience, in the knowledge of the pertinent events

Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints

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Blake A Allan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study examined a model of meaningful work among a diverse sample of working adults. From the perspectives of Self-Determination Theory and the Psychology of Working Framework, we tested a structural model with social class and work volition predicting SDT motivation variables, which in turn predicted meaningful work. Partially supporting hypotheses, work volition was positively related to internal regulation and negatively related to amotivation, whereas social class was positively related to external regulation and amotivation. In turn, internal regulation was positively related to meaningful work, whereas external regulation and amotivation were negatively related to meaningful work. Indirect effects from work volition to meaningful work via internal regulation and amotivation were significant, and indirect effects from social class to meaningful work via external regulation and amotivaiton were significant. This study highlights the important relations between SDT motivation variables and meaningful work, especially the large positive relation between internal regulation and meaningful work. However, results also reveal that work volition and social class may play critical roles in predicting internal regulation, external regulation, and amotivation.

Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Allan, Blake A; Autin, Kelsey L; Duffy, Ryan D

2016-01-01

This study examined a model of meaningful work among a diverse sample of working adults. From the perspectives of Self-Determination Theory and the Psychology of Working Framework, we tested a structural model with social class and work volition predicting SDT motivation variables, which in turn predicted meaningful work. Partially supporting hypotheses, work volition was positively related to internal regulation and negatively related to amotivation, whereas social class was positively related to external regulation and amotivation. In turn, internal regulation was positively related to meaningful work, whereas external regulation and amotivation were negatively related to meaningful work. Indirect effects from work volition to meaningful work via internal regulation and amotivation were significant, and indirect effects from social class to meaningful work via external regulation and amotivation were significant. This study highlights the important relations between SDT motivation variables and meaningful work, especially the large positive relation between internal regulation and meaningful work. However, results also reveal that work volition and social class may play critical roles in predicting internal regulation, external regulation, and amotivation.

[Diagnostic value of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters and relative quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters in breast lesions with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI].

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, T T; Liu, W H; Zhang, Y Q; Li, L H; Wang, R; Ye, Y Y

2017-08-01

Objective: To explore the differential between the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters and relative pharmacokinetic quantitative parameters in breast lesions. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 255 patients(262 breast lesions) who was obtained by clinical palpation , ultrasound or full-field digital mammography , and then all lessions were pathologically confirmed in Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University from May 2012 to May 2016. A 3.0 T MRI scanner was used to obtain the quantitative MR pharmacokinetic parameters: volume transfer constant (K(trans)), exchange rate constant (k(ep))and extravascular extracellular volume fraction (V(e)). And measured the quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters of normal glands tissues which on the same side of the same level of the lesions; and then calculated the value of relative pharmacokinetic parameters: rK(rans)、rk(ep) and rV(e).To explore the diagnostic value of two pharmacokinetic parameters in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions using receiver operating curves and model of logistic regression. Results: (1)There were significant differences between benign lesions and malignant lesions in K(trans) and k(ep) ( t =15.489, 15.022, respectively, P 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve(AUC)of K(trans), k(ep) and V(e) between malignant and benign lesions were 0.933, 0.948 and 0.387, the sensitivity of K(trans), k(ep) and V(e) were 77.1%, 85.0%, 51.0% , and the specificity of K(trans), k(ep) and V(e) were 96.3%, 93.6%, 60.8% for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions if taken the maximum Youden's index as cut-off. (2)There were significant differences between benign lesions and malignant lesions in rK(trans), rk(ep) and rV(e) ( t =14.177, 11.726, 2.477, respectively, P quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters and the prediction probability of relative quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters( Z =0.867, P =0.195). Conclusion: There was no significant

Identifying the connective strength between model parameters and performance criteria

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B. Guse

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In hydrological models, parameters are used to represent the time-invariant characteristics of catchments and to capture different aspects of hydrological response. Hence, model parameters need to be identified based on their role in controlling the hydrological behaviour. For the identification of meaningful parameter values, multiple and complementary performance criteria are used that compare modelled and measured discharge time series. The reliability of the identification of hydrologically meaningful model parameter values depends on how distinctly a model parameter can be assigned to one of the performance criteria. To investigate this, we introduce the new concept of connective strength between model parameters and performance criteria. The connective strength assesses the intensity in the interrelationship between model parameters and performance criteria in a bijective way. In our analysis of connective strength, model simulations are carried out based on a latin hypercube sampling. Ten performance criteria including Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE, Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE and its three components (alpha, beta and r as well as RSR (the ratio of the root mean square error to the standard deviation for different segments of the flow duration curve (FDC are calculated. With a joint analysis of two regression tree (RT approaches, we derive how a model parameter is connected to different performance criteria. At first, RTs are constructed using each performance criterion as the target variable to detect the most relevant model parameters for each performance criterion. Secondly, RTs are constructed using each parameter as the target variable to detect which performance criteria are impacted by changes in the values of one distinct model parameter. Based on this, appropriate performance criteria are identified for each model parameter. In this study, a high bijective connective strength between model parameters and performance criteria

Extreme values of meteorological parameters observed at Kalpakkam during the period 1968-1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balagurunathan, M.R.; Chandresekharan, E.; Rajan, M.P.; Gurg, R.P.

2001-05-01

In the design phase of engineering structures, an understanding of extreme weather conditions that may occur at the site of interest is very essential, so that the structures can be designed to withstand climatological stresses during its life time. In this report an analysis of extreme values of meteorological parameters at Kalpakkam for the period 1968-99, which provide an insight into such situations is described. The extreme value analysis reveals that all the variables obey Fisher-Tippet Type-I extreme value distribution function. Parameter values of extreme value analysis functions are presented for the variables studied and the 50- and 100- year return period extreme values are arrived at. Frequency distribution of rainfall parameters is investigated. Time series of annual rainfall data suggests a cycle of 2-3 years period. (author)

Normal Values for Heart Electrophysiology Parameters of Healthy Swine Determined on Electrophysiology Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Noszczyk-Nowak, Agnieszka; Cepiel, Alicja; Janiszewski, Adrian; Pasławski, Robert; Gajek, Jacek; Pasławska, Urszula; Nicpoń, Józef

2016-01-01

Swine are a well-recognized animal model for human cardiovascular diseases. Despite the widespread use of porcine model in experimental electrophysiology, still no reference values for intracardiac electrical activity and conduction parameters determined during an invasive electrophysiology study (EPS) have been developed in this species thus far. The aim of the study was to develop a set of normal values for intracardiac electrical activity and conduction parameters determined during an invasive EPS of swine. The study included 36 healthy domestic swine (24-40 kg body weight). EPS was performed under a general anesthesia with midazolam, propofol and isoflurane. The reference values for intracardiac electrical activity and conduction parameters were calculated as arithmetic means ± 2 standard deviations. The reference values were determined for AH, HV and PA intervals, interatrial conduction time at its own and imposed rhythm, sinus node recovery time (SNRT), corrected sinus node recovery time (CSNRT), anterograde and retrograde Wenckebach points, atrial, atrioventricular node and ventricular refractory periods. No significant correlations were found between body weight and heart rate of the examined pigs and their electrophysiological parameters. The hereby presented reference values can be helpful in comparing the results of various studies, as well as in more accurately estimating the values of electrophysiological parameters that can be expected in a given experiment.

Site-specific parameter values for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's food pathway dose model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamby, D.M.

1992-01-01

Routine operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Western South Carolina result in radionuclide releases to the atmosphere and to the Savannah River. The resulting radiation doses to the off-site maximum individual and the off-site population within 80 km of the SRS are estimated on a yearly basis. These estimates are currently generated using dose models prescribed for the commercial nuclear power industry by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC provides default values for dose-model parameters for facilities without resources to develop site-specific values. A survey of land- and water-use characteristics for the Savannah River area has been conducted to determine site-specific values for water recreation, consumption, and agricultural parameters used in the NRC Regulatory Guide 1.109 (1977) dosimetric models. These site parameters include local characteristics of meat, milk, and vegetable production; recreational and commercial activities on the Savannah River; and meat, milk, vegetable, and seafood consumption rates. This paper describes how parameter data were obtained at the Savannah River Site and the impacts of such data on off-site dose. Dose estimates using site-specific parameter values are compared to estimates using the NRC default values

Value as a parameter to consider in operational strategies for CSP plants

Science.gov (United States)

de Meyer, Oelof; Dinter, Frank; Govender, Saneshan

2017-06-01

This paper introduced a value parameter to consider when analyzing operational strategies for CSP plants. The electric system in South Africa, used as case study, is severely constrained with an influx of renewables in the early phase of deployment. The energy demand curve for the system is analyzed showing the total wind and solar photovoltaic contributions for winter and summer. Due to the intermittent nature and meteorological operating conditions of wind and solar photovoltaic plants, the value of CSP plants within the electric system is introduced. Analyzing CSP plants based on the value parameter alone will remain only a philosophical view. Currently there is no quantifiable measure to translate the philosophical view or subjective value and it solely remains the position of the stakeholder. By introducing three other parameters, Cost, Plant and System to a holistic representation of the Operating Strategies of generation plants, the Value parameter can be translated into a quantifiable measure. Utilizing the country's current procurement program as case study, CSP operating under the various PPA within the Bid Windows are analyzed. The Value Cost Plant System diagram developed is used to quantify the value parameter. This paper concluded that no value is obtained from CSP plants operating under the Bid Window 1 & 2 Power Purchase Agreement. However, by recognizing the dispatchability potential of CSP plants in Bid Window 3 & 3.5, the value of CSP in the electric system can be quantified utilizing Value Added Relationship VCPS-diagram. Similarly ancillary services to the system were analyzed. One of the relationships that have not yet been explored within the industry is an interdependent relationship. It was emphasized that the cost and value structure is shared between the plant and system. Although this relationship is functional when the plant and system belongs to the same entity, additional value is achieved by marginalizing the cost structure. A

Meaningful Use of a Confidential Adolescent Patient Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Lindsay A; Martinko, Thomas; Budd, Pamela; Mercado, Rebeccah; Schentrup, Anzeela M

2016-02-01

To design and evaluate the usage of an adolescent patient portal specifically adapted for adolescent health care needs that also satisfied institutional meaningful use guidelines regarding electronic health records. Key stakeholders at one academic health care center adopted an online portal and opted to designate a patient portal specifically for adolescents to maximize confidentiality in compliance with state privacy laws. This study analyzed aggregate electronic health record data of adolescents' (ages 12-17.9 years) uptake, usage, and functionality of this portal and compared it to parent portal usage for younger children (ages 0-11 years). Differences in means were calculated using paired t tests. The portal was used similarly between parents of young children and adolescents, with almost 1,000 enrollees in each group from September 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015. There were no gender differences in enrollment. Adolescents were less likely than parents of younger children to review appointments (73% vs. 85%), laboratory tests (67% vs. 79%), problem lists (40% vs. 78%), or allergies (45% vs. 77%, all p values adolescents sent 1,397 confidential messages. Institutional decisions for implementing meaningful use requirements can align with goals of adolescent health. Patient portals can enhance adolescent health care quality and adolescents readily use a confidential portal. Implementation of meaningful use requirements should be checked against adolescent health care needs to maximize confidentiality and promote health communication. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perspective: The missing link in academic career planning and development: pursuit of meaningful and aligned work.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieff, Susan J

2009-10-01

Retention of faculty in academic medicine is a growing challenge. It has been suggested that inattention to the humanistic values of the faculty is contributing to this problem. Professional development should consider faculty members' search for meaning, purpose, and professional fulfillment and should support the development of an ability to reflect on these issues. Ensuring the alignment of academic physicians' inner direction with their outer context is critical to professional fulfillment and effectiveness. Personal reflection on the synergy of one's strengths, passions, and values can help faculty members define meaningful work so as to enable clearer career decision making. The premise of this article is that an awareness of and the pursuit of meaningful work and its alignment with the academic context are important considerations in the professional fulfillment and retention of academic faculty. A conceptual framework for understanding meaningful work and alignment and ways in which that framework can be applied and taught in development programs are presented and discussed.

THE VALUE OF THE PROJECT, ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND MEANINGFUL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasiia Liezina

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In the article the historical stages of the category of “value” in various sciences, particularly in project management were considered. Chronology of evolutionary change and borrowing the term “value” in various sciences was developed. Existing approaches to determining the value of project management were analyzed. Author's interpretation of value projects was represented. Author's vision “iron” triangle of project management criteria based on the transformation of the classical approach was represented. Substance of the value of projects, taking into account the interests of all stakeholders, in terms of their value expectations was revealed. Key words: value, project management, project value, project stakeholders, the criteria for success of the project, “Iron” triangle.

Relationship between meaningful work and job performance in nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Ling

2018-04-01

The present study was designed to determine the relationship between meaningful work and job performance, and the impact of meaningful work on nursing care quality. Meaningful work has been suggested as a significant factor affecting job performance, but the relationship has never been studied in nurses in China. A descriptive correlational study was designed to assess the level of meaningful work, tasks, and contextual performance as well as their relationships. We used a stratified random-sampling approach to enrol nurses from hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between meaningful work and their demographic data. There were significant, positive relationships between meaningful work and task performance and contextual performance. Education level, work unit, and employment type influenced meaningful work. The work motivation score of the nurses was lower than that of the other 2 dimensions, and a negative work motivation score negatively influenced job performance. Improving meaningful work and providing more support and assistance could improve nurse performance, thereby improving the quality of nursing care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in nature-based jobs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nellie de Crom

2018-03-01

. Contribution or value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the effects of meaningful work and its antecedents on personal engagement.

Meaningful real-life relationships in massively multiplayer online roleplaying games

OpenAIRE

Mansikkamäki, E. (Eetu)

2014-01-01

Abstract Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games are extremely popular with millions and millions of players spending large portions of their free time in these virtual environments. Still the social value and the meaningfulness of the relationships formed within them are questioned by most non-gamers and even some gamers. In the past even academia was mainly concentrating on the negative aspects of gaming but lately...

Reference values of clinical chemistry and hematology parameters in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Younan; Qin, Shengfang; Ding, Yang; Wei, Lingling; Zhang, Jie; Li, Hongxia; Bu, Hong; Lu, Yanrong; Cheng, Jingqiu

2009-01-01

Rhesus monkey models are valuable to the studies of human biology. Reference values for clinical chemistry and hematology parameters of rhesus monkeys are required for proper data interpretation. Whole blood was collected from 36 healthy Chinese rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) of either sex, 3 to 5 yr old. Routine chemistry and hematology parameters, and some special coagulation parameters including thromboelastograph and activities of coagulation factors were tested. We presented here the baseline values of clinical chemistry and hematology parameters in normal Chinese rhesus monkeys. These data may provide valuable information for veterinarians and investigators using rhesus monkeys in experimental studies.

Recommended food chain parameter values and distributions for use around CANDU sites in Ontario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, S R

1996-07-01

Site-specific parameter values should be used whenever possible to increase the accuracy of dose predictions. Parameter values specific to agricultural practices and human lifestyles in southern Ontario are presented for use in CSA-N288.1-M87 (Canadian Standards Association Guidelines for Calculating Derived Release Limits for Radioactive Material in Airborne and Liquid Effluents for Normal Operation of Nuclear Facilities) and CHERPAC (Chalk River Environmental Research Pathways Analysis Code). Use of these values in place of the default parameter values in CSA-N288.1-M87 is shown to reduce the predicted dose by nearly a factor of 2. (author). 27 refs., 6 tabs., 1 fig.

Recommended food chain parameter values and distributions for use around CANDU sites in Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, S.R.

1996-07-01

Site-specific parameter values should be used whenever possible to increase the accuracy of dose predictions. Parameter values specific to agricultural practices and human lifestyles in southern Ontario are presented for use in CSA-N288.1-M87 (Canadian Standards Association Guidelines for Calculating Derived Release Limits for Radioactive Material in Airborne and Liquid Effluents for Normal Operation of Nuclear Facilities) and CHERPAC (Chalk River Environmental Research Pathways Analysis Code). Use of these values in place of the default parameter values in CSA-N288.1-M87 is shown to reduce the predicted dose by nearly a factor of 2. (author). 27 refs., 6 tabs., 1 fig

Estimation of the value-at-risk parameter: Econometric analysis and the extreme value theory approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mladenović Zorica

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper different aspects of value-at-risk estimation are considered. Daily returns of CISCO, INTEL and NASDAQ stock indices are analyzed for period: September 1996 - September 2006. Methods that incorporate time varying variability and heavy tails of the empirical distributions of returns are implemented. The main finding of the paper is that standard econometric methods underestimate the value-at-risk parameter if heavy tails of the empirical distribution are not explicitly taken into account. .

Diagnostic value of hematological parameters in patients with osteoarthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Hira

2017-03-01

Results: There were no significant differences in WBC, RDW, PLT, RPR levels between two groups. NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the osteoarthritis group than in the control group. RBC, MPV and PDW values were significantly lower in the osteoarthritis group than in the control group (all . MPV and RBC were negatively correlated with ESR and CRP in osteoarthritis patients. Conclusion: Hematological inflammatory markers might be useful parameters that could be used in patients with osteoarthritis. [Cukurova Med J 2017; 42(1.000: 120-125

DEVELOPMENT OF VADOSE-ZONE HYDRAULIC PARAMETER VALUES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ROGERS PM

2008-01-21

Several approaches have been developed to establish a relation between the soil-moisture retention curve and readily available soil properties. Those relationships are referred to as pedotransfer functions. Described in this paper are the rationale, approach, and corroboration for use of a nonparametric pedotransfer function for the estimation of soil hydraulic-parameter values at the yucca Mountain area in Nevada for simulations of net infiltration. This approach, shown to be applicable for use at Yucca Mountain, is also applicable for use at the Hanford Site where the underlying data were collected.

DEVELOPMENT OF VADOSE ZONE HYDRAULIC PARAMETER VALUES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ROGERS PM

2008-01-01

Several approaches have been developed to establish a relation between the soil-moisture retention curve and readily available soil properties. Those relationships are referred to as pedotransfer functions. Described in this paper are the rationale, approach, and corroboration for use of a nonparametric pedotransfer function for the estimation of soil hydraulic-parameter values at the yucca Mountain area in Nevada for simulations of net infiltration. This approach, shown to be applicable for use at Yucca Mountain, is also applicable for use at the Hanford Site where the underlying data were collected

Efficiently enclosing the compact binary parameter space by singular-value decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cannon, Kipp; Hanna, Chad; Keppel, Drew

2011-01-01

Gravitational-wave searches for the merger of compact binaries use matched filtering as the method of detecting signals and estimating parameters. Such searches construct a fine mesh of filters covering a signal parameter space at high density. Previously it has been shown that singular-value decomposition can reduce the effective number of filters required to search the data. Here we study how the basis provided by the singular-value decomposition changes dimension as a function of template-bank density. We will demonstrate that it is sufficient to use the basis provided by the singular-value decomposition of a low-density bank to accurately reconstruct arbitrary points within the boundaries of the template bank. Since this technique is purely numerical, it may have applications to interpolating the space of numerical relativity waveforms.

Meaningfulness in work - experiences among employed individuals with persistent mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Leufstadius, Christel; Eklund, Mona; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate how people with persistent mental illness, with various types of work and employment conditions, experience and describe the meaningfulness of work. The study had a qualitative approach and twelve informants living in the community were purposefully selected and interviewed according to overarching themes. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis, and all of the authors were involved in the analysis process. The findings resulted in four main themes: 1) work per se has certain characteristics, 2) participation in different contexts gives a feeling of normality, acceptance, belonging and fulfilment of norms and values, 3) work affords structure, energy and a balanced daily life, and 4) work increases well-being and strengthens one's identity. A tentative model is described concerning perceived meaningfulness in work among individuals with persistent mental illness, in which the first three aspects of meaning are a prerequisite for meaning in terms of increased well-being and strengthened identity. Furthermore, it seems important that work has to bring the just right challenge to the individual in order for him or her to perceive the identified aspects of meaningfulness.

The importance of culturally meaningful activity for health benefits among older Korean immigrant living in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Junhyoung; Kim, May; Han, Areum; Chin, Seungtae

2015-01-01

Research indicates that participation in culturally meaningful activity is beneficial for immigrants' health and well-being, yet older Korean immigrants struggle with accepting new cultural perspectives, which can negatively affect their health and well-being. Using in-depth interviews, this study was designed to capture the value of culturally meaningful activities for health among older Korean immigrants. Three themes were identified: (a) improved psychological well-being, (b) enhanced positive emotions and feelings, and (c) social connections developed with others. The findings suggest that by engaging in various culturally meaningful activities, older Korean immigrants gain a sense of social, cultural, and psychological significance in life. This study also provided evidence that older Korean immigrants maintain and develop their cultural identity through culturally meaningful activities.

The importance of culturally meaningful activity for health benefits among older Korean immigrant living in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junhyoung Kim

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Research indicates that participation in culturally meaningful activity is beneficial for immigrants’ health and well-being, yet older Korean immigrants struggle with accepting new cultural perspectives, which can negatively affect their health and well-being. Using in-depth interviews, this study was designed to capture the value of culturally meaningful activities for health among older Korean immigrants. Three themes were identified: (a improved psychological well-being, (b enhanced positive emotions and feelings, and (c social connections developed with others. The findings suggest that by engaging in various culturally meaningful activities, older Korean immigrants gain a sense of social, cultural, and psychological significance in life. This study also provided evidence that older Korean immigrants maintain and develop their cultural identity through culturally meaningful activities.

Engaging in Work Even When It Is Meaningless: Positive Affective Disposition and Meaningful Work Interact in Relation to Work Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Steger, Michael F.; Littman-Ovadia, Hadassah; Miller, Michal; Menger, Lauren; Rothmann, Sebastiaan

2013-01-01

The central aim of the present study was to assess the predictive value of affective disposition and meaningful work on employee engagement. Specifically, it was proposed that meaningful work moderates the relationship between affective disposition and engagement. Questionnaires were completed by 252 white-collar employees, working in a variety of…

Value of Information Analysis Applied to the Economic Evaluation of Interventions Aimed at Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: An Illustration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hester V Eeren

Full Text Available To investigate whether a value of information analysis, commonly applied in health care evaluations, is feasible and meaningful in the field of crime prevention.Interventions aimed at reducing juvenile delinquency are increasingly being evaluated according to their cost-effectiveness. Results of cost-effectiveness models are subject to uncertainty in their cost and effect estimates. Further research can reduce that parameter uncertainty. The value of such further research can be estimated using a value of information analysis, as illustrated in the current study. We built upon an earlier published cost-effectiveness model that demonstrated the comparison of two interventions aimed at reducing juvenile delinquency. Outcomes were presented as costs per criminal activity free year.At a societal willingness-to-pay of €71,700 per criminal activity free year, further research to eliminate parameter uncertainty was valued at €176 million. Therefore, in this illustrative analysis, the value of information analysis determined that society should be willing to spend a maximum of €176 million in reducing decision uncertainty in the cost-effectiveness of the two interventions. Moreover, the results suggest that reducing uncertainty in some specific model parameters might be more valuable than in others.Using a value of information framework to assess the value of conducting further research in the field of crime prevention proved to be feasible. The results were meaningful and can be interpreted according to health care evaluation studies. This analysis can be helpful in justifying additional research funds to further inform the reimbursement decision in regard to interventions for juvenile delinquents.

Value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC: an empirical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrnaz Paknezhad

2012-04-01

Full Text Available There is no doubt that conventional accounting does not provide actual value of a firm since they only take into account the tangible assets. Intellectual capital provides a new concept for considering actual value of the assets, which helps calculate intangible values of the firm. In this paper, we use value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC to measure the performance of a firm. The study investigates the relationship between intellectual capital and return on assets and value added for three consecutive years between 2008 and 2010. The results indicate that there is no meaningful relationship between intellectual capital and return on assets for fiscal years of 2008 and 2009 but there is a meaningful relationship between these two items for the fiscal year of 2010 when . Our findings also indicate that there is no meaningful relationship between intellectual capital and value added for the years of 2008 and 2010 but there is a meaningful relationship between the items for the fiscal year of 2009. The results somewhat confirm the recently published results in the literature, which argues the use of VAIC for assessing the direct impact of IC on other financial factors.

Handbook of parameter values for the prediction of radionuclide transfer to wildlife

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-06-15

This handbook provides generic parameter values for estimating the transfer of radionuclides from environmental media to wildlife for the purpose of assessing potential radiation exposure under equilibrium conditions. These data are intended for use where site specific data are either not available or not required, and to parameterize generic assessment models. They are based on a comprehensive review of the available literature, including many Russian language publications that have not previously been available in English. The publication addresses the limitations of the parameter values and the applicability of data. Some general background information on the assessment of potential impacts of radioactive releases on wildlife is also included. It complements the existing handbook in the same IAEA series with parameter to assess the radiological impact to humans.

Correlating substituent parameter values to electron transport properties of molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedova-Brook, Natalie; Matsunaga, Nikita; Sohlberg, Karl

2004-01-01

There are a vast number of organic compounds that could be considered for use in molecular electronics. Because of this, the need for efficient and economical screening tools has emerged. We demonstrate that the substituent parameter values (σ), commonly found in advanced organic chemistry textbooks, correlate strongly with features of the charge migration process, establishing them as useful indicators of electronic properties. Specifically, we report that ab initio derived electronic charge transfer values for 16 different substituted aromatic molecules for molecular junctions correlate to the σ values with a correlation coefficient squared (R 2 ) of 0.863

The Retention of Meaningful Understanding of Meiosis and Genetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, Ann Liberatore

This study investigated the retention of meaningful understanding of the biological topics of meiosis, the Punnett square method and the relations between these two topics. This study also explored the predictive influence of students' general tendency to learn meaningfully or by rote (meaningful learning orientation), prior knowledge of meiosis,…

ECOS: values of parameters to be used for domestic animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorne, M.C.

1984-03-01

This report constitutes the database description for the domestic animals section of the biosphere code ECOS. Two categories of data are supplied, element-independent and element-dependent. The element-independent data comprise rates of food, water and soil consumption, inhalation rates and masses of animal tissues. The element-dependent data consist of f 1 (fractional gastrointestinal absorption), fsub(D) (fractional systematic deposition after inhalation) and NRF (weighted integrated retention function) values. All parameter values given are justified. (author)

Heard and valued: the development of a model to meaningfully engage marginalized populations in health services planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, M Elizabeth; Tweedie, Katherine; Pederson, Ann

2018-03-15

Recently, patient engagement has been identified as a promising strategy for supporting healthcare planning. However, the context and structure of universalistic, "one-size-fits-all" approaches often used for patient engagement may not enable diverse patients to participate in decision-making about programs intended to meet their needs. Specifically, standard patient engagement approaches are gender-blind and might not facilitate the engagement of those marginalized by, for example, substance use, low income, experiences of violence, homelessness, and/or mental health challenges-highly gendered health and social experiences. The project's purpose was to develop a heuristic model to assist planners to engage patients who are not traditionally included in healthcare planning. Using a qualitative research approach, we reviewed literature and conducted interviews with patients and healthcare planners regarding engaging marginalized populations in health services planning. From these inputs, we created a model and planning manual to assist healthcare planners to engage marginalized patients in health services planning, which we piloted in two clinical programs undergoing health services design. The findings from the pilots were used to refine the model. The analysis of the interviews and literature identified power and gender as barriers to participation, and generated suggestions to support diverse populations both to attend patient engagement events and to participate meaningfully. Engaging marginalized populations cannot be reduced to a single defined process, but instead needs to be understood as an iterative process of fitting engagement methods to a particular situation. Underlying this process are principles for meaningfully engaging marginalized people in healthcare planning. A one-size-fits-all approach to patient engagement is not appropriate given patients' diverse barriers to meaningful participation in healthcare planning. Instead, planners need a

Learning about physical parameters: the importance of model discrepancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brynjarsdóttir, Jenný; O'Hagan, Anthony

2014-01-01

Science-based simulation models are widely used to predict the behavior of complex physical systems. It is also common to use observations of the physical system to solve the inverse problem, that is, to learn about the values of parameters within the model, a process which is often called calibration. The main goal of calibration is usually to improve the predictive performance of the simulator but the values of the parameters in the model may also be of intrinsic scientific interest in their own right. In order to make appropriate use of observations of the physical system it is important to recognize model discrepancy, the difference between reality and the simulator output. We illustrate through a simple example that an analysis that does not account for model discrepancy may lead to biased and over-confident parameter estimates and predictions. The challenge with incorporating model discrepancy in statistical inverse problems is being confounded with calibration parameters, which will only be resolved with meaningful priors. For our simple example, we model the model-discrepancy via a Gaussian process and demonstrate that through accounting for model discrepancy our prediction within the range of data is correct. However, only with realistic priors on the model discrepancy do we uncover the true parameter values. Through theoretical arguments we show that these findings are typical of the general problem of learning about physical parameters and the underlying physical system using science-based mechanistic models. (paper)

A New Five-Parameter Fréchet Model for Extreme Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Ahsan ul Haq

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A new five parameter Fréchet model for Extreme Values was proposed and studied. Various mathematical properties including moments, quantiles, and moment generating function were derived. Incomplete moments and probability weighted moments were also obtained. The maximum likelihood method was used to estimate the model parameters. The flexibility of the derived model was accessed using two real data set applications.

Diagnostic efficacy for coronary in-stent patency with parameters defined on Hounsfield CT value-spatial profile curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Tadashi; Suzuki, Jun-ichi; Shimamoto, Ryoichi; Tsuji, Taeko; Ohmoto-Sekine, Yuki; Morita, Toshihiro; Yamashita, Hiroshi; Honye, Junko; Nagai, Ryozo; Komatsu, Shuhei; Akahane, Masaaki; Ohtomo, Kuni

2008-01-01

Purpose: Hounsfield CT values across coronary CT angiograms constitute CT value-spatial profile curves. These CT profile curves are independent of window settings, and therefore, parameters derived from the curves can be used for objective anatomic analyses. Applicability of parameters derived from the curves to quantification of coronary in-stent patency has not yet been evaluated. Methods: Twenty-five CT value-spatial profile curves were delineated from 10 consecutive coronary stents to test correlation between the curve derived parameter (i.e., the minimum extreme value normalized by dividing by the maximum value of the curves obtained at neighboring outside of stents) and three intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) parameters. Results: Correlation coefficients between normalized minimum extreme value of CT value-spatial profile curves and three IVUS parameters (such as patent cross-sectional in-stent area, the percentage of patent cross-sectional in-stent area, and coronary artery intra-stent diameter) were 0.65 (p < 0.01), 0.44 (p < 0.05) and 0.51 (p < 0.05), respectively. Conclusions: CT parameters defined on Hounsfield CT value-spatial profile curves correlated significantly with IVUS parameters for quantitative coronary in-stent patency. A new approach with CT coronary angiography is therefore indicated for the noninvasive assessment of in-stent re-stenosis

Identifying clinically meaningful symptom response cut-off values on the SANS in predominant negative symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Stephen Z; Leucht, Stefan

2013-04-01

The treatment and measurement of negative symptoms are currently at issue in schizophrenia, but the clinical meaning of symptom severity and change is unclear. To offer a clinically meaningful interpretation of severity and change scores on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Patients were intention-to-treat participants (n=383) in two double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials that compared amisulpride with placebo for the treatment of predominant negative symptoms. Equipercentile linking was used to examine extrapolation from (a) CGI-S to SANS severity ratings, and (b) CGI-I to SANS percentage change (n=383). Linking was conducted at baseline, 8-14 days, 28-30 days, and 56-60 days of the trials. Across visits, CGI-S ratings of 'not ill' linked to SANS scores of 0-13, and ranged to 'extreme' ratings that linked to SANS scores of 102-105. The relationship between the CGI-S and the SANS severity scores assumed a linear trend (1=0-13, 2=15-56, 3=37-61, 4=49-66, 5=63-75, 6=79-89, 7=102-105). Similarly the relationship between CGI-I ratings and SANS percentage change followed a linear trend. For instance, CGI-I ratings of 'very much improved' were linked to SANS percent changes of -90 to -67, 'much improved' to -50 to -42, and 'minimally improved' to -21 to -13. The current results uniquely contribute to the debate surrounding negative symptoms by providing clinical meaning to SANS severity and change scores and so offer direction regarding clinically meaningful response cut-off scores to guide treatment targets of predominant negative symptoms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The values of the parameters of some multilayer distributed RC null networks

Science.gov (United States)

Huelsman, L. P.; Raghunath, S.

1974-01-01

In this correspondence, the values of the parameters of some multilayer distributed RC notch networks are determined, and the usually accepted values are shown to be in error. The magnitude of the error is illustrated by graphs of the frequency response of the networks.

Extreme value analysis of meterological parameters observed at Narora during the period 1989-2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varakhedkar, V.K.; Dube, B.; Gurg, R.P.

2002-08-01

The design of engineering structures requires an understanding of extreme weather conditions that may occur at the site of interest, which is very essential, so that the structures can be designed to withstand weather stresses. In this report an analysis of extreme values of meteorological parameters observed at Narora for the period 1989- 2001 is described. The parameters considered are maximum and minimum air temperature, minimum relative humidity, maximum wind speed, maximum rainfall in a day and month, and annual rainfall. The extreme value analysis reveals that the variables such as annual maximum air temperature, minimum relative humidity and monthly maximum rainfall obey Fisher -Tippet Type -I extreme value distribution where as annual minimum air temperature, maximum hourly wind speed, daily maximum rainfall and maximum and minimum annual rainfall, obey Fisher -Tippet Type -2 extreme value distribution function. Various distribution function parameters for each variable are determined. Extreme values corresponding to return periods of 50 years and 100 years are worked out. These derived extreme values are particularly useful for arriving at suitable design values to ensure the safety of any civil structure in Narora area with respect to stresses due to weather conditions. (author)

Business intelligence effort get a boost. The meaningful use framework highlights the value of data warehouses and BI tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Raths, David

2011-01-01

As patient care organizations nationwide prepare to report on meaningful use quality measures, those with enterprise data warehouses may find they have a head start. The more advanced among them are establishing workgroups to create dashboards to analyze progress and identify gaps that need addressing.

Meaningful work and secondary school teachers' intention to leave

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Janik

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The study investigates the relations between secondary school teachers' work-role fit, job enrichment, supervisor relationships, co-worker relationships, psychological meaningfulness of work and intention to leave. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia. The following measuring instruments were used: Work-role Fit Scale, Job Enrichment Scale, Co-worker and Supervisor Relationships Scales, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Work-role fit and job enrichment both had direct positive effect on experiences of psychological meaningfulness at work, while poor work-role fit and low psychological meaningfulness both had a direct effect on teachers' intentions to leave. An analysis of the indirect effects showed that poor work-role fit and poor job enrichment affected intention to leave due to the concomitant experience of low psychological meaningfulness. These findings have implications for the retention of teachers in secondary schools.

Kinetic parameters for source driven systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dulla, S.; Ravetto, P.; Carta, M.; D'Angelo, A.

2006-01-01

The definition of the characteristic kinetic parameters of a subcritical source-driven system constitutes an interesting problem in reactor physics with important consequences for practical applications. Consistent and physically meaningful values of the parameters allow to obtain accurate results from kinetic simulation tools and to correctly interpret kinetic experiments. For subcritical systems a preliminary problem arises for the adoption of a suitable weighting function to be used in the projection procedure to derive a point model. The present work illustrates a consistent factorization-projection procedure which leads to the definition of the kinetic parameters in a straightforward manner. The reactivity term is introduced coherently with the generalized perturbation theory applied to the source multiplication factor ks, which is thus given a physical role in the kinetic model. The effective prompt lifetime is introduced on the assumption that a neutron generation can be initiated by both the fission process and the source emission. Results are presented for simplified configurations to fully comprehend the physical features and for a more complicated highly decoupled system treated in transport theory. (authors)

[South American camelids in Switzerland. II. Reference values for blood parameters].

Science.gov (United States)

Hengrave Burri, I; Tschudi, P; Martig, J; Liesegang, A; Meylan, M

2005-08-01

In order to establish reference values for blood parameters of South American camelids in Switzerland, 273 blood samples were collected from 141 llamas and 132 alpacas. These animals were classified in three categories (young animals blood cell count, white blood cell count, electrolytes, metabolites and enzymes). Significant differences between llamas and alpacas were evident for 26 parameters. This study also showed that differences between young animals, females and males must be taken into consideration. A comparison of blood values with the results of fecal analysis for parasite eggs showed that an infestation with Dicrocoelium dendriticum was associated with elevated activity of two liver enzymes (GLDH and gamma-GT) in the serum. In contrast, no differences were found in the results of blood analyses between animals shedding eggs of gastrointestinal strongyles or not.

Polychronakos fractional statistics with a complex-valued parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rovenchak, Andrij

2012-01-01

A generalization of quantum statistics is proposed in a fashion similar to the suggestion of Polychronakos [Phys. Lett. B 365, 202 (1996)] with the parameter α varying between −1 (fermionic case) and +1 (bosonic case). However, unlike the original formulation, it is suggested that intermediate values are located on the unit circle in the complex plane. In doing so one can avoid the case α = 0 corresponding to the Boltzmann statistics, which is not a quantum one. The limits of α → +1 and α → −1 reproducing small deviations from the Bose and Fermi statistics, respectively, are studied in detail. The equivalence between the statistics parameter and a possible dissipative part of the excitation spectrum is established. The case of a non-conserving number of excitations is analyzed. It is defined from the condition that the real part of the chemical potential equals zero. Thermodynamic quantities of a model system of two-dimensional harmonic oscillators are calculated.

Modeling phosphorus in the Lake Allatoona watershed using SWAT: I. Developing phosphorus parameter values.

Science.gov (United States)

Radcliffe, D E; Lin, Z; Risse, L M; Romeis, J J; Jackson, C R

2009-01-01

Lake Allatoona is a large reservoir north of Atlanta, GA, that drains an area of about 2870 km2 scheduled for a phosphorus (P) total maximum daily load (TMDL). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been widely used for watershed-scale modeling of P, but there is little guidance on how to estimate P-related parameters, especially those related to in-stream P processes. In this paper, methods are demonstrated to individually estimate SWAT soil-related P parameters and to collectively estimate P parameters related to stream processes. Stream related parameters were obtained using the nutrient uptake length concept. In a manner similar to experiments conducted by stream ecologists, a small point source is simulated in a headwater sub-basin of the SWAT models, then the in-stream parameter values are adjusted collectively to get an uptake length of P similar to the values measured in the streams in the region. After adjusting the in-stream parameters, the P uptake length estimated in the simulations ranged from 53 to 149 km compared to uptake lengths measured by ecologists in the region of 11 to 85 km. Once the a priori P-related parameter set was developed, the SWAT models of main tributaries to Lake Allatoona were calibrated for daily transport. Models using SWAT P parameters derived from the methods in this paper outperformed models using default parameter values when predicting total P (TP) concentrations in streams during storm events and TP annual loads to Lake Allatoona.

Meaningful Interaction in a Local Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holck, Ulla

2006-01-01

This keynote is based on a Ph.D. thesis on development of socially meaningful interaction in music therapy with children with very poor communication skills (Holck 2002). The aim was to identify some of the conditions, whereby actions can be understood as meaningful - that is, whereby the child......’ Samspil i Musikterapi [Eng.: ’Commusical’ Interplay in Music Therapy. Qualitative Video Analyses of Musical and Gestural Interactions with Children with Severe Functional Limitations, including Children with Autism]. Unpubl. PhD thesis, Aalborg Universitet. Holck, U. (2004) Interaction Themes in Music...

Life is pretty meaningful.

Science.gov (United States)

Heintzelman, Samantha J; King, Laura A

2014-09-01

The human experience of meaning in life is widely viewed as a cornerstone of well-being and a central human motivation. Self-reports of meaning in life relate to a host of important functional outcomes. Psychologists have portrayed meaning in life as simultaneously chronically lacking in human life as well as playing an important role in survival. Examining the growing literature on meaning in life, we address the question "How meaningful is life, in general?" We review possible answers from various psychological sources, some of which anticipate that meaning in life should be low and others that it should be high. Summaries of epidemiological data and research using two self-report measures of meaning in life suggest that life is pretty meaningful. Diverse samples rate themselves significantly above the midpoint on self-reports of meaning in life. We suggest that if meaning in life plays a role in adaptation, it must be commonplace, as our analysis suggests. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

The influence of the maximal value and peak enhancement value of arterial and venous enhancement curve on CT perfusion parameters and signal-to-noise ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju Haiyue; Gao Sijia; Xu Ke; Wang Qiang

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the influence of the maximal value and peak enhancement value of arterial and venous enhancement curve on CT perfusion parameters and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Methods: Seventeen patients underwent brain CT perfusion scanning. All row data were analyzed with perfusion software for 6 times, and get different arterial and venous enhancement curves for each patient. The maximal values and peak enhancement values of each arterial and venous enhancement curves, as well as mean perfusion parameters including cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean transit time (MTT), permeability surface area product (PS), and their standard deviations (SD) in homolateral white and gray matter were measured and recorded. SNR was calculated by dividing the mean perfusion parameter value by its SD. Pearson correlation analysis and two-tailed paired Student t test were used for statistics. Results: The maximal values and peak enhancement values of arterial and venous curves were correlated with mean SNR CBF , SNR CBV and SNR MTT in both white matter and gray matters (r value range: 0.332-0.922, P PS in white matter(r=0.256, P PS (in both white matter and gray matters) and arterial peak enhancement values, the maximal values and venous peak enhancement values, or between SNR PS (in gray matter) and the maximal values of venous curve(r value range: -0.058-0.210, P>0.05). (2) Mean CBF, CBV and PS values in the group with low venous peak enhancement values were significantly different from the group with high venous peak enhancement values in both white and gray matters (t value range: 3.830-5.337, P 0.05). Conclusions: The mean perfusion parameters and SNR are influenced by the maximal values and peak enhancement values of the arterial and venous curves. Peak enhancement of arterial and venous curves should be adjusted to higher level to make parameter values more reliable and increase the SNR. (authors)

Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion imaging of the liver: Optimal b-value subsampling and impact on parameter precision and reproducibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyvorne, Hadrien; Jajamovich, Guido; Kakite, Suguru; Kuehn, Bernd; Taouli, Bachir

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We assess the precision and reproducibility of liver IVIM diffusion parameters. • Liver IVIM DWI can be performed with 4 b-values with good parameter precision. • Liver IVIM DWI can be performed with 4 b-values with good parameter reproducibility. - Abstract: Purpose: To increase diffusion sampling efficiency in intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the liver by reducing the number of diffusion weightings (b-values). Materials and methods: In this IRB approved HIPAA compliant prospective study, 53 subjects (M/F 38/15, mean age 52 ± 13 y) underwent IVIM DWI at 1.5 T using 16 b-values (0–800 s/mm 2 ), with 14 subjects having repeat exams to assess IVIM parameter reproducibility. A biexponential diffusion model was used to quantify IVIM hepatic parameters (PF: perfusion fraction, D: true diffusion and D*: pseudo diffusion). All possible subsets of the 16 b-values were probed, with number of b values ranging from 4 to 15, and corresponding parameters were quantified for each subset. For each b-value subset, global parameter estimation error was computed against the parameters obtained with all 16 b-values and the subsets providing the lowest error were selected. Interscan estimation error was also evaluated between repeat exams to assess reproducibility of the IVIM technique in the liver. The optimal b-values distribution was selected such that the number of b-values was minimal while keeping parameter estimation error below interscan reproducibility error. Results: As the number of b-values decreased, the estimation error increased for all parameters, reflecting decreased precision of IVIM metrics. Using an optimal set of 4 b-values (0, 15, 150 and 800 s/mm 2 ), the errors were 6.5, 22.8 and 66.1% for D, PF and D* respectively. These values lie within the range of test–retest reproducibility for the corresponding parameters, with errors of 12.0, 32.3 and 193.8% for D, PF and D* respectively. Conclusion: A set

Hematological parameters in relation to age, sex and biochemical values for mute swans (Cygnus olor).

Science.gov (United States)

Dolka, B; Włodarczyk, R; Zbikowski, A; Dolka, I; Szeleszczuk, P; Kluciński, W

2014-06-01

The knowledge of the correct morphological and biochemical parameters in mute swans is an important indicator of their health status, body condition, adaptation to habitat and useful diagnostic tools in veterinary practice and ecological research. The aim of the study was to obtain hematological parameters in relation to age, sex and serum biochemistry values in wild-living mute swans. We found the significant differences in the erythrocyte count, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in relation to age of mute swans. There were no differences in hematological values between males and females. The leukogram and H/L ratio did not vary by age and sex in swans. Among of biochemical parameters the slightly increased AST, ALP, CK, K, urea, decreased CHOL and TG values were recorded. As far as we know, this is the first study in which the morphometric parameters of blood cells in mute swans were presented. We found extremely low concentration of lead in blood (at subthreshold level). No blood parasites were found in blood smears. The analysis of body mass and biometric parameters revealed a significant differences dependent on age and sex. No differences in the scaled mass index were found. Our results represent a normal hematologic and blood chemistry values and age-sex related changes, as reference values for the mute swan.

Recommended Parameter Values for GENII Modeling of Radionuclides in Routine Air and Water Releases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snyder, Sandra F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Arimescu, Carmen [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Napier, Bruce A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hay, Tristan R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2012-11-01

The GENII v2 code is used to estimate dose to individuals or populations from the release of radioactive materials into air or water. Numerous parameter values are required for input into this code. User-defined parameters cover the spectrum from chemical data, meteorological data, agricultural data, and behavioral data. This document is a summary of parameter values that reflect conditions in the United States. Reasonable regional and age-dependent data is summarized. Data availability and quality varies. The set of parameters described address scenarios for chronic air emissions or chronic releases to public waterways. Considerations for the special tritium and carbon-14 models are briefly addressed. GENIIv2.10.0 is the current software version that this document supports.

Meaningful and Purposeful Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Clementi, Donna

2014-01-01

This article describes a graphic, designed by Clementi and Terrill, the authors of "Keys to Planning for Learning" (2013), visually representing the components that contribute to meaningful and purposeful practice in learning a world language, practice that leads to greater proficiency. The entire graphic is centered around the letter…

PROMOTING MEANINGFUL LEARNING THROUGH CREATE-SHARE-COLLABORATE

OpenAIRE

Sailin, Siti Nazuar; Mahmor, Noor Aida

2017-01-01

Students in this 21st century are required to acquire these 4C skills: Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity. These skills can be integrated in the teaching and learning through innovative teaching that promotes active and meaningful learning. One way of integrating these skills is through collaborative knowledge creation and sharing. This paper providesan example of meaningful teaching and learning activities designed within the Create-Share-Collaborate instructional...

Parameter values for the long-term nuclear waste management food chain model LIMCAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zach, Reto.

1982-09-01

Eighteen parameters of LIMCAL, a comprehensive food chain model for predicting ICRP 26 50-year committed effective dose equivalents to man due to long-term nuclear waste management are reviewed. The parameters are: soil bulk density, plowlayer depth, soil surface layer depth, resusupension factor, atmospheric dust load, deposition velocity, plant interception fraction, plant environmental half-time, translocation factor, time of above-ground exposure, plant yield, holdup time, animals' feed consumption rate, animals' water consumption rate, man's water consumption rate, food type calorie conversion factors, man's total caloric intake rate and food type calorie fractions. LIMCAL has both traditional and unique parameters. The former occur in most of the currently used assessment models for nuclear installations, whereas the latter do not. For each of the parameters of LIMCAL, a suitable generic value for long-term nuclear waste management was determined. Thus, the general literature and the values currently used or recommended by various agencies were reviewed

Task completion report for investigating why output signal-variable values differ from their output component-parameter values in test problem MST2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinke, R.G.

1997-01-01

Signal-variable values and their component-parameter values differ in an end-of-timestep edit to the TRCOUT and TRCGRF files because signal variables have beginning-of-timestep values, and component parameters have end-of-timestep values. Oscillatory divergence in the MST2 standard test problem after 9000 s occurs because of TRAC-P's numerical evaluation at a 1000 material Courant number. The magnitude of that divergence has diminished by a factor of 3.5 from Version 5.3.01 to 5.4.15 and by a factor of 25 from Version 5.4.15 to 5.4.28. That divergence can be eliminated by evaluating MST2 with a maximum material Courant number of 500

Identifying meaningful activities among elderly people with demenitia: the developing process of an observation taxonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Mette

2014-01-01

, values and beliefs in the center formed the base in the development of the tool. Aim: To develop an observational tool which can identify meaningful activities among elderly demented nursing home residents and thereby provide staff with more knowledge and possibilities for inviting and engaging residents...

Helping others increases meaningful work: Evidence from three experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Allan, Blake A; Duffy, Ryan D; Collisson, Brian

2018-03-01

The aim of the current research was to examine whether manipulating task significance increased the meaningfulness of work among students (Study 1), an online sample of working adults (Study 2), and public university employees (Study 3). In Study 1, students completed a typing task for the benefit of themselves, a charity, or someone they knew would directly benefit from their work. People who worked to benefit someone else, rather than themselves, reported greater task meaningfulness. In Study 2, a representative, online sample of employees reflected on a time when they worked to benefit themselves or someone else at work. Results revealed that people who reflected on working to benefit someone else, rather than themselves, reported greater work meaningfulness. In Study 3, public university employees participated in a community intervention by working as they normally would, finding new ways to help people each day, or finding several new ways to help others on a single day. People who helped others many times in a single day experienced greater gains in work meaningfulness over time. Across 3 experimental studies, we found that people who perceived their work as helping others experienced more meaningfulness in their work. This highlights the potential mechanisms practitioners, employers, and other parties can use to increase the meaningfulness of work, which has implications for workers' well-being and productivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

New parameters and reference values for monitoring iron status in Middle Eastern adolescent male athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, S C; Varamenti, E; Elzain Elgingo, M; Bourdon, P C

2014-04-01

Hematological and biochemical parameters of 160 Middle Eastern adolescent male athletes (aged from 12-18 years) were tested in order to investigate their iron status and to establish reference values for this population. A focus of this study was also the investigation of Reticulocyte hemoglobin (RetHe) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR). Complete blood count, reticulocyte and sera parameters were analyzed at the beginning of the training season for these adolescent athletes. As the diagnosis of iron deficiency in adolescents is extremely difficult subjects were subdivided in three age groups (12-13, 14-15, 16-18). For most of the parameters our results confirmed the existing reference values reported in young athletes. Exceptions were however found with lower Mean Cell Volumes (79.9±4.3 fl) in this group when compared to other age matched data. RetHe, ferritin and sTfR levels were monitored for the interpretation of the iron status in this population and reference values for these parameters were also established. Information to help evidence based decision making about the need for supplementation or further investigations is provided to physicians and nutritionists. RetHe with a proposed threshold value of 25 pg expands the list of parameters which can be used to monitor athletes.

Meaningful learning: The essential factor for conceptual change in limited or inappropriate propositional hierarchies leading to empowerment of learners

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Joseph D.

2002-07-01

The construction and reconstruction of meanings by learners requires that they actively seek to integrate new knowledge with knowledge already in their cognitive structure. Ausubel's assimilation theory of cognitive learning has been shown to be effective in guiding research and instructional design to facilitate meaningful learning (Ausubel, The psychology of meaningful verbal learning, New York: Grune and Stratton, 1963; Educational psychology: A cognitive view, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968; The acquisition and retention of knowledge, Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2000). Gowin's Vee heuristic has been employed effectively to aid teachers and students in understanding the constructed nature of knowledge (Gowin, Educating, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1981). Situated learning occurs when learning is by rote or at a lower level of meaningful learning. Concept mapping has been used effectively to aid meaningful learning with resulting modification of student's knowledge structures. When these knowledge structures are limited or faulty in some way, they may be referred to as Limited or Inappropriate Propositional Hierarchies (LIPH's). Conceptual change, or more accurately conceptual reconstrution, requires meaningful learning to modify LIPH's. Collaborative group learning facilitates meaningful learning and new knowledge construction. World-wide economic changes are forcing major changes in business and industry placing a premium on the power and value of knowledge and new knowledge production. These changes require changes in school and university education that centers on the nature and power of meaningful learning. New computer tools are available to facilitate teaching activities targeted at modifying LIPH's, and aiding meaningful learning in general.

The method of extraction of subspectra with appreciably different values of hyperfine interaction parameters from Moessbauer spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemtsova, O.M.

2006-01-01

The task of Moessbauer spectra processing of complex locally inhomogeneous or multi-phase systems is to reveal subspectral contributions with appreciably different values of hyperfine interaction parameters (HFI) in them. A universal method of processing such spectra is suggested which allows to extract the probability density distribution (PDD) of HFI parameters corresponding to the subspectra with essentially different parameters values. The basis of the method is Tikhonov's regularization method with selection for each subspectrum its own value of the regularization parameter. The universal application of the method is demonstrated in the examples of processing real spectra with different sets of subspectral contributions

An alternative approach to absolute-value test for the parameters of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An alternative approach to absolute-value test statistic Mn is developed for conducting tests simultaneously on all the parameters of multiple linear regression models. Under certain null and alternative hypotheses, the new test statistic is shown to have limiting central and noncentral chisquare distributions, respectively.

Meaningful work and mental health: job satisfaction as a moderator.

Science.gov (United States)

Allan, Blake A; Dexter, Chelsea; Kinsey, Rebecca; Parker, Shelby

2018-02-01

Depression, anxiety and stress are common problems for modern workers. Although having meaningful work, or work that is significant, facilitates personal growth, and contributes to the greater good, has been linked to better mental health, people's work might also need to be satisfying or enjoyable to improve outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to examine meaningful work's relation to mental health (i.e. depression, anxiety and stress) and investigate job satisfaction as a moderator of this relation. The study hypotheses were tested with a large, diverse sample recruited from an online source. Partially supporting hypotheses, when controlling for job satisfaction, meaningful work negatively correlated with depression but did not have a significant relation with anxiety and stress. Similarly, job satisfaction negatively predicted depression and stress. Furthermore, the relations between meaningful work and both anxiety and stress were moderated by job satisfaction. Specifically, only people perceiving their work as meaningful and satisfying reported less anxiety and stress. Although continued research is needed, employers and employees may have to target both the meaningfulness and job satisfaction to address the issues of stress and anxiety among working adults.

Application of extreme value distribution function in the determination of standard meteorological parameters for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Haimei; Liu Xinjian; Qiu Lin; Li Fengju

2014-01-01

Based on the meteorological data from weather stations around several domestic nuclear power plants, the statistical results of extreme minimum temperatures, minimum. central pressures of tropical cyclones and some other parameters are calculated using extreme value I distribution function (EV- I), generalized extreme value distribution function (GEV) and generalized Pareto distribution function (GP), respectively. The influence of different distribution functions and parameter solution methods on the statistical results of extreme values is investigated. Results indicate that generalized extreme value function has better applicability than the other two distribution functions in the determination of standard meteorological parameters for nuclear power plants. (authors)

Meaningful work and secondary school teachers' intention to leave ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The following measuring instruments were used: Work-role Fit Scale, Job Enrichment Scale, Co-worker and Supervisor Relationships Scales, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Work-role fit and job enrichment both had direct positive effect on experiences of psychological meaningfulness at ...

Meaningful spatial and temporal sequences of activities in dwelling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hematalikeikha, M.A.; Coolen, H.C.C.H.; Pourdeihimi, S.

2014-01-01

Human activities based on human needs are affected by affordances and meanings that occur in the dwelling. Activities over time and space have meaningful sequences. The meaningfulness of activities in the cultural framework is conditioned by its special temporality and spatiality. Also, temporal or

Parameter values for the Heysham site for use in the CODAR2 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maul, P.R.

1985-03-01

Details are given of parameter values relevant to the Heysham site for the calculation of individual and collective radiation exposure arising from routine discharges of liquid effluent to the sea. These parameters are to be used in the CODAR2 computer program, and the approach taken in their specification is the same as that employed previously for the Sizewell site. (author)

Between order and chaos: The quest for meaningful information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adriaans, P.

2009-01-01

The notion of meaningful information seems to be associated with the sweet spot between order and chaos. This form of meaningfulness of information, which is primarily what science is interested in, is not captured by both Shannon information and Kolmogorov complexity. In this paper I develop a

Meaningful coping with chronic pain: Exploring the interplay between goal violation, meaningful coping strategies and life satisfaction in chronic pain patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dezutter, Jessie; Dewitte, Laura; Thauvoye, Evalyne; Vanhooren, Siebrecht

2017-02-01

Trying to cope with chronic pain is a highly demanding and challenging task and pain patients often need to reformulate goals or aspirations due to their pain condition. This goal violation is often related with experienced distress and requires coping processes in order to decrease the distress and stimulate a healthy adaptation. Some scholars, however, argued that in so-called unsolvable or irreparable stressors such as chronic pain, conventional coping strategies like problem-focused coping might not be the most adaptive option. In these situations, meaningful coping strategies attempting to transform the meaning of the stressful experience would be more accurate. In this study, we aim to test if goal violation triggers meaningful coping strategies over time and whether engagement in these meaningful coping strategies result in improved life satisfaction, as an indicator of adaptation. A longitudinal three wave study in a sample of paint patients (n = 125) tests whether goal violation triggers positive reappraisal and downward comparison, two possible meaningful coping strategies. The study furthermore tests if engagement in these strategies results in a better adaptation to the pain condition, reflected in higher life satisfaction. Results partially supported our hypotheses by pointing to the benevolent role of downward comparison on life satisfaction via decreased goal violation of pain patients. Our findings however did also show that positive reappraisal predicted lower life satisfaction via increased levels of appraised goal violation which questions the role of positive reappraisal as a genuine meaningful coping strategy. Implications and limitations are discussed. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints

OpenAIRE

Allan, Blake A.; Autin, Kelsey L.; Duffy, Ryan D.

2016-01-01

This study examined a model of meaningful work among a diverse sample of working adults. From the perspectives of Self-Determination Theory and the Psychology of Working Framework, we tested a structural model with social class and work volition predicting SDT motivation variables, which in turn predicted meaningful work. Partially supporting hypotheses, work volition was positively related to internal regulation and negatively related to amotivation, whereas social class was positively relat...

Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology by Rural Hospitals

Science.gov (United States)

McCullough, Jeffrey; Casey, Michelle; Moscovice, Ira; Burlew, Michele

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study examines the current status of meaningful use of health information technology (IT) in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other rural, and urban US hospitals, and it discusses the potential role of Medicare payment incentives and disincentives in encouraging CAHs and other rural hospitals to achieve meaningful use. Methods: Data…

Influence of puerperal gonadoreline application on reproductive parameter values in cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šabanović Mustafa

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents results of investigations conducted in order to investigate the influence of gonadoreline application 14-16, 17-20 and 21-25 days postpartum on reproductive parameters values in cows. A total of 241 cows was included in the study. Out of this number, 126 cows were treated with gonadoreline while 115 animals were placebo treated and served as controls. The estimation of progesterone concentration was conducted on 43 animals selected randomly from the first two groups of treated cows. Analyses of the results in cows that gave normal birth, revealed that mean anoestrus period, open day's period and intervals between calving were significantly lower in the gonadoreline treated groups. Reproductive parameter values in cows with different progesterone concentrations did not differ significantly. The period from gonadoreline application until conception, was shorter by 30, 30 and 14 days, respectively, compared to the controls. The total conception rate from the first three artificial inseminations was 88. 8% in gonadoreline treated groups and 83.47 % in the control groups.

Towards happiness: Experiences of work-role fit, meaningfulness and work engagement of industrial/organisational psychologists in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Llewellyn E. van Zyl

2010-10-01

Research purpose: The aim of this study was to determine how I/O psychologists experience the meaning of their work and to investigate the relationships between their experiences of work-role fit, meaning of work, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement, utilising the happiness framework proposed by Seligman (2002. Motivation for the study: I/O psychologists spend more than 88% of their working day with people, and they are primary role models for happiness in the workplace. Information about their work engagement and experiences of meaning is therefore needed. Research design, approach and method: A survey design was used. A convenience sample (n = 106 was taken of I/O psychologists in South Africa. A biographical questionnaire, the Work-Role Fit Scale, the Work-Life Questionnaire, the Psychological Meaningfulness Scale, the Work Engagement Scale and a survey measuring the actual and desired time spent on six broad categories of work were administered. Main findings: Work-role fit predicted psychological meaningfulness and work engagement. The calling orientation to work predicted both psychological meaningfulness and work engagement. Work-role fit mediated the relationship between the meaning of work and psychological meaningfulness. Work-role fit partially mediated the relationship between a calling orientation to work and work engagement. Practical implications: A calling orientation to work should be fostered in I/O psychologists because it contributes to experiences of work-role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement. Contribution/value-add: The results of this study contribute to scientific knowledge about work-role fit, engagement and meaning as components of happiness of I/O psychologists.

An empirically based conceptual framework for fostering meaningful patient engagement in research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Clayon B; Hoens, Alison M; Backman, Catherine L; McKinnon, Annette M; McQuitty, Shanon; English, Kelly; Li, Linda C

2018-02-01

Patient engagement in research (PEIR) is promoted to improve the relevance and quality of health research, but has little conceptualization derived from empirical data. To address this issue, we sought to develop an empirically based conceptual framework for meaningful PEIR founded on a patient perspective. We conducted a qualitative secondary analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 patient research partners from a research centre-affiliated patient advisory board. Data analysis involved three phases: identifying the themes, developing a framework and confirming the framework. We coded and organized the data, and abstracted, illustrated, described and explored the emergent themes using thematic analysis. Directed content analysis was conducted to derive concepts from 18 publications related to PEIR to supplement, confirm or refute, and extend the emergent conceptual framework. The framework was reviewed by four patient research partners on our research team. Participants' experiences of working with researchers were generally positive. Eight themes emerged: procedural requirements, convenience, contributions, support, team interaction, research environment, feel valued and benefits. These themes were interconnected and formed a conceptual framework to explain the phenomenon of meaningful PEIR from a patient perspective. This framework, the PEIR Framework, was endorsed by the patient research partners on our team. The PEIR Framework provides guidance on aspects of PEIR to address for meaningful PEIR. It could be particularly useful when patient-researcher partnerships are led by researchers with little experience of engaging patients in research. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of the value recommended by the NCRP 151 and its relationship with Brazilian parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groppo, Daniela P.; Martins, Homero L.

2009-01-01

The methodology proposed by the National Council on Radiation Protection 151 (NCRP 151), relates technical information necessary to structural shielding design and evaluation for megavoltage X- and gamma- ray radiotherapy facilities. However, many parameters used to calculate the shield are based on estimates, and may not be adequate to the Brazilian reality. Thus, the central idea of this study is to obtain parameters and is to outline a profile closer to the treatments carried out in facilities in Brazil, through a data collection routine of the Department of Radiotherapy Service of the Real e Benemerita Associacao Portuguesa de Beneficencia, in particular the cobalt therapy Theratron 780 (Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.) and the linear accelerator Varian Clinac 2100C for measurement of workload, use factor, number of patients, fields, dose and anatomic region treated. So, the work did not draw definite values of the parameters, but indicative values were obtained which showed the importance to carry out more detailed studies of the recommended values. (author)

A direct method for computing extreme value (Gumbel) parameters for gapped biological sequence alignments.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Terrance; Sinkala, Zachariah

2014-01-01

We develop a general method for computing extreme value distribution (Gumbel, 1958) parameters for gapped alignments. Our approach uses mixture distribution theory to obtain associated BLOSUM matrices for gapped alignments, which in turn are used for determining significance of gapped alignment scores for pairs of biological sequences. We compare our results with parameters already obtained in the literature.

Characteristics of meaningful chemistry education - The case of water quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westbroek, Hanna Barbara

2005-01-01

This thesis addresses the question of how to involve students in meaningful chemistry education by a proper implementation of three characteristics of meaningful: a context, a need-to-know approach and attention for student input. The characteristics were adopted as solution strategies for

Influence of parameter values on the oscillation sensitivities of two p53-Mdm2 models.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuba, Christian E; Valle, Alexander R; Ayala-Charca, Giancarlo; Villota, Elizabeth R; Coronado, Alberto M

2015-09-01

Biomolecular networks that present oscillatory behavior are ubiquitous in nature. While some design principles for robust oscillations have been identified, it is not well understood how these oscillations are affected when the kinetic parameters are constantly changing or are not precisely known, as often occurs in cellular environments. Many models of diverse complexity level, for systems such as circadian rhythms, cell cycle or the p53 network, have been proposed. Here we assess the influence of hundreds of different parameter sets on the sensitivities of two configurations of a well-known oscillatory system, the p53 core network. We show that, for both models and all parameter sets, the parameter related to the p53 positive feedback, i.e. self-promotion, is the only one that presents sizeable sensitivities on extrema, periods and delay. Moreover, varying the parameter set values to change the dynamical characteristics of the response is more restricted in the simple model, whereas the complex model shows greater tunability. These results highlight the importance of the presence of specific network patterns, in addition to the role of parameter values, when we want to characterize oscillatory biochemical systems.

Data Qualification Report For DTN: MO0012RIB00065.002, Parameter Values For Transfer Coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

C.H. Tung

2001-01-01

A data-qualification evaluation was conducted on Reference Information Base (RIB) data set MOO0 12RIB00065.002, ''Parameter Values for Transfer Coefficients''. The corroborating data method was used to evaluate the data. This method was selected because it closely matches the literature-review method followed to select parameter values. Five criteria were considered when the corroborating method was used: adequacy of the corroborative literature, sufficiency of value-selection criteria, implementation of the selection criteria, documentation of the process, and whether the analysis was conducted in accordance with applicable quality assurance (QA) procedures. Three criteria were used when a literature review was not conducted: appropriate logic used to select parameters, documentation of the process, and whether the analysis was conducted in accordance with applicable QA procedures. The RIB data item, the associated Analysis and Model Report (AMR), the corroborative literature, and the results of an audit revision O/ICN--0 of the AMR were examined. All calculations and the selection process for all values were repeated and confirmed. The qualification team concluded: (1) A sufficient quantity of corroborative literature was reviewed and no additional literature was identified that should have been considered. (2) The selection criteria were sufficient and resulted in valid parameter values. (3) The process was well defined, adequately documented in the AMR, and correctly followed. (4) The analysis was developed in accordance with applicable QA procedures. No negative findings were documented that resulted in questions about the quality of the data. The qualification team therefore recommends that the qualification status of RIB data set MO0012RIB00065.002 be changed to qualified

Uncertainty analyses of the calibrated parameter values of a water quality model

Science.gov (United States)

Rode, M.; Suhr, U.; Lindenschmidt, K.-E.

2003-04-01

For river basin management water quality models are increasingly used for the analysis and evaluation of different management measures. However substantial uncertainties exist in parameter values depending on the available calibration data. In this paper an uncertainty analysis for a water quality model is presented, which considers the impact of available model calibration data and the variance of input variables. The investigation was conducted based on four extensive flowtime related longitudinal surveys in the River Elbe in the years 1996 to 1999 with varying discharges and seasonal conditions. For the model calculations the deterministic model QSIM of the BfG (Germany) was used. QSIM is a one dimensional water quality model and uses standard algorithms for hydrodynamics and phytoplankton dynamics in running waters, e.g. Michaelis Menten/Monod kinetics, which are used in a wide range of models. The multi-objective calibration of the model was carried out with the nonlinear parameter estimator PEST. The results show that for individual flow time related measuring surveys very good agreements between model calculation and measured values can be obtained. If these parameters are applied to deviating boundary conditions, substantial errors in model calculation can occur. These uncertainties can be decreased with an increased calibration database. More reliable model parameters can be identified, which supply reasonable results for broader boundary conditions. The extension of the application of the parameter set on a wider range of water quality conditions leads to a slight reduction of the model precision for the specific water quality situation. Moreover the investigations show that highly variable water quality variables like the algal biomass always allow a smaller forecast accuracy than variables with lower coefficients of variation like e.g. nitrate.

Use of Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR Method to Estimate the Effects of Location Attributes on the Residential Property Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Faris Dziauddin

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study estimates the effect of locational attributes on residential property values in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Geographically weighted regression (GWR enables the use of the local parameter rather than the global parameter to be estimated, with the results presented in map form. The results of this study reveal that residential property values are mainly determined by the property’s physical (structural attributes, but proximity to locational attributes also contributes marginally. The use of GWR in this study is considered a better approach than other methods to examine the effect of locational attributes on residential property values. GWR has the capability to produce meaningful results in which different locational attributes have differential spatial effects across a geographical area on residential property values. This method has the ability to determine the factors on which premiums depend, and in turn it can assist the government in taxation matters.

Improved performance of photosynthetic light response equations with unified parameters for rice leaves with different SPAD values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, J.; Peng, S.; Kong, W.

2015-01-01

The rectangular hyperbola (RH), Mitscherlich (M) and YE equation were applied to describe the photosynthetic light response (PLR) curves measured from rice leaves with different SPAD values, to reveal the relationship between SPAD values and parameters in different equations, and to establish the modified PLR equations. The parameters in PLR equations are largely varied. SPAD value, as an indicator of leaf N contents, was highly correlated to the parameter of Pnmax in RH, M and YE equations. Incorporating the factor SPAD into PLR equations, the modified equations (MRH, MM, and MYE) were established which were feasible to describing the PLR curves for leaves with different SPAD values using the identical parameters for the ten PLR curves as a whole, and perform much better than the general PLR equations (GRH, GM, and GYE). It indicated that incorporating easy available indicators of leaf physiological and morphological traits in the PLR equations, such as SPAD as an indicator of leaf N or Chlorophyll contents, is an easy way to overcome the shortcoming of parameters variation in PLR equations between individuals of the same specie growing in different environments. Further validation should be done for different crops with both SPAD and other possible factors. (author)

Meaningful work and secondary school teachers' intention to leave

OpenAIRE

Janik, M.; Rothmann, S.

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relations between secondary school teachers' work-role fit, job enrichment, supervisor relationships, co-worker relationships, psychological meaningfulness of work and intention to leave. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia. The following measuring instruments were used: Work-role Fit Scale, Job Enrichment Scale, Co-worker and Supervisor Relationships Scales, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale and Turnove...

Poignancy: Mixed Emotional Experience in the Face of Meaningful Endings

Science.gov (United States)

Ersner-Hershfield, Hal; Mikels, Joseph A.; Sullivan, Sarah J.; Carstensen, Laura L.

2009-01-01

The experience of mixed emotions increases with age. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that mixed emotions are associated with shifting time horizons. Theoretically, perceived constraints on future time increase appreciation for life, which, in turn, elicits positive emotions such as happiness. Yet, the very same temporal constraints heighten awareness that these positive experiences come to an end, thus yielding mixed emotional states. In 2 studies, the authors examined the link between the awareness of anticipated endings and mixed emotional experience. In Study 1, participants repeatedly imagined being in a meaningful location. Participants in the experimental condition imagined being in the meaningful location for the final time. Only participants who imagined “last times” at meaningful locations experienced more mixed emotions. In Study 2, college seniors reported their emotions on graduation day. Mixed emotions were higher when participants were reminded of the ending that they were experiencing. Findings suggest that poignancy is an emotional experience associated with meaningful endings. PMID:18179325

An integrative approach to inferring biologically meaningful gene modules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Kai

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability to construct biologically meaningful gene networks and modules is critical for contemporary systems biology. Though recent studies have demonstrated the power of using gene modules to shed light on the functioning of complex biological systems, most modules in these networks have shown little association with meaningful biological function. We have devised a method which directly incorporates gene ontology (GO annotation in construction of gene modules in order to gain better functional association. Results We have devised a method, Semantic Similarity-Integrated approach for Modularization (SSIM that integrates various gene-gene pairwise similarity values, including information obtained from gene expression, protein-protein interactions and GO annotations, in the construction of modules using affinity propagation clustering. We demonstrated the performance of the proposed method using data from two complex biological responses: 1. the osmotic shock response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and 2. the prion-induced pathogenic mouse model. In comparison with two previously reported algorithms, modules identified by SSIM showed significantly stronger association with biological functions. Conclusions The incorporation of semantic similarity based on GO annotation with gene expression and protein-protein interaction data can greatly enhance the functional relevance of inferred gene modules. In addition, the SSIM approach can also reveal the hierarchical structure of gene modules to gain a broader functional view of the biological system. Hence, the proposed method can facilitate comprehensive and in-depth analysis of high throughput experimental data at the gene network level.

Effects of Initial Values and Convergence Criterion in the Two-Parameter Logistic Model When Estimating the Latent Distribution in BILOG-MG 3.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo W Nader

Full Text Available Parameters of the two-parameter logistic model are generally estimated via the expectation-maximization algorithm, which improves initial values for all parameters iteratively until convergence is reached. Effects of initial values are rarely discussed in item response theory (IRT, but initial values were recently found to affect item parameters when estimating the latent distribution with full non-parametric maximum likelihood. However, this method is rarely used in practice. Hence, the present study investigated effects of initial values on item parameter bias and on recovery of item characteristic curves in BILOG-MG 3, a widely used IRT software package. Results showed notable effects of initial values on item parameters. For tighter convergence criteria, effects of initial values decreased, but item parameter bias increased, and the recovery of the latent distribution worsened. For practical application, it is advised to use the BILOG default convergence criterion with appropriate initial values when estimating the latent distribution from data.

Multiple and sign-changing solutions for discrete Robin boundary value problem with parameter dependence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Yuhua

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study second-order nonlinear discrete Robin boundary value problem with parameter dependence. Applying invariant sets of descending flow and variational methods, we establish some new sufficient conditions on the existence of sign-changing solutions, positive solutions and negative solutions of the system when the parameter belongs to appropriate intervals. In addition, an example is given to illustrate our results.

Design democratization with communities: Drawing toward locally meaningful design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winschiers-Goagoses, Naska; Winschiers-Theophilus, Heike; Rodil, Kasper

2012-01-01

The authors present community drawing as meaningful representations to inform locally valid technology design. They investigate recognition within and across cultural borders, thereby exposing variances of localities. The study contributes to the still scarce body of empirical work on culturally...... meaningful development of visual representations and recognition, as part of a longitudinal research project in which we co-design a 3D visualization for a specific Namibian pilot site....

Impact of hierarchy upon the values of neutrino mixing parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escamilla-Roa, J.; Ernst, D. J.; Latimer, D. C.

2010-01-01

A neutrino-oscillation analysis is performed of the more finely binned Super-Kamiokande (Super-K) atmospheric, MINOS, and CHOOZ data to examine the effect of neutrino hierarchy in this data set on the value of θ 13 and the deviation of θ 23 from maximal mixing. Exact oscillation probabilities are used, thus incorporating all powers of θ 13 and ε:=θ 23 -π/4. The extracted oscillation parameters are found to be dependent on the hierarchy, particularly for θ 13 . We find, at a 90% confidence level, that these parameters are Δ 32 =2.44 -0.20 +0.26 and 2.48 -0.22 +0.25 x10 -3 eV 2 , ε=θ 23 -π/4=0.06 -0.16 +0.06 and 0.06 -0.17 +0.08 , and θ 13 =-0.07 -0.11 +0.18 and -0.13 -0.16 +0.23 , for the normal and inverted hierarchies, respectively. The inverted hierarchy is preferred at a statistically insignificant level of 0.3σ.

Value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging using various parameters for assessment and characterization of solitary pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Hisanobu; Ohno, Yoshiharu; Seki, Shinichiro; Nishio, Mizuho; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Maniwa, Yoshimasa; Itoh, Tomoo; Nishimura, Yoshihiro; Sugimura, Kazuro

2015-01-01

Highlights: •Signal–intensity ratio evaluation between lesion and spinal cord is practical method. •Apparent diffusion coefficients may not contribute to the diagnosis of malignant. •True diffusion coefficients may have low potential for the differentiation. •Perfusion fractions may be less specific parameter of diagnosis of pulmonary nodule. •Choice of b values shows little impact for differentiation of pulmonary nodules. -- Abstract: Objectives: To determine the appropriate parameters and evaluation method for characterizing solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) using quantitative parameters of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Methods: Thirty-two subjects with 36 SPNs underwent DWI with seven different b values (0, 50, 100, 150, 300, 500, and 1000 s/mm 2 ). Five quantitative parameters were obtained from the region of interest drawn over each SPN: apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), true diffusion coefficients (DCs), and perfusion fractions (PFs), and signal–intensity ratios between lesion and spinal cord from DWI (b values: 1000 [LSR 1000 ] and 500 [LSR 500 )]). All quantitative parameters and the diagnostic capabilities were statistically compared. Results: SPNs were diagnosed as follow: malignant (n = 27) and benign (n = 9). Parameter comparisons for malignant and benign showed both LSRs differed significantly (p < 0.05). Applying feasible threshold values showed LSR 500 specificity (88.9% [8/9]) and accuracy (77.8% [28/36]) were significantly higher than ADC, DC, and PF specificity and accuracy (p < 0.05). LSR 1000 accuracy (72.2% [26/36]) was significantly higher than DC accuracy, and its specificity (88.9% [8/9]) was significantly higher than ADC, DC, and PF specificities (p < 0.05). Conclusions: For quantitative differentiation of SPNs, LSR evaluation was more useful and practical than ADC, DC, and PF, and choice of b values showed little impact for the differentiation

Generalized Extreme Value's shape parameter and its nature for extreme precipitation using long time series and Bayesian approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ragulina, Galina; Reitan, Trond

2016-04-01

Assessing the probability of extreme precipitation events is of great importance in civil planning. This requires understanding of how return values change with different return periods, which is essentially described by the Generalized Extreme Value distribution's shape parameter. Some works in the field have suggested a constant shape parameter, while our analysis indicates a non-universal value. We first re-analyse an older precipitation dataset (169 stations) extended by Norwegian data (71 stations). We show that while each set seems to have a constant shape parameter, it differs between the two datasets, indicating regional differences. For a more comprehensive analysis of spatial effects, we examine a global dataset (1495 stations). We provide shape parameter maps for two models. We find clear evidence for the shape parameter being dependent on elevation while the effect of latitude remains uncertain. Our results confirm an explanation in terms of dominating precipitation systems based on a proxy derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.

Making Social Studies Meaningful to Elementary Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Susan

1982-01-01

Describes a unit on Ancient Greece designed to make social studies meaningful to fourth and fifth graders. Individual projects and group activities helped students learn about ancient Greek culture. (AM)

Students’ Expectations and Experiences of Meaningful Simulation-Based Medical Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuulikki Keskitalo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate students’ expectations and experiences of meaningful learning in simulation-based learning environments. We set the following research question: How do students’ experiences of meaningful simulation-based learning correspond to their expectations? The students’ (n = 87; male 51, female 36 pre- and post-questionnaires were analyzed using statistical methods. The results indicated that students’ expectations and experiences of meaningful learning were positive, and for most statements, there were statistically significant differences between the mean pre-questionnaire rating and the mean post-questionnaire rating, thereby indicating that students’ actual experiences of simulation-based learning were more positive than their expectations. Thus, students’ experiences exceeded their expectations.

Relationships between Flow Experience, Life Meaningfulness and Subjective Well-being in Music Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Sedlár

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The study examines relationships between flow experience in musical activities, life meaningfulness and subjective well – being. Life meaningfulness belongs to eudaimonic good life, subjective well–being belongs to hedonic good life and flow seems to be combination of both approaches. It is supposed that flow experience in musical activity and life meaningfulness should have positive impact on subjective well –being. The research sample consisted of 96 university music students (37 males, 59 females from the Music and Dance Faculty, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia. Dispositional Flow Scale–2, which measures nine dimension of flow, was used for measuring frequency o f flow experience. Life Meaningfulness Scale, which measures three dimensions of life meaningfulness, was used for measuring meaningfulness of life. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule measured affective components of subjective well–being, and Satisfaction with Life Scale measured cognitive component of subjective well–being. Categorization revealed that the most favourite performing musical activities are creative musical activities, such as reproduction and production, during which music students relatively often experience flow. The results of correlation analysis showed that total scores of flow experience, life meaningfulness and components of subjective well–being, significantly correlate each other. Aspects of flow, clear goals and autotelic experience are positively related to cognitive and motivational dimension of life meaningfulness and also to positive affectivity. Loss of self–consciousness and autotelic experience are positively related to emotional dimension of life meaningfulness. Challenge–skill balance, action–awareness merging, clear goals, concentration on task at hand, sense of control and autotelic experience are negatively related to negative affectivity. Challenge–skill balance and autotelic experience are related to

Audio-Visual and Meaningful Semantic Context Enhancements in Older and Younger Adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten E Smayda

Full Text Available Speech perception is critical to everyday life. Oftentimes noise can degrade a speech signal; however, because of the cues available to the listener, such as visual and semantic cues, noise rarely prevents conversations from continuing. The interaction of visual and semantic cues in aiding speech perception has been studied in young adults, but the extent to which these two cues interact for older adults has not been studied. To investigate the effect of visual and semantic cues on speech perception in older and younger adults, we recruited forty-five young adults (ages 18-35 and thirty-three older adults (ages 60-90 to participate in a speech perception task. Participants were presented with semantically meaningful and anomalous sentences in audio-only and audio-visual conditions. We hypothesized that young adults would outperform older adults across SNRs, modalities, and semantic contexts. In addition, we hypothesized that both young and older adults would receive a greater benefit from a semantically meaningful context in the audio-visual relative to audio-only modality. We predicted that young adults would receive greater visual benefit in semantically meaningful contexts relative to anomalous contexts. However, we predicted that older adults could receive a greater visual benefit in either semantically meaningful or anomalous contexts. Results suggested that in the most supportive context, that is, semantically meaningful sentences presented in the audiovisual modality, older adults performed similarly to young adults. In addition, both groups received the same amount of visual and meaningful benefit. Lastly, across groups, a semantically meaningful context provided more benefit in the audio-visual modality relative to the audio-only modality, and the presence of visual cues provided more benefit in semantically meaningful contexts relative to anomalous contexts. These results suggest that older adults can perceive speech as well as younger

Mapping Meaningful Places on Washington's Olympic Peninsula: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Landscape Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerveny, Lee Karol; Biedenweg, Kelly; McLain, Rebecca

2017-10-01

Landscape values mapping has been widely employed as a form of public participation GIS (PPGIS) in natural resource planning and decision-making to capture the complex array of values, uses, and interactions between people and landscapes. A landscape values typology has been commonly employed in the mapping of social and environmental values in a variety of management settings and scales. We explore how people attribute meanings and assign values to special places on the Olympic Peninsula (Washington, USA) using both a landscape values typology and qualitative responses about residents' place-relationships. Using geographically referenced social values data collected in community meetings (n = 169), we identify high-frequency landscape values and examine how well the landscape values are reflected in open-ended descriptions of place-relations. We also explore the various interpretations of 14 landscape values used in the study. In particular, we investigate any overlapping meanings or blurriness among landscape values and reveal potentially emergent landscape values from the qualitative data. The results provide insights on the use of landscape values mapping typologies for practitioners and researchers engaged in the mapping of social values for PPGIS.

Mapping Meaningful Places on Washington's Olympic Peninsula: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Landscape Values

Science.gov (United States)

Cerveny, Lee Karol; Biedenweg, Kelly; McLain, Rebecca

2017-10-01

Landscape values mapping has been widely employed as a form of public participation GIS (PPGIS) in natural resource planning and decision-making to capture the complex array of values, uses, and interactions between people and landscapes. A landscape values typology has been commonly employed in the mapping of social and environmental values in a variety of management settings and scales. We explore how people attribute meanings and assign values to special places on the Olympic Peninsula (Washington, USA) using both a landscape values typology and qualitative responses about residents' place-relationships. Using geographically referenced social values data collected in community meetings ( n = 169), we identify high-frequency landscape values and examine how well the landscape values are reflected in open-ended descriptions of place-relations. We also explore the various interpretations of 14 landscape values used in the study. In particular, we investigate any overlapping meanings or blurriness among landscape values and reveal potentially emergent landscape values from the qualitative data. The results provide insights on the use of landscape values mapping typologies for practitioners and researchers engaged in the mapping of social values for PPGIS.

Potential Value of Coagulation Parameters for Suggesting Preeclampsia During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying; Lin, Li

2017-07-01

Preeclampsia is a relatively common complication of pregnancy and considered to be associated with different degrees of coagulation dysfunction. This study was developed to evaluate the potential value of coagulation parameters for suggesting preeclampsia during the third trimester of pregnancy. Data from 188 healthy pregnant women, 125 patients with preeclampsia in the third trimester and 120 age-matched nonpregnant women were analyzed. Prothrombin time, prothrombin activity, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen (Fg), antithrombin, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and plateletcrit were tested. All parameters, excluding prothrombin time, platelet distribution width and plateletcrit, differed significantly between healthy pregnant women and those with preeclampsia. Platelet count, antithrombin and Fg were significantly lower and mean platelet volume and prothrombin activity were significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia (P preeclampsia was 0.872 for Fg with an optimal cutoff value of ≤2.87g/L (sensitivity = 0.68 and specificity = 0.98). For severe preeclampsia, the area under the curve for Fg reached up to 0.922 with the same optimal cutoff value (sensitivity = 0.84, specificity = 0.98, positive predictive value = 0.96 and negative predictive value = 0.93). Fg is a biomarker suggestive of preeclampsia in the third trimester of pregnancy, and our data provide a potential cutoff value of Fg ≤ 2.87g/L for screening preeclampsia, especially severe preeclampsia. Copyright © 2017 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Meaningful Learning in the Cooperative Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Sharan, Yael

2015-01-01

Meaningful learning is based on more than what teachers transmit; it promotes the construction of knowledge out of learners' experience, feelings and exchanges with other learners. This educational view is based on the constructivist approach to learning and the co-operative learning approach. Researchers and practitioners in various…

Bifurcation and Stability Analysis of the Equilibrium States in Thermodynamic Systems in a Small Vicinity of the Equilibrium Values of Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Barsuk, Alexandr A.; Paladi, Florentin

2018-04-01

The dynamic behavior of thermodynamic system, described by one order parameter and one control parameter, in a small neighborhood of ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of the system parameters is studied. Using the general methods of investigating the branching (bifurcations) of solutions for nonlinear equations, we performed an exhaustive analysis of the order parameter dependences on the control parameter in a small vicinity of the equilibrium values of parameters, including the stability analysis of the equilibrium states, and the asymptotic behavior of the order parameter dependences on the control parameter (bifurcation diagrams). The peculiarities of the transition to an unstable state of the system are discussed, and the estimates of the transition time to the unstable state in the neighborhood of ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of parameters are given. The influence of an external field on the dynamic behavior of thermodynamic system is analyzed, and the peculiarities of the system dynamic behavior are discussed near the ordinary and bifurcation equilibrium values of parameters in the presence of external field. The dynamic process of magnetization of a ferromagnet is discussed by using the general methods of bifurcation and stability analysis presented in the paper.

Assessment of Optimum Value for Dip Angle and Locking Rate Parameters in Makran Subduction Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Safari, A.; Abolghasem, A. M.; Abedini, N.; Mousavi, Z.

2017-09-01

Makran subduction zone is one of the convergent areas that have been studied by spatial geodesy. Makran zone is located in the South Eastern of Iran and South of Pakistan forming the part of Eurasian-Arabian plate's border where oceanic crust in the Arabian plate (or in Oman Sea) subducts under the Eurasian plate ( Farhoudi and Karig, 1977). Due to lack of historical and modern tools in the area, a sampling of sparse measurements of the permanent GPS stations and temporary stations (campaign) has been conducted in the past decade. Makran subduction zone from different perspectives has unusual behaviour: For example, the Eastern and Western parts of the region have very different seismicity and also dip angle of subducted plate is in about 2 to 8 degrees that this value due to the dip angle in other subduction zone is very low. In this study, we want to find the best possible value for parameters that differs Makran subduction zone from other subduction zones. Rigid block modelling method was used to determine these parameters. From the velocity vectors calculated from GPS observations in this area, block model is formed. These observations are obtained from GPS stations that a number of them are located in South Eastern Iran and South Western Pakistan and a station located in North Eastern Oman. According to previous studies in which the locking depth of Makran subduction zone is 38km (Frohling, 2016), in the preparation of this model, parameter value of at least 38 km is considered. With this function, the amount of 2 degree value is the best value for dip angle but for the locking rate there is not any specified amount. Because the proposed model is not sensitive to this parameter. So we can not expect big earthquakes in West of Makran or a low seismicity activity in there but the proposed model definitely shows the Makran subduction layer is locked.

A meaningful workplace: Framework, space and context ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A meaningful workplace: Framework, space and context. ... PL Steenkamp, JS Basson ... The organisation experiences a loss of productivity, quality, innovation, et cetera ... This is what this article is about: to conceptualise the workplace as ...

[Temporal and spatial heterogeneity analysis of optimal value of sensitive parameters in ecological process model: The BIOME-BGC model as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi Zhe; Zhang, Ting Long; Liu, Qiu Yu; Li, Ying

2018-01-01

The ecological process models are powerful tools for studying terrestrial ecosystem water and carbon cycle at present. However, there are many parameters for these models, and weather the reasonable values of these parameters were taken, have important impact on the models simulation results. In the past, the sensitivity and the optimization of model parameters were analyzed and discussed in many researches. But the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the optimal parameters is less concerned. In this paper, the BIOME-BGC model was used as an example. In the evergreen broad-leaved forest, deciduous broad-leaved forest and C3 grassland, the sensitive parameters of the model were selected by constructing the sensitivity judgment index with two experimental sites selected under each vegetation type. The objective function was constructed by using the simulated annealing algorithm combined with the flux data to obtain the monthly optimal values of the sensitive parameters at each site. Then we constructed the temporal heterogeneity judgment index, the spatial heterogeneity judgment index and the temporal and spatial heterogeneity judgment index to quantitatively analyze the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the optimal values of the model sensitive parameters. The results showed that the sensitivity of BIOME-BGC model parameters was different under different vegetation types, but the selected sensitive parameters were mostly consistent. The optimal values of the sensitive parameters of BIOME-BGC model mostly presented time-space heterogeneity to different degrees which varied with vegetation types. The sensitive parameters related to vegetation physiology and ecology had relatively little temporal and spatial heterogeneity while those related to environment and phenology had generally larger temporal and spatial heterogeneity. In addition, the temporal heterogeneity of the optimal values of the model sensitive parameters showed a significant linear correlation

Normative Values and Interrelationship of MDVP Voice Analysis Parameters Before and After Endotracheal Intubation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Martin Kryspin; Durck, Tina Trier; Bork, Kristian

2016-01-01

normative values for adults and investigates the correlation between these MDVP parameters in relation to the "standardized" trauma of endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative assessments of vocal fold pathology with flexible videolaryngoscopy and voice analysis with MDVP using...... the best-of-three standardized recording were performed in 121 patients with normal voices included consecutively in the RCT. The procedures of anesthesia were standardized. RESULTS: The normative MDVP values of this study are consistently lower compared with most normative values presented in other...... studies. The preoperative to postoperative differences in jitter values (jitter and relative average perturbation) were closely correlated to the shimmer values for patients with postoperative vocal fold edemas. In the patients with edema, the preoperative to postoperative differences in jitter had...

Handbook of parameter values for the prediction of radionuclide transfer in temperate environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This Handbook has been prepared in response to a widely expressed interest in having a convenient and authoritative reference for radionuclide transfer parameter values used in biospheric assessment models. It draws on data from North America and Europe, much of which was collected through projects of the International Union of Radioecologists (IUR) and the Commission of European Communities (CEC) over the last decade. It is intended to supplement existing IAEA publications on environmental assessment methodology, primarily Generic Models and Parameters for Assessing the Environmental Transfer of Radionuclides from Routine Releases, IAEA Safety Series No. 57 (1982). 219 refs, 3 figs, 32 tabs

Extreme value analysis of meteorological parameters observed during the period 1994-2001 at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramkumar, S.; Dole, M.L.; Nankar, D.P.; Rajan, M.P.; Gurg, R.P.

2003-01-01

In the design of engineering structures, an understanding of extreme weather conditions that may occur at the site of interest is very essential, so that the structures can be designed to withstand such situations. In this report an analysis of extreme values of meteorological parameters observed at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station site for the period 1994 -2001 is described. The parameters considered are maximum and minimum air temperature, maximum wind speed and gust, and maximum rainfall in a month, in a day, in an hour and annual rainfall. The extreme value analysis reveals that annual rainfall, maximum monthly rainfall, minimum air temperature and maximum wind speed at 10 m obey Fisher-Tippet Type -1 distribution whereas maximum daily rainfall, maximum hourly rainfall, maxinlum air temperature and maximum wind speed at 30 m obey Fisher-Tippet Type -2 distribution function. There is no difference in correlation coefficients and fit both extreme value distribution function. Co-efficients of the distribution functions for each variable are established. Extreme values of parameters corresponding to return periods of 50 and 100 years are derived. These derived extreme values are particularly useful for arriving at suitable design basis values to ensure the safety of any civil structure in and around Kakrapar Atomic Power Station site with respect to stresses due to weather conditions. (author)

Operating Room Delays: Meaningful Use in Electronic Health Record.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Winkle, Rachelle A; Champagne, Mary T; Gilman-Mays, Meri; Aucoin, Julia

2016-06-01

Perioperative areas are the most costly to operate and account for more than 40% of expenses. The high costs prompted one organization to analyze surgical delays through a retrospective review of their new electronic health record. Electronic health records have made it easier to access and aggregate clinical data; 2123 operating room cases were analyzed. Implementing a new electronic health record system is complex; inaccurate data and poor implementation can introduce new problems. Validating the electronic health record development processes determines the ease of use and the user interface, specifically related to user compliance with the intent of the electronic health record development. The revalidation process after implementation determines if the intent of the design was fulfilled and data can be meaningfully used. In this organization, the data fields completed through automation provided quantifiable, meaningful data. However, data fields completed by staff that required subjective decision making resulted in incomplete data nearly 24% of the time. The ease of use was further complicated by 490 permutations (combinations of delay types and reasons) that were built into the electronic health record. Operating room delay themes emerged notwithstanding the significant complexity of the electronic health record build; however, improved accuracy could improve meaningful data collection and a more accurate root cause analysis of operating room delays. Accurate and meaningful use of data affords a more reliable approach in quality, safety, and cost-effective initiatives.

Interpretation of Mason's equation in terms of measurable electrochemical-etching parameters governing the dielectric breakdown phenomenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Najjar, S.A.R.; Durrani, S.A.

1986-01-01

A new interpretation of Mason's equation, as applicable to the electrochemical etching (ECE) of tracks in polymers, is presented in terms of physically meaningful track-etching parameters. The values of these parameters have been experimentally obtained by irradiating CR-39 foils with heavy ions ( 238 U and 129 Xe) and α-particles of various energies, and applying chemical pre-etching (CPE), followed by ECE in steps, with increasing electric field until the 'treeing' breakdown is initiated. A value of 1.19 MV cm -1 is obtained for the intrinsic electrical breakdown stress of CR-39. It is found that the track radius r used in Mason's equation is related to the radius rsub(Θ) of a sphere, inscribed within the etch cone, whose lowest point is at a fixed distance lsub(o) above the cone tip, with lsub(o) ≅ 1.75 μm for α-particle tracks of energies 2-5.5 MeV, such that r = 0.43 + rsub(Θ) (in μm). (author)

Physically meaningful and not so meaningful symmetries in Chern-Simons theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giavarini, G.

1993-01-01

We explicitly show that the Landau gauge supersymmetry of Chern-Simons theory does not have any physical significance. In fact, the difference between an effective action both BRS invariant and Landau supersymmetric and an effective action only BRS invariant is a finite field redefinition. Having established this, we use a BRS invariant regulator that defines CS theory as the large mass limit of topologically massive Yang-Mills theory to discuss the shift k → k + c v of the bare Chern-Simons parameter k in connection with the Landau supersymmetry. Finally, to convince ourselves that the shift above is not an accident of our regularization method, we comment on the fact that all BRS invariant regulators used as yet yield the same value for the shift. (orig.)

Are historical values of ionospheric parameters from ionosondes overestimated?

Science.gov (United States)

Laštovička, J.; Koucká Knížová, P.; Kouba, D.

2012-04-01

Ionogram-scaled values from pre-digital ionosonde times had been derived from ionograms under the assumption of the vertical reflection of ordinary mode of sounding radio waves. Classical ionosondes were unable to distinguish between the vertical and oblique reflections and in the case of the Es-layer also between the ordinary and extraordinary mode reflections due to mirror-like reflections. However, modern digisondes determine clearly the oblique or extraordinary mode reflections. Evaluating the Pruhonice digisonde ionograms in "classical" and in "correct" way we found for seven summers (2004-2010) that among strong foEs (> 6 MHz) only 10% of foEs values were correct and 90% were artificially enhanced in average by 1 MHz, in extreme cases by more than 3 MHz (some oblique reflections). 34% of all reflections were oblique reflections. With other ionospheric parameters like foF2 or foE the problem is less severe because non-mirror reflection makes delay of the extraordinary mode with respect to the ordinary mode and they are separated on ionograms, and oblique reflections are less frequent than with the patchy Es layer. At high latitudes another problem is caused by the z-mode, which is sometimes difficult to be distinguished from the ordinary mode.

Positive solutions for a nonlinear periodic boundary-value problem with a parameter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingliang Qiu

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Using topological degree theory with a partially ordered structure of space, sufficient conditions for the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for a second-order nonlinear periodic boundary-value problem are established. Inspired by ideas in Guo and Lakshmikantham [6], we study the dependence of positive periodic solutions as a parameter approaches infinity, $$ lim_{lambdao +infty}|x_{lambda}|=+infty,quadhbox{or}quad lim_{lambdao+infty}|x_{lambda}|=0. $$

Meaningful Use of School Health Data

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kathleen Hoy; Bergren, Martha Dewey

2011-01-01

Meaningful use (MU) of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is an important development in the safety and security of health care delivery in the United States. Advancement in the use of EHRs occurred with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provides incentives for providers to support adoption and use of EHRs.…

Readiness for Meaningful Use of Health Information Tech...

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — According to findings reported in Readiness for Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Survey Results,...

INFLUENCE OF ROLLING STOCK VIBROACOUSTICAL PARAMETERS ON THE CHOICE OF RATIONAL VALUES OF LOCOMOTIVE RUNNING GEAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. V. Zelenko

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose.The success of the traffic on the railways of Ukraine depends on the number and the operational fleet of electric locomotives. Today, the locomotive depot exploit physically and morally outdated locomotives that have low reliability. Modernization of electric locomotives is not economically justified. The aim of this study is to improve the safety of the traction rolling stock by the frequency analysis of dynamical systems, which allows conducting the calculation of the natural (of resonant frequencies of the design and related forms of vibrations.Methodology.The study was conducted by methods of analytical mechanics and mathematical modeling of operating loads of freight locomotive when driving at different speeds on the straight and curved track sections. The theoretical value of the work is the technique of choice of constructive schemes and rational parameters of perspective electric locomotive taking into account the electric inertia ratios and stiffness coefficients of Lagrange second-order equations.Findings. The problems of theoretical research and the development of a mathematical model of the spatial electric vibrations are solved. The theoretical studies of the effect of inertia ratios and stiffness coefficients on the dynamic values and the parameter values of electric locomotive undercarriages are presented.Originality.The set of developed regulations and obtained results is a practical solution to selecting rational parameters of bogies of the freight mainline locomotive for railways of Ukraine. A concept of choice of constructive scheme and rational parameters of perspective locomotive is formulated. It is developed the method of calculation of spatial electric locomotive oscillations to determine its dynamic performance. The software complex for processing the data of experimental studies of dynamic parameters of electric locomotive and comparing the results of the theoretical calculations with the data of full

Reaping the benefits of meaningful work: The mediating versus moderating role of work engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew J; Jiang, Lixin

2017-08-01

This study examined whether meaningful work may improve one's quality of life outside of the workplace (i.e., work-to-life enrichment). More importantly, we proposed and tested competing hypotheses regarding the role of work engagement in the relationship between meaningful work and work-to-life enrichment. Specifically, we investigated whether work engagement served as a mediator of this relationship, as suggested by the job demands-resources model, or instead a moderator, as suggested by conservation of resources theory. Two-wave survey data were collected from 194 respondents recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Analyses showed that meaningful work was positively related to work-to-life enrichment over time (i.e., 3 months later). Additionally, work engagement mediated but did not moderate the relationship between meaningful work at Time 1 and work-to-life enrichment at Time 2. We suggest that organizations foster a sense of meaningfulness in employees to facilitate engagement and in turn enrich employees' lives beyond the workplace. Therefore, not only organizations, but individuals as well may reap the benefits of meaningful work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Annotating spatio-temporal datasets for meaningful analysis in the Web

Science.gov (United States)

Stasch, Christoph; Pebesma, Edzer; Scheider, Simon

2014-05-01

More and more environmental datasets that vary in space and time are available in the Web. This comes along with an advantage of using the data for other purposes than originally foreseen, but also with the danger that users may apply inappropriate analysis procedures due to lack of important assumptions made during the data collection process. In order to guide towards a meaningful (statistical) analysis of spatio-temporal datasets available in the Web, we have developed a Higher-Order-Logic formalism that captures some relevant assumptions in our previous work [1]. It allows to proof on meaningful spatial prediction and aggregation in a semi-automated fashion. In this poster presentation, we will present a concept for annotating spatio-temporal datasets available in the Web with concepts defined in our formalism. Therefore, we have defined a subset of the formalism as a Web Ontology Language (OWL) pattern. It allows capturing the distinction between the different spatio-temporal variable types, i.e. point patterns, fields, lattices and trajectories, that in turn determine whether a particular dataset can be interpolated or aggregated in a meaningful way using a certain procedure. The actual annotations that link spatio-temporal datasets with the concepts in the ontology pattern are provided as Linked Data. In order to allow data producers to add the annotations to their datasets, we have implemented a Web portal that uses a triple store at the backend to store the annotations and to make them available in the Linked Data cloud. Furthermore, we have implemented functions in the statistical environment R to retrieve the RDF annotations and, based on these annotations, to support a stronger typing of spatio-temporal datatypes guiding towards a meaningful analysis in R. [1] Stasch, C., Scheider, S., Pebesma, E., Kuhn, W. (2014): "Meaningful spatial prediction and aggregation", Environmental Modelling & Software, 51, 149-165.

The Estimation of Compaction Parameter Values Based on Soil Properties Values Stabilized with Portland Cement

Science.gov (United States)

Lubis, A. S.; Muis, Z. A.; Pasaribu, M. I.

2017-03-01

The strength and durability of pavement construction is highly dependent on the properties and subgrade bearing capacity. This then led to the idea of the selection methods to estimate the density of the soil with the proper implementation of the system, fast and economical. This study aims to estimate the compaction parameter value namely the maximum dry unit weight (γd max) and optimum moisture content (wopt) of the soil properties value that stabilized with Portland Cement. Tests conducted in the laboratory of soil mechanics to determine the index properties (fines and liquid limit) and Standard Compaction Test. Soil samples that have Plasticity Index (PI) between 0-15% then mixed with Portland Cement (PC) with variations of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%, each 10 samples. The results showed that the maximum dry unit weight (γd max) and wopt has a significant relationship with percent fines, liquid limit and the percentation of cement. Equation for the estimated maximum dry unit weight (γd max) = 1.782 - 0.011*LL + 0,000*F + 0.006*PS with R2 = 0.915 and the estimated optimum moisture content (wopt) = 3.441 + 0.594*LL + 0,025*F + 0,024*PS with R2 = 0.726.

Remedial principles and meaningful engagement in education ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article evaluates the meaningful engagement doctrine in the education rights jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court in the light of a set of normative principles developed by Susan Sturm for evaluating participatory public law remedies. It commences by identifying four principles for evaluating participatory remedies ...

Fishing for meaningful units in connected speech

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henrichsen, Peter Juel; Christiansen, Thomas Ulrich

2009-01-01

In many branches of spoken language analysis including ASR, the set of smallest meaningful units of speech is taken to coincide with the set of phones or phonemes. However, fishing for phones is difficult, error-prone, and computationally expensive. We present an experiment, based on machine...

An analysis of sensitivity of CLIMEX parameters in mapping species potential distribution and the broad-scale changes observed with minor variations in parameters values: an investigation using open-field Solanum lycopersicum and Neoleucinodes elegantalis as an example

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Ricardo Siqueira; Kumar, Lalit; Shabani, Farzin; Picanço, Marcelo Coutinho

2018-04-01

A sensitivity analysis can categorize levels of parameter influence on a model's output. Identifying parameters having the most influence facilitates establishing the best values for parameters of models, providing useful implications in species modelling of crops and associated insect pests. The aim of this study was to quantify the response of species models through a CLIMEX sensitivity analysis. Using open-field Solanum lycopersicum and Neoleucinodes elegantalis distribution records, and 17 fitting parameters, including growth and stress parameters, comparisons were made in model performance by altering one parameter value at a time, in comparison to the best-fit parameter values. Parameters that were found to have a greater effect on the model results are termed "sensitive". Through the use of two species, we show that even when the Ecoclimatic Index has a major change through upward or downward parameter value alterations, the effect on the species is dependent on the selection of suitability categories and regions of modelling. Two parameters were shown to have the greatest sensitivity, dependent on the suitability categories of each species in the study. Results enhance user understanding of which climatic factors had a greater impact on both species distributions in our model, in terms of suitability categories and areas, when parameter values were perturbed by higher or lower values, compared to the best-fit parameter values. Thus, the sensitivity analyses have the potential to provide additional information for end users, in terms of improving management, by identifying the climatic variables that are most sensitive.

Designing Meaningful Game Experiences for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Mobility Settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Gabrielli

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the approach followed in two ongoing research projects aimed to designing meaningful game-based experiences to support home rehabilitation, eco-sustainable mobility goals and more in general better daily lifestyles. We first introduce the need for designing meaningful game-based experiences that are well-connected to the relevant non-game settings and can be customized by/for users, then, we show examples of how this approach can be realized in the rehabilitation and sustainable mobility contexts.

Water saturation in shaly sands: logging parameters from log-derived values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyairi, M.; Itoh, T.; Okabe, F.

1976-01-01

The methods are presented for determining the relation of porosity to formation factor and that of true resistivity of formation to water saturation, which were investigated through the log interpretation of one of the oil and gas fields of northern Japan Sea. The values of the coefficients ''a'' and ''m'' in porosity-formation factor relation are derived from cross-plot of porosity and resistivity of formation corrected by clay content. The saturation exponent ''n'' is determined from cross-plot of porosity and resistivity index on the assumption that the product of porosity and irreducible water saturation is constant. The relation of porosity to irreducible water saturation is also investigated from core analysis. The new logging parameters determined from the methods, a = 1, m = 2, n = 1.4, improved the values of water saturation by 6 percent in average, and made it easy to distinguish the points which belong to the productive zone and ones belonging to the nonproductive zone

Numerical solution of system of boundary value problems using B-spline with free parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Yogesh

2017-01-01

This paper deals with method of B-spline solution for a system of boundary value problems. The differential equations are useful in various fields of science and engineering. Some interesting real life problems involve more than one unknown function. These result in system of simultaneous differential equations. Such systems have been applied to many problems in mathematics, physics, engineering etc. In present paper, B-spline and B-spline with free parameter methods for the solution of a linear system of second-order boundary value problems are presented. The methods utilize the values of cubic B-spline and its derivatives at nodal points together with the equations of the given system and boundary conditions, ensuing into the linear matrix equation.

Callings, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

meaningful work experiences, which also impact individuals' work .... group 25 to 29 years. .... significant chi-squared difference tests, after these path deletions, indicated that .... Counseling Psychology, 59:479-485. doi: 10.1037/a0028949.

Reconciling Planck with the local value of H0 in extended parameter space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleonora Di Valentino

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The recent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant by Riess et al., 2016 (hereafter R16 is now 3.3 sigma higher than the value derived from the most recent CMB anisotropy data provided by the Planck satellite in a ΛCDM model. Here we perform a combined analysis of the Planck and R16 results in an extended parameter space, varying simultaneously 12 cosmological parameters instead of the usual 6. We find that a phantom-like dark energy component, with effective equation of state w=−1.29−0.12+0.15 at 68% c.l. can solve the current tension between the Planck dataset and the R16 prior in an extended ΛCDM scenario. On the other hand, the neutrino effective number is fully compatible with standard expectations. This result is confirmed when including cosmic shear data from the CFHTLenS survey and CMB lensing constraints from Planck. However, when BAO measurements are included we find that some of the tension with R16 remains, as also is the case when we include the supernova type Ia luminosity distances from the JLA catalog.

The Value of Children to Iranian Parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Taghi Iman

2007-05-01

Full Text Available What do parents feel the value of children might be? Using rational choice theory, the effect of having children was measured by their aggregate social, economic and emotional value. The results show that age, gender, occupation and the experience of having raised a child did not correlate with the value of children. However, marital status, family size, family income and especially religiosity all play a meaningful part in determining the value of children.

Valuing Ecosystem Services with Fishery Rents: A Lumped-Parameter Approach to Hypoxia in the Neuse River Estuary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larry B. Crowder

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Valuing ecosystem services with microeconomic underpinnings presents challenges because these services typically constitute nonmarket values and contribute to human welfare indirectly through a series of ecological pathways that are dynamic, nonlinear, and difficult to quantify and link to appropriate economic spatial and temporal scales. This paper develops and demonstrates a method to value a portion of ecosystem services when a commercial fishery is dependent on the quality of estuarine habitat. Using a lumped-parameter, dynamic open access bioeconomic model that is spatially explicit and includes predator-prey interactions, this paper quantifies part of the value of improved ecosystem function in the Neuse River Estuary when nutrient pollution is reduced. Specifically, it traces the effects of nitrogen loading on the North Carolina commercial blue crab fishery by modeling the response of primary production and the subsequent impact on hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen. Hypoxia, in turn, affects blue crabs and their preferred prey. The discounted present value fishery rent increase from a 30% reduction in nitrogen loadings in the Neuse is $2.56 million, though this welfare estimate is fairly sensitive to some parameter values. Surprisingly, this number is not sensitive to initial conditions.

The journey of primary care practices to meaningful use: a Colorado Beacon Consortium study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernald, Douglas H; Wearner, Robyn; Dickinson, W Perry

2013-01-01

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 provides for incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid for clinicians who implement electronic health records (EHRs) and use this technology meaningfully to improve patient care. There are few comprehensive descriptions of how primary care practices achieve the meaningful use of clinical data, including the formal stage 1 meaningful use requirements. Evaluation of the Colorado Beacon Consortium project included iterative qualitative analysis of practice narratives, provider and staff interviews, and separate focus groups with quality improvement (QI) advisors and staff from the regional health information exchange (HIE). Most practices described significant realignment of practice priorities and aims, which often required substantial education and training of physicians and staff. Re-engineering office processes, data collection protocols, EHRs, staff roles, and practice culture comprised the primary effort and commitment to attest to stage 1 meaningful use and subsequent meaningful use of clinical data. While realizing important benefits, practices bore a significant burden in learning the true capabilities of their EHRs with little effective support from vendors. Attestation was an important initial milestone in the process, but practices faced substantial ongoing work to use their data meaningfully for patient care and QI. Key resources were instrumental to these practices: local technical EHR expertise; collaborative learning mechanisms; and regular contact and support from QI advisors. Meeting the stage 1 requirements for incentives under Medicare and Medicaid meaningful use criteria is the first waypoint in a longer journey by primary care practices to the meaningful use of electronic data to continuously improve the care and health of their patients. The intensive re-engineering effort for stage 1 yielded practice changes consistent with larger practice aims and goals

Modelling hydrodynamic parameters to predict flow assisted corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poulson, B.; Greenwell, B.; Chexal, B.; Horowitz, J.

1992-01-01

During the past 15 years, flow assisted corrosion has been a worldwide problem in the power generating industry. The phenomena is complex and depends on environment, material composition, and hydrodynamic factors. Recently, modeling of flow assisted corrosion has become a subject of great importance. A key part of this effort is modeling the hydrodynamic aspects of this issue. This paper examines which hydrodynamic parameter should be used to correlate the occurrence and rate of flow assisted corrosion with physically meaningful parameters, discusses ways of measuring the relevant hydrodynamic parameter, and describes how the hydrodynamic data is incorporated into the predictive model

Assessment on Evaluating Parameters of Rice Core Collections Constructed by Genotypic Values and Molecular Marker Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-cheng WANG

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Eleven evaluating parameters for rice core collection were assessed based on genotypic values and molecular marker information. Monte Carlo simulation combined with mixed linear model was used to eliminate the interference from environment in order to draw more reliable results. The coincidence rate of range (CR was the optimal parameter. Mean Simpson index (MD, mean Shannon-Weaver index of genetic diversity (MI and mean polymorphism information content (MPIC were important evaluating parameters. The variable rate of coefficient of variation (VR could act as an important reference parameter for evaluating the variation degree of core collection. Percentage of polymorphic loci (p could be used as a determination parameter for the size of core collection. Mean difference percentage (MD was a determination parameter for the reliability judgment of core collection. The effective evaluating parameters for core collection selected in the research could be used as criteria for sampling percentage in different plant germplasm populations.

A summary of the sources of input parameter values for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant final porosity surface calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, B.M.

1997-08-01

A summary of the input parameter values used in final predictions of closure and waste densification in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal room is presented, along with supporting references. These predictions are referred to as the final porosity surface data and will be used for WIPP performance calculations supporting the Compliance Certification Application to be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report includes tables and list all of the input parameter values, references citing their source, and in some cases references to more complete descriptions of considerations leading to the selection of values

A summary of the sources of input parameter values for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant final porosity surface calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butcher, B.M.

1997-08-01

A summary of the input parameter values used in final predictions of closure and waste densification in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal room is presented, along with supporting references. These predictions are referred to as the final porosity surface data and will be used for WIPP performance calculations supporting the Compliance Certification Application to be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report includes tables and list all of the input parameter values, references citing their source, and in some cases references to more complete descriptions of considerations leading to the selection of values.

Taking a leap of faith: Meaningful participation of people with experiences of homelessness in solutions to address homelessness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trudy Laura Norman

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Participation of people with experiences of homelessness is critical to the development of meaningful strategies to end homelessness. The purpose of this study was to gain insights from people who have been homeless in a mid-sized Canadian city, as to strategies that facilitate meaningful participation in solutions to end homelessness. Within an overarching framework of collaborative research, we collected data through seven focus groups and employed interpretive description as our approach to data analysis. In our analysis, we identified both exclusionary and inclusionary forces that impact participation. Exclusionary forces included being ‘caught in the homelessness industry’, ‘homelessness is a full time job’ and facing stigma/discrimination that make participation a ‘leap of faith’. Inclusionary forces included earning respect and building trust to address unequal power relations, and restoring often ‘taken for granted’ social relations. Specific strategies to enhance participation include listening, valuing skills and stories, and supporting advocacy efforts. The study findings illuminate ways in which power imbalances are lived out in the daily lives of people who experience homelessness, as well as mitigating forces that provide direction as to strategies for addressing power inequities that seek to make participation and social inclusion meaningful. Keywords: homelessness, social policy, social exclusion, social inclusion, advocacy

Wonderful Life : Exploring Wonder in Meaningful Moments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Goor, Marie Jacqueline; Sools, Anna Maria; Westerhof, Gerben Johan; Bohlmeijer, Ernst Thomas

In this article, we bring the study of meaning together with the emerging field of study focusing on the emotions of wonder: wonder, enchantment, awe, and being moved. It is in meaningful moments that these two meet, and in our empirical study, we used the emotions of wonder as a lens to investigate

The Omaha system and meaningful use: applications for practice, education, and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Karen S; Monsen, Karen A; Bowles, Kathryn H

2011-01-01

Meaningful use has become ubiquitous in the vocabulary of health information technology. It suggests that better healthcare does not result from the adoption of technology and electronic health records, but by increasing interoperability and informing clinical decisions at the point of care. Although the initial application of meaningful use was limited to eligible professionals and hospitals, it incorporates complex processes and workflow that involve all nurses, other healthcare practitioners, and settings. The healthcare community will become more integrated, and interdisciplinary practitioners will provide enhanced patient-centered care if electronic health records adopt the priorities of meaningful use. Standardized terminologies are a necessary component of such electronic health records. The Omaha System is an exemplar of a standardized terminology that enables meaningful use of clinical data to support and improve patient-centered clinical practice, education, and research. It is user-friendly, generates data that can be shared with patients and their families, and enables healthcare providers to analyze and exchange patient-centered coded data. Use of the Omaha System is increasing steadily in diverse practice, education, and research settings nationally and internationally.

Using Mobile Tools to Support Meaningful Work-based Learning in Vocational Education

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Hanna Vuojärvi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This case study focused on meaningful work-based learning (WBL and the pedagogical use of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs in vocational tourism education. The aim was to reveal how teaching/tutoring and learning are realized and how the use of smartphones supports the realization of meaningful learning characteristics during WBL periods in highly versatile environments. Within a design-based research framework, the data was collected through learning journals written by students and qualitative interviews. The results of thematic analysis were used to develop a practice-oriented pedagogical model for meaningful WBL. The model visualizes the roles of students, teachers, and companies involved in WBL, the meaningful learning characteristics that can be amplified through the use of mobile ICTs, and the outcomes for each stakeholder. The model suggests structuring WBL through four negotiations involving a student, a teacher, and a company to assure that each student has clearly formulated learning goals and possibilities to pursue those goals regardless of the mobility of their work or facilities during their WBL period.

Sweeping the Floor or Putting a Man on the Moon: How to Define and Measure Meaningful Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Both-Nwabuwe, Jitske M C; Dijkstra, Maria T M; Beersma, Bianca

2017-01-01

Meaningful work is integral to well-being and a flourishing life. The construct of "meaningful work" is, however, consistently affected by conceptual ambiguity. Although there is substantial support for arguments to maintain the status of conceptual ambiguity, we make a case for the benefits of having consensus on a definition and scale of meaningful work in the context of paid work. The objective of this article, therefore, was twofold. Firstly, we wanted to develop a more integrative definition of meaningful work. Secondly, we wanted to establish a corresponding operationalization. We reviewed the literature on the existing definitions of meaningful work and the scales designed to measure it. We found 14 definitions of meaningful work. Based on these definitions, we identified four categories of definitions, which led us to propose an integrative and comprehensive definition of meaningful work. We identified two validated scales that were partly aligned with the proposed definition. Based on our review, we conclude that scholars in this field should coalesce rather than diverge their efforts to conceptualize and measure meaningful work.

Patient Centred Systems: Techno-Anthropological reflections on the challenges of 'meaningfully engaging' patients within health informatics research.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Ming-Chao; Almond, Helen; Cummings, Elizabeth; Roehrer, Erin; Showell, Chris; Turner, Paul

2015-01-01

This chapter explores how Techno-Anthropology can contribute to more explicitly professional and ethically responsible reflections on the socio-technical practices involved in meaningfully engaging patients in health informatics research. The chapter draws on insights from health informatics research projects focused on chronic disease and self-management conducted in Tasmania during the last 10 years. Through these projects the paper explores three topics of relevance to 'meaningful engagement' with patients: (i) Patient Self-Management and Chronic Disease (ii) Patients as Users in Health Informatics research, and, (iii) Evaluations of outcomes in Health and Health Informatics Interventions. Techno-Anthropological reflections are then discussed through the concepts of liminality, polyphony and power. This chapter argues that beyond its contribution to methodology, an important role for Techno-Anthropology in patient centred health informatics research may be its capacity to support new ways of conceptualising and critically reflecting on the construction and mediation of patients' needs, values and perspectives.

Assessing Assessment: In Pursuit of Meaningful Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Rootman-le Grange, Ilse; Blackie, Margaret A. L.

2018-01-01

The challenge of supporting the development of meaningful learning is prevalent in chemistry education research. One of the core activities used in the learning process is assessments. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the semantics dimension of Legitimation Code Theory can be a helpful tool to critique the quality of assessments and…

Values in Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Maureen; Chenail, Ronald J.

2008-01-01

The authors identify the philosophical underpinnings and value-ladenness of major research paradigms. They argue that useful and meaningful research findings for counseling can be generated from both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, provided that the researcher has an appreciation of the importance of philosophical coherence in…

Pengaruh Job Enrichment terhadap Employee Engagement melalui Psychological Meaningfulness sebagai Mediator

OpenAIRE

Sungkit, Flavia Norpina; Meiyanto, IJK Sito

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of job enrichment toward employee engagement through psychological meaningfulness as the mediator. Research design used is a cross-sectional study of 112 employees. Data is analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. Result shows job enrichment is able to influence employee engagement significantly through psychological meaningfulness as the mediator. The p=0,000 with significance level 0,05. The sig F change shows 0,006, which is

Community-based medical education: is success a result of meaningful personal learning experiences?

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Len; Walters, Lucie; Rosenthal, David

2014-01-01

Community-based medical education (CBME) is the delivery of medical education in a specific social context. Learners become a part of social and medical communities where their learning occurs. Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are year-long community-based placements where the curriculum and clinical experience is typically delivered by primary care physicians. These programs have proven to be robust learning environments, where learners develop strong communication skills and excellent clinical reasoning. To date, no learning model has been offered to describe CBME. The characteristics of CBME are explored by the authors who suggest that the social and professional context provided in small communities enhances medical education. The authors postulate that meaningfulness is engendered by the authentic context, which develops over time. These relationships with preceptors, patients and the community provide meaningfulness, which in turn enhances learning. The authors develop a novel learning model. They propose that the context-rich environment of CBME allows for meaningful relationships and experiences for students and that such meaningfulness enhances learning.

Meaningful Share Generation for Increased Number of Secrets in Visual Secret-Sharing Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Ulutas

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new scheme for hiding two halftone secret images into two meaningful shares created from halftone cover images. Meaningful shares are more desirable than noise-like (meaningless shares in Visual Secret Sharing because they look natural and do not attract eavesdroppers' attention. Previous works in the field focus on either increasing number of secrets or creating meaningful shares for one secret image. The method outlined in this paper both increases the number of secrets and creates meaningful shares at the same time. While the contrast ratio of shares is equal to that of Extended Visual Cryptography, two secrets are encoded into two shares as opposed to one secret in the Extended Visual Cryptography. Any two natural-looking images can be used as cover unlike the Halftone Visual Cryptography method where one cover should be the negative of the other cover image and can only encode one secret. Effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by an experiment.

A Continuum of Learning: From Rote Memorization to Meaningful Learning in Organic Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Grove, Nathaniel P.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2012-01-01

The Assimilation Theory of Ausubel and Novak has typically been used in the research literature to describe two extremes to learning chemistry: meaningful learning "versus" rote memorization. It is unlikely, however, that such discrete categories of learning exist. Rote and meaningful learning, rather, are endpoints along a continuum of…

Effects of correcting missing daily feed intake values on the genetic parameters and estimated breeding values for feeding traits in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Tetsuya; Fukawa, Kazuo; Kamikawa, Mai; Nikaidou, Satoshi; Taniguchi, Masaaki; Arakawa, Aisaku; Tanaka, Genki; Mikawa, Satoshi; Furukawa, Tsutomu; Hirose, Kensuke

2018-01-01

Daily feed intake (DFI) is an important consideration for improving feed efficiency, but measurements using electronic feeder systems contain many missing and incorrect values. Therefore, we evaluated three methods for correcting missing DFI data (quadratic, orthogonal polynomial, and locally weighted (Loess) regression equations) and assessed the effects of these missing values on the genetic parameters and the estimated breeding values (EBV) for feeding traits. DFI records were obtained from 1622 Duroc pigs, comprising 902 individuals without missing DFI and 720 individuals with missing DFI. The Loess equation was the most suitable method for correcting the missing DFI values in 5-50% randomly deleted datasets among the three equations. Both variance components and heritability for the average DFI (ADFI) did not change because of the missing DFI proportion and Loess correction. In terms of rank correlation and information criteria, Loess correction improved the accuracy of EBV for ADFI compared to randomly deleted cases. These findings indicate that the Loess equation is useful for correcting missing DFI values for individual pigs and that the correction of missing DFI values could be effective for the estimation of breeding values and genetic improvement using EBV for feeding traits. © 2017 The Authors. Animal Science Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Identifying biologically meaningful hot-weather events using threshold temperatures that affect life-history.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan J Cunningham

Full Text Available Increases in the frequency, duration and intensity of heat waves are frequently evoked in climate change predictions. However, there is no universal definition of a heat wave. Recent, intense hot weather events have caused mass mortalities of birds, bats and even humans, making the definition and prediction of heat wave events that have the potential to impact populations of different species an urgent priority. One possible technique for defining biologically meaningful heat waves is to use threshold temperatures (T(thresh above which known fitness costs are incurred by species of interest. We set out to test the utility of this technique using T(thresh values that, when exceeded, affect aspects of the fitness of two focal southern African bird species: the southern pied babbler Turdiodes bicolor (T(thresh = 35.5 °C and the common fiscal Lanius collaris (T(thresh = 33 °C. We used these T(thresh values to analyse trends in the frequency, duration and intensity of heat waves of magnitude relevant to the focal species, as well as the annual number of hot days (maximum air temperature > T(thresh, in north-western South Africa between 1961 and 2010. Using this technique, we were able to show that, while all heat wave indices increased during the study period, most rapid increases for both species were in the annual number of hot days and in the maximum intensity (and therefore intensity variance of biologically meaningful heat waves. Importantly, we also showed that warming trends were not uniform across the study area and that geographical patterns in warming allowed both areas of high risk and potential climate refugia to be identified. We discuss the implications of the trends we found for our focal species, and the utility of the T(thresh technique as a conservation tool.

Water Habitat Study: Prediction Makes It More Meaningful.

Science.gov (United States)

Glasgow, Dennis R.

1982-01-01

Suggests a teaching strategy for water habitat studies to help students make a meaningful connection between physiochemical data (dissolved oxygen content, pH, and water temperature) and biological specimens they collect. Involves constructing a poster and using it to make predictions. Provides sample poster. (DC)

Meaningful Gamification in an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Stansbury, Jessica A.; Earnest, David R.

2017-01-01

Motivation and game research continue to demonstrate that the implementation of game design characteristics in the classroom can be engaging and intrinsically motivating. The present study assessed the extent to which an industrial organizational psychology course designed learning environment created with meaningful gamification elements can…

The EURISOL Beta-beam Facility: Parameter and Intensity Values, Version 2

CERN Document Server

Benedikt, M; Lindroos, M; Fabich, A

An initial “bottom-up” analysis of ion intensities along the accelerator chain is revised to take into account more recent simulations of the stacking of 18Ne ions in the decay ring and beneficial trends in output flux as functions of certain machine parameters. In addition, space charge detuning at injection in the PS has led to a rethink of the top energy of the RCS, while that at injection in the SPS has had an impact on the number of bunches per batch delivered by the PS. We present transverse emittance values (which enter the space charge tune shift calculations) together with an updated list of intensities for both ion species under consideration in the baseline scenario.

Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education and Youth Sport: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Beni, Stephanie; Fletcher, Tim; Ní Chróinín, Déirdre

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to review the literature about young people's meaningful experiences in physical education and youth sport. We reviewed 50 empirical peer-reviewed articles published in English since 1987. Five themes were identified as central influences to young people's meaningful experiences in physical education and sport:…

Parameter values for the estimation of radionuclide transfer to major food crops in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yong-Ho; Lim, Kwang-Muk; Jun, In; Keum, Dong-Kwon; Lee, Chang-Woo

2008-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of the radiotracer experiments and field studies performed in Korea for the past 20 years to obtain parameter values for estimating the environmental transfer of radionuclides to food crops. With regards to direct plant contamination, the interception fractions, weathering half-lives and translocation factors of Cs, Sr, Mn, Co and Ru were measured for depositions at different growth stages of selected food crops. In order to investigate an indirect contamination pathway, the soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF m , dimensionless) of Cs, Sr, Mn, Co and/or Zn were measured for rice, Chinese cabbage, radish, soybean, barley, lettuce and so on in one or more soils. In addition, the transfer factors (TF a , m 2 kg -1 ) based on a deposition density were also measured following depositions at different times during the growth periods of several food crops. Particularly for rice and Chinese cabbage, tritium experiments were also carried out for the TF a . The obtained parameter values varied considerably with the soils, crops, radionuclides and deposition times. These data would be applicable to both normal and acute releases not only in Korea but also in many other countries. (author)

Predictive value of some hematological parameters for non-invasive and invasive mole pregnancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Abide Yayla, Cigdem; Özkaya, Enis; Yenidede, Ilter; Eser, Ahmet; Ergen, Evrim Bostancı; Tayyar, Ahter Tanay; Şentürk, Mehmet Baki; Karateke, Ates

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to discriminate mole pregnancies and invasive forms among cases with first trimester vaginal bleeding by the utilization of some complete blood count parameters conjunct to sonographic findings and beta human chorionic gonadotropin concentration. Consecutive 257 cases with histopathologically confirmed mole pregnancies and 199 women without mole pregnancy presented with first trimester vaginal bleeding who admitted to Zeynep Kamil Women and Children's Health Training Hospital between January 2012 and January 2016 were included in this cross-sectional study. The serum beta HCG level at presentation, and beta hCG levels at 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks of postevacuation with some parameters of complete blood count were utilized to discriminate cases with molar pregnancy and cases with invasive mole among first trimester pregnants presented with vaginal bleeding and abnormal sonographic findings. Levels of beta hCG at baseline (AUC = 0.700, p < 0.05) and 1st (AUC = 0.704, p < 0.05), 2nd (AUC = 0.870, p < 0.001) and 3rd (AUC = 0.916, p < 0.001) weeks of postevacuation period were significant predictors for the cases with persistent disease. While area under curve for mean platelet volume is 0.715, it means that mean platelet volume has 21.5% additional diagnostic value for predicting persistency in molar patients. For 8.55 cut-off point for mean platelet volume, sensitivity is 84.6% and specificity is 51.6%. Area under curve for platelet/lymphocyte ratio is 0.683 means that platelet/lymphocyte ratio has additional 18.3% diagnostic value. For 102.25 cut-off point sensitivity is 86.6% and specificity is 46.2. Simple, widely available complete blood count parameters may be used as an adjunct to other risk factors to diagnose molar pregnancies and predict postevacuation trophoblastic disease.

The real value of nuclear-weapon-free zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carasales, J.

1998-01-01

The international community has greeted the establishment of two new nuclear weapon-free zones with praise. Africa and South Asia are the regions which will join, once the respective treaties are ratified and in force, Latin America and the South Pacific to ensure that extensive areas of the earth remain free of nuclear weapons. The usual reaction to these accomplishments is to hail them as important contributions to international peace and security, and as meaningful steps towards a world free of nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapon-free zones have their value but this value relates mainly to the countries within the zone. The interest of nuclear-weapon states are not really affected, or, if they are, the influence is not significant. One should bear in mind that the really important and meaningful nuclear weapon-free zones have yet to be achieved

Meaningful radiation worker training for temporary craftsmen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, S.L.

1976-01-01

The carefully organized Radiation Worker Training Program presented to permanently assigned personnel at a power reactor facility too often falls by the wayside when temporary craftsmen are brought in for an outage. Even though these temporary workers will frequently be assigned to outage jobs with high radiation and/or contamination exposures, their Radiation Worker Training is often squeezed into an already busy schedule, thus reducing its effectiveness. As an aid for evaluating the effectiveness of an existing Radiation Worker Training Program for temporary craftsmen or for setting up a new program, the following guides are presented and discussed in this paper: the training environment; the interest and meaningfulness of the presentation; the method or methods used for presentation of the training information; the use of demonstrations; trainee participation; and, measuring the amount and type of information retained by a trainee. Meaningful Radiation Worker Training for temporary craftsmen can pay big dividends. Craftsmen can be expected to make fewer mistakes, thus reducing radiation exposure and lessening the chance for the spread of contamination. The craftsmen will also benefit by being able to work longer and utility management will benefit by having lower outage costs

Concept Mapping Using Cmap Tools to Enhance Meaningful Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Cañas, Alberto J.; Novak, Joseph D.

Concept maps are graphical tools that have been used in all facets of education and training for organizing and representing knowledge. When learners build concept maps, meaningful learning is facilitated. Computer-based concept mapping software such as CmapTools have further extended the use of concept mapping and greatly enhanced the potential of the tool, facilitating the implementation of a concept map-centered learning environment. In this chapter, we briefly present concept mapping and its theoretical foundation, and illustrate how it can lead to an improved learning environment when it is combined with CmapTools and the Internet. We present the nationwide “Proyecto Conéctate al Conocimiento” in Panama as an example of how concept mapping, together with technology, can be adopted by hundreds of schools as a means to enhance meaningful learning.

Average values of 235U resonance parameters up to 500 eV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leal, L.C.

1991-01-01

An R-matrix analysis of 235 U neutron cross sections was recently completed. The analysis was performed with the multilevel-multichannel Reich-Moore computer code SAMMY and extended the resolved resonance region up to 500 eV. Several high resolution measurements namely, transmission, fission and capture data as well as spin separated fission data were analyzed in a consistent manner and a very accurate parametrization up to 500 eV of these data were obtained. The aim of this paper is to present the results of average values of the resonance parameters. 9 refs., 1 tab

"Meaningful use" of electronic health records and its relevance to laboratories and pathologists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter H Henricks

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Electronic health records (EHRs have emerged as a major topic in health care and are central to the federal government′s strategy for transforming healthcare delivery in the United States. Recent federal actions that aim to promote the use of EHRs promise to have significant implications for laboratories and for pathology practices. Under the HITECH (Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health Act, an EHR incentive program has been established through which individual physicians and hospitals can qualify to receive incentive payments if they achieve "meaningful use" of "certified" EHR technology. The rule also establishes payment penalties in future years for eligible providers who have not met the requirements for meaningful use of EHRs. Meaningful use must be achieved using EHR technology that has been certified in accordance with functional and technical criteria that are set forth a regulation that parallels the meaningful use criteria in the incentive program. These actions and regulations are important to laboratories and pathologists for a number of reasons. Several of the criteria and requirements in the meaningful use rules and EHR certification criteria relate directly or indirectly to laboratory testing and laboratory information management, and future stage requirements are expected to impact the laboratory as well. Furthermore, as EHR uptake expands, there will be greater expectations for electronic interchange of laboratory information and laboratory information system (LIS-EHR interfaces. Laboratories will need to be aware of the technical, operational, and business challenges that they may face as expectations for LIS-EHR increase. This paper reviews the important recent federal efforts aimed at accelerating EHR use, including the incentive program for EHR meaningful use, provider eligibility, and EHR certification criteria, from a perspective of their relevance for laboratories and pathology practices.

Building Bridges Through Meaningful Occupation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Fortuna

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Mary Block, MS, OTR/L, an occupational therapist and artist based in Illinois, provided the cover art for the Summer 2017 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT. Generations is a sculpture made from concrete that measures 240 x100 in. (6.096 x 2.54 m. The piece was commissioned by Mary’s home town, the Village of Deerfield, IL. Mary always knew she wanted to be an artist. When competing paradigms altered Mary’s career path, the field of occupational therapy helped her to shape a new worldview. In uncertain times, meaningful occupation empowered Mary to start over again where she originally began

Challenges in Measuring Cost and Value in Oncology: Making It Personal.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Peter P

2016-01-01

Oncology patients often find themselves facing an incurable disease with limited treatment options and increasing patient fragility. The importance of patient preferences and values increases in shared decision making especially when the cost of cancer care is continuing its steep rise. As our understanding of cancer systems biology increases, we are justifiably optimistic about therapeutic improvements but recognize that this has complicated the traditional Food and Drug Administration approval of drug indications based on organ-specific cancer for a particular drug. Dynamic and agile clinical guidelines that reflect a rapidly changing knowledge base for decision-making support are needed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has been working on three initiatives to tackle these complex issues. The first initiative is ASCO's collaboration with other international organizations to create a framework to assess drugs for the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines List, including nongenerics. The second initiative aims to define clinically meaningful outcomes as precision medicine expands the definition of cancers, leading to increased demand for the use of targeted drugs as single agents or in combination. The third initiative is ASCO's value framework, published in 2015, focusing on patient-physician shared decision making. The framework incorporates three parameters: 1) the meaningfulness of the clinical benefit, 2) the toxicity of the treatment, and 3) the patient's financial out-of-pocket cost. ASCO is concerned about the rising cost of cancer care when the clinical complexity and the pace of change in oncology are accelerating, and it is committed to help improve patient outcomes and value in cancer care as well as to engage the broader health care community in a process of collaborative improvement. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morality and a Meaningful Life | Thomas | Philosophical Papers

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... healthy dovetail with respect to leading a meaningful life. With this argument regarding psychological health I draw upon, and extend, P. F. Strawson's seminal essay “Freedom and Resentment”. Also in this regard, I extend Wittgenstein's argument against the possibility of a private language to social behavior generally.

Creating a meaningful infection control program: one home healthcare agency's lessons.

Science.gov (United States)

Poff, Renee McCoy; Browning, Sarah Via

2014-03-01

Creating a meaningful infection control program in the home care setting proved to be challenging for agency leaders of one hospital-based home healthcare agency. Challenges arose when agency leaders provided infection control (IC) data to the hospital's IC Committee. The IC Section Chief asked for national benchmark comparisons to align home healthcare reporting to that of the hospital level. At that point, it was evident that the home healthcare IC program lacked definition and structure. The purpose of this article is to share how one agency built a meaningful IC program.

Measuring meaningful learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Kelli R.

The undergraduate chemistry laboratory has been an essential component in chemistry education for over a century. The literature includes reports on investigations of singular aspects laboratory learning and attempts to measure the efficacy of reformed laboratory curriculum as well as faculty goals for laboratory learning which found common goals among instructors for students to learn laboratory skills, techniques, experimental design, and to develop critical thinking skills. These findings are important for improving teaching and learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory, but research is needed to connect the faculty goals to student perceptions. This study was designed to explore students' ideas about learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Novak's Theory of Meaningful Learning was used as a guide for the data collection and analysis choices for this research. Novak's theory states that in order for meaningful learning to occur the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains must be integrated. The psychomotor domain is inherent in the chemistry laboratory, but the extent to which the cognitive and affective domains are integrated is unknown. For meaningful learning to occur in the laboratory, students must actively integrate both the cognitive domain and the affective domains into the "doing" of their laboratory work. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was designed to measure students' cognitive and affective expectations and experiences within the context of conducting experiments in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Evidence for the validity and reliability of the data generated by the MLLI were collected from multiple quantitative studies: a one semester study at one university, a one semester study at 15 colleges and universities across the United States, and a longitudinal study where the MLLI was administered 6 times during two years of general and organic chemistry laboratory courses. Results from

Callings, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationships among a calling orientation, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement of teachers in Zambia. A quantitative approach was followed and a cross-sectional survey was used. The sample (n = 150) included 75 basic and 75 secondary school ...

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Retroactive Inhibition with Meaningful Material

Science.gov (United States)

Weisshed, Ethel

1973-01-01

The determination of the extent to which generalizations derived from studies of rote verbal learning, particularly paired-associate learning applied to highly meaningful materials, was the focus of this study. It was found that discriminating tags to synonyms and antonyms permitting the application of appropriate transfer rules may be attached.…

Meaningful work and work engagement : The mediating role of perceived opportunity to craft and job crafting behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Wingerden, Jessica; van der Stoep, Joost; Poell, R.F.

2018-01-01

This study examines the impact of meaningful work on employees’ level of work engagement as mediated by perceived opportunities to craft and job crafting. Based on the literature on meaningful work and job crafting, we hypothesize that meaningful work has a positive relationship with an employee’s

Effects of perceptual load and socially meaningful stimuli on crossmodal selective attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder and neurotypical samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyndall, Ian; Ragless, Liam; O'Hora, Denis

2018-04-01

The present study examined whether increasing visual perceptual load differentially affected both Socially Meaningful and Non-socially Meaningful auditory stimulus awareness in neurotypical (NT, n = 59) adults and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, n = 57) adults. On a target trial, an unexpected critical auditory stimulus (CAS), either a Non-socially Meaningful ('beep' sound) or Socially Meaningful ('hi') stimulus, was played concurrently with the presentation of the visual task. Under conditions of low visual perceptual load both NT and ASD samples reliably noticed the CAS at similar rates (77-81%), whether the CAS was Socially Meaningful or Non-socially Meaningful. However, during high visual perceptual load NT and ASD participants reliably noticed the meaningful CAS (NT = 71%, ASD = 67%), but NT participants were unlikely to notice the Non-meaningful CAS (20%), whereas ASD participants reliably noticed it (80%), suggesting an inability to engage selective attention to ignore non-salient irrelevant distractor stimuli in ASD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Meaningful Contexts to Promote Understanding of Pronumerals

Science.gov (United States)

Linsell, Chris; Cavanagh, Michael; Tahir, Salma

2013-01-01

Developing a conceptual understanding of elementary algebra has been the focus of a number of recent articles in this journal. Baroudi (2006) advocated problem solving to assist students' transition from arithmetic to algebra, and Shield (2008) described the use of meaningful contexts for developing the concept of function. Samson (2011, 2012)…

Estimation of mean and median pO2 values for a composite EPR spectrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Rizwan; Vikram, Deepti S; Potter, Lee C; Kuppusamy, Periannan

2008-06-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-based oximetry is capable of quantifying oxygen content in samples. However, for a heterogeneous environment with multiple pO2 values, peak-to-peak linewidth of the composite EPR lineshape does not provide a reliable estimate of the overall pO2 in the sample. The estimate, depending on the heterogeneity, can be severely biased towards narrow components. To address this issue, we suggest a postprocessing method to recover the linewidth histogram which can be used in estimating meaningful parameters, such as the mean and median pO2 values. This information, although not as comprehensive as obtained by EPR spectral-spatial imaging, goes beyond what can be generally achieved with conventional EPR spectroscopy. Substantially shorter acquisition times, in comparison to EPR imaging, may prompt its use in clinically relevant models. For validation, simulation and EPR experiment data are presented.

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Investigate Meaningful Prenatal Care Among African American Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Nypaver, Cynthia F; Shambley-Ebron, Donna

2016-11-01

In the United States, African American babies die more than twice as often as White babies. The cause for this difference remains elusive, yet is likely complex with one factor being inadequate cultural care of pregnant African American women. The purpose of this study was to explore African American women's perspectives of meaningful prenatal care. Community-based participatory research was employed for this study using photovoice. The sample included 11 African American mothers in an urban community in Midwestern United States. Five themes were abstracted from the data: (1) Access to Care; (2) Soul Nourishment; (3) Companionship; (4) Help Me, Teach Me; and (5) The Future. Meaningful prenatal care is influenced by culture. African American women need physical, social, and soulful support to enhance meaningfulness of care during pregnancy. The findings support that meaningfulness of prenatal care for African American women may be enhanced by accessible and uniquely designed, culturally congruent models of prenatal care. © The Author(s) 2015.

Influence of lung parameter values for the Brazilian population on inhalation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reis, Arlene A.; Lopes, Ricardo T.

2009-01-01

The Human Respiratory Tract Model (HRTM) proposed by the ICRP Publication 66 accounts for the morphology and physiology of the respiratory tract. The ICRP 66 presents deposition fraction in the respiratory tract regions considering reference values from Caucasian man. However, in order to obtain a more accurate assessment of intake and dose the ICRP recommends the use of specific information when they are available. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence in dose calculation to each region of the respiratory tract when physiological parameters from samples of Brazilian population, in different levels of exercise, are applied in the deposition model.The dosimetric model of HRTM was implemented in the software EXCEL for Windows and committed equivalent dose was determined for each respiratory tract region. First it was calculated the total number of nuclear transformations considering the fractional deposition of activity in each source tissue obtained by application of physiological and morphological Brazilian parameters in the deposition model and then it was calculated the total energy absorbed per unit mass in the target tissue.The variation in the fractional deposition in the compartments of the respiratory tract in changing the physiological parameters from Caucasian to Brazilian adult man causes variation in the number of total transformations and also in the equivalent dose in each region of the respiratory tract. The variations are not the same for all regions of the respiratory tract and depend on levels of exercise. (author)

Constraining model parameters on remotely sensed evaporation: justification for distribution in ungauged basins?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. C. Winsemius

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, land surface related parameter distributions of a conceptual semi-distributed hydrological model are constrained by employing time series of satellite-based evaporation estimates during the dry season as explanatory information. The approach has been applied to the ungauged Luangwa river basin (150 000 (km² in Zambia. The information contained in these evaporation estimates imposes compliance of the model with the largest outgoing water balance term, evaporation, and a spatially and temporally realistic depletion of soil moisture within the dry season. The model results in turn provide a better understanding of the information density of remotely sensed evaporation. Model parameters to which evaporation is sensitive, have been spatially distributed on the basis of dominant land cover characteristics. Consequently, their values were conditioned by means of Monte-Carlo sampling and evaluation on satellite evaporation estimates. The results show that behavioural parameter sets for model units with similar land cover are indeed clustered. The clustering reveals hydrologically meaningful signatures in the parameter response surface: wetland-dominated areas (also called dambos show optimal parameter ranges that reflect vegetation with a relatively small unsaturated zone (due to the shallow rooting depth of the vegetation which is easily moisture stressed. The forested areas and highlands show parameter ranges that indicate a much deeper root zone which is more drought resistent. Clustering was consequently used to formulate fuzzy membership functions that can be used to constrain parameter realizations in further calibration. Unrealistic parameter ranges, found for instance in the high unsaturated soil zone values in the highlands may indicate either overestimation of satellite-based evaporation or model structural deficiencies. We believe that in these areas, groundwater uptake into the root zone and lateral movement of

Hospital IT adoption strategies associated with implementation success: implications for achieving meaningful use.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Eric W; Menachemi, Nir; Huerta, Timothy R; Yu, Feliciano

2010-01-01

Health systems are facing significant pressure to either implement health information technology (HIT) systems that have "certified" electronic health record applications and that fulfill the federal government's definition of "meaningful use" or risk substantial financial penalties in the near future. To this end, hospitals have adopted one of three strategies, described as "best of breed," "best of suite," and "single vendor," to meet organizational and regulatory demands. The single-vendor strategy is used by the simple majority of U.S. hospitals, but is it the most effective mode for achieving full implementation? Moreover, what are the implications of adopting this strategy for achieving meaningful use? The simple answer to the first question is that the hospitals using the hybrid best of suite strategy had fully implemented HIT systems in significantly greater proportions than did hospitals employing either of the other strategies. Nonprofit and system-affiliated hospitals were more likely to have fully implemented their HIT systems. In addition, increased health maintenance organization market penetration rates were positively correlated with complete implementation rates. These results have ongoing implications for achieving meaningful use in the near term. The federal government's rewards and incentives program related to the meaningful use of HIT in hospitals has created an organizational imperative to implement such systems. For hospitals that have not begun systemwide implementation, pursuing a best of suite strategy may provide the greatest chance for achieving all or some of the meaningful use targets in the near term or at least avoiding future penalties scheduled to begin in 2015.

Standardized perfusion value of the esophageal carcinoma and its correlation with quantitative CT perfusion parameter values

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Djuric-Stefanovic, A., E-mail: avstefan@eunet.rs [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Saranovic, Dj., E-mail: crvzve4@gmail.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Sobic-Saranovic, D., E-mail: dsobic2@gmail.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Center of Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Masulovic, D., E-mail: draganmasulovic@yahoo.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Artiko, V., E-mail: veraart@beotel.rs [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Center of Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia)

2015-03-15

Purpose: Standardized perfusion value (SPV) is a universal indicator of tissue perfusion, normalized to the whole-body perfusion, which was proposed to simplify, unify and allow the interchangeability among the perfusion measurements and comparison between the tumor perfusion and metabolism. The aims of our study were to assess the standardized perfusion value (SPV) of the esophageal carcinoma, and its correlation with quantitative CT perfusion measurements: blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface area product (PS) of the same tumor volume samples, which were obtained by deconvolution-based CT perfusion analysis. Methods: Forty CT perfusion studies of the esophageal cancer were analyzed, using the commercial deconvolution-based CT perfusion software (Perfusion 3.0, GE Healthcare). The SPV of the esophageal tumor and neighboring skeletal muscle were correlated with the corresponding mean tumor and muscle quantitative CT perfusion parameter values, using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r{sub S}). Results: Median SPV of the esophageal carcinoma (7.1; range: 2.8–13.4) significantly differed from the SPV of the skeletal muscle (median: 1.0; range: 0.4–2.4), (Z = −5.511, p < 0.001). The cut-off value of the SPV of 2.5 enabled discrimination of esophageal cancer from the skeletal muscle with sensitivity and specificity of 100%. SPV of the esophageal carcinoma significantly correlated with corresponding tumor BF (r{sub S} = 0.484, p = 0.002), BV (r{sub S} = 0.637, p < 0.001) and PS (r{sub S} = 0.432, p = 0.005), and SPV of the skeletal muscle significantly correlated with corresponding muscle BF (r{sub S} = 0.573, p < 0.001), BV (r{sub S} = 0.849, p < 0.001) and PS (r{sub S} = 0.761, p < 0.001). Conclusions: We presented a database of the SPV for the esophageal cancer and proved that SPV of the esophageal neoplasm significantly differs from the SPV of the skeletal muscle, which represented a sample of healthy

Focusing of high power ultrasound beams and limiting values of shock wave parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Bessonova, O. V.; Khokhlova, V. A.; Bailey, M. R.; Canney, M. S.; Crum, L. A.

2009-10-01

In this work, the influence of nonlinear and diffraction effects on amplification factors of focused ultrasound systems is investigated. The limiting values of acoustic field parameters obtained by focusing of high power ultrasound are studied. The Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation was used for the numerical modeling. Solutions for the nonlinear acoustic field were obtained at output levels corresponding to both pre- and post-shock formation conditions in the focal area of the beam in a weakly dissipative medium. Numerical solutions were compared with experimental data as well as with known analytic predictions.

Estimation of the location parameter of distributions with known coefficient of variation by record values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. K. Sajeevkumar

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this article, we derived the Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE of the location parameter of certain distributions with known coefficient of variation by record values. Efficiency comparisons are also made on the proposed estimator with some of the usual estimators. Finally we give a real life data to explain the utility of results developed in this article.

The Impact of Variability of Selected Geological and Mining Parameters on the Value and Risks of Projects in the Hard Coal Mining Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Kopacz, Michał

2017-09-01

The paper attempts to assess the impact of variability of selected geological (deposit) parameters on the value and risks of projects in the hard coal mining industry. The study was based on simulated discounted cash flow analysis, while the results were verified for three existing bituminous coal seams. The Monte Carlo simulation was based on nonparametric bootstrap method, while correlations between individual deposit parameters were replicated with use of an empirical copula. The calculations take into account the uncertainty towards the parameters of empirical distributions of the deposit variables. The Net Present Value (NPV) and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) were selected as the main measures of value and risk, respectively. The impact of volatility and correlation of deposit parameters were analyzed in two aspects, by identifying the overall effect of the correlated variability of the parameters and the indywidual impact of the correlation on the NPV and IRR. For this purpose, a differential approach, allowing determining the value of the possible errors in calculation of these measures in numerical terms, has been used. Based on the study it can be concluded that the mean value of the overall effect of the variability does not exceed 11.8% of NPV and 2.4 percentage points of IRR. Neglecting the correlations results in overestimating the NPV and the IRR by up to 4.4%, and 0.4 percentage point respectively. It should be noted, however, that the differences in NPV and IRR values can vary significantly, while their interpretation depends on the likelihood of implementation. Generalizing the obtained results, based on the average values, the maximum value of the risk premium in the given calculation conditions of the "X" deposit, and the correspondingly large datasets (greater than 2500), should not be higher than 2.4 percentage points. The impact of the analyzed geological parameters on the NPV and IRR depends primarily on their co-existence, which can be

Revisiting linear plasma waves for finite value of the plasma parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Grismayer, Thomas; Fahlen, Jay; Decyk, Viktor; Mori, Warren

2010-11-01

We investigate through theory and PIC simulations the Landau-damping of plasma waves with finite plasma parameter. We concentrate on the linear regime, γφB, where the waves are typically small and below the thermal noise. We simulate these condition using 1,2,3D electrostatic PIC codes (BEPS), noting that modern computers now allow us to simulate cases where (nλD^3 = [1e2;1e6]). We study these waves by using a subtraction technique in which two simulations are carried out. In the first, a small wave is initialized or driven, in the second no wave is excited. The results are subtracted to provide a clean signal that can be studied. As nλD^3 is decreased, the number of resonant electrons can be small for linear waves. We show how the damping changes as a result of having few resonant particles. We also find that for small nλD^3 fluctuations can cause the electrons to undergo collisions that eventually destroy the initial wave. A quantity of interest is the the life time of a particular mode which depends on the plasma parameter and the wave number. The life time is estimated and then compared with the numerical results. A surprising result is that even for large values of nλD^3 some non-Vlasov discreteness effects appear to be important.

Transfer parameter values in temperate forest ecosystems: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmon, Philippe; Thiry, Yves; Zibold, Gregor; Rantavaara, Aino; Fesenko, Sergei

2009-01-01

Compared to agricultural lands, forests are complex ecosystems as they can involve diverse plant species associations, several vegetative strata (overstorey, shrubs, herbaceous and other annual plant layer) and multi-layered soil profiles (forest floor, hemi-organic and mineral layers). A high degree of variability is thus generally observed in radionuclide transfers and redistribution patterns in contaminated forests. In the long term, the soil compartment represents the major reservoir of radionuclides which can give rise to long-term plant and hence food contamination. For practical reasons, the contamination of various specific forest products has commonly been quantified using the aggregated transfer factor (T ag in m 2 kg -1 ) which integrates various environmental parameters including soil and plant type, root distribution as well as nature and vertical distribution of the deposits. Long lasting availability of some radionuclides was shown to be the source of much higher transfer in forest ecosystems than in agricultural lands. This study aimed at reviewing the most relevant quantitative information on radionuclide transfers to forest biota including trees, understorey vegetation, mushrooms, berries and game animals. For both radiocaesium and radiostrontium in trees, the order of magnitude of mean T ag values was 10 -3 m 2 kg -1 (dry weight). Tree foliage was usually 2-12 times more contaminated than trunk wood. Maximum contamination of tree components with radiocaesium was associated with (semi-)hydromorphic areas with thick humus layers. The transfer of radionuclides to mushrooms and berries is high, in comparison with foodstuffs grown in agricultural systems. Concerning caesium uptake by mushrooms, the transfer is characterized by a very large variability of T ag , from 10 -3 to 10 1 m 2 kg -1 (dry weight). For berries, typical values are around 0.01-0.1 m 2 kg -1 (dry weight). Transfer of radioactive caesium to game animals and reindeer and the rate of

Transfer parameter values in temperate forest ecosystems: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calmon, Philippe [Department of Radioecology, Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, CE Cadarache, BP 3, 13115 Saint Paul-les-Durance Cedex (France)], E-mail: philippe.calmon@irsn.fr; Thiry, Yves [Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK.CEN, Foundation of Public Utility), 2400 Mol (Belgium); Zibold, Gregor [Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, University of Applied Sciences, 88250 Weingarten (Germany); Rantavaara, Aino [Research and Environmental Surveillance, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), BP 14, FIN-00881 Helsinki (Finland); Fesenko, Sergei [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 1400 Vienna (Austria)

2009-09-15

Compared to agricultural lands, forests are complex ecosystems as they can involve diverse plant species associations, several vegetative strata (overstorey, shrubs, herbaceous and other annual plant layer) and multi-layered soil profiles (forest floor, hemi-organic and mineral layers). A high degree of variability is thus generally observed in radionuclide transfers and redistribution patterns in contaminated forests. In the long term, the soil compartment represents the major reservoir of radionuclides which can give rise to long-term plant and hence food contamination. For practical reasons, the contamination of various specific forest products has commonly been quantified using the aggregated transfer factor (T{sub ag} in m{sup 2} kg{sup -1}) which integrates various environmental parameters including soil and plant type, root distribution as well as nature and vertical distribution of the deposits. Long lasting availability of some radionuclides was shown to be the source of much higher transfer in forest ecosystems than in agricultural lands. This study aimed at reviewing the most relevant quantitative information on radionuclide transfers to forest biota including trees, understorey vegetation, mushrooms, berries and game animals. For both radiocaesium and radiostrontium in trees, the order of magnitude of mean T{sub ag} values was 10{sup -3} m{sup 2} kg{sup -1} (dry weight). Tree foliage was usually 2-12 times more contaminated than trunk wood. Maximum contamination of tree components with radiocaesium was associated with (semi-)hydromorphic areas with thick humus layers. The transfer of radionuclides to mushrooms and berries is high, in comparison with foodstuffs grown in agricultural systems. Concerning caesium uptake by mushrooms, the transfer is characterized by a very large variability of T{sub ag}, from 10{sup -3} to 10{sup 1} m{sup 2} kg{sup -1} (dry weight). For berries, typical values are around 0.01-0.1 m{sup 2} kg{sup -1} (dry weight). Transfer

Sensitivity of reactor integral parameters to #betta##betta# parameter of resolved resonances of fertile isotopes and to the α values, in thermal and epithermal spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barroso, D.E.G.

1982-01-01

A sensitivity analysis of reactor integral parameter to more 10% variation in the resolved resonance parameters #betta##betta# of the fertile isotope and the variations of more 10% in the α values (#betta# sub(#betta#)/#betta# sub(f)) of fissile isotopes of PWR fuel elements, is done. The analysis is made with thermal and epithermal spectra, those last generated in a fuel cell with low V sub(M)/V sub(F). The HAMMER system, the interface programs HELP and LITHE and the HAMMER computer codes, were used as a base for this study. (E.G.) [pt

Modeling Meaningful Learning in Chemistry Using Structural Equation Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Brandriet, Alexandra R.; Ward, Rose Marie; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2013-01-01

Ausubel and Novak's construct of "meaningful learning" stipulates that substantive connections between new knowledge and what is already known requires the integration of thinking, feeling, and performance (Novak J. D., (2010), "Learning, creating, and using knowledge: concept maps as facilitative tools in schools and…

Nuclide documentation. Element specific parameter values used in the biospheric models of the safety assessments SR 97 and SAFE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlsson, Sara; Bergstroem, Ulla

2002-05-01

In this report the element and nuclide specific parameter values used in the biospheric models of the safety assessments SR 97 and SAFE are presented. The references used are presented and where necessary the process of estimation of data is described. The parameters treated in this report are distribution coefficients in soil, organic soil and suspended matter in freshwater and brackish water, root uptake factors for pasturage, cereals, root crops and vegetables, bioaccumulation factors for freshwater fish, brackish water fish, freshwater invertebrates and marine water plants, transfer coefficients for transfer to milk and meat, translocation factors and dose coefficients for external exposure, ingestion (age-dependent values) and inhalation (age-dependent values). The radionuclides treated are those which could be of interest in the two safety assessments. Physical data such as half-lives and type of decay are also presented

Nuclide documentation. Element specific parameter values used in the biospheric models of the safety assessments SR 97 and SAFE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karlsson, Sara; Bergstroem, Ulla [Studsvik Eco and Safety AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)

2002-05-01

In this report the element and nuclide specific parameter values used in the biospheric models of the safety assessments SR 97 and SAFE are presented. The references used are presented and where necessary the process of estimation of data is described. The parameters treated in this report are distribution coefficients in soil, organic soil and suspended matter in freshwater and brackish water, root uptake factors for pasturage, cereals, root crops and vegetables, bioaccumulation factors for freshwater fish, brackish water fish, freshwater invertebrates and marine water plants, transfer coefficients for transfer to milk and meat, translocation factors and dose coefficients for external exposure, ingestion (age-dependent values) and inhalation (age-dependent values). The radionuclides treated are those which could be of interest in the two safety assessments. Physical data such as half-lives and type of decay are also presented.

Meaningful Change Scores in the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingelsrud, Lina Holm; Terwee, Caroline B; Terluin, Berend

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Meaningful change scores in the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have not yet been established. PURPOSE: To define the minimal important change (MIC) for the KOOS after ACL reconstruction. STUDY...... data for at least one of the KOOS subscales were obtained from 542 (45.3%) participants. Predictive modeling MIC values were 12.1 for the KOOS subscales of Sport and Recreational Function and 18.3 for Knee-Related Quality of Life. These values aid in interpreting within-group improvement over time...... and can be used as responder criteria when comparing groups. The corresponding and much lower values for the subscales of Pain (2.5), Symptoms (-1.2), and Activities of Daily Living (2.4) are the results from patients reporting, on average, only mild problems with these domains preoperatively. Although 4...

Improving students' meaningful learning on the predictive nature of quantum mechanics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolfo Alves de Carvalho Neto

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with research about teaching quantum mechanics to 3rd year high school students and their meaningful learning of its predictive aspect; it is based on the Master’s dissertation of one of the authors (CARVALHO NETO, 2006. While teaching quantum mechanics, we emphasized its predictive and essentially probabilistic nature, based on Niels Bohr’s complementarity interpretation (BOHR, 1958. In this context, we have discussed the possibility of predicting measurement results in well-defined experimental contexts, even for individual events. Interviews with students reveal that they have used quantum mechanical ideas, suggesting their meaningful learning of the essentially probabilistic predictions of quantum mechanics.

Evaluating of Tear Meniscus Parameters with Optical Coherent Tomography in Dry-Eye Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülizar Soyugelen Demirok

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the changes in meniscus parameters with optical coherence tomography (OCT after treatment and consider the correlation between the OCT parameters and dry-eye tests. Material and Method: Thirty-two dry-eye patients and 30 healthy individuals were included. Visual acuities, biomicroscopic evaluation, Schirmer-I test, tear-break-up time (T-BUT, and lower-tear meniscus parameters measured with OCT were evaluated. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI was performed. The measurements were repeated on the 10th day and 1st month of the treatment. Lower tear meniscus height (LTMH, depth (LTMD, area (LTMA and α-angle were measured. The tear meniscus parameters of the dry-eye group were compared with the control group before treatment, and the correlation between the dry-eye tests and OCT measurements were evaluated. The change in the results of the dry-eye tests and OCT measurements with treatment were assessed. Results: There was statistically no significant difference between the age and gender of the patients in groups. Before treatment the mean Schirmer-I test, TBUT and OSDI scores were different. The LTMH and LTMA were higher in the control group. In the dry-eye group before treatment, there was a negative correlation between the OSDI score and OCT parameters, however, no meaningful correlation was observed between any other test and OCT parameters. Although there were no change in LTMD and α-angle with treatment, the 1st month values of LTMH and LTMA were significantly higher from the pre-treatment and 10th day values. Discussion: When diagnosing dry-eye, TBUT and OSDI scores were found to be more effective compared to Schirmer-I test for the diagnosis of dry eye. Although not adequate by itself, tear meniscus parameters measured with OCT, LTMH and LTMA, may be helpful for evaluating the efficacy of treatment, and the correlation of these two parameters with the OSDI score may increase the objectivity while questioning the

Optimization of parameter values for complex pulse sequences by simulated annealing: application to 3D MP-RAGE imaging of the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, F H; Mugler, J P; Brookeman, J R

1994-02-01

A number of pulse sequence techniques, including magnetization-prepared gradient echo (MP-GRE), segmented GRE, and hybrid RARE, employ a relatively large number of variable pulse sequence parameters and acquire the image data during a transient signal evolution. These sequences have recently been proposed and/or used for clinical applications in the brain, spine, liver, and coronary arteries. Thus, the need for a method of deriving optimal pulse sequence parameter values for this class of sequences now exists. Due to the complexity of these sequences, conventional optimization approaches, such as applying differential calculus to signal difference equations, are inadequate. We have developed a general framework for adapting the simulated annealing algorithm to pulse sequence parameter value optimization, and applied this framework to the specific case of optimizing the white matter-gray matter signal difference for a T1-weighted variable flip angle 3D MP-RAGE sequence. Using our algorithm, the values of 35 sequence parameters, including the magnetization-preparation RF pulse flip angle and delay time, 32 flip angles in the variable flip angle gradient-echo acquisition sequence, and the magnetization recovery time, were derived. Optimized 3D MP-RAGE achieved up to a 130% increase in white matter-gray matter signal difference compared with optimized 3D RF-spoiled FLASH with the same total acquisition time. The simulated annealing approach was effective at deriving optimal parameter values for a specific 3D MP-RAGE imaging objective, and may be useful for other imaging objectives and sequences in this general class.

Meaningful Work and Secondary School Teachers' Intention to Leave

Science.gov (United States)

Janik, M.; Rothmann, S.

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relations between secondary school teachers' work-role fit, job enrichment, supervisor relationships, co-worker relationships, psychological meaningfulness of work and intention to leave. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia. The following measuring instruments…

Development of an Assessment Tool to Measure Students' Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Kelli R.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2015-01-01

Research on learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory necessitates an understanding of students' perspectives of learning. Novak's Theory of Meaningful Learning states that the cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling), and psychomotor (doing) domains must be integrated for meaningful learning to occur. The psychomotor domain is the…

Analysis of radiological parameters associated with decreased fractional anisotropy values on diffusion tensor imaging in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiandi; Wang, Hongli; Sun, Chi; Zhou, Shuyi; Meng, Tao; Lv, Feizhou; Ma, Xiaosheng; Xia, Xinlei; Jiang, Jianyuan

2018-04-26

Previous studies have indicated that decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are well correlated with the symptoms of nerve root compression. The aim of our study is to determine primary radiological parameters associated with decreased FA values in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis involving single L5 nerve root. Patients confirmed with single L5 nerve root compression by transforaminal nerve root blocks were included in this study. FA values of L5 nerve roots on both symptomatic and asymptomatic side were obtained. Conventional radiological parameters, such as disc height, degenerative scoliosis, dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCSA), foraminal height (FH), hypertrophic facet joint degeneration (HFJD), sagittal rotation (SR), sedimentation sign, sagittal translation and traction spur were measured. Correlation and regression analyses were performed between the radiological parameters and FA values of the symptomatic L5 nerve roots. A predictive regression equation was established. Twenty-one patients were included in this study. FA values were significantly lower at the symptomatic side comparing to the asymptomatic side (0.263 ± 0.069 vs. 0.334 ± 0.080, P = 0.038). DSCSA, FH, HFJD, and SR were significantly correlated with the decreased FA values, with r = 0.518, 0.443, 0.472 and - 0.910, respectively (P values, and the regression equation is FA = - 0.012 × SR + 0.002 × DSCSA. DSCSA and SR were primary contributors to decreased FA values in LSS patients involving single L5 nerve root, indicating that central canal decompression and segmental stability should be the first considerations in preoperative planning of these patients. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Commercial software upgrades may significantly alter Perfusion CT parameter values in colorectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goh, Vicky; Shastry, Manu; Endozo, Raymondo; Groves, Ashley M.; Engledow, Alec; Peck, Jacqui; Reston, Jonathan; Wellsted, David M.; Rodriguez-Justo, Manuel; Taylor, Stuart A.; Halligan, Steve

2011-01-01

To determine how commercial software platform upgrades impact on derived parameters for colorectal cancer. Following ethical approval, 30 patients with suspected colorectal cancer underwent Perfusion CT using integrated 64 detector PET/CT before surgery. Analysis was performed using software based on modified distributed parameter analysis (Perfusion software version 4; Perfusion 4.0), then repeated using the previous version (Perfusion software version 3; Perfusion 3.0). Tumour blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface area product (PS) were determined for identical regions-of-interest. Slice-by-slice and 'whole tumour' variance was assessed by Bland-Altman analysis. Mean BF, BV and PS was 20.4%, 59.5%, and 106% higher, and MTT 14.3% shorter for Perfusion 4.0 than Perfusion 3.0. The mean difference (95% limits of agreement) were +13.5 (-44.9 to 72.0), +2.61 (-0.06 to 5.28), -1.23 (-6.83 to 4.36), and +14.2 (-4.43 to 32.8) for BF, BV, MTT and PS respectively. Within subject coefficient of variation was 36.6%, 38.0%, 27.4% and 60.6% for BF, BV, MTT and PS respectively indicating moderate to poor agreement. Software version upgrades of the same software platform may result in significantly different parameter values, requiring adjustments for cross-version comparison. (orig.)

Are all certified EHRs created equal? Assessing the relationship between EHR vendor and hospital meaningful use performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmgren, A Jay; Adler-Milstein, Julia; McCullough, Jeffrey

2017-11-24

The federal electronic health record (EHR) certification process was intended to ensure a baseline level of system quality and the ability to support meaningful use criteria. We sought to assess whether there was variation across EHR vendors in the degree to which hospitals using products from those vendors were able to achieve high levels of performance on meaningful use criteria. We created a cross-sectional national hospital sample from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology EHR Products Used for Meaningful Use Attestation public use file and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare EHR Incentive Program Eligible Hospitals public use file. We used regression models to assess the relationship between vendor and hospital performance on 6 Stage 2 Meaningful Use criteria, controlling for hospital characteristics. We also calculated how much variation in performance is explained by vendor choice. We found significant associations between specific vendor and level of hospital performance for all 6 meaningful use criteria. Epic was associated with significantly higher performance on 5 of the 6 criteria; relationships for other vendors were mixed, with some associated with significantly worse performance on multiple criteria. EHR vendor choice accounted for between 7% and 34% of performance variation across the 6 criteria. A nontrivial proportion of variation in hospital meaningful use performance is explained by vendor choice, and certain vendors are more often associated with better meaningful use performance than others. Our results suggest that policy-makers should improve the certification process by including more "real-world" scenario testing and provider feedback or ratings to reduce this variation. Hospitals can use these results to guide interactions with vendors. Vendor choice accounts for a meaningful proportion of variation in hospital meaningful use performance, and specific vendors are consistently associated

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Dedesko, Sandra; Siegel, Jeffrey A

2015-12-08

Uncontrolled excess moisture in buildings is a common problem that can lead to changes in fungal communities. In buildings, moisture parameters can be classified by location and include assessments of moisture in the air, at a surface, or within a material. These parameters are not equivalent in dynamic indoor environments, which makes moisture-induced fungal growth in buildings a complex occurrence. In order to determine the circumstances that lead to such growth, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of in situ moisture measurement, the influence of building factors on moisture parameters, and the levels of these moisture parameters that lead to indoor fungal growth. Currently, there are disagreements in the literature on this topic. A literature review was conducted specifically on moisture-induced fungal growth on gypsum drywall. This review revealed that there is no consistent measurement approach used to characterize moisture in laboratory and field studies, with relative humidity measurements being most common. Additionally, many studies identify a critical moisture value, below which fungal growth will not occur. The values defined by relative humidity encompassed the largest range, while those defined by moisture content exhibited the highest variation. Critical values defined by equilibrium relative humidity were most consistent, and this is likely due to equilibrium relative humidity being the most relevant moisture parameter to microbial growth, since it is a reasonable measure of moisture available at surfaces, where fungi often proliferate. Several sources concur that surface moisture, particularly liquid water, is the prominent factor influencing microbial changes and that moisture in the air and within a material are of lesser importance. However, even if surface moisture is assessed, a single critical moisture level to prevent fungal growth cannot be defined, due to a number of factors, including variations in fungal genera and

Initial Development of the Meaningful Learning with Technology Scale (MeLTS) for High-School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chwee Beng

2018-01-01

With the rapid developments in emerging technologies and the emphasis on technologies in learning environments, the connection between technologies and meaningful learning has strengthened. Developing an understanding of the components of meaningful learning with technology is pivotal, as this may enable educators to make more informed decisions…

Contrast-enhanced 3T MR Perfusion of Musculoskeletal Tumours: T1 Value Heterogeneity Assessment and Evaluation of the Influence of T1 Estimation Methods on Quantitative Parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Gondim Teixeira, Pedro Augusto; Leplat, Christophe; Chen, Bailiang; De Verbizier, Jacques; Beaumont, Marine; Badr, Sammy; Cotten, Anne; Blum, Alain

2017-12-01

To evaluate intra-tumour and striated muscle T1 value heterogeneity and the influence of different methods of T1 estimation on the variability of quantitative perfusion parameters. Eighty-two patients with a histologically confirmed musculoskeletal tumour were prospectively included in this study and, with ethics committee approval, underwent contrast-enhanced MR perfusion and T1 mapping. T1 value variations in viable tumour areas and in normal-appearing striated muscle were assessed. In 20 cases, normal muscle perfusion parameters were calculated using three different methods: signal based and gadolinium concentration based on fixed and variable T1 values. Tumour and normal muscle T1 values were significantly different (p = 0.0008). T1 value heterogeneity was higher in tumours than in normal muscle (variation of 19.8% versus 13%). The T1 estimation method had a considerable influence on the variability of perfusion parameters. Fixed T1 values yielded higher coefficients of variation than variable T1 values (mean 109.6 ± 41.8% and 58.3 ± 14.1% respectively). Area under the curve was the least variable parameter (36%). T1 values in musculoskeletal tumours are significantly different and more heterogeneous than normal muscle. Patient-specific T1 estimation is needed for direct inter-patient comparison of perfusion parameters. • T1 value variation in musculoskeletal tumours is considerable. • T1 values in muscle and tumours are significantly different. • Patient-specific T1 estimation is needed for comparison of inter-patient perfusion parameters. • Technical variation is higher in permeability than semiquantitative perfusion parameters.

Pedagogical Principles of Learning to Teach Meaningful Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ní Chróinín, Déirdre; Fletcher, Tim; O'Sullivan, Mary

2018-01-01

Background: Concerns that current forms of physical education teacher education (PETE) are not adequately providing teachers with the tools necessary for working with the realities and challenges of teaching physical education in contemporary schools has led some scholars to advocate for an approach that prioritises meaningfulness in physical…

Expectation values of local fields for a two-parameter family of integrable models and related perturbed conformal field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baseilhac, P.; Fateev, V.A.

1998-01-01

We calculate the vacuum expectation values of local fields for the two-parameter family of integrable field theories introduced and studied by Fateev (1996). Using this result we propose an explicit expression for the vacuum expectation values of local operators in parafermionic sine-Gordon models and in integrable perturbed SU(2) coset conformal field theories. (orig.)

The Use of Asymptotic Functions for Determining Empirical Values of CN Parameter in Selected Catchments of Variable Land Cover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wałęga Andrzej

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the applicability of asymptotic functions for determining the value of CN parameter as a function of precipitation depth in mountain and upland catchments. The analyses were carried out in two catchments: the Rudawa, left tributary of the Vistula, and the Kamienica, right tributary of the Dunajec. The input material included data on precipitation and flows for a multi-year period 1980–2012, obtained from IMGW PIB in Warsaw. Two models were used to determine empirical values of CNobs parameter as a function of precipitation depth: standard Hawkins model and 2-CN model allowing for a heterogeneous nature of a catchment area.

A technology training protocol for meeting QSEN goals: Focusing on meaningful learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Shuhong; Kalman, Melanie

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how we designed and developed a 12-step technology training protocol. The protocol is meant to improve meaningful learning in technology education so that nursing students are able to meet the informatics requirements of Quality and Safety Education in Nursing competencies. When designing and developing the training protocol, we used a simplified experiential learning model that addressed the core features of meaningful learning: to connect new knowledge with students' prior knowledge and real-world workflow. Before training, we identified students' prior knowledge and workflow tasks. During training, students learned by doing, reflected on their prior computer skills and workflow, designed individualized procedures for integration into their workflow, and practiced the self-designed procedures in real-world settings. The trainer was a facilitator who provided a meaningful learning environment, asked the right questions to guide reflective conversation, and offered scaffoldings at critical moments. This training protocol could significantly improve nurses' competencies in using technologies and increase their desire to adopt new technologies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Can business impact analysis play a meaningful role in planning a cost-saving programme?

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Trevor

2011-02-01

Business continuity as it exists today would appear to have reached something of a plateau. Considering the history of the discipline, and how it has developed from 'simple' disaster recovery to its present position, it is clear that the trend has been to move from a reactive discipline to a proactive process. Following on from this broadly-accepted point, it is perhaps time to consider how the discipline may develop and what wider and deeper contribution the business continuity profession may make to add further value for our clients. In the present climate, it seems appropriate to consider how (and if) business continuity practice can make a meaningful contribution to a cost saving exercise. The public and private sectors are considered and the differences are compared.

Sensitivity of Claims-Based Algorithms to Ascertain Smoking Status More Than Doubled with Meaningful Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Jinhai; Yang, Ming; Tina Shih, Ya-Chen

2018-03-01

The "meaningful use of certified electronic health record" policy requires eligible professionals to record smoking status for more than 50% of all individuals aged 13 years or older in 2011 to 2012. To explore whether the coding to document smoking behavior has increased over time and to assess the accuracy of smoking-related diagnosis and procedure codes in identifying previous and current smokers. We conducted an observational study with 5,423,880 enrollees from the year 2009 to 2014 in the Truven Health Analytics database. Temporal trends of smoking coding, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were measured. The rate of coding of smoking behavior improved significantly by the end of the study period. The proportion of patients in the claims data recorded as current smokers increased 2.3-fold and the proportion of patients recorded as previous smokers increased 4-fold during the 6-year period. The sensitivity of each International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code was generally less than 10%. The diagnosis code of tobacco use disorder (305.1X) was the most sensitive code (9.3%) for identifying smokers. The specificities of these codes and the Current Procedural Terminology codes were all more than 98%. A large improvement in the coding of current and previous smoking behavior has occurred since the inception of the meaningful use policy. Nevertheless, the use of diagnosis and procedure codes to identify smoking behavior in administrative data is still unreliable. This suggests that quality improvements toward medical coding on smoking behavior are needed to enhance the capability of claims data for smoking-related outcomes research. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Safeguards systems parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avenhaus, R.; Heil, J.

1979-01-01

In this paper analyses are made of the values of those parameters that characterize the present safeguards system that is applied to a national fuel cycle; those values have to be fixed quantitatively so that all actions of the safeguards authority are specified precisely. The analysis starts by introducing three categories of quantities: The design parameters (number of MBAs, inventory frequency, variance of MUF, verification effort and false-alarm probability) describe those quantities whose values have to be specified before the safeguards system can be implemented. The performance criteria (probability of detection, expected detection time, goal quantity) measure the effectiveness of a safeguards system; and the standards (threshold amount and critical time) characterize the magnitude of the proliferation problem. The means by which the values of the individual design parameters can be determined with the help of the performance criteria; which qualitative arguments can narrow down the arbitrariness of the choice of values of the remaining parameters; and which parameter values have to be fixed more or less arbitrarily, are investigated. As a result of these considerations, which include the optimal allocation of a given inspection effort, the problem of analysing the structure of the safeguards system is reduced to an evaluation of the interplay of only a few parameters, essentially the quality of the measurement system (variance of MUF), verification effort, false-alarm probability, goal quantity and probability of detection

Enhancing the Meaningfulness of Work for Astronauts on Long Duration Space Exploration Missions.

Science.gov (United States)

Britt, Thomas W; Sytine, Anton; Brady, Ashley; Wilkes, Russ; Pittman, Rebecca; Jennings, Kristen; Goguen, Kandice

2017-08-01

Numerous authors have identified the stressors likely to be encountered on long duration space exploration missions (e.g., to Mars), including the possibility of significant crises, separation from family, boredom/monotony, and interpersonal conflict. Although many authors have noted that meaningful work may be beneficial for astronauts on these missions, none have detailed the sources of meaningful work for astronauts and how these sources may differ between astronauts. The present article identifies how engagement in meaningful work during long duration missions may mitigate the adverse effects of demands and increase the potential for benefits resulting from the missions. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine NASA personnel, including astronauts, flight directors, and flight surgeons. Questions addressed sources of meaning for astronauts, characteristics of tasks that enhance vs. detract from meaning, and recommendations for enhancing meaning. Personnel mentioned contributing to humanity and the next generation, contributing to the mission, and exploration as the most meaningful aspects of their work. Characteristics of tasks that enhanced meaning included using a variety of skills, feeling personal control over their schedule, autonomy in the execution of tasks, and understanding the importance of the experiments conducted on the mission. Top recommendations to sustain meaning were insuring social needs were met through such activities as the strategic use of social media, giving astronauts autonomy as well as structure, and conducting training during transit. Implications are addressed for tailoring meaning-based interventions for astronauts participating on long duration missions and assessing the effectiveness of these interventions.Britt TW, Sytine A, Brady A, Wilkes R, Pittman R, Jennings K, Goguen K. Enhancing the meaningfulness of work for astronauts on long duration space exploration missions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(8):779-783.

Authentic Leadership and Altruism: The Mediating Role of Meaningfulness

Science.gov (United States)

Sagnak, Mesut; Kuruöz, Mehmet

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of meaningfulness on the relationship between authentic leadership and altruistic behavior. The participants consisted of 356 teachers randomly selected from 14 primary and secondary schools in Nigde. Three different instruments were used in this study. The scales were translated…

The prognostic value of cortical magnetic stimulation in acute middle cerebral artery infarction compared to other parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmerhuis, Th.P.J.; Hageman, G.; Oosterloo, Sebe J.; Rozeboom, A.R.

1996-01-01

The prognostic value of magnetic evoked potentials (MEP), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), age and radiological parameters was determined in 50 patients with acute middle cerebral artery infarction. We performed MEP and SSEP within 4 days and after 6 weeks and 3 months of the infarction and

Meaningful Words and Non-Words Repetitive Articulatory Rate (Oral Diadochokinesis) in Persian Speaking Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, Peyman; Rezai, Hossein; Garmatani, Neda Tahmasebi

2017-08-01

Repetitive articulatory rate or Oral Diadochokinesis (oral-DDK) shows a guideline for appraisal and diagnosis of subjects with oral-motor disorder. Traditionally, meaningless words repetition has been utilized in this task and preschool children have challenges with them. Therefore, we aimed to determine some meaningful words in order to test oral-DDK in Persian speaking preschool children. Participants were 142 normally developing children, (age range 4-6 years), who were asked to produce /motæka, golabi/ as two meaningful Persian words and /pa-ta-ka/ as non-word in conventional oral-DDK task. We compared the time taken for 10-times fast repetitions of two meaningful Persian words and the tri-syllabic nonsense word /pa-ta-ka/. Praat software was used to calculate the average time that subjects took to produce the target items. In 4-5 year old children, [Formula: see text] of time taken for 10-times repetitions of /pa-ta-ka, motæka, golabi/ were [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] seconds respectively, and in 5-6 year old children were [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] seconds respectively. Findings showed that the main effect of type of words on oral diadochokinesis was significant ([Formula: see text]). Children repeated meaningful words /motæka, golabi/ faster than the non-word /pa-ta-ka/. Sex and age factors had no effect on time taken for repetition of oral-DDK test. It is suggested that Speech Therapists can use meaningful words to facilitate oral-DDK test for children.

Synopses/physical significance of complex-valued catalyst parameters in heterogeneous catalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hesse, D

1979-08-01

An independent parameter was used to describe the local values of the interdependent thermodynamic variables of the coupled effects of transfer, sorption, and surface reaction at steady state in a packed bed of porous catalyst. A system reduction yielded a generalized concept of the pore effectiveness factor, H, which was unity or a real or imaginary complex number when the coupled diffusion and reaction processes do not affect, inhibit, or enhance conversion, respectively. These concepts are illustrated by ethylene hydrogenation on platinum, a process in which ethylene adsorbs much more strongly than hydrogen, but diffuses more slowly; as the rate is proportional to the product of hydrogen and ethylene surface coverage and the more strongly adsorbed ethylene occupies the majority of the available sites, a decrease in gas-phase ethylene concentration would increase the conversion rate. The reaction rate also increases with decreasing distance from the catalyst particle core.

Winter blood values of selected parameters in a group of non-hibernating captive brown bears (Ursus arctos).

Science.gov (United States)

Sergiel, A; Bednarski, M; Maślak, R; Piasecki, T; Huber, D

2015-01-01

Bears undergo some significant changes reflected in blood values during winter season. The most significant are reduced urea and increased creatinine, by some authors considered to be physiological indicators of hibernation. Studied group of six captive brown bears (Ursus arctos) showed decreased activity in winter but were accepting food and walked outdoors. Blood parameters assessed in February 2011 revealed mean values of leucocytes and neutrophils as significantly lower, and creatinine significantly increased compared to captive and free living bears sampled during other seasons when bears are active.

WHATSAPP CONTRIBUTIONS IN SPANISH TEACHING: A PERSPECTIVE OF MEANINGFUL AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iandra Maria Weirich da Silva Coelho

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This article describes a didactic proposal, mediated by the use of WhatsApp as a potential tool for the teaching of Spanish as an additional language. Activities are drawn from collaborative and meaningful practice with authentic situations of the language usage, taking by reference the theoretical construct of the Theory of Meaningful Learning (AUSUBEL, 2003 and Collaborative Practice of Writing. The results identify positive contributions about the increased interest and motivation of students, promotion of discursive competence, interactivity, autonomy, about actions involving the authorship and collaborative construction in information network for knowledge sharing.

End user programming with personally meaningful objects

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Smith, Andrew C

2016-09-01

Full Text Available (Kimchi et al., 2003). Perceptual organisation is a neuro-cognitive process that dictates how we perceive objects in physical space and how we interpret some objects as being distinct from others and yet other objects as part of a whole (Helm, 2014... called the designer-cum-user. Using this approach, the user creates a personally meaningful artefact that represents the target product. Although not confirmed, we anticipate that this approach reduces the initial cognitive load on the user when he uses...

Are estimates of meaningful decline in mobility performance consistent among clinically important subgroups? (Health ABC Study).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perera, S.; Studenski, S.; Newman, A.; Simonsick, E.; Harris, T.; Schwartz, A.; Visser, M.

2014-01-01

Background: Meaningful change criteria help determine if function has improved or declined, but their magnitudes may vary across clinically relevant subgroups. We estimate meaningful decline in four common measures of physical performance in subgroups of older adults based on initial performance,

Contrast-enhanced 3T MR perfusion of musculoskeletal tumours. T1 value heterogeneity assessment and evaluation of the influence of T1 estimation methods on quantitative parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gondim Teixeira, Pedro Augusto; Leplat, Christophe; Verbizier, Jacques de; Blum, Alain [Hopital Central, CHRU-Nancy, Service d' Imagerie Guilloz, Nancy (France); Chen, Bailiang; Beaumont, Marine [Universite de Lorraine, Laboratoire IADI, UMR S 947, Nancy (France); Badr, Sammy; Cotten, Anne [CHRU Lille Centre de Consultations et d' Imagerie de l' Appareil Locomoteur, Department of Radiology and Musculoskeletal Imaging, Lille (France)

2017-12-15

To evaluate intra-tumour and striated muscle T1 value heterogeneity and the influence of different methods of T1 estimation on the variability of quantitative perfusion parameters. Eighty-two patients with a histologically confirmed musculoskeletal tumour were prospectively included in this study and, with ethics committee approval, underwent contrast-enhanced MR perfusion and T1 mapping. T1 value variations in viable tumour areas and in normal-appearing striated muscle were assessed. In 20 cases, normal muscle perfusion parameters were calculated using three different methods: signal based and gadolinium concentration based on fixed and variable T1 values. Tumour and normal muscle T1 values were significantly different (p = 0.0008). T1 value heterogeneity was higher in tumours than in normal muscle (variation of 19.8% versus 13%). The T1 estimation method had a considerable influence on the variability of perfusion parameters. Fixed T1 values yielded higher coefficients of variation than variable T1 values (mean 109.6 ± 41.8% and 58.3 ± 14.1% respectively). Area under the curve was the least variable parameter (36%). T1 values in musculoskeletal tumours are significantly different and more heterogeneous than normal muscle. Patient-specific T1 estimation is needed for direct inter-patient comparison of perfusion parameters. (orig.)

COMPARISON OF THE ACCOUNTING CONCEPT “FAIR VALUE” WITH OTHER ECONOMIC VALUE CONCEPTS

OpenAIRE

Justine Jaunzeme

2011-01-01

Fair value is a measurement base found both in International Financial Reporting Standards and in Latvian accounting legislation. For the fair value measurements to be meaningful for financial analysts, consultants and other financial statement users, it is important that the fair value concept be understood in relation to other economic value concepts. The purpose of this paper is to compare the fair value concept of financial accounting to other economic value concepts. The qualitative meth...

Comprehension for What? Preparing Students for Their Meaningful Future

Science.gov (United States)

Conley, Mark W.; Wise, Antoinette

2011-01-01

Researchers, policymakers, and educators face a daunting task these days concerning literacy education for the here and now and literacy for the future. Even though one clings to the romantic notion that education provides the building blocks in a straight line to a meaningful future, the reality is that mixed goals and instructional messages…

Boundedness and global robust stability analysis of delayed complex-valued neural networks with interval parameter uncertainties.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qiankun; Yu, Qinqin; Zhao, Zhenjiang; Liu, Yurong; Alsaadi, Fuad E

2018-07-01

In this paper, the boundedness and robust stability for a class of delayed complex-valued neural networks with interval parameter uncertainties are investigated. By using Homomorphic mapping theorem, Lyapunov method and inequality techniques, sufficient condition to guarantee the boundedness of networks and the existence, uniqueness and global robust stability of equilibrium point is derived for the considered uncertain neural networks. The obtained robust stability criterion is expressed in complex-valued LMI, which can be calculated numerically using YALMIP with solver of SDPT3 in MATLAB. An example with simulations is supplied to show the applicability and advantages of the acquired result. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In search of meaningfulness: nostalgia as an antidote to boredom.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilburg, Wijnand A P; Igou, Eric R; Sedikides, Constantine

2013-06-01

We formulated, tested, and supported, in 6 studies, a theoretical model according to which individuals use nostalgia as a way to reinject meaningfulness in their lives when they experience boredom. Studies 1-3 established that induced boredom causes increases in nostalgia when participants have the opportunity to revert to their past. Studies 4 and 5 examined search for meaning as a mediator of the effect of boredom on nostalgia. Specifically, Study 4 showed that search for meaning mediates the effect of state boredom on nostalgic memory content, whereas Study 5 demonstrated that search for meaning mediates the effect of dispositional boredom on dispositional nostalgia. Finally, Study 6 examined the meaning reestablishment potential of nostalgia during boredom: Nostalgia mediates the effect of boredom on sense of meaningfulness and presence of meaning in one's life. Nostalgia counteracts the meaninglessness that individuals experience when they are bored.

Engaging Axiology: Enabling MeaningfulTransdisciplinary Collaboration in Adapted Physical Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Peers, Danielle

2018-07-01

In this article, I explore the concept of axiology in the context of adapted physical activity research and analyze its connection to the more commonly discussed paradigmatic assumptions of epistemology and ontology. Following methodological scholars, I argue for an acknowledgment of the pivotal role that axiology already plays in adapted physical activity research and for the potential interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary opportunities that could be enabled by engaging with axiology in more explicit ways. I discuss a number of potential axiological gaps between the field of adapted physical activity and disability communities, arguing that such differences may undermine attempts at doing meaningful transdisciplinary research with such communities. I offer strategies for bridging these axiological gaps, encouraging us to work together in axiologically reflexive ways in order to increase meaningful opportunities for more people with disabilities to be engaged in the movement-based activities and communities of their choice.

A study on relationship between the return of value/growth portfolio and market return: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monireh Mashhadi Ramezanali

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study examines the relationship between the returns of two value and growth portfolios and the return of market on 15 selected firms on Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2008-2011. The study divides the firms into two groups in terms of the ratios of price on earning as well as price on book value into two groups of value and growth portfolios. Using some regression analysis, the study has determined a positive and meaningful relationship between value portfolio and market return when the market is on the upside but this relationship is not meaningful during the bear session. The results indicate that during the bull sessions, value portfolios provide better investment opportunities than growth ones do.

Baseline values of immunologic parameters in the lizard Salvator merianae (Teiidae, Squamata)

Science.gov (United States)

Mestre, Ana Paula; Amavet, Patricia Susana; Siroski, Pablo Ariel

2017-01-01

The genus Salvator is widely distributed throughout South America. In Argentina, the species most abundant widely distributed is Salvator merianae. Particularly in Santa Fe province, the area occupied by populations of these lizards overlaps with areas where agriculture was extended. With the aim of established baseline values for four immunologic biomarkers widely used, 36 tegu lizards were evaluated tacking into account different age classes and both sexes. Total leukocyte counts were not different between age classes. Of the leucocytes count, eosinophils levels were higher in neonates compared with juvenile and adults; nevertheless, the heterophils group was the most prevalent leukocyte in the peripheral blood in all age classes. Lymphocytes, monocytes, heterophils, azurophils and basophils levels did not differ with age. Natural antibodies titres were higher in the adults compared with neonates and juveniles lizards. Lastly, complement system activity was low in neonates compared with juveniles and adults. Statistical analysis within each age group showed that gender was not a factor in the outcomes. Based on the results, we concluded that S. merianae demonstrated age (but not gender) related differences in the immune parameters analyzed. Having established baseline values for these four widely-used immunologic biomarkers, ongoing studies will seek to optimize the use of the S. merianae model in future research. PMID:28652981

Baseline values of immunologic parameters in the lizard Salvator merianae (Teiidae, Squamata).

Science.gov (United States)

Mestre, Ana Paula; Amavet, Patricia Susana; Siroski, Pablo Ariel

2017-01-01

The genus Salvator is widely distributed throughout South America. In Argentina, the species most abundant widely distributed is Salvator merianae . Particularly in Santa Fe province, the area occupied by populations of these lizards overlaps with areas where agriculture was extended. With the aim of established baseline values for four immunologic biomarkers widely used, 36 tegu lizards were evaluated tacking into account different age classes and both sexes. Total leukocyte counts were not different between age classes. Of the leucocytes count, eosinophils levels were higher in neonates compared with juvenile and adults; nevertheless, the heterophils group was the most prevalent leukocyte in the peripheral blood in all age classes. Lymphocytes, monocytes, heterophils, azurophils and basophils levels did not differ with age. Natural antibodies titres were higher in the adults compared with neonates and juveniles lizards. Lastly, complement system activity was low in neonates compared with juveniles and adults. Statistical analysis within each age group showed that gender was not a factor in the outcomes. Based on the results, we concluded that S. merianae demonstrated age (but not gender) related differences in the immune parameters analyzed. Having established baseline values for these four widely-used immunologic biomarkers, ongoing studies will seek to optimize the use of the S. merianae model in future research.

Baseline values of immunologic parameters in the lizard Salvator merianae (Teiidae, Squamata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Mestre

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The genus Salvator is widely distributed throughout South America. In Argentina, the species most abundant widely distributed is Salvator merianae. Particularly in Santa Fe province, the area occupied by populations of these lizards overlaps with areas where agriculture was extended. With the aim of established baseline values for four immunologic biomarkers widely used, 36 tegu lizards were evaluated tacking into account different age classes and both sexes. Total leukocyte counts were not different between age classes. Of the leucocytes count, eosinophils levels were higher in neonates compared with juvenile and adults; nevertheless, the heterophils group was the most prevalent leukocyte in the peripheral blood in all age classes. Lymphocytes, monocytes, heterophils, azurophils and basophils levels did not differ with age. Natural antibodies titres were higher in the adults compared with neonates and juveniles lizards. Lastly, complement system activity was low in neonates compared with juveniles and adults. Statistical analysis within each age group showed that gender was not a factor in the outcomes. Based on the results, we concluded that S. merianae demonstrated age (but not gender related differences in the immune parameters analyzed. Having established baseline values for these four widely-used immunologic biomarkers, ongoing studies will seek to optimize the use of the S. merianae model in future research.

Relationship between attachment to God and meaningful life parents of mentally retarded children in Zahedan city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Jenaabadi

2014-07-01

Conclusion: Given a significant positive correlation between appeal to God and meaningful life, it is suggested including spirituality therapy sessions and teaching religious coping methods to reduce stress and thus make meaningful life in these parents by welfare, education of exceptional children, and radio and television organizations.

The dynamics of meaningful social interactions and the emergence of collective knowledge

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Dankulov, Marija Mitrović; Melnik, Roderick; Tadić, Bosiljka

2015-07-01

Collective knowledge as a social value may arise in cooperation among actors whose individual expertise is limited. The process of knowledge creation requires meaningful, logically coordinated interactions, which represents a challenging problem to physics and social dynamics modeling. By combining two-scale dynamics model with empirical data analysis from a well-known Questions & Answers system Mathematics, we show that this process occurs as a collective phenomenon in an enlarged network (of actors and their artifacts) where the cognitive recognition interactions are properly encoded. The emergent behavior is quantified by the information divergence and innovation advancing of knowledge over time and the signatures of self-organization and knowledge sharing communities. These measures elucidate the impact of each cognitive element and the individual actor’s expertise in the collective dynamics. The results are relevant to stochastic processes involving smart components and to collaborative social endeavors, for instance, crowdsourcing scientific knowledge production with online games.

Youth Perspectives on Meaningful Participation in Community Based Programs: A Qualitative Assessment

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Sherer W. Royce

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Allowing the voiceless to have a voice is a tenet of empowerment. This paper highlights research that employed a participatory action research framework to gain a better understanding of young people’s perceptions about youth empowerment and acquire their perspective (voice about the meaningfulness of participation in out-of-school advocacy and volunteer program activities. Using Photovoice, the research provides a missing point of view in youth empowerment model development. Results indicate that the quality of a youth’s participation in a community-based program is determined by 1 youth expressing themselves without censorship, 2 occasions for youth to expand their social networks with youth and adults, and 3 adults observing and valuing youth contributions. These findings raise implications for community-based, youth empowerment programs including program philosophy, program procedures, youth empowerment content and activities, and adult leadership style. The findings may assist practitioners when designing youth empowering activities and researchers when operationalizing youth empowerment.

Weak-value amplification and optimal parameter estimation in the presence of correlated noise

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Sinclair, Josiah; Hallaji, Matin; Steinberg, Aephraim M.; Tollaksen, Jeff; Jordan, Andrew N.

2017-11-01

We analytically and numerically investigate the performance of weak-value amplification (WVA) and related parameter estimation methods in the presence of temporally correlated noise. WVA is a special instance of a general measurement strategy that involves sorting data into separate subsets based on the outcome of a second "partitioning" measurement. Using a simplified correlated noise model that can be analyzed exactly together with optimal statistical estimators, we compare WVA to a conventional measurement method. We find that WVA indeed yields a much lower variance of the parameter of interest than the conventional technique does, optimized in the absence of any partitioning measurements. In contrast, a statistically optimal analysis that employs partitioning measurements, incorporating all partitioned results and their known correlations, is found to yield an improvement—typically slight—over the noise reduction achieved by WVA. This result occurs because the simple WVA technique is not tailored to any specific noise environment and therefore does not make use of correlations between the different partitions. We also compare WVA to traditional background subtraction, a familiar technique where measurement outcomes are partitioned to eliminate unknown offsets or errors in calibration. Surprisingly, for the cases we consider, background subtraction turns out to be a special case of the optimal partitioning approach, possessing a similar typically slight advantage over WVA. These results give deeper insight into the role of partitioning measurements (with or without postselection) in enhancing measurement precision, which some have found puzzling. They also resolve previously made conflicting claims about the usefulness of weak-value amplification to precision measurement in the presence of correlated noise. We finish by presenting numerical results to model a more realistic laboratory situation of time-decaying correlations, showing that our conclusions hold

A novel summary report of colonoscopy: timeline visualization providing meaningful colonoscopy video information.

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Cho, Minwoo; Kim, Jee Hyun; Kong, Hyoun Joong; Hong, Kyoung Sup; Kim, Sungwan

2018-05-01

The colonoscopy adenoma detection rate depends largely on physician experience and skill, and overlooked colorectal adenomas could develop into cancer. This study assessed a system that detects polyps and summarizes meaningful information from colonoscopy videos. One hundred thirteen consecutive patients had colonoscopy videos prospectively recorded at the Seoul National University Hospital. Informative video frames were extracted using a MATLAB support vector machine (SVM) model and classified as bleeding, polypectomy, tool, residue, thin wrinkle, folded wrinkle, or common. Thin wrinkle, folded wrinkle, and common frames were reanalyzed using SVM for polyp detection. The SVM model was applied hierarchically for effective classification and optimization of the SVM. The mean classification accuracy according to type was over 93%; sensitivity was over 87%. The mean sensitivity for polyp detection was 82.1%, and the positive predicted value (PPV) was 39.3%. Polyps detected using the system were larger (6.3 ± 6.4 vs. 4.9 ± 2.5 mm; P = 0.003) with a more pedunculated morphology (Yamada type III, 10.2 vs. 0%; P < 0.001; Yamada type IV, 2.8 vs. 0%; P < 0.001) than polyps missed by the system. There were no statistically significant differences in polyp distribution or histology between the groups. Informative frames and suspected polyps were presented on a timeline. This summary was evaluated using the system usability scale questionnaire; 89.3% of participants expressed positive opinions. We developed and verified a system to extract meaningful information from colonoscopy videos. Although further improvement and validation of the system is needed, the proposed system is useful for physicians and patients.

Explorations in Statistics: Hypothesis Tests and P Values

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Curran-Everett, Douglas

2009-01-01

Learning about statistics is a lot like learning about science: the learning is more meaningful if you can actively explore. This second installment of "Explorations in Statistics" delves into test statistics and P values, two concepts fundamental to the test of a scientific null hypothesis. The essence of a test statistic is that it compares what…

Clinical implications in laboratory parameter values in acute Kawasaki disease for early diagnosis and proper treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Yu-Mi; Kang, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Sung-Churl; Yu, Jae-Won; Kil, Hong-Ryang; Rhim, Jung-Woo; Han, Ji-Whan; Lee, Kyung-Yil

2018-05-01

This study aimed to analyse laboratory values according to fever duration, and evaluate the relationship across these values during the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD) to aid in the early diagnosis for early-presenting KD and incomplete KD patients. Clinical and laboratory data of patients with KD (n=615) were evaluated according to duration of fever at presentation, and were compared between patients with and without coronary artery lesions (CALs). For evaluation of the relationships across laboratory indices, patients with a fever duration of 5 days or 6 days were used (n=204). The mean fever duration was 6.6±2.3 days, and the proportions of patients with CALs was 19.3% (n=114). C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and neutrophil differential values were highest and hemoglobin, albumin, and lymphocyte differential values were lowest in the 6-day group. Patients with CALs had longer total fever duration, higher CRP and neutrophil differential values and lower hemoglobin and albumin values compared to patients without CALs. CRP, albumin, neutrophil differential, and hemoglobin values at the peak inflammation stage of KD showed positive or negative correlations each other. The severity of systemic inflammation in KD was reflected in the laboratory values including CRP, neutrophil differential, albumin, and hemoglobin. Observing changes in these laboratory parameters by repeated examinations prior to the peak of inflammation in acute KD may aid in diagnosis of early-presenting KD patients.

How Do Novice Art Teachers Define and Implement Meaningful Curriculum?

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Bain, Christina; Newton, Connie; Kuster, Deborah; Milbrandt, Melody

2010-01-01

Four researchers collaborated on this qualitative case study that examined 11 first-year novice art teachers' understanding and implementation of meaningful curriculum. Participants were selected through a criterion method sampling strategy; the subjects were employed in rural, urban, and suburban public school districts. In order to conduct a…

Cultural study in design : In search of a meaningful approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Boeijen, A.G.C.

2014-01-01

Does the Circuit of Culture help design students to do a cultural study that is meaningful for their design project? Indeed, it provides a good view on the phenomenon culture, its complexity and how contemporary cultures can be studied, providing an overview and structure of the processes that

Whole lesion histogram analysis of meningiomas derived from ADC values. Correlation with several cellularity parameters, proliferation index KI 67, nucleic content, and membrane permeability.

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Surov, Alexey; Hamerla, Gordian; Meyer, Hans Jonas; Winter, Karsten; Schob, Stefan; Fiedler, Eckhard

2018-09-01

To analyze several histopathological features and their possible correlations with whole lesion histogram analysis derived from ADC maps in meningioma. The retrospective study involved 36 patients with primary meningiomas. For every tumor, the following histogram analysis parameters of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were calculated: ADC mean , ADC max , ADC min , ADC median , ADC mode , ADC percentiles: P10, P25, P75, P90, as well kurtosis, skewness, and entropy. All measures were performed by two radiologists. Proliferation index KI 67, minimal, maximal and mean cell count, total nucleic area, and expression of water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4) were estimated. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze associations between investigated parameters. A perfect interobserver agreement for all ADC values (0.84-0.97) was identified. All ADC values correlated inversely with tumor cellularity with the strongest correlation between P10, P25 and mean cell count (-0.558). KI 67 correlated inversely with all ADC values except ADC min . ADC parameters did not correlate with total nucleic area. All ADC values correlated statistically significant with expression of AQP4. ADC histogram analysis is a valid method with an excellent interobserver agreement. Cellularity parameters and proliferation potential are associated with different ADC values. Membrane permeability may play a greater role for water diffusion than cell count and proliferation activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethnic Characteristics of Students’ Value Orientations

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E Ju Chebotareva

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the ethnic features of value orientations in students from different parts of the world. It is shown that the lives of the students from Latin America and Central Asia are more holistic and meaningful than the lives of the students from China, the Middle East and Russia. Latin American students are more focused on individuality, self-regulation, and the Central Asian — on collectivism, the controllability of life events. The gender specifics of the value orientations of students are described. The connection between the students’ value orientations personality components such as a basic trust in the world, social and emotional intelligence, ethnic identity and tolerance towards the people of other ethnic groups, stress-coping strategies are analyzed.

Measuring Patient Experiences: Is It Meaningful and Actionable?

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Wong, Sabrina T; Johnston, Sharon; Burge, Fred; McGrail, Kim; Hogg, William

2017-10-01

Performance measurement must be meaningful to those being asked to contribute data and to the clinicians who are collecting the information. It must be actionable if performance measurement and reporting is to influence health system transformation. To date, measuring patient experiences in all parts of the healthcare system in Canada lags behind other countries. More attention needs to be paid to capturing patients with complex intersecting health and social problems that result from inequitable distribution of wealth and/or underlying structural inequities related to systemic issues such as racism and discrimination, colonialism and patriarchy. Efforts to better capture the experiences of patients who do not regularly access care and who speak English or French as a second language are also needed. Before investing heavily into collecting patient experience data as part of a performance measurement system the following ought to be considered: (1) ensuring value for and buy-in from clinicians who are being asked to collect the data and/or act on the results; (2) investment in the infrastructure to administer iterative, cost-effective patient/family experience data collection, analysis and reporting (e.g., automated software tools) and (3) incorporating practice support (e.g., facilitation) and health system opportunities to integrate the findings from patient experience surveys into policy and practice. Investment into the infrastructure of measuring, reporting and engaging clinicians in improving practice is needed for patient/caregiver experiences to be acted upon. © 2017 Longwoods Publishing.

The Sustainable Personality: Values and Behaviors in Individual Sustainability

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Pappas, Jesse B.; Pappas, Eric C.

2015-01-01

Meaningful societal change begins with individual change. One cannot do for a community what one cannot do for one's self. The topic of Individual Sustainability is a controversial one, as students often appear to be unable to align their demonstrated behaviors with their admirable values related to sustainability. Individual behavior creates the…

Heart rate variability enhances the prognostic value of established parameters in patients with congestive heart failure.

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Krüger, C; Lahm, T; Zugck, C; Kell, R; Schellberg, D; Schweizer, M W F; Kübler, W; Haass, M

2002-12-01

This prospective study evaluated whether heart rate variability (HRV) assessed from Holter ECG has prognostic value in addition to established parameters in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The study included 222 patients with CHF due to dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy (left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF 21+/-1%; mean+/-SEM). During a mean follow-up of 15+/-1 months, 38 (17%) patients died and 45 (20%) were hospitalized due to worsening of CHF. The HRV parameter SDNN (standard deviation of all intervals between normal beats) was significantly lower in non-surviving or hospitalized than in event-free patients (118+/-6 vs 142+/-5 ms), as were LVEF (18+/-1 vs 23+/-1%), and peak oxygen uptake during exercise (peak VO(2)) (12.8+/-0.5 vs 15.6+/-0.5 ml/min/kg). While each of these parameters was a risk predictor in univariate analysis, multivariate analysis revealed that HRV provides both independent and additional prognostic information with respect to the risk 'cardiac mortality or deterioration of CHF'. It is concluded that the determination of HRV enhances the prognostic power given by the most widely used parameters LVEF and peak VO(2) in the prediction of mortality or deterioration of CHF and thus enables to improve risk stratification.

Meaningful and efficient? Enduring challenges to Aboriginal participation in environmental assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udofia, Aniekan; Noble, Bram; Poelzer, Greg

2017-01-01

This paper explores the underlying practice-based challenges to meaningful and efficient Aboriginal participation in environmental assessment (EA) - participation that provides meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal communities to shape EA, yet assures a degree of efficiency for project proponents who need to obtain EA approvals in a timely and financially viable manner. We do so based on an analysis of the EA policy community's experience with uranium exploration and mining in Saskatchewan, Canada. Many of the challenges to meaningful and efficient Aboriginal participation that emerged are multi-dimensional, often concerning participation processes, decision-making, and relationships. Although scholars have explored many of these issues and have proposed numerous solutions, challenges persist in practice. Several other issues also emerged from our study that have received limited attention, including the non-commitment to early and ongoing participation by smaller project proponents, and the EA exemption of exploration projects; the limited availability of information to project developers on local right holders and Aboriginal interests; expectations about the integration of traditional knowledge and land use in EA not aligning with the information that is available to proponents; confusion about who is responsible for initiating early participation and consultation processes; the lack of early relationship building with potentially affected communities, particularly by governments; and the lack of other viable avenues, outside EA, for Aboriginal communities to raise more strategic issues of concern that affect traditional lands and treaty rights.

‘Killing Me Softly With His/Her Song’: How Leaders Dismantle Followers’ Sense of Work Meaningfulness

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Petra Kipfelsberger

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Leaders influence followers’ meaning and play a key role in shaping their employees’ experience of work meaningfulness. While the dominant perspective in theory and in empirical work focuses on the positive influence of leaders on followers’ work meaningfulness, our conceptual model explores conditions in which leaders may harm followers’ sense of meaning. We introduce six types of conditions: leaders’ personality traits, leaders’ behaviors, the relationship between leader and follower, followers’ attributions, followers’ characteristics, and job design under which leaders’ meaning making efforts might harm or ‘kill’ followers’ sense of work meaningfulness. Accordingly, we explore how these conditions may interact with leaders’ meaning making efforts to lower levels of followers’ sense of meaning, and in turn, lead to negative personal outcomes (cynicism, lower well-being, and disengagement, as well as negative organizational outcomes (corrosive organizational energy, higher turnover rates, and lower organizational productivity. By doing so, our research extends the current literature, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of leaders’ influence on followers’ work meaningfulness, while considering the dark side of meaning making.

A Study of the Historical Earthquake Catalog and Gutenberg-richter Parameter Values of the Korean Peninsula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Jeong Moon; Choi, In Kil; Rhee, Hyun Me

2010-01-01

The KIER's Korean historical earthquake catalog was revised for MMI≥VI events recorded from the years 27 A.D. to 1904. The magnitude of each event was directly determined from the criteria suggested by Seo. The criteria incorporated the damage phenomena of the Japanese historical earthquake catalog, recent seismological studies, and the results of tests performed on ancient structures in Korea. Thus, the uncertainty of the magnitudes of the Korean historical earthquakes can be reduced. Also, the Gutenberg-Richter parameter values were estimated based on the revised catalog of this study. It was determined that the magnitudes of a maximum inland and minimum offshore event were approximately 6.3 and 6.5, respectively. The Gutenberg-Richter parameter pairs of the historical earthquake catalog were estimated to be a=5.32±0.21, b=0.95±0.19, which were somewhat lower than those obtained from recent complete instrumental earthquakes. No apparent change in the Gutenberg-Richter parameter is observed for the 16 th -17 th centuries of the seismically active period

Meaningful community involvement in protected area issues: a dialogue session

Science.gov (United States)

Laurie Yung

2000-01-01

The current effort to rethink public involvement in decision-making processes for federal lands is gaining momentum. Advocates of alternative decision-making processes seek to involve communities in more meaningful ways than traditional NEPA-style public participation. These new processes take the form of citizen monitoring, partnerships, and most often, collaboration...

Testing relationships between values and food-related lifestyle:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunsø, Karen; Scholderer, Joachim; Grunert, Klaus G.

2004-01-01

The value survey developed by Shalom Schwartz (1992) has been applied in many countries with different purposes. In this study we present a new way of analysing the theoretically assumed circumplex structure of Schwartz value survey and its relationships to other constructs, here the instrument...... food-related lifestyle. In two countries; Germany and Spain, data were collected. In each country 1000 interviews were carried out where consumers were asked about their value priorities and about their food-related lifestyle. The study provides new insights into the way values influence peoples' food......-related lifestyle in Germany and Spain, and the results validate both the Schwartz value survey and the food-related lifestyle instrument in a nomological sense, since significant and meaningful relationships were found between the two constructs....

Sweeping the floor or putting a man on the moon : How to define and measure meaningful work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Both-Nwabuwe, Jitske M.C.; Dijkstra, Maria T.M.; Beersma, Bianca

2017-01-01

Meaningful work is integral to well-being and a flourishing life. The construct of "meaningful work" is, however, consistently affected by conceptual ambiguity. Although there is substantial support for arguments to maintain the status of conceptual ambiguity, we make a case for the benefits of

An investigation of meaningful understanding and effectiveness of the implementation of Piagetian and Ausubelian theories in physics instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Karen Ann

One section of college students (N = 25) enrolled in an algebra-based physics course was selected for a Piagetian-based learning cycle (LC) treatment while a second section (N = 25) studied in an Ausubelian-based meaningful verbal reception learning treatment (MVRL). This study examined the students' overall (concept + problem solving + mental model) meaningful understanding of force, density/Archimedes Principle, and heat. Also examined were students' meaningful understanding as measured by conceptual questions, problems, and mental models. In addition, students' learning orientations were examined. There were no significant posttest differences between the LC and MVRL groups for students' meaningful understanding or learning orientation. Piagetian and Ausubelian theories explain meaningful understanding for each treatment. Students from each treatment increased their meaningful understanding. However, neither group altered their learning orientation. The results of meaningful understanding as measured by conceptual questions, problem solving, and mental models were mixed. Differences were attributed to the weaknesses and strengths of each treatment. This research also examined four variables (treatment, reasoning ability, learning orientation, and prior knowledge) to find which best predicted students' overall meaningful understanding of physics concepts. None of these variables were significant predictors at the.05 level. However, when the same variables were used to predict students' specific understanding (i.e. concept, problem solving, or mental model understanding), the results were mixed. For forces and density/Archimedes Principle, prior knowledge and reasoning ability significantly predicted students' conceptual understanding. For heat, however, reasoning ability was the only significant predictor of concept understanding. Reasoning ability and treatment were significant predictors of students' problem solving for heat and forces. For density

WIPP Compliance Certification Application calculations parameters. Part 1: Parameter development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, S.M.

1997-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeast New Mexico has been studied as a transuranic waste repository for the past 23 years. During this time, an extensive site characterization, design, construction, and experimental program was completed, which provided in-depth understanding of the dominant processes that are most likely to influence the containment of radionuclides for 10,000 years. Nearly 1,500 parameters were developed using information gathered from this program; the parameters were input to numerical models for WIPP Compliance Certification Application (CCA) Performance Assessment (PA) calculations. The CCA probabilistic codes frequently require input values that define a statistical distribution for each parameter. Developing parameter distributions begins with the assignment of an appropriate distribution type, which is dependent on the type, magnitude, and volume of data or information available. The development of the parameter distribution values may require interpretation or statistical analysis of raw data, combining raw data with literature values, scaling of lab or field data to fit code grid mesh sizes, or other transformation. Parameter development and documentation of the development process were very complicated, especially for those parameters based on empirical data; they required the integration of information from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) code sponsors, parameter task leaders (PTLs), performance assessment analysts (PAAs), and experimental principal investigators (PIs). This paper, Part 1 of two parts, contains a discussion of the parameter development process, roles and responsibilities, and lessons learned. Part 2 will discuss parameter documentation, traceability and retrievability, and lessons learned from related audits and reviews

Health information technology: integration of clinical workflow into meaningful use of electronic health records.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowens, Felicia M; Frye, Patricia A; Jones, Warren A

2010-10-01

This article examines the role that clinical workflow plays in successful implementation and meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) technology in ambulatory care. The benefits and barriers of implementing EHRs in ambulatory care settings are discussed. The researchers conclude that widespread adoption and meaningful use of EHR technology rely on the successful integration of health information technology (HIT) into clinical workflow. Without successful integration of HIT into clinical workflow, clinicians in today's ambulatory care settings will continue to resist adoption and implementation of EHR technology.

Ethics education for health professionals: a values based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Godbold, Rosemary; Lees, Amanda

2013-11-01

It is now widely accepted that ethics is an essential part of educating health professionals. Despite a clear mandate to educators, there are differing approaches, in particular, how and where ethics is positioned in training programmes, underpinning philosophies and optimal modes of assessment. This paper explores varying practices and argues for a values based approach to ethics education. It then explores the possibility of using a web-based technology, the Values Exchange, to facilitate a values based approach. It uses the findings of a small scale study to signal the potential of the Values Exchange for engaging, meaningful and applied ethics education. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of meaningful irrelevant speech and road traffic noise on teachers' attention, episodic and semantic memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Enmarker, Ingela

2004-11-01

The aim of the present experiment was to examine the effects of meaningful irrelevant speech and road traffic noise on attention, episodic and semantic memory, and also to examine whether the noise effects were age-dependent. A total of 96 male and female teachers in the age range of 35-45 and 55-65 years were randomly assigned to a silent or the two noise conditions. Noise effects found in episodic memory were limited to a meaningful text, where cued recall contrary to expectations was equally impaired by the two types of noise. However, meaningful irrelevant speech also deteriorated recognition of the text, whereas road traffic noise caused no decrement. Retrieval from two word fluency tests in semantic memory showed strong effects of noise exposure, one affected by meaningful irrelevant speech and the other by road traffic noise. The results implied that both acoustic variation and the semantic interference could be of importance for noise impairments. The expected age-dependent noise effects did not show up.

Application of Multi-Valued Weighting Logical Functions in the Analysis of a Degree of Importance of Construction Parameters on the Example of Hydraulic Valves

Science.gov (United States)

Deptuła, A.

2014-08-01

In the optimization process, changes in the construction parameters value influence the behaviour of functions depending on time. Weighting logical coefficients for the stabilisation time are taken into consideration here, i.e., a shorter (better) stabilisation time has a more important (bigger) value of the weighting coefficient. An example of applying weighting logical functions in the analysis of a degree of importance of construction parameters of a hydraulic valve is presented in the paper

Evaluating meaningful learning using concept mapping in dental hygiene education: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Canasi, Dina M; Amyot, Cynthia; Tira, Daniel

2014-02-01

Concept mapping, as a teaching strategy, has been shown to promote critical thinking and problem solving in educational settings. Dental clinicians must distinguish between critical and irrelevant characteristics in the delivery of care, thus necessitating reasoning skills to do so. One of the aims of the American Dental Education Association Commission on Change and Innovation (ADEA-CCI) is to identify deficiencies in curriculum which were meant to improve critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare 2 teaching strategies, traditional lecture and lecture supported by concept mapping exercises within collaborative working groups, to determine if there is a beneficial effect on meaningful learning. For this pilot study, the study population consisted of students from 2 geographically separated associate level dental hygiene programs in the southeastern U.S. A quasi-experimental control group pre- and post-test design was used. The degree of meaningful learning achieved by both programs was assessed by comparing pre- and post-test results. Both programs experienced a significant degree of meaningful learning from pre- to post-test. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the programs on the post-test. These results were in direct contrast to research in other disciplines on concept mapping and its effect on promoting meaningful learning. Further investigation into the study's outcome was obtained through a follow-up focus group. In spite of careful attention to methodology in the development of this research project, the focus group illuminated methodological failings that potentially impacted the outcome of the study. Recommendations are underscored for future conduct of educational research of this kind.

Assessing clinically meaningful treatment effects in controlled trials: chronic migraine as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodick, David W; Turkel, Catherine C; DeGryse, Ronald E; Diener, Hans-Christoph; Lipton, Richard B; Aurora, Sheena K; Nolan, Marissa E; Silberstein, Stephen D

2015-02-01

In addition to headache, persons with chronic migraine (CM) experience multiple symptoms, both ictal and interictal, that may contribute to their suffering. Translating clinical trial results into practice requires assessment of the results' clinical meaningfulness. When examining treatment benefit in this disabled patient population, multiple headache-symptom measures should be considered to fully reflect clinical relevance. Currently, only onabotulinumtoxinA is approved specifically for headache prophylaxis in adults with CM. Topiramate is the only other therapeutic agent with double-blind, placebo-controlled evidence in this population. Herein we evaluate the clinical meaningfulness of onabotulinumtoxinA and topiramate as headache prophylaxis in CM by comparing primary endpoints from the placebo-controlled, double-blind phase of the Phase 3 REsearch Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy (PREEMPT) clinical program and the topiramate clinical trial (frequency of headache days [primary endpoint in PREEMPT; secondary in topiramate trial] and migraine/migrainous days [primary in topiramate trial, or "migraine/probable-migraine days"; secondary in PREEMPT]). Additionally, outcome measures such as responder rates, health-related quality of life, discontinuation rates, safety, and tolerability profiles are important clinical considerations. The clinical data indicate that statistically significant, clinically relevant treatment benefits exist for both onabotulinumtoxinA and topiramate. These data support these treatments as meaningful headache prophylaxis in adults with CM. CM is a chronic pain condition. We sought to determine the clinical relevance of recent trials in this disabled population. Clinical data indicate that statistically significant, clinically relevant treatment benefits exist for both onabotulinumtoxinA and topiramate, and support use of these treatments as meaningful headache prophylaxis in CM. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published

Diffusion-weighted imaging of breast lesions: Region-of-interest placement and different ADC parameters influence apparent diffusion coefficient values

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bickel, Hubert; Pinker, Katja; Polanec, Stephan; Magometschnigg, Heinrich; Wengert, Georg; Spick, Claudio; Helbich, Thomas H.; Baltzer, Pascal [Medical University Vienna, Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Vienna (Austria); Bogner, Wolfgang [Medical University Vienna - MR Center of Excellence, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Vienna (Austria); Bago-Horvath, Zsuzsanna [Medical University Vienna, Department of Pathology, Vienna (Austria)

2017-05-15

To investigate the influence of region-of-interest (ROI) placement and different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters on ADC values, diagnostic performance, reproducibility and measurement time in breast tumours. In this IRB-approved, retrospective study, 149 histopathologically proven breast tumours (109 malignant, 40 benign) in 147 women (mean age 53.2) were investigated. Three radiologists independently measured minimum, mean and maximum ADC, each using three ROI placement approaches:1 - small 2D-ROI, 2 - large 2D-ROI and 3 - 3D-ROI covering the whole lesion. One reader performed all measurements twice. Median ADC values, diagnostic performance, reproducibility, and measurement time were calculated and compared between all combinations of ROI placement approaches and ADC parameters. Median ADC values differed significantly between the ROI placement approaches (p <.001). Minimum ADC showed the best diagnostic performance (AUC.928-.956), followed by mean ADC obtained from 2D ROIs (.926-.94). Minimum and mean ADC showed high intra- (ICC.85-.94) and inter-reader reproducibility (ICC.74-.94). Median measurement time was significantly shorter for the 2D ROIs (p <.001). ROI placement significantly influences ADC values measured in breast tumours. Minimum and mean ADC acquired from 2D-ROIs are useful for the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions, and are highly reproducible, with rapid measurement. (orig.)

Association between clinically meaningful behavior problems and overweight in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lumeng, Julie C; Gannon, Kate; Cabral, Howard J; Frank, Deborah A; Zuckerman, Barry

2003-11-01

To determine whether there is a relationship between clinically meaningful behavior problems and concurrent and future overweight in 8- to 11-year-old children. 1998 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth interview data for 8- to 11-year-old children and their mothers were analyzed. A Behavior Problems Index score >90th percentile was considered clinically meaningful. Child overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) >or=95th percentile for age and sex. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders (selected a priori): child's sex, race, use of behavior-modifying medication, history of academic retention, and hours of television per day; maternal obesity, smoking status, marital status, education, and depressive symptoms; family poverty status; and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment-Short Form (HOME-SF) cognitive stimulation score. In an attempt to elucidate temporal sequence, a second analysis was conducted with a subsample of normal-weight children who became overweight between 1996 and 1998 while controlling for BMI z score in 1996. The sample included 755 mother-child pairs. Of the potential confounding variables, race, maternal obesity, academic grade retention, maternal education, poverty status, and HOME-SF cognitive stimulation score acted as joint confounders, altering the relationship between behavior problems and overweight in the multiple logistic regression model. With these covariates in the final model, behavior problems were independently associated with concurrent child overweight (adjusted odds ratio: 2.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.34-6.49). The relationship was strengthened in the subsample of previously normal-weight children, with race, maternal obesity, HOME-SF cognitive stimulation score, and 1996 BMI z score acting as confounders (adjusted odds ratio: 5.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.37-19.9). Clinically meaningful behavior problems in 8- to 11-year-old children were independently

Finding pathways to more equitable and meaningful public-scientist partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Daniela Soleri; Jonathan W. Long; Monica D. Ramirez-Andreotta; Ruth Eitemiller; Rajul Pandyaǁ

2016-01-01

For many, citizen science is exciting because of the possibility for more diverse, equitable partnerships in scientific research with outcomes considered meaningful and useful by all, including public participants. This was the focus of a symposium we organized at the 2015 conference of the Citizen Science Association. Here we synthesize points made by symposium...

Hospital budget increase for information technology during phase 1 meaningful use.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumeier, Harold; Berner, Eta S; Burke, Darrell E; Azuero, Andres

2015-01-01

Federal policies have a significant effect on how businesses spend money. The 2009 HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) authorized incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid to clinicians and hospitals when they use certified electronic health records privately and securely to achieve specified improvements in care delivery. Federal incentive payments were offered in 2011 for hospitals that had satisfied "meaningful use" criteria. A longitudinal study of nonfederal hospital information technology (IT) budgets (N = 493) during the years 2009 to 2011 found increases in the percentage of hospital annual operating budgets allocated to IT in the years leading up to these federal incentives. This increase was most pronounced among hospitals receiving high proportions of their reimbursements from Medicaid, followed by hospitals receiving high proportions of their reimbursements from Medicare, possibly indicating a budget shift during this period to more IT spending to achieve meaningful-use policy guidelines.

Designing meaningful educational spaces for the development of competencies in childhood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yenny Otálora Sevilla

2010-11-01

Full Text Available A meaningful educational space is a learning environment that promotes and strengthens the development of social and cognitive competencies in children. This article offers conceptual and methodological elements from Educational Psychology that facilitates the design of significant educational spaces for the development of child competencies, both in and out of school. On the one hand, the learning environment is defined as a dynamic and complex space of construction of knowledge. On the other it takes into account some considerations about child development which help set five criteria to characterize learning environments as meaningful educational spaces: They are structured, intensive, extensive, generative and interactive situations. Each of these criteria is illustrated through learning environments designed by educators in Colombia, based on the use of cultural practices inherent their communities of origin. Cultural practices were found to be relevant to the development of their children’s competencies.

Meaningful interpretation of subdiffusive measurements in living cells (crowded environment) by fluorescence fluctuation microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Gerd; Place, Robert F; Földes-Papp, Zeno

2010-08-01

In living cell or its nucleus, the motions of molecules are complicated due to the large crowding and expected heterogeneity of the intracellular environment. Randomness in cellular systems can be either spatial (anomalous) or temporal (heterogeneous). In order to separate both processes, we introduce anomalous random walks on fractals that represented crowded environments. We report the use of numerical simulation and experimental data of single-molecule detection by fluorescence fluctuation microscopy for detecting resolution limits of different mobile fractions in crowded environment of living cells. We simulate the time scale behavior of diffusion times tau(D)(tau) for one component, e.g. the fast mobile fraction, and a second component, e.g. the slow mobile fraction. The less the anomalous exponent alpha the higher the geometric crowding of the underlying structure of motion that is quantified by the ratio of the Hausdorff dimension and the walk exponent d(f)/d(w) and specific for the type of crowding generator used. The simulated diffusion time decreases for smaller values of alpha # 1 but increases for a larger time scale tau at a given value of alpha # 1. The effect of translational anomalous motion is substantially greater if alpha differs much from 1. An alpha value close to 1 contributes little to the time dependence of subdiffusive motions. Thus, quantitative determination of molecular weights from measured diffusion times and apparent diffusion coefficients, respectively, in temporal auto- and crosscorrelation analyses and from time-dependent fluorescence imaging data are difficult to interpret and biased in crowded environments of living cells and their cellular compartments; anomalous dynamics on different time scales tau must be coupled with the quantitative analysis of how experimental parameters change with predictions from simulated subdiffusive dynamics of molecular motions and mechanistic models. We first demonstrate that the crowding exponent

Exploring relationship between value- and life-orientation and job satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Louw

2012-12-01

manageability and comprehensibility were more important to managers than meaningfulness. A significant difference was found between meaningfulness and gender. In terms of cultural groups, significant differences between the average African and Indian and White and Indian meaningfulness scale scores were found. With regard to job satisfaction, there was generally a highly satisfied response to co-workers and a moderate satisfaction with work and supervisors. However, respondents were dissatisfied with pay and promotion. Additionally, significant relationships were found between some of the life- and value-orientation scales; the value-orientation and job satisfaction scales; and life-values and job satisfaction scales. Originality and/or value of research: This paper is based on original research and contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between value- and life-orientation and job satisfaction in a South African organisational context, as well as contributing towards empirical evidence of such relationships. Even though there seems to be a theoretical relationship between value and life-orientation, no empirical evidence to support this assertion has been found, highlighting the importance of this exploratory research. It has also been found that value-orientation is related to job satisfaction, and that life-orientation is related to job satisfaction. However, the theoretical link between life-orientation and job satisfaction has received relatively little research attention in South Africa, and empirical evidence to support this within a South African perspective is required. The findings of this exploratory research will also be of value to the selected organisation, and will provide information that can be used to develop intervention strategies. Conclusion: Managers in this parastatal highly value socially orientated values, indicating a strong in-group, mutual support and a concern for society, reflecting the vision and nature of the organisation

Continental-scale quantification of landscape values using social media data.

Science.gov (United States)

van Zanten, Boris T; Van Berkel, Derek B; Meentemeyer, Ross K; Smith, Jordan W; Tieskens, Koen F; Verburg, Peter H

2016-11-15

Individuals, communities, and societies ascribe a diverse array of values to landscapes. These values are shaped by the aesthetic, cultural, and recreational benefits and services provided by those landscapes. However, across the globe, processes such as urbanization, agricultural intensification, and abandonment are threatening landscape integrity, altering the personally meaningful connections people have toward specific places. Existing methods used to study landscape values, such as social surveys, are poorly suited to capture dynamic landscape-scale processes across large geographic extents. Social media data, by comparison, can be used to indirectly measure and identify valuable features of landscapes at a regional, continental, and perhaps even worldwide scale. We evaluate the usefulness of different social media platforms-Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram-and quantify landscape values at a continental scale. We find Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram data can be used to quantify landscape values, with features of Instagram being especially suitable due to its relatively large population of users and its functional ability of allowing users to attach personally meaningful comments and hashtags to their uploaded images. Although Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram have different user profiles, our analysis revealed similar patterns of landscape values across Europe across the three platforms. We also found variables describing accessibility, population density, income, mountainous terrain, or proximity to water explained a significant portion of observed variation across data from the different platforms. Social media data can be used to extend our understanding of how and where individuals ascribe value to landscapes across diverse social, political, and ecological boundaries.

Determination of negligible concentration threshold values for water pollution assessment; Ableitung von Geringfuegigkeitsschwellen zur Beurteilung von Grundwasserverunreinigungen. T. 2. Organische Parameter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trenck, K.T. von der [Landesanstalt fuer Umweltschutz Baden-Wuerttemberg, Karlsruhe (Germany); Roeder, R.; Slama, H. [Bayerische Landesanstalt fuer Wasserforschung (BayLWF), Muenchen (Germany); Markard, C.; Kuehl, C. [Umweltbundesamt, Berlin (Germany)

1999-12-01

Part I of the status report contains the derivation criteria, the reasons for the inorganic parameters chosen, and explanations of terms and abbreviations. A table is presented which contains negligible concentration threshold values for selected parameters of inorganic and organic substances. [German] Der erste Teil des Statusberichts enthaelt eine ausfuehrliche Darstellung der Ableitungskriterien sowie die Begruendung fuer die anorganischen Parameter und Erlaeuterungen zu den Abkuerzungen und Begriffen. Entsprechende Konzentrationswerte fuer die Geringfuegigkeitsschwellen einer Auswahl an Parametern enthaelt eine in der vorliegenden Arbeit aufgefuehrte Tabelle getrennt nach anorganischen und organischen Stoffen. (orig.)

Can Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning Become an Alternative to Piagetian Psychology?

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Edna

1979-01-01

Discusses Novak's views that Ausubel's meaningful learning can become an alternative to Piagetian psychology and argues that Ausubel does not provide a theory that can be an alternative to Piaget's developmental psychology. (HM)

The categorisation of dysthymic disorder: Can its constituents be meaningfully apportioned?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rhebergen, D.; Graham, R.; Hadzi-Pavlovic, D.; Stek, M.L.; Friend, P.; Barrett, M.; Parker, G.

2012-01-01

Background: Since its introduction in DSM-III, the validity of dysthymia has been debated. Our objective is to further examine the concept of dysthymia in an outpatient sample, and explore whether its constituents can be meaningfully apportioned. Methods: 318 patients attending the Black Dog

Default values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

In making calculations for the purposes of radiation protection, numerical values for parameters used in the calculations are selected. In some cases, data directly applicable to the set of conditions for which the calculations are to be made are unavailable. Therefore, the selection of the values for these parameters may be based on more general data available from the literature or other sources. These values may be referred to as 'default values', that is, values used in default of those based on directly applicable data. The following policy will be applied by Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) staff in reviewing the radiation protection aspects of submissions associated with licensing, in participating with other organizations in the development of codes and standards, and in any other work which relies to some extent on using default values

Evaluation of Physico-chemical Parameters of Manchar Lake Water and Their Comparison with Other Global Published Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Balal Arain

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of current study was to evaluate the status of the Manchar lake water with respect to different physico-chemical parameters (electric conductivity, pH, chloride, phosphate, sulfate, total alkalinity, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, cadmium, copper, arsenic, nickel, zinc, chromium lead and selenium in 2005-2007. Among the elemental investigation of Manchar Lake water except Co, Cr, Cu and Mn, other elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Fe, Mg, Na, K, Ni, Pb and Se have higher values as compared to the permissible level of these elements in drinking water. The results were compared with WHO water quality guidelines as well as with literature values reported for global lake water.

Mediating role of meaningful work between resources and work engagement in Bangladesh’s private banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nawrin Rubaba

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Engaged employees are considered as the most desired assets for the organization. Although significant contributions have been observed in the engagement literature, a holistic approach is yet to be untouched in terms of developing relationship between various resources, work engagement and psychological mechanism such as meaningful work. The purpose of this study is to explore the mediating role of meaningful work between resources and work engagement in private banks in Bangladesh. This study followed the quantitative methodological approach and based on Bakker and Demerouti’s (2007 Job demand-resources model. A survey questionnaire was prepared and used to collect data. 440 respondents participated in this study, who is currently working in private banks in Bangladesh. Multiple regression analysis along with Sobel test was performed to analyze the data. The findings confirmed that the relationships between organizational, job, personal resources and work engagement were partially mediated through meaningful work. It has been observed that all determinates had a significant influence on work engagement. For practical implications, the organization can align various resources to uplift the engagement level of the employees. Since meaningful work was found to be a significant predictor, managers can develop jobs where employees can relate their purpose to their work. This study recommends that future research can apply this model to different contexts as well as to different groups of respondents.

Early- versus Late-Onset Dysthymia: A Meaningful Clinical Distinction?

OpenAIRE

Sansone, Randy A.; Sansone, Lori A.

2009-01-01

In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, dysthymic disorder is categorized as either early-onset or late-onset, based upon the emergence of symptoms before or after the age of 21, respectively. Does this diagnostic distinction have any meaningful clinical implications? In this edition of The Interface, we present empirical studies that have, within a single study, compared individuals with early-versus late-onset dysthymia. In this review, we found that, compared ...

Cluster Analysis of an International Pressure Pain Threshold Database Identifies 4 Meaningful Subgroups of Adults With Mechanical Neck Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walton, David M; Kwok, Timothy S H; Mehta, Swati

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine pressure pain detection threshold (PPDT) related phenotypes of individuals with mechanical neck pain that may be identifiable in clinical practice. METHODS: This report describes a secondary analysis of 5 independent, international mechanical neck pain databases of PPDT...... values taken at both a local and distal region (total N=1176). Minor systematic differences in mean PPDT values across cohorts necessitated z-transformation before analysis, and each cohort was split into male and female sexes. Latent profile analysis (LPA) using the k-means approach was undertaken...... to identify the most parsimonious set of PPDT-based phenotypes that were both statistically and clinically meaningful. RESULTS: LPA revealed 4 distinct clusters named according to PPDT levels at the local and distal zones: low-low PPDT (67%), mod-mod (25%), mod-high (4%), and high-high (4%). Secondary...

The Right to Appropriate and Meaningful Education for Children with ASD

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, David; Goodall, Craig

2015-01-01

This paper will explore from a "child's rights perspective" the "right" of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) to appropriate and meaningful education. Human "rights" principles within international law will be evaluated in relation to how they have been interpreted and applied in relation to achieving this…

The influence of physical exertion on basic hematological parameters values and heart rate in trotters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slijepčević Dajana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available One of very important prerequisites for achieving good results in races, in addition to genetic predisposition, quality training and good health, are optimal values for number of erythrocytes, concentration of haemoglobin and hematocrit, of which depends efficient oxygen supply of muscles during great efforts. The stated values, along with data on heart rate, are useful indicators of the degree of horse fitness and readiness for horse race. The influence of physical exertion on the values of basic hematological parameters as well as on heart rate, was investigated on 6 trotters, in training at the Belgrade racetrack (one head of Italian trotter, male, 3 years old; 3 heads of American trotter, male, 3,4 and 6 years old and two heads of Serbian trotter, female, 4 and 5 years old. The blood samples for hematological tests were taken by punction of jugular vein in resting phase - immediately before the commencement of work, after light trot warming for 3000 m and fast trot for 1000 m, with 30 minutes rest between the two runnings. The heart rate was monitored continuously by radio telemetry cardiometer, from the moment they were taken from their boxes and harnessing to the completion of work. The obtained results confirm the relationship between the rise of heart rate and hematocrit values: maximal hematocrit values were determined after the first running (0.49±0.05, in regard to 0.42±0.03 in resting phase, but 30 minutes after the second running there was a slight drop of hematocrit values (0.46±0.04. The blood samples in both cases were taken after fast trot during which there were recorded maximal pulse values, so in the moment of sampling the pulse lowered close to the values in resting - after the first running from 192.23±19.66, and after the second from 180.33±17.22 to 40.67±5.76.

Existence of positive solutions for nonlocal second-order boundary value problem with variable parameter in Banach spaces

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Zhang Peiguo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract By obtaining intervals of the parameter λ, this article investigates the existence of a positive solution for a class of nonlinear boundary value problems of second-order differential equations with integral boundary conditions in abstract spaces. The arguments are based upon a specially constructed cone and the fixed point theory in cone for a strict set contraction operator. MSC: 34B15; 34B16.

The co-creation of meaningful action: bridging enaction and interactional sociology.

Science.gov (United States)

De Jaegher, Hanne; Peräkylä, Anssi; Stevanovic, Melisa

2016-05-05

What makes possible the co-creation of meaningful action? In this paper, we go in search of an answer to this question by combining insights from interactional sociology and enaction. Both research schools investigate social interactions as such, and conceptualize their organization in terms of autonomy. We ask what it could mean for an interaction to be autonomous, and discuss the structures and processes that contribute to and are maintained in the so-called interaction order. We also discuss the role played by individual vulnerability as well as the vulnerability of social interaction processes in the co-creation of meaningful action. Finally, we outline some implications of this interdisciplinary fraternization for the empirical study of social understanding, in particular in social neuroscience and psychology, pointing out the need for studies based on dynamic systems approaches on origins and references of coordination, and experimental designs to help understand human co-presence. © 2016 The Authors.

The co-creation of meaningful action: bridging enaction and interactional sociology

Science.gov (United States)

Peräkylä, Anssi; Stevanovic, Melisa

2016-01-01

What makes possible the co-creation of meaningful action? In this paper, we go in search of an answer to this question by combining insights from interactional sociology and enaction. Both research schools investigate social interactions as such, and conceptualize their organization in terms of autonomy. We ask what it could mean for an interaction to be autonomous, and discuss the structures and processes that contribute to and are maintained in the so-called interaction order. We also discuss the role played by individual vulnerability as well as the vulnerability of social interaction processes in the co-creation of meaningful action. Finally, we outline some implications of this interdisciplinary fraternization for the empirical study of social understanding, in particular in social neuroscience and psychology, pointing out the need for studies based on dynamic systems approaches on origins and references of coordination, and experimental designs to help understand human co-presence. PMID:27069055

Systematically too low values of the cranking model collective inertia parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudek, I.; Dudek, W.; Lukasiak-Ruchowska, E.; Skalski, I.

1980-01-01

Deformed Nilsson and Woods-Saxon potentials were employed for generating single particle states used henceforth for calculating the inertia tensor (cranking model and monopole pairing) and the collective energy surfaces (Strutinsky method). The deformation was parametrized in terms of quadrupole and hexadecapole degrees of freedom. The classical energy expression obtained from the inertia tensor and energy surfaces was quantized and the resulting stationary Schroedinger equation was solved using the approximate method. The second Isup(π) = 0 + 2 collective level energies were calculated for the Rare Earth and Actinide nuclei and the results compared with the experimental data. The vibrational level energies agree with the experimental ones much better for spherical nuclei for both single particle potentials; the discrepancies for deformed nuclei overestimate the experimental results by roughly a factor of two. It is argued that coupling of the axially symmetric quadrupole degrees of freedom to non-axial and hexadecapole ones does not affect the conclusions about systematically too low mass parameter values. The alternative explanation of the systematic deviations from the 0 + 2 level energies could be a systematically too high stiffness of the energy surfaces obrained with the Strutinsky method. (orig.)

The challenge of a meaningful job

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Ingrid

and the feeling of doing high quality care generate job satisfaction. The obligation and pressure to perform well and the disadvantages on the midwives’ private lives is counterbalanced by the feeling of doing a meaningful and important job. Working in caseload midwifery creates a feeling of working in a self....... The methodology was inspired by ethnography, and applied methods were field observations followed by interviews. Participants: Thirteen out of eighteen midwives working in caseloads were observed during one or two days in the antenatal clinic and interviewed at a later occasion. Findings: The recognition......-governing model within the public hospital, without losing the technological benefits of a modern birth unit. For pregnant women with a challenging personality or attitude towards others, Caseload midwifery may provide an extra opportunity to feel recognized and respected. Key conclusions: Caseload midwifery...

Predictive value of MR imaging-dependent and non-MR imaging-dependent parameters for recurrence of laryngeal cancer after radiation therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castelijns, J. A.; van den Brekel, M. W.; Smit, E. M.; Tobi, H.; van Wagtendonk, F. W.; Golding, R. P.; Venema, H. W.; van Schaik, C.; Snow, G. B.

1995-01-01

To determine the predictive value of several clinical and radiologic parameters for recurrence of laryngeal cancer. Eighty previously untreated patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before radiation therapy with curative intent. Tumor volume was calculated from T1-weighted MR images.

IMPACT STUDY OF ANISOTROPIC OPTICAL FIBERS WINDING WITH DIFFERENT TENSION VALUE ON THE H-PARAMETER INVARIANCE DEGREE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. Mukhtubayev

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Subject of Research. We have investigated the effect of anisotropic optical fibers winding with an elliptical sheath subjecting to stress on the H-parameter invariance degree. This type of optical fiber is used in the manufacture of fiber loop in fiber-optic gyroscopes. Method of Research. The method of research is based on the application of Michelson polarization scanning interferometer as a measuring device. Superluminescent diode with a central wavelength of 1575 nm and a half-width of the spectrum equal to 45 nm is used as a radiation source. The studies were carried out with anisotropic optical fiber with 50 m long elliptical sheath subjecting to stress. The fiber was wound with one layer turn to turn on the coil with a diameter of 18 cm, which is used in the design of fiber-optic gyroscope. The tension force of the optical fiber was controlled during winding on a special machine. Main Results. It was found that at the increase of tension force from 0.05 N to 0.8 H the value of H-parameter increases from 7×10-6 1/m up to 178×10-6 1/m, respectively; i.e. the coupling coefficient of orthogonal modes in the test fiber is being increased. Thus, it is necessary to consider the longitudinal tension force of fiber in the design and manufacture of the fiber-optic sensors of high accuracy class: the less the fiber winding power, the higher invariance degree of distributed H-parameter. The longitudinal tension force of anisotropic optical fiber with elliptical sheath subjecting to stress equal to 0.2 N is recommended in the process of designing fiber-optic gyroscopes. Practical Relevance. The proposed method of Michelson scanning interferometer is usable in the production process for quality determination of the optical fiber winding: no local defects, value controlling of fiber H-parameter.

Art and fiction are signals with indeterminate truth values.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabb, Nathaniel

2017-01-01

Menninghaus et al. distinguish art from fiction, but no current arguments or data suggest that the concept of art can be meaningfully circumscribed. This is a problem for aesthetic psychology. I sketch a solution by rejecting the distinction: Unlike most animal communication, in which signals are either true or false, art and fiction consist of signals without determinate truth values.

Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler

Science.gov (United States)

Engesser, Sabrina; Ridley, Amanda R.; Townsend, Simon W.

2016-01-01

Language’s expressive power is largely attributable to its compositionality: meaningful words are combined into larger/higher-order structures with derived meaning. Despite its importance, little is known regarding the evolutionary origins and emergence of this syntactic ability. Although previous research has shown a rudimentary capability to combine meaningful calls in primates, because of a scarcity of comparative data, it is unclear to what extent analog forms might also exist outside of primates. Here, we address this ambiguity and provide evidence for rudimentary compositionality in the discrete vocal system of a social passerine, the pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). Natural observations and predator presentations revealed that babblers produce acoustically distinct alert calls in response to close, low-urgency threats and recruitment calls when recruiting group members during locomotion. On encountering terrestrial predators, both vocalizations are combined into a “mobbing sequence,” potentially to recruit group members in a dangerous situation. To investigate whether babblers process the sequence in a compositional way, we conducted systematic experiments, playing back the individual calls in isolation as well as naturally occurring and artificial sequences. Babblers reacted most strongly to mobbing sequence playbacks, showing a greater attentiveness and a quicker approach to the loudspeaker, compared with individual calls or control sequences. We conclude that the sequence constitutes a compositional structure, communicating information on both the context and the requested action. Our work supports previous research suggesting combinatoriality as a viable mechanism to increase communicative output and indicates that the ability to combine and process meaningful vocal structures, a basic syntax, may be more widespread than previously thought. PMID:27155011

Correlations between skin hydration parameters and corneocyte-derived parameters to characterize skin conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Masaki, Hitoshi; Yamashita, Yuki; Kyotani, Daiki; Honda, Tatsuya; Takano, Kenichi; Tamura, Toshiyasu; Mizutani, Taeko; Okano, Yuri

2018-03-30

Skin hydration is generally assessed using the parameters of skin surface water content (SWC) and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). To date, few studies have characterized skin conditions using correlations between skin hydration parameters and corneocyte parameters. The parameters SWC and TEWL allow the classification of skin conditions into four distinct Groups. The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of skin conditions classified by SWC and TEWL for correlations with parameters from corneocytes. A human volunteer test was conducted that measured SWC and TEWL. As corneocyte-derived parameters, the size and thick abrasion ratios, the ratio of sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds (SH/SS) and CP levels were analyzed. Volunteers were classified by their median SWC and TEWL values into 4 Groups: Group I (high SWC/low TEWL), Group II (high SWC/high TEWL), Group III (low SWC/low TEWL), and Group IV (low SWC/high TEWL). Group IV showed a significantly smaller size of corneocytes. Groups III and IV had significantly higher thick abrasion ratios and CP levels. Group I had a significantly lower SH/SS value. The SWC/TEWL value showed a decline in order from Group I to Group IV. Groups classified by their SWC and TEWL values showed characteristic skin conditions. We propose that the SWC and TEWL ratio is a comprehensive parameter to assess skin conditions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Different diagnostic values of imaging parameters to predict pseudoprogression in glioblastoma subgroups stratified by MGMT promoter methylation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Ra Gyoung [Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ho Sung; Shim, Woo Hyun; Kim, Sang Joon [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Paik, Wooyul [Dankook Unversity Hospital, Department of Radiology, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jeong Hoon [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

The aim of this study was to determine whether diffusion and perfusion imaging parameters demonstrate different diagnostic values for predicting pseudoprogression between glioblastoma subgroups stratified by O{sup 6}-mythylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status. We enrolled seventy-five glioblastoma patients that had presented with enlarged contrast-enhanced lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) one month after completing concurrent chemoradiotherapy and undergoing MGMT promoter methylation testing. The imaging parameters included 10 or 90 % histogram cutoffs of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC10), normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV90), and initial area under the time signal-intensity curve (IAUC90). The results of the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) with cross-validation were compared between MGMT methylation and unmethylation groups. MR imaging parameters demonstrated a trend toward higher accuracy in the MGMT promoter methylation group than in the unmethylation group (cross-validated AUCs = 0.70-0.95 and 0.56-0.87, respectively). The combination of MGMT methylation status with imaging parameters improved the AUCs from 0.70 to 0.75-0.90 for both readers in comparison with MGMT methylation status alone. The probability of pseudoprogression was highest (95.7 %) when nCBV90 was below 4.02 in the MGMT promoter methylation group. MR imaging parameters could be stronger predictors of pseudoprogression in glioblastoma patients with the methylated MGMT promoter than in patients with the unmethylated MGMT promoter. (orig.)

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program, plant parameters envelopes: Comparison with ranges of values for four hypothetical sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-09-01

The purpose of this volume is to report the results of the comparison of the ALWR plan parameters envelope with values of site characteristics developed for our hypothetical sites that generally represent conditions encountered within the United States. This effort is not intended to identify or address the suitability of any existing site, site area, or region in the United States. Also included in this volume is Appendix F, SERCH Summaries Regarding Siting

Towards a More Meaningful Involvement of Librarians in Academic Program Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Bowker, Lynne

2018-01-01

Purpose: Using a descriptive case study approach, this paper aims to validate academic librarians' perceptions that they are marginalized by faculty during academic program reviews, and recommends ways for the two groups to collaborate more effectively to make program reviews more meaningful. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes a case…

Meaningfulness for creation of growth in Small- and Medium-sized enterprises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink, Tove; Neville, Mette

2016-01-01

The research in this paper reveals how meaningfulness of growth can be created in Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The research is conducted in a four-year period with 24 SMEs participating from different industry branches. The research is now in the late part of the 3rd. year starting...

Transforming City Schools through Art: Approaches to Meaningful K-12 Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Hutzel, Karen; Bastos, Flavia M. C.; Cozier, Kimberly J.

2012-01-01

This anthology places art at the center of meaningful urban education reform. Providing a fresh perspective on urban education, the contributors describe a positive, asset-based community development model designed to tap into the teaching/learning potential already available in urban cities. Rather than focusing on a lack of resources, this…

Blockchain and value systems in the sharing economy: The illustrative case of Backfeed

OpenAIRE

Pazaitis , Alex; De Filippi , Primavera; Kostakis , Vasilis

2017-01-01

International audience; This article explores the potential of blockchain technology in enabling a new system of value that will better support the dynamics of social sharing. Our study begins with a discussion of the evolution of value perceptions in the history of economic thought. Starting with a view on value as a coordination mechanism that defines meaningful action within a certain context, we associate the price system with the establishment of capitalism and the industrial economy. We...

Analytic Investigation Into Effect of Population Heterogeneity on Parameter Ratio Estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schinkel, Colleen; Carlone, Marco; Warkentin, Brad; Fallone, B. Gino

2007-01-01

Purpose: A homogeneous tumor control probability (TCP) model has previously been used to estimate the α/β ratio for prostate cancer from clinical dose-response data. For the ratio to be meaningful, it must be assumed that parameter ratios are not sensitive to the type of tumor control model used. We investigated the validity of this assumption by deriving analytic relationships between the α/β estimates from a homogeneous TCP model, ignoring interpatient heterogeneity, and those of the corresponding heterogeneous (population-averaged) model that incorporated heterogeneity. Methods and Materials: The homogeneous and heterogeneous TCP models can both be written in terms of the geometric parameters D 50 and γ 50 . We show that the functional forms of these models are similar. This similarity was used to develop an expression relating the homogeneous and heterogeneous estimates for the α/β ratio. The expression was verified numerically by generating pseudo-data from a TCP curve with known parameters and then using the homogeneous and heterogeneous TCP models to estimate the α/β ratio for the pseudo-data. Results: When the dominant form of interpatient heterogeneity is that of radiosensitivity, the homogeneous and heterogeneous α/β estimates differ. This indicates that the presence of this heterogeneity affects the value of the α/β ratio derived from analysis of TCP curves. Conclusions: The α/β ratio estimated from clinical dose-response data is model dependent-a heterogeneous TCP model that accounts for heterogeneity in radiosensitivity will produce a greater α/β estimate than that resulting from a homogeneous TCP model

Uncovering values-based practice: VBP's implicit commitments to subjectivism and relativism.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Ben

2013-06-01

Despite assertions to the contrary, KWM Fulford's values-based practice is implicitly committed to subjectivism when it comes to reasoning about values. This renders the approach unworkable. The act of merely uncovering underlying values is not enough to effect change and, therefore, resolve problems if we have no way, even in principle, of determining which values are right and which are wrong. Fulford's only departure from subjectivism about value is his commitment to 'framework values', which seems grounded in a version of ethical relativism. I argue that we need to reject both subjectivism and relativism if progress within ethical discussions about practice is to be meaningful and a real possibility. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assigned value improves memory of proper names.

Science.gov (United States)

Festini, Sara B; Hartley, Alan A; Tauber, Sarah K; Rhodes, Matthew G

2013-01-01

Names are more difficult to remember than other personal information such as occupations. The current research examined the influence of assigned point value on memory and metamemory judgements for names and occupations to determine whether incentive can improve recall of proper names. In Experiment 1 participants studied face-name and face-occupation pairs assigned 1 or 10 points, made judgements of learning, and were given a cued recall test. High-value names were recalled more often than low-value names. However, recall of occupations was not influenced by value. In Experiment 2 meaningless nonwords were used for both names and occupations. The name difficulty disappeared, and value influenced recall of both names and occupations. Thus value similarly influenced names and occupations when meaningfulness was held constant. In Experiment 3 participants were required to use overt rote rehearsal for all items. Value did not boost recall of high-value names, suggesting that differential processing could not be implemented to improve memory. Thus incentives may improve memory for proper names by motivating people to engage in selective rehearsal and effortful elaborative processing.

Optimization of Terrestrial Ecosystem Model Parameters Using Atmospheric CO2 Concentration Data With the Global Carbon Assimilation System (GCAS)

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhuoqi; Chen, Jing M.; Zhang, Shupeng; Zheng, Xiaogu; Ju, Weiming; Mo, Gang; Lu, Xiaoliang

2017-12-01

The Global Carbon Assimilation System that assimilates ground-based atmospheric CO2 data is used to estimate several key parameters in a terrestrial ecosystem model for the purpose of improving carbon cycle simulation. The optimized parameters are the leaf maximum carboxylation rate at 25°C (Vmax25), the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration (Q10), and the soil carbon pool size. The optimization is performed at the global scale at 1° resolution for the period from 2002 to 2008. The results indicate that vegetation from tropical zones has lower Vmax25 values than vegetation in temperate regions. Relatively high values of Q10 are derived over high/midlatitude regions. Both Vmax25 and Q10 exhibit pronounced seasonal variations at middle-high latitudes. The maxima in Vmax25 occur during growing seasons, while the minima appear during nongrowing seasons. Q10 values decrease with increasing temperature. The seasonal variabilities of Vmax25 and Q10 are larger at higher latitudes. Optimized Vmax25 and Q10 show little seasonal variabilities at tropical regions. The seasonal variabilities of Vmax25 are consistent with the variabilities of LAI for evergreen conifers and broadleaf evergreen forests. Variations in leaf nitrogen and leaf chlorophyll contents may partly explain the variations in Vmax25. The spatial distribution of the total soil carbon pool size after optimization is compared favorably with the gridded Global Soil Data Set for Earth System. The results also suggest that atmospheric CO2 data are a source of information that can be tapped to gain spatially and temporally meaningful information for key ecosystem parameters that are representative at the regional and global scales.

Comparison of the prognostic values of preoperative inflammation-based parameters in patients with breast cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hideya Takeuchi

Full Text Available Peripheral blood-derived inflammation-based markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR are indicators of prognosis in various malignant tumors. The present study aimed to identify the inflammation-based parameters that are most suitable for predicting outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Two hundred ninety-six patients who underwent surgery for localized breast cancer were reviewed retrospectively. The association between clinicopathological factors and inflammation-based parameters were investigated. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic indicators associated with disease-free survival (DFS. The NLR level correlated significantly with tumor size (P<0.05. The PLR level correlated with the expression of estrogen receptor and lymph node involvement (P<0.05. Univariate analysis revealed that lower CRP and PLR values as well as tumor size, lymph node involvement, and nuclear grade were significantly associated with superior DFS (CRP: P<0.01; PLR, tumor size, lymph node involvement, and nuclear grade: P<0.05. On multivariate analysis, CRP (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-7.88, P<0.05, PLR (HR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.07-6.36, P<0.05 and nuclear grade (HR: 3.066, 95% CI: 1.26-7.49, P<0.05 were significant prognostic indicators of DFS in patients with breast cancer. Neither LMR nor NLR significantly predicted DFS. Both preoperative CRP and PLR values were independently associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast carcinoma; these were superior to other inflammation-based scores in terms of prognostic ability.

Aging, culture, and memory for socially meaningful item-context associations: an East-West cross-cultural comparison study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lixia; Li, Juan; Spaniol, Julia; Hasher, Lynn; Wilkinson, Andrea J; Yu, Jing; Niu, Yanan

2013-01-01

Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older) and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older). All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age.

Sentence Processing as a Function of Syntax, Short Term Memory Capacity, the Meaningfulness of the Stimulus and Age

Science.gov (United States)

Gamlin, Peter J.

1971-01-01

Examines the effects of short term memory (STM) capacity, meaningfulness of stimuli, and age upon listeners' structuring of sentences. Results show that the interaction between STM capacity and meaningfulness (1) approached significance when data were collapsed over both age levels, and (2) was significant for one age level. Tables and references.…

The effect of intake of water on the final values of body composition parameters in active athletes using two different bioimpedance analyzers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Kutáč

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background:The method of bioelectrical impedance (BIA is frequently used to estimate body composition in sports. The total body water (TBW is the basic variable that BIA measures. That implies the degree of sensitivity of BIA to the hydration of the organism, which is also demonstrated by the principles of measurement that primarily relate to the hydration of the organism. It is difficult to provide standard hydration of the organism of subjects prior to measurements when taking the measurements in the field. Objective:The objective of the study is to assess the changes in the final values of the selected body composition parameters in soccer players caused by intake of water, using two devices commonly used in the field. Methods:The research was performed in a group of 33 soccer players (mean age 20.30 ± 1.18 years. The measurements were taken using Tanita BC 418 MA (frequency 50 kHz and Nutriguard-M (frequency 100 kHz. To evaluate the effect of water intake, we took two measurements before and after the intake of 500 ml of water. The parameters measured by Tanita BC 418 MA were body weight (BW, total body water (TBW, body fat (BF, fat free mass (FFM. Nutriguard-M was used to measure total body water (TBW, intra and extracellular water (ICW and ECW, body fat (BF, fat free mass (FFM, intra and extracellular mass (BCM and ECM. The differences in the means (M1 and M2 of the monitored parameters were evaluated using the Paired Samples t-test. In statistically significant differences in the mean, the practical significance was also verified using the effect of size (Cohen's d. Results:The Tanita device showed statistically significant differences after the intake of 500 ml in parameters BW (+0.42 kg, BF (+0.39 kg, +0.53% and TBW (-0.38%. As for the Nutriguard device, statistically significant differences were found in parameters TBW (+0.77 kg, ICW (+0.83 kg, FFM (+1.05 kg, BCM (+0.79 kg and ECM/BCM (-0.01. Conclusion

Personality traits and personal values: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Parks-Leduc, Laura; Feldman, Gilad; Bardi, Anat

2015-02-01

Personality traits and personal values are important psychological characteristics, serving as important predictors of many outcomes. Yet, they are frequently studied separately, leaving the field with a limited understanding of their relationships. We review existing perspectives regarding the nature of the relationships between traits and values and provide a conceptual underpinning for understanding the strength of these relationships. Using 60 studies, we present a meta-analysis of the relationships between the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits and the Schwartz values, and demonstrate consistent and theoretically meaningful relationships. However, these relationships were not generally large, demonstrating that traits and values are distinct constructs. We find support for our premise that more cognitively based traits are more strongly related to values and more emotionally based traits are less strongly related to values. Findings also suggest that controlling for personal scale-use tendencies in values is advisable. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Assessing the Value of Biosimilars: A Review of the Role of Budget Impact Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven; Jacobs, Ira; Popovian, Robert; Isakov, Leah; Shane, Lesley G

2017-10-01

Biosimilar drugs are highly similar to an originator (reference) biologic, with no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety or efficacy. As biosimilars offer the potential for lower acquisition costs versus the originator biologic, evaluating the economic implications of the introduction of biosimilars is of interest. Budget impact analysis (BIA) is a commonly used methodology. This review of published BIAs of biosimilar fusion proteins and/or monoclonal antibodies identified 12 unique publications (three full papers and nine congress posters). When evaluated alongside professional guidance on conducting BIA, the majority of BIAs identified were generally in line with international recommendations. However, a lack of peer-reviewed journal articles and considerable shortcomings in the publications were identified. Deficiencies included a limited range of cost parameters, a reliance on assumptions for parameters such as uptake and drug pricing, a lack of expert validation, and a limited range of sensitivity analyses that were based on arbitrary ranges. The rationale for the methods employed, limitations of the BIA approach, and instructions for local adaptation often were inadequately discussed. To understand fully the potential economic impact and value of biosimilars, the impact of biosimilar supply, manufacturer-provided supporting services, and price competition should be included in BIAs. Alternative approaches, such as cost minimization, which requires evidence demonstrating similarity to the originator biologic, and those that integrate a range of economic assessment methods, are needed to assess the value of biosimilars.

Predictive value of different conventional and non-conventional MRI-parameters for specific domains of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinter, Daniela; Khalil, Michael; Pichler, Alexander; Langkammer, Christian; Ropele, Stefan; Marschik, Peter B; Fuchs, Siegrid; Fazekas, Franz; Enzinger, Christian

2015-01-01

While many studies correlated cognitive function with changes in brain morphology in multiple sclerosis (MS), few of them used a multi-parametric approach in a single dataset so far. We thus here assessed the predictive value of different conventional and quantitative MRI-parameters both for overall and domain-specific cognitive performance in MS patients from a single center. 69 patients (17 clinically isolated syndrome, 47 relapsing-remitting MS, 5 secondary-progressive MS) underwent the "Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests" assessing overall cognition, cognitive efficiency and memory function as well as MRI at 3 Tesla to obtain T2-lesion load (T2-LL), normalized brain volume (global brain volume loss), normalized cortical volume (NCV), normalized thalamic volume (NTV), normalized hippocampal volume (NHV), normalized caudate nuclei volume (NCNV), basal ganglia R2* values (iron deposition) and magnetization transfer ratios (MTRs) for cortex and normal appearing brain tissue (NABT). Regression models including clinical, demographic variables and MRI-parameters explained 22-27% of variance of overall cognition, 17-26% of cognitive efficiency and 22-23% of memory. NCV, T2-LL and MTR of NABT were the strongest predictors of overall cognitive function. Cognitive efficiency was best predicted by NCV, T2-LL and iron deposition in the basal ganglia. NTV was the strongest predictor for memory function and NHV was particularly related to memory function. The predictive value of distinct MRI-parameters differs for specific domains of cognitive function, with a greater impact of cortical volume, focal and diffuse white matter abnormalities on overall cognitive function, an additional role of basal ganglia iron deposition on cognitive efficiency, and thalamic and hippocampal volume on memory function. This suggests the usefulness of using multiparametric MRI to assess (micro)structural correlates of different cognitive constructs.

Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET image-based parameters in oesophageal cancer and impact of tumour delineation methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatt, Mathieu; Visvikis, Dimitris; Tixier, Florent; Albarghach, Nidal M.; Pradier, Olivier; Cheze-le Rest, Catherine

2011-01-01

18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) image-derived parameters, such as standardized uptake value (SUV), functional tumour length (TL) and tumour volume (TV) or total lesion glycolysis (TLG), may be useful for determining prognosis in patients with oesophageal carcinoma. The objectives of this work were to investigate the prognostic value of these indices in oesophageal cancer patients undergoing combined chemoradiotherapy treatment and the impact of TV delineation strategies. A total of 45 patients were retrospectively analysed. Tumours were delineated on pretreatment 18 F-FDG scans using adaptive threshold and automatic (fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian, FLAB) methodologies. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ), SUV peak , SUV mean , TL, TV and TLG were computed. The prognostic value of each parameter for overall survival was investigated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models for univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively. Large differences were observed between methodologies (from -140 to +50% for TV). SUV measurements were not significant prognostic factors for overall survival, whereas TV, TL and TLG were, irrespective of the segmentation strategy. After multivariate analysis including standard tumour staging, only TV (p < 0.002) and TL (p = 0.042) determined using FLAB were independent prognostic factors. Whereas no SUV measurement was a significant prognostic factor, TV, TL and TLG were significant prognostic factors for overall survival, irrespective of the delineation methodology. Only functional TV and TL derived using FLAB were independent prognostic factors, highlighting the need for accurate and robust PET tumour delineation tools for oncology applications. (orig.)

Does (Non-)Meaningful Sensori-Motor Engagement Promote Learning With Animated Physical Systems?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pouw, Wim T J L; Eielts, Charly; van Gog, Tamara; Zwaan, Rolf A.; Paas, Fred

2016-01-01

Previous research indicates that sensori-motor experience with physical systems can have a positive effect on learning. However, it is not clear whether this effect is caused by mere bodily engagement or the intrinsically meaningful information that such interaction affords in performing the

Pedagogical Background for Technology Education--Meaningful Learning in Theory and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Autio, Ossi

2009-01-01

One important theme in technology education is the growing need to develop the type of pedagogies that encourage pupils in authentic and meaningful learning experiences. Often, the teaching strategies of technology education are only a matter of teaching the handling of materials and tools, and the production of mere objects does not consider how…

Merit-Based Incentive Payment System: Meaningful Changes in the Final Rule Brings Cautious Optimism.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Helm Ii, Standiford; Calodney, Aaron K; Hirsch, Joshua A

2017-01-01

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) eliminated the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) act formula - a longstanding crucial issue of concern for health care providers and Medicare beneficiaries. MACRA also included a quality improvement program entitled, "The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS." The proposed rule of MIPS sought to streamline existing federal quality efforts and therefore linked 4 distinct programs into one. Three existing programs, meaningful use (MU), Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), value-based payment (VBP) system were merged with the addition of Clinical Improvement Activity category. The proposed rule also changed the name of MU to Advancing Care Information, or ACI. ACI contributes to 25% of composite score of the four programs, PQRS contributes 50% of the composite score, while VBP system, which deals with resource use or cost, contributes to 10% of the composite score. The newest category, Improvement Activities or IA, contributes 15% to the composite score. The proposed rule also created what it called a design incentive that drives movement to delivery system reform principles with the inclusion of Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs).Following the release of the proposed rule, the medical community, as well as Congress, provided substantial input to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),expressing their concern. American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) focused on 3 important aspects: delay the implementation, provide a 3-month performance period, and provide ability to submit meaningful quality measures in a timely and economic manner. The final rule accepted many of the comments from various organizations, including several of those specifically emphasized by ASIPP, with acceptance of 3-month reporting period, as well as the ability to submit non-MIPS measures to improve real quality and make the system meaningful. CMS also provided a mechanism for

Meaningful Statistics in Professional Practices as a Bridge between Mathematics and Science: An Evaluation of a Design Research Project

Science.gov (United States)

Dierdorp, Adri; Bakker, Arthur; van Maanen, Jan A.; Eijkelhof, Harrie M. C.

2014-01-01

Background: Creating coherence between school subjects mathematics and science and making these school subjects meaningful are still topical challenges. This study investigates how students make meaningful connections between mathematics, statistics, science and applications when they engage in a specially developed unit that is based on…

Blood coagulation parameters and platelet indices: changes in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies and predictive values for preeclampsia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Han

Full Text Available Preeclampsia (PE is an obstetric disorder with high morbidity and mortality rates but without clear pathogeny. The dysfunction of the blood coagulation-fibrinolysis system is a salient characteristic of PE that varies in severity, and necessitates different treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to find suitable predictors for the onset and severity of PE.We aimed to evaluate blood coagulation parameters and platelet indices as potential predictors for the onset and severity of PE.Blood samples from 3 groups of subjects, normal pregnant women (n = 79, mild preeclampsia (mPE (n = 53 and severe preeclampsia (sPE (n = 42, were collected during early and late pregnancy. The levels of coagulative parameters and platelet indices were measured and compared among the groups. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC curves of these indices were generated, and the area under the curve (AUC was calculated. The predictive values of the selected potential parameters were examined in binary regression analysis.During late pregnancy in the normal pregnancy group, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT, prothrombin time (PT, thrombin time (TT and platelet count decreased, while the fibrinogen level and mean platelet volume (MPV increased compared to early pregnancy (p<0.05. However, the PE patients presented with increased APTT, TT, MPV and D-dimer (DD during the third trimester. In the analysis of subjects with and without PE, TT showed the largest AUC (0.743 and high predictive value. In PE patients with different severities, MPV showed the largest AUC (0.671 and ideal predictive efficiency.Normal pregnancy causes a maternal physiological hypercoagulable state in late pregnancy. PE may trigger complex disorders in the endogenous coagulative pathways and consume platelets and FIB, subsequently activating thrombopoiesis and fibrinolysis. Thrombin time and MPV may serve as early monitoring markers for the onset and severity of PE

Prognostic value of Poincare plot as nonlinear parameter of chaos theory in patients with myocardial infarction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milovanović Branislav

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: There are different proofs about association of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, especially nonlinear parameters, with higher mortality after myocardial infarction. Objective The objective of the study was to determine predictive value of Poincare plot as nonlinear parameter and other significant standard risk predictors: ejection fraction of the left ventricle, late potentials, ventricular arrhythmias, and QT interval. Method The study included 1081 patients with mean follow up of 28 months (ranging fom 0-80 months. End-point of the study was cardiovascular mortality. The following diagnostic methods were used during the second week: ECG with commercial software Schiller AT-10: short time spectral analysis of RR variability with analysis of Poincare plot as nonlinear parameter and late potentials; 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring: QT interval, RR interval, QT/RR slope, ventricular arrhythmias (Lown >II; echocardiography examinations: systolic disorder (defined as EF<40 %. Results There were 103 (9.52% cardiovascular deaths during the follow-up. In univariate analysis, the following parameters were significantly correlated with mortality: mean RR interval < 800 ms, QT and RR interval space relationship as mean RR interval < 800 ms and QT interval > 350 ms, positive late potentials, systolic dysfunction, Poincare plot as a point, ventricular arrhythmias (Lown > II. In multivariate analysis, the significant risk predictors were: Poincare plot as a point and mean RR interval lower than 800 ms. Conclusion Mean RR interval lower than 800 ms and nonlinear and space presentation of RR interval as a point Poincare plot were multivariate risk predictors.

An investigation on the relationship between quarterly earnings adjustment and market value in selected firms listed on TSE Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Tehrani

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Earning reports are the primary basis of investment decisions among many individuals and fund managers. Any positive/negative adjustment on quarterly financial report could influence investment strategies, which consequently make significant change on market value. In this paper, we present an empirical study on some selected firms on Tehran Stock exchange by looking the effects of quarterly earning adjustment on firm and market’s return. The proposed study selects all firms whose shares were actively and publicly traded over the period 2006-2011. The study investigates whether there is a meaningful relationship between the content of quarterly earnings report and stock price with/without the presence of control variables. The results have concluded that there are some meaningful relationships between change in earning and market value and return on firm with market value but market value seems to have no relationship with market return changes.

Developing an instrument to measure emotional behaviour abilities of meaningful learning through the Delphi technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadorin, Lucia; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Tolotti, Angela; Pagnucci, Nicola; Sasso, Loredana

2017-09-01

To identify items for a new instrument that measures emotional behaviour abilities of meaningful learning, according to Fink's Taxonomy. Meaningful learning is an active process that promotes a wider and deeper understanding of concepts. It is the result of an interaction between new and previous knowledge and produces a long-term change of knowledge and skills. To measure meaningful learning capability, it is very important in the education of health professionals to identify problems or special learning needs. For this reason, it is necessary to create valid instruments. A Delphi Study technique was implemented in four phases by means of e-mail. The study was conducted from April-September 2015. An expert panel consisting of ten researchers with experience in Fink's Taxonomy was established to identify the items of the instrument. Data were analysed for conceptual description and item characteristics and attributes were rated. Expert consensus was sought in each of these phases. An 87·5% consensus cut-off was established. After four rounds, consensus was obtained for validation of the content of the instrument 'Assessment of Meaningful learning Behavioural and Emotional Abilities'. This instrument consists of 56 items evaluated on a 6-point Likert-type scale. Foundational Knowledge, Application, Integration, Human Dimension, Caring and Learning How to Learn were the six major categories explored. This content validated tool can help educators (teachers, trainers and tutors) to identify and improve the strategies to support students' learning capability, which could increase their awareness of and/or responsibility in the learning process. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social networking for language learners: Creating meaningful output with Web 2.0 tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Chartrand

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The Internet has the potential to provide language learners with vast resources of authentic written, audio, and video materials to supplement lessons. Educators can find a wide assortment of materials for learners to study in class or after class for independent learning and to encourage learner autonomy. More recently, however, the immense popularity of social networking websites has created new opportunities for language learners to interact in authentic ways that were previously difficult to achieve. Advances in technology mean that today, learners of a language can easily interact with their peers in meaningful practice that helps foster language acquisition and motivation. That is, tasks that make use of Web 2.0 interactivity can significantly raise students’ potential to generate meaningful output and stimulate their interest in language learning.

Biotechnologies as a Context for Enhancing Junior High-School Students' Ability to Ask Meaningful Questions about Abstract Biological Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsher, G.; Dreyfus, A.

1999-01-01

Suggests a new approach to teaching about biochemical cellular processes by stimulating student interest in those biochemical processes that allowed for the outcomes of modern biotechnologies. Discusses the development of students' ability to ask meaningful questions about intra-cellular processes, and the resulting meaningful learning of relevant…

Standardized uptake value in pediatric patients: an investigation to determine the optimum measurement parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeung, H.W.; Squire, O.D.; Larson, S.M.; Erdi, Y.E.; Sanches, A.; Macapinlac, H.A.

2002-01-01

Although the standardized uptake value (SUV) is currently used in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging, concerns have been raised over its accuracy and clinical relevance. Dependence of the SUV on body weight has been observed in adults and this should be of concern in the pediatric population, since there are significant body changes during childhood. The aim of the present study was to compare SUV measurements based on body weight, body surface area and lean body mass in the pediatric population and to determine a more reliable parameter across all ages. Sixty-eight pediatric FDG-PET studies were evaluated. Age ranged from 2 to 17 years and weight from 11 to 77 kg. Regions of interest were drawn at the liver for physiologic comparison and at FDG-avid malignant lesions. SUV based on body weight (SUV bw ) varied across different weights, a phenomenon less evident when body surface area (SUV bsa ) normalization is applied. Lean body mass-based SUV (SUV lbm ) also showed a positive correlation with weight, which again was less evident when normalized to bsa (SUV bsa-lbm ). The measured liver SUV bw was 1.1±0.3, a much lower value than in our adult population (1.9±0.3). The liver SUV bsa was 7.3±1.3. The tumor sites had an SUV bw of 4.0±2.7 and an SUV bsa of 25.9±15.4 (65% of the patients had neuroblastoma). The bsa-based SUVs were more constant across the pediatric ages and were less dependent on body weight than the SUV bw . These results indicate that SUV calculated on the basis of body surface area is a more uniform parameter than SUV based on body weight in pediatric patients and is probably the most appropriate approach for the follow-up of these patients. (orig.)

Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index: Responsiveness, meaningful change, and relative efficiency.

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Barnett, Carolina; Bril, Vera; Kapral, Moira; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Davis, Aileen M

2017-12-05

To study responsiveness and meaningful change of the Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index (MGII) and its relative efficiency compared to other measures. We enrolled 95 patients receiving prednisone, IV immunoglobulin (IVIg), or plasma exchange (PLEX) and 54 controls. Patients were assessed with the MGII and other measures-including the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis Score, Myasthenia Gravis Composite, and Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living-at baseline and 3-4 weeks after treatment. Statistical markers of responsiveness included between-groups and within-group differences, and we estimated the relative efficiency of the MGII compared to other measures. Patient-meaningful change was assessed with an anchor-based method, using the patient's impression of change. We determined the minimal detectable change (MDC) and the minimal important difference (MID) at the group and individual level. Treated patients had a higher change in MGII scores than controls (analysis of covariance p 1 favoring the MGII. The MGII demonstrated responsiveness to prednisone, IVIg, and PLEX in patients with myasthenia. There is a differential response in ocular and generalized symptoms to type of therapy. The MGII has higher relative efficiency than comparison measures and is viable for use in clinical trials. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Value of quantitative MRI parameters in predicting and evaluating clinical outcome in conservatively treated patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsehaie, J; Poot, D H J; Oei, E H G; Verhaar, J A N; de Vos, R J

2017-07-01

To evaluate whether baseline MRI parameters provide prognostic value for clinical outcome, and to study correlation between MRI parameters and clinical outcome. Observational prospective cohort study. Patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy were included and performed a 16-week eccentric calf-muscle exercise program. Outcome measurements were the validated Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire and MRI parameters at baseline and after 24 weeks. The following MRI parameters were assessed: tendon volume (Volume), tendon maximum cross-sectional area (CSA), tendon maximum anterior-posterior diameter (AP), and signal intensity (SI). Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and minimum detectable changes (MDCs) for each parameter were established in a reliability analysis. Twenty-five patients were included and complete follow-up was achieved in 20 patients. The average VISA-A scores increased significantly with 12.3 points (27.6%). The reliability was fair-good for all MRI-parameters with ICCs>0.50. Average tendon volume and CSA decreased significantly with 0.28cm 3 (5.2%) and 4.52mm 2 (4.6%) respectively. Other MRI parameters did not change significantly. None of the baseline MRI parameters were univariately associated with VISA-A change after 24 weeks. MRI SI increase over 24 weeks was positively correlated with the VISA-A score improvement (B=0.7, R 2 =0.490, p=0.02). Tendon volume and CSA decreased significantly after 24 weeks of conservative treatment. As these differences were within the MDC limits, they could be a result of a measurement error. Furthermore, MRI parameters at baseline did not predict the change in symptoms, and therefore have no added value in providing a prognosis in daily clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for Assessment of Gait and Reference Values for Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Older Adults: The Biomathics and Canadian Gait Consortiums Initiative

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Olivier Beauchet

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Gait disorders, a highly prevalent condition in older adults, are associated with several adverse health consequences. Gait analysis allows qualitative and quantitative assessments of gait that improves the understanding of mechanisms of gait disorders and the choice of interventions. This manuscript aims (1 to give consensus guidance for clinical and spatiotemporal gait analysis based on the recorded footfalls in older adults aged 65 years and over, and (2 to provide reference values for spatiotemporal gait parameters based on the recorded footfalls in healthy older adults free of cognitive impairment and multi-morbidities.Methods: International experts working in a network of two different consortiums (i.e., Biomathics and Canadian Gait Consortium participated in this initiative. First, they identified items of standardized information following the usual procedure of formulation of consensus findings. Second, they merged databases including spatiotemporal gait assessments with GAITRite® system and clinical information from the “Gait, cOgnitiOn & Decline” (GOOD initiative and the Generation 100 (Gen 100 study. Only healthy—free of cognitive impairment and multi-morbidities (i.e., ≤ 3 therapeutics taken daily—participants aged 65 and older were selected. Age, sex, body mass index, mean values, and coefficients of variation (CoV of gait parameters were used for the analyses.Results: Standardized systematic assessment of three categories of items, which were demographics and clinical information, and gait characteristics (clinical and spatiotemporal gait analysis based on the recorded footfalls, were selected for the proposed guidelines. Two complementary sets of items were distinguished: a minimal data set and a full data set. In addition, a total of 954 participants (mean age 72.8 ± 4.8 years, 45.8% women were recruited to establish the reference values. Performance of spatiotemporal gait parameters based on the recorded

Meaningful Gamification and Students' Motivation: A Strategy for Scaffolding Reading Material

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Ling, Lynette Tan Yuen

2018-01-01

Gamification is an innovative pedagogical strategy where digital games are used in an educational setting and as an aid to learning. Recent publications on gamification in the classroom investigate the concept of "meaningful gamification," where, in line with Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory, competency, autonomy, and…

Aging, Culture, and Memory for Socially Meaningful Item-Context Associations: An East-West Cross-Cultural Comparison Study

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Yang, Lixia; Li, Juan; Spaniol, Julia; Hasher, Lynn; Wilkinson, Andrea J.; Yu, Jing; Niu, Yanan

2013-01-01

Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older) and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older). All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age. PMID:23593288

Aging, culture, and memory for socially meaningful item-context associations: an East-West cross-cultural comparison study.

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Lixia Yang

Full Text Available Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older. All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age.

Methodology for determining the value of complexity parameter for emergency situation during driving of the train

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O. M. Horobchenko

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. During development of intelligent control systems for locomotive there is a need in the evaluation of the current train situation in the terms of traffic safety. In order to estimate the probability of the development of various emergency situations in to the traffic accidents, it is necessary to determine their complexity. The purpose of this paper is to develop the methodology for determining the complexity of emergency situations during the locomotive operation. Methodology. To achieve this purpose the statistical material of traffic safety violations was accumulated. The causes of violations are divided into groups: technical factors, human factors and external influences. Using the theory of hybrid networks it was obtained a model that gives the output complexity parameter of the emergency situation. Network type: multilayer perceptron with hybrid neurons of the first layer and the sigmoid activation function. The methods of the probability theory were used for the analysis of the results. Findings. The approach to the formalization of manufacturing situations that can only be described linguistically was developed, that allowed to use them as input data to the model for emergency situation. It was established and proved that the exponent of complexity for emergency situation during driving the train is a random quantity and obeys to the normal distribution law. It was obtained the graph of the cumulative distribution function, which identified the areas for safe operation and an increased risk of accident. Originality. It was proposed theoretical basis for determining the complexity of emergency situations in the train work and received the maximum complexity value of emergency situations that can be admitted in the operating conditions. Practical value. Constant monitoring of this value allows not only respond to the threat of danger, but also getting it in numerical form and use it as one of the input parameters for the

Errors and parameter estimation in precipitation-runoff modeling: 1. Theory

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Troutman, Brent M.

1985-01-01

Errors in complex conceptual precipitation-runoff models may be analyzed by placing them into a statistical framework. This amounts to treating the errors as random variables and defining the probabilistic structure of the errors. By using such a framework, a large array of techniques, many of which have been presented in the statistical literature, becomes available to the modeler for quantifying and analyzing the various sources of error. A number of these techniques are reviewed in this paper, with special attention to the peculiarities of hydrologic models. Known methodologies for parameter estimation (calibration) are particularly applicable for obtaining physically meaningful estimates and for explaining how bias in runoff prediction caused by model error and input error may contribute to bias in parameter estimation.

Pilot Study of Flow and Meaningfulness as Psychological Learning Concepts in Patient Education: A Short Report

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nicic, Sara; Nørby, Karina; Bruun Johansen, Clea

2014-01-01

of this study was to investigate the applicability of these concepts of positive psychological theory in a patient education setting. Methods: This pilot study combines participating observation of group based patient education and 8 qualitative interviews with 4 patients with type 2 diabetes. Meaning......Abstract Background: The aim of this pilot study was to explore patient experiences of meaningfulness and flow related to group based patient education in type 2 diabetes. Meaningfulness and flow are underexposed as psychological learning concepts in patient education, and the ambition...

Creating Visual Design and Meaningful Audience Experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steijn, Arthur; Ion Wille, Jakob

2014-01-01

The main purpose of the EU Interreg funded Classical Composition Music and Experience Design project, was to rethink audience experiences and develop knowledge of applied technologies connected to classical music and live concerts. The project and its main objectives was motivated by at least thee...... conditions. The most important being 1) the development in new technology creating new expectations in audiences attending cultural events, including classical concerts, 2) resent decline in audiences attending classical music and 3) a will to strengthen relations between cultural institutions, creative...... businesses and educational institutions in the Øresund region (including the city and surroundings of Malmø and Copenhagen). Therefore the project Classical Composition Music and Experience Design focused on developing new and meaningful audience experiences where live classical music meets new digital...

A comparison between two powder compaction parameters of plasticity: the effective medium A parameter and the Heckel 1/K parameter.

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Mahmoodi, Foad; Klevan, Ingvild; Nordström, Josefina; Alderborn, Göran; Frenning, Göran

2013-09-10

The purpose of the research was to introduce a procedure to derive a powder compression parameter (EM A) representing particle yield stress using an effective medium equation and to compare the EM A parameter with the Heckel compression parameter (1/K). 16 pharmaceutical powders, including drugs and excipients, were compressed in a materials testing instrument and powder compression profiles were derived using the EM and Heckel equations. The compression profiles thus obtained could be sub-divided into regions among which one region was approximately linear and from this region, the compression parameters EM A and 1/K were calculated. A linear relationship between the EM A parameter and the 1/K parameter was obtained with a strong correlation. The slope of the plot was close to 1 (0.84) and the intercept of the plot was small in comparison to the range of parameter values obtained. The relationship between the theoretical EM A parameter and the 1/K parameter supports the interpretation of the empirical Heckel parameter as being a measure of yield stress. It is concluded that the combination of Heckel and EM equations represents a suitable procedure to derive a value of particle plasticity from powder compression data. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Researches Regarding Microbiological Parameters Values of Telemea Cheese

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Andra Suler

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The main objectives of this paper were microbiological parameters which characterized the Telemea cheese for each season, assessment of technologies and thus assortment defects as well as projection of hygienic solution for obtaining qualitative products according to actual standards. We studied 5 units of Telemea cheese processing replaced in different area. For obtaining concrete results we used STAS methodologies and analyze procedure was based on observation, mathematical estimation and experiments (in lab and processing units.

Calculation of the number of branches of multi-valued decision trees in computer aided importance rank of parameters

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Tiszbierek Agnieszka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An elaborated digital computer programme supporting the time-consuming process of selecting the importance rank of construction and operation parameters by means of stating optimum sets is based on the Quine – McCluskey algorithm of minimizing individual partial multi-valued logic functions. The example with real time data, calculated by means of the programme, showed that among the obtained optimum sets there were such which had a different number of real branches after being presented on the multi-valued logic decision tree. That is why an idea of elaborating another functionality of the programme – a module calculating the number of branches of real, multi-valued logic decision trees presenting optimum sets chosen by the programme was pursued. This paper presents the idea and the method for developing a module calculating the number of branches, real for each of optimum sets indicated by the programme, as well as to the calculation process.

Extended moment series and the parameters of the negative binomial distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowman, K.O.

1984-01-01

Recent studies indicate that, for finite sample sizes, moment estimators may be superior to maximum likelihood estimators in some regions of parameter space. In this paper a statistic based on the central moment of the sample is expanded in a Taylor series using 24 derivatives and many more terms than previous expansions. A summary algorithm is required to find meaningful approximants using the higher-order coefficients. A example is presented and a comparison between theoretical assessment and simulation results is made

The consistency and complementarity between critical meaningful learning theory and the epistemology of Paul Feyerabend

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Felipe Damasio

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Researchers in science teaching have advocated concomitant education about and of science. To approach the nature and history of science in basic education is necessary to have an epistemological approach that can go between of rationalism of Bunge and relativism of Feyerabend. In this paper, it is argued that Feyerabend's epistemological stance is that more can help promote meaningful learning critical, so as to form inquiring, flexible, creative, innovative, tolerant and liberal people. In addition, the suggestions Feyerabend's epistemology also complement the Theory of Meaningful Learning Critical to propose a curriculum and a context for the principles of the theory are in science classrooms.

Beyond Needs Analysis: Soft Systems Methodology for Meaningful Collaboration in EAP Course Design

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Tajino, Akira; James, Robert; Kijima, Kyoichi

2005-01-01

Designing an EAP course requires collaboration among various concerned stakeholders, including students, subject teachers, institutional administrators and EAP teachers themselves. While needs analysis is often considered fundamental to EAP, alternative research methodologies may be required to facilitate meaningful collaboration between these…

If meaningfulness is not always fulfilling, why then does it matter?

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Nicole Note

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We start from a quandary in the field of meaningfulness introduced by Susan Wolf, who attempts to make clear why meaning in life would matter. In common sense terms, fulfilment is considered to play a main role in the conceptualisation of meaningfulness. While initially taking this also for granted Wolf gradually comprehends that fulfilment is not the overall reason why meaning in life matters. She leaves however open the paramount question of what would make it then so particular. In this article, we explore this query to a fuller extent, and maintain that a promising road to an answer lays in the understanding that meaning in life is directive in an ineffable way. In order to fathom what this entails, a distinction between meaningfulness’ and ‘meaning in life’ will prove helpful. Both have often been considered synonyms, but we argue that they are quite distinct, yet intrinsically related. Starting from a subject that is mainly discussed in analytic philosophy, we build a bridge to phenomenological praxis, indicating that we can only understand its core function - its ineffable way of being directive - through phenomenology.

The meaningfulness of participating in support groups for informal caregivers of older adults with dementia: a systematic review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Jette; Pedersen, Preben Ulrich; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

2015-01-01

of participants: Informal caregivers of older adults aged 65 years and over with dementia. The informal caregiver was a family member, and care was performed at home. Phenomena of interest: How the informal caregivers perceived the meaningfulness of participating in support groups. The setting was all locations......BACKGROUND Informal caregivers who perform at-home care of older people with dementia might have feelings of a meaningless existence, burden, anxiety, stress and fatigue. Support groups are considered an especially effective and economical way to relieve informal caregivers’ stress and burden......, although it is unclear if participating in group meetings produces a meaningful outcome for the informal caregiver. OBJECTIVES To identify the meaningfulness of participating in support groups for informal caregivers of older adults with dementia living in their own home. INCLUSION CRITERIA Types...

Lifetime value in business process

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Martin Souček

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on lifetime value assessment and its implementation and application in business processes. The lifetime value is closely connected to customer relationship management. The paper presents results of three consecutive researches devoted to issues of customer relationship management. The first two from 2008 and 2010 were conducted as quantitative ones; the one from 2009 had qualitative nature. The respondents were representatives of particular companies. The means for data collection was provided by ReLa system. We will focus on individual attributes of lifetime value of a customer, and relate them to approaches of authors mentioned in introduction. Based on the qualitative research data, the paper focuses on individual customer lifetime value parameters. These parameters include: the cost to the customer relationship acquisition and maintenance, profit generated from a particular customer, customer awareness value, the level of preparedness to adopt new products, the value of references and customer loyalty level. For each of these parameters, the paper provides specific recommendations. Moreover, it is possible to learn about the nature of these parameter assessments in the Czech environment.

A divide-and-conquer approach to analyze underdetermined biochemical models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kotte, Oliver; Heinemann, Matthias

2009-01-01

Motivation: To obtain meaningful predictions from dynamic computational models, their uncertain parameter values need to be estimated from experimental data. Due to the usually large number of parameters compared to the available measurement data, these estimation problems are often underdetermined

Meaningful Engagement in Scientific Practices: How Classroom Communities Develop Authentic Epistemologies for Science

Science.gov (United States)

Krist, Christina Rae

Recent reforms in science education, based on decades of learning research, emphasize engaging students in science and engineering practices as the means to develop and refine disciplinary ideas. These reforms advocate an epistemic shift in how school science is done: from students learning about science ideas to students figuring out core science ideas. This shift is challenging to implement: how do we bring the goals and practices of a discipline into classroom communities in meaningful ways that go beyond simply following rote scientific procedures? In this dissertation, I investigate how classroom communities learn to engage meaningfully in scientific practices, characterizing their engagement as a process of epistemic learning. I take a situated perspective that defines learning as shifts in how members engage in communities of practice. I examine students' epistemic learning as a function of their participation in a classroom community of scientific practice along two dimensions: what they do, or the practical epistemic heuristics they use to guide how they build knowledge; and who they are, or how ownership and authorship of ideas is negotiated and affectively marked through interaction. I focus on a cohort of students as they move from 6th to 8 th grade. I analyze three science units, one from each grade level, to look at the epistemic heuristics implicit in student and teacher talk and how the use of those heuristics shifts over time. In addition, I examine one anomalous 8th grade class to look at how students and the teacher position themselves and each other with respect to the ideas in their classroom and how that positioning supports epistemic learning. Taken together, these analyses demonstrate how students' engagement in scientific practices evolves in terms of what they do and who they are in relation to the knowledge and ideas in their classroom over time. I propose a model for epistemic learning that articulates how classroom communities develop

Predictive value of different conventional and non-conventional MRI-parameters for specific domains of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis

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Daniela Pinter

2015-01-01

Conclusions: The predictive value of distinct MRI-parameters differs for specific domains of cognitive function, with a greater impact of cortical volume, focal and diffuse white matter abnormalities on overall cognitive function, an additional role of basal ganglia iron deposition on cognitive efficiency, and thalamic and hippocampal volume on memory function. This suggests the usefulness of using multiparametric MRI to assess (microstructural correlates of different cognitive constructs.

Active Remembrance: The Value and Importance of Making Remembrance Relevant and Personal

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McKay, Claire

2017-01-01

Concerned that her students' understanding of and engagement with remembrance were superficial, and faced with the requirement to teach SMSC and British values, Claire McKay sought ways to make them meaningful and contextualised. In this article she explores how she and her colleagues have endeavoured to do this, through a battlefields tour, and a…

Investigating the Added Value of Interactivity and Serious Gaming for Educational TV

Science.gov (United States)

Bellotti, F.; Berta, R.; De Gloria, A.; Ozolina, A.

2011-01-01

TV is a medium with high penetration rates and has been suited to deliver informal education in several aspects since years. Thus, interactive TV may play a significant role in the current Life-Long Learning challenges, provided that meaningful applications are implemented. In this research work, we have explored the added value of interactivity…

Proposal for inclusion of topics of particle physics integrated electric charge through a potentially meaningful teaching units

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Lisiane Barcellos Calheiro

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this article the results of the analysis of free and concept maps produced are presented from the application and evaluation of a Potentially Meaningful Teaching Units – PMTU, which is a teaching sequence based on various learning theories and seeks to promote meaningful student learning. Presents, in this work, part of a research Masters in Science Education which deals with the inclusion of topics of particle physics integrated with traditional content of the third year of high school. It was implemented in a third grade high school class of a State School in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, and Brazil. The PMTU aimed to address in an integrated manner threads for Particle Physics and Electronics. A didactic sequence that integrated the topics of electric charge, atomic models, elementary particles, quantization and process electrification was applied. Such integration aimed at stimulating the interest on topics related to Modern and Contemporary Physics. It was developed using PMTU activities that aimed at promoting meaningful learning and knowledge construction in the classroom, Since the topics involved were quite complex, this made their integration a real challenge to the high school teachers, and resulted in changes in their teaching practices. Research showed that the inclusion of topics on physics of elementary particles the and electricity, through Potentially Meaningful Teaching Units, show satisfactory results in the students’ learning.

Values-Based Education for Sustainability Marketers: Two Approaches for Enhancing Student Social Consciousness

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Markley Rountree, Melissa; Koernig, Stephen K.

2015-01-01

Sustainable development has been a hot button issue for decades, and yet business schools continue to struggle with accessible, meaningful and effective strategies to incorporate the topic into their curricula. To extend the teaching toolbox of educators, we describe two complementary marketing courses that use values-based learning to incorporate…

Understanding Value as a Key Concept in Sustaining the Perioperative Nursing Workforce.

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Kapaale, Chaluza C

2018-03-01

Perioperative nursing is faced with a staffing crisis attributed in part to minimal numbers of newly graduated nurses choosing a career in this specialty. This article analyzes and applies the concept of value to explore how to maintain an adequate perioperative nursing workforce; recruit newly graduated nurses; and encourage career professional, nurse educator, and student collaboration to generate meaningful value for perioperative nursing. This analysis revealed that value co-creation for perioperative nursing could lead to newly graduated nurses increasingly choosing perioperative nursing as a career, and enjoying satisfying perioperative nursing careers while providing high-quality patient care. © AORN, Inc, 2018.

Emerging Good Practices for Transforming Value Assessment: Patients' Voices, Patients' Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Perfetto, Eleanor M; Harris, Jason; Mullins, C Daniel; dosReis, Susan

2018-04-01

Patient engagement is a transformative strategy for improving value assessment. US value framework developers have increased engagement activities, but more needs to be learned about how to best achieve meaningful patient engagement in value assessment. The objective was to glean good practices in patient engagement emerging from patient community experiences, to be used in value assessment. The National Health Council Value Workgroup conducted a survey and held a focus group with its member advocacy organizations to gather experiences with value framework developers and views on emerging good practices. Ten of 13 organizations completed the survey; reporting 13 interactions with four framework developers. Most rated experiences as "good" to "very good." Emerging good practices included (1) engage early; (2) engage a range of patients; (3) leverage patient-provided information, data resources, and outreach mechanisms; (4) be transparent; and (5) appreciate and accommodate resource constraints. Twelve of 13 organizations participated in the focus group, and this produced 30 emerging good practices in four areas: (1) timing; (2) methodology and data; (3) partnering; and (4) characterizing engagement. Patient engagement was limited in early development of value frameworks but has increased in the past few years. Patient groups report positive experiences that can serve as emerging good practices. These groups also reported experienced challenges in their interactions and recommended good practices to mitigate those challenges. The growing pool of patient engagement experiences can be translated into good practices to advance a patient-centered, value-driven health care ecosystem. Lessons learned from these early experiences can help establish recommend emerging good practices that can eventually result in best practices and standards in the field. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc

Integrating Concept Mapping into Information Systems Education for Meaningful Learning and Assessment

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Wei, Wei; Yue, Kwok-Bun

2017-01-01

Concept map (CM) is a theoretically sound yet easy to learn tool and can be effectively used to represent knowledge. Even though many disciplines have adopted CM as a teaching and learning tool to improve learning effectiveness, its application in IS curriculum is sparse. Meaningful learning happens when one iteratively integrates new concepts and…

Meaningful Learning in the Teaching of Culture: The Project Based Learning Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kean, Ang Chooi; Kwe, Ngu Moi

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a collaborative effort taken by a team of three teacher educators in using the Project Based Learning (PBL) approach in the teaching of Japanese culture with the aim to investigate the presence of actual "meaningful learning" among 15 students of a 12-Week Preparatory Japanese Language course under a teacher…

Congruence of Personal and Organizational Values: Moving Beyond Practice

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Jolita Vveinhardt

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to review and clarify the knowledge of practice related literature on the concept of congruence between personal and organizational values and to develop the framework for strengthening the congruence between personal and organizational values in order to improve understanding about how the theory is turned into practice. This paper thoroughly analyses an extensive literature in relation to value congruence and its practical management and discusses the relationships between theoretical knowledge and practical implications. By organizing a wide range of practice related aspects into meaningful categories, the paper presents specific practical suggestions how to strengthen the congruence of personal and organizational values. The paper gives clear practical guidance for those who intend to develop and implement the congruence between personal and organizational values, since the model may be useful in selecting the most suitable practices for specific situations in organizations.

Innovation Design Creating Value for People, Organizations and Society

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den Ouden, Elke

2012-01-01

Innovation Design presents an approach to designing shared value for businesses, non-profit organizations, end-users and society. The societal and economic challenges we are currently facing – such as the aging population, energy scarcity and environmental issues – are not just threats but are also great opportunities for organizations. Innovation Design shows how organizations can contribute to the process of generating value for society by finding true solutions to these challenges. And at the same time it describes how they can capture value for themselves in business ecosystems that care for both people and planet. This book covers: ·         Creating meaningful innovations that improve quality of life, engage users and provide value for organizations and other stakeholders; ·         Guiding the creation of shared value throughout the innovation process, with a practical and integrative approach towards value that connects ideas from economics, psychology, sociology and ecology; ·�...

Older Adults Co-Creating Meaningful Individualized Social Activities Online for Healthy Ageing.

Science.gov (United States)

Blusi, Madeleine; Nilsson, Ingeborg; Lindgren, Helena

2018-01-01

Social isolation and loneliness among older people is a growing problem with negative effects on physical and mental health. In co-creation with older adults individualized social activities were designed where older adults through computer mediated communication were able to participate in social activities without leaving their homes. Four types of activities were designed; outdoor activity, music event, visiting a friend and leisure activity. A participatory action research design was applied, where end users together with scientists from two research fields developed, tested and evaluated online participation in the activities. Usability and safety of the systems were major concerns among older adults. The evaluation pointed out that level of simplicity, usability and audio-video quality determined the level of satisfaction with the human interaction during the activity, thereby affecting the meaningfulness of the activity. The research presented in this paper constitutes the first step in a long-term research process aiming at developing a digital coaching system that gives older adults personalized support for increasing participation in meaningful social activities.

Life values structure in a Spanish sample of adolescents

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María Tejerina-Arreal

2014-05-01

Full Text Available We examined the structure of personal life values as a representation of underlying motivation, in a Spanish sample of children and adolescents 12 - 16 years old. In general, results showed that youth put higher priority on intrinsic life goals (meaningful relationships, being physically healthy, self-acceptance than extrinsic life goals (image, money, power. Gender differences were found in specific life goals. When comparing our results with another longitudinal American study using the same instrument and methodology, we found similar results, although Spanish youth value priorities goals related to support rather than striving as in American adolescents. Cultural and age trend in life priorities are discussed.

ON THE DERIVATIVE OF SMOOTH MEANINGFUL FUNCTIONS

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Sanjo Zlobec

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The derivative of a function f in n variables at a point x* is one of the most important tools in mathematical modelling. If this object exists, it is represented by the row n-tuple f(x* = [∂f/∂xi(x*] called the gradient of f at x*, abbreviated: “the gradient”. The evaluation of f(x* is usually done in two stages, first by calculating the n partials and then their values at x = x*. In this talk we give an alternative approach. We show that one can characterize the gradient without differentiation! The idea is to fix an arbitrary row n-tuple G and answer the following question: What is a necessary and sufficient condition such that G is the gradient of a given f at a given x*? The answer is given after adjusting the quadratic envelope property introduced in [3]. We work with smooth, i.e., continuously differentiable, functions with a Lipschitz derivative on a compact convex set with a non-empty interior. Working with this class of functions is not a serious restriction. In fact, loosely speaking, “almost all” smooth meaningful functions used in modelling of real life situations are expected to have a bounded “acceleration” hence they belong to this class. In particular, the class contains all twice differentiable functions [1]. An important property of the functions from this class is that every f can be represented as the difference of some convex function and a convex quadratic function. This decomposition was used in [3] to characterize the zero derivative points. There we obtained reformulations and augmentations of some well known classic results on optimality such as Fermats extreme value theorem (known from high school and the Lagrange multiplier theorem from calculus [2, 3]. In this talk we extend the results on zero derivative points to characterize the relation G = f(x*, where G is an arbitrary n-tuple. Some special cases: If G = O, we recover the results on zero derivative points. For functions of a single

Correlations between forced oscillation technique parameters and pulmonary densitovolumetry values in patients with acromegaly

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G.B. Camilo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to evaluate the forced oscillation technique (FOT and pulmonary densitovolumetry in acromegalic patients and to examine the correlations between these findings. In this cross-sectional study, 29 non-smoking acromegalic patients and 17 paired controls were subjected to the FOT and quantification of lung volume using multidetector computed tomography (Q-MDCT. Compared with the controls, the acromegalic patients had a higher value for resonance frequency [15.3 (10.9-19.7 vs 11.4 (9.05-17.6 Hz, P=0.023] and a lower value for mean reactance [0.32 (0.21-0.64 vs 0.49 (0.34-0.96 cm H2O/L/s2, P=0.005]. In inspiratory Q-MDCT, the acromegalic patients had higher percentages of total lung volume (TLV for nonaerated and poorly aerated areas [0.42% (0.30-0.51% vs 0.25% (0.20-0.32%, P=0.039 and 3.25% (2.48-3.46% vs 1.70% (1.45-2.15%, P=0.001, respectively]. Furthermore, the acromegalic patients had higher values for total lung mass in both inspiratory and expiratory Q-MDCT [821 (635-923 vs 696 (599-769 g, P=0.021 and 844 (650-945 vs 637 (536-736 g, P=0.009, respectively]. In inspiratory Q-MDCT, TLV showed significant correlations with all FOT parameters. The TLV of hyperaerated areas showed significant correlations with intercept resistance (rs=−0.602, P<0.001 and mean resistance (rs=−0.580, P<0.001. These data showed that acromegalic patients have increased amounts of lung tissue as well as nonaerated and poorly aerated areas. Functionally, there was a loss of homogeneity of the respiratory system. Moreover, there were correlations between the structural and functional findings of the respiratory system, consistent with the pathophysiology of the disease.

Standardized uptake values of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose: the value of different normalization procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schomburg, A.; Bender, H.; Reichel, C.; Sommer, T.; Ruhlmann, J.; Kozak, B.; Biersack, H.J.

1996-01-01

While the evident advantages of absolute metabolic rate determinations cannot be equalled by static image analysis of fluorine-18 fluorodexyglucose positron emission tomographic (FDG PET) studies, various algorithms for the normalization of static FDG uptake values have been proposed. This study was performed to compare different normalization procedures in terms of dependency on individual patient characteristics. Standardized FDG uptake values (SUVs) were calculated for liver and lung tissue in 126 patients studied with whole-body FDG PET. Uptake values were normalized for total body weight, lean body mass and body surface area. Ranges, means, medians, standard deviations and variation coefficients of these SUV parameters were calculated and their interdependency with total body weight, lean body mass, body surface area, patient height and blood sugar levels was calculated by means of regression analysis. Standardized FDG uptake values normalized for body surface area were clearly superior to SUV parameters normalized for total body weight or lean body mass. Variation and correlation coefficients of body surface area-normalized uptake values were minimal when compared with SUV parameters derived from the other normalization procedures. Normalization for total body weight resulted in uptake values still dependent on body weight and blood sugar levels, while normalization for lean body mass did not eliminate the positive correlation with lean body mass and patient height. It is concluded that normalization of FDG uptake values for body surface area is less dependent on the individual patient characteristics than are FDG uptake values normalized for other parameters, and therefore appears to be preferable for FDG PET studies in oncology. (orig.)

Comparison of Parameter Identification Techniques

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Eder Rafael

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Model-based control of mechatronic systems requires excellent knowledge about the physical behavior of each component. For several types of components of a system, e.g. mechanical or electrical ones, the dynamic behavior can be described by means of a mathematic model consisting of a set of differential equations, difference equations and/or algebraic constraint equations. The knowledge of a realistic mathematic model and its parameter values is essential to represent the behaviour of a mechatronic system. Frequently it is hard or impossible to obtain all required values of the model parameters from the producer, so an appropriate parameter estimation technique is required to compute missing parameters. A manifold of parameter identification techniques can be found in the literature, but their suitability depends on the mathematic model. Previous work dealt with the automatic assembly of mathematical models of serial and parallel robots with drives and controllers within the dynamic multibody simulation code HOTINT as fully-fledged mechatronic simulation. Several parameters of such robot models were identified successfully by our embedded algorithm. The present work proposes an improved version of the identification algorithm with higher performance. The quality of the identified parameter values and the computation effort are compared with another standard technique.

Sickle cell disease: reference values and interhemispheric differences of nonimaging transcranial Doppler blood flow parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Arkuszewski, M; Krejza, J; Chen, R; Kwiatkowski, J L; Ichord, R; Zimmerman, R; Ohene-Frempong, K; Desiderio, L; Melhem, E R

2011-09-01

TCD screening is widely used to identify children with SCD at high risk of stroke. Those with high mean flow velocities in major brain arteries have increased risk of stroke. Thus, our aim was to establish reference values of interhemispheric differences and ratios of blood flow Doppler parameters in the tICA, MCA, and ACA as determined by conventional TCD in children with sickle cell anemia. Reference limits of blood flow parameters were established on the basis of a consecutive cohort of 56 children (mean age, 100 ± 40 months; range, 29-180 months; 30 females) free of neurologic deficits and intracranial stenosis detectable by MRA, with blood flow velocities <170 cm/s by conventional TCD. Reference limits were estimated by using tolerance intervals, within which are included with a probability of .90 of all possible data values from 95% of a population. Average peak systolic velocities were significantly higher in the right hemisphere in the MCA and ACA (185 ± 28 cm/s versus 179 ± 27 and 152 ± 30 cm/s versus 143 ± 34 cm/s respectively). Reference limits for left-to-right differences in the mean flow velocities were the following: -43 to 33 cm/s for the MCA; -49 to 38 cm/s for the ACA, and -38 to 34 cm/s for the tICA, respectively. Respective reference limits for left-to-right velocity ratios were the following: 0.72 to 1.25 cm/s for the MCA; 0.62 to 1.39 cm/s for the ACA, and 0.69 to 1.27 cm/s for the tICA. Flow velocities in major arteries were inversely related to age and Hct or Hgb. The study provides reference intervals of TCD flow velocities and their interhemispheric differences and ratios that may be helpful in identification of intracranial arterial stenosis in children with SCD undergoing sonographic screening for stroke prevention.

Meaningful Academic Work as Praxis in Emergence

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Keijo Räsänen

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The managerial form of university governance has changed the conditions of academic work in many countries. While some academics consider this a welcome development, others experience it as a threat to their autonomy and to the meaningfulness of their work. This essay suggests a stance in response to the current conditions that should serve especially the latter group of academics. The claim is that by approaching academic work as a potential praxis in emergence, it is possible to appreciate local, autonomous activity in renewing academic work. Even if such efforts remain difficult, dispersed in space, discontinuous in time, and incomplete, they may provide a sense of direction and keep up hope. The conception of praxis is a way of articulating the mission of such efforts; simultaneously, it is also a way of defining an epistemic object for research on academic work.

Bayesian uncertainty analysis for complex systems biology models: emulation, global parameter searches and evaluation of gene functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vernon, Ian; Liu, Junli; Goldstein, Michael; Rowe, James; Topping, Jen; Lindsey, Keith

2018-01-02

Many mathematical models have now been employed across every area of systems biology. These models increasingly involve large numbers of unknown parameters, have complex structure which can result in substantial evaluation time relative to the needs of the analysis, and need to be compared to observed data of various forms. The correct analysis of such models usually requires a global parameter search, over a high dimensional parameter space, that incorporates and respects the most important sources of uncertainty. This can be an extremely difficult task, but it is essential for any meaningful inference or prediction to be made about any biological system. It hence represents a fundamental challenge for the whole of systems biology. Bayesian statistical methodology for the uncertainty analysis of complex models is introduced, which is designed to address the high dimensional global parameter search problem. Bayesian emulators that mimic the systems biology model but which are extremely fast to evaluate are embeded within an iterative history match: an efficient method to search high dimensional spaces within a more formal statistical setting, while incorporating major sources of uncertainty. The approach is demonstrated via application to a model of hormonal crosstalk in Arabidopsis root development, which has 32 rate parameters, for which we identify the sets of rate parameter values that lead to acceptable matches between model output and observed trend data. The multiple insights into the model's structure that this analysis provides are discussed. The methodology is applied to a second related model, and the biological consequences of the resulting comparison, including the evaluation of gene functions, are described. Bayesian uncertainty analysis for complex models using both emulators and history matching is shown to be a powerful technique that can greatly aid the study of a large class of systems biology models. It both provides insight into model behaviour

Modeling sugarcane yield with a process-based model from site to continental scale: uncertainties arising from model structure and parameter values

Science.gov (United States)

Valade, A.; Ciais, P.; Vuichard, N.; Viovy, N.; Caubel, A.; Huth, N.; Marin, F.; Martiné, J.-F.

2014-06-01

Agro-land surface models (agro-LSM) have been developed from the integration of specific crop processes into large-scale generic land surface models that allow calculating the spatial distribution and variability of energy, water and carbon fluxes within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum. When developing agro-LSM models, particular attention must be given to the effects of crop phenology and management on the turbulent fluxes exchanged with the atmosphere, and the underlying water and carbon pools. A part of the uncertainty of agro-LSM models is related to their usually large number of parameters. In this study, we quantify the parameter-values uncertainty in the simulation of sugarcane biomass production with the agro-LSM ORCHIDEE-STICS, using a multi-regional approach with data from sites in Australia, La Réunion and Brazil. In ORCHIDEE-STICS, two models are chained: STICS, an agronomy model that calculates phenology and management, and ORCHIDEE, a land surface model that calculates biomass and other ecosystem variables forced by STICS phenology. First, the parameters that dominate the uncertainty of simulated biomass at harvest date are determined through a screening of 67 different parameters of both STICS and ORCHIDEE on a multi-site basis. Secondly, the uncertainty of harvested biomass attributable to those most sensitive parameters is quantified and specifically attributed to either STICS (phenology, management) or to ORCHIDEE (other ecosystem variables including biomass) through distinct Monte Carlo runs. The uncertainty on parameter values is constrained using observations by calibrating the model independently at seven sites. In a third step, a sensitivity analysis is carried out by varying the most sensitive parameters to investigate their effects at continental scale. A Monte Carlo sampling method associated with the calculation of partial ranked correlation coefficients is used to quantify the sensitivity of harvested biomass to input

Bayesian Parameter Estimation for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, Eric; Konan, Arnaud; Duran, Adam

2017-03-28

Accurate vehicle parameters are valuable for design, modeling, and reporting. Estimating vehicle parameters can be a very time-consuming process requiring tightly-controlled experimentation. This work describes a method to estimate vehicle parameters such as mass, coefficient of drag/frontal area, and rolling resistance using data logged during standard vehicle operation. The method uses Monte Carlo to generate parameter sets which is fed to a variant of the road load equation. Modeled road load is then compared to measured load to evaluate the probability of the parameter set. Acceptance of a proposed parameter set is determined using the probability ratio to the current state, so that the chain history will give a distribution of parameter sets. Compared to a single value, a distribution of possible values provides information on the quality of estimates and the range of possible parameter values. The method is demonstrated by estimating dynamometer parameters. Results confirm the method's ability to estimate reasonable parameter sets, and indicates an opportunity to increase the certainty of estimates through careful selection or generation of the test drive cycle.

Determining "small parameters" for quasi-steady state

Science.gov (United States)

Goeke, Alexandra; Walcher, Sebastian; Zerz, Eva

2015-08-01

For a parameter-dependent system of ordinary differential equations we present a systematic approach to the determination of parameter values near which singular perturbation scenarios (in the sense of Tikhonov and Fenichel) arise. We call these special values Tikhonov-Fenichel parameter values. The principal application we intend is to equations that describe chemical reactions, in the context of quasi-steady state (or partial equilibrium) settings. Such equations have rational (or even polynomial) right-hand side. We determine the structure of the set of Tikhonov-Fenichel parameter values as a semi-algebraic set, and present an algorithmic approach to their explicit determination, using Groebner bases. Examples and applications (which include the irreversible and reversible Michaelis-Menten systems) illustrate that the approach is rather easy to implement.

Portrait Value Questionnaire's (PVQ) usefulness in explaining quality food-related consumer behaviour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fotopoulos, C.; Krystallis, Athanasios; Pagiaslis, A.

2011-01-01

consumers did not form a separate and clearly diversified cluster if the PVQ inventory functions as a basis for segmentation. Future models should incorporate values together with intermediate-level constructs (e.g. beliefs and/or attitudes) when attempting to predict consumer behaviour towards quality food...... products. Originality/value - The paper shows that while values can be used to meaningfully segment quality food consumers, there is still much to learn regarding the direct and indirect determinants of quality food purchase behaviour.......Purpose - Schwartz's portrait value questionnaire (PVQ) has extensively been used in personal values research. The present paper aims to validate the 40-item PVQ typology, using a nationally representative sample of 997 consumers. The main objective of the survey was to investigate whether higher...

Nonlinear System Identification Using Quasi-ARX RBFN Models with a Parameter-Classified Scheme

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Lan Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Quasi-linear autoregressive with exogenous inputs (Quasi-ARX models have received considerable attention for their usefulness in nonlinear system identification and control. In this paper, identification methods of quasi-ARX type models are reviewed and categorized in three main groups, and a two-step learning approach is proposed as an extension of the parameter-classified methods to identify the quasi-ARX radial basis function network (RBFN model. Firstly, a clustering method is utilized to provide statistical properties of the dataset for determining the parameters nonlinear to the model, which are interpreted meaningfully in the sense of interpolation parameters of a local linear model. Secondly, support vector regression is used to estimate the parameters linear to the model; meanwhile, an explicit kernel mapping is given in terms of the nonlinear parameter identification procedure, in which the model is transformed from the nonlinear-in-nature to the linear-in-parameter. Numerical and real cases are carried out finally to demonstrate the effectiveness and generalization ability of the proposed method.

Customer Value Controlling ¨C Combining Different Value Perspectives

OpenAIRE

Andreas Kramer; Thomas Burgartz

2015-01-01

The article begins by presenting a model for the structuring of customer data which can be used to demonstrate the value of data in different forms of aggregation. Since Customer Value plays a crucial role in this model the term is examined more closely. As part of a value-based customer relationship management critical parameters are customer benefits and customer profitability. Both perspectives are included in the term Customer Value. A segmentation approach is shown which integrates the k...

Weighted Moments Estimators of the Parameters for the Extreme Value Distribution Based on the Multiply Type II Censored Sample

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Jong-Wuu Wu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We propose the weighted moments estimators (WMEs of the location and scale parameters for the extreme value distribution based on the multiply type II censored sample. Simulated mean squared errors (MSEs of best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE and exact MSEs of WMEs are compared to study the behavior of different estimation methods. The results show the best estimator among the WMEs and BLUE under different combinations of censoring schemes.

Implementing a Social Knowledge Networking (SKN) system to enable meaningful use of an EHR medication reconciliation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangachari, Pavani

2018-01-01

Despite the regulatory impetus toward meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) Medication Reconciliation (MedRec) to prevent medication errors during care transitions, hospital adherence has lagged for one chief reason: low physician engagement, stemming from lack of consensus about which physician is responsible for managing a patient's medication list. In October 2016, Augusta University received a 2-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to implement a Social Knowledge Networking (SKN) system for enabling its health system (AU Health) to progress from "limited use" of EHR MedRec technology to "meaningful use." The hypothesis is that SKN would bring together a diverse group of practitioners, to facilitate tacit knowledge exchange on issues related to EHR MedRec, which in turn is expected to increase practitioners' engagement in addressing those issues and enable meaningful use of EHR. The specific aims are to examine: 1) user-engagement in the SKN system, and 2) associations between "SKN use" and "meaningful use" of EHR. The 2-year project uses an exploratory mixed-method design and consists of three phases: 1) development; 2) SKN implementation; and 3) analysis. Phase 1, completed in May 2017, sought to identify a comprehensive set of issues related to EHR MedRec from practitioners directly involved in the MedRec process. This process facilitated development of a "Reporting Tool" on issues related to EHR MedRec, which, along with an existing "SKN/Discussion Tool," was integrated into the EHR at AU Health. Phase 2 (launched in June 2017) involves implementing the EHR-integrated SKN system over a 52-week period in inpatient and outpatient medicine units. The prospective implementation design is expected to generate context-sensitive strategies for meaningful use and successful implementation of EHR MedRec and thereby make substantial contributions to the patient safety and risk management literature. From a health care policy

Predictive significance of standardized uptake value parameters of FDG-PET in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, X-Y.; Wang, W.; Li, M.; Li, Y.; Guo, Y-M. [PET-CT Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi' an, Jiaotong University, Xi' an, Shaanxi (China)

2015-02-03

{sup 18}F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is widely used to diagnose and stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the predictive ability of different FDG standardized uptake values (SUVs) in 74 patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC. {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed and different SUV parameters (SUV{sub max}, SUV{sub avg}, SUV{sub T/L}, and SUV{sub T/A}) obtained, and their relationship with clinical characteristics were investigated. Meanwhile, correlation and multiple stepwise regression analyses were performed to determine the primary predictor of SUVs for NSCLC. Age, gender, and tumor size significantly affected SUV parameters. The mean SUVs of squamous cell carcinoma were higher than those of adenocarcinoma. Poorly differentiated tumors exhibited higher SUVs than well-differentiated ones. Further analyses based on the pathologic type revealed that the SUV{sub max}, SUV{sub avg}, and SUV{sub T/L} of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma tumors were higher than those of moderately or well-differentiated tumors. Among these four SUV parameters, SUV{sub T/L} was the primary predictor for tumor differentiation. However, in adenocarcinoma, SUV{sub max} was the determining factor for tumor differentiation. Our results showed that these four SUV parameters had predictive significance related to NSCLC tumor differentiation; SUV{sub T/L} appeared to be most useful overall, but SUV{sub max} was the best index for adenocarcinoma tumor differentiation.

Parent Perceptions of Time Spent Meaningfully by Young Adults with Pervasive Support Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Rossetti, Zachary; Lehr, Donna; Lederer, Leslie; Pelerin, Dana; Huang, Shuoxi

2015-01-01

This article describes a qualitative study that examined how 23 young adults with pervasive support needs and limited functional communication spent their time and how their parents (n = 23) and direct support professionals (DSPs; n = 2) defined meaningfulness in relation to the young adults' experiences. Data were collected through…

Concurrently adjusting interrelated control parameters to achieve optimal engine performance

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Li; Lee, Donghoon; Yilmaz, Hakan; Stefanopoulou, Anna

2015-12-01

Methods and systems for real-time engine control optimization are provided. A value of an engine performance variable is determined, a value of a first operating condition and a value of a second operating condition of a vehicle engine are detected, and initial values for a first engine control parameter and a second engine control parameter are determined based on the detected first operating condition and the detected second operating condition. The initial values for the first engine control parameter and the second engine control parameter are adjusted based on the determined value of the engine performance variable to cause the engine performance variable to approach a target engine performance variable. In order to cause the engine performance variable to approach the target engine performance variable, adjusting the initial value for the first engine control parameter necessitates a corresponding adjustment of the initial value for the second engine control parameter.

The categorisation of dysthymic disorder: can its constituents be meaningfully apportioned?

Science.gov (United States)

Rhebergen, Didi; Graham, Rebecca; Hadzi-Pavlovic, Dusan; Stek, Max; Friend, Paul; Barrett, Melissa; Parker, Gordon

2012-12-20

Since its introduction in DSM-III, the validity of dysthymia has been debated. Our objective is to further examine the concept of dysthymia in an outpatient sample, and explore whether its constituents can be meaningfully apportioned. 318 patients attending the Black Dog Institute Depression Clinic were assessed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and completed several self-report measures, in addition to a clinical assessment by an Institute psychiatrist. The characteristics of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymic disorder and double depression were examined. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) were then conducted with the aim of detecting distinct classes based on depressive symptomatology and personality domains, respectively. Finally, clinicians' formulations of the study patients were examined. Depression groups mainly differed on parameters of severity. Although LCA and LPA analyses indicated the presence of distinct classes, these only moderately correlated with the MINI-diagnosed groups. Finally, there was evidence for considerable heterogeneity within clinicians' formulations of dysthymia. Inadequate sample numbers for various measures limited the power of the LPA and our sample was weighted to patients with a more severe depressive condition which may affect the detection of a distinct 'dysthymic' personality profile. Despite employing a variety of techniques, we were unable to obtain a clear homogeneous picture of dysthymia. Rather, there was evidence for a distinct heterogeneity in clinician-derived diagnoses. These findings allude to the questionable discriminant validity of dysthymia and may encourage future research and discussion on this important topic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient-perceived satisfactory improvement (PPSI): interpreting meaningful change in pain from the patient's perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Klooster, Peter M.; Drossaers-Bakker, K.W.; Taal, Erik; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2006-01-01

The assessment of clinically meaningful changes in patient-reported pain has become increasingly important when interpreting results of clinical studies. However, proposed response criteria, such as the minimal clinically important difference, do not correspond with the growing need for information

Meaningful cultural learning by imitative participation: the case of abstract thinking in primary school

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Oers, B.

2012-01-01

The article describes a theory-driven approach to meaningful learning in primary schools, based on the Vygotskian cultural-historical theory of human development and learning. This approach is elaborated into an educational concept called 'developmental education' that is implemented in the

Measuring Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: A National, Cross-Sectional Study

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Kelli R.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2015-01-01

Research on laboratory learning points to the need to better understand what and how students learn in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was administered to general and organic chemistry students from 15 colleges and universities across the United States in order to measure the…

Representing and Practising Meaningful Differences in a Well-Structured but Complex Art Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Cunliffe, Leslie

2010-01-01

This paper conceptualizes the secondary art curriculum as a well-structured but complex knowledge-domain, with the aim of emphasizing meaningful differences in the way creative grammar operates in the following gatherings of art practices: Pre-historic and non-European cultures; Ancient and European cultures before c. 1800; Romantic and Modern…

Statistical MOSFET Parameter Extraction with Parameter Selection for Minimal Point Measurement

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Marga Alisjahbana

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A method to statistically extract MOSFET model parameters from a minimal number of transistor I(V characteristic curve measurements, taken during fabrication process monitoring. It includes a sensitivity analysis of the model, test/measurement point selection, and a parameter extraction experiment on the process data. The actual extraction is based on a linear error model, the sensitivity of the MOSFET model with respect to the parameters, and Newton-Raphson iterations. Simulated results showed good accuracy of parameter extraction and I(V curve fit for parameter deviations of up 20% from nominal values, including for a process shift of 10% from nominal.

The Use of Asymptotic Functions for Determining Empirical Values of CN Parameter in Selected Catchments of Variable Land Cover

Science.gov (United States)

Wałęga, Andrzej; Młyński, Dariusz; Wachulec, Katarzyna

2017-12-01

The aim of the study was to assess the applicability of asymptotic functions for determining the value of CN parameter as a function of precipitation depth in mountain and upland catchments. The analyses were carried out in two catchments: the Rudawa, left tributary of the Vistula, and the Kamienica, right tributary of the Dunajec. The input material included data on precipitation and flows for a multi-year period 1980-2012, obtained from IMGW PIB in Warsaw. Two models were used to determine empirical values of CNobs parameter as a function of precipitation depth: standard Hawkins model and 2-CN model allowing for a heterogeneous nature of a catchment area. The study analyses confirmed that asymptotic functions properly described P-CNobs relationship for the entire range of precipitation variability. In the case of high rainfalls, CNobs remained above or below the commonly accepted average antecedent moisture conditions AMCII. The study calculations indicated that the runoff amount calculated according to the original SCS-CN method might be underestimated, and this could adversely affect the values of design flows required for the design of hydraulic engineering projects. In catchments with heterogeneous land cover, the results of CNobs were more accurate when 2-CN model was used instead of the standard Hawkins model. 2-CN model is more precise in accounting for differences in runoff formation depending on retention capacity of the substrate. It was also demonstrated that the commonly accepted initial abstraction coefficient λ = 0.20 yielded too big initial loss of precipitation in the analyzed catchments and, therefore, the computed direct runoff was underestimated. The best results were obtained for λ = 0.05.

Towards a mathematical theory of meaningful communication

Science.gov (United States)

Corominas-Murtra, Bernat; Fortuny, Jordi; Solé, Ricard V.

2014-04-01

Meaning has been left outside most theoretical approaches to information in biology. Functional responses based on an appropriate interpretation of signals have been replaced by a probabilistic description of correlations between emitted and received symbols. This assumption leads to potential paradoxes, such as the presence of a maximum information associated to a channel that creates completely wrong interpretations of the signals. Game-theoretic models of language evolution and other studies considering embodied communicating agents show that the correct (meaningful) match resulting from agent-agent exchanges is always achieved and natural systems obviously solve the problem correctly. Inspired by the concept of duality of the communicative sign stated by the swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, here we present a complete description of the minimal system necessary to measure the amount of information that is consistently decoded. Several consequences of our developments are investigated, such as the uselessness of a certain amount of information properly transmitted for communication among autonomous agents.

Motivational reading on education, meaningful reading realisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Qafa

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study I will present some ideas on today’s educational practice for motivation, the realization of the meaningful reading. There is a special place for the methodical ranking of the reading process, starting in school. Main requests of this reading, consist of the deep meaning of the subject, exploration of the idea, and other elements of the subject, implementation of the technique’s rules of the expressive reading, such as breathing, voice, diction, intonation, spelling, stoppages, logical emphasizes, emotional expressions, temper, timber, gesticulations, and mimic. There is also highlighted the fact that the used method comes from the pupils’ results and depends on the capability and level of the teacher, from the programming’s scale, the tools that are put into disposition, the age and the level of the pupils, and from the environment that the teacher creates during courses. At the end there are some practical guidelines for the realization of the expressive reading in the literature subject.

Employability Skills Valued by Employers as Important for Entry-Level Employees with and without Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Song; Zhang, Dalun; Pacha, Jacqueline

2012-01-01

Individuals with disabilities face persistent challenges in gaining meaningful employment. One of the barriers to successful employment is a lack of employability skills. The purpose of this study was to identify employability skills that employers value as being important and to examine whether employers have different expectations for…

Measuring the Michel parameter ξ''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knowles, P.; Deutsch, J.; Egger, J.; Fetscher, W.; Foroughi, F.; Govaerts, J.; Hadri, M.; Kirch, K.; Kistryn, S.; Lang, J.; Morelle, X.; Naviliat, O.; Ninane, A.; Prieels, R.; Severijns, N.; Simons, L.; Sromicki, J.; Vandormael, S.; Hove, P. van

1999-01-01

Unlike the majority of Michel parameters which are consistent with the Standard Model V-A interaction, the experimental value of ξ''(=0.65±0.36) [1] is poorly known. Our experiment will measure the longitudinal polarization, P L , of positrons emitted from the decay of polarized muons. The value of P L , equal to unity in the Standard Model, will decrease for high energy positrons emitted antiparallel to the muon spin if the combination of Michel parameters ξ''/ξξ' - 1 deviates from the Standard Model value of zero

Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turowski, B.; Haenggi, D.; Wittsack, H.J.; Beck, A.; Aurich, V.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The development of a computerized method which allows a direct quantitative comparison of perfusion parameters. The display should allow a clear direct comparison of brain perfusion parameters in different vascular territories and over the course of time. The analysis is intended to be the basis for further evaluation of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The method should permit early diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm. Materials and Methods: The Angiotux 2D-ECCET software was developed with a close cooperation between computer scientists and clinicians. Starting from parameter images of brain perfusion, the cortex was marked, segmented and assigned to definite vascular territories. The underlying values were averages for each segment and were displayed in a graph. If a follow-up was available, the mean values of the perfusion parameters were displayed in relation to time. The method was developed under consideration of CT perfusion values but is applicable for other methods of perfusion imaging. Results: Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images allows an immediate comparison of these parameters and follow-up of mean values in a clear and concise manner. Values are related to definite vascular territories. The tabular output facilitates further statistic evaluations. The computerized analysis is precisely reproducible, i. e., repetitions result in exactly the same output. (orig.)

Maximum standard uptake value on pre-chemotherapeutic FDG-PET is a significant parameter for disease progression of newly diagnosed lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eo, Jae Seon; Lee, Won Woo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Kim, Sang Eun

2005-01-01

F-18 FDG-PET is useful for detection and staging of lymphoma. We investigated the prognostic significance of maximum standard uptake (maxSUV) value of FDG-PET for newly diagnosed lymphoma patients before chemotherapy. Twenty-seven patients (male: female = 17: 10: age: 49±19 years) with newly diagnosed lymphoma were enrolled. Nine-teen patients suffered from B cell lymphoma, 6 Hodgkins disease and 2 T cell lymphoma. One patient was stage I, 9 stage II, 3 stage III, 1 stage IV and 13 others. All patients underwent FDG-PET before initiation of chemotherapy. MaxSUV values using lean body weight were obtained for main and largest lesion to represent maxSUV of the patients. The disease progression was defined as total change of the chemotherapeutic regimen or addition of new chemotherapeutic agent during follow up period. The observed period was 389±224 days. The value of maxSUV ranged from 3 to 18 (mean±SD = 10.6±4.4). The disease progressions occurred in 6 patients. Using Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis, maxSUV was identified as a significant parameter for the disease progression free survival (p=0.044). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis revealed that the group with higher maxSUV (=10.6, n=5) suffered from shorter disease progression free survival (median 299 days) than the group with lower maxSUV (<10.6, n = 22) (median 378 days, p=0.0146). We found that maxSUV on pre-chemotherapeutic F-18 FDG-PET for newly diagnosed lymphoma patients is a significant parameter for disease progression. Lymphoma patients can be stratified before initiation of chemotherapy in terms of disease progression by the value of maxSUV 10.6

Multi-Objective Parameter Selection for Classifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Mussel

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Setting the free parameters of classifiers to different values can have a profound impact on their performance. For some methods, specialized tuning algorithms have been developed. These approaches mostly tune parameters according to a single criterion, such as the cross-validation error. However, it is sometimes desirable to obtain parameter values that optimize several concurrent - often conflicting - criteria. The TunePareto package provides a general and highly customizable framework to select optimal parameters for classifiers according to multiple objectives. Several strategies for sampling andoptimizing parameters are supplied. The algorithm determines a set of Pareto-optimal parameter configuration and leaves the ultimate decision on the weighting of objectives to the researcher. Decision support is provided by novel visualization techniques.

Prognostic value of 18F-choline PET/CT metabolic parameters in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caroli, Paola; Fantini, Lorenzo; Celli, Monica; Paganelli, Giovanni; Matteucci, Federica [Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Meldola (Italy); De Giorgi, Ugo; Conteduca, Vincenza; Rossi, Lorena [Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Department of Medical Oncology, Meldola (Italy); Scarpi, Emanuela [Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials Unit, Meldola (Italy); Moretti, Andrea; Galassi, Riccardo [Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Forli (Italy); Bianchi, Emanuela [Infermi Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Rimini (Italy)

2018-03-15

The role of 18F-choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FCH-PET/CT) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has been firmly established in recent years. We analyzed the prognostic value of functional parameters such as mean standardized uptake volume (SUVmean), maximum standardized uptake volume (SUVmax), metabolic total volume (MTV; the volume of interest consisting of all spatially connected voxels within a fixed threshold of 40% of the SUVmax), and total lesion activity (TLA: the product of MTV and mean standardized uptake value) estimated with FCH-PET/CT in mCRPC patients in progression after docetaxel and treated with new antiandrogen receptor therapies, abiraterone or enzalutamide. We retrospectively studied 94 mCRPC patients, mean age 74 years (range 42-90), previously treated with docetaxel who were treated with either abiraterone (n = 52) or enzalutamide (n = 42). An FCH-PET/CT was performed at baseline, and patients were evaluated on a monthly basis for serological PSA response and every 3 months for radiological response. We measured MTV, SUVmean, SUVmax and TLA for each lesion and analyzed the sum of MTV (SMTV), SUVmean (SSUVmean), SUVmax (SSUVmax) and TLA (STLA) values for a maximum of 20 lesions. Univariate analysis was used to correlate these data with PFS and OS. We observed a median SMTV of 130 cm{sup 3}, median SSUVmax of 106.5 and a median STLA of 495,070. All of these parameters were significant for PFS and OS in univariate analysis, while only STLA was significant for PFS and OS in multivariate analysis after adjusting for lesion and age (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Baseline PSA values maintained a certain reliability for OS (p = 0.034). Semiquantitative parameters of FCH-PET/CT play a prognostic role in mCRCP patients treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide. (orig.)

PARAMETER ESTIMATION IN BREAD BAKING MODEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadiyanto Hadiyanto

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Bread product quality is highly dependent to the baking process. A model for the development of product quality, which was obtained by using quantitative and qualitative relationships, was calibrated by experiments at a fixed baking temperature of 200°C alone and in combination with 100 W microwave powers. The model parameters were estimated in a stepwise procedure i.e. first, heat and mass transfer related parameters, then the parameters related to product transformations and finally product quality parameters. There was a fair agreement between the calibrated model results and the experimental data. The results showed that the applied simple qualitative relationships for quality performed above expectation. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the microwave input is most meaningful for the internal product properties and not for the surface properties as crispness and color. The model with adjusted parameters was applied in a quality driven food process design procedure to derive a dynamic operation pattern, which was subsequently tested experimentally to calibrate the model. Despite the limited calibration with fixed operation settings, the model predicted well on the behavior under dynamic convective operation and on combined convective and microwave operation. It was expected that the suitability between model and baking system could be improved further by performing calibration experiments at higher temperature and various microwave power levels.  Abstrak  PERKIRAAN PARAMETER DALAM MODEL UNTUK PROSES BAKING ROTI. Kualitas produk roti sangat tergantung pada proses baking yang digunakan. Suatu model yang telah dikembangkan dengan metode kualitatif dan kuantitaif telah dikalibrasi dengan percobaan pada temperatur 200oC dan dengan kombinasi dengan mikrowave pada 100 Watt. Parameter-parameter model diestimasi dengan prosedur bertahap yaitu pertama, parameter pada model perpindahan masa dan panas, parameter pada model transformasi, dan

Meaningful Understanding and Systems Thinking in Organic Chemistry: Validating Measurement and Exploring Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Vachliotis, Theodoros; Salta, Katerina; Tzougraki, Chryssa

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was dual: First, to develop and validate assessment schemes for assessing 11th grade students' meaningful understanding of organic chemistry concepts, as well as their systems thinking skills in the domain. Second, to explore the relationship between the two constructs of interest based on students' performance…

Analysis of the value recommended by the NCRP 151 and its relationship with Brazilian parameters;Analise dos valores recomendados pelo NCRP 151 e sua relacao com parametros brasileiros

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groppo, Daniela P. [UNESP, Botucatu, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Biociencias; Martins, Homero L. [Hospital A.C. Camargo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Servico de Fisica Medica

2009-07-01

The methodology proposed by the National Council on Radiation Protection 151 (NCRP 151), relates technical information necessary to structural shielding design and evaluation for megavoltage X- and gamma- ray radiotherapy facilities. However, many parameters used to calculate the shield are based on estimates, and may not be adequate to the Brazilian reality. Thus, the central idea of this study is to obtain parameters and is to outline a profile closer to the treatments carried out in facilities in Brazil, through a data collection routine of the Department of Radiotherapy Service of the Real e Benemerita Associacao Portuguesa de Beneficencia, in particular the cobalt therapy Theratron 780 (Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.) and the linear accelerator Varian Clinac 2100C for measurement of workload, use factor, number of patients, fields, dose and anatomic region treated. So, the work did not draw definite values of the parameters, but indicative values were obtained which showed the importance to carry out more detailed studies of the recommended values. (author)

The Meaningful Roles Intervention: An Evolutionary Approach to Reducing Bullying and Increasing Prosocial Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Bruce J; Volk, Anthony A; Gonzalez, Jose-Michael; Embry, Dennis D

2016-12-01

Bullying is a problem that affects adolescents worldwide. Efforts to prevent bullying have been moderately successful at best, or iatrogenic at worst. We offer an explanation for this limited success by employing an evolutionary-psychological perspective to analyze antibullying interventions. We argue that bullying is a goal-directed behavior that is sensitive to benefits as well as costs, and that interventions must address these benefits. This perspective led us to develop a novel antibullying intervention, Meaningful Roles, which offers bullies prosocial alternatives-meaningful roles and responsibilities implemented through a school jobs program and reinforced through peer-to-peer praise notes-that effectively meet the same status goals as bullying behavior. We describe this new intervention and how its theoretical evolutionary roots may be applicable to other intervention programs. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2015 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Genetic parameter and breeding value estimation of donkeys' problem-focused coping styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Navas González, Francisco Javier; Jordana Vidal, Jordi; León Jurado, José Manuel; Arando Arbulu, Ander; McLean, Amy Katherine; Delgado Bermejo, Juan Vicente

2018-05-12

Donkeys are recognized therapy or leisure-riding animals. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that more reactive donkeys or those more easily engaging flight mechanisms tend to be easier to train compared to those displaying the natural donkey behaviour of fight. This context brings together the need to quantify such traits and to genetically select donkeys displaying a neutral reaction during training, because of its implication with handler/rider safety and trainability. We analysed the scores for coping style traits from 300 Andalusian donkeys from 2013 to 2015. Three scales were applied to describe donkeys' response to 12 stimuli. Genetic parameters were estimated using multivariate models with year, sex, husbandry system and stimulus as fixed effects and age as a linear and quadratic covariable. Heritabilities were moderate, 0.18 ± 0.020 to 0.21 ± 0.021. Phenotypic correlations between intensity and mood/emotion or response type were negative and moderate (-0.21 and -0.25, respectively). Genetic correlations between the same variables were negative and moderately high (-0.46 and -0.53, respectively). Phenotypic and genetic correlations between mood/emotion and response type were positive and high (0.92 and 0.95, respectively). Breeding values enable selection methods that could lead to endangered breed preservation and genetically selecting donkeys for the uses that they may be most suitable. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Callings, Work Role Fit, Psychological Meaningfulness and Work Engagement among Teachers in Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

Rothmann, Sebastiaan; Hamukang'andu, Lukondo

2013-01-01

Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationships among a calling orientation, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement of teachers in Zambia. A quantitative approach was followed and a cross-sectional survey was used. The sample (n = 150) included 75 basic and 75 secondary school teachers in the Choma district of…

The association of meaningfulness, well-being, and engagement with absenteeism : A moderated mediation model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soane, E.; Shantz, A.; Alfes, K.; Truss, C.; Rees, C.; Gatenby, M.

2013-01-01

We theorized that absence from work is a resource-based process that is related to perceived meaningfulness of work, well-being, and engagement. Broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001) and engagement theory (Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008; Kahn, 1990) were used to develop a

Inventory parameters

CERN Document Server

Sharma, Sanjay

2017-01-01

This book provides a detailed overview of various parameters/factors involved in inventory analysis. It especially focuses on the assessment and modeling of basic inventory parameters, namely demand, procurement cost, cycle time, ordering cost, inventory carrying cost, inventory stock, stock out level, and stock out cost. In the context of economic lot size, it provides equations related to the optimum values. It also discusses why the optimum lot size and optimum total relevant cost are considered to be key decision variables, and uses numerous examples to explain each of these inventory parameters separately. Lastly, it provides detailed information on parameter estimation for different sectors/products. Written in a simple and lucid style, it offers a valuable resource for a broad readership, especially Master of Business Administration (MBA) students.

A Mixed-Methods Study of the Recovery Concept, "A Meaningful Day," in Community Mental Health Services for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Neely A L; Smith, Kelly; Pope, Alicia; Alolayan, Yazeed; Broussard, Beth; Haynes, Nora; Compton, Michael T

2016-10-01

The recovery concept encompasses overcoming or managing one's illness, being physically and emotionally healthy, and finding meaningful purpose through work, school, or volunteering, which connects one to others in mutually fulfilling ways. Using a mixed-methods approach, we studied the emphasis on "a meaningful day" in the new Opening Doors to Recovery (ODR) program in southeast Georgia. Among 100 participants, we measured the meaningful day construct using three quantitative items at baseline (hospital discharge) and at 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up, finding statistically significant linear trends over time for all three measures. Complementary qualitative interviews with 30 individuals (ODR participants, family members, and ODR's Community Navigation Specialists and program leaders) revealed themes pertaining to companionship, productivity, achieving stability, and autonomy, as well as the concern about insufficient resources. The concept of "a meaningful day" can be a focus of clinical attention and measured as a person-centered outcome for clients served by recovery-oriented community mental health services.

A Generic Approach to Parameter Control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karafotias, G.; Smit, S.K.; Eiben, A.E.

2012-01-01

On-line control of EA parameters is an approach to parameter setting that offers the advantage of values changing during the run. In this paper, we investigate parameter control from a generic and parameter-independent perspective. We propose a generic control mechanism that is targeted to

Knowledge construction in the classroom: a meaningful pedagogical dialogue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesuína Lopes de Almeida Pacca

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Teacher’s performance at their real classroom was analyzed in regard to the applied pedagogical interaction. These teachers were participating in a long range continuous formation course that uses the strategy of analyzing pedagogical planning while it was being elaborated , applied and continuously evaluated by the teacher; the course aimed to the construction of professional competence with an adequate sight of the classroom interaction, within constructivist parameters. The teacher pedagogical planning was the study object: it was discussed continuously by the peers group and the coordinator who intended to point out to the explicit pedagogical content and to the content objectives that were declared for every class plan. The learning objectives and the procedures contained within it were confronted with the real evidence of learning. In these discussions learning concepts that were coherent with constructivism were invoked in addition to science contents and their nature. Dialogue was important in these discussions and stressed as a means for teaching and continuous evaluation. In this dynamical process, the teacher planning was being constantly redrafted, changing the adjustment of that classroom students to the planned knowledge acquisition. This course dynamics, led by the coordinator, intended to be reproduced by participants with their students, at least in part. We noticed surprising results in these teachers professional development besides those that were concretely planned: the transference of the course procedures to the classroom seems to happen in regard to the presence of dialogue but the most meaningful part was individual and particular progress that was included in the development of their classes and led to an improvement of abilities. We concluded that unexpected results can be converted into poles of professional performance growth and performance evolution . These results have led us to give special importance to the

Mutually Beneficial Foreign Language Learning: Creating Meaningful Interactions through Video-Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Fumie; Spring, Ryan; Mori, Chikako

2016-01-01

Providing learners of a foreign language with meaningful opportunities for interactions, specifically with native speakers, is especially challenging for instructors. One way to overcome this obstacle is through video-synchronous computer-mediated communication tools such as Skype software. This study reports quantitative and qualitative data from…

Selection of noise parameters for Kalman filter

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ka-Veng Yuen; Ka-In Hoi; Kai-Meng Mok

2007-01-01

The Bayesian probabilistic approach is proposed to estimate the process noise and measurement noise parameters for a Kalman filter. With state vectors and covariance matrices estimated by the Kalman filter, the likehood of the measurements can be constructed as a function of the process noise and measurement noise parameters. By maximizing the likklihood function with respect to these noise parameters, the optimal values can be obtained. Furthermore, the Bayesian probabilistic approach allows the associated uncertainty to be quantified. Examples using a single-degree-of-freedom system and a ten-story building illustrate the proposed method. The effect on the performance of the Kalman filter due to the selection of the process noise and measurement noise parameters was demonstrated. The optimal values of the noise parameters were found to be close to the actual values in the sense that the actual parameters were in the region with significant probability density. Through these examples, the Bayesian approach was shown to have the capability to provide accurate estimates of the noise parameters of the Kalman filter, and hence for state estimation.

Determining extreme parameter correlation in ground water models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hill, Mary Cole; Østerby, Ole

2003-01-01

can go undetected even by experienced modelers. Extreme parameter correlation can be detected using parameter correlation coefficients, but their utility depends on the presence of sufficient, but not excessive, numerical imprecision of the sensitivities, such as round-off error. This work...... investigates the information that can be obtained from parameter correlation coefficients in the presence of different levels of numerical imprecision, and compares it to the information provided by an alternative method called the singular value decomposition (SVD). Results suggest that (1) calculated...... correlation coefficients with absolute values that round to 1.00 were good indicators of extreme parameter correlation, but smaller values were not necessarily good indicators of lack of correlation and resulting unique parameter estimates; (2) the SVD may be more difficult to interpret than parameter...

The prognostic value of time parameters in adjuvant radiotherapy of head and neck cancer. A retrospective analysis of 138 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietl, B.; Schaefer, C.; Koelbl, O.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to answer the question, how the parameters waiting time, radiation treatment time and overall treatment time (OTT) influenced the endpoints overall (OS), event-free (EFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in patients with locally advanced head-and-neck cancer, who had received postoperative radiotherapy. Patients and methods: 138 patients were included into a retrospective analysis from 10/1993 to 05/2000. Besides the time parameters waiting time, radiation treatment time and OTT, tumor- and therapy-related parameters (T-, N-, R-status, grading, tumor site, surgical technique, and postoperative hemoglobin < 12 g/dl) with potential impact on the endpoints were investigated in the univariate analysis (Kaplan-Meier log-rank test). Individual parameters with a significant impact (p = 0.05) were subjected to a multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: besides a postoperative hemoglobin value < 12 g/dl, in the univariate analysis an OTT ≥ 105 days negatively influenced all endpoints, as well as a radiation treatment time ≥ 60 days. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, postoperative hemoglobin < 12 g/dl and an OTT ≥ 105 days were identified as independent negative prognostic factors for all endpoints. Conclusion: the waiting time should be managed according to the ASARA (as short as reasonably achievable) recommendation, radiation treatment should not be protracted exceeding an overall treatment of 105 days. Generally, time parameters should be routinely included in the standard tumor documentation, thus facilitating further evaluation of these prognostically relevant factors. (orig.)

Meaningful metrics a 21st-century librarian's guide to bibliometrics, altmetrics, and research impact

CERN Document Server

Roemer, Robin Chin

2015-01-01

What does it mean to have meaningful metrics in today's complex higher education landscape? With a foreword by Heather Piwowar and Jason Priem, this highly engaging and activity-laden book serves to introduce readers to the fast-paced world of research metrics from the unique perspective of academic librarians and LIS practitioners. Starting with the essential histories of bibliometrics and altmetrics, and continuing with in-depth descriptions of the core tools and emerging issues at stake in the future of both fields, Meaningful Metrics is a convenient all-in-one resource that is designed to be used by a range of readers, from those with little to no background on the subject to those looking to become movers and shakers in the current scholarly metrics movement. Authors Borchardt and Roemer, offer tips, tricks, and real-world examples illustrate how librarians can support the successful adoption of research metrics, whether in their institutions or across academia as a whole.

Business intelligence: using insight to improve the value and performance of your practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Coan, Tim

2007-01-01

Using information to improve the value of your practice can be a great way to create leverage and improve the performance of your practice. Business intelligence (BI) is the result of a complete system that produces meaningful insights by providing the information necessary to make business decisions. Changes made from these insights improve both the performance and value of your practice. It is important to identify the key elements required of a good BI system and the areas within a practice that can directly benefit from an effective BI system.

Energy key performance indicators : a european benchmark and assessment of meaningful indicators for the use of energy in large corporations

OpenAIRE

Friedrichs, Katja

2013-01-01

This study aims to identify and analyze energy key performance indicators among large European companies. Energy usage has become a very meaningful topic for both internal management as well as external stakeholders of a company. A review of current literature suggests that while environmental indicators in general have found broad attention and plenty of theories concerning good and meaningful indicators are published, no study investigating actually applied energy indicators ...

Brownian motion model with stochastic parameters for asset prices

Science.gov (United States)

Ching, Soo Huei; Hin, Pooi Ah

2013-09-01

The Brownian motion model may not be a completely realistic model for asset prices because in real asset prices the drift μ and volatility σ may change over time. Presently we consider a model in which the parameter x = (μ,σ) is such that its value x (t + Δt) at a short time Δt ahead of the present time t depends on the value of the asset price at time t + Δt as well as the present parameter value x(t) and m-1 other parameter values before time t via a conditional distribution. The Malaysian stock prices are used to compare the performance of the Brownian motion model with fixed parameter with that of the model with stochastic parameter.

Correlations among Stress Parameters, Meat and Carcass Quality Parameters in Pigs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Dokmanovic

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Relationships among different stress parameters (lairage time and blood level of lactate and cortisol, meat quality parameters (initial and ultimate pH value, temperature, drip loss, sensory and instrumental colour, marbling and carcass quality parameters (degree of rigor mortis and skin damages, hot carcass weight, carcass fat thickness, meatiness were determined in pigs (n = 100 using Pearson correlations. After longer lairage, blood lactate (p<0.05 and degree of injuries (p<0.001 increased, meat became darker (p<0.001, while drip loss decreased (p<0.05. Higher lactate was associated with lower initial pH value (p<0.01, higher temperature (p<0.001 and skin blemishes score (p<0.05 and more developed rigor mortis (p<0.05, suggesting that lactate could be a predictor of both meat quality and the level of preslaughter stress. Cortisol affected carcass quality, so higher levels of cortisol were associated with increased hot carcass weight, carcass fat thickness on the back and at the sacrum and marbling, but also with decreased meatiness. The most important meat quality parameters (pH and temperature after 60 minutes deteriorated when blood lactate concentration was above 12 mmol/L.

Are there meaningful individual differences in temporal inconsistency in self-reported personality?

Science.gov (United States)

Soubelet, Andrea; Salthouse, Timothy A; Oishi, Shigehiro

2014-11-01

The current project had three goals. The first was to examine whether it is meaningful to refer to across-time variability in self-reported personality as an individual differences characteristic. The second was to investigate whether negative affect was associated with variability in self-reported personality, while controlling for mean levels, and correcting for measurement errors. The third goal was to examine whether variability in self-reported personality would be larger among young adults than among older adults, and whether the relation of variability with negative affect would be stronger at older ages than at younger ages. Two moderately large samples of participants completed the International Item Pool Personality questionnaire assessing the Big Five personality dimensions either twice or thrice, in addition to several measures of negative affect. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that within-person variability in self-reported personality is a meaningful individual difference characteristic. Some people exhibited greater across-time variability than others after removing measurement error, and people who showed temporal instability in one trait also exhibited temporal instability across the other four traits. However, temporal variability was not related to negative affect, and there was no evidence that either temporal variability or its association with negative affect varied with age.

Computational mediation as factor of motivation and meaningful learning in education of sciences of 9th grade: astronomy topics

Science.gov (United States)

Da Silva, F. M.; Furtado, W. W.

2012-10-01

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of using hypertext and pedagogic mediation in search of a Meaningful Learning Process in Sciences. We investigate the usage of hypertext in the teaching and learning methods of Astronomy modules. A survey was conducted with students from the 9th grade of Primary School of a public school in the city of Goiânia, Goiás in Brazil. We have analyzed the possibilities that hypermedia can offer in the teaching and learning process, using as reference David Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning. The study was divided into four phases: application of an initial questionnaire on students, development of didactic material (hypertext), six classes held in a computer lab with the use of hypermedia and a final questionnaire applied in the lab after classes. This research indicated that the use of hypertext linked to pedagogical mediation processes is seen as a motivational tool and has potential to foster to Meaningful Learning.

Genetic parameters in a Swine Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Popa

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The estimation of the variance-covariance components is a very important step in animal breeding because these components are necessary for: estimation of the genetic parameters, prediction of the breeding value and design of animal breeding programs. The estimation of genetic parameters is the first step in the development of a swine breeding program, using artificial insemination. Various procedures exist for estimation of heritability. There are three major procedures used for estimating heritability: analysis of variance (ANOVA, parents-offspring regression and restricted maximum likelihood (REML. By using ANOVA methodology or regression method it is possible to obtain aberrant values of genetic parameters (negative or over unit value of heritability coefficient, for example which can not be interpreting because is out of biological limits.

The Behaviour of Laboratory Soil Electrical Resistivity Value under Basic Soil Properties Influences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazreek, Z A M; Aziman, M; Azhar, A T S; Chitral, W D; Fauziah, A; Rosli, S

2015-01-01

Electrical resistivity method (ERM) was a popular indirect geophysical tools adopted in engineering, environmental and archaeological studies. In the past, results of the electrical resistivity value (ERV) were always subjected to a long discussion and debate among the related parties such as an engineers, geophysicists and geologists due to its lack of clarification and evidences in quantitative point of view. Most of the results produced in the past was always been justified using qualitative ways which difficult to be accept by certain parties. In order to reduce the knowledge gap between those parties, this study has performed a laboratory experiment of soil box resistivity test which supported by an additional basic geotechnical test as referred to particle size distribution test (d), moisture content test (w), density test (ρ bulk ) and Atterberg limit test (LL, PL and PI). The test was performed to establish a series of electrical resistivity value with different quantity of water content for Clayey SILT and Silty SAND soil. It was found that the ERV of Silty SAND (600 - 7300 Ωm) was higher than Clayey SILT (13 - 7700 Ωm) due to the different quantity of basic soil properties value obtained from the basic geotechnical test. This study was successfully demonstrated that the fluctuation of ERV has greatly influenced by the variations of the soil physical properties (d, w, ρ bulk , LL, PL and PI). Hence, the confidence level of ERV interpretation will be increasingly meaningful since it able to be proved by others parameter generated by laboratory direct test

Source term modelling parameters for Project-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, W.; Smith, G.; Worgan, K.; Hodgkinson, D.; Andersson, K.

1992-04-01

This document summarises the input parameters for the source term modelling within Project-90. In the first place, the parameters relate to the CALIBRE near-field code which was developed for the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate's (SKI) Project-90 reference repository safety assessment exercise. An attempt has been made to give best estimate values and, where appropriate, a range which is related to variations around base cases. It should be noted that the data sets contain amendments to those considered by KBS-3. In particular, a completely new set of inventory data has been incorporated. The information given here does not constitute a complete set of parameter values for all parts of the CALIBRE code. Rather, it gives the key parameter values which are used in the constituent models within CALIBRE and the associated studies. For example, the inventory data acts as an input to the calculation of the oxidant production rates, which influence the generation of a redox front. The same data is also an initial value data set for the radionuclide migration component of CALIBRE. Similarly, the geometrical parameters of the near-field are common to both sub-models. The principal common parameters are gathered here for ease of reference and avoidance of unnecessary duplication and transcription errors. (au)

Prognostic value of pre-treatment DCE-MRI parameters in predicting disease free and overall survival for breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickles, Martin D.; Manton, David J.; Lowry, Martin; Turnbull, Lindsay W.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data, both pharmacokinetic and empirical, can predict, prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which patients are likely to have a shorter disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) interval following surgery. Traditional prognostic parameters were also included in the survival analysis. Consequently, a comparison of the prognostic value could be made between all the parameters studied. MR examinations were conducted on a 1.5 T system in 68 patients prior to the initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. DCE-MRI consisted of a fast spoiled gradient echo sequence acquired over 35 phases with a mean temporal resolution of 11.3 s. Both pharmacokinetic and empirical parameters were derived from the DCE-MRI data. Kaplan-Meier survival plots were generated for each parameter and group comparisons were made utilising logrank tests. The results from the 54 patients entered into the univariate survival analysis demonstrated that traditional prognostic parameters (tumour grade, hormonal status and size), empirical parameters (maximum enhancement index, enhancement index at 30 s, area under the curve and initial slope) and adjuvant therapies demonstrated significant differences in survival intervals. Further multivariate Cox regression survival analysis revealed that empirical enhancement parameters contributed the greatest prediction of both DFS and OS in the resulting models. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that in patients who exhibit high levels of perfusion and vessel permeability pre-treatment, evidenced by elevated empirical DCE-MRI parameters, a significantly lower disease free survival and overall survival can be expected.

Prognostic value of pre-treatment DCE-MRI parameters in predicting disease free and overall survival for breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickles, Martin D. [Centre for Magnetic Resonance Investigations, Division of Cancer, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hull, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 2JZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: m.pickles@hull.ac.uk; Manton, David J. [Centre for Magnetic Resonance Investigations, Division of Cancer, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hull, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 2JZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: d.j.manton@hull.ac.uk; Lowry, Martin [Centre for Magnetic Resonance Investigations, Division of Cancer, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hull, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 2JZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: m.lowry@hull.ac.uk; Turnbull, Lindsay W. [Centre for Magnetic Resonance Investigations, Division of Cancer, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hull, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 2JZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: l.w.turnbull@hull.ac.uk

2009-09-15

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data, both pharmacokinetic and empirical, can predict, prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which patients are likely to have a shorter disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) interval following surgery. Traditional prognostic parameters were also included in the survival analysis. Consequently, a comparison of the prognostic value could be made between all the parameters studied. MR examinations were conducted on a 1.5 T system in 68 patients prior to the initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. DCE-MRI consisted of a fast spoiled gradient echo sequence acquired over 35 phases with a mean temporal resolution of 11.3 s. Both pharmacokinetic and empirical parameters were derived from the DCE-MRI data. Kaplan-Meier survival plots were generated for each parameter and group comparisons were made utilising logrank tests. The results from the 54 patients entered into the univariate survival analysis demonstrated that traditional prognostic parameters (tumour grade, hormonal status and size), empirical parameters (maximum enhancement index, enhancement index at 30 s, area under the curve and initial slope) and adjuvant therapies demonstrated significant differences in survival intervals. Further multivariate Cox regression survival analysis revealed that empirical enhancement parameters contributed the greatest prediction of both DFS and OS in the resulting models. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that in patients who exhibit high levels of perfusion and vessel permeability pre-treatment, evidenced by elevated empirical DCE-MRI parameters, a significantly lower disease free survival and overall survival can be expected.

Personal values underlying ethnic food choice: Means-end evidence for Japanese food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeong S. Tey

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Ethnic cuisines are increasingly popular in global food markets. This study identifies the personal values underlying Malaysian consumers' decision making with respect to Japanese food. Methods: A total of 134 Malaysian consumers were interviewed and analyzed using means-end chain methodology. Results: Our findings indicate that Japanese food is chosen for the values that the attribute “tasty” can help achieve, not for that attribute per se. Conclusion: Identified values primarily related to longevity, meaningful life-style and sense of accomplishment. The identification of these connections is an important step in understanding why a particular ethnic food is favored by foreign consumers. Our findings could be helpful to restaurateurs in meeting marketing strategies with consumer values and policymakers when designing health campaigns. Keywords: Attributes, Japanese food, Means-end chain, Personal values, Product attributes, Cognition

High grade intraepithelial neoplasia of prostate is associated with values of prostate specific antigen related parameters intermediate between prostate cancer and normal levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nermina Obralic

2011-11-01

Full Text Available High grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN is widely regarded as the precancerous. The aim of this study was to determine PSA related parameters in patients with initial PSA values 2-10 ng/mL and diagnosis of HGPIN without finding carcinoma at the time of their first needle biopsy. Study groups consisted of 100 men who were diagnosed HGPIN, 84 with cancer and 183 with benign hyperplasia on first biopsy of prostate. Total PSA and free PSA were measured and ratio free/total PSA and PSA density calculated. Mean values of these parameters were compared, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used for comparison of PSA related parameters to discriminate groups of patients. Total PSA, free PSA level and PSA density in patients with HGPIN (6.388 ng/mL did not differ significantly compared to prostate carcinoma (6.976 ng/mL or benign prostatic hyperplasia (6.07 ng/mL patients. Patients with HGPIN had significantly higher ratio free/total PSA than those with prostate carcinoma (0.168 vs 0.133, but significantly lower than patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (0.168 vs 0.185. Ratio of free/total PSA significantly discriminate HGPIN from prostate carcinoma with sensitivity 84.52 and specify 45.00 at cut-off point of ≤ 0.18. Values of PSA, free PSA and ratio free/total PSA in cases of HGPIN appear to be intermediate between prostate cancer and normal levels. Ratio of free/total PSA may help in decision to repeat biopsies in the presence of HGPIN on biopsy, without concomitant prostate cancer, in patients suitable for curative treatment, with normal digito-rectal examination and trans-rectal sonography.

Sustaining "meaningful use" of health information technology in low-resource practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Lee A; Potworowski, Georges; Day, Anya; May-Gentile, Rachelle; Vibbert, Danielle; Maki, Bruce; Kiesel, Leslie

2015-01-01

The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extensively studied, but their maintenance once implemented has not. The Regional Extension Center (REC) program provides implementation assistance to priority practices-those with limited financial, technical, and organizational resources-but the assistance is time limited. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to maintenance of meaningful use of EHRs in priority primary care practices using a qualitative observational study for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and priority practices in Michigan. We conducted cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviews and direct observations of health information technology implementation in FQHCs. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews with implementation specialists serving priority practices to detect emergent themes relevant to maintenance. Maintaining EHR technology will require ongoing expert technical support indefinitely beyond implementation to address upgrades and security needs. Maintaining meaningful use for quality improvement will require ongoing support for leadership and change management. Priority practices not associated with larger systems lack access to the necessary technical expertise, financial resources, and leverage with vendors to continue alone. Rural priority practices are particularly challenged, because expertise is often not available locally. Priority practices, especially in rural areas, are at high risk for falling on the wrong side of a "digital divide" as payers and regulators enact increasing expectations for EHR use and information management. For those without affiliation to maintain the necessary expert staff, ongoing support will be needed for those practices to remain viable. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Liquid metals. Coexistence line, critical parameters, compressibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippov, L.P.

1986-01-01

Formulae to calculate four characteristic parameters of liquid metals (density, compressibility, critical temperature and individual parameter) according to four initial data are obtained: two values of vapor density and two values of vapor pressure. Comparison between experimental and calculation results are presented for liquid Cs, Na, Li, K, Rb

Effect of Community-Based Occupational Therapy on Health-Related Quality of Life and Engagement in Meaningful Activities of Women with Breast Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daiva Petruseviciene

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of community-based occupational therapy on health-related quality of life and engagement in meaningful activities among women with breast cancer. An open label randomized controlled trial study design was applied. The participants were members of various societies of women with cancer. In total, 22 women have participated in the study. Participants of the experimental group (n=11 participated in a 6-week community-based occupational therapy program and the usual activities of various societies, whereas the control group (n=11 women participated in the usual activities of the societies only. 1 of the participants withdrew during the course; therefore 21 completed the study successfully. Participants of both groups were assessed for health-related quality of life and the participants of the experimental group were assessed for engagement in meaningful activities. The evaluation was carried out during the nonacute period of the disease—at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks. Women of the experimental group demonstrated statistically significantly better scores in the global quality of life, role functions, physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functions, fatigue, insomnia, financial impact, systemic therapy side effects, and breast symptoms scales compared to the control group participants (p<0.05 after the 6 weeks, as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and its breast cancer module QLQ-BR23. Furthermore, women of the experimental group demonstrated significant greater engagement in meaningful activities when applying community-based occupational therapy (p<0.05, as measured by using the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS. The evaluation of the associations between the women’s engagement in meaningful activities and changes in health-related quality of life showed that greater engagement in meaningful activities was associated with better emotional functions and a

The Sensitivity of the Input Impedance Parameters of Track Circuits to Changes in the Parameters of the Track

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lubomir Ivanek

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the sensitivity of the input impedance of an open track circuit in the event that the parameters of the track are changed. Weather conditions and the state of pollution are the most common reasons for parameter changes. The results were obtained from the measured values of the parameters R (resistance, G (conductance, L (inductance, and C (capacitance of a rail superstructure depending on the frequency. Measurements were performed on a railway siding in Orlova. The results are used to design a predictor of occupancy of a track section. In particular, we were interested in the frequencies of 75 and 275 Hz for this purpose. Many parameter values of track substructures have already been solved in different works in literature. At first, we had planned to use the parameter values from these sources when we designed the predictor. Deviations between them, however, are large and often differ by three orders of magnitude (see Tab.8. From this perspective, this article presents data that have been updated using modern measurement devices and computer technology. And above all, it shows a transmission (cascade matrix used to determine the parameters.

Physiological Parameters Database for Older Adults

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Physiological Parameters Database for Older Adults is available for download and contains physiological parameters values for healthy older human adults (age 60...

Least-developed Countries in a World of Global Value Chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flentø, Daniel; Ponte, Stefano

2017-01-01

Nimble trade and industrial policy is essential for Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) to thrive in a world of global value chains (GVCs). “Adaptive states” in LDCs need to create and exploit policy space in national decision-making, build specific production capabilities to participate...... and meaningfully capture value in GVCs, and handle policy stretches arising from factors and actors they cannot control. In this article, we show that the outcomes of recent multilateral trade negotiations will facilitate these processes only partially. The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Bali and Nairobi...... are also needed to guide investment in the direction that allows for flexible specialization and domestic value addition—these options are severely limited in the current WTO regime. The legally binding commitments made in Nairobi on rules of origin are also a positive step, but must be linked to the yet...

Measuring Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratories: A Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Kelli R.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2015-01-01

Understanding how students learn in the undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratory is an essential component to developing evidence-based laboratory curricula. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was developed to measure students' cognitive and affective expectations and experiences for learning in the chemistry…

Statistical analysis of dynamic parameters of the core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ionov, V.S.

2007-01-01

The transients of various types were investigated for the cores of zero power critical facilities in RRC KI and NPP. Dynamic parameters of neutron transients were explored by tool statistical analysis. Its have sufficient duration, few channels for currents of chambers and reactivity and also some channels for technological parameters. On these values the inverse period. reactivity, lifetime of neutrons, reactivity coefficients and some effects of a reactivity are determinate, and on the values were restored values of measured dynamic parameters as result of the analysis. The mathematical means of statistical analysis were used: approximation(A), filtration (F), rejection (R), estimation of parameters of descriptive statistic (DSP), correlation performances (kk), regression analysis(KP), the prognosis (P), statistician criteria (SC). The calculation procedures were realized by computer language MATLAB. The reasons of methodical and statistical errors are submitted: inadequacy of model operation, precision neutron-physical parameters, features of registered processes, used mathematical model in reactivity meters, technique of processing for registered data etc. Examples of results of statistical analysis. Problems of validity of the methods used for definition and certification of values of statistical parameters and dynamic characteristics are considered (Authors)

The Effect of Case Teaching on Meaningful and Retentive Learning When Studying Genetic Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Güccük, Ahmet; Köksal, Mustafa Serdar

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of case teaching on how students learn about genetic engineering, in terms of meaningful learning and retention of learning. The study was designed as quasi-experimental research including 63 8th graders (28 boys and 35 girls). To collect data, genetic engineering achievement tests were…

Analysis of the effect of variations in parameter values on the predicted radiological consequences of geologic disposal of high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, M.D.

1979-06-01

A preliminary assessment of the radiological consequences of geologic disposal of high-level waste (Hill and Grimwood. NRPB-R69 (1978)) identified several areas where further research is required before this disposal option can be fully evaluated. This report is an analysis of the sensitivity of the results of the preliminary assessment to the assumptions made and the values of the parameters used. The parameters considered include the leach rate of the waste, the ground-water velocity, the length of the flow path from the repository to a source of drinking water and the sorption constants of the principle radionuclides. The results obtained by varying these parameters are used to examine the effects of assumptions such as the time at which leaching of the waste begins. The sensitivity analysis shows the relative importance of the waste canisters, the waste form and the geologic barrier to radionuclide migration in determining potential doses. These results are used to identify research priorities, establish preliminary design criteria and indicate developments needed in the mathematical modelling of the movement of radionuclides from a repository to the biosphere. (author)

Can we constrain the maximum value for the spin parameter of the super-massive objects in galactic nuclei without knowing their actual nature?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bambi, Cosimo

2011-01-01

In 4-dimensional General Relativity, black holes are described by the Kerr solution and are subject to the bound |a * |≤1, where a * is the black hole spin parameter. If current black hole candidates are not the black holes predicted in General Relativity, this bound does not hold and a * might exceed 1. In this Letter, I relax the Kerr black hole hypothesis and I find that the value of the spin parameter of the super-massive black hole candidates in galactic nuclei cannot be higher than about 1.2. A higher spin parameter would not be consistent with a radiative efficiency η>0.15, as observed at least for the most luminous AGN. While a rigorous proof is lacking, I conjecture that the bound |a * |≤1.2 is independent of the exact nature of these objects.

Optimal parameters of the SVM for temperature prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Shi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper established three different optimization models in order to predict the Foping station temperature value. The dimension was reduced to change multivariate climate factors into a few variables by principal component analysis (PCA. And the parameters of support vector machine (SVM were optimized with genetic algorithm (GA, particle swarm optimization (PSO and developed genetic algorithm. The most suitable method was applied for parameter optimization by comparing the results of three different models. The results are as follows: The developed genetic algorithm optimization parameters of the predicted values were closest to the measured value after the analog trend, and it is the most fitting measured value trends, and its homing speed is relatively fast.

New Values of Cross-Talk Parameters for Twisted Pair Model

OpenAIRE

Milos Kozak; Lukas Cepa; Jiri Vodrazka

2010-01-01

Near-end Crosstalk (NEXT) and Far-end Crosstalk (FEXT) of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable are the main factors limiting the information capacity in data transmission. Crosstalk depends mostly on the frequency. Frequency dependent transfer functions and crosstalk attenuation may be obtained by measurement, but for the analytical description of the transmission channel's parameters is useful to define functions modelling the crosstalk. The paper describes the measuri...

Recovering Parameters of Johnson's SB Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard R. Parresol

2003-01-01

A new parameter recovery model for Johnson's SB distribution is developed. This latest alternative approach permits recovery of the range and both shape parameters. Previous models recovered only the two shape parameters. Also, a simple procedure for estimating the distribution minimum from sample values is presented. The new methodology...

Magnitude and meaningfulness of change in SF-36 scores in four types of orthopedic surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busija, Lucy; Osborne, Richard H; Nilsdotter, Anna

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Medical Outcomes General Health Survey (SF-36) is a widely used health status measure; however, limited evidence is available for its performance in orthopedic settings. The aim of this study was to examine the magnitude and meaningfulness of change and sensitivity of SF-36...

Security, Dignity, Caring Relationships, and Meaningful Work: Needs Motivating Participation in a Job-Training Program

Science.gov (United States)

Ayers, David F.; Miller-Dyce, Cherrel; Carlone, David

2008-01-01

Researchers asked 17 participants in a job-training program to describe their personal struggles following an economic restructuring. Examined through a critical theoretical lens, findings indicate that the learners enrolled in the program to reclaim security, dignity, meaningful work, and caring relationships. Program planners at community…

Customer value propositions in business markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, James C; Narus, James A; van Rossum, Wouter

2006-03-01

Examples of consumer value propositions that resonate with customers are exceptionally difficult to find. When properly constructed, value propositions force suppliers to focus on what their offerings are really worth. Once companies become disciplined about understanding their customers, they can make smarter choices about where to allocate scarce resources. The authors illuminate the pitfalls of current approaches, then present a systematic method for developing value propositions that are meaningful to target customers and that focus suppliers' efforts on creating superior value. When managers construct a customer value proposition, they often simply list all the benefits their offering might deliver. But the relative simplicity of this all-benefits approach may have a major drawback: benefit assertion. In other words, managers may claim advantages for features their customers don't care about in the least. Other suppliers try to answer the question, Why should our firm purchase your offering instead of your competitor's? But without a detailed understanding of the customer's requirements and preferences, suppliers can end up stressing points of difference that deliver relatively little value to the target customer. The pitfall with this approach is value presumption: assuming that any favorable points of difference must be valuable for the customer. Drawing on the best practices of a handful of suppliers in business markets, the authors advocate a resonating focus approach. Suppliers can provide simple, yet powerfully captivating, consumer value propositions by making their offerings superior on the few elements that matter most to target customers, demonstrating and documenting the value of this superior performance, and communicating it in a way that conveys a sophisticated understanding of the customer's business priorities.

Ranking of input parameters importance for BWR stability based on Ringhals-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajev, Ivan; Kozlowski, Tomasz; Xu, Yunlin; Downar, Thomas

2011-01-01

Unstable behavior of Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) is known to occur during operation at certain power and flow conditions. Uncertainty calculations for BWR stability, based on the Wilks' formula, have been already done for the Ringhals-1 benchmark. In this work, these calculations have been used to identify and rank the most important parameters affecting the stability of the Ringhals-1 plant. The ranking has been done in two different ways and a comparison of these two methods has been demonstrated. Results show that the methods provide different, but meaningful evaluations of the ranking. (author)

Health value as a common criterion of ionizing radiation and other injurious factors in rate setting system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramzaev, P.V.; Tarasov, S.I.; Mashneva, N.I.; Rodionova, L.F.; Sukal'skaya, S.Ya.

1978-01-01

A concept of ''health'' value'' is formulated as a single integral indicator of benefits and hazards to be used in setting standards for ionizing radiations and other deleterious factors. This concept incorporates socially meaningful indices such as life span, mental and physical work capacity, reproduction of healthy offspring, and state of well-being throughout lifetime. The ''health value'' should be considered primarily as a methodologic basis for hygienic evaluation of various situations and also in substantiating various standards

Improved noninvasive prediction of liver fibrosis by liver stiffness measurement in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease accounting for controlled attenuation parameter values.

Science.gov (United States)

Petta, Salvatore; Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun; Cammà, Calogero; Hiriart, Jean-Baptiste; Wong, Grace Lai-Hung; Marra, Fabio; Vergniol, Julien; Chan, Anthony Wing-Hung; Di Marco, Vito; Merrouche, Wassil; Chan, Henry Lik-Yuen; Barbara, Marco; Le-Bail, Brigitte; Arena, Umberto; Craxì, Antonio; de Ledinghen, Victor

2017-04-01

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) frequently overestimates the severity of liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a new parameter provided by the same machine used for LSM and associated with both steatosis and body mass index, the two factors mostly affecting LSM performance in NAFLD. We aimed to determine whether prediction of liver fibrosis by LSM in NAFLD patients is affected by CAP values. Patients (n = 324) were assessed by clinical and histological (Kleiner score) features. LSM and CAP were performed using the M probe. CAP values were grouped by tertiles (lower 132-298, middle 299-338, higher 339-400 dB/m). Among patients with F0-F2 fibrosis, mean LSM values, expressed in kilopascals, increased according to CAP tertiles (6.8 versus 8.6 versus 9.4, P = 0.001), and along this line the area under the curve of LSM for the diagnosis of F3-F4 fibrosis was progressively reduced from lower to middle and further to higher CAP tertiles (0.915, 0.848-0.982; 0.830, 0.753-0.908; 0.806, 0.723-0.890). As a consequence, in subjects with F0-F2 fibrosis, the rates of false-positive LSM results for F3-F4 fibrosis increased according to CAP tertiles (7.2% in lower versus 16.6% in middle versus 18.1% in higher). Consistent with this, a decisional flowchart for predicting fibrosis was suggested by combining both LSM and CAP values. In patients with NAFLD, CAP values should always be taken into account in order to avoid overestimations of liver fibrosis assessed by transient elastography. (Hepatology 2017;65:1145-1155). © 2016 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Measurement of Interobserver Disagreement: Correction of Cohen’s Kappa for Negative Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarald O. Kvålseth

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As measures of interobserver agreement for both nominal and ordinal categories, Cohen’s kappa coefficients appear to be the most widely used with simple and meaningful interpretations. However, for negative coefficient values when (the probability of observed disagreement exceeds chance-expected disagreement, no fixed lower bounds exist for the kappa coefficients and their interpretations are no longer meaningful and may be entirely misleading. In this paper, alternative measures of disagreement (or negative agreement are proposed as simple corrections or modifications of Cohen’s kappa coefficients. The new coefficients have a fixed lower bound of −1 that can be attained irrespective of the marginal distributions. A coefficient is formulated for the case when the classification categories are nominal and a weighted coefficient is proposed for ordinal categories. Besides coefficients for the overall disagreement across categories, disagreement coefficients for individual categories are presented. Statistical inference procedures are developed and numerical examples are provided.

Prognostic value of preoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI perfusion parameters for high-grade glioma patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulyte, Agne [Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius (Lithuania); Katsaros, Vasileios K. [General Anticancer and Oncological Hospital ' ' St. Savvas' ' , Department of Advanced Imaging Modalities - CT and MRI, Athens (Greece); University of Athens, Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens (Greece); Liouta, Evangelia; Stranjalis, Georgios [University of Athens, Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens (Greece); Boskos, Christos [University of Athens, Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens (Greece); General Anticancer and Oncological Hospital ' ' St. Savvas' ' , Department of Radiation Oncology, Athens (Greece); Papanikolaou, Nickolas [Champalimaud Foundation, Department of Radiology, Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon (Portugal); Usinskiene, Jurgita [National Cancer Institute, Vilnius (Lithuania); Affidea Lietuva, Vilnius (Lithuania); Bisdas, Sotirios [University College London Hospitals, Department of Neuroradiology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London (United Kingdom)

2016-12-15

The prognostic value of the dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI perfusion and its histogram analysis-derived metrics is not well established for high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate DCE perfusion transfer coefficient (K{sup trans}), vascular plasma volume fraction (v{sub p}), extracellular volume fraction (v{sub e}), reverse transfer constant (k{sub ep}), and initial area under gadolinium concentration time curve (IAUGC) as predictors of progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in HGG patients. Sixty-nine patients with suspected anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma underwent preoperative DCE-MRI scans. DCE perfusion whole tumor region histogram parameters, clinical details, and PFS and OS data were obtained. Univariate, multivariate, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to identify perfusion parameters with the best differentiation performance. On univariate analysis, v{sub e} and skewness of v{sub p} had significant negative impacts, while k{sub ep} had significant positive impact on OS (P < 0.05). v{sub e} was also a negative predictor of PFS (P < 0.05). Patients with lower v{sub e} and IAUGC had longer median PFS and OS on Kaplan-Meier analysis (P < 0.05). K{sup trans} and v{sub e} could also differentiate grade III from IV gliomas (area under the curve 0.819 and 0.791, respectively). High v{sub e} is a consistent predictor of worse PFS and OS in HGG glioma patients. v{sub p} skewness and k{sub ep} are also predictive for OS. K{sup trans} and v{sub e} demonstrated the best diagnostic performance for differentiating grade III from IV gliomas. (orig.)

Diagnostic performance of conventional MRI parameters and apparent diffusion coefficient values in differentiating between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Y; Yoon, Y C; Chong, Y; Seo, S W; Choi, Y-L; Sohn, I; Kim, M-J

2017-08-01

To compare the abilities of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumours (STT). A total of 123 patients with STT who underwent 3 T MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), were retrospectively analysed using variate conventional MRI parameters, ADC mean and ADC min . For the all-STT group, the correlation between the malignant STT conventional MRI parameters, except deep compartment involvement, compared to those of benign STT were statistically significant with univariate analysis. Maximum diameter of the tumour (p=0.001; odds ratio [OR], 8.97) and ADC mean (p=0.020; OR, 4.30) were independent factors with multivariate analysis. For the non-myxoid non-haemosiderin STT group, signal heterogeneity on axial T1-weighted imaging (T1WI; p=0.017), ADC mean , and ADC min (p=0.001, p=0.001), showed significant differences with univariate analysis between malignancy and benignity. Signal heterogeneity in axial T1WI (p=0.025; OR, 12.64) and ADC mean (p=0.004; OR, 33.15) were independent factors with multivariate analysis. ADC values as well as conventional MRI parameters were useful in differentiating between benign and malignant STT. The ADC mean was the most powerful diagnostic parameter in non-myxoid non-haemosiderin STT. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumers’ social media brand behaviors: uncovering underlying motivators and deriving meaningful consumer segments

OpenAIRE

Dimitriu, Radu; Guesalaga Trautmann, Rodrigo

2017-01-01

The current research identifies the range of social media brand behaviors (i.e., brand touch points) that consumers can exhibit on social media, and subsequently queries a representative sample of consumers with regard to such behaviors. The analysis reveals four underlying motivators for consumers’ social media behaviors, including brand tacit engagement, brand exhibiting, brand patronizing and brand deal seeking. These motivators are used to derive meaningful consumer segments identified as...

Determination of sustainable values for the parameters of the construction of residential buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Grigoreva, Larisa; Grigoryev, Vladimir

2018-03-01

For the formation of programs for housing construction and planning of capital investments, when developing the strategic planning companies by construction companies, the norms or calculated indicators of the duration of the construction of high-rise residential buildings and multifunctional complexes are mandatory. Determination of stable values of the parameters for the high-rise construction residential buildings provides an opportunity to establish a reasonable duration of construction at the planning and design stages of residential complexes, taking into account the influence of market conditions factors. The concept of the formation of enlarged models for the high-rise construction residential buildings is based on a real mapping in time and space of the most significant redistribution with their organizational and technological interconnection - the preparatory period, the underground part, the above-ground part, external engineering networks, landscaping. The total duration of the construction of a residential building, depending on the duration of each redistribution and the degree of their overlapping, can be determined by one of the proposed four options. At the same time, a unified approach to determining the overall duration of construction on the basis of the provisions of a streamlined construction organization with the testing of results on the example of high-rise residential buildings of the typical I-155B series was developed, and the coefficients for combining the work and the main redevelopment of the building were determined.

The Value of Trust to Nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutherford, Marcella M

2014-01-01

Trust, one of nursing's intangible assets, impacts nurses' ability to form meaningful relationships with patients and this connection positively impacts health outcomes. Linking trust to the fabric of nursing and investing in its measurement will become essential to nursing's valuation and the resulting investment in nursing. Trust, as nursing's core value, should be fostered by nurse educators as they prepare the next generation of nurses. Nurse administrators should connect the trust a patient has for his or her nurse and patient cooperation and honest transparent communication between providers and the patient. Banking trust as a valuable nursing asset will substantiate nursing's marketing and support its worth. Nursing's trustworthiness is an intangible asset that warrants protection, as trust once lost is hard to recapture.

Doing the Project and Learning the Content: Designing Project-Based Science Curricula for Meaningful Understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Kanter, David E.

2010-01-01

Project-based science curricula can improve students' usable or meaningful understanding of the science content underlying a project. However, such curricula designed around "performances" wherein students design or make something do not always do this. We researched ways to design performance project-based science curricula (pPBSc) to better…

"Seeing the Whole Elephant": Changing Mindsets and Empowering Stakeholders to Meaningfully Manage Accountability and Improvement

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Bush-Mecenas, Susan; Marsh, Julie A.; Montes de Oca, David; Hough, Heather

2018-01-01

School accountability and improvement policy are on the precipice of a paradigm shift. While the multiple-measure dashboard accountability approach holds great promise for promoting more meaningful learning opportunities for all students, our research indicates that this can come with substantial challenges in practice. We reflect upon the lessons…

Foundations for value education in engineering: the Indian experience.

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Gupta, Amitabha

2015-04-01

The objective of this paper is to discuss some of the foundational issues centering around the question of integrating education in human values with professional engineering education: its necessity and justification. The paper looks at the efforts in 'tuning' the technical education system in India to the national goals in the various phases of curriculum development. The contribution of the engineering profession in national development and India's self-sufficiency is crucially linked with the institutionalization of expertise and the role of morality and responsibility. This linkage can be created through a proper understanding of the social role of the profession-what motivates the professionals and what makes professional life meaningful. Value education facilitates the process of moral maturity and the development of a 'holistic' mindset. This paper deals with the need to create such a mindset, the human values associated with it and gives examples of efforts to impart such education through 'action-oriented' programmes introduced in some institutes of engineering in India.

GPS User Devices Parameter Control Methods

OpenAIRE

Klūga, A; Kuļikovs, M; Beļinska, V; Zeļenkovs, A

2007-01-01

In our day’s wide assortment of GPS user devices is manufacture. How to verify that parameters of the real device corresponds to parameters that manufacture shows. How to verify that parameters have not been changed during the operation time. The last one is very important for aviation GPS systems, which must be verified before the flight, but the values of parameter in time of repair works. This work analyses GPS user devices parameters control methods.

COURSERA ONLINE COURSE: A PLATFORM FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS’ MEANINGFUL AND VIBRANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnis Silvia

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article reports on English teachers‘ attitudes towards a professional development program run by Coursera (coursera.org. These teachers were participants of Foundation of Teaching for Learning 1: Introduction online course. Using a survey case study, the findings reveal that most of the participants perceive the course as a well-organized and effective platform to engage in professional learning. Coursera is an online learning platform offering various courses for teacher educators which are meaningful (closely related to their daily teaching practice and vibrant (involves active collaboration among peer participants to review and assess their projects. Albeit this nature, another finding shows that the participants lament that their institutions do not provide professional development (PD support. In fact, PD programs are not constrained to face-to-face encounters, since it can be designed using online platforms such as Coursera, a massive open online course (MOOC. Accordingly, the contribution of the article is to show how online platforms make meaningful and vibrant teacher professional development (TPD possible. The implication of the study is that school administrators and policy makers should provide support for their teachers to take online PD programs. This professional learning should contribute to the best teaching practice and student learning attainment.

Combining Radar and Daily Precipitation Data to Estimate Meaningful Sub-daily Precipitation Extremes

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Pegram, G. G. S.; Bardossy, A.

2016-12-01

Short duration extreme rainfalls are important for design. The purpose of this presentation is not to improve the day by day estimation of precipitation, but to obtain reasonable statistics for the subdaily extremes at gauge locations. We are interested specifically in daily and sub-daily extreme values of precipitation at gauge locations. We do not employ the common procedure of using time series of control station to determine the missing data values in a target. We are interested in individual rare events, not sequences. The idea is to use radar to disaggregate daily totals to sub-daily amounts. In South Arica, an S-band radar operated relatively continuously at Bethlehem from 1998 to 2003, whose scan at 1.5 km above ground [CAPPI] overlapped a dense (10 km spacing) set of 45 pluviometers recording in the same 6-year period. Using this valuable set of data, we are only interested in rare extremes, therefore small to medium values of rainfall depth were neglected, leaving 12 days of ranked daily maxima in each set per year, whose sum typically comprised about 50% of each annual rainfall total. The method presented here uses radar for disaggregating daily gauge totals in subdaily intervals down to 15 minutes in order to extract the maxima of sub-hourly through to daily rainfall at each of 37 selected radar pixels [1 km square in plan] which contained one of the 45 pluviometers not masked out by the radar foot-print. The pluviometer data were aggregated to daily totals, to act as if they were daily read gauges; their only other task was to help in the cross-validation exercise. The extrema were obtained as quantiles by ordering the 12 daily maxima of each interval per year. The unusual and novel goal was not to obtain the reproduction of the precipitation matching in space and time, but to obtain frequency distributions of the gauge and radar extremes, by matching their ranks, which we found to be stable and meaningful in cross-validation tests. We provide and

Using Cluster Analysis to Characterize Meaningful Learning in a First-Year University Chemistry Laboratory Course

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Galloway, Kelli R.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2015-01-01

The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was designed to measure students' cognitive and affective learning in the university chemistry laboratory. The MLLI was administered at the beginning and the end of the first semester to first-year university chemistry students to measure their expectations and experiences for learning in…

75 FR 28331 - Meaningful Access to United States Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-20

... feature is used in some foreign currency, and the Study's data indicated that this feature was more... Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons AGENCY: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Department of... meaningful access to U.S. currency to people who are blind and visually impaired pursuant to section 504 of...

The Search for Meaningful E-Learning at Canadian Universities: A Multi-Institutional Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Salyers, Vincent; Carter, Lorraine; Carter, Alanna; Myers, Sue; Barrett, Penelope

2014-01-01

While e-learning is now characterized by a past and trends within that past, there continues to be uncertainty about how e-learning is defined and conceptualized, whether or not we like e-learning, and whether or not it is as meaningful to us as face to face learning. The purpose of this study was to document the e-learning perceptions of students…

The prognostic value of functional and anatomical parameters for the selection of patients receiving yttrium-90 microspheres for the treatment of liver cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Mesoloras, Geraldine

Yttrium-90 (90Y) microsphere therapy is being utilized as a treatment option for patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer due to its ability to target tumors within the liver. The success of this treatment is dependent on many factors, including the extent and type of disease and the nature of prior treatments received. Metabolic activity, as determined by PET imaging, may correlate with the number of viable cancer cells and reflect changes in viable cancer cell volume. However, contouring of PET images by hand is labor intensive and introduces an element of irreproducibility into the determination of functional target/tumor volume (FTV). A computer-assisted method to aid in the automatic contouring of FTV has the potential to substantially improve treatment individualization and outcome assessment. Commercial software to determine FTV in FDG-avid primary and metastatic liver tumors has been evaluated and optimized. Volumes determined using the automated technique were compared to those from manually drawn contours identified using the same cutoff in the standard uptake value (SUV). The reproducibility of FTV is improved through the introduction of an optimal threshold value determined from phantom experiments. Application of the optimal threshold value from the phantom experiments to patient scans was in good agreement with hand-drawn determinations of the FTV. It is concluded that computer-assisted contouring of the FTV for primary and metastatic liver tumors improves reproducibility and increases accuracy, especially when combined with the selection of an optimal SUV threshold determined from phantom experiments. A method to link the pre-treatment assessment of functional (PET based) and anatomical (CT based) parameters to post-treatment survival and time to progression was evaluated in 22 patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases treated using 90Y microspheres and chemotherapy. The values for pre-treatment parameters that were the best

Face Time: Meaningful Public Engagement Through Interactive, In-Person Outreach Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Bartel, B. A.; Agopian, M.

2017-12-01

Science festivals, classrooms, community groups, and farmers markets provide rich opportunities for scientists to interact with the non-expert public. These venues offer scientists not only the opportunity to explain their science to the public, but to actually converse about the science, to put a human face with the scientific enterprise, and to learn about the values and knowledge levels of people within our communities. This interaction allows us to connect with a curious and sometimes skeptical public, correct misinformation, inspire the next generation (and the next generation's parents), and speak directly with voters about the relevance of science to our daily lives. While other channels of communication may reach a broader audience, these in-person, often one-on-one interactions make for meaningful, memorable, and potentially impactful experiences for scientists and non-experts alike. Skills used to engage the public in these planned events are the same skills we need to engage in any productive conversation. Communications training addressing effective conversations with non-experts can help scientists communicate more effectively not only by helping us hone our messaging, but also by recognizing our assumptions, biases, and our tendency to explain more than listen, even when our will is good. We have provided communications training based on the NSF-funded Portal to the Public (PoP) framework to students, post-docs, and educators. Feedback indicates these communications workshops improve participants' teaching abilities, confidence in engaging with the public, and even ability to articulate research to fellow scientists. In this presentation, we will share best practices for engaging non-experts based on PoP, as well as drawing from our experience in outreach at events, in classrooms, and in museums.

Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters following intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Vo, Mary L; Chin, Russell L; Miranda, Caroline; Latov, Norman

2017-10-01

Gait impairment is a common presenting symptom in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). However, gait parameters have not previously been evaluated in detail as potential independent outcome measures. We prospectively measured changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters of 20 patients with CIDP at baseline and following treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), using GAITRite® a computerized walkway system with embedded sensors. Overall, study patients showed significant improvements in gait velocity, cadence, stride length, double support time, stance phase, and swing phase following IVIG treatment. Mean changes in velocity, stance phase, and swing phase, exhibited the greatest statistical significance among the subgroup that exhibited clinically meaningful improvement in Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment disability score, Medical Research Council sum score, and grip strength. Assessment of gait parameters, in particular velocity, step phase and swing phase, is a potentially sensitive outcome measure for evaluating treatment response in CIDP. Muscle Nerve 56: 732-736, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Constraints on a generalized deceleration parameter from cosmic chronometers

Science.gov (United States)

Mamon, Abdulla Al

2018-04-01

In this paper, we have proposed a generalized parametrization for the deceleration parameter q in order to study the evolutionary history of the universe. We have shown that the proposed model can reproduce three well known q-parametrized models for some specific values of the model parameter α. We have used the latest compilation of the Hubble parameter measurements obtained from the cosmic chronometer (CC) method (in combination with the local value of the Hubble constant H0) and the Type Ia supernova (SNIa) data to place constraints on the parameters of the model for different values of α. We have found that the resulting constraints on the deceleration parameter and the dark energy equation of state support the ΛCDM model within 1σ confidence level at the present epoch.

On the equivalence of the solar wind coupling parameter ε and the magnetospheric energy output parameter UT during intense geomagnetic storms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, W.D.; Gonzalez, A.L.C.; Tsurutani, B.T.

1990-01-01

For intervals with intense geomagnetic activity it is shown that the solar wind coupling parameter ε and the magnetospheric output parameter U T are equivalent and that ranges of values of ε can be set up in terms of values of the ring current-time constant τ. (author)