Pattern-based information portal for business plan co-creation

Science.gov (United States)

Bontchev, Boyan; Ruskov, Petko; Tanev, Stoyan

2011-03-01

Creation of business plans helps entrepreneurs in managing identification of business opportunities and committing necessary resources for process evolution. Applying patterns in business plan creation facilitates the identification of effective solutions that were adopted in the past and may provide a basis for adopting similar solutions in the future within given business context. The article presents the system design of an information portal for business plan co-creation based on patterns. The portal is going to provide start-up and entrepreneurs with ready-to-modify business plan patterns in order to help them in development of effective and efficient business plans. It will facilitate entrepreneurs in co-experimenting and co-learning more frequently and faster. Moreover, the paper focuses on the software architecture of the pattern based portal and explains the functionality of its modules, namely the pattern designer, pattern repository services and agent-based pattern implementers. It explains their role for business process co-creation, storing and managing patterns described formally, and selecting patterns best suited for specific business case. Thus, innovative entrepreneurs will be guided by the portal in co-writing winning business plans and staying competitive in the present day dynamic globalized environment.

Development of an Online, Evidence-Based Patient Information Portal for Congenital Heart Disease: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan R. G. Etnel

2017-05-01

Full Text Available ObjectivesIn response to an increased need for patient information on congenital heart disease in the Netherlands, we initiated a nationwide initiative to develop an online, evidence-based patient information portal, starting with a pilot project aimed at the subgroup of patients with congenital aortic and pulmonary valve disease.Methods and resultsWe developed an information portal that aims to (1 improve patient knowledge and involvement and to subsequently reduce anxiety and decisional conflict and improve mental quality of life and (2 to support physicians in informing and communicating with their patients. The information portal was developed according to the systematic International Patient Decision Aid Standards development process employing Delphi techniques by a multidisciplinary workgroup of pediatric and adult congenital cardiologists, a congenital cardiothoracic surgeon, a psychologist, an epidemiologist, a patient representative, and web and industrial design experts. First, patients and physicians were surveyed and interviewed to assess the current state of patient information and explore their preferences and needs to determine the focus for the development of the information portal. We found that patient knowledge and numeracy are limited, reliable information is scarce, physicians inform patients selectively and patient involvement is suboptimal, and there is a need for more reliable, tailored, and multi-faceted information. Based on the findings of these surveys and interviews, a patient-tailored information portal was designed that presents evidence-based disease- and age-specific medical and psychosocial information about diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and impact on daily life in a manner that is comprehensible and digestible for patients and that meets the needs expressed by both patients and physicians. The effect of the website on patient outcome is currently being assessed in a multicenter stepped-wedge implementation

MD-portal: Highly Effective Website for Nuclear Materials Information Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kil, Soyeon; Lee, Gyeonggeun; Kwon, Junhyun

2014-01-01

A web-based system is widespread in not only everyday activities but also business fields. In past years, the systematic information of various properties of materials usually has been provided as tabulated documents; however it recently has been provided as web-based DB. There are many websites providing material properties information, representative examples include MatWeb from the United States, Granta MI from England and MatNavi from Japan. In 2003, the nuclear materials division in KAERI established a website about nuclear materials property DB, called MatDB. To inherit it, a website called MD-portal has been recently set up to release degradation information and various properties of nuclear materials. In this presentation, the structure and characteristics of MD-portal will be mentioned, and comments on its application will be given

Case studies in geographic information systems for internet portals

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-30

The following report investigates the experiences of transportation agencies in the deployment of Internet-based mapping portals based on GIS. It presents background information, a series of case studies, and a summary of conclusions given the experi...

Development of Distributed System for Informational Location and Control on the Corporate Web Portal "Analytical Chemistry in Russia"

Science.gov (United States)

Shirokova, V. I.; Kolotov, V. P.; Alenina, M. V.

A new Internet portal developed by community of Russian analysts has been launched in 2001 (http://www.geokhi.ru/~rusanalytchem, http://www.rusanalytchem.org) Corporate Web Portal information, "Analytical Chemistry in Russia" , Corporate Web Portal information, "Analytical Chemistry in Russia" ). Now the portal contains a large amount of information, great part of it is stored in the form of SQL data base (MS SQL). The information retrieval is made by means of ASP pages, containing VB Scripts. The obtained experience of work with such topical portal has detected some weak points, related with its centralized administration and updating. It has been found that urgent supporting of all requests from different persons/organizations on information allocation on the portal's server takes a lot of efforts and time. That is why, the further development of portal we relate with development of a distributed system for information allocation and control, under preserving of centralized administration for ensuring of security and stable working of the portal. Analysis and testing of some available technologies lead us to conclusion to apply MS Share Point technologies. A MS Share Point Team Services (SPTS) has been selected as a technology supporting relatively small groups, where MS SQL is used for storage data and metadata. The last feature was considered as decisive one for SPTS selection, allowing easy integration with data base of the whole portal. SPTS was launched as an independent Internet site accessible from home page of the portal. It serves as a root site to exit to dozens of subsites serving different bodies of Russian Scientific Council on analytical chemistry and external organizations located over the whole Russia. The secure functioning of such hierarchical system, which includes a lot of remote information suppliers, based on use of roles to manage user rights independently for each subsite. The root site is controlled by portal administrator, whereas the

DESM: portal for microbial knowledge exploration systems

KAUST Repository

Salhi, Adil

2015-11-05

Microorganisms produce an enormous variety of chemical compounds. It is of general interest for microbiology and biotechnology researchers to have means to explore information about molecular and genetic basis of functioning of different microorganisms and their ability for bioproduction. To enable such exploration, we compiled 45 topic-specific knowledgebases (KBs) accessible through DESM portal (www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/desm). The KBs contain information derived through text-mining of PubMed information and complemented by information data-mined from various other resources (e.g. ChEBI, Entrez Gene, GO, KOBAS, KEGG, UniPathways, BioGrid). All PubMed records were indexed using 4 538 278 concepts from 29 dictionaries, with 1 638 986 records utilized in KBs. Concepts used are normalized whenever possible. Most of the KBs focus on a particular type of microbial activity, such as production of biocatalysts or nutraceuticals. Others are focused on specific categories of microorganisms, e.g. streptomyces or cyanobacteria. KBs are all structured in a uniform manner and have a standardized user interface. Information exploration is enabled through various searches. Users can explore statistically most significant concepts or pairs of concepts, generate hypotheses, create interactive networks of associated concepts and export results. We believe DESM will be a useful complement to the existing resources to benefit microbiology and biotechnology research.

Tsunami.gov: NOAA's Tsunami Information Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Shiro, B.; Carrick, J.; Hellman, S. B.; Bernard, M.; Dildine, W. P.

2014-12-01

We present the new Tsunami.gov website, which delivers a single authoritative source of tsunami information for the public and emergency management communities. The site efficiently merges information from NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers (TWC's) by way of a comprehensive XML feed called Tsunami Event XML (TEX). The resulting unified view allows users to quickly see the latest tsunami alert status in geographic context without having to understand complex TWC areas of responsibility. The new site provides for the creation of a wide range of products beyond the traditional ASCII-based tsunami messages. The publication of modern formats such as Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) can drive geographically aware emergency alert systems like FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). Supported are other popular information delivery systems, including email, text messaging, and social media updates. The Tsunami.gov portal allows NOAA staff to easily edit content and provides the facility for users to customize their viewing experience. In addition to access by the public, emergency managers and government officials may be offered the capability to log into the portal for special access rights to decision-making and administrative resources relevant to their respective tsunami warning systems. The site follows modern HTML5 responsive design practices for optimized use on mobile as well as non-mobile platforms. It meets all federal security and accessibility standards. Moving forward, we hope to expand Tsunami.gov to encompass tsunami-related content currently offered on separate websites, including the NOAA Tsunami Website, National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, National Geophysical Data Center's Tsunami Database, and National Data Buoy Center's DART Program. This project is part of the larger Tsunami Information Technology Modernization Project, which is consolidating the software architectures of NOAA's existing TWC's into

Understanding the Information Research Process of Experienced Online Information Researchers to Inform Development of a Scholars Portal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Whitehead

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Objective - The main purpose of this study was to understand the information research process of experienced online information researchers in a variety of disciplines, gather their ideas for improvement and as part of this to validate a proposed research framework for use in future development of Ontario’s Scholars Portal.Methods - This was a qualitative research study in which sixty experienced online information researchers participated in face-to-face workshops that included a collaborative design component. The sessions were conducted and recorded by usability specialists who subsequently analyzed the data and identified patterns and themes.Results - Key themes included the similarities of the information research process across all disciplines, the impact of interdisciplinarity, the social aspect of research and opportunities for process improvement. There were many specific observations regarding current and ideal processes. Implications for portal development and further research included: supporting a common process while accommodating user-defined differences; supporting citation chaining practices with new opportunities for data linkage and granularity; enhancing keyword searching with various types of intervention; exploring trusted social networks; exploring new mental models for data manipulation while retaining traditional objects; improving citation and document management. Conclusion – The majority of researchers in the study had almost no routine in their information research processes, had developed few techniques to assist themselves and had very little awareness of the tools available to help them. There are many opportunities to aid researchers in the research process that can be explored when developing scholarly research portals. That development will be well guided by the framework ‘discover, gather, synthesize, create, share.’

What are your information needs? Three user studies about research information in the Netherlands, with an emphasis on the NARCIS portal

OpenAIRE

A. Honegaar; M. van Meel; E. Dijk

2010-01-01

The NARCIS portal (www.narcis.info) provides access to science information (information about research, researchers and research institutions) and scientific information [(full-text) publications and datasets]. The portal is very popular, with 1.2 million users annually. NARCIS is also an important supplier of information to international services such as Google/Google Scholar, WorldWideScience.org and DRIVER. In 2009 the KNAW conducted a three-part user survey, with two online surveys and a ...

Knowledge Portals: Ontologies at Work

OpenAIRE

Staab, Steffen; Maedche, Alexander

2001-01-01

Knowledge portals provide views onto domain-specific information on the World Wide Web, thus helping their users find relevant, domain-specific information. The construction of intelligent access and the contribution of information to knowledge portals, however, remained an ad hoc task, requiring extensive manual editing and maintenance by the knowledge portal providers. To diminish these efforts, we use ontologies as a conceptual backbone for providing, accessing, and structuring information...

Analysis of the Organ Offers Received From European Union Countries Before and After the Introduction of a Dedicated Information Technology Portal: The COORENOR/FOEDUS Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Peritore, D; Rizzato, L; Di Ciaccio, P; Trapani, S; Carella, C; Oliveti, A; Rizzo, A; Nanni Costa, A

2017-05-01

To optimize the use of nontransplantable organs in their own territory, the European Commission, as part of a project led by Italy, has promoted the use of an information technology (IT) portal, the COORENOR portal, developed by the Czech Republic in 2012, which evolved to become FOEDUS in 2015. To evaluate the impact of the portal on our reality, we analyzed the number and type of offers received and organs imported in the previous 48 months (period A) as well as the 48 months after the introduction of the portal (period B). We also examined the origin and the offer mode. The offers received were 404 and 753, respectively, in the two periods, with 315 (41.8%) organs received through the portal. The organs transplanted were 53 and 64, respectively, in the two periods; 20 (31.2%) were sent through the portal. The most commonly offered organs are lungs (36.7% and 29.3% of offers in periods A and B, respectively). The most transplanted organ is the liver (59.4% and 45% of transplants in periods A and B, respectively). The use of the portal has gradually increased, growing from 16.4% of the offer mode in 2012 to 84.7% in 2016. The increase of offers related to the increase of donations and the attitude to the sharing of resources has determined an increase of 19.2% of total transplants, especially for certain types such as pediatric transplants. The portal, ensuring speed and simultaneity of offer, real time sharing of information and transparency of allocation, is also used for trade in the International Partnership Agreements. Therefore, transplants have been conditioned by the existing agreements with Greece, Malta, and the countries of the South Transplant Alliance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regional Ocean Data Portal: Transforming Information to Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, M. K.; Gayanilo, F. C.; Jochens, A. E.

2009-12-01

The mission of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System’s (GCOOS) regional data portal is to aggregate data and model output from distributed providers and to offer these, and derived products, through a single access point in standardized ways to a diverse set of users. The portal evolved under the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) program where automated largely-unattended machine-to-machine interoperability has always been a guiding tenet for system design. Initially, the portal focused on aggregating relatively homogeneous oceanographic and marine meteorological data from the principal Gulf of Mexico data providers. Obtaining community agreements from the data providers on data formats, vocabularies, and levels of service was relatively easy because the technical barriers to participation were low and we were able to provide financial support to them to make small additions or changes to their local data systems. Over time, the portal requirements became more complex as new parameters, new providers and heterogeneous data streams were added and the spatial domain increased to include beaches and adjacent wetlands. This began to strain our resources and take us outside our science domains of expertise. During the same period, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), a new environmental quality initiative involving the five Gulf states and Mexico with similar goals and directives as those of our sponsor, gained momentum and demanded both our attention and participation. GOMA is working, mostly among themselves, to discover or establish community standards for various types of data sets - e.g. water quality and nutrients. In addition to aggregation, the portal is also tasked with producing products from the collected information streams. Arriving at a prioritized list of desired products has been a major part of the business conducted by the GCOOS Regional Association (RA). Numerous stakeholder (e.g. emergency responders, oil and gas

An integrated healthcare enterprise information portal and healthcare information system framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, S L; Lai, Feipei; Cheng, P H; Chen, J L; Lee, H H; Tsai, W N; Weng, Y C; Hsieh, S H; Hsu, K P; Ko, L F; Yang, T H; Chen, C H

2006-01-01

The paper presents an integrated, distributed Healthcare Enterprise Information Portal (HEIP) and Hospital Information Systems (HIS) framework over wireless/wired infrastructure at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). A single sign-on solution for the hospital customer relationship management (CRM) in HEIP has been established. The outcomes of the newly developed Outpatient Information Systems (OIS) in HIS are discussed. The future HEIP blueprints with CRM oriented features: e-Learning, Remote Consultation and Diagnosis (RCD), as well as on-Line Vaccination Services are addressed. Finally, the integrated HEIP and HIS architectures based on the middleware technologies are proposed along with the feasible approaches. The preliminary performance of multi-media, time-based data exchanges over the wireless HEIP side is collected to evaluate the efficiency of the architecture.

Some thoughts to realignment of PortalU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinidis, Stefanie; Kruse, Fred

2013-01-01

Environmental information is the basis for improving the environmental situation in the EU. The challenge poses the tailoring of information to a defined group of interest and not only the technical possibility to retrieve the environmental information. Even though, the technical infrastructure for retrieving public environmental information is the first step. Hence, the clear understanding of the needs of the general public is essential for a successful environmental information portal for the interest group ''general public''. What does this mean referring to the German Environmental Information Portal PortalU? Since the launch of PortalU the focus of the portal is set on making available official environmental information especially on German Federal Republic and Federal States level. Currently, information from web pages represents the greatest amount of information. In contrast, information from environmental data catalogs and further data bases represent a smaller amount of information within PortalU. But quantity itself does not tell anything about the demand of a target group. The experience of the last years has shown that environmental interested citizens use mainly general search engines like Google to find information from public environmental web pages. Thus it would be worth thinking about a realignment of PortalU. The idea of a prospective alignment of PortalU is to concentrate on important environmental information, which is not easily found via Google and other general search engines. This information is mainly provided via environmental data catalogs and possibly further data bases. Some thoughts about the potential form and design of a respectively aligned environmental portal are discussed in the paper. (orig.)

The Knowledge Portal

Data.gov (United States)

Office of Personnel Management — Information on various courses, as well as personal data of employees and training records from The Knowledge Portal (TKP), a web-based training portal used for the...

How can knowledge exchange portals assist in knowledge management for evidence-informed decision making in public health?

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Emma; Huckel-Schneider, Carmen; Campbell, Danielle; Seale, Holly; Milat, Andrew J

2014-05-12

Knowledge exchange portals are emerging as web tools that can help facilitate knowledge management in public health. We conducted a review to better understand the nature of these portals and their contribution to knowledge management in public health, with the aim of informing future development of portals in this field. A systematic literature search was conducted of the peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify articles that described the design, development or evaluation of Knowledge Exchange Portals KEPs in the public health field. The content of the articles was analysed, interpreted and synthesised in light of the objectives of the review. The systematic search yielded 2223 articles, of which fifteen were deemed eligible for review, including eight case studies, six evaluation studies and one commentary article. Knowledge exchange portals mainly included design features to support knowledge access and creation, but formative evaluation studies examining user needs suggested collaborative features supporting knowledge exchange would also be useful. Overall web usage statistics revealed increasing use of some of these portals over time; however difficulties remain in retaining users. There is some evidence to suggest that the use of a knowledge exchange portal in combination with tailored and targeted messaging can increase the use of evidence in policy and program decision making at the organisational level. Knowledge exchange portals can be a platform for providing integrated access to relevant content and resources in one location, for sharing and distributing information and for bringing people together for knowledge exchange. However more performance evaluation studies are needed to determine how they can best support evidence-informed decision making in public health.

Some thoughts to realignment of PortalU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konstantinidis, Stefanie; Kruse, Fred [Lower Saxony Ministry of Environment and Climate Protection, Hannover (Germany). Coordination Centre PortalU

2013-07-01

Environmental information is the basis for improving the environmental situation in the EU. The challenge poses the tailoring of information to a defined group of interest and not only the technical possibility to retrieve the environmental information. Even though, the technical infrastructure for retrieving public environmental information is the first step. Hence, the clear understanding of the needs of the general public is essential for a successful environmental information portal for the interest group ''general public''. What does this mean referring to the German Environmental Information Portal PortalU? Since the launch of PortalU the focus of the portal is set on making available official environmental information especially on German Federal Republic and Federal States level. Currently, information from web pages represents the greatest amount of information. In contrast, information from environmental data catalogs and further data bases represent a smaller amount of information within PortalU. But quantity itself does not tell anything about the demand of a target group. The experience of the last years has shown that environmental interested citizens use mainly general search engines like Google to find information from public environmental web pages. Thus it would be worth thinking about a realignment of PortalU. The idea of a prospective alignment of PortalU is to concentrate on important environmental information, which is not easily found via Google and other general search engines. This information is mainly provided via environmental data catalogs and possibly further data bases. Some thoughts about the potential form and design of a respectively aligned environmental portal are discussed in the paper. (orig.)

Web-based Service Portal in Healthcare

Science.gov (United States)

Silhavy, Petr; Silhavy, Radek; Prokopova, Zdenka

Information delivery is one the most important task in healthcare. The growing sector of electronic healthcare has an important impact on the information delivery. There are two basic approaches towards information delivering. The first is web portal and second is touch-screen terminal. The aim of this paper is to investigate the web-based service portal. The most important advantage of web-based portal in the field of healthcare is an independent access for patients. This paper deals with the conditions and frameworks for healthcare portals

Portals people, processes, technology

CERN Document Server

Cox, Andrew

2006-01-01

First applied to internet gateways such as Yahoo, the concept of the ""portal"" has evolved in a number of directions. How can information services best take advantage of internet portals to improve access to resources? This collection seeks answers to such questions, providing an overview of how portals are being used.

Criticality Safety Information Resource Center Web portal: www.csirc.net

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmon, C.D. II; Jones, T.

2000-01-01

The Nuclear Criticality Safety Group (ESH-6) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is in the process of collecting and archiving historical and technical information related to nuclear criticality safety from LANL and other facilities. In an ongoing effort, this information is being made available via the Criticality Safety Information Resource Center (CSIRC) web site, which is hosted and maintained by ESH-6 staff. Recently, the CSIRC Web site was recreated as a Web portal that provides the criticality safety community with much more than just archived data

Health literacy and patient portals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yulong; Orr, Martin; Warren, Jim

2015-06-01

Health literacy has been described as the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Improving health literacy may serve to promote concordance with therapy, engage patients in their own health care, and improve health outcomes. Patient portal technology aims at enabling patients and families to have easy access to key information in their own medical records and to communicate with their health care providers electronically. However, there is a gap in our understanding of how portals will improve patient outcome. The authors believe patient portal technology presents an opportunity to improve patient concordance with prescribed therapy, if adequate support is provided to equip patients (and family/carers) with the knowledge needed to utilise the health information available via the portals. Research is needed to understand what a health consumer will use patient portals for and how to support a user to realise the technology's potential.

From EGEE Operations Portal towards EGI Operations Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Cordier, Hélène; L'Orphelin, Cyril; Reynaud, Sylvain; Lequeux, Olivier; Loikkanen, Sinikka; Veyre, Pierre

Grid operators in EGEE have been using a dedicated dashboard as their central operational tool, stable and scalable for the last 5 years despite continuous upgrade from specifications by users, monitoring tools or data providers. In EGEE-III, recent regionalisation of operations led the Operations Portal developers to conceive a standalone instance of this tool. We will see how the dashboard reorganization paved the way for the re-engineering of the portal itself. The outcome is an easily deployable package customized with relevant information sources and specific decentralized operational requirements. This package is composed of a generic and scalable data access mechanism, Lavoisier; a renowned php framework for configuration flexibility, Symfony and a MySQL database. VO life cycle and operational information, EGEE broadcast and Downtime notifications are next for the major reorganization until all other key features of the Operations Portal are migrated to the framework. Features specifications will be sketched at the same time to adapt to EGI requirements and to upgrade. Future work on feature regionalisation, on new advanced features or strategy planning will be tracked in EGI- Inspire through the Operations Tools Advisory Group, OTAG, where all users, customers and third parties of the Operations Portal are represented from January 2010.

A Personalised Information Support System for Searching Portals and E-Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Sirisha, B. S.; Jeevan, V. K. J.; Raja Kumar, R. V.; Goswami, A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a personalised information support system to help faculty members to search various portals and e-resources without typing the search terms in different interfaces and to obtain results re-ordered without human intervention. Design/methodology/approach: After a careful survey of…

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal: Usability Evaluation of a Unique Evidence-Based Health Information Website

Science.gov (United States)

Dobbins, Maureen; Haynes, R. Brian; Iorio, Alfonso; Lavis, John N; Raina, Parminder

2016-01-01

Background Increasingly, older adults and their informal caregivers are using the Internet to search for health-related information. There is a proliferation of health information online, but the quality of this information varies, often based on exaggerated or dramatic findings, and not easily comprehended by consumers. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (Portal) was developed to provide Internet users with high-quality evidence about aging and address some of these current limitations of health information posted online. The Portal includes content for health professionals coming from three best-in-class resources (MacPLUS, Health Evidence, and Health Systems Evidence) and four types of content specifically prepared for the general public (Evidence Summaries, Web Resource Ratings, Blog Posts, and Twitter messages). Objective Our objectives were to share the findings of the usability evaluation of the Portal with particular focus on the content features for the general public and to inform designers of health information websites and online resources for older adults about key usability themes. Methods Data analysis included task performance during usability testing and qualitative content analyses of both the usability sessions and interviews to identify core themes. Results A total of 37 participants took part in 33 usability testing sessions and 21 focused interviews. Qualitative analysis revealed common themes regarding the Portal’s strengths and challenges to usability. The strengths of the website were related to credibility, applicability, browsing function, design, and accessibility. The usability challenges included reluctance to register, process of registering, searching, terminology, and technical features. Conclusions The study reinforced the importance of including end users during the development of this unique, dynamic, evidence-based health information website. The feedback was applied to iteratively improve website usability. Our findings can be

Information-educational Portal MEPHIST: a Security Policy at Access Differentiation to Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. Guseva

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to working out of an information-educational portal for National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, executed within the limits of realization “Innovative programs of engineering-physical education for a new stage of development of a nuclear science and the industry”of the priority national project “Education”. The basic attention is given to requirements of information safety.

Assessment of the quality of educational portals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. G. Bolbakov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes the results of theoretical and experimental studies on the evaluation of the quality of educational information placed on information and educational portals. The methodology allows you to compare not only portals, but also the results of training on exam scores and test scores. The methodological basis of the assessment is the cognitive approach and the negentropic approach. The article gives a comparison of entropy and negentropy. On the basis of comparison, the authors propose a negentropic approach to assessing the quality of educational resources obtained as a result of information retrieval. The search results are evaluated by cognitive and perpetual scores. Estimates are introduced into the entropy formula and converted to the formula of negentropy. The negentropic approach serves as the basis for calculating the statistical amount of information obtained as a result of information retrieval. The cognitive approach serves as a basis for assessing the qualitative characteristics of educational information, such as: visibility, perceptibility, interpretability. Open information portalsare the source of educational resources. The article shows that modern information portals are often clogged with unreliable or unnecessary information, which makes it difficult to find relevant educational information. In contrast to the widespread methods for one relevanceassess of the information retrieval, this article differentiates the notion of the relevance of the information retrieval. The article introduces three qualitatively different notions of relevance: formal, semantic and perpetual – relevance. The article introduces new additional characteristics of the quality of information search, the coefficient of cognition and the coefficient of perpetuation. These coefficients are introduced into the formula for estimating entropy and obtain the cognitive-entropy formula. As a result, a new method for assessing the content of

A user-oriented model for global enterprise portal design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, X.; Ehrenhard, Michel Léon; Hicks, Jeff; Maathuis, Stephanus Johannes; Maathuis, S.J.; Hou, Y.

2010-01-01

Enterprise portals collect and synthesise information from various systems to deliver personalised and highly relevant information to users. Enterprise portals' design and applications are widely discussed in the literature; however, the implications of portal design in a global networked

ACCOUNTING INFORMATION INTEGRATION TROUGH AN ENTERPRISE PORTAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianina RIZESCU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available If companies are lacking integrated enterprise software applications, or they simply do not use them on a large scale, accounting departments have to face lots of difficulties, concerning both the inflexibility in achieving good results and the limited possibility of communicating these results. Thus, most times, accounting departments are limited to generating predefined reports provided by a software application and the most they can do is export these reports into Microsoft Excel. Another cause which leads to late obtaining and publishing of accounting information is the lack of data from other departments and their corresponding software applications. That is why, in many enterprises, accounting data becomes irrelevant for the users. The main goal of this article is to show how accounting can benefit from an integrated software solution, namely an enterprise portal.

Doppler US evaluation of the hypertensive portal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Needleman, L.; Kurtz, A.B.; Bezzi, M.; Rifkin, M.D.; Pasto, M.E.; Pennell, R.G.; Baltarowich, O.H.; Goldberg, B.B.

1986-01-01

In patients with known portal hypertension, pulsed Doppler US was used for qualitative and directional evaluation of flow in the portal venous system and collateral vessels. Most patients had normal hepatopetal flow. Doppler US revealed the following abnormal blood flow patterns: hepatofugal portal flow, bidirectional portal flow, intrahepatic portal shunting, flow in portasystemic collaterals, and hepatic vein obstruction. Doppler US can provide important clinical information in the evaluation of portal hypertension

What Factors Impact Consumer Perception of the Effectiveness of Health Information Sites? An Investigation of the Korean National Health Information Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Choung, Ji Tae; Lee, Yoon Seong; Jo, Heui Sug; Shim, Minsun; Lee, Hun Jae; Jung, Su Mi

2017-07-01

Lay public's concerns around health and health information are increasing. In response, governments and government agencies are establishing websites to address such concerns and improve health literacy by providing better access to validated health information. Since 2011, the Korean government has constructed the National Health Information Portal (NHIP) website run in collaboration with the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS). This study therefore aimed to 1) examine consumer use of NHIP, with respect to the usage patterns, evaluation on health information provided, and perceived effectiveness of the site; and 2) identify factors that may impact perceived effectiveness of the site. An online survey was conducted with 164 NHIP users, recruited through a popup window on the main screen of the portal website from October to November 2015. The significant predicting factors supported by the data include the relevance of health information on the site, the usefulness of information in making health decisions, and the effective visualization of information. These factors can inform future efforts to design more effective health information websites, possibly based on metadata systems, to further advance the lay public's information seeking and health literacy. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Information Literacy Course Yields Mixed Effects on Undergraduate Acceptance of the University Library Portal Heather Coates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather Coates

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective – To determine the effects over time of a 3-credit semester-long undergraduate information literacy course on student perception and use of the library web portal. Design – Mixed methods, including a longitudinal survey and in-person interviews. Setting – Information literacy course at a comprehensive public research institution in the northeastern United States of America. Subjects – Undergraduates at all levels enrolled in a 3-credit general elective information literacy course titled “The Internet and Information Access.” Methods – A longitudinal survey was conducted by administering a questionnaire to students at three different points in time: prior to instruction, near the end of the course (after receiving instruction on the library portal, and three months after the course ended, during the academic year 2011-2012. The survey was created by borrowing questions from several existing instruments. It was tested and refined through pre-pilot and pilot studies conducted in the 2010-2011 academic year, for which results are reported. Participation was voluntary, though students were incentivized to participate through extra credit for completing the pre- and post-instruction questionnaire, and a monetary reward for completing the follow-up questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with a subset of 14 participants at a fourth point in time. Main Results – 239 of the 376 (63.6% students enrolled in the course completed the pre- and post-instruction questionnaire. Fewer than half of those participants (111 or 30% of students enrolled completed the follow-up questionnaire. Participants were primarily sophomores and juniors (32% each, with approximately one-quarter (26% freshman, and only 10% seniors. Student majors were concentrated in the social sciences (62%, with fewer students from science and technology (13%, business (13%, and the humanities (9%. The 14 participants interviewed were drawn from both high- and low

Developing the architecture for the Climate Information Portal for Copernicus

Science.gov (United States)

Som de Cerff, Wim; Thijsse, Peter; Plieger, Maarten; Pascoe, Stephen; Jukes, Martin; Leadbetter, Adam; Goosen, Hasse; de Vreede, Ernst

2015-04-01

Climate change is impacting the environment, society and policy decisions. Information about climate change is available from many sources, but not all of them are reliable. The CLIPC project is developing a portal to provide a single point of access for authoritative scientific information on climate change. This ambitious objective is made possible through the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme for Europe, which will deliver a new generation of environmental measurements of climate quality. The data about the physical environment which is used to inform climate change policy and adaptation measures comes from several categories: satellite measurements, terrestrial observing systems, model projections and simulations and from re-analyses (syntheses of all available observations constrained with numerical weather prediction systems). These data categories are managed by different communities: CLIPC will provide a single point of access for the whole range of data. Information on data value and limitations will be provided as part of a knowledge base of authoritative climate information. The impacts of climate change on society will generally reflect a range of different environmental and climate system changes, and different sectors and actors within society will react differently to these changes. The CLIPC portal will provide some a number of indicators showing impacts on specific sectors which have been generated using a range of factors selected through structured expert consultation. It will also, as part of the transformation services, allow users to explore the consequences of using different combinations of driving factors which they consider to be of particular relevance to their work or life. The portal will provide information on the scientific quality and pitfalls of such transformations to prevent misleading usage of the results. The CLIPC project will not be able to process a comprehensive range of climate change impacts on the physical

The XCAT Science Portal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sriram Krishnan

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and prototype implementation of the XCAT Grid Science Portal. The portal lets grid application programmers script complex distributed computations and package these applications with simple interfaces for others to use. Each application is packaged as a notebook which consists of web pages and editable parameterized scripts. The portal is a workstation-based specialized personal web server, capable of executing the application scripts and launching remote grid applications for the user. The portal server can receive event streams published by the application and grid resource information published by Network Weather Service (NWS [35] or Autopilot [16] sensors. Notebooks can be published and stored in web based archives for others to retrieve and modify. The XCAT Grid Science Portal has been tested with various applications, including the distributed simulation of chemical processes in semiconductor manufacturing and collaboratory support for X-ray crystallographers.

Applications of portals in the energetic sector; Aplicaciones de portales en el sector energetico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos Dominguez, Martin; Arroyo Figueroa, Gustavo [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Temixco, Morelos (Mexico)

2000-07-01

An operative portal joins the applications, contents and services of the company in a single page of Intranet such way that promises to change deeply the information technology in the next years. The corporative portals will change what people visualize in the screen of their computer at the beginning of every working day. Unlike seeing the network (Web) only with pages of language of hypertext bearing (HTML), the corporative portal acts as a gate between Internet and the private networks. This article presents a general vision of the benefits of the corporative portals, the existing technologies and the potential markets. [Spanish] Un portal operativo une las aplicaciones, contenidos y servicios de la empresa en una sola pagina de Intranet, de tal forma que promete cambiar, profundamente la tecnologia de la informacion en los proximos anos. Los portales corporativos cambiaran lo que la gente visualiza en la pantalla de su computadora al comienzo de cada dia de trabajo. A diferencia de ver la red (Web) solo con paginas de lenguaje de marcacion de hipertexto (HTML), el portal corporativo actua como compuerta entre Internet y las redes privadas. Este articulo presenta una vision general de los beneficios de los portales corporativos, las tecnologias y los mercados potenciales existentes.

Assessment of private hospital portals: A conceptual model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Alipour-Hafezi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hospital portals, as the first virtual entry, play an important role in connecting people with hospital and also presenting hospital virtual services. The main purpose of this article was to suggest a conceptual model to improve Tehran private hospital portals. The suggested model can be used by all the health portals that are in the same circumstances and all the health portals which are in progress. Method: This is a practical research, using evaluative survey research method. Research population includes all the private hospital portals in Tehran, 34 portals, and ten top international hospital portals. Data gathering tool used in this research was a researcher-made checklist including 14 criteria and 77 sub-criteria with their weight score. In fact, objective observation with the mentioned checklist was used to gather information. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and tables and graphs were used to present the organized data. Also, data were analyzed using independent t-test. Conceptual modeling technique was used to design the model and demonstration method was used to evaluate the proposed model. In this regard, SPSS statistical software was used to perform the tests. Results:The comparative study between the two groups of portals, TPH and WTH, in the 14 main criteria showed that the value of t-test in contact information criteria was 0.862, portal page specification was -1.378, page design criteria -1.527, updating pages -0.322, general information and access roads -3.161, public services -7.302, patient services -4.154, patient data -8.703, research and education -9.155, public relationship -3.009, page technical specifications -4.726, telemedicine -7.488, pharmaceutical services -6.183, and financial services -2.782. Finally, the findings demonstrated that Tehran private hospital portals in criterion of contact information were favorable; page design criteria were relatively favorable; page technical

Repository on maternal child health: health portal to improve access to information on maternal child health in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanna, Rajesh; Karikalan, N; Mishra, Anil Kumar; Agarwal, Anchal; Bhattacharya, Madhulekha; Das, Jayanta K

2013-01-02

Quality and essential health information is considered one of the most cost-effective interventions to improve health for a developing country. Healthcare portals have revolutionalized access to health information and knowledge using the Internet and related technologies, but their usage is far from satisfactory in India. This article describes a health portal developed in India aimed at providing one-stop access to efficiently search, organize and share maternal child health information relevant from public health perspective in the country. The portal 'Repository on Maternal Child Health' was developed using an open source content management system and standardized processes were followed for collection, selection, categorization and presentation of resource materials. Its usage is evaluated using key performance indicators obtained from Google Analytics, and quality assessed using a standardized checklist of knowledge management. The results are discussed in relation to improving quality and access to health information. The portal was launched in July 2010 and provides free access to full-text of 900 resource materials categorized under specific topics and themes. During the subsequent 18 months, 52,798 visits were registered from 174 countries across the world, and more than three-fourth visits were from India alone. Nearly 44,000 unique visitors visited the website and spent an average time of 4 minutes 26 seconds. The overall bounce rate was 27.6%. An increase in the number of unique visitors was found to be significantly associated with an increase in the average time on site (p-value 0.01), increase in the web traffic through search engines (p-value 0.00), and decrease in the bounce rate (p-value 0.03). There was a high degree of agreement between the two experts regarding quality assessment carried out under the three domains of knowledge access, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer (Kappa statistic 0.72). Efficient management of health information

Repository on maternal child health: Health portal to improve access to information on maternal child health in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khanna Rajesh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quality and essential health information is considered one of the most cost-effective interventions to improve health for a developing country. Healthcare portals have revolutionalized access to health information and knowledge using the Internet and related technologies, but their usage is far from satisfactory in India. This article describes a health portal developed in India aimed at providing one-stop access to efficiently search, organize and share maternal child health information relevant from public health perspective in the country. Methods The portal ‘Repository on Maternal Child Health’ was developed using an open source content management system and standardized processes were followed for collection, selection, categorization and presentation of resource materials. Its usage is evaluated using key performance indicators obtained from Google Analytics, and quality assessed using a standardized checklist of knowledge management. The results are discussed in relation to improving quality and access to health information. Results The portal was launched in July 2010 and provides free access to full-text of 900 resource materials categorized under specific topics and themes. During the subsequent 18 months, 52,798 visits were registered from 174 countries across the world, and more than three-fourth visits were from India alone. Nearly 44,000 unique visitors visited the website and spent an average time of 4 minutes 26 seconds. The overall bounce rate was 27.6%. An increase in the number of unique visitors was found to be significantly associated with an increase in the average time on site (p-value 0.01, increase in the web traffic through search engines (p-value 0.00, and decrease in the bounce rate (p-value 0.03. There was a high degree of agreement between the two experts regarding quality assessment carried out under the three domains of knowledge access, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer (Kappa

WLCG Operations portal demo tutorial

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

This is a navigation through http://wlcg-ops.web.cern.ch/ the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) Operations' portal. In this portal you will find documentation and information about WLCG Operation activities for: System Administrators at the WLCG sites LHC Experiments Operation coordination people, including Task Forces and Working Groups

ASH External Web Portal (External Portal) -

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — The ASH External Web Portal is a web-based portal that provides single sign-on functionality, making the web portal a single location from which to be authenticated...

Portal venous stent placement for treatment of portal hypertension caused by benign main portal vein stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Hong; Xiao, Xiang-Sheng; Huang, Ming-Sheng; Ouyang, Qiang; Jiang, Zai-Bo

2005-06-07

To evaluate the value of endovascular stent in the treatment of portal hypertension caused by benign main portal vein stenosis. Portal vein stents were implanted in six patients with benign main portal vein stenosis (inflammatory stenosis in three cases, postprocedure of liver transplantation in another three cases). Changes in portal vein pressure, portal vein patency, relative clinical symptoms, complications, and survival were evaluated. Six metallic stents were successfully placed across the portal vein stenotic or obstructive lesions in six patients. Mean portal venous pressure decreased significantly after stent implantation from (37.3+/-4.7) cm H(2)O to (18.0+/-1.9) cm H(2)O. The portal blood flow restored and the symptoms caused by portal hypertension were eliminated. There were no severe procedure-related complications. The patients were followed up for 1-48 mo. The portal vein remained patent during follow-up. All patients survived except for one patient who died of other complications of liver transplantation. Percutaneous portal vein stent placement for the treatment of portal hypertension caused by benign main portal vein stenosis is safe and effective.

Customizable scientific web portal for fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G.; Kim, E.N.; Schissel, D.P.; Flanagan, S.M.

2010-01-01

Web browsers have become a major application interface for participating in scientific experiments such as those in magnetic fusion. The recent advances in web technologies motivated the deployment of interactive web applications with rich features. In the scientific world, web applications have been deployed in portal environments. When used in a scientific research environment, such as fusion experiments, web portals can present diverse sources of information in a unified interface. However, the design and development of a scientific web portal has its own challenges. One such challenge is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite the high volume of information and number of tools it presents. Another challenge is that the visual output of the web portal must not be overwhelming to the end users, despite the high volume of data generated by fusion experiments. Therefore, the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of end users. In order to meet these challenges, the design and implementation of a web portal needs to support high interactivity and user customization. A web portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide by providing multiple services, such as real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access and interactive data visualization. The web portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing a collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant messaging services. The portal's design utilizes the multi-tier software architecture and has been implemented utilizing web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services, which allows users to create a unique, personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. This paper describes the software

Customizable scientific web portal for fusion research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G., E-mail: abla@fusion.gat.co [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA (United States); Kim, E.N.; Schissel, D.P.; Flanagan, S.M. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-07-15

Web browsers have become a major application interface for participating in scientific experiments such as those in magnetic fusion. The recent advances in web technologies motivated the deployment of interactive web applications with rich features. In the scientific world, web applications have been deployed in portal environments. When used in a scientific research environment, such as fusion experiments, web portals can present diverse sources of information in a unified interface. However, the design and development of a scientific web portal has its own challenges. One such challenge is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite the high volume of information and number of tools it presents. Another challenge is that the visual output of the web portal must not be overwhelming to the end users, despite the high volume of data generated by fusion experiments. Therefore, the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of end users. In order to meet these challenges, the design and implementation of a web portal needs to support high interactivity and user customization. A web portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide by providing multiple services, such as real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access and interactive data visualization. The web portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing a collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant messaging services. The portal's design utilizes the multi-tier software architecture and has been implemented utilizing web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services, which allows users to create a unique, personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. This paper describes the software

Customizable Scientific Web Portal for Fusion Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E; Schissel, D; Flannagan, S [General Atomics, San Diego (United States)

2009-07-01

The Web browser has become one of the major application interfaces for remotely participating in magnetic fusion experiments. Recently in other areas, web portals have begun to be deployed. These portals are used to present very diverse sources of information in a unified way. While a web portal has several benefits over other software interfaces, such as providing single point of access for multiple computational services, and eliminating the need for client software installation, the design and development of a web portal has unique challenges. One of the challenges is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite a high volume of tools and information that it presents. Another challenge is the visual output on the web portal often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments; therefore the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of users. An appropriate software architecture and web technologies can meet these problems. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It utilizes a multi-tier software architecture, and web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. The users can create a unique personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant message services. Furthermore, the web portal will provide a mechanism to allow users to create their own applications on the web portal as well as bridging capabilities to external applications such as

Customisable Scientific Web Portal for Fusion Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E; Schissel, D; Flannagan, S [General Atomics, San Diego (United States)

2009-07-01

The Web browser has become one of the major application interfaces for remotely participating in magnetic fusion. Web portals are used to present very diverse sources of information in a unified way. While a web portal has several benefits over other software interfaces, such as providing single point of access for multiple computational services, and eliminating the need for client software installation, the design and development of a web portal has unique challenges. One of the challenges is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite a high volume of tools and information that it presents. Another challenge is the visual output on the web portal often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments; therefore the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of users. An appropriate software architecture and web technologies can meet these problems. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It utilizes a multi-tier software architecture, and web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant message services. Furthermore, the web portal will provide a mechanism to allow users to create their own applications on the web portal as well as bridging capabilities to external applications such as Twitter and other social networks. In this series of slides, we describe the software architecture of this scientific web portal and our experiences in utilizing web 2.0 technologies. A

A View on Electronic Learning Portals

OpenAIRE

Zavaraqi, Rasoul

2009-01-01

Portals are less than a decade old. They have come to cover are areas of electronic services, including electronic learning. With their efficient communication and information capabilities, these portals are capable of realizing novel learning concepts such as structuralism, active and cooperative learning. The present paper endeavors to discuss the latest understanding, theories and concepts regarding E-learning portals and to review the issues and steps that should be considered in designin...

The specialized portals in the knowledge transfer systems: the ionizing radiation portal http://www.ionizantes.ciemat.es/

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arboli, M. Marco; Hernanz, Oscar; Couchoud Gregory, Milagros

2008-01-01

Full text: This paper shows the new infrastructure to disseminate RP knowledge and information developed by the community involved in radiation uses. The www.ionizantes.ciemat.es portal has been implemented by CIEMAT and CINDOC- CSIC with the support of the national and international organizations related to the radiation applications. The design and structure of the databases was developed by CIEMAT and CINDOC-CSIC using the experience acquired by both organizations in the knowledge transfer. The initiative aims to establish collaboration with the sector involved in the most important applications of the ionizing radiation uses. The goal is to share resources establishing a new system of information between the experts, researchers and public. The portal also brings the dialogue to the entire sector and provides details of the relevant research projects. The main specific objectives of this portal are: a) To inform about the new projects developed; b) To download publications, reports and papers; c) to learn more about ionizing radiation; d) To promote collaborative knowledge transfer. The portal shows particular relevance to representative international and national organizations, the private sector and the local community relevant organizations. Results: The resources include in the database of the portal are: the agenda, documents, research calls, legislation, research projects, most important journals and summaries, patents and other available tools. The information is presented in a categorized and classified structure. This virtual community offers better knowledge transfer. It also optimizes the communication and research dissemination to the society. (author)

An Approach for harmonizing European Water Portals

Science.gov (United States)

Pesquer, Lluís; Stasch, Christoph; Masó, Joan; Jirka, Simon; Domingo, Xavier; Guitart, Francesc; Turner, Thomas; Hinderk Jürrens, Eike

2017-04-01

A number of European funded research projects is developing novel solutions for water monitoring, modeling and management. To generate innovations in the water sector, third parties from industry and the public sector need to take up the solutions and bring them into the market. A variety of portals exists to support this move into the market. Examples on the European level are the EIP Water Online Marketplace(1), the WaterInnEU Marketplace(2), the WISE RTD Water knowledge portal(3), the WIDEST- ICT for Water Observatory(4) or the SWITCH-ON Virtual Product Market and Virtual Water-Science Laboratory(5). Further innovation portals and initiatives exist on the national or regional level, for example, the Denmark knows water platform6 or the Dutch water alliance(7). However, the different portals often cover the same projects, the same products and the same services. Since they are technically separated and have their own data models and databases, people need to duplicate information and maintain it at several endpoints. This requires additional efforts and hinders the interoperable exchange between these portals and tools using the underlying data. In this work, we provide an overview on the existing portals and present an approach for harmonizing and integrating common information that is provided across different portals. The approach aims to integrate the common in formation in a common database utilizing existing vocabularies, where possible. An Application Programming Interface allows access the information in a machine-readable way and utilizing the information in other applications beyond description and discovery purposes. (1) http://www.eip-water.eu/my-market-place (2) https://marketplace.waterinneu.org (3) http://www.wise-rtd.info/ (4) http://iwo.widest.eu (5) http://www.switch-on-vwsl.eu/ (6) http://www.rethinkwater.dk/ (7) http://wateralliance.nl/

Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Robert C.; And Others

This laboratory manual presents information and techniques dealing with aquatic microbiology as it relates to environmental health science, sanitary engineering, and environmental microbiology. The contents are divided into three categories: (1) ecological and physiological considerations; (2) public health aspects; and (3)microbiology of water…

Inpatient Portals for Hospitalized Patients and Caregivers: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Michelle M; Coller, Ryan J; Hoonakker, Peter Lt

2018-06-01

Patient portals, web-based personal health records linked to electronic health records (EHRs), provide patients access to their healthcare information and facilitate communication with providers. Growing evidence supports portal use in ambulatory settings; however, only recently have portals been used with hospitalized patients. Our objective was to review the literature evaluating the design, use, and impact of inpatient portals, which are patient portals designed to give hospitalized patients and caregivers inpatient EHR clinical information for the purpose of engaging them in hospital care. Literature was reviewed from 2006 to 2017 in PubMed, Web of Science, CINALPlus, Cochrane, and Scopus to identify English language studies evaluating patient portals, engagement, and inpatient care. Data were analyzed considering the following 3 themes: inpatient portal design, use and usability, and impact. Of 731 studies, 17 were included, 9 of which were published after 2015. Most studies were qualitative with small samples focusing on inpatient portal design; 1 nonrandomized trial was identified. Studies described hospitalized patients' and caregivers' information needs and design recommendations. Most patient and caregiver participants in included studies were interested in using an inpatient portal, used it when offered, and found it easy to use and/or useful. Evidence supporting the role of inpatient portals in improving patient and caregiver engagement, knowledge, communication, and care quality and safety is limited. Included studies indicated providers had concerns about using inpatient portals; however, the extent to which these concerns have been realized remains unclear. Inpatient portal research is emerging. Further investigation is needed to optimally design inpatient portals to maximize potential benefits for hospitalized patients and caregivers while minimizing unintended consequences for healthcare teams. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine.

User Needs of Digital Service Web Portals: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Misook; Song, Jung-Sook; Seol, Moon-Won

2013-01-01

The authors examined the needs of digital information service web portal users. More specifically, the needs of Korean cultural portal users were examined as a case study. The conceptual framework of a web-based portal is that it is a complex, web-based service application with characteristics of information systems and service agents. In…

Knowledge portal: a tool to capture university requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Mansourvar, Marjan; Binti Mohd Yasin, Norizan

2011-10-01

New technologies, especially, the Internet have made a huge impact on knowledge management and information dissemination in education. The web portal as a knowledge management system is very popular topics in many organizations including universities. Generally, a web portal defines as a gateway to online network accessible resources through the intranet, extranet or Internet. This study develops a knowledge portal for the students in the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT), University of Malaya (UM). The goals of this portal are to provide information for the students to help them to choose the right courses and major that are relevant to their intended future jobs or career in IT. A quantitative approach used as the selected method for this research. Quantitative method provides an easy and useful way to collect data from a large sample population.

Radiologic investigation of portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, C.; Wegmueller, H.

1993-01-01

Radiologic evaluation of patients with portal hypertension in the pre- and postoperative period can be done with several non-invasive or invasive imaging modalities which offer complementary information. Doppler-ultrasonography (-US) is the method of choice for initial non-invasive screening as well as for follow-up tests after shunt surgery. The diagnostic information provided by Doppler-US regarding morphology and blood flow in the upper abdominal organs and vessels is sufficient in many instances. Dynamic computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) and recently, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are additional non-invasive imaging techniques that may add valuable information if necessary. Conventional angiography is usually performed immediately prior to surgery to demonstrate the vascular morphology. The standard angiographic technique to demonstrate both the arterial and portal venous system is arterioportography (late-phase portography) by means of selective catheterization of the celiac, the splenic, the superior mesenteric or inferior mesenteric arteries. The dose of iodinated contrast material may be reduced by 50% if digital subtraction angiography is used instead of the conventional technique. Inferior venacavography and hepatic venography are indicated in patients with suspected postsinusoidal portal hypertension, e.g. the Budd-Chiari syndrome; hepatic wedge manometry offers valuable information regarding pressure gradients between the portal and systemic venous system prior to shunt surgery. The angiographic access through the inferior vena cava is also used for direct catheterization of surgical porto-caval or spleno-renal shunts for both angiography, manometry and, if necessary, balloon angioplasty. (authors)

The questions of working out radiology patterns of portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vyikman, Ya.E.

2008-01-01

A foundation for radiological patterns of each type of portal hypertension (PH) at various stages of its development. Portal blood pressure, diameter of splenic and portal veins, volume blood flow velocity in the portal and splenic veins, incidence of hypersplenism, enlargement of the caudate lobe of the liver and gallbladder fossa are the most informative in differentiation of various forms of portal hypertension

The Protein Model Portal--a comprehensive resource for protein structure and model information.

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Juergen; Roth, Steven; Arnold, Konstantin; Kiefer, Florian; Schmidt, Tobias; Bordoli, Lorenza; Schwede, Torsten

2013-01-01

The Protein Model Portal (PMP) has been developed to foster effective use of 3D molecular models in biomedical research by providing convenient and comprehensive access to structural information for proteins. Both experimental structures and theoretical models for a given protein can be searched simultaneously and analyzed for structural variability. By providing a comprehensive view on structural information, PMP offers the opportunity to apply consistent assessment and validation criteria to the complete set of structural models available for proteins. PMP is an open project so that new methods developed by the community can contribute to PMP, for example, new modeling servers for creating homology models and model quality estimation servers for model validation. The accuracy of participating modeling servers is continuously evaluated by the Continuous Automated Model EvaluatiOn (CAMEO) project. The PMP offers a unique interface to visualize structural coverage of a protein combining both theoretical models and experimental structures, allowing straightforward assessment of the model quality and hence their utility. The portal is updated regularly and actively developed to include latest methods in the field of computational structural biology. Database URL: http://www.proteinmodelportal.org.

Intelligent interaction based on holographic personalized portal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yadong Huang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the architecture of holographic personalized portal, user modeling, commodity modeling and intelligent interaction. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors propose crowd-science industrial ecological system based on holographic personalized portal and its interaction. The holographic personality portal is based on holographic enterprises, commodities and consumers, and the personalized portal consists of accurate ontology, reliable supply, intelligent demand and smart cyberspace. Findings – The personalized portal can realize the information acquisition, characteristic analysis and holographic presentation. Then, the intelligent interaction, e.g. demand decomposition, personalized search, personalized presentation and demand prediction, will be implemented within the personalized portal. Originality/value – The authors believe that their work on intelligent interaction based on holographic personalized portal, which has been first proposed in this paper, is innovation focusing on the interaction between intelligence and convenience.

Technical aspects of portal technology application for e-health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosińska, Joanna; Słowikowski, Paweł

2004-01-01

E-health is an emerging field on the intersection of medical information technologies, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies. Portal technology, allowing services to be accessible over the Internet is a perfect tool for providing e-health services. The use of portal technologies has had deep influence on the architecture of the whole e-health system, both regarding new subsystems and older ones which we want to integrate with the portal. Portals provide new possibilities for creating novel types of e-health applications as well. In this paper we provide a brief overview of e-health systems and portal technologies, and present many technical aspects of portal technology application for e-health systems such as the architecture of portal-based e-health systems, graphical user interfaces, access to various e-health systems' resources, personalization, security and privacy.

The influence of culture on enterprise portal design in a global environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, Xiuzhen; Ehrenhard, Michel Léon; Hicks, Jeff; Hou, Yibin; Khosrow-Pour, M.

2007-01-01

Enterprise portals collect and synthesize information from various systems to deliver personalized and highly relevant information to suppliers, customers and employees. While enterprise portal design and portal applications have been widely discussed in the literature, the implications that arise

[Onsite microbiology services and outsourcing microbiology and offsite laboratories--advantage and disadvantage, thinking of effective utilization].

Science.gov (United States)

Hosokawa, Naoto

2011-10-01

In recent years, budget restrictions have prompted hospital managers to consider outsourcing microbiology service. But there are many advantages onsite microbiology services. Onsite microbiology services have some advantages. 1) High recovery rate of microorganism. 2) Shorter turn around time. 3) Easy to communicate between physician and laboratory technician. 4) Effective utilization of blood culture. 5) Getting early information about microorganism. 6) Making antibiogram (microbiological local factor). 7) Getting information for infection control. The disadvantages are operating costs and labor cost. The important point of maximal utilization of onsite microbiology service is close communication between physicians to microbiology laboratory. It will be able to provide prompt and efficient report to physicians through discussion about Gram stain findings, agar plate media findings and epidemiological information. The rapid and accurate identification of pathogen affords directed therapy, thereby decreasing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and shortening the length of hospital stay and unnecessary ancillary procedures. When the physician use outsourcing microbiology services, should discuss with offsite laboratories about provided services. Infection control person has to arrange data of susceptibility about every isolate and monitoring multi-drug resistant organism. Not only onsite microbiology services but also outsourcing microbiology services, to communicate bedside and laboratory is most important point of effective utilization.

Portal Vein Stenting for Portal Biliopathy with Jaundice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyun, Dongho, E-mail: mesentery@naver.com; Park, Kwang Bo, E-mail: kbjh.park@samsung.com [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Seong Joo [Konyang University, Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Konyang University Hospital (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Jin Ho [Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Department of Radiology (Korea, Republic of); Sinn, Dong Hyun [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

Portal biliopathy refers to obstruction of the bile duct by dilated peri- or para-ductal collateral channels following the main portal vein occlusion from various causes. Surgical shunt operation or endoscopic treatment has been reported. Herein, we report a case of portal biliopathy that was successfully treated by interventional portal vein recanalization.

Portal Vein Thrombosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakan Demirci

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Portal vein thrombosis is an important cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. Portal vein thrombosis commonly occurs in patient with cirrhosis, malignancy and prothrombotic states. Patients with acute portal vein thrombosis have immediate onset. Patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis have developed portal hypertension and cavernous portal transformation. Portal vein thrombosis is diagnosed with doppler ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Therapy with low molecular weight heparin achieves recanalization in more than half of acute cases.

Calcification in the portal venous system demonstrated by computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadar, H; Sommer, R

1983-08-01

The CT appearance of calcification in the portal venous system in a patient with chronic alcoholic cirrhosis is presented. Reported cases of radiologically detectable calcification in the portal system are rare, and most of them have been associated with longstanding portal hypertension. We presume that with CT this diagnosis will be made more frequently. In the presence of calcification in the portal venous system, portal vein thrombosis is highly probable. This information is of obvious importance to the surgeon contemplating a portal decompressive shunt procedure.

Food safety assurance systems: Microbiological testing, sampling plans, and microbiological criteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwietering, M.H.; Ross, T.; Gorris, L.G.M.

2014-01-01

Microbiological criteria give information about the quality or safety of foods. A key component of a microbiological criterion is the sampling plan. Considering: (1) the generally low level of pathogens that are deemed tolerable in foods, (2) large batch sizes, and (3) potentially substantial

The Sydney West Knowledge Portal: Evaluating the Growth of a Knowledge Portal to Support Translational Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Anna; Robinson, Tracy Elizabeth; Provan, Pamela; Shaw, Tim

2016-06-29

The Sydney West Translational Cancer Research Centre is an organization funded to build capacity for translational research in cancer. Translational research is essential for ensuring the integration of best available evidence into practice and for improving patient outcomes. However, there is a low level of awareness regarding what it is and how to conduct it optimally. One solution to addressing this gap is the design and deployment of web-based knowledge portals to disseminate new knowledge and engage with and connect dispersed networks of researchers. A knowledge portal is an web-based platform for increasing knowledge dissemination and management in a specialized area. To measure the design and growth of an web-based knowledge portal for increasing individual awareness of translational research and to build organizational capacity for the delivery of translational research projects in cancer. An adaptive methodology was used to capture the design and growth of an web-based knowledge portal in cancer. This involved stakeholder consultations to inform initial design of the portal. Once the portal was live, site analytics were reviewed to evaluate member usage of the portal and to measure growth in membership. Knowledge portal membership grew consistently for the first 18 months after deployment, before leveling out. Analysis of site metrics revealed members were most likely to visit portal pages with community-generated content, particularly pages with a focus on translational research. This was closely followed by pages that disseminated educational material about translational research. Preliminary data from this study suggest that knowledge portals may be beneficial tools for translating new evidence and fostering an environment of communication and collaboration.

Integrating Thematic Web Portal Capabilities into the NASA Earthdata Web Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Minnie; Baynes, Kathleen E.; Huang, Thomas; McLaughlin, Brett

2015-01-01

This poster will present the process of integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earth data web infrastructure, with examples from the Sea Level Change Portal. The Sea Level Change Portal will be a source of current NASA research, data and information regarding sea level change. The portal will provide sea level change information through articles, graphics, videos and animations, an interactive tool to view and access sea level change data and a dashboard showing sea level change indicators.

Using open-source programs to create a web-based portal for hydrologic information

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, H.

2013-12-01

Some hydrologic data sets, such as basin climatology, precipitation, and terrestrial water storage, are not easily obtainable and distributable due to their size and complexity. We present a Hydrologic Information Portal (HIP) that has been implemented at the University of California for Hydrologic Modeling (UCCHM) and that has been organized around the large river basins of North America. This portal can be easily accessed through a modern web browser that enables easy access and visualization of such hydrologic data sets. Some of the main features of our HIP include a set of data visualization features so that users can search, retrieve, analyze, integrate, organize, and map data within large river basins. Recent information technologies such as Google Maps, Tornado (Python asynchronous web server), NumPy/SciPy (Scientific Library for Python) and d3.js (Visualization library for JavaScript) were incorporated into the HIP to create ease in navigating large data sets. With such open source libraries, HIP can give public users a way to combine and explore various data sets by generating multiple chart types (Line, Bar, Pie, Scatter plot) directly from the Google Maps viewport. Every rendered object such as a basin shape on the viewport is clickable, and this is the first step to access the visualization of data sets.

Developing patient portals in a fragmented healthcare system.

Science.gov (United States)

Otte-Trojel, Terese; de Bont, Antoinette; Aspria, Marcello; Adams, Samantha; Rundall, Thomas G; van de Klundert, Joris; de Mul, Marleen

2015-10-01

Use of patient portals may contribute to improved patient health and experiences and better organizational performance. In the Netherlands, patient portals have gained considerable attention in recent years, as evidenced by various policy initiatives and practical efforts directed at developing portals. Due to the fragmented setup of the Dutch healthcare system patient portals that give patients access to information and services from across their providers are developed in inter-organizational collaboration. The objective of this paper is to identify and describe the types of collaborations, or networks, that have been established to develop patient portals in the Netherlands. Understanding the characteristics of these networks as well as the development of their respective portals enables us to assess the enabling and constraining effects of different network types on patient portal initiatives. We used qualitative methods including interview and documents analysis. In a first step, we interviewed eighteen experts and reviewed relevant national policy and strategy documents. Based on this orientation, we selected three networks we deemed to be representative of inter-organizational efforts to develop Dutch patient portals in 2012. In a second step, we interviewed twelve representatives of these patient portal networks and collected documents related to the portals. We applied content analytic techniques to analyze data from the three cases. The three studied networks differed in their number and diversity of actors, the degree to which these actors were mutually dependent, the degree to which network governance was decentralized, and the dynamics of the network structures. We observed that the portals developed in networks displaying the highest degree of these characteristics experienced most difficulties associated with developing patient portals - such as achieving interoperability, successful implementation, regulatory complaisance, and financial

Portal hemodynamics in chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takashi, Motohide; Igarashi, Masahiko; Hino, Shinichi; Takayasu, Kenichi; Goto, Nobuaki; Musha, Hirotaka; Ohnishi, Kunihiko; Okuda, Kunio

1985-01-01

A portal hemodynamic study was made in 7 consecutive patients with chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy by percutaneous transhepatic catheterization of the portal vein and injecting contrast medium into the superior mesenteric vein or by superior mesenteric arterial portography in comparison with patients without encephalopathy studied by percutaneous catheterization of these veins. It is suggested that chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy is a result of a large collateral route shunting a large proportion of the superior mesenteric venous blood into systemic circulation, and that development of such collaterals precludes formation of large esophageal varices. (Auth.)

Obliterative portal venopathy without portal hypertension: an underestimated condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Guido, Maria; Sarcognato, Samantha; Sonzogni, Aurelio; Lucà, Maria Grazia; Senzolo, Marco; Fagiuoli, Stefano; Ferrarese, Alberto; Pizzi, Marco; Giacomelli, Luciano; Colloredo, Guido

2016-03-01

Obliterative portal venopathy without portal hypertension has been described by a single study in a limited number of patients, thus very little is known about this clinical condition. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obliterative portal venopathy and its clinical-pathological correlations in patients with cryptogenic chronic liver test abnormalities without clinical signs of portal hypertension. We analysed 482 liver biopsies from adults with non-cirrhotic cryptogenic chronic liver disorders and without any clinical signs of portal hypertension, consecutively enrolled in a 5-year period. Twenty cases of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension diagnosed in the same period, were included for comparison. Histological findings were matched with clinical and laboratory features. Obliterative portal venopathy was identified in 94 (19.5%) of 482 subjects and in all 20 cases of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: both groups shared the entire spectrum of histological changes described in the latter condition. The prevalence of incomplete fibrous septa and nodular regenerative hyperplasia was higher in the biopsies of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (P = 0.006 and P = 0.002), a possible hint of a more advanced stage of the disease. The two groups also shared several clinical laboratory features, including a similar liver function test profile, concomitant prothrombotic conditions and extrahepatic autoimmune disorders. Obliterative portal venopathy occurs in a substantial proportion of patients with unexplained chronic abnormal liver function tests without portal hypertension. The clinical-pathological profile of these subjects suggests that they may be in an early (non-symptomatic) stage of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Longitudinal Study of Undergraduate Students' Perceptions and Use Patterns of the University Libraries Web Portal: Does Information Literacy Instruction Play a Role?

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Hui

2012-01-01

As the availability of digital resources increased exponentially over the last two decades, academic libraries have heavily invested in electronic resources and made them accessible via library Web portals. Yet, underutilization of library Web portals is a common concern among academic libraries. According to the information systems (IS)…

Gestão de Informação Empresarial com Portais PloneEnterprise Information Management with Plone Portals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Mendes Barbosa

2009-01-01

Full Text Available O artigo discute os requisitos necessários para a gestão adequada da informação em empresas de todos os segmentos. Para ilustrar, mostra-se como é possível implementar com o Plone um portal corporativo utilizando-se de software livre, de forma integrada com o ambiente Windows, proprietário. Por tratar-se do ambiente presente na grande maioria das empresas e organizações da atualidade, um portal que atenda a especificidades da gestão de informação neste contexto, de forma integrada, é fortemente representativo. Com efeito, a integração dos conteúdos no portal com o ambiente Windows, no cliente e não no servidor, não é trivial. O artigo mostra que implantando o portal nesse contexto a empresa avança consideravelmente com relação à gestão da informação. Para tal o artigo foca na descrição dos aspectos positivos que decorrem da implantação de um portal de intranet / extranet nesse contexto, i.e. integração com Windows e com o Office ou outras aplicações de escritório; controle de edição compartilhada (com check-in e check-out; acesso universal ao acervo pela internet; uso de metadados e automação de processos via workflow.The article shows that it is possible to implement a corporate portal using open source software, in an integrated manner with the proprietary MS Windows environment. As it is the real scenario in the vast majority of businesses and organizations today, a portal that meets these specific requirements is highly representative, mainly because MS Windows integration in the client environment (not in the server is not trivial for an open source portal. The paper shows that, by deploying a portal in this context the company considerably moves forward regarding information management. To show this, the article focuses on the key positive aspects arising from the deployment of a intranet / extranet portal in that context, i.e., MS Windows integration; editing with MS Office or other similar

Patient portal readiness among postpartum patients in a safety net setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wieland, Daryl; Gibeau, Anne; Dewey, Caitlin; Roshto, Melanie; Frankel, Hilary

2017-07-05

Maternity patients interact with the healthcare system over an approximately ten-month interval, requiring multiple visits, acquiring pregnancy-specific education, and sharing health information among providers. Many features of a web-based patient portal could help pregnant women manage their interactions with the healthcare system; however, it is unclear whether pregnant women in safety-net settings have the resources, skills or interest required for portal adoption. In this study of postpartum patients in a safety net hospital, we aimed to: (1) determine if patients have the technical resources and skills to access a portal, (2) gain insight into their interest in health information, and (3) identify the perceived utility of portal features and potential barriers to adoption. We developed a structured questionnaire to collect demographics from postpartum patients and measure use of technology and the internet, self-reported literacy, interest in health information, awareness of portal functions, and perceived barriers to use. The questionnaire was administered in person to women in an inpatient setting. Of the 100 participants surveyed, 95% reported routine internet use and 56% used it to search for health information. Most participants had never heard of a patient portal, yet 92% believed that the portal functions were important. The two most appealing functions were to check results and manage appointments. Most participants in this study have the required resources such as a device and familiarity with the internet to access a patient portal including an interest in interacting with a healthcare institution via electronic means. Pregnancy is a critical episode of care where active engagement with the healthcare system can influence outcomes. Healthcare systems and portal developers should consider ways to tailor a portal to address the specific health needs of a maternity population including those in a safety net setting.

Experiments with Cross-Language Information Retrieval on a Health Portal for Psychology and Psychotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrenucci, Andrea

2016-01-01

Few studies have been performed within cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) in the field of psychology and psychotherapy. The aim of this paper is to to analyze and assess the quality of available query translation methods for CLIR on a health portal for psychology. A test base of 100 user queries, 50 Multi Word Units (WUs) and 50 Single WUs, was used. Swedish was the source language and English the target language. Query translation methods based on machine translation (MT) and dictionary look-up were utilized in order to submit query translations to two search engines: Google Site Search and Quick Ask. Standard IR evaluation measures and a qualitative analysis were utilized to assess the results. The lexicon extracted with word alignment of the portal's parallel corpus provided better statistical results among dictionary look-ups. Google Translate provided more linguistically correct translations overall and also delivered better retrieval results in MT.

Radioisotopic flow scanning for portal blood flow and portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesdorffer, C.S.; Bezwoda, W.R.; Danilewitz, M.D.; Esser, J.D.; Tobias, M.

1987-01-01

The use of a simple, noninvasive, isotope scanning technique for the determination of relative portal blood flow and detection of portal hypertension is described. Using this technique the presence of portal hypertension was demonstrated in seven of nine patients known to have elevated portal venous pressure. By contrast, esophageal varices were demonstrated in only five of these patients, illustrating the potential value of the method. Furthermore, this technique has been adapted to the study of portal blood flow in patients with myeloproliferative disorders with splenomegaly but without disturbances in hepatic architecture. Results demonstrate that the high relative splenic flow resulting from the presence of splenomegaly may in turn be associated with elevated relative portal blood flow and portal hypertension. The theoretic reasons for the development of flow-related portal hypertension and its relationship to splenic blood flow are discussed

CT portal venography manifestations of portal collateral circulation in patients with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni Ming; Lv Weifu; Deng Kexue

2009-01-01

Objective: To analyze CT portal venography (CTPV) manifestations of portal collateral circulation in patients with cirrhosis by using a 16-detector row spiral CT scanner. Methods: CTPV was performed in 36 patients with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, the diagnosis was proved by clinical data, hepatic function findings and imaging signs. By using post-processing reconstruction technique, 3D images of portal venous system and portal collateral circulation were obtained. Results: CTPV images displayed the portal venous system and its collateral circulation stereoscopically. Of 36 patients, left gastric varices were seen in 29(80.6%), lower esophageal varices in 18(50.0%), short gastric or posterior gastric varices in 15(41.7%), paraesophageal varices in 9(25.0%), gastro-renal or splenorenal shunts in 8(22.2%), spongelike transformation of portal vein in 7(19.4%), paraumbilical and abdominal wall varices in 6(16.7%), congenital cavernous in 6(16.7%) and paravertebral venous shunts in 4(11.1%). Conclusion: CTPV can well display the site, extent and severity of the portal collateral circulation in patients with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis,which is of great clinical importance for judging the patient's condition, for selecting therapeutic protocols and for estimating prognosis. (authors)

User information seeking behaviour: perceptions and reality. An evaluation of the WHO Labresources Internet portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Madle, Gemma; Berger, Anouk; Cognat, Sebastien; Menna, Sylvio; Kostkova, Patty

2009-01-01

Evaluation on Internet portals is a key component of any online resource development. Understanding user information seeking behaviour and user perceived behaviour is essential to obtain the full picture of user needs, online activities and draw lessons to improve the design of Internet portals to better meet user expectations. This article discusses the evaluation of a WHO Internet portal: the Labresources website. The evaluation investigates user satisfaction with the resource, usability, demographic information about users and how well they could complete specific tasks using the website and compared this with the actual online behaviour revealing a number of discrepancies. An online questionnaire was advertised on the Labresources website during the period 25 November 2005 to 20 February 2006. As the site caters to English and French speakers, the questionnaire was made available in both languages. It consisted of two sections - the first section required the participant to complete three tasks using the website whereas the second section tested user satisfaction, information needs and appropriateness of the content. Weblogs data were compared with the questionnaire results to compare user perceived and actual online behaviour. Twenty one respondents completed the online questionnaire from a total of 18 countries. This was out of a potential 60 website users among whom the questionnaire was promoted. In general, respondents were satisfied with the website layout and navigation. 61.9% of respondents listed WHO among their top 5 and a third listed the Labresources website. The number of sessions where users browse (146) the information resources is almost three times more than the number of users who search (52) the resources. Weblogs revealed most interesting results with differences between what users reported doing when completing tasks and how easy they perceived the tasks and what they actually did. Twelve respondents completed at least one task. Of the

Portal Hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

... Overview of Gallbladder Cancer Additional Content Medical News Portal Hypertension By Steven K. Herrine, MD, Professor of Medicine, ... Liver Hepatic Encephalopathy Jaundice in Adults Liver Failure Portal Hypertension Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in ...

Quantitative vs. subjective portal verification using digital portal images.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissett, R; Leszczynski, K; Loose, S; Boyko, S; Dunscombe, P

1996-01-15

Off-line, computer-aided prescription (simulator) and treatment (portal) image registration using chamfer matching has been implemented on PC based viewing station. The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate the performance of interactive anatomy and field edge extraction and subsequent registration, and (b) to compare observer's perceptions of field accuracy with measured discrepancies following anatomical registration. Prescription-treatment image pairs for 48 different patients were examined in this study. Digital prescription images were produced with the aid of a television camera and a digital frame grabber, while the treatment images were obtained directly from an on-line portal imaging system. To facilitate perception of low contrast anatomical detail, on-line portal images were enhanced with selective adaptive histogram equalization prior to extraction of anatomical edges. Following interactive extraction of anatomical and field border information by an experienced observer, the identified anatomy was registered using chamfer matching. The degree of conformity between the prescription and treatment fields was quantified using several parameters, which included relative prescription field coverage and overcoverage, as well as the translational and rotational displacements as measured by chamfer matching applied to the boundaries of the two fields. These quantitative measures were compared with subjective evaluations made by four radiation oncologists. All the images in this series that included a range of the most commonly seen treatment sites were registered and the conformity parameters were found. The mean treatment/prescription field coverage and overcoverage were approximately 95 and 7%, respectively before registration. The mean translational displacement in the transverse and cranio-caudal directions were 2.9 and 3.4 mm, respectively. The mean rotational displacement was approximately 2 degrees. For all four oncologists, the portals classified

MyWelch: building an information portal system in a medical library environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dongming; Zambrowicz, Caroline; Zhou, Hong; Roderer, Nancy

2003-01-01

MyWelch is a medical library portal system that users can use to create customized web sites that reflect their research needs and personal interests. In the MyWelch environment, faculty and students are empowered to take a greater role in identifying their needs and determining their requirements in the electronic environment. The portal system also facilitates interaction among library users and staff.

Using Patient Portals to Increase Engagement in Patients with Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Elizabeth S

2018-04-03

To review patient portals which serve as a tool for patient engagement by increasing access to electronic health care information and expanding ways to communicate with health care providers. Reviews of the literature and first-hand experience. Meaningful Use requirements propelled the design and development of patient portals in recent years. Patient engagement in oncology can improve quality of life and outcomes. Oncology nurses facilitate patient adoption of patient portals and support usage. Patient education helps manage communication expectations and understanding of online medical information. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MR image-guided portal verification for brain treatment field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, F.-F.; Gao, Q.H.; Xie, H.; Nelson, D.F.; Yu, Y.; Kwok, W.E.; Totterman, S.; Schell, M.C.; Rubin, P.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: Although MR images have been extensively used for the treatment planning of radiation therapy of cancers, especially for brain cancers, they are not effectively used for the portal verification due to lack of bone/air information in MR images and geometric distortions. Typically, MR images are utilized through correlation with CT images, and this procedure is usually very labor and time consuming. For many brain cancer patients to be treated using conventional external beam radiation, MR images with proper distortion correction provide sufficient information for treatment planning and dose calculation, and a projection images may be generated for each specific treatment port and to be used as a reference image for treatment verification. The question is how to transfer anatomical features in MR images to the projection image as landmarks which could be correlated automatically to those in the portal image. The goal of this study is to generate digitally reconstructed projection images from MR brain images with some important anatomical features (brain contour, skull and gross tumor) as well as their relative locations to be used as references for the development of computerized portal verification scheme. Materials/Methods: Compared to conventional digital reconstructed radiograph from CT images, generation of digitally reconstructed projection images from MR images is heavily involved with pixel manipulation of MR images to correlate information from two types of images (MR, portal x-ray images) which are produced based on totally different imaging principles. Initially a wavelet based multi-resolution adaptive thresholding method is used to segment the skull slice-by-slice in MR brain axial images, and identified skull pixels are re-assigned to relatively higher intensities so that projection images will have comparable grey-level information as that in typical brain portal images. Both T1- and T2-weighted images are utilized to eliminate fat

Idiopathic portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Tae Kyun; Ryu, Dae Sik; Kim, Heung Chul; Hur, Hun; Eom, Kyeung Tae; Namkung, Sook; Park, Man Soo; Hwang, Woo Chul; Lee, Kwan Seop

1996-01-01

To describe the radiologic findings of idiopathic portal hypertension and to find the points of differentiation between idiopathic portal hypertension and liver cirrhosis. Four portograms in five patients who for four years had suffered from pathologically confirmed idiopathic portal hypertension were retrospectively analyzed and compared with a portogram obtained from a control subject with liver cirrhosis. Portographic finding s of idiopathic portal hypertension were paucity of medium-sized portal branches, irregular and obtuse-angled division of peripheral branches, abrupt interruption and an avascular area beneath the liver margin. A portogram of idiopathic portal hypertension may be useful in differentiation this and liver cirrhosis

Patient portals and broadband internet inequality.

Science.gov (United States)

Perzynski, Adam T; Roach, Mary Joan; Shick, Sarah; Callahan, Bill; Gunzler, Douglas; Cebul, Randall; Kaelber, David C; Huml, Anne; Thornton, John Daryl; Einstadter, Douglas

2017-09-01

Patient portals have shown potential for increasing health care quality and efficiency. Internet access and other factors influencing patient portal use could worsen health disparities. Observational study of adults with 1 or more visits to the outpatient clinics of an urban public health care system from 2012 to 2015. We used mixed effects logistic regression to evaluate the association between broadband internet access and (1) patient portal initiation (whether a patient logged in at least 1 time) and (2) messaging, controlling for demographic and neighborhood characteristics. There were 243 248 adults with 1 or more visits during 2012-2015 and 70 835 (29.1%) initiated portal use. Portal initiation was 34.1% for whites, 23.4% for blacks, and 23.8% for Hispanics, and was lower for Medicaid (26.5%), Medicare (23.4%), and uninsured patients (17.4%) than commercially insured patients (39.3%). In multivariate analysis, both initiation of portal use (odds ratio [OR] = 1.24 per quintile, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.24, P  internet access. The majority of adults with outpatient visits to a large urban health care system did not use the patient portal, and initiation of use was lower for racial and ethnic minorities, persons of lower socioeconomic status, and those without neighborhood broadband internet access. These results suggest the emergence of a digital divide in patient portal use. Given the scale of investment in patient portals and other internet-dependent health information technologies, efforts are urgently needed to address this growing inequality. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Ozone (Environmental Health Student Portal)

Science.gov (United States)

Skip Navigation National Library of Medicine Environmental Health Student Portal Connecting Middle School Students to Environmental Health Information Menu Home Air Pollution Air Pollution Home Indoor Air Pollution Outdoor ...

Pesticides (Environmental Health Student Portal)

Science.gov (United States)

Skip Navigation National Library of Medicine Environmental Health Student Portal Connecting Middle School Students to Environmental Health Information Menu Home Air Pollution Air Pollution Home Indoor Air Pollution Outdoor ...

Clinical microbiology informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoads, Daniel D; Sintchenko, Vitali; Rauch, Carol A; Pantanowitz, Liron

2014-10-01

The clinical microbiology laboratory has responsibilities ranging from characterizing the causative agent in a patient's infection to helping detect global disease outbreaks. All of these processes are increasingly becoming partnered more intimately with informatics. Effective application of informatics tools can increase the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of microbiology testing while decreasing the laboratory workload, which can lead to optimized laboratory workflow and decreased costs. Informatics is poised to be increasingly relevant in clinical microbiology, with the advent of total laboratory automation, complex instrument interfaces, electronic health records, clinical decision support tools, and the clinical implementation of microbial genome sequencing. This review discusses the diverse informatics aspects that are relevant to the clinical microbiology laboratory, including the following: the microbiology laboratory information system, decision support tools, expert systems, instrument interfaces, total laboratory automation, telemicrobiology, automated image analysis, nucleic acid sequence databases, electronic reporting of infectious agents to public health agencies, and disease outbreak surveillance. The breadth and utility of informatics tools used in clinical microbiology have made them indispensable to contemporary clinical and laboratory practice. Continued advances in technology and development of these informatics tools will further improve patient and public health care in the future. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Electronic portal imaging devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lief, Eugene

2008-01-01

The topics discussed include, among others, the following: Role of portal imaging; Port films vs. EPID; Image guidance: Elekta volume view; Delivery verification; Automation tasks of portal imaging; Types of portal imaging (Fluorescent screen, mirror, and CCD camera-based imaging; Liquid ion chamber imaging; Amorpho-silicon portal imagers; Fluoroscopic portal imaging; Kodak CR reader; and Other types of portal imaging devices); QA of EPID; and Portal dosimetry (P.A.)

Knowledge Portal Support to the Naval Postgraduate School's Advanced Distributed Learning Program for the Information Systems and Operations Curriculum

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Walker, Allisa

2000-01-01

.... The goal of this research is to show how developing a knowledge portal for use with the Information Systems and Operations curriculum knowledge base could expand the use of tacit and explicit knowledge by the operators...

Measuring Campus Portal Effectiveness and the Contributing Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Masrek, Mohamad Noorman bin

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness or success of universities' portal implementation from the perspective of students as users. Adopting the model developed by Delone and McLean, portal effectiveness is defined as being composed of information quality, systems quality and service quality. In addition, the paper also…

29 CFR 785.24 - Principles noted in Portal-to-Portal Bulletin.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Principles noted in Portal-to-Portal Bulletin. 785.24 Section 785.24 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... of Principles Preparatory and Concluding Activities § 785.24 Principles noted in Portal-to-Portal...

Improving diabetes management with a patient portal: a qualitative study of diabetes self-management portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Urowitz, Sara; Wiljer, David; Dupak, Kourtney; Kuehner, Zachary; Leonard, Kevin; Lovrics, Emily; Picton, Peter; Seto, Emily; Cafazzo, Joe

2012-11-30

Effective management and care of diabetes is crucial to reducing associated risks such as heart disease and kidney failure. With increasing access and use of the Internet, online chronic disease management is being explored as a means of providing patients with support and the necessary tools to monitor and manage their disease. The objective of our study was to evaluate the experience of patients and providers using an online diabetes management portal for patients. Participants were recruited from a large sample population of 887 for a follow-up questionnaire to be completed after 6 months of using the patient portal. Participants were presented with the option to participate in an additional interview and, if the participant agreed, a time and date was scheduled for the interview. A 5-item, open-ended questionnaire was used to capture providers' opinions of the patient portal. Providers included general practitioners (GPs), nurses, nurse practitioners (NPs), dieticians, diabetes educators (DECs), and other clinical staff. A total of 854 patients were consented for the questionnaire. Seventeen (8 male, 9 female) patients agreed to participate in a telephone interview. Sixty-four health care providers completed the five open-ended questions; however, an average of 48.2 responses were recorded per question. Four major themes were identified and will be discussed in this paper. These themes have been classified as: facilitators of disease management, barriers to portal use, patient-provider communication and relationship, and recommendations for portal improvements. This qualitative study shows that online chronic disease management portals increase patient access to information and engagement in their health care, but improvements in the portal itself may improve usability and reduce attrition. Furthermore, this study identifies a grey area that exists in the roles that GPs and AHPs should play in the facilitation of online disease management.

PolarPortal.org Communicates Real-Time Developments in the Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Langen, P. L.; Andersen, S. B.; Andersen, K. K.; Andersen, M. L.; Ahlstrom, A. P.; van As, D.; Barletta, V. R.; Box, J. E.; Citterio, M.; Colgan, W. T.; Dybkjær, G.; Forsberg, R.; Høyer, J. L.; Jensen, M. B.; Kliem, N.; Mottram, R.; Nielsen, K. P.; Olesen, M.; Quaglia, F. C.; Rasmussen, T. A.; Rodehacke, C. B.; Stendel, M.; Sandberg Sørensen, L.; Tonboe, R. T.

2014-12-01

PolarPortal.org was launched in June 2013 by a consortium of Danish institutions, including the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the National Space Institute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU-Space). Polar Portal is a single web portal presenting a wide range of near real-time information on both the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic sea-ice in a format geared for non-specialists. Polar Portal aims to meet widespread public interest in a diverse range of climate-cryosphere processes in the Arctic: What is the present Greenland ice sheet contribution to sea level rise? How quickly are outlet glaciers retreating or advancing right now? How extensive is Arctic sea-ice or how warm is the Arctic Ocean at this moment? Although public interest in such topics is widely acknowledged, an important primary task for the scientists behind Polar Portal was collaborating with media specialists to establish the knowledge range of the general public on these topics, in order for Polar Portal to appropriately present useful climate-cryosphere information. Consequently, Polar Portal is designed in a highly visual exploratory format, where individual data products are accompanied by plain written summaries, with hyperlinks to relevant journal papers for more scrutinizing users. Numerous satellite and in situ observations, together with model output, are channeled daily into the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic sea-ice divisions of Polar Portal.

On line portal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munro, Peter

1997-01-01

difficulties, many image registration techniques such as interactive techniques, landmark-based techniques, contrast-based techniques, and hybrid techniques have been developed to detect errors in patient positioning. The advantages and disadvantages of these various techniques will be discussed. Clinical use of portal imaging systems has included the use of static localisation and verification images, the use of 'movie' sequences (sequences of images acquired during one irradiation) and the use of 'time-lapse' sequences of images acquired during consecutive treatments, which demonstrate the variability in patient set-up over a full course of therapy. Possibly the most contentious issue is how to best make use of the information provided the portal images. Philosophies have ranged between intervening in every treatment, to intervening only occasionally, or to identifying patients who would benefit from smaller treatment margins and modifying the treatment plan part way through the course of treatment. The different approaches and the technological developments needed for some of the approaches will be discussed. CONCLUSIONS: While great improvements in portal imaging technology have been made, in the future more effort will be directed towards improving image quality, and integrating and automating the various steps in the image registration process. Most effort needs to be aimed at reducing the time required to measure the geometric discrepancies in the portal images and to intervene in the treatment. Only when portal imaging can be used for immediate feedback about patient positioning can it make a difference in the accuracy of radiation treatments

An Invitation to Collaborate: The SPIRIT Open Source Health Care Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, Brian; Molin, Joseph Dal

2001-01-01

The SPIRIT portal is a web site resulting from a joint project of the European Commission 5th Framework Research Programme for Information Society Technologies, Minoru Development (France), Conecta srl (Italy), and Sistema Information Systems (Italy). The portal indexes and disseminates free software, serves as a meeting point for health care informatics researchers, and provides collaboration services to health care innovators. This poster session describes the services of the portal and invites researchers to join a worldwide collaborative community developing evidence based health care solutions.

Quantitative vs. subjective portal verification using digital portal images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bissett, Randy; Leszczynski, Konrad; Loose, Stephen; Boyko, Susan; Dunscombe, Peter

1996-01-01

Purpose: Off-line, computer-aided prescription (simulator) and treatment (portal) image registration using chamfer matching has been implemented on PC based viewing station. The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate the performance of interactive anatomy and field edge extraction and subsequent registration, and (b) to compare observer's perceptions of field accuracy with measured discrepancies following anatomical registration. Methods and Materials: Prescription-treatment image pairs for 48 different patients were examined in this study. Digital prescription images were produced with the aid of a television camera and a digital frame grabber, while the treatment images were obtained directly from an on-line portal imaging system. To facilitate perception of low contrast anatomical detail, on-line portal images were enhanced with selective adaptive histogram equalization prior to extraction of anatomical edges. Following interactive extraction of anatomical and field border information by an experienced observer, the identified anatomy was registered using chamber matching. The degree of conformity between the prescription and treatment fields was quantified using several parameters, which included relative prescription field coverage and overcoverage, as well as the translational and rotational displacements as measured by chamfer matching applied to the boundaries of the two fields. These quantitative measures were compared with subjective evaluations made by four radiation oncologists. Results: All the images in this series that included a range of the most commonly seen treatment sites were registered and the conformity parameters were found. The mean treatment/prescription field coverage and overcoverage were approximately 95 and 7%, respectively before registration. The mean translational displacement in the transverse and cranio-caudal directions were 2.9 and 3.4 mm, respectively. The mean rotational displacement was approximately 2 deg. . For all

NASA Sea Level Change Portal - It not just another portal site

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, T.; Quach, N.; Abercrombie, S. P.; Boening, C.; Brennan, H. P.; Gill, K. M.; Greguska, F. R., III; Jackson, R.; Larour, E. Y.; Shaftel, H.; Tenenbaum, L. F.; Zlotnicki, V.; Moore, B.; Moore, J.; Boeck, A.

2017-12-01

The NASA Sea Level Change Portal (https://sealevel.nasa.gov) is designed as a "one-stop" source for current sea level change information, including interactive tools for accessing and viewing regional data, a virtual dashboard of sea level indicators, and ongoing updates through a suite of editorial products that include content articles, graphics, videos, and animations. With increasing global temperatures warming the ocean and melting ice sheets and glaciers, there is an immediate need both for accelerating sea level change research and for making this research accessible to scientists in disparate discipline, to the general public, to policy makers and business. The immersive and innovative NASA portal debuted at the 2015 AGU attracts thousands of daily visitors and over 30K followers on Facebook®. Behind its intuitive interface is an extensible architecture that integrates site contents, data for various sources, visualization, horizontal-scale geospatial data analytic technology (called NEXUS), and an interactive 3D simulation platform (called the Virtual Earth System Laboratory). We will present an overview of our NASA portal and some of our architectural decisions along with discussion on our open-source, cloud-based data analytic technology that enables on-the-fly analysis of heterogeneous data.

Portal hypertensiv gastropati

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinch, K; Møller, S; Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl

1995-01-01

Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) as defined by congestive changes in the gastric mucosa owing to increased portal pressure, was first described about ten years ago. Whereas definition and grading of severity are still under debate, there is general agreement that PHG is a new clinical entity....... PHG is present in 50-80% of patients with liver cirrhosis. PHG is a major cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension (25-90% depending on severity). Presence of portal hypertension is a prerequisite for the development of PHG, and reduction of portal pressure...

On line portal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munro, Peter

1996-01-01

is finding a common frame of reference for the simulator and portal images, since the location of the radiation field within the pixel matrix may differ for the two images. This problem is compounded by the fact that the commercially available EPIDs have mechanical slop and do not deploy to exactly the same position repeatedly. As a result, a common frame of reference has to be established before the anatomic structures in the images can be registered - generally by registering radiation field edges identified in the simulator and portal images. In addition, distortions in patient geometry or rotations out of the image plane can confound the image registration techniques. Despite the difficulties, many image registration techniques such as interactive techniques, landmark-based techniques, contrast-based techniques, and hybrid techniques have been developed to detect errors in patient positioning. The advantages and disadvantages of these various techniques will be discussed. Clinical use of portal imaging systems has included the use of static localisation and verification images, the use of 'movie' sequences (sequences of images acquired during one irradiation) and the use of 'time-lapse' sequences of images acquired during consecutive treatments, which demonstrate the variability in patient set-up over a full course of therapy. Possibly the most contentious issue is how to best make use of the information provided the portal images. Philosophies have ranged between intervening in every treatment, to intervening only occasionally, or to identifying patients who would benefit from smaller treatment margins and modifying the treatment plan part way through the course of treatment. Conclusions: While great improvements in portal imaging technology have been made, in the future more effort will to be directed towards improving image quality, and integrating and automating the various steps in the image registration process. In addition, other uses for portal imaging

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Services Portal: A New Centralized Resource for Distributed Climate Information

Science.gov (United States)

Burroughs, J.; Baldwin, R.; Herring, D.; Lott, N.; Boyd, J.; Handel, S.; Niepold, F.; Shea, E.

2010-09-01

With the rapid rise in the development of Web technologies and climate services across NOAA, there has been an increasing need for greater collaboration regarding NOAA's online climate services. The drivers include the need to enhance NOAA's Web presence in response to customer requirements, emerging needs for improved decision-making capabilities across all sectors of society facing impacts from climate variability and change, and the importance of leveraging climate data and services to support research and public education. To address these needs, NOAA (during fiscal year 2009) embarked upon an ambitious program to develop a NOAA Climate Services Portal (NCS Portal). Four NOAA offices are leading the effort: 1) the NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO), 2) the National Ocean Service's Coastal Services Center (CSC), 3) the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), and 4) the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service's (NESDIS) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Other offices and programs are also contributing in many ways to the effort. A prototype NCS Portal is being placed online for public access in January 2010, http://www.climate.gov. This website only scratches the surface of the many climate services across NOAA, but this effort, via direct user engagement, will gradually expand the scope and breadth of the NCS Portal to greatly enhance the accessibility and usefulness of NOAA's climate data and services.

Web portal on environmental sciences "ATMOS''

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. P. Gordov

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The developed under INTAS grant web portal ATMOS (http://atmos.iao.ru and http://atmos.scert.ru makes available to the international research community, environmental managers, and the interested public, a bilingual information source for the domain of Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry, and the related application domain of air quality assessment and management. It offers access to integrated thematic information, experimental data, analytical tools and models, case studies, and related information and educational resources compiled, structured, and edited by the partners into a coherent and consistent thematic information resource. While offering the usual components of a thematic site such as link collections, user group registration, discussion forum, news section etc., the site is distinguished by its scientific information services and tools: on-line models and analytical tools, and data collections and case studies together with tutorial material. The portal is organized as a set of interrelated scientific sites, which addressed basic branches of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Modeling as well as the applied domains of Air Quality Assessment and Management, Modeling, and Environmental Impact Assessment. Each scientific site is open for external access information-computational system realized by means of Internet technologies. The main basic science topics are devoted to Atmospheric Chemistry, Atmospheric Spectroscopy and Radiation, Atmospheric Aerosols, Atmospheric Dynamics and Atmospheric Models, including climate models. The portal ATMOS reflects current tendency of Environmental Sciences transformation into exact (quantitative sciences and is quite effective example of modern Information Technologies and Environmental Sciences integration. It makes the portal both an auxiliary instrument to support interdisciplinary projects of regional environment and extensive educational resource in this important domain.

Ultrasound and Doppler examination capabilities in adult portal hypertension type definition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Tumanskaya

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Early portal hypertension type diagnostics is an ultimate factor concerning kind and tactics of treatment. Aim. To objectify ultrasound examination capabilities, portal hemodynamics were studied in 97 patients using impulse and color doppler. Methods and results. It was ascertained that impulse and color doppler examination allows to visualize portal vein and its branches’ structural abnormalities, define subhepatic and intrahepatic types of portal hypertension, find thrombosis and characterize its stages. In cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension, homogenous doppler signal was received from the portal vessels lumen, while signs of intraluminar pathology were seen in the case of thrombosis of portal vein. Conclusion. This means that ultrasound examination of portal vein and its branches with impulse and color doppler is informative, non invasive method, which helps to define stages of portal hypertension. Doppler ultrasonography doesn’t have negative effect of ionizing radiation and can be used for the repeated research in the dynamics of disease.

Rare Disease Video Portal

OpenAIRE

Sánchez Bocanegra, Carlos Luis

2011-01-01

Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) is a portal web where contains videos from Youtube including all details from 12 channels of Youtube. Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) es un portal web que contiene los vídeos de Youtube incluyendo todos los detalles de 12 canales de Youtube. Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) és un portal web que conté els vídeos de Youtube i que inclou tots els detalls de 12 Canals de Youtube.

On ANENT WEB portal: A quick view from Hanoi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phung Van Duan

2005-01-01

To set up a WEB-portal is one of the contents of an important activity of the Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT). The web portal is directly connected with the other activities of ANENT. The first version of the web portal was prepared in time. It reflects the activities of ANENT as well as the important events and activities of IAEA. The NET DB can already serve as an official source for starting and developing many ANENT activities. Nevertheless, the compilation would be more valuable if it is enriched with additional information on material for Nuclear Technology Education, on activities of the ANENT member-institutions in field of Nuclear Education and so on. It would be desirable to intensify linkage for the purpose of effective exploration of the available information of the ANENT member-institutions as well as exploration of the other related web sites such as the one of ENEN and so on. To upgrade the web-portal and to diversify it might be one of the essential tasks for development of the web-portal. Developing the web-portal might simultaneously mean equipping it with the reference curricula and appropriate contents of the necessary courses for all forms of learning in nuclear fields which are commonly acceptable in ANENT. So, for development of the web-portal for ANENT, it would be also necessary to accelerate implementation of the other ANENT Activities, especially Activity 4 establishment of reference curricula and facilitating credit transfer and mutual recognition of degrees

The cumulative verification image analysis tool for offline evaluation of portal images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, John; Yan Di; Michalski, Jeff; Graham, Mary; Halverson, Karen; Harms, William; Purdy, James

1995-01-01

Purpose: Daily portal images acquired using electronic portal imaging devices contain important information about the setup variation of the individual patient. The data can be used to evaluate the treatment and to derive correction for the individual patient. The large volume of images also require software tools for efficient analysis. This article describes the approach of cumulative verification image analysis (CVIA) specifically designed as an offline tool to extract quantitative information from daily portal images. Methods and Materials: The user interface, image and graphics display, and algorithms of the CVIA tool have been implemented in ANSCI C using the X Window graphics standards. The tool consists of three major components: (a) definition of treatment geometry and anatomical information; (b) registration of portal images with a reference image to determine setup variation; and (c) quantitative analysis of all setup variation measurements. The CVIA tool is not automated. User interaction is required and preferred. Successful alignment of anatomies on portal images at present remains mostly dependent on clinical judgment. Predefined templates of block shapes and anatomies are used for image registration to enhance efficiency, taking advantage of the fact that much of the tool's operation is repeated in the analysis of daily portal images. Results: The CVIA tool is portable and has been implemented on workstations with different operating systems. Analysis of 20 sequential daily portal images can be completed in less than 1 h. The temporal information is used to characterize setup variation in terms of its systematic, random and time-dependent components. The cumulative information is used to derive block overlap isofrequency distributions (BOIDs), which quantify the effective coverage of the prescribed treatment area throughout the course of treatment. Finally, a set of software utilities is available to facilitate feedback of the information for

ERNIE performance with TSA portals Initial Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labov, S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2018-01-05

This project extends the “Enhanced Radiological Nuclear Inspection and Evaluation” (ERNIE) system developed with CBP and DNDO to improve performance of PVT-based Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs). ERNIE was designed to be used with any RPM system. The first implementation was with the SAIC (Leidos) RPM-8 systems. In this project, we are demonstrating how effective the ERNIE approach can be when applied to the VM250 TSA portals used in NSDD programs. Part of the challenge in adapting ERNIE to handle VM250 portals is the lack of gamma spectral information. We report here on the first results showing how the ERNIE analysis can improve analysis of measurements with the VM250 RPMs.

Treatment of portal hypertension caused by benign main portal vein stenosis with endovascular stent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Mingsheng; Shan Hong; Jiang Zaibo; Guan Shouhai; Zhu Kangshun; Li Zhengran; Zhou Yubin; He Bingjun

2004-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the value of endovascular stent in the treatment of portal hypertension caused by benign main portal vein stenosis. Methods: Portal vein stents were implanted in 6 patients with benign main portal vein stenosis (inflammatory stenosis in 3 cases, postprocedure of liver transplantation in another 3 cases). The change of portal vein pressure, the patency of portal vein, relative clinical symptoms, complications, and survival were evaluated. Results: Six metallic stents were successfully placed across the portal vein stenotic or obstructive lesions in all 6 patients. Mean portal venous pressure decreased significantly after stent implantation from (37.3 ± 4.7) cm H 2 O (1 cm H 2 O=0.098 kPa) to (18.0 ± 1.9) cm H 2 O (P<0.001). The portal blood flow was restored, and the symptoms caused by portal hypertension were eliminated. There was no severe procedure-related complication. Follow-up time was from 5 to 36 months. The portal vein remained patent during the follow-up. All patients survived except one patient who died of other complications of liver transplantation. Conclusion: Percutaneous portal vein stent placement for the treatment of the benign main portal vein stenosis is safe and effective. (authors)

Examining the Role of Anxiety and Apathy in Health Consumers' Intentions to Use Patient Health Portals for Personal Health Information Management

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Carlos A.

2011-01-01

This study investigated college students' attitudes toward and intentions to use personal health portals (PHPs) for managing their personal health information using a survey method. The study also aimed to examine the roles electronic Personal Health Information Management (PHIM) anxiety and apathy play in influencing students' attitudes toward…

The ADRICOSM STAR GeoPortal

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgetti, Alessandra; Cesarini, Claudia; Gambetta, Marco; Reseghetti, Franco; Vinci, Matteo

2010-05-01

From Stockholm (1972) to Rio de Janeiro (1992) and to Johannesburg (2002), environmental protection objectives are related to the principles of sustainable development. This includes the following important components: participation, information, communication, training (capacity building) and education. Better information ensure more participation from individuals, and allows citizens to take part in many different actions that can influence the policy process. Participation to political decisions need access to reliable and quality controlled information. The ADRICOSM Portal was developed in order to manage data diversity, provide access to any kind of product, provide metadata completeness and accuracy. The product, as defined in ADRICOSM, is anything that can be offered to a client and that might satisfy a want or need. This implied the implementation of services that was taking into consideration the diversity of the objects to be provided to users: observations, model outputs, maps, etc. The implementation of the portal was based on two metadata levels: 1. Directory level - consisting of broad descriptions of the contents of data sets; used to locate data sets of potential interest and 2. Data level - consisting of the actual data objects. The portal was developed as a simplified front end for the partners data management systems, giving emphasis on federated access points focused on thematic aspects. This was based on the idea that specialized customer-related access points can be better carried out by delegated teams of experts who know the needs of different customers, define the user software which is most suited to them. The data management systems provide facilities for two data tracks, one in real-time (or near-realtime) and one in delayed mode. Both tracks are based on the same data sources and transmission systems, but the data follow different routes and are processed differently depending on user requirements. The real-time data and model products

Noncirrhotic portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Da, Ben L; Koh, Christopher; Heller, Theo

2018-05-01

Noncirrhotic portal hypertension represents a heterogeneous group of liver disorders that is characterized by portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis. The purpose of this review is to serve as a guide on how to approach a patient with noncirrhotic portal hypertension with a focus on recent developments. Recent studies pertaining to noncirrhotic portal hypertension have investigated aetiological causes, mechanisms of disease, noninvasive diagnostic modalities, clinical characteristics in the paediatric population and novel treatment targets. Noncirrhotic portal hypertension is an underappreciated clinical entity that can be difficult to diagnosis without a healthy suspicion. Diagnosis then relies on a comprehensive understanding of the causes and clinical manifestations of this disease, as well as a careful interpretation of the liver biopsy. Noninvasive approaches to diagnosis may play a significant role moving forward in this disease. Treatment in NCPH remains largely targeted at the individual sequalae of portal hypertension.

Design and implementation of an architectural framework for web portals in a ubiquitous pervasive environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Muhammad Taqi; Yoo, Seung-Wha; Kim, Ki-Hyung; Joo, Seong-Soon; Jeong, Wun-Cheol

2009-01-01

Web Portals function as a single point of access to information on the World Wide Web (WWW). The web portal always contacts the portal's gateway for the information flow that causes network traffic over the Internet. Moreover, it provides real time/dynamic access to the stored information, but not access to the real time information. This inherent functionality of web portals limits their role for resource constrained digital devices in the Ubiquitous era (U-era). This paper presents a framework for the web portal in the U-era. We have introduced the concept of Local Regions in the proposed framework, so that the local queries could be solved locally rather than having to route them over the Internet. Moreover, our framework enables one-to-one device communication for real time information flow. To provide an in-depth analysis, firstly, we provide an analytical model for query processing at the servers for our framework-oriented web portal. At the end, we have deployed a testbed, as one of the world's largest IP based wireless sensor networks testbed, and real time measurements are observed that prove the efficacy and workability of the proposed framework.

Designing the Search Service for Enterprise Portal based on Oracle Universal Content Management

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, K. S.; Kuznetsov, D. Y.; Pominov, A. D.

2017-01-01

Enterprise Portal is an important part of an organization in informative and innovative space. The portal provides collaboration between employees and the organization. This article gives a valuable background of Enterprise Portal and technologies. The paper presents Oracle WebCenter Portal and UCM Server integration in detail. The focus is on tools for Enterprise Portal and on Search Service in particular. The paper also presents several UML diagrams to describe the use of cases for Search Service and main components of this application.

Next Gen One Portal Usability Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, E. V., III; Perera, J. S.; Hanson, A. M.; English, K.; Vu, L.; Amonette, W.

2018-01-01

Each exercise device on the International Space Station (ISS) has a unique, customized software system interface with unique layouts / hierarchy, and operational principles that require significant crew training. Furthermore, the software programs are not adaptable and provide no real-time feedback or motivation to enhance the exercise experience and/or prevent injuries. Additionally, the graphical user interfaces (GUI) of these systems present information through multiple layers resulting in difficulty navigating to the desired screens and functions. These limitations of current exercise device GUI's lead to increased crew time spent on initiating, loading, performing exercises, logging data and exiting the system. To address these limitations a Next Generation One Portal (NextGen One Portal) Crew Countermeasure System (CMS) was developed, which utilizes the latest industry guidelines in GUI designs to provide an intuitive ease of use approach (i.e., 80% of the functionality gained within 5-10 minutes of initial use without/limited formal training required). This is accomplished by providing a consistent interface using common software to reduce crew training, increase efficiency & user satisfaction while also reducing development & maintenance costs. Results from the usability evaluations showed the NextGen One Portal UI having greater efficiency, learnability, memorability, usability and overall user experience than the current Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) UI used by astronauts on ISS. Specifically, the design of the One-Portal UI as an app interface similar to those found on the Apple and Google's App Store, assisted many of the participants in grasping the concepts of the interface with minimum training. Although the NextGen One-Portal UI was shown to be an overall better interface, observations by the test facilitators noted specific exercise tasks appeared to have a significant impact on the NextGen One-Portal UI efficiency. Future updates to

Designing User-Centric Patient Portals: Clinician and Patients' Uses and Gratifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Alpert, Jordan M; Krist, Alex H; Aycock, Rebecca A; Kreps, Gary L

2017-03-01

Legislation mandates that clinicians make patients' medical information available digitally. This has resulted in hurriedly installing patient portals that do not fully meet the needs of patients or clinicians. This study examined a specific portal, MyPreventiveCare (MPC), a patient-centered portal designed to promote preventive care to consumers, to elicit recommendations from patients and clinicians about how it could be more beneficial by uncovering their uses and gratifications (U&G). In-depth interviews with 31 patients and two clinician focus groups were conducted. Multiple methods were utilized, such as grounded theory coding to develop themes and content analysis to classify responses according to the U&G framework. Four main categories emerged that users desire to be included in health portals: integration with technology (27%), coordination of care (27%), incorporation of lifestyle (26%), and increased control (20%). Additional analysis revealed that health portals are mainly utilized to fulfill cognitive and affective needs, with over 80% of recommendations related to the U&G categories of cognitive and affective needs. Cognitive (60%), affective (21%), social integrative (10%), personal integrative (9%), and tension release (0%). Portals will continue to evolve and become important health communication tools if they address the user's perspective and are inclusive of new technological advances. Specifically, portals must become more user centric and incorporate aspects of the patients' lifestyle and integrate health information technology.

IMPACT web portal: oncology database integrating molecular profiles with actionable therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hintzsche, Jennifer D; Yoo, Minjae; Kim, Jihye; Amato, Carol M; Robinson, William A; Tan, Aik Choon

2018-04-20

With the advancement of next generation sequencing technology, researchers are now able to identify important variants and structural changes in DNA and RNA in cancer patient samples. With this information, we can now correlate specific variants and/or structural changes with actionable therapeutics known to inhibit these variants. We introduce the creation of the IMPACT Web Portal, a new online resource that connects molecular profiles of tumors to approved drugs, investigational therapeutics and pharmacogenetics associated drugs. IMPACT Web Portal contains a total of 776 drugs connected to 1326 target genes and 435 target variants, fusion, and copy number alterations. The online IMPACT Web Portal allows users to search for various genetic alterations and connects them to three levels of actionable therapeutics. The results are categorized into 3 levels: Level 1 contains approved drugs separated into two groups; Level 1A contains approved drugs with variant specific information while Level 1B contains approved drugs with gene level information. Level 2 contains drugs currently in oncology clinical trials. Level 3 provides pharmacogenetic associations between approved drugs and genes. IMPACT Web Portal allows for sequencing data to be linked to actionable therapeutics for translational and drug repurposing research. The IMPACT Web Portal online resource allows users to query genes and variants to approved and investigational drugs. We envision that this resource will be a valuable database for personalized medicine and drug repurposing. IMPACT Web Portal is freely available for non-commercial use at http://tanlab.ucdenver.edu/IMPACT .

A Web portal for CMS Grid job submission and management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, David [Department of Physics, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Neumeister, Norbert, E-mail: neumeist@purdue.ed [Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)

2010-04-01

We present a Web portal for CMS Grid submission and management. The portal is built using a JBoss application server. It has a three tier architecture; presentation, business logic and data. Bean based business logic interacts with the underlying Grid infrastructure and pre-existing external applications, while the presentation layer uses AJAX to offer an intuitive, functional interface to the back-end. Application data aggregating information from the portal as well as the external applications is persisted to the server memory cache and then to a backend database. We describe how the portal exploits standard, off-the-shelf commodity software together with existing Grid infrastructures in order to facilitate job submission and monitoring for the CMS collaboration. This paper describes the design, development, current functionality and plans for future enhancements of the portal.

A Web portal for CMS Grid job submission and management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, David; Neumeister, Norbert

2010-01-01

We present a Web portal for CMS Grid submission and management. The portal is built using a JBoss application server. It has a three tier architecture; presentation, business logic and data. Bean based business logic interacts with the underlying Grid infrastructure and pre-existing external applications, while the presentation layer uses AJAX to offer an intuitive, functional interface to the back-end. Application data aggregating information from the portal as well as the external applications is persisted to the server memory cache and then to a backend database. We describe how the portal exploits standard, off-the-shelf commodity software together with existing Grid infrastructures in order to facilitate job submission and monitoring for the CMS collaboration. This paper describes the design, development, current functionality and plans for future enhancements of the portal.

The feasible study of vasodilators in portal vein targeting infusion for treating portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Hanping; Liang Huiming; Zheng Chuansheng; Feng Gansheng

2002-01-01

Objective: To find out the ideal portal vein tar getting injection routes for portal hypertension treatment. Methods: 28 cirrhotic rat models with portal hypertension induced by CCl 4 were divided into 4 groups: inferior caval vein injection group, portal vein injection group, hepatic artery injection group, spleen injection group. The changes in portal vein pressure (PVP), inferior caval vein pressure (ICVP), mean artery pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored before and after prazosin injection. Results: After intra-portal, intra-hepatic arterial or spleen injection of prazosin, larger decrease in PVP and lesser effects on MAP than intravenous injection had been induced. The effect on HR showed no difference among these four groups. Conclusions: Hepatic artery and spleen prazosin administration have the same advantages on treatment of portal hypertension as those of intra-portal infusion, that is the greater decrease on portal vein pressure, the lesser effects on systemic hemodynamics. Vasodilation drugs for hepatic artery infusion through percutaneous port catheter system by hepatic artery implantation would be an ideal method for portal hypertension treatment

Configuring Mobile Commerce Portals for Business Success

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dholakia, Nikhilesh; Rask, Morten

2004-01-01

-portals must attract and retain customers. Success in mobile portal markets will depend on dynamic strategies that blend elements of personalization, permission, and specification of content. This chapter reviews the key differences between traditional e-commerce and the emergent m-commerce. It reviews...... the core concepts of personalization, permission, and content specification as they apply to e-commerce and m-commerce. The chapter presents a framework for developing effective business strategies for developing and managing mobile portals. http://www.morten-rask.dk/2003c.htm......M-commerce entails transactions conducted via mobile telecommunications networks using communication, information, and payment devices such as mobile phones or palmtop units. Geographic positioning and location capabilities are also being added to such networks and devices. Rather than using...

Portal vein thrombosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chawla, Yogesh K; Bodh, Vijay

2015-03-01

Portal vein thrombosis is an important cause of portal hypertension. PVT occurs in association with cirrhosis or as a result of malignant invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma or even in the absence of associated liver disease. With the current research into its genesis, majority now have an underlying prothrombotic state detectable. Endothelial activation and stagnant portal blood flow also contribute to formation of the thrombus. Acute non-cirrhotic PVT, chronic PVT (EHPVO), and portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis are the three main variants of portal vein thrombosis with varying etiological factors and variability in presentation and management. Procoagulant state should be actively investigated. Anticoagulation is the mainstay of therapy for acute non-cirrhotic PVT, with supporting evidence for its use in cirrhotic population as well. Chronic PVT (EHPVO) on the other hand requires the management of portal hypertension as such and with role for anticoagulation in the setting of underlying prothrombotic state, however data is awaited in those with no underlying prothrombotic states. TIPS and liver transplant may be feasible even in the setting of PVT however proper selection of candidates and type of surgery is warranted. Thrombolysis and thrombectomy have some role. TARE is a new modality for management of HCC with portal vein invasion.

Evaluating effectiveness of infection control efforts in hospitals using information in microbiological laboratory databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Norihiro; Itoga, Masamichi; Kimura, Masahiko; Inoue, Fumio; Minakawa, Satoko; Kimura, Toshiyuki; Ozaki, Hiromi; Saito, Yumiko; Takahashi, Mikiko; Fujishima, Tetsuhiro; Mizuno, Sumie; Ogawa, Shin; Kitayama, Yuko; Kudo, Kazumi; Minami, Kazushi; Abo, Fumiko; Takano, Yasuyuki; Ohdaira, Naotake; Hamada, Satoshi; Ueki, Shigeharu; Hirokawa, Makoto; Kayaba, Hiroyuki

2017-12-01

To analyze the quality of infection control activities, bacteriological data relevant to infection control was evaluated through the microbiological data warehouse networking hospitals in two medical regions. Data regarding bacterial test results of 19 hospitals were extracted from two microbiological laboratory information data bases. The rate of MRSA among total S. aureus was used as a general indicator of infection control activities. The occupancy rate of nasal or pharyngeal swabs among MRSA-positive bacteriological samples was used as an indicator of attention paid for infection control in intensive care wards. The number of blood culture sets per examined patient was utilized as an indicator for life-long vocational education on updated medical practice relevant to infectious diseases. The rate of MRSA was significantly higher in secondary private hospitals. The occupancy rate of nasal or pharyngeal swabs was significantly higher in tertiary hospitals. The average number of blood culture set per examined patient were 1.55, 1.54 and 1.39 in tertiary, secondary public and secondary private hospitals, respectively; however, there were no statistical differences between groups. Data bases of microbiological test results shared by hospital laboratories are useful for evaluating regional infection control activities.

On line portal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munro, Peter

1995-01-01

structures on a digitized simulator film. Once the anatomic structures have been registered, any discrepancies in the position of the patient can be identified. However, the task is not nearly as straight-forward as it sounds. One problem is finding a common frame of reference for the simulator and portal images, since the location of the radiation field within the pixel matrix may differ for the two images. This problem is compounded by the fact that the commercially available EPIDs have mechanical slop and do not deploy to exactly the same position repeatedly. As a result, a common frame of reference has to be established before the anatomic structures in the images can be registered - generally by registering radiation field edges identified in the simulator and portal images. In addition, distortions in patient geometry or rotations out of the image plane can confound the image registration techniques. Despite the difficulties, many image registration techniques such as interactive techniques, landmark-based techniques, contrast-based techniques, and hybrid techniques have been developed to detect errors in patient positioning. The advantages and disadvantages of these various techniques will be discussed. Clinical use of portal imaging systems has included the use of static localisation and verification images, the use of 'movie' sequences (sequences of images acquired during one irradiation) and the use of 'time-lapse' sequences of images acquired during consecutive treatments, which demonstrate the variability in patient set-up over a full course of therapy. Possibly the most contentious issue is how to best make use of the information provided the portal images. Philosophies have ranged between intervening in every treatment, to intervening only occasionally, or to identifying patients who would benefit from smaller treatment margins and modifying the treatment plan part way through the course of treatment. While great improvements in portal imaging technology have

Macronodular hepatic tuberculosis associated with portal vein thrombosis and portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatesh, S.K.; Tan, L.K.A.; Siew, E.P.Y.; Putti, T.C.

2005-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) of the liver is usually associated with miliary spread. Macronodular TB of the liver is rare. A case of macronodular TB of the liver in a 31-year-old woman causing portal vein thrombosis and portal hypertension is presented. Ultrasound and CT appearances are described. There was coexistent ileo-caecal TB with extensive mesenteric and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Macronodular TB should be considered in the differential diagnosis when a patient presents with multiple calcified masses in the liver with portal vein thrombosis and portal hypertension. Copyright (2005) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

[Treatment of nontumoral portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Bañares, Rafael; Catalina, María-Vega

2014-07-01

Portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis is a relatively common complication associated with the presence of an accompanying prothrombotic phenotype of advanced cirrhosis. The consequences of portal vein thrombosis are relevant because it can be associated with impaired hepatic function, might contraindicate hepatic transplantation and could increase morbidity in the surgical procedure. There is controversy concerning the most effective treatment of portal vein thrombosis, which is based on information that is seldom robust and whose primary objective is to achieve a return to vessel patency. Various studies have suggested that starting anticoagulation therapy early is associated with portal vein repatency more frequently than without treatment and has a low rate of complications. There are no proven data on the type of anticoagulant (low-molecular-weight heparins or dicoumarin agents) and the treatment duration. The implementation of TIPS is technically feasible in thrombosis without cavernous transformation and is associated with portal vein recanalization in a significant proportion of cases. Thrombolytic therapy does not appear to present an adequate balance between efficacy and safety; its use is therefore not supported for this indication. The proper definition of treatment for portal vein thrombosis requires properly designed studies to delimit the efficacy and safety of the various alternatives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

IOOS Data Portals and Uniform On-line Browse Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, M.; Currier, R. D.; Kobara, S.; Gayanilo, F.

2015-12-01

The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) is one of eleven Regional Associations organized under the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program Office. Each of the RAs operate standards-based regional data portals designed to aggregate near real-time and historical observed data and modeled outputs from distributed providers and to offer these and derived products in standardized ways to a diverse set of users. The RA's portals are based on the IOOS Data and Communications Plan which describes the functional elements needed for an interoperable system. One of these elements is called "Uniform On-line Browse" which is an informational service designed primarily to visualize the inventory of a portal. An on-line browse service supports the end user's need to discover what parameters are available, to learn the spatial and temporal extend of the holdings, and to examine the character of the data (e.g, variability, gappiness, etc). These pieces of information help the end user decide if the data are fit for his/her purpose and to construct valid data requests. Note that on-line browse is a distinctly different activity than data analysis because it seeks to yield knowledge about the inventory and not about what the data mean. "Uniform" on-line browse is a service that takes advantage of the standardization of the data portal's data access points. Most portals represent station locations on a map. This is a view of the data inventory but these plots are rarely generated by pulling data through the standards-based services offered to the end users but through methods only available to the portal programmers. This work will present results of Uniform On-line browse tools developed within GCOOS-RA and their applicability to other RA portals.

Noncirrotisk intrahepatisk portal hypertension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam Fialla, Annette; Havelund, Troels

2007-01-01

Non-cirrhotic intrahepatic portal hypertension is characterized by portal hypertension in the absence of liver cirrhosis or portal vein thrombosis. The disease is common in the East and rarely seen in the West. Two cases with oesophageal varices are described. The histopathology is heterogeneous...... but includes vascular lesions and portal fibrosis. Patient management follows the current recommendations for variceal bleeding....

Hepatic angiography: Portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, T.W. Jr.; Sones, P.J. Jr.

1985-01-01

Portal hypertension is usually a manifestation of underlying hepatic parenchymal disease, although it may be secondary to portal or hepatic venous thrombosis and rarely to hyperdynamic portal states. Portal hypertension may present as encephalopathy, ascites, jaundice, hepatic failure, or catastrophic upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Radiologic investigation should include indirect or direct measurements of portal pressure, assessment of portal venous perfusion, visualization of collaterals, and demonstration of arterial and venous anatomy for potential shunt procedure. Following survival of initial variceal bleeding, the most effective procedure to prevent recurrent hemorrhage is a shunt to decompress the varices. The decision whether to intervene medically or surgically during the acute hemorrhagic episode as well as the type of shunt used to prevent future hemorrhage is the subject of continuing controversy

Imaging and Radiological Interventions of Portal Vein Thrombosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hidajat, N.; Stobbe, H.; Griesshaber, V.; Felix, R.; Schroder, R.J. [Academic Teaching Hospital of the Univ. of Hannover (Germany). Central Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hospital Peine

2005-07-01

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is diagnosed by imaging methods. Once diagnosed by means of ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound can be performed to distinguish between a benign and malignant thrombus. If further information is required, magnetic resonance angiography or contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the next step, and if these tests are unsatisfactory, digital subtraction angiography should be performed. Many papers have been published dealing with alternative methods of treating PVT, but the material is fairly heterogeneous. In symptomatic non-cavernomatous PVT, recanalization using local methods is recommended by many authors. Implantation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is helpful in cirrhotic patients with non-cavernomatous PVT in reducing portal pressure and in diminishing the risk of re-thrombosis. In non-cirrhotic patients with recent PVT, some authors recommend anticoagulation alone. In chronic thrombotic occlusion of the portal vein, local measures may be implemented if refractory symptoms of portal hypertension are evident.

Design and Implementation of a Portal for the Medical Equipment Market: MEDICOM

Science.gov (United States)

Kalivas, Dimitris; Panou-Diamandi, Ourania; Zeelenberg, Cees; van Nimwegen, Chris

2001-01-01

Background The MEDICOM (Medical Products Electronic Commerce) Portal provides the electronic means for medical-equipment manufacturers to communicate online with their customers while supporting the Purchasing Process and Post Market Surveillance. The Portal offers a powerful Internet-based search tool for finding medical products and manufacturers. Its main advantage is the fast, reliable and up-to-date retrieval of information while eliminating all unrelated content that a general-purpose search engine would retrieve. The Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System (UMDNS) registers all products. The Portal accepts end-user requests and generates a list of results containing text descriptions of devices, UMDNS attribute values, and links to manufacturer Web pages and online catalogues for access to more-detailed information. Device short descriptions are provided by the corresponding manufacturer. The Portal offers technical support for integration of the manufacturers' Web sites with itself. The network of the Portal and the connected manufacturers' sites is called the MEDICOM system. Objective To establish an environment hosting all the interactions of consumers (health care organizations and professionals) and providers (manufacturers, distributors, and resellers of medical devices). Methods The Portal provides the end-user interface, implements system management, and supports database compatibility. The Portal hosts information about the whole MEDICOM system (Common Database) and summarized descriptions of medical devices (Short Description Database); the manufacturers' servers present extended descriptions. The Portal provides end-user profiling and registration, an efficient product-searching mechanism, bulletin boards, links to on-line libraries and standards, on-line information for the MEDICOM system, and special messages or advertisements from manufacturers. Platform independence and interoperability characterize the system design. Relational Database

Design and implementation of a portal for the medical equipment market: MEDICOM.

Science.gov (United States)

Palamas, S; Kalivas, D; Panou-Diamandi, O; Zeelenberg, C; van Nimwegen, C

2001-01-01

The MEDICOM (Medical Products Electronic Commerce) Portal provides the electronic means for medical-equipment manufacturers to communicate online with their customers while supporting the Purchasing Process and Post Market Surveillance. The Portal offers a powerful Internet-based search tool for finding medical products and manufacturers. Its main advantage is the fast, reliable and up-to-date retrieval of information while eliminating all unrelated content that a general-purpose search engine would retrieve. The Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System (UMDNS) registers all products. The Portal accepts end-user requests and generates a list of results containing text descriptions of devices, UMDNS attribute values, and links to manufacturer Web pages and online catalogues for access to more-detailed information. Device short descriptions are provided by the corresponding manufacturer. The Portal offers technical support for integration of the manufacturers Web sites with itself. The network of the Portal and the connected manufacturers sites is called the MEDICOM system. To establish an environment hosting all the interactions of consumers (health care organizations and professionals) and providers (manufacturers, distributors, and resellers of medical devices). The Portal provides the end-user interface, implements system management, and supports database compatibility. The Portal hosts information about the whole MEDICOM system (Common Database) and summarized descriptions of medical devices (Short Description Database); the manufacturers servers present extended descriptions. The Portal provides end-user profiling and registration, an efficient product-searching mechanism, bulletin boards, links to on-line libraries and standards, on-line information for the MEDICOM system, and special messages or advertisements from manufacturers. Platform independence and interoperability characterize the system design. Relational Database Management Systems are used for

Scientific climate change information by collaborative venture and digital portal

Science.gov (United States)

Dubelaar-Versluis, W.

2010-09-01

Klimaatportaal is the digital entry of Dutch ‘climate' knowledge centres, which are collaborated in the Platform Communication on Climate Change (PCCC). This collaborative venture was established in 2003 by the Dutch climate research community to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the communication of Dutch climate research. By now, eight Dutch knowledge centres are participating and still more want to join. The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) supports the PCCC and the project is implemented in collaboration with the BSIK ‘Climate Changes Spatial Planning' programme. The website provides actual and background climate change information for a wide audience on the national scale from policy makers, media to general public. By supplying integral climate information, such as observations of climate change, causes and consequences of climate system, adaptation, mitigation and energy issues, a wide spectrum of target groups will be served. The information is offered in different forms, because of the needs of different target groups. Klimaatportaal contains therefore news on climate issues, frequently asked questions and popular science reports, like the annually brochure De Staat van het Klimaat (‘The State of the Climate'). Recently, also a portal for students is added, where they can find information for their assignments. Beside the website, PCCC is organising activities as symposia and workshops and is supplying information on international issues, for example the content of the Kyoto protocol and the IPCC fourth assessment report (2007). Finally, informing the public through contacts with the media is also an important part of the PCCC. The presentation will address the strengths and weaknesses of this approach which may serve as an example for combining knowledge in outreach activities in other countries.

An intelligent content discovery technique for health portal content management.

Science.gov (United States)

De Silva, Daswin; Burstein, Frada

2014-04-23

Continuous content management of health information portals is a feature vital for its sustainability and widespread acceptance. Knowledge and experience of a domain expert is essential for content management in the health domain. The rate of generation of online health resources is exponential and thereby manual examination for relevance to a specific topic and audience is a formidable challenge for domain experts. Intelligent content discovery for effective content management is a less researched topic. An existing expert-endorsed content repository can provide the necessary leverage to automatically identify relevant resources and evaluate qualitative metrics. This paper reports on the design research towards an intelligent technique for automated content discovery and ranking for health information portals. The proposed technique aims to improve efficiency of the current mostly manual process of portal content management by utilising an existing expert-endorsed content repository as a supporting base and a benchmark to evaluate the suitability of new content A model for content management was established based on a field study of potential users. The proposed technique is integral to this content management model and executes in several phases (ie, query construction, content search, text analytics and fuzzy multi-criteria ranking). The construction of multi-dimensional search queries with input from Wordnet, the use of multi-word and single-word terms as representative semantics for text analytics and the use of fuzzy multi-criteria ranking for subjective evaluation of quality metrics are original contributions reported in this paper. The feasibility of the proposed technique was examined with experiments conducted on an actual health information portal, the BCKOnline portal. Both intermediary and final results generated by the technique are presented in the paper and these help to establish benefits of the technique and its contribution towards effective

Designing User-Centric Patient Portals: Clinician and Patients' Uses and Gratifications

Science.gov (United States)

Krist, Alex H.; Aycock, Rebecca A.; Kreps, Gary L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Legislation mandates that clinicians make patients' medical information available digitally. This has resulted in hurriedly installing patient portals that do not fully meet the needs of patients or clinicians. This study examined a specific portal, MyPreventiveCare (MPC), a patient-centered portal designed to promote preventive care to consumers, to elicit recommendations from patients and clinicians about how it could be more beneficial by uncovering their uses and gratifications (U&G). Materials and Methods: In-depth interviews with 31 patients and two clinician focus groups were conducted. Multiple methods were utilized, such as grounded theory coding to develop themes and content analysis to classify responses according to the U&G framework. Results: Four main categories emerged that users desire to be included in health portals: integration with technology (27%), coordination of care (27%), incorporation of lifestyle (26%), and increased control (20%). Additional analysis revealed that health portals are mainly utilized to fulfill cognitive and affective needs, with over 80% of recommendations related to the U&G categories of cognitive and affective needs. Cognitive (60%), affective (21%), social integrative (10%), personal integrative (9%), and tension release (0%). Conclusions: Portals will continue to evolve and become important health communication tools if they address the user's perspective and are inclusive of new technological advances. Specifically, portals must become more user centric and incorporate aspects of the patients' lifestyle and integrate health information technology. PMID:27333468

Mobile Portal Implementation Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Ping; Damsgaard, Jan

2005-01-01

Mobile portal plays an important role in mobile commerce market. Current literature focuses on static analysis on the value chain of mobile portals. This article provides a dynamic perspective on mobile portal strategy. Drawing upon network economics, we describe mobile portal implementation...... as a fourphase process. In different phase, a portal provider has various challenges to overcome and adopt diverse strategies, and correspondingly the regulator has different foci. The conceptual framework proposed in this article offers a basis for further analyses on the market dynamics of mobile commerce......, and can be generalized to studying other networked technologies...

Roadside Tracker Portal-less Portal Monitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziock, Klaus-Peter [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Cheriyadat, Anil M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bradley, Eric Craig [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Cunningham, Mark F. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Fabris, Lorenzo [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Goddard, Jr, James Samuel [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hornback, Donald Eric [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Karnowski, Thomas Paul [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kerekes, Ryan A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Newby, Jason [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2013-07-01

This report documents the full development cycle of the Roadside Tracker (RST) Portal-less Portal monitor (Fig. 1) funded by DHS DNDO. The project started with development of a proof-of-feasibility proto-type, proceeded through design and construction of a proof-of-concept (POC) prototype, a test-and-evaluation phase, participation in a Limited Use Exercise that included the Standoff Radiation Detections Systems developed under an Advanced Technology Demonstration and concluded with participation in a Characterization Study conducted by DNDO.

Anatomical relations of anterior and posterior ankle arthroscopy portals: a cadaveric study.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliva, Xavier Martin; Méndez López, José Manuel; Monzo Planella, Mariano; Bravo, Alex; Rodrigues-Pinto, Ricardo

2015-04-01

Ankle arthroscopy is an increasingly used technique. Knowledge of the anatomical structures in relation to its portals is paramount to avoid complications. Twenty cadaveric ankles were analysed to assess the distance between relevant neurovascular structures to the anteromedial, anterolateral, posteromedial, and posterolateral arthroscopy portals. The intermediate dorsal branch of the superficial peroneal nerve was the closest structure to any of the portals (4.8 mm from the anterolateral portal), followed by the posterior tibial nerve (7.3 mm from the posteromedial portal). All structures analysed but one (posterior tibial artery) were, at least in one specimen, portals. This study provides information on the anatomical relations of ankle arthroscopy portals and relevant neurovascular structures, confirming previous studies identifying the superficial peroneal nerve as the structure at highest risk of injury, but also highlighting some important variations. Techniques to minimise the injury to these structures are discussed.

Towards a Portuguese database of food microbiological occurrence

OpenAIRE

Viegas, Silvia; Machado, Claudia; Dantas, M.Ascenção; Oliveira, Luísa

2011-01-01

Aims: To expand the Portuguese Food Information Resource Programme (PortFIR) by building the Portuguese Food Microbiological Information Network (RPIMA) including users, stakeholders, food microbiological data producers that will provide data and information from research, monitoring, epidemiological investigation and disease surveillance. The integration of food data in a national database will improve foodborne risk management. Methods and results Potential members were identified and...

Determining the optimal portal blood volume in a shunt before surgery in extrahepatic portal hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yurchuk Vladimir A

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study: To determine the necessary shunt diameter and assess the optimal portal blood volume in a shunt in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension before the portosystemic shunt surgery. Changes in the liver hemodynamics were studied in 81 children aged from 4 to 7 years with extrahepatic portal hypertension. We established that it is necessary to calculate the shunt diameter and the blood volume in a shunt in patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension before the portosystemic shunt surgery. It allows us to preserve the hepatic portal blood flow and effectively decrease the pressure in the portal system. Portosystemic shunt surgery in patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension performed in accordance with the individualized shunt volume significantly decreases portal pressure, preserves stable hepatic hemodynamics and prevents gastro-esophageal hemorrhage.

A Standardization Framework for Electronic Government Service Portals

Science.gov (United States)

Sarantis, Demetrios; Tsiakaliaris, Christos; Lampathaki, Fenareti; Charalabidis, Yannis

Although most eGovernment interoperability frameworks (eGIFs) cover adequately the technical aspects of developing and supporting the provision of electronic services to citizens and businesses, they do not exclusively address several important areas regarding the organization, presentation, accessibility and security of the content and the electronic services offered through government portals. This chapter extends the scope of existing eGIFs presenting the overall architecture and the basic concepts of the Greek standardization framework for electronic government service portals which, for the first time in Europe, is part of a country's eGovernment framework. The proposed standardization framework includes standards, guidelines and recommendations regarding the design, development and operation of government portals that support the provision of administrative information and services to citizens and businesses. By applying the guidelines of the framework, the design, development and operation of portals in central, regional and municipal government can be systematically addressed resulting in an applicable, sustainable and ever-expanding framework.

Information security threats in web-portals on the open journal systems platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton A. Abramov

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the problem of security threats while working with web portals built on the Open Journal Systems platform. The Open Journal Systems (OJS platform was originally developed as part of the Public Knowledge Project and it is one of the most popular open-source platforms for web journals today. Based on the data available in the Public Knowledge Project, there were more than 10,000 active journals using the open journal systems platform by the end of 2016. A migration of a journal to such advanced and complex platform helps to handle the entire workflow over a single web portal. Therefore it is an important move and only peer-reviewed journals that are part of Russian and Worldwide citation systems go for it. At the same time the problem of keeping privacy for a manuscript before it is published is very important for these journals and for authors who submit it to the journal. The paper describes the most common threats for the web portals on the OJS platform as well as a particular model of the security threats, and suggests the measures that could help to neutralize these threats.

Impact and user satisfaction of a clinical information portal embedded in an electronic health record.

Science.gov (United States)

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

2011-01-01

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

CT findings of portal vein aneurysm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Dal Mo; Chang, Mi Son; Yoon, Myung Hwan; Kim, Hak Soo; Kim, Hyung Sik; Chung, Hyo Sun; Chung, Jin Woo

1999-01-01

To describe the CT findings of portal vein aneurysm in eight patients. All patients included in this study (two men and six women) underwent CT examinations between October 1996 and June1998. Of these eight, three were suffering from hepatic disease and portal hypertension. We determined the location, shape, size, and characteristics of the lesions, and the presence or absence of portal vein anomaly. Seven patients had intrahepatic portal vein aneurysm (at the umbilical portion of the left portal vein in five patients, between the transverse and umbilical portion of the left portal vein in one, and at the bifurcation of the anterior and posterior branch of the right portal vein in one), while extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm, at the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic vein was found in only one. Lesions were cyst-shaped in seven cases and saccular in one, and showed well-circumscribed, markedly enhanced mass, which communicated with the portal vein and/or gives off major branches. Portal vein anomaly, in which the right anterior segmental portal vein originated from the umbilical portion of the left portal vein, was seen in three patients. In all three, intrahepatic portal vein aneurysm was present at the umbilical portion of the left portal vein, and in one, the umbilical protion of the left portal vein was located to the right of the Cantlic line. CT examination can help reveal portal vein aneurysm by detecting a well-circumscribed, markedly enhanced mass which communicates with the portal vein and/or gives off major branches

Pediatric portal hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Clarissa Barbon

2017-01-01

Abstract: Pediatric portal hypertension management is a team approach between the patient, the patient's family, the primary caregiver, and specialty providers. Evidence-based practice guidelines have not been established in pediatrics. This article serves as a review for the primary care NP in the management of pediatric portal hypertension, discussing the etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of pediatric portal hypertension, diagnostic tests, and treatment and management options. PMID:28406835

GLOBIL: WWF's Global Observation and Biodiversity Information Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, A. C.; Nijsten, L.; Schmitt, S.; Tibaldeschi, P.

2015-04-01

Despite ever increasing availability of satellite imagery and spatial data, conservation managers, decision makers and planners are often unable to analyze data without special knowledge or software. WWF is bridging this gap by putting extensive spatial data into an easy to use online mapping environment, to allow visualization, manipulation and analysis of large data sets by any user. Consistent, reliable and repeatable ecosystem monitoring information for priority eco-regions is needed to increase transparency in WWF's global conservation work, to measure conservation impact, and to provide communications with the general public and organization members. Currently, much of this monitoring and evaluation data is isolated, incompatible, or inaccessible and not readily usable or available for those without specialized software or knowledge. Launched in 2013 by WWF Netherlands and WWF Germany, the Global Observation and Biodiversity Information Portal (GLOBIL) is WWF's new platform to unite, centralize, standardize and visualize geo-spatial data and information from more than 150 active GIS users worldwide via cloud-based ArcGIS Online. GLOBIL is increasing transparency, providing baseline data for monitoring and evaluation while communicating impacts and conservation successes to the public. GLOBIL is currently being used in the worldwide marine campaign as an advocacy tool for establishing more marine protected areas, and a monitoring interface to track the progress towards ocean protection goals. In the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation area, local partners are using the platform to monitor land cover changes, barriers to species migrations, potential human-wildlife conflict and local conservation impacts in vast wildlife corridor. In East Africa, an early warning system is providing conservation practitioners with real-time alerts of threats particularly to protected areas and World Heritage Sites by industrial extractive activities. And for

The BioMart community portal: an innovative alternative to large, centralized data repositories

Science.gov (United States)

Smedley, Damian; Haider, Syed; Durinck, Steffen; Pandini, Luca; Provero, Paolo; Allen, James; Arnaiz, Olivier; Awedh, Mohammad Hamza; Baldock, Richard; Barbiera, Giulia; Bardou, Philippe; Beck, Tim; Blake, Andrew; Bonierbale, Merideth; Brookes, Anthony J.; Bucci, Gabriele; Buetti, Iwan; Burge, Sarah; Cabau, Cédric; Carlson, Joseph W.; Chelala, Claude; Chrysostomou, Charalambos; Cittaro, Davide; Collin, Olivier; Cordova, Raul; Cutts, Rosalind J.; Dassi, Erik; Genova, Alex Di; Djari, Anis; Esposito, Anthony; Estrella, Heather; Eyras, Eduardo; Fernandez-Banet, Julio; Forbes, Simon; Free, Robert C.; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Gadaleta, Emanuela; Garcia-Manteiga, Jose M.; Goodstein, David; Gray, Kristian; Guerra-Assunção, José Afonso; Haggarty, Bernard; Han, Dong-Jin; Han, Byung Woo; Harris, Todd; Harshbarger, Jayson; Hastings, Robert K.; Hayes, Richard D.; Hoede, Claire; Hu, Shen; Hu, Zhi-Liang; Hutchins, Lucie; Kan, Zhengyan; Kawaji, Hideya; Keliet, Aminah; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Kim, Sunghoon; Kinsella, Rhoda; Klopp, Christophe; Kong, Lei; Lawson, Daniel; Lazarevic, Dejan; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Letellier, Thomas; Li, Chuan-Yun; Lio, Pietro; Liu, Chu-Jun; Luo, Jie; Maass, Alejandro; Mariette, Jerome; Maurel, Thomas; Merella, Stefania; Mohamed, Azza Mostafa; Moreews, Francois; Nabihoudine, Ibounyamine; Ndegwa, Nelson; Noirot, Céline; Perez-Llamas, Cristian; Primig, Michael; Quattrone, Alessandro; Quesneville, Hadi; Rambaldi, Davide; Reecy, James; Riba, Michela; Rosanoff, Steven; Saddiq, Amna Ali; Salas, Elisa; Sallou, Olivier; Shepherd, Rebecca; Simon, Reinhard; Sperling, Linda; Spooner, William; Staines, Daniel M.; Steinbach, Delphine; Stone, Kevin; Stupka, Elia; Teague, Jon W.; Dayem Ullah, Abu Z.; Wang, Jun; Ware, Doreen; Wong-Erasmus, Marie; Youens-Clark, Ken; Zadissa, Amonida; Zhang, Shi-Jian; Kasprzyk, Arek

2015-01-01

The BioMart Community Portal (www.biomart.org) is a community-driven effort to provide a unified interface to biomedical databases that are distributed worldwide. The portal provides access to numerous database projects supported by 30 scientific organizations. It includes over 800 different biological datasets spanning genomics, proteomics, model organisms, cancer data, ontology information and more. All resources available through the portal are independently administered and funded by their host organizations. The BioMart data federation technology provides a unified interface to all the available data. The latest version of the portal comes with many new databases that have been created by our ever-growing community. It also comes with better support and extensibility for data analysis and visualization tools. A new addition to our toolbox, the enrichment analysis tool is now accessible through graphical and web service interface. The BioMart community portal averages over one million requests per day. Building on this level of service and the wealth of information that has become available, the BioMart Community Portal has introduced a new, more scalable and cheaper alternative to the large data stores maintained by specialized organizations. PMID:25897122

Índice de congestão portal e a ocorrência de trombose portal pós-dape Portal congestion and thrombosis after EDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Gonçalves Ferreira

2005-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Comparar os dados obtidos pela ultra-sonografia com doppler no pré-operatório de esquistossomóticos submetidos à desconexão ázigo-portal com esplenectomia (DAPE, calculando o índice de congestão portal, e sua correlação com a trombose portal no pós-operatório. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados 65 pacientes submetidos à DAPE por hipertensão portal esquistossomótica com antecedente de hemorragia digestiva, divididos em dois grupos: Grupo A (28 pacientes que não desenvolveram trombose portal pós-operatória e Grupo B (37 pacientes com trombose portal no pós-operatório. Analisaram-se através de ultra-sonografia com doppler no pré-operatório os seguintes parâmetros da veia porta: diâmetro, área, velocidade média de fluxo do sangue, fluxo de sangue, e estabeleceu-se o índice de congestão portal. RESULTADOS: O diâmetro, área e o fluxo da veia porta foram maiores no grupo B (média de 1,52 cm; 1,77 cm² e 2533,12 ml/min em relação ao grupo A (média de 1,33 cm; 1,44 cm² e 1609,03 ml/min com p = 0,03; 0,03 e 0,04 respectivamente. O índice de congestão portal não foi estatisticamente significativo na comparação dos dois grupos (p = 0,07. CONCLUSÃO: O índice de congestão portal obtido no pré-operatório através da ultra-sonografia com doppler não se mostrou preditivo de trombose portal no pós-operatório dos doentes estudados.BACKGROUND: The study compared the preoperative portal vein congestion index estimated by Doppler ultrasound and the postoperative portal vein thrombosis of patients submitted to esophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy (EDS. METHODS: 65 patients with portal hypertension due to schistosomiasis and previous gastrointestinal bleeding submitted to EDS were divided into two groups: GROUP A (28 patients without postoperative portal vein thrombosis and GROUP B (37 patients with postoperative portal vein thrombosis. The following parameters of preoperative Doppler ultrasound of the

What do we know about developing patient portals? A systematic literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.T. Otte-Trojel (Eva Terese); A.A. de Bont (Antoinette); T.G. Rundall (Thomas); J.J. van de Klundert (Joris)

2016-01-01

textabstractObjective: Numerous articles have reported on the development of patient portals, including development problems and solutions. We review these articles to inform future patient portal development efforts and to provide a summary of the evidence base that can guide future research.

Biology of portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Matthew; Iwakiri, Yasuko

2018-02-01

Portal hypertension develops as a result of increased intrahepatic vascular resistance often caused by chronic liver disease that leads to structural distortion by fibrosis, microvascular thrombosis, dysfunction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. While the basic mechanisms of LSEC and HSC dysregulation have been extensively studied, the role of microvascular thrombosis and platelet function in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension remains to be clearly characterized. As a secondary event, portal hypertension results in splanchnic and systemic arterial vasodilation, leading to the development of a hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome and subsequently to clinically devastating complications including gastroesophageal varices and variceal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy from the formation of portosystemic shunts, ascites, and renal failure due to the hepatorenal syndrome. This review article discusses: (1) mechanisms of sinusoidal portal hypertension, focusing on HSC and LSEC biology, pathological angiogenesis, and the role of microvascular thrombosis and platelets, (2) the mesenteric vasculature in portal hypertension, and (3) future directions for vascular biology research in portal hypertension.

Extrahepatic portal hypertension in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takehara, Hiroo; Komi, Nobuhiko; Goh, Masahiro; Yoshida, Sadahiro; Kameoka, Kazuhiro; Hino, Masao; Sui, Osamu

1986-01-01

Four pediatric patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension had undergone portography and computerized radionuclide angiography in order to examine shape of portal system and to evaluate hepatic blood flow before and aftersurgical treatment. In all patients, cavernous transformation of portal system was demonstrated by portography, and in one of them spontaneous splenorenal shunt occurred. In 3 of them, who underwent esophageal transsection combined with paraesophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy, so-called direct operation, increase of portal blood flow was revealed by computerized radionuclide angiography. It is suggested that direct operation increasing portal blood flow after surgery is effective in treating extrahepatic portal hypertension in childhood. (author)

A comparison of rule-based and machine learning approaches for classifying patient portal messages.

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, Robert M; Fabbri, Daniel; Denny, Joshua C; Rosenbloom, S Trent; Jackson, Gretchen Purcell

2017-09-01

Secure messaging through patient portals is an increasingly popular way that consumers interact with healthcare providers. The increasing burden of secure messaging can affect clinic staffing and workflows. Manual management of portal messages is costly and time consuming. Automated classification of portal messages could potentially expedite message triage and delivery of care. We developed automated patient portal message classifiers with rule-based and machine learning techniques using bag of words and natural language processing (NLP) approaches. To evaluate classifier performance, we used a gold standard of 3253 portal messages manually categorized using a taxonomy of communication types (i.e., main categories of informational, medical, logistical, social, and other communications, and subcategories including prescriptions, appointments, problems, tests, follow-up, contact information, and acknowledgement). We evaluated our classifiers' accuracies in identifying individual communication types within portal messages with area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC). Portal messages often contain more than one type of communication. To predict all communication types within single messages, we used the Jaccard Index. We extracted the variables of importance for the random forest classifiers. The best performing approaches to classification for the major communication types were: logistic regression for medical communications (AUC: 0.899); basic (rule-based) for informational communications (AUC: 0.842); and random forests for social communications and logistical communications (AUCs: 0.875 and 0.925, respectively). The best performing classification approach of classifiers for individual communication subtypes was random forests for Logistical-Contact Information (AUC: 0.963). The Jaccard Indices by approach were: basic classifier, Jaccard Index: 0.674; Naïve Bayes, Jaccard Index: 0.799; random forests, Jaccard Index: 0.859; and logistic regression, Jaccard

Developing ADUN e-Community Portal for Community in Malaysia: Announcement Module and Discussion Module

OpenAIRE

Nur Fatin Binti Eisa; Ahmad Suhaimi Baharudin; Kamal Karkonasasi

2016-01-01

Nowadays, there are many government agencies had already developed a portal sites for their citizens. This kind of portal is found to be particularly useful to those who faced certain problem regarding their dissatisfaction on the government's service. However, the main disadvantage of such portal is the lack of their public services to the citizens. Thus, ADUN e-community portal is designed to utilize information and help ADUN to manage the complaints created by the community. By using th...

Usability of Discovery Portals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bulens, J.D.; Vullings, L.A.E.; Houtkamp, J.M.; Vanmeulebrouk, B.

2013-01-01

As INSPIRE progresses to be implemented in the EU, many new discovery portals are built to facilitate finding spatial data. Currently the structure of the discovery portals is determined by the way spatial data experts like to work. However, we argue that the main target group for discovery portals

Prolonged Q-T(c) interval in mild portal hypertensive cirrhosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ytting, Henriette; Henriksen, Jens Henrik; Fuglsang, Stefan

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Q-T(c) interval is prolonged in a substantial fraction of patients with cirrhosis, thus indicating delayed repolarisation. However, no information is available in mild portal hypertensive patients. We therefore determined the Q-T(c) interval in cirrhotic patients with hepatic...... venous pressure gradient (HVPG) portal hypertension (HVPG> or = 12 mmHg) and controls without liver disease. RESULTS......), values which are significantly above that of the controls (0.410 s(1/2), P portal hypertensive group, the Q-T(c) interval was inversely related to indicators of liver function, such as indocyanine green clearance (r = -0.34, P

Database support for adaptation to climate change: An assessment of web-based portals across scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, Hans; Hilden, Mikael; Russel, Duncan; Dessai, Suraje

2016-10-01

The widely recognized increase in greenhouse gas emissions is necessitating adaptation to a changing climate, and policies are being developed and implemented worldwide, across sectors, and between government scales globally. The aim of this article is to reflect on one of the major challenges: facilitating and sharing information on the next adaptation practices. Web portals (i.e., web sites) for disseminating information are important tools in meeting this challenge, and therefore, we assessed the characteristics of select major portals across multiple scales. We found that there is a rather limited number of case studies available in the portals-between 900 and 1000 in total-with 95 that include cost information and 195 that include the participation of stakeholders globally. Portals are rarely cited by researchers, suggesting a suboptimal connection between the practical, policy-related, and scientific development of adaptation. The government portals often lack links on search results between US and European Union (EU) web sites, for example. With significant investments and policy development emerging in both the United States and the European Union, there is great potential to share information via portals. Moreover, there is the possibility of better connecting the practical adaptation experience from bottom-up projects to the science of adaptation. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:627-631. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Supporting the education evidence portal via text mining

Science.gov (United States)

Ananiadou, Sophia; Thompson, Paul; Thomas, James; Mu, Tingting; Oliver, Sandy; Rickinson, Mark; Sasaki, Yutaka; Weissenbacher, Davy; McNaught, John

2010-01-01

The UK Education Evidence Portal (eep) provides a single, searchable, point of access to the contents of the websites of 33 organizations relating to education, with the aim of revolutionizing work practices for the education community. Use of the portal alleviates the need to spend time searching multiple resources to find relevant information. However, the combined content of the websites of interest is still very large (over 500 000 documents and growing). This means that searches using the portal can produce very large numbers of hits. As users often have limited time, they would benefit from enhanced methods of performing searches and viewing results, allowing them to drill down to information of interest more efficiently, without having to sift through potentially long lists of irrelevant documents. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded ASSIST project has produced a prototype web interface to demonstrate the applicability of integrating a number of text-mining tools and methods into the eep, to facilitate an enhanced searching, browsing and document-viewing experience. New features include automatic classification of documents according to a taxonomy, automatic clustering of search results according to similar document content, and automatic identification and highlighting of key terms within documents. PMID:20643679

Development of the IAEA’s Knowledge Preservation Portals for Fast Reactors and Gas-Cooled Reactors Knowledge Preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batra, C.; Menahem, D. Beraha; Kriventsev, V.; Monti, S.; Reitsma, F.; Grosbois, J. de; Khoroshev, M.; Gladyshev, M.

2016-01-01

Full text: The IAEA has been carrying out a dedicated initiative on fast reactor knowledge preservation since 2003. The main objectives of the Fast Reactor Knowledge Portal (FRKP) initiative are to, a) halt the on-going loss of information related to fast reactors (FR), and b) collect, retrieve, preserve and make accessible existing data and information on FR. This portal will help in knowledge sharing, development, search and discovery, collaboration and communication of fast reactor related information. On similar lines a Gas Cooled Fast Reactor Knowledge Preservation portal project also started in 2013. Knowledge portals are capable to control and manage both publicly available as well as controlled information. The portals will not only incorporate existing set of knowledge and information, but will also provide a systemic platform for further preservation of new developments. It will include fast reactor and gas cooled reactor document repositories, project workspaces for the IAEA’s Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs), Technical Meetings (TMs), forums for discussion, etc. The portal will also integrate a taxonomy based search tool, which will help using new semantic search capabilities for improved conceptual retrieve of documents. The taxonomy complies with international web standards as defined by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). (author

BioMart Central Portal: an open database network for the biological community

OpenAIRE

Guberman, Jonathan M.; Ai, J.; Arnaiz, O.; Baran, Joachim; Blake, Andrew; Baldock, Richard; Chelala, Claude; Croft, David; Cros, Anthony; Cutts, Rosalind J.; Di Genova, A.; Forbes, Simon; Fujisawa, T.; Gadaleta, E.; Goodstein, D. M.

2011-01-01

International audience; BioMart Central Portal is a first of its kind, community-driven effort to provide unified access to dozens of biological databases spanning genomics, proteomics, model organisms, cancer data, ontology information and more. Anybody can contribute an independently maintained resource to the Central Portal, allowing it to be exposed to and shared with the research community, and linking it with the other resources in the portal. Users can take advantage of the common inte...

Wall shear stress in portal vein of cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wei; Pu, Yan-Song; Wang, Xin-Kai; Jiang, An; Zhou, Rui; Li, Yu; Zhang, Qiu-Juan; Wei, Ya-Juan; Chen, Bin; Li, Zong-Fang

2017-05-14

To investigate wall shear stress (WSS) magnitude and distribution in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension using computational fluid dynamics. Idealized portal vein (PV) system models were reconstructed with different angles of the PV-splenic vein (SV) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV)-SV. Patient-specific models were created according to enhanced computed tomography images. WSS was simulated by using a finite-element analyzer, regarding the blood as a Newtonian fluid and the vessel as a rigid wall. Analysis was carried out to compare the WSS in the portal hypertension group with that in healthy controls. For the idealized models, WSS in the portal hypertension group (0-10 dyn/cm 2 ) was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls (10-20 dyn/cm 2 ), and low WSS area (0-1 dyn/cm 2 ) only occurred in the left wall of the PV in the portal hypertension group. Different angles of PV-SV and SMV-SV had different effects on the magnitude and distribution of WSS, and low WSS area often occurred in smaller PV-SV angle and larger SMV-SV angle. In the patient-specific models, WSS in the cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension (10.13 ± 1.34 dyn/cm 2 ) was also significantly lower than that in the healthy controls ( P portal hypertension, the low WSS area extended to wider levels and the magnitude of WSS reached lower levels, thereby being more prone to disturbed flow occurrence. Cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension show dramatic hemodynamic changes with lower WSS and greater potential for disturbed flow, representing a possible causative factor of PV thrombosis.

Radionuclide hepatic perfusion index and ultrasonography: Assessment of portal hypertension in clinical practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidlova, V.; Hobza, J.; Pumprla, J.; Charouzek, J.

1989-01-01

The application is described of radionuclide angiography with hepatic perfusion index (HPI) determination in diagnosis of portal blood flow as an indicator of portal hypertension. 99m Tc and 113 In were used as tracers. Over forty patients suffering from chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis were included in the study. Ultrasound was used as a preliminary rapid diagnosis of portal hypertension. Radionuclide angiography combined with the HPI technique was confirmed to be a beneficial noninvasive method offering reproducible quantitative information on portal flow well correlating with the degree of portal hypertension, while the combination of ultrasound examination with radionuclide HPI determination appears to greatly enrich the diagnostic potential in hepatology. (L.O.). 4 figs., 11 refs

Regional blood flows by the microsphere method: reproducibility in portal hypertensive rats and influence of a portal vein catheter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadengue, A.; Lee, S.S.; Koshy, A.; Girod, C.; Lebrec, D.

1988-01-01

To determine the reproducibility of splanchnic blood flow measurements by the microsphere method in rats with portal hypertension and the effects of laparotomy with portal vein cannulation, eight groups of 10 rats were studied. Microspheres were labelled with 113 Sn or 141 Ce. Laparotomy with portal cannulation had no significant effect in sham-operated rats. In awake portal hypertensive rats, cardiac output and splanchnic blood flow were lower in portal vein cannulated rats compared with those of non-cannulated animals. In anesthetized portal hypertensive rats blood flows were unaffected by portal cannulation, but arterial pressure and heart rate were elevated. Anesthesia also decreased portal pressure in portal hypertensive rats. We conclude that the microsphere method remains reproducible in portal hypertensive rat models. Laparotomy with portal cannulation can alter systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics in portal hypertensive rats; these effects can also be changed during pentobarbital anesthesia. Regional blood flow measurements in portal hypertensive rats should be performed in animals without portal cannulation and preferably in the awake state

Popular Tasks in the ForeSee Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Access the robust American Customer Satisfaction Index Portal to obtain information, such as search terms used by survey respondents, satisfaction by audience type, and responses to specific survey questions; and learn how to use various filters.

Consolidated clinical microbiology laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Sautter, Robert L; Thomson, Richard B

2015-05-01

The manner in which medical care is reimbursed in the United States has resulted in significant consolidation in the U.S. health care system. One of the consequences of this has been the development of centralized clinical microbiology laboratories that provide services to patients receiving care in multiple off-site, often remote, locations. Microbiology specimens are unique among clinical specimens in that optimal analysis may require the maintenance of viable organisms. Centralized laboratories may be located hours from patient care settings, and transport conditions need to be such that organism viability can be maintained under a variety of transport conditions. Further, since the provision of rapid results has been shown to enhance patient care, effective and timely means for generating and then reporting the results of clinical microbiology analyses must be in place. In addition, today, increasing numbers of patients are found to have infection caused by pathogens that were either very uncommon in the past or even completely unrecognized. As a result, infectious disease specialists, in particular, are more dependent than ever on access to high-quality diagnostic information from clinical microbiology laboratories. In this point-counterpoint discussion, Robert Sautter, who directs a Charlotte, NC, clinical microbiology laboratory that provides services for a 40-hospital system spread over 3 states in the southeastern United States explains how an integrated clinical microbiology laboratory service has been established in a multihospital system. Richard (Tom) Thomson of the NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, discusses some of the problems and pitfalls associated with large-scale laboratory consolidation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The effect of partial portal decompression on portal blood flow and effective hepatic blood flow in man: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosemurgy, A S; McAllister, E W; Godellas, C V; Goode, S E; Albrink, M H; Fabri, P J

1995-12-01

With the advent of transjugular intrahepatic porta-systemic stent shunt and the wider application of the surgically placed small diameter prosthetic H-graft portacaval shunt (HGPCS), partial portal decompression in the treatment of portal hypertension has received increased attention. The clinical results supporting the use of partial portal decompression are its low incidence of variceal rehemorrhage due to decreased portal pressures and its low rate of hepatic failure, possibly due to maintenance of blood flow to the liver. Surprisingly, nothing is known about changes in portal hemodynamics and effective hepatic blood flow following partial portal decompression. To prospectively evaluate changes in portal hemodynamics and effective hepatic blood flow brought about by partial portal decompression, the following were determined in seven patients undergoing HGPCS: intraoperative pre- and postshunt portal vein pressures and portal vein-inferior vena cava pressure gradients, intraoperative pre- and postshunt portal vein flow, and pre- and postoperative effective hepatic blood flow. With HGPCS, portal vein pressures and portal vein-inferior vena cava pressure gradients decreased significantly, although portal pressures remained above normal. In contrast to the significant decreases in portal pressures, portal vein blood flow and effective hepatic blood flow do not decrease significantly. Changes in portal vein pressures and portal vein-inferior vena cava pressure gradients are great when compared to changes in portal vein flow and effective hepatic blood flow. Reduction of portal hypertension with concomitant maintenance of hepatic blood flow may explain why hepatic dysfunction is avoided following partial portal decompression.

The Earth Information Exchange: A Portal for Earth Science From the ESIP Federation

Science.gov (United States)

Wertz, R.; Hutchinson, C.; Hardin, D.

2006-12-01

The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners is a unique consortium of more than 90 organizations that collect, interpret and develop applications for remotely sensed Earth Observation Information. Included in the ESIP network are NASA, NOAA and USGS data centers, research universities, government research laboratories, supercomputer facilities, education resource providers, information technology innovators, nonprofit organizations and commercial enterprises. The consortium's work is dedicated to providing the most up-to-date, science-based information to researchers and decision-makers who are working to understand and address the environmental, economic and social challenges facing our planet. By increasing the use and usability of Earth observation data and linking it with decision-making tools, the Federation partners leverage the value of these important data resources for the betterment of society and our planet. To further the dissemination of Earth Science data, the Federation is developing the Earth Information Exchange (EIE). The EIE is a portal that will provide access to the vast information holdings of the members' organizations in one web-based location and will provides a robust marketplace in which the products and services needed to use and understand this information can be readily acquired. Since the Federation membership includes the federal government's Earth observing data centers, we believe that the impact of the EIE on Earth science research and education and environmental policy making will be profound. In the EIE, Earth observation data, products and services, are organized by the societal benefits categories defined by the international working group developing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The quality of the information is ensured in each of the Exchange's issue areas by maintaining working groups of issue area researchers and practitioners who serve as stewards for their respective communities. The

DES Science Portal: Computing Photometric Redshifts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gschwend, Julia [LIneA, Rio de Janeiro

2016-01-01

An important challenge facing photometric surveys for cosmological purposes, such as the Dark Energy Survey (DES), is the need to produce reliable photometric redshifts (photo-z). The choice of adequate algorithms and configurations and the maintenance of an up-to-date spectroscopic database to build training sets, for example, are challenging tasks when dealing with large amounts of data that are regularly updated and constantly growing. In this paper, we present the first of a series of tools developed by DES, provided as part of the DES Science Portal, an integrated web-based data portal developed to facilitate the scientific analysis of the data, while ensuring the reproducibility of the analysis. We present the DES Science Portal photometric redshift tools, starting from the creation of a spectroscopic sample to training the neural network photo-z codes, to the final estimation of photo-zs for a large photometric catalog. We illustrate this operation by calculating well calibrated photo-zs for a galaxy sample extracted from the DES first year (Y1A1) data. The series of processes mentioned above is run entirely within the Portal environment, which automatically produces validation metrics, and maintains the provenance between the different steps. This system allows us to fine tune the many steps involved in the process of calculating photo-zs, making sure that we do not lose the information on the configurations and inputs of the previous processes. By matching the DES Y1A1 photometry to a spectroscopic sample, we define different training sets that we use to feed the photo-z algorithms already installed at the Portal. Finally, we validate the results under several conditions, including the case of a sample limited to i<22.5 with the color properties close to the full DES Y1A1 photometric data. This way we compare the performance of multiple methods and training configurations. The infrastructure presented here is an effcient way to test several methods of

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of a Liver Hydatid Cyst Invading the Portal Vein and Causing Portal Cavernomatosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Herek, Duygu; Sungurtekin, Ugur

2015-01-01

Hepatic hydatid cysts rarely invade portal veins causing portal cavernomatosis as a secondary complication. We report the case of a patient with direct invasion of the right portal vein by hydatid cysts causing portal cavernomatosis diagnosed via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presented case highlights the useful application of MRI with T2-weighted images and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images in the diagnosis of hepatic hydatid lesions presenting with a rare complication of portal cavernomatosis.

Colangiopatía portal: complicación poco frecuente de la hipertensión portal

OpenAIRE

Veloso, Victoria; Servente, Liliana; Hernández, Nelia

2017-01-01

Resumen: Se describe el caso clínico de una mujer de 62 años en la que se diagnostica una estenosis del colédoco en el contexto de hipertensión portal prehepática (cavernomatosis portal). Abstract: We report the case of a 62 years old woman with a choledochal stricture and chronic obstruction of the portal vein (portal cavernomatosis). Resumo: Relatamos o caso de uma mulher de 62 anos com diagnóstico de estenose do colédoco no contexto da hipertensão portal pré-hepática (cavernomat...

Development of an e-learning portal for pediatric endocrinology: educational considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Grijpink-van den Biggelaar, K; Drop, S L S; Schuwirth, L

2010-01-01

Global accessibility and dissemination of developments in pediatric endocrinology prompted to examine how to develop an educational interactive e-SPE web portal. A systematic approach was used to identify the relevant aspects of accessibility and dissemination. An orientation at the big idea was made, executed by an analysis of the needs of student and teacher pediatric endocrinologists, a definition of the learning objectives, a research in educational literature and an exploration of ICT design specifications. The intensive collaboration between medical, educational and information technology disciplines resulted in a portal design. The portal meets requirements of adult learning, stresses interaction between partners in learning and offers direct feedback during the learning process. The portal supports the development of not only knowledge but also competences both at junior and advanced levels. When the e-SPE portal is completed, the options for summative assessment will be examined as a medium for international certification in conjunction with local and national requirements (http://espe.elearning.nl). Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Un Portal de Información Médica a través de un sistema de gestión de contenidos Web A Web Portal for Medical Information through a Web Content Management System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaisel Lorenzo Rodríguez

2011-06-01

Full Text Available El trabajo que se presenta da respuesta a las acciones de informatización de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas en Guinea Ecuatorial. Se presentan los elementos que han condicionado la creación de la Red de Información Médica en Guinea Ecuatorial (GUIMED, a través de un gestor de contenidos en línea que facilita a partir del empleo de las tecnologías de la informática, las comunicaciones y los ambientes colaborativos accesibles hasta el momento. GUIMED, expresada en su portal Web, fue fundamentada por: una interfaz sencilla y amigable, un repositorio de información basado en el modelo cliente-servidor, capacidades de búsqueda, aula virtual para la enseñanza, administración sencilla e intuitiva y el control de la accesibilidad a la información.This paper responds to the actions to computerize the Medical School in Equatorial Guinea. The elements that have conditioned the creation of the Medical Information Net in Equatorial Guinea (GUIMED are presented through a content management on-line that facilitates the use of current information and communication technologies as well as accessible collaboration environments. GUIMED is supported in its Web portal by: a simple user-friendly interface, information repository based on a user-server model, search competence, virtual teaching-learning classroom, simple intuitive administration and the control of information accessibility.

PHL10/460: Cancerfacts.com - Vertical Portal with Newly Developed Health Profiler

OpenAIRE

Lenz, C; Brucksch, M

1999-01-01

Introduction Unlike general health portals such as WebMD and Drkoop.com that cover everything from the flu to heart disease, Silicon Valley-based cancerfacts.com is a so-called vertical portal. It covers only one small vertical niche of health care: cancer, and in particular, prostate cancer. As a value-added proprietary technology, the company offers its newly developed profile engine to health information retrievers. Methods Users are enabled to insert their specific medical information - r...

A heuristic approach to edge detection in on-line portal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGee, Kiaran P.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Martin, Eric E.

1995-01-01

Purpose: Portal field edge detection is an essential component of several postprocessing techniques used in on-line portal imaging, including field shape verification, selective contrast enhancement, and treatment setup error detection. Currently edge detection of successive fractions in a multifraction portal image series involves the repetitive application of the same algorithm. As the number of changes in the field is small compared to the total number of fractions, standard edge detection algorithms essentially recalculate the same field shape numerous times. A heuristic approach to portal edge detection has been developed that takes advantage of the relatively few changes in the portal field shape throughout a fractionation series. Methods and Materials: The routine applies a standard edge detection routine to calculate an initial field edge and saves the edge information. Subsequent fractions are processed by applying an edge detection operator over a small region about each point of the previously defined contour, to determine any shifts in the field shape in the new image. Failure of this edge check indicates that a significant change in the field edge has occurred, and the original edge detection routine is applied to the image. Otherwise the modified edge contour is used to define the new edge. Results: Two hundred and eighty-one portal images collected from an electronic portal imaging device were processed by the edge detection routine. The algorithm accurately calculated each portal field edge, as well as reducing processing time in subsequent fractions of an individual portal field by a factor of up to 14. Conclusions: The heuristic edge detection routine is an accurate and fast method for calculating portal field edges and determining field edge setup errors

Anatomy of the Portal Vein Bifurcation: Implication for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portal Systemic Shunts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, Philip Chong-hei; Ng, Wai Fu; Lam, Christine Suk-yee; Tsui, Polly Po; Faruqi, Asma

2003-01-01

Purpose: The relationship of the portalvein bifurcation to the liver capsule in Asians, which is an important landmark for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, has not previously been described. Methods: The anatomy of the portal vein bifurcation was studied in 70 adult Chinese cadavers; it was characterized as intrahepatic or extrahepatic. The length of the exposed portion of the right and left portal veins was measured when the bifurcation was extrahepatic. Results: The portal vein bifurcation was intrahepatic in 37 cadavers (53%) and extrahepatic in 33 cadavers (47%). The mean length of the right and left extrahepatic portal veins was 0.96 cm and 0.85 cm respectively.Both were less than or equal to 2 cm in 94% of the cadavers with extrahepatic bifurcation. There was no correlation between the presence of cirrhosis and the location of the portal vein bifurcation(p 1.0). There was no statistically significant difference in liver mass in cadavers with either extrahepatic or intrahepatic bifurcation (p =0.40). Conclusions: These findings suggest that fortransjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement, a portal vein puncture 2 cm from the bifurcation will be safe in most cases

The application of TIPSS in portal vein cancerous thrombosis complicated with portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zaibo; Shan Hong; Guan Shouhai; Zhu Kangshun; Huang Mingsheng; Li Zhengran; Zhu Wenke; Liu Lang; Guo Tiansheng

2002-01-01

Objective: To discuss the technical skills and the contraindication of trans-jugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt stent (TIPSS) in portal vein cancerous thrombosis (PVCT) complicated with portal hypertension. Methods: There were 16 cases of PVCT with portal hypertension, and average age of 53.6 yr. There were 9 cases with complete occlusion of portal vein trunk and 7 cases with incomplete thrombosis. There were 5 cases with cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV). 1 case of simple upper gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) massive bleeding, 4 with refractory ascites and 11 with upper GIT massive bleeding and refractory ascites. Results: The procedure of TIPS was successful in 11 cases, the successful rate reached about 68.8%. The mean portal vein pressure was reduced from 4.9 kPa to 2.4 kPa with average 2. 5 kPa reduction. Ascites decreased, bleeding stopped and the clinical symptoms disappeared. The average survival period was 136 days. The procedure failed in 5 cases. Conclusions: TIPSS is an effective method to control the bleeding and ascites caused by PVCT. The PV cavernous transformation was the contraindication of TIPSS

To use or not to use--practitioners' perceptions of an open web portal for young patients with diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordfeldt, Sam; Ängarne-Lindberg, Teresia; Berterö, Carina

2012-11-09

Health care professionals' attitudes can be a significant factor in their acceptance and efficient use of information technology, so they need to have more knowledge about this resource to enhance their participation. We explored practitioners' perceptions of using an open-access interactive Web portal tailored to young diabetes type 1 patients and their guardians or significant others. The portal offered discussion forums, blog tools, self-care and treatment information, research updates, and news from local practitioners. Eighteen professionals who were on pediatric diabetes care teams each wrote an essay on their experience using the portal. For their essays, they were asked to describe two situations, focusing on positive and negative user experiences. The essays were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Based on our analysis of the respondents essays, we identified three categories that describe perceptions of the Web portal. The first category - to use or not to use - included the different perspectives of the practioners; those who questioned the benefits of using the Web portal or showed some resistance to using it. The frequency of use among the practitioners varied greatly. Some practitioners never used it, while others used it on a daily basis and regularly promoted it to their patients. Some respondents in this category reflected on the benefits of contributing actively to online dialogues. In the second category - information center for everyone - practitioners embraced the site as a resource for scientifically sound information and advice. As part of their practice, and as a complement to traditional care, practitioners in this category described sending information through the portal to patients and their significant others. Practitioners felt safe recommending the site because they knew that the information provided was generated by other practitioners. They also assumed that their patients benefited from actively using the Web portal at

R2 Water Quality Portal Monitoring Stations

Science.gov (United States)

The Water Quality Data Portal (WQP) provides an easy way to access data stored in various large water quality databases. The WQP provides various input parameters on the form including location, site, sampling, and date parameters to filter and customize the returned results. The The Water Quality Portal (WQP) is a cooperative service sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) that integrates publicly available water quality data from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) the EPA STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) Data Warehouse, and the USDA ARS Sustaining The Earth??s Watersheds - Agricultural Research Database System (STEWARDS).

Towards a semantics-based approach in the development of geographic portals

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasis, Nikolaos; Kalabokidis, Kostas; Vaitis, Michail; Soulakellis, Nikolaos

2009-02-01

As the demand for geospatial data increases, the lack of efficient ways to find suitable information becomes critical. In this paper, a new methodology for knowledge discovery in geographic portals is presented. Based on the Semantic Web, our approach exploits the Resource Description Framework (RDF) in order to describe the geoportal's information with ontology-based metadata. When users traverse from page to page in the portal, they take advantage of the metadata infrastructure to navigate easily through data of interest. New metadata descriptions are published in the geoportal according to the RDF schemas.

MR image-guided portal verification for brain treatment field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Fangfang; Gao Qinghuai; Xie Huchen; Nelson, Diana F.; Yu Yan; Kwok, W. Edmund; Totterman, Saara; Schell, Michael C.; Rubin, Philip

1998-01-01

Purpose: To investigate a method for the generation of digitally reconstructed radiographs directly from MR images (DRR-MRI) to guide a computerized portal verification procedure. Methods and Materials: Several major steps were developed to perform an MR image-guided portal verification procedure. Initially, a wavelet-based multiresolution adaptive thresholding method was used to segment the skin slice-by-slice in MR brain axial images. Some selected anatomical structures, such as target volume and critical organs, were then manually identified and were reassigned to relatively higher intensities. Interslice information was interpolated with a directional method to achieve comparable display resolution in three dimensions. Next, a ray-tracing method was used to generate a DRR-MRI image at the planned treatment position, and the ray tracing was simply performed on summation of voxels along the ray. The skin and its relative positions were also projected to the DRR-MRI and were used to guide the search of similar features in the portal image. A Canny edge detector was used to enhance the brain contour in both portal and simulation images. The skin in the brain portal image was then extracted using a knowledge-based searching technique. Finally, a Chamfer matching technique was used to correlate features between DRR-MRI and portal image. Results: The MR image-guided portal verification method was evaluated using a brain phantom case and a clinical patient case. Both DRR-CT and DRR-MRI were generated using CT and MR phantom images with the same beam orientation and then compared. The matching result indicated that the maximum deviation of internal structures was less than 1 mm. The segmented results for brain MR slice images indicated that a wavelet-based image segmentation technique provided a reasonable estimation for the brain skin. For the clinical patient case with a given portal field, the MR image-guided verification method provided an excellent match between

The NOAO NVO Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, C. J.; Gasson, D.; Fuentes, E.

2007-10-01

The NOAO NVO Portal is a web application for one-stop discovery, analysis, and access to VO-compliant imaging data and services. The current release allows for GUI-based discovery of nearly a half million images from archives such as the NOAO Science Archive, the Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 and ACS instruments, XMM-Newton, Chandra, and ESO's INT Wide-Field Survey, among others. The NOAO Portal allows users to view image metadata, footprint wire-frames, FITS image previews, and provides one-click access to science quality imaging data throughout the entire sky via the Firefox web browser (i.e., no applet or code to download). Users can stage images from multiple archives at the NOAO NVO Portal for quick and easy bulk downloads. The NOAO NVO Portal also provides simplified and direct access to VO analysis services, such as the WESIX catalog generation service. We highlight the features of the NOAO NVO Portal (http://nvo.noao.edu).

Development of the image registration program for portal and DRR images in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Ito, Takeshi; Nakazeko, Kazuma; Tachibana, Atsuhi; Hashimoto, Takeyuki; Shinohara, Hiroyuki

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors propose an image registration program of portal images and digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) images used as simulation images for external beam radiation therapy planning. First, the center of the radiation field in a portal image taken using a computed radiograhy cassette is matched to the center of the portal image. Then scale points projected on a DRR image and the portal image are deleted, and the portal image with the radiation field is extracted. Registration of the DRR and portal images is performed using mutual information as the registration criterion. It was found that the absolute displacement misregistrations in two directions (x, y) were 1.2±0.7 mm and 0.5±0.3 mm, respectively, and rotation disagreement about the z axis 0.3±0.3deg. It was concluded the proposed method was applicable to image registration of portal and DRR images in radiation therapy. (author)

Patients' Experiences with and Attitudes towards a Diabetes Patient Web Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronda, Maaike C M; Dijkhorst-Oei, Lioe-Ting; Rutten, Guy E H M

2015-01-01

A diabetes patient web portal allows patients to access their personal health record and may improve diabetes outcomes; however, patients' adoption is slow. We aimed to get insight into patients' experiences with a web portal to understand how the portal is being used, how patients perceive the content of the portal and to assess whether redesign of the portal might be needed. A survey among 1500 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with a login to a patient portal. 62 primary care practices and one outpatient hospital clinic, using a combined patient portal. We compared patients who requested a login but never used it or once ('early quitters') with patients who used it at least two times ('persistent users'). 632 patients (42.1%) returned the questionnaire. Their mean age was 59.7 years, 63.1% was male and 81.8% had type 2 diabetes. 413 (65.3%) people were persistent users and 34.7% early quitters. In the multivariable analysis, insulin use (OR2.07; 95%CI[1.18-3.62]), experiencing more frequently hyperglycemic episodes (OR1.30;95%CI[1.14-1.49]) and better diabetes knowledge (OR1.02, 95%CI[1.01-1.03]) do increase the odds of being a persistent user. Persistent users perceived the usefulness of the patient portal significantly more favorable. However, they also more decisively declared that the patient portal is not helpful in supporting life style changes. Early quitters felt significantly more items not applicable in their situation compared to persistent users. Both persistent users (69.8%) and early quitters (58.8%) would prefer a reminder function for scheduled visits. About 60% of both groups wanted information about medication and side-effects in their portal. The diabetes patient web portal might be improved significantly by taking into account the patients' experiences and attitudes. We propose creating separate portals for patients on insulin or not.

Rancang Bangun Portal E-Commerce Semarang-Handycraft Berorientasi Obyek

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinta Tridian Galih

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Number of  emerging  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises  (SMEs  in  Indonesia  has  not  been  matched  with  optimal  performance.  Manyproblems  arise  such  as  difficulty  in  marketing  products  and  limited  costs  for  marketing.  This  problem  can  be  overcome  by  utilizingInternet technology to build e-commerce portal. Portal help online marketing with no borders zone, facilitate for searching a consumer,can automate the promotion and business transactions that can help win the competition.In this research, to be built e -commerce portalSemarang-Handycraft. Design of e-commerce portal is using system development methodologies Model Driven Development (MDDand UML modeling language (Unified Modeling Language which is a visual language for modeling object -oriented language and byusing the  Open Source  Content Management  Systems  that  is  called  Joomla  and  using  e-commerce  modules Virtuemart.  Produced  ecommerce portal that can provide information with better quality and can be accessed at http://semarang-handycraft.cz.cc, which is a newalternative  for  the  production  of  marketing  handicraft  products  of  SMEs  in  Semarang.  For  security  and  convinience  of   informationretrieval in e-commerce portal is divided into several access rights, ie rights of access to regular visitors, members and administratorsKeywords: E-commerce; Portals; UML; Object-oriented

The challenges of knowledge management portals application and implementation:An Iranian organizations case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Sharifi-Yazdi

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This article aims to review, identify and prioritize challenge factors of the implementation of knowledge management portals for Iranian organizations. The study determines several important weakness factors affecting the implications of the knowledge management such as the weakness in organizational strategy, information overcrowd, content management, portals project management, and etc. The study also indicates that the factors have different priorities where managerial factors are in the highest priority and financial factors are in the lowest priority. We also perform factor analysis to summarize seventeen factors into six issues: Financial and information security, Technology and management, Senior management support and strategy, Acceptance, User's motivation and culture, Project management, Change management and training. Knowledge management portal is a brand new concept for Iranian organizations and it is hard to gather information from limited number of organizations or companies for applied knowledge management portals. The results of this study could be useful for knowledge management planners and managers in organizations and clear the prospects to deal with the challenges.

Emissions Scenario Portal for Visualization of Low Carbon Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, J.; Hennig, R. J.; Mountford, H.; Altamirano, J. C.; Ge, M.; Fransen, T.

2016-12-01

This proposal for a presentation is centered around a new project which is developed collaboratively by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Google Inc., and Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (DDPP). The project aims to develop an online, open portal, the Emissions Scenario Portal (ESP),to enable users to easily visualize a range of future greenhouse gas emission pathways linked to different scenarios of economic and energy developments, drawing from a variety of modeling tools. It is targeted to users who are not modelling experts, but instead policy analysts or advisors, investment analysts, and similar who draw on modelled scenarios to inform their work, and who can benefit from better access to, and transparency around, the wide range of emerging scenarios on ambitious climate action. The ESP will provide information from scenarios in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand manner that enable these users to recognize the opportunities to reduce GHG emissions, the implications of the different scenarios, and the underlying assumptions. To facilitate the application of the portal and tools in policy dialogues, a series of country-specific and potentially sector-specific workshops with key decision-makers and analysts, supported by relevant analysis, will be organized by the key partners and also in broader collaboration with others who might wish to convene relevant groups around the information. This project will provide opportunities for modelers to increase their outreach and visibility in the public space and to directly interact with key audiences of emissions scenarios, such as policy analysts and advisors. The information displayed on the portal will cover a wide range of indicators, sectors and important scenario characteristics such as macroeconomic information, emission factors and policy as well as technology assumptions in order to facilitate comparison. These indicators have been selected based on existing standards (such as the IIASA AR5

A novel canine model of portal vein stenosis plus thioacetamide administration-induced cirrhotic portal hypertension with hypersplenism.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Dexin; Wu, Xianbin; Ji, Xiaoke; Zhang, Qiyu; Lin, YuanWei; Chen, WeiJian; Jin, Wangxun; Deng, Liming; Chen, Yunzhi; Chen, Bicheng; Li, Jianmin

2012-01-01

Current large animal models that could closely resemble the typical features of cirrhotic portal hypertension in human have not been well established. Thus, we aimed to develop and describe a reliable and reproducible canine cirrhosis model of portal hypertension. A total of 30 mongrel dogs were randomly divided into four groups: 1 (control; n = 5), 2 (portal vein stenosis [PVS]; n = 5], 3 (thioacetamide [TAA]; n = 5), and 4 (PVS plus TAA; n = 15). After 4-months modeling period, liver and spleen CT perfusion, abdominal CT scans, portal hemodynamics, gastroscopy, hepatic function, blood routine, the bone marrow, liver, and spleen histology were studied. The animals in group 2 (PVS) developed extrahepatic portosystemic collateral circulation, particularly esophageal varices, without hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Animals from group 3 (TAA) presented mild cirrhosis and portal hypertension without significant symptoms of esophageal varices and hypersplenism. In contrast, animals from group 4 (PVS + TAA) showed well-developed micronodular and macronodular cirrhosis, associated with significant portal hypertension and hypersplenism. The combination of PVS and TAA represents a novel, reliable, and reproducible canine cirrhosis model of portal hypertension, which is associated with the typical characteristics of portal hypertension, including hypersplenism.

Personalization Methods for Internet Portals

OpenAIRE

Barbara Dębska; Agnieszka Kubacka

2012-01-01

The article presents methods of acquiring and gathering data about users of internet portals, with particular emphasis on educational portals. Definitions, aims and tasks related to the process of personalization of e-learning portals are thoroughly discussed. So are knowledge acquisition techniques applied in personalization, especially artificial intelligence methods.

Advances in the application of molecular microbiological methods in the oil and gas industry and links to microbiologically influenced corrosion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckert, Rickard; Skovhus, Torben Lund

2018-01-01

While the oil and gas industry has witnessed increased applications of molecular microbiological methods (MMMs) for diagnosing and managing microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in the past decade, the process for establishing clear links between microbiological conditions and corrosion...... mechanisms is still emerging. Different MMMs provide various types of information about microbial diversity, abundance, activity and function, all of which are quite different from the culture-based results that are familiar to oil and gas industry corrosion professionals. In addition, a multidisciplinary...

Consumers' Patient Portal Preferences and Health Literacy: A Survey Using Crowdsourcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zide, Mary; Caswell, Kaitlyn; Peterson, Ellen; Aberle, Denise R; Bui, Alex At; Arnold, Corey W

2016-06-08

eHealth apps have the potential to meet the information needs of patient populations and improve health literacy rates. However, little work has been done to document perceived usability of portals and health literacy of specific topics. Our aim was to establish a baseline of lung cancer health literacy and perceived portal usability. A survey based on previously validated instruments was used to assess a baseline of patient portal usability and health literacy within the domain of lung cancer. The survey was distributed via Amazon's Mechanical Turk to 500 participants. Our results show differences in preferences and literacy by demographic cohorts, with a trend of chronically ill patients having a more positive reception of patient portals and a higher health literacy rate of lung cancer knowledge (Pportals and higher level of health literacy within the domain of lung cancer.

Sonographic detection of portal venous gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Wang Yul; Lee, S. K.; Cho, O. K.

1989-01-01

Portal venous gas suggests underlying bowel disease such as strangulating intestinal obstruction and its demonstration carries with it an important implications with respect to patient management. Radiography has been the gold standard for the detection of portal venous gas. We have experienced two cases of portal venous gas diagnosed by ultrasound. Sonographic findings were floating echoes in the main portal vein and highly echogenic linear or patchy echoes within the hepatic parenchyma. Simple abdominal films of those cases failed to demonstrate gas in the portal venous system

Usability of Discovery Portals

OpenAIRE

Bulens, J.D.; Vullings, L.A.E.; Houtkamp, J.M.; Vanmeulebrouk, B.

2013-01-01

As INSPIRE progresses to be implemented in the EU, many new discovery portals are built to facilitate finding spatial data. Currently the structure of the discovery portals is determined by the way spatial data experts like to work. However, we argue that the main target group for discovery portals are not spatial data experts but professionals with limited spatial knowledge, and a focus outside the spatial domain. An exploratory usability experiment was carried out in which three discovery p...

Breaching the security of the Kaiser Permanente Internet patient portal: the organizational foundations of information security.

Science.gov (United States)

Collmann, Jeff; Cooper, Ted

2007-01-01

This case study describes and analyzes a breach of the confidentiality and integrity of personally identified health information (e.g. appointment details, answers to patients' questions, medical advice) for over 800 Kaiser Permanente (KP) members through KP Online, a web-enabled health care portal. The authors obtained and analyzed multiple types of qualitative data about this incident including interviews with KP staff, incident reports, root cause analyses, and media reports. Reasons at multiple levels account for the breach, including the architecture of the information system, the motivations of individual staff members, and differences among the subcultures of individual groups within as well as technical and social relations across the Kaiser IT program. None of these reasons could be classified, strictly speaking, as "security violations." This case study, thus, suggests that, to protect sensitive patient information, health care organizations should build safe organizational contexts for complex health information systems in addition to complying with good information security practice and regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

Towards Precise Metadata-set for Discovering 3D Geospatial Models in Geo-portals

Science.gov (United States)

Zamyadi, A.; Pouliot, J.; Bédard, Y.

2013-09-01

Accessing 3D geospatial models, eventually at no cost and for unrestricted use, is certainly an important issue as they become popular among participatory communities, consultants, and officials. Various geo-portals, mainly established for 2D resources, have tried to provide access to existing 3D resources such as digital elevation model, LIDAR or classic topographic data. Describing the content of data, metadata is a key component of data discovery in geo-portals. An inventory of seven online geo-portals and commercial catalogues shows that the metadata referring to 3D information is very different from one geo-portal to another as well as for similar 3D resources in the same geo-portal. The inventory considered 971 data resources affiliated with elevation. 51% of them were from three geo-portals running at Canadian federal and municipal levels whose metadata resources did not consider 3D model by any definition. Regarding the remaining 49% which refer to 3D models, different definition of terms and metadata were found, resulting in confusion and misinterpretation. The overall assessment of these geo-portals clearly shows that the provided metadata do not integrate specific and common information about 3D geospatial models. Accordingly, the main objective of this research is to improve 3D geospatial model discovery in geo-portals by adding a specific metadata-set. Based on the knowledge and current practices on 3D modeling, and 3D data acquisition and management, a set of metadata is proposed to increase its suitability for 3D geospatial models. This metadata-set enables the definition of genuine classes, fields, and code-lists for a 3D metadata profile. The main structure of the proposal contains 21 metadata classes. These classes are classified in three packages as General and Complementary on contextual and structural information, and Availability on the transition from storage to delivery format. The proposed metadata set is compared with Canadian Geospatial

The influence of patient portals on users' decision making is insufficiently investigated: A systematic methodological review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraccaro, Paolo; Vigo, Markel; Balatsoukas, Panagiotis; Buchan, Iain E; Peek, Niels; van der Veer, Sabine N

2018-03-01

Patient portals are considered valuable conduits for supporting patients' self-management. However, it is unknown why they often fail to impact on health care processes and outcomes. This may be due to a scarcity of robust studies focusing on the steps that are required to induce improvement: users need to effectively interact with the portal (step 1) in order to receive information (step 2), which might influence their decision-making (step 3). We aimed to explore this potential knowledge gap by investigating to what extent each step has been investigated for patient portals, and explore the methodological approaches used. We performed a systematic literature review using Coiera's information value chain as a guiding theoretical framework. We searched MEDLINE and Scopus by combining terms related to patient portals and evaluation methodologies. Two reviewers selected relevant papers through duplicate screening, and one extracted data from the included papers. We included 115 articles. The large majority (n = 104) evaluated aspects related to interaction with patient portals (step 1). Usage was most often assessed (n = 61), mainly by analysing system interaction data (n = 50), with most authors considering participants as active users if they logged in at least once. Overall usability (n = 57) was commonly assessed through non-validated questionnaires (n = 44). Step 2 (information received) was investigated in 58 studies, primarily by analysing interaction data to evaluate usage of specific system functionalities (n = 34). Eleven studies explicitly assessed the influence of patient portals on patients' and clinicians' decisions (step 3). Whereas interaction with patient portals has been extensively studied, their influence on users' decision-making remains under-investigated. Methodological approaches to evaluating usage and usability of portals showed room for improvement. To unlock the potential of patient portals, more (robust) research

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P, E-mail: abla@fusion.gat.co [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P

2010-01-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Abla, G.; Kim, E. N.; Schissel, D. P.

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Duplex sonography in portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Hyuk Po; Jang, J. C.; Park, B. H.

1990-01-01

We measure the diameter and blood velocity of the portal vein in 50 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and 40 healthy subjects, and calculated cross sectional area, mean blood flow velocity, blood flow volume and congestion index. In patients with cirrhosis of the liver, the cross sectional area of the portal vein was significantly increased: the mean blood flow volume was significantly reduced; the blood flow volume was significantly increased; the congestion index of the portal vein was significantly increased. Duples sonography may play an important role in the diagnosis of portal hypertension

Percutaneous transhepatic portal vein stenting in a patient with benign non-transplant postoperative portal vein stenosis: A case report

OpenAIRE

Madhusudhan, KS; Agrawal, Nikhil; Srivastava, Deep N; Pal, Sujoy; Gupta, Arun K

2013-01-01

Extrahepatic portal vein stenosis is caused by a variety of benign and malignant diseases and results in development of symptoms due to portal hypertension. Benign post-surgical adhesions causing portal vein stenosis in non-transplant population is an uncommon etiology of portal hypertension. Endovascular treatment of such patients with angioplasty and stenting is uncommonly reported in literature. We report a case of portal hypertension caused by benign postoperative portal vein fibrosis, su...

Development of the public transport research compendium portal

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dimitrov, L

2009-07-01

Full Text Available research and development programme. The research compendium portal is a database providing access to information pertaining to public transport projects in the Republic of South Africa from 2003. The specific projects include regulatory, policy...

Strategi Branding Portal Online Www.tripriau.com Dalam Membangun Brand Awareness Sebagai Portal Online Pariwisata Provinsi Riau

OpenAIRE

Rahmadhani, Yuri; Lubis, Evawani Elysa

2017-01-01

Online portal www.tripriau.com online portal is one of the online portal in Riau Province that has its own uniqueness. These portals contain local content and the potential of tourism in the province of Riau. Since its establishment, www.tripriau.com do branding strategy in order to build brand awareness or trust the reader to be known as a tourism-themed online portal. As the selection of brand name Trip Riau, Riau Guide My tagline, as well as the implementation of travel instagram photo con...

Palliative treatment of TIPS to portal vein tumor thrombosis complicated with portal vein hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zaibo; Shan Hong; Guan Shouhai; Zhu Kangshun; Huang Mingsheng; Li Zhengran; Guo Tiansheng; Liu Lang

2002-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the palliative therapeutic effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) complicated with portal vein hypertension, and to discuss the technical skills. Methods: There were 14 cases of end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with PVTT and portal vein hypertension, the average age was 53.6 yr. There were 8 cases with complete occlusion of main portal vein, 6 eases with incomplete thrombosis, and 5 cases combined with portal vein cavernous transformation. One case had simple hemorrhage, 3 eases had intractable ascites, and 10 cases had hemorrhage accompanied by intractable ascites. Results: The procedure of TIPS was successful in 10 cases, the successful rate was about 71%. The mean portal vein pressure was reduced from 37.2 mm Hg to 18.2 mm Hg, with an average reduction of 19.0 mm Hg. After the procedure of TIPS, the ascites decreased, hemorrhage stopped and the clinical symptoms disappeared. The average survival period was 132.3 days. The procedure were failing in 4 cases. Conclusion: TIPS was an effective palliative therapeutic methods to control the hemorrhage and ascites aroused by hepatic carcinoma complicated with PVTT

Reliability in endoscopic diagnosis of portal hypertensive gastropathy

Science.gov (United States)

de Macedo, George Fred Soares; Ferreira, Fabio Gonçalves; Ribeiro, Maurício Alves; Szutan, Luiz Arnaldo; Assef, Mauricio Saab; Rossini, Lucio Giovanni Battista

2013-01-01

AIM: To analyze reliability among endoscopists in diagnosing portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and to determine which criteria from the most utilized classifications are the most suitable. METHODS: From January to July 2009, in an academic quaternary referral center at Santa Casa of São Paulo Endoscopy Service, Brazil, we performed this single-center prospective study. In this period, we included 100 patients, including 50 sequential patients who had portal hypertension of various etiologies; who were previously diagnosed based on clinical, laboratory and imaging exams; and who presented with esophageal varices. In addition, our study included 50 sequential patients who had dyspeptic symptoms and were referred for upper digestive endoscopy without portal hypertension. All subjects underwent upper digestive endoscopy, and the images of the exam were digitally recorded. Five endoscopists with more than 15 years of experience answered an electronic questionnaire, which included endoscopic criteria from the 3 most commonly used Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy classifications (McCormack, NIEC and Baveno) and the presence of elevated or flat antral erosive gastritis. All five endoscopists were blinded to the patients’ clinical information, and all images of varices were deliberately excluded for the analysis. RESULTS: The three most common etiologies of portal hypertension were schistosomiasis (36%), alcoholic cirrhosis (20%) and viral cirrhosis (14%). Of the 50 patients with portal hypertension, 84% were Child A, 12% were Child B, 4% were Child C, 64% exhibited previous variceal bleeding and 66% were previously endoscopic treated. The endoscopic parameters, presence or absence of mosaic-like pattern, red point lesions and cherry-red spots were associated with high inter-observer reliability and high specificity for diagnosing Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy. Sensitivity, specificity and reliability for the diagnosis of PHG (%) were as follows: mosaic-like pattern

Portal pressure correlated to visceral circulation times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friman, L [Serafimerlasarettet, Stockholm (Sweden)

1979-01-01

Visceral angiography was performed in 7 patients with normal portal pressure and in 10 with portal hypertension. Circulation times, size of vessels and portal pressure were determined. At celiac angiography, a direct correlation was found between time for maximum filling of portal vein and portal pressure, provided no vascular abnormalities existed. At superior mesenteric angiography such a correlation was not found; loss of flow by shunts in portal hypertension being one explanation. Portocaval shunts are common in the celiac system, but uncommon in the superior mesenteric system.

Current status of portal vein thrombosis in Japan: Results of a questionnaire survey by the Japan Society for Portal Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, Seiichiro; Watanabe, Norihito; Koizumi, Jun; Kokubu, Shigehiro; Murashima, Naoya; Matsutani, Shoichi; Obara, Katsutoshi

2018-03-01

To investigate the current status of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in Japan, the Clinical Research Committee of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension undertook a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey of 539 cases of PVT over the previous 10 years was carried out at institutions affiliated with the Board of Trustees of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension. The most frequent underlying etiology of PVT was liver cirrhosis in 75.3% of patients. Other causes included inflammatory diseases of the hepatobiliary system and the pancreas, malignant tumors, and hematologic diseases. The most frequent site was the main trunk of the portal vein (MPV) in 70.5%, and complete obstruction of the MPV was present in 11.5%. Among the medications for PVT, danaparoid was given to 45.8%, warfarin to 26.2%, heparin to 17.3%, and anti-thrombin III to 16.9%. Observation of the course was practiced in 22.4%. Factors contributing to therapeutic efficacy were implementation of various medications, thrombi localized to either the right or left portal vein only, non-complete obstruction of the MPV and Child-Pugh class A liver function. A survival analysis showed that the prognosis was favorable with PVT disappearance regardless of treatment. The questionnaire survey showed the current status of PVT in Japan. Any appropriate medication should be given to a patient with PVT when PVT is recognized. It is necessary to compile a large amount of information and reach a consensus on safe and highly effective management of PVT. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Percutaneous transhepatic portal vein stenting in a patient with benign non-transplant postoperative portal vein stenosis: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KS Madhusudhan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Extrahepatic portal vein stenosis is caused by a variety of benign and malignant diseases and results in development of symptoms due to portal hypertension. Benign post-surgical adhesions causing portal vein stenosis in non-transplant population is an uncommon etiology of portal hypertension. Endovascular treatment of such patients with angioplasty and stenting is uncommonly reported in literature. We report a case of portal hypertension caused by benign postoperative portal vein fibrosis, successfully treated by self-expandable metallic stent.

Best Practices for Building Web Data Portals

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, R. A.; Drew, L.

2013-12-01

With a data archive of more than 1.5 petabytes and a key role as the NASA Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) has an imperative to develop effective Web data portals. As part of continuous enhancement and expansion of its website, ASF recently created two data portals for distribution of SAR data: one for the archiving and distribution of NASA's MEaSUREs Wetlands project and one for newly digitally processed data from NASA's 1978 Seasat satellite. These case studies informed ASF's development of the following set of best practices for developing Web data portals. 1) Maintain well-organized, quality data. This is fundamental. If data are poorly organized or contain errors, credibility is lost and the data will not be used. 2) Match data to likely data uses. 3) Identify audiences in as much detail as possible. ASF DAAC's Seasat and Wetlands portals target three groups of users: a) scientists already familiar with ASF DAAC's SAR archive and our data download tool, Vertex; b) scientists not familiar with SAR or ASF, but who can use the data for their research of oceans, sea ice, volcanoes, land deformation and other Earth sciences; c) audiences wishing to learn more about SAR and its use in Earth sciences. 4) Identify the heaviest data uses and the terms scientists search for online when trying to find data for those uses. 5) Create search engine optimized (SEO) Web content that corresponds to those searches. Because search engines do not yet search raw data, so Web data portals must include content that ties the data to its likely uses. 6) Create Web designs that best serves data users (user centered design), not for how the organization views itself or its data. Usability testing was conducted for the ASF DAAC Wetlands portal to improve the user experience. 7) Use SEO tips and techniques. The ASF DAAC Seasat portal used numerous SEO techniques, including social media, blogging

OntoFire: an ontology-based geo-portal for wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

Kalabokidis, K.; Athanasis, N.; Vaitis, M.

2011-12-01

With the proliferation of the geospatial technologies on the Internet, the role of geo-portals (i.e. gateways to Spatial Data Infrastructures) in the area of wildfires management emerges. However, keyword-based techniques often frustrate users when looking for data of interest in geo-portal environments, while little attention has been paid to shift from the conventional keyword-based to navigation-based mechanisms. The presented OntoFire system is an ontology-based geo-portal about wildfires. Through the proposed navigation mechanisms, the relationships between the data can be discovered, which would otherwise not be possible when using conventional querying techniques alone. End users can use the browsing interface to find resources of interest by using the navigation mechanisms provided. Data providers can use the publishing interface to submit new metadata, modify metadata or removing metadata in/from the catalogue. The proposed approach can improve the discovery of valuable information that is necessary to set priorities for disaster mitigation and prevention strategies. OntoFire aspires to be a focal point of integration and management of a very large amount of information, contributing in this way to the dissemination of knowledge and to the preparedness of the operational stakeholders.

Integrating the patient portal into the health management work ecosystem: user acceptance of a novel prototype

Science.gov (United States)

Eschler, Jordan; Meas, Perry Lin; Lozano, Paula; McClure, Jennifer B.; Ralston, James D.; Pratt, Wanda

2016-01-01

People with a chronic illness must manage a myriad of tasks to support their health. Online patient portals can provide vital information and support in managing health tasks through notification and reminder features. However, little is known about the efficacy of these features in managing health tasks via the portal. To elicit feedback about reminder and notification features in patient portals, we employed a patient-centered approach to design new features for managing health tasks within an existing portal tool. We tested three iteratively designed prototypes with 19 patients and caregivers. Our findings provide insights into users’ attitudes, behavior, and motivations in portal use. Design implications based on these insights include: (1) building on positive aspects of clinician relationships to enhance engagement with the portal; (2) using face-to-face visits to promote clinician collaboration in portal use; and (3) allowing customization of portal modules to support tasks based on user roles. PMID:28269850

Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinde, Kaustubh; Phatak, Mukta; Johannes, Freudenberg M; Chen, Jing; Li, Qian; Vineet, Joshi K; Hu, Zhen; Ghosh, Krishnendu; Meller, Jaroslaw; Medvedovic, Mario

2010-01-13

A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc), and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org.

Portal pressure correlated to visceral circulation times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friman, L.

1979-01-01

Visceral angiography was performed in 7 patients with normal portal pressure and in 10 with portal hypertension. Circulation times, size of vessels and portal pressure were determined. At celiac angiography, a direct correlation was found between time for maximum filling of portal vein and portal pressure, provided no vascular abnormalities existed. At superior mesenteric angiography such a correlation was not found; loss of flow by shunts in portal hypertension being one explanation. Portocaval shunts are common in the celiac system, but uncommon in the superior mesenteric system. (Auth.)

Variation in use of Internet-based patient portals by parents of children with chronic disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Byczkowski, Terri L; Munafo, Jennifer K; Britto, Maria T

2011-05-01

To assess the use of Internet-based portals among families of children with chronic diseases and to describe characteristics of portal registrants and users. Retrospective observational study. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, using data from September 1, 2003, through February 29, 2008. Patients/ Parents of children with diabetes mellitus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or cystic fibrosis. Parents of children with a chronic disease were given the opportunity to access health-related information for their children via an Internet-based portal. Percentage of families who obtained a portal account (registered), used the portal for the first time within 3 months and again 3 to 6 months after registration, number of times logged in, and session length. Of 1900 families, 27.9% obtained a portal account. Of those, 47.8% used the portal within 3 months of registration and 15.9% continued to use the portal 3 to 6 months after registration. Families of African American patients and of patients insured by Medicaid were less likely to obtain a portal account. More outpatient visits and having private health insurance coverage were associated with increased portal registration and use. Understanding the feasibility of portal use by parents is an important first step to using portals for improving self-management, patient-provider interactions, and outcomes for children with chronic diseases. Subsequent studies should address parent perceptions of the value portals add to the management of the chronic disease of their child and ways to increase that value. Barriers to using portals among racial minorities and publicly insured families should also be studied to address disparities.

The Protein Model Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Konstantin; Kiefer, Florian; Kopp, Jürgen; Battey, James N D; Podvinec, Michael; Westbrook, John D; Berman, Helen M; Bordoli, Lorenza; Schwede, Torsten

2009-03-01

Structural Genomics has been successful in determining the structures of many unique proteins in a high throughput manner. Still, the number of known protein sequences is much larger than the number of experimentally solved protein structures. Homology (or comparative) modeling methods make use of experimental protein structures to build models for evolutionary related proteins. Thereby, experimental structure determination efforts and homology modeling complement each other in the exploration of the protein structure space. One of the challenges in using model information effectively has been to access all models available for a specific protein in heterogeneous formats at different sites using various incompatible accession code systems. Often, structure models for hundreds of proteins can be derived from a given experimentally determined structure, using a variety of established methods. This has been done by all of the PSI centers, and by various independent modeling groups. The goal of the Protein Model Portal (PMP) is to provide a single portal which gives access to the various models that can be leveraged from PSI targets and other experimental protein structures. A single interface allows all existing pre-computed models across these various sites to be queried simultaneously, and provides links to interactive services for template selection, target-template alignment, model building, and quality assessment. The current release of the portal consists of 7.6 million model structures provided by different partner resources (CSMP, JCSG, MCSG, NESG, NYSGXRC, JCMM, ModBase, SWISS-MODEL Repository). The PMP is available at http://www.proteinmodelportal.org and from the PSI Structural Genomics Knowledgebase.

[Cystic Fibrosis Cloud database: An information system for storage and management of clinical and microbiological data of cystic fibrosis patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, Claudia I; Palau, María J; Martina, Pablo; Achiary, Carlos; Achiary, Andrés; Bettiol, Marisa; Montanaro, Patricia; Cazzola, María L; Leguizamón, Mariana; Massillo, Cintia; Figoli, Cecilia; Valeiras, Brenda; Perez, Silvia; Rentería, Fernando; Diez, Graciela; Yantorno, Osvaldo M; Bosch, Alejandra

2016-01-01

The epidemiological and clinical management of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffering from acute pulmonary exacerbations or chronic lung infections demands continuous updating of medical and microbiological processes associated with the constant evolution of pathogens during host colonization. In order to monitor the dynamics of these processes, it is essential to have expert systems capable of storing and subsequently extracting the information generated from different studies of the patients and microorganisms isolated from them. In this work we have designed and developed an on-line database based on an information system that allows to store, manage and visualize data from clinical studies and microbiological analysis of bacteria obtained from the respiratory tract of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. The information system, named Cystic Fibrosis Cloud database is available on the http://servoy.infocomsa.com/cfc_database site and is composed of a main database and a web-based interface, which uses Servoy's product architecture based on Java technology. Although the CFC database system can be implemented as a local program for private use in CF centers, it can also be used, updated and shared by different users who can access the stored information in a systematic, practical and safe manner. The implementation of the CFC database could have a significant impact on the monitoring of respiratory infections, the prevention of exacerbations, the detection of emerging organisms, and the adequacy of control strategies for lung infections in CF patients. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Maternity patients' access to their electronic medical records: use and perspectives of a patient portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Megan Forster, Megan; Dennison, Kerrie; Callen, Joanne; Andrew, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna I

Patients have been able to access clinical information from their paper-based health records for a number of years. With the advent of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) access to this information can now be achieved online using a secure electronic patient portal. The purpose of this study was to investigate maternity patients' use and perceptions of a patient portal developed at the Mater Mothers' Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. A web-based patient portal, one of the first developed and deployed in Australia, was introduced on 26 June 2012. The portal was designed for maternity patients booked at Mater Mothers' Hospital, as an alternative to the paper-based Pregnancy Health Record. Through the portal, maternity patients are able to complete their hospital registration form online and obtain current health information about their pregnancy (via their EMR), as well as access a variety of support tools to use during their pregnancy such as tailored public health advice. A retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed. Usage statistics were extracted from the system for a one year period (1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013). Patients' perceptions of the portal were obtained using an online survey, accessible by maternity patients for two weeks in February 2013 (n=80). Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data. Between July 2012 and June 2013, 10,892 maternity patients were offered a patient portal account and access to their EMR. Of those 6,518 created one (60%; 6,518/10,892) and 3,104 went on to request access to their EMR (48%; 3,104/6,518). Of these, 1,751 had their access application granted by 30 June 2013. The majority of maternity patients submitted registration forms online via the patient portal (56.7%). Patients could view their EMR multiple times: there were 671 views of the EMR, 2,781 views of appointment schedules and 135 birth preferences submitted via the EMR. Eighty survey responses were received from EMR account holders, (response

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in patients with active variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension and portal vein thrombosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Hyun Woong; Ryeom, Hun Kyu; Lee, Sang Kwon; Lee, Jong Min; Kim, Young Sun; Suh, Kyung Jin; Kim, Tae Hun; Kim, Yong Joo

1997-01-01

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with active variceal bleeding due to liver cirrhosis and pre-existing portal vein thrombosis. Of a total of 123 patients who underwent TIPS, 14 patients with intractable variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension and portal vein thrombosis were included in this study. Noncavernomatous portal vein occlusion was seen in eight patients, and complete portal vein occlusion with cavernomatous trans-formation in six. For all patients, the methods used for TIPS placement were the same as those used in patients with patents portal veins. In seven of eight patients with noncavernomatous occlusion, right hepatic vein-right portal vein shunting was performed; in one with knoncavernomatous occlusion, a shunt was created between the right hepatic and left portal vein. In five of six patients with cavernomatous occlusion, the right hepatic and main portal vein were connected via a collateral vein. The procedures were technically successful in all except one patient. Immediate hemostatis was achieved after all technically successful procedures, and no significant complications were encountered. Minor complications were noted in six patients (three biliary tree punctures, one transperitoneal puncture, one splenic vein perforation, one hepatic subcapsular hematoma). TIPS is a technically feasible and hemodynamically effective procedure, even in patients with active variceal bleeding due to cirrhosis and complete portal vein occlusion

The PORTAL OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN HEALTH: academic strategy for strengthening the public health system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elioenai Dornelles Alves

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This portal UNB had the institutional support through DEX and the CPD of UNB creating a website specifi c for hosting applications and certifi cations. referrals this portal, we have the following results:the possibility of disclosing the Journal Management & Health and referrals of local health councils, such as events, debates, legislation and forums. Currently, The portal is hosted by thesite of the Center for Research on Education and Health Promotion - NESPROM of UNB. Continuing this portal was the embryo for creating training courses counselors and multipliers theme social control on health, depending on support for updating and continuity information.

A chess web portal

OpenAIRE

Volf, Žiga

2011-01-01

The aim of the thesis was to develop a web portal for chess players, which is intended to be a place for quality chess joining over the Internet and chess education. This need is caused by existing social networks and websites for playing chess, which offer you a very small amount of quality chess joining and education. As a result of the work the chess portal was created. We have presented the development of the chess portal in the thesis, which has all the features the chess players are i...

LifeWatchGreece Portal development: architecture, implementation and challenges for a biodiversity research e-infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Gougousis, Alexandros; Bailly, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Biodiversity data is characterized by its cross-disciplinary character, the extremely broad range of data types and structures, and the plethora of different data sources providing resources for the same piece of information in a heterogeneous way. Since the web inception two decades ago, there are multiple initiatives to connect, aggregate, share, and publish biodiversity data, and to establish data and work flows in order to analyze them. The European program LifeWatch aims at establishing a distributed network of nodes implementing virtual research environment in Europe to facilitate the work of biodiversity researchers and managers. LifeWatchGreece is one of these nodes where a portal was developed offering access to a suite of virtual laboratories and e-services. Despite its strict definition in information technology, in practice "portal" is a fairly broad term that embraces many web architectures. In the biodiversity domain, the term "portal" is usually used to indicate either a web site that provides access to a single or an aggregation of data repositories (like: http://indiabiodiversity.org/, http://www.mountainbiodiversity.org/, http://data.freshwaterbiodiversity.eu), a web site that gathers information about various online biodiversity tools (like http://test-eubon.ebd.csic.es/, http://marine.lifewatch.eu/) or a web site that just gathers information and news about the biodiversity domain (like http://chm.moew.government.bg). LifeWatchGreece's portal takes the concept of a portal a step further. In strict IT terms, LifeWatchGreece's portal is partly a portal, partly a platform and partly an aggregator. It includes a number of biodiversity-related web tools integrated into a centrally-controlled software ecosystem. This ecosystem includes subsystems for access control, traffic monitoring, user notifications and web tool management. These subsystems are shared to all the web tools that have been integrated to the portal and thereby are part of this

BSD Portals for LINUX 2.0

Science.gov (United States)

McNab, A. David; woo, Alex (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Portals, an experimental feature of 4.4BSD, extend the file system name space by exporting certain open () requests to a user-space daemon. A portal daemon is mounted into the file name space as if it were a standard file system. When the kernel resolves a pathname and encounters a portal mount point, the remainder of the path is passed to the portal daemon. Depending on the portal "pathname" and the daemon's configuration, some type of open (2) is performed. The resulting file descriptor is passed back to the kernel which eventually returns it to the user, to whom it appears that a "normal" open has occurred. A proxy portalfs file system is responsible for kernel interaction with the daemon. The overall effect is that the portal daemon performs an open (2) on behalf of the kernel, possibly hiding substantial complexity from the calling process. One particularly useful application is implementing a connection service that allows simple scripts to open network sockets. This paper describes the implementation of portals for LINUX 2.0.

Integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earthdata Web Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, M. M.; McLaughlin, B. D.; Huang, T.; Baynes, K.

2015-12-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acquires and distributes an abundance of Earth science data on a daily basis to a diverse user community worldwide. To assist the scientific community and general public in achieving a greater understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of Earth science and of key environmental and climate change topics, the NASA Earthdata web infrastructure is integrating new methods of presenting and providing access to Earth science information, data, research and results. This poster will present the process of integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earthdata web infrastructure, with examples from the Sea Level Change Portal. The Sea Level Change Portal will be a source of current NASA research, data and information regarding sea level change. The portal will provide sea level change information through articles, graphics, videos and animations, an interactive tool to view and access sea level change data and a dashboard showing sea level change indicators. Earthdata is a part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) project. EOSDIS is a key core capability in NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program. It provides end-to-end capabilities for managing NASA's Earth science data from various sources - satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. It is comprised of twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), Science Computing Facilities (SCFs), data discovery and service access client (Reverb and Earthdata Search), dataset directory (Global Change Master Directory - GCMD), near real-time data (Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS - LANCE), Worldview (an imagery visualization interface), Global Imagery Browse Services, the Earthdata Code Collaborative and a host of other discipline specific data discovery, data access, data subsetting and visualization tools.

Predictive model of portal venous system thrombosis in cirrhotic portal hypertensive patients after splenectomy

OpenAIRE

He, Shasha; He, Fangping

2015-01-01

Objective: This study is to investigate the risk factors of portal venous system thrombosis (PVT) in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension after splenectomy and to establish a Logistic regression prediction model. Methods: A total of 119 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension were enrolled. Their clinical data was retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into PVT group (n = 18) and non-PVT group (n = 101). One-way analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were perfo...

Portal monitoring technology control process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

York, R.L.

1998-01-01

Portal monitors are an important part of the material protection, control, and accounting (MPC and A) programs in Russia and the US. Although portal monitors are only a part of an integrated MPC and A system, they are an effective means of controlling the unauthorized movement of special nuclear material (SNM). Russian technical experts have gained experience in the use of SNM portal monitors from US experts ad this has allowed them to use the monitors more effectively. Several Russian institutes and companies are designing and manufacturing SNM portal monitors in Russia. Interactions between Russian and US experts have resulted in improvements to the instruments. SNM portal monitor technology has been effectively transferred from the US to Russia and should be a permanent part of the Russian MPC and A Program. Progress in the implementation of the monitors and improvements to how they are used are discussed

Determination of liver and spleen perfusion by quantitative sequential scintigraphy: results in normal subjects and in patients with portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biersack, H.J.; Torres, J.; Thelen, M.; Monzon, O.; Winkler, C.

1981-01-01

Quantitative sequential hepatosplenic scintigraphy was performed to determine the arterial and portal components of the total liver circulation in 135 patients (no liver disease in 20, liver cirrhosis and portal ;hypertension in 115). Portal circulation in healthy patients is calculated to be 70.4 +/- 6.2% of the total liver blood flow, whereas patients with portal hypertension showed a clear reduction of portal perfusion to 20.2 +/- 10.9%. Thirteen of 20 patients having portosystemic shunt surgery showed no portal perfusion. This new, noninvasive diagnostic technique yields vital information particularly useful in ;the surgical evaluation of portal hypertension. Other indications are also discussed

Venice GIS Portal: la punta dell'iceberg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudj Maria Todaro

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Venice GIS portal Single information system, the only methodology but an undetermined number of working groups. The basic principle, which underpins Insula, is flexibility, a philosophy which has enabled it to test the adoption of new processes of governance of assets, as a strategic resource of the Public.

An automated portal verification system for the tangential breast portal field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, F.-F.; Lai, W.; Chen, C. W.; Nelson, D. F.

1995-01-01

Purpose/Objective: In order to ensure the treatment is delivered as planned, a portal image is acquired in the accelerator and is compared to the reference image. At present, this comparison is performed by radiation oncologists based on the manually-identified features, which is both time-consuming and potentially error-prone. With the introduction of various electronic portal imaging devices, real-time patient positioning correction is becoming clinically feasible to replace time-delayed analysis using films. However, this procedure requires present of radiation oncologists during patient treatment which is not cost-effective and practically not realistic. Therefore, the efficiency and quality of radiation therapy could be substantially improved if this procedure can be automated. The purpose of this study is to develop a fully computerized verification system for the radiation therapy of breast cancer for which a similar treatment setup is generally employed. Materials/Methods: The automated verification system involves image acquisition, image feature extraction, feature correlation between reference and portal images, and quantitative evaluation of patient setup. In this study, a matrix liquid ion-chamber EPID was used to acquire digital portal images which is directly attached to Varian CL2100C accelerator. For effective use of computation memory, the 12-bit gray levels in original portal images were quantized to form a range of 8-bit gray levels. A typical breast portal image includes three important components: breast and lung tissues in the treatment field, air space within the treatment field, and non-irradiated region. A hierarchical region processing technique was developed to separate these regions sequentially. The inherent hierarchical features were formulated based on different radiation attenuation for different regions as: treatment field edge -- breast skin line -- chest wall. Initially, a combination of a Canny edge detector and a constrained

SU-E-J-15: Automatically Detect Patient Treatment Position and Orientation in KV Portal Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, J; Yang, D

2015-01-01

Purpose: In the course of radiation therapy, the complex information processing workflow will Result in potential errors, such as incorrect or inaccurate patient setups. With automatic image check and patient identification, such errors could be effectively reduced. For this purpose, we developed a simple and rapid image processing method, to automatically detect the patient position and orientation in 2D portal images, so to allow automatic check of positions and orientations for patient daily RT treatments. Methods: Based on the principle of portal image formation, a set of whole body DRR images were reconstructed from multiple whole body CT volume datasets, and fused together to be used as the matching template. To identify the patient setup position and orientation shown in a 2D portal image, the 2D portal image was preprocessed (contrast enhancement, down-sampling and couch table detection), then matched to the template image so to identify the laterality (left or right), position, orientation and treatment site. Results: Five day’s clinical qualified portal images were gathered randomly, then were processed by the automatic detection and matching method without any additional information. The detection results were visually checked by physicists. 182 images were correct detection in a total of 200kV portal images. The correct rate was 91%. Conclusion: The proposed method can detect patient setup and orientation quickly and automatically. It only requires the image intensity information in KV portal images. This method can be useful in the framework of Electronic Chart Check (ECCK) to reduce the potential errors in workflow of radiation therapy and so to improve patient safety. In addition, the auto-detection results, as the patient treatment site position and patient orientation, could be useful to guide the sequential image processing procedures, e.g. verification of patient daily setup accuracy. This work was partially supported by research grant from

SU-E-J-15: Automatically Detect Patient Treatment Position and Orientation in KV Portal Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, J [Washington University in St Louis, Taian, Shandong (China); Yang, D [Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: In the course of radiation therapy, the complex information processing workflow will Result in potential errors, such as incorrect or inaccurate patient setups. With automatic image check and patient identification, such errors could be effectively reduced. For this purpose, we developed a simple and rapid image processing method, to automatically detect the patient position and orientation in 2D portal images, so to allow automatic check of positions and orientations for patient daily RT treatments. Methods: Based on the principle of portal image formation, a set of whole body DRR images were reconstructed from multiple whole body CT volume datasets, and fused together to be used as the matching template. To identify the patient setup position and orientation shown in a 2D portal image, the 2D portal image was preprocessed (contrast enhancement, down-sampling and couch table detection), then matched to the template image so to identify the laterality (left or right), position, orientation and treatment site. Results: Five day’s clinical qualified portal images were gathered randomly, then were processed by the automatic detection and matching method without any additional information. The detection results were visually checked by physicists. 182 images were correct detection in a total of 200kV portal images. The correct rate was 91%. Conclusion: The proposed method can detect patient setup and orientation quickly and automatically. It only requires the image intensity information in KV portal images. This method can be useful in the framework of Electronic Chart Check (ECCK) to reduce the potential errors in workflow of radiation therapy and so to improve patient safety. In addition, the auto-detection results, as the patient treatment site position and patient orientation, could be useful to guide the sequential image processing procedures, e.g. verification of patient daily setup accuracy. This work was partially supported by research grant from

Evaluation of the Knowledge Management Mechanisms of Brazilian Northeast Universities Hospital Portals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helio Roberto Hekis

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Hospital portals that manage health related data are becoming increasingly popular since they play an important role to provide, acquire and exchange information to its users. This study aims to verify how the hospital portals are contributing to the expansion of users knowledge by the analysis of interactive features associated with three mechanisms of knowledge management: Knowledge Access (KA; Knowledge Creation (KC; and Knowledge Transfer (KT. The study is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative, classified as a survey, and involves the standardization of data collection instruments (questionnaires and interviews applied directly to people of a particular population to evaluate the knowledge management the portals present on the university hospitals from northeastern of Brazil. The results indicated that the proceeds of access to knowledge (AK prevailed over other confirming the results found on the Asians and Americans hospital portals. 

Medical Microbiology: Deficits and Remedies

Science.gov (United States)

Gabridge, Michael G.

1974-01-01

Microbiology is a typical medical science in which basic information can have direct application. Yet, surveys and questionnaires of recent medical school graduates indicate a serious lack of retentiion in regard to basic biological science. (Author)

Congestive index of portal vein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Ho; Kim, H. K.; Lee, S. C.; Han, S. H.; Han, K. H.; Chung, J. B.; Choi, H. J.

1989-01-01

In patients with portal hypertension, the blood flow volume is maintained despite decreased blood flow velocity due to enlargement of the vascular cross sectional area. Thus, the 'congestion index' of the portal vein, which is the ratio between the cross sectional area (cm2) and the blood flow velocity (cm/sec) determined by a Doppler ultrasonography, may be a sensitive index by which to assess portal hypertension. We performed Doppler ultrasonography on 24 normal subjects, 14 patients with biopsy proved chronic active hepatitis and 55 patients with liver cirrhosis in order to assess the diagnostic value of the congestion index. The cross sectional area of the portal vein was significantly enlarged and the mean blood flow velocity was significantly reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis compared with controls. However, the blood flow volume was no difference. The congestion index of the portal vein was significantly increased in patients with liver cirrhosis (0.113+0.035) compared with patients with chronic active hepatitis(0.078+0.029) (p<0.001) and controls (0.053+0.016) (p<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and predictability of the congestion index for detection of patients with the cirrhosis of the liver were 76.4%, 100% and 100% respectively, when the normal range was set at mean+2SD. The results suggest that the congestion index of the portal vein may pla a significant role in diagnosis of portal hypertensive patients

Young Patients’ Views on the Open Web 2.0 Childhood Diabetes Patient Portal: A Qualitative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Nordfeldt

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the views of young patients themselves on interactive Web portal services provided by pediatric practitioners. We aimed to explore their perceptions of a real-world diabetes portal that offers facts and contact with peers and practitioners; e.g., discussion forums, blog tools, self-care and treatment information, research updates and news from local practitioners. Twelve young patients (ages 12–21, median 15 years, one boyfriend, 7 mothers and one father each wrote an essay on their experience from use of the portal. Their essays underwent qualitative content analysis. A major theme was “Helping and facilitating daily life with diabetes”, the portal was perceived as a place where contents are interesting, inspiring and may trigger users’ curiosity. There were three subthemes; “Ease of use in my everyday life,” which includes the perception that the portal was perceived as smooth and easy to enter and navigate whenever needed; that information was easy to understand for different groups of users. “Support via an exchange of experience,” includes the ability to contact peers being regarded advantageous. Some said that just reading others’ experiences can be helpful in terms of persevering; children could find peers in the same age group. “Evidence based information,” includes the perception of the portal being a useful and trustworthy source of facts on e.g., physical activity, blood glucose, medical devices, emotional wellbeing, food and nutrition, and other aspects that impact living with diabetes. Young users expressed positive perceptions towards the interactive web portal. Such services seem to have great potential for supporting young patients and significant others - intergrading for confidence.

BioMart Central Portal: an open database network for the biological community

Science.gov (United States)

Guberman, Jonathan M.; Ai, J.; Arnaiz, O.; Baran, Joachim; Blake, Andrew; Baldock, Richard; Chelala, Claude; Croft, David; Cros, Anthony; Cutts, Rosalind J.; Di Génova, A.; Forbes, Simon; Fujisawa, T.; Gadaleta, E.; Goodstein, D. M.; Gundem, Gunes; Haggarty, Bernard; Haider, Syed; Hall, Matthew; Harris, Todd; Haw, Robin; Hu, S.; Hubbard, Simon; Hsu, Jack; Iyer, Vivek; Jones, Philip; Katayama, Toshiaki; Kinsella, R.; Kong, Lei; Lawson, Daniel; Liang, Yong; Lopez-Bigas, Nuria; Luo, J.; Lush, Michael; Mason, Jeremy; Moreews, Francois; Ndegwa, Nelson; Oakley, Darren; Perez-Llamas, Christian; Primig, Michael; Rivkin, Elena; Rosanoff, S.; Shepherd, Rebecca; Simon, Reinhard; Skarnes, B.; Smedley, Damian; Sperling, Linda; Spooner, William; Stevenson, Peter; Stone, Kevin; Teague, J.; Wang, Jun; Wang, Jianxin; Whitty, Brett; Wong, D. T.; Wong-Erasmus, Marie; Yao, L.; Youens-Clark, Ken; Yung, Christina; Zhang, Junjun; Kasprzyk, Arek

2011-01-01

BioMart Central Portal is a first of its kind, community-driven effort to provide unified access to dozens of biological databases spanning genomics, proteomics, model organisms, cancer data, ontology information and more. Anybody can contribute an independently maintained resource to the Central Portal, allowing it to be exposed to and shared with the research community, and linking it with the other resources in the portal. Users can take advantage of the common interface to quickly utilize different sources without learning a new system for each. The system also simplifies cross-database searches that might otherwise require several complicated steps. Several integrated tools streamline common tasks, such as converting between ID formats and retrieving sequences. The combination of a wide variety of databases, an easy-to-use interface, robust programmatic access and the array of tools make Central Portal a one-stop shop for biological data querying. Here, we describe the structure of Central Portal and show example queries to demonstrate its capabilities. Database URL: http://central.biomart.org. PMID:21930507

Comparative analysis of pulsed doppler ultrasonography of portal vein vs indirect photography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Jae Chun; Kwon, Huck Po; Hwang, Mi Soo; Kim, Sun Youn; Park, Bok Hwan; Lee, Hyun Ju; Kim, Hong Jin

1990-01-01

There are some limitation of interpretation in indirect photography via superior mesenteric artery. In order to supplement and predict indirect photography, we compared indirect photographic findings with pulsed doppler flowmetry in 38 hepatobiliary patients, and the results were as follow: 1. In case of normal main portal vein(MPV) filling, Pulsed Doppler always showed antegrade, continuous parabolic wave form and cases of abnormal MPV filling, showed unusual wave form and flow direction. 2. In normal filling case of proximal right portal vein, Pulsed Doppler almost showed normal continuous parabolic wave form but in normal filling cases of proximal left portal vein, occasionally showed undulating wave form. 3. In each side proximal portal vein abnormal filling case, we could observe abnormal doppler wave form and could obtain additional information using doppler wave form. 4. Mean portal flow velocity was significantly increased in higher photography grade(p=0.01) and congestion index was significantly decreased in higher photography grade(p=0.01). 5. We concluded that doppler ultrasonography could supplement incomplete indirect photography

Pregnancy with Portal Hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Neelam; Negi, Neha; Aggarwal, Aakash; Bodh, Vijay; Dhiman, Radha K.

2014-01-01

Even though pregnancy is rare with cirrhosis and advanced liver disease, but it may co-exist in the setting of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension as liver function is preserved but whenever encountered together is a complex clinical dilemma. Pregnancy in a patient with portal hypertension presents a special challenge to the obstetrician as so-called physiological hemodynamic changes associated with pregnancy, needed for meeting demands of the growing fetus, worsen the portal hypertension thereby putting mother at risk of potentially life-threatening complications like variceal hemorrhage. Risks of variceal bleed and hepatic decompensation increase many fold during pregnancy. Optimal management revolves round managing the portal hypertension and its complications. Thus management of such cases requires multi-speciality approach involving obstetricians experienced in dealing with high risk cases, hepatologists, anesthetists and neonatologists. With advancement in medical field, pregnancy is not contra-indicated in these women, as was previously believed. This article focuses on the different aspects of pregnancy with portal hypertension with special emphasis on specific cause wise treatment options to decrease the variceal bleed and hepatic decompensation. Based on extensive review of literature, management from pre-conceptional period to postpartum is outlined in order to have optimal maternal and perinatal outcomes. PMID:25755552

Portal verification for breast cancer radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petkovska, Sonja; Pejkovikj, Sasho; Apostolovski, Nebojsha

2013-01-01

At the University Clinic in Skopje, breast cancer irradiation is being planned and performed by using a mono-iso centrical method, which means that a unique isocenter (I C) for all irradiation fields is used. The goal of this paper is to present the patient’s position in all coordinates before the first treatment session, relative to the position determined during the CT simulation. Deviation of up to 5 mm is allowed. The analysis was made by using a portal verification. Sixty female patients at random selection are reviewed. The matching results show that for each patient deviation exists at least on one axis. The largest deviations are in the longitudinal direction (head-feet) up to 4 mm, mean 1.8 mm. In 60 out of 85 analysed fields, the deviation is towards the head. In lateral direction, median deviation is 1.1 mm and in 65% of the analysed portals those deviations are in medial direction – contralateral breast which can increases the dose in the lung and in the contralateral breast. This deviation for supraclavicular field can increase the dose in the spinal cord. Although these doses are well below the limit, this fact should be taken into account in setting the treatment fields. The final conclusion from the research is that despite of the fact we are dealing with small deviations, in conditions when accuracy in positioning is done with portal, the portal verification needs to be done in the coming weeks of the treatment, not only before the first treatment. This provides information for an intra fractional set-up deviation. (Author)

Blood in the gastric lumen increases splanchnic blood flow and portal pressure in portal-hypertensive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, L; Groszmann, R J

1996-10-01

In portal-hypertensive humans, portal blood flow and pressure increase after a meal. These hemodynamic changes may increase variceal rupture risk. The aim of this study was to determine whether blood in the stomach lumen increases splanchnic flow and portal pressure (PP) in portal-hypertensive rats. superior mesenteric artery flow and PP were measured in conscious, unrestrained, fasted partial portal vein-ligated rats with chronically implanted Doppler flow probes or portal vein catheters before and after gavage with heparinized, warmed blood from donor rats, air, standard meal, or empty tube. Percentage of changes in flow and pressure from baseline were significantly greater after gavage with blood (an increase of 22.6% +/- 3.5% and an increase of 16.4% +/- 3.1%, respectively) than empty tube (an increase of 3.4% +/- 0.6% and a decrease of 5.4% +/- 3.5%, respectively) (P empty tube (P calories probably contributes to these hemodynamic changes. In patients with variceal hemorrhage, blood in the stomach may increase the risk of persistent variceal bleeding or rebleeding.

Portal vein stenting for delayed jejunal varix bleeding associated with portal venous occlusion after hepatoiliary and pancreatic surgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyun, Dong Ho; Park, Kwang Bo; Cho, Sung Ki; Park, Hong Suk; Shin, Sung Wook; Choo, Sung Wook; Do, Young Soo; Choo, In Wook; Choi, Dong Wook [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-09-15

The study aimed to describe portal stenting for postoperative portal occlusion with delayed (≥ 3 months) variceal bleeding in the afferent jejunal loop. Eleven consecutive patients (age range, 2–79 years; eight men and three women) who underwent portal stenting between April 2009 and December 2015 were included in the study. Preoperative medical history and the postoperative clinical course were reviewed. Characteristics of portal occlusion and details of procedures were also investigated. Technical success, treatment efficacy (defined as disappearance of jejunal varix on follow-up CT), and clinical success were analyzed. Primary stent patency rate was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. All patients underwent hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer surgery except two children with liver transplantation for biliary atresia. Portal occlusion was caused by benign postoperative change (n = 6) and local tumor recurrence (n = 5). Variceal bleeding occurred at 27 months (4 to 72 months) and portal stenting was performed at 37 months (4 to 121 months), on average, postoperatively. Technical success, treatment efficacy, and clinical success rates were 90.9, 100, and 81.8%, respectively. The primary patency rate of portal stent was 88.9% during the mean follow-up period of 9 months. Neither procedure-related complication nor mortality occurred. Interventional portal stenting is an effective treatment for delayed jejunal variceal bleeding due to portal occlusion after hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery.

Portal vein stenting for delayed jejunal varix bleeding associated with portal venous occlusion after hepatoiliary and pancreatic surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyun, Dong Ho; Park, Kwang Bo; Cho, Sung Ki; Park, Hong Suk; Shin, Sung Wook; Choo, Sung Wook; Do, Young Soo; Choo, In Wook; Choi, Dong Wook

2017-01-01

The study aimed to describe portal stenting for postoperative portal occlusion with delayed (≥ 3 months) variceal bleeding in the afferent jejunal loop. Eleven consecutive patients (age range, 2–79 years; eight men and three women) who underwent portal stenting between April 2009 and December 2015 were included in the study. Preoperative medical history and the postoperative clinical course were reviewed. Characteristics of portal occlusion and details of procedures were also investigated. Technical success, treatment efficacy (defined as disappearance of jejunal varix on follow-up CT), and clinical success were analyzed. Primary stent patency rate was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. All patients underwent hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer surgery except two children with liver transplantation for biliary atresia. Portal occlusion was caused by benign postoperative change (n = 6) and local tumor recurrence (n = 5). Variceal bleeding occurred at 27 months (4 to 72 months) and portal stenting was performed at 37 months (4 to 121 months), on average, postoperatively. Technical success, treatment efficacy, and clinical success rates were 90.9, 100, and 81.8%, respectively. The primary patency rate of portal stent was 88.9% during the mean follow-up period of 9 months. Neither procedure-related complication nor mortality occurred. Interventional portal stenting is an effective treatment for delayed jejunal variceal bleeding due to portal occlusion after hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery

TMEM16A regulates portal vein smooth muscle cell proliferation in portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xi; Huang, Ping; Chen, Mingkai; Liu, Shiqian; Wu, Nannan; Wang, Fang; Zhang, Jing

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effect of transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) on portal vein smooth muscle cell (PVSMC) proliferation associated with portal vein remodeling in portal hypertension (PHT). Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bile duct ligation to establish a rat model of liver cirrhosis and PHT. Sham-operated animals served as controls. At 8 weeks after bile duct ligation, the extent of liver fibrosis and the portal vein wall thickness were assessed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein expression levels of TMEM16A, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in the portal vein were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. In vitro , the lentivirus vectors were constructed and transfected into PVSMCs to upregulate the expression of TMEM16A. Isolated rat primary PVSMCs were treated with a small molecule inhibitor of TMEM16A, T16A-inhA01. Cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. The activity of TMEM16A in the portal vein isolated from bile duct ligated rats was decreased, while the expression level of p-ERK1/2 was increased. However, in vitro , upregulation of TMEM16A promoted the proliferation PVSMCs, while inhibition of TMEM16A channels inhibited the proliferation of PVSMCs. The results indicated that TMEM16A contributes to PVSMCs proliferation in vitro , but in vivo , it may be a negative regulator of cell proliferation influenced by numerous factors.

Cavernous transformation of the portal vein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehotska, V.; Dostalova, K.; Durkovsky, A.; Samal, V.

1995-01-01

In this contribution, the authors give an account of a rare case of a cavernous transformation of the portal vein that may have originated secondarily in a proliferative hematogenous disease with a polyglobulia and thrombosis in the periferal blood count as well as development of portal hypertension of a prehepatal type. The state of hyper-coagulation in a myeloproliferative disease may have lead to a chronic thrombosis of the portal vein with a subsequent malformation of the portal vein in terms of a cavernous transformation of the portal vein. The case is an interesting one because of the discrepancy between the gravity of the thrombotic complication and slightness of the symptoms in the clinical picture. The authors point out the importance of ultrasonography and computed tomography examination following the intravenous application of a water solution of a contrast medium in a morphologic diagnosing of a rare complication of a chronic thrombotic clot of the portal vein - the cavernous transformation. (authors)

Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghosh Krishnendu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Results Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc, and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. Conclusion The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org.

X-ray examination of the portal hypertension by means of indirect arterial portography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vadon, G; Engloner, L; Kupcsulik, P; Konya, A [Semmelweis Orvostudomanyi Egyetem, Budapest (Hungary). Radiologiai Klinika; Semmelweis Orvostudomanyi Egyetem, Budapest (Hungary). 2. Sebeszeti Klinika)

1982-01-01

The blood flow in the portal system, its collaterals and the presence of any thrombus was examined by serial radiograms taken in the venous phase after catheterization of the a. coeliaca, linealis or mesenterica superior. In 127 out of 131 cases the examination was successful and gave valuable information. The method is recommended as a first investigation in cases of suspected portal hypertension.

Development of Sales and Inventory Workflow Management Information System Web Portal for Petrospan Integrated Services, Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Ezeonwumelu, Adanna Ngozi; Eunice, Akinloye Bolanle; Ezenugu, Isaac A.

2017-01-01

In this paper, the development of Sales and Inventory Workflow Management Information System (SIWfMS) web portal for Petrospan Integrated Services, Eket, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria was presented. Rapid Application Development (RAP) methodology is used in the web application development. Three-tier architecture based on WAMP server configuration was adopted. The WAMP server was made up of Windows Operating system; Apache web server, MySQL database system and PHP server-side scripting langue. The...

Morphological and biomechanical remodeling of the hepatic portal vein in a swine model of portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xi-Ju; Huang, Tie-Zhu; Wang, Pei-Jun; Peng, Xing-Chun; Li, Wen-Chun; Wang, Jun; Tang, Jie; Feng, Na; Yu, Ming-Hua

2012-02-01

To obtain the morphological and biomechanical remodeling of portal veins in swine with portal hypertension (PHT), so as to provide some mechanical references and theoretical basis for clinical practice about PHT. Twenty white pigs were used in this study, 14 of them were subjected to both carbon tetrachloride- and pentobarbital-containing diet to induce experimental liver cirrhosis and PHT, and the remaining animals served as the normal controls. The morphological remodeling of portal veins was observed. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression profile in the vessel wall was assessed at both mRNA and protein level. The biomechanical changes of the hepatic portal veins were evaluated through assessing the following indicators: the incremental elastic modulus, pressure-strain elastic modulus, volume elastic modulus, and the incremental compliance. The swine PHT model was successfully established. The percentages for the microstructural components and the histological data significantly changed in the experimental group. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was significantly downregulated in the portal veins of the experimental group. Three incremental elastic moduli (the incremental elastic modulus, pressure-strain elastic modulus, and volume elastic modulus) of the portal veins from PHT animals were significantly larger than those of the controls (P portal vein decreased. Our study suggests that the morphological and biomechanical properties of swine hepatic portal veins change significantly during the PHT process, which may play a critical role in the development of PHT and serve as potential therapeutic targets during clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Annals of Vascular Surgery Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OntoFire: an ontology-based geo-portal for wildfires

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K. Kalabokidis

2011-12-01

Full Text Available With the proliferation of the geospatial technologies on the Internet, the role of geo-portals (i.e. gateways to Spatial Data Infrastructures in the area of wildfires management emerges. However, keyword-based techniques often frustrate users when looking for data of interest in geo-portal environments, while little attention has been paid to shift from the conventional keyword-based to navigation-based mechanisms. The presented OntoFire system is an ontology-based geo-portal about wildfires. Through the proposed navigation mechanisms, the relationships between the data can be discovered, which would otherwise not be possible when using conventional querying techniques alone. End users can use the browsing interface to find resources of interest by using the navigation mechanisms provided. Data providers can use the publishing interface to submit new metadata, modify metadata or removing metadata in/from the catalogue. The proposed approach can improve the discovery of valuable information that is necessary to set priorities for disaster mitigation and prevention strategies. OntoFire aspires to be a focal point of integration and management of a very large amount of information, contributing in this way to the dissemination of knowledge and to the preparedness of the operational stakeholders.

Portal hyperflow in patients with hepatosplenic mansonic schistosomiasis Hiperfluxo portal na forma hepatosplênica da esquistossomose mansônica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto de Cleva

2004-02-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess portal hemodynamics in patients with portal hypertension due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis as well as to assess the contribution of splanchnic hyperflow to the pathophysiology of the portal hypertension. METHODS: Sixteen patients with schistosomal portal hypertension and previous history of upper digestive bleeding due to esophageal varices rupture underwent elective esophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy and were prospectively studied. All patients underwent intraoperative invasive hemodynamic portal monitoring with a 4F-thermodilution catheter. The intraoperative portal hemodynamic assessment was conducted after laparotomy (initial and after esophagogastric devascularization (final. RESULTS: The initial portal pressure was elevated (mean 28.5 ± 4.5 mm Hg, and a significant drop of 25% was observed at the end of the surgery (21.9 ± 4.9 mm Hg. The initial portal flow was elevated (mean 1766.9 ± 686.6 mL/min. A significant fall (42% occurred at the end of the surgical procedure (1025.62 ± 338.7 mL/min. Fourteen patients (87.5% presented a portal flow of more than 1200 mL/min, and in 5 cases, values greater than 2000 mL/min were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Esophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy promote a significant reduction of the elevated portal pressure and flow in schistosomal portal hypertension. These data favor the hypothesis of portal hyperflow in the physiopathology of portal hypertension of schistosomiasis.OBJETIVOS: o objetivo do presente estudo é estudar a hemodinâmica portal em pacientes com hipertensão portal secundária a forma hepatoesplênica da esquistossomose e avaliar a contribuição do hiperfluxo esplênico na sua fisiopatologia CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados prospectivamente 16 pacientes portadores de hipertensão portal secundária à forma hepatoesplênica da esquistossomose mansônica com indicação de tratamento cirúrgico. Todos foram

Advances Afoot in Microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Robin; Karon, Brad S

2017-07-01

In 2016, the American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium to examine point-of-care (POC) microbiology testing and to evaluate its effects on clinical microbiology. Colloquium participants included representatives from clinical microbiology laboratories, industry, and the government, who together made recommendations regarding the implementation, oversight, and evaluation of POC microbiology testing. The colloquium report is timely and well written (V. Dolen et al., Changing Diagnostic Paradigms for Microbiology , 2017, https://www.asm.org/index.php/colloquium-reports/item/6421-changing-diagnostic-paradigms-for-microbiology?utm_source=Commentary&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=diagnostics). Emerging POC microbiology tests, especially nucleic acid amplification tests, have the potential to advance medical care. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Tc-99m-Sn colloid dynamic and static scintigraphic evaluation of patients with portal hypertension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamal, S; Lodhi, T; Qureshi, H; Zuberi, S; Khan, R

1986-04-01

Dynamic scintigraphy of the liver and spleen was performed by injecting Tc-99m-Sl colloid as a bolus in 15 normal controls and 17 patients presenting with portal hypertension. Using a computer, the hepatic and splenic time-activity curves were analyzed. In addition to the Ratio of Area, the Ratio of Integral and Slope of Integral for liver to spleen were also calculated. The Ratio of the Area (L/S) was significantly different in the normal and portal hypertensives (p < 0.001). The Ratios of the Integral and the slope of the Integral were not only significantly different in the normals and portal hypertensives (p < 0.001) but were also significantly different in the cirrhotic and the non-cirrhotic group of portal hypertensives (p < 0.001). In the routine study of liver scintigraphy in cases of portal hypertension, by adding the above mentioned method, the increased information of uptake dynamics seems to be useful for differentiating the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic groups of portal hypertension.

Tc-99m-Sn colloid dynamic and static scintigraphic evaluation of patients with portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamal, S.; Lodhi, T.; Qureshi, H.; Zuberi, S.; Khan, R.

1986-01-01

Dynamic scintigraphy of the liver and spleen was performed by injecting Tc-99m-Sl colloid as a bolus in 15 normal controls and 17 patients presenting with portal hypertension. Using a computer, the hepatic and splenic time-activity curves were analyzed. In addition to the Ratio of Area, the Ratio of Integral and Slope of Integral for liver to spleen were also calculated. The Ratio of the Area (L/S) was significantly different in the normal and portal hypertensives (p < 0.001). The Ratios of the Integral and the slope of the Integral were not only significantly different in the normals and portal hypertensives (p < 0.001) but were also significantly different in the cirrhotic and the non-cirrhotic group of portal hypertensives (p < 0.001). In the routine study of liver scintigraphy in cases of portal hypertension, by adding the above mentioned method, the increased information of uptake dynamics seems to be useful for differentiating the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic groups of portal hypertension. (author)

The importance of microbiological testing for establishing cause of death in 42 forensic autopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Søren

2015-01-01

postmortem. With this study we aim to review the use of microbiological procedures at our forensic institute. In a retrospective study including 42 autopsies performed at our Institute, where microbiological test had been applied, analyses were made with regard to: type of microbiological tests performed......Microorganisms have always been one of the great challenges of humankind, being responsible for both high morbidity and mortality throughout history. In a forensic setting microbiological information will always be difficult to interpret due to lack of antemortem information and changes in flora......, microorganisms found, histological findings, antemortem information, C-reactive protein measurement and cause of death. Fiftyone different microorganisms were found distributed among 37 cases, bacteria being the most abundant. Nineteen of the cases were classified as having a microbiological related cause...

Radioisotopic evaluation of portal circulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maliska, C.; Rosenthal, D.

1986-01-01

The use of a radio-tracer of portal circulation through the intestine, should prevent cruel punctures in the portal-vein or spleen as it is usually the case with traditional methods in the study of portal-system. The absorption of I-131 and Tc-99m, previously cheked in rabbits presented similar results in dogs. The time of circulation between terminal large-intestine and the liver (t-RF) was determined by external counting at hepatic level by recording radioactivity variation-time. In healthy animals the t-RF was from 20to 60 seconds, with average time of 42 seconds. In 2 animals with partial binding of portal-vein the t-RF went up to 110 and 120 seconds. (Author) [pt

Radiation portal evaluation parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

York, R.L.

1998-01-01

The detection of the unauthorized movement of radioactive materials is one of the most effective nonproliferation measures. Automatic special nuclear material (SNM) portal monitors are designed to detect this unauthorized movement and are an important part of the safeguard systems at US nuclear facilities. SNM portals differ from contamination monitors because they are designed to have high sensitivity for the low energy gamma-rays associated with highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium. These instruments are now being installed at international borders to prevent the spread of radioactive contamination an SNM. In this paper the parameters important to evaluating radiation portal monitors are discussed. (author)

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PORTAL

OpenAIRE

Georgeta Soava

2011-01-01

Today companies are faced with the need to exploit technology changing computer environments, in order to improve customer satisfaction and reduce costs. A successful approach to electronic portals is an effective demonstration of the new ways of relating to the client. The objectives that we have considered for the realization of e-commerce portal can be summarized as follows: structured communication, effective collaboration, complet and closed circuit of orders and deliveries, inventory op...

Pathology of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Guido, Maria; Sarcognato, Samantha; Sacchi, Diana; Colloredo, Guido

2018-04-12

Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension is an under-recognized vascular liver disease of unknown etiology, characterized by clinical signs of portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis. By definition, any disorder known to cause portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis and any cause of chronic liver disease must be excluded to make a diagnosis of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. However, the diagnosis is often difficult because the disease resembles cirrhosis and there is no gold standard test. Liver biopsy is an essential tool: it is able to exclude cirrhosis and other causes of portal hypertension and it allows the identification of the characteristic lesions. Nonetheless, the histological diagnosis of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension is not always straightforward, in particular by needle biopsy samples, because there is no pathognomonic lesion, but rather a variety of vascular changes which are unevenly distributed, very subtle, and not all necessarily identified in a single specimen. Pathologists should be able to recognize several patterns of injury, involving portal/periportal areas as well as parenchymal structures.The histological features of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension are described in this review, focusing on their interpretation in needle biopsy specimens.

Diagnostic virology laboratory within a microbiology setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, S J

1984-01-01

The virology section at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Connecticut, is not a separate laboratory division but is a part of the microbiology division and is supervised by the same personnel who supervise bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, and serology. Current volume is over 1,000 cultures yearly with 12 to 24 percent positive. Isolates are confirmed and typed by the Connecticut State Health Department Laboratory. Specimen distribution, percentage positive specimens, and distribution of viral isolates are similar to those reported from microbiology laboratories with separate virology laboratories directed by a full-time doctoral-level virologist. Our seven years' experience demonstrates that a microbiology laboratory without a full-time doctoral-level virologist can provide clinically useful virologic information.

Novel Rat Model of Repetitive Portal Venous Embolization Mimicking Human Non-Cirrhotic Idiopathic Portal Hypertension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klein, Sabine; Hinüber, Christian; Hittatiya, Kanishka

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Non-cirrhotic idiopathic portal hypertension (NCIPH) is characterized by splenomegaly, anemia and portal hypertension, while liver function is preserved. However, no animal models have been established yet. This study assessed a rat model of NCIPH and characterized the hemodynamics......, and compared it to human NCIPH. METHODS: Portal pressure (PP) was measured invasively and coloured microspheres were injected in the ileocecal vein in rats. This procedure was performed weekly for 3 weeks (weekly embolization). Rats without and with single embolization served as controls. After four weeks (one...... in the weekly embolization group. Fibrotic markers αSMA and Desmin were upregulated in weekly embolized rats. DISCUSSION: This study establishes a model using repetitive embolization via portal veins, comparable with human NCIPH and may serve to test new therapies....

Idiopathic Noncirrhotic Portal Hypertension: An Appraisal

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hwajeong; Rehman, Aseeb Ur; Fiel, M. Isabel

2016-01-01

Idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension is a poorly defined clinical condition of unknown etiology. Patients present with signs and symptoms of portal hypertension without evidence of cirrhosis. The disease course appears to be indolent and benign with an overall better outcome than cirrhosis, as long as the complications of portal hypertension are properly managed. This condition has been recognized in different parts of the world in diverse ethnic groups with variable risk factors, resulting in numerous terminologies and lack of standardized diagnostic criteria. Therefore, although the diagnosis of idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension requires clinical exclusion of other conditions that can cause portal hypertension and histopathologic confirmation, this entity is under-recognized clinically as well as pathologically. Recent studies have demonstrated that variable histopathologic entities with different terms likely represent a histologic spectrum of a single entity of which obliterative portal venopathy might be an underlying pathogenesis. This perception calls for standardization of the nomenclature and formulation of widely accepted diagnostic criteria, which will facilitate easier recognition of this disorder and will highlight awareness of this entity. PMID:26563701

[Safety in the Microbiology laboratory].

Science.gov (United States)

Rojo-Molinero, Estrella; Alados, Juan Carlos; de la Pedrosa, Elia Gómez G; Leiva, José; Pérez, José L

2015-01-01

The normal activity in the laboratory of microbiology poses different risks - mainly biological - that can affect the health of their workers, visitors and the community. Routine health examinations (surveillance and prevention), individual awareness of self-protection, hazard identification and risk assessment of laboratory procedures, the adoption of appropriate containment measures, and the use of conscientious microbiological techniques allow laboratory to be a safe place, as records of laboratory-acquired infections and accidents show. Training and information are the cornerstones for designing a comprehensive safety plan for the laboratory. In this article, the basic concepts and the theoretical background on laboratory safety are reviewed, including the main legal regulations. Moreover, practical guidelines are presented for each laboratory to design its own safety plan according its own particular characteristics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing the Portal: Another Branch in the Decision Tree.

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Tim

2000-01-01

Discussion of the management of information resources in organizations focuses on the use of portal technologies to update intranet capabilities. Considers application outsourcing decisions, reviews benefits (including reducing costs) as well as concerns, and describes application service providers (ASPs). (LRW)

Developing a smartphone interface for the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Web portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Melissa; DuClos, Chris; Folsom, John; Thomas, Rebecca

2015-01-01

As smartphone and tablet devices continue to proliferate, it is becoming increasingly important to tailor information delivery to the mobile device. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program recognized that the mobile device user needs Web content formatted to smaller screen sizes, simplified data displays, and reduced textual information. The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program developed a smartphone-friendly version of the state Web portal for easier access by mobile device users. The resulting smartphone-friendly portal combines calculated data measures such as inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits and presents them grouped by county, along with temporal trend graphs. An abbreviated version of the public health messaging provided on the traditional Web portal is also provided, along with social media connections. As a result of these efforts, the percentage of Web site visitors using an iPhone tripled in just 1 year.

[Predictive value of ultrasonography in portal hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, E; Torres, P; Trejo, C; Barra Ostoni, V; Ortega, C; Römer, H

1991-01-01

Portal hypertension is a common pathology in childhood and one of its most common causes is cavernomatosis of the portal vein. This obstruction causes hemodynamic changes which lead to splenomegaly and collateral circulation. Esophageal varices are one of the most important sequelae, which endanger the patient's life because of a bleeding tendency. Ecosonography helps to detect the thickening of the lesser omentum vis a vis the aortic diameter, caused by the collateral circulation. We studied 15 children presenting with portal hypertension resulting from portal vein cavernomatosis; we performed an upper GI endoscopy and abdominal ecosonography. The endoscopy revealed grade II esophageal varices in 20% of cases, the remaining 80% had grade III and grade IV. Ecosonography revealed an increased lesser omentum/aorta ratio in children with portal hypertension, compared to controls (p portal hypertension.

The feasibility of collecting information from people with Multiple Sclerosis for the UK MS Register via a web portal: characterising a cohort of people with MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ford David V

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A UK Register of people with Multiple Sclerosis has been developed to address the need for an increased knowledge-base about MS. The Register is being populated via: a web-based portal; NHS neurology clinical systems; and administrative data sources. The data are de-identified and linked at the individual level. At the outset, it was not known whether people with MS would wish to participate in the UK MS Register by personally contributing their data to the Register via a web-based system. Therefore, the research aim of this work was to build an internet-mounted recruitment and consenting technology for people with Multiple Sclerosis, and to assess its feasibility as a questionnaire delivery platform to contribute data to the UK MS Register, by determining whether the information provided could be used to describe a cohort of people with MS. Methods The web portal was developed using VB.net and JQuery with a Microsoft SQL 2008 database. UK adults with MS can self-register and enter data about themselves by completing validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise the respondents. Results The web portal was launched in May 2011, and in first three months 7,279 individuals registered on the portal. The ratio of men to women was 1:2.4 (n = 5,899, the mean self-reported age at first symptoms was 33.8 (SD 10.5 years, and at diagnosis 39.6 (SD 10.3 years (n = 4,401. The reported types of MS were: 15% primary progressive, 63% relapsing-remitting, 8% secondary progressive, and 14% unknown (n = 5,400. These characteristics are similar to those of the prevalent MS population. Employment rates, sickness/disability rates, ethnicity and educational qualifications were compared with the general UK population. Information about the respondents’ experience of early symptoms and the process of diagnosis, plus living arrangements are also reported. Conclusions These initial findings from the MS

An interactive E-Learning Portal in Pediatric Endocrinology: Practical Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stenvert L. S. Drop

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Based on educational considerations, the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE e-learning portal has been developed, providing an interactive learning environment for up-to-date information in pediatric endocrinology. From March 2011 to January 2012, five small-scale pilot studies were completed to assess the usefulness of the structure and content by senior experts, fellows, residents and medical students. Altogether, 8 cases and 4 chapters were studied by a total of 71 individuals: 18 senior experts, 21 fellows, 10 medical students, 9 regional pediatricians and 13 residents, resulting in a total of 127 evaluations. Participants considered the portal content interesting and appreciated the way of learning compared to traditional learning from literature and textbooks. Special attention was paid to assess the personalized feedback given by experts to fellows and residents who completed the portal. Feedback from experts included both medical understanding and communication skills demonstrated by fellows and residents. Users highly appreciated the feedback of the medical experts, who brought perspectives from another clinic. This portal also offers educational opportunities for medical students and regional pediatricians and can be used to develop various CanMEDS competencies, e.g., medical expert, health advocate, and scholar.

BRAZILIAN NEWS PORTALS CHARACTERISTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heloiza G. Herckovitz

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A content analysis of four Brazilian news media portals found that economic news dominated the top headlines with little attention paid to education, the environment and welfare. Other trends included a focus on local events and national news sources, reliance on few sources, mostly official ones, and a low percentage of news that fitted the concept of newsworthiness (a combination of both social significance and deviance concepts. Other findings of a study of 432 top news stories published by UOL, Estadão, iG and Terra during a 15-day period between February and March 2008 indicate that the top portions of the portals’ front pages carry news that lacks story depth, editorial branding, and multimedia applications. The results suggest that online news portals are in their infancy although Brazil has the largest online population of Latin America. This study hopes to shed light on the gatekeeping process in Brazilian news portals. Brazilian media portals have yet to become a significant editorial force able to provide knowledge about social issues and public affairs in a socially responsible fashione.

Idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension: current perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Riggio, Oliviero; Gioia, Stefania; Pentassuglio, Ilaria; Nicoletti, Valeria; Valente, Michele; d'Amati, Giulia

2016-01-01

The term idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) has been recently proposed to replace terms, such as hepatoportal sclerosis, idiopathic portal hypertension, incomplete septal cirrhosis, and nodular regenerative hyperplasia, used to describe patients with a hepatic presinusoidal cause of portal hypertension of unknown etiology, characterized by features of portal hypertension (esophageal varices, nonmalignant ascites, porto-venous collaterals), splenomegaly, patent portal, and hepatic veins and no clinical and histological signs of cirrhosis. Physicians should learn to look for this condition in a number of clinical settings, including cryptogenic cirrhosis, a disease known to be associated with INCPH, drug administration, and even chronic alterations in liver function tests. Once INCPH is clinically suspected, liver histology becomes mandatory for the correct diagnosis. However, pathologists should be familiar with the histological features of INCPH, especially in cases in which histology is not only requested to exclude liver cirrhosis.

On the Efficiency of Spam Mailing and Portal Advertising

OpenAIRE

Martin Bandulet

2005-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a simple approach endogenizing the welfare reducing or welfare enhancing effect of informative advertising. Using this approach, it is possible to analyse the welfare consequences of a technology shock that reduces unit information costs, and to explain whether electronic junk mails or portal advertising will cause welfare gains or losses in a competitive environment.

The Higgs Portal and Cosmology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assamagan, Ketevi [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Chen, Chien-Yi [Perimeter Inst. for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Univ. of Victoria, BC (Canada); Chou, John Paul [Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States); Curtin, David [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Fedderke, Michael A. [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Gershtein, Yuri [Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States); He, Xiao-Gang [Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ. (China); Klute, Markus [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Kozaczuk, Jonathon [TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Kotwal, Ashutosh [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); Lowette, Steven [Vrije Univ., Brussels (Belgium); No, Jose Miguel [Univ. of Sussex, Brighton (United Kingdom); Plehn, Tilman [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany); Qian, Jianming [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Ramsey-Musolf, Michael [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Safonov, Alexei [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Shelton, Jessie [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); Spannowsky, Michael [Durham Univ. (United Kingdom); Su, Shufang [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Walker, Devin G. E. [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Willocq, Stephane [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Winslow, Peter [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)

2016-04-18

Higgs portal interactions provide a simple mechanism for addressing two open problems in cosmology: dark matter and the baryon asymmetry. In the latter instance, Higgs portal interactions may contain the ingredients for a strong first-order electroweak phase transition as well as new CP-violating interactions as needed for electroweak baryogenesis. These interactions may also allow for a viable dark matter candidate. We survey the opportunities for probing the Higgs portal as it relates to these questions in cosmology at the LHC and possible future colliders.

State of the SOOS GCMD Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Ritz, Scott

2018-01-01

A brief status update on NASA’s latest Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) keyword update, description of the differences between DIF-9 and DIF-10 formats in advance of the deprecation of DIF-9 support in Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) with specifics on the DIF-10.3 schema, transition schedule, and some usage metrics for the GCMD Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Portal.

An analysis of splenoportographic findings in portal hypertension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Eun Mi; Moon, Sook Ran; Kim, Han Suk [National Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soo Soung [College of Medicine, Chung Ang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1983-12-15

Splenoportography has been proved as a useful method for the evaluation of circulatory disturbances in portal hypertension. Authors analyzed the various aspects of these disturbance on splenoportography in 22 cases that was performed under the clinical suspicion of portal hypertension during recent 6 years, from May, 1976 to July 1982 at the Department of Radiology, National Medical Center. The results were as follows: 1. Liver cirrhosis was the most frequent cause of intrahepatic obstruction type in portal hypertension (86%). 2. The portal pressure was more than 400 mmH{sub 2}0 in 67% of the cases (range; 300-540 mmH{sub 2}0). 3. In the majority of the cases, the higher the portal pressure was, the more dilated splenic and portal veins were. The diameter of portal vein was more than 15 mm in 79%, more than 21 mm in 47% of the cases (range; 10-26 mm). The diameter of splenic vein was more than 15 mm in 48% of the cases (range; 7-23 mm). Especially the diameter of splenic vein was larger than that of portal vein in 20% of the cases. 4. There was no definite correlation between the development of collateral circulation and the diameter of splenic and portal veins. 5. The filling of collateral circulation was definite sign of portal hypertension, though not regular. In portal hypertension, the collateral circulation was formed via coronary vein (91%), short gastric vein (64%), inferior mesenteric vein (36%). 6. Splenic-hilum time was delayed in 64% of the cases. Intrahepatic portal vein emptying time was more than 6 seconds in all the cases. 7. Most of the cases (91%) could be diagnosed as portal hypertension with vasculogram and hepatogram.

An analysis of splenoportographic findings in portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Eun Mi; Moon, Sook Ran; Kim, Han Suk; Park, Soo Soung

1983-01-01

Splenoportography has been proved as a useful method for the evaluation of circulatory disturbances in portal hypertension. Authors analyzed the various aspects of these disturbance on splenoportography in 22 cases that was performed under the clinical suspicion of portal hypertension during recent 6 years, from May, 1976 to July 1982 at the Department of Radiology, National Medical Center. The results were as follows: 1. Liver cirrhosis was the most frequent cause of intrahepatic obstruction type in portal hypertension (86%). 2. The portal pressure was more than 400 mmH 2 0 in 67% of the cases (range; 300-540 mmH 2 0). 3. In the majority of the cases, the higher the portal pressure was, the more dilated splenic and portal veins were. The diameter of portal vein was more than 15 mm in 79%, more than 21 mm in 47% of the cases (range; 10-26 mm). The diameter of splenic vein was more than 15 mm in 48% of the cases (range; 7-23 mm). Especially the diameter of splenic vein was larger than that of portal vein in 20% of the cases. 4. There was no definite correlation between the development of collateral circulation and the diameter of splenic and portal veins. 5. The filling of collateral circulation was definite sign of portal hypertension, though not regular. In portal hypertension, the collateral circulation was formed via coronary vein (91%), short gastric vein (64%), inferior mesenteric vein (36%). 6. Splenic-hilum time was delayed in 64% of the cases. Intrahepatic portal vein emptying time was more than 6 seconds in all the cases. 7. Most of the cases (91%) could be diagnosed as portal hypertension with vasculogram and hepatogram

Portal Vein Dopplerflowmetry in healthy sheep according to age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra F. Belotta

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Pulsed Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate portal blood flow, portal velocity and portal congestion index in 24 healthy sheep divided into groups (lambs, yearlings and ewes, according to age. Measurements were performed at the 11th right intercostal space using ideal insonation angle and uniform insonation method. Mean values obtained in each group were compared with one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey post-hoc test. Portal velocity and portal blood flow were statistically similar between the groups (P>0.05. Mean portal velocity were 17.75; 17.13 and 16.75; while mean portal blood flow were 26.65; 31.04 and 24.32 for lambs, yearlings and ewes, respectively. Portal congestion index was statistically distinct between the groups and values for lambs, yearlings and ewes were 0.009; 0.058 and 0.09, respectively (P<0.01. Statistical differences were observed in portal vein diameter, portal vein area and portal congestion index between the groups, presumably due to influence of weight and not to age.

Application of SharePoint Portal Technologies in Public Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragan Đokić

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, systematic reforms are realized acrossmany countries. One of the characteristics of these reforms is necessity for rationalization of expenses in governmental and public enterprises. Rationalization of expenses can be achieved by more extensive application of information and communication technologies based on internet technologies and cloud computing. These systems include huge number of services, applications, resources, users and roles. At the same time, concepts of scalability, availability, ubiquity and pervasiveness need to be applied. This paper deals with application of portal technologies for enhanced content management, document management, and collaboration within public enterprises. The goal is to achieve efficient exchange of information on all hierarchical levels, as well as mechanisms of reporting and performance measurements, such as business intelligence and key performance indicators. The model is based on SharePoint portal technologies. A case study of application within the public enterprise Post of Serbia is described.

Implications of Patient Portal Transparency in Oncology: Qualitative Interview Study on the Experiences of Patients, Oncologists, and Medical Informaticists.

Science.gov (United States)

Alpert, Jordan M; Morris, Bonny B; Thomson, Maria D; Matin, Khalid; Brown, Richard F

2018-03-26

Providing patients with unrestricted access to their electronic medical records through patient portals has impacted patient-provider communication and patients' personal health knowledge. However, little is known about how patient portals are used in oncology. The aim of this study was to understand attitudes of the portal's adoption for oncology and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using the portal to communicate and view medical information. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 60 participants: 35 patients, 13 oncologists, and 12 medical informaticists. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed to identify critical incidents and general attitudes encountered by participants. Two primary themes were discovered: (1) implementation practices influence attitudes, in which the decision-making and execution process of introducing portals throughout the hospital did not include the input of oncologists. Lack of oncologists' involvement led to a lack of knowledge about portal functionality, such as not knowing the time period when test results would be disclosed to patients; (2) perceptions of portals as communication tools varies by user type, meaning that each participant group (patients, oncologists, and medical informaticists) had varied opinions about how the portal should be used to transmit and receive information. Oncologists and medical informaticists had difficulty understanding one another's culture and communication processes in their fields, while patients had preferences for how they would like to receive communication, but it largely depended upon the type of test being disclosed. The majority of patients (54%, 19/35) who participated in this study viewed lab results or scan reports via the portal before being contacted by a clinician. Most were relatively comfortable with this manner of disclosure but still preferred face-to-face or telephone communication. Findings from this study indicate that

Altered blood-brain barrier permeability in rats with prehepatic portal hypertension turns to normal when portal pressure is lowered

Science.gov (United States)

Eizayaga, Francisco; Scorticati, Camila; Prestifilippo, Juan P; Romay, Salvador; Fernandez, Maria A; Castro, José L; Lemberg, Abraham; Perazzo, Juan C

2006-01-01

AIM: To study the blood-brain barrier integrity in prehepatic portal hypertensive rats induced by partial portal vein ligation, at 14 and 40 d after ligation when portal pressure is spontaneously normalized. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Group I: Sham14d , sham operated; Group II: PH14d , portal vein stenosis; (both groups were used 14 days after surgery); Group III: Sham40d, Sham operated and Group IV: PH40d Portal vein stenosis (Groups II and IV used 40 d after surgery). Plasma ammonia, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid protein and liver enzymes concentrations were determined. Trypan and Evans blue dyes, systemically injected, were investigated in hippocampus to study blood-brain barrier integrity. Portal pressure was periodically recorded. RESULTS: Forty days after stricture, portal pressure was normalized, plasma ammonia was moderately high, and both dyes were absent in central nervous system parenchyma. All other parameters were reestablished. When portal pressure was normalized and ammonia level was lowered, but not normal, the altered integrity of blood-brain barrier becomes reestablished. CONCLUSION: The impairment of blood-brain barrier and subsequent normalization could be a mechanism involved in hepatic encephalopathy reversibility. Hemodynamic changes and ammonia could trigger blood-brain barrier alterations and its reestablishment. PMID:16552803

If You Build It, Who Will Come? A Description of User Characteristics and Experiences With the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah E. Neil-Sztramko PhD

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal aims to increase access to evidence-based health information. We would now like to understand who uses the Portal, why, and for what, and elicit feedback and suggestions for future initiatives. Methods: An online survey of users collected data on demographics, eHealth literacy, Internet use, information-seeking behavior, site acceptability and perceived impact on health behaviors, participant satisfaction, and suggestions for improvements using mixed methods. Results: Participants ( n = 163, age 69.8 ± 8.6 years were predominantly female (76%, married (67%, retired (80%, and well-educated with very good/excellent health (55%. The Portal was easy to use (83% and relevant (80%, with 68% intending to, and 48% having changed behavior after using the Portal. A number of suggestions for improvement were obtained. Discussion: A better understanding of users’ characteristics, needs, and preferences will allow us to improve content, target groups who are not engaging with the Portal, and plan future directions.

The NUCLEONICA Nuclear Science Portal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magill, Joseph; Dreher, Raymond

2009-01-01

NUCLEONICA (www.nucleonica.net) is a new nuclear science web portal which provides a customisable, integrated environment and collaboration platform using the latest internet 'Web 2.0' technology. NUCLEONICA is aimed at professionals, academics and students working in nuclear power, health physics and radiation protection, nuclear and radio-chemistry, and astrophysics. A unique feature of the portal is the wide range of user friendly web-based nuclear science applications. The portal is also ideal for education and training purposes and as a knowledge management platform to preserve nuclear knowledge built up over many decades.

Portal cholangiopathy: case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Cecilia Almeida Maia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present report describes the case of a child that after blunt abdominal trauma presented with portal thrombosis followed by progressive splenomegaly and jaundice. Ultrasonography and percutaneous cholangiography revealed biliary dilatation secondary to choledochal stenosis caused by dilated peribiliary veins, characterizing a case of portal biliopathy. The present case report is aimed at presenting an uncommon cause of this condition.

Portal Hypertension in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Diagnostic Accuracy of Spleen Stiffness.

Science.gov (United States)

Takuma, Yoshitaka; Nouso, Kazuhiro; Morimoto, Youichi; Tomokuni, Junko; Sahara, Akiko; Takabatake, Hiroyuki; Matsueda, Kazuhiro; Yamamoto, Hiroshi

2016-05-01

To evaluate the accuracy of spleen stiffness (SS) and liver stiffness (LS) measured by using acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in the diagnosis of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis, with the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) as a reference standard. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this prospective single-center study. From February 2012 to August 2013, 60 patients with liver cirrhosis (mean age, 70.8 years; age range, 34-88 years; 34 men, 26 women) with HVPG, LS, and SS measurements and gastrointestinal endoscopy and laboratory data were included if they met the following criteria: no recent episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, no history of splenectomy, no history of partial splenic embolization, no history of β-blocker therapy, and absence of portal thrombosis. The efficacy of the parameters for the evaluation of portal hypertension was analyzed by using the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The correlation coefficient between SS and HVPG (r = 0.876) was significantly better than that between LS and HVPG (r = 0.609, P portal hypertension (HVPG ≥ 10 mm Hg), severe portal hypertension (HVPG ≥ 12 mm Hg), esophageal varices (EVs), and high-risk EVs were significantly higher (0.943, 0.963, 0.937, and 0.955, respectively) than those of LS, spleen diameter, platelet count, and platelet count to spleen diameter ratio (P portal hypertension, severe portal hypertension, EVs, and high-risk EVs (negative likelihood ratios, 0.051, 0.056, 0.054, and 0.074, respectively). SS is reliable and has better diagnostic performance than LS for identifying portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis. (©) RSNA, 2015 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Advances Afoot in Microbiology

OpenAIRE

Patel, Robin; Karon, Brad S.

2017-01-01

In 2016, the American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium to examine point-of-care (POC) microbiology testing and to evaluate its effects on clinical microbiology. Colloquium participants included representatives from clinical microbiology laboratories, industry, and the government, who together made recommendations regarding the implementation, oversight, and evaluation of POC microbiology testing. The colloquium report is timely and well written (V. Dolen et al., Changing Diagnost...

Lunar and Vesta Web Portals

Science.gov (United States)

Law, E.; JPL Luna Mapping; Modeling Project Team

2015-06-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project offers Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (http://lmmp.nasa.gov) and Vesta Trek Portal (http://vestatrek.jpl.nasa.gov) providing interactive visualization and analysis tools to enable users to access mapped Lunar and Vesta data products.

The effect of patient portals on quality outcomes and its implications to meaningful use: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Clemens Scott; Bolton, Katy; Freriks, Greg

2015-02-10

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act imposes pressure on health care organizations to qualify for "Meaningful Use". It is assumed that portals should increase patient participation in medical decisions, but whether or not the use of portals improves outcomes remains to be seen. The purpose of this systemic review is to outline and summarize study results on the effect of patient portals on quality, or chronic-condition outcomes as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and its implications to Meaningful Use since the beginning of 2011. This review updates and builds on the work by Ammenwerth, Schnell-Inderst, and Hoerbst. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We identified any data-driven study, quantitative or qualitative, that examined a relationship between patient portals, or patient portal features, and outcomes. We also wanted to relate the findings back to Meaningful Use criteria. Over 4000 articles were screened, and 27 were analyzed and summarized for this systematic review. We identified 26 studies and 1 review, and we summarized their findings and applicability to our research question. Very few studies associated use of the patient portal, or its features, to improved outcomes; 37% (10/27) of papers reported improvements in medication adherence, disease awareness, self-management of disease, a decrease of office visits, an increase in preventative medicine, and an increase in extended office visits, at the patient's request for additional information. The results also show an increase in quality in terms of patient satisfaction and customer retention, but there are weak results on medical outcomes. The results of this review demonstrate that more health care organizations today offer features of a patient portal than in the review published in 2011. Articles reviewed rarely analyzed a full patient portal but instead analyzed features of a portal

The Effect of Patient Portals on Quality Outcomes and Its Implications to Meaningful Use: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Background The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act imposes pressure on health care organizations to qualify for “Meaningful Use”. It is assumed that portals should increase patient participation in medical decisions, but whether or not the use of portals improves outcomes remains to be seen. Objective The purpose of this systemic review is to outline and summarize study results on the effect of patient portals on quality, or chronic-condition outcomes as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and its implications to Meaningful Use since the beginning of 2011. This review updates and builds on the work by Ammenwerth, Schnell-Inderst, and Hoerbst. Methods We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We identified any data-driven study, quantitative or qualitative, that examined a relationship between patient portals, or patient portal features, and outcomes. We also wanted to relate the findings back to Meaningful Use criteria. Over 4000 articles were screened, and 27 were analyzed and summarized for this systematic review. Results We identified 26 studies and 1 review, and we summarized their findings and applicability to our research question. Very few studies associated use of the patient portal, or its features, to improved outcomes; 37% (10/27) of papers reported improvements in medication adherence, disease awareness, self-management of disease, a decrease of office visits, an increase in preventative medicine, and an increase in extended office visits, at the patient’s request for additional information. The results also show an increase in quality in terms of patient satisfaction and customer retention, but there are weak results on medical outcomes. Conclusions The results of this review demonstrate that more health care organizations today offer features of a patient portal than in the review published in 2011. Articles reviewed rarely analyzed a full

MyE-Wall: Design of a Web Portal Fully Customizable and Ontology Based

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Roggerone

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Web is a measureless growing information source. Here we could have the common user that surf the web for fun, and the particular user surfing the web to work, for instance, the financial analyst that hopes to find some financial information.These users are similar in their habit to visit ever
a pool of 10-15 websites where they are sure to find interesting information. In this paper, we introduce the architecture of a Rich Internet Application (RIA that uses the power of Semantics to create a new type of Web Portal fully customizable that we will call MyE-Wall. In this portal, the user can’t attach widget, but modules containing each one the section of a particular web site. Therefore, the idea is allow a user to create of a new website composed by a patchwork of different website’s sections selected by himself. Here we use semantics for two reasons: (i to process the structure of a particular website and create the corresponding module to attach on the portal (ii to provide the application of a set of features (reasoning engine, swrl rules, etc... to reason on the information collected, according the preferences that the user
could have specified in his own profile.

Patient Portals as a Means of Information and Communication Technology Support to Patient- Centric Care Coordination - the Missing Evidence and the Challenges of Evaluation. A joint contribution of IMIA WG EVAL and EFMI WG EVAL.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigby, M; Georgiou, A; Hyppönen, H; Ammenwerth, E; de Keizer, N; Magrabi, F; Scott, P

2015-08-13

To review the potential contribution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enable patient-centric and coordinated care, and in particular to explore the role of patient portals as a developing ICT tool, to assess the available evidence, and to describe the evaluation challenges. Reviews of IMIA, EFMI, and other initiatives, together with literature reviews. We present the progression from care coordination to care integration, and from patient-centric to person-centric approaches. We describe the different roles of ICT as an enabler of the effective presentation of information as and when needed. We focus on the patient's role as a co-producer of health as well as the focus and purpose of care. We discuss the need for changing organisational processes as well as the current mixed evidence regarding patient portals as a logical tool, and the reasons for this dichotomy, together with the evaluation principles supported by theoretical frameworks so as to yield robust evidence. There is expressed commitment to coordinated care and to putting the patient in the centre. However to achieve this, new interactive patient portals will be needed to enable peer communication by all stakeholders including patients and professionals. Few portals capable of this exist to date. The evaluation of these portals as enablers of system change, rather than as simple windows into electronic records, is at an early stage and novel evaluation approaches are needed.

Microbiological treatment of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, A.J.

1992-01-01

The ability of microorganisms which are ubiquitous throughout nature to bring about information of organic and inorganic compounds in radioactive wastes has been recognized. Unlike organic contaminants, metals cannot be destroyed, but must be either removed or converted to a stable form. Radionuclides and toxic metals in wastes may be present initially in soluble form or, after disposal may be converted to a soluble form by chemical or microbiological processes. The key microbiological reactions include (i) oxidation/reduction; (ii) change in pH and Eh which affects the valence state and solubility of the metal; (iii) production of sequestering agents; and (iv) bioaccumulation. All of these processes can mobilize or stabilize metals in the environment

Preduodenal portal vein: its surgical significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Makey, D A; Bowen, J C

1978-11-01

Preduodenal portal vein is a rare anatomical variant which may be one of many anomalies in the neonate with duodenal "atresia." Preduodenal portal vein also may be an occasional finding in an adult undergoing biliary, gastric, or pancreatic surgery. Awareness and recognition of the anomaly are essential for the avoidance of injury during such operations. We report here a symptomless patient whose preduodenal portal vein was discovered at cholecystectomy.

Stakeholder Expectations of Service Quality in a University Web Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Mary; Evermann, Joerg; Hope, Beverley; Barnes, Stuart

Online service quality is a much-studied concept. There is considerable evidence that user expectations and perceptions of self-service and online service quality differ in different business domains. In addition, the nature of online services is continually changing and universities have been at the forefront of this change, with university websites increasingly acting as a portal for a wide range of online transactions for a wide range of stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we conduct focus groups with a range of stakeholders in a university web portal. Our study offers a number of insights into the changing nature of the relationship between organisations and customers. New technologies are influencing customer expectations. Customers increasingly expect organisations to have integrated information systems, and to utilise new technologies such as SMS and web portals. Organisations can be slow to adopt a customer-centric viewpoint, and persist in providing interfaces that are inconsistent or require inside knowledge of organisational structures and processes. This has a negative effect on customer perceptions.

Teen use of a patient portal: a qualitative study of parent and teen attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, David A; Brown, Nancy L; Wilson, Sandra

2008-01-01

We conducted a qualitative study of the attitudes of teens and parents toward the use of a patient portal. We conducted two teen and two parent focus groups, one teen electronic bulletin board, and one parent electronic bulletin board. Videotapes and transcripts from the groups were independently analyzed by two reviewers for significant themes, which were then validated by two other members of the research team. Twenty-eight teens and 23 parents participated in the groups. Significant themes included issues about teens' control of their own healthcare; enthusiasm about the use of a patient portal to access their providers, seek health information, and make appointments; and concerns about confidentiality. In summary, there was considerable support among teens and parents for a patient portal as well as concerns about confidentiality. The teen portal affords an opportunity to negotiate issues of confidentiality.

Liferay Portal Systems Development

CERN Document Server

Yuan, Jonas X

2012-01-01

This book focuses on teaching by example. Every chapter provides an overview, and then dives right into hands-on examples so you can see and play with the solution in your own environment. This book is for Java developers who don't need any prior experience with Liferay portal. Although Liferay portal makes heavy use of open source frameworks, no prior experience of using these is assumed.

Pathophysiology of Portal Hypertension and Its Clinical Links

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Yeon Seok; Shah, Vijay H

2011-01-01

Portal hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis. Intrahepatic vascular resistance due to architectural distortion and intrahepatic vasoconstriction, increased portal blood flow due to splanchnic vasodilatation, and development of collateral circulation have been considered as major factors for the development of portal hypertension. Recently, sinusoidal remodeling and angiogenesis have been focused as potential etiologic factors and various researchers have tried to improve portal hypertension by modulating these new targets. This article reviews potential new treatments in the context of portal hypertension pathophysiology concepts. PMID:25755320

Analisis dan Perencanaan Konsep Strategi Content Management Cyberwoman pada Situs Portal CBN.Net.Id

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suryadiputra Liawatimena

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Article discusses how the CyberWoman management strategy on CBN portal site to serve many information, service, and recovery concept that will be used for its better growing. The article purposes are to know whether the content management strategy of portal site applied by CBN, especially for CyberWoman, has been running well or not and also give a recovery concept in the future. The conclusion indicates that the CBN have opportunity and strength that can be used and the CBN portal site is in the state of growing. Therefore, the applied strategy is an aggressive growing policy strategy and concentration strategy through horizontal integration.

Aligning Work Processes and the Adviser Portal Bank System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Jens Bæk; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard

2006-01-01

The Adviser Portal (AP) is a new IT system for 15 Danish banks. The main goal of AP is to increase the efficiency and quality of bank advisers’ work. Re- quirements engineering for AP includes describing new work processes that must be supported by AP using a combination of: (1) prose and informal...... drawings; (2) The Adviser Portal (AP) is a new IT system for 15 Danish banks. The main goal of AP is to increase the efficiency and quality of bank advisers' work. Requirements engineering for AP includes describing new work processes that musty be supported by AP using a combination of: (1) prose...... and informal drawings; (2) formal models; (3) graphical animation. This representation helps users and system analysts to align new work processes and AP via early experiments in a prototyping fashion. The contribution of this paper is to present and reflect upon the analysis and descrition of one specific...

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt for Portal Hypertension in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Bin; Li, Kai; Dong, Xiaoqun; Liu, Fu-Quan

2017-09-01

In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), limited therapeutic options are available for portal hypertension resulted from portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). We aimed to determine safety and efficacy of TIPS for treatment of symptomatic portal hypertension in HCC with PVTT. We evaluated clinical characteristics of 95 patients with HCC and PVTT out of 992 patients who underwent TIPS. The primary endpoints included success rate, procedural mortality, serious complications, decrease in portosystemic pressure gradient, and symptom relief. The secondary endpoints included recurrence of portal hypertension, overall survival, adverse events related to treatments for HCC, and quality of life measured by Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS). Success rate of TIPS was 95.8% (91/95), with procedural mortality of 1.1%. Serious complications related to TIPS procedure occurred in 2.1% (2/95) of patients. The symptoms of portal hypertension were well relieved. Variceal bleeding was successfully controlled and terminated in 100% of patients, with a recurrence rate of 39.2% in 12 months. Refractory ascites/hydrothorax was controlled partially or completely in 92.9% of patients during 1 month after TIPS, with a recurrence rate of 17.9% in 12 months. Survival rate at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months was 75.8, 52.7, 26.4, and 3.3%, respectively. No unexpected adverse event related to treatments for HCC was observed. The KPS score was 49 ± 4.5 and 63 ± 4.7 before and 1 month after TIPS, respectively (p portal hypertension in HCC with PVTT.

An interactive E-Learning portal in pediatric endocrinology : Practical experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kranenburg-van Koppen, L.J.C.; Grijpink-van den Biggelaar, K.; Drop, S.L.S.

2013-01-01

Based on educational considerations, the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) e-learning portal has been developed, providing an interactive learning environment for up-to-date information in pediatric endocrinology. From March 2011 to January 2012, five small-scale pilot studies

A literature review of electronic portal imaging for radiotherapy dosimetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Elmpt, Wouter; McDermott, Leah; Nijsten, Sebastiaan; Wendling, Markus; Lambin, Philippe; Mijnheer, Ben

2008-01-01

Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) have been the preferred tools for verification of patient positioning for radiotherapy in recent decades. Since EPID images contain dose information, many groups have investigated their use for radiotherapy dose measurement. With the introduction of the

78 FR 36698 - Microbiology Devices; Reclassification of Nucleic Acid-Based Systems for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-19

.... FDA-2013-N-0544] Microbiology Devices; Reclassification of Nucleic Acid-Based Systems for... workshop, FDA agreed to consider this issue further and subsequently convened a meeting of the Microbiology... Health After considering the information discussed by the Microbiology Devices Panel during the June 29...

The CPEX Data Portal: Bringing Together Different Types of Data for Different Types of Users

Science.gov (United States)

Knosp, B.; Li, P.; Vu, Q. A.; Hristova-Veleva, S. M.; Turk, J.; Lambrigtsen, B.

2017-12-01

The NASA Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) aircraft field campaign took place in the summer of 2017 in the North Atlantic / Caribbean Ocean region. During this campaign, the NASA DC-8 aircraft carried several instruments that took measurements with the goal of collecting data to help answer questions about convective storm initiation, organization, growth, and dissipation. To help researchers answer science questions about convective storms, the CPEX Data Portal (https://cpexportal.jpl.nasa.gov) was created to bring together relevant satellite and model data, along with aircraft data observed during the campaign. The CPEX Data Portal was designed for two major functions: 1) assist with mission planning by providing a near real-time snapshot of what was going on in the broader North Atlantic domain and 2) bring together different types of data after the aircraft flights had finished to allow researchers to dive deeper into the data. Both functions necessitated collecting a host of disparate data from different instrument types that inherently have differences in resolution, spatial and temporal domain, and quality. Additionally, users of this data portal had varying levels of experience with the different data types (e.g. some used aircraft data before, but not with satellite data). Users were also at different points in their careers - both students and seasoned researchers participated in the campaign and brought different understandings of the physical processes depicted in the portal's visualizations. The CPEX Data Portal team used the existing JPL Tropical Cyclone Information System's near real-time data portal software package to launch a campaign-specific portal to host data during and after the CPEX campaign. This web-based portal includes the ability to visualize pre-generated images of physical quantities from satellites, models, and aircraft instruments, and brings them together in a common virtual globe for given spatial and temporal criteria. Users

Medical microbiology training needs and trainee experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Seale, Josephine; Elamin, Wael; Millar, Michael

2014-02-01

Training in microbiology is continuing to evolve. Standardisation of this process has, in part, been achieved through the development of a training curriculum by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath). A substantial proportion of microbiology training occurs through telephone consultations. To ascertain the content of these interactions and the extent to which the necessary skills outlined by the curriculum are attainable via these consultations. Records of telephone consultations made by microbiology registrars (SpR) on the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) over a 6 month period were analysed with regard to who initiated contact and the type of advice provided. An average of 426 SpR entries per month were made on the LIMS following telephone consultations. These consultations were predominantly initiated by fellow clinicians as opposed to the SpR. The majority (79%) of advice entailed guidance as to the use of antimicrobials which resulted in an alteration of the current regimen in 54% of cases. This study represents the first attempt to quantify the telephone consultations of microbiology trainees. It is concluded that although such interactions provide a means of attaining some of the competencies outlined by the RCPath curriculum, the bias towards antimicrobial advice reflects a discrepancy between the needs of the service users and the broad skill set advocated by the current microbiology training programme. Future modifications will need to take this into account to ensure both the training of SpRs and the microbiology service is fit for purpose.

Portal dosimetry in wedged beams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spreeuw, Hanno; Rozendaal, Roel; Camargo, Priscilla; Mans, Anton; Wendling, Markus; Olaciregui-Ruiz, Igor; Sonke, Jan-Jakob; van Herk, Marcel; Mijnheer, Ben

2015-01-01

Portal dosimetry using electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) is often applied to verify high-energy photon beam treatments. Due to the change in photon energy spectrum, the resulting dose values are, however, not very accurate in the case of wedged beams if the pixel-to-dose conversion for the

Benign hepatic portal venous gas following caustic ingestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewin, Maite; Tubiana, Jean-Michel; Pocard, Marc; Caplin, Scott; Parc, Rolland; Blain, Antoine

2002-01-01

Hepatic portal vein gas has been documented in numerous conditions and is traditionally regarded as a poor prognostic sign. There are, however, several reports of portal vein gas with a benign course. We report the first case of transient hepatic portal vein gas secondary to the ingestion of a caustic substance. The literature of hepatic portal vein gas in benign disease is reviewed. (orig.)

Microbiological implications of the food irradiation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teufel, P.

1981-01-01

The Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Expert Committee on the wholesomeness of irradiated food which met in 1976 concluded after a detailed and critical review of the available information, that the microbiological aspects of food irradiation were fully comparable to those of conventional processes used in modern food technology. Processing of food by irradiation may be considered from the microbiological point of view as separate procedures: high dose treatment (> 10 kGy), for sterilisation (radappertization) and low dose treatment (< 10 kGy) for pasteurisation (radicidation, radurization), (for definitions see p. 43), disinfestation, or inhibition of sprouting. No public health hazards related to micro-organisms arise from high dose irradiation because this process results in commercially sterile products. On the other hand, it is important to consider the possible microbiological hazards when food is irradiated with a low dose. The microbiological implications relate to the natural radiation resistance of bacteria, yeasts, fungi and viruses or to the mutagenic effects of ionising radiation in micro-organisms. Both areas of concern were reviewed in detail by Ingram and Ingram and Farkas. (orig.)

Patient portals - An online tool for your health

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000880.htm Patient portals - an online tool for your health To ... is private and secure. What is in a Patient Portal? With a patient portal, you can: Make ...

Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahman, Saifur [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

2014-08-31

Since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was enacted, there has been a large number of websites that discusses smart grid and relevant information, including those from government, academia, industry, private sector and regulatory. These websites collect information independently. Therefore, smart grid information was quite scattered and dispersed. The objective of this work was to develop, populate, manage and maintain the public Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC) web portal. The information in the SGIC website is comprehensive that includes smart grid information, research & development, demonstration projects, technical standards, costs & benefit analyses, business cases, legislation, policy & regulation, and other information on lesson learned and best practices. The content in the SGIC website is logically grouped to allow easily browse, search and sort. In addition to providing the browse and search feature, the SGIC web portal also allow users to share their smart grid information with others though our online content submission platform. The Clearinghouse web portal, therefore, serves as the first stop shop for smart grid information that collects smart grid information in a non-bias, non-promotional manner and can provide a missing link from information sources to end users and better serve users’ needs. The web portal is available at www.sgiclearinghouse.org. This report summarizes the work performed during the course of the project (September 2009 – August 2014). Section 2.0 lists SGIC Advisory Committee and User Group members. Section 3.0 discusses SGIC information architecture and web-based database application functionalities. Section 4.0 summarizes SGIC features and functionalities, including its search, browse and sort capabilities, web portal social networking, online content submission platform and security measures implemented. Section 5.0 discusses SGIC web portal contents, including smart grid 101, smart grid projects

Combined Rex-bypass shunt with pericardial devascularization alleviated prehepatic portal hypertension caused by cavernomatous transformation of portal vein.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ruo-Yi; Wang, Jun-Feng; Liu, Qian; Ma, Nan; Chen, Wei-Xiu; Li, Jin-Liang

2017-09-01

To evaluate the effects of combined Rex-bypass shunt and pericardial devascularization on prehepatic portal hypertension secondary to cavernomatous transformation of portal vein (CTPV). Forty-two patients aged from 3 years to 49 years (divided into 3 groups), 26 cases male and 16 female, with prehepatic vascular hepertention were treated with Rex-bypass shunt combined with pericardial devascularization. In each patient, preoperative assessment included ultrasound and computed tomographic angiography of the portal vein and blood analysis. The procedure was Rex-bypass shunt (with or without graft), and patients with moderate or severe gastroesophageal varices required additional paraesophagogastric devascularization. Splenectomy or subtotal splenectomy was performed if combined hypersplenism co-existed. All data were analyzed retrospectively. No intraoperative death occurred, blood routine analysis improved (P portal vein (LPV) significantly increased, the esophageal and gastric varices significantly relieved in 34 patients (P portal hypertension caused by CTPV.

The NIDDK Information Network: A Community Portal for Finding Data, Materials, and Tools for Researchers Studying Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia L Whetzel

Full Text Available The NIDDK Information Network (dkNET; http://dknet.org was launched to serve the needs of basic and clinical investigators in metabolic, digestive and kidney disease by facilitating access to research resources that advance the mission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK. By research resources, we mean the multitude of data, software tools, materials, services, projects and organizations available to researchers in the public domain. Most of these are accessed via web-accessible databases or web portals, each developed, designed and maintained by numerous different projects, organizations and individuals. While many of the large government funded databases, maintained by agencies such as European Bioinformatics Institute and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, are well known to researchers, many more that have been developed by and for the biomedical research community are unknown or underutilized. At least part of the problem is the nature of dynamic databases, which are considered part of the "hidden" web, that is, content that is not easily accessed by search engines. dkNET was created specifically to address the challenge of connecting researchers to research resources via these types of community databases and web portals. dkNET functions as a "search engine for data", searching across millions of database records contained in hundreds of biomedical databases developed and maintained by independent projects around the world. A primary focus of dkNET are centers and projects specifically created to provide high quality data and resources to NIDDK researchers. Through the novel data ingest process used in dkNET, additional data sources can easily be incorporated, allowing it to scale with the growth of digital data and the needs of the dkNET community. Here, we provide an overview of the dkNET portal and its functions. We show how dkNET can be used to address a variety of use cases

GEO portal

Data.gov (United States)

US Agency for International Development — The USAID GeoPortal is a new application that groups web-based capabilities for on-demand discovery of and access to geospatial content, services, expertise, and...

The Paleontology Portal: An online resource meeting the needs a spectrum of learners

Science.gov (United States)

Lindberg, D.; Scotchmoor, J. G.

2005-12-01

The Paleontology Portal website provides a central, interactive entry point to high-quality North American paleontology resources on the Internet for multiple audiences: the research community, government and industry, K-16 students, and the general public. The Portal successfully blends research and education, pulling together information with reviewed and annotated website links for a wide variety of informal learners. Using web-based technology and relational databases, users can explore an interactive map and associated stratigraphic column to access information about particular geographic regions, geologic time periods, depositional environments, and representative taxa. Users are also able to search multiple museum collection databases using a single query form of their own design. Other features include highlights of famous fossil sites and assemblages and a fossil image gallery. Throughout the site, users find images and links to information specific to each time period or geographic region, including current research projects and publications, websites, on-line exhibits and educational materials, and information on collecting fossils. The next phase of development will target the development of resource modules on topics such as collection management and fossil preparation, appropriate for users ranging from the general public to professional paleontologists. Another initiative includes developing methods of personalizing the Portal to support exhibits at museums and other venues on geological history and paleontology. The Paleontology Portal, built by the UC Museum of Paleontology, is a joint project of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, and the US Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Paleontological Research Institution, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which serve as hubs for the project. Paleoportal serves as an effective model in two aspects: (1

Pembuatan Aplikasi Portal Akademik Berbasis Mobile (Studi Kasus: D3 Manajemen Informatika FMIPA Universitas Riau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukamto Sukamto

2017-11-01

Full Text Available AbstrakPenelitian ini membahas tentang aplikasi portal akademik berbasis mobile, studi kasus  pada D3 Manajemen Informatika Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam Universitas Riau. Aplikasi ini dapat mempermudah mahasiswa khususnya mahasiswa D3 Manajemen Informatika dalam melakukan pengisian Kartu Rencana Studi dengan menggunakan Smartphone Android. Pembuatan Aplikasi  mobile ini menggunakan bahasa pemograman Java dan MySQL sebagai database. Sedangkan dalam perancangan aplikasi menggunakan Unified Modeling Language (UML yaitu Use Case Diagram, Class Diagram, Activity Diagram, dan Sequence Diagram. Kata kunci: Aplikasi Portal Akademik, Mobile, Kartu Rencana Studi, Smartphone Android. AbstractThis research discusses about Portal Academic Application based Android Mobile with case at Diploma of Information Management the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Riau. This application can facilitate in particular the Student Information Management Diploma in charging Card Study Plan that has been using smartphones based on Android. Making mobile applications using the programming language Java, and PHP, and then MySQL as database. While the design of the application using the Unified Modeling Language (UML, Use Case Diagrams, Class Diagrams, Activity Diagrams, and Sequence.   Keywords: Portal Academic Application, Android Mobile, Study Plan Card, Android Smatrphone.

Unexpected disappearance of portal cavernoma on long-term anticoagulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva-Junior, Gilberto; Turon, Fanny; Hernandez-Gea, Virginia; Darnell, Anna; García-Criado, Ángeles; García-Pagán, Juan Carlos

2014-08-01

Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension is a rare disease of unknown etiology. Patients with idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension have an increased risk of developing portal vein thrombosis and this is especially prevalent when HIV is also present. We describe a unique case of a patient with idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension associated to HIV, who developed acute portal vein thrombosis that despite anticoagulation transformed in portal cavernoma and disappeared completely after five years of follow-up on continuous anticoagulation. Copyright © 2014 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

User Experience Design in Professional Map-Based Geo-Portals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bastian Zimmer

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We have recently been witnessing the growing establishment of map-centered web-based geo-portals on national, regional and local levels. However, a particular issue with these geo-portals is that each instance has been implemented in different ways in terms of design, usability, functionality, interaction possibilities, map size and symbologies. In this paper, we try to tackle these shortcomings by analyzing and formalizing the requirements for map-based geo-portals in a user experience based approach. First, we propose a holistic definition the term of a “geo-portal”. Then, we present our approach to user experience design for map-based geo-portals by defining the functional requirements of a geo-portal, by analyzing previous geo-portal developments, by distilling the results of our empirical user study to perform practically-oriented user requirements, and finally by establishing a set of user experience design guidelines for the creation of map-based geo-portals. These design guidelines have been extracted for each of the main components of a geo-portal, i.e., the map, the search dialogue, the presentation of the search results, symbologies, and other aspects. These guidelines shall constitute the basis for future geo-portal developments to achieve standardization in the user-experience design of map-based geo-portals.

Portal Still Alive and Portal 2: Lessons from Critical Narrative Gaming Pedagogy

OpenAIRE

Yamasaki, Lisa Josefina

2016-01-01

Due to the increasing popularity of video games in mass media culture, I will be investigating one particular video game series, Portal: Still Alive and Portal 2, and the manner by which players learn from them. After observing that most instructors use these games in physics and math classes, I want to expand more on the way that video games enact a new story-telling feature through experiential means, which also serves a pedagogical function. I assert that players learn from games through...

False-positive image of portal thrombosis with MRI: portal hypertension as a pitfall. Observation in a Budd-Chiari syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davy-Miallou, C.; Bousquet, J.C.; Bellin, M.F.; Guinet, C.; Grellet, J.

1990-01-01

This observation illustrates how difficult it is to interpret the intravascular signal observed with MRI in cases of portal hypertension. A signal occupying the entire lumen of the portal trunk and branches can be seen, which is constantly observed in the axial as well as coronal planes in the 3 series studied. It is hypointense relative to the liver on T1-weighted images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images: this appearance therefore perfectly mimicks portal thrombosis. Ultrasound combined with pulsed Doppler demonstrates the stagnant blood within the patent portal system. This kind of artifact, which is produced by a very slow flow or even by the standstill of flow, is much more difficult to recognize than the common flow artifacts; the criteria put forward by various authors to distinguish between artifacts and thrombosis are of no avail in this case. Examinations must able to confirm or rule out portal thrombosis in the case of portal hypertension with deceleration of flow. In practice, ultrasound studies, combined with pulsed Doppler in the best cases, is therefore indicated as a first-intension technique [fr

A Community-Based Research Approach to Develop an Educational Web Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Preiser-Houy, Lara; Navarrete, Carlos J.

2011-01-01

Service-learning projects are becoming more prevalent in Information Systems education. This study explores the use of community-based research, a special kind of a service-learning strategy, in an Information Systems web development course. The paper presents a case study of a service-learning project to develop an educational web portal for a…

Splanchnic-aortic inflammatory axis in experimental portal hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Aller, Maria-Angeles; de las Heras, Natalia; Nava, Maria-Paz; Regadera, Javier; Arias, Jaime; Lahera, Vicente

2013-01-01

Splanchnic and systemic low-grade inflammation has been proposed to be a consequence of long-term prehepatic portal hypertension. This experimental model causes minimal alternations in the liver, thus making a more selective study possible for the pathological changes characteristic of prehepatic portal hypertension. Low-grade splanchnic inflammation after long-term triple partial portal vein ligation could be associated with liver steatosis and portal hypertensive intestinal vasculopathy. In fact, we have previously shown that prehepatic portal hypertension in the rat induces liver steatosis and changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism similar to those produced in chronic inflammatory conditions described in metabolic syndrome in humans. Dysbiosis and bacterial translocation in this experimental model suggest the existence of a portal hypertensive intestinal microbiome implicated in both the splanchnic and systemic alterations related to prehepatic portal hypertension. Among the systemic impairments, aortopathy characterized by oxidative stress, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and profibrogenic mediators stand out. In this experimental model of long-term triple portal vein ligated-rats, the abdominal aortic proinflammatory response could be attributed to oxidative stress. Thus, the increased aortic reduced-nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] oxidase activity could be associated with reactive oxygen species production and promote aortic inflammation. Also, oxidative stress mediated by NAD(P)H oxidase has been associated with risk factors for inflammation and atherosclerosis. The splanchnic and systemic pathology that is produced in the long term after triple partial portal vein ligation in the rat reinforces the validity of this experimental model to study the chronic low-grade inflammatory response induced by prehepatic portal hypertension. PMID:24307792

Ultrasonography for Noninvasive Assessment of Portal Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Maruyama, Hitoshi; Yokosuka, Osamu

2017-07-15

Portal hypertension is a major pathophysiology in patients with cirrhosis. Portal pressure is the gold standard to evaluate the severity of portal hypertension, and radiological intervention is the only procedure for pressure measurement. Ultrasound (US) is a simple and noninvasive imaging modality available worldwide. B-mode imaging allows broad applications for patients to detect and characterize chronic liver diseases and focal hepatic lesions. The Doppler technique offers real-time observation of blood flow with qualitative and quantitative assessments, and the application of microbubble-based contrast agents has improved the detectability of peripheral blood flow. In addition, elastography for the liver and spleen covers a wider field beyond the original purpose of fibrosis assessment. These developments enhance the practical use of US in the evaluation of portal hemodynamic abnormalities. This article reviews the recent progress of US in the assessment of portal hypertension.

Learning through Teaching: A Microbiology Service-Learning Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ginny Webb

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Service learning is defined as a strategy in which students apply what they have learned in the classroom to a community service project. Many educators would agree that students often learn best through teaching others. This premise was the motivation for a new service-learning project in which undergraduate microbiology students developed and taught hands-on microbiology lessons to local elementary school children. The lessons included teaching basic information about microbes, disease transmission, antibiotics, vaccines, and methods of disease prevention. This service-learning project benefitted the college students by enforcing their knowledge of microbiology and provided them an opportunity to reach out to children within their community. This project also benefitted the local schools by teaching the younger students about microbes, infections, and handwashing. In this paper, I discuss the development and implementation of this new microbiology service-learning project, as well as the observed impact it had on everyone involved.

Portal in the power sector - it is vision or reality?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hornak, L.

2004-01-01

The goal of the presentation is to introduce the portal solutions, to describe the types, characteristic features and abilities of the portal and to define required attributes of the portal in the power segment. The author will try to answer the questions whether such portal exists at the present time, what is needed in order to implement the portal and how to do the portal maintenance and management

Implementation of interactive journalism at the portals of the Mexican press / Implementación del periodismo interactivo en los portales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dra. Claudia Alicia Lerma Noriega

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The interactivity in digital media is important because helps to build the information. This paper shows the different methods of interaction that have the internet portals of Mexican press with the purpose of seeing the lack of promotion of this value-added service, but also to think further of new interaction possibilities in order to boost a new form of journalism in other countries. For the purpose of this study, we observed portals registered at the Interior Ministry in a period of one year. Finally, the study reveals what are the most widely used interactive media among journalists and their readers, and also between the medium and its users.Resumen: La interactividad en los medios digitales es importante ayuda a la construcción de la información. En este trabajo se muestran los diferentes métodos de interacción que tienen los portales de Internet de la prensa mexicana a fin de ver la falta de promoción de este servicio de valor agregado, y da cuenta de las posibilidades de potenciar estas nuevas formas de hacer periodismo que se están ejerciendo en otros países. Para ello se observaron los portales de la prensa mexicana registrados en el Padrón Nacional de Medios Impresos de México, de marzo de 2008 a marzo de 2009. En el estudio se ven además cuáles son los elementos interactivos más usados entre el periodista y sus lectores, así como entre el medio periodístico y sus usuarios.

76 FR 54243 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Solicitation of Proposal Information for Award of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-31

... increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution.'' The... processing systems, databases, emails, and, in some cases, web portals to facilitate preparation of material...&T uses information technology (i.e., electronic web portals) in the collection of information to...

Interfractional trend analysis of dose differences based on 2D transit portal dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persoon, L C G G; Nijsten, S M J J G; Wilbrink, F J; Podesta, M; Snaith, J A D; Lustberg, T; Van Elmpt, W J C; Van Gils, F; Verhaegen, F

2012-01-01

Dose delivery of a radiotherapy treatment can be influenced by a number of factors. It has been demonstrated that the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) is valuable for transit portal dosimetry verification. Patient related dose differences can emerge at any time during treatment and can be categorized in two types: (1) systematic—appearing repeatedly, (2) random—appearing sporadically during treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate how systematic and random information appears in 2D transit dose distributions measured in the EPID plane over the entire course of a treatment and how this information can be used to examine interfractional trends, building toward a methodology to support adaptive radiotherapy. To create a trend overview of the interfractional changes in transit dose, the predicted portal dose for the different beams is compared to a measured portal dose using a γ evaluation. For each beam of the delivered fraction, information is extracted from the γ images to differentiate systematic from random dose delivery errors. From the systematic differences of a fraction for a projected anatomical structures, several metrics are extracted like percentage pixels with |γ| > 1. We demonstrate for four example cases the trends and dose difference causes which can be detected with this method. Two sample prostate cases show the occurrence of a random and systematic difference and identify the organ that causes the difference. In a lung cancer case a trend is shown of a rapidly diminishing atelectasis (lung fluid) during the course of treatment, which was detected with this trend analysis method. The final example is a breast cancer case where we show the influence of set-up differences on the 2D transit dose. A method is presented based on 2D portal transit dosimetry to record dose changes throughout the course of treatment, and to allow trend analysis of dose discrepancies. We show in example cases that this method can identify the causes of

Recommendation Systems for Geoscience Data Portals Built by Analyzing Usage Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Crosby, C.; Nandigam, V.; Baru, C.

2009-04-01

Since its launch five years ago, the National Science Foundation-funded GEON Project (www.geongrid.org) has been providing access to a variety of geoscience data sets such as geologic maps and other geographic information system (GIS)-oriented data, paleontologic databases, gravity and magnetics data and LiDAR topography via its online portal interface. In addition to data, the GEON Portal also provides web-based tools and other resources that enable users to process and interact with data. Examples of these tools include functions to dynamically map and integrate GIS data, compute synthetic seismograms, and to produce custom digital elevation models (DEMs) with user defined parameters such as resolution. The GEON portal built on the Gridsphere-portal framework allows us to capture user interaction with the system. In addition to the site access statistics captured by tools like Google Analystics which capture hits per unit time, search key words, operating systems, browsers, and referring sites, we also record additional statistics such as which data sets are being downloaded and in what formats, processing parameters, and navigation pathways through the portal. With over four years of data now available from the GEON Portal, this record of usage is a rich resource for exploring how earth scientists discover and utilize online data sets. Furthermore, we propose that this data could ultimately be harnessed to optimize the way users interact with the data portal, design intelligent processing and data management systems, and to make recommendations on algorithm settings and other available relevant data. The paradigm of integrating popular and commonly used patterns to make recommendations to a user is well established in the world of e-commerce where users receive suggestions on books, music and other products that they may find interesting based on their website browsing and purchasing history, as well as the patterns of fellow users who have made similar

GENESI-DR Portal: a scientific gateway to distributed repositories

Science.gov (United States)

Goncalves, Pedro; Brito, Fabrice; D'Andria, Fabio; Cossu, Roberto; Fusco, Luigi

2010-05-01

GENESI-DR (Ground European Network for Earth Science Interoperations - Digital Repositories) is a European Commission (EC)-funded project, kicked-off early 2008 lead by ESA; partners include Space Agencies (DLR, ASI, CNES), both space and no-space data providers such as ENEA (I), Infoterra (UK), K-SAT (N), NILU (N), JRC (EU) and industry as Elsag Datamat (I), CS (F) and TERRADUE (I). GENESI-DR intends to meet the challenge of facilitating "time to science" from different Earth Science disciplines in discovery, access and use (combining, integrating, processing, …) of historical and recent Earth-related data from space, airborne and in-situ sensors, which are archived in large distributed repositories. "Discovering" which data are available on a "geospatial web" is one of the main challenges ES scientists have to face today. Some well- known data sets are referred to in many places, available from many sources. For core information with a common purpose many copies are distributed, e.g., VMap0, Landsat, and SRTM. Other data sets in low or local demand may only be found in a few places and niche communities. Relevant services, results of analysis, applications and tools are accessible in a very scattered and uncoordinated way, often through individual initiatives from Earth Observation mission operators, scientific institutes dealing with ground measurements, service companies or data catalogues. In the discourse of Spatial Data Infrastructures, there are "catalogue services" - directories containing information on where spatial data and services can be found. For metadata "records" describing spatial data and services, there are "registries". The Geospatial industry coins specifications for search interfaces, where it might do better to reach out to other information retrieval and Internet communities. These considerations are the basis for the GENESI-DR scientific portal, which adopts a simple model allowing the geo-spatial classification and discovery of

[Environmental microbiological control].

Science.gov (United States)

Martín Salas, Carmen; Tordoya Titichoca, Igberto J; Ezpeleta Baquedano, Carmen

2016-07-01

The environmental microbiological control is necessary to prevent infections associated with certain procedures that are performed at the hospital. In this review the procedures for control of water and dialysis fluids, and air in operating rooms and immunocompromised units are addressed. The dialysis quality management guidelines define the highest levels of chemical, microbiological and endotoxin in purified water and dialysis fluids based on the recommendations of scientific societies. The microbiological control of water and dialysis fluids should include detection of microorganisms and endotoxin levels. Regarding the microbiological air sampling of operating rooms and immunocompromised units the types of clean rooms in which is recommended to perform microbiological air monitoring; the sample collection methods; culture media; incubation conditions; the most common microorganisms, and permissible levels depending on the type of surgery are described. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Analisa Dan Perancangan E-Service Portal Untuk Calon Mahasiswa Baru Pada Binus University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eli Suryani

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze and design the application of e-service portal to help Marketing BINUS university to improve the speed and ease of service for Prospect students with the integration of transaction and information services required prospective students, and can be presented in a personalized to adds its own interesting experience for user. It would create a competitive advantage of the University which also potentially triggering an increase in the number of intake students. The methodology used is the method of analysis, which reviews and interviews conducted directly to the field, distributing questionnaires, observing and analyzing the data and needs, and using the design method, which includes design of business models, user interface design and database design. Results to be achieved is a web portal, where the system can facilitate prospective students to obtain the desired information services in full, and with a presentation that can be personalized and make transactions easier and faster. Conclusions obtained are BINUS University can take advantage of e-service in a web portal for prospective new students as supporting its competitive advantage in the utilization of information technology and support one of its primary missions to create service excellence in all fields. 

Metabolic effects of portal vein sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mithieux, G

2014-09-01

The extrinsic gastrointestinal nerves are crucial in the sensing of nutrients and hormones and its translation in terms of control of food intake. Major macronutrients like glucose and protein are sensed by the extrinsic nerves located in the portal vein walls, which signal to the brain and account for the satiety phenomenon they promote. Glucose is sensed in the portal vein by neurons expressing the glucose receptor SGLT3, which activate the main regions of the brain involved in the control of food intake. Proteins indirectly act on food intake by inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis and its sensing by the portal glucose sensor. The mechanism involves a prior antagonism by peptides of the μ-opioid receptors present in the portal vein nervous system and a reflex arc with the brain inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis. In a comparable manner, short-chain fatty acids produced from soluble fibre act via intestinal gluconeogenesis to exert anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. In the case of propionate, the mechanism involves a prior activation of the free fatty acid receptor FFAR3 present in the portal nerves and a reflex arc initiating intestinal gluconeogenesis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparing the Hierarchy of Keywords in On-Line News Portals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibély, Gergely; Sousa-Rodrigues, David; Pollner, Péter; Palla, Gergely

2016-01-01

Hierarchical organization is prevalent in networks representing a wide range of systems in nature and society. An important example is given by the tag hierarchies extracted from large on-line data repositories such as scientific publication archives, file sharing portals, blogs, on-line news portals, etc. The tagging of the stored objects with informative keywords in such repositories has become very common, and in most cases the tags on a given item are free words chosen by the authors independently. Therefore, the relations among keywords appearing in an on-line data repository are unknown in general. However, in most cases the topics and concepts described by these keywords are forming a latent hierarchy, with the more general topics and categories at the top, and more specialized ones at the bottom. There are several algorithms available for deducing this hierarchy from the statistical features of the keywords. In the present work we apply a recent, co-occurrence-based tag hierarchy extraction method to sets of keywords obtained from four different on-line news portals. The resulting hierarchies show substantial differences not just in the topics rendered as important (being at the top of the hierarchy) or of less interest (categorized low in the hierarchy), but also in the underlying network structure. This reveals discrepancies between the plausible keyword association frameworks in the studied news portals.

Comparing the Hierarchy of Keywords in On-Line News Portals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gergely Tibély

Full Text Available Hierarchical organization is prevalent in networks representing a wide range of systems in nature and society. An important example is given by the tag hierarchies extracted from large on-line data repositories such as scientific publication archives, file sharing portals, blogs, on-line news portals, etc. The tagging of the stored objects with informative keywords in such repositories has become very common, and in most cases the tags on a given item are free words chosen by the authors independently. Therefore, the relations among keywords appearing in an on-line data repository are unknown in general. However, in most cases the topics and concepts described by these keywords are forming a latent hierarchy, with the more general topics and categories at the top, and more specialized ones at the bottom. There are several algorithms available for deducing this hierarchy from the statistical features of the keywords. In the present work we apply a recent, co-occurrence-based tag hierarchy extraction method to sets of keywords obtained from four different on-line news portals. The resulting hierarchies show substantial differences not just in the topics rendered as important (being at the top of the hierarchy or of less interest (categorized low in the hierarchy, but also in the underlying network structure. This reveals discrepancies between the plausible keyword association frameworks in the studied news portals.

Development of a computerized portal verification scheme for pelvic treatment fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, K.; Yin, F.-F.; Gao, Q.; Brasacchio, R.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: At present, treatment verification between portal and reference images is performed based on manually-identified features by radiation oncologist, which is both time-consuming and potentially error-prone. There is a demand for the computerized verification procedure in clinical application. The purpose of this study is to develop a computerized portal verification scheme for pelvic treatment fields. Materials/Methods: The automated verification system involves image acquisition, image feature extraction, feature matching between reference and portal images and quantitative evaluation of patient setup. Electronic portal images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 and 12 bit gray levels were acquired using a liquid matrix electronic portal imaging device. Simulation images were acquired by digitizing simulation films using a TV camera into images with 256 x 256 matrix and 8 bit gray levels. Initially a Canny edge detector is applied to identify the field edges and an elliptic Fourier transformation is used to correlate the size and shape information between the reference and portal field edges. Several measures can be calculated using the transformation coefficients to describe the field shape, size and orientation. The quantitative information regarding to the relative shifts, rotation and magnification factor between portal and reference field edges can then be determined based on these measures. Next the pelvic brim, which is typically used as the landmark for radiation treatment verification, is identified by a pyramid searching process with double snakes defined from initial global area to final local area. A snake is an active model and energy-minimizing spline guided by external constraint forces and influenced by image forces that pull it toward features such as lines and edges. The search range is limited to the region between two snakes. Sobel edge detector and wavelet transformation approach are used to generate a serial image forces at

Evaluation of patients with portal hypertension using Tc-99m-Sn Colloid scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, H.A.

1990-01-01

Thirty seven cases of portal hypertension with endoscopically proven esophageal varieces underwent liver biopsy to determine the aetiology of portal hypertension. From which 19 had cirrhosis and 18 Idiopathic Portal Hypertension. Tc-99m-Sn colloid static and dynamic scintigraphy of the liver and spleen was performed in these patients. Apart from the calculation of ratio of area (A L/S), ratio of integral (I L/S) were also computed to see if these could be used to differentiate cirrhosis from IPH. Significant difference was noted in the ratio of the area in patients and controls, but the ratios of the integral (IL/S) and the slope of the integral (SIL/S) were not only significantly different in the patients and controls but also in the two groups of patients. The sensitivity of this test when compared with histology was 58% for cirrhosis and IPH but when compared with clinical diagnosis it was 76% for cirrhosis and 62% for IPH group. Therefore, by using the above mentioned technique in the routine study of liver scintigraphy in patients with portal hypertension, the added information obtained can be used to further differentiate the cirrhotic and non cirrhotic group of portal hypertensives. (author)

Patient Use of the Electronic Communication Portal in Management of Type 2 Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Peremislov, Diana

2017-09-01

High incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes require urgent attention to the management of this chronic disease. The purpose of this study was to explore electronic communication (e-communication) between patients with type 2 diabetes and their providers within the patient portal. Qualitative design with conventional content analysis techniques was used. A purposive random sample of 90 electronic medical record charts of patient-portal users with type 2 diabetes was subjected to a retrospective review. The sample mainly consisted of patients between the ages of 50 and 70 years, who were white, non-Hispanic, and English-speaking. The three major themes that emerged in e-communication via patient portal were inform theme, which was the most frequently identified theme; instruct/request theme, which was mainly used in initiation of e-communication; and the question theme. The patient portal was used primarily for requests by patients and instruction by providers, showing relatively short e-message encounters with a high number of partially completed encounters, frequent lack of resolution, and a low level of involvement of diabetes specialists in e-communication. There is a need to revise healthcare system guidelines on initiation and use of e-communication via patient portal and develop standardized templates to promote diabetes education in type 2 diabetes.

Arachidonic acid metabolites and endothelial dysfunction of portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacerdoti, David; Pesce, Paola; Di Pascoli, Marco; Brocco, Silvia; Cecchetto, Lara; Bolognesi, Massimo

2015-07-01

Increased resistance to portal flow and increased portal inflow due to mesenteric vasodilatation represent the main factors causing portal hypertension in cirrhosis. Endothelial cell dysfunction, defined as an imbalance between the synthesis, release, and effect of endothelial mediators of vascular tone, inflammation, thrombosis, and angiogenesis, plays a major role in the increase of resistance in portal circulation, in the decrease in the mesenteric one, in the development of collateral circulation. Reduced response to vasodilators in liver sinusoids and increased response in the mesenteric arterioles, and, viceversa, increased response to vasoconstrictors in the portal-sinusoidal circulation and decreased response in the mesenteric arterioles are also relevant to the pathophysiology of portal hypertension. Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites through the three pathways, cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and epoxygenase, are involved in endothelial dysfunction of portal hypertension. Increased thromboxane-A2 production by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) via increased COX-1 activity/expression, increased leukotriens, increased epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) (dilators of the peripheral arterial circulation, but vasoconstrictors of the portal-sinusoidal circulation), represent a major component in the increased portal resistance, in the decreased portal response to vasodilators and in the hyper-response to vasoconstrictors. Increased prostacyclin (PGI2) via COX-1 and COX-2 overexpression, and increased EETs/heme-oxygenase-1/K channels/gap junctions (endothelial derived hyperpolarizing factor system) play a major role in mesenteric vasodilatation, hyporeactivity to vasoconstrictors, and hyper-response to vasodilators. EETs, mediators of liver regeneration after hepatectomy and of angiogenesis, may play a role in the development of regenerative nodules and collateral circulation, through stimulation of vascular endothelial

Endovascular management for significant iatrogenic portal vein bleeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Woo; Shin, Ji Hoon; Park, Jonathan K; Yoon, Hyun-Ki; Ko, Gi-Young; Gwon, Dong Il; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Sung, Kyu-Bo

2017-11-01

Background Despite conservative treatment, hemorrhage from an intrahepatic branch of the portal vein can cause hemodynamic instability requiring urgent intervention. Purpose To retrospectively report the outcomes of hemodynamically significant portal vein bleeding after endovascular management. Material and Methods During a period of 15 years, four patients (2 men, 2 women; median age, 70.5 years) underwent angiography and embolization for iatrogenic portal vein bleeding. Causes of hemorrhage, angiographic findings, endovascular treatment, and complications were reported. Results Portal vein bleeding occurred after percutaneous liver biopsy (n = 2), percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (n = 1), and percutaneous cholecystostomy (n = 1). The median time interval between angiography and percutaneous procedure was 5 h (range, 4-240 h). Common hepatic angiograms including indirect mesenteric portograms showed active portal vein bleeding into the peritoneal cavity with (n = 1) or without (n = 2) an arterioportal (AP) fistula, and portal vein pseudoaneurysm alone with an AP fistula (n = 1). Successful transcatheter arterial embolization (n = 2) or percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization (n = 2) was performed. Embolic materials were n-butyl cyanoacrylate alone (n = 2) or in combination with gelatin sponge particles and coils (n = 2). There were no major treatment-related complications or patient mortality within 30 days. Conclusion Patients with symptomatic or life-threatening portal vein bleeding following liver-penetrating procedures can successfully be managed with embolization.

Virtual research environments from portals to science gateways

CERN Document Server

Allan, Robert N

2009-01-01

Virtual Research Environments examines making Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usable by researchers working to solve "grand challenge” problems in many disciplines from social science to particle physics. It is driven by research the authors have carried out to evaluate researchers' requirements in using information services via web portals and in adapting collaborative learning tools to meet their more diverse needs, particularly in a multidisciplinary study.This is the motivation for what the authors have helped develop into the UK Virtual Research Environments (VRE)

Preferences of Current and Potential Patients and Family Members Regarding Implementation of Electronic Communication Portals in Intensive Care Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Samuel M; Bell, Sigall K; Roche, Stephanie D; Dente, Erica; Mueller, Ariel; Kim, Tae-Eun; O'Reilly, Kristin; Lee, Barbara Sarnoff; Sands, Ken; Talmor, Daniel

2016-03-01

The quality of communication with patients and family members in intensive care units (ICUs) is a focus of current interest for clinical care improvement. Electronic communication portals are commonly used in other healthcare settings to improve communication. We do not know whether patients and family members desire such portals in ICUs, and if so, what functionality they should provide. To define interest in and desired elements of an electronic communication portal among current and potential ICU patients and their family members. We surveyed, via an Internet panel, 1,050 English-speaking adults residing in the United States with a personal or family history of an ICU admission within 10 years (cohort A) and 1,050 individuals without a history of such admission (cohort B). We also administered a survey instrument in person to 105 family members of patients currently admitted to ICUs at an academic medical center in Boston (cohort C). Respondents, especially current ICU family members, supported an electronic communication portal, including access via an electronic tablet. They wanted at least daily updates, one-paragraph summaries of family meetings including a list of key decisions made, and knowledge of the role and experience of treating clinicians. Overall, they preferred detailed rather than "big picture" information. Respondents were generally comfortable sharing information with their family members. Preferences regarding a communication portal varied significantly by age, sex, ethnicity, and prior experience with ICU hospitalization. Electronic communication portals appear welcome in contemporary ICUs. Frequent updates, knowledge about the professional qualifications of clinicians, detailed medical information, and documentation of family meetings are particularly desired.

Disastrous Portal Vein Embolization Turned into a Successful Intervention

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobrocky, Tomas, E-mail: tomas.dobrocky@insel.ch [University of Bern, Department of Interventional, Pediatric and Diagnostic Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital (Switzerland); Kettenbach, Joachim, E-mail: joachim.kettenbach@stpoelten.lknoe.at [Universitätsklinikum St. Pölten-Lilienfeld, Institute of Medical Radiology, Diagnostic, Intervention (Austria); Lopez-Benitez, Ruben, E-mail: Ruben.lopez@insel.ch; Kara, Levent, E-mail: levent.kara@insel.ch [University of Bern, Department of Interventional, Pediatric and Diagnostic Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital (Switzerland)

2015-10-15

Portal vein embolization (PVE) may be performed before hemihepatectomy to increase the volume of future liver remnant (FLR) and to reduce the risk of postoperative liver insufficiency. We report the case of a 71-year-old patient with hilar cholangiocarcinoma undergoing PVE with access from the right portal vein using a mixture of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate and ethiodized oil. During the procedure, nontarget embolization of the left portal vein occurred. An aspiration maneuver of the polymerized plug failed; however, the embolus obstructing portal venous flow in the FLR was successfully relocated into the right portal vein while carefully bypassing the plug with a balloon catheter, inflating the balloon, and pulling the plug into the main right portal vein.

Portal monitor incorporating smart probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartos, D.; Constantin, F.; Guta, T.

2003-01-01

Portal monitors are intended for detection of radioactive and special nuclear materials in vehicles, pedestrians, luggage, as well as for prevention of illegal traffic of radioactive sources. Monitors provide audio and visual alarms when radioactive and/or special nuclear materials are detected. They can be recommended to officers of customs, border guard and emergency services, civil defense, fire brigades, police and military departments or nuclear research or energetic facilities. The portal monitor developed by us consists in a portal frame, which sustains five intelligent probes having long plastic scintillator (0.5 liters each). The probes communicate, by serial transmission, with a Central Unit constructed on the basis of the 80552 microcontroller. This one manages the handshake, calculates the background, establishes the measuring time, starts and stops each measurement and makes all the other decisions. Sound signals and an infrared sensor monitor the passing through the portal and the measuring procedure. For each measurement the result is displayed on a LCD device contaminated/uncontaminated; for the contaminated case a loud and long sound signal is also issued. An RS 232 serial interface is provided in order to further developments or custom made devices. As a result, the portal monitor detects 1 μ Ci 137 Cs, spread all over a human body, in a 20 μR/h gamma background for a measuring time of 1.5 or 10 seconds giving a 99% confidence factor. (authors)

Studi Respon Seismik Penggunaan Steel Slit Damper (SSD pada Portal Baja

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Ika Arumsari

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Salah satu metode yang dapat digunakan untuk mengurangi dampak dari beban gempa terhadap portal baja adalah menggunakan peredam. Steel Slit Damper (SSD adalah salah satu jenis peredam yang dibuat dari sejumlah pelat baja lunak berbentuk segi-4 yang dimodelkan sebagai pegas-pegas yang disusun secara seri. Energi akibat gempa disalurkan melalui strip-strip damper yang mudah meleleh ketika perangkat mengalami deformasi inelastis siklik. SSD mendisipasi energi melalui pembentukan sendi plastis atau pelelehan pelat damper. Pada penelitian ini dilakukan analisa respon seismik Steel Slit Damper (SSD pada portal baja 1 lantai yang menerima beban lateral berupa beban gempa, dengan membandingkan portal baja konvensional, portal baja inverted-v, dan portal baja dengan SSD. Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa gaya geser, gaya normal, dan momen yang dihasikan portal dengan SSD lebih kecil hingga 80,49% dari gaya-gaya yang dihasilkan portal konvensional, tetapi gaya-gaya tersebut masih lebih besar daripada yang dihasilkan portal inverted-V. Portal dengan SSD dapat memperkecil simpangan sebesar 94,12% pada portal konvensional dan sebesar 33,33% pada portal bracing inverted-v. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa portal SSD memiliki daktilitas 105,85% lebih tinggi dari portal konvensional dan 298,67% lebih tinggi dari portal bracing inverted-v

Endothelial dysfunction in the regulation of portal hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Iwakiri, Yasuko

2013-01-01

Portal hypertension is caused by an increased intrahepatic resistance, a major consequence of cirrhosis. Endothelial dysfunction in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) decreases the production of vasodilators, such as nitric oxide (NO) and favors vasoconstriction. This contributes to an increased vascular resistance in the intrahepatic/sinusoidal microcirculation. Portal hypertension, once developed, causes endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction in the extrahepatic, i.e. splanchnic and systemic, circulation. Unlike LSEC dysfunction, EC dysfunction in the splanchnic and systemic circulation overproduces vasodilator molecules, leading to arterial vasodilatation. In addition, portal hypertension leads to the formation of portosystemic collateral vessels. Both arterial vasodilatation and portosystemic collateral vessel formation exacerbate portal hypertension by increasing the blood flow through the portal vein. Pathologic consequences, such as esophageal varices and ascites, result. While the sequence of pathological vascular events in cirrhosis and portal hypertension have been elucidated, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms causing EC dysfunctions are not yet fully understood. This review article summarizes the current cellular and molecular studies on EC dysfunctions found during the development of cirrhosis and portal hypertension with a focus on intra- and extrahepatic circulation. The article ends by discussing future directions of study for EC dysfunctions. PMID:21745318

Duplication of the Portal Vein: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sang Won; Shin, Hyeong Cheol; Jou, Sung Shick; Han, Jong Kyu; Kim, Il Young [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2009-12-15

The duplication of the portal vein is an uncommon congenital anomaly. To date, only four cases have been reported in the medical literature. This anomaly can cause portal hypertension in pediatric patients. In addition, duplication of the portal vein has various patterns of connection with a splenic vein or mesenteric veins, and it can lie anterior or posterior to the duodenum. We report the MDCT findings of an adult patient with duplication of the portal vein that was found incidentally

MR and angiography: Evaluation of the hemodynamics of portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, W.E.; Gaylord, G.M.; Whitmire, L.; Chuang, V.P.; Bernardino, M.E.

1986-01-01

Forty-two MR imaging examinations and angiographic procedures in 38 patients with portal hypertension were compared for how well the images depicted portal perfusion and direction of flow, portal vein thrombosis, and the presence and type of shunt. Thirty-three MR imaging studies indicated grade I or II portal flow. In 29 cases portal flow was grade I or II by angiography; in the remaining cases the flow was grade IV. In a total of eight cases portal flow was grade IV by angiography, but none appeared to be grade IV on MR imaging. Both MR imaging and angiography detected portal vein thrombosis (41 of 42 cases). MR imaging and angiography agreed as to whether a shunt was present or absent, and patent or occluded (41 of 42 cases). Currently, MR imaging is an unsatisfactory modality by which to grade portal flow. MR imaging does depict portal vein thrombosis well, and can be used to determine patency of surgical shunts

Extrahepatic Portal Hypertension following Liver Transplantation: a Rare but Challenging Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Malassagne

1998-01-01

Full Text Available This study reports our experience of 8 cases of extrahepatic portal hypertension after 273 orthotopic liver transplantations in 244 adult patients over a 10- year period. The main clinical feature was ascites, and the life-threatening complication was variceal bleeding. Extrahepatic portal hypertension was caused by portal vein stenosis in 6 patients, and left-sided portal hypertension in 2 patients after inadventent ligation of portal venous tributaries or portasystemic shunts. All patients with portal vein stenosis had complete relief of portal hypertension after percutaneous transhepatic venoplasty (n=4 or surgical reconstruction (n=2, after a median follow-up of 33 (range: 6–62 months. Of the 2 patients with left-sided portal hypertension, one died after splenectomy and one rebled 6 months after left colectomy. This study suggests that extrahepatic portal hypertension is a series complication after liver transplantation that could be prevented by meticulous portal anastomosis and closure of portal tributaries or portasystemic shunts to improve the portal venous flow. However, any ligation has to be performed under ultrasound guidance to avoid inadventent venous ligations.

Salty Microbiology

Science.gov (United States)

Schneegurt, Mark A.; Wedel, Adrianne N.; Pokorski, Edward W.

2004-01-01

Using microbiology activities in the classroom is an effective way for teachers to address National Standards in the life sciences. However, common microbiology activities that involve swabbing doorknobs and hands are too risky due to the likelihood of culturing human pathogens. In addition, making sterile media and maintaining sterile conditions…

Evaluation of portal hypertension by MR portography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaoka, Shirou; Hagiwara, Masaru; Imanisi, Yosimasa

1997-01-01

Seventy-eight examinations of MR portography were totally performed in 24 controls and 33 patients with esophageal varices. Portal vein, SMV, hepatic vein, and IVC were entirely depicted in 21, 24, 22, and 24, respectively, of the 24 controls. As to intrahepatic upward branches of portal vein in the right lobe of the liver, the 4th branch was at least depicted in all of the 24. Although the portal vein trunk and SMV were entirely depicted in all of the 8 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child A, there was no depiction of them in 1 of the 8 patients with liver dysfunction of Child B, and 1 of 5 patients with liver dysfunction of Child C. The 4th upward branch of portal vein in the right lobe of the liver was depicted in none of the 33 patients. Besides, none of the intrahepatic portal branches were depicted in 1 of 8 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child B, and 1 of the 5 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child C. There was a significant difference of depicted terminal upward branch of portal vein between the controls and patients without any treatment. In the patients without any significant difference of depicted terminal upward branch of portal vein was also present between Child's classification A and Child's classification B and C. Gastric coronary vein varices were detected by MR portography is 18 of 19 patients without treatment on the esophageal varices, and paraesophageal/esophageal varices were also depicted by MR portography in 13 of the 19. The collaterals were depicted by MR portography in all of the 6 patients with recurrent collaterals after Hassab's operation or splenectomy. MR portography was able to depict flow in trunk branches and collaterals of the portal vein system in a physiological state. (K.H.)

Evaluation of portal hypertension by MR portography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagaoka, Shirou; Hagiwara, Masaru; Imanisi, Yosimasa [St. Marianna Univ., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan). School of Medicine

1997-02-01

Seventy-eight examinations of MR portography were totally performed in 24 controls and 33 patients with esophageal varices. Portal vein, SMV, hepatic vein, and IVC were entirely depicted in 21, 24, 22, and 24, respectively, of the 24 controls. As to intrahepatic upward branches of portal vein in the right lobe of the liver, the 4th branch was at least depicted in all of the 24. Although the portal vein trunk and SMV were entirely depicted in all of the 8 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child A, there was no depiction of them in 1 of the 8 patients with liver dysfunction of Child B, and 1 of 5 patients with liver dysfunction of Child C. The 4th upward branch of portal vein in the right lobe of the liver was depicted in none of the 33 patients. Besides, none of the intrahepatic portal branches were depicted in 1 of 8 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child B, and 1 of the 5 patients without treatment and liver dysfunction of Child C. There was a significant difference of depicted terminal upward branch of portal vein between the controls and patients without any treatment. In the patients without any significant difference of depicted terminal upward branch of portal vein was also present between Child`s classification A and Child`s classification B and C. Gastric coronary vein varices were detected by MR portography is 18 of 19 patients without treatment on the esophageal varices, and paraesophageal/esophageal varices were also depicted by MR portography in 13 of the 19. The collaterals were depicted by MR portography in all of the 6 patients with recurrent collaterals after Hassab`s operation or splenectomy. MR portography was able to depict flow in trunk branches and collaterals of the portal vein system in a physiological state. (K.H.)

Splenomegaly, hyperkinetic splenic flow and portal hypertension in colitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friman, L.

1980-01-01

Four patients with a long history of colitis, splenomegaly, hypersplenism and portal hypertension were examined with angiography, both with contrast medium and isotopes, liver-spleen scintigraphy and recording of portal pressure. At angiography hyperkinetic splenic and portal blood flow was demonstrated. The increased flow causes increased portal pressure, which probably gives rise to changes in the liver often considered as slight cirrhosis at microscopy. The scintigraphic findings differed from Laennec cirrhosis. The liver uptake was homogeneous and no activity in the skeleton was recorded. Splenectomy cures both the hypersplenism and portal hypertension. (Auth.)

Portal hypertension as portrayed by marked hepatosplenomegaly: case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, R.A.

1987-01-01

The liver is vulnerable to as host of disease processes, including portal hypertension. This is a severe hepatic condition in which the liver is subject to numerous imbalances: increased hepatic blood flow, increased portal vein pressure due to extrahepatic portal vein obstruction, and/or increases in hepatic blood flow resistance. Although many diseases states may be responsible for the development of portal hypertension, it is most commonly associated with moderately severe or advanced cirrhosis. Advanced, untreated portal hypertension may cause additional complications such as hepatosplenomegaly, gastrointestinal bleeding, and ascites

Splenomegaly, hyperkinetic splenic flow and portal hypertension in colitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friman, L [Serafimerlasarettet, Stockholm (Sweden)

1980-01-01

Four patients with a long history of colitis, splenomegaly, hypersplenism and portal hypertension were examined with angiography, both with contrast medium and isotopes, liver-spleen scintigraphy and recording of portal pressure. At angiography hyperkinetic splenic and portal blood flow was demonstrated. The increased flow causes increased portal pressure, which probably gives rise to changes in the liver often considered as slight cirrhosis at microscopy. The scintigraphic findings differed from Laennec cirrhosis. The liver uptake was homogeneous and no activity in the skeleton was recorded. Splenectomy cures both the hypersplenism and portal hypertension.

Access problem to UNIQA’s extranet portal

CERN Document Server

HR Department

2008-01-01

UNIQA would like to inform members of the Health Insurance Scheme that they are temporarily unable to access the EXTRANET portal, via which, amongst other things, they may consult reimbursement notifications. The difficulty is that once the user name and password have been entered to access the secure site, the user is redirected to the same initial screen without any error notification. UNIQA’s computing department has been informed of the problem and is carrying out investigations. We will be informed as soon as the problem has been solved (via the Bulletin and the CHIS site http://cern.ch/chis). UNIQA apologises in advance for any inconvenience caused by this technical problem.

Molecular property diagnostic suite (MPDS): Development of disease-specific open source web portals for drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagamani, S; Gaur, A S; Tanneeru, K; Muneeswaran, G; Madugula, S S; Consortium, Mpds; Druzhilovskiy, D; Poroikov, V V; Sastry, G N

2017-11-01

Molecular property diagnostic suite (MPDS) is a Galaxy-based open source drug discovery and development platform. MPDS web portals are designed for several diseases, such as tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, and other metabolic disorders, specifically aimed to evaluate and estimate the drug-likeness of a given molecule. MPDS consists of three modules, namely data libraries, data processing, and data analysis tools which are configured and interconnected to assist drug discovery for specific diseases. The data library module encompasses vast information on chemical space, wherein the MPDS compound library comprises 110.31 million unique molecules generated from public domain databases. Every molecule is assigned with a unique ID and card, which provides complete information for the molecule. Some of the modules in the MPDS are specific to the diseases, while others are non-specific. Importantly, a suitably altered protocol can be effectively generated for another disease-specific MPDS web portal by modifying some of the modules. Thus, the MPDS suite of web portals shows great promise to emerge as disease-specific portals of great value, integrating chemoinformatics, bioinformatics, molecular modelling, and structure- and analogue-based drug discovery approaches.

Porto-systemic collaterals in cirrhosis of the liver. Selective percutaneous transhepatic catheterization of the portal venous system in portal hypertension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoevels, J; Lunderquist, A; Tylen, U; Simert, G [Lund Univ. (Sweden)

1979-01-01

In 93 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and portal venous hypertension the main tributaries of the portal vein were examined by percutaneous transhepatic catheterization. The appearance and degree of porto-systemic collaterals were analysed. Esophageal varices were demonstrated in 82 patients. No correlation was found between the portal venous pressure and the extent of porto-systemic communications.

Scintiphotosplenoportography in patients with portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aijaz, A.

1990-01-01

Scintiphotosplenoportograpy (SSP) was performed in five normals and 25 patients with portal hypertension using Tc-99m tin colloid. 12 patients were cirrhotic and 13 had idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH). Analogue and fast frame dynamic studies were performed and subsequently processed. Intra hepatic shunt index in cirrhotics was significantly different from the IPH group. Extra hepatic shunt index, however, was not significantly different in the two groups but was related more to the severity of the disease process. Spleno hepatic and spleno cardiac transit times were significantly lower cirrhotics as compared to the IPH group. We conclude that SSP is a technically simple, rapid and a much less invasive method of visualizing the portal circulatory system and assessing the portal haemo dynamics. it also provides clinically important measure of shunted blood nd allows for the quantification of circulatory time from spleen to liver and heart. (author)

[Infection control team (ICT) in cooperation with microbiology laboratories].

Science.gov (United States)

Okazaki, Mitsuhiro

2012-10-01

Infection control as a medical safety measure is an important issue in all medical facilities. In order to tackle this measure, cooperation between the infection control team (ICT) and microbiological laboratory is indispensable. Multiple drug-resistant bacteria have shifted from Gram-positive bacteria to Gram-negative bacilli within the last ten years. There are also a variety of bacilli, complicating the examination method and test results further. Therefore, cooperation between the ICT and microbiological laboratory has become important to understand examination results and to use them. In order to maintain functional cooperation, explanatory and communicative ability between the microbiological laboratory and ICT is required every day. Such positive information exchange will develop into efficient and functional ICT activity.

Portal vein branching order helps in the recognition of anomalous right-sided round ligament: common features and variations in portal vein anatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Rikiya; Yamaoka, Toshihide; Nishitai, Ryuta; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Taura, Kojiro; Arizono, Shigeki; Furuta, Akihiro; Ohno, Tsuyoshi; Ono, Ayako; Togashi, Kaori

2017-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the common features and variations of portal vein anatomy in right-sided round ligament (RSRL), which can help propose a method to detect and diagnose this anomaly. In this retrospective study of 14 patients with RSRL, the branching order of the portal tree was analyzed, with special focus on the relationship between the dorsal branch of the right anterior segmental portal vein (P A-D ) and the lateral segmental portal vein (P LL ), to determine the common features. The configuration of the portal vein from the main portal trunk to the right umbilical portion (RUP), the inclination of the RUP, and the number and thickness of the ramifications branching from the right anterior segmental portal vein (P A ) were evaluated for variations. In all subjects, the diverging point of the P A-D was constantly distal to that of the P LL . The portal vein configuration was I- and Z-shaped in nine and five subjects, respectively. The RUP was tilted to the right in all subjects. In Z-shaped subjects, the portal trunk between the branching point of the right posterior segmental portal vein and that of the P LL was tilted to the left in one subject and was almost parallel to the vertical plane in four subjects. Multiple ramifications were radially distributed from the P A in eight subjects, whereas one predominant P A-D branched from the P A in six subjects. Based on the diverging points of the P A-D and P LL , we proposed a three-step method for the detection and diagnosis of RSRL.

PSUP: A Planetary SUrface Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Poulet, F.; Quantin-Nataf, C.; Ballans, H.; Dassas, K.; Audouard, J.; Carter, J.; Gondet, B.; Lozac'h, L.; Malapert, J.-C.; Marmo, C.; Riu, L.; Séjourné, A.

2018-01-01

The large size and complexity of planetary data acquired by spacecraft during the last two decades create a demand within the planetary community for access to the archives of raw and high level data and for the tools necessary to analyze these data. Among the different targets of the Solar System, Mars is unique as the combined datasets from the Viking, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions provide a tremendous wealth of information that can be used to study the surface of Mars. The number and the size of the datasets require an information system to process, manage and distribute data. The Observatories of Paris Sud (OSUPS) and Lyon (OSUL) have developed a portal, called PSUP (Planetary SUrface Portal), for providing users with efficient and easy access to data products dedicated to the Martian surface. The objectives of the portal are: 1) to allow processing and downloading of data via a specific application called MarsSI (Martian surface data processing Information System); 2) to provide the visualization and merging of high level (image, spectral, and topographic) products and catalogs via a web-based user interface (MarsVisu), and 3) to distribute some of these specific high level data with an emphasis on products issued by the science teams of OSUPS and OSUL. As the MarsSI service is extensively described in a companion paper (Quantin-Nataf et al., companion paper, submitted to this special issue), the present paper focus on the general architecture and the functionalities of the web-based user interface MarsVisu. This service provides access to many data products for Mars: albedo, mineral and thermal inertia global maps from spectrometers; mosaics from imagers; image footprints and rasters from the MarsSI tool; high level specific products (defined as catalogs or vectors). MarsVisu can be used to quickly assess the visualized processed data and maps as well as identify areas that have not been mapped yet

Portal monitoring for detecting fissile materials and chemical explosives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albright, D.

1992-01-01

The portal monitoring of pedestrians, packages, equipment, and vehicles entering or leaving areas of high physical security has been common for many years. Many nuclear facilities rely on portal monitoring to prevent the theft or diversion of plutonium and highly enriched uranium. At commercial airports, portals are used to prevent firearms and explosives from being smuggled onto airplanes. An August 1989 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation requires US airlines to screen luggage on international flights for chemical explosives. This paper reports that portal monitoring is now being introduced into arms-control agreements. Because some of the portal-monitoring equipment that would be useful in verifying arms-control agreements is already widely used as part of the physical security systems at nuclear facilities and commercial airports, the authors review these uses of portal monitoring, as well as its role in verifying the INF treaty. Then the authors survey the major types of portal-monitoring equipment that would be most useful in detecting nuclear warheads or fissile material

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.

Middleware and Web Services for the Collaborative Information Portal of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Sinderson, Elias; Magapu, Vish; Mak, Ronald

2004-01-01

We describe the design and deployment of the middleware for the Collaborative Information Portal (CIP), a mission critical J2EE application developed for NASA's 2003 Mars Exploration Rover mission. CIP enabled mission personnel to access data and images sent back from Mars, staff and event schedules, broadcast messages and clocks displaying various Earth and Mars time zones. We developed the CIP middleware in less than two years time usins cutting-edge technologies, including EJBs, servlets, JDBC, JNDI and JMS. The middleware was designed as a collection of independent, hot-deployable web services, providing secure access to back end file systems and databases. Throughout the middleware we enabled crosscutting capabilities such as runtime service configuration, security, logging and remote monitoring. This paper presents our approach to mitigating the challenges we faced, concluding with a review of the lessons we learned from this project and noting what we'd do differently and why.

Portal placement in elbow arthroscopy by novice surgeons: cadaver study.

Science.gov (United States)

Claessen, Femke M A P; Kachooei, Amir R; Kolovich, Gregory P; Buijze, Geert A; Oh, Luke S; van den Bekerom, Michel P J; Doornberg, Job N

2017-07-01

In this anatomical cadaver study, the distance between major nerves and ligaments at risk for injury and portal sites created by trainees was measured. Trainees, inexperienced in elbow arthroscopy, have received a didactic lecture and cadaver instruction prior to portal placement. The incidence of iatrogenic injury from novice portal placement was also determined. Anterolateral, direct lateral, and anteromedial arthroscopic portals were created in ten cadavers by ten inexperienced trainees in elbow arthroscopy. After creating each portal, the trajectory of the portal was marked with a guide pin. Subsequently, the cadavers were dissected and the distances between the guide pin in the anterolateral, direct lateral, and anteromedial portals and important ligaments and nerves were measured. The difference between the distance of the direct lateral portal and the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve (PABCN) (22 mm, p cadaver instruction session alone. Level of evidence V.

Editor's welcome, PORTAL, Vol. 4, No. 2, July 2007

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Allatson

2007-10-01

, entitled ‘Italian Cultures: Writing Italian Cultural Studies in the World.’ Full details follow, in both English and Italian, and can be found on the journal’s homepage. Paul Allatson, Chair, PORTAL Editorial Committee Call for Papers ‘Italian Cultures: Writing Italian Cultural Studies in the World.’ PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies is seeking articles for a special issue on Italian cultural studies. It aims at updating existing scholarship and scoping the proliferation of interests in this growing field. It recognizes that cultural studies practitioners write multiple Italies within Italy itself and from provincialized Italies, with a perspective that is both global and informed by specific local knowledge. In particular we seek articles that map how processes of social change and identification are negotiated, imagined, explored and contested in relation to the following (but not exclusively themes: •Belonging •Body •Cinema •Consumption •Design •Digital cultures •Everyday •Fashion •Food •Language •Media (new and old •New writing •Place •Sport •Visual cultures Portal has built into its editorial protocols a commitment to facilitating dialogue between international studies practitioners working anywhere in the world, and not simply or exclusively in the ‘North,’ ‘the West’ or the ‘First World.’ The journal’s commitment to fashioning a genuinely ‘international' studies rubric is also reflected in our willingness to publish critical and creative work in English as well as in a number of other languages: Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, Croatian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Serbian, and Spanish. Portal provides open access to all of it content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. If are interested in submitting a paper please read the Author’s guidelines and information

Acceptance of the German e-mental health portal www.psychenet.de: an online survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Tlach

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Taking into account the high prevalence of mental disorders and the multiple barriers to the use of mental health services, new forms of fostering patient information, involvement, and self-management are needed to complement existing mental health services. The study aimed at investigating acceptance regarding design and content of the e-mental health portal www.psychenet.de. Methods. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 2013 and May 2015 using a self-administered questionnaire including items on perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards using, and perceived trust. Effects of different participants’ characteristics on the portals’ acceptance were analyzed. Results. The majority of the N = 252 respondents suffered from mental disorders (n = 139 or were relatives from persons with mental disorders (n = 65. The portal was assessed as “good” or “very good” by 71% of the respondents. High levels of agreement (89–96% were shown for statements on the perceived ease of use, the behavioral intention to use the portal, and the trustworthiness of the portal. Lower levels of agreement were shown for some statements on the perceived usefulness of the portals’ content. There were no effects of different participants’ characteristics on the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness, the attitude towards using the website and the perceived trust. Discussion. This survey provides preliminary evidence that the e-mental health portal www.psychenet.de appears to be a usable, useful and trustworthy information resource for a broad target group. The behavioral usefulness of the portals’ content might be improved by integrating more activating patient decision aids.

Portal hypertension: a review of portosystemic collateral pathways and endovascular interventions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillai, A.K.; Andring, B.; Patel, A.; Trimmer, C.; Kalva, S.P.

2015-01-01

The portal vein is formed at the confluence of the splenic and superior mesenteric vein behind the head of the pancreas. Normal blood pressure within the portal system varies between 5 and 10 mmHg. Portal hypertension is defined when the gradient between the portal and systemic venous blood pressure exceeds 5 mmHg. The most common cause of portal hypertension is cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, portal hypertension develops due to extensive fibrosis within the liver parenchyma causing increased vascular resistance. In addition, the inability of the liver to metabolise certain vasodilators leads to hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation resulting in increased portal blood flow. Decompression of the portal pressure is achieved by formation of portosystemic collaterals. In this review, we will discuss the pathophysiology, anatomy, and imaging findings of spontaneous portosystemic collaterals and clinical manifestations of portal hypertension with emphasis on the role of interventional radiology in the management of complications related to portal hypertension

Portal Hypertension Secondary to Spontaneous Arterio-Portal Venous Fistulas: Transcatheter Arterial Embolization with n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate and Microcoils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagami, Takuji; Nakamura, Toshiyuki; Nishimura, Tsunehiko

2000-01-01

We report a 73-year-old man with recurrent variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension caused by multiple intrahepatic arterio-portal venous fistulas, which were successfully occluded by embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate and micro-coils

Novel Rat Model of Repetitive Portal Venous Embolization Mimicking Human Non-Cirrhotic Idiopathic Portal Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Sabine; Hinüber, Christian; Hittatiya, Kanishka; Schierwagen, Robert; Uschner, Frank Erhard; Strassburg, Christian P; Fischer, Hans-Peter; Spengler, Ulrich; Trebicka, Jonel

2016-01-01

Non-cirrhotic idiopathic portal hypertension (NCIPH) is characterized by splenomegaly, anemia and portal hypertension, while liver function is preserved. However, no animal models have been established yet. This study assessed a rat model of NCIPH and characterized the hemodynamics, and compared it to human NCIPH. Portal pressure (PP) was measured invasively and coloured microspheres were injected in the ileocecal vein in rats. This procedure was performed weekly for 3 weeks (weekly embolization). Rats without and with single embolization served as controls. After four weeks (one week after last embolization), hemodynamics were investigated, hepatic fibrosis and accumulation of myofibroblasts were analysed. General characteristics, laboratory analyses and liver histology were collected in patients with NCIPH. Weekly embolization induced a hyperdynamic circulation, with increased PP. The mesenteric flow and hepatic hydroxyproline content was significantly higher in weekly embolized compared to single embolized rats (mesenteric flow +54.1%, hydroxyproline +41.7%). Mesenteric blood flow and shunt volumes increased, whereas splanchnic vascular resistance was decreased in the weekly embolization group. Fibrotic markers αSMA and Desmin were upregulated in weekly embolized rats. This study establishes a model using repetitive embolization via portal veins, comparable with human NCIPH and may serve to test new therapies.

The Portals 4.1 Network Programming Interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrett, Brian; Brightwell, Ronald B.; Grant, Ryan; Hemmert, Karl Scott; Pedretti, Kevin; Wheeler, Kyle; Underwood, Keith D; Riesen, Rolf; Maccabe, Arthur B.; Hudson, Trammel

2017-04-01

This report presents a specification for the Portals 4 networ k programming interface. Portals 4 is intended to allow scalable, high-performance network communication betwee n nodes of a parallel computing system. Portals 4 is well suited to massively parallel processing and embedded syste ms. Portals 4 represents an adaption of the data movement layer developed for massively parallel processing platfor ms, such as the 4500-node Intel TeraFLOPS machine. Sandia's Cplant cluster project motivated the development of Version 3.0, which was later extended to Version 3.3 as part of the Cray Red Storm machine and XT line. Version 4 is tar geted to the next generation of machines employing advanced network interface architectures that support enh anced offload capabilities.

The Portals 4.0 network programming interface.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrett, Brian W.; Brightwell, Ronald Brian; Pedretti, Kevin; Wheeler, Kyle Bruce; Hemmert, Karl Scott; Riesen, Rolf E.; Underwood, Keith Douglas; Maccabe, Arthur Bernard; Hudson, Trammell B.

2012-11-01

This report presents a specification for the Portals 4.0 network programming interface. Portals 4.0 is intended to allow scalable, high-performance network communication between nodes of a parallel computing system. Portals 4.0 is well suited to massively parallel processing and embedded systems. Portals 4.0 represents an adaption of the data movement layer developed for massively parallel processing platforms, such as the 4500-node Intel TeraFLOPS machine. Sandias Cplant cluster project motivated the development of Version 3.0, which was later extended to Version 3.3 as part of the Cray Red Storm machine and XT line. Version 4.0 is targeted to the next generation of machines employing advanced network interface architectures that support enhanced offload capabilities.

Computed tomographic evaluation of the portal vein in the hepatomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kee Hyung; Lee, Seung Chul; Bae, Man Gil; Seo, Heung Suk; Kim, Soon Yong; Lee, Min Ho; Kee, Choon Suhk; Park, Kyung Nam [Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1986-10-15

Computed tomography and pornographic findings of 63 patients with hepatoma, undergone hepatic angiography and superior mesenteric pornography for evaluation of tumor and thrombosis of portal vein and determination of indication of transcatheter arterial embolization for palliative treatment of hepatoma from April, 85 to June, 86 in Hanyang university hospital, were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1. In 36 cases, portal vein thrombosis was detected during photography. Nineteen of 37 cases which revealed localized hepatoma in the right lobe of the liver showed portal vein thrombosis; 9 of 11 cases of the left lobe; 8 of 14 cases which were involved in entire liver revealed thrombosis. One case localized in the caudate lobe showed no evidence of invasion to portal vein. 2. Twenty-four of 34 cases with diffuse infiltrative hepatoma revealed portal vein thrombosis and the incidence of portal vein thrombosis in this type were higher than in the cases of the nodular type. 3. The portal vein thrombosis appeared as filling defects of low density in the lumen of the portal veins in CT and they did not reveal contrast enhancement. 4. CT revealed well the evidence of obstructions in the cases of portal vein thrombosis and the findings were well-corresponded to the findings of the superior mesenteric photography. 5. Five of the cases of the portal vein thrombosis were missed in the CT and the causes were considered as due to partial volume effect of enhanced portal vein with partial occlusion or arterioportal shunts. 6. Six of 13 cases with occlusion of main portal vein showed cavernous transformation and they were noted as multiple small enhanced vascularities around the porta hepatis in the CT. According to the results, we conclude that CT is a useful modality to detect the changes of the portal veins in the patients of the hepatoma.

Computed tomographic evaluation of the portal vein in the hepatomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kee Hyung; Lee, Seung Chul; Bae, Man Gil; Seo, Heung Suk; Kim, Soon Yong; Lee, Min Ho; Kee, Choon Suhk; Park, Kyung Nam

1986-01-01

Computed tomography and pornographic findings of 63 patients with hepatoma, undergone hepatic angiography and superior mesenteric pornography for evaluation of tumor and thrombosis of portal vein and determination of indication of transcatheter arterial embolization for palliative treatment of hepatoma from April, 85 to June, 86 in Hanyang university hospital, were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1. In 36 cases, portal vein thrombosis was detected during photography. Nineteen of 37 cases which revealed localized hepatoma in the right lobe of the liver showed portal vein thrombosis; 9 of 11 cases of the left lobe; 8 of 14 cases which were involved in entire liver revealed thrombosis. One case localized in the caudate lobe showed no evidence of invasion to portal vein. 2. Twenty-four of 34 cases with diffuse infiltrative hepatoma revealed portal vein thrombosis and the incidence of portal vein thrombosis in this type were higher than in the cases of the nodular type. 3. The portal vein thrombosis appeared as filling defects of low density in the lumen of the portal veins in CT and they did not reveal contrast enhancement. 4. CT revealed well the evidence of obstructions in the cases of portal vein thrombosis and the findings were well-corresponded to the findings of the superior mesenteric photography. 5. Five of the cases of the portal vein thrombosis were missed in the CT and the causes were considered as due to partial volume effect of enhanced portal vein with partial occlusion or arterioportal shunts. 6. Six of 13 cases with occlusion of main portal vein showed cavernous transformation and they were noted as multiple small enhanced vascularities around the porta hepatis in the CT. According to the results, we conclude that CT is a useful modality to detect the changes of the portal veins in the patients of the hepatoma.

A study of trans-rectal portal scintigraphy for the diagnostic evaluation of portal hypertension with hepatic cirrhosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Mingdeng; Dong Weiyu; Liu Yonghua; He Pinyu; Li Zhener

1996-01-01

The portal hypertension of hepatic cirrhosis was studied by 99m Tc-MIBI trans-rectum imaging. The portal systemic circulation was evaluated by the heart-liver ratio (H/L ratio) and the portosystemic shunt index (SI). The H/L and SI in 12 normal cases were 0.145 +- 0.042 and 0.124 +- 0.029. Whereas in 18 patients with hepatobiliary diseases of non-cirrhosis were 0.207 +- 0.076 and 0.169 +- 0.051, and in 47 patients with hepatic cirrhosis were 0.751 +-0.313 and 0.422 +- 0.075. The results showed significant difference (P<0.01) between normal controls and non-cirrhosis group, and significant difference (P<0.001) between hepatic cirrhosis group and normal controls, non-cirrhosis group. A significant difference (P<0.05) in child-pugh's classification A, B and C groups was also found. A significant correlation (r = 0.95, P<0.01) with the H/L, SI and portal pressure measurement during operation was found. If H/L≥0.30, and SI≥0.22 were taken as positive criteria for diagnosis of portal hypertension with hepatic cirrhosis, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 96%, 90% and 94% respectively. Therefore, it was a new method for the diagnosis of portal hypertension with hepatic cirrhosis

Portal Annular Pancreas

Science.gov (United States)

Harnoss, Jonathan M.; Harnoss, Julian C.; Diener, Markus K.; Contin, Pietro; Ulrich, Alexis B.; Büchler, Markus W.; Schmitz-Winnenthal, Friedrich H.

2014-01-01

Abstract Portal annular pancreas (PAP) is an asymptomatic congenital pancreas anomaly, in which portal and/or mesenteric veins are encased by pancreas tissue. The aim of the study was to determine the role of PAP in pancreatic surgery as well as its management and potential complication, specifically, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). On the basis of a case report, the MEDLINE and ISI Web of Science databases were systematically reviewed up to September 2012. All articles describing a case of PAP were considered. In summary, 21 studies with 59 cases were included. The overall prevalence of PAP was 2.4% and the patients' mean (SD) age was 55.9 (16.2) years. The POPF rate in patients with PAP (12 pancreaticoduodenectomies and 3 distal pancreatectomies) was 46.7% (in accordance with the definition of the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery). Portal annular pancreas is a quite unattended pancreatic variant with high prevalence and therefore still remains a clinical challenge to avoid postoperative complications. To decrease the risk for POPF, attentive preoperative diagnostics should also focus on PAP. In pancreaticoduodenectomy, a shift of the resection plane to the pancreas tail should be considered; in extensive pancreatectomy, coverage of the pancreatic remnant by the falciform ligament could be a treatment option. PMID:25207658

BELIEF Project: the Portal and the Digital Library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoppi, F.; Calabro, G.

2007-01-01

BELIEF (Bringing Europes eLectronic Infrastructures to Expanding Frontiers) Project aim to create a platform where eInfrastructures providers and users can collaborate and exchange knowledge, which will help ensure that eInfrastructures are developed and used effectively worldwide, filling the gap separating the Research Infrastructure providers from the users, and thus contribute to the emergence of a competitive knowledge-based economy. To create this synergy of multi-disciplinary Research Infrastructure communities, BELIEF created a one-stop-shop for eInfrastructures communities providing online a Digital Library (DL) and a Portal with a search and contact facility, case studies, a discussion forum, eInfrastructures publications. Offline, it has organised events including brainstorming, networking workshops and international conferences and publications, since BELIEFs values are firmly rooted in international cooperation to the emerging economies, particularly of Latin America and India. The Portal and the DL are key parts of this project. There was an opportunity to provide a ready and common source of information on eInfrastructures, both for the users wanting to find out the supply, and for the providers wanting to extend user base and develop their systems. The Portal and the DL respond to this demand by supplying to researchers documentation that matches their search criteria precisely, according to their interest and professional profile. (Author)

Base of tongue varices associated with portal hypertension

OpenAIRE

Jassar, P; Jaramillo, M; Nunez, D

2000-01-01

A symptomatic case of tongue base varices in a patient with portal hypertension secondary to liver cirrhosis is presented. There are no previously documented cases in the world literature. Oesophageal varices may not be the only source of expectorated blood in a patient with portal hypertension.


Keywords: portal hypertension; lingual; tongue; varicose vein

Racial/ethnic variation in devices used to access patient portals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Eva; Blondon, Katherine; Lyles, Courtney R; Jordan, Luesa; Ralston, James D

2018-01-01

We examined racial/ethnic variation in the devices used by patients to access medical records through an online patient portal. Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Using data from 318,700 adults enrolled in an integrated delivery system between December 2012 and November 2013, we examined: 1) online patient portal use that directly engages the electronic health record and 2) portal use over desktops/laptops only, mobile devices only, or both device types. The primary covariate was race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian). Other covariates included age, sex, primary language, and neighborhood-level income and education. Portal use and devices used were assessed with multiple and multinomial logistic models, respectively. From December 2012 to November 2013, 56% of enrollees used the patient portal. Of these portal users, 62% used desktops/laptops only, 6% used mobile devices only, and 32% used both desktops/laptops and mobile devices. Black, Hispanic, and Asian enrollees had significantly lower odds of portal use than whites. Black and Hispanic portal users also were significantly more likely to use mobile devices only (relative risk ratio, 1.73 and 1.44, respectively) and both device types (1.21 and 1.07, respectively) than desktops/laptops only compared with whites. Although racial/ethnic minority enrollees were less likely to access the online patient portal overall, a greater proportion of black and Hispanic users accessed the patient portal with mobile devices than did non-Hispanic white users. The rapid spread of mobile devices among racial/ethnic minorities may help reduce variation in online patient portal use. Mobile device use may represent an opportunity for healthcare organizations to further engage black and Hispanic enrollees in online patient portal use.

Portal-venous gas unrelated to mesenteric ischemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesner, Walter; Mortele, Koenraad J.; Ji, Hoon; Ros, Pablo R.; Glickman, Jonathan N.

2002-01-01

The aim of this study was to report on 8 patients with all different non-ischemic etiologies for portal-venous gas and to discuss this rare entity and its potentially misleading CT findings in context with a review of the literature. The CT examinations of eight patients who presented with intrahepatic portal-venous gas, unrelated to bowel ischemia or infarction, were reviewed and compared with their medical records with special emphasis on the pathogenesis and clinical impact of portal-venous gas caused by non-ischemic conditions. The etiologies for portal-venous gas included: abdominal trauma (n=1); large gastric cancer (n=1); prior gastroscopic biopsy (n=1); prior hemicolectomy (n=1); graft-vs-host reaction (n=1); large paracolic abscess (n=1); mesenteric recurrence of ovarian cancer superinfected with clostridium septicum (n=1); and sepsis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=1). The clinical outcome of all patients was determined by their underlying disease and not negatively influenced by the presence of portal-venous gas. Although the presence of portal-venous gas usually raises the suspicion of bowel ischemia and/or intestinal necrosis, this CT finding may be related to a variety of non-ischemic etiologies and pathogeneses as well. The knowledge about these conditions may help to avoid misinterpretation of CT findings, inappropriate clinical uncertainty and unnecessary surgery in certain cases. (orig.)

Changes, disruption and innovation: An investigation of the introduction of new health information technology in a microbiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Toouli, George; Georgiou, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna

2012-01-01

It is expected that health information technology (HIT) will deliver a safer, more efficient and effective health care system. The aim of this study was to undertake a qualitative and video-ethnographic examination of the impact of information technologies on work processes in the reception area of a Microbiology Department, to ascertain what changed, how it changed and the impact of the change. The setting for this study was the microbiology laboratory of a large tertiary hospital in Sydney. The study consisted of qualitative (interview and focus group) data and observation sessions for the period August 2005 to October 2006 along with video footage shot in three sessions covering the original system and the two stages of the Cerner implementation. Data analysis was assisted by NVivo software and process maps were produced from the video footage. There were two laboratory information systems observed in the video footage with computerized provider order entry introduced four months later. Process maps highlighted the large number of pre data entry steps with the original system whilst the newer system incorporated many of these steps in to the data entry stage. However, any time saved with the new system was offset by the requirement to complete some data entry of patient information not previously required. Other changes noted included the change of responsibilities for the reception staff and the physical changes required to accommodate the increased activity around the data entry area. Implementing a new HIT is always an exciting time for any environment but ensuring that the implementation goes smoothly and with minimal trouble requires the administrator and their team to plan well in advance for staff training, physical layout and possible staff resource reallocation.

Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Portal Frame with Variable Section

OpenAIRE

Hao Jianing

2016-01-01

Combined with a portal frame design, by the use of finite element software ANSYS, the finite element model of single specimens of portal rigid frame and the overall portal rigid frame building are established. portal rigid frame’s beam and column is variable cross section. Through the modal analysis, comparative analysis of the frequency and vibration type of the radiolabeling specimens and finite element model of the whole, for the further development of variable cross-section portal rigid f...

Noncirrhotic portal fibrosis after Wilms' tumor therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, J.A.; Marshall, G.S.; Neblett, W.W.; Gray, G.; Ghishan, F.K.

1986-01-01

A 9-yr-old girl developed massive hemorrhage from esophageal varices 2 yr after combined modality therapy for Wilms' tumor. Evaluation showed a patent extrahepatic portal venous system and an elevated splenic pulp pressure. In contrast to previous reports of hepatopathy after irradiation injury, histologic sections of the liver did not demonstrate occlusion of the central veins, but rather a diffuse obliteration of intrahepatic portal venous radicles. This pattern of noncirrhotic portal fibrosis has not been described following antitumor therapy

Portal circulation aneurysms: two case reviews

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perret, W. L.; Silva, A de.; Elzarka, A.; Schelleman, A.

2007-01-01

Venous aneurysms of the superior mesenteric vein and portal vein are an uncommon occurrence and often an incidental finding. They can also be associated with hepatocellular disease and portal hypertension. We present CT and ultrasound findings of these entities. The management of venous aneurysms is generally conservative with serial imaging

LEARNERS’ SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH ONLINE STUDENT PORTAL AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM IN AN OPEN AND DISTANCE eLEARNING ENVIRONMENT (ODeL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Percia V. SECRETO

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Learner support in an open, distance and online learning is defined as “all activities and elements in education that respond to a known learner or group of learners, and which are designed to assist in the cognitive, affective, and systemic realms of the learning process” (Brindley, et. al, 2004. Teaching and tutoring, advising and counseling, and information and administration are the main institutional systems involved in learner support. The UP Open University functions under an open and distance e-learning (ODeL framework of distance education where most of its academic and non-academic processes are done through the Internet. It has developed an online Academic Information Management System (AIMS which serves as the gateway to the University’s academic operations. The Online Student Portal (OSP is the component of the system for the students. OSP serves such functionalities as online registration, viewing of grades, request for their records, payment of fees, and information hub. The study analyzed the learners’ satisfaction with the portal’s functionality, efficiency, appearance, ease of use, and security. An online survey was conducted of continuing undergraduate and graduate students (n=147 who were admitted prior to the implementation of the portal and thus had experienced both the manual and online processes. The survey was conducted from September 26 to October 3, 2013. In general, about 85 percent of those who participated in the survey were either very satisfied or satisfied with their overall experience of the portal. Ninety percent of the total participants found the portal cost-effective and informative. Overall, the participants identified the portal as a convenient and effective venue for getting accurate and immediate information about their performance, school activities, academic schedules, and other information relevant to their learning transactions. These features had made the portal an important student

On the usefulness of portal monitor unit subtraction in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuperman, Vadim Y; Lubich, Leslie M

2003-01-01

In order to avoid additional dose to patients caused by portal imaging with megavoltage x-rays, portal monitor units (MUs) are frequently subtracted from the actual treatment MUs. This study examines the usefulness of portal MU subtraction in radiation therapy. For 11 prostate cancer patients treated with 23 MV photons, dose to prostate due to portal filming with 6 MV photons was determined. In all 11 patients subtraction of portal MU values from the actual treatment MUs resulted in a small underdosing of the prostate with an average treatment error of -0.5%. Portal filming without MU subtraction would cause small overdosing of the prostate with an average treatment error of 1.2%. The results of this study indicate that the benefits of portal MU subtraction are in doubt if (a) the energy of treatment x-rays is much higher than that of the portal x-rays and/or (b) when radiotherapy is performed with physical wedges. Based on the obtained results, we argue against unconditional use of the portal MU subtraction method to eliminate the dose from portal imaging

Portal hypertension: a review of portosystemic collateral pathways and endovascular interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillai, A K; Andring, B; Patel, A; Trimmer, C; Kalva, S P

2015-10-01

The portal vein is formed at the confluence of the splenic and superior mesenteric vein behind the head of the pancreas. Normal blood pressure within the portal system varies between 5 and 10 mmHg. Portal hypertension is defined when the gradient between the portal and systemic venous blood pressure exceeds 5 mmHg. The most common cause of portal hypertension is cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, portal hypertension develops due to extensive fibrosis within the liver parenchyma causing increased vascular resistance. In addition, the inability of the liver to metabolise certain vasodilators leads to hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation resulting in increased portal blood flow. Decompression of the portal pressure is achieved by formation of portosystemic collaterals. In this review, we will discuss the pathophysiology, anatomy, and imaging findings of spontaneous portosystemic collaterals and clinical manifestations of portal hypertension with emphasis on the role of interventional radiology in the management of complications related to portal hypertension. Copyright © 2015 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic Health Record Portal Adoption: a cross country analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Jorge; Oliveira, Tiago

2017-07-05

This study's goal is to understand the factors that drive individuals to adopt Electronic Health Record (EHR) portals and to estimate if there are differences between countries with different healthcare models. We applied a new adoption model using as a starting point the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) by incorporating the Concern for Information Privacy (CFIP) framework. To evaluate the research model we used the partial least squares (PLS) - structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. An online questionnaire was administrated in the United States (US) and Europe (Portugal). We collected 597 valid responses. The statistically significant factors of behavioural intention are performance expectancy ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.285; P expectancy ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.160; P value ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.152; P value are only predictors in the US group. The model explained 53% of the variance in behavioural intention and 36% of the variance in use behaviour. Our study identified critical factors for the adoption of EHR portals and significant differences between the countries. Confidentiality issues do not seem to influence acceptance. The EHR portals usage patterns are significantly higher in US compared to Portugal.

The Impact of an eHealth Portal on Health Care Professionals' Interaction with Patients: Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Anita; Faxvaag, Arild; Svanæs, Dag

2015-11-24

People who undergo weight loss surgery require a comprehensive treatment program to achieve successful outcomes. eHealth solutions, such as secure online portals, create new opportunities for improved health care delivery and care, but depend on the organizational delivery systems and on the health care professionals providing it. So far, these have received limited attention and the overall adoption of eHealth solutions remains low. In this study, a secure eHealth portal was implemented in a bariatric surgery clinic and offered to their patients. During the study period of 6 months, 60 patients and 5 health care professionals had access. The portal included patient information, self-management tools, and communication features for online dialog with peers and health care providers at the bariatric surgery clinic. The aim of this study was to characterize and assess the impact of an eHealth portal on health care professionals' interaction with patients in bariatric surgery. This qualitative case study involved a field study consisting of contextual interviews at the clinic involving observing and speaking with personnel in their actual work environment. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with health care professionals who interacted with patients through the portal. Analysis of the collected material was done inductively using thematic analysis. The analysis revealed two main dimensions of using an eHealth portal in bariatric surgery: the transparency it represents and the responsibility that follows by providing it. The professionals reported the eHealth portal as (1) a source of information, (2) a gateway to approach and facilitate the patients, (3) a medium for irrevocable postings, (4) a channel that exposes responsibility and competence, and (5) a tool in the clinic. By providing an eHealth portal to patients in a bariatric surgery program, health care professionals can observe patients' writings and revelations thereby capturing patient

A Data-Centered Collaboration Portal to Support Global Carbon-Flux Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agarwal, Deborah A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Humphrey, Marty [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Beekwilder, Norm [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Jackson, Keith [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Goode, Monte [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); van Ingen, Catharine [Microsoft. San Francisco, CA (United States)

2009-04-07

Carbon-climate, like other environmental sciences, has been changing. Large-scalesynthesis studies are becoming more common. These synthesis studies are often conducted by science teams that are geographically distributed and on datasets that are global in scale. A broad array of collaboration and data analytics tools are now available that could support these science teams. However, building tools that scientists actually use is hard. Also, moving scientists from an informal collaboration structure to one mediated by technology often exposes inconsistencies in the understanding of the rules of engagement between collaborators. We have developed a scientific collaboration portal, called fluxdata.org, which serves the community of scientists providing and analyzing the global FLUXNET carbon-flux synthesis dataset. Key things we learned or re-learned during our portal development include: minimize the barrier to entry, provide features on a just-in-time basis, development of requirements is an on-going process, provide incentives to change leaders and leverage the opportunity they represent, automate as much as possible, and you can only learn how to make it better if people depend on it enough to give you feedback. In addition, we also learned that splitting the portal roles between scientists and computer scientists improved user adoption and trust. The fluxdata.org portal has now been in operation for ~;;1.5 years and has become central to the FLUXNET synthesis efforts.

Microbiological corrosion of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladislavlev, V.V.

1992-01-01

Problems is considered of development of the microbiological corrosion of the NPP equipment. The main attention is paid to the selective character of microbiological corrosion in zones of welded joints of austenitic steels. It is noted that the presence of technological defects promotes growth of corrosional damages. Methods for microbiological corrosion protection are discussed

Total hepatofugal portal blood flow in cirrhosis demonstrated by transhepatic portography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burcharth, F.; Aagaard, J.; Herlev Hospital

1988-01-01

We investigated 108 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and portal hypertension by percutaneous transhepatic portography to demonstrate the occurrence and frequency of total hepatofugal portal blood flow. Sixteen patients (14.8%) had a total hepatofugal portal blood flow. The aetiology of portal hypertension and the portal pressure did not differ from that in the group of patients with hepatopetal portal blood flow. A significantly higher percentage of patients in the group with hepatofugal flow had gastro-oesophageal varices (P [de

Modified Anterolateral Portals in Elbow Arthroscopy: A Cadaveric Study on Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Thon, Stephen; Gold, Peter; Rush, Lane; O'Brien, Michael J; Savoie, Felix H

2017-11-01

To evaluate the proximity to the radial nerve on cadaveric specimens of 2 modified anterolateral portals used for elbow arthroscopy. Ten fresh cadaveric elbow specimens were prepared. Four-millimeter Steinman pins were inserted into 3 anterolateral portal sites in relation to the lateral epicondyle: (1) the standard distal anterolateral portal, (2) a modified direct anterolateral portal, and (3) a modified proximal anterolateral portal. These were defined as follows: direct portals 2 cm directly anterior to the lateral epicondyle, and proximal portals 2 cm proximal and 2 cm directly anterior to the lateral epicondyle. Each elbow was then dissected to reveal the course of the radial nerve. Digital photographs were taken of each specimen, and the distance from the Steinman pin to the radial nerve was measured. The modified proximal anterolateral and direct anterolateral portals were found to be a statistically significant distance from the radial nerve compare to the distal portal site (P = .011 and P = .0011, respectively). No significant difference was found in the proximity of the radial nerve between the modified proximal and direct anterolateral portals (P = .25). Inadequate imaging was found at a single portal site for the proximal site; 9 specimens were used for analysis of this portal with 10 complete specimens for the other 2 sites. In cadaveric analysis, both the modified proximal and direct lateral portals provide adequate distance from the radial nerve and may be safe for clinical use. In this study, the distal anterolateral portal was in close proximity of the radial nerve and may result in iatrogenic injury in the clinical setting. This is a cadaveric analysis of 2 modified portal locations at the anterolateral elbow for use in elbow arthroscopy. Further clinical studies are needed prior to determining their absolute safety in comparison to previously identified portal sites. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by

Factors Affecting Faculty Web Portal Usability

Science.gov (United States)

Bringula, Rex P.; Basa, Roselle S.

2011-01-01

The study investigated the factors that might significantly affect web portal usability. Results of the study were intended to serve as inputs for faculty web portal development of the University of the East-Manila. Descriptive statistics utilized questionnaire data from 82 faculty members. The data showed that most of the respondents were…

Corporate portal system at PAKS NPP, Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

The new Corporate Portal System (CPS) of Paks NPP was launched in November 2006. The portal is based on one of the latest technologies, Plumtree Enterprise WEB 5.0. The main purpose of the installation of the new technology was to serve the working culture change, to give a platform to access all information and applications including the integrated process model used at the NPP. The new technology also supports those goals which were defined in the organization development programme: e.g. to improve internal communication with the establishment of communities of practice. Installation of the CPS has provided a powerful tool for knowledge management; it is possible to share and find all information through a controlled access in documents from various sources, to have links to people, portlets and different communities. Document management of the Paks NPP is supported by the integration of the Document 5 application, as the new Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) and the CPS. Depending on their access rights, all users of the CPS, through Microsoft Internet Explorer, can access technical, economic and human resources documents which are stored anywhere on the internal network (file servers, EDMS, old INRANET). The CPS is also accessible from the internet through a secure connection. The main concept is the integration of all applications to one platform and to help users to find all information they need. An access control list specifies which users and groups have access to an object (and what kind of access privileges they have such as read, select, edit, admin)

Algorithms for contrast enhancement of electronic portal images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Díez, S.; Sánchez, S.

2015-01-01

An implementation of two new automatized image processing algorithms for contrast enhancement of portal images is presented as suitable tools which facilitate the setup verification and visualization of patients during radiotherapy treatments. In the first algorithm, called Automatic Segmentation and Histogram Stretching (ASHS), the portal image is automatically segmented in two sub-images delimited by the conformed treatment beam: one image consisting of the imaged patient obtained directly from the radiation treatment field, and the second one is composed of the imaged patient outside it. By segmenting the original image, a histogram stretching can be independently performed and improved in both regions. The second algorithm involves a two-step process. In the first step, a Normalization to Local Mean (NLM), an inverse restoration filter is applied by dividing pixel by pixel a portal image by its blurred version. In the second step, named Lineally Combined Local Histogram Equalization (LCLHE), the contrast of the original image is strongly improved by a Local Contrast Enhancement (LCE) algorithm, revealing the anatomical structures of patients. The output image is lineally combined with a portal image of the patient. Finally the output images of the previous algorithms (NLM and LCLHE) are lineally combined, once again, in order to obtain a contrast enhanced image. These two algorithms have been tested on several portal images with great results. - Highlights: • Two Algorithms are implemented to improve the contrast of Electronic Portal Images. • The multi-leaf and conformed beam are automatically segmented into Portal Images. • Hidden anatomical and bony structures in portal images are revealed. • The task related to the patient setup verification is facilitated by the contrast enhancement then achieved.

Radionuclide splenoportography in patients with portal hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuriya, Kouji; Nagamachi, Shigeki; Hoshi, Hiroaki; Ohnishi, Takashi; Jinnouchi, Masashi; Futami, Sigemi; Yoshida, Akira; Watanabe, Katsuji

1991-01-01

Splenoportography using 99m Tc-pertechnetate was performed in 18 patients with portal hypertension. 99m Tc pertechnetate (370 MBq) was directly injected into the spleen. Co-lateral circulation of portal vein was observed in 13 of 18 patients (72%). L/H ratio was also calculated by the time activity curve of dynamic images. L/H ratio was significantly lower (p<0.05) in patients with colateral vessels and severe esophageal varix. Radionuclide splenography was an useful method for evaluating hemodynamics of portal vein. (author)

Advances in the treatment of portal hypertension in cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimer, N; Wiese, S; Mo, S; Møller, S; Bendtsen, F

2016-08-01

Non-selective beta-blockers and handling of esophageal varices has been key elements in the treatment of portal hypertension in recent decades. Liver vein catheterization has been essential in diagnosis and monitoring of portal hypertension, but ongoing needs for noninvasive tools has led to research in areas of both biomarkers, and transient elastography, which displays promising results in discerning clinically significant portal hypertension. Novel research into the areas of hepatic stellate cell function and the dynamic components of portal hypertension has revealed promising areas of treatment modalities, targeting intestinal decontamination, angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Future studies may reveal if these initiatives lead to developments of new drugs for treatment of portal hypertension.

Advances in the treatment of portal hypertension in cirrhosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kimer, Nina; Wiese, S; Mo, S S

2016-01-01

Non-selective beta-blockers and handling of esophageal varices has been key elements in the treatment of portal hypertension in recent decades. Liver vein catheterization has been essential in diagnosis and monitoring of portal hypertension, but ongoing needs for noninvasive tools has led...... to research in areas of both biomarkers, and transient elastography, which displays promising results in discerning clinically significant portal hypertension. Novel research into the areas of hepatic stellate cell function and the dynamic components of portal hypertension has revealed promising areas...... of treatment modalities, targeting intestinal decontamination, angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Future studies may reveal if these initiatives lead to developments of new drugs for treatment of portal hypertension....

Interactive monitoring portal for fusion simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G.; Schissel, D.P.; Kim, E.N.; Flanagan, S.M.; Lee, X.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We designed a web-based monitoring system that tracks the status of fusion simulations. ► Our system is scalable to monitor the simulations running on distributed supercomputers and clusters located at multiple geographical locations. ► The monitoring portal provides a web-based interface for post-run analysis, such as visualizing the results, logging the user comments, and rating the simulation quality. ► Our system utilizes the open source software, such as Python, Django, MySQL, Apache, and MDSplus. - Abstract: The Center for Simulation of RF Wave Interactions with Magnetohydrodynamics (SWIM) Project is a proto-Fusion Simulation Program (FSP) whose goal is to study high-performance fusion plasmas and perform comprehensive simulations that are essential to the development of fusion. SWIM team members are geographically distributed and utilize distributed supercomputers for computational simulations. Due to the highly distributed computational work environment, the SWIM team has the difficulty of monitoring code runs and discovering historical runs. To alleviate this difficulty a web-based monitoring portal has been developed and deployed. The monitoring portal tracks the progress of simulations and automatically collects metadata in real-time. This capability helps scientists to effectively utilize precious computer resources. Furthermore, the portal provides a web-based interface for post-run analysis, such as visualizing the results, logging the user comments, and rating the simulation quality. The user interface provides rapid discovery capability via multi-field searching and sorting. The development of the monitoring portal used open source software, such as Python, Django, MySQL, and Apache. It uses MDSplus for data management, Memcached for data caches, and OpenID for single sign-on security. This paper describes the software architecture, related technologies and deployment experiences of the monitoring portal.

Automation in Clinical Microbiology

Science.gov (United States)

Ledeboer, Nathan A.

2013-01-01

Historically, the trend toward automation in clinical pathology laboratories has largely bypassed the clinical microbiology laboratory. In this article, we review the historical impediments to automation in the microbiology laboratory and offer insight into the reasons why we believe that we are on the cusp of a dramatic change that will sweep a wave of automation into clinical microbiology laboratories. We review the currently available specimen-processing instruments as well as the total laboratory automation solutions. Lastly, we outline the types of studies that will need to be performed to fully assess the benefits of automation in microbiology laboratories. PMID:23515547

Understanding patients' oral health information needs: Findings of a survey on use of patient portals in dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimpi, Neel; Schwei, Kelsey; Cooper, Sara; Chyou, Po-Huang; Acharya, Amit

2018-03-01

Patient engagement through web-based patient health portals (PHP) can offer important benefits to patients and provider organizations by improving both quality and access to care. The authors studied the most relevant, patient-identified, oral health information available in the PHP to inform their assessment of patient-centered care. The authors distributed a 17-question, paper-based survey to patients aged 18 through 80 years in the waiting rooms of 8 dental centers in Wisconsin. Descriptive statistics, along with differences in percentages by sex, age group, and metropolitan status were reported using the χ 2 and Wilcoxon rank sum test. A 75% (813 of 1,090) response rate was achieved. More than one-third of patients selected access to previous dental procedures, dental history, routine dental appointment reminders, date of last dental visit, tooth chart, date of last full-mouth radiograph, and dental problem list via the PHP. Patients identified and recommended incorporation of different types of oral health data for access via the PHP as vital to strengthening the communication between patients and dental professionals. Incorporating patient-identified oral health information in the PHP will inform strategies for improving patient engagement, strengthen patient-provider communication, and offer a venue for increasing oral health literacy and awareness. Copyright © 2018 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management of Portal Hypertension After Liver Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Korda, D; Deák, P Á; Kiss, G; Gerlei, Z; Kóbori, L; Görög, D; Fehérvári, I; Piros, L; Máthé, Z; Doros, A

2017-09-01

Post-transplantation portal hypertension has severe complications, such as esophageal varix bleeding, therapy refractory ascites, extreme splenomegaly, and graft dysfunction. The aim of our study was to analyze the effectiveness of the therapeutic strategies and how to visualize the procedure. A retrospective study involving liver transplantation patients from the Semmelweis University Department of Transplantation and Surgery was performed between 2005 and 2015. The prevalence, etiology, and leading complications of the condition were determined. The applied interventions' effects on the patients' ascites volume, splenic volume, and the occurrence of variceal bleeding were determined. Mean portal blood flow velocity and congestion index values were calculated using Doppler ultrasonography. The prevalence of post-transplantation portal hypertension requiring intervention was 2.8%. The most common etiology of the disease was portal anastomotic stenosis. The most common complications were esophageal varix bleeding and therapy refractory ascites. The patients' ascites volume decreased significantly (2923.3 ± 1893.2 mL vs. 423.3 ± 634.3 mL; P portal hypertension. After the interventions, these parameters shifted towards the physiologic ranges. The interventions performed in our clinic were effective in most cases. The patients' ascites volume, splenic volume, and the prevalence of variceal bleeding decreased after the treatment. Doppler ultrasonography has proved to be a valuable imaging modality in the diagnosis and the follow-up of post-transplantation portal hypertension. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research advances in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Bojing

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Although liver cirrhosis is the most common cause of portal hypertension (PH, about 20% of PH cases are caused by non-cirrhotic reasons, which are referred to as non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH, with a high incidence rate in developing countries. NCPH is a group of heterogeneous hepatic vascular diseases, including idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO, as well as the rare diseases in clinical practice such as Budd-Chiari syndrome, congenital hepatic fibrosis, and nodular regenerative hyperplasia. The patients with NCPH usually have the symptoms of portal hypertension, such as recurrent variceal bleeding and splenomegaly, but liver function is well preserved in these patients. At present, the diagnosis of NCPH lacks a universally accepted standard and remains a challenge. In clinical practice, the method of exclusion is usually applied for the diagnosis of HCPH, and liver biopsy is performed when necessary to make a confirmed diagnosis. This paper introduces the pathogenesis and pathological manifestations of IPH and EHPVO, as well as the selection of diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies. If upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be effectively controlled, NCPH is considered to have a relatively good prognosis.

Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Portal Frame with Variable Section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Jianing

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Combined with a portal frame design, by the use of finite element software ANSYS, the finite element model of single specimens of portal rigid frame and the overall portal rigid frame building are established. portal rigid frame’s beam and column is variable cross section. Through the modal analysis, comparative analysis of the frequency and vibration type of the radiolabeling specimens and finite element model of the whole, for the further development of variable cross-section portal rigid frame of earthquake and wind vibration analysis lay the foundation.

Radionuclide assessment of portal hypertension syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliev, M.A.; Khusain, Sh.K.; Alpeisova, Sh.T.

2005-01-01

This paper presents review of radionuclide studies for portal hypertension patients. Presented results showed that portal hypertension signs were revealed for the first group patients. The signs become apparent by splenomegaly and increase of colloid accumulation in it. Accumulation of the chemical in spleen was evidence of ingestion rate increase of reticuloendothelial system owing to its hyperplasia as well as liver phagocytic activity decrease due to pathological paren-chematous process and inter liver blockade. The most typical scintigraphic signs of portal hypertension were determined according chemical accumulation decreased in spleen and marrow sequentially. It is determined radionuclide method contributes to assessment of structural and functional aberrations character in liver and spleen for cirrhosis patients. (author)

Total hepatofugal portal blood flow in cirrhosis demonstrated by transhepatic portography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burcharth, F; Aagaard, J

1988-01-01

We investigated 108 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and portal hypertension by percutaneous transhepatic portography to demonstrate the occurrence and frequency of total hepatofugal portal blood flow. Sixteen patients (14.8%) had a total hepatofugal portal blood flow. The aetiology of portal hypertension and the portal pressure did not differ from that in the group of patients with hepatopetal portal blood flow. A significantly higher percentage of patients in the group with hepatofugal flow had gastro-oesophageal varices (P < 0.025). All patients with varices had bled. Half of the patients in the group with hepatofugal blood flow had a false splenoportographic diagnosis of portal vein thrombosis. In conclusion, total hepatofugal postal blood flow exists more often than hitherto assumed. Hepatofugal blood flow does not relieve portal hypertension nor prevent development of gastro-oesophageal varices or bleeding.

[Association of biliary calculosis and portal cavernomatosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Crespi, C; De Giorgio, A M

1992-08-01

This paper reports the case of a woman, who underwent surgery because of cholelithiasis, with intraoperative finding of prehepatic portal hypertension from portal vein thrombosis ("portal cavernoma") with healthy liver, later confirmed by angiographic studies. This rare pathologic association carries a higher risk of major operative complications; therefore the Authors agree with the general belief that, for these cases, biliary tract surgery should be as simple and safe as possible. In the case of preoperative diagnosis of biliary disease associated with portal cavernoma, should a surgical approach on the biliary tract be required, we agree on the advisability of performing a shunting procedure before any kind of biliary surgery. In case of variceal bleeding endoscopic sclerotherapy will be the first choice; surgical procedures (shunting) should be seen as a second choice in case of rebleeding after sclerotherapy.

Patient activation and use of an electronic patient portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ancker, Jessica S; Osorio, Snezana N; Cheriff, Adam; Cole, Curtis L; Silver, Michael; Kaushal, Rainu

2015-01-01

Electronic patient portals give patients access to personal medical data, potentially creating opportunities to improve knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement in healthcare. The combination of knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement has been termed activation. Our objective was to assess the relationship between patient activation and outpatient use of a patient portal. Survey. A telephone survey was conducted with 180 patients who had been given access to a portal, 113 of whom used it and 67 of whom did not. The validated patient activation measure (PAM) was administered along with questions about demographics and behaviors. Portal users were no different from nonusers in patient activation. Portal users did have higher education level and more frequent Internet use, and were more likely to have precisely 2 prescription medications than to have more or fewer. Patients who chose to use an electronic patient portal were not more highly activated than nonusers, although they were more educated and more likely to be Internet users.

Tools for Microbiological risk assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bassett, john; Nauta, Maarten; Lindqvist, Roland

can increase the understanding of microbiological risks in foods. It is timely to inform food safety professionals about the availability and utility of MRA tools. Therefore, the focus of this report is to aid the food safety manager by providing a concise summary of the tools available for the MRA......Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) has emerged as a comprehensive and systematic approach for addressing the risk of pathogens in specific foods and/or processes. At government level, MRA is increasingly recognised as a structured and objective approach to understand the level of risk in a given...... food/pathogen scenario. Tools developed so far support qualitative and quantitative assessments of the risk that a food pathogen poses to a particular population. Risk can be expressed as absolute numbers or as relative (ranked) risks. The food industry is beginning to appreciate that the tools for MRA...

Carotenoid content, sensory properties and microbiological quality ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The carotenoid content, sensory properties and microbiological assessment of stored cassava fufu from two cultivars of yellow cassava (TMS 01/1368 and TMS 01/1412) being multiplied for distribution in South-East and South-South Nigeria were investigated using standard techniques. There is scanty information on ...

Advances in the management of childhood portal hypertension.