Security analysis of standards-driven communication protocols for healthcare scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Masi, Massimiliano; Pugliese, Rosario; Tiezzi, Francesco

2012-12-01

The importance of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), that stores all healthcare-related data belonging to a patient, has been recognised in recent years by governments, institutions and industry. Initiatives like the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have been developed for the definition of standard methodologies for secure and interoperable EHR exchanges among clinics and hospitals. Using the requisites specified by these initiatives, many large scale projects have been set up for enabling healthcare professionals to handle patients' EHRs. The success of applications developed in these contexts crucially depends on ensuring such security properties as confidentiality, authentication, and authorization. In this paper, we first propose a communication protocol, based on the IHE specifications, for authenticating healthcare professionals and assuring patients' safety. By means of a formal analysis carried out by using the specification language COWS and the model checker CMC, we reveal a security flaw in the protocol thus demonstrating that to simply adopt the international standards does not guarantee the absence of such type of flaws. We then propose how to emend the IHE specifications and modify the protocol accordingly. Finally, we show how to tailor our protocol for application to more critical scenarios with no assumptions on the communication channels. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of our protocols we have fully implemented them.

Development of a standard communication protocol for an emergency situation management in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Man Cheol, E-mail: charleskim@kaeri.re.k [Integrated Risk Assessment Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150, Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea [Integrated Risk Assessment Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150, Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hanjeom; Kim, Yoon Joong [YGN Nuclear Power Division Training Center, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, 517 Kyemari, Hongnong-eup, Yeongkwang-gun, Chonnam 513-880 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-06-15

Correct communication between main control room (MCR) operators is an important factor in the management of emergency situations in nuclear power plants (NPPs). For this reason, a standard communication protocol for the management of emergency situations in NPPs has been developed, with the basic direction of enhancing the safety of NPPs and the standardization of communication protocols. To validate the newly developed standard communication protocol, validation experiments with 10 licensed NPP MCR operator teams was performed. From the validation experiments, it was found that the use of the standard communication protocol required more time, but it can contribute to the enhancement of the safety of NPPs by an operators' better grasp of the safety-related parameters and a more efficient and clearer communication between NPP operators, while imposing little additional workloads on the NPP MCR operators. The standard communication protocol is expected to be used to train existing NPP MCR operators without much aversion, as well as new operators.

A standard protocol for describing individual-based and agent-based models

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, Volker; Berger, Uta; Bastiansen, Finn; Eliassen, Sigrunn; Ginot, Vincent; Giske, Jarl; Goss-Custard, John; Grand, Tamara; Heinz, Simone K.; Huse, Geir; Huth, Andreas; Jepsen, Jane U.; Jorgensen, Christian; Mooij, Wolf M.; Muller, Birgit; Pe'er, Guy; Piou, Cyril; Railsback, Steven F.; Robbins, Andrew M.; Robbins, Martha M.; Rossmanith, Eva; Ruger, Nadja; Strand, Espen; Souissi, Sami; Stillman, Richard A.; Vabo, Rune; Visser, Ute; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2006-01-01

Simulation models that describe autonomous individual organisms (individual based models, IBM) or agents (agent-based models, ABM) have become a widely used tool, not only in ecology, but also in many other disciplines dealing with complex systems made up of autonomous entities. However, there is no standard protocol for describing such simulation models, which can make them difficult to understand and to duplicate. This paper presents a proposed standard protocol, ODD, for describing IBMs and ABMs, developed and tested by 28 modellers who cover a wide range of fields within ecology. This protocol consists of three blocks (Overview, Design concepts, and Details), which are subdivided into seven elements: Purpose, State variables and scales, Process overview and scheduling, Design concepts, Initialization, Input, and Submodels. We explain which aspects of a model should be described in each element, and we present an example to illustrate the protocol in use. In addition, 19 examples are available in an Online Appendix. We consider ODD as a first step for establishing a more detailed common format of the description of IBMs and ABMs. Once initiated, the protocol will hopefully evolve as it becomes used by a sufficiently large proportion of modellers.

How Real Detector Thresholds Create False Standard Candles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahmoradi, Amir; Nemiroff, Robert

2009-01-01

GRB satellites are relatively inefficient detectors of dim hard bursts. For example, given two bursts of identical peak luminosity near the detection threshold, a dim soft burst will be preferentially detected over a dim hard burst. This means that a high E peak burst will need a higher peak luminosity to be detected than a low E peak GRB. This purely detector-created attribute will appear as a correlation between E peak and luminosity, and should not be interpreted as a real standard candle effect. This result derives from Monte Carlo simulations utilizing a wide range of initial GRB spectra, and retriggering to create a final ''detected'' sample. In sum, E peak is not a good standard candle, and its appearance as such in seeming correlations such as the Amati and other L iso vs. E peak relations is likely a ghost of real energy-related detection thresholds.

An approach to standardization of urine sediment analysis via suggestion of a common manual protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Dae-Hyun; Ji, Misuk; Kim, Sollip; Cho, Eun-Jung; Lee, Woochang; Yun, Yeo-Min; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2016-01-01

The results of urine sediment analysis have been reported semiquantitatively. However, as recent guidelines recommend quantitative reporting of urine sediment, and with the development of automated urine sediment analyzers, there is an increasing need for quantitative analysis of urine sediment. Here, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis and quantified the results. Based on questionnaires, various reports, guidelines, and experimental results, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis. The results of this new protocol were compared with those obtained with a standardized chamber and an automated sediment analyzer. Reference intervals were also estimated using new protocol. We developed a protocol with centrifugation at 400 g for 5 min, with the average concentration factor of 30. The correlation between quantitative results of urine sediment analysis, the standardized chamber, and the automated sediment analyzer were generally good. The conversion factor derived from the new protocol showed a better fit with the results of manual count than the default conversion factor in the automated sediment analyzer. We developed a protocol for manual urine sediment analysis to quantitatively report the results. This protocol may provide a mean for standardization of urine sediment analysis.

Identification of a research protocol to study orthodontic tooth movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annalisa Dichicco

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Aim: The orthodontic movement is associated with a process of tissue remodeling together with the release of several chemical mediators in periodontal tissues. Each mediator is a potential marker of tooth movement and expresses biological processes as: tissue inflammation and bone remodeling. Different amounts of every mediator are present in several tissues and fluids of the oral cavity. Therefore, there are different methods that allow sampling with several degrees of invasiveness. Chemical mediators are also substances of different molecular nature, and multiple kind of analysis methods allow detection. The purpose of this study was to draft the best research protocol for an optimal study on orthodontic movement efficiency. Methods: An analysis of the international literature have been made, to identify the gold standard of each aspect of the protocol: type of mediator, source and method of sampling and analysis method. Results: From the analysis of the international literature was created an original research protocol for the study and the assessment of the orthodontic movement, by using the biomarkers of the tooth movement. Conclusions: The protocol created is based on the choice of the gold standard of every aspect already analyzed in the literature and in existing protocols for the monitoring of orthodontic tooth movement through the markers of tooth movement. Clinical trials re required for the evaluation and validation of the protocol created.

From Expert Protocols to Standardized Management of Infectious Diseases.

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Lagier, Jean-Christophe; Aubry, Camille; Delord, Marion; Michelet, Pierre; Tissot-Dupont, Hervé; Million, Matthieu; Brouqui, Philippe; Raoult, Didier; Parola, Philippe

2017-08-15

We report here 4 examples of management of infectious diseases (IDs) at the University Hospital Institute Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, France, to illustrate the value of expert protocols feeding standardized management of IDs. First, we describe our experience on Q fever and Tropheryma whipplei infection management based on in vitro data and clinical outcome. Second, we describe our management-based approach for the treatment of infective endocarditis, leading to a strong reduction of mortality rate. Third, we report our use of fecal microbiota transplantation to face severe Clostridium difficile infections and to perform decolonization of patients colonized by emerging highly resistant bacteria. Finally, we present the standardized management of the main acute infections in patients admitted in the emergency department, promoting antibiotics by oral route, checking compliance with the protocol, and avoiding the unnecessary use of intravenous and urinary tract catheters. Overall, the standardization of the management is the keystone to reduce both mortality and morbidity related to IDs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Standardization of a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Protocol to Investigate Dysphagia in Dogs.

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Harris, R A; Grobman, M E; Allen, M J; Schachtel, J; Rawson, N E; Bennett, B; Ledyayev, J; Hopewell, B; Coates, J R; Reinero, C R; Lever, T E

2017-03-01

Videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) is the gold standard for diagnosis of dysphagia in veterinary medicine but lacks standardized protocols that emulate physiologic feeding practices. Age impacts swallow function in humans but has not been evaluated by VFSS in dogs. To develop a protocol with custom kennels designed to allow free-feeding of 3 optimized formulations of contrast media and diets that address limitations of current VFSS protocols. We hypothesized that dogs evaluated by a free-feeding VFSS protocol would show differences in objective swallow metrics based on age. Healthy juvenile, adult, and geriatric dogs (n = 24). Prospective, experimental study. Custom kennels were developed to maintain natural feeding behaviors during VFSS. Three food consistencies (thin liquid, pureed food, and dry kibble) were formulated with either iohexol or barium to maximize palatability and voluntary prehension. Dogs were evaluated by 16 swallow metrics and compared across age groups. Development of a standardized VFSS protocol resulted in successful collection of swallow data in healthy dogs. No significant differences in swallow metrics were observed among age groups. Substantial variability was observed in healthy dogs when evaluated under these physiologic conditions. Features typically attributed to pathologic states, such as gastric reflux, were seen in healthy dogs. Development of a VFSS protocol that reflects natural feeding practices may allow emulation of physiology resulting in clinical signs of dysphagia. Age did not result in significant changes in swallow metrics, but additional studies are needed, particularly in light of substantial normal variation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage using a standard comet assay protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forchhammer, Lykke; Ersson, Clara; Loft, Steffen

2012-01-01

determined the baseline level of DNA strand breaks (SBs)/alkaline labile sites and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG)-sensitive sites in coded samples of mononuclear blood cells (MNBCs) from healthy volunteers. There were technical problems in seven laboratories in adopting the standard protocol...... analysed by the standard protocol. The SBs and FPG-sensitive sites were measured in the same experiment, indicating that the large spread in the latter lesions was the main reason for the reduced inter-laboratory variation. However, it remains worrying that half of the participating laboratories obtained...

A Standardized Protocol for the Prospective Follow-Up of Cleft Lip and Palate Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Salimi, Negar; Jolanta, Aleksejūnienė; Edwin, Yen; Angelina, Loo

2018-01-01

To develop a standardized all-encompassing protocol for the assessment of cleft lip and palate patients with clinical and research implications. Electronic database searches were conducted and 13 major cleft centers worldwide were contacted in order to prepare for the development of the protocol. In preparation, the available evidence was reviewed and potential fistula-related risk determinants from 4 different domains were identified. No standardized protocol for the assessment of cleft patients could be found in any of the electronic database searches that were conducted. Interviews with representatives from several major centers revealed that the majority of centers do not have a standardized comprehensive strategy for the reporting and follow-up of cleft lip and palate patients. The protocol was developed and consisted of the following domains of determinants: (1) the sociodemographic domain, (2) the cleft defect domain, (3) the surgery domain, and (4) the fistula domain. The proposed protocol has the potential to enhance the quality of patient care by ensuring that multiple patient-related aspects are consistently reported. It may also facilitate future multicenter research, which could contribute to the reduction of fistula occurrence in cleft lip and palate patients.

Importance of Standardized DXA Protocol for Assessing Physique Changes in Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nana, Alisa; Slater, Gary J; Hopkins, Will G; Halson, Shona L; Martin, David T; West, Nicholas P; Burke, Louise M

2016-06-01

The implications of undertaking DXA scans using best practice protocols (subjects fasted and rested) or a less precise but more practical protocol in assessing chronic changes in body composition following training and a specialized recovery technique were investigated. Twenty-one male cyclists completed an overload training program, in which they were randomized to four sessions per week of either cold water immersion therapy or control groups. Whole-body DXA scans were undertaken with best practice protocol (Best) or random activity protocol (Random) at baseline, after 3 weeks of overload training, and after a 2-week taper. Magnitudes of changes in total, lean and fat mass from baseline-overload, overload-taper and baseline-taper were assessed by standardization (Δmean/SD). The standard deviations of change scores for total and fat-free soft tissue mass (FFST) from Random scans (2-3%) were approximately double those observed in the Best (1-2%), owing to extra random errors associated with Random scans at baseline. There was little difference in change scores for fat mass. The effect of cold water immersion therapy on baseline-taper changes in FFST was possibly harmful (-0.7%; 90% confidence limits ±1.2%) with Best scans but unclear with Random scans (0.9%; ±2.0%). Both protocols gave similar possibly harmful effects of cold water immersion therapy on changes in fat mass (6.9%; ±13.5% and 5.5%; ±14.3%, respectively). An interesting effect of cold water immersion therapy on training-induced changes in body composition might have been missed with a less precise scanning protocol. DXA scans should be undertaken with Best.

Comparison of a fast 5-min knee MRI protocol with a standard knee MRI protocol. A multi-institutional multi-reader study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

FitzGerald Alaia, Erin; Beltran, Luis S.; Garwood, Elisabeth; Burke, Christopher J.; Gyftopoulos, Soterios [NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Division, New York, NY (United States); Benedick, Alex [Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH (United States); Obuchowski, Nancy A. [Cleveland Clinic, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland, OH (United States); Polster, Joshua M.; Schils, Jean; Subhas, Naveen [Cleveland Clinic, Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Division, Cleveland, OH (United States); Chang, I. Yuan Joseph [Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX (United States)

2018-01-15

To compare diagnostic performance of a 5-min knee MRI protocol to that of a standard knee MRI. One hundred 3 T (100 patients, mean 38.8 years) and 50 1.5 T (46 patients, mean 46.4 years) MRIs, consisting of 5 fast, 2D multi-planar fast-spin-echo (FSE) sequences and five standard multiplanar FSE sequences, from two academic centers (1/2015-1/2016), were retrospectively reviewed by four musculoskeletal radiologists. Agreement between fast and standard (interprotocol agreement) and between standard (intraprotocol agreement) readings for meniscal, ligamentous, chondral, and bone pathology was compared for interchangeability. Frequency of major findings, sensitivity, and specificity was also tested for each protocol. Interprotocol agreement using fast MRI was similar to intraprotocol agreement with standard MRI (83.0-99.5%), with no excess disagreement (≤ 1.2; 95% CI, -4.2 to 3.8%), across all structures. Frequency of major findings (1.1-22.4% across structures) on fast and standard MRI was not significantly different (p ≥ 0.215), except more ACL tears on fast MRI (p = 0.021) and more cartilage defects on standard MRI (p < 0.001). Sensitivities (59-100%) and specificities (73-99%) of fast and standard MRI were not significantly different for meniscal and ligament tears (95% CI for difference, -0.08-0.08). For cartilage defects, fast MRI was slightly less sensitive (95% CI for difference, -0.125 to -0.01) but slightly more specific (95% CI for difference, 0.01-0.5) than standard MRI. A fast 5-min MRI protocol is interchangeable with and has similar accuracy to a standard knee MRI for evaluating internal derangement of the knee. (orig.)

Comparison of a fast 5-min knee MRI protocol with a standard knee MRI protocol. A multi-institutional multi-reader study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FitzGerald Alaia, Erin; Beltran, Luis S.; Garwood, Elisabeth; Burke, Christopher J.; Gyftopoulos, Soterios; Benedick, Alex; Obuchowski, Nancy A.; Polster, Joshua M.; Schils, Jean; Subhas, Naveen; Chang, I. Yuan Joseph

2018-01-01

To compare diagnostic performance of a 5-min knee MRI protocol to that of a standard knee MRI. One hundred 3 T (100 patients, mean 38.8 years) and 50 1.5 T (46 patients, mean 46.4 years) MRIs, consisting of 5 fast, 2D multi-planar fast-spin-echo (FSE) sequences and five standard multiplanar FSE sequences, from two academic centers (1/2015-1/2016), were retrospectively reviewed by four musculoskeletal radiologists. Agreement between fast and standard (interprotocol agreement) and between standard (intraprotocol agreement) readings for meniscal, ligamentous, chondral, and bone pathology was compared for interchangeability. Frequency of major findings, sensitivity, and specificity was also tested for each protocol. Interprotocol agreement using fast MRI was similar to intraprotocol agreement with standard MRI (83.0-99.5%), with no excess disagreement (≤ 1.2; 95% CI, -4.2 to 3.8%), across all structures. Frequency of major findings (1.1-22.4% across structures) on fast and standard MRI was not significantly different (p ≥ 0.215), except more ACL tears on fast MRI (p = 0.021) and more cartilage defects on standard MRI (p < 0.001). Sensitivities (59-100%) and specificities (73-99%) of fast and standard MRI were not significantly different for meniscal and ligament tears (95% CI for difference, -0.08-0.08). For cartilage defects, fast MRI was slightly less sensitive (95% CI for difference, -0.125 to -0.01) but slightly more specific (95% CI for difference, 0.01-0.5) than standard MRI. A fast 5-min MRI protocol is interchangeable with and has similar accuracy to a standard knee MRI for evaluating internal derangement of the knee. (orig.)

Multiprofissional electronic protocol in ophtalmology with enfasis in strabismus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHRISTIE GRAF RIBEIRO

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to create and validate an electronic database in ophthalmology focused on strabismus, to computerize this database in the form of a systematic data collection software named Electronic Protocol, and to incorporate this protocol into the Integrated System of Electronic Protocols (SINPE(c. Methods: this is a descriptive study, with the methodology divided into three phases: (1 development of a theoretical ophthalmologic database with emphasis on strabismus; (2 computerization of this theoretical ophthalmologic database using SINPE(c and (3 interpretation of the information with demonstration of results to validate the protocol. We inputed data from the charts of fifty patients with known strabismus through the Electronic Protocol for testing and validation. Results: the new electronic protocol was able to store information regarding patient history, physical examination, laboratory exams, imaging results, diagnosis and treatment of patients with ophthalmologic diseases, with emphasis on strabismus. We included 2,141 items in this master protocol and created 20 new specific electronic protocols for strabismus, each with its own specifics. Validation was achieved through correlation and corroboration of the symptoms and confirmed diagnoses of the fifty included patients with the diagnostic criteria for the twenty new strabismus protocols. Conclusion: a new, validated electronic database focusing on ophthalmology, with emphasis on strabismus, was successfully created through the standardized collection of information, and computerization of the database using proprietary software. This protocol is ready for deployment to facilitate data collection, sorting and application for practitioners and researchers in numerous specialties.

Development of a manualized protocol of massage therapy for clinical trials in osteoarthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Ather

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinical trial design of manual therapies may be especially challenging as techniques are often individualized and practitioner-dependent. This paper describes our methods in creating a standardized Swedish massage protocol tailored to subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee while respectful of the individualized nature of massage therapy, as well as implementation of this protocol in two randomized clinical trials. Methods The manualization process involved a collaborative process between methodologic and clinical experts, with the explicit goals of creating a reproducible semi-structured protocol for massage therapy, while allowing some latitude for therapists’ clinical judgment and maintaining consistency with a prior pilot study. Results The manualized protocol addressed identical specified body regions with distinct 30- and 60-min protocols, using standard Swedish strokes. Each protocol specifies the time allocated to each body region. The manualized 30- and 60-min protocols were implemented in a dual-site 24-week randomized dose-finding trial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and is currently being implemented in a three-site 52-week efficacy trial of manualized Swedish massage therapy. In the dose-finding study, therapists adhered to the protocols and significant treatment effects were demonstrated. Conclusions The massage protocol was manualized, using standard techniques, and made flexible for individual practitioner and subject needs. The protocol has been applied in two randomized clinical trials. This manualized Swedish massage protocol has real-world utility and can be readily utilized both in the research and clinical settings. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00970008 (18 August 2009

Effect of a Standardized Protocol of Antibiotic Therapy on Surgical Site Infection after Laparoscopic Surgery for Complicated Appendicitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyoung-Chul; Kim, Min Jeong; Lee, Bong Hwa

Although it is accepted that complicated appendicitis requires antibiotic therapy to prevent post-operative surgical infections, consensus protocols on the duration and regimens of treatment are not well established. This study aimed to compare the outcome of post-operative infectious complications in patients receiving old non-standardized and new standard antibiotic protocols, involving either 5 or 10 days of treatment, respectively. We enrolled 1,343 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for complicated appendicitis between January 2009 and December 2014. At the beginning of the new protocol, the patients were divided into two groups; 10 days of various antibiotic regimens (between January 2009 and June 2012, called the non-standardized protocol; n = 730) and five days of cefuroxime and metronidazole regimen (between July 2012 and December 2014; standardized protocol; n = 613). We compared the clinical outcomes, including surgical site infection (SSI) (superficial and deep organ/space infections) in the two groups. The standardized protocol group had a slightly shorter operative time (67 vs. 69 min), a shorter hospital stay (5 vs. 5.4 d), and lower medical cost (US$1,564 vs. US$1,654). Otherwise, there was no difference between the groups. No differences were found in the non-standardized and standard protocol groups with regard to the rate of superficial infection (10.3% vs. 12.7%; p = 0.488) or deep organ/space infection (2.3% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.797). In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for complicated appendicitis, five days of cefuroxime and metronidazole did not lead to more SSIs, and it decreased the medical costs compared with non-standardized antibiotic regimens.

Biocoder: A programming language for standardizing and automating biology protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Ananthanarayanan, Vaishnavi; Thies, William

2010-11-08

Published descriptions of biology protocols are often ambiguous and incomplete, making them difficult to replicate in other laboratories. However, there is increasing benefit to formalizing the descriptions of protocols, as laboratory automation systems (such as microfluidic chips) are becoming increasingly capable of executing them. Our goal in this paper is to improve both the reproducibility and automation of biology experiments by using a programming language to express the precise series of steps taken. We have developed BioCoder, a C++ library that enables biologists to express the exact steps needed to execute a protocol. In addition to being suitable for automation, BioCoder converts the code into a readable, English-language description for use by biologists. We have implemented over 65 protocols in BioCoder; the most complex of these was successfully executed by a biologist in the laboratory using BioCoder as the only reference. We argue that BioCoder exposes and resolves ambiguities in existing protocols, and could provide the software foundations for future automation platforms. BioCoder is freely available for download at http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/india/projects/biocoder/. BioCoder represents the first practical programming system for standardizing and automating biology protocols. Our vision is to change the way that experimental methods are communicated: rather than publishing a written account of the protocols used, researchers will simply publish the code. Our experience suggests that this practice is tractable and offers many benefits. We invite other researchers to leverage BioCoder to improve the precision and completeness of their protocols, and also to adapt and extend BioCoder to new domains.

Shoulder muscle endurance: the development of a standardized and reliable protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roy Jean-Sébastien

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shoulder muscle fatigue has been proposed as a possible link to explain the association between repetitive arm use and the development of rotator cuff disorders. To our knowledge, no standardized clinical endurance protocol has been developed to evaluate the effects of muscle fatigue on shoulder function. Such a test could improve clinical examination of individuals with shoulder disorders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish a reliable protocol for objective assessment of shoulder muscle endurance. Methods An endurance protocol was developed on a stationary dynamometer (Biodex System 3. The endurance protocol was performed in isotonic mode with the resistance set at 50% of each subject's peak torque as measured for shoulder external (ER and internal rotation (IR. Each subject performed 60 continuous repetitions of IR/ER rotation. The endurance protocol was performed by 36 healthy individuals on two separate occasions at least two days apart. Maximal isometric shoulder strength tests were performed before and after the fatigue protocol to evaluate the effects of the endurance protocol and its reliability. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate the reduction in shoulder strength due to the protocol, while intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC and minimal detectable change (MDC were used to evaluate its reliability. Results Maximal isometric strength was significantly decreased after the endurance protocol (P 0.84. Conclusions Changes in muscular performance observed during and after the muscular endurance protocol suggests that the protocol did result in muscular fatigue. Furthermore, this study established that the resultant effects of fatigue of the proposed isotonic protocol were reproducible over time. The protocol was performed without difficulty by all volunteers and took less than 10 minutes to perform, suggesting that it might be feasible for clinical practice. This protocol could be used to induce

The impact of a new standard labor protocol on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dingran; Ye, Shenglong; Tao, Liyuan; Wang, Yongqing

2017-12-01

To analyze the clinical outcomes following the implementation of a new standard labor procedure. This was a retrospective analysis that included a study group consisting of patients managed based on a new standard labor protocol and a control group comprising patients managed under an old standard labor protocol. The following maternal and perinatal outcomes were compared in the two groups: the indications for a cesarean section and the incidence of cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress, neonatal asphyxia and pediatric intervention. We also compared the average number of days spent in the hospital, the incidence of medical disputes and hospitalization expenses. The cesarean section rates for the study and control groups were 19.29% (401/2079) and 33.53% (753/2246), respectively (P labor, fetal distress and intrapartum fever; the percentages of each indication were significantly different from those of the control group (P labor protocol reduced the cesarean section rate without negatively impacting maternal and neonatal outcomes. In practice, bed turnover and the hospital utilization rate should be better controlled, patient-doctor communication should be strengthened and the quality of obstetrical service should be improved.

Improving biofeedback for the treatment of fecal incontinence in women: implementation of a standardized multi-site manometric biofeedback protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Markland, A D; Jelovsek, J E; Whitehead, W E; Newman, D K; Andy, U U; Dyer, K; Harm-Ernandes, I; Cichowski, S; McCormick, J; Rardin, C; Sutkin, G; Shaffer, A; Meikle, S

2017-01-01

Standardized training and clinical protocols using biofeedback for the treatment of fecal incontinence (FI) are important for clinical care. Our primary aims were to develop, implement, and evaluate adherence to a standardized protocol for manometric biofeedback to treat FI. In a Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) trial, participants were enrolled from eight PFDN clinical centers across the United States. A team of clinical and equipment experts developed biofeedback software on a novel tablet computer platform for conducting standardized anorectal manometry with separate manometric biofeedback protocols for improving anorectal muscle strength, sensation, and urge resistance. The training protocol also included education on bowel function, anal sphincter exercises, and bowel diary monitoring. Study interventionists completed online training prior to attending a centralized, standardized certification course. For the certification, expert trainers assessed the ability of the interventionists to perform the protocol components for a paid volunteer who acted as a standardized patient. Postcertification, the trainers audited interventionists during trial implementation to improve protocol adherence. Twenty-four interventionists attended the in-person training and certification, including 46% advanced practice registered nurses (11/24), 50% (12/24) physical therapists, and 4% physician assistants (1/24). Trainers performed audio audits for 88% (21/24), representing 84 audited visits. All certified interventionists met or exceeded the prespecified 80% pass rate for the audit process, with an average passing rate of 93%. A biofeedback protocol can be successfully imparted to experienced pelvic floor health care providers from various disciplines. Our process promoted high adherence to a standard protocol and is applicable to many clinical settings. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Standardized, Evidence-Based Massage Therapy Program for Decentralized Elite Paracyclists: Creating the Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Ann B; Trilk, Jennifer L

2015-09-01

Evidence suggests that para-athletes are injured more often than able-bodied athletes. The benefits of massage therapy for these disabled athletes are yet to be explored. This paper documents the process followed for creating a massage program for elite paracycling athletes with the goal to assess effects on recovery, rest, performance, and quality of life both on and off the bike. Massage therapists' private practices throughout the United States. A United States Paracycling team consisting of 9 elite athletes: 2 spinal cord injury, 2 lower limb amputation, 1 upper limb amputation, 1 transverse myelitis, 1 stroke, 1 traumatic brain injury, and 1 visually impaired. The process used to develop a massage therapy program for para-cyclists included meetings with athletes, coaching staff, team exercise physiologist, and sports massage therapists; peer-reviewed literature was also consulted to address specific health conditions of para-athletes. Team leadership and athletes identified needs for quicker recovery, better rest, and improved performance in elite paracyclists. This information was used to generate a conceptual model for massage protocols, and led to creation of the intake and exit questionnaires to assess patient health status and recovery. Forms also were created for a general health intake, therapist information, and a therapist's SOAAP notes. The conceptual model and questionnaires developed herein will help to operationalize an exploratory study investigating the feasibility of implementing a standardized massage therapy program for a decentralized elite paracycling team.

A Standardized and Reproducible Urine Preparation Protocol for Cancer Biomarkers Discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Beretov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A suitable and standardized protein purification technique is essential to maintain consistency and to allow data comparison between proteomic studies for urine biomarker discovery. Ultimately, efforts should be made to standardize urine preparation protocols. The aim of this study was to develop an optimal analytical protocol to achieve maximal protein yield and to ensure that this method was applicable to examine urine protein patterns that distinguish disease and disease-free states. In this pilot study, we compared seven different urine sample preparation methods to remove salts, and to precipitate and isolate urinary proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE profiles showed that the sequential preparation of urinary proteins by combining acetone and trichloroacetic acid (TCA alongside high speed centrifugation (HSC provided the best separation, and retained the most urinary proteins. Therefore, this approach is the preferred method for all further urine protein analysis.

Outcomes of Optimized over Standard Protocol of Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin for Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single-Center Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Meili; Shao, Yingqi; Huang, Jinbo; Huang, Zhendong; Zhang, Jing; Nie, Neng; Zheng, Yizhou

2013-01-01

Background Previous reports showed that outcome of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) was not satisfactory as the first-line therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). We explored a modifying schedule of administration of rATG. Design and Methods Outcomes of a cohort of 175 SAA patients, including 51 patients administered with standard protocol (3.55 mg/kg/d for 5 days) and 124 cases with optimized protocol (1.97 mg/kg/d for 9 days) of rATG plus cyclosporine (CSA), were analyzed retrospectively. Results Of all 175 patients, response rates at 3 and 6 months were 36.6% and 56.0%, respectively. 51 cases received standard protocol had poor responses at 3 (25.5%) and 6 months (41.2%). However, 124 patients received optimized protocol had better responses at 3 (41.1%, P = 0.14) and 6 (62.1%, P = 0.01). Higher incidences of infection (57.1% versus 37.9%, P = 0.02) and early mortality (17.9% versus 0.8%, P<0.001) occurred in patients received standard protocol compared with optimized protocol. The 5-year overall survival in favor of the optimized over standard rATG protocol (76.0% versus. 50.3%, P<0.001) was observed. By multivariate analysis, optimized protocol (RR = 2.21, P = 0.04), response at 3 months (RR = 10.31, P = 0.03) and shorter interval (<23 days) between diagnosis and initial dose of rATG (RR = 5.35, P = 0.002) were independent favorable predictors of overall survival. Conclusions Optimized instead of standard rATG protocol in combination with CSA remained efficacious as a first-line immunosuppressive regimen for SAA. PMID:23554855

Why standard brain-computer interface (BCI) training protocols should be changed: an experimental study

Science.gov (United States)

Jeunet, Camille; Jahanpour, Emilie; Lotte, Fabien

2016-06-01

Objective. While promising, electroencephaloraphy based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are barely used due to their lack of reliability: 15% to 30% of users are unable to control a BCI. Standard training protocols may be partly responsible as they do not satisfy recommendations from psychology. Our main objective was to determine in practice to what extent standard training protocols impact users’ motor imagery based BCI (MI-BCI) control performance. Approach. We performed two experiments. The first consisted in evaluating the efficiency of a standard BCI training protocol for the acquisition of non-BCI related skills in a BCI-free context, which enabled us to rule out the possible impact of BCIs on the training outcome. Thus, participants (N = 54) were asked to perform simple motor tasks. The second experiment was aimed at measuring the correlations between motor tasks and MI-BCI performance. The ten best and ten worst performers of the first study were recruited for an MI-BCI experiment during which they had to learn to perform two MI tasks. We also assessed users’ spatial ability and pre-training μ rhythm amplitude, as both have been related to MI-BCI performance in the literature. Main results. Around 17% of the participants were unable to learn to perform the motor tasks, which is close to the BCI illiteracy rate. This suggests that standard training protocols are suboptimal for skill teaching. No correlation was found between motor tasks and MI-BCI performance. However, spatial ability played an important role in MI-BCI performance. In addition, once the spatial ability covariable had been controlled for, using an ANCOVA, it appeared that participants who faced difficulty during the first experiment improved during the second while the others did not. Significance. These studies suggest that (1) standard MI-BCI training protocols are suboptimal for skill teaching, (2) spatial ability is confirmed as impacting on MI-BCI performance, and (3) when faced

Improving post-stroke dysphagia outcomes through a standardized and multidisciplinary protocol: an exploratory cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandolfi, Marialuisa; Smania, Nicola; Bisoffi, Giulia; Squaquara, Teresa; Zuccher, Paola; Mazzucco, Sara

2014-12-01

Stroke is a major cause of dysphagia. Few studies to date have reported on standardized multidisciplinary protocolized approaches to the management of post-stroke dysphagia. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized multidisciplinary protocol on clinical outcomes in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. We performed retrospective chart reviews of patients with post-stroke dysphagia admitted to the neurological ward of Verona University Hospital from 2004 to 2008. Outcomes after usual treatment for dysphagia (T- group) were compared versus outcomes after treatment under a standardized diagnostic and rehabilitative multidisciplinary protocol (T+ group). Outcome measures were death, pneumonia on X-ray, need for respiratory support, and proportion of patients on tube feeding at discharge. Of the 378 patients admitted with stroke, 84 had dysphagia and were enrolled in the study. A significantly lower risk of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] 0.20 [0.53-0.78]), pneumonia (OR 0.33 [0.10-1.03]), need for respiratory support (OR 0.48 [0.14-1.66]), and tube feeding at discharge (OR 0.30 [0.09-0.91]) was recorded for the T+ group (N = 39) as compared to the T- group (N = 45). The adjusted OR showed no difference between the two groups for in-hospital death and tube feeding at discharge. Use of a standardized multidisciplinary protocolized approach to the management of post-stroke dysphagia may significantly reduce rates of aspiration pneumonia, in-hospital mortality, and tube feeding in dysphagic stroke survivors. Consistent with the study's exploratory purposes, our findings suggest that the multidisciplinary protocol applied in this study offers an effective model of management of post-stroke dysphagia.

Standard protocol for conducting pre-operational environmental surveillance around nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegde, A.G.; Verma, P.C.; Rajan, M.P.

2009-02-01

This document presents the standard procedures for evaluation of site specific environmental transfer factors around NPP sites. The scope of this document is to provide standard protocol to be followed for conducting pre-operational environmental surveillance around nuclear facilities. Such surveillances have been proposed to be carried out by university professionals under DAE-BRNS projects. This document contains a common methodology in terms of sampling, processing, measurements and analysis of elemental/radionuclides, while keeping the site specific requirements also in place. (author)

Standard protocol for conducting pre-operational environmental surveillance around nuclear facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hegde, A G; Verma, P C; Rajan, M P [Health Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2009-02-15

This document presents the standard procedures for evaluation of site specific environmental transfer factors around NPP sites. The scope of this document is to provide standard protocol to be followed for conducting pre-operational environmental surveillance around nuclear facilities. Such surveillances have been proposed to be carried out by university professionals under DAE-BRNS projects. This document contains a common methodology in terms of sampling, processing, measurements and analysis of elemental/radionuclides, while keeping the site specific requirements also in place. (author)

Asynchronous transfer mode and Local Area Network emulation standards, protocols, and security implications

OpenAIRE

Kirwin, John P.

1999-01-01

A complex networking technology called Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and a networking protocol called Local Area Network Emulation (LANE) are being integrated into many naval networks without any security-driven naval configuration guidelines. No single publication is available that describes security issues of data delivery and signaling relating to the transition of Ethernet to LANE and ATM. The thesis' focus is to provide: (1) an overview and security analysis of standardized protocols ...

Creating transient cell membrane pores using a standard inkjet printer.

Science.gov (United States)

Owczarczak, Alexander B; Shuford, Stephen O; Wood, Scott T; Deitch, Sandra; Dean, Delphine

2012-03-16

Bioprinting has a wide range of applications and significance, including tissue engineering, direct cell application therapies, and biosensor microfabrication. Recently, thermal inkjet printing has also been used for gene transfection. The thermal inkjet printing process was shown to temporarily disrupt the cell membranes without affecting cell viability. The transient pores in the membrane can be used to introduce molecules, which would otherwise be too large to pass through the membrane, into the cell cytoplasm. The application being demonstrated here is the use of thermal inkjet printing for the incorporation of fluorescently labeled g-actin monomers into cells. The advantage of using thermal ink-jet printing to inject molecules into cells is that the technique is relatively benign to cells. Cell viability after printing has been shown to be similar to standard cell plating methods. In addition, inkjet printing can process thousands of cells in minutes, which is much faster than manual microinjection. The pores created by printing have been shown to close within about two hours. However, there is a limit to the size of the pore created (~10 nm) with this printing technique, which limits the technique to injecting cells with small proteins and/or particles. A standard HP DeskJet 500 printer was modified to allow for cell printing. The cover of the printer was removed and the paper feed mechanism was bypassed using a mechanical lever. A stage was created to allow for placement of microscope slides and coverslips directly under the print head. Ink cartridges were opened, the ink was removed and they were cleaned prior to use with cells. The printing pattern was created using standard drawing software, which then controlled the printer through a simple print command. 3T3 fibroblasts were grown to confluence, trypsinized, and then resuspended into phosphate buffered saline with soluble fluorescently labeled g-actin monomers. The cell suspension was pipetted into the

Pelvic Muscle Rehabilitation: A Standardized Protocol for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Pedraza

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Pelvic floor dysfunction syndromes present with voiding, sexual, and anorectal disturbances, which may be associated with one another, resulting in complex presentation. Thus, an integrated diagnosis and management approach may be required. Pelvic muscle rehabilitation (PMR is a noninvasive modality involving cognitive reeducation, modification, and retraining of the pelvic floor and associated musculature. We describe our standardized PMR protocol for the management of pelvic floor dysfunction syndromes. Pelvic Muscle Rehabilitation Program. The diagnostic assessment includes electromyography and manometry analyzed in 4 phases: (1 initial baseline phase; (2 rapid contraction phase; (3 tonic contraction and endurance phase; and (4 late baseline phase. This evaluation is performed at the onset of every session. PMR management consists of 6 possible therapeutic modalities, employed depending on the diagnostic evaluation: (1 down-training; (2 accessory muscle isolation; (3 discrimination training; (4 muscle strengthening; (5 endurance training; and (6 electrical stimulation. Eight to ten sessions are performed at one-week intervals with integration of home exercises and lifestyle modifications. Conclusions. The PMR protocol offers a standardized approach to diagnose and manage pelvic floor dysfunction syndromes with potential advantages over traditional biofeedback, involving additional interventions and a continuous pelvic floor assessment with management modifications over the clinical course.

Anthropometric protocols for the construction of new international fetal and newborn growth standards: the INTERGROWTH-21st Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheikh Ismail, L; Knight, H E; Bhutta, Z; Chumlea, W C

2013-09-01

The primary aim of the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project is to construct new, prescriptive standards describing optimal fetal and preterm postnatal growth. The anthropometric measurements include the head circumference, recumbent length and weight of the infants, and the stature and weight of the parents. In such a large, international, multicentre project, it is critical that all study sites follow standardised protocols to ensure maximal validity of the growth and nutrition indicators used. This paper describes, in detail, the selection of anthropometric personnel, equipment, and measurement and calibration protocols used to construct the new standards. Implementing these protocols at each study site ensures that the anthropometric data are of the highest quality to construct the international standards. © 2013 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Comparison of a new whole-body continuous-table-movement protocol versus a standard whole-body MR protocol for the assessment of multiple myeloma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weckbach, S.; Michaely, H.J.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Dinter, D.J.; Stemmer, A.

2010-01-01

To evaluate a whole body (WB) continuous-table-movement (CTM) MR protocol for the assessment of multiple myeloma (MM) in comparison to a step-by-step WB protocol. Eighteen patients with MM were examined at 1.5T using a WB CTM protocol (axial T2-w fs BLADE, T1-w GRE sequence) and a step-by-step WB protocol including coronal/sagittal T1-w SE and STIR sequences as reference. Protocol time was assessed. Image quality, artefacts, liver/spleen assessability, and the ability to depict bone marrow lesions less than or greater than 1 cm as well as diffuse infiltration and soft tissue lesions were rated. Potential changes in the Durie and Salmon Plus stage and the detectability of complications were assessed. Mean protocol time was 6:38 min (CTM) compared to 24:32 min (standard). Image quality was comparable. Artefacts were more prominent using the CTM protocol (P = 0.0039). Organ assessability was better using the CTM protocol (P < 0.001). Depiction of bone marrow and soft tissue lesions was identical without a staging shift. Vertebral fractures were not detected using the CTM protocol. The new protocol allows a higher patient throughput and facilitates the depiction of extramedullary lesions. However, as long as vertebral fractures are not detectable, the protocol cannot be safely used for clinical routine without the acquisition of an additional sagittal sequence. (orig.)

Protocol for Usability Testing and Validation of the ISO Draft International Standard 19223 for Lung Ventilators

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Background Clinicians, such as respiratory therapists and physicians, are often required to set up pieces of medical equipment that use inconsistent terminology. Current lung ventilator terminology that is used by different manufacturers contributes to the risk of usage errors, and in turn the risk of ventilator-associated lung injuries and other conditions. Human factors and communication issues are often associated with ventilator-related sentinel events, and inconsistent ventilator terminology compounds these issues. This paper describes our proposed protocol, which will be implemented at the University of Waterloo, Canada when this project is externally funded. Objective We propose to determine whether a standardized vocabulary improves the ease of use, safety, and utility as it relates to the usability of medical devices, compared to legacy medical devices from multiple manufacturers, which use different terms. Methods We hypothesize that usage errors by clinicians will be lower when standardization is consistently applied by all manufacturers. The proposed study will experimentally examine the impact of standardized nomenclature on performance declines in the use of an unfamiliar ventilator product in clinically relevant scenarios. Participants will be respiratory therapy practitioners and trainees, and we propose studying approximately 60 participants. Results The work reported here is in the proposal phase. Once the protocol is implemented, we will report the results in a follow-up paper. Conclusions The proposed study will help us better understand the effects of standardization on medical device usability. The study will also help identify any terms in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Draft International Standard (DIS) 19223 that may be associated with recurrent errors. Amendments to the standard will be proposed if recurrent errors are identified. This report contributes a protocol that can be used to assess the effect of

Standard protocol for evaluation of environmental transfer factors around NPP sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegde, A.G.; Verma, P.C.; Rao, D.D.

2009-01-01

This document presents the standard procedures for evaluation of site specific environmental transfer factors around NPP sites. The scope of this document is to provide standard protocol to be followed for evaluation of environmental transfer factors around NPP sites. The studies on transfer factors are being carried out at various NPP sites under DAE-BRNS projects for evaluation of site specific transfer factors for radionuclides released from power plants. This document contains a common methodology in terms of sampling, processing, measurements and analysis of elemental/radionuclides, while keeping the site specific requirements also in place. (author)

Standardized protocol for artery-only fingertip replantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Buntic, Rudolf F; Brooks, Darrell

2010-09-01

Artery-only fingertip replantation can be reliable if low-resistance flow through the replant is maintained until venous outflow is restored naturally. Injuring the tip of the replant to promote ongoing bleeding augmented with anticoagulation usually accomplishes this; however, such management results in prolonged hospitalization. In this study, we analyzed the outcomes of artery-only fingertip replantation using a standardized postoperative protocol consisting of dextran-40, heparin, and leech therapy. Between 2001 and 2008, we performed 19 artery-only fingertip replants for 17 patients. All patients had the replanted nail plate removed and received intravenous dextran-40, heparin, and aspirin to promote fingertip bleeding and vascular outflow. Anticoagulation was titrated to promote a controlled bleed until physiologic venous outflow was restored by neovascularization. We used medicinal leeches and mechanical heparin scrubbing for acute decongestion. By postoperative day 6, bleeding was no longer promoted. We initiated fluorescent dye perfusion studies to assess circulatory competence and direct further anticoagulant intervention if necessary. The absence of bleeding associated with an initial rise followed by an appropriate fall in fluorescent dye concentration would trigger a weaning of anticoagulation. All of the 19 replants survived. The average length of hospital stay was 9 days (range, 7-17 d). Eleven patients received blood transfusions. The average transfusion was 1.8 units (range, 0-9 units). All patients were happy with the decision to replant, and the cosmetic result. A protocol that promotes temporary, controlled bleeding from the fingertip is protective of artery-only replants distal to the distal interphalangeal joint until physiologic venous outflow is restored. The protocol described is both safe and reliable. The patient should be informed that such replant attempts may result in the need for transfusions and extended hospital stays, factors that

Improving treatment times for patients with in-hospital stroke using a standardized protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Koge, Junpei; Matsumoto, Shoji; Nakahara, Ichiro; Ishii, Akira; Hatano, Taketo; Sadamasa, Nobutake; Kai, Yasutoshi; Ando, Mitsushige; Saka, Makoto; Chihara, Hideo; Takita, Wataru; Tokunaga, Keisuke; Kamata, Takahiko; Nishi, Hidehisa; Hashimoto, Tetsuya; Tsujimoto, Atsushi; Kira, Jun-Ichi; Nagata, Izumi

2017-10-15

Previous reports have shown significant delays in treatment of in-hospital stroke (IHS). We developed and implemented our IHS alert protocol in April 2014. We aimed to determine the influence of implementation of our IHS alert protocol. Our implementation processes comprise the following four main steps: IHS protocol development, workshops for hospital staff to learn about the protocol, preparation of standardized IHS treatment kits, and obtaining feedback in a monthly hospital staff conference. We retrospectively compared protocol metrics and clinical outcomes of patients with IHS treated with intravenous thrombolysis and/or endovascular therapy between before (January 2008-March 2014) and after implementation (April 2014-December 2016). Fifty-five patients were included (pre, 25; post, 30). After the implementation, significant reductions occurred in the median time from stroke recognition to evaluation by a neurologist (30 vs. 13.5min, pvs. 26.5min, pvs. 16min, p=0.02). The median time from first neuroimaging to endovascular therapy had a tendency to decrease (75 vs. 53min, p=0.08). There were no differences in the favorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale score of 0-2) at discharge or the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the two periods. Our IHS alert protocol implementation saved time in treating patients with IHS without compromising safety. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Data transmission protocol for Pi-of-the-Sky cameras

Science.gov (United States)

Uzycki, J.; Kasprowicz, G.; Mankiewicz, M.; Nawrocki, K.; Sitek, P.; Sokolowski, M.; Sulej, R.; Tlaczala, W.

2006-10-01

The large amount of data collected by the automatic astronomical cameras has to be transferred to the fast computers in a reliable way. The method chosen should ensure data streaming in both directions but in nonsymmetrical way. The Ethernet interface is very good choice because of its popularity and proven performance. However it requires TCP/IP stack implementation in devices like cameras for full compliance with existing network and operating systems. This paper describes NUDP protocol, which was made as supplement to standard UDP protocol and can be used as a simple-network protocol. The NUDP does not need TCP protocol implementation and makes it possible to run the Ethernet network with simple devices based on microcontroller and/or FPGA chips. The data transmission idea was created especially for the "Pi of the Sky" project.

Evaluation of Dogs with Border Collie Collapse, Including Response to Two Standardized Strenuous Exercise Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Susan; Shmon, Cindy; Su, Lillian; Epp, Tasha; Minor, Katie; Mickelson, James; Patterson, Edward; Shelton, G Diane

2016-01-01

Clinical and metabolic variables were evaluated in 13 dogs with border collie collapse (BCC) before, during, and following completion of standardized strenuous exercise protocols. Six dogs participated in a ball-retrieving protocol, and seven dogs participated in a sheep-herding protocol. Findings were compared with 16 normal border collies participating in the same exercise protocols (11 retrieving, five herding). Twelve dogs with BCC developed abnormal mentation and/or an abnormal gait during evaluation. All dogs had post-exercise elevations in rectal temperature, pulse rate, arterial blood pH, PaO2, and lactate, and decreased PaCO2 and bicarbonate, as expected with strenuous exercise, but there were no significant differences between BCC dogs and normal dogs. Electrocardiography demonstrated sinus tachycardia in all dogs following exercise. Needle electromyography was normal, and evaluation of muscle biopsy cryosections using a standard panel of histochemical stains and reactions did not reveal a reason for collapse in 10 dogs with BCC in which these tests were performed. Genetic testing excluded the dynamin-1 related exercise-induced collapse mutation and the V547A malignant hyperthermia mutation as the cause of BCC. Common reasons for exercise intolerance were eliminated. Although a genetic basis is suspected, the cause of collapse in BCC was not determined.

Standards-Based Wireless Sensor Networking Protocols for Spaceflight Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Raymond S.

2010-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have the capacity to revolutionize data gathering in both spaceflight and terrestrial applications. WSNs provide a huge advantage over traditional, wired instrumentation since they do not require wiring trunks to connect sensors to a central hub. This allows for easy sensor installation in hard to reach locations, easy expansion of the number of sensors or sensing modalities, and reduction in both system cost and weight. While this technology offers unprecedented flexibility and adaptability, implementing it in practice is not without its difficulties. Recent advances in standards-based WSN protocols for industrial control applications have come a long way to solving many of the challenges facing practical WSN deployments. In this paper, we will overview two of the more promising candidates - WirelessHART from the HART Communication Foundation and ISA100.11a from the International Society of Automation - and present the architecture for a new standards-based sensor node for networking and applications research.

78 FR 45096 - Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-26

... Related to Terms, Definition and 24 Acronyms 6. Commission Proposal 24 D. Implementation 24 III. Notice of... between the two markets \\5\\ and re-organized and revised definitions to create a standard set of terms, definitions and acronyms applicable to all NAESB WEQ standards.\\6\\ NAESB states that the Version 003 Standards...

The European Union CREATE project: a model for international standardization of allergy diagnostics and vaccines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chapman, Martin D.; Ferreira, Fatima; Villalba, Mayte; Cromwell, Oliver; Bryan, Donna; Becker, Wolf-Meinhard; Fernández-Rivas, Montserrat; Durham, Stephen; Vieths, Stefan; van Ree, Ronald; Aalbers, M.; Notten, S.; Ooievaar-de Heer, P.; Ferreira, F.; Gademaier, G.; Wallner, M.; Villalba, M.; Rodriguez, R.; Becker, W.-M.; Eberhardt, F.; Lepp, U.; Raulf-Heimsoth, M.; Valenta, R.; Focke, M.; Bryan, D.; Dolman, C.; Das, R. G.; Vieths, S.; Fötisch, K.; Di Felice, G.; Pini, C.; Cromwell, O.; Fiebig, H.; Weber, B.; van Schijndel, H.; Dorpema, J. W.; Marco, F. M.; Monsalve, R.; Barber, D.; Caldas, E. Fernandez; Moingeon, P.; Didierlaurent, A.; André, C.; Kroon, A.; Neubauer, A.; Chapman, M.; Vailes, L.; Tsay, A.; Durham, S.; Custovic, A.; Simpson, B.; Knulst, A.; Rivas, M. Fernández; Mancebo, E. Gonzalez; Bahima, A. Cistero; Moncin, M. M. San Miguel; Mari, A.; Kinaciyan, T.; Quiralte, J.; Pauli, G.; de Blay, F.; Purohit, A.; Rak, S.

2008-01-01

Allergen measurements are used extensively in the formulation of allergy diagnostics and vaccines, yet no purified international allergen standards are available for calibration purposes. The aims of the European Union CREATE project were to develop international standards with verifiable allergen

Education and the Environment: Creating Standards-Based Programs in Schools and Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Lieberman, Gerald A.

2013-01-01

In this timely book, curriculum expert Gerald A. Lieberman provides an innovative guide to creating and implementing a new type of environmental education that combines standards-based lessons on English language arts, math, history, and science with community investigations and service learning projects. By connecting academic content with local…

A critical analysis of a locally agreed protocol for clinical practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, A.; Hogg, P.; Nightingale, J.

2004-01-01

Within the traditional scope of radiographic practice (including advanced practice) there is a need to demonstrate effective patient care and management. Such practice should be set within a context of appropriate evidence and should also reflect peer practice. In order to achieve such practice the use of protocols is encouraged. Effective protocols can maximise care and management by minimising inter- and intra-professional variation; they can also allow for detailed procedural records to be kept in case of legal claims. However, whilst literature exists to encourage the use of protocols there is little published material available to indicate how to create, manage and archive them. This article uses an analytical approach to propose a suitable method for protocol creation and archival, it also offers suggestions on the scope and content of a protocol. To achieve this an existing clinical protocol for radiographer reporting barium enemas is analysed to draw out the general issues. Proposals for protocol creation, management, and archival were identified. The clinical practice described or inferred in the protocol should be drawn from evidence, such evidence could include peer-reviewed material, national standards and peer practice. The protocol should include an explanation of how to proceed when the radiographers reach the limit of their ability. It should refer to the initial training required to undertake the clinical duties as well as the on-going continual professional updating required to maintain competence. Audit of practice should be indicated, including the preferred audit methodology, and associated with this should be a clear statement about standards and what to do if standards are not adequately met. Protocols should be archived, in a paper-based form, for lengthy periods in case of legal claims. On the archived protocol the date it was in clinical use should be included

Standards to open and interoperable digital libraries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Fernando Sayão

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Interoperability is one of the main issues in creating a networked system of digital libraries. However, the interoperability as the way to accomplish data exchange and service collaboration requires adoption of a set of open standards covering all digital repository processes. The aim of this document is to revise the most important standards, protocols and the best pratices that form the framework to an open and fully interoperable digital library.

A Standardized Shift Handover Protocol: Improving Nurses’ Safe Practice in Intensive Care Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javad Malekzadeh

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: For maintaining the continuity of care and improving the quality of care, effective inter-shift information communication is necessary. Any handover error can endanger patient safety. Despite the importance of shift handover, there is no standard handover protocol in our healthcare settings. Methods In this one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study conducted in spring and summer of 2011, we recruited a convenience sample of 56 ICU nurses. The Nurses’ Safe Practice Evaluation Checklist was used for data collection. The Content Validity Index and the inter-rater correlation coefficient of the checklist was 0.92 and 89, respectively. We employed the SPSS 11.5 software and the Mc Nemar and paired-samples t test for data analysis. Results: Study findings revealed that nurses’ mean score on the Safe Practice Evaluation Checklist increased significantly from 11.6 (2.7 to 17.0 (1.8 (P < 0.001. Conclusion: using a standard handover protocol for communicating patient’s needs and information improves nurses’ safe practice in the area of basic nursing care.

Prosthesis Prescription Protocol of the Arm (PPP-Arm) : The implementation of a national prosthesis prescription protocol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijdenes, Paula; Brouwers, Michael; van der Sluis, Corry K

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In order to create more uniformity in the prescription of upper limb prostheses by Dutch rehabilitation teams, the development and implementation of a Prosthesis Prescription Protocol of the upper limb (PPP-Arm) was initiated. The aim was to create a national digital protocol to

Use of a Microprocessor to Implement an ADCCP Protocol (Federal Standard 1003).

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

results of other studies, to evaluate the operational and economic impact of incorporating various options in Federal Standard 1003. The effort...the LSI interface and the microprocessor; the LSI chip deposits bytes in its buffer as the producer, and the MPU reads this data as the consumer...on the interface between the MPU and the LSI protocol chip. This requires two main processes to be running at the same time--transmit and receive. The

Art as Resistance: Creating and Collecting Content for a Public Lesson on Standardization

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Becky L. Noël; Shaw, Michael L.

2014-01-01

The negative emotional affects of standardized teaching and learning abound in public schools and work to create a melancholic, shared reality for teachers and students. The authors argue that teachers and students must acknowledge this melancholy and pursue shared inquiry around those emotions in order to help bring about understanding and the…

Standardizing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D data from four Nordic population samples using the Vitamin D Standardization Program protocols: Shedding new light on vitamin D status in Nordic individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cashman, Kevin D; Dowling, Kirsten G; Škrabáková, Zuzana

2015-01-01

for the European Union are of variable quality making it difficult to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency across member states. As a consequence of the widespread, method-related differences in measurements of serum 25(OH)D concentrations, the Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) developed...... protocols for standardizing existing serum 25(OH)D data from national surveys around the world. The objective of the present work was to apply the VDSP protocols to existing serum 25(OH)D data from a Danish, a Norwegian, and a Finnish population-based health survey and from a Danish randomized controlled...

The need for LWR metrology standardization: the imec roughness protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Lorusso, Gian Francesco; Sutani, Takumichi; Rutigliani, Vito; van Roey, Frieda; Moussa, Alain; Charley, Anne-Laure; Mack, Chris; Naulleau, Patrick; Constantoudis, Vassilios; Ikota, Masami; Ishimoto, Toru; Koshihara, Shunsuke

2018-03-01

As semiconductor technology keeps moving forward, undeterred by the many challenges ahead, one specific deliverable is capturing the attention of many experts in the field: Line Width Roughness (LWR) specifications are expected to be less than 2nm in the near term, and to drop below 1nm in just a few years. This is a daunting challenge and engineers throughout the industry are trying to meet these targets using every means at their disposal. However, although current efforts are surely admirable, we believe they are not enough. The fact is that a specification has a meaning only if there is an agreed methodology to verify if the criterion is met or not. Such a standardization is critical in any field of science and technology and the question that we need to ask ourselves today is whether we have a standardized LWR metrology or not. In other words, if a single reference sample were provided, would everyone measuring it get reasonably comparable results? We came to realize that this is not the case and that the observed spread in the results throughout the industry is quite large. In our opinion, this makes the comparison of LWR data among institutions, or to a specification, very difficult. In this paper, we report the spread of measured LWR data across the semiconductor industry. We investigate the impact of image acquisition, measurement algorithm, and frequency analysis parameters on LWR metrology. We review critically some of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) metrology guidelines (such as measurement box length larger than 2μm and the need to correct for SEM noise). We compare the SEM roughness results to AFM measurements. Finally, we propose a standardized LWR measurement protocol - the imec Roughness Protocol (iRP) - intended to ensure that every time LWR measurements are compared (from various sources or to specifications), the comparison is sensible and sound. We deeply believe that the industry is at a point where it is

Standard Operational Protocols in professional nursing practice: use, weaknesses and potentialities.

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, Camila Balsero; Bernardes, Andrea; Gabriel, Carmen Silvia; Brito, Maria de Fátima Paiva; Moura, André Almeida de; Zanetti, Ariane Cristina Barboza

2018-01-01

to evaluate the use of Standard Operational Protocols (SOPs) in the professional practice of the nursing team based on the theoretical framework of Donabedian, as well as to identify the weaknesses and potentialities from its implementation. Evaluative research, with quantitative approach performed with nursing professionals working in the Health Units of a city of São Paulo, composed of two stages: document analysis and subsequent application of a questionnaire to nursing professionals. A total of 247 nursing professionals participated and reported changes in the way the interventions were performed. The main weaknesses were the small number of professionals, inadequate physical structure and lack of materials. Among the potentialities were: the standardization of materials and concern of the manager and professional related to patient safety. The reassessment of SOPs is necessary, as well as the adoption of a strategy of permanent education of professionals aiming at improving the quality of care provided.

Defining standardized protocols for determining the efficacy of a postmilking teat disinfectant following experimental exposure of teats to mastitis pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Schukken, Y H; Rauch, B J; Morelli, J

2013-04-01

The objective of this paper was to define standardized protocols for determining the efficacy of a postmilking teat disinfectant following experimental exposure of teats to both Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae. The standardized protocols describe the selection of cows and herds and define the critical points in performing experimental exposure, performing bacterial culture, evaluating the culture results, and finally performing statistical analyses and reporting of the results. The protocols define both negative control and positive control trials. For negative control trials, the protocol states that an efficacy of reducing new intramammary infections (IMI) of at least 40% is required for a teat disinfectant to be considered effective. For positive control trials, noninferiority to a control disinfectant with a published efficacy of reducing new IMI of at least 70% is required. Sample sizes for both negative and positive control trials are calculated. Positive control trials are expected to require a large trial size. Statistical analysis methods are defined and, in the proposed methods, the rate of IMI may be analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. The efficacy of the test product can be evaluated while controlling for important covariates and confounders in the trial. Finally, standards for reporting are defined and reporting considerations are discussed. The use of the defined protocol is shown through presentation of the results of a recent trial of a test product against a negative control. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Who needs inpatient detox? Development and implementation of a hospitalist protocol for the evaluation of patients for alcohol detoxification.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, John R; Liles, E Allen; Dancel, Ria; Gilchrist, Michael; Kirsch, Jonathan; DeWalt, Darren A

2014-04-01

Clinicians caring for patients seeking alcohol detoxification face many challenges, including lack of evidence-based guidelines for treatment and high recidivism rates. To develop a standardized protocol for determining which alcohol dependent patients seeking detoxification need inpatient versus outpatient treatment, and to study the protocol's implementation. Review of best evidence by ad hoc task force and subsequent creation of standardized protocol. Prospective observational evaluation of initial protocol implementation. Patients presenting for alcohol detoxification. Development and implementation of a protocol for evaluation and treatment of patients requesting alcohol detoxification. Number of admissions per month with primary alcohol related diagnosis (DRG), 30-day readmission rate, and length of stay, all measured before and after protocol implementation. We identified one randomized clinical trial and three cohort studies to inform the choice of inpatient versus outpatient detoxification, along with one prior protocol in this population, and combined that data with clinical experience to create an institutional protocol. After implementation, the average number of alcohol related admissions was 15.9 per month, compared with 18.9 per month before implementation (p = 0.037). There was no difference in readmission rate or length of stay. Creation and utilization of a protocol led to standardization of care for patients requesting detoxification from alcohol. Initial evaluation of protocol implementation showed a decrease in number of admissions.

Final Report. An Integrated Partnership to Create and Lead the Solar Codes and Standards Working Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenthal, Andrew [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

2013-12-30

The DOE grant, “An Integrated Partnership to Create and Lead the Solar Codes and Standards Working Group,” to New Mexico State University created the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs). From 2007 – 2013 with funding from this grant, Solar ABCs identified current issues, established a dialogue among key stakeholders, and catalyzed appropriate activities to support the development of codes and standards that facilitated the installation of high quality, safe photovoltaic systems. Solar ABCs brought the following resources to the PV stakeholder community; Formal coordination in the planning or revision of interrelated codes and standards removing “stove pipes” that have only roofing experts working on roofing codes, PV experts on PV codes, fire enforcement experts working on fire codes, etc.; A conduit through which all interested stakeholders were able to see the steps being taken in the development or modification of codes and standards and participate directly in the processes; A central clearing house for new documents, standards, proposed standards, analytical studies, and recommendations of best practices available to the PV community; A forum of experts that invites and welcomes all interested parties into the process of performing studies, evaluating results, and building consensus on standards and code-related topics that affect all aspects of the market; and A biennial gap analysis to formally survey the PV community to identify needs that are unmet and inhibiting the market and necessary technical developments.

Difficulties in controlling mobilization pain using a standardized patient-controlled analgesia protocol in burns.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Andreas; Kalman, Sigga; Sonesson, Lena Karin; Arvidsson, Anders; Sjöberg, Folke

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate pain relief for patients with burns during rest and mobilization with morphine according to a standard protocol for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Eighteen patients with a mean (SD) burned TBSA% of 26 (20) were studied for 10 days. Using a numeric rating scale (NRS, 0 = no pain and 10 = unbearable pain), patients were asked to estimate their acceptable and worst experienced pain by specifying a number on a scale and at what point they would like additional analgesics. Patients were allowed free access to morphine with a PCA pump device. Bolus doses were set according to age, (100 - age)/24 = bolus dose (mg), and 6 minutes lockout time. Degrees of pain, morphine requirements, doses delivered and demanded, oral intake of food, and antiemetics given were used as endpoints. Acceptable pain (mean [SD]) was estimated to be 3.8 (1.3) on the NRS, and additional treatment was considered necessary at scores of 4.3 (1.6) or more. NRS at rest was 2.7 (2.2) and during mobilization 4.7 (2.6). Required mean morphine per day was 81 (15) mg, and the number of doses requested increased during the first 6 days after the burn. The authors found no correlation between dose of morphine required and any other variables. Background pain can be controlled adequately with a standard PCA protocol. During mobilization, the pain experienced was too intense, despite having the already high doses of morphine increased. The present protocol must be refined further to provide analgesia adequate to cover mobilization as well.

Standard Operational Protocols in professional nursing practice: use, weaknesses and potentialities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila Balsero Sales

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the use of Standard Operational Protocols (SOPs in the professional practice of the nursing team based on the theoretical framework of Donabedian, as well as to identify the weaknesses and potentialities from its implementation. Method: Evaluative research, with quantitative approach performed with nursing professionals working in the Health Units of a city of São Paulo, composed of two stages: document analysis and subsequent application of a questionnaire to nursing professionals. Results: A total of 247 nursing professionals participated and reported changes in the way the interventions were performed. The main weaknesses were the small number of professionals, inadequate physical structure and lack of materials. Among the potentialities were: the standardization of materials and concern of the manager and professional related to patient safety. Conclusion: The reassessment of SOPs is necessary, as well as the adoption of a strategy of permanent education of professionals aiming at improving the quality of care provided.

Standardizing data exchange for clinical research protocols and case report forms: An assessment of the suitability of the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) Operational Data Model (ODM).

Science.gov (United States)

Huser, Vojtech; Sastry, Chandan; Breymaier, Matthew; Idriss, Asma; Cimino, James J

2015-10-01

Efficient communication of a clinical study protocol and case report forms during all stages of a human clinical study is important for many stakeholders. An electronic and structured study representation format that can be used throughout the whole study life-span can improve such communication and potentially lower total study costs. The most relevant standard for representing clinical study data, applicable to unregulated as well as regulated studies, is the Operational Data Model (ODM) in development since 1999 by the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC). ODM's initial objective was exchange of case report forms data but it is increasingly utilized in other contexts. An ODM extension called Study Design Model, introduced in 2011, provides additional protocol representation elements. Using a case study approach, we evaluated ODM's ability to capture all necessary protocol elements during a complete clinical study lifecycle in the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health. ODM offers the advantage of a single format for institutions that deal with hundreds or thousands of concurrent clinical studies and maintain a data warehouse for these studies. For each study stage, we present a list of gaps in the ODM standard and identify necessary vendor or institutional extensions that can compensate for such gaps. The current version of ODM (1.3.2) has only partial support for study protocol and study registration data mainly because it is outside the original development goal. ODM provides comprehensive support for representation of case report forms (in both the design stage and with patient level data). Inclusion of requirements of observational, non-regulated or investigator-initiated studies (outside Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation) can further improve future revisions of the standard. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Standardized communication protocol for BAS (IEIEJ/p); BAS hyojun interface shiyo (IEIEJ/p)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toyoda, T. [Hitachi Building System Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-10-05

For the BEMS user, to construct his BEMS tinder the multiple vendors environment is very beneficial because he could choice the most appropriate vendor among many vendors about every subsystem for the view point of technique and cost at any time. The effective tool which makes the BEMS tinder the multiple environment possible is the BACnet protocol which had developed and been standardized by ANSI/ASHRAE of U.S.. Institute of Electrical Installation Engineers-of Japan (IEIEJ) offers IEIEJ/p based on BACnet as IEIEJ's standard which is added the function of autonomous decentralized control to enhance the BEMS reliability to fit the Japanese multiple vendors environment, In this paper I present the outline of it's specification and feature of IEIEJ/p. (author)

A protocol using coho salmon to monitor Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan standards and guidelines for fish habitat.

Science.gov (United States)

M.D. Bryant; Trent McDonald; R. Aho; B.E. Wright; Michelle Bourassa Stahl

2008-01-01

We describe a protocol to monitor the effectiveness of the Tongass Land Management Plan (TLMP) management standards for maintaining fish habitat. The protocol uses juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in small tributary streams in forested watersheds. We used a 3-year pilot study to develop detailed methods to estimate juvenile salmonid...

Introduction of a standardized multimodality image protocol for navigation-guided surgery of suspected low-grade gliomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Mert, Aygül; Kiesel, Barbara; Wöhrer, Adelheid; Martínez-Moreno, Mauricio; Minchev, Georgi; Furtner, Julia; Knosp, Engelbert; Wolfsberger, Stefan; Widhalm, Georg

2015-01-01

OBJECT Surgery of suspected low-grade gliomas (LGGs) poses a special challenge for neurosurgeons due to their diffusely infiltrative growth and histopathological heterogeneity. Consequently, neuronavigation with multimodality imaging data, such as structural and metabolic data, fiber tracking, and 3D brain visualization, has been proposed to optimize surgery. However, currently no standardized protocol has been established for multimodality imaging data in modern glioma surgery. The aim of this study was therefore to define a specific protocol for multimodality imaging and navigation for suspected LGG. METHODS Fifty-one patients who underwent surgery for a diffusely infiltrating glioma with nonsignificant contrast enhancement on MRI and available multimodality imaging data were included. In the first 40 patients with glioma, the authors retrospectively reviewed the imaging data, including structural MRI (contrast-enhanced T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and FLAIR sequences), metabolic images derived from PET, or MR spectroscopy chemical shift imaging, fiber tracking, and 3D brain surface/vessel visualization, to define standardized image settings and specific indications for each imaging modality. The feasibility and surgical relevance of this new protocol was subsequently prospectively investigated during surgery with the assistance of an advanced electromagnetic navigation system in the remaining 11 patients. Furthermore, specific surgical outcome parameters, including the extent of resection, histological analysis of the metabolic hotspot, presence of a new postoperative neurological deficit, and intraoperative accuracy of 3D brain visualization models, were assessed in each of these patients. RESULTS After reviewing these first 40 cases of glioma, the authors defined a specific protocol with standardized image settings and specific indications that allows for optimal and simultaneous visualization of structural and metabolic data, fiber tracking, and 3D brain

Satellite Communications Using Commercial Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

Ivancic, William D.; Griner, James H.; Dimond, Robert; Frantz, Brian D.; Kachmar, Brian; Shell, Dan

2000-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has been working with industry, academia, and other government agencies in assessing commercial communications protocols for satellite and space-based applications. In addition, NASA Glenn has been developing and advocating new satellite-friendly modifications to existing communications protocol standards. This paper summarizes recent research into the applicability of various commercial standard protocols for use over satellite and space- based communications networks as well as expectations for future protocol development. It serves as a reference point from which the detailed work can be readily accessed. Areas that will be addressed include asynchronous-transfer-mode quality of service; completed and ongoing work of the Internet Engineering Task Force; data-link-layer protocol development for unidirectional link routing; and protocols for aeronautical applications, including mobile Internet protocol routing for wireless/mobile hosts and the aeronautical telecommunications network protocol.

Communications standards

CERN Document Server

Stokes, A V

1986-01-01

Communications Standards deals with the standardization of computer communication networks. This book examines the types of local area networks (LANs) that have been developed and looks at some of the relevant protocols in more detail. The work of Project 802 is briefly discussed, along with a protocol which has developed from one of the LAN standards and is now a de facto standard in one particular area, namely the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP). Factors that affect the usage of networks, such as network management and security, are also considered. This book is divided into three se

Standardized terminology for clinical trial protocols based on top-level ontological categories.

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, B; Herre, H; Lippoldt, K; Loeffler, M

2004-01-01

This paper describes a new method for the ontologically based standardization of concepts with regard to the quality assurance of clinical trial protocols. We developed a data dictionary for medical and trial-specific terms in which concepts and relations are defined context-dependently. The data dictionary is provided to different medical research networks by means of the software tool Onto-Builder via the internet. The data dictionary is based on domain-specific ontologies and the top-level ontology of GOL. The concepts and relations described in the data dictionary are represented in natural language, semi-formally or formally according to their use.

Development and Pilot Implementation of a Search Protocol to Improve Patient Safety on a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Abela-Dimech, Frances; Johnston, Kim; Strudwick, Gillian

A mental health organization in Ontario, Canada, noted an increase in unsafe items entering locked inpatient units. The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a search protocol to improve patient, staff, and visitor safety by preventing unsafe items from entering a locked inpatient unit. Under the guidance of a clinical nurse specialist, an interprofessional team used the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis framework to identify what items were considered unsafe, how these unsafe items were entering the unit, and what strategies could be used to prevent these items from entering the unit. A standardized search protocol was identified as a strategy to prevent items from entering the unit. The standardized search protocol was developed and piloted on 1 unit. To support the search protocol, an interprofessional team created a poster using a mnemonic aid to educate patients, staff, and visitors about which items could not be brought onto the unit. Educational sessions on the search protocol were provided for staff. The difference between the number of incidents before and after the implementation of the search protocol was statistically significant. Safety on an inpatient unit was increased as incidents of unsafe items entering the unit decreased.

Accelerated rehabilitation compared with a standard protocol after distal radial fractures treated with volar open reduction and internal fixation: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brehmer, Jess L; Husband, Jeffrey B

2014-10-01

There are relatively few studies in the literature that specifically evaluate accelerated rehabilitation protocols for distal radial fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The purpose of this study was to compare the early postoperative outcomes (at zero to twelve weeks postoperatively) of patients enrolled in an accelerated rehabilitation protocol with those of patients enrolled in a standard rehabilitation protocol following ORIF for a distal radial fracture. We hypothesized that patients with accelerated rehabilitation after volar ORIF for a distal radial fracture would have an earlier return to function compared with patients who followed a standard protocol. From November 2007 to November 2010, eighty-one patients with an unstable distal radial fracture were prospectively randomized to follow either an accelerated or a standard rehabilitation protocol after undergoing ORIF with a volar plate for a distal radial fracture. Both groups began with gentle active range of motion at three to five days postoperatively. At two weeks, the accelerated group initiated wrist/forearm passive range of motion and strengthening exercises, whereas the standard group initiated passive range of motion and strengthening at six weeks postoperatively. Patients were assessed at three to five days, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks, twelve weeks, and six months postoperatively. Outcomes included Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores (primary outcome) and measurements of wrist flexion/extension, supination, pronation, grip strength, and palmar pinch. The patients in the accelerated group had better mobility, strength, and DASH scores at the early postoperative time points (zero to eight weeks postoperatively) compared with the patients in the standard rehabilitation group. The difference between the groups was both clinically relevant and statistically significant. Patients who follow an accelerated rehabilitation

Standardization and Optimization of Computed Tomography Protocols to Achieve Low-Dose

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Cynthia; Cody, Dianna D.; Gupta, Rajiv; Hess, Christopher P.; Kalra, Mannudeep K.; Kofler, James M.; Krishnam, Mayil S.; Einstein, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

The increase in radiation exposure due to CT scans has been of growing concern in recent years. CT scanners differ in their capabilities and various indications require unique protocols, but there remains room for standardization and optimization. In this paper we summarize approaches to reduce dose, as discussed in lectures comprising the first session of the 2013 UCSF Virtual Symposium on Radiation Safety in Computed Tomography. The experience of scanning at low dose in different body regions, for both diagnostic and interventional CT procedures, is addressed. An essential primary step is justifying the medical need for each scan. General guiding principles for reducing dose include tailoring a scan to a patient, minimizing scan length, use of tube current modulation and minimizing tube current, minimizing-tube potential, iterative reconstruction, and periodic review of CT studies. Organized efforts for standardization have been spearheaded by professional societies such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Finally, all team members should demonstrate an awareness of the importance of minimizing dose. PMID:24589403

STrategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE) imaging, part I: Creating enhanced T1 contrast and standardized susceptibility weighted imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yongsheng; Liu, Saifeng; Wang, Yu; Kang, Yan; Haacke, E Mark

2018-02-01

To provide whole brain grey matter (GM) to white matter (WM) contrast enhanced T1W (T1WE) images, multi-echo quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), proton density (PD) weighted images, T1 maps, PD maps, susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), and R2* maps with minimal misregistration in scanning times creating enhanced GM/WM contrast (the T1WE). The proposed T1WE image was created from a combination of the proton density weighted (6°, PDW) and T1W (24°) images and corrected for RF transmit field variations. Prior to the QSM calculation, a multi-echo phase unwrapping strategy was implemented using the unwrapped short echo to unwrap the longer echo to speed up computation. R2* maps were used to mask deep grey matter and veins during the iterative QSM calculation. A weighted-average sum of susceptibility maps was generated to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The proposed T1WE image has a significantly improved CNR both for WM to deep GM and WM to cortical GM compared to the acquired T1W image (the first echo of 24° scan) and the T1MPRAGE image. The weighted-average susceptibility maps have 80±26%, 55±22%, 108±33% SNR increases across the ten subjects compared to the single echo result of 17.5ms for the putamen, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus, respectively. STAGE imaging offers the potential to create a standardized brain imaging protocol providing four pieces of quantitative tissue property information and multiple types of qualitative information in just 5min. Published by Elsevier Inc.

An Advanced Encryption Standard Powered Mutual Authentication Protocol Based on Elliptic Curve Cryptography for RFID, Proven on WISP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaauldin Ibrahim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Information in patients’ medical histories is subject to various security and privacy concerns. Meanwhile, any modification or error in a patient’s medical data may cause serious or even fatal harm. To protect and transfer this valuable and sensitive information in a secure manner, radio-frequency identification (RFID technology has been widely adopted in healthcare systems and is being deployed in many hospitals. In this paper, we propose a mutual authentication protocol for RFID tags based on elliptic curve cryptography and advanced encryption standard. Unlike existing authentication protocols, which only send the tag ID securely, the proposed protocol could also send the valuable data stored in the tag in an encrypted pattern. The proposed protocol is not simply a theoretical construct; it has been coded and tested on an experimental RFID tag. The proposed scheme achieves mutual authentication in just two steps and satisfies all the essential security requirements of RFID-based healthcare systems.

Creating Open Digital Library Using XML Implementation of OAi-PMH Protocol at CERN

CERN Document Server

Vesely, M; Le Meur, Jean-Yves; Simko, Tibor

2002-01-01

This article describes the implementation of the OAi-PMH protocol within the CERN Document Server (CDS). In terms of the protocol, CERN acts both as a data provider and service provider and the two core applications are described. The application of XML Schema and XSLT technology is emphasized.

Creating Open Digital Library Using XML: Implementation of OAi-PMH Protocol at CERN

OpenAIRE

Vesely, M; Baron, T; Le Meur, Jean-Yves; Simko, Tibor

2002-01-01

This article describes the implementation of the OAi-PMH protocol within the CERN Document Server (CDS). In terms of the protocol, CERN acts both as a data provider and service provider and the two core applications are described. The application of XML Schema and XSLT technology is emphasized.

The use of Wavelight® Contoura to create a uniform cornea: the LYRA protocol. Part 3: the results of 50 treated eyes

OpenAIRE

Motwani M

2017-01-01

Manoj Motwani Motwani LASIK Institute, San Diego, CA, USA Purpose: To demonstrate how using the Wavelight Contoura measured astigmatism and axis eliminates corneal astigmatism and creates uniformly shaped corneas. Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the first 50 eyes to have bilateral full WaveLight® Contoura LASIK correction of measured astigmatism and axis (vs conventional manifest refraction), using the Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism Protocol in...

Effectiveness of a Rapid Lumbar Spine MRI Protocol Using 3D T2-Weighted SPACE Imaging Versus a Standard Protocol for Evaluation of Degenerative Changes of the Lumbar Spine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayah, Anousheh; Jay, Ann K; Toaff, Jacob S; Makariou, Erini V; Berkowitz, Frank

2016-09-01

Reducing lumbar spine MRI scanning time while retaining diagnostic accuracy can benefit patients and reduce health care costs. This study compares the effectiveness of a rapid lumbar MRI protocol using 3D T2-weighted sampling perfection with application-optimized contrast with different flip-angle evolutions (SPACE) sequences with a standard MRI protocol for evaluation of lumbar spondylosis. Two hundred fifty consecutive unenhanced lumbar MRI examinations performed at 1.5 T were retrospectively reviewed. Full, rapid, and complete versions of each examination were interpreted for spondylotic changes at each lumbar level, including herniations and neural compromise. The full examination consisted of sagittal T1-weighted, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE), and STIR sequences; and axial T1- and T2-weighted TSE sequences (time, 18 minutes 40 seconds). The rapid examination consisted of sagittal T1- and T2-weighted SPACE sequences, with axial SPACE reformations (time, 8 minutes 46 seconds). The complete examination consisted of the full examination plus the T2-weighted SPACE sequence. Sensitivities and specificities of the full and rapid examinations were calculated using the complete study as the reference standard. The rapid and full studies had sensitivities of 76.0% and 69.3%, with specificities of 97.2% and 97.9%, respectively, for all degenerative processes. Rapid and full sensitivities were 68.7% and 66.3% for disk herniation, 85.2% and 81.5% for canal compromise, 82.9% and 69.1% for lateral recess compromise, and 76.9% and 69.7% for foraminal compromise, respectively. Isotropic SPACE T2-weighted imaging provides high-quality imaging of lumbar spondylosis, with multiplanar reformatting capability. Our SPACE-based rapid protocol had sensitivities and specificities for herniations and neural compromise comparable to those of the protocol without SPACE. This protocol fits within a 15-minute slot, potentially reducing costs and discomfort for a large subgroup of

Adaptive behaviors of experts in following standard protocol in trauma management: implications for developing flexible guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Vankipuram, Mithra; Ghaemmaghami, Vafa; Patel, Vimla L

2012-01-01

Critical care environments are complex and dynamic. To adapt to such environments, clinicians may be required to make alterations to their workflows resulting in deviations from standard procedures. In this work, deviations from standards in trauma critical care are studied. Thirty trauma cases were observed in a Level 1 trauma center. Activities tracked were compared to the Advance Trauma Life Support standard to determine (i) if deviations had occurred, (ii) type of deviations and (iii) whether deviations were initiated by individuals or collaboratively by the team. Results show that expert clinicians deviated to innovate, while deviations of novices result mostly in error. Experts' well developed knowledge allows for flexibility and adaptiveness in dealing with standards, resulting in innovative deviations while minimizing errors made. Providing informatics solution, in such a setting, would mean that standard protocols would have be flexible enough to "learn" from new knowledge, yet provide strong support for the trainees.

South African Research Ethics Committee Review of Standards of Prevention in HIV Vaccine Trial Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Essack, Zaynab; Wassenaar, Douglas R

2018-04-01

HIV prevention trials provide a prevention package to participants to help prevent HIV acquisition. As new prevention methods are proven effective, this raises ethical and scientific design complexities regarding the prevention package or standard of prevention. Given its high HIV incidence and prevalence, South Africa has become a hub for HIV prevention research. For this reason, it is critical to study the implementation of relevant ethical-legal frameworks for such research in South Africa. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore the practices and perspectives of eight members of South African research ethics committees (RECs) who have reviewed protocols for HIV vaccine trials. Their practices and perspectives are compared with ethics guideline requirements for standards of prevention.

Difficulties in Controlling Mobilization Pain Using a Standardized Patient-Controlled Analgesia Protocol in Burns

OpenAIRE

Nilsson, Andreas; Kalman, Sigga; Arvidsson, Anders; Sjöberg, Folke

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate pain relief for patients with burns during rest and mobilization with morphine according to a standard protocol for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Eighteen patients with a mean (SD) burned TBSA% of 26 (20) were studied for 10 days. Using a numeric rating scale (NRS, 0 = no pain and 10 = unbearable pain), patients were asked to estimate their acceptable and worst experienced pain by specifying a number on a scale and at what point they would like addi...

Protocol Fuel Mix reporting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-07-01

The protocol in this document describes a method for an Electricity Distribution Company (EDC) to account for the fuel mix of electricity that it delivers to its customers, based on the best available information. Own production, purchase and sale of electricity, and certificates trading are taken into account. In chapter 2 the actual protocol is outlined. In the appendixes additional (supporting) information is given: (A) Dutch Standard Fuel Mix, 2000; (B) Calculation of the Dutch Standard fuel mix; (C) Procedures to estimate and benchmark the fuel mix; (D) Quality management; (E) External verification; (F) Recommendation for further development of the protocol; (G) Reporting examples

Design incentives to increase vehicle size created from the U.S. footprint-based fuel economy standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitefoot, Kate S.; Skerlos, Steven J.

2012-01-01

The recently amended U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards determine fuel-economy targets based on the footprint (wheelbase by track width) of vehicles such that larger vehicles have lower fuel-economy targets. This paper considers whether these standards create an incentive for firms to increase vehicle size by presenting an oligopolistic-equilibrium model in which automotive firms can modify vehicle dimensions, implement fuel-saving technology features, and trade off acceleration performance and fuel economy. Wide ranges of scenarios for consumer preferences are considered. Results suggest that the footprint-based CAFE standards create an incentive to increase vehicle size except when consumer preference for vehicle size is near its lower bound and preference for acceleration is near its upper bound. In all other simulations, the sales-weighted average vehicle size increases by 2–32%, undermining gains in fuel economy by 1–4 mpg (0.6–1.7 km/L). Carbon-dioxide emissions from these vehicles are 5–15% higher as a result (4.69×10 11 –5.17×10 11 kg for one year of produced vehicles compared to 4.47×10 11 kg with no size changes), which is equivalent to adding 3–10 coal-fired power plants to the electricity grid each year. Furthermore, results suggest that the incentive is larger for light trucks than for passenger cars, which could increase traffic safety risks. - Highlights: ► New U.S. fuel-economy standards may create an incentive to increase vehicle size. ► We model firms as choosing vehicle designs and prices in oligopolistic equilibrium. ► Vehicle size increases 2–32% for 20 out of 21 scenarios of consumer preferences. ► Increases in size reduce fuel economy gains from 5–13%, resulting in 5–15% higher CO 2 emissions. ► Incentive is larger for trucks than cars, which may increase traffic safety risks.

Standardized methods for Grand Canyon fisheries research 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Persons, William R.; Ward, David L.; Avery, Luke A.

2013-01-01

This document presents protocols and guidelines to persons sampling fishes in the Grand Canyon, to help ensure consistency in fish handling, fish tagging, and data collection among different projects and organizations. Most such research and monitoring projects are conducted under the general umbrella of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program and include studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), various universities, and private contractors. This document is intended to provide guidance to fieldworkers regarding protocols that may vary from year to year depending on specific projects and objectives. We also provide herein documentation of standard methods used in the Grand Canyon that can be cited in scientific publications, as well as a summary of changes in protocols since the document was first created in 2002.

Standardized Duplex Ultrasound-Based Protocol for Early Diagnosis of Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis: Results of a Single-Institution Retrospective Cohort Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Li Marzi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS is the most frequent vascular complication after kidney transplantation (KT and has been associated with potentially reversible refractory hypertension, graft dysfunction, and reduced patient survival. The aim of the study is to describe the outcomes of a standardized Duplex Ultrasound- (DU- based screening protocol for early diagnosis of TRAS and for selection of patients potentially requiring endovascular intervention. We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively collected database of KT from January 1998 to select patients diagnosed with TRAS. The follow-up protocol was based on a risk-adapted, dynamic subdivision of eligible KT patients in different risk categories (RC with different protocol strategies (PS. Of 598 patients included in the study, 52 (9% patients had hemodynamically significant TRAS and underwent percutaneous angioplasty (PTA and stent placement. Technical and clinical success rates were 97% and 90%, respectively. 7 cases of restenosis were recorded at follow-up and treated with re-PTA plus stenting. Both DU imaging and clinical parameters improved after stent placement. Prospective high-quality studies are needed to test the efficacy and safety of our protocol in larger series. Accurate trial design and standardized reporting of patient outcomes will be key to address the current clinical needs.

Data distribution architecture based on standard real time protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, R.; Vega, J.; Pereira, A.; Portas, A.

2009-01-01

Data distribution architecture (DDAR) has been designed conforming to new requirements, taking into account the type of data that is going to be generated from experiments in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The main goal of this architecture is to implement a system that is able to manage on line all data that is being generated by an experiment, supporting its distribution for: processing, storing, analysing or visualizing. The first objective is to have a distribution architecture that supports long pulse experiments (even hours). The described system is able to distribute, using real time protocol (RTP), stored data or live data generated while the experiment is running. It enables researchers to access data on line instead of waiting for the end of the experiment. Other important objective is scalability, so the presented architecture can easily grow based on actual necessities, simplifying estimation and design tasks. A third important objective is security. In this sense, the architecture is based on standards, so complete security mechanisms can be applied, from secure transmission solutions until elaborated access control policies, and it is full compatible with multi-organization federation systems as PAPI or Shibboleth.

Data distribution architecture based on standard real time protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, R. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda. Complutense No. 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: rodrigo.castro@ciemat.es; Vega, J.; Pereira, A.; Portas, A. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda. Complutense No. 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2009-06-15

Data distribution architecture (DDAR) has been designed conforming to new requirements, taking into account the type of data that is going to be generated from experiments in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The main goal of this architecture is to implement a system that is able to manage on line all data that is being generated by an experiment, supporting its distribution for: processing, storing, analysing or visualizing. The first objective is to have a distribution architecture that supports long pulse experiments (even hours). The described system is able to distribute, using real time protocol (RTP), stored data or live data generated while the experiment is running. It enables researchers to access data on line instead of waiting for the end of the experiment. Other important objective is scalability, so the presented architecture can easily grow based on actual necessities, simplifying estimation and design tasks. A third important objective is security. In this sense, the architecture is based on standards, so complete security mechanisms can be applied, from secure transmission solutions until elaborated access control policies, and it is full compatible with multi-organization federation systems as PAPI or Shibboleth.

DNA repair protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjergbæk, Lotte

In its 3rd edition, this Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) book covers the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including advanced protocols and standard techniques in the field of DNA repair. Offers expert guidance for DNA repair, recombination, and replication. Current knowledge of the mechanisms...... that regulate DNA repair has grown significantly over the past years with technology advances such as RNA interference, advanced proteomics and microscopy as well as high throughput screens. The third edition of DNA Repair Protocols covers various aspects of the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including...... recent advanced protocols as well as standard techniques used in the field of DNA repair. Both mammalian and non-mammalian model organisms are covered in the book, and many of the techniques can be applied with only minor modifications to other systems than the one described. Written in the highly...

FPGA based data-flow injection module at 10 Gbit/s reading data from network exported storage and using standard protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemouzy, B; Garnier, J-C; Neufeld, N

2011-01-01

The goal of the LHCb readout upgrade is to accelerate the DAQ to 40 MHz. Such a DAQ system will certainly employ 10 Gigabit or similar technologies and might also need new networking protocols such as a customized, light-weight TCP or more specialized protocols. A test module is being implemented to be integrated in the existing LHCb infrastructure. It is a multiple 10-Gigabit traffic generator, driven by a Stratix IV FPGA, and flexible enough to generate LHCb's raw data packets. Traffic data are either internally generated or read from external storage via the network. We have implemented a light-weight industry standard protocol ATA over Ethernet (AoE) and we present an outlook of using a file-system on these network-exported disk-drivers.

e-SCP-ECG+ Protocol: An Expansion on SCP-ECG Protocol for Health Telemonitoring—Pilot Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George J. Mandellos

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Standard Communication Protocol for Computer-assisted Electrocardiography (SCP-ECG provides standardized communication among different ECG devices and medical information systems. This paper extends the use of this protocol in order to be included in health monitoring systems. It introduces new sections into SCP-ECG structure for transferring data for positioning, allergies, and five additional biosignals: noninvasive blood pressure (NiBP, body temperature (Temp, Carbon dioxide (CO2, blood oxygen saturation (SPO2, and pulse rate. It also introduces new tags in existing sections for transferring comprehensive demographic data. The proposed enhanced version is referred to as e-SCP-ECG+ protocol. This paper also considers the pilot implementation of the new protocol as a software component in a Health Telemonitoring System.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry: protocol standardization and database expansion for rapid identification of clinically important molds.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Saikat; Singh, Pankaj; Rudramurthy, Shivaprakash M; Chakrabarti, Arunaloke; Ghosh, Anup K

2017-12-01

To standardize the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry protocols and expansion of existing Bruker Biotyper database for mold identification. Four different sample preparation methods (protocol A, B, C and D) were evaluated. On analyzing each protein extraction method, reliable identification and best log scores were achieved through protocol D. The same protocol was used to identify 153 clinical isolates. Of these 153, 123 (80.3%) were accurately identified by using existing database and remaining 30 (19.7%) were not identified due to unavailability in database. On inclusion of missing main spectrum profile in existing database, all 153 isolates were identified. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry can be used for routine identification of clinically important molds.

Establishment and intra-/inter-laboratory validation of a standard protocol of reactive oxygen species assay for chemical photosafety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Onoue, Satomi; Hosoi, Kazuhiro; Wakuri, Shinobu; Iwase, Yumiko; Yamamoto, Toshinobu; Matsuoka, Naoko; Nakamura, Kazuichi; Toda, Tsuguto; Takagi, Hironori; Osaki, Naoto; Matsumoto, Yasuhiro; Kawakami, Satoru; Seto, Yoshiki; Kato, Masashi; Yamada, Shizuo; Ohno, Yasuo; Kojima, Hajime

2013-11-01

A reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay was previously developed for photosafety evaluation of pharmaceuticals, and the present multi-center study aimed to establish and validate a standard protocol for ROS assay. In three participating laboratories, two standards and 42 coded chemicals, including 23 phototoxins and 19 nonphototoxic drugs/chemicals, were assessed by the ROS assay according to the standardized protocol. Most phototoxins tended to generate singlet oxygen and/or superoxide under UV-vis exposure, but nonphototoxic chemicals were less photoreactive. In the ROS assay on quinine (200 µm), a typical phototoxic drug, the intra- and inter-day precisions (coefficient of variation; CV) were found to be 1.5-7.4% and 1.7-9.3%, respectively. The inter-laboratory CV for quinine averaged 15.4% for singlet oxygen and 17.0% for superoxide. The ROS assay on 42 coded chemicals (200 µm) provided no false negative predictions upon previously defined criteria as compared with the in vitro/in vivo phototoxicity, although several false positives appeared. Outcomes from the validation study were indicative of satisfactory transferability, intra- and inter-laboratory variability, and predictive capacity of the ROS assay. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparing Short Dental Implants to Standard Dental Implants: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rokn, Amir Reza; Keshtkar, Abbasali; Monzavi, Abbas; Hashemi, Kazem; Bitaraf, Tahereh

2018-01-18

Short dental implants have been proposed as a simpler, cheaper, and faster alternative for the rehabilitation of atrophic edentulous areas to avoid the disadvantages of surgical techniques for increasing bone volume. This review will compare short implants (4 to 8 mm) to standard implants (larger than 8 mm) in edentulous jaws, evaluating on the basis of marginal bone loss (MBL), survival rate, complications, and prosthesis failure. We will electronically search for randomized controlled trials comparing short dental implants to standard dental implants in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov with English language restrictions. We will manually search the reference lists of relevant reviews and the included articles in this review. The following journals will also be searched: European Journal of Oral Implantology, Clinical Oral Implants Research, and Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research. Two reviewers will independently perform the study selection, data extraction and quality assessment (using the Cochrane Collaboration tool) of included studies. All meta-analysis procedures including appropriate effect size combination, sub-group analysis, meta-regression, assessing publication or reporting bias will be performed using Stata (Statacorp, TEXAS) version 12.1. Short implant effectiveness will be assessed using the mean difference of MBL in terms of weighted mean difference (WMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD) using Cohen's method. The combined effect size measures in addition to the related 95% confidence intervals will be estimated by a fixed effect model. The heterogeneity of the related effect size will be assessed using a Q Cochrane test and I2 measure. The MBL will be presented by a standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval. The survival rate of implants, prostheses failures, and complications will be reported using a risk

Performance evaluation of working standard NE2581 in comparison with reference standard NE2561 in the determination of absorbed dose to water using IAEA, HPA, NACP, AAPM, NCRP and ICRU protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolah, M.T.; Supian Samat; Taiman Kadni

2001-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of NE 2581 in comparison with NE 2561 in the determination of the absorbed dose to water in a γ-ray beam using IAEA, HPA, NACP, AAPM, NCRP and ICRU protocols. 13 exposures of the γ-ray beams were used. This number of exposures yielded 26 chamber rate readings for NE 2581 (N=13) and for NE 2561 (N=13). From the 13 NE 2581 readings, 78 absorbed dose to water values were calculated for the IAEA (N=13), HPA (N=13), NACP (N=13), AAPM (N=13), NCRP (N=13) and ICRU (N=13) protocols. Similarly, from the 13 NE 2561 readings, 78 absorbed dose to water values were calculated for IAEA (N=13), HPA (N=13), NACP (N=13), AAPM (N=13), NCRP (N=13) and ICRU (N=13) protocols. From these 156 (=78 x 2) absorbed dose to water values, 78 percentage deviations between the NE 2581 and NE 2561 results were calculated for IAEA (N=13), HPA (N=13), NACP (N=13), AAPM (N=13), NCRP (N=13) and ICRU (N=13) protocols. For a single protocol, the mean μ and standard error σ+s+e of the percentage deviations (N=13) were calculated. results obtained in terms of [protocol, μ ± σ se ] were [IAEA,1.55 ± 0.12], [HPA, 0.98 ± 0.12], [NACP, 1.93 ± 0.12], [AAPM, -0.06 ± 0.12], [NCRP, 0.97 ± 0.12], [ICRU, 0.97 ± 0.12]. It can be seen that the range of percentage deviations is from -0.06 to 1.93. As the quoted IAEA acceptable limit of deviation is ± 3.0%, it was concluded that the working standard NE 2581 chamber has shown acceptable performance. In addition, the use of the AAPM protocol has enable NE 2581 to show a performance that is very similar like NE 2561. (Author)

Reproducibility of microbial mutagenicity assays. I. Tests with Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli using a standardized protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunkel, V.C.; Zeiger, E.; Brusick, D.; McCoy, E.; McGregor, D.; Mortelmans, K.; Rosenkranz, H.S.; Simmon, V.F.

1984-01-01

The Salmonella/microsome test developed by Ames and his coworkers has been widely used in the evaluation of chemicals for genotoxic potential. Although the value of this assay is well recognized, there have been no comprehensive studies on the interlaboratory reproducibility of the method using a standardized protocol. A program was therefore initiated to compare the results obtained in four laboratories from testing a series of coded mutagens and nonmutagens using a standardized protocol. Additional objectives of this study were to compare male Fisher 344 rat, B6C3F1 mouse, and Syrian hamster liver S-9 preparations for the activation of chemicals; to compare Aroclor 1254-induced liver S-9 from all three species with the corresponding non-induced liver S-9's; and to compare the response of Escherichia coli WP-2 uvrA with the Salmonella typhimurium tester strains recommended by Ames. Since a primary use of in vitro microbial mutagenesis tests is the identification of potential carcinogens by their mutagenicity, the authors decided to compare the animal species and strains used by the National Cancer Institute/National Toxicology Program (NCI/NTP) for animal carcinogenicity studies

Phase Transition in Protocols Minimizing Work Fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Solon, Alexandre P.; Horowitz, Jordan M.

2018-05-01

For two canonical examples of driven mesoscopic systems—a harmonically trapped Brownian particle and a quantum dot—we numerically determine the finite-time protocols that optimize the compromise between the standard deviation and the mean of the dissipated work. In the case of the oscillator, we observe a collection of protocols that smoothly trade off between average work and its fluctuations. However, for the quantum dot, we find that as we shift the weight of our optimization objective from average work to work standard deviation, there is an analog of a first-order phase transition in protocol space: two distinct protocols exchange global optimality with mixed protocols akin to phase coexistence. As a result, the two types of protocols possess qualitatively different properties and remain distinct even in the infinite duration limit: optimal-work-fluctuation protocols never coalesce with the minimal-work protocols, which therefore never become quasistatic.

RadNet: Open network protocol for radiation data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rees, B.; Olson, K.; Beckes-Talcott, J.; Kadner, S.; Wenderlich, T.; Hoy, M.; Doyle, W.; Koskelo, M.

1998-01-01

Safeguards instrumentation is increasingly being incorporated into remote monitoring applications. In the past, vendors of radiation monitoring instruments typically provided the tools for uploading the monitoring data to a host. However, the proprietary nature of communication protocols lends itself to increased computer support needs and increased installation expenses. As a result, a working group of suppliers and customers of radiation monitoring instruments defined an open network protocol for transferring packets on a local area network from radiation monitoring equipment to network hosts. The protocol was termed RadNet. While it is now primarily used for health physics instruments, RadNet's flexibility and strength make it ideal for remote monitoring of nuclear materials. The incorporation of standard, open protocols ensures that future work will not render present work obsolete; because RadNet utilizes standard Internet protocols, and is itself a non-proprietary standard. The use of industry standards also simplifies the development and implementation of ancillary services, e.g. E-main generation or even pager systems

Is a New Protocol for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Research or Standard Therapy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekking, SAS; van der Graaf, R; de Vries, Martine; Bierings, MB; van Delden, JJM; Kodish, Eric; Lantos, John

2015-01-01

In the United States, doctors generally develop new cancer chemotherapy for children by testing innovative chemotherapy protocols against existing protocols in prospective randomized trials. In the Netherlands, children with leukemia are treated by protocols that are agreed upon by the Dutch

Performance Comparison of Wireless Sensor Network Standard Protocols in an Aerospace Environment: ISA100.11a and ZigBee Pro

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Raymond S.; Barton, Richard J.

2011-01-01

Standards-based wireless sensor network (WSN) protocols are promising candidates for spacecraft avionics systems, offering unprecedented instrumentation flexibility and expandability. Ensuring reliable data transport is key, however, when migrating from wired to wireless data gathering systems. In this paper, we conduct a rigorous laboratory analysis of the relative performances of the ZigBee Pro and ISA100.11a protocols in a representative crewed aerospace environment. Since both operate in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency (RF) band shared by systems such as Wi-Fi, they are subject at times to potentially debilitating RF interference. We compare goodput (application-level throughput) achievable by both under varying levels of 802.11g Wi-Fi traffic. We conclude that while the simpler, more inexpensive ZigBee Pro protocol performs well under moderate levels of interference, the more complex and costly ISA100.11a protocol is needed to ensure reliable data delivery under heavier interference. This paper represents the first published, rigorous analysis of WSN protocols in an aerospace environment that we are aware of and the first published head-to-head comparison of ZigBee Pro and ISA100.11a.

Shortened screening method for phosphorus fractionation in sediments A complementary approach to the standards, measurements and testing harmonised protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardo, Patricia; Rauret, Gemma; Lopez-Sanchez, Jose Fermin

2004-01-01

The SMT protocol, a sediment phosphorus fractionation method harmonised and validated in the frame of the standards, measurements and testing (SMT) programme (European Commission), establishes five fractions of phosphorus according to their extractability. The determination of phosphate extracted is carried out spectrophotometrically. This protocol has been applied to 11 sediments of different origin and characteristics and the phosphorus extracted in each fraction was determined not only by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, but also by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The use of these two determination techniques allowed the differentiation between phosphorus that was present in the extracts as soluble reactive phosphorus and as total phosphorus. From the comparison of data obtained with both determination techniques a shortened screening method, for a quick evaluation of the magnitude and importance of the fractions given by the SMT protocol, is proposed and validated using two certified reference materials

A Simple XML Producer-Consumer Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Warren; Gunter, Dan; Quesnel, Darcy; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

There are many different projects from government, academia, and industry that provide services for delivering events in distributed environments. The problem with these event services is that they are not general enough to support all uses and they speak different protocols so that they cannot interoperate. We require such interoperability when we, for example, wish to analyze the performance of an application in a distributed environment. Such an analysis might require performance information from the application, computer systems, networks, and scientific instruments. In this work we propose and evaluate a standard XML-based protocol for the transmission of events in distributed systems. One recent trend in government and academic research is the development and deployment of computational grids. Computational grids are large-scale distributed systems that typically consist of high-performance compute, storage, and networking resources. Examples of such computational grids are the DOE Science Grid, the NASA Information Power Grid (IPG), and the NSF Partnerships for Advanced Computing Infrastructure (PACIs). The major effort to deploy these grids is in the area of developing the software services to allow users to execute applications on these large and diverse sets of resources. These services include security, execution of remote applications, managing remote data, access to information about resources and services, and so on. There are several toolkits for providing these services such as Globus, Legion, and Condor. As part of these efforts to develop computational grids, the Global Grid Forum is working to standardize the protocols and APIs used by various grid services. This standardization will allow interoperability between the client and server software of the toolkits that are providing the grid services. The goal of the Performance Working Group of the Grid Forum is to standardize protocols and representations related to the storage and distribution of

LHCb: FPGA based data-flow injection module at 10 Gbit/s reading data from network exported storage and using standard protocols

CERN Multimedia

Lemouzy, B; Garnier, J-C

2010-01-01

The goal of the LHCb readout upgrade is to speed up the DAQ to 40 MHz. Such a DAQ system will certainly employ 10 Gigabit or similar technologies and might also need new networking protocols such as a customized, light-weight TCP or more specialised protocols. A test module is being implemented, which integrates in the existing LHCb infrastructure. It is a multiple 10-Gigabit traffic generator, driven by a Stratix IV FPGA, which is flexibile enough to either generate LHCb's raw data packets internally or read them from external storage via the network. For reading the data we have implemented a light-weight industry standard protocol ATA over Ethernet (AoE) and we present an outlook of using a filesystem on these network-exported disk-drivers.

CPM Test-Retest Reliability: "Standard" vs "Single Test-Stimulus" Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Granovsky, Yelena; Miller-Barmak, Adi; Goldstein, Oren; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David

2016-03-01

Assessment of pain inhibitory mechanisms using conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is relevant clinically in prediction of pain and analgesic efficacy. Our objective is to provide necessary estimates of intersession CPM reliability, to enable transformation of the CPM paradigm into a clinical tool. Two cohorts of young healthy subjects (N = 65) participated in two dual-session studies. In Study I, a Bath-Thermode CPM protocol was used, with hot water immersion and contact heat as conditioning- and test-stimuli, respectively, in a classical parallel CPM design introducing test-stimulus first, and then the conditioning- and repeated test-stimuli in parallel. Study II consisted of two CPM protocols: 1) Two-Thermodes, one for each of the stimuli, in the same parallel design as above, and 2) single test-stimulus (STS) protocol with a single administration of a contact heat test-stimulus, partially overlapped in time by a remote shorter contact heat as conditioning stimulus. Test-retest reliability was assessed within 3-7 days. The STS-CPM had superior reliability intraclass correlation (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.59) over Bath-Thermode (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.34) or Two-Thermodes (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.21) protocols. The hand immersion conditioning pain had higher reliability than thermode pain (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.76 vs ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.16). Conditioned test-stimulus pain scores were of good (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.62) or fair (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.43) reliability for the Bath-Thermode and the STS, respectively, but not for the Two-Thermodes protocol (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.20). The newly developed STS-CPM paradigm was more reliable than other CPM protocols tested here, and should be further investigated for its clinical relevance. It appears that large contact size of the conditioning-stimulus and use of single rather than dual test-stimulus pain contribute to augmentation of CPM reliability. © 2015 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e

Impact of a standardized nurse observation protocol including MEWS after Intensive Care Unit discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

De Meester, K; Das, T; Hellemans, K; Verbrugghe, W; Jorens, P G; Verpooten, G A; Van Bogaert, P

2013-02-01

Analysis of in-hospital mortality after serious adverse events (SAE's) in our hospital showed the need for more frequent observation in medical and surgical wards. We hypothesized that the incidence of SAE's could be decreased by introducing a standard nurse observation protocol. To investigate the effect of a standard nurse observation protocol implementing the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and a color graphic observation chart. Pre- and post-intervention study by analysis of patients records for a 5-day period after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge to 14 medical and surgical wards before (n=530) and after (n=509) the intervention. For the total study population the mean Patient Observation Frequency Per Nursing Shift (POFPNS) during the 5-day period after ICU discharge increased from .9993 (95% C.I. .9637-1.0350) in the pre-intervention period to 1.0732 (95% C.I. 1.0362-1.1101) (p=.005) in the post-intervention period. There was an increased risk of a SAE in patients with MEWS 4 or higher in the present nursing shift (HR 8.25; 95% C.I. 2.88-23.62) and the previous nursing shift (HR 12.83;95% C.I. 4.45-36.99). There was an absolute risk reduction for SAE's within 120h after ICU discharge of 2.2% (95% C.I. -0.4-4.67%) from 5.7% to 3.5%. The intervention had a positive impact on the observation frequency. MEWS had a predictive value for SAE's in patients after ICU discharge. The drop in SAE's was substantial but did not reach statistical significance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of standardized bioassay protocols for the toxicity assessment of waste, manufactured products, and effluents in Latin America: Venezuela, a Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriquez-Grau, J.

1993-01-01

The present status of the toxicity assessment of industrial products in Latin America is well below North America/EC standards. As an example, most of Latin America regulatory laws regarding effluent discharge are still based upon concentration limits of certain major pollutants, and BOD/COD measurements; no reference is made to the necessity of aquatic bioassay toxicity data. Aware of this imperative need, the Venezuelan Petroleum Industry (PDVSA), through its R ampersand D Corporative branch (INTEVEP) gave priority to the development of standardized acute/sublethal toxicity test protocols as sound means of evaluating their products and wastes. Throughout this presentation, the Venezuelan case will be studied, showing strategies undertaken to accelerate protocol development. Results will show the assessment of 14 different protocols encompassing a variety of species of aquatic/terrestrial organisms, and a series of toxicity test endpoints including mortality, reproductive, biological and immunological measurements, most of which are currently in use or being developed. These protocols have already yielded useful results in numerous cases where toxicity assessment was required, including evaluations of effluent, oil dispersants, drilling fluids, toxic wastes, fossil fuels and newly developed products. The Venezuelan case demonstrates that the integration of Industry, Academia and Government, which is an essential part of SETAC's philosophy, is absolutely necessary for the successful advancement of environmental scientific/regulatory issues

Molecular recognition and self-assembly special feature: A general protocol for creating high-throughput screening assays for reaction yield and enantiomeric excess applied to hydrobenzoin.

Science.gov (United States)

Shabbir, Shagufta H; Regan, Clinton J; Anslyn, Eric V

2009-06-30

A general approach to high-throughput screening of enantiomeric excess (ee) and concentration was developed by using indicator displacement assays (IDAs), and the protocol was then applied to the vicinal diol hydrobenzoin. The method involves the sequential utilization of what we define herein as screening, training, and analysis plates. Several enantioselective boronic acid-based receptors were screened by using 96-well plates, both for their ability to discriminate the enantiomers of hydrobenzoin and to find their optimal pairing with indicators resulting in the largest optical responses. The best receptor/indicator combination was then used to train an artificial neural network to determine concentration and ee. To prove the practicality of the developed protocol, analysis plates were created containing true unknown samples of hydrobenzoin generated by established Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reactions, and the best ligand was correctly identified.

Network Coding to Enhance Standard Routing Protocols in Wireless Mesh Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pahlevani, Peyman; Roetter, Daniel Enrique Lucani; Fitzek, Frank

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a design and simulation of a locally optimized network coding protocol, called PlayNCool, for wireless mesh networks. PlayN-Cool is easy to implement and compatible with existing routing protocols and devices. This allows the system to gain from network coding capabilities i...

Optimizing the high-resolution manometry (HRM) study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, A; Ding, A; Mirza, F; Gyawali, C P

2015-02-01

Intolerance of the esophageal manometry catheter may prolong high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies and increase patient distress. We assessed the impact of obtaining the landmark phase at the end of the study when the patient has acclimatized to the HRM catheter. 366 patients (mean age 55.4 ± 0.8 years, 62.0% female) undergoing esophageal HRM over a 1-year period were studied. The standard protocol consisted of the landmark phase, 10 5 mL water swallows 20-30 s apart, and multiple rapid swallows where 4-6 2 mL swallows were administered in rapid succession. The modified protocol consisted of the landmark phase at the end of the study after test swallows. Study duration, technical characteristics, indications, and motor findings were compared between standard and modified protocols. Of the 366 patients, 89.6% underwent the standard protocol (study duration 12.9 ± 0.3 min). In 10.4% with poor catheter tolerance undergoing the modified protocol, study duration was significantly longer (15.6 ± 1.0 min, p = 0.004) despite similar duration of study maneuvers. Only elevated upper esophageal sphincter basal pressures at the beginning of the study segregated modified protocol patients. The 95th percentile time to landmark phase in the standard protocol patients was 6.1 min; as many as 31.4% of modified protocol patients could not obtain their first study maneuver within this period (p = 0.0003). Interpretation was not impacted by shifting the landmark phase to the end of the study. Modification of the HRM study protocol with the landmark phase obtained at the end of the study optimizes study duration without compromising quality. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multiprofissional electronic protocol in ophtalmology with enfasis in strabismus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Christie Graf; Moreira, Ana Tereza Ramos; Pinto, José Simão DE Paula; Malafaia, Osvaldo

2016-01-01

to create and validate an electronic database in ophthalmology focused on strabismus, to computerize this database in the form of a systematic data collection software named Electronic Protocol, and to incorporate this protocol into the Integrated System of Electronic Protocols (SINPE(c)). this is a descriptive study, with the methodology divided into three phases: (1) development of a theoretical ophthalmologic database with emphasis on strabismus; (2) computerization of this theoretical ophthalmologic database using SINPE(c) and (3) interpretation of the information with demonstration of results to validate the protocol. We inputed data from the charts of fifty patients with known strabismus through the Electronic Protocol for testing and validation. the new electronic protocol was able to store information regarding patient history, physical examination, laboratory exams, imaging results, diagnosis and treatment of patients with ophthalmologic diseases, with emphasis on strabismus. We included 2,141 items in this master protocol and created 20 new specific electronic protocols for strabismus, each with its own specifics. Validation was achieved through correlation and corroboration of the symptoms and confirmed diagnoses of the fifty included patients with the diagnostic criteria for the twenty new strabismus protocols. a new, validated electronic database focusing on ophthalmology, with emphasis on strabismus, was successfully created through the standardized collection of information, and computerization of the database using proprietary software. This protocol is ready for deployment to facilitate data collection, sorting and application for practitioners and researchers in numerous specialties. criar uma base eletrônica de dados em oftalmologia com ênfase em estrabismo através da coleta padronizada de informações. Informatizar esta base sob a forma de software para a coleta sistemática de dados chamado "Protocolo Eletrônico" e incorporar este

Evaluation of Protocol Uniformity Concerning Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in The Netherlands

Science.gov (United States)

Goossens, Richard H. M.; van Eijk, Daan J.; Lange, Johan F.

2008-01-01

Background Iatrogenic bile duct injury remains a current complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One uniform and standardized protocol, based on the “critical view of safety” concept of Strasberg, should reduce the incidence of this complication. Furthermore, owing to the rapid development of minimally invasive surgery, technicians are becoming more frequently involved. To improve communication between the operating team and technicians, standardized actions should also be defined. The aim of this study was to compare existing protocols for laparoscopic cholecystectomy from various Dutch hospitals. Methods Fifteen Dutch hospitals were contacted for evaluation of their protocols for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. All evaluated protocols were divided into six steps and were compared accordingly. Results In total, 13 hospitals responded—5 academic hospitals, 5 teaching hospitals, 3 community hospitals—of which 10 protocols were usable for comparison. Concerning the trocar positions, only minor differences were found. The concept of “critical view of safety” was represented in just one protocol. Furthermore, the order of clipping and cutting the cystic artery and duct differed. Descriptions of instruments and apparatus were also inconsistent. Conclusions Present protocols differ too much to define a universal procedure among surgeons in The Netherlands. The authors propose one (inter)national standardized protocol, including standardized actions. This uniform standardized protocol has to be officially released and recommended by national scientific associations (e.g., the Dutch Society of Surgery) or international societies (e.g., European Association for Endoscopic Surgery and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons). The aim is to improve patient safety and professional communication, which are necessary for new developments. PMID:18224485

Hybrid Long-Distance Entanglement Distribution Protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brask, J.B.; Rigas, I.; Polzik, E.S.

2010-01-01

We propose a hybrid (continuous-discrete variable) quantum repeater protocol for long-distance entanglement distribution. Starting from states created by single-photon detection, we show how entangled coherent state superpositions can be generated by means of homodyne detection. We show that near......-deterministic entanglement swapping with such states is possible using only linear optics and homodyne detectors, and we evaluate the performance of our protocol combining these elements....

Summary Report Panel 1: The Need for Protocols and Standards in Research on Underwater Noise Impacts on Marine Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Erbe, Christine; Ainslie, Michael A; de Jong, Christ A F; Racca, Roberto; Stocker, Michael

2016-01-01

As concern about anthropogenic noise and its impacts on marine fauna is increasing around the globe, data are being compared across populations, species, noise sources, geographic regions, and time. However, much of the raw and processed data are not comparable due to differences in measurement methodology, analysis and reporting, and a lack of metadata. Common protocols and more formal, international standards are needed to ensure the effectiveness of research, conservation, regulation and practice, and unambiguous communication of information and ideas. Developing standards takes time and effort, is largely driven by a few expert volunteers, and would benefit from stakeholders' contribution and support.

Is the standard compliance check protocol a valid measure of the accessibility of tobacco to underage smokers?

Science.gov (United States)

DiFranza, J.; Savageau, J.; Bouchard, J.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE—To determine if the standard compliance check protocol is a valid measure of the experience of underage smokers when purchasing tobacco in unfamiliar communities.
SETTING—160 tobacco outlets in eight Massachusetts communities where underage tobacco sales laws are vigorously enforced.
PROCEDURE—Completed purchase rates were compared between underage smokers who behaved normally and inexperienced non-smoking youths who were not allowed to lie or present proof of age (ID).
RESULTS—The "smoker protocol" increased the likelihood of a sale nearly sixfold over that for the non-smokers (odds ratio (OR) 5.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 22). When the youths presented an ID with an underage birth date, the odds of a completed sale increased dramatically (OR 27, 95% CI 3.4 to 212). Clerks judged to be under 21 years of age were seven times more likely to make an illegal sale (OR 7.6, 95% CI 2.4 to 24.0).
CONCLUSIONS—Commonly used compliance check protocols are too artificial to reflect accurately the experience of underage smokers. The validity of compliance checks might be improved by having youths present ID, and by employing either tobacco users, or non-tobacco users who are sufficiently experienced to mimic the self confidence exhibited by tobacco users in this situation. Consideration should be given to prohibiting the sale of tobacco by individuals under 21 years of age.


Keywords: compliance check protocol; underage smokers PMID:11544386

Dynamic federations: storage aggregation using open tools and protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furano, Fabrizio; Brito da Rocha, Ricardo; Devresse, Adrien; Keeble, Oliver; Álvarez Ayllón, Alejandro; Fuhrmann, Patrick

2012-01-01

A number of storage elements now offer standard protocol interfaces like NFS 4.1/pNFS and WebDAV, for access to their data repositories, in line with the standardization effort of the European Middleware Initiative (EMI). Also the LCG FileCatalogue (LFC) can offer such features. Here we report on work that seeks to exploit the federation potential of these protocols and build a system that offers a unique view of the storage and metadata ensemble and the possibility of integration of other compatible resources such as those from cloud providers. The challenge, here undertaken by the providers of dCache and DPM, and pragmatically open to other Grid and Cloud storage solutions, is to build such a system while being able to accommodate name translations from existing catalogues (e.g. LFCs), experiment-based metadata catalogues, or stateless algorithmic name translations, also known as “trivial file catalogues”. Such so-called storage federations of standard protocols-based storage elements give a unique view of their content, thus promoting simplicity in accessing the data they contain and offering new possibilities for resilience and data placement strategies. The goal is to consider HTTP and NFS4.1-based storage elements and metadata catalogues and make them able to cooperate through an architecture that properly feeds the redirection mechanisms that they are based upon, thus giving the functionalities of a “loosely coupled” storage federation. One of the key requirements is to use standard clients (provided by OS'es or open source distributions, e.g. Web browsers) to access an already aggregated system; this approach is quite different from aggregating the repositories at the client side through some wrapper API, like for instance GFAL, or by developing new custom clients. Other technical challenges that will determine the success of this initiative include performance, latency and scalability, and the ability to create worldwide storage federations that

Multiparametric multidetector computed tomography scanning on suspicion of hyperacute ischemic stroke: validating a standardized protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Torres Pacheco

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT scanning has enabled the early diagnosis of hyperacute brain ischemia. We aimed at validating a standardized protocol to read and report MDCT techniques in a series of adult patients. The inter-observer agreement among the trained examiners was tested, and their results were compared with a standard reading. No false positives were observed, and an almost perfect agreement (Kappa>0.81 was documented when the CT angiography (CTA and cerebral perfusion CT (CPCT map data were added to the noncontrast CT (NCCT analysis. The inter-observer agreement was higher for highly trained readers, corroborating the need for specific training to interpret these modern techniques. The authors recommend adding CTA and CPCT to the NCCT analysis in order to clarify the global analysis of structural and hemodynamic brain abnormalities. Our structured report is suitable as a script for the reproducible analysis of the MDCT of patients on suspicion of ischemic stroke.

Feasibility of Automatic Extraction of Electronic Health Data to Evaluate a Status Epilepticus Clinical Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Hafeez, Baria; Paolicchi, Juliann; Pon, Steven; Howell, Joy D; Grinspan, Zachary M

2016-05-01

Status epilepticus is a common neurologic emergency in children. Pediatric medical centers often develop protocols to standardize care. Widespread adoption of electronic health records by hospitals affords the opportunity for clinicians to rapidly, and electronically evaluate protocol adherence. We reviewed the clinical data of a small sample of 7 children with status epilepticus, in order to (1) qualitatively determine the feasibility of automated data extraction and (2) demonstrate a timeline-style visualization of each patient's first 24 hours of care. Qualitatively, our observations indicate that most clinical data are well labeled in structured fields within the electronic health record, though some important information, particularly electroencephalography (EEG) data, may require manual abstraction. We conclude that a visualization that clarifies a patient's clinical course can be automatically created using the patient's electronic clinical data, supplemented with some manually abstracted data. Future work could use this timeline to evaluate adherence to status epilepticus clinical protocols. © The Author(s) 2015.

Molecular Form Differences Between Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Standards Create Quantitative Discordances in PSA ELISA Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

McJimpsey, Erica L.

2016-02-01

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assays currently employed for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) lack the specificity needed to differentiate PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia and have high false positive rates. The PSA calibrants used to create calibration curves in these assays are typically purified from seminal plasma and contain many molecular forms (intact PSA and cleaved subforms). The purpose of this study was to determine if the composition of the PSA molecular forms found in these PSA standards contribute to the lack of PSA test reliability. To this end, seminal plasma purified PSA standards from different commercial sources were investigated by western blot (WB) and in multiple research grade PSA ELISAs. The WB results revealed that all of the PSA standards contained different mass concentrations of intact and cleaved molecular forms. Increased mass concentrations of intact PSA yielded higher immunoassay absorbance values, even between lots from the same manufacturer. Standardization of seminal plasma derived PSA calibrant molecular form mass concentrations and purification methods will assist in closing the gaps in PCa testing measurements that require the use of PSA values, such as the % free PSA and Prostate Health Index by increasing the accuracy of the calibration curves.

Effects of Adding an Internet-Based Pain Coping Skills Training Protocol to a Standardized Education and Exercise Program for People With Persistent Hip Pain (HOPE Trial): Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennell, Kim L; Rini, Christine; Keefe, Francis; French, Simon; Nelligan, Rachel; Kasza, Jessica; Forbes, Andrew; Dobson, Fiona; Abbott, J Haxby; Dalwood, Andrew; Vicenzino, Bill; Harris, Anthony; Hinman, Rana S

2015-10-01

Persistent hip pain in older people is usually due to hip osteoarthritis (OA), a major cause of pain, disability, and psychological dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether adding an Internet-based pain coping skills training (PCST) protocol to a standardized intervention of education followed by physical therapist-instructed home exercise leads to greater reductions in pain and improvements in function. An assessor-, therapist-, and participant-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The study will be conducted in a community setting. The participants will be 142 people over 50 years of age with self-reported hip pain consistent with hip OA. Participants will be randomly allocated to: (1) a control group receiving a 24-week standardized intervention comprising an 8-week Internet-based education package followed by 5 individual physical therapy exercise sessions plus home exercises (3 times weekly) or (2) a PCST group receiving an 8-week Internet-based PCST protocol in addition to the control intervention. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and 8, 24, and 52 weeks, with the primary time point at 24 weeks. Primary outcomes are hip pain on walking and self-reported physical function. Secondary outcomes include health-related quality-of-life, participant-perceived treatment response, self-efficacy for pain management and function, pain coping attempts, pain catastrophizing, and physical activity. Measurements of adherence, adverse events, use of health services, and process measures will be collected at 24 and 52 weeks. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed at 52 weeks. A self-reported diagnosis of persistent hip pain will be used. The findings will help determine whether adding an Internet-based PCST protocol to standardized education and physical therapist-instructed home exercise is more effective than education and exercise alone for persistent hip pain. This study has the potential to guide clinical practice toward innovative

Multiprofissional electronic protocol in ophtalmology with enfasis in strabismus

OpenAIRE

RIBEIRO, CHRISTIE GRAF; MOREIRA, ANA TEREZA RAMOS; PINTO, JOSÉ SIMÃO DE PAULA; MALAFAIA, OSVALDO

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to create and validate an electronic database in ophthalmology focused on strabismus, to computerize this database in the form of a systematic data collection software named Electronic Protocol, and to incorporate this protocol into the Integrated System of Electronic Protocols (SINPE(c)). Methods: this is a descriptive study, with the methodology divided into three phases: (1) development of a theoretical ophthalmologic database with emphasis on strabismus; (2) compute...

The Open Geospatial Consortium PUCK Standard: Building Sensor Networks with Self-Describing Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, T. C.; Broering, A.; del Rio, J.; Headley, K. L.; Toma, D.; Bermudez, L. E.; Edgington, D.; Fredericks, J.; Manuel, A.

2012-12-01

Sensor technology is rapidly advancing, enabling smaller and cheaper instruments to monitor Earth's environment. It is expected that many more kinds and quantities of networked environmental sensors will be deployed in coming years. Knowledge of each instrument's command protocol is required to operate and acquire data from the network. Making sense of these data streams to create an integrated picture of environmental conditions requires that each instrument's data and metadata be accurately processed and that "suspect" data be flagged. Use of standards to operate an instrument and retrieve and describe its data generally simplifies instrument software development, integration, operation and data processing. The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) PUCK protocol enables instruments that describe themselves in a standard way. OGC PUCK defines a small "data sheet" that describes key instrument characteristics, and a standard protocol to retrieve the data sheet from the device itself. Data sheet fields include a universal serial number that is unique across all PUCK-compliant instruments. Other fields identify the instrument manufacturer and model. In addition to the data sheet, the instrument may also provide a "PUCK payload" which can contain additional descriptive information (e.g. a SensorML document or IEEE 1451 TEDS), as well as actual instrument "driver" code. Computers on the sensor network can use PUCK protocol to retrieve this information from installed instruments and utilize it appropriately, e.g. to automatically identify, configure and operate the instruments, and acquire and process their data. The protocol is defined for instruments with an RS232 or Ethernet interface. OGC members recently voted to adopt PUCK as a component of the OGC's Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) standards. The protocol is also supported by a consortium of hydrographic instrument manufacturers and has been implemented by several of them (https://sites.google.com/site/soscsite/). Thus far

Could Innovation also Emerge from the Public Sector? Creating an ISO-like Judiciary Quality Management Standard.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Murillo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the conceptual differences between the GICA-Justicia Project initiative and other available models, process performance guidelines, and tools. Comparison was basically carried out through a review of specialized literature, papers, and reports; semi-structured interviews and focus groups with experts in the judicial quality assurance field from different countries; and applying the authors’ experience as technical counterparts in the GICA-Justicia Project (co-authoring a Quality Management Standard and training/auditing during the Quality Management System deployment and accreditation stages.  The paper is meant to unveil how the GICA-Justicia Quality Management Model and the GICA-Justicia Quality Management Standard, as  GICA-Justicia Project by-products, combine to create an innovative process performance approach to quality assurance in judicial environments.

Standardizing the care of detox patients to achieve quality outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Kathy; Semrow, Sue

2006-03-01

Providing appropriate treatment for detoxification patients is both challenging and difficult because alcohol abuse and dependence are largely underestimated in the acute hospital setting. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is treated not only by addictionologists on chemical dependency units, but also by primary care physicians in acute inpatient settings. The need for consistent inpatient treatment through the use of identified protocols can help provide safe and effective care. The need for consistent, inpatient medical-surgical detoxification treatment in our organization became apparent with the staff's identification of patient care concerns. Using an organizational approach, a multidisciplinary team was created to standardize the care of detoxification patients, beginning with patient admission and ending with discharge and referral for outpatient management. Standardization would ensure consistent assessment and intervention, and improve communication among the clinical team members. A protocol was developed for both the emergency department and the inpatient units. The goals of the team were to decrease the adverse events related to detoxification, such as seizures and aggression, and provide a consistent method of treatment for staff to follow.

ATM and Internet protocol

CERN Document Server

Bentall, M; Turton, B

1998-01-01

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a protocol that allows data, sound and video being transferred between independent networks via ISDN links to be supplied to, and interpreted by, the various system protocols.ATM and Internet Protocol explains the working of the ATM and B-ISDN network for readers with a basic understanding of telecommunications. It provides a handy reference to everyone working with ATM who may not require the full standards in detail, but need a comprehensive guide to ATM. A substantial section is devoted to the problems of running IP over ATM and there is some discussion o

Anthropometric standardisation and quality control protocols for the construction of new, international, fetal and newborn growth standards: the INTERGROWTH-21st Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheikh Ismail, L; Knight, H E; Ohuma, E O; Hoch, L; Chumlea, W C

2013-09-01

The primary aim of the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project is to construct new, prescriptive standards describing optimal fetal and preterm postnatal growth. The anthropometric measurements include the head circumference, recumbent length and weight of the infants, and the stature and weight of the parents. In such a large, international, multicentre project, it is critical that all study sites follow standardised protocols to ensure maximal validity of the growth and nutrition indicators used. This paper describes in detail the anthropometric training, standardisation and quality control procedures used to collect data for these new standards. The initial standardisation session was in Nairobi, Kenya, using newborns, which was followed by similar sessions in the eight participating study sites in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, UK and USA. The intraobserver and inter-observer technical error of measurement values for head circumference range from 0.3 to 0.4 cm, and for recumbent length from 0.3 to 0.5 cm. These standardisation protocols implemented at each study site worldwide ensure that the anthropometric data collected are of the highest quality to construct international growth standards. © 2013 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

A collaborative study on a Nordic standard protocol for detection and enumeration of thermotolerant Campylobacter in food (NMKL 119, 3. Ed., 2007)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenquist, Hanne; Bengtsson, Anja; Hansen, Tina Beck

2007-01-01

A Nordic standard protocol for detection and enumeration of thermotolerant Campylobacter in food has been elaborated (NMKL 119, 3. Ed., 2007). Performance and precision characteristics of this protocol were evaluated in a collaborative study with participation of 14 laboratories from seven European...... jejuni (SLV-542). Expected concentrations (95% C.I.) (cfu g(-1) or ml(-1)) of both strains in matrices were 0.6-1.4 and 23-60 for qualitative detection, and 0.6-1.4; 23-60; and 420-1200 for semi-quantitative detection. For quantitative determination, the expected concentrations of C. jejuni/C. coli were...

Optimization of Saanen sperm genes amplification: evaluation of standardized protocols in genetically uncharacterized rural goats reared under a subtropical environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbour, Elie K; Saade, Maya F; Sleiman, Fawwak T; Hamadeh, Shady K; Mouneimne, Youssef; Kassaifi, Zeina; Kayali, Ghazi; Harakeh, Steve; Jaber, Lina S; Shaib, Houssam A

2012-10-01

The purpose of this research is to optimize quantitatively the amplification of specific sperm genes in reference genomically characterized Saanen goat and to evaluate the standardized protocols applicability on sperms of uncharacterized genome of rural goats reared under subtropical environment for inclusion in future selection programs. The optimization of the protocols in Saanen sperms included three production genes (growth hormone (GH) exons 2, 3, and 4, αS1-casein (CSN1S1), and α-lactalbumin) and two health genes (MHC class II DRB and prion (PrP)). The optimization was based on varying the primers concentrations and the inclusion of a PCR cosolvent (Triton X). The impact of the studied variables on statistically significant increase in the yield of amplicons was noticed in four out of five (80%) optimized protocols, namely in those related to GH, CSN1S1, α-lactalbumin, and PrP genes (P 0.05). The applicability of the optimized protocols of Saanen sperm genes on amplification of uncharacterized rural goat sperms revealed a 100% success in tested individuals for amplification of GH, CSN1S1, α-lactalbumin, and MHC class II DRB genes and a 75% success for the PrP gene. The significant success in applicability of the Saanen quantitatively optimized protocols to other uncharacterized genome of rural goats allows for their inclusion in future selection, targeting the sustainability of this farming system in a subtropical environment and the improvement of the farmers livelihood.

The Montreal Protocol's multilateral fund and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luken, Ralph; Grof, Tamas

2006-01-01

The 1987 Montreal Protocol is widely seen as a global environmental accord that has produced tangible results in terms of reductions in ozone-depleting substances. In addition, there have been other benefits, largely unrecognized and undocumented, that can best be characterized in a sustainable development framework based on a review of 50 out of 931 projects implemented over a 13 year period by one of the four implementing agencies of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol. All investment projects have reduced ozone depleting potential and global warming potential. Some projects have reduced atmospheric emissions and contamination of groundwater. Other projects have increased the competitiveness of enterprises in domestic and international markets and have sustained and in a few cases created employment opportunities. Others, fewer in number, have potentially contributed to environmental problems, have initially created difficulties in maintaining productivity and quality standards and have decreased the number of employment opportunities because of the need to rationalize manufacturing processes. The potential contributions from Multilateral Fund investment projects to sustainable development could probably have been amplified with project design guidance for the technical staffs of all three implementing agencies executing investment projects. In thinking about other multilateral environmental agreements, one can see the need for similar guidance for Global Environment Facility funded projects supporting the focal areas of climate change, international waters, ozone depletion and persistent organic pollutants. Some of them have the potential to generate multiple beneficial impacts in addition to their stated environmental objective if designed and implemented within a sustainable development framework. (author)

Molecular Form Differences Between Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Standards Create Quantitative Discordances in PSA ELISA Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

McJimpsey, Erica L.

2016-01-01

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assays currently employed for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) lack the specificity needed to differentiate PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia and have high false positive rates. The PSA calibrants used to create calibration curves in these assays are typically purified from seminal plasma and contain many molecular forms (intact PSA and cleaved subforms). The purpose of this study was to determine if the composition of the PSA molecular forms found in these PSA standards contribute to the lack of PSA test reliability. To this end, seminal plasma purified PSA standards from different commercial sources were investigated by western blot (WB) and in multiple research grade PSA ELISAs. The WB results revealed that all of the PSA standards contained different mass concentrations of intact and cleaved molecular forms. Increased mass concentrations of intact PSA yielded higher immunoassay absorbance values, even between lots from the same manufacturer. Standardization of seminal plasma derived PSA calibrant molecular form mass concentrations and purification methods will assist in closing the gaps in PCa testing measurements that require the use of PSA values, such as the % free PSA and Prostate Health Index by increasing the accuracy of the calibration curves. PMID:26911983

The Trends and Prospects of Health Information Standards : Standardization Analysis and Suggestions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chang Soo

2008-01-01

Ubiquitous health care system, which is one of the developing solution technologies of IT, BT and NT, could give us new medical environments in future. Implementing health information systems can be complex, expensive and frustrating. Healthcare professionals seeking to acquire or upgrade systems do not have a convenient, reliable way of specifying a level of adherence to communication standards sufficient to achieve truly efficient interoperability. Great progress has been made in establishing such standards-DICOM, IHE and HL7, notably, are now highly advanced. IHE has defined a common framework to deliver the basic interoperability needed for local and regional health information networks. It has developed a foundational set of standards-based integration profiles for information exchange with three interrelated efforts. HL7 is one of several ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations operating in the healthcare arena. Most SDOs produce standards (protocols) for a particular healthcare domain such as pharmacy, medical devices, imaging or insurance transactions. HL7's domain is clinical and administrative data. HL7 is an international community of healthcare subject matter experts and information scientists collaborating to create standards for the exchange, management and integration of electronic healthcare information. The ASTM specification for Continuity of Care Record was developed by subcommittee E31.28 on electronic health records, which includes clinicians, provider institutions, administrators, patient advocates, vendors, and health industry. In this paper, there are suggestions that provide a test bed, demonstration and specification of how standards such a IHE, HL7, ASTM can be used to provide an integrated environment.

The Trends and Prospects of Health Information Standards : Standardization Analysis and Suggestions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chang Soo [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Catholic University of Pusan, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

2008-03-15

Ubiquitous health care system, which is one of the developing solution technologies of IT, BT and NT, could give us new medical environments in future. Implementing health information systems can be complex, expensive and frustrating. Healthcare professionals seeking to acquire or upgrade systems do not have a convenient, reliable way of specifying a level of adherence to communication standards sufficient to achieve truly efficient interoperability. Great progress has been made in establishing such standards-DICOM, IHE and HL7, notably, are now highly advanced. IHE has defined a common framework to deliver the basic interoperability needed for local and regional health information networks. It has developed a foundational set of standards-based integration profiles for information exchange with three interrelated efforts. HL7 is one of several ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations operating in the healthcare arena. Most SDOs produce standards (protocols) for a particular healthcare domain such as pharmacy, medical devices, imaging or insurance transactions. HL7's domain is clinical and administrative data. HL7 is an international community of healthcare subject matter experts and information scientists collaborating to create standards for the exchange, management and integration of electronic healthcare information. The ASTM specification for Continuity of Care Record was developed by subcommittee E31.28 on electronic health records, which includes clinicians, provider institutions, administrators, patient advocates, vendors, and health industry. In this paper, there are suggestions that provide a test bed, demonstration and specification of how standards such a IHE, HL7, ASTM can be used to provide an integrated environment.

Protocol Interoperability Between DDN and ISO (Defense Data Network and International Organization for Standardization) Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

1988-08-01

services and protocols above the transport layer are usually implemented as user- callable utilities on the host computers, it is desirable to offer them...Networks, Prentice-hall, New Jersey, 1987 [ BOND 87] Bond , John, "Parallel-Processing Concepts Finally Come together in Real Systems", Computer Design

Metabolomics Workbench: An international repository for metabolomics data and metadata, metabolite standards, protocols, tutorials and training, and analysis tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Sud, Manish; Fahy, Eoin; Cotter, Dawn; Azam, Kenan; Vadivelu, Ilango; Burant, Charles; Edison, Arthur; Fiehn, Oliver; Higashi, Richard; Nair, K Sreekumaran; Sumner, Susan; Subramaniam, Shankar

2016-01-04

The Metabolomics Workbench, available at www.metabolomicsworkbench.org, is a public repository for metabolomics metadata and experimental data spanning various species and experimental platforms, metabolite standards, metabolite structures, protocols, tutorials, and training material and other educational resources. It provides a computational platform to integrate, analyze, track, deposit and disseminate large volumes of heterogeneous data from a wide variety of metabolomics studies including mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR) data spanning over 20 different species covering all the major taxonomic categories including humans and other mammals, plants, insects, invertebrates and microorganisms. Additionally, a number of protocols are provided for a range of metabolite classes, sample types, and both MS and NMR-based studies, along with a metabolite structure database. The metabolites characterized in the studies available on the Metabolomics Workbench are linked to chemical structures in the metabolite structure database to facilitate comparative analysis across studies. The Metabolomics Workbench, part of the data coordinating effort of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Common Fund's Metabolomics Program, provides data from the Common Fund's Metabolomics Resource Cores, metabolite standards, and analysis tools to the wider metabolomics community and seeks data depositions from metabolomics researchers across the world. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Performance Comparison of Wireless Sensor Network Standard Protocols in an Aerospace Environment: ISA100.11a and ZigBee

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Raymond S.; Barton, Richard J.

2011-01-01

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) can provide a substantial benefit in spacecraft systems, reducing launch weight and providing unprecedented flexibility by allowing instrumentation capabilities to grow and change over time. Achieving data transport reliability on par with that of wired systems, however, can prove extremely challenging in practice. Fortunately, much progress has been made in developing standard WSN radio protocols for applications from non-critical home automation to mission-critical industrial process control. The relative performances of candidate protocols must be compared in representative aerospace environments, however, to determine their suitability for spaceflight applications. In this paper, we will present the results of a rigorous laboratory analysis of the performance of two standards-based, low power, low data rate WSN protocols: ZigBee Pro and ISA100.11a. Both are based on IEEE 802.15.4 and augment that standard's specifications to build complete, multi-hop networking stacks. ZigBee Pro targets primarily the home and office automation markets, providing an ad-hoc protocol that is computationally lightweight and easy to implement in inexpensive system-on-a-chip components. As a result of this simplicity, however, ZigBee Pro can be susceptible to radio frequency (RF) interference. ISA100.11a, on the other hand, targets the industrial process control market, providing a robust, centrally-managed protocol capable of tolerating a significant amount of RF interference. To achieve these gains, a coordinated channel hopping mechanism is employed, which entails a greater computational complexity than ZigBee and requires more sophisticated and costly hardware. To guide future aerospace deployments, we must understand how well these standards relatively perform in analog environments under expected operating conditions. Specifically, we are interested in evaluating goodput -- application level throughput -- in a representative crewed environment

Practical considerations for optimizing cardiac computed tomography protocols for comprehensive acquisition prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalique, Omar K; Pulerwitz, Todd C; Halliburton, Sandra S; Kodali, Susheel K; Hahn, Rebecca T; Nazif, Tamim M; Vahl, Torsten P; George, Isaac; Leon, Martin B; D'Souza, Belinda; Einstein, Andrew J

2016-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is performed frequently in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high risk or inoperable for open surgical aortic valve replacement. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) has become the gold standard imaging modality for pre-TAVR cardiac anatomic and vascular access assessment. Traditionally, cardiac CTA has been most frequently used for assessment of coronary artery stenosis, and scanning protocols have generally been tailored for this purpose. Pre-TAVR CTA has different goals than coronary CTA and the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the TAVR patient population creates a particular need to optimize protocols for a reduction in iodinated contrast volume. This document reviews details which allow the physician to tailor CTA examinations to maximize image quality and minimize harm, while factoring in multiple patient and scanner variables which must be considered in customizing a pre-TAVR protocol. Copyright © 2016 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design and Implement AN Interoperable Internet of Things Application Based on AN Extended Ogc Sensorthings Api Standard

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, C. Y.; Wu, C. H.

2016-06-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an infrastructure that interconnects uniquely-identifiable devices using the Internet. By interconnecting everyday appliances, various monitoring and physical mashup applications can be constructed to improve people's daily life. However, IoT devices created by different manufacturers follow different proprietary protocols and cannot communicate with each other. This heterogeneity issue causes different products to be locked in multiple closed ecosystems that we call IoT silos. In order to address this issue, a common industrial solution is the hub approach, which implements connectors to communicate with IoT devices following different protocols. However, with the growing number of proprietary protocols proposed by device manufacturers, IoT hubs need to support and maintain a lot of customized connectors. Hence, we believe the ultimate solution to address the heterogeneity issue is to follow open and interoperable standard. Among the existing IoT standards, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) SensorThings API standard supports comprehensive conceptual model and query functionalities. The first version of SensorThings API mainly focuses on connecting to IoT devices and sharing sensor observations online, which is the sensing capability. Besides the sensing capability, IoT devices could also be controlled via the Internet, which is the tasking capability. While the tasking capability was not included in the first version of the SensorThings API standard, this research aims on defining the tasking capability profile and integrates with the SensorThings API standard, which we call the extended-SensorThings API in this paper. In general, this research proposes a lightweight JSON-based web service description, the "Tasking Capability Description", allowing device owners and manufacturers to describe different IoT device protocols. Through the extended- SensorThings API, users and applications can follow a coherent protocol to control Io

Estimation of the Thurstonian model for the 2-AC protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Rune Haubo Bojesen; Lee, Hye-Seong; Brockhoff, Per B.

2012-01-01

. This relationship makes it possible to extract estimates and standard errors of δ and τ from general statistical software, and furthermore, it makes it possible to combine standard regression modelling with the Thurstonian model for the 2-AC protocol. A model for replicated 2-AC data is proposed using cumulative......The 2-AC protocol is a 2-AFC protocol with a “no-difference” option and is technically identical to the paired preference test with a “no-preference” option. The Thurstonian model for the 2-AC protocol is parameterized by δ and a decision parameter τ, the estimates of which can be obtained...... by fairly simple well-known methods. In this paper we describe how standard errors of the parameters can be obtained and how exact power computations can be performed. We also show how the Thurstonian model for the 2-AC protocol is closely related to a statistical model known as a cumulative probit model...

Protocol Adherence for Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Management in the Emergency Department; a Clinical Audit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Alavi-Moghaddam

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Although significant development in the field of medicine is achieved, sepsis is still a major issue threatening humans’ lives. This study was aimed to audit the management of severe sepsis and septic shock patients in emergency department (ED according to the present standard guidelines.Method: This is a prospective audit on approaching adult septic patients who were admitted to ED. The audit checklist was created based on the protocols of Surviving Sepsis Campaign and British Royal College recommendations. The mean knowledge score and the compliance rate of studied measures regarding standard protocols were calculated using SPSS version 21.Results: 30 emergency medicine residents were audited (63.3% male. The mean knowledge score of studied residents regarding standard guidelines were 5.07 ± 1.78 (IQR = 2 in pre education and 8.17 ± 1.31 (IQR = 85 in post education phase (p < 0.001. There was excellent compliance with standard in 4 (22% studied measures, good in 2 (11%, fair in 1 (6%, weak in 2 (11%, and poor in 9 (50%. 64% of poor compliance measures correlated to therapeutic factors. After training, score of 5 measures including checking vital signs in < 20 minute, central vein pressure measurement in < 1 hour, blood culture request, administration of vasopressor agents, and high flow O2 therapy were improved clinically, but not statistically.Conclusion: The protocol adherence in management of severe sepsis and septic shock for urine output measurement, central venous pressure monitoring, administration of inotrope agents, blood transfusion, intravenous antibiotic and hydration therapy, and high flow O2 delivery were disappointingly low. It seems training workshops and implementation of Clinical audit can improve residents’ adherence to current standard guidelines regarding severe sepsis and septic shock.

Methodological Study to Develop Standard Operational Protocol on Oral Drug Administration for Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Bijarania, Sunil Kumar; Saini, Sushma Kumari; Verma, Sanjay; Kaur, Sukhwinder

2017-05-01

To develop standard operational protocol (SOP) on oral drug administration and checklist to assess the implementation of the developed SOP. In this prospective methodological study, SOPs were developed in five phases. In the first phase, the preliminary draft of SOPs and checklists were prepared based on literature review, assessment of current practices and focus group discussion (FGD) with bedside working nurses. In the second phase, content validity was checked with the help of Delphi technique (12 experts). Total four drafts were prepared in stages and necessary modifications were made as per suggestions after each Delphi round. Fourth Delphi round was performed after conducting a pilot study. In the fourth phase, all bedside nurses were trained as per SOPs and asked to practice accordingly and observation of thirty oral drug administrations in children was done to check reliability of checklists for implementation of SOPs. In Phase-V, 7 FGDs were conducted with bedside nurses to assess the effectiveness of SOPs. The Content Validity Index (CVI) of SOP and checklists was 99.77%. Overall standardized Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.94. All the nurses felt that the SOP is useful. Valid and feasible SOP for drug administration to children through oral route along with valid and reliable checklist were developed. It is recommended to use this document for drug administration to children.

Age and gender leucocytes variances and references values generated using the standardized ONE-Study protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kverneland, Anders H.; Streitz, Mathias; Geissler, Edward

2016-01-01

blood flow cytometry. The performance of our protocols was challenged here by profiling samples from healthy volunteers to reveal age- and gender-dependent differences and to establish a standardized reference cohort for use in clinical trials. Whole blood samples from two different cohorts were...... analyzed (first cohort: n = 52, second cohort: n = 46, both 20–84 years with equal gender distribution). The second cohort was run as a validation cohort by a different operator. The “ONE Study” panels were applied to analyze expression of >30 different surface markers to enumerate proportional...... cohort. Thus, we have proven the utility of our strategy and generated reproducible reference ranges accounting for age- and gender-dependent differences, which are crucial for a better patient monitoring and individualized therapy....

A Verifiable Language for Cryptographic Protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Christoffer Rosenkilde

We develop a formal language for specifying cryptographic protocols in a structured and clear manner, which allows verification of many interesting properties; in particular confidentiality and integrity. The study sheds new light on the problem of creating intuitive and human readable languages...

Loop system for creating jet fuel vapor standards used in the calibration of infrared spectrophotometers and gas chromatographs.

Science.gov (United States)

Reboulet, James; Cunningham, Robert; Gunasekar, Palur G; Chapman, Gail D; Stevens, Sean C

2009-02-01

A whole body inhalation study of mixed jet fuel vapor and its aerosol necessitated the development of a method for preparing vapor only standards from the neat fuel. Jet fuel is a complex mixture of components which partitions between aerosol and vapor when aspirated based on relative volatility of the individual compounds. A method was desired which could separate the vapor portion from the aerosol component to prepare standards for the calibration of infrared spectrophotometers and a head space gas chromatography system. A re-circulating loop system was developed which provided vapor only standards whose composition matched those seen in an exposure system. Comparisons of nominal concentrations in the exposure system to those determined by infrared spectrophotometry were in 92-95% agreement. Comparison of jet fuel vapor concentrations determined by infrared spectrophotometry compared to head space gas chromatography yielded a 93% overall agreement in trial runs. These levels of agreement show the loop system to be a viable method for creating jet fuel vapor standards for calibrating instruments.

An Individualized, Perception-Based Protocol to Investigate Human Physiological Responses to Cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Coolbaugh, Crystal L.; Bush, Emily C.; Galenti, Elizabeth S.; Welch, E. Brian; Towse, Theodore F.

2018-01-01

Cold exposure, a known stimulant of the thermogenic effects of brown adipose tissue (BAT), is the most widely used method to study BAT physiology in adult humans. Recently, individualized cooling has been recommended to standardize the physiological cold stress applied across participants, but critical experimental details remain unclear. The purpose of this work was to develop a detailed methodology for an individualized, perception-based protocol to investigate human physiological responses to cooling. Participants were wrapped in two water-circulating blankets and fitted with skin temperature probes to estimate BAT activity and peripheral vasoconstriction. We created a thermoesthesia graphical user interface (tGUI) to continuously record the subject's perception of cooling and shivering status during the cooling protocol. The protocol began with a 15 min thermoneutral phase followed by a series of 10 min cooling phases and concluded when sustained shivering (>1 min duration) occurred. Researchers used perception of cooling feedback (tGUI ratings) to manually adjust and personalize the water temperature at each cooling phase. Blanket water temperatures were recorded continuously during the protocol. Twelve volunteers (ages: 26.2 ± 1.4 years; 25% female) completed a feasibility study to evaluate the proposed protocol. Water temperature, perception of cooling, and shivering varied considerably across participants in response to cooling. Mean clavicle skin temperature, a surrogate measure of BAT activity, decreased (−0.99°C, 95% CI: −1.7 to −0.25°C, P = 0.16) after the cooling protocol, but an increase in supraclavicular skin temperature was observed in 4 participants. A strong positive correlation was also found between thermoesthesia and peripheral vasoconstriction (ρ = 0.84, P < 0.001). The proposed individualized, perception-based protocol therefore has potential to investigate the physiological responses to cold stress applied across populations with

Publication trends of study protocols in rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus, Tiago S; Colquhoun, Heather L

2017-09-04

Growing evidence points for the need to publish study protocols in the health field. To observe whether the growing interest in publishing study protocols in the broader health field has been translated into increased publications of rehabilitation study protocols. Observational study using publication data and its indexation in PubMed. Not applicable. Not applicable. PubMed was searched with appropriate combinations of Medical Subject Headings up to December 2014. The effective presence of study protocols was manually screened. Regression models analyzed the yearly growth of publications. Two-sample Z-tests analyzed whether the proportion of Systematic Reviews (SRs) and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) among study protocols differed from that of the same designs for the broader rehabilitation research. Up to December 2014, 746 publications of rehabilitation study protocols were identified, with an exponential growth since 2005 (r2=0.981; p<0.001). RCT protocols were the most common among rehabilitation study protocols (83%), while RCTs were significantly more prevalent among study protocols than among the broader rehabilitation research (83% vs. 35.8%; p<0.001). For SRs, the picture was reversed: significantly less common among study protocols (2.8% vs. 9.3%; p<0.001). Funding was more often reported by rehabilitation study protocols than the broader rehabilitation research (90% vs. 53.1%; p<0.001). Rehabilitation journals published a significantly lower share of rehabilitation study protocols than they did for the broader rehabilitation research (1.8% vs.16.7%; p<0.001). Identifying the reasons for these discrepancies and reverting unwarranted disparities (e.g. low rate of publication for rehabilitation SR protocols) are likely new avenues for rehabilitation research and its publication. SRs, particularly those aggregating RCT results, are considered the best standard of evidence to guide rehabilitation clinical practice; however, that standard can be improved

Critical Response Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Ellingson, Charlene; Roehrig, Gillian; Bakkum, Kris; Dubinsky, Janet M.

2016-01-01

This article introduces the Critical Response Protocol (CRP), an arts-based technique that engages students in equitable critical discourse and aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standards" vision for providing students opportunities for language learning while advancing science learning (NGSS Lead States 2013). CRP helps teachers…

A Weak Value Based QKD Protocol Robust Against Detector Attacks

Science.gov (United States)

Troupe, James

2015-03-01

We propose a variation of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol that utilizes the properties of weak values to insure the validity of the quantum bit error rate estimates used to detect an eavesdropper. The protocol is shown theoretically to be secure against recently demonstrated attacks utilizing detector blinding and control and should also be robust against all detector based hacking. Importantly, the new protocol promises to achieve this additional security without negatively impacting the secure key generation rate as compared to that originally promised by the standard BB84 scheme. Implementation of the weak measurements needed by the protocol should be very feasible using standard quantum optical techniques.

TH-E-209-00: Radiation Dose Monitoring and Protocol Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

TH-E-209-00: Radiation Dose Monitoring and Protocol Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

The effect of a standardized protocol for iron supplementation to blood donors low in hemoglobin concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnussen, Karin; Bork, Nanna; Asmussen, Lisa

2008-04-01

Iron deficiency leading to low hemoglobin concentration (cHb) is a common problem for blood donors as well as for blood banks. A standardized protocol offering iron supplementation based on P-ferritin determination may help to reduce the problem and retain donors. This was a prospective study where 879 blood donors, presenting with cHb at or below the limit of acceptance for donation, were included. The predonation cHb result was read after donation. The donors received 50 iron tablets (JernC or Ferrochel, 100 or 25 mg elemental iron, respectively), and samples for P-ferritin, mean corpuscular volume, and control of cHb were secured. Based on a P-ferritin level of less than 60 microg per L, 20 iron tablets were offered after all following donations. Mean cHb was 7.6 mmol per L (122 g/L) and 8.2 mmol per L (132 g/L) in women and men, respectively. In 80 percent of the women and 48 percent of the men, iron stores were low (P-ferritin protocol offering iron supplementation and simple oral and written advice based on P-ferritin measurements is effective in normalizing cHb and retaining donors presenting with cHb at or below the limit of acceptance for donation.

Standardizing Naming Conventions in Radiation Oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santanam, Lakshmi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Hurkmans, Coen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Mutic, Sasa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine van [Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Brame, Scott; Straube, William [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Galvin, James [Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Tripuraneni, Prabhakar [Department of Radiation Oncology, Scripps Clinic, LaJolla, CA (United States); Michalski, Jeff [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Bosch, Walter, E-mail: wbosch@radonc.wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Advanced Technology Consortium, Image-guided Therapy QA Center, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2012-07-15

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. Materials and Methods: The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. Results: In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were

Standardizing naming conventions in radiation oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Santanam, Lakshmi; Hurkmans, Coen; Mutic, Sasa; van Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine; Brame, Scott; Straube, William; Galvin, James; Tripuraneni, Prabhakar; Michalski, Jeff; Bosch, Walter

2012-07-15

The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were satisfactorily identified using this

Standardizing Naming Conventions in Radiation Oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santanam, Lakshmi; Hurkmans, Coen; Mutic, Sasa; Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine van; Brame, Scott; Straube, William; Galvin, James; Tripuraneni, Prabhakar; Michalski, Jeff; Bosch, Walter

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. Materials and Methods: The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. Results: In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were

Samples and Sampling Protocols for Scientific Investigations | Joel ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... from sampling, through sample preparation, calibration to final measurement and reporting. This paper, therefore offers useful information on practical guidance on sampling protocols in line with best practice and international standards. Keywords: Sampling, sampling protocols, chain of custody, analysis, documentation ...

A STRONG SECURITY PROTOCOL AGAINST FINGERPRINT DATABASE ATTACKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. Latha

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The Biometric data is subject to on-going changes and create a crucial problem in fingerprint database. To deal with this, a security protocol is proposed to protect the finger prints information from the prohibited users. Here, a security protocol is proposed to protect the finger prints information. The proposed system comprised of three phases namely, fingerprint reconstruction, feature extraction and development of trigon based security protocol. In fingerprint reconstruction, the different crack variance level finger prints images are reconstructed by the M-band Dual Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DTCWT. After that features are extracted by binarization. A set of finger print images are utilized to evaluate the performance of security protocol and the result from this process guarantees the healthiness of the proposed trigon based security protocol. The implementation results show the effectiveness of proposed trigon based security protocol in protecting the finger print information and the achieved improvement in image reconstruction and the security process.

Abbreviated Combined MR Protocol: A New Faster Strategy for Characterizing Breast Lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moschetta, Marco; Telegrafo, Michele; Rella, Leonarda; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio; Angelelli, Giuseppe

2016-06-01

The use of an abbreviated magnetic resonance (MR) protocol has been recently proposed for cancer screening. The aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an abbreviated MR protocol combining short TI inversion recovery (STIR), turbo-spin-echo (TSE)-T2 sequences, a pre-contrast T1, and a single intermediate (3 minutes after contrast injection) post-contrast T1 sequence for characterizing breast lesions. A total of 470 patients underwent breast MR examination for screening, problem solving, or preoperative staging. Two experienced radiologists evaluated both standard and abbreviated protocols in consensus. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy for both protocols were calculated (with the histological findings and 6-month ultrasound follow-up as the reference standard) and compared with the McNemar test. The post-processing and interpretation times for the MR images were compared with the paired t test. In 177 of 470 (38%) patients, the MR sequences detected 185 breast lesions. Standard and abbreviated protocols obtained sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, PPV, and NPV values respectively of 92%, 92%, 92%, 68%, and 98% and of 89%, 91%, 91%, 64%, and 98% with no statistically significant difference (P < .0001). The mean post-processing and interpretation time were, respectively, 7 ± 1 minutes and 6 ± 3.2 minutes for the standard protocol and 1 ± 1.2 minutes and 2 ± 1.2 minutes for the abbreviated protocol, with a statistically significant difference (P < .01). An abbreviated combined MR protocol represents a time-saving tool for radiologists and patients with the same diagnostic potential as the standard protocol in patients undergoing breast MRI for screening, problem solving, or preoperative staging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimized UAV Communication Protocol Based on Prior Locations

OpenAIRE

Sboui, Lokman; Rabah, Abdullatif

2015-01-01

In this paper, we adopt a new communication protocol between the UAV and fixed on-ground nodes. This protocol tends to reduce communication power consumption by stopping communication if the channel is not good to communicate (i.e. far nodes, obstacles, etc.) The communication is performed using the XBee 868M standard and Libelium wapsmotes. Our designed protocol is based on a new communication model that we propose in this paper. The protocole decides wether to communicate or not after compu...

Scientific Research & Subsistence: Protocols to Ensure Co-Existence

Science.gov (United States)

Nachman, C.; Holman, A.; DeMaster, D.

2017-12-01

Commercial, industrial, and research interests in the Arctic are expanding rapidly. Potentials are numerous and exciting, giving rise to the need for guidelines to ensure interactions among waterway users do not conflict. Of particular concern is the potential for adverse impacts to U.S. Arctic coastal communities that rely on living marine resources for nutritional and cultural health, through subsistence hunts from small craft, ice edges, and shore. Recent events raised concerns over research surveys potentially interfering with subsistence hunts in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. Incidents led to calls by Native Alaskan communities to restrict science activities with a mixed response from the scientific community (i.e., some sympathetic, some defensive). With a common goal of wanting to mitigate this potential interaction, Federal agencies made a commitment in the National Strategy for the Arctic Region to coordinate and consult with Alaska Natives and also to pursue responsible Arctic stewardship, with understanding through scientific research and traditional knowledge. The effort to create a "Standard of Care" for research surveys incorporates years of experience by subsistence hunters working to mitigate impacts of other anthropogenic activities in the region, as well as best practices by many in the research community. The protocols are designed to ensure potential conflicts between the scientific research community and subsistence hunters are avoided and to encourage mutual assistance and collaboration between researchers and hunters. The guidelines focus on enhancing communication between researchers and subsistence hunters before, during, and after research occurs. The best management practices outlined in the Standard of Care assist those overseeing and funding scientific research in making decisions about how best to accomplish the goals of the research while ensuring protection of the Alaska subsistence lifestyle. These protocols could also be

CREATE-IP and CREATE-V: Data and Services Update

Science.gov (United States)

Carriere, L.; Potter, G. L.; Hertz, J.; Peters, J.; Maxwell, T. P.; Strong, S.; Shute, J.; Shen, Y.; Duffy, D.

2017-12-01

The NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) at the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) are working together to build a uniform environment for the comparative study and use of a group of reanalysis datasets of particular importance to the research community. This effort is called the Collaborative REAnalysis Technical Environment (CREATE) and it contains two components: the CREATE-Intercomparison Project (CREATE-IP) and CREATE-V. This year's efforts included generating and publishing an atmospheric reanalysis ensemble mean and spread and improving the analytics available through CREATE-V. Related activities included adding access to subsets of the reanalysis data through ArcGIS and expanding the visualization tool to GMAO forecast data. This poster will present the access mechanisms to this data and use cases including example Jupyter Notebook code. The reanalysis ensemble was generated using two methods, first using standard Python tools for regridding, extracting levels and creating the ensemble mean and spread on a virtual server in the NCCS environment. The second was using a new analytics software suite, the Earth Data Analytics Services (EDAS), coupled with a high-performance Data Analytics and Storage System (DASS) developed at the NCCS. Results were compared to validate the EDAS methodologies, and the results, including time to process, will be presented. The ensemble includes selected 6 hourly and monthly variables, regridded to 1.25 degrees, with 24 common levels used for the 3D variables. Use cases for the new data and services will be presented, including the use of EDAS for the backend analytics on CREATE-V, the use of the GMAO forecast aerosol and cloud data in CREATE-V, and the ability to connect CREATE-V data to NCCS ArcGIS services.

Technical Analysis of SSP-21 Protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2017-06-09

As part of the California Energy Systems for the Twenty-First Century (CES-21) program, in December 2016 San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) contracted with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to perform an independent verification and validation (IV&V) of a white paper describing their Secure SCADA Protocol for the Twenty-First Century (SSP-21) in order to analyze the effectiveness and propriety of cryptographic protocol use within the SSP-21 specification. SSP-21 is designed to use cryptographic protocols to provide (optional) encryption, authentication, and nonrepudiation, among other capabilities. The cryptographic protocols to be used reflect current industry standards; future versions of SSP-21 will use other advanced technologies to provide a subset of security services.

Principles of the new quantum cryptography protocols building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurochkin, V.; Kurochkin, Yu.

2009-01-01

The main aim of the quantum cryptography protocols is the maximal secrecy under the conditions of the real experiment. This work presents the result of the new protocol building with the use of the secrecy maximization. While using some well-known approaches this method has allowed one to achieve completely new results in quantum cryptography. The process of the protocol elaboration develops from the standard BB84 protocol upgrading to the building of completely new protocol with arbitrary large bases number. The secrecy proofs of the elaborated protocol appear to be natural continuation of the protocol building process. This approach reveals possibility to reach extremely high parameters of the protocol. It suits both the restrictions of contemporary technologies and requirements for high bit rate while being absolutely secret

The Trauma Time-Out: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Protocol-Based Information Dissemination in the Traumatically Injured Patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Heather R; Fitzgerald, Michael; Howard, Brett; Jarrard, Joey; Vaughn, Danny

Procedural time-outs are widely accepted safety standards that are protocolized in nearly all hospital systems. The trauma time-out, however, has been largely unstudied in the existing literature and does not have a standard protocol outlined by any of the major trauma surgery organizations. The goal of this study was to evaluate our institution's use of the trauma time-out and assess how trauma team members viewed its effectiveness. A multiple-answer survey was sent to trauma team members at a Level I trauma center. Questions included items directed at background, experience, opinions, and write-in responses. Most responders were experienced trauma team members who regularly participated in trauma codes. All respondents noted the total time required to complete the time-out was less than 5 min, with the majority saying it took less than 1 min. Seventy-five percent agreed that trauma time-outs should continue, with 92% noting that it improved understanding of patient presentation and prehospital evaluation. Seventy-seven percent said it improved understanding of other team member's roles, and 75% stated it improved patient care. Subgroups of physicians and nurses were statistically similar; yet, physicians did note that it improved their understanding of the team member's function more frequently than nurses. The trauma time-out can be an excellent tool to improve patient care and team understanding of the incoming trauma patient. Although used widely at multiple levels of trauma institutions, development of a documented protocol can be the next step in creating a unified safety standard.

Simultaneous validation of the SunTech CT40 automated blood pressure measurement device by the 1993 British Hypertension Society protocol and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/International Organization for Standardization 81060-2: 2013 standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Polo Friz, Hernan; Punzi, Veronica; Petri, Francesco; Orlandi, Riccardo; Maggiolini, Daniele; Polo Friz, Melisa; Primitz, Laura; Vighi, Giuseppe

2017-10-01

This study aimed to perform a simultaneous, third-party, independent validation of the oscillometric SunTech CT40 device for blood pressure (BP) measurement, according to the 1993 protocol of the British Hypertension Society and the standard of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 81060-2:2013. Patient recruitment, study procedures, and data analysis followed the recommendations stated by the protocols. The study was approved by the institutional review board. A total of 94 participants were included, 52 (55.3%) women, mean±SD age: 63.1±18.0 years, mean±SD arm circumference: 35.0±9.0 cm. The average of observers' entry BPs was 146.9±37.2 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 82.2±22.1 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Differences between the standard measurement and the test device within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg, for the better observer, were 79.4, 96.5, and 100.0% for SBP and 82.6, 97.5, and 100.0% for DBP, respectively. The mean±SD differences between the readings obtained using the test device and those obtained by the observers (AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2013 standard criterion 1) were 0.3±5.0 mmHg (SBP) and -0.8±4.3 mmHg (DBP), and the mean±SD differences between average of reference readings and average of test device readings in each patient (criterion 2) were 0.3±3.9 and -0.8±3.5 mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. The CT40 BP device achieved A/A grade of the British Hypertension Society protocol and fulfilled the requirements (criteria 1 and 2) of the AAMI/ISO standard. CT40 can be recommended for BP measurement in adults.

Creating a standardized process to offer the standard of care: continuous process improvement methodology is associated with increased rates of sperm cryopreservation among adolescent and young adult males with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Shnorhavorian, Margarett; Kroon, Leah; Jeffries, Howard; Johnson, Rebecca

2012-11-01

There is limited literature on strategies to overcome the barriers to sperm banking among adolescent and young adult (AYA) males with cancer. By standardizing our process for offering sperm banking to AYA males before cancer treatment, we aimed to improve rates of sperm banking at our institution. Continuous process improvement is a technique that has recently been applied to improve health care delivery. We used continuous process improvement methodologies to create a standard process for fertility preservation for AYA males with cancer at our institution. We compared rates of sperm banking before and after standardization. In the 12-month period after implementation of a standardized process, 90% of patients were offered sperm banking. We demonstrated an 8-fold increase in the proportion of AYA males' sperm banking, and a 5-fold increase in the rate of sperm banking at our institution. Implementation of a standardized process for sperm banking for AYA males with cancer was associated with increased rates of sperm banking at our institution. This study supports the role of standardized health care in decreasing barriers to sperm banking.

Effectiveness of individualized physiotherapy on pain and functioning compared to a standard exercise protocol in patients presenting with clinical signs of subacromial impingement syndrome. A randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Bie Rob A

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common musculoskeletal complaint leading to significant reduction of health and disability. Physiotherapy is often the first choice of treatment although its effectiveness is still under debate. Systematic reviews in this field highlight the need for more high quality trials to investigate the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Methods/Design This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effectiveness of individualized physiotherapy in patients presenting with clinical signs and symptoms of subacromial impingement, involving 90 participants aged 18-75. Participants are recruited from outpatient physiotherapy clinics, general practitioners, and orthopaedic surgeons in Germany. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either individualized physiotherapy or to a standard exercise protocol using central randomization. The control group will perform the standard exercise protocol aiming to restore muscular deficits in strength, mobility, and coordination of the rotator cuff and the shoulder girdle muscles to unload the subacromial space during active movements. Participants of the intervention group will perform the standard exercise protocol as a home program, and will additionally be treated with individualized physiotherapy based on clinical examination results, and guided by a decision tree. After the intervention phase both groups will continue their home program for another 7 weeks. Outcome will be measured at 5 weeks and at 3 and 12 months after inclusion using the shoulder pain and disability index and patients' global impression of change, the generic patient-specific scale, the average weekly pain score, and patient satisfaction with treatment. Additionally, the fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire, the pain catastrophizing scale, and patients' expectancies of treatment effect are assessed. Participants

The Singapore protocol [for quantum cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Englert, B.

2005-01-01

The qubit protocol for quantum key distribution presented in this talk is fully tomographic and more efficient than other tomographic protocols. Under ideal circumstances the efficiency is log 2 (4/3) = 0.415 key bits per qubit sent, which is 25% more than the efficiency of 1/3 = 0.333 for the standard 6-state protocol. One can extract 0.4 key bits per qubit by a simple two-way communication scheme, and can so get close to the information-theoretical limit. The noise thresholds for secure key bit generation in the presence of unbiased noise will be reported and discussed. (author)

On consensus through communication without a commonly known protocol

OpenAIRE

Tsakas Elias; Voorneveld Mark

2010-01-01

The present paper extends the standard model of pairwise communication among Bayesianagents to cases where the structure of the communication protocol is not commonly known.We show that, even under strict conditions on the structure of the protocols and the nature of the transmitted signals, a consensus may never be reached if very little asymmetric information about the protocol is introduced.

Organ donation in the ICU: A document analysis of institutional policies, protocols, and order sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Oczkowski, Simon J W; Centofanti, John E; Durepos, Pamela; Arseneau, Erika; Kelecevic, Julija; Cook, Deborah J; Meade, Maureen O

2018-04-01

To better understand how local policies influence organ donation rates. We conducted a document analysis of our ICU organ donation policies, protocols and order sets. We used a systematic search of our institution's policy library to identify documents related to organ donation. We used Mindnode software to create a publication timeline, basic statistics to describe document characteristics, and qualitative content analysis to extract document themes. Documents were retrieved from Hamilton Health Sciences, an academic hospital system with a high volume of organ donation, from database inception to October 2015. We retrieved 12 active organ donation documents, including six protocols, two policies, two order sets, and two unclassified documents, a majority (75%) after the introduction of donation after circulatory death in 2006. Four major themes emerged: organ donation process, quality of care, patient and family-centred care, and the role of the institution. These themes indicate areas where documented institutional standards may be beneficial. Further research is necessary to determine the relationship of local policies, protocols, and order sets to actual organ donation practices, and to identify barriers and facilitators to improving donation rates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MR efficiency using automated MRI-desktop eProtocol

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Xu, Yanzhe; Panda, Anshuman; Zhang, Min; Hanson, James; Su, Congzhe; Wu, Teresa; Pavlicek, William; James, Judy R.

2017-03-01

MRI protocols are instruction sheets that radiology technologists use in routine clinical practice for guidance (e.g., slice position, acquisition parameters etc.). In Mayo Clinic Arizona (MCA), there are over 900 MR protocols (ranging across neuro, body, cardiac, breast etc.) which makes maintaining and updating the protocol instructions a labor intensive effort. The task is even more challenging given different vendors (Siemens, GE etc.). This is a universal problem faced by all the hospitals and/or medical research institutions. To increase the efficiency of the MR practice, we designed and implemented a web-based platform (eProtocol) to automate the management of MRI protocols. It is built upon a database that automatically extracts protocol information from DICOM compliant images and provides a user-friendly interface to the technologists to create, edit and update the protocols. Advanced operations such as protocol migrations from scanner to scanner and capability to upload Multimedia content were also implemented. To the best of our knowledge, eProtocol is the first MR protocol automated management tool used clinically. It is expected that this platform will significantly improve the radiology operations efficiency including better image quality and exam consistency, fewer repeat examinations and less acquisition errors. These protocols instructions will be readily available to the technologists during scans. In addition, this web-based platform can be extended to other imaging modalities such as CT, Mammography, and Interventional Radiology and different vendors for imaging protocol management.

Protocols for pressure ulcer prevention: are they evidence-based?

Science.gov (United States)

Chaves, Lidice M; Grypdonck, Mieke H F; Defloor, Tom

2010-03-01

This study is a report of a study to determine the quality of protocols for pressure ulcer prevention in home care in the Netherlands. If pressure ulcer prevention protocols are evidence-based and practitioners use them correctly in practice, this will result a reduction in pressure ulcers. Very little is known about the evidence-based content and quality of the pressure ulcer prevention protocols. In 2008, current pressure ulcer prevention protocols from 24 home-care agencies in the Netherlands were evaluated. A checklist developed and validated by two pressure ulcer prevention experts was used to assess the quality of the protocols, and weighted and unweighted quality scores were computed and analysed using descriptive statistics. The 24 pressure ulcer prevention protocols had a mean weighted quality score of 63.38 points out of a maximum of 100 (sd 5). The importance of observing the skin at the pressure points at least once a day was emphasized in 75% of the protocols. Only 42% correctly warned against the use of materials that were 'less effective or that could potentially cause harm'. Pressure ulcer prevention commands a reasonable amount of attention in home care, but the incidence of pressure ulcers and lack of a consistent, standardized document for use in actual practice indicate a need for systematic implementation of national pressure ulcer prevention standards in the Netherlands to ensure adherence to the established protocols.

EU-US standards harmonization task group report : status of ITS communication standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

Harmonization Task Groups 1 and 3 (HTG1 and 3) were established by the EU-US International Standards Harmonization Working Group to attempt to harmonize standards (including ISO, CEN, ETSI, IEEE) on security (HTG1) and communications protocols (HTG3)...

Denial of Service Attacks on 802.1X Security Protocol

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ozan, Orhan

2004-01-01

... infrastructure, such as military and administrative government LANs. The IEEE 802.11 wireless standard specifies both an authentication service and encryption protocol, but research has demonstrated that these protocols are severely flawed...

Analysing Password Protocol Security Against Off-line Dictionary Attacks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corin, R.J.; Doumen, J.M.; Etalle, Sandro; Busi, Nadia; Gorrieri, Roberto; Martinelli, Fabio

We study the security of password protocols against off-line dictionary attacks. In addition to the standard adversary abilities, we also consider further cryptographic advantages given to the adversary when considering the password protocol being instantiated with particular encryption schemes. We

A Mac Protocol Implementation for Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamila Bhar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available IEEE 802.15.4 is an important standard for Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LRWPAN. The IEEE 802.15.4 presents a flexible MAC protocol that provides good efficiency for data transmission by adapting its parameters according to characteristics of different applications. In this research work, some restrictions of this standard are explained and an improvement of traffic efficiency by optimizing MAC layer is proposed. Implementation details for several blocks of communication system are carefully modeled. The protocol implementation is done using VHDL language. The analysis gives a full understanding of the behavior of the MAC protocol with regard to backoff delay, data loss probability, congestion probability, slot effectiveness, and traffic distribution for terminals. Two ideas are proposed and tested to improve efficiency of CSMA/CA mechanism for IEEE 802.15.4 MAC Layer. Primarily, we dynamically adjust the backoff exponent (BE according to queue level of each node. Secondly, we vary the number of consecutive clear channel assessment (CCA for packet transmission. We demonstrate also that slot compensation provided by the enhanced MAC protocol can greatly avoid unused slots. The results show the significant improvements expected by our approach among the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC standards. Synthesis results show also hardware performances of our proposed architecture.

Do we need 3D tube current modulation information for accurate organ dosimetry in chest CT? Protocols dose comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Rendon, Xochitl; Zhang, Guozhi; Coudyzer, Walter; Develter, Wim; Bosmans, Hilde; Zanca, Federica

2017-11-01

To compare the lung and breast dose associated with three chest protocols: standard, organ-based tube current modulation (OBTCM) and fast-speed scanning; and to estimate the error associated with organ dose when modelling the longitudinal (z-) TCM versus the 3D-TCM in Monte Carlo simulations (MC) for these three protocols. Five adult and three paediatric cadavers with different BMI were scanned. The CTDI vol of the OBTCM and the fast-speed protocols were matched to the patient-specific CTDI vol of the standard protocol. Lung and breast doses were estimated using MC with both z- and 3D-TCM simulated and compared between protocols. The fast-speed scanning protocol delivered the highest doses. A slight reduction for breast dose (up to 5.1%) was observed for two of the three female cadavers with the OBTCM in comparison to the standard. For both adult and paediatric, the implementation of the z-TCM data only for organ dose estimation resulted in 10.0% accuracy for the standard and fast-speed protocols, while relative dose differences were up to 15.3% for the OBTCM protocol. At identical CTDI vol values, the standard protocol delivered the lowest overall doses. Only for the OBTCM protocol is the 3D-TCM needed if an accurate (<10.0%) organ dosimetry is desired. • The z-TCM information is sufficient for accurate dosimetry for standard protocols. • The z-TCM information is sufficient for accurate dosimetry for fast-speed scanning protocols. • For organ-based TCM schemes, the 3D-TCM information is necessary for accurate dosimetry. • At identical CTDI vol , the fast-speed scanning protocol delivered the highest doses. • Lung dose was higher in XCare than standard protocol at identical CTDI vol .

Patient controlled sedation using a standard protocol for dressing changes in burns: patients' preference, procedural details and a preliminary safety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Andreas; Steinvall, Ingrid; Bak, Zoltan; Sjöberg, Folke

2008-11-01

Patient controlled sedation (PCS) enables patients to titrate doses of drugs by themselves during different procedures involving pain or discomfort. We studied it in a prospective crossover design using a fixed protocol without lockout time to examine it as an alternative method of sedation for changing dressings in burned patients. Eleven patients with >10% total burn surface area (TBSA) had their dressings changed, starting with sedation by an anaesthetist (ACS). The second dressing change was done with PCS (propofol/alfentanil) and the third time the patients had to choose ACS or PCS. During the procedures, data on cardiopulmonary variables, sedation (bispectral index), pain intensity (VAS), procedural details, doses of drugs, and patients' preferences were collected to compare the two sedation techniques. The study data indicated that wound care in burned patients is feasible with a standardized PCS protocol. The patients preferred PCS to ACS on the basis of self-control, and because they had less discomfort during the recovery period. Wound care was also considered adequate by the staff during PCS. No respiratory (respiratory rate/transcutaneous PCO(2)) or cardiovascular (heart rate/blood pressure) adverse events were recorded at any time during any of the PCS procedures. The doses of propofol and alfentanil and BIS index decrease were less during PCS than ACS. Procedural pain was higher during PCS but lower after the procedure. We suggest that PCS using a standard protocol is an interesting alternative to anaesthetist-provided sedation during dressing changes. It seems effective, saves resources, is safe, and at same time is preferred by the patients. The strength of these conclusions is, however, hampered by the small size of this investigation and therefore further studies are warranted.

Protocol of the COSMIN study: COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick DL

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Choosing an adequate measurement instrument depends on the proposed use of the instrument, the concept to be measured, the measurement properties (e.g. internal consistency, reproducibility, content and construct validity, responsiveness, and interpretability, the requirements, the burden for subjects, and costs of the available instruments. As far as measurement properties are concerned, there are no sufficiently specific standards for the evaluation of measurement properties of instruments to measure health status, and also no explicit criteria for what constitutes good measurement properties. In this paper we describe the protocol for the COSMIN study, the objective of which is to develop a checklist that contains COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments, including explicit criteria for satisfying these standards. We will focus on evaluative health related patient-reported outcomes (HR-PROs, i.e. patient-reported health measurement instruments used in a longitudinal design as an outcome measure, excluding health care related PROs, such as satisfaction with care or adherence. The COSMIN standards will be made available in the form of an easily applicable checklist. Method An international Delphi study will be performed to reach consensus on which and how measurement properties should be assessed, and on criteria for good measurement properties. Two sources of input will be used for the Delphi study: (1 a systematic review of properties, standards and criteria of measurement properties found in systematic reviews of measurement instruments, and (2 an additional literature search of methodological articles presenting a comprehensive checklist of standards and criteria. The Delphi study will consist of four (written Delphi rounds, with approximately 30 expert panel members with different backgrounds in clinical medicine, biostatistics, psychology, and epidemiology. The final checklist will

Test Protocols for Advanced Inverter Interoperability Functions - Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Jay Dean [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gonzalez, Sigifredo [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ralph, Mark E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ellis, Abraham [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Broderick, Robert Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2013-11-01

Distributed energy resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, when deployed in a large scale, are capable of influencing significantly the operation of power systems. Looking to the future, stakeholders are working on standards to make it possible to manage the potentially complex interactions between DER and the power system. In 2009, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) initiated a large industry collaborative to identify and standardize definitions for a set of DER grid support functions. While the initial effort concentrated on grid-tied PV inverters and energy storage systems, the concepts have applicability to all DER. A partial product of this on-going effort is a reference definitions document (IEC TR 61850-90-7, Object models for power converters in distributed energy resources (DER) systems) that has become a basis for expansion of related International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and is supported by US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). Some industry-led organizations advancing communications protocols have also embraced this work. As standards continue to evolve, it is necessary to develop test protocols to independently verify that the inverters are properly executing the advanced functions. Interoperability is assured by establishing common definitions for the functions and a method to test compliance with operational requirements. This document describes test protocols developed by SNL to evaluate the electrical performance and operational capabilities of PV inverters and energy storage, as described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. While many of these functions are not now required by existing grid codes or may not be widely available commercially, the industry is rapidly moving in that direction. Interoperability issues are already apparent as

The effect of the introduction of a standard monitoring protocol on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-03-07

Mar 7, 2011 ... management protocol had had any effect on the metabolic and nonmetabolic .... Ages were not recorded. ..... of happiness and wealth.14 Three-quarters of the girls associated ... Information on lifestyle and advice to reduce.

TH-E-209-02: Dose Monitoring and Protocol Optimization: The Pediatric Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDougall, R.

2016-01-01

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

TH-E-209-02: Dose Monitoring and Protocol Optimization: The Pediatric Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDougall, R. [Boston Children’s Hospital (United States)

2016-06-15

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

Dynamic federations: storage aggregation using open tools and protocols

CERN Document Server

Fabrizio Furano, F F; Ricardo Brito da Rocha, R R; Adrien Devresse, A D; Oliver Keeble, O K; Alejandro Alvarez Ayllon, A A

2012-01-01

A number of storage elements now offer standard protocol interfaces like NFS 4.1/pNFS and WebDAV, for access to their data repositories, in line with the standardization effort of the European Middleware Initiative (EMI). Also the LCG FileCatalogue (LFC) can offer such features. Here we report on work that seeks to exploit the federation potential of these protocols and build a system that offers a unique view of the storage and metadata ensemble and the possibility of integration of other compatible resources such as those from cloud providers. The challenge, here undertaken by the providers of dCache and DPM, and pragmatically open to other Grid and Cloud storage solutions, is to build such a system while being able to accommodate name translations from existing catalogues (e.g. LFCs), experiment- based metadata catalogues, or stateless algorithmic name translations, also known as ”trivial file catalogues”. Such so-called storage federations of standard protocols-based storage elements give a unique vie...

EU-US standards harmonization task group report : feedback to standards development organizations - security

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-12

Harmonization Task Groups 1 and 3 (HTG1 and 3) were established by the EU-US International Standards Harmonization Working Group to attempt to harmonize standards (including ISO, CEN, ETSI, IEEE) on security (HTG1) and communications protocols (HTG3)...

Formal Security Analysis of the MaCAN Protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruni, Alessandro; Sojka, Michal; Nielson, Flemming

2014-01-01

analysis identifies two flaws in the original protocol: one creates unavailability concerns during key establishment, and the other allows re-using authenticated signals for different purposes. We propose and analyse a modification that improves its behaviour while fitting the constraints of CAN bus...

A standardized imaging protocol for the endoscopic prediction of dysplasia within sessile serrated polyps (with video).

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, David J; Jayanna, Mahesh; Awadie, Halim; Desomer, Lobke; Lee, Ralph; Heitman, Steven J; Sidhu, Mayenaaz; Goodrick, Kathleen; Burgess, Nicholas G; Mahajan, Hema; McLeod, Duncan; Bourke, Michael J

2018-01-01

Dysplasia within sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) is difficult to detect and may be mistaken for an adenoma, risking incomplete resection of the background serrated tissue, and is strongly implicated in interval cancer after colonoscopy. The use of endoscopic imaging to detect dysplasia within SSPs has not been systematically studied. Consecutively detected SSPs ≥8 mm in size were evaluated by using a standardized imaging protocol at a tertiary-care endoscopy center over 3 years. Lesions suspected as SSPs were analyzed with high-definition white light then narrow-band imaging. A demarcated area with a neoplastic pit pattern (Kudo type III/IV, NICE type II) was sought among the serrated tissue. If this was detected, the lesion was labeled dysplastic (sessile serrated polyp with dysplasia); if not, it was labeled non-dysplastic (sessile serrated polyp without dysplasia). Histopathology was reviewed by 2 blinded specialist GI pathologists. A total of 141 SSPs were assessed in 83 patients. Median lesion size was 15.0 mm (interquartile range 10-20), and 54.6% were in the right side of the colon. Endoscopic evidence of dysplasia was detected in 36 of 141 (25.5%) SSPs; of these, 5 of 36 (13.9%) lacked dysplasia at histopathology. Two of 105 (1.9%) endoscopically designated non-dysplastic SSPs had dysplasia at histopathology. Endoscopic imaging, therefore, had an accuracy of 95.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.1%-97.6%) and a negative predictive value of 98.1% (95% CI, 92.6%-99.7%) for detection of dysplasia within SSPs. Dysplasia within SSPs can be detected accurately by using a simple, broadly applicable endoscopic imaging protocol that allows complete resection. Independent validation of this protocol and its dissemination to the wider endoscopic community may have a significant impact on rates of interval cancer. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03100552.). Copyright © 2018 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Visualization of the internal globus pallidus: sequence and orientation for deep brain stimulation using a standard installation protocol at 3.0 Tesla.

Science.gov (United States)

Nölte, Ingo S; Gerigk, Lars; Al-Zghloul, Mansour; Groden, Christoph; Kerl, Hans U

2012-03-01

Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the internal globus pallidus (GPi) has shown remarkable therapeutic benefits for treatment-resistant neurological disorders including dystonia and Parkinson's disease (PD). The success of the DBS is critically dependent on the reliable visualization of the GPi. The aim of the study was to evaluate promising 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for pre-stereotactic visualization of the GPi using a standard installation protocol. MRI at 3.0 T of nine healthy individuals and of one patient with PD was acquired (FLAIR, T1-MPRAGE, T2-SPACE, T2*-FLASH2D, susceptibility-weighted imaging mapping (SWI)). Image quality and visualization of the GPi for each sequence were assessed by two neuroradiologists independently using a 6-point scale. Axial, coronal, and sagittal planes of the T2*-FLASH2D images were compared. Inter-rater reliability, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for the GPi were determined. For illustration, axial T2*-FLASH2D images were fused with a section schema of the Schaltenbrand-Wahren stereotactic atlas. The GPi was best and reliably visualized in axial and to a lesser degree on coronal T2*-FLASH2D images. No major artifacts in the GPi were observed in any of the sequences. SWI offered a significantly higher CNR for the GPi compared to standard T2-weighted imaging using the standard parameters. The fusion of the axial T2*-FLASH2D images and the atlas projected the GPi clearly in the boundaries of the section schema. Using a standard installation protocol at 3.0 T T2*-FLASH2D imaging (particularly axial view) provides optimal and reliable delineation of the GPi.

Dry needling in a manual physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise protocol for patients with chronic mechanical shoulder pain of unspecific origin: a protocol for a randomized control trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tejera-Falcón, Emma; Toledo-Martel, Nuria Del Carmen; Sosa-Medina, Francisco Manuel; Santana-González, Fátima; Quintana-de la Fe, Miriam Del Pino; Gallego-Izquierdo, Tomás; Pecos-Martín, Daniel

2017-09-18

Shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin is the main cause of upper limb pain of non-traumatic origin. Despite being one of the most common reasons for consultation, there is no established protocol for treatment due to the complexity of its etiology. However, it has been shown that the presence of myofascial trigger points on the shoulder muscles is a common condition associated with patients suffering from shoulder pain. This protocol has been created which describes the design of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the inclusion of dry needling (DN) within a protocol of manual physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise in the treatment of chronic shoulder pain of unspecific origin. Thirty-six participants aged 18-65 years will be recruited having mechanical chronic shoulder pain on unspecific origin and meeting the inclusion criteria. These will be randomized to one of two interventions, (i) DN, manual physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise or (ii) sham DN, manual physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise. The protocol will cover 6 weeks of treatment, with a 6-month follow-up. Our main outcome measure will be the Visual Analogue Scale for pain. This is the first study to combine the use of DN, manual physiotherapy and an exercise program with a 6-month follow-up, thus becoming a new contribution to the treatment of chronic shoulder pain, while new lines of research may be established to help determine the effects of DN on chronic shoulder pain and the frequency and proper dosage. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register: ISRCTN30604244 ( http://www.controlled-trials.com ) 29 June 2016.

The use of Wavelight® Contoura to create a uniform cornea: the LYRA protocol. Part 3: the results of 50 treated eyes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motwani M

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Manoj Motwani Motwani LASIK Institute, San Diego, CA, USA Purpose: To demonstrate how using the Wavelight Contoura measured astigmatism and axis eliminates corneal astigmatism and creates uniformly shaped corneas. Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the first 50 eyes to have bilateral full WaveLight® Contoura LASIK correction of measured astigmatism and axis (vs conventional manifest refraction, using the Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism Protocol in all cases. All patients had astigmatism corrected, and had at least 1 week of follow-up. Accuracy to desired refractive goal was assessed by postoperative refraction, aberration reduction via calculation of polynomials, and postoperative visions were analyzed as a secondary goal. Results: The average difference of astigmatic power from manifest to measured was 0.5462D (with a range of 0–1.69D, and the average difference of axis was 14.94° (with a range of 0°–89°. Forty-seven of 50 eyes had a goal of plano, 3 had a monovision goal. Astigmatism was fully eliminated from all but 2 eyes, and 1 eye had regression with astigmatism. Of the eyes with plano as the goal, 80.85% were 20/15 or better, and 100% were 20/20 or better. Polynomial analysis postoperatively showed that at 6.5 mm, the average C3 was reduced by 86.5% and the average C5 by 85.14%. Conclusions: Using WaveLight® Contoura measured astigmatism and axis removes higher order aberrations and allows for the creation of a more uniform cornea with accurate removal of astigmatism, and reduction of aberration polynomials. WaveLight® Contoura successfully links the refractive correction layer and aberration repair layer using the Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism Protocol to demonstrate how aberration removal can affect refractive correction. Keywords: WaveLight Contoura, topographic guided ablation, LASIK, PRK, uniform cornea, Contoura with LYRA Protocol, measured astigmatism

Results of ERAS protocol in patients with colorectal cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. O. Rasulov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: explore the use of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer, evaluate its efficacy and safety.Materials and methods. Prospective, single-site, randomized study for the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery in patients with colorectal cancer has been conducted from October 2014 till the present time. All patients after laparoscopic surgeries undergo treatment according to ERAS protocol, patients after open surgeries are randomized (1:1 in groups of the standard treatment or treatment according to ERAS protocol. The study included patients with localized and locally disseminated colorectal cancer aged from 18 to 75 years, ECOG score ≤ 2. The primary evaluated parameters were the following: the number of postoperative complications (according to Clavien– Dindo classification, postoperative hospital days, incidence of complications and mortality in the 30-day period, timing of activation.Results. Up to date, the study includes 105 patients: laparoscopic group – 51 patients, open-surgery group of patients treated by ERAS protocol – 27 patients, open-surgery group of patients with the standard post-op treatment – 26 patients. Complications requiring emergency surgery for anastomotic leak (p = 0.159 developed in 3.7 % of patients with the standard post-op treatment and in 3.9 % of patients after laparoscopic surgery, while 1 patient required repeat hospitalization. The total number of complications was significantly lower in opensurgery group of patients treated by ERAS protocol compared with the standard post-op treatment (p = 0.021. However, there were no differences between laparoscopic and open-surgery group with the standard post-op treatment (p = 0.159. An average hospitalization stay in patients with the standard post-op treatment was equal to 10 days compared to 7 days in patients treated by ERAS protocol (p = 0.067 and 6 days after laparoscopic

Standardization and optimization of arthropod inventories-the case of Iberian spiders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondoso Cardoso, Pedro Miguel

2009-01-01

and optimization of sampling protocols, especially for mega-diverse arthropod taxa. This study had two objectives: (1) propose guidelines and statistical methods to improve the standardization and optimization of arthropod inventories, and (2) to propose a standardized and optimized protocol for Iberian spiders......, by finding common results between the optimal options for the different sites. The steps listed were successfully followed in the determination of a sampling protocol for Iberian spiders. A protocol with three sub-protocols of varying degrees of effort (24, 96 and 320 h of sampling) is proposed. I also...

Effects of standard training in the use of closed-circuit televisions in visually impaired adults: design of a training protocol and a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Rens Ger HMB

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Reading problems are frequently reported by visually impaired persons. A closed-circuit television (CCTV can be helpful to maintain reading ability, however, it is difficult to learn how to use this device. In the Netherlands, an evidence-based rehabilitation program in the use of CCTVs was lacking. Therefore, a standard training protocol needed to be developed and tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT to provide an evidence-based training program in the use of this device. Methods/Design To develop a standard training program, information was collected by studying literature, observing training in the use of CCTVs, discussing the content of the training program with professionals and organizing focus and discussion groups. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated in an RCT, to obtain an evidence-based training program. Dutch patients (n = 122 were randomized into a treatment group: normal instructions from the supplier combined with training in the use of CCTVs, or into a control group: instructions from the supplier only. The effect of the training program was evaluated in terms of: change in reading ability (reading speed and reading comprehension, patients' skills to operate the CCTV, perceived (vision-related quality of life and tasks performed in daily living. Discussion The development of the CCTV training protocol and the design of the RCT in the present study may serve as an example to obtain an evidence-based training program. The training program was adjusted to the needs and learning abilities of individual patients, however, for scientific reasons it might have been preferable to standardize the protocol further, in order to gain more comparable results. Trial registration http://www.trialregister.nl, identifier: NTR1031

Superposition Attacks on Cryptographic Protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgård, Ivan Bjerre; Funder, Jakob Løvstad; Nielsen, Jesper Buus

2011-01-01

of information. In this paper, we introduce a fundamentally new model of quantum attacks on classical cryptographic protocols, where the adversary is allowed to ask several classical queries in quantum superposition. This is a strictly stronger attack than the standard one, and we consider the security......Attacks on classical cryptographic protocols are usually modeled by allowing an adversary to ask queries from an oracle. Security is then defined by requiring that as long as the queries satisfy some constraint, there is some problem the adversary cannot solve, such as compute a certain piece...... of several primitives in this model. We show that a secret-sharing scheme that is secure with threshold $t$ in the standard model is secure against superposition attacks if and only if the threshold is lowered to $t/2$. We use this result to give zero-knowledge proofs for all of NP in the common reference...

Advanced dementia pain management protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoro-Lorite, Mercedes; Canalias-Reverter, Montserrat

Pain management in advanced dementia is complex because of neurological deficits present in these patients, and nurses are directly responsible for providing interventions for the evaluation, management and relief of pain for people suffering from this health problem. In order to facilitate and help decision-makers, pain experts recommend the use of standardized protocols to guide pain management, but in Spain, comprehensive pain management protocols have not yet been developed for advanced dementia. This article reflects the need for an integrated management of pain in advanced dementia. From the review and analysis of the most current and relevant studies in the literature, we performed an approximation of the scales for the determination of pain in these patients, with the observational scale PAINAD being the most recommended for the hospital setting. In addition, we provide an overview for comprehensive management of pain in advanced dementia through the conceptual framework «a hierarchy of pain assessment techniques by McCaffery and Pasero» for the development and implementation of standardized protocols, including a four-phase cyclical process (evaluation, planning/performance, revaluation and recording), which can facilitate the correct management of pain in these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Creating your own leadership brand.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerfoot, Karlene

2002-01-01

Building equity in a brand happens through many encounters. The initial attraction must be followed by the meeting of expectations. This creates a loyalty that is part of an emotional connection to that brand. This is the same process people go through when they first meet a leader and decide if this is a person they want to buy into. People will examine your style, your competence, and your standards. If you fail on any of these fronts, your ability to lead will be severely compromised. People expect more of leaders now, because they know and recognize good leaders. And, predictably, people are now more cynical of leaders because of the well-publicized excess of a few leaders who advanced their own causes at the expense of their people and their financial future. This will turn out to be a good thing, because it will create a higher standard of leadership that all must aspire to achieve. When the bar is raised for us, our standards of performance are also raised.

Biologic comparison of partial breast irradiation protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenstein, Barry S.; Lymberis, Stella C.; Formenti, Silvia C.

2004-01-01

Purpose: To analyze the dose/fractionation schedules currently used in ongoing clinical trials of partial breast irradiation (PBI) by comparing their biologically effective dose (BED) values to those of three standard whole breast protocols commonly used after segmental mastectomy in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods and materials: The BED equation derived from the linear-quadratic model for radiation-induced cell killing was used to calculate the BEDs for three commonly used whole breast radiotherapy regimens, in addition to a variety of external beam radiotherapy, as well as high-dose-rate and low-dose-rate brachytherapy, PBI protocols. Results: The BED values of most PBI protocols resulted in tumor control BEDs roughly equivalent to a 50-Gy standard treatment, but consistently lower than the BEDs for regimens in which the tumor bed receives a total dose of either 60 Gy or 66 Gy. The BED values calculated for the acute radiation responses of erythema and desquamation were nearly all lower for the PBI schedules, and the late-response BEDs for most PBI regimens were in a similar range to the BEDs for the standard treatments. Conclusion: Biologically effective dose modeling raises the concern that inadequate doses might be delivered by PBI to ensure optimal in-field tumor control

EU-US standards harmonization task group report : feedback to ITS standards development organizations communications.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

Harmonization Task Groups 1 and 3 (HTG1 and 3) were established by the EU-US International Standards Harmonization Working Group to attempt to harmonize standards (including ISO, CEN, ETSI, IEEE) on security (HTG1) and communications protocols (HTG3)...

Relevant Standards

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

.86: Ethernet over LAPS. Standard in China and India. G.7041: Generic Framing Procedure (GFP). Supports Ethernet as well as other data formats (e.g., Fibre Channel); Protocol of ... IEEE 802.3x for flow control of incoming Ethernet data ...

In silico toxicology protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Myatt, Glenn J; Ahlberg, Ernst; Akahori, Yumi; Allen, David; Amberg, Alexander; Anger, Lennart T; Aptula, Aynur; Auerbach, Scott; Beilke, Lisa; Bellion, Phillip; Benigni, Romualdo; Bercu, Joel; Booth, Ewan D; Bower, Dave; Brigo, Alessandro; Burden, Natalie; Cammerer, Zoryana; Cronin, Mark T D; Cross, Kevin P; Custer, Laura; Dettwiler, Magdalena; Dobo, Krista; Ford, Kevin A; Fortin, Marie C; Gad-McDonald, Samantha E; Gellatly, Nichola; Gervais, Véronique; Glover, Kyle P; Glowienke, Susanne; Van Gompel, Jacky; Gutsell, Steve; Hardy, Barry; Harvey, James S; Hillegass, Jedd; Honma, Masamitsu; Hsieh, Jui-Hua; Hsu, Chia-Wen; Hughes, Kathy; Johnson, Candice; Jolly, Robert; Jones, David; Kemper, Ray; Kenyon, Michelle O; Kim, Marlene T; Kruhlak, Naomi L; Kulkarni, Sunil A; Kümmerer, Klaus; Leavitt, Penny; Majer, Bernhard; Masten, Scott; Miller, Scott; Moser, Janet; Mumtaz, Moiz; Muster, Wolfgang; Neilson, Louise; Oprea, Tudor I; Patlewicz, Grace; Paulino, Alexandre; Lo Piparo, Elena; Powley, Mark; Quigley, Donald P; Reddy, M Vijayaraj; Richarz, Andrea-Nicole; Ruiz, Patricia; Schilter, Benoit; Serafimova, Rositsa; Simpson, Wendy; Stavitskaya, Lidiya; Stidl, Reinhard; Suarez-Rodriguez, Diana; Szabo, David T; Teasdale, Andrew; Trejo-Martin, Alejandra; Valentin, Jean-Pierre; Vuorinen, Anna; Wall, Brian A; Watts, Pete; White, Angela T; Wichard, Joerg; Witt, Kristine L; Woolley, Adam; Woolley, David; Zwickl, Craig; Hasselgren, Catrin

2018-04-17

The present publication surveys several applications of in silico (i.e., computational) toxicology approaches across different industries and institutions. It highlights the need to develop standardized protocols when conducting toxicity-related predictions. This contribution articulates the information needed for protocols to support in silico predictions for major toxicological endpoints of concern (e.g., genetic toxicity, carcinogenicity, acute toxicity, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity) across several industries and regulatory bodies. Such novel in silico toxicology (IST) protocols, when fully developed and implemented, will ensure in silico toxicological assessments are performed and evaluated in a consistent, reproducible, and well-documented manner across industries and regulatory bodies to support wider uptake and acceptance of the approaches. The development of IST protocols is an initiative developed through a collaboration among an international consortium to reflect the state-of-the-art in in silico toxicology for hazard identification and characterization. A general outline for describing the development of such protocols is included and it is based on in silico predictions and/or available experimental data for a defined series of relevant toxicological effects or mechanisms. The publication presents a novel approach for determining the reliability of in silico predictions alongside experimental data. In addition, we discuss how to determine the level of confidence in the assessment based on the relevance and reliability of the information. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Do we need 3D tube current modulation information for accurate organ dosimetry in chest CT? Protocols dose comparisons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Rendon, Xochitl; Develter, Wim [KU Leuven, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Division of Medical Physics and Quality Assessment, Leuven (Belgium); Zhang, Guozhi; Coudyzer, Walter; Zanca, Federica [University Hospitals of the KU Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium); Bosmans, Hilde [KU Leuven, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Division of Medical Physics and Quality Assessment, Leuven (Belgium); University Hospitals of the KU Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium)

2017-11-15

To compare the lung and breast dose associated with three chest protocols: standard, organ-based tube current modulation (OBTCM) and fast-speed scanning; and to estimate the error associated with organ dose when modelling the longitudinal (z-) TCM versus the 3D-TCM in Monte Carlo simulations (MC) for these three protocols. Five adult and three paediatric cadavers with different BMI were scanned. The CTDI{sub vol} of the OBTCM and the fast-speed protocols were matched to the patient-specific CTDI{sub vol} of the standard protocol. Lung and breast doses were estimated using MC with both z- and 3D-TCM simulated and compared between protocols. The fast-speed scanning protocol delivered the highest doses. A slight reduction for breast dose (up to 5.1%) was observed for two of the three female cadavers with the OBTCM in comparison to the standard. For both adult and paediatric, the implementation of the z-TCM data only for organ dose estimation resulted in 10.0% accuracy for the standard and fast-speed protocols, while relative dose differences were up to 15.3% for the OBTCM protocol. At identical CTDI{sub vol} values, the standard protocol delivered the lowest overall doses. Only for the OBTCM protocol is the 3D-TCM needed if an accurate (<10.0%) organ dosimetry is desired. (orig.)

A Generic, Modular and User Transparent Protocol Scheme for Inter-FPGA Communication using Serial Links

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2209162; Emery, Jonathan

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is a European research organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. A large amount of particle accelerators and detectors are developed and used for scientific research purposes. With those, a large amount of information is created and needs to be stored before it can be analysed. As a consequence, the communication reliability, integrity, latency and transfer rates between these detectors and the control room are some of the key elements for the success of those experiments. While it is true that existing communication standards, or protocols, are focused on those key elements, it is usually a balanced compromise to stay polyvalent, where the emphasis on a specific aspect reduces the efficiency of the others. To improve the performance and capabilities of one of the operational accelerator instrument called the beam wire scanner (BWS), the CERN instrumentation Group (BE-BI) has created a complete new electro-mech...

Monitoring System with Two Central Facilities Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caesar Firdaus

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The security of data and information on government’s information system required proper way of defending against threat. Security aspect can be achieved by using cryptography algorithm, applying information hiding concept, and implementing security protocol. In this research, two central facilities protocol was implemented on Research and Development Center of Mineral and Coal Technology’s Cooperation Contract Monitoring System by utilizing AES and whitespace manipulation algorithm. Adjustment on the protocol by creating several rule of validation ID’s generation and checking processes could fulfill two of four cryptography objectives, consist of authentication and non-repudiation. The solid collaboration between central legitimization agency (CLA, central tabulating facility (CTF, and client is the main idea in two central facilities protocol. The utilization of AES algorithm could defend the data on transmission from man in the middle attack scenario. On the other hand, whitespace manipulation algorithm provided data integrity aspect of the document that is uploaded to the system itself. Both of the algorithm fulfill confidentiality, data integrity, and authentication.

Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Angiography at 3 Tesla Using a Hybrid Protocol in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, Yousef W.; Eiberg, Jonas P.; Logager, Vibeke B.; Schroeder, Torben V.; Just, Sven; Thomsen, Henrik S.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of 3T whole-body magnetic resonance angiography (WB-MRA) using a hybrid protocol in comparison with a standard protocol in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). In 26 consecutive patients with PAD two different protocols were used for WB-MRA: a standard sequential protocol (n = 13) and a hybrid protocol (n = 13). WB-MRA was performed using a gradient echo sequence, body coil for signal reception, and gadoterate meglumine as contrast agent (0.3 mmol/kg body weight). Two blinded observers evaluated all WB-MRA examinations with regard to presence of stenoses, as well as diagnostic quality and degree of venous contamination in each of the four stations used in WB-MRA. Digital subtraction angiography served as the method of reference. Sensitivity for detecting significant arterial disease (luminal narrowing ≥ 50%) using standard-protocol WB-MRA for the two observers was 0.63 (95%CI: 0.51-0.73) and 0.66 (0.58-0.78). Specificities were 0.94 (0.91-0.97) and 0.96 (0.92-0.98), respectively. In the hybrid protocol WB-MRA sensitivities were 0.75 (0.64-0.84) and 0.70 (0.58-0.8), respectively. Specificities were 0.93 (0.88-0.96) and 0.95 (0.91-0.97). Interobserver agreement was good using both the standard and the hybrid protocol, with κ = 0.62 (0.44-0.67) and κ = 0.70 (0.59-0.79), respectively. WB-MRA quality scores were significantly higher in the lower leg using the hybrid protocol compared to standard protocol (p = 0.003 and p = 0.03, observers 1 and 2). Distal venous contamination scores were significantly lower with the hybrid protocol (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, observers 1 and 2). In conclusion, hybrid-protocol WB-MRA shows a better diagnostic performance than standard protocol WB-MRA at 3 T in patients with PAD.

An Assessment of the Need for Standard Variable Names for Airborne Field Campaigns

Science.gov (United States)

Beach, A. L., III; Chen, G.; Northup, E. A.; Kusterer, J.; Quam, B. M.

2017-12-01

The NASA Earth Venture Program has led to a dramatic increase in airborne observations, requiring updated data management practices with clearly defined data standards and protocols for metadata. An airborne field campaign can involve multiple aircraft and a variety of instruments. It is quite common to have different instruments/techniques measure the same parameter on one or more aircraft platforms. This creates a need to allow instrument Principal Investigators (PIs) to name their variables in a way that would distinguish them across various data sets. A lack of standardization of variables names presents a challenge for data search tools in enabling discovery of similar data across airborne studies, aircraft platforms, and instruments. This was also identified by data users as one of the top issues in data use. One effective approach for mitigating this problem is to enforce variable name standardization, which can effectively map the unique PI variable names to fixed standard names. In order to ensure consistency amongst the standard names, it will be necessary to choose them from a controlled list. However, no such list currently exists despite a number of previous efforts to establish a sufficient list of atmospheric variable names. The Atmospheric Composition Variable Standard Name Working Group was established under the auspices of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Working Group (ESDSWG) to solicit research community feedback to create a list of standard names that are acceptable to data providers and data users This presentation will discuss the challenges and recommendations of standard variable names in an effort to demonstrate how airborne metadata curation/management can be improved to streamline data ingest, improve interoperability, and discoverability to a broader user community.

Performance Improvement Based Authentication Protocol for Intervessel Traffic Service Data Exchange Format Protocol Based on U-Navigation System in WoT Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byunggil Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA is developing the standard intersystem VTS exchange format (IVEF protocol for exchange of navigation and vessel information between VTS systems and between VTS and vessels. VTS (vessel traffic system is an important marine traffic monitoring system which is designed to improve the safety and efficiency of navigation and the protection of the marine environment. And the demand of Inter-VTS networking has been increased for realization of e-Navigation as shore side collaboration for maritime safety. And IVEF (inter-VTS data exchange format for inter-VTS network has become a hot research topic of VTS system. Currently, the IVEF developed by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA does not include any highly trusted certification technology for the connectors. The output of standardization is distributed as the IALA recommendation V-145, and the protocol is implemented with an open source. The IVEF open source, however, is the code used to check the functions of standard protocols. It is too slow to be used in the field and requires a large memory. And the vessel traffic information requires high security since it is highly protected by the countries. Therefore, this paper suggests the authentication protocol to increase the security of the VTS systems using the main certification server and IVEF.

Reactive GTS Allocation Protocol for Sporadic Events Using the IEEE 802.15.4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhtar Azeem

2014-01-01

by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The proposed control protocol ensures that a given offline sporadic schedule can be adapted online in a timely manner such that the static periodic schedule has not been disturbed and the IEEE 802.15.4 standard compliance remains intact. The proposed protocol is simulated in OPNET. The simulation results are analyzed and presented in this paper to prove the correctness of the proposed protocol regarding the efficient real-time sporadic event delivery along with the periodic event propagation.

INTERGROWTH-21st Gestational Dating and Fetal and Newborn Growth Standards in Peri-Urban Nairobi, Kenya: Quasi-Experimental Implementation Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Millar, Kathryn; Patel, Suha; Munson, Meghan; Vesel, Linda; Subbiah, Shalini; Jones, Rachel M; Little, Sarah; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Villar, Jose; Wegner, Mary Nell; Pearson, Nick; Muigai, Faith; Ongeti, Catherine; Langer, Ana

2018-06-22

The burden of preterm birth, fetal growth impairment, and associated neonatal deaths disproportionately falls on low- and middle-income countries where modern obstetric tools are not available to date pregnancies and monitor fetal growth accurately. The INTERGROWTH-21 st gestational dating, fetal growth monitoring, and newborn size at birth standards make this possible. To scale up the INTERGROWTH-21 st standards, it is essential to assess the feasibility and acceptability of their implementation and their effect on clinical decision-making in a low-resource clinical setting. This study protocol describes a pre-post, quasi-experimental implementation study of the standards at Jacaranda Health, a maternity hospital in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya. All women with viable fetuses receiving antenatal and delivery services, their resulting newborns, and the clinicians caring for them from March 2016 to March 2018 are included. The study comprises a 12-month preimplementation phase, a 12-month implementation phase, and a 5-month post-implementation phase to be completed in August 2018. Quantitative clinical and qualitative data collected during the preimplementation and implementation phases will be assessed. A clinician survey was administered eight months into the implementation phase, month 20 of the study. Implementation outcomes include quantitative and qualitative analyses of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, fidelity, and penetration of the standards. Clinical outcomes include appropriateness of referral and effect of the standards on clinical care and decision-making. Descriptive analyses will be conducted, and comparisons will be made between pre- and postimplementation outcomes. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic coding and compared across time. The study was approved by the Amref Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (Kenya) and the Harvard University Institutional Review Board. Study results will be shared with stakeholders

An Improved 6LoWPAN Hierarchical Routing Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue Li

2015-10-01

Full Text Available IETF 6LoWPAN working group is engaged in the IPv6 protocol stack research work based on IEEE802.15.4 standard. In this working group, the routing protocol is one of the important research contents. In the 6LoWPAN, HiLow is a well-known layered routing protocol. This paper puts forward an improved hierarchical routing protocol GHiLow by improving HiLow parent node selection and path restoration strategy. GHiLow improves the parent node selection by increasing the choice of parameters. Simutaneously, it also improves path recovery by analysing different situations to recovery path. Therefore, GHiLow contributes to the ehancement of network performance and the decrease of network energy consumption.

Standardized cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR protocols, society for cardiovascular magnetic resonance: board of trustees task force on standardized protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Raymond J

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Index 1. General techniques 1.1. Stress and safety equipment 1.2. Left ventricular (LV structure and function module 1.3. Right ventricular (RV structure and function module 1.4. Gadolinium dosing module. 1.5. First pass perfusion 1.6. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE 2. Disease specific protocols 2.1. Ischemic heart disease 2.1.1. Acute myocardial infarction (MI 2.1.2. Chronic ischemic heart disease and viability 2.1.3. Dobutamine stress 2.1.4. Adenosine stress perfusion 2.2. Angiography: 2.2.1. Peripheral magnetic resonance angiography (MRA 2.2.2. Thoracic MRA 2.2.3. Anomalous coronary arteries 2.2.4. Pulmonary vein evaluation 2.3. Other 2.3.1. Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy 2.3.2. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC 2.3.3. Congenital heart disease 2.3.4. Valvular heart disease 2.3.5. Pericardial disease 2.3.6. Masses

National protocol framework for the inventory and monitoring of bees

Science.gov (United States)

Droege, Sam; Engler, Joseph D.; Sellers, Elizabeth A.; Lee O'Brien,

2016-01-01

This national protocol framework is a standardized tool for the inventory and monitoring of the approximately 4,200 species of native and non-native bee species that may be found within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). However, this protocol framework may also be used by other organizations and individuals to monitor bees in any given habitat or location. Our goal is to provide USFWS stations within the NWRS (NWRS stations are land units managed by the USFWS such as national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, wetland management districts, conservation areas, leased lands, etc.) with techniques for developing an initial baseline inventory of what bee species are present on their lands and to provide an inexpensive, simple technique for monitoring bees continuously and for monitoring and evaluating long-term population trends and management impacts. The latter long-term monitoring technique requires a minimal time burden for the individual station, yet can provide a good statistical sample of changing populations that can be investigated at the station, regional, and national levels within the USFWS’ jurisdiction, and compared to other sites within the United States and Canada. This protocol framework was developed in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the USFWS, and a worldwide network of bee researchers who have investigated the techniques and methods for capturing bees and tracking population changes. The protocol framework evolved from field and lab-based investigations at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland starting in 2002 and was refined by a large number of USFWS, academic, and state groups. It includes a Protocol Introduction and a set of 8 Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs and adheres to national standards of protocol content and organization. The Protocol Narrative

Clinical trials of CCLSG L874 and I874 protocols without cranial irradiation for standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koizumi, Shoichi; Fujimoto, Takeo; Tsurusawa, Masahito

1992-01-01

In the CCLSG-874 protocol for children with low-risk (LR) and intermediate-risk (IR) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), two regimens with or without cranial irradiation (CI) were compared with respect to their ability to prevent central nervous system (CNS) leukemia and to improve overall outcome of ALL. From 1987 to 1990, 82 and 109 evaluable patients were registered into L874 and I874 protocols for LR and IR patients, respectively. All responders to induction therapy were randomized to treatment with 18 Gy of CI plus intrathecal methotrexate (MTX it) or to treatment with high-dose MTX plus MTX it. Patients were then treated with standard maintenance regimens of L874 and I874. At a median follow-up of 39 months (range 14-58 months) there was no difference in the rate of hematologic relapse between the CI group and MTX group. The rate of CNS relapse in the MTX group seemed to be higher (3 of 39 in L874 and 2 of 54 in I874) than that in the CI group (1 of 43 in L874 and 0 of 55 in I874), but these data were not statistically significant. The rates of 4-year event-free survival (EFS) in L874 were 81.1±7.6% (mean±SE) and 75.2±7.9% (ns) for the CI and MTX group, respectively, and the rates of EFS in I874 were 70.0±13.6% and 70.0±9.0% (ns) for the CI and MTX group, respectively. These data suggest that MTX alone may be as effective as CI to prolong disease-free survival in LR and IR ALL although further continuous studies are needed. Analysis of serial CCLSG protocols for ALL from 1981 revealed that the rate of EFS of ALL allover including all risk groups has gradually been increasing from 44.2±3.6% for 811 protocol and 53.1±3.5% for 841 to 65.5±3.6% for the present 874 protocol. (author)

Aligning research assessment in the Humanities to the national Standard Evaluation Protocol Challenges and developments in the Dutch research landscape

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prins, A.; Spaapen, J.; Van Vree, F

2016-07-01

The purpose of this session is a debate about innovation in comprehensive methods for the assessment of humanities research. Input will come from preliminary outcomes of an ongoing project in the Netherlands to find adequate indicators for humanities research that will fit in the national Standard Evaluation Protocol. The project includes processes of ‘bottom up’ data collection (that is, with input coming from the research community) and discussion with Humanities researchers, investigating the specific characteristics of publication and communication cultures in the Humanities, and the prospects for the use of quantitative and qualitative indicators. (Author)

Creating a Coordinated Game Plan: Improving Teamwork between Law Enforcement and the California National Guard

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Brooks, Robert E

2007-01-01

.... Emergency responders at the local and state level have frequent interaction, but clear protocols, guidelines and exercises are required to create the same level of teamwork with military assets...

ARQ Protocols in Cognitive Decode-and-Forward Relay Networks: Opportunities Gain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zongsheng Zhang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, two novel automatic-repeat-request (ARQ based protocols were proposed, which exploit coop- eration opportunity inherent in secondary retransmission to create access opportunities. If the signal was not decoded correctly in destination, another user can be acted as a relay to reduce retransmission rounds by relaying the signal. For comparison, we also propose a Direct ARQ Protocol. Specif- ically, we derive the exact closed-form outage probability of three protocols, which provides an effective means to evalu- ate the effects of several parameters. Moreover, we propose a new metric to evaluate the performance improvement for cognitive networks. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations were presented to validate the theory analysis, and a comparison is made among the three protocols.

Automated Planning Enables Complex Protocols on Liquid-Handling Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, Ellis; Rudolf, Fabian; Kaltenbach, Hans-Michael; Stelling, Jörg

2018-03-16

Robotic automation in synthetic biology is especially relevant for liquid handling to facilitate complex experiments. However, research tasks that are not highly standardized are still rarely automated in practice. Two main reasons for this are the substantial investments required to translate molecular biological protocols into robot programs, and the fact that the resulting programs are often too specific to be easily reused and shared. Recent developments of standardized protocols and dedicated programming languages for liquid-handling operations addressed some aspects of ease-of-use and portability of protocols. However, either they focus on simplicity, at the expense of enabling complex protocols, or they entail detailed programming, with corresponding skills and efforts required from the users. To reconcile these trade-offs, we developed Roboliq, a software system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) methods to integrate (i) generic formal, yet intuitive, protocol descriptions, (ii) complete, but usually hidden, programming capabilities, and (iii) user-system interactions to automatically generate executable, optimized robot programs. Roboliq also enables high-level specifications of complex tasks with conditional execution. To demonstrate the system's benefits for experiments that are difficult to perform manually because of their complexity, duration, or time-critical nature, we present three proof-of-principle applications for the reproducible, quantitative characterization of GFP variants.

Field Monitoring Protocol. Heat Pump Water Heaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sparn, B. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Earle, L. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Christensen, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Maguire, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wilson, E. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hancock, C. E. [Mountain Energy Partnership, Longmont, CO (United States)

2013-02-01

This document provides a standard field monitoring protocol for evaluating the installed performance of Heat Pump Water Heaters in residential buildings. The report is organized to be consistent with the chronology of field test planning and execution. Research questions are identified first, followed by a discussion of analysis methods, and then the details of measuring the required information are laid out. A field validation of the protocol at a house near the NREL campus is included for reference.

Field Monitoring Protocol: Heat Pump Water Heaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sparn, B.; Earle, L.; Christensen, D.; Maguire, J.; Wilson, E.; Hancock, E.

2013-02-01

This document provides a standard field monitoring protocol for evaluating the installed performance of Heat Pump Water Heaters in residential buildings. The report is organized to be consistent with the chronology of field test planning and execution. Research questions are identified first, followed by a discussion of analysis methods, and then the details of measuring the required information are laid out. A field validation of the protocol at a house near the NREL campus is included for reference.

Evaluation of svr: a wireless sensor network routing protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baloch, J.; Khanzada, T.J.S.

2014-01-01

The advancement in technology has made it possible to create small in size, low cost sensor nodes. However, the small size and low cost of such nodes comesat at price that is, reduced processing power, low memory and significantly small battery energy storage. WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks) are inherently ad hoc in nature and are assumed to work in the toughest terrain. The network lifetime plays a pivotal role in a wireless sensor network. A long network lifetime, could be achieved by either making significant changes in these low cost devices, which is not a feasible solution or by improving the means of communication throughout the network. The communication in such networks could be improved by employing energy efficient routing protocols, to route the data throughout the network. In this paper the SVR (Spatial Vector Routing) protocol is compared against the most common WSN routing protocols, and from the results it could be inferred that the SVR protocol out performs its counterparts. The protocol provides an energy efficient means of communication in the network. (author)

The international protocol for the dosimetry of external radiotherapy beams based on standards of absorbed dose to water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreo, P.

2001-01-01

An International Code of Practice (CoP, or dosimetry protocol) for external beam radiotherapy dosimetry based on standards of absorbed dose to water has been published by the IAEA on behalf of IAEA, WHO, PAHO and ESTRO. The CoP provides a systematic and internationally unified approach for the determination of the absorbed dose to water in reference conditions with radiotherapy beams. The development of absorbed-dose-to-water standards for high-energy photons and electrons offers the possibility of reducing the uncertainty in the dosimetry of radiotherapy beams. Many laboratories already provide calibrations at the radiation quality of 60Co gamma-rays and some have extended calibrations to high-energy photon and electron beams. The dosimetry of kilovoltage x-rays, as well as that of proton and ion beams can also be based on these standards. Thus, a coherent dosimetry system based on the same formalism is achieved for practically all radiotherapy beams. The practical use of the CoP as simple. The document is formed by a set of different CoPs for each radiation type, which include detailed procedures and worksheets. All CoPs are based on ND,w chamber calibrations at a reference beam quality Qo, together with radiation beam quality correction factors kQ preferably measured directly for the user's chamber in a standards laboratory. Calculated values of kQ are provided together with their uncertainty estimates. Beam quality specifiers are 60Co, TPR20,10 (high-energy photons), R50 (electrons), HVL and kV (x-rays) and Rres (protons and ions) [es

On shaky ground - A study of security vulnerabilities in control protocols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byres, E. J. [Wurldtech Research Inc., 7178 Lancrest Tr., Lantzville, BC V0R 2H0 (Canada); Huffman, D. [Wurldtech Analytics Inc., 208-1040 Hamilton St., Vancouver, BC V6B 2R9 (Canada); Kube, N. [Univ. of Victoria, Dept. of Computer Science, PO Box 3055 STN CSC, Victoria BC V8W 3P6 (Canada)

2006-07-01

The recent introduction of information technologies such as Ethernet R into nuclear industry control devices has resulted in significantly less isolation from the outside world. This raises the question of whether these systems could be attacked by malware, network hackers or professional criminals to cause disruption to critical operations in a manner similar to the impacts now felt in the business world. To help answer this question, a study was undertaken to test a representative control protocol to determine if it had vulnerabilities that could be exploited. A framework was created in which a test could express a large number of test cases in very compact formal language. This in turn, allowed for the economical automation of both the generation of selectively malformed protocol traffic and the measurement of device under test's (DUT) behavior in response to this traffic. Approximately 5000 protocol conformance tests were run against two major brands of industrial controller. More than 60 categories of errors were discovered, the majority of which were in the form of incorrect error responses to malformed traffic. Several malformed packets however, caused the device to respond or communicate in inappropriate ways. These would be relatively simple for an attacker to inject into a system and could result in the plant operator losing complete view or control of the control device. Based on this relatively small set of devices, we believe that the nuclear industry urgently needs to adopt better security robustness testing of control devices as standard practice. (authors)

On shaky ground - A study of security vulnerabilities in control protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byres, E. J.; Huffman, D.; Kube, N.

2006-01-01

The recent introduction of information technologies such as Ethernet R into nuclear industry control devices has resulted in significantly less isolation from the outside world. This raises the question of whether these systems could be attacked by malware, network hackers or professional criminals to cause disruption to critical operations in a manner similar to the impacts now felt in the business world. To help answer this question, a study was undertaken to test a representative control protocol to determine if it had vulnerabilities that could be exploited. A framework was created in which a test could express a large number of test cases in very compact formal language. This in turn, allowed for the economical automation of both the generation of selectively malformed protocol traffic and the measurement of device under test's (DUT) behavior in response to this traffic. Approximately 5000 protocol conformance tests were run against two major brands of industrial controller. More than 60 categories of errors were discovered, the majority of which were in the form of incorrect error responses to malformed traffic. Several malformed packets however, caused the device to respond or communicate in inappropriate ways. These would be relatively simple for an attacker to inject into a system and could result in the plant operator losing complete view or control of the control device. Based on this relatively small set of devices, we believe that the nuclear industry urgently needs to adopt better security robustness testing of control devices as standard practice. (authors)

Wireless networking for the dental office: current wireless standards and security protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Mupparapu, Muralidhar; Arora, Sarika

2004-11-15

Digital radiography has gained immense popularity in dentistry today in spite of the early difficulty for the profession to embrace the technology. The transition from film to digital has been happening at a faster pace in the fields of Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Endodontics, Periodontics, and other specialties where the radiographic images (periapical, bitewing, panoramic, cephalometric, and skull radiographs) are being acquired digitally, stored within a server locally, and eventually accessed for diagnostic purposes, along with the rest of the patient data via the patient management software (PMS). A review of the literature shows the diagnostic performance of digital radiography is at least comparable to or even better than that of conventional radiography. Similarly, other digital diagnostic tools like caries detectors, cephalometric analysis software, and digital scanners were used for many years for the diagnosis and treatment planning purposes. The introduction of wireless charged-coupled device (CCD) sensors in early 2004 (Schick Technologies, Long Island City, NY) has moved digital radiography a step further into the wireless era. As with any emerging technology, there are concerns that should be looked into before adapting to the wireless environment. Foremost is the network security involved in the installation and usage of these wireless networks. This article deals with the existing standards and choices in wireless technologies that are available for implementation within a contemporary dental office. The network security protocols that protect the patient data and boost the efficiency of modern day dental clinics are enumerated.

State Standard-Setting Processes in Brief. State Academic Standards: Standard-Setting Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Concerns about academic standards, whether created by states from scratch or adopted by states under the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) banner, have drawn widespread media attention and are at the top of many state policymakers' priority lists. Recently, a number of legislatures have required additional steps, such as waiting periods for…

Evaluation of video transmission of MAC protocols in wireless sensor network

Science.gov (United States)

Maulidin, Mahmuddin, M.; Kamaruddin, L. M.; Elsaikh, Mohamed

2016-08-01

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a wireless network which consists of sensor nodes scattered in a particular area which are used to monitor physical or environment condition. Each node in WSN is also scattered in sensor field, so an appropriate scheme of MAC protocol should have to develop communication link for data transferring. Video transmission is one of the important applications for the future that can be transmitted with low aspect in side of cost and also power consumption. In this paper, comparison of five different MAC WSN protocol for video transmission namely IEEE 802.11 standard, IEEE 802.15.4 standard, CSMA/CA, Berkeley-MAC, and Lightweight-MAC protocol are studied. Simulation experiment has been conducted in OMNeT++ with INET network simulator software to evaluate the performance. Obtained results indicate that IEEE 802.11 works better than other protocol in term of packet delivery, throughput, and latency.

Creating an outpatient center of excellence in CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Itri, Jason N; Bakow, Eric; Woods, Jordan

2014-12-01

CT examinations represent a substantial portion of the workload for many radiology departments, and optimizing service delivery is a critical function to ensure customer satisfaction. This article describes how the Six Sigma methodology was used in the radiology department at a large academic hospital to improve the patient experience and increase CT capacity while reducing waste and improving staff satisfaction. The 5 distinct phases of Six Sigma are reviewed as they apply to our CT Center of Excellence project: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. Process metrics used in this project include the percentage of outpatient CT exams started within 5 minutes of the scheduled appointment time, and the number of studies with protocols selected >48 hours before the CT exam is performed. Outcome metrics include monthly department expense per scan and CT Press Ganey "standard test and treatment" mean scores. An approach to developing interventions is described based on identifying critical sources of variation, ranking these by creating risk prioritization numbers, performing root cause analysis, and utilizing the failure mode and effects analysis tool to prioritize possible solutions. Finally, the key features of action plans and a control plan are reviewed. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous validation of the Grandway MD2301 digital automatic blood pressure monitor by the British Hypertension Society and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/the International Organization for Standardization protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jinhua; Wang, Yun; Liu, Zhaoying; Wang, Yuling

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Grandway MD2301 digital automatic blood pressure monitor by the British Hypertension Society (BHS) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) protocols. A total of 85 participants were included for evaluation based on the requirements of the BHS and the AAMI/ISO protocols. The validation procedure and data analysis followed the protocols precisely. The device achieved A/A grading for the BHS protocol and maintained A/A grading throughout the low, medium and high blood pressure ranges. The device also fulfilled the requirement of the AAMI/ISO protocol with device-observer differences of -0.9±5.6 and 0.8±5.2 mmHg for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, for criterion 1, and -0.9±4.7 and 0.8±4.2 mmHg, respectively, for criterion 2. The Grandway MD2301 digital automatic blood pressure monitor achieved A/A grade of the BHS protocol and passed the requirements of the AAMI/ISO protocol in adults.

Test Protocols for Advanced Inverter Interoperability Functions – Main Document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Jay Dean [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gonzalez, Sigifredo [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ralph, Mark E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ellis, Abraham [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Broderick, Robert Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2013-11-01

Distributed energy resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, when deployed in a large scale, are capable of influencing significantly the operation of power systems. Looking to the future, stakeholders are working on standards to make it possible to manage the potentially complex interactions between DER and the power system. In 2009, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) initiated a large industry collaborative to identify and standardize definitions for a set of DER grid support functions. While the initial effort concentrated on grid-tied PV inverters and energy storage systems, the concepts have applicability to all DER. A partial product of this on-going effort is a reference definitions document (IEC TR 61850-90-7, Object models for power converters in distributed energy resources (DER) systems) that has become a basis for expansion of related International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and is supported by US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). Some industry-led organizations advancing communications protocols have also embraced this work. As standards continue to evolve, it is necessary to develop test protocols to independently verify that the inverters are properly executing the advanced functions. Interoperability is assured by establishing common definitions for the functions and a method to test compliance with operational requirements. This document describes test protocols developed by SNL to evaluate the electrical performance and operational capabilities of PV inverters and energy storage, as described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. While many of these functions are not currently required by existing grid codes or may not be widely available commercially, the industry is rapidly moving in that direction. Interoperability issues are already

Bridging the gap in complementary and alternative medicine research: manualization as a means of promoting standardization and flexibility of treatment in clinical trials of acupuncture.

Science.gov (United States)

Schnyer, Rosa N; Allen, John J B

2002-10-01

An important methodological challenge encountered in acupuncture clinical research involves the design of treatment protocols that help ensure standardization and replicability while allowing for the necessary flexibility to tailor treatments to each individual. Manualization of protocols used in clinical trials of acupuncture and other traditionally-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) systems facilitates the systematic delivery of replicable and standardized, yet individually-tailored treatments. To facilitate high-quality CAM acupuncture research by outlining a method for the systematic design and implementation of protocols used in CAM clinical trials based on the concept of treatment manualization. A series of treatment manuals was developed to systematically articulate the Chinese medical theoretical and clinical framework for a given Western-defined illness, to increase the quality and consistency of treatment, and to standardize the technical aspects of the protocol. In all, three manuals were developed for National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded clinical trials of acupuncture for depression, spasticity in cerebral palsy, and repetitive stress injury. In Part I, the rationale underlying these manuals and the challenges encountered in creating them are discussed, and qualitative assessments of their utility are provided. In Part II, a methodology to develop treatment manuals for use in clinical trials is detailed, and examples are given. A treatment manual provides a precise way to train and supervise practitioners, enable evaluation of conformity and competence, facilitate the training process, and increase the ability to identify the active therapeutic ingredients in clinical trials of acupuncture.

A cross-platform survey of CT image quality and dose from routine abdomen protocols and a method to systematically standardize image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favazza, Christopher P; Duan, Xinhui; Zhang, Yi; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M; Bruesewitz, Michael R; McCollough, Cynthia H

2015-01-01

Through this investigation we developed a methodology to evaluate and standardize CT image quality from routine abdomen protocols across different manufacturers and models. The influence of manufacturer-specific automated exposure control systems on image quality was directly assessed to standardize performance across a range of patient sizes. We evaluated 16 CT scanners across our health system, including Siemens, GE, and Toshiba models. Using each practice’s routine abdomen protocol, we measured spatial resolution, image noise, and scanner radiation output (CTDI vol ). Axial and in-plane spatial resolutions were assessed through slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements, respectively. Image noise and CTDI vol values were obtained for three different phantom sizes. SSP measurements demonstrated a bimodal distribution in slice widths: an average of 6.2  ±  0.2 mm using GE’s ‘Plus’ mode reconstruction setting and 5.0  ±  0.1 mm for all other scanners. MTF curves were similar for all scanners. Average spatial frequencies at 50%, 10%, and 2% MTF values were 3.24  ±  0.37, 6.20  ±  0.34, and 7.84  ±  0.70 lp cm −1 , respectively. For all phantom sizes, image noise and CTDI vol varied considerably: 6.5–13.3 HU (noise) and 4.8–13.3 mGy (CTDI vol ) for the smallest phantom; 9.1–18.4 HU and 9.3–28.8 mGy for the medium phantom; and 7.8–23.4 HU and 16.0–48.1 mGy for the largest phantom. Using these measurements and benchmark SSP, MTF, and image noise targets, CT image quality can be standardized across a range of patient sizes. (paper)

A cross-platform survey of CT image quality and dose from routine abdomen protocols and a method to systematically standardize image quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Favazza, Christopher P; Duan, Xinhui; Zhang, Yi; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M; Bruesewitz, Michael R; McCollough, Cynthia H

2015-11-07

Through this investigation we developed a methodology to evaluate and standardize CT image quality from routine abdomen protocols across different manufacturers and models. The influence of manufacturer-specific automated exposure control systems on image quality was directly assessed to standardize performance across a range of patient sizes. We evaluated 16 CT scanners across our health system, including Siemens, GE, and Toshiba models. Using each practice's routine abdomen protocol, we measured spatial resolution, image noise, and scanner radiation output (CTDIvol). Axial and in-plane spatial resolutions were assessed through slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements, respectively. Image noise and CTDIvol values were obtained for three different phantom sizes. SSP measurements demonstrated a bimodal distribution in slice widths: an average of 6.2  ±  0.2 mm using GE's 'Plus' mode reconstruction setting and 5.0  ±  0.1 mm for all other scanners. MTF curves were similar for all scanners. Average spatial frequencies at 50%, 10%, and 2% MTF values were 3.24  ±  0.37, 6.20  ±  0.34, and 7.84  ±  0.70 lp cm(-1), respectively. For all phantom sizes, image noise and CTDIvol varied considerably: 6.5-13.3 HU (noise) and 4.8-13.3 mGy (CTDIvol) for the smallest phantom; 9.1-18.4 HU and 9.3-28.8 mGy for the medium phantom; and 7.8-23.4 HU and 16.0-48.1 mGy for the largest phantom. Using these measurements and benchmark SSP, MTF, and image noise targets, CT image quality can be standardized across a range of patient sizes.

Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

2013-01-01

The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose. (paper)

Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology.

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

2013-06-01

The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose.

Efficacy of Low-Dose Protocol in Follow-Up of Lymphoproliferative Disorders - Preliminary Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popic-Ramac, J.; Brnic, Z.; Klasic, B.; Hebrang, A.; Knezevic, Z.

2011-01-01

Most medically-related radiation is caused by diagnostic examinations, in particular by computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this research is to reduce radiation doses faced by the population frequently exposed to such procedures-those with lymphoproliferative disorders. The research was conducted comparing radiation-exposition doses received by the radiosensitive organs (thyroid, lens, breast and gonad) using the standard thoracic CT protocol with the radiation received using the low-dose protocol, while maintaining display quality. The standard-dose thoracic protocol implies 120 kV and 150 mAs. The low-dose protocol was conducted on the same device using 120 kV and 30 mAs. We confirmed the hypothesis that the use of the low-dose thoracic CT protocol leads to a reduction in radiation dose without compromising display quality. It is further expected that a reduction in doses will reduce the risk of radiation-related mutations. (author)

Efficacy of 2 finishing protocols in the quality of orthodontic treatment outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Gregory J; McNamara, James A; Baccetti, Tiziano

2011-11-01

The objectives of this prospective clinical study were to evaluate the quality of treatment outcomes achieved with a complex orthodontic finishing protocol involving serpentine wires and a tooth positioner, and to compare it with the outcomes of a standard finishing protocol involving archwire bends used to detail the occlusion near the end of active treatment. The complex finishing protocol sample consisted of 34 consecutively treated patients; 1 week before debonding, their molar bands were removed, and serpentine wires were placed; this was followed by active wear of a tooth positioner for up to 1 month after debonding. The standard finishing protocol group consisted of 34 patients; their dental arches were detailed with archwire bends and vertical elastics. The objective grading system of the American Board of Orthodontics was used to quantify the quality of the finish at each time point. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare changes in the complex finishing protocol; the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare changes between groups. The complex finishing protocol group experienced a clinically significant improvement in objective grading system scores after treatment with the positioner. Mild improvement in posterior space closure was noted after molar band removal, but no improvement in the occlusion was observed after placement of the serpentine wires. Patients managed with the complex finishing protocol also had a lower objective grading system score (14.7) at the end of active treatment than did patients undergoing the standard finishing protocol (23.0). Tooth positioners caused a clinically significant improvement in interocclusal contacts, interproximal contacts, and net objective grading system score; mild improvement in posterior band space was noted after molar band removal 1 week before debond. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Review of Communications Protocol for Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Ruddin Ab. Ghani

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper reviewed all the possible interfacing communication protocols for remote terminal unit (RTU. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA system is a central station that can communicate with other network using the protocol. Fundamentally, the architectures of all networks are based on the seven layers of open system interconnection (OSI and International Standard Organization (ISO. The objective of designing the protocols is to check the status of all the input and output field devices and send the report according to that status. The corresponding protocol and communication parameters between the connecting devices will be included in designing a complex SCADA system. The available protocols to develop the communication of RTU are Modbus/ASCII, distributed network protocol (DNP3, controller area network (CAN, International Electro-technical Commission (IEC 60870, transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP.

Audit protocol of compliance test on x-ray and interventional radiodiagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endang Kunarsih; Fitria Sandra

2011-01-01

Testing protocol is a document that defined and implemented by the testing agency in conducting compliance testing to ensure that quality of testing implementation is planned and controlled in accordance with applicable regulations and standards. Testing protocol is required in filing an application to be a qualified testing agency. Auditors will review the testing protocol document to assess adequacy of the acceptance criteria before proceed to the next process. This paper presents the acceptance criteria required in an audit of the testing protocol document from the applicant of testing agency. (author)

Protocol for Communication Networking for Formation Flying

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Esther; Okino, Clayton; Gao, Jay; Clare, Loren

2009-01-01

An application-layer protocol and a network architecture have been proposed for data communications among multiple autonomous spacecraft that are required to fly in a precise formation in order to perform scientific observations. The protocol could also be applied to other autonomous vehicles operating in formation, including robotic aircraft, robotic land vehicles, and robotic underwater vehicles. A group of spacecraft or other vehicles to which the protocol applies could be characterized as a precision-formation- flying (PFF) network, and each vehicle could be characterized as a node in the PFF network. In order to support precise formation flying, it would be necessary to establish a corresponding communication network, through which the vehicles could exchange position and orientation data and formation-control commands. The communication network must enable communication during early phases of a mission, when little positional knowledge is available. Particularly during early mission phases, the distances among vehicles may be so large that communication could be achieved only by relaying across multiple links. The large distances and need for omnidirectional coverage would limit communication links to operation at low bandwidth during these mission phases. Once the vehicles were in formation and distances were shorter, the communication network would be required to provide high-bandwidth, low-jitter service to support tight formation-control loops. The proposed protocol and architecture, intended to satisfy the aforementioned and other requirements, are based on a standard layered-reference-model concept. The proposed application protocol would be used in conjunction with conventional network, data-link, and physical-layer protocols. The proposed protocol includes the ubiquitous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 medium access control (MAC) protocol to be used in the datalink layer. In addition to its widespread and proven use in

Delineation of upper urinary tract segments at MDCT urography in patients with extra-urinary mass lesions: retrospective comparison of standard and low-dose protocols for the excretory phase of imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Lisse, Ulrike L. [University of Munich, Department of Urology, Munich (Germany); University of Munich Medical School, Department of Urology, Muenchen (Germany); Coppenrath, Eva M.; Meindl, Thomas; Degenhart, Christoph; Scherr, Michael K.; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Mueller-Lisse, Ullrich G. [University of Munich, Department of Radiology, Munich (Germany); Stief, Christian G. [University of Munich, Department of Urology, Munich (Germany)

2011-02-15

Excretory-phase CT urography (CTU) may replace excretory urography in patients without urinary tumors. However, radiation exposure is a concern. We retrospectively compared upper urinary tract (UUT) delineation in low-dose and standard CTU. CTU (1-2 phases, 120 KV, 4 x 2.5 mm, pitch 0.875, i.v. non-ionic contrast media, iodine 36 g) was obtained with standard (14 patients, n = 27 UUTs, average 175.6 mAs/slice, average delay 16.8 min) or low-dose (26 patients, n = 86 UUTs, 29 mAs/slice, average delay 19.6 min) protocols. UUT was segmented into intrarenal collecting system (IRCS), upper, middle, and lower ureter (UU,MU,LU). Two independent readers (R1,R2) graded UUT segments as 1-not delineated, 2-partially delineated, 3-completely delineated (noisy margins), 4-completely delineated (clear margins). Chi-square statistics were calculated for partial versus complete delineation and complete delineation (clear margins), respectively. Complete delineation of UUT was similar in standard and low-dose CTU (R1, p > 0.15; R2, p > 0.2). IRCS, UU, and MU clearly delineated similarly often in standard and low-dose CTU (R1, p > 0.25; R2, p > 0.1). LU clearly delineated more often in standard protocols (R1, 18/6 standard, 38/31 low-dose, p > 0.1; R2 18/6 standard, 21/48 low-dose, p < 0.05). Low-dose CTU sufficiently delineated course of UUT and may locate obstruction/dilation, but appears unlikely to find intraluminal LU lesions. (orig.)

A novel protocol for dispatcher assisted CPR improves CPR quality and motivation among rescuers-A randomized controlled simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Stinne Eika; Nebsbjerg, Mette Amalie; Krogh, Lise Qvirin; Bjørnshave, Katrine; Krogh, Kristian; Povlsen, Jonas Agerlund; Riddervold, Ingunn Skogstad; Grøfte, Thorbjørn; Kirkegaard, Hans; Løfgren, Bo

2017-01-01

Emergency dispatchers use protocols to instruct bystanders in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Studies changing one element in the dispatcher's protocol report improved CPR quality. Whether several changes interact is unknown and the effect of combining multiple changes previously reported to improve CPR quality into one protocol remains to be investigated. We hypothesize that a novel dispatch protocol, combining multiple beneficial elements improves CPR quality compared with a standard protocol. A novel dispatch protocol was designed including wording on chest compressions, using a metronome, regular encouragements and a 10-s rest each minute. In a simulated cardiac arrest scenario, laypersons were randomized to perform single-rescuer CPR guided with the novel or the standard protocol. a composite endpoint of time to first compression, hand position, compression depth and rate and hands-off time (maximum score: 22 points). Afterwards participants answered a questionnaire evaluating the dispatcher assistance. The novel protocol (n=61) improved CPR quality score compared with the standard protocol (n=64) (mean (SD): 18.6 (1.4)) points vs. 17.5 (1.7) points, pCPR. A novel bundle of care protocol improved CPR quality score and motivation among rescuers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Broadcasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: Three Classes of Adaptive Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D. Colagrosso

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Because adaptability greatly improves the performance of a broadcast protocol, we identify three ways in which machine learning can be applied to broadcasting in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET. We chose broadcasting because it functions as a foundation of MANET communication. Unicast, multicast, and geocast protocols utilize broadcasting as a building block, providing important control and route establishment functionality. Therefore, any improvements to the process of broadcasting can be immediately realized by higher-level MANET functionality and applications. While efficient broadcast protocols have been proposed, no single broadcasting protocol works well in all possible MANET conditions. Furthermore, protocols tend to fail catastrophically in severe network environments. Our three classes of adaptive protocols are pure machine learning, intra-protocol learning, and inter-protocol learning. In the pure machine learning approach, we exhibit a new approach to the design of a broadcast protocol: the decision of whether to rebroadcast a packet is cast as a classification problem. Each mobile node (MN builds a classifier and trains it on data collected from the network environment. Using intra-protocol learning, each MN consults a simple machine model for the optimal value of one of its free parameters. Lastly, in inter-protocol learning, MNs learn to switch between different broadcasting protocols based on network conditions. For each class of learning method, we create a prototypical protocol and examine its performance in simulation.

Intelligent Broadcasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: Three Classes of Adaptive Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colagrosso Michael D

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Because adaptability greatly improves the performance of a broadcast protocol, we identify three ways in which machine learning can be applied to broadcasting in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET. We chose broadcasting because it functions as a foundation of MANET communication. Unicast, multicast, and geocast protocols utilize broadcasting as a building block, providing important control and route establishment functionality. Therefore, any improvements to the process of broadcasting can be immediately realized by higher-level MANET functionality and applications. While efficient broadcast protocols have been proposed, no single broadcasting protocol works well in all possible MANET conditions. Furthermore, protocols tend to fail catastrophically in severe network environments. Our three classes of adaptive protocols are pure machine learning, intra-protocol learning, and inter-protocol learning. In the pure machine learning approach, we exhibit a new approach to the design of a broadcast protocol: the decision of whether to rebroadcast a packet is cast as a classification problem. Each mobile node (MN builds a classifier and trains it on data collected from the network environment. Using intra-protocol learning, each MN consults a simple machine model for the optimal value of one of its free parameters. Lastly, in inter-protocol learning, MNs learn to switch between different broadcasting protocols based on network conditions. For each class of learning method, we create a prototypical protocol and examine its performance in simulation.

Validation of the G.LAB MD2200 wrist blood pressure monitor according to the European Society of Hypertension, the British Hypertension Society, and the International Organization for Standardization Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ze-Yu; Zhang, Qing-Han; Ye, Xiao-Lei; Liu, Da-Peng; Cheng, Kang; Zhang, Chun-Hai; Wan, Yi

2017-04-01

To validate the G.LAB MD2200 automated wrist blood pressure (BP) monitors according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol (ESH-IP) revision 2010, the British Hypertension Society (BHS), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 81060-2:2013 protocols. The device was assessed on 33 participants according to the ESH requirements and was then tested on 85 participants according to the BHS and ISO 81060-2:2013 criteria. The validation procedures and data analysis followed the protocols precisely. The G.LAB MD2200 devices passed all parts of ESH-IP revision 2010 for both systolic and diastolic BP, with a device-observer difference of 2.15±5.51 and 1.51±5.16 mmHg, respectively. The device achieved A/A grading for the BHS protocol and it also fulfilled the criteria of ISO 81060-2:2013, with mean differences of systolic and diastolic BP between the device and the observer of 2.19±5.21 and 2.11±4.70 mmHg, respectively. The G.LAB MD2200 automated wrist BP monitor passed the ESH-IP revision 2010 and the ISO 81060-2:2013 protocol, and achieved the A/A grade of the BHS protocol, which can be recommended for self-measurement in the general population.

Implementation of a Rapid, Protocol-based TIA Management Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarhult, Susann J; Howell, Melissa L; Barnaure-Nachbar, Isabelle; Chang, Yuchiao; White, Benjamin A; Amatangelo, Mary; Brown, David F; Singhal, Aneesh B; Schwamm, Lee H; Silverman, Scott B; Goldstein, Joshua N

2018-03-01

Our goal was to assess whether use of a standardized clinical protocol improves efficiency for patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of transient ischemic attack (TIA). We performed a structured, retrospective, cohort study at a large, urban, tertiary care academic center. In July 2012 this hospital implemented a standardized protocol for patients with suspected TIA. The protocol selected high-risk patients for admission and low/intermediate-risk patients to an ED observation unit for workup. Recommended workup included brain imaging, vascular imaging, cardiac monitoring, and observation. Patients were included if clinical providers determined the need for workup for TIA. We included consecutive patients presenting during a six-month period prior to protocol implementation, and those presenting between 6-12 months after implementation. Outcomes included ED length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, use of neuroimaging, and 90-day risk of stroke or TIA. From 01/2012 to 06/2012, 130 patients were evaluated for TIA symptoms in the ED, and from 01/2013 to 06/2013, 150 patients. The final diagnosis was TIA or stroke in 45% before vs. 41% after (p=0.18). Following the intervention, the inpatient admission rate decreased from 62% to 24% (pTIA among those with final diagnosis of TIA was 3% for both periods. Implementation of a TIA protocol significantly reduced ED LOS and total hospital LOS.

Network protocols. Special issue; Netwerkprotocollen. Themanummer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, G.A. [RTB Van Heugten, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Rooijakkers, G.W.J. [GTI Building Automation, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Peterse, A. [Regel Partners, Hoevelaken (Netherlands); Smits, P. [Konnex Nederland, Valkenswaard (Netherlands); Hamers, E.P. [Van Dorp Installaties, Breda (Netherlands); Van der Velden, J.A.J. [Kropman, Rijswijk (Netherlands); Van Lingen, G.; Wijn, D.M. [Engineer Johnson Controls, Gorinchem (Netherlands); Deckere, W.J.M.A. [Deerns raadgevende ingenieurs, Rijswijk (Netherlands); Driessen, B. [Saia Burgess, Gouda (Netherlands); Van Olst, K. [K en R Consultants, Deventer (Netherlands); Mosterman, F. [Wago Building Technology, Harderwijk (Netherlands); Staub, R. [BUS-House, Zuerich (Switzerland); Meiring, O.B.; Hut, W.H. [Sauter Building Control Nederland, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Tukker, A. [Webeasy Products, Sliedrecht (Netherlands); Bakker, L.G.; Soethout, L.L.; Elkhuizen, P.A. [TNO Bouw en Ondergrond, Delft (Netherlands); Haeseler, U. [TAC GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Kerdel, J.F. [Siemens Building Technologies, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Lugt, G.L.; Draijer, G.W.

2007-11-15

In 20 articles attention is paid to several aspects of network protocols by means of which building automation systems can exchange data: building automation and management, history of technical installations management, the open communication standard BACnet (Building Automation and Control network), the so-called ISO/IEC domotics and communication standard KNX or Konnex, the integration of electrotechnical and engineering installations by the LonWorks technology, other standard protocols as Modbus, M-bus, OPC (OLE for Process Control), an outline of TCP/IP, smart design of networks, automation and networks and building owners, the use of BACnet and Ethernet in a renovated office building, the use of an open management network in buildings, wireless open integrated systems, terminology in network communication, the use of BACnet in combination with KNX, the impact of BACnet on building automation, the role of the installation sector in the ICT-environment, knowledge of building automation and management, regulations with respect to building automation, and BACnet MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol) [Dutch] In 20 artikelen wordt in dit themanummer aandacht besteed aan diverse aspecten m.b.t. netwerkprotocollen waarmee verschillende automatiseringssystemen gegevens met elkaar uitwisselen: gebouwautomatisering en beheer, geschiedenis van technisch installatie beheer, de open communicatie standaard BACnet (Building Automation and Control network), de zogenaamde ISO/IEC domotica en communicatie standaard KNX of Konnex, de integratie van electrotechnische en werktuigbouwkundige installaties met behulp van de LonWorks technologie, andere standaard protocollen zoals Modbus, M-bus, OPC (OLE for Process Control), uitleg over TCP/IP, slim ontwerpen van netwerken, gebouweigenaren over automatisering en netwerken, het gebruik van BACnet en Ethernet in een tot kantoorgebouw gerenoveerd monumentaal gebouw, het gebruik van een open management netwerk in gebouwen, draadloos met

Ad-Hoc vs. Standardized and Optimized Arthropod Diversity Sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Cardoso

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The use of standardized and optimized protocols has been recently advocated for different arthropod taxa instead of ad-hoc sampling or sampling with protocols defined on a case-by-case basis. We present a comparison of both sampling approaches applied for spiders in a natural area of Portugal. Tests were made to their efficiency, over-collection of common species, singletons proportions, species abundance distributions, average specimen size, average taxonomic distinctness and behavior of richness estimators. The standardized protocol revealed three main advantages: (1 higher efficiency; (2 more reliable estimations of true richness; and (3 meaningful comparisons between undersampled areas.

Writing Interview Protocols and Conducting Interviews: Tips for Students New to the Field of Qualitative Research

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Stacy A.; Furgerson, S. Paige

2012-01-01

Students new to doing qualitative research in the ethnographic and oral traditions, often have difficulty creating successful interview protocols. This article offers practical suggestions for students new to qualitative research for both writing interview protocol that elicit useful data and for conducting the interview. This piece was originally…

Creating experimental color harmony map

Science.gov (United States)

Chamaret, Christel; Urban, Fabrice; Lepinel, Josselin

2014-02-01

Starting in the 17th century with Newton, color harmony is a topic that did not reach a consensus on definition, representation or modeling so far. Previous work highlighted specific characteristics for color harmony on com- bination of color doublets or triplets by means of a human rating on a harmony scale. However, there were no investigation involving complex stimuli or pointing out how harmony is spatially located within a picture. The modeling of such concept as well as a reliable ground-truth would be of high value for the community, since the applications are wide and concern several communities: from psychology to computer graphics. We propose a protocol for creating color harmony maps from a controlled experiment. Through an eye-tracking protocol, we focus on the identification of disharmonious colors in pictures. The experiment was composed of a free viewing pass in order to let the observer be familiar with the content before a second pass where we asked "to search for the most disharmonious areas in the picture". Twenty-seven observers participated to the experiments that was composed of a total of 30 different stimuli. The high inter-observer agreement as well as a cross-validation confirm the validity of the proposed ground-truth.

IMHRP: Improved Multi-Hop Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jianhua; Ruan, Danwei; Hong, Yadong; Zhao, Ziming; Zheng, Hong

2017-10-01

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a self-organizing system formed by a large number of low-cost sensor nodes through wireless communication. Sensor nodes collect environmental information and transmit it to the base station (BS). Sensor nodes usually have very limited battery energy. The batteries cannot be charged or replaced. Therefore, it is necessary to design an energy efficient routing protocol to maximize the network lifetime. This paper presents an improved multi-hop routing protocol (IMHRP) for homogeneous networks. In the IMHRP protocol, based on the distances to the BS, the CH nodes are divided into internal CH nodes and external CH nodes. The set-up phase of the protocol is based on the LEACH protocol and the minimum distance between CH nodes are limited to a special constant distance, so a more uniform distribution of CH nodes is achieved. In the steady-state phase, the routes of different CH nodes are created on the basis of the distances between the CH nodes. The energy efficiency of communication can be maximized. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can more effectively reduce the energy consumption of each round and prolong the network lifetime compared with LEACH protocol and MHT protocol.

Do semantic standards lack quality? A survey among 34 semantic standards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Folmer, E.J.A.; Oude Luttighuis, P.H.W.M.; Hillegersberg, J. van

2011-01-01

The adoption of standards to improve interoperability in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and other sectors could save billions. While interoperability standards have been created for a number of industries, problems persist, suggesting a lack of quality of the standards themselves. The issue

Do semantic standards lack quality? A survey among 34 semantic standards.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Folmer, Erwin Johan Albert; Oude Luttighuis, Paul; van Hillegersberg, Jos

2011-01-01

The adoption of standards to improve interoperability in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and other sectors could save billions. While interoperability standards have been created for a number of industries, problems persist, suggesting a lack of quality of the standards themselves. The issue

Variability in donation after cardiac death protocols: a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Fugate, Jennifer E; Stadtler, Maria; Rabinstein, Alejandro A; Wijdicks, Eelco F M

2011-02-27

As donation after cardiac death practices expand, the number of institutional policies is increasing. We contacted organ procurement organizations throughout the United States and requested protocols in hospitals in their donor service areas. Sixty-four protocols were obtained with representation from 16 different states. The terminology and recommended practices varied substantially. The methods for death determination were not specified in 28 (44%) protocols. Most adhered to a 2- to 5-min observation time between circulatory arrest and organ procurement, but 10 (16%) provided no information. This variability reveals a need to define a uniform standard in donation after cardiac death protocols and death determination practices.

[Protocol for the study of bone tumours and standardization of pathology reports].

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Isidro; Pozo, José Juan; Marcilla, David; Cruz, Julia; Tardío, Juan C; Astudillo, Aurora; Bagué, Sílvia

Primary bone neoplasms represent a rare and heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumours. The prevalence of benign and malignant tumours varies; the latter (sarcomas) account for less than 0.2% of all malignant tumours. Primary bone neoplasms are usually diagnosed and classified according to the criteria established and published by the World Health Organization (WHO 2013). These criteria are a result of advances in molecular pathology, which complements the histopathological diagnosis. Bone tumours should be diagnosed and treated in referral centers by a multidisciplinary team including pathologists, radiologists, orthopedic surgeons and oncologists. We analyzed different national and international protocols in order to provide a guide of recommendations for the improvement of pathological evaluation and management of bone tumours. We include specific recommendations for the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases, as well as protocols for gross and microscopic pathology. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Anatomía Patológica. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Acute effects of various weighted bat warm-up protocols on bat velocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, G Francis; Dolny, Dennis

2009-10-01

Although research has provided evidence of increased muscular performance following a facilitation set of resistance exercise, this has not been established for use prior to measuring baseball bat velocity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of selected weighted bat warm-up protocols to enhance bat velocity in collegiate baseball players. Nineteen collegiate baseball players (age = 20.15 +/- 1.46 years) were tested for upper-body strength by a 3-repetition maximum (RM) bench press (mean = 97.98 +/- 14.54 kg) and mean bat velocity. Nine weighted bat warm-up protocols, utilizing 3 weighted bats (light = 794 g; standard = 850 g; heavy = 1,531 g) were swung in 3 sets of 6 repetitions in different orders. A control trial involved the warm-up protocol utilizing only the standard bat. Pearson product correlation revealed a significant relationship between 3RM strength and pretest bat velocity (r = 0.51, p = 0.01). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant treatment effects of warm-up protocol on bat velocity. However, the order of standard, light, heavy bat sequence resulted in the greatest increase in bat velocity (+6.03%). These results suggest that upper-body muscle strength influences bat velocity. It appears that the standard, light, heavy warm-up order may provide the greatest benefit to increase subsequent bat velocity and may warrant use in game situations.

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Assessment: Literature Review and Laboratory Protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butner, R. Scott; Reid, Douglas J.; Hoffman, Michael G.; Sullivan, Greg; Blanchard, Jeremy

2013-07-01

To evaluate the accuracy of NILM technologies, a literature review was conducted to identify any test protocols or standardized testing approaches currently in use. The literature review indicated that no consistent conventions were currently in place for measuring the accuracy of these technologies. Consequently, PNNL developed a testing protocol and metrics to provide the basis for quantifying and analyzing the accuracy of commercially available NILM technologies. This report discusses the results of the literature review and the proposed test protocol and metrics in more detail.

Network protocol 'EPAP'; Network protokoru 'EPAP'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobori, T.; Fujita, F.; Iwamoto, S. [Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Toyo (Japan)

2000-10-10

The Ethernet, a standard of information networks, has begun to be applied to the control local area network (LAN). To apply the Ethernet to the field level, Fuji Electric has newly developed the communication protocol 'Ethernet precision access protocol (EPAP)' in which a command/response method is structured on the user datagram protocol (UDP) to realize real time and high reliability. Further, we have implemented the EPAP on the bus interface module of the open PIO. This paper outlines the EPAP and its implementation. (author)

Protocol for the building construction process with regard to the implementation trajectory protocols EWN and EUN. Manual for commissioners, contractors, building management offices and energy efficiency standard advisors; Handleiding opnameprotocollen EWN en EUN. Voor opdrachtgevers, aannemers, bouwmanagementbureaus en EPN-adviseurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neeleman, J. [DWA installatie- en energieadvies, Duitslandweg 4, Postbus 274, 2410 AG Bodegraven (Netherlands)

2013-04-15

In the year 2012 it was foreseen to base the energy label for new buildings on the Energy Efficiency Coefficient (EPC in Dutch). This is a protocol for residential and utility buildings, with the aim to check whether and to what extent buildings were constructed according the EPC and to determine the realized EPC. In order to gain experience with the new protocols and the voluntary ventilation test the Protocol for the Energy Label for New Houses (EWN in Dutch) and the Protocol for the Energy Label for New Utility Buildings (EUN in Dutch) were conducted in 12 newly built housing projects and 5 projects in the utility building sector. With this manual you can realize energy efficient houses and/or utility buildings that meet the standards [Dutch] In het jaar 2012 was voorzien om het nieuwbouwlabel te baseren op de EPC (Energie Prestatie Coefficient). Hiervoor is een opnameprotocol opgesteld voor de woningbouw en de utiliteitsbouw, met als doel te controleren of en in hoeverre conform de EPC is gebouwd en om de gerealiseerde EPC te bepalen. Om ervaring op te doen met de nieuwe opnameprotocollen en de vrijwillige ventilatietoets werden het Opnameprotocol Energielabel Woningen Nieuwbouw (EWN) en Opnameprotocol Energielabel Utiliteitsgebouwen Nieuwbouw (EUN) uitgevoerd bij 12 nieuwbouwprojecten in de woningbouw en 5 projecten in de utiliteitsbouw. Met deze handleiding realiseert u energiezuinige woningen en/of utiliteitsgebouwen die aan de verwachtingen voldoen.

Standardization of a protocol to obtain genomic DNA for the quantification of 5mC in epicormics buds of Tectona grandis L.

OpenAIRE

Elisa Quiala; Luis Valledor; Rodrigo Hazbun; Raúl Barbón; Manuel de Feria; Maité Chávez

2008-01-01

The present investigation was carried out with the objective of defining an extraction and purification method that it provided deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) appropriate to determine the percentage of 5mC in the genomic DNA of epicormics buds of Tectona grandis L. During the standardization of the protocol four methods were compared: 1 -classic based on saline shock solution with CTAB (hexadecil trimetil ammonium bromide), 2 - Kit of extraction of DNA plants DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN) accor...

Anticipatory Standards and the Commercialization of Nanotechnology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashba, Edward; Gamota, Daniel

2003-01-01

Standardization will play an increasing role in creating a smooth transition from the laboratory to the marketplace as products based on nanotechnology are developed and move into broad use. Traditionally, standards have evolved out of a need to achieve interoperability among existing products, create order in markets, simplify production and ensure safety. This view does not account for the escalating trend in standardization, especially in emerging technology sectors, in which standards working groups anticipate the evolution of a technology and facilitate its rapid development and entree to the market place. It is important that the nanotechnology community views standards as a vital tool to promote progress along the nanotechnology value chain - from nanoscale materials that form the building blocks for components and devices to the integration of these devices into functional systems.This paper describes the need for and benefits derived from developing consensus standards in nanotechnology, and how standards are created. Anticipatory standards can nurture the growth of nanotechnology by drawing on the lessons learned from a standards effort that has and continues to revolutionize the telecommunications industry. Also, a brief review is presented on current efforts in the US to create nanotechnology standards

A Web Resource for Standardized Benchmark Datasets, Metrics, and Rosetta Protocols for Macromolecular Modeling and Design.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shane Ó Conchúir

Full Text Available The development and validation of computational macromolecular modeling and design methods depend on suitable benchmark datasets and informative metrics for comparing protocols. In addition, if a method is intended to be adopted broadly in diverse biological applications, there needs to be information on appropriate parameters for each protocol, as well as metrics describing the expected accuracy compared to experimental data. In certain disciplines, there exist established benchmarks and public resources where experts in a particular methodology are encouraged to supply their most efficient implementation of each particular benchmark. We aim to provide such a resource for protocols in macromolecular modeling and design. We present a freely accessible web resource (https://kortemmelab.ucsf.edu/benchmarks to guide the development of protocols for protein modeling and design. The site provides benchmark datasets and metrics to compare the performance of a variety of modeling protocols using different computational sampling methods and energy functions, providing a "best practice" set of parameters for each method. Each benchmark has an associated downloadable benchmark capture archive containing the input files, analysis scripts, and tutorials for running the benchmark. The captures may be run with any suitable modeling method; we supply command lines for running the benchmarks using the Rosetta software suite. We have compiled initial benchmarks for the resource spanning three key areas: prediction of energetic effects of mutations, protein design, and protein structure prediction, each with associated state-of-the-art modeling protocols. With the help of the wider macromolecular modeling community, we hope to expand the variety of benchmarks included on the website and continue to evaluate new iterations of current methods as they become available.

Early Appropriate Care: A Protocol to Standardize Resuscitation Assessment and to Expedite Fracture Care Reduces Hospital Stay and Enhances Revenue.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallier, Heather A; Dolenc, Andrea J; Moore, Timothy A

2016-06-01

We hypothesized that a standardized protocol for fracture care would enhance revenue by reducing complications and length of stay. Prospective consecutive series. Level 1 trauma center. Two hundread and fifty-three adult patients with a mean age of 40.7 years and mean Injury Severity Score of 26.0. Femur, pelvis, or spine fractures treated surgically. Hospital and professional charges and collections were analyzed. Fixation was defined as early (<36 hours) or delayed. Complications and hospital stay were recorded. Mean charges were US $180,145 with a mean of US $66,871 collected (37%). The revenue multiplier was US $59,882/$6989 (8.57), indicating hospital collection of US $8.57 for every professional dollar, less than half of which went to orthopaedic surgeons. Delayed fracture care was associated with more intensive care unit (4.5 vs. 9.4) and total hospital days (9.4 vs. 15.3), with mean loss of actual revenue US $6380/patient delayed (n = 47), because of the costs of longer length of stay. Complications were associated with the highest expenses: mean of US $291,846 charges and US $101,005 collections, with facility collections decreased by 5.1%. An uncomplicated course of care was associated with the most favorable total collections: (US $60,017/$158,454 = 38%) and the shortest mean stay (8.7 days). Facility collections were nearly 9 times more than professional collections. Delayed fixation was associated with more complications, and facility collections decreased 5% with a complication. Furthermore, delayed fixation was associated with longer hospital stay, accounting for US $300K more in actual costs during the study. A standardized protocol to expedite definitive fixation enhances the profitability of the trauma service line. Economic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Implementation and Evaluation of Four Interoperable Open Standards for the Internet of Things

Science.gov (United States)

Jazayeri, Mohammad Ali; Liang, Steve H. L.; Huang, Chih-Yuan

2015-01-01

Recently, researchers are focusing on a new use of the Internet called the Internet of Things (IoT), in which enabled electronic devices can be remotely accessed over the Internet. As the realization of IoT concept is still in its early stages, manufacturers of Internet-connected devices and IoT web service providers are defining their proprietary protocols based on their targeted applications. Consequently, IoT becomes heterogeneous in terms of hardware capabilities and communication protocols. Addressing these heterogeneities by following open standards is a necessary step to communicate with various IoT devices. In this research, we assess the feasibility of applying existing open standards on resource-constrained IoT devices. The standard protocols developed in this research are OGC PUCK over Bluetooth, TinySOS, SOS over CoAP, and OGC SensorThings API. We believe that by hosting open standard protocols on IoT devices, not only do the devices become self-describable, self-contained, and interoperable, but innovative applications can also be easily developed with standardized interfaces. In addition, we use memory consumption, request message size, response message size, and response latency to benchmark the efficiency of the implemented protocols. In all, this research presents and evaluates standard-based solutions to better understand the feasibility of applying existing standards to the IoT vision. PMID:26402683

Implementation and Evaluation of Four Interoperable Open Standards for the Internet of Things.

Science.gov (United States)

Jazayeri, Mohammad Ali; Liang, Steve H L; Huang, Chih-Yuan

2015-09-22

Recently, researchers are focusing on a new use of the Internet called the Internet of Things (IoT), in which enabled electronic devices can be remotely accessed over the Internet. As the realization of IoT concept is still in its early stages, manufacturers of Internet-connected devices and IoT web service providers are defining their proprietary protocols based on their targeted applications. Consequently, IoT becomes heterogeneous in terms of hardware capabilities and communication protocols. Addressing these heterogeneities by following open standards is a necessary step to communicate with various IoT devices. In this research, we assess the feasibility of applying existing open standards on resource-constrained IoT devices. The standard protocols developed in this research are OGC PUCK over Bluetooth, TinySOS, SOS over CoAP, and OGC SensorThings API. We believe that by hosting open standard protocols on IoT devices, not only do the devices become self-describable, self-contained, and interoperable, but innovative applications can also be easily developed with standardized interfaces. In addition, we use memory consumption, request message size, response message size, and response latency to benchmark the efficiency of the implemented protocols. In all, this research presents and evaluates standard-based solutions to better understand the feasibility of applying existing standards to the IoT vision.

Protocol for the management of psychiatric patients with psychomotor agitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieta, Eduard; Garriga, Marina; Cardete, Laura; Bernardo, Miquel; Lombraña, María; Blanch, Jordi; Catalán, Rosa; Vázquez, Mireia; Soler, Victòria; Ortuño, Noélia; Martínez-Arán, Anabel

2017-09-08

Psychomotor agitation (PMA) is a state of motor restlessness and mental tension that requires prompt recognition, appropriate assessment and management to minimize anxiety for the patient and reduce the risk for escalation to aggression and violence. Standardized and applicable protocols and algorithms can assist healthcare providers to identify patients at risk of PMA, achieve timely diagnosis and implement minimally invasive management strategies to ensure patient and staff safety and resolution of the episode. Spanish experts in PMA from different disciplines (psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses) convened in Barcelona for a meeting in April 2016. Based on recently issued international consensus guidelines on the standard of care for psychiatric patients with PMA, the meeting provided the opportunity to address the complexities in the assessment and management of PMA from different perspectives. The attendees worked towards producing a consensus for a unified approach to PMA according to the local standards of care and current local legislations. The draft protocol developed was reviewed and ratified by all members of the panel prior to its presentation to the Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, the Spanish Society of Biological Psychiatry (SEPB) and the Spanish Network Centre for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM) for input. The final protocol and algorithms were then submitted to these organizations for endorsement. The protocol presented here provides guidance on the appropriate selection and use of pharmacological agents (inhaled/oral/IM), seclusion, and physical restraint for psychiatric patients suspected of or presenting with PMA. The protocol is applicable within the Spanish healthcare system. Implementation of the protocol and the constituent algorithms described here should ensure the best standard of care of patients at risk of PMA. Episodes of PMA could be identified earlier in their clinical course and patients could be managed in

Interoperability through standardization: Electronic mail, and X Window systems

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Ashok T.

1993-01-01

Since the introduction of computing machines, there has been continual advances in computer and communication technologies and approaching limits. The user interface has evolved from a row of switches, character based interface using teletype terminals and then video terminals, to present day graphical user interface. It is expected that next significant advances will come in the availability of services, such as electronic mail and directory services, as the standards for applications are developed and in the 'easy to use' interfaces, such as Graphical User Interface for example Window and X Window, which are being standardized. Various proprietary electronic mail (email) systems are in use within organizations at each center of NASA. Each system provides email services to users within an organization, however the support for email services across organizations and across centers exists at centers to a varying degree and is often easy to use. A recent NASA email initiative is intended 'to provide a simple way to send email across organizational boundaries without disruption of installed base.' The initiative calls for integration of existing organizational email systems through gateways connected by a message switch, supporting X.400 and SMTP protocols, to create a NASA wide email system and for implementation of NASA wide email directory services based on OSI standard X.500. A brief overview of MSFC efforts as a part of this initiative are described. Window based graphical user interfaces make computers easy to use. X window protocol has been developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984/1985 to provide uniform window based interface in a distributed computing environment with heterogenous computers. It has since become a standard supported by a number of major manufacturers. Z Windows systems, terminals and workstations, and X Window applications are becoming available. However impact of its use in the Local Area Network environment on the network

IPv4 and IPv6 protocol compatibility options analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Misevičienė

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The popularity of the internet has led to a very rapid growth of IPv4 (Internet Protocol v4 users. This caused a shortage of IP addresses, so it was created a new version – IPv6 (Internet Protocol v6. Currently, there are two versions of IP for IPv4 and IPv6. Due to the large differences in addressing the protocols IPv4 and IPv6 are incompatible. It is therefore necessary to find ways to move from IPv4 to IPv6. To facilitate the transition from one version to another are developed various mechanisms and strategies. Comparative analysis is done for dual stack, 6to4 tunnel and NAT64 mechanisms in this work. It has helped to reveal the shortcomings of these mechanisms and their application in selection of realization decisions.

Application of low-dose radiation protocols in survey CT scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Qiang; Liu Ting; Lu Tao; Xu Ke; Zhang Lin

2009-01-01

Objective: To characterize the protocols with low-dose radiation in survey CT scans for localization. Methods: Eighty standard adult patients, head and body phantoms were recruited. Default protocols provided by operator's manual setting were that all the tube voltage for head, chest, abdomen and lumbar was 120 kV; the tube currents were 20,10,20 and 40 mA, respectively. Values of kV and mA in the low-dose experiments were optimized according to the device options. For chest and abdomen, the tube position were compared between default (0 degree) and 180 degree. Phantoms were scanned with above protocols, and the radiation doses were measured respectively. Paired t-test were used for comparisons of standard deviation in CT value, noise and exposure surface dose (ESD) between group with default protocols and group with optimized protocols. Results: The optimized protocols in low-dose CT survey scans were 80 kV, 10 mA for head, 80 kV, 10 mA for chest, 80 kV, 10 mA for abdomen and 100 kV, 10 mA for lumbar. The values of ESD for phantom scan in default and optimized protocols were 0.38 mGy/0.16 mGy in head, 0.30 mGy/0.20 mGy in chest, 0.74 mGy/0.30 mGy in abdomen and 0.81 mGy/0.44 mGy in lumbar, respectively. Compared with default protocols, the optimized protocols reduced the radiation doses 59%, 33%, 59% and 46% in head, chest, abdomen and lumbar. When tube position changed from 0 degree to 180 degree, the ESD were 0.24 mGy/0.20 mGy for chest; 0.37 mGy/0.30 mGy for abdomen, and the radiation doses were reduced 20% and 17%. Conclusion: A certain amount of image noise is increased in low-dose protocols, but image quality is still acceptable without problem in CT localization. The reduction of radiation dose and the radiation harm to patients are the superiority. (authors)

Analysis of protection spanning-tree protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Б.Я. Корнієнко

2007-01-01

Full Text Available  Extraordinary sweeping  of  IT – development  causes vulnerabilities and, thereafter, attacks that use these vulnerabilities. That is why one must post factum or even in advance speed up invention of new information  security systems as well as develop the old ones. The matter of article concerns Spanning-Tree Protocol  – the vivid example of the case, when the cure of the vulnerability creates dozen of new "weak spots".

Field validation of protocols developed to evaluate in-line mastitis detection systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamphuis, C; Dela Rue, B T; Eastwood, C R

2016-02-01

This paper reports on a field validation of previously developed protocols for evaluating the performance of in-line mastitis-detection systems. The protocols outlined 2 requirements of these systems: (1) to detect cows with clinical mastitis (CM) promptly and accurately to enable timely and appropriate treatment and (2) to identify cows with high somatic cell count (SCC) to manage bulk milk SCC levels. Gold standard measures, evaluation tests, performance measures, and performance targets were proposed. The current study validated the protocols on commercial dairy farms with automated in-line mastitis-detection systems using both electrical conductivity (EC) and SCC sensor systems that both monitor at whole-udder level. The protocol for requirement 1 was applied on 3 commercial farms. For requirement 2, the protocol was applied on 6 farms; 3 of them had low bulk milk SCC (128×10(3) cells/mL) and were the same farms as used for field evaluation of requirement 1. Three farms with high bulk milk SCC (270×10(3) cells/mL) were additionally enrolled. The field evaluation methodology and results were presented at a workshop including representation from 7 international suppliers of in-line mastitis-detection systems. Feedback was sought on the acceptance of standardized performance evaluation protocols and recommended refinements to the protocols. Although the methodology for requirement 1 was relatively labor intensive and required organizational skills over an extended period, no major issues were encountered during the field validation of both protocols. The validation, thus, proved the protocols to be practical. Also, no changes to the data collection process were recommended by the technology supplier representatives. However, 4 recommendations were made to refine the protocols: inclusion of an additional analysis that ignores small (low-density) clot observations in the definition of CM, extension of the time window from 4 to 5 milkings for timely alerts for CM

The use of WaveLight® Contoura to create a uniform cornea: the LYRA Protocol. Part 3: the results of 50 treated eyes.

Science.gov (United States)

Motwani, Manoj

2017-01-01

To demonstrate how using the Wavelight Contoura measured astigmatism and axis eliminates corneal astigmatism and creates uniformly shaped corneas. A retrospective analysis was conducted of the first 50 eyes to have bilateral full WaveLight ® Contoura LASIK correction of measured astigmatism and axis (vs conventional manifest refraction), using the Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism Protocol in all cases. All patients had astigmatism corrected, and had at least 1 week of follow-up. Accuracy to desired refractive goal was assessed by postoperative refraction, aberration reduction via calculation of polynomials, and postoperative visions were analyzed as a secondary goal. The average difference of astigmatic power from manifest to measured was 0.5462D (with a range of 0-1.69D), and the average difference of axis was 14.94° (with a range of 0°-89°). Forty-seven of 50 eyes had a goal of plano, 3 had a monovision goal. Astigmatism was fully eliminated from all but 2 eyes, and 1 eye had regression with astigmatism. Of the eyes with plano as the goal, 80.85% were 20/15 or better, and 100% were 20/20 or better. Polynomial analysis postoperatively showed that at 6.5 mm, the average C3 was reduced by 86.5% and the average C5 by 85.14%. Using WaveLight ® Contoura measured astigmatism and axis removes higher order aberrations and allows for the creation of a more uniform cornea with accurate removal of astigmatism, and reduction of aberration polynomials. WaveLight ® Contoura successfully links the refractive correction layer and aberration repair layer using the Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism Protocol to demonstrate how aberration removal can affect refractive correction.

New Acquisition Protocol of 18F-Choline PET/CT in Prostate Cancer Patients: Review of the Literature about Methodology and Proposal of Standardization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sotirios Chondrogiannis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. (1 To evaluate a new acquisition protocol of 18F-choline (FCH PET/CT for prostate cancer patients (PC, (2 to review acquisition 18F-choline PET/CT methodology, and (3 to propose a standardized acquisition protocol on FCH PET/CT in PC patients. Materials. 100 consecutive PC patients (mean age 70.5 years, mean PSA 21.35 ng/mL were prospectively evaluated. New protocol consisted of an early scan of the pelvis immediately after the injection of the tracer (1 bed position of 4 min followed by a whole body scan at one 1 hour. Early and 1 hour images were compared for interfering activity and pathologic findings. Results. The overall detection rate of FCH PET/CT was 64%. The early static images of the pelvis showed absence of radioactive urine in ureters, bladder, or urethra which allowed a clean evaluation of the prostatic fossae. Uptake in the prostatic region was better visualized in the early phase in 26% (7/30 of cases. Other pelvic pathologic findings (bone and lymph nodes were visualized in both early and late images. Conclusion. Early 18F-choline images improve visualization of abnormal uptake in prostate fossae. All pathologic pelvic deposits (prostate, lymph nodes, and bone were visualized in both early and late images.

Remote Memory Access Protocol Target Node Intellectual Property

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, Omar

2013-01-01

The MagnetoSpheric Multiscale (MMS) mission had a requirement to use the Remote Memory Access Protocol (RMAP) over its SpaceWire network. At the time, no known intellectual property (IP) cores were available for purchase. Additionally, MMS preferred to implement the RMAP functionality with control over the low-level details of the design. For example, not all the RMAP standard functionality was needed, and it was desired to implement only the portions of the RMAP protocol that were needed. RMAP functionality had been previously implemented in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products, but the IP core was not available for purchase. The RMAP Target IP core is a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language description of a digital logic design suitable for implementation in an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that parses SpaceWire packets that conform to the RMAP standard. The RMAP packet protocol allows a network host to access and control a target device using address mapping. This capability allows SpaceWire devices to be managed in a standardized way that simplifies the hardware design of the device, as well as the development of the software that controls the device. The RMAP Target IP core has some features that are unique and not specified in the RMAP standard. One such feature is the ability to automatically abort transactions if the back-end logic does not respond to read/write requests within a predefined time. When a request times out, the RMAP Target IP core automatically retracts the request and returns a command response with an appropriate status in the response packet s header. Another such feature is the ability to control the SpaceWire node or router using RMAP transactions in the extended address range. This allows the SpaceWire network host to manage the SpaceWire network elements using RMAP packets, which reduces the number of protocols that the network host needs to support.

Estimation of the radiation exposure of a chest pain protocol with ECG-gating in dual-source computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketelsen, Dominik; Luetkhoff, Marie H.; Thomas, Christoph; Werner, Matthias; Tsiflikas, Ilias; Reimann, Anja; Kopp, Andreas F.; Claussen, Claus D.; Heuschmid, Martin; Buchgeister, Markus; Burgstahler, Christof

2009-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate radiation exposure of a chest pain protocol with ECG-gated dual-source computed tomography (DSCT). An Alderson Rando phantom equipped with thermoluminescent dosimeters was used for dose measurements. Exposure was performed on a dual-source computed tomography system with a standard protocol for chest pain evaluation (120 kV, 320 mAs/rot) with different simulated heart rates (HRs). The dose of a standard chest CT examination (120 kV, 160 mAs) was also measured. Effective dose of the chest pain protocol was 19.3/21.9 mSv (male/female, HR 60), 17.9/20.4 mSv (male/female, HR 80) and 14.7/16.7 mSv (male/female, HR 100). Effective dose of a standard chest examination was 6.3 mSv (males) and 7.2 mSv (females). Radiation dose of the chest pain protocol increases significantly with a lower heart rate for both males (p = 0.040) and females (p = 0.044). The average radiation dose of a standard chest CT examination is about 36.5% that of a CT examination performed for chest pain. Using DSCT, the evaluated chest pain protocol revealed a higher radiation exposure compared with standard chest CT. Furthermore, HRs markedly influenced the dose exposure when using the ECG-gated chest pain protocol. (orig.)

The Internet of Things Key Applications and Protocols

CERN Document Server

Hersent, Olivier; Elloumi, Omar

2011-01-01

An all-in-one reference to the major Home Area Networking, Building Automation and AMI protocols, including 802.15.4 over radio or PLC, 6LowPAN/RPL, ZigBee 1.0 and Smart Energy 2.0, Zwave, LON, BACNet, KNX, ModBus, mBus, C.12 and DLMS/COSEM, and the new ETSI M2M system level standard. In-depth coverage of Smart-grid and EV charging use cases. This book describes the Home Area Networking, Building Automation and AMI protocols and their evolution towards open protocols based on IP such as 6LowPAN and ETSI M2M. The authors discuss the approach taken by service providers to interconnect the protoc

Non operative management of blunt splenic trauma: a prospective evaluation of a standardized treatment protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Brillantino, A; Iacobellis, F; Robustelli, U; Villamaina, E; Maglione, F; Colletti, O; De Palma, M; Paladino, F; Noschese, G

2016-10-01

The advantages of the conservative approach for major spleen injuries are still debated. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of NOM in the treatment of minor (grade I-II according with the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma; AAST) and severe (AAST grade III-V) blunt splenic trauma, following a standardized treatment protocol. All the hemodynamically stable patients with computer tomography (CT) diagnosis of blunt splenic trauma underwent NOM, which included strict clinical and laboratory observation, 48-72 h contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) follow-up and splenic angioembolization, performed both in patients with admission CT evidence of vascular injuries and in patients with falling hematocrit during observation. 87 patients [32 (36.7 %) women and 55 (63.2 %) men, median age 34 (range 14-68)] were included. Of these, 28 patients (32.1 %) had grade I, 22 patients (25.2 %) grade II, 20 patients (22.9 %) grade III, 11 patients (12.6 %) grade IV and 6 patients (6.8 %) grade V injuries. The overall success rate of NOM was 95.4 % (82/87). There was no significant difference in the success rate between the patients with different splenic injuries grade. Of 24 patients that had undergone angioembolization, 22 (91.6 %) showed high splenic injury grade. The success rate of embolization was 91.6 % (22/24). No major complications were observed. The minor complications (2 pleural effusions, 1 pancreatic fistula and 2 splenic abscesses) were successfully treated by EAUS or CT guided drainage. The non operative management of blunt splenic trauma, according to our protocol, represents a safe and effective treatment for both minor and severe injuries, achieving an overall success rate of 95 %. The angiographic study could be indicated both in patients with CT evidence of vascular injuries and in patients with high-grade splenic injuries, regardless of CT findings.

Energy-Aware RFID Anti-Collision Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Arjona, Laura; Simon, Hugo Landaluce; Ruiz, Asier Perallos

2018-06-11

The growing interest in mobile devices is transforming wireless identification technologies. Mobile and battery-powered Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, such as hand readers and smart phones, are are becoming increasingly attractive. These RFID readers require energy-efficient anti-collision protocols to minimize the tag collisions and to expand the reader's battery life. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in RFID sensor networks with a growing number of RFID sensor tags. Thus, RFID application developers must be mindful of tag anti-collision protocols. Energy-efficient protocols involve a low reader energy consumption per tag. This work presents a thorough study of the reader energy consumption per tag and analyzes the main factor that affects this metric: the frame size update strategy. Using the conclusion of this analysis, the anti-collision protocol Energy-Aware Slotted Aloha (EASA) is presented to decrease the energy consumption per tag. The frame size update strategy of EASA is configured to minimize the energy consumption per tag. As a result, EASA presents an energy-aware frame. The performance of the proposed protocol is evaluated and compared with several state of the art Aloha-based anti-collision protocols based on the current RFID standard. Simulation results show that EASA, with an average of 15 mJ consumed per tag identified, achieves a 6% average improvement in the energy consumption per tag in relation to the strategies of the comparison.

Using the ACR/NEMA standard with TCP/IP and Ethernet

Science.gov (United States)

Chimiak, William J.; Williams, Rodney C.

1991-07-01

There is a need for a consolidated picture archival and communications system (PACS) in hospitals. At the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University (BGSM), the authors are enhancing the ACR/NEMA Version 2 protocol using UNIX sockets and TCP/IP to greatly improve connectivity. Initially, nuclear medicine studies using gamma cameras are to be sent to PACS. The ACR/NEMA Version 2 protocol provides the functionality of the upper three layers of the open system interconnection (OSI) model in this implementation. The images, imaging equipment information, and patient information are then sent in ACR/NEMA format to a software socket. From there it is handed to the TCP/IP protocol, which provides the transport and network service. TCP/IP, in turn, uses the services of IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) to complete the connectivity. The advantage of this implementation is threefold: (1) Only one I/O port is consumed by numerous nuclear medicine cameras, instead of a physical port for each camera. (2) Standard protocols are used which maximize interoperability with ACR/NEMA compliant PACSs. (3) The use of sockets allows a migration path to the transport and networking services of OSIs TP4 and connectionless network service as well as the high-performance protocol being considered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) -- the Xpress Transfer Protocol (XTP). The use of sockets also gives access to ANSI's Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) as well as other high-speed network standards.

Performance Evaluation of Security Protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodei, Chiara; Buchholtz, Mikael; Curti, Michele

2005-01-01

We use a special operational semantics which drives us in inferring quantitative measures on systems describing cryptographis cryptographic protocols. We assign rates to transitions by only looking at these labels. The rates reflect the distributed architecture running applications and the use...... of possibly different cryptosystems. We then map transition systems to Markov chains and evaluate performance of systems, using standard tools....

Ocean fertilization, carbon credits and the Kyoto Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Westley, M. B.; Gnanadesikan, A.

2008-12-01

Commercial interest in ocean fertilization as a carbon sequestration tool was excited by the December 1997 agreement of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The Protocol commits industrialized countries to caps on net greenhouse gas emissions and allows for various flexible mechanisms to achieve these caps in the most economically efficient manner possible, including trade in carbon credits from projects that reduce emissions or enhance sinks. The carbon market was valued at 64 billion in 2007, with the bulk of the trading (50 billion) taking place in the highly regulated European Union Emission Trading Scheme, which deals primarily in emission allowances in the energy sector. A much smaller amount, worth $265 million, was traded in the largely unregulated "voluntary" market (Capoor and Ambrosi 2008). As the voluntary market grows, so do calls for its regulation, with several efforts underway to set rules and standards for the sale of voluntary carbon credits using the Kyoto Protocol as a starting point. Four US-based companies and an Australian company currently seek to develop ocean fertilization technologies for the generation of carbon credits. We review these plans through the lens of the Kyoto Protocol and its flexible mechanisms, and examine whether and how ocean fertilization could generate tradable carbon credits. We note that at present, ocean sinks are not included in the Kyoto Protocol, and that furthermore, the Kyoto Protocol only addresses sources and sinks of greenhouse gases within national boundaries, making open-ocean fertilization projects a jurisdictional challenge. We discuss the negotiating history behind the limited inclusion of land use, land use change and forestry in the Kyoto Protocol and the controversy and eventual compromise concerning methodologies for terrestrial carbon accounting. We conclude that current technologies for measuring and monitoring carbon sequestration following ocean fertilization

The compatibility of flexible instruments under the Kyoto Protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jepma, C.J.; Van der Gaast, W.P.; Woerdman, E.

1998-01-01

The compatibility of the Kyoto Protocol flexible instruments and the lessons that can be learned form the AIJ-phase (AIJ stands for Activities Implemented Jointly) are discussed. The key point to be made is that there may be various applications of flexible instruments which can create situations where the various instruments would crowd out each other. On the other hand, applying flexible instruments may create a leverage for Parties in terms of achieving domestic environmental objectives. In addition, several issues related to the implementation of Joint Implementation (JI) , Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and international emissions trading are discussed. The issues concern mainly those that have been included in the working programme on flexible instruments for CoP4 and CoP5 (CoP stands for Convention of Parties). As such the report discusses the consequences of possible negotiations outcomes at CoP for the effectiveness of flexible instruments, Parties' capabilities to achieve their Kyoto Protocol commitments cost-effectively, and the role of the private sector on the national and international credits markets(s). 106 refs

Preston and Park-Sanders protocols adapted for semi-quantitative isolation of thermotolerant Campylobacter from chicken rinse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Josefsen, Mathilde Hartmann; Lübeck, Peter Stephensen; Aalbaek, B.

2003-01-01

Human campylobacteriosis has become the major cause of foodborne gastrointestinal diseases in several European countries. In order to implement effective control measures in the primary production, and as a tool in risk assessment studies, it is necessary to have sensitive and quantitative...... detection methods. Thus, semi-quantitative detection of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in 20 naturally contaminated chicken rinse samples was carried out using the two most common standard protocols: Preston and Park-Sanders, as proposed by Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL) and International...... Standard Organization (ISO), respectively. For both protocols, the chicken rinse samples were prepared in 500 ml buffered peptone water, as recommended in the ISO protocol no. 6887-2. The results indicated that the Preston protocol was superior to the Park-Sanders protocol in supporting growth...

Analysis of the Implementation of Standardized Clinical Protocol «Diabetes Mellitus Type 2» by Quality Indicators in Institutions of Kyiv Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.I. Tkachenko

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In Ukraine, a standardized clinical protocol (SCP to provide medical care in diabetes mellitus type 2 (order of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine dated 21.12.2012 № 1118, which identifies 4 quality indicators, is being implemented. The objective of research — to analyze the implementation of SCP based on monitoring of quality indicators in the institutions of the Kyiv region. Materials and Methods. Technique for assessing the quality of diabetes care, one element of which is the monitoring of quality indicators specified in SCP, has been developed and applied. Collection and analysis of information was carried out by forms of primary records № 025/030 and 030/o, forms of statistical reporting № 12 and 20. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel 2007, SPSS. Results. Today, primary health care institutions in Kyiv region developed local protocols that confirms the implementation of the first quality indicator, in accordance with the desired level of the indicator value by SCP. The second indicator — the percentage of patients who were defined the level of glycated hemoglobin in the reporting period amounted to 12.2 %, which is higher than in 2012 (8.84 %, but remains low. The third quality indicator — the percentage of patients who were admitted to hospital for diabetes mellitus and its complications during the reporting period amounted to 15.01 %, while in 2012 it stood at 8.66 %. For comparison, this figure in 2007 was 9.37 %. Conclusions. The quality of care at an early stage of implementation is not enough, partly due to the lack of awareness by physicians of major provisions of the protocol, lack of equipment, the need of payment by a patient for medical services specified in the protocol, lack of doctors’ understanding of the characteristics of different types of medical and technological documents and difficulties in the development and implementation of local protocols, particularly. The obtained results are

A Protocol for Advanced Psychometric Assessment of Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Squires, Janet E.; Hayduk, Leslie; Hutchinson, Alison M.; Cranley, Lisa A.; Gierl, Mark; Cummings, Greta G.; Norton, Peter G.; Estabrooks, Carole A.

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose. In this paper, we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessments of surveys based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. We use the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey to which this protocol can be applied. Methods. Data mapping, acceptability, reliability, and validity are addressed. Acceptability is assessed with missing data frequencies and the time required to complete the survey. Reliability is assessed with internal consistency coefficients and information functions. A unitary approach to validity consisting of accumulating evidence based on instrument content, response processes, internal structure, and relations to other variables is taken. We also address assessing performance of survey data when aggregated to higher levels (e.g., nursing unit). Discussion. In this paper we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessment of survey data using the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey; application of the protocol to the ACT survey is underway. Psychometric assessment of any survey is essential to obtaining reliable and valid research findings. This protocol can be adapted for use with any nursing survey. PMID:23401759

Benchmarking pediatric cranial CT protocols using a dose tracking software system: a multicenter study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bondt, Timo de; Parizel, Paul M. [Antwerp University Hospital and University of Antwerp, Department of Radiology, Antwerp (Belgium); Mulkens, Tom [H. Hart Hospital, Department of Radiology, Lier (Belgium); Zanca, Federica [GE Healthcare, DoseWatch, Buc (France); KU Leuven, Imaging and Pathology Department, Leuven (Belgium); Pyfferoen, Lotte; Casselman, Jan W. [AZ St. Jan Brugge-Oostende AV Hospital, Department of Radiology, Brugge (Belgium)

2017-02-15

To benchmark regional standard practice for paediatric cranial CT-procedures in terms of radiation dose and acquisition parameters. Paediatric cranial CT-data were retrospectively collected during a 1-year period, in 3 different hospitals of the same country. A dose tracking system was used to automatically gather information. Dose (CTDI and DLP), scan length, amount of retakes and demographic data were stratified by age and clinical indication; appropriate use of child-specific protocols was assessed. In total, 296 paediatric cranial CT-procedures were collected. Although the median dose of each hospital was below national and international diagnostic reference level (DRL) for all age categories, statistically significant (p-value < 0.001) dose differences among hospitals were observed. The hospital with lowest dose levels showed smallest dose variability and used age-stratified protocols for standardizing paediatric head exams. Erroneous selection of adult protocols for children still occurred, mostly in the oldest age-group. Even though all hospitals complied with national and international DRLs, dose tracking and benchmarking showed that further dose optimization and standardization is possible by using age-stratified protocols for paediatric cranial CT. Moreover, having a dose tracking system revealed that adult protocols are still applied for paediatric CT, a practice that must be avoided. (orig.)

ISO 55000: Creating an asset management system.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Chris; Main, Kevin

2015-02-01

In the October 2014 issue of HEJ, Keith Hamer, group vice-president, Asset Management & Engineering at Sodexo, and marketing director at Asset Wisdom, Kevin Main, argued that the new ISO 55000 standards present facilities managers with an opportunity to create 'a joined-up, whole lifecycle approach' to managing and delivering value from assets. In this article, Kevin Main and Chris Bradley, who runs various asset management projects, examine the process of creating an asset management system.

Standardization of quantum technologies and QKD activities within ETSI (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Lenhart, Gaby

2016-04-01

the base upon which a reference architecture is created. Various different specifications describe in detail components, protocols and interfaces. An ontology is developed in order to guarantee common understanding of the technical terms used in standardization for quantum technologies. Special emphasis is provided to security proofs.

A protocol for lifetime energy and environmental impact assessment of building insulation materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrestha, Som S.; Biswas, Kaushik; Desjarlais, Andre O.

2014-01-01

This article describes a proposed protocol that is intended to provide a comprehensive list of factors to be considered in evaluating the direct and indirect environmental impacts of building insulation materials, as well as detailed descriptions of standardized calculation methodologies to determine those impacts. The energy and environmental impacts of insulation materials can generally be divided into two categories: (1) direct impact due to the embodied energy of the insulation materials and other factors and (2) indirect or environmental impacts avoided as a result of reduced building energy use due to addition of insulation. Standards and product category rules exist, which provide guidelines about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of materials, including building insulation products. However, critical reviews have suggested that these standards fail to provide complete guidance to LCA studies and suffer from ambiguities regarding the determination of the environmental impacts of building insulation and other products. The focus of the assessment protocol described here is to identify all factors that contribute to the total energy and environmental impacts of different building insulation products and, more importantly, provide standardized determination methods that will allow comparison of different insulation material types. Further, the intent is not to replace current LCA standards but to provide a well-defined, easy-to-use comparison method for insulation materials using existing LCA guidelines. - Highlights: • We proposed a protocol to evaluate the environmental impacts of insulation materials. • The protocol considers all life cycle stages of an insulation material. • Both the direct environmental impacts and the indirect impacts are defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided operational energy’ is defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided environmental impact’ is defined

Pulmonary CT angiography protocol adapted to the hemodynamic effects of pregnancy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ridge, Carole A

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the image quality of a standard pulmonary CT angiography (CTA) protocol with a pulmonary CTA protocol optimized for use in pregnant patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five consecutive pregnant patients with suspected PE were retrospectively included in the study: 25 patients (group A) underwent standard-protocol pulmonary CTA and 20 patients (group B) were imaged using a protocol modified for pregnancy. The modified protocol used a shallow inspiration breath-hold and a high concentration, high rate of injection, and high volume of contrast material. Objective image quality and subjective image quality were evaluated by measuring pulmonary arterial enhancement, determining whether there was transient interruption of the contrast bolus by unopacified blood from the inferior vena cava (IVC), and assessing diagnostic adequacy. RESULTS: Objective and subjective image quality were significantly better for group B-that is, for the group who underwent the CTA protocol optimized for pregnancy. Mean pulmonary arterial enhancement and the percentage of studies characterized as adequate for diagnosis were higher in group B than in group A: 321 +\\/- 148 HU (SD) versus 178 +\\/- 67 HU (p = 0.0001) and 90% versus 64% (p = 0.05), respectively. Transient interruption of contrast material by unopacified blood from the IVC was observed more frequently in group A (39%) than in group B (10%) (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: A pulmonary CTA protocol optimized for pregnancy significantly improved image quality by increasing pulmonary arterial opacification, improving diagnostic adequacy, and decreasing transient interruption of the contrast bolus by unopacified blood from the IVC.

Effects of a Short Drilling Implant Protocol on Osteotomy Site Temperature and Drill Torque.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihali, Sorin G; Canjau, Silvana; Cernescu, Anghel; Bortun, Cristina M; Wang, Hom-Lay; Bratu, Emanuel

2018-02-01

To establish a protocol for reducing the drilling sequence during implant site preparation based on temperature and insertion torque. The traditional conventional drilling sequence (used several drills with 0.6-mm increment each time) was compared with the proposed short drilling protocol (only used 2 drills: initial and final drill). One hundred drilling osteotomies were performed in bovine and porcine bones. Sets of 2 osteotomy sites were created in 5 bone densities using 2 types of drilling protocols. Thermographic pictures were captured throughout all drilling procedures and analyzed using ThermaCAM Researcher Professional 2.10. Torque values were determined during drilling by measuring electrical input and drill speed. There were statistically significant differences in bone temperature between the conventional and short drilling protocols during implant site preparation (analysis of variance P = 0.0008). However, there were no significant differences between the 2 types of drilling protocols for both implant diameters. Implant site preparation time was significantly reduced when using the short drilling protocol compared with the conventional drilling protocol (P drilling protocol proposed herein may represent a safe approach for implant site preparation.

FOG: Fighting the Achilles' Heel of Gossip Protocols with Fountain Codes

Science.gov (United States)

Champel, Mary-Luc; Kermarrec, Anne-Marie; Le Scouarnec, Nicolas

Gossip protocols are well known to provide reliable and robust dissemination protocols in highly dynamic systems. Yet, they suffer from high redundancy in the last phase of the dissemination. In this paper, we combine fountain codes (rateless erasure-correcting codes) together with gossip protocols for a robust and fast content dissemination in large-scale dynamic systems. The use of fountain enables to eliminate the unnecessary redundancy of gossip protocols. We propose the design of FOG, which fully exploits the first exponential growth phase (where the data is disseminated exponentially fast) of gossip protocols while avoiding the need for the shrinking phase by using fountain codes. FOG voluntarily increases the number of disseminations but limits those disseminations to the exponential growth phase. In addition, FOG creates a split-graph overlay that splits the peers between encoders and forwarders. Forwarder peers become encoders as soon as they have received the whole content. In order to benefit even further and quicker from encoders, FOG biases the dissemination towards the most advanced peers to make them complete earlier.

A round-robin gamma stereotactic radiosurgery dosimetry interinstitution comparison of calibration protocols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drzymala, R. E., E-mail: drzymala@wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 (United States); Alvarez, P. E. [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Bednarz, G. [Radiation Oncology Department, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232 (United States); Bourland, J. D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157 (United States); DeWerd, L. A. [Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 (United States); Ma, L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143 (United States); Meltsner, S. G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710 (United States); Neyman, G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 (United States); Novotny, J. [Medical Physics Department, Hospital Na Homolce, Prague 15030 (Czech Republic); Petti, P. L. [Gamma Knife Center, Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Fremont, California 94538 (United States); Rivard, M. J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 (United States); Shiu, A. S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 (United States); Goetsch, S. J. [San Diego Medical Physics, Inc., La Jolla, California 92037 (United States)

2015-11-15

Purpose: Absorbed dose calibration for gamma stereotactic radiosurgery is challenging due to the unique geometric conditions, dosimetry characteristics, and nonstandard field size of these devices. Members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 178 on Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance have participated in a round-robin exchange of calibrated measurement instrumentation and phantoms exploring two approved and two proposed calibration protocols or formalisms on ten gamma radiosurgery units. The objectives of this study were to benchmark and compare new formalisms to existing calibration methods, while maintaining traceability to U.S. primary dosimetry calibration laboratory standards. Methods: Nine institutions made measurements using ten gamma stereotactic radiosurgery units in three different 160 mm diameter spherical phantoms [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, Solid Water, and liquid water] and in air using a positioning jig. Two calibrated miniature ionization chambers and one calibrated electrometer were circulated for all measurements. Reference dose-rates at the phantom center were determined using the well-established AAPM TG-21 or TG-51 dose calibration protocols and using two proposed dose calibration protocols/formalisms: an in-air protocol and a formalism proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) working group for small and nonstandard radiation fields. Each institution’s results were normalized to the dose-rate determined at that institution using the TG-21 protocol in the ABS phantom. Results: Percentages of dose-rates within 1.5% of the reference dose-rate (TG-21 + ABS phantom) for the eight chamber-protocol-phantom combinations were the following: 88% for TG-21, 70% for TG-51, 93% for the new IAEA nonstandard-field formalism, and 65% for the new in-air protocol. Averages and standard deviations for dose-rates over all measurements relative to the TG-21 + ABS

Building America House Simulation Protocols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hendron, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Engebrecht, Cheryn [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2010-09-01

The House Simulation Protocol document was developed to track and manage progress toward Building America's multi-year, average whole-building energy reduction research goals for new construction and existing homes, using a consistent analytical reference point. This report summarizes the guidelines for developing and reporting these analytical results in a consistent and meaningful manner for all home energy uses using standard operating conditions.

A Universal Standard for the Validation of Blood Pressure Measuring Devices: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization (AAMI/ESH/ISO) Collaboration Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Stergiou, George S; Alpert, Bruce; Mieke, Stephan; Asmar, Roland; Atkins, Neil; Eckert, Siegfried; Frick, Gerhard; Friedman, Bruce; Graßl, Thomas; Ichikawa, Tsutomu; Ioannidis, John P; Lacy, Peter; McManus, Richard; Murray, Alan; Myers, Martin; Palatini, Paolo; Parati, Gianfranco; Quinn, David; Sarkis, Josh; Shennan, Andrew; Usuda, Takashi; Wang, Jiguang; Wu, Colin O; O'Brien, Eoin

2018-03-01

In the past 30 years, several organizations, such as the US Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the British Hypertension Society, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), have developed protocols for clinical validation of BP measuring devices. However, it is recognized that science, as well as patients, consumers, and manufacturers, would be best served if all BP measuring devices were assessed for accuracy according to an agreed single validation protocol that had global acceptance. Therefore, an international initiative was taken by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO experts who agreed to develop a universal standard for device validation. This statement presents the key aspects of a validation procedure, which were agreed by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO representatives as the basis for a single universal validation protocol. As soon as the AAMI/ESH/ISO standard is fully developed, this will be regarded as the single universal standard and will replace all other previous standards/protocols. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc., and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

User-oriented end-to-end transport protocols for the real-time distribution of telemetry data from NASA spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Hooke, A. J.

1979-01-01

A set of standard telemetry protocols for downlink data flow facilitating the end-to-end transport of instrument data from the spacecraft to the user in real time is proposed. The direct switching of data by autonomous message 'packets' that are assembled by the source instrument on the spacecraft is discussed. The data system consists thus of a format on a message rather than word basis, and such packet telemetry would include standardized protocol headers. Standards are being developed within the NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program for the source packet and transport frame protocols. The source packet protocol contains identification of both the sequence number of the packet as it is generated by the source and the total length of the packet, while the transport frame protocol includes a sequence count defining the serial number of the frame as it is generated by the spacecraft data system, and a field specifying any 'options' selected in the format of the frame itself.

A Fair Cooperative MAC Protocol in IEEE 802.11 WLAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Davoud Mousavi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cooperative communication techniques have recently enabled wireless technologies to overcome their challenges. The main objective of these techniques is to improve resource allocation. In this paper, we propose a new protocol in medium access control (MAC of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In our new protocol, which is called Fair Cooperative MAC (FC-MAC, every relay node participates in cooperation proportionally to its provided cooperation gain. This technique improves network resource allocation by exploiting the potential capacity of all relay candidates. Simulation results demonstrate that the FC-MAC protocol presents better performance in terms of throughput, fairness, and network lifetime.

A History of the Improvement of Internet Protocols Over Satellites Using ACTS

Science.gov (United States)

Allman, Mark; Kruse, Hans; Ostermann, Shawn

2000-01-01

This paper outlines the main results of a number of ACTS experiments on the efficacy of using standard Internet protocols over long-delay satellite channels. These experiments have been jointly conducted by NASAs Glenn Research Center and Ohio University over the last six years. The focus of our investigations has been the impact of long-delay networks with non-zero bit-error rates on the performance of the suite of Internet protocols. In particular, we have focused on the most widely used transport protocol, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), as well as several application layer protocols. This paper presents our main results, as well as references to more verbose discussions of our experiments.

Psychometric Properties of a Standardized Observation Protocol to Quantify Pediatric Physical Therapy Actions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sonderer, Patrizia; Ziegler, Schirin Akhbari; Oertle, Barbara Gressbach; Meichtry, Andre; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

Purpose: Pediatric physical therapy (PPT) is characterized by heterogeneity. This blurs the evaluation of effective components of PPT. The Groningen Observation Protocol (GOP) was developed to quantify contents of PPT. This study assesses the reliability and completeness of the GOP. Methods: Sixty

Creating Standardized Video Recordings of Multimodal Interactions across Cultures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehm, Matthias; André, Elisabeth; Bee, Nikolaus

2009-01-01

the literature is often too anecdotal to serve as the basis for modeling a system’s behavior, making it necessary to collect multimodal corpora in a standardized fashion in different cultures. In this chapter, the challenges of such an endeavor are introduced and solutions are presented by examples from a German......-Japanese project that aims at modeling culture-specific behaviors for Embodied Conversational Agents....

A Web Service Protocol Realizing Interoperable Internet of Things Tasking Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chih-Yuan; Wu, Cheng-Hung

2016-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an infrastructure that interconnects uniquely-identifiable devices using the Internet. By interconnecting everyday appliances, various monitoring, and physical mashup applications can be constructed to improve human’s daily life. In general, IoT devices provide two main capabilities: sensing and tasking capabilities. While the sensing capability is similar to the World-Wide Sensor Web, this research focuses on the tasking capability. However, currently, IoT devices created by different manufacturers follow different proprietary protocols and are locked in many closed ecosystems. This heterogeneity issue impedes the interconnection between IoT devices and damages the potential of the IoT. To address this issue, this research aims at proposing an interoperable solution called tasking capability description that allows users to control different IoT devices using a uniform web service interface. This paper demonstrates the contribution of the proposed solution by interconnecting different IoT devices for different applications. In addition, the proposed solution is integrated with the OGC SensorThings API standard, which is a Web service standard defined for the IoT sensing capability. Consequently, the Extended SensorThings API can realize both IoT sensing and tasking capabilities in an integrated and interoperable manner. PMID:27589759

A Web Service Protocol Realizing Interoperable Internet of Things Tasking Capability.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chih-Yuan; Wu, Cheng-Hung

2016-08-31

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an infrastructure that interconnects uniquely-identifiable devices using the Internet. By interconnecting everyday appliances, various monitoring, and physical mashup applications can be constructed to improve human's daily life. In general, IoT devices provide two main capabilities: sensing and tasking capabilities. While the sensing capability is similar to the World-Wide Sensor Web, this research focuses on the tasking capability. However, currently, IoT devices created by different manufacturers follow different proprietary protocols and are locked in many closed ecosystems. This heterogeneity issue impedes the interconnection between IoT devices and damages the potential of the IoT. To address this issue, this research aims at proposing an interoperable solution called tasking capability description that allows users to control different IoT devices using a uniform web service interface. This paper demonstrates the contribution of the proposed solution by interconnecting different IoT devices for different applications. In addition, the proposed solution is integrated with the OGC SensorThings API standard, which is a Web service standard defined for the IoT sensing capability. Consequently, the Extended SensorThings API can realize both IoT sensing and tasking capabilities in an integrated and interoperable manner.

Challenges in standardization of blood pressure measurement at the population level.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolonen, Hanna; Koponen, Päivikki; Naska, Androniki; Männistö, Satu; Broda, Grazyna; Palosaari, Tarja; Kuulasmaa, Kari

2015-04-10

Accurate blood pressure measurements are needed in clinical practice, intervention studies and health examination surveys. Blood pressure measurements are sensitive: their accuracy can be affected by measurement environment, behaviour of the subject, measurement procedures, devices used for the measurement and the observer. To minimize errors in blood pressure measurement, a standardized measurement protocol is needed. The European Health Examination Survey (EHES) Pilot project was conducted in 2009-2012. A pilot health examination survey was conducted in 12 countries using a standardized protocol. The measurement protocols used in each survey, training provided for the measurers, measurement data, and observations during site visits were collected and evaluated to assess the level of standardization. The EHES measurement protocol for blood pressure was followed accurately in all 12 pilot surveys. Most of the surveys succeeded in organizing a quiet and comfortable measurement environment, and staff instructed survey participants appropriately before examination visits. In all surveys, blood pressure was measured three times, from the right arm in a sitting posture. The biggest variation was in the device used for the blood pressure measurement. It is possible to reach a high level of standardization for blood pressure measurements across countries and over time. A detailed, standardized measurement protocol, and adequate training and monitoring during the fieldwork and centrally organized quality assessment of the data are needed. The recent EU regulation banning the sale of mercury sphygmomanometer in European Union Member States has set new challenges for the standardization of measurement devices since the validity of oscillometric measurements is device-specific and performance of aneroid devices depends very much on calibration.

Comparison of absorbed dose determinations using the IAEA dosimetry protocol and the ferrous sulphate dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattsson, Olof

1988-01-01

In 1985 a comparison of different revised protocols for the dosimetry of high-energy photon and electron beams was published (Mattsson, 1985). The conclusions were that the agreement in absorbed dose to water determined using the different protocols is very good and that the agreement between ionization chamber and ferrous sulphate dosimetry is generally good. For electron beams the differences obtained with the ionization chamber and ferrous sulphate dosimeters were up to about 2%. The influence of the energy and angular distribution of the electron beams on the ionization chamber dosimetry is not fully considered in the dosimetry protocols. The basis for the ionization chamber dosimetry has recently been changed when the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in 1986 changed the air-kerma standard. The reason was the adaption of the new stopping-power values reported in the ICRU Report No. 37. To achieve consistency in the ionization chamber dosimetry the interaction coefficients and correction factors given in the dosimetry protocols should also be based on the same set of stopping-power values. This is not the case with the protocols included in the comparison made by Mattsson. However, in the international code of practice by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 1987) the new stopping-power values have been used. The formalism is the same as in most of the previous protocols. Mattsson et al. (1989) have shown that the differences in the various steps cancel out for the protocols published by NACP (1980) and by IAEA (1987) for cobalt-60 gamma quality. However, it is also of interest to investigate the influence of the new air-kerma standard and the new values on coefficients and factors given in the IAEA protocol for other beam qualities. Therefore, the data given by Mattsson (1985) have been recalculated using the new air-kerma standard and the IAEA protocol

SPIRIT 2013 explanation and elaboration: guidance for protocols of clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, An-Wen; Tetzlaff, Jennifer M; Gøtzsche, Peter C; Altman, Douglas G; Mann, Howard; Berlin, Jesse A; Dickersin, Kay; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Schulz, Kenneth F; Parulekar, Wendy R; Krleza-Jeric, Karmela; Laupacis, Andreas; Moher, David

2013-01-08

High quality protocols facilitate proper conduct, reporting, and external review of clinical trials. However, the completeness of trial protocols is often inadequate. To help improve the content and quality of protocols, an international group of stakeholders developed the SPIRIT 2013 Statement (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials). The SPIRIT Statement provides guidance in the form of a checklist of recommended items to include in a clinical trial protocol. This SPIRIT 2013 Explanation and Elaboration paper provides important information to promote full understanding of the checklist recommendations. For each checklist item, we provide a rationale and detailed description; a model example from an actual protocol; and relevant references supporting its importance. We strongly recommend that this explanatory paper be used in conjunction with the SPIRIT Statement. A website of resources is also available (www.spirit-statement.org). The SPIRIT 2013 Explanation and Elaboration paper, together with the Statement, should help with the drafting of trial protocols. Complete documentation of key trial elements can facilitate transparency and protocol review for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Mac protocols for wireless sensor network (wsn): a comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arshad, J.; Akram, Q.; Saleem, Y.

2014-01-01

Data communication between nodes is carried out under Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol which is defined at data link layer. The MAC protocols are responsible to communicate and coordinate between nodes according to the defined standards in WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks). The design of a MAC protocol should also address the issues of energy efficiency and transmission efficiency. There are number of MAC protocols that exist in the literature proposed for WSN. In this paper, nine MAC protocols which includes S-MAC, T-MAC, Wise-MAC, Mu-MAC, Z-MAC, A-MAC, D-MAC, B-MAC and B-MAC+ for WSN have been explored, studied and analyzed. These nine protocols are classified in contention based and hybrid (combination of contention and schedule based) MAC protocols. The goal of this comparative study is to provide a basis for MAC protocols and to highlight different mechanisms used with respect to parameters for the evaluation of energy and transmission efficiency in WSN. This study also aims to give reader a better understanding of the concepts, processes and flow of information used in these MAC protocols for WSN. A comparison with respect to energy reservation scheme, idle listening avoidance, latency, fairness, data synchronization, and throughput maximization has been presented. It was analyzed that contention based MAC protocols are less energy efficient as compared to hybrid MAC protocols. From the analysis of contention based MAC protocols in term of energy consumption, it was being observed that protocols based on preamble sampling consume lesser energy than protocols based on static or dynamic sleep schedule. (author)

75 FR 4323 - Additional Quantitative Fit-testing Protocols for the Respiratory Protection Standard

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-27

...-mask and full face piece respirators are normally considered two different types of air purifying... article published in a peer-reviewed industrial-hygiene journal describing the protocol and explaining how... article from an industrial- hygiene journal describing the accuracy and reliability of these proposed...

Emission Trading and the Kyoto protocol: Are they efficient economic instruments?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibanez Londono, Ana Maria

1998-02-01

The Kyoto Protocol establishes a tradeable permits market for green house gases -GHG- emissions to reduce the costs of meeting the Protocol obligations. Economic theory provides the arguments to support the creation of GHG tradeable permits. Several economic researches have shown that vis-a-vis command and control regulations, tradeable permits induce economic agents to achieve environmental goals at a minimum cost. However, the conditions to minimize costs through tradeable permits are stringent. Tradeable permits require well functioning markets, e.g. perfect competition and perfect information. The tradeable permits market created by the Kyoto Protocol hardly meet these necessary conditions. Some countries like Japan, Great Britain and the United Stated are large emitters and thus may exert market power. Price manipulation may have implications over the static and dynamic efficiency of the permits. This paper takes a first look to the consequences of imperfect markets on the tradeable permit system of the Kyoto Protocol

Survey of protocols for the manual segmentation of the hippocampus: preparatory steps towards a joint EADC-ADNI harmonized protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Boccardi, Marina; Ganzola, Rossana; Bocchetta, Martina; Pievani, Michela; Redolfi, Alberto; Bartzokis, George; Camicioli, Richard; Csernansky, John G; de Leon, Mony J; deToledo-Morrell, Leyla; Killiany, Ronald J; Lehéricy, Stéphane; Pantel, Johannes; Pruessner, Jens C; Soininen, H; Watson, Craig; Duchesne, Simon; Jack, Clifford R; Frisoni, Giovanni B

2011-01-01

Manual segmentation from magnetic resonance imaging (MR) is the gold standard for evaluating hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nonetheless, different segmentation protocols provide up to 2.5-fold volume differences. Here we surveyed the most frequently used segmentation protocols in the AD literature as a preliminary step for international harmonization. The anatomical landmarks (anteriormost and posteriormost slices, superior, inferior, medial, and lateral borders) were identified from 12 published protocols for hippocampal manual segmentation ([Abbreviation] first author, publication year: [B] Bartzokis, 1998; [C] Convit, 1997; [dTM] deToledo-Morrell, 2004; [H] Haller, 1997; [J] Jack, 1994; [K] Killiany, 1993; [L] Lehericy, 1994; [M] Malykhin, 2007; [Pa] Pantel, 2000; [Pr] Pruessner, 2000; [S] Soininen, 1994; [W] Watson, 1992). The hippocampi of one healthy control and one AD patient taken from the 1.5T MR ADNI database were segmented by a single rater according to each protocol. The accuracy of the protocols' interpretation and translation into practice was checked with lead authors of protocols through individual interactive web conferences. Semantically harmonized landmarks and differences were then extracted, regarding: (a) the posteriormost slice, protocol [B] being the most restrictive, and [H, M, Pa, Pr, S] the most inclusive; (b) inclusion [C, dTM, J, L, M, Pr, W] or exclusion [B, H, K, Pa, S] of alveus/fimbria; (c) separation from the parahippocampal gyrus, [C] being the most restrictive, [B, dTM, H, J, Pa, S] the most inclusive. There were no substantial differences in the definition of the anteriormost slice. This survey will allow us to operationalize differences among protocols into tracing units, measure their impact on the repeatability and diagnostic accuracy of manual hippocampal segmentation, and finally develop a harmonized protocol.

A Lightweight Protocol for Secure Video Streaming.

Science.gov (United States)

Venčkauskas, Algimantas; Morkevicius, Nerijus; Bagdonas, Kazimieras; Damaševičius, Robertas; Maskeliūnas, Rytis

2018-05-14

The Internet of Things (IoT) introduces many new challenges which cannot be solved using traditional cloud and host computing models. A new architecture known as fog computing is emerging to address these technological and security gaps. Traditional security paradigms focused on providing perimeter-based protections and client/server point to point protocols (e.g., Transport Layer Security (TLS)) are no longer the best choices for addressing new security challenges in fog computing end devices, where energy and computational resources are limited. In this paper, we present a lightweight secure streaming protocol for the fog computing "Fog Node-End Device" layer. This protocol is lightweight, connectionless, supports broadcast and multicast operations, and is able to provide data source authentication, data integrity, and confidentiality. The protocol is based on simple and energy efficient cryptographic methods, such as Hash Message Authentication Codes (HMAC) and symmetrical ciphers, and uses modified User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to embed authentication data into streaming data. Data redundancy could be added to improve reliability in lossy networks. The experimental results summarized in this paper confirm that the proposed method efficiently uses energy and computational resources and at the same time provides security properties on par with the Datagram TLS (DTLS) standard.

Reduction of cancer risk by optimization of Computed Tomography head protocols: far eastern Cuban experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller Clemente, R.; Adame Brooks, D.; Lores Guevara, M.; Perez Diaz, M.; Arias Garlobo, M. L.; Ortega Rodriguez, O.; Nepite Haber, R.; Grinnan Hernandez, O.; Guillama Llosas, A.

2015-01-01

The cancer risk estimation constitutes one way for the evaluation of the public health, regarding computed tomography (CT) exposures. Starting from the hypothesis that the optimization of CT protocols would reduce significantly the added cancer risk, the purpose of this research was the application of optimization strategies regarding head CT protocols, in order to reduce the factors affecting the risk of induced cancer. The applied systemic approach included technological and human components, represented by quantitative physical factors. the volumetric kerma indexes, compared with respect to standard, optimized and reference values, were evaluated with multiple means comparison method. The added cancer risk resulted from the application of the methodology for biological effects evaluation, at low doses with low Linear Energy Transfer. Human observers in all scenarios evaluated the image quality. the reduced dose was significantly lower than for standard head protocols and reference levels, where: (1) for pediatric patients, by using an Automatic Exposure Control system, a reduction of 31% compared with standard protocol and ages range of 10-14, and (2) adults, using a Bilateral Filter for images obtained at low doses of 62% from those of standard head protocol. The risk reduction was higher than 25%. The systemic approach used allows the effective identification of factors involved on cancer risk related with exposures to CT. The combination of dose modulation and image restoration with Bilateral Filter, provide a significantly reduction of cancer risk, with acceptable diagnostic image quality. (Author)

Effects of surface-finishing protocols on the roughness, color change, and translucency of different ceramic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Akar, Gülcan Coşkun; Pekkan, Gürel; Çal, Ebru; Eskitaşçıoğlu, Gürcan; Özcan, Mutlu

2014-08-01

Surface-finishing protocols have a mechanical impact on ceramic surfaces that could eventually affect surface topography and light scattering. An optimum protocol is needed to avoid damaging the optical properties of ceramics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different surface-finishing protocols on the surface roughness, color change, and translucency of ceramic and metal ceramic restorations. Standardized disk-shaped specimens (1.5 × 10 mm, n=128) were fabricated from 3 different ceramic core materials (aluminum oxide [Al2O3]-AL, zirconium oxide [ZrO2]-ZR, lithium disilicate [Li2Si2O5]-LIT), veneered (V) with dentin ceramics (n=32 per group), and placed in the following groups: ALV, ZRV, and LITV. The metal ceramic group acted as the control (n=32). Four different surface-finishing methods were tested. Airborne-particle abrasion with 50 μm Al2O3, polishing with adjustment kit, polishing with adjustment kit plus diamond polishing paste, and autoglazing (n=8 subgroup) were applied on the veneering ceramics. The specimens were analyzed with a profilometer for surface roughness, and color change and translucency were measured with a clinical spectrophotometer. Statistical analyses were performed with 1-way ANOVA and the Tukey honest significant difference tests (α=.05). Specimens treated with the airborne particle abrasion method showed significantly higher mean profilometer for surface roughness values in all groups (P.05). With the diamond polishing paste method, lower surface roughness values were achieved in the ZRV and metal ceramic groups acted as the control groups. Different surface-finishing methods affected the color change of the ceramic systems, except for ZRV. Surface-finishing protocols significantly affected the translucency values of the ALV, LITV, and metal ceramic groups (Pceramics tested. The airborne-particle abrasion protocol created rougher surfaces and decreased translucency, and color change in zirconia was not

Informatics and Standards for Nanomedicine Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Dennis G.; Klaessig, Fred; Harper, Stacey L.; Fritts, Martin; Hoover, Mark D.; Gaheen, Sharon; Stokes, Todd H.; Reznik-Zellen, Rebecca; Freund, Elaine T.; Klemm, Juli D.; Paik, David S.; Baker, Nathan A.

2011-01-01

There are several issues to be addressed concerning the management and effective use of information (or data), generated from nanotechnology studies in biomedical research and medicine. These data are large in volume, diverse in content, and are beset with gaps and ambiguities in the description and characterization of nanomaterials. In this work, we have reviewed three areas of nanomedicine informatics: information resources; taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and ontologies; and information standards. Informatics methods and standards in each of these areas are critical for enabling collaboration, data sharing, unambiguous representation and interpretation of data, semantic (meaningful) search and integration of data; and for ensuring data quality, reliability, and reproducibility. In particular, we have considered four types of information standards in this review, which are standard characterization protocols, common terminology standards, minimum information standards, and standard data communication (exchange) formats. Currently, due to gaps and ambiguities in the data, it is also difficult to apply computational methods and machine learning techniques to analyze, interpret and recognize patterns in data that are high dimensional in nature, and also to relate variations in nanomaterial properties to variations in their chemical composition, synthesis, characterization protocols, etc. Progress towards resolving the issues of information management in nanomedicine using informatics methods and standards discussed in this review will be essential to the rapidly growing field of nanomedicine informatics. PMID:21721140

Handbook of Carbon Offset Programs. Trading Systems, Funds, Protocols and Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kollmuss, Anja; Lazarus, Michael; Lee, Carrie; Polycarp, Clifford (SEI-US (United States)); LeFranc, Maurice (US EPA (United States))

2010-03-15

Greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets have long been promoted as an important element of a comprehensive climate policy approach. Offset programs can reduce the overall cost of achieving a given emission goal by enabling emission reductions to occur where costs are lower. Offsets have the potential to deliver sustainability co-benefits, through technology development and transfer. They can also develop human and institutional capacity for reducing emissions in sectors and locations not included in a cap and trade or a mandatory government policy. However, offsets can pose a risk to the environmental integrity of climate actions, especially if issues surrounding additionality, permanence, leakage, quantification and verification are not adequately addressed. The challenge is to design offset programs and policies that can maximize their potential benefits while minimizing their potential risks. This handbook provides a systematic and comprehensive review of existing offset programs. It looks are what offsets are, how offset mechanisms function, and the successes and pitfalls they have encountered. Coverage includes offset programs across the full swath of applications including mandatory and voluntary systems, government regulated and private markets, carbon offset funds, and accounting and reporting protocols such as the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol and ISO 14064. Learning from the successes and failures of these programs will be essential to crafting effective climate policy. A reference for regulators, policy makers, business leaders and NGOs concerned with the design and operation of GHG offset programs world-wide

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conover, David R.; Crawford, Aladsair J.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.; Ferreira, Summer; Schoenwald, David

2014-06-01

The Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems (PNNL-22010) was first issued in November 2012 as a first step toward providing a foundational basis for developing an initial standard for the uniform measurement and expression of energy storage system (ESS) performance. Its subsequent use in the field and review by the protocol working group and most importantly the users’ subgroup and the thermal subgroup has led to the fundamental modifications reflected in this update of the 2012 Protocol. As an update of the 2012 Protocol, this document (the June 2014 Protocol) is intended to supersede its predecessor and be used as the basis for measuring and expressing ESS performance. The foreword provides general and specific details about what additions, revisions, and enhancements have been made to the 2012 Protocol and the rationale for them in arriving at the June 2014 Protocol.

The protocol amending the 1963 Vienna Convention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamm, V.

2006-01-01

Technically the Vienna Convention was revised by the adoption of the protocol to amend the instrument. and according to Article 19 of the protocol 'A State which is Party to this Protocol but not to the 1963 Vienna Convention shall be bound by the provisions of that Convention as amended by this Protocol in relation to other States Parties hereto, and failing an expression of a different intention by that State at the time of deposit of an instrument referred to in Article 20 shall be bound by the provisions of the 1963 Vienna Convention in relation to States which are only Parties thereto'. This solution has created a special situation, because after the entry into force of the protocol there will be living together or operating in practice 'two' Vienna Conventions, notably the convention's original text of 1963 and its new version as amended by the protocol. After the protocol has come into force, a state may only accede to the amended version, but in the inter se relations of the States Party to the 'old' Vienna Convention the provisions of that convention will remain in force until such time as they have acceded to the new protocol. This rather complicated situation is nevertheless understandable and is fully in accord with Article 40 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which provides for the amendment of multilateral treaties. In 1989 the negotiations on the revision of the Vienna Convention had begun with the aim of strengthening the existing nuclear liability regime and of improving the situation of potential victims of nuclear accidents. The Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention serves those purposes; it also reflects a good compromise, since it is the outcome of a negotiation process in which experts from both nuclear and non-nuclear states, from Contacting Parties and non-Contracting Parties were very active. That affords some assurance that the compromise solution reached is acceptable to all States participating in the adoption of

75 FR 43059 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Calculation of Available Transfer Capability, Capacity...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-23

... Standards for Business Practices and Communications Protocols for Public Utilities July 15, 2010. AGENCY... Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities. Order No. 729-B Order on Rehearing and..., Order No. 729-A, 131 FERC ] 61,109 (2010). \\2\\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication...

Aldefluor protocol to sort keratinocytes stem cells from skin

OpenAIRE

Noronha, Samuel Marcos Ribeiro; Gragnani, Alfredo; Pereira, Thiago Antônio Calado; Correa, Silvana Aparecida Alves; Bonucci, Jessica; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the use Aldefluor® and N, N - Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB) to design a protocol to sort keratinocyte stem cells from cultured keratinocytes from burned patients. Methods: Activated Aldefluor® aliquots were prepared and maintained at temperature between 2 to 8°C, or stored at -20°C. Next, the cells were collected following the standard protocol of sample preparation. Results: Best results were obtained with Aldefluor® 1.5µl and DEAB 15 µl for 1 x 106 c...

Abbreviated protocol for breast MRI: Are multiple sequences needed for cancer detection?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mango, Victoria L.; Morris, Elizabeth A.; David Dershaw, D.; Abramson, Andrea; Fry, Charles; Moskowitz, Chaya S.; Hughes, Mary; Kaplan, Jennifer; Jochelson, Maxine S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Abbreviated breast MR demonstrates high sensitivity for breast carcinoma detection. • Time to perform/interpret the abbreviated exam is shorter than a standard MRI exam. • An abbreviated breast MRI could reduce costs and make MRI screening more available. - Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the ability of an abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol, consisting of a precontrast T1 weighted (T1W) image and single early post-contrast T1W image, to detect breast carcinoma. Materials and methods: A HIPAA compliant Institutional Review Board approved review of 100 consecutive breast MRI examinations in patients with biopsy proven unicentric breast carcinoma. 79% were invasive carcinomas and 21% were ductal carcinoma in situ. Four experienced breast radiologists, blinded to carcinoma location, history and prior examinations, assessed the abbreviated protocol evaluating only the first post-contrast T1W image, post-processed subtracted first post-contrast and subtraction maximum intensity projection images. Detection and localization of tumor were compared to the standard full diagnostic examination consisting of 13 pre-contrast, post-contrast and post-processed sequences. Results: All 100 cancers were visualized on initial reading of the abbreviated protocol by at least one reader. The mean sensitivity for each sequence was 96% for the first post-contrast sequence, 96% for the first post-contrast subtraction sequence and 93% for the subtraction MIP sequence. Within each sequence, there was no significant difference between the sensitivities among the 4 readers (p = 0.471, p = 0.656, p = 0.139). Mean interpretation time was 44 s (range 11–167 s). The abbreviated imaging protocol could be performed in approximately 10–15 min, compared to 30–40 min for the standard protocol. Conclusion: An abbreviated breast MRI protocol allows detection of breast carcinoma. One pre and post-contrast T1W sequence may be adequate for detecting

Abbreviated protocol for breast MRI: Are multiple sequences needed for cancer detection?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mango, Victoria L., E-mail: vlm2125@columbia.edu [Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Pavilion, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10032 (United States); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Morris, Elizabeth A., E-mail: morrise@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); David Dershaw, D., E-mail: dershawd@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Abramson, Andrea, E-mail: abramsoa@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Fry, Charles, E-mail: charles_fry@nymc.edu [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY 10595 (United States); Moskowitz, Chaya S. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Hughes, Mary, E-mail: hughesm@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Kaplan, Jennifer, E-mail: kaplanj@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Jochelson, Maxine S., E-mail: jochelsm@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Breast and Imaging Center, 300 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States)

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Abbreviated breast MR demonstrates high sensitivity for breast carcinoma detection. • Time to perform/interpret the abbreviated exam is shorter than a standard MRI exam. • An abbreviated breast MRI could reduce costs and make MRI screening more available. - Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the ability of an abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol, consisting of a precontrast T1 weighted (T1W) image and single early post-contrast T1W image, to detect breast carcinoma. Materials and methods: A HIPAA compliant Institutional Review Board approved review of 100 consecutive breast MRI examinations in patients with biopsy proven unicentric breast carcinoma. 79% were invasive carcinomas and 21% were ductal carcinoma in situ. Four experienced breast radiologists, blinded to carcinoma location, history and prior examinations, assessed the abbreviated protocol evaluating only the first post-contrast T1W image, post-processed subtracted first post-contrast and subtraction maximum intensity projection images. Detection and localization of tumor were compared to the standard full diagnostic examination consisting of 13 pre-contrast, post-contrast and post-processed sequences. Results: All 100 cancers were visualized on initial reading of the abbreviated protocol by at least one reader. The mean sensitivity for each sequence was 96% for the first post-contrast sequence, 96% for the first post-contrast subtraction sequence and 93% for the subtraction MIP sequence. Within each sequence, there was no significant difference between the sensitivities among the 4 readers (p = 0.471, p = 0.656, p = 0.139). Mean interpretation time was 44 s (range 11–167 s). The abbreviated imaging protocol could be performed in approximately 10–15 min, compared to 30–40 min for the standard protocol. Conclusion: An abbreviated breast MRI protocol allows detection of breast carcinoma. One pre and post-contrast T1W sequence may be adequate for detecting

A Distributed Snapshot Protocol for Efficient Artificial Intelligence Computation in Cloud Computing Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JongBeom Lim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Many artificial intelligence applications often require a huge amount of computing resources. As a result, cloud computing adoption rates are increasing in the artificial intelligence field. To support the demand for artificial intelligence applications and guarantee the service level agreement, cloud computing should provide not only computing resources but also fundamental mechanisms for efficient computing. In this regard, a snapshot protocol has been used to create a consistent snapshot of the global state in cloud computing environments. However, the existing snapshot protocols are not optimized in the context of artificial intelligence applications, where large-scale iterative computation is the norm. In this paper, we present a distributed snapshot protocol for efficient artificial intelligence computation in cloud computing environments. The proposed snapshot protocol is based on a distributed algorithm to run interconnected multiple nodes in a scalable fashion. Our snapshot protocol is able to deal with artificial intelligence applications, in which a large number of computing nodes are running. We reveal that our distributed snapshot protocol guarantees the correctness, safety, and liveness conditions.

Surface and subsurface cleanup protocol for radionuclides, Gunnison, Colorado, UMTRA project processing site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

Surface and subsurface soil cleanup protocols for the Gunnison, Colorado, processing sits are summarized as follows: In accordance with EPA-promulgated land cleanup standards (40 CFR 192), in situ Ra-226 is to be cleaned up based on bulk concentrations not exceeding 5 and 15 pCi/g in 15-cm surface and subsurface depth increments, averaged over 100-m 2 grid blocks, where the parent Ra-226 concentrations are greater than, or in secular equilibrium with, the Th-230 parent. A bulk interpretation of these EPA standards has been accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and while the concentration of the finer-sized soil fraction less than a No. 4 mesh sieve contains the higher concentration of radioactivity, the bulk approach in effect integrates the total sample radioactivity over the entire sample mass. In locations where Th-230 has differentially migrated in subsoil relative to Ra-226, a Th-230 cleanup protocol has been developed in accordance with Supplemental Standard provisions of 40 CFR 192 for NRC/Colorado Department of Health (CDH) approval for timely implementation. Detailed elements of the protocol are contained in Appendix A, Generic Protocol from Thorium-230 Cleanup/Verification at UMTRA Project Processing Sites. The cleanup of other radionuclides or nonradiological hazards that pose a significant threat to the public and the environment will be determined and implemented in accordance with pathway analysis to assess impacts and the implications of ALARA specified in 40 CFR 192 relative to supplemental standards

Use of a standardized JaCVAM in vivo rat comet assay protocol to assess the genotoxicity of three coded test compounds; ampicillin trihydrate, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride, and N-nitrosodimethylamine.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamee, J P; Bellier, P V

2015-07-01

As part of the Japanese Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (JaCVAM)-initiative international validation study of the in vivo rat alkaline comet assay (comet assay), our laboratory examined ampicillin trihydrate (AMP), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH), and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDA) using a standard comet assay validation protocol (v14.2) developed by the JaCVAM validation management team (VMT). Coded samples were received by our laboratory along with basic MSDS information. Solubility analysis and range-finding experiments of the coded test compounds were conducted for dose selection. Animal dosing schedules, the comet assay processing and analysis, and statistical analysis were conducted in accordance with the standard protocol. Based upon our blinded evaluation, AMP was not found to exhibit evidence of genotoxicity in either the rat liver or stomach. However, both NDA and DMH were observed to cause a significant increase in % tail DNA in the rat liver at all dose levels tested. While acute hepatoxicity was observed for these compounds in the high dose group, in the investigators opinion there were a sufficient number of consistently damaged/measurable cells at the medium and low dose groups to judge these compounds as genotoxic. There was no evidence of genotoxicity from either NDA or DMH in the rat stomach. In conclusion, our laboratory observed increased DNA damage from two blinded test compounds in rat liver (later identified as genotoxic carcinogens), while no evidence of genotoxicity was observed for the third blinded test compound (later identified as a non-genotoxic, non-carcinogen). This data supports the use of a standardized protocol of the in vivo comet assay as a cost-effective alternative genotoxicity assay for regulatory testing purposes. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an app-based stress protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noeh Claudius

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Stress is a major influence on the quality of life in our fast-moving society. This paper describes a standardized and contemporary protocol that is capable of inducing moderate psychological stress in a laboratory setting. Furthermore, it evaluates its effects on physiological biomarkers. The protocol called “THM-Stresstest” mainly consists of a rest period (30 min, an app-based stress test under the surveillance of an audience (4 min and a regeneration period (32 min. We investigated 12 subjects to evaluate the developed protocol. We could show significant changes in heart rate variability, electromyography, electro dermal activity and salivary cortisol and α-amylase. From this data we conclude that the THM-Stresstest can serve as a psychobiological tool for provoking responses in the cardiovascular-, the endocrine and exocrine system as well as the sympathetic part of the central nervous system.

Creating more effective health plan quality reports for consumers: lessons from a synthesis of qualitative testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris-Kojetin, L D; McCormack, L A; Jaël, E F; Sangl, J A; Garfinkel, S A

2001-07-01

Social marketing techniques such as consumer testing have only recently been applied to develop effective consumer health insurance information. This article discusses lessons learned from consumer testing to create consumer plan choice materials. Data were collected from 268 publicly and privately insured consumers in three studies between 1994 and 1999. Iterative testing and revisions were conducted to design seven booklets to help Medicaid, Medicare, and employed consumers choose a health plan. Standardized protocols were used in 11 focus groups and 182 interviews to examine the content, comprehension, navigation, and utility of the booklets. A method is suggested to help consumers narrow their plan choices by breaking down the process into smaller decisions using a set of guided worksheets. Implementing these lessons is challenging and not often done well. This article gives examples of evidence-based approaches to address cognitive barriers that designers of consumer health insurance information can adapt to their needs.

Nursing Music Protocol and Postoperative Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulsen, Michael J; Coto, Jeffrey

2018-04-01

Pain has always been a major concern for patients and nurses during the postoperative period. Therapies, medicines, and protocols have been developed to improve pain and anxiety but have undesirable risks to the patient. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies have been studied but have not been applied as regular protocols in the hospital setting. Music is one type of complementary and alternative medicine therapy that has been reported to have favorable results on reducing postoperative pain, anxiety, and opioid usage. However, music lacks a protocol that nurses can implement during the perioperative process. This paper is an in-depth literature review assessing a best practice recommendation and protocol that establishes a consensus in the use of music therapy. The results suggest that music therapy may consist of calming, soft tones of 60-80 beats per minute for at least 15-30 minutes at least twice daily during the pre- and postoperative periods. It is suggested that music only be used in conjunction with standards of care and not as the primary intervention of pain or anxiety. This evidence suggests that proper use of music therapy can significantly reduce surgical pain. Implementing these protocols and allowing the freedom of nursing staff to use them may lead to greater reductions in surgical pain and anxiety and a reduction in opioid use. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standards and Protocols for Digital Libraries Dijital Kütüphanelerde Standartlar ve Protokoller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Emin Küçük

2003-06-01

Full Text Available New paradigms have been emerged in the field of librarianship and publishing with the developments in electronic environment, and rapid increase in electronically archived information and its acquisition and retrieval. While libraries show more interest in electronic information, publishers' current tendency is towards production of electronic information. In addition to the acquisition of electronic information, libraries have begun to digitise some of the holdings which do not present copyright problems. Economies provided by digitised information in terms of archiving, sharing and retrieval as well as the users' requirements are the basic motivation for digitisation. However, digital library standards have vital roles in performing effective library cooperation and interoperability between the systems. In this descriptive study, "the most commonly" confronted standards in digital library applications are being examined and evaluated under the following headings; (i record structure standards, (ii encoding standards, and (iii communication standards and protocols. However, metadata standards which can be categorised in record structure standards are not included since the matters are well studied in several papers in Turkish. Elektronik ortamdaki gelişmeler ve elektronik ortamda depolanan bilginin artmasıyla bilginin sağlanması, depolanması ve erişimi konularında önemli değişiklikler meydana gelmiş, yayıncılık ve kütüphanecilikte yeni paradigmaların oluşmasına neden olmuştur. Yayıncılar kaynakları elektronik ortamda üretme eğilimi göstermeye başlarken kütüphaneler de elektronik kaynaklara daha çok ilgi gösterir olmuşlardır. Elektronik ortamda üretilen kaynakların sağlanmasının yanı sıra, bir dizi kütüphane, dermelerinde bulunan ve telif sorunu olmayan materyali dijitalle sürerek kullanıcılarının hizmetine sunmaya başlamıştır. Dijital ortamda bilginin çok daha rahat depolanması, payla

a secure digital repository created for standard bank heritage centre ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Walter

proved successful so far at Standard Bank, the digital world remains problematic ... business, but also on the economic, political and social conditions ruling in its ... decided to go completely digital and that it would no longer be sending any ...

A protocol for amide bond formation with electron deficient amines and sterically hindered substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due-Hansen, Maria E; Pandey, Sunil K; Christiansen, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

A protocol for amide coupling by in situ formation of acyl fluorides and reaction with amines at elevated temperature has been developed and found to be efficient for coupling of sterically hindered substrates and electron deficient amines where standard methods failed.......A protocol for amide coupling by in situ formation of acyl fluorides and reaction with amines at elevated temperature has been developed and found to be efficient for coupling of sterically hindered substrates and electron deficient amines where standard methods failed....

Ecosystem Fabrication (EcoFAB) Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jian; Sasse, Joelle; Lewald, Kyle M; Zhalnina, Kateryna; Cornmesser, Lloyd T; Duncombe, Todd A; Yoshikuni, Yasuo; Vogel, John P; Firestone, Mary K; Northen, Trent R

2018-04-10

Beneficial plant-microbe interactions offer a sustainable biological solution with the potential to boost low-input food and bioenergy production. A better mechanistic understanding of these complex plant-microbe interactions will be crucial to improving plant production as well as performing basic ecological studies investigating plant-soil-microbe interactions. Here, a detailed description for ecosystem fabrication is presented, using widely available 3D printing technologies, to create controlled laboratory habitats (EcoFABs) for mechanistic studies of plant-microbe interactions within specific environmental conditions. Two sizes of EcoFABs are described that are suited for the investigation of microbial interactions with various plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and Panicum virgatum. These flow-through devices allow for controlled manipulation and sampling of root microbiomes, root chemistry as well as imaging of root morphology and microbial localization. This protocol includes the details for maintaining sterile conditions inside EcoFABs and mounting independent LED light systems onto EcoFABs. Detailed methods for addition of different forms of media, including soils, sand, and liquid growth media coupled to the characterization of these systems using imaging and metabolomics are described. Together, these systems enable dynamic and detailed investigation of plant and plant-microbial consortia including the manipulation of microbiome composition (including mutants), the monitoring of plant growth, root morphology, exudate composition, and microbial localization under controlled environmental conditions. We anticipate that these detailed protocols will serve as an important starting point for other researchers, ideally helping create standardized experimental systems for investigating plant-microbe interactions.

BRIDG: a domain information model for translational and clinical protocol-driven research.

Science.gov (United States)

Becnel, Lauren B; Hastak, Smita; Ver Hoef, Wendy; Milius, Robert P; Slack, MaryAnn; Wold, Diane; Glickman, Michael L; Brodsky, Boris; Jaffe, Charles; Kush, Rebecca; Helton, Edward

2017-09-01

It is critical to integrate and analyze data from biological, translational, and clinical studies with data from health systems; however, electronic artifacts are stored in thousands of disparate systems that are often unable to readily exchange data. To facilitate meaningful data exchange, a model that presents a common understanding of biomedical research concepts and their relationships with health care semantics is required. The Biomedical Research Integrated Domain Group (BRIDG) domain information model fulfills this need. Software systems created from BRIDG have shared meaning "baked in," enabling interoperability among disparate systems. For nearly 10 years, the Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium, the National Cancer Institute, the US Food and Drug Administration, and Health Level 7 International have been key stakeholders in developing BRIDG. BRIDG is an open-source Unified Modeling Language-class model developed through use cases and harmonization with other models. With its 4+ releases, BRIDG includes clinical and now translational research concepts in its Common, Protocol Representation, Study Conduct, Adverse Events, Regulatory, Statistical Analysis, Experiment, Biospecimen, and Molecular Biology subdomains. The model is a Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium, Health Level 7 International, and International Standards Organization standard that has been utilized in national and international standards-based software development projects. It will continue to mature and evolve in the areas of clinical imaging, pathology, ontology, and vocabulary support. BRIDG 4.1.1 and prior releases are freely available at https://bridgmodel.nci.nih.gov . © 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

Streetlight Control System Based on Wireless Communication over DALI Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Bellido-Outeiriño, Francisco José; Quiles-Latorre, Francisco Javier; Moreno-Moreno, Carlos Diego; Flores-Arias, José María; Moreno-García, Isabel; Ortiz-López, Manuel

2016-01-01

Public lighting represents a large part of the energy consumption of towns and cities. Efficient management of public lighting can entail significant energy savings. This work presents a smart system for managing public lighting networks based on wireless communication and the DALI protocol. Wireless communication entails significant economic savings, as there is no need to install new wiring and visual impacts and damage to the facades of historical buildings in city centers are avoided. The DALI protocol uses bidirectional communication with the ballast, which allows its status to be controlled and monitored at all times. The novelty of this work is that it tackles all aspects related to the management of public lighting: a standard protocol, DALI, was selected to control the ballast, a wireless node based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard with a DALI interface was designed, a network layer that considers the topology of the lighting network has been developed, and lastly, some user-friendly applications for the control and maintenance of the system by the technical crews of the different towns and cities have been developed. PMID:27128923

Streetlight Control System Based on Wireless Communication over DALI Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellido-Outeiriño, Francisco José; Quiles-Latorre, Francisco Javier; Moreno-Moreno, Carlos Diego; Flores-Arias, José María; Moreno-García, Isabel; Ortiz-López, Manuel

2016-04-27

Public lighting represents a large part of the energy consumption of towns and cities. Efficient management of public lighting can entail significant energy savings. This work presents a smart system for managing public lighting networks based on wireless communication and the DALI protocol. Wireless communication entails significant economic savings, as there is no need to install new wiring and visual impacts and damage to the facades of historical buildings in city centers are avoided. The DALI protocol uses bidirectional communication with the ballast, which allows its status to be controlled and monitored at all times. The novelty of this work is that it tackles all aspects related to the management of public lighting: a standard protocol, DALI, was selected to control the ballast, a wireless node based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard with a DALI interface was designed, a network layer that considers the topology of the lighting network has been developed, and lastly, some user-friendly applications for the control and maintenance of the system by the technical crews of the different towns and cities have been developed.

A review of Covert Channels in TCP and HTTP protocols | James ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Covert channels are used by crackers who have breached an organisation's systems to download tools from outside, upload internal data to outside, create virtual network to outside machines and communicate to outside paths. They are also used by internal users who want to use forbidden protocols, who want to have ...

May the Kyoto protocol produce results?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaureguy-Naudin, M.

2009-01-01

A not well managed drastic reduction of greenhouse emissions might result in significant decrease of living standards, but without such reduction efforts, climate change might have five to twenty times higher costs. Thus, while indicating estimated consequences or evolutions of greenhouse emissions and temperature, the author stresses the need of emission reduction. She discusses the role of economic instruments which can be used in policies aimed at the struggle against climate change. She recalls the emission reduction commitments specified in the Kyoto protocol, discusses the present status, operation and results of the international emission trading scheme, the lessons learned after the first years of operation, comments the involvement of emerging countries in relationship with another mechanism defined in the protocol: the Clean Development Mechanism

A new testing protocol for zirconia dental implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanon, Clarisse; Chevalier, Jérôme; Douillard, Thierry; Cattani-Lorente, Maria; Scherrer, Susanne S; Gremillard, Laurent

2015-01-01

Based on the current lack of standards concerning zirconia dental implants, we aim at developing a protocol to validate their functionality and safety prior their clinical use. The protocol is designed to account for the specific brittle nature of ceramics and the specific behavior of zirconia in terms of phase transformation. Several types of zirconia dental implants with different surface textures (porous, alveolar, rough) were assessed. The implants were first characterized in their as-received state by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Fracture tests following a method adapted from ISO 14801 were conducted to evaluate their initial mechanical properties. Accelerated aging was performed on the implants, and XRD monoclinic content measured directly at their surface instead of using polished samples as in ISO 13356. The implants were then characterized again after aging. Implants with an alveolar surface presented large defects. The protocol shows that such defects compromise the long-term mechanical properties. Implants with a porous surface exhibited sufficient strength but a significant sensitivity to aging. Even if associated to micro cracking clearly observed by FIB, aging did not decrease mechanical strength of the implants. As each dental implant company has its own process, all zirconia implants may behave differently, even if the starting powder is the same. Especially, surface modifications have a large influence on strength and aging resistance, which is not taken into account by the current standards. Protocols adapted from this work could be useful. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing a standardized healthcare cost data warehouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Visscher, Sue L; Naessens, James M; Yawn, Barbara P; Reinalda, Megan S; Anderson, Stephanie S; Borah, Bijan J

2017-06-12

Research addressing value in healthcare requires a measure of cost. While there are many sources and types of cost data, each has strengths and weaknesses. Many researchers appear to create study-specific cost datasets, but the explanations of their costing methodologies are not always clear, causing their results to be difficult to interpret. Our solution, described in this paper, was to use widely accepted costing methodologies to create a service-level, standardized healthcare cost data warehouse from an institutional perspective that includes all professional and hospital-billed services for our patients. The warehouse is based on a National Institutes of Research-funded research infrastructure containing the linked health records and medical care administrative data of two healthcare providers and their affiliated hospitals. Since all patients are identified in the data warehouse, their costs can be linked to other systems and databases, such as electronic health records, tumor registries, and disease or treatment registries. We describe the two institutions' administrative source data; the reference files, which include Medicare fee schedules and cost reports; the process of creating standardized costs; and the warehouse structure. The costing algorithm can create inflation-adjusted standardized costs at the service line level for defined study cohorts on request. The resulting standardized costs contained in the data warehouse can be used to create detailed, bottom-up analyses of professional and facility costs of procedures, medical conditions, and patient care cycles without revealing business-sensitive information. After its creation, a standardized cost data warehouse is relatively easy to maintain and can be expanded to include data from other providers. Individual investigators who may not have sufficient knowledge about administrative data do not have to try to create their own standardized costs on a project-by-project basis because our data

Actions of a protocol for radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sousa, Joyce Caroline de Oliveira; Andrade, Idalmar Gomes da Silva; Frazão, Denys Wanderson Pereira; Abreu, Lukas Maxwell Oliveira de; França, Clyslane Alves; Macedo, Paulo de Tarso Silva de

2017-01-01

Radioactive wastes are all those materials generated in the various uses of radioactive materials, which can not be reused and which have radioactive substances in quantities that can not be treated as ordinary waste. All management of these wastes must be carried out carefully, including actions ranging from its collection to the point where they are generated to their final destination. However, any and all procedures must be carried out in order to comply with the requirements for the protection of workers, individuals, the public and the environment. The final product of the study was a descriptive tutorial on the procedures and actions of a standard radioactive waste management protocol developed from scientific publications on radiation protection. The management of radioactive waste is one of the essential procedures in the radiological protection of man and the environment where the manipulation of radioactive materials occurs. The standard radioactive management protocol includes: collection, segregation of various types of wastes, transport, characterization, treatment, storage and final disposal. The radioactive wastes typology interferes with sequencing and the way in which actions are developed. The standardization of mechanisms in the management of radioactive waste contributes to the radiological safety of all those involved

Protocol - realist and meta-narrative evidence synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Westhorp Gill

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is growing interest in theory-driven, qualitative and mixed-method approaches to systematic review as an alternative to (or to extend and supplement conventional Cochrane-style reviews. These approaches offer the potential to expand the knowledge base in policy-relevant areas - for example by explaining the success, failure or mixed fortunes of complex interventions. However, the quality of such reviews can be difficult to assess. This study aims to produce methodological guidance, publication standards and training resources for those seeking to use the realist and/or meta-narrative approach to systematic review. Methods/design We will: [a] collate and summarise existing literature on the principles of good practice in realist and meta-narrative systematic review; [b] consider the extent to which these principles have been followed by published and in-progress reviews, thereby identifying how rigour may be lost and how existing methods could be improved; [c] using an online Delphi method with an interdisciplinary panel of experts from academia and policy, produce a draft set of methodological steps and publication standards; [d] produce training materials with learning outcomes linked to these steps; [e] pilot these standards and training materials prospectively on real reviews-in-progress, capturing methodological and other challenges as they arise; [f] synthesise expert input, evidence review and real-time problem analysis into more definitive guidance and standards; [g] disseminate outputs to audiences in academia and policy. The outputs of the study will be threefold: 1. Quality standards and methodological guidance for realist and meta-narrative reviews for use by researchers, research sponsors, students and supervisors 2. A 'RAMESES' (Realist and Meta-review Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards statement (comparable to CONSORT or PRISMA of publication standards for such reviews, published in an open

Merging video coaching and an anthropologic approach to understand health care provider behavior toward hand hygiene protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Boudjema, Sophia; Tarantini, Clément; Peretti-Watel, Patrick; Brouqui, Philippe

2017-05-01

We used videorecordings of routine care to analyze health care providers' deviance from protocols and organized follow-up interviews that were conducted by an anthropologist and a nurse. After consent, health care workers were recorded during routine care by an automatic video remote control. Each participant was invited to watch her or his recorded behaviors on 2 different videos showing routine practices and her or his deviance from protocols, and to comment on them. After this step an in-depth interview based on preestablished guidelines was organized and explanations regarding the observed deviance was discussed. This design was intended to reveal the HCWs' subjectivity; that is, how they perceive hand hygiene issues in their daily routine, what concrete difficulties they face, and how they try to resolve them. We selected 43 of 250 videorecordings created during the study, which allowed us to study 15 out of 20 health care professionals. Twenty out of 43 videos showed 1 or more breaches in the hand hygiene protocol. The breaches were frequently linked to glove abuse. Deviance from protocols was explained by the health care workers as the result of an adaptive behavior; that is, facing work constraints that were disconnected from infection control protocols. Professional practices and protocols should be revisited to create simple messages that are adapted to the mandatory needs in a real life clinic environment. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Backpressure-based control protocols: design and computational aspects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miretskiy, D.I.; Scheinhardt, Willem R.W.; Mandjes, M.R.H.

2009-01-01

Congestion control in packet-based networks is often realized by feedback protocols. In this paper we assess their performance under a back-pressure mechanism that has been proposed and standardized for Ethernet metropolitan networks. In such a mechanism the service rate of an upstream queue is

Backpressure-based control protocols: Design and computational aspects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miretskiy, D.I.; Scheinhardt, W.R.W.; Mandjes, M.R.H.

2009-01-01

Congestion control in packet-based networks is often realized by feedback protocols. In this paper we assess their performance under a back-pressure mechanism that has been proposed and standardized for Ethernet metropolitan networks. In such a mechanism the service rate of an upstream queue is

Control room envelope unfiltered air inleakage test protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagus, P.L.; Grot, R.A.

1997-01-01

In 1983, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) recommended that the US NRC develop a control room HVAC performance testing protocol. To date no such protocol has been forthcoming. Beginning in mid-1994, an effort was funded by NRC under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop several simplified test protocols based on the principles of tracer gas testing in order to measure the total unfiltered inleakage entering a CRE during emergency mode operation of the control room ventilation system. These would allow accurate assessment of unfiltered air inleakage as required in SRP 6.4. The continuing lack of a standard protocol is unfortunate since one of the significant parameters required to calculate operator dose is the amount of unfiltered air inleakage into the control room. Often it is assumed that, if the Control Room Envelope (CRE) is maintained at +1/8 in. w.g. differential pressure relative to the surroundings, no significant unfiltered inleakage can occur it is further assumed that inleakage due to door openings is the only source of unfiltered air. 23 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

Control room envelope unfiltered air inleakage test protocols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagus, P.L. [Lagus Applied Technology, San Diego, CA (United States); Grot, R.A. [Lagus Applied Technology, Olney, MD (United States)

1997-08-01

In 1983, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) recommended that the US NRC develop a control room HVAC performance testing protocol. To date no such protocol has been forthcoming. Beginning in mid-1994, an effort was funded by NRC under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop several simplified test protocols based on the principles of tracer gas testing in order to measure the total unfiltered inleakage entering a CRE during emergency mode operation of the control room ventilation system. These would allow accurate assessment of unfiltered air inleakage as required in SRP 6.4. The continuing lack of a standard protocol is unfortunate since one of the significant parameters required to calculate operator dose is the amount of unfiltered air inleakage into the control room. Often it is assumed that, if the Control Room Envelope (CRE) is maintained at +1/8 in. w.g. differential pressure relative to the surroundings, no significant unfiltered inleakage can occur it is further assumed that inleakage due to door openings is the only source of unfiltered air. 23 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.

Task Group on Computer/Communication Protocols for Bibliographic Data Exchange. Interim Report = Groupe de Travail sur les Protocoles de Communication/Ordinateurs pour l'Exchange de Donnees Bibliographiques. Rapport d'Etape. May 1983.

Science.gov (United States)

Canadian Network Papers, 1983

1983-01-01

This preliminary report describes the work to date of the Task Group on Computer/Communication protocols for Bibliographic Data Interchange, which was formed in 1980 to develop a set of protocol standards to facilitate communication between heterogeneous library and information systems within the framework of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). A…

New Communication Network Protocol for a Data Acquisition System

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, T.; Fujii, H.; Nagasaka, Y.; Tanaka, M.

2006-02-01

An event builder based on communication networks has been used in high-energy physics experiments, and various networks have been adopted, for example, IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and so on. In particular, Ethernet is widely used because its infrastructure is very cost effective. Many systems adopt standard protocols that are designed for a general network. However, in the case of an event builder, the communication pattern between stations is different from that in a general network. The unique communication pattern causes congestion, and thus makes it difficulty to quantitatively design the network. To solve this problem, we have developed a simple network protocol for a data acquisition (DAQ) system. The protocol is designed to keep the sequence of senders so that no congestion occurs. We implemented the protocol on a small hardware component [a field programmable gate array (FPGA)] and measured the performance, so that it will be ready for a generic DAQ system

Radiologic procedures, policies and protocols for pediatric emergency medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodward, George A.

2008-01-01

Protocol development between radiology and pediatric emergency medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach to manage straightforward as well as complex and time-sensitive needs for emergency department patients. Imaging evaluation requires coordination of radiologic technologists, radiologists, transporters, nurses and coordinators, among others, and might require accelerated routines or occur at sub-optimal times. Standardized protocol development enables providers to design a best practice in all of these situations and should be predicated on evidence, mission, and service expectations. As in any new process, constructive feedback channels are imperative for evaluation and modification. (orig.)

Building America House Simulation Protocols (Revised)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hendron, R.; Engebrecht, C.

2010-10-01

The House Simulation Protocol document was developed to track and manage progress toward Building America's multi-year, average whole-building energy reduction research goals for new construction and existing homes, using a consistent analytical reference point. This report summarizes the guidelines for developing and reporting these analytical results in a consistent and meaningful manner for all home energy uses using standard operating conditions.

Standardized Treatment of Neonatal Status Epilepticus Improves Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Mandy L; Malloy, Katherine M; Lawson, Sheena N; Rose, Rebecca S; Buss, William F; Mietzsch, Ulrike

2016-12-01

We aimed to decrease practice variation in treatment of neonatal status epilepticus by implementing a standardized protocol. Our primary goal was to achieve 80% adherence to the algorithm within 12 months. Secondary outcome measures included serum phenobarbital concentrations, number of patients progressing from seizures to status epilepticus, and length of hospital stay. Data collection occurred for 6 months prior and 12 months following protocol implementation. Adherence of 80% within 12 months was partially achieved in patients diagnosed in our hospital; in pretreated patients, adherence was not achieved. Maximum phenobarbital concentrations were decreased (56.8 vs 41.0 µg/mL), fewer patients progressed from seizures to status epilepticus (46% vs 36%), and hospital length of stay decreased by 9.7 days in survivors. In conclusion, standardized, protocol-driven treatment of neonatal status epilepticus improves consistency and short-term outcome. © The Author(s) 2016.

Calibration of working standard ionization chambers and dose standardization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd Elmahoud, A. A. B.

2011-01-01

Measurements were performed for the calibration of two working standard ionization chambers in the secondary standard dosimetry laboratory of Sudan. 600 cc cylindrical former type and 1800 cc cylindrical radical radiation protection level ionization chambers were calibrated against 1000 cc spherical reference standard ionization chamber. The chamber were calibrated at X-ray narrow spectrum series with beam energies ranged from (33-116 KeV) in addition to 1''3''7''Cs beam with 662 KeV energy. The chambers 0.6 cc and 0.3 cc therapy level ionization were used for dose standardization and beam output calibrations of cobalt-60 radiotherapy machine located at the National Cancer Institute, University of Gazira. Concerning beam output measurements for 6''0''Co radiotherapy machine, dosimetric measurements were performed in accordance with the relevant per IAEA dosimetry protocols TRS-277 and TRS-398. The kinetic energy released per unit mass in air (air kerma) were obtained by multiplying the corrected electrometer reading (nC/min) by the calibration factors (Gy/n C) of the chambers from given in the calibration certificate. The uncertainty of measurements of air kerma were calculated for the all ionization chambers (combined uncertainty) the calibration factors of these ionization chambers then were calculated by comparing the reading of air kerma of secondary standard ionization chambers to than from radical and farmer chambers. The result of calibration working standard ionization chambers showed different calibration factors ranged from 0.99 to 1.52 for different radiation energies and these differences were due to chambers response and specification. The absorbed dose to to water calculated for therapy ionization chamber using two code of practice TRS-277 and TRS-398 as beam output for 6''0''Co radiotherapy machine and it can be used as a reference for future beam output calibration in radiotherapy dosimetry. The measurement of absorbed dose to water showed that the

Epidemiological cut-off values for Flavobacterium psychrophilum MIC data generated by a standard test protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, P; Endris, R; Kronvall, G; Thomas, V; Verner-Jeffreys, D; Wilhelm, C; Dalsgaard, I

2016-02-01

Epidemiological cut-off values were developed for application to antibiotic susceptibility data for Flavobacterium psychrophilum generated by standard CLSI test protocols. The MIC values for ten antibiotic agents against Flavobacterium psychrophilum were determined in two laboratories. For five antibiotics, the data sets were of sufficient quality and quantity to allow the setting of valid epidemiological cut-off values. For these agents, the cut-off values, calculated by the application of the statistically based normalized resistance interpretation method, were ≤16 mg L(-1) for erythromycin, ≤2 mg L(-1) for florfenicol, ≤0.025 mg L(-1) for oxolinic acid (OXO), ≤0.125 mg L(-1) for oxytetracycline and ≤20 (1/19) mg L(-1) for trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole. For ampicillin and amoxicillin, the majority of putative wild-type observations were 'off scale', and therefore, statistically valid cut-off values could not be calculated. For ormetoprim/sulphadimethoxine, the data were excessively diverse and a valid cut-off could not be determined. For flumequine, the putative wild-type data were extremely skewed, and for enrofloxacin, there was inadequate separation in the MIC values for putative wild-type and non-wild-type strains. It is argued that the adoption of OXO as a class representative for the quinolone group would be a valid method of determining susceptibilities to these agents. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creating NDA working standards through high-fidelity spent fuel modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skutnik, Steven E.; Gauld, Ian C.; Romano, Catherine E.; Trellue, Holly

2012-01-01

The Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) is developing advanced non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques for spent nuclear fuel assemblies to advance the state-of-the-art in safeguards measurements. These measurements aim beyond the capabilities of existing methods to include the evaluation of plutonium and fissile material inventory, independent of operator declarations. Testing and evaluation of advanced NDA performance will require reference assemblies with well-characterized compositions to serve as working standards against which the NDA methods can be benchmarked and for uncertainty quantification. To support the development of standards for the NGSI spent fuel NDA project, high-fidelity modeling of irradiated fuel assemblies is being performed to characterize fuel compositions and radiation emission data. The assembly depletion simulations apply detailed operating history information and core simulation data as it is available to perform high fidelity axial and pin-by-pin fuel characterization for more than 1600 nuclides. The resulting pin-by-pin isotopic inventories are used to optimize the NDA measurements and provide information necessary to unfold and interpret the measurement data, e.g., passive gamma emitters, neutron emitters, neutron absorbers, and fissile content. A key requirement of this study is the analysis of uncertainties associated with the calculated compositions and signatures for the standard assemblies; uncertainties introduced by the calculation methods, nuclear data, and operating information. An integral part of this assessment involves the application of experimental data from destructive radiochemical assay to assess the uncertainty and bias in computed inventories, the impact of parameters such as assembly burnup gradients and burnable poisons, and the influence of neighboring assemblies on periphery rods. This paper will present the results of high fidelity assembly depletion modeling and uncertainty analysis from independent

Multidisciplinary perioperative protocol in patients undergoing acute high-risk abdominal surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tengberg, L. T.; Bay-Nielsen, M.; Bisgaard, T.

2017-01-01

Background: Acute high-risk abdominal (AHA) surgery carries a very high risk of morbidity and mortality and represents a massive healthcare burden. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a standardized multidisciplinary perioperative protocol in patients undergoing AHA surgery...... = 0·004). Conclusion: The introduction of a multidisciplinary perioperative protocol was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative mortality in patients undergoing AHA surgery. NCT01899885 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)....

Toward a standardized investigation protocol in sudden unexpected deaths in infancy in South Africa: a multicenter study of medico-legal investigation procedures and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

du Toit-Prinsloo, Lorraine; Dempers, Johan; Verster, Janette; Hattingh, Christa; Nel, Hestelle; Brandt, V D; Jordaan, Joyce; Saayman, Gert

2013-09-01

South Africa manifests a socio-economic dichotomy that shows features of both a developed and developing country. As a result of this, areas exist where a lack of resources and expertise prevents the implementation of a highly standardized protocol for the investigation of sudden and unexpected deaths in infants (SUDI). Although the medico-legal mortuaries attached to academic centers have the capacity to implement standardized protocols, a previous study conducted at two large medico-legal mortuaries indicated otherwise. This study also revealed that the exact number and incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases was unknown. These findings prompted a multicenter study of the medico-legal investigation procedures and outcomes in five academic centers in South Africa. A retrospective case audit was conducted for a 5-year period (2005-2009) at medico-legal laboratories attached to universities in Bloemfontein, Cape Town-Tygerberg, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. The total case load as well as the total number of infants younger than 1 year of age admitted to these mortuaries was documented. The case files on all infants younger than 1 year of age who were admitted as sudden and unexpected or unexplained deaths were included in the study population. Data collected on the target population included demographic details, the nature and scope of the post-mortem examinations, as well as the final outcome (cause of death). A total case load of 80,399 cases were admitted to the mortuaries over the 5 year period with a total of 3,295 (6.5 %) infants. In the infant group, 591 (0.7 %) died from non-natural causes and 2,704 (3.3 %) cases of sudden, unexpected and/or unexplained deaths in infants were admitted and included in the detailed case analysis study. One hundred and ninety-nine babies were between 0 and 7 days of age and 210 babies between 8 and 30 days. The remaining 2,295 infants were between 1 month and 12 months of age. Death scene investigation was

Scaling HEP to Web size with RESTful protocols: The frontier example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dykstra, Dave

2011-01-01

The World-Wide-Web has scaled to an enormous size. The largest single contributor to its scalability is the HTTP protocol, particularly when used in conformity to REST (REpresentational State Transfer) principles. High Energy Physics (HEP) computing also has to scale to an enormous size, so it makes sense to base much of it on RESTful protocols. Frontier, which reads databases with an HTTP-based RESTful protocol, has successfully scaled to deliver production detector conditions data from both the CMS and ATLAS LHC detectors to hundreds of thousands of computer cores worldwide. Frontier is also able to re-use a large amount of standard software that runs the Web: on the clients, caches, and servers. I discuss the specific ways in which HTTP and REST enable high scalability for Frontier. I also briefly discuss another protocol used in HEP computing that is HTTP-based and RESTful, and another protocol that could benefit from it. My goal is to encourage HEP protocol designers to consider HTTP and REST whenever the same information is needed in many places.

GnRH antagonist versus long agonist protocols in IVF

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lambalk, C B; Banga, F R; Huirne, J A

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Most reviews of IVF ovarian stimulation protocols have insufficiently accounted for various patient populations, such as ovulatory women, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or women with poor ovarian response, and have included studies in which the agonist or antagonist...... was not the only variable between the compared study arms. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE: The aim of the current study was to compare GnRH antagonist protocols versus standard long agonist protocols in couples undergoing IVF or ICSI, while accounting for various patient populations and treatment schedules. SEARCH...... in couples undergoing IVF or ICSI. The primary outcome was ongoing pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes were: live birth rate, clinical pregnancy rate, number of oocytes retrieved and safety with regard to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Separate comparisons were performed for the general IVF...

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conover, David R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Crawford, Aladsair J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Fuller, Jason C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gourisetti, Sri Nikhil Gup [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Viswanathan, Vilayanur V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ferreira, Summer [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Schoenwald, David [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Rosewater, David [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-04-01

The Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems (PNNL-22010) was first issued in November 2012 as a first step toward providing a foundational basis for developing an initial standard for the uniform measurement and expression of energy storage system (ESS) performance. Based on experiences with the application and use of that document, and to include additional ESS applications and associated duty cycles, test procedures and performance metrics, a first revision of the November 2012 Protocol was issued in June 2014 (PNNL 22010 Rev. 1). As an update of the 2014 revision 1 to the Protocol, this document (the March 2016 revision 2 to the Protocol) is intended to supersede the June 2014 revision 1 to the Protocol and provide a more user-friendly yet more robust and comprehensive basis for measuring and expressing ESS performance.

Reduced-dose chest CT with 3D automatic exposure control vs. standard chest CT: Quantitative assessment of emphysematous changes in smokers’ lung parenchyma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Hisanobu; Ohno, Yoshiharu; Yamazaki, Youichi; Matsumoto, Keiko; Onishi, Yumiko; Takenaka, Daisuke; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Nishio, Mizuho; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Murase, Kenya; Nishimura, Yoshihiro

2012-01-01

Objectives: To determine the capability of reduced-dose chest CT with three-dimensional (3D) automatic exposure control (AEC) on quantitative assessment of emphysematous change in smoker’ lung parenchyma, compared to standard chest CT. Methods: Twenty consecutive smoker patients (mean age 62.8 years) underwent CT examinations using a standard protocol (150 mAs) and a protocol with 3D-AEC. In this study, the targeted standard deviations number was set to 160. For quantitative assessment of emphysematous change in lung parenchyma in each subject using the standard protocol, a percentage of voxels less than −950 HU in the lung (%LAA −950 ) was calculated. The 3D-AEC protocol's %LAA was computed from of voxel percentages under selected threshold CT value. The differences of radiation doses between these two protocols were evaluated, and %LAAs −950 was compared with the 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs. Results: Mean dose length products were 780.2 ± 145.5 mGy cm (standard protocol), and 192.0 ± 95.9 (3D-AEC protocol). There was significant difference between them (paired Student's t test, p −950 and 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs. In adopting the feasible threshold CT values of the 3D-AEC protocol, the 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs were significantly correlated with %LAAs −950 (r = 0.98, p < 0.001) and limits of agreement from Bland–Altman analysis was 0.52 ± 4.3%. Conclusions: Changing threshold CT values demonstrated that reduced-dose chest CT with 3D-AEC can substitute for the standard protocol in assessments of emphysematous change in smoker’ lung parenchyma.

Development of high-reliable real-time communication network protocol for SMART

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Ki Sang; Kim, Young Sik [Korea National University of Education, Chongwon (Korea); No, Hee Chon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea)

1999-04-01

In this research, we first define protocol subsets for SMART(System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) communication network based on the requirement of SMART MMIS transmission delay and traffic requirements and OSI(Open System Interconnection) 7 layers' network protocol functions. Also, current industrial purpose LAN protocols are analyzed and the applicability of commercialized protocols are checked. For the suitability test, we have applied approximated SMART data traffic and maximum allowable transmission delay requirement. With the simulation results, we conclude that IEEE 802.5 and FDDI which is an ANSI standard, is the most suitable for SMART. We further analyzed the FDDI and token ring protocols for SMART and nuclear plant network environment including IEEE 802.4, IEEE 802.5, and ARCnet. The most suitable protocol for SMART is FDDI and FDDI MAC and RMT protocol specifications have been verified with LOTOS and the verification results show that FDDI MAC and RMT satisfy the reachability and liveness, but does not show deadlock and livelock. Therefore, we conclude that FDDI MAC and RMT is highly reliable protocol for SMART MMIS network. After that, we consider the stacking fault of IEEE 802.5 token ring protocol and propose a fault tolerant MAM(Modified Active Monitor) protocol. The simulation results show that the MAM protocol improves lower priority traffic service rate when stacking fault occurs. Therefore, proposed MAM protocol can be applied to SMART communication network for high reliability and hard real-time communication purpose in data acquisition and inter channel network. (author). 37 refs., 79 figs., 39 tabs.

BioBlocks: Programming Protocols in Biology Made Easier.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vishal; Irimia, Jesús; Pau, Iván; Rodríguez-Patón, Alfonso

2017-07-21

The methods to execute biological experiments are evolving. Affordable fluid handling robots and on-demand biology enterprises are making automating entire experiments a reality. Automation offers the benefit of high-throughput experimentation, rapid prototyping, and improved reproducibility of results. However, learning to automate and codify experiments is a difficult task as it requires programming expertise. Here, we present a web-based visual development environment called BioBlocks for describing experimental protocols in biology. It is based on Google's Blockly and Scratch, and requires little or no experience in computer programming to automate the execution of experiments. The experiments can be specified, saved, modified, and shared between multiple users in an easy manner. BioBlocks is open-source and can be customized to execute protocols on local robotic platforms or remotely, that is, in the cloud. It aims to serve as a de facto open standard for programming protocols in Biology.

Cell adhesion pattern created by OSTE polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenjia; Li, Yiyang; Ding, Xianting

2017-04-24

Engineering surfaces with functional polymers is a crucial issue in the field of micro/nanofabrication and cell-material interface studies. For many applications of surface patterning, it does not need cells to attach on the whole surface. Herein, we introduce a novel polymer fabrication protocol of off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (OSTE) polymers to create heterogeneity on the surface by utilizing 3D printing and soft-lithography. By choosing two OSTE polymers with different functional groups, we create a pattern where only parts of the surface can facilitate cell adhesion. We also study the hydrophilic property of OSTE polymers by mixing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) directly with pre-polymers and plasma treatments afterwards. Moreover, we investigate the effect of functional groups' excess ratio and hydrophilic property on the cell adhesion ability of OSTE polymers. The results show that the cell adhesion ability of OSTE materials can be tuned within a wide range by the coupling effect of functional groups' excess ratio and hydrophilic property. Meanwhile, by mixing PEG with pre-polymers and undergoing oxygen plasma treatment afterward can significantly improve the hydrophilic property of OSTE polymers.

D-RATS 2011: RAFT Protocol Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Utz, Hans

2011-01-01

A brief overview presentation on the protocol used during the D-RATS2011 field test for file transfer from the field-test robots at Black Point Lava Flow AZ to Johnson Space Center, Houston TX over a simulated time-delay. The file transfer actually uses a commercial implementation of an open communications standard. The focus of the work lies on how to make the state of the distributed system observable.

Application Protocol, Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES), Layered Electrical Product

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Connell, L.J. [ed.

1994-12-01

An application protocol is an information systems engineering view of a specific product The view represents an agreement on the generic activities needed to design and fabricate the product the agreement on the information needed to support those activities, and the specific constructs of a product data standard for use in transferring some or all of the information required. This application protocol describes the data for electrical and electronic products in terms of a product description standard called the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES). More specifically, the Layered Electrical Product IGES Application Protocol (AP) specifies the mechanisms for defining and exchanging computer-models and their associated data for those products which have been designed in two dimensional geometry so as to be produced as a series of layers in IGES format The AP defines the appropriateness of the data items for describing the geometry of the various parts of a product (shape and location), the connectivity, and the processing and material characteristics. Excluded is the behavioral requirements which the product was intended to satisfy, except as those requirements have been recorded as design rules or product testing requirements.

Streetlight Control System Based on Wireless Communication over DALI Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco José Bellido-Outeiriño

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Public lighting represents a large part of the energy consumption of towns and cities. Efficient management of public lighting can entail significant energy savings. This work presents a smart system for managing public lighting networks based on wireless communication and the DALI protocol. Wireless communication entails significant economic savings, as there is no need to install new wiring and visual impacts and damage to the facades of historical buildings in city centers are avoided. The DALI protocol uses bidirectional communication with the ballast, which allows its status to be controlled and monitored at all times. The novelty of this work is that it tackles all aspects related to the management of public lighting: a standard protocol, DALI, was selected to control the ballast, a wireless node based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard with a DALI interface was designed, a network layer that considers the topology of the lighting network has been developed, and lastly, some user-friendly applications for the control and maintenance of the system by the technical crews of the different towns and cities have been developed.

Surgical Process Improvement: Impact of a Standardized Care Model With Electronic Decision Support to Improve Compliance With SCIP Inf-9.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, David J; Thompson, Jeffrey E; Suri, Rakesh; Prinsen, Sharon K

2014-01-01

The absence of standardization in surgical care process, exemplified in a "solution shop" model, can lead to unwarranted variation, increased cost, and reduced quality. A comprehensive effort was undertaken to improve quality of care around indwelling bladder catheter use following surgery by creating a "focused factory" model within the cardiac surgical practice. Baseline compliance with Surgical Care Improvement Inf-9, removal of urinary catheter by the end of surgical postoperative day 2, was determined. Comparison of baseline data to postintervention results showed clinically important reductions in the duration of indwelling bladder catheters as well as marked reduction in practice variation. Following the intervention, Surgical Care Improvement Inf-9 guidelines were met in 97% of patients. Although clinical quality improvement was notable, the process to accomplish this-identification of patients suitable for standardized pathways, protocol application, and electronic systems to support the standardized practice model-has potentially greater relevance than the specific clinical results. © 2013 by the American College of Medical Quality.

WelFur - mink: development of on-farm welfare assessment protocols for mink

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Steen Henrik; Hansen, Steffen W; Rousing, Tine

2012-01-01

European Fur Breeder's Association initiated the "WelFur" project in 2009 in order to develop a welfare assessment protocol for mink and fox farms after the Welfare Quality® standards. The assessment is based on four welfare principles (Good feeding, good housing, good health and appropriate beha...... mink production seasons: Winter, spring, and autumn, in order to cover the life cycle of mink and proved feasible for a one-day visit.......European Fur Breeder's Association initiated the "WelFur" project in 2009 in order to develop a welfare assessment protocol for mink and fox farms after the Welfare Quality® standards. The assessment is based on four welfare principles (Good feeding, good housing, good health and appropriate...

Integrating theory and data to create an online self-management programme for adults with type 2 diabetes: HeLP-Diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kingshuk Pal

2015-10-01

This protocol demonstrates a multi-disciplinary approach to combining evidence from multiple sources to create ’HeLP-Diabetes’: a theory and evidence based online self-management intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes.

OAI-PMH repositories : quality issues regarding metadata and protocol compliance, tutorial 1

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Cole, Tim

2005-01-01

This tutorial will provide an overview of emerging guidelines and best practices for OAI data providers and how they relate to expectations and needs of service providers. The audience should already be familiar with OAI protocol basics and have at least some experience with either data provider or service provider implementations. The speakers will present both protocol compliance best practices and general recommendations for creating and disseminating high-quality "shareable metadata". Protocol best practices discussion will include coverage of OAI identifiers, date-stamps, deleted records, sets, resumption tokens, about containers, branding, errors conditions, HTTP server issues, and repository lifecycle issues. Discussion of what makes for good, shareable metadata will cover topics including character encoding, namespace and XML schema issues, metadata crosswalk issues, support of multiple metadata formats, general metadata authoring recommendations, specific recommendations for use of Dublin Core elemen...

Comparison of IAEA protocols for clinical electron beam dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novotny, J.; Soukup, M.

2002-01-01

In most beam calibration protocols so far used in clinical practice, the method recommended for the determination of absorbed dose to water in high-energy electron beams is based on either an exposure or an air kerma calibration factor of an ionisation chamber in a C0 60 gamma-ray or 2 MV x-ray beam. These protocols are complex and the overall uncertainty in the absorbed dose to water under reference conditions is about 3-4%. The new generation of protocols, namely IAEA TRS 398, are based on absorbed dose-to-water standards in photon beams from Co 60 and accelerator beams. The possible errors in absorbed dose determination in reference conditions in practical clinical dosimetry caused by replacement of TRS 277 and TRS 381 protocols for a new TRS 398 protocol were carefully studied for clinical electron beams in energy range 6-20 MeV. All measurements were performed on Varian CLINAC 2100 C linear accelerator. The electron beam energy ranged from 6 to 20 MeV. Basically three different detectors were used for measurements: PTW Roos plane-parallel ionization chamber, calibrated PTW 30002 Farmer type, ionization, Scanditronix electron diode detector. Measurements of central axis percentage depth doses were made by diode using Wellhoefer WP700 beam scanner in 40 cm x 40 cm x 50 cm water phantom. A reference chamber or semiconductor diode mounted on electron treatment cone was used to correct beam output variations for a chamber or diode measurements during scanning. Absolute dose measurements were carried out with Roos plane-parallel chamber connected to PTW UNIDOS electrometer always for preselected number of monitor units. In a new IAEA dosimetry protocol clinical reference dosimetry for electron beam is performed at depth of d ref = 0.6R 50 - 0.1 [cm] instead of d max as in previous ones. To check the stability of electron beams for energy and to establish d ref and standard deviation for reference depth position, the depth dose curves obtained during the quality

DELAMINATION AND XRF ANALYSIS OF NIST LEAD IN PAINT FILM STANDARDS

Science.gov (United States)

The objectives of this protocol were to remove the laminate coating from lead paint film standards acquired from NIST by means of surface heating. The average XRF value did not change after removal of the polymer coating suggesting that this protocol is satisfactory for renderin...

Surface and subsurface cleanup protocol for radionuclides, Gunnison, Colorado, UMTRA project processing site. Final [report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-09-01

Surface and subsurface soil cleanup protocols for the Gunnison, Colorado, processing sits are summarized as follows: In accordance with EPA-promulgated land cleanup standards (40 CFR 192), in situ Ra-226 is to be cleaned up based on bulk concentrations not exceeding 5 and 15 pCi/g in 15-cm surface and subsurface depth increments, averaged over 100-m{sup 2} grid blocks, where the parent Ra-226 concentrations are greater than, or in secular equilibrium with, the Th-230 parent. A bulk interpretation of these EPA standards has been accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and while the concentration of the finer-sized soil fraction less than a No. 4 mesh sieve contains the higher concentration of radioactivity, the bulk approach in effect integrates the total sample radioactivity over the entire sample mass. In locations where Th-230 has differentially migrated in subsoil relative to Ra-226, a Th-230 cleanup protocol has been developed in accordance with Supplemental Standard provisions of 40 CFR 192 for NRC/Colorado Department of Health (CDH) approval for timely implementation. Detailed elements of the protocol are contained in Appendix A, Generic Protocol from Thorium-230 Cleanup/Verification at UMTRA Project Processing Sites. The cleanup of other radionuclides or nonradiological hazards that pose a significant threat to the public and the environment will be determined and implemented in accordance with pathway analysis to assess impacts and the implications of ALARA specified in 40 CFR 192 relative to supplemental standards.

Using Think Aloud Protocols to Assess E-Prescribing in Community Pharmacies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olufunmilola K. Odukoya, BPharm, MS

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Think aloud protocol has rarely been used as a method of data collection in community pharmacies.Purpose: The aim of the report is to describe how think aloud protocols were used to identify issues that arise when using e-prescribing technology in pharmacies. In this paper, we report on the benefits and challenges of using think aloud protocols in pharmacies to examine the use of e-prescribing systems.Methods: Sixteen pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were recruited from seven community pharmacies in Wisconsin. Data were collected using direct observation alongside think aloud protocol. Direct observations and think aloud protocols took place between January-February, 2011. Participants were asked to verbalize their thoughts as they process electronic prescriptions.Results: Participants identified weaknesses in e-prescribing that they had previously not conceived. This created heightened awareness for vigilance when processing e-prescriptions. The main challenge with using think aloud protocols was due to interruptions in the pharmacies. Also, a few participants found it challenging to remember to continue verbalizing their thought process during think aloud sessions.Conclusion: The use of think aloud protocols as method of data collection is a new way for understanding the issues related to technology use in community pharmacy practice. Think aloud protocol was beneficial in providing objective information on e-prescribing use not solely based on pharmacist’s or technician’s opinion of the technology. This method provided detailed information on a wide variety of real time challenges with e-prescribing technology use in community pharmacies. Using this data collection method can help identify potential patient safety issues when using e-prescribing and suggestions for redesign.

Dual-energy CT workflow: multi-institutional consensus on standardization of abdominopelvic MDCT protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Bhavik N; Alexander, Lauren; Allen, Brian; Berland, Lincoln; Borhani, Amir; Mileto, Achille; Moreno, Courtney; Morgan, Desiree; Sahani, Dushyant; Shuman, William; Tamm, Eric; Tublin, Mitchell; Yeh, Benjamin; Marin, Daniele

2017-03-01

To standardize workflow for dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) involving common abdominopelvic exam protocols. 9 institutions (4 rsDECT, 1 dsDECT, 4 both) with 32 participants [average # years (range) in practice and DECT experience, 12.3 (1-35) and 4.6 (1-14), respectively] filled out a single survey (n = 9). A five-point agreement scale (0, 1, 2, 3, 4-contra-, not, mildly, moderately, strongly indicated, respectively) and utilization scale (0-not performing and shouldn't; 1-performing but not clinically useful; 2-performing but not sure if clinically useful; 3-not performing it but would like to; 4-performing and clinically useful) were used. Consensus was considered with a score of ≥2.5. Survey results were discussed over three separate live webinar sessions. 5/9 (56%) institutions exclude large patients from DECT. 2 (40%) use weight, 2 (40%) use transverse dimension, and 1 (20%) uses both. 7/9 (78%) use 50 keV for low and 70 keV for medium monochromatic reconstructed images. DECT is indicated for dual liver [agreement score (AS) 3.78; utilization score (US) 3.22] and dual pancreas in the arterial phase (AS 3.78; US 3.11), mesenteric ischemia/gastrointestinal bleeding in both the arterial and venous phases (AS 2.89; US 2.79), RCC exams in the arterial phase (AS 3.33; US 2.78), and CT urography in the nephrographic phase (AS 3.11; US 2.89). DECT for renal stone and certain single-phase exams is indicated (AS 3.00). DECT is indicated during the arterial phase for multiphasic abdominal exams, nephrographic phase for CTU, and for certain single-phase and renal stone exams.

A field protocol to monitor cavity-nesting birds

Science.gov (United States)

J. Dudley; V. Saab

2003-01-01

We developed a field protocol to monitor populations of cavity-nesting birds in burned and unburned coniferous forests of western North America. Standardized field methods are described for implementing long-term monitoring strategies and for conducting field research to evaluate the effects of habitat change on cavity-nesting birds. Key references (but not...

Entanglement fidelity of the standard quantum teleportation channel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Gang; Ye, Ming-Yong, E-mail: myye@fjnu.edu.cn; Lin, Xiu-Min

2013-09-16

We consider the standard quantum teleportation protocol where a general bipartite state is used as entanglement resource. We use the entanglement fidelity to describe how well the standard quantum teleportation channel transmits quantum entanglement and give a simple expression for the entanglement fidelity when it is averaged on all input states.

Cryotherapy for acute ankle sprains: a randomised controlled study of two different icing protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Bleakley, C M; McDonough, S M; MacAuley, D C; Bjordal, J

2006-08-01

The use of cryotherapy in the management of acute soft tissue injury is largely based on anecdotal evidence. Preliminary evidence suggests that intermittent cryotherapy applications are most effective at reducing tissue temperature to optimal therapeutic levels. However, its efficacy in treating injured human subjects is not yet known. To compare the efficacy of an intermittent cryotherapy treatment protocol with a standard cryotherapy treatment protocol in the management of acute ankle sprains. Sportsmen (n = 44) and members of the general public (n = 45) with mild/moderate acute ankle sprains. Subjects were randomly allocated, under strictly controlled double blind conditions, to one of two treatment groups: standard ice application (n = 46) or intermittent ice application (n = 43). The mode of cryotherapy was standardised across groups and consisted of melting iced water (0 degrees C) in a standardised pack. Function, pain, and swelling were recorded at baseline and one, two, three, four, and six weeks after injury. Subjects treated with the intermittent protocol had significantly (p<0.05) less ankle pain on activity than those using a standard 20 minute protocol; however, one week after ankle injury, there were no significant differences between groups in terms of function, swelling, or pain at rest. Intermittent applications may enhance the therapeutic effect of ice in pain relief after acute soft tissue injury.

Order Entry Protocols Are an Amenable Target for Workflow Automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tudor, James; Klochko, Chad; Patel, Milind; Siegal, Daniel

2018-04-21

Order entry protocol selection of advanced imaging studies is labor-intensive, can disrupt workflow, and may displace staff from more valuable tasks. The aim of this study was to explore and compare the behaviors of radiologic technologists and radiologists when determining protocol to identify opportunities for workflow automation. A data set of over 273,000 cross-sectional examination orders from four hospitals within our health system was created. From this data set, we isolated the 12 most frequently requested examinations, which represent almost 50% of the entirety of advanced imaging volume. Intergroup comparisons were made between behavior of radiologic technologists and radiologists or residents when determining protocol. Frequencies of changes were calculated. Common parameters of changed examinations were identified. The overall change rate for both radiologists and residents (4%) is very low and comparable to the overall change rate of radiologic technologists (1%). The change rates for the 12 most ordered examinations were calculated and compared individually. Most examinations that underwent change involved a patient with a low estimated glomerular filtration rate, a patient with a contrast allergy, or a provider ordering a general examination but in fact wanting an organ-specific protocol or an angiographic study. Order entry protocol selection of the most frequently ordered advanced imaging examinations was rarely a value-added activity because these examinations are rarely changed. Changes follow predictable patterns that make order entry protocol selection of most radiology orders for advanced imaging amenable to workflow automation. Copyright © 2018 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standard IEC 61850 substation automation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bricchi, A.; Mezzadri, D. [Selta, Tortoreto (Italy)

2008-07-01

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 standard is the reference communication protocol for all electrical substations protection and control systems. It creates models of all the elements and functionalities of an electrical substation, including physical elements such as switches or circuit breakers, as well as protection, control and monitoring functionalities. Network managers need to renew power substation automation and control systems in order to improve the efficiency and quality of services offered by electric utilities. Selta has proposed a new integrated solution for the automation of power substations which is fully compliant with the IEC 61850 norms. The solution involves the integration of control, automation, protection, monitoring and maintenance functions and applies leading edge technology to its systems, particularly for the TERNA network. The system is based on the use of many electronic devices at a power plant, each one with a specialized function, and all interconnected via a Station LAN. This solution, was tested on the TERNA network in Italy, in VHV and HV stations. It was shown to offer many advantages, such as an architecture based on full interoperability between control, monitoring and protection equipment; centralized and distributed automation; a LAN station that allows full interoperability between different bay units and protection relays in order to integrate equipment from various suppliers; the integration of automation systems in existing bay units and protection relays equipped with standard communication buses or with proprietary interfaces; and time synchronization for the entire system through a station GPS reception system. 10 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

Technology is not Enough to Create Connected Cities – Here’s why

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooray, Mike; Duus, Rikke; Bundgaard, Lasse

2017-01-01

The United Nations (UN) estimates that by 2050, 66% of the world’s population will live in cities. This creates an unprecedented pressure on cities around the world to optimise the standard of living for citizens, organisations and institutions.Cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Yinchuan and Copenh......The United Nations (UN) estimates that by 2050, 66% of the world’s population will live in cities. This creates an unprecedented pressure on cities around the world to optimise the standard of living for citizens, organisations and institutions.Cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Yinchuan...

Storage quality-of-service in cloud-based scientific environments: a standardization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Millar, Paul; Fuhrmann, Patrick; Hardt, Marcus; Ertl, Benjamin; Brzezniak, Maciej

2017-10-01

When preparing the Data Management Plan for larger scientific endeavors, PIs have to balance between the most appropriate qualities of storage space along the line of the planned data life-cycle, its price and the available funding. Storage properties can be the media type, implicitly determining access latency and durability of stored data, the number and locality of replicas, as well as available access protocols or authentication mechanisms. Negotiations between the scientific community and the responsible infrastructures generally happen upfront, where the amount of storage space, media types, like: disk, tape and SSD and the foreseeable data life-cycles are negotiated. With the introduction of cloud management platforms, both in computing and storage, resources can be brokered to achieve the best price per unit of a given quality. However, in order to allow the platform orchestrator to programmatically negotiate the most appropriate resources, a standard vocabulary for different properties of resources and a commonly agreed protocol to communicate those, has to be available. In order to agree on a basic vocabulary for storage space properties, the storage infrastructure group in INDIGO-DataCloud together with INDIGO-associated and external scientific groups, created a working group under the umbrella of the Research Data Alliance (RDA). As communication protocol, to query and negotiate storage qualities, the Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI) has been selected. Necessary extensions to CDMI are defined in regular meetings between INDIGO and the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA). Furthermore, INDIGO is contributing to the SNIA CDMI reference implementation as the basis for interfacing the various storage systems in INDIGO to the agreed protocol and to provide an official Open-Source skeleton for systems not being maintained by INDIGO partners.

On the need of improved Accelerated Degradation Protocols (ADPs)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pizzutilo, E.; Geiger, S.; Grote, J. P.

2016-01-01

protocol covering the whole potential range from 0.6 to 1.5 VRHE. The latter is typically not addressed in literature. This finding is explained by taking into account platinum catalyzed carbon corrosion and transient platinum dissolution. Based on the obtained results, the question is raised...... protocols that are commonly used in the fuel cell community to simulate load cycle and start-stop conditions in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In contrast to previous assumptions, claiming a separation between carbon corrosion and platinum dissolution, in both standard protocols platinum...... dissolution and carbon corrosion are present at low rates, which is also reflected by a comparably low ECSA decrease. On the other hand, a huge increase in rate of both processes is observed during transitions from low to high potential regimes experienced by a PEMFC in operation, here studied in a third...

Steroid isotopic standards for gas chromatography-combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCC-IRMS).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Tobias, Herbert J; Brenna, J Thomas

2009-03-01

Carbon isotope ratio (CIR) analysis of urinary steroids using gas chromatography-combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCC-IRMS) is a recognized test to detect illicit doping with synthetic testosterone. There are currently no universally used steroid isotopic standards (SIS). We adapted a protocol to prepare isotopically uniform steroids for use as a calibrant in GCC-IRMS that can be analyzed under the same conditions as used for steroids extracted from urine. Two separate SIS containing a mixture of steroids were created and coded CU/USADA 33-1 and CU/USADA 34-1, containing acetates and native steroids, respectively. CU/USADA 33-1 contains 5alpha-androstan-3beta-ol acetate (5alpha-A-AC), 5alpha-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one acetate (androsterone acetate, A-AC), 5beta-androstan-3alpha-ol-11, 17-dione acetate (11-ketoetiocholanolone acetate, 11k-AC) and 5alpha-cholestane (Cne). CU/USADA 34-1 contains 5beta-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one (etiocholanolone, E), 5alpha-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one (androsterone, A), and 5beta-pregnane-3alpha, 20alpha-diol (5betaP). Each mixture was prepared and dispensed into a set of about 100 ampoules using a protocol carefully designed to minimize isotopic fractionation and contamination. A natural gas reference material, NIST RM 8559, traceable to the international standard Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) was used to calibrate the SIS. Absolute delta(13)C(VPDB) and Deltadelta(13)C(VPDB) values from randomly selected ampoules from both SIS indicate uniformity of steroid isotopic composition within measurement reproducibility, SD(delta(13)C)<0.2 per thousand. This procedure for creation of isotopic steroid mixtures results in consistent standards with isotope ratios traceable to the relevant international reference material.

Traffic Adaptive MAC Protocols in Wireless Body Area Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhan Masud

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs, every healthcare application that is based on physical sensors is responsible for monitoring the vital signs data of patient. WBANs applications consist of heterogeneous and dynamic traffic loads. Routine patient’s observation is described as low-load traffic while an alarming situation that is unpredictable by nature is referred to as high-load traffic. This paper offers a thematic review of traffic adaptive Medium Access Control (MAC protocols in WBANs. First, we have categorized them based on their goals, methods, and metrics of evaluation. The Zigbee standard IEEE 802.15.4 and the baseline MAC IEEE 802.15.6 are also reviewed in terms of traffic adaptive approaches. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the protocols is made and their performances are analyzed in terms of delay, packet delivery ratio (PDR, and energy consumption. The literature shows that no review work has been done on traffic adaptive MAC protocols in WBANs. This review work, therefore, could add enhancement to traffic adaptive MAC protocols and will stimulate a better way of solving the traffic adaptivity problem.

Cost savings using a protocol approach to manage anemia in a hemodialysis unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlesworth, Emily C; Richardson, Robert M; Battistella, Marisa

2014-01-01

National guidelines recommend using anemia management protocols to guide treatment. The objective of this study was to determine if an anemia management protocol would improve hemoglobin (Hgb) indices in hemodialysis patients and to measure whether the protocol would reduce the use and cost of darbepoetin alfa (DBO) and intravenous (IV) iron in hemodialysis patients. An anemia management protocol was created and implemented for hemodialysis patients at our institution. A retrospective observational review of the use of DBO and IV iron as well as changes in Hgb, transferrin saturation and ferritin in 174 patients was conducted 6 months before and after implementation of the anemia protocol. The number of Hgb measurements in the target range increased from 44.3 to 46.0% (p = 0.48) after protocol implementation. The mean weekly dose of DBO was reduced from 34.56 ± 31.12 to 31.11 ± 28.64 μg post-protocol implementation (p = 0.011), which translated to a cost savings of USD 41,649 over 6 months. The mean monthly IV iron dose also decreased from 139.56 ± 98.83 to 97.65 ± 79.05 mg (p DBO and iron agents while increasing the number of patients in the target Hgb range, which led to significant cost savings in the treatment of anemia.

A Secure Key Establishment Protocol for ZigBee Wireless Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuksel, Ender; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielson, Flemming

2009-01-01

ZigBee is a wireless sensor network standard that defines network and application layers on top of IEEE 802.15.4’s physical and medium access control layers. In the latest version of ZigBee, enhancements are prescribed for the security sublayer but we show in this paper that problems persist....... In particular we show that the End-to-End Application Key Establishment Protocol is flawed and we propose a secure protocol instead. We do so by using formal verification techniques based on static program analysis and process algebras. We present a way of using formal methods in wireless network security......, and propose a secure key establishment protocol for ZigBee networks....

IAEA to implement Safeguards Additional Protocols in the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Full text: IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed the entry into force today of the Additional Protocols for 15 States of the European Union - France, the United Kingdom and the 13 non-nuclear weapon States of the EU - and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The Protocols, which provide the Agency with better tools to verify compliance with nuclear non-proliferation commitments, entered into force when the European Commission informed the Agency that EURATOM's own requirements for entry into force had been met. The 15 States had provided similar notifications over the past years since signing the Protocols in 1998. The simultaneous entry into force of Additional Protocols for the 15 EU States is 'a very positive development and a milestone in our efforts to strengthen the verification regime', said Dr. ElBaradei. 'In my view, the Additional Protocol should become the standard for verification under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).' He added that the Agency had been preparing for the entry into force of the EU protocols and was confident that, in co-operation with the 15 States and EURATOM, it would be able to ensure effective and efficient implementation in the EU States. The Model Additional Protocol was developed following the discovery of Iraq's clandestine nuclear weapons programme to ensure that the IAEA is given the information and access it needs for timely discovery of any similar activities in States that have pledged not to use nuclear material and activities for weapons purposes. In the past year, Additional Protocols entered into force for 22 countries, and the Agency will now implement Additional Protocols in 58 States, which includes the 15 EU States. The 10 countries joining the EU on 1 May 2004 - seven of which already have brought into force Additional Protocols to their respective safeguards agreements - are expected to gradually accede to the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol covering

Evaluation of protocol uniformity concerning laparoscopic cholecystectomy in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.S.G.L. Wauben; R.H.M. Goossens (Richard); D.J. van Eijk (Daan); J.F. Lange (Johan)

2008-01-01

textabstractBackground: Iatrogenic bile duct injury remains a current complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One uniform and standardized protocol, based on the "critical view of safety" concept of Strasberg, should reduce the incidence of this complication. Furthermore, owing to the rapid

STANDARDIZING QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FUSED REMOTELY SENSED IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Pohl

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

Standardizing Quality Assessment of Fused Remotely Sensed Images

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, C.; Moellmann, J.; Fries, K.

2017-09-01

The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment) in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS) to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR) and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

Protocol converter for serial communication between digital rectifier controllers and a power plant SCADA system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukić Vladimir Đ.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the protocol converter INT-485-MBRTU, developed for serial communication between the thyristor rectifier (based on the proprietary protocol "INT-CPD-05", according to standard RS-485 and the SCADA system (based on protocol "Modbus RTU", of the same standard in the thermal power plant "Nikola Tesla B1". Elementary data on industrial communication protocols and communication gateways were provided. The basic technical characteristics of the "Omron" programmable logic controller CJ series were described, as well as the developed device INT-485-MBRTU. Protocol converters with two versions of communication software were tested, differing only in one control word, intended for a forced successive change of communication sequences, in opposite to automatic sequence relieve. The device iNT-485-MBRTU, with the program for forced successive change of communication sequences, demonstrated the reliability of data transfer of 100 %, in a sample of approximately 480 messages. For nearly the same sample, the same protocol converter, with a version of the program without any type of message identifiers, transferred less than 60 % of the foreseen data. During multiple sixty-hour tests, the reliability of data transfer of at least 99.9979% was recorded, in 100% of the analysed cases, and for a sample of nearly 96,000 pairs of the send and receive messages. We analysed the results and estimated the additional possibilities for application of the INT-485-MBRTU protocol converter.

Protocol Implementation Generator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carvalho Quaresma, Jose Nuno; Probst, Christian W.

2010-01-01

Users expect communication systems to guarantee, amongst others, privacy and integrity of their data. These can be ensured by using well-established protocols; the best protocol, however, is useless if not all parties involved in a communication have a correct implementation of the protocol and a...... Generator framework based on the LySatool and a translator from the LySa language into C or Java....... necessary tools. In this paper, we present the Protocol Implementation Generator (PiG), a framework that can be used to add protocol generation to protocol negotiation, or to easily share and implement new protocols throughout a network. PiG enables the sharing, verification, and translation...

A comparison of sennosides-based bowel protocols with and without docusate in hospitalized patients with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Philippa Helen; Byeon, Jai Jun

2008-05-01

Constipation is a common and distressing condition in patients with cancer, especially those taking opioid analgesics. Many institutions prevent and treat constipation with titrated laxatives, which is known as a bowel protocol. An effective and well-tolerated bowel protocol is a very important component of cancer care, and there is little evidence on which to base selection of the most appropriate agents. This study compares a protocol of the stimulant laxative sennosides alone with a protocol of sennosides plus the stool softener docusate, in hospitalized patients at an oncology center. The docusate-containing protocol had an initial docusate-only step for patients not taking opioids, and four to six 100-mg capsules of docusate sodium in addition to the sennosides for the rest of the protocol. Thirty patients received the sennosides-only (S) protocol and 30 the sennosides plus docusate (DS) protocol. The efficacy and adverse effects of the protocols were monitored for 5-12 days. The two protocols were used sequentially, creating two cohorts, one on each protocol. Eighty percent of patients were taking oral opioids and 72% were admitted for symptom control/supportive care. Over a total of 488 days of observation it was found that the S protocol produced more bowel movements than the DS protocol, and in the symptom control/supportive care patients this difference was statistically significant (p sennosides did not reduce bowel cramps, and was less effective in inducing laxation than the sennosides-only protocol. Further research into the appropriate use of docusate and into the details of bowel protocol design are required.

Lesions in Porcine Liver Tissues Created by Continuous High Intensity Ultrasound Exposures in Vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhe; Chen Tao; Zhang Dong

2013-01-01

Lesions in porcine liver tissues created by continuous high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) exposures in vitro are theoretically and experimentally investigated, with the transmitter moving along a linear path at a fixed speed. Numerical simulations of the lesion formation are performed based on the Khokhlov—Zabolotskaya—Kuznetov equation and the bio-heat equation. In order to verify the theoretical predictions, experiments are performed in the one-dimensional scanning mode to measure the cross-sectional area of lesions created in the in vitro porcine liver exposed to 1.01-MHz HIFU pulses with the acoustic power of 70 W. The results indicate that, compared to the traditional discrete treatment protocol, the application of a continuous scanning model can create more uniform lesions in tissues and significantly reduces the total treatment time from 47s to 30s

Optimised low-dose multidetector CT protocol for children with cranial deformity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vazquez, Jose Luis [Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Department of Radiology, Vigo, Pontevedra (Spain); Pombar, Miguel Angel [Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Department of Radiophysics, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna (Spain); Pumar, Jose Manuel [Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Department of Radiology, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna (Spain); Campo, Victor Miguel del [Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Department of Public Health, Vigo, Pontevedra (Spain)

2013-08-15

To present an optimised low-dose multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) protocol for the study of children with cranial deformity. Ninety-one consecutive MDCT studies were performed in 80 children. Studies were performed with either our standard head CT protocol (group 1, n = 20) or a low-dose cranial deformity protocol (groups 2 and 3). Group 2 (n = 38), initial, and group 3 (n = 33), final and more optimised. All studies were performed in the same 64-MDCT equipment. Cranial deformity protocol was gradationally optimised decreasing kVp, limiting mA range, using automatic exposure control (AEC) and increasing the noise index (NI). Image quality was assessed. Dose indicators such us CT dose index volume (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP) and effective dose (E) were used. The optimised low-dose protocol reached the following values: 80 kVp, mA range: 50-150 and NI = 23. We achieved a maximum dose reduction of 10-22 times in the 1- to 12-month-old cranium in regard to the 2004 European guidelines for MDCT. A low-dose MDCT protocol that may be used as the first diagnostic imaging option in clinically selected patients with skull abnormalities. (orig.)

Recommended protocol for standardization in collecting and interpreting radiological environmental data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denham, D.H.; Kathren, R.L.

1989-02-01

Current reductions in ''allowable'' levels of radiation and radioactive materials in the environment and an increased public awareness of naturally occurring radioactive materials have reinforced the need for consistency in evaluating the radiological environment. A key concern is the identification and interpretation of environmental levels of radiation and radioactive materials resulting from nuclear facility operations. If these levels can be detected and their source(s) identified, then corrective actions can be taken to eliminate or greatly reduce the environmental impacts of the facility operations. In this paper we address the lack of definitive guidance necessary to determine incremental levels of significance (or insignificance), and we propose a series of protocols to achieve more consistent collection and interpretation of radiological environmental data. 8 refs

The illusory nature of standards

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linneberg, Mai Skjøtt

2011-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of the paradoxical situation in which standard setters are placed when standardising human practice. Contrary to standards, human practices are ambiguous, heterogeneous, and highly context dependent; in contrast, standards...... creation is innate in the practice of standardisation and therefore the risk of creating untrustworthy standards is prevalent for standard setters. Originality/value – The paper provides a new understanding of standards and demonstrates the need to research standardization processes in depth and bring...

Implementation of a rapid chest pain protocol in the emergency department: A quality improvement project.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunch, Azalea Marie; Leasure, A Renee; Carithers, Cathrin; Burnette, Robert E; Berryman, Michael Scott

2016-02-01

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project is to compare the effectiveness of a rapid 90-min chest pain screening and evaluation protocol to a 120-min screening and evaluation protocol in determining patient readiness for hospital admission or discharge home. The existing chest pain protocol utilized in the emergency department (ED) was revised based on a review of current research changing initial screening and reevaluation times from 120 to 90 min. A prospective comparative study of patients presenting to the ED with chest pain was performed comparing the existing chest pain protocol of 120 min (standard care) with a rapid screening evaluation protocol of 90 min. A total of 128 patients presenting to an ED in Texas with chest pain comprised the sample for this study. There was a significant difference in the number of minutes between the groups for readiness for disposition. The average time from chest pain evaluation to readiness for disposition home, observation, or admission decreased from an average of 191 min in the standard care group to an average of 118 min in the rapid screening group. Use of the rapid screening and evaluation protocol decreased the time to disposition by an average of 73 min, which enhanced ED flow without influencing disposition and patient safety. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Vertical Protocol Composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groß, Thomas; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander

2011-01-01

The security of key exchange and secure channel protocols, such as TLS, has been studied intensively. However, only few works have considered what happens when the established keys are actually used—to run some protocol securely over the established “channel”. We call this a vertical protocol.......e., that the combination cannot introduce attacks that the individual protocols in isolation do not have. In this work, we prove a composability result in the symbolic model that allows for arbitrary vertical composition (including self-composition). It holds for protocols from any suite of channel and application...

A RFID grouping proof protocol for medication safety of inpatient.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hsieh-Hong; Ku, Cheng-Yuan

2009-12-01

In order to provide enhanced medication safety for inpatients, the medical mechanism which adopts the modified grouping proof protocol is proposed in this paper. By using the grouping proof protocol, the medical staffs could confirm the authentication and integrity of a group of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags which are embedded on inpatient bracelets and the containers of drugs. This mechanism is designed to be compatible with EPCglobal Class-1 Generation-2 standard which is the most popular specification of RFID tags. Due to the light-weight computational capacity of passive tags, only the pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) and cyclic redundancy code (CRC) are allowed to be used in the communication protocol. Furthermore, a practical scenario of using this proposed mechanism in hospital to examine the medication safety is also presented.

A Safe Protocol for Amalgam Removal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana G. Colson

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Today's environment has different impacts on our body than previous generations. Heavy metals are a growing concern in medicine. Doctors and individuals request the removal of their amalgam (silver mercury restorations due to the high mercury content. A safe protocol to replace the silver mercury filling will ensure that there is minimal if any absorption of materials while being removed. Strong alternative white composite and lab-processed materials are available today to create a healthy and functioning mouth. Preparation of the patient prior to the procedure and after treatment is vital to establish the excretion of the mercury from the body.

VICbus: A standard inter-crate bus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkman, C.F.

1990-01-01

VICbus is a standard inter-crate cable bus being developed by a working group of the ISO/IEC. Derived from an initiative of the VMEbus Working Group of ESONE, VICbus aims to provide users of multi-crate VMEbus and other backplane bus systems with a standard inter-crate connection. Multi-drop operation is provided for up to 31 devices on a cable of maximum 100 metres in length. Two data transfer protocols are specified, compelled (asynchronous) transfers for transparent interconnection of backplane bus systems (VMEbus in the first instance), and high-speed, non-compelled (synchronous) transfers between VICbus interfaces. A limited interrupt mechanism is specified, as well as simple, but efficient arbitration technique. Conventional technology is employed: copper cables, existing transcievers, and differential signal transmission, together with proven low-level protocols. Data transfer rates in excess of 30 Mbyte/s will be possible on a cable length of 30 metres

A Performance Evaluation of NACK-Oriented Protocols as the Foundation of Reliable Delay- Tolerant Networking Convergence Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Iannicca, Dennis; Hylton, Alan; Ishac, Joseph

2012-01-01

Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) is an active area of research in the space communications community. DTN uses a standard layered approach with the Bundle Protocol operating on top of transport layer protocols known as convergence layers that actually transmit the data between nodes. Several different common transport layer protocols have been implemented as convergence layers in DTN implementations including User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate several stand-alone implementations of negative-acknowledgment based transport layer protocols to determine how they perform in a variety of different link conditions. The transport protocols chosen for this evaluation include Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP), NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM), and Saratoga. The test parameters that the protocols were subjected to are characteristic of common communications links ranging from terrestrial to cis-lunar and apply different levels of delay, line rate, and error.

Applying the Intervention Mapping protocol to develop a kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention to increase European preschool children's physical activity levels: the ToyBox-study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Craemer, M; De Decker, E; De Bourdeaudhuij, I; Verloigne, M; Duvinage, K; Koletzko, B; Ibrügger, S; Kreichauf, S; Grammatikaki, E; Moreno, L; Iotova, V; Socha, P; Szott, K; Manios, Y; Cardon, G

2014-08-01

Although sufficient physical activity is beneficial for preschoolers' health, activity levels in most preschoolers are low. As preschoolers spend a considerable amount of time at home and at kindergarten, interventions should target both environments to increase their activity levels. The aim of the current paper was to describe the six different steps of the Intervention Mapping protocol towards the systematic development and implementation of the physical activity component of the ToyBox-intervention. This intervention is a kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention implemented across six European countries. Based on the results of literature reviews and focus groups with parents/caregivers and kindergarten teachers, matrices of change objectives were created. Then, theory-based methods and practical strategies were selected to develop intervention materials at three different levels: (i) individual level (preschoolers); (ii) interpersonal level (parents/caregivers) and (iii) organizational level (teachers). This resulted in a standardized intervention with room for local and cultural adaptations in each participating country. Although the Intervention Mapping protocol is a time-consuming process, using this systematic approach may lead to an increase in intervention effectiveness. The presented matrices of change objectives are useful for future programme planners to develop and implement an intervention based on the Intervention Mapping protocol to increase physical activity levels in preschoolers. © 2014 World Obesity.

English Education Program Assessment: Creating Standards and Guidelines to Advance English Teacher Preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Zancanella, Don; Alsup, Janet

2010-01-01

When someone uses the term "standards," one tends to assume the topic under discussion is K-12 education, but standards for teacher preparation have their own parallel history. In English teacher education, that history has two strands: the NCTE Guidelines for the Preparation of Teachers of English Language Arts, which predate the "standards…

Improving the security of the Hwang-Su protocol for mobile networks

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Improving the security of the Hwang-Su protocol for mobile networks. Miloud Ait ... But, it is threatened by weak ... Wireless networks (IEEE standard 802.11 1996, Gast 2005) have allowed computer systems to exchange data without cable.

Fully Automated Trimethylsilyl (TMS) Derivatisation Protocol for Metabolite Profiling by GC-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarate, Erica; Boyle, Veronica; Rupprecht, Udo; Green, Saras; Villas-Boas, Silas G; Baker, Philip; Pinu, Farhana R

2016-12-29

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) has long been used for metabolite profiling of a wide range of biological samples. Many derivatisation protocols are already available and among these, trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatisation is one of the most widely used in metabolomics. However, most TMS methods rely on off-line derivatisation prior to GC-MS analysis. In the case of manual off-line TMS derivatisation, the derivative created is unstable, so reduction in recoveries occurs over time. Thus, derivatisation is carried out in small batches. Here, we present a fully automated TMS derivatisation protocol using robotic autosamplers and we also evaluate a commercial software, Maestro available from Gerstel GmbH. Because of automation, there was no waiting time of derivatised samples on the autosamplers, thus reducing degradation of unstable metabolites. Moreover, this method allowed us to overlap samples and improved throughputs. We compared data obtained from both manual and automated TMS methods performed on three different matrices, including standard mix, wine, and plasma samples. The automated TMS method showed better reproducibility and higher peak intensity for most of the identified metabolites than the manual derivatisation method. We also validated the automated method using 114 quality control plasma samples. Additionally, we showed that this online method was highly reproducible for most of the metabolites detected and identified (RSD TMS method has been applied to analyse a large number of complex plasma samples. Furthermore, we found that this method was highly applicable for routine metabolite profiling (both targeted and untargeted) in any metabolomics laboratory.

Risk of bias and confounding of observational studies of Zika virus infection: A scoping review of research protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Reveiz, Ludovic; Haby, Michelle M; Martínez-Vega, Ruth; Pinzón-Flores, Carlos E; Elias, Vanessa; Smith, Emma; Pinart, Mariona; Broutet, Nathalie; Becerra-Posada, Francisco; Aldighieri, Sylvain; Van Kerkhove, Maria D

2017-01-01

Given the severity and impact of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas, numerous countries have rushed to develop research studies to assess ZIKV and its potential health consequences. In an effort to ensure that studies are comprehensive, both internally and externally valid, and with reliable results, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, Institut Pasteur, the networks of Fiocruz, the Consortia for the Standardization of Influenza Seroepidemiology (CONSISE) and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) have generated six standardized clinical and epidemiological research protocols and questionnaires to address key public health questions on ZIKV. We conducted a systematic search of ongoing study protocols related to ZIKV research. We analyzed the content of protocols of 32 cohort studies and 13 case control studies for systematic bias that could produce erroneous results. Additionally we aimed to characterize the risks of bias and confounding in observational studies related to ZIKV and to propose ways to minimize them, including the use of six newly standardized research protocols. Observational studies of ZIKV face an array of challenges, including measurement of exposure and outcomes (microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Potential confounders need to be measured where known and controlled for in the analysis. Selection bias due to non-random selection is a significant issue, particularly in the case-control design, and losses to follow-up is equally important for the cohort design. Observational research seeking to answer key questions on the ZIKV should consider these restrictions and take precautions to minimize bias in an effort to provide reliable and valid results. Utilization of the standardized research protocols developed by the WHO, PAHO, Institut Pasteur, and CONSISE will harmonize the key methodological aspects of each study design to minimize bias at

Risk of bias and confounding of observational studies of Zika virus infection: A scoping review of research protocols.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludovic Reveiz

Full Text Available Given the severity and impact of the current Zika virus (ZIKV outbreak in the Americas, numerous countries have rushed to develop research studies to assess ZIKV and its potential health consequences. In an effort to ensure that studies are comprehensive, both internally and externally valid, and with reliable results, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, Institut Pasteur, the networks of Fiocruz, the Consortia for the Standardization of Influenza Seroepidemiology (CONSISE and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC have generated six standardized clinical and epidemiological research protocols and questionnaires to address key public health questions on ZIKV.We conducted a systematic search of ongoing study protocols related to ZIKV research. We analyzed the content of protocols of 32 cohort studies and 13 case control studies for systematic bias that could produce erroneous results. Additionally we aimed to characterize the risks of bias and confounding in observational studies related to ZIKV and to propose ways to minimize them, including the use of six newly standardized research protocols.Observational studies of ZIKV face an array of challenges, including measurement of exposure and outcomes (microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Potential confounders need to be measured where known and controlled for in the analysis. Selection bias due to non-random selection is a significant issue, particularly in the case-control design, and losses to follow-up is equally important for the cohort design.Observational research seeking to answer key questions on the ZIKV should consider these restrictions and take precautions to minimize bias in an effort to provide reliable and valid results. Utilization of the standardized research protocols developed by the WHO, PAHO, Institut Pasteur, and CONSISE will harmonize the key methodological aspects of each study design to

Alternating-Offers Protocol for Multi-issue Bilateral Negotiation in Semantic-Enabled Marketplaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ragone, Azzurra; di Noia, Tommaso; di Sciascio, Eugenio; Donini, Francesco M.

We present a semantic-based approach to multi-issue bilateral negotiation for e-commerce. We use Description Logics to model advertisements, and relations among issues as axioms in a TBox. We then introduce a logic-based alternating-offers protocol, able to handle conflicting information, that merges non-standard reasoning services in Description Logics with utility thoery to find the most suitable agreements. We illustrate and motivate the theoretical framework, the logical language, and the negotiation protocol.

Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad-hoc Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. M. B. Nogales

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Bluetooth is a cutting-edge technology used for implementing wireless ad hoc networks. In order to provide an overall scheme for mobile ad hoc networks, this paper deals with scatternet topology formation and routing algorithm to form larger ad hoc wireless Networks. Scatternet topology starts by forming a robust network, which is less susceptible to the problems posed by node mobility. Mobile topology relies on the presence of free nodes that create multiple connections with the network and on their subsequently rejoining the network. Our routing protocol is a proactive routing protocol, which is tailor made for the Bluetooth ad hoc network. The connection establishment connects nodes in a structure that simplifies packet routing and scheduling. The design allows nodes to arrive and leave arbitrarily, incrementally building the topology and healing partitions when they occur. We present simulation results that show that the algorithm presents low formation latency and also generates an efficient topology for forwarding packets along ad-hoc wireless networks.

Implementation of a Rapid, Protocol-based TIA Management Pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susann J. Jarhult

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Our goal was to assess whether use of a standardized clinical protocol improves efficiency for patients who present to the emergency department (ED with symptoms of transient ischemic attack (TIA. Methods: We performed a structured, retrospective, cohort study at a large, urban, tertiary care academic center. In July 2012 this hospital implemented a standardized protocol for patients with suspected TIA. The protocol selected high-risk patients for admission and low/intermediate-risk patients to an ED observation unit for workup. Recommended workup included brain imaging, vascular imaging, cardiac monitoring, and observation. Patients were included if clinical providers determined the need for workup for TIA. We included consecutive patients presenting during a six-month period prior to protocol implementation, and those presenting between 6–12 months after implementation. Outcomes included ED length of stay (LOS, hospital LOS, use of neuroimaging, and 90-day risk of stroke or TIA. Results: From 01/2012 to 06/2012, 130 patients were evaluated for TIA symptoms in the ED, and from 01/2013 to 06/2013, 150 patients. The final diagnosis was TIA or stroke in 45% before vs. 41% after (p=0.18. Following the intervention, the inpatient admission rate decreased from 62% to 24% (p<0.001, median ED LOS decreased by 1.2 hours (5.7 to 4.9 hours, p=0.027, and median total hospital LOS from 29.4 hours to 23.1 hours (p=0.019. The proportion of patients receiving head computed tomography (CT went from 68% to 58% (p=0.087; brain magnetic resonance (MR imaging from 83% to 88%, (p=0.44 neck CT angiography from 32% to 22% (p=0.039; and neck MR angiography from 61% to 72% (p=0.046. Ninety-day stroke or recurrent TIA among those with final diagnosis of TIA was 3% for both periods. Conclusion: Implementation of a TIA protocol significantly reduced ED LOS and total hospital LOS.

Benchmarking pediatric cranial CT protocols using a dose tracking software system: a multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Bondt, Timo; Mulkens, Tom; Zanca, Federica; Pyfferoen, Lotte; Casselman, Jan W; Parizel, Paul M

2017-02-01

To benchmark regional standard practice for paediatric cranial CT-procedures in terms of radiation dose and acquisition parameters. Paediatric cranial CT-data were retrospectively collected during a 1-year period, in 3 different hospitals of the same country. A dose tracking system was used to automatically gather information. Dose (CTDI and DLP), scan length, amount of retakes and demographic data were stratified by age and clinical indication; appropriate use of child-specific protocols was assessed. In total, 296 paediatric cranial CT-procedures were collected. Although the median dose of each hospital was below national and international diagnostic reference level (DRL) for all age categories, statistically significant (p-value benchmarking showed that further dose optimization and standardization is possible by using age-stratified protocols for paediatric cranial CT. Moreover, having a dose tracking system revealed that adult protocols are still applied for paediatric CT, a practice that must be avoided. • Significant differences were observed in the delivered dose between age-groups and hospitals. • Using age-adapted scanning protocols gives a nearly linear dose increase. • Sharing dose-data can be a trigger for hospitals to reduce dose levels.

Verification of the safety communication protocol in train control system using colored Petri net

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Lijie; Tang Tao; Zhao Xianqiong; Schnieder, Eckehard

2012-01-01

This paper deals with formal and simulation-based verification of the safety communication protocol in ETCS (European Train Control System). The safety communication protocol controls the establishment of safety connection between train and trackside. Because of its graphical user interface and modeling flexibility upon the changes in the system conditions, this paper proposes a composition Colored Petri Net (CPN) representation for both the logic and the timed model. The logic of the protocol is proved to be safe by means of state space analysis: the dead markings are correct; there are no dead transitions; being fair. Further analysis results have been obtained using formal and simulation-based verification approach. The timed models for the open transmit system and the application process are created for the purpose of performance analysis of the safety communication protocol. The models describe the procedure of data transmission and processing, and also provide relevant timed and stochastic factors, as well as time delay and lost packet, which may influence the time for establishment of safety connection of the protocol. Time for establishment of safety connection of the protocol in normal state is verified by formal verification, and then time for establishment of safety connection with different probability of lost packet is simulated. After verification it is found that the time for establishment of safety connection of the safety communication protocol satisfies the safety requirements.

Indicators and protocols for monitoring impacts of formal and informal trails in protected areas

Science.gov (United States)

Marion, Jeffrey L.; Leung, Yu-Fai

2011-01-01

Trails are a common recreation infrastructure in protected areas and their conditions affect the quality of natural resources and visitor experiences. Various trail impact indicators and assessment protocols have been developed in support of monitoring programs, which are often used for management decision-making or as part of visitor capacity management frameworks. This paper reviews common indicators and assessment protocols for three types of trails, surfaced formal trails, unsurfaced formal trails, and informal (visitor-created) trails. Monitoring methods and selected data from three U.S. National Park Service units are presented to illustrate some common trail impact indicators and assessment options.

Standardization as an Arena for Open Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Grøtnes, Endre

This paper argues that anticipatory standardization can be viewed as an arena for open innovation and shows this through two cases from mobile telecommunication standardization. One case is the Android initiative by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, while the second case is the general standardization work of the Open Mobile Alliance. The paper shows how anticipatory standardization intentionally uses inbound and outbound streams of research and intellectual property to create new innovations. This is at the heart of the open innovation model. The standardization activities use both pooling of R&D and the distribution of freely available toolkits to create products and architectures that can be utilized by the participants and third parties to leverage their innovation. The paper shows that the technology being standardized needs to have a systemic nature to be part of an open innovation process.

Developing an Anti-Xa-Based Anticoagulation Protocol for Patients with Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Sieg, Adam; Mardis, B Andrew; Mardis, Caitlin R; Huber, Michelle R; New, James P; Meadows, Holly B; Cook, Jennifer L; Toole, J Matthew; Uber, Walter E

2015-01-01

Because of the complexities associated with anticoagulation in temporary percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) recipients, a lack of standardization exists in their management. This retrospective analysis evaluates current anticoagulation practices at a single center with the aim of identifying an optimal anticoagulation strategy and protocol. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on pVAD implanted (CentriMag (Thoratec; Pleasanton, CA) / TandemHeart (CardiacAssist; Pittsburgh, PA) or Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA)), with each group individually analyzed for bleeding and thrombotic complications. Patients in the CentriMag/TandemHeart cohort were subdivided based on the anticoagulation monitoring strategy (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) or antifactor Xa unfractionated heparin (anti-Xa) values). In the CentriMag/TandemHeart cohort, there were five patients with anticoagulation titrated based on anti-Xa values; one patient developed a device thrombosis and a major bleed, whereas another patient experienced major bleeding. Eight patients received an Impella pVAD. Seven total major bleeds in three patients and no thrombotic events were detected. Based on distinct differences between the devices, anti-Xa values, and outcomes, two protocols were created to guide anticoagulation adjustments. However, anticoagulation in patients who require pVAD support is complex with constantly evolving anticoagulation goals. The ideal level of anticoagulation should be individually determined using several coagulation laboratory parameters in concert with hemodynamic changes in the patient's clinical status, the device, and the device cannulation.

IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs: Performance Analysis and Protocol Refinement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chatzimisios P.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The IEEE 802.11 protocol is emerging as a widely used standard and has become the most mature technology for wireless local area networks (WLANs. In this paper, we focus on the tuning of the IEEE 802.11 protocol parameters taking into consideration, in addition to throughput efficiency, performance metrics such as the average packet delay, the probability of a packet being discarded when it reaches the maximum retransmission limit, the average time to drop a packet, and the packet interarrival time. We present an analysis, which has been validated by simulation that is based on a Markov chain model commonly used in the literature. We further study the improvement on these performance metrics by employing suitable protocol parameters according to the specific communication needs of the IEEE 802.11 protocol for both basic access and RTS/CTS access schemes. We show that the use of a higher initial contention window size does not considerably degrade performance in small networks and performs significantly better in any other scenario. Moreover, we conclude that the combination of a lower maximum contention window size and a higher retry limit considerably improves performance. Results indicate that the appropriate adjustment of the protocol parameters enhances performance and improves the services that the IEEE 802.11 protocol provides to various communication applications.

Introduction to Open Core Protocol Fastpath to System-on-Chip Design

CERN Document Server

Schwaderer, W David

2012-01-01

This book introduces Open Core Protocol (OCP), not as a conventional hardware communications protocol but as a meta-protocol: a means for describing and capturing the communications requirements of an IP core, and mapping them to a specific set of signals with known semantics.  Readers will learn the capabilities of OCP as a semiconductor hardware interface specification that allows different System-On-Chip (SoC) cores to communicate.  The OCP methodology presented enables intellectual property designers to design core interfaces in standard ways. This facilitates reusing OCP-compliant cores across multiple SoC designs which, in turn, drastically reduces design times, support costs, and overall cost for electronics/SoCs. Provides a comprehensive introduction to Open Core Protocol, which is more accessible than the full specification; Designed as a hands-on, how-to guide to semiconductor design; Includes numerous, real “usage examples” which are not available in the full specification; Integrates coverag...

Recasting a traditional laboratory practical as a "Design-your-own protocol" to teach a universal research skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitworth, David E

2016-07-08

Laboratory-based practical classes are a common feature of life science teaching, during which students learn how to perform experiments and generate/interpret data. Practical classes are typically instructional, concentrating on providing topic- and technique-specific skills, however to produce research-capable graduates it is also important to develop generic practical skills. To provide an opportunity for students to develop the skills needed to create bespoke protocols for experimental benchwork, a traditional practical was repurposed. Students were given a list of available resources and an experimental goal, and directed to create a bench protocol to achieve the aim (measuring the iron in hemoglobin). In a series of teaching events students received feedback from staff, and peers prototyped the protocols, before protocols were finally implemented. Graduates highlighted this exercise as one of the most important of their degrees, primarily because of the clear relevance of the skills acquired to professional practice. The exercise exemplifies a range of pedagogic principles, but arguably its most important innovation is that it repurposed a pre-existing practical. This had the benefits of automatically providing scaffolding to direct the students' thought processes, while retaining the advantages of a "discovery learning" exercise, and allowing facile adoption of the approach across the sector. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):377-380, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Multipath Activity Based Routing Protocol for Mobile ‎Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shereen Omar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cognitive radio networks improve spectrum utilization by ‎sharing licensed spectrum with cognitive radio devices. In ‎cognitive radio ad hoc networks the routing protocol is one ‎of the most challenging tasks due to the changes in ‎frequency spectrum and the interrupted connectivity ‎caused by the primary user activity. In this paper, a multi‎path activity based routing protocol for cognitive radio ‎network (MACNRP is proposed. The protocol utilizes ‎channel availability and creates multiple node-disjoint ‎routes between the source and destination nodes. The ‎proposed protocol is compared with D2CARP and FTCRP ‎protocols. The performance evaluation is conducted ‎through mathematical analysis and using OPNET ‎simulation. The performance of the proposed protocol ‎achieves an increase in network throughput; besides it ‎decreases the probability of route failure due to node ‎mobility and primary user activity. We have found that the ‎MACNRP scheme results in 50% to 75% reduction in ‎blocking probability and 33% to 78% improvement in ‎network throughput, with a reasonable additional routing ‎overhead and average packet delay. Due to the successful ‎reduction of collision between primary users and ‎cognitive users, the MACNRP scheme results in decreasing ‎the path failure rate by 50% to 87%.‎

Differences in handgrip strength protocols to identify sarcopenia and frailty - a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa-Santos, A R; Amaral, T F

2017-10-16

Hand grip strength (HGS) is used for the diagnosis of sarcopenia and frailty. Several factors have been shown to influence HGS values during measurement. Therefore, variations in the protocols used to assess HGS, as part of the diagnosis of sarcopenia and frailty, may lead to the identification of different individuals with low HGS, introducing bias. The aim of this systematic review is to gather all the relevant studies that measured HGS to diagnose sarcopenia and frailty and to identify the differences between the protocols used. A systematic review was carried out following the recommendations of The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched, until August 16, 2016. The evidence regarding HGS measurement protocols used to diagnose sarcopenia and frailty was summarised and the most recent protocols regarding the procedure were compared. From the described search 4393 articles were identified. Seventy-two studies were included in this systematic review, in which 37 referred to sarcopenia articles, 33 to frailty and two evaluated both conditions. Most studies presented limited information regarding the protocols used. The majority of the studies included did not describe a complete procedure of HGS measurement. The high heterogeneity between the protocols used, in sarcopenia and frailty studies, create an enormous difficulty in drawing comparative conclusions among them.

Space Link Extension Protocol Emulation for High-Throughput, High-Latency Network Connections