RESEARCH ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION ZERO BASED BUDGET (ZBB IN THE PROVIDER SERVICE LEASING EQUIPAMENTS OF CARGO HANDLING.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levi Gimenez

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article aims to present the implementation of zero-based budgeting in a rental service provider of cargo handling equipment using the action research methodology. The goal was to examine the possibility of concomitant use of this instrument in service providers in need of accurate information that enables targeting at the best result in a setting avid for quick decisions and actions. Action research was used as research method. It was concluded that it is suitable for this branch, confirming its position as a useful model for restructuring and cutting costs, improving operational and financial results, and as a factor improving organizational environment (behavioral aspects, indirectly creating value to stakeholders.

Preliminary construction of a service provider--informed domestic violence research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Christine E; Welch, Metoka L

2010-12-01

This article presents the results of a statewide survey of domestic violence (DV) service providers that focused on the needs, background characteristics, and opinions of service providers related to research. The survey included an examination of service providers' motivation for working in the field, research background and training, and perceptions of research as well as the topics they believe are important for researchers to study, the resources they consult to learn about DV, and their suggestions to help researchers learn more about the nature of their work. The results are integrated into a preliminary agenda for future DV research that accounts for the needs and insight of service providers.

Informed consent - Providing information about prenatal examinations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Katja; Kesmodel, Ulrik; Hvidman, Lone

as well.The review is based on systematic search strategy in the electronic databases Medline and Science Citation. Additional studies were identified through reference lists of individual papers obtained. Improving knowledge scores and reducing decisional conflict can be obtained by group counselling...... pregnant women about prenatal examinations. Women's knowledge, decisional conflict, satisfaction and anxiety will be explored as compared with different ways and different groups of health professionals providing information. To what extent information empowers informed decision making will be explored...

Evidence-Based Design and Research-Informed Design: What's the Difference? Conceptual Definitions and Comparative Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peavey, Erin; Vander Wyst, Kiley B

2017-10-01

This article provides critical examination and comparison of the conceptual meaning and underlying assumptions of the concepts evidence-based design (EBD) and research-informed design (RID) in order to facilitate practical use and theoretical development. In recent years, EBD has experienced broad adoption, yet it has been simultaneously critiqued for rigidity and misapplication. Many practitioners are gravitating to the term RID to describe their method of integrating knowledge into the design process. However, the term RID lacks a clear definition and the blurring of terms has the potential to weaken advances made integrating research into practice. Concept analysis methods from Walker and Avant were used to define the concepts for comparison. Conceptual definitions, process descriptions, examples (i.e., model cases), and methods of evaluation are offered for EBD and RID. Although EBD and RID share similarities in meaning, the two terms are distinct. When comparing evidence based (EB) and research informed, EB is a broad base of information types (evidence) that are narrowly applied (based), while the latter references a narrow slice of information (research) that is broadly applied (informed) to create an end product of design. Much of the confusion between the use of the concepts EBD and RID arises out of differing perspectives between the way practitioners and academics understand the underlying terms. The authors hope this article serves to generate thoughtful dialogue, which is essential to the development of a discipline, and look forward to the contribution of the readership.

Availability and accessibility of evidence-based information resources provided by medical libraries in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, A; Sowter, B

2000-01-01

This article reports on the results of an exploratory survey of the availability and accessibility of evidence-based information resources provided by medical libraries in Australia. Although barriers impede access to evidence-based information for hospital clinicians, the survey revealed that Medline and Cinahl are available in over 90% of facilities. In most cases they are widely accessible via internal networks and the Internet. The Cochrane Library is available in 69% of cases. The Internet is widely accessible and most libraries provide access to some full-text, electronic journals. Strategies for overcoming restrictions and integrating information resources with clinical workflow are being pursued. State, regional and national public and private consortia are developing agreements utilising on-line technology. These could produce cost savings and more equitable access to a greater range of evidence-based resources.

Design Research of TIANDITU (Map Worl)-Based Geographic Information System for Travelling Service

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.; Zhang, H.; Wang, C.

2014-04-01

TIANDITU (Map World) is the public version of the National Platform for Common Geospatial Information Service, and the travelling channel is TIANDITU-based geographic information platform for travelling service. With the development of tourism, traditional ways for providing travelling information cannot meet the needs of travelers. As such, the travelling channel of TIANDITU focuses on providing travel information abundantly and precisely, which integrated the geographic information data of TIANDITU Version 2.0 and the authoritative information resources from China National Tourism Administration. Furthermore, spatial positioning, category and information query of various travelling information were offered for the public in the travelling channel. This research mainly involves three important parts: the system design, key technologies of the system design and application examples. Firstly, this paper introduced the design of TIANDITU-based geographic information system for travelling service, and the general and database design were described in detail. The designs for general, database and travelling service above should consider lots of factors which illustrated in the paper in order to guarantee the efficient service. The process of system construction, the content of geographic information for travelling and system functions of geographic information for travelling are also proposed via diagram in this part. Then several key technologies were discussed, including the travelling information integration for main node and among nodes, general architecture design and management system for travelling channel, web portals and system interface. From the perspective of main technologies, this part describes how TIANDITU travelling channel can realize various functions and reach the requirements from different users. Finally, three application examples about travelling information query were listed shortly. The functions and search results are shown clearly in this

RESEARCH ON REMOTE SENSING GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION EXTRACTION BASED ON OBJECT ORIENTED CLASSIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Gao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The northern Tibet belongs to the Sub cold arid climate zone in the plateau. It is rarely visited by people. The geological working conditions are very poor. However, the stratum exposures are good and human interference is very small. Therefore, the research on the automatic classification and extraction of remote sensing geological information has typical significance and good application prospect. Based on the object-oriented classification in Northern Tibet, using the Worldview2 high-resolution remote sensing data, combined with the tectonic information and image enhancement, the lithological spectral features, shape features, spatial locations and topological relations of various geological information are excavated. By setting the threshold, based on the hierarchical classification, eight kinds of geological information were classified and extracted. Compared with the existing geological maps, the accuracy analysis shows that the overall accuracy reached 87.8561 %, indicating that the classification-oriented method is effective and feasible for this study area and provides a new idea for the automatic extraction of remote sensing geological information.

Graphic-object information system {open_quotes}research base for reactor materials science{close_quotes}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markina, N.V.; Lebedeva, E.E.; Arkhangel`skii, N.V.; Semenov, S.B.; Moiseev, A.L.

1994-11-01

An information system developed for reactor materials research is described. The information system incorporates an expert system, MATREKS, and a heirarchial data base. The data base contains information from 20 Russian research reactors. The information system structure, data base structure, search methods, system output modes, and technical facilities and software required are briefly discussed. 6 refs., 2 figs.

Using imputation to provide location information for nongeocoded addresses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank C Curriero

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The importance of geography as a source of variation in health research continues to receive sustained attention in the literature. The inclusion of geographic information in such research often begins by adding data to a map which is predicated by some knowledge of location. A precise level of spatial information is conventionally achieved through geocoding, the geographic information system (GIS process of translating mailing address information to coordinates on a map. The geocoding process is not without its limitations, though, since there is always a percentage of addresses which cannot be converted successfully (nongeocodable. This raises concerns regarding bias since traditionally the practice has been to exclude nongeocoded data records from analysis.In this manuscript we develop and evaluate a set of imputation strategies for dealing with missing spatial information from nongeocoded addresses. The strategies are developed assuming a known zip code with increasing use of collateral information, namely the spatial distribution of the population at risk. Strategies are evaluated using prostate cancer data obtained from the Maryland Cancer Registry. We consider total case enumerations at the Census county, tract, and block group level as the outcome of interest when applying and evaluating the methods. Multiple imputation is used to provide estimated total case counts based on complete data (geocodes plus imputed nongeocodes with a measure of uncertainty. Results indicate that the imputation strategy based on using available population-based age, gender, and race information performed the best overall at the county, tract, and block group levels.The procedure allows for the potentially biased and likely under reported outcome, case enumerations based on only the geocoded records, to be presented with a statistically adjusted count (imputed count with a measure of uncertainty that are based on all the case data, the geocodes and imputed

The Health Information Literacy Research Project*

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtz-Rossi, Sabrina; Funk, Carla J.

2009-01-01

Objectives: This research studied hospital administrators' and hospital-based health care providers' (collectively, the target group) perceived value of consumer health information resources and of librarians' roles in promoting health information literacy in their institutions. Methods: A web-based needs survey was developed and administered to hospital administrators and health care providers. Multiple health information literacy curricula were developed. One was pilot-tested by nine hospital libraries in the United States and Canada. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate the curriculum and its impact on the target group. Results: A majority of survey respondents believed that providing consumer health information resources was critically important to fulfilling their institutions' missions and that their hospitals could improve health information literacy by increasing awareness of its impact on patient care and by training staff to become more knowledgeable about health literacy barriers. The study showed that a librarian-taught health information literacy curriculum did raise awareness about the issue among the target group and increased both the use of National Library of Medicine consumer health resources and referrals to librarians for health information literacy support. Conclusions: It is hoped that many hospital administrators and health care providers will take the health information literacy curricula and recognize that librarians can educate about the topic and that providers will use related consumer health services and resources. PMID:19851494

Utilisation of evidence-based practices by ASD early intervention service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Paynter, Jessica M; Ferguson, Sarah; Fordyce, Kathryn; Joosten, Annette; Paku, Sofia; Stephens, Miranda; Trembath, David; Keen, Deb

2017-02-01

A number of autism intervention practices have been demonstrated to be effective. However, the use of unsupported practices persists in community early intervention settings. Recent research has suggested that personal, professional and workplace factors may influence intervention choices. The aim of this research was to investigate knowledge and use of strategies, organisational culture, individual attitudes, sources of information and considerations informing intervention choices by early intervention providers. An online survey was completed by 72 early intervention providers from four organisations across Australia. Providers reported high levels of trust and access of information from internal professional development, therapists and external professional development. A range of considerations including child factors, family values and research were rated as important in informing intervention choices. Participants reported greater knowledge and use of evidence-based and emerging practices than unsupported. Levels of use were linked to levels of knowledge, as well as some organisational and attitudinal factors. Areas for future research and implications are discussed.

In-depth research of domestic nuclear patent information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo Dan; Gao Anna; Li Dongbin; Lu Yanjia; Ren Chao

2014-01-01

Based on the domestic patent information, combined with examples, this article makes an in-depth discussion on the domestic nuclear patent information. The author puts forward for the patent information research, the appropriate retrieval of patent documents is the basis,and the correct quantitative statistical analysis of patent documents is the key, and in-depth qualitative analysis of patent documents is the core. It is expected to provide information support and guarantee for the technical innovation and scientific research personnel in the nuclear field through in-depth study of domestic nuclear information. (authors)

Evidence-Based Scholarly Communication: Information Professionals Unlocking Translational Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip J. Kroth

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The Evidence-Based Scholarly Communication Conference (EBSCC was held March 11-12, 2010 in Albuquerque, NM. The conference addressed the perceived gap in knowledge and training for scholarly communication principles in the National Institutes of Health (NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA Program. The EBSCC brought together librarians and information specialists to share evidence based strategies for developing effective local scholarly communication support and training and, it is hoped, to form new coalitions to address this topic at the local and national levels. This brief communication summarizes the need for theconference, highlights the general sessions in order of presentation, and introduces the EBSCC research papers appearing in this issue of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP. It also includes a description of a unique peer-review process methodology pioneered at EBSCC.

Evaluating the feasibility of using online software to collect patient information in a chiropractic practice-based research network.

Science.gov (United States)

Kania-Richmond, Ania; Weeks, Laura; Scholten, Jeffrey; Reney, Mikaël

2016-03-01

Practice based research networks (PBRNs) are increasingly used as a tool for evidence based practice. We developed and tested the feasibility of using software to enable online collection of patient data within a chiropractic PBRN to support clinical decision making and research in participating clinics. To assess the feasibility of using online software to collect quality patient information. The study consisted of two phases: 1) Assessment of the quality of information provided, using a standardized form; and 2) Exploration of patients' perspectives and experiences regarding online information provision through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was descriptive. Forty-five new patients were recruited. Thirty-six completed online forms, which were submitted by an appropriate person 100% of the time, with an error rate of less than 1%, and submitted in a timely manner 83% of the time. Twenty-one participants were interviewed. Overall, online forms were preferred given perceived security, ease of use, and enabling provision of more accurate information. Use of online software is feasible, provides high quality information, and is preferred by most participants. A pen-and-paper format should be available for patients with this preference and in case of technical difficulties.

Internet health information in the patient-provider dialogue.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Traci

2008-10-01

A patient discussing Internet health information with a health care provider (referred to as "patient-provider communication about Internet health information") can contribute positively to health outcomes. Although research has found that once Internet access is achieved, there are no ethnic differences in Internet health information seeking, it is unclear if there are ethnic differences in patient-provider communication about Internet health information. To help fill this gap in the literature, the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey 2005 was analyzed with Stata 9. Two sets of logistic regression analyses were conducted, one for a subsample of Internet users (n = 3,244) and one for a subsample of Internet users who are first-generation immigrants (n = 563). The dependent variable was patient-provider communication about Internet health information, which assessed whether survey participants had discussed online health information with a health care provider. The predictor variables included trust of health care provider, trust of online health information, Internet use, health care coverage, frequency of visits to health care provider, health status, and demographics. Among all Internet users, Whites had higher levels of patient-provider communication about Internet health information than Blacks and Asians. Similarly, among Internet users who are immigrants, Whites had higher levels of patient-provider communication about Internet health information than Blacks and Asians. While the digital divide is narrowing in terms of Internet access, racial differences in patient-provider communication about Internet health information may undermine the potential benefits of the information age.

The development of component-based information systems

CERN Document Server

Cesare, Sergio de; Macredie, Robert

2015-01-01

This work provides a comprehensive overview of research and practical issues relating to component-based development information systems (CBIS). Spanning the organizational, developmental, and technical aspects of the subject, the original research included here provides fresh insights into successful CBIS technology and application. Part I covers component-based development methodologies and system architectures. Part II analyzes different aspects of managing component-based development. Part III investigates component-based development versus commercial off-the-shelf products (COTS), includi

Application of aerial image based information for coastal habitat research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juel, Anders

2014-01-01

and research in coastal terrestrial habitats. It further presents new insight into the mechanisms determining the spatial patterns of vegetation across coastal landscapes. These topics are investigated by combining fine-scale vegetation information from a comprehensive field programme with object-based image...

On providing the fault-tolerant operation of information systems based on open content management systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kratov, Sergey

2018-01-01

Modern information systems designed to service a wide range of users, regardless of their subject area, are increasingly based on Web technologies and are available to users via Internet. The article discusses the issues of providing the fault-tolerant operation of such information systems, based on free and open source content management systems. The toolkit available to administrators of similar systems is shown; the scenarios for using these tools are described. Options for organizing backups and restoring the operability of systems after failures are suggested. Application of the proposed methods and approaches allows providing continuous monitoring of the state of systems, timely response to the emergence of possible problems and their prompt solution.

Characterization of Patient Interest in Provider-Based Consumer Health Information Technology: Survey Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Featherall, Joseph; Lapin, Brittany; Chaitoff, Alexander; Havele, Sonia A; Thompson, Nicolas; Katzan, Irene

2018-04-19

that assist patients in scheduling appointments and asking questions of providers. Patients with depression should also be considered for targeted consumer health information technology implementation. Health self-efficacy is a valid predictor of consumer health information technology interest and may play a role in the utilization of consumer health information technologies. Health systems, broadly, should put forth greater effort to understand the needs and interests of patients in the consumer health information technology development process. Consumer health information technology design and implementation may be improved by understanding which technologies patients want. ©Joseph Featherall, Brittany Lapin, Alexander Chaitoff, Sonia A Havele, Nicolas Thompson, Irene Katzan. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 19.04.2018.

Information-Seeking Behaviors of Dental Practitioners in Three Practice-Based Research Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Botello-Harbaum, Maria T.; Demko, Catherine A.; Curro, Frederick A.; Rindal, D. Brad; Collie, Damon; Gilbert, Gregg H.; Hilton, Thomas J.; Craig, Ronald G.; Wu, Juliann; Funkhouser, Ellen; Lehman, Maryann; McBride, Ruth; Thompson, Van; Lindblad, Anne

2013-01-01

Research on the information-seeking behaviors of dental practitioners is scarce. Knowledge of dentists’ information-seeking behaviors should advance the translational gap between clinical dental research and dental practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the self-reported information-seeking behaviors of dentists in three dental practice-based research networks (PBRNs). A total of 950 dentists (65 percent response rate) completed the survey. Dental journals and continuing dental education (CDE) sources used and their influence on practice guidance were assessed. PBRN participation level and years since dental degree were measured. Full-participant dentists reported reading the Journal of the American Dental Association and General Dentistry more frequently than did their reference counterparts. Printed journals were preferred by most dentists. A lower proportion of full participants obtained their CDE credits at dental meetings compared to partial participants. Experienced dentists read other dental information sources more frequently than did less experienced dentists. Practitioners involved in a PBRN differed in their approaches to accessing information sources. Peer-reviewed sources were more frequently used by full participants and dentists with fifteen years of experience or more. Dental PBRNs potentially play a significant role in the dissemination of evidence-based information. This study found that specific educational sources might increase and disseminate knowledge among dentists. PMID:23382524

A web-based tool to engage stakeholders in informing research planning for future decisions on emerging materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powers, Christina M.; Grieger, Khara D.; Hendren, Christine Ogilvie; Meacham, Connie A.; Gurevich, Gerald; Lassiter, Meredith Gooding; Money, Eric S.; Lloyd, Jennifer M.; Beaulieu, Stephen M.

2014-01-01

Prioritizing and assessing risks associated with chemicals, industrial materials, or emerging technologies is a complex problem that benefits from the involvement of multiple stakeholder groups. For example, in the case of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), scientific uncertainties exist that hamper environmental, health, and safety (EHS) assessments. Therefore, alternative approaches to standard EHS assessment methods have gained increased attention. The objective of this paper is to describe the application of a web-based, interactive decision support tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in a pilot study on ENMs. The piloted tool implements U.S. EPA's comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA) approach to prioritize research gaps. When pursued, such research priorities can result in data that subsequently improve the scientific robustness of risk assessments and inform future risk management decisions. Pilot results suggest that the tool was useful in facilitating multi-stakeholder prioritization of research gaps. Results also provide potential improvements for subsequent applications. The outcomes of future CEAWeb applications with larger stakeholder groups may inform the development of funding opportunities for emerging materials across the scientific community (e.g., National Science Foundation Science to Achieve Results [STAR] grants, National Institutes of Health Requests for Proposals). - Highlights: • A web-based, interactive decision support tool was piloted for emerging materials. • The tool (CEAWeb) was based on an established approach to prioritize research gaps. • CEAWeb facilitates multi-stakeholder prioritization of research gaps. • We provide recommendations for future versions and applications of CEAWeb

Ethical problems inherent in psychological research based on internet communication as stored information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Øhrstrøm, Peter; Dyhrberg, Johan

2007-01-01

This paper deals with certain ethical problems inherent in psychological research based on internet communication as stored information. Section 1 contains an analysis of research on Internet debates. In particular, it takes into account a famous example of deception for psychology research...... purposes. In section 2, the focus is on research on personal data in texts published on the Internet. Section 3 includes an attempt to formulate some ethical principles and guidelines, which should be regarded as fundamental in research on stored information....

[Research on medical instrument information integration technology based on IHE PCD].

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jianli; Liao, Yun; Yang, Yongyong

2014-06-01

Integrating medical instruments with medical information systems becomes more and more important in healthcare industry. To make medical instruments without standard communication interface possess the capability of interoperating and sharing information with medical information systems, we developed a medical instrument integration gateway based on Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise Patient Care Device (IHE PCD) integration profiles in this research. The core component is an integration engine which is implemented according to integration profiles and Health Level Seven (HL7) messages defined in IHE PCD. Working with instrument specific Javascripts, the engine transforms medical instrument data into HL7 ORU message. This research enables medical instruments to interoperate and exchange medical data with information systems in a standardized way, and is valuable for medical instrument integration, especially for traditional instruments.

Criteria for the evaluation of a cloud-based hospital information system outsourcing provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Chinyao; Hsueh Chen, Ya

2012-12-01

As cloud computing technology has proliferated rapidly worldwide, there has been a trend toward adopting cloud-based hospital information systems (CHISs). This study examines the critical criteria for selecting the CHISs outsourcing provider. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is used to evaluate the primary indicator collected from 188 useable responses at a working hospital in Taiwan. Moreover, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed to calculate the weights of these criteria and establish a fuzzy multi-criteria model of CHISs outsourcing provider selection from 42 experts. The results indicate that the five most critical criteria related to CHISs outsourcing provider selection are (1) system function, (2) service quality, (3) integration, (4) professionalism, and (5) economics. This study may contribute to understanding how cloud-based hospital systems can reinforce content design and offer a way to compete in the field by developing more appropriate systems.

A web-based tool to engage stakeholders in informing research planning for future decisions on emerging materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Powers, Christina M., E-mail: powers.christina@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Grieger, Khara D., E-mail: kgrieger@rti.org [RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Hendren, Christine Ogilvie, E-mail: chendren@duke.edu [Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Meacham, Connie A., E-mail: meacham.connie@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Gurevich, Gerald, E-mail: gurevich.gerald@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Lassiter, Meredith Gooding, E-mail: lassiter.meredith@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Money, Eric S., E-mail: emoney@rti.org [RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Lloyd, Jennifer M., E-mail: jml@rti.org [RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Beaulieu, Stephen M., E-mail: steveb@rti.org [RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States)

2014-02-01

Prioritizing and assessing risks associated with chemicals, industrial materials, or emerging technologies is a complex problem that benefits from the involvement of multiple stakeholder groups. For example, in the case of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), scientific uncertainties exist that hamper environmental, health, and safety (EHS) assessments. Therefore, alternative approaches to standard EHS assessment methods have gained increased attention. The objective of this paper is to describe the application of a web-based, interactive decision support tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in a pilot study on ENMs. The piloted tool implements U.S. EPA's comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA) approach to prioritize research gaps. When pursued, such research priorities can result in data that subsequently improve the scientific robustness of risk assessments and inform future risk management decisions. Pilot results suggest that the tool was useful in facilitating multi-stakeholder prioritization of research gaps. Results also provide potential improvements for subsequent applications. The outcomes of future CEAWeb applications with larger stakeholder groups may inform the development of funding opportunities for emerging materials across the scientific community (e.g., National Science Foundation Science to Achieve Results [STAR] grants, National Institutes of Health Requests for Proposals). - Highlights: • A web-based, interactive decision support tool was piloted for emerging materials. • The tool (CEAWeb) was based on an established approach to prioritize research gaps. • CEAWeb facilitates multi-stakeholder prioritization of research gaps. • We provide recommendations for future versions and applications of CEAWeb.

Health Information Provided by Retail Health Food Outlets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaclyn Calder

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Alternative health practices have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many patients visit specific complementary practitioners, while others attempt to educate themselves, trusting advice from employees at local health food stores or the Internet. Thirty-two retail health food stores were surveyed on the nature of the information provided by their staff. A research assistant visited the stores and presented as the mother of a child in whom Crohn’s disease had been diagnosed. Seventy-two per cent (23 of 32 of store employees offered advice, such as to take nutritional and herbal supplements. Of the 23 stores where recommendations were made, 15 (65% based their recommendation on a source of information. Fourteen of the 15 stores using information sources used the same reference book. This had a significant impact on the recommendations; the use of nutritional supplements was favoured. In conclusion, retail health food stores are not as inconsistent as hypothesized, although there are many variances in the types of supplements recommended for the same chronic disease.

Geometric information provider platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meisam Yousefzadeh

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Renovation of existing buildings is known as an essential stage in reduction of the energy loss. Considerable part of renovation process depends on geometric reconstruction of building based on semantic parameters. Following many research projects which were focused on parameterizing the energy usage, various energy modelling methods were developed during the last decade. On the other hand, by developing accurate measuring tools such as laser scanners, the interests of having accurate 3D building models are rapidly growing. But the automation of 3D building generation from laser point cloud or detection of specific objects in that is still a challenge.  The goal is designing a platform through which required geometric information can be efficiently produced to support energy simulation software. Developing a reliable procedure which extracts required information from measured data and delivers them to a standard energy modelling system is the main purpose of the project.

ORGANIZING OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING IN THE FORMING OF INFORMATION BASE OF BUILDING ENTERPRISES PROVIDING DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadiia Pylypiv

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article explores the impact of organization of managerial accounting on formation of informational base on the local (level of the individual enterprise, regional, disciplinary and national levels in the context of providing stable economic development for building enterprises. Based on our findings, we built a cognitive map of such an influence, which shows itself through different spheres, such as: economic, ecological and social, and will enjoy informational requests of management for improving of effectiveness of management system of such kind of  enterprises. Keywords: managerial accounting, organization, provision, stable economic development, building enterprises

Metagenomes provide valuable comparative information on soil microeukaryotes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacquiod, Samuel Jehan Auguste; Stenbæk, Jonas; Santos, Susana

2016-01-01

has been identified. Our analyses suggest that publicly available metagenome data can provide valuable information on soil microeukaryotes for comparative purposes when handled appropriately, complementing the current view provided by ribosomal amplicon sequencing methods......., providing microbiologists with substantial amounts of accessible information. We took advantage of public metagenomes in order to investigate microeukaryote communities in a well characterized grassland soil. The data gathered allowed the evaluation of several factors impacting the community structure......, including the DNA extraction method, the database choice and also the annotation procedure. While most studies on soil microeukaryotes are based on sequencing of PCR-amplified taxonomic markers (18S rRNA genes, ITS regions), this work represents, to our knowledge, the first report based solely...

DO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PROVIDE ADEQUATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAPITALIZATION OF COSTS RELATED TO INTANGIBLE ASSETS?: AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON ITALIAN LISTED COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Vignini

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of our research is to verify if Italian listed companies financial statements provide adequate information about the capitalization of costs related to intangible assets and if the information provided are reliable. Moreover, we investigated if they merely comply with law or provide additional information on cost capitalization and reveal if internal control systems (especially managerial accounting systems or other information systems are applied to support the measurement process and the cost control, thus guaranteeing the verifiability and representational faithfulness of the information disclosed. This paper is an empirical analysis and is concerned to investigate the financial statements of 250 Italian listed companies.

Toward better Alzheimer's research information sources for the public.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Perry W

2013-03-01

The National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease calls for a new relationship between researchers and members of the public. This relationship is one that provides research information to patients and allows patients to provide ideas to researchers. One way to describe it is a "bidirectional translational relationship." Despite the numerous sources of online and offline information about Alzheimer's disease, there is no information source which currently provides this interaction. This article proposes the creation an Alzheimer's research information source dedicated to monitoring Alzheimer's research literature and providing user friendly, publicly accessible summaries of data written specifically for a lay audience. This information source should contain comprehensive, updated, user friendly, publicly available, reviews of Alzheimer's research and utilize existing online multimedia/social networking tools to provide information in useful formats that help patients, caregivers, and researchers learn rapidly from one another.

Evaluation of poison information services provided by a new poison information center.

Science.gov (United States)

Churi, Shobha; Abraham, Lovin; Ramesh, M; Narahari, M G

2013-01-01

(n = 142; 35.5%). The most common poisoning agents were medicines (n = 124; 31.0%). The service provided was graded as "Excellent" for the majority of queries (n = 360; 86%; P poison information center provided requested services in a skillful, efficient and evidence-based manner to meet the needs of the requestor. The enquiries and information provided is documented in a clear and systematic manner.

Exploring methods in information literacy research

CERN Document Server

Lipu, Suzanne; Lloyd, Annemaree

2007-01-01

This book provides an overview of approaches to assist researchers and practitioners to explore ways of undertaking research in the information literacy field. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of research by Dr Kirsty Williamson (author of Research Methods for Students, Academics and Professionals: Information Management and Systems) and this sets the scene for the rest of the chapters where each author explores the key aspects of a specific method and explains how it may be applied in practice. The methods covered include those representing qualitative, quantitative and mix

INTEGRATED INFORMATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE PROVIDING BEHAVIORAL FEATURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir N. Shvedenko

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with creation of integrated information system architecture capable of supporting management decisions using behavioral features. The paper considers the architecture of information decision support system for production system management. The behavioral feature is given to an information system, and it ensures extraction, processing of information, management decision-making with both automated and automatic modes of decision-making subsystem being permitted. Practical implementation of information system with behavior is based on service-oriented architecture: there is a set of independent services in the information system that provides data of its subsystems or data processing by separate application under the chosen variant of the problematic situation settlement. For creation of integrated information system with behavior we propose architecture including the following subsystems: data bus, subsystem for interaction with the integrated applications based on metadata, business process management subsystem, subsystem for the current state analysis of the enterprise and management decision-making, behavior training subsystem. For each problematic situation a separate logical layer service is created in Unified Service Bus handling problematic situations. This architecture reduces system information complexity due to the fact that with a constant amount of system elements the number of links decreases, since each layer provides communication center of responsibility for the resource with the services of corresponding applications. If a similar problematic situation occurs, its resolution is automatically removed from problem situation metamodel repository and business process metamodel of its settlement. In the business process performance commands are generated to the corresponding centers of responsibility to settle a problematic situation.

Information and documentation resources for researchers of NIRD URBAN-INCERC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolaie Constantinescu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Development instruments aiding the researchers are expressing a variety that only innovative capacity is able to render. Linked to these, information and communication capacities grew to support the evolution of new models in support of the researcher concerning acquiring new knowledge in the open context formed by his or she’s online connected colleagues. For a better development of the institutional capacity the best yielding base investment is in information and documentation, let that via subscriptions to the scientific databases, or becoming a service supplier for third persons/bodies. The rule of thumb says that to empower such base, a survey of the internal and external resources is needed, and the following efforts lead to a charting of the most visible and valuable information resources out there. Once this effort started, the steps taken to a consolidation as a research pole and as a service provider for quality information, will lead to a continuous evaluation and growth of the existing informational asset - the library.

An Information System for Brownfield Regeneration: providing customised information according to stakeholders' characteristics and needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Erika; Pizzol, Lisa; Zabeo, Alex; Giubilato, Elisa; Critto, Andrea; Cosmo, Luca; Marcomini, Antonio

2018-07-01

In the EU brownfield presence is still considered a widespread problem. Even though, in the last decades, many research projects and initiatives developed a wealth of methods, guidelines, tools and technologies aimed at supporting brownfield regeneration. However, this variety of products had and still has a limited practical impact on brownfield revitalisation success, because they are not used in their entire potential due to their scarce visibility. Also, another problem that stakeholders face is finding customised information. To overcome this non-visibility and not-sufficient customisation of information, the Information System for Brownfield Regeneration (ISBR) has been developed, based on Artificial Neural Networks, which allows understanding stakeholders' information needs by providing tailored information. The ISBR has been tested by stakeholders from the EU project TIMBRE case studies, located in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Romania. Data gained during tests allowed to understand stakeholders' information needs. Overall, stakeholders showed to be concerned first on remediation aspects, then on benchmarking information, which are valuable to improve practices in the complex field of brownfield regeneration, and then on the relatively new issue of sustainability applied to brownfield regeneration and remediation. Mature markets confirmed their interest for remediation-related aspects, highlighting the central role that risk assessment plays in the process. Emerging markets showed to seek information and tools for strategic and planning issues, like brownfield inventories and georeferenced data sets. Results led to conclude that a new improved platform, combining the ISBR functionalities with geo-referenced ones, would be useful and could represent a further research application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Drupal Environmental Information Management System Provides Standardization, Flexibility and a Platform for Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Gries, C.; Vanderbilt, K.; Reid, D.; Melendez-Colom, E.; San Gil, I.

2013-12-01

Over the last five years several Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites have collaboratively developed a standardized yet flexible approach to ecological information management based on the open source Drupal content management system. These LTER sites adopted a common data model for basic metadata necessary to describe data sets, but also used for site management and web presence. Drupal core functionality provides web forms for easy management of information stored in this data model. Custom Drupal extensions were developed to generate XML files conforming to the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) for contribution to the LTER Network Information System (NIS) and other data archives. Each LTER site then took advantage of the flexibility Drupal provides to develop its unique web presence, choosing different themes and adding additional content to the websites. By nature, information presented is highly interlinked which can easily be modeled in Drupal entities and is further supported by a sophisticated tagging system (Fig. 1). Therefore, it is possible to provide the visitor with many different entry points to the site specific information presented. For example, publications and datasets may be grouped for each scientist, for each research project, for each major research theme at the site, making the information presented more accessible for different visitors. Experience gained during the early years was recently used to launch a complete re-write for upgrading to Drupal 7. LTER sites from multiple academic institutions pooled resources in order to partner with professional Drupal developers. Highlights of the new developments are streamlined data entry, improved EML output and integrity, support of IM workflows, a faceted data set search, a highly configurable data exploration tool with intelligent filtering and data download, and, for the mobile age, a responsive web design theme. Seven custom modules and a specific installation profile were developed

TELECOMMUTING AND HRM: A CASE STUDY OF AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE PROVIDER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Fernandes Bernardino

2012-08-01

Full Text Available With the development in information technology resources, a way of working has been standing out: telecommuting. This manner of working from a distance may offer a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining highly skilled professionals. The purpose of the research presented in this article is to identify guidelines for the implementation and management of telecommuting, as an alternative to overcome the shortage of qualified professionals in Information Technology (IT. The results, based on a case study of a Brazilian subsidiary of a multinational organization that provides IT services, shown that telecommuting (1 contributes to attracting and retaining qualified professionals in IT, (2 should be based on trustworthy relationships, (3 has to be supported by a strategy of decentralization of both structure and organizational assets.

PERSPECTIVE ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH AND INTERVENTIONS PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM ILLUSTRATED BY THE POTENTIAL USE OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING INTERVENTION.

Science.gov (United States)

Gisore, P; Were, F; Ayuku, D; Kaseje, D

2012-05-01

With the growth of Community-Based Health Information (CBHIS) for decision making and service provision in the low income settings, innovative models of addressing Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) morbidity and mortality are necessary. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that five hundred thousand mothers and about three million newborns die each year in middle and low income countries. To stimulate interest in utilisation CBHIS for research and interventions, with an illustration of potential using on Motivational Interviewing intervention. Literature searched electronically, discussion with behavioural experts, health system researchers, and maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) experts, and book reviews. Broad selection criteria including all current literature relevantsubjects including CBHIS, behaviour change methods and Community MNH. A checklist for relevance was used to identify the relevant behaviour change intervention to use in the illustration. A method that met the criteria was identified, and based on a discussion with behavioural experts, the decision to use it the illustration was reached. Motivational Interviewing Intervention (MII) should be considered for implementation and study on near-term Pregnant women in a setting where these mothers can be identified and a targeted intervention instituted.

Therapy Provider Phase Information

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Therapy Provider Phase Information dataset is a tool for providers to search by their National Provider Identifier (NPI) number to determine their phase for...

The Content-Provider Paradox: Universities in the Information Ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidhyanathan, Siva

2002-01-01

Asserts that universities' rush to abandon their role as "national parks" in the information ecosystem in favor of becoming profitable "content providers" has led to a paradox: to generate new knowledge, researchers and teachers need broad content freedom, but the role of content provider requires highly restrictive policies to…

Web-based system for radiological protection programs: a repository for research, consultation and information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levy, Denise S.; Sordi, Gian Maria A.A., E-mail: gmsordi@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2014-07-01

In order to establish a Radiation Protection Plan or a Radiation Emergency Plan, Brazilian facilities should take into account all procedures based on national and international guidelines and recommendations. This information can be found in several documents published by different organizations over the past decades: the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN). Therefore, this project aims the informatization of the radiological protection programs in a single system in order to offer unified programs and inter-related information in Portuguese, providing Brazilian facilities a complete repository for research, consultation and information, combining computer technology and radiological protection in order to enhance the best benefits from information technology. This research work includes programs about: (1) Monitoring of Workplace (Monitoring for External Radiation, Monitoring for Surface Contamination, Monitoring for Air Contamination) and (2) Individual Monitoring (Monitoring of External Exposure and Monitoring of Internal Exposure, Monitoring for Skin and Clothing). WEB platform tools and functionalities were developed according to target public needs, regarding new possibilities of media, mobile access, and information sharing. The servers processing power added to the technology of relational databases allow to integrate information from different sources, enabling complex queries with reduced response time. Moreover, taking into account this is a pioneer project with the prospect of long-term use, the challenge involves the combination of multiple computer technologies that allows a robust, effective and flexible system, which can be easily adapted to future technological innovations. (author)

Web-based system for radiological protection programs: a repository for research, consultation and information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, Denise S.; Sordi, Gian Maria A.A.

2014-01-01

In order to establish a Radiation Protection Plan or a Radiation Emergency Plan, Brazilian facilities should take into account all procedures based on national and international guidelines and recommendations. This information can be found in several documents published by different organizations over the past decades: the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN). Therefore, this project aims the informatization of the radiological protection programs in a single system in order to offer unified programs and inter-related information in Portuguese, providing Brazilian facilities a complete repository for research, consultation and information, combining computer technology and radiological protection in order to enhance the best benefits from information technology. This research work includes programs about: (1) Monitoring of Workplace (Monitoring for External Radiation, Monitoring for Surface Contamination, Monitoring for Air Contamination) and (2) Individual Monitoring (Monitoring of External Exposure and Monitoring of Internal Exposure, Monitoring for Skin and Clothing). WEB platform tools and functionalities were developed according to target public needs, regarding new possibilities of media, mobile access, and information sharing. The servers processing power added to the technology of relational databases allow to integrate information from different sources, enabling complex queries with reduced response time. Moreover, taking into account this is a pioneer project with the prospect of long-term use, the challenge involves the combination of multiple computer technologies that allows a robust, effective and flexible system, which can be easily adapted to future technological innovations. (author)

Applied research of quantum information based on linear optics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xiao-Ye

2016-01-01

This thesis reports on outstanding work in two main subfields of quantum information science: one involves the quantum measurement problem, and the other concerns quantum simulation. The thesis proposes using a polarization-based displaced Sagnac-type interferometer to achieve partial collapse measurement and its reversal, and presents the first experimental verification of the nonlocality of the partial collapse measurement and its reversal. All of the experiments are carried out in the linear optical system, one of the earliest experimental systems to employ quantum communication and quantum information processing. The thesis argues that quantum measurement can yield quantum entanglement recovery, which is demonstrated by using the frequency freedom to simulate the environment. Based on the weak measurement theory, the author proposes that white light can be used to precisely estimate phase, and effectively demonstrates that the imaginary part of the weak value can be introduced by means of weak measurement evolution. Lastly, a nine-order polarization-based displaced Sagnac-type interferometer employing bulk optics is constructed to perform quantum simulation of the Landau-Zener evolution, and by tuning the system Hamiltonian, the first experiment to research the Kibble-Zurek mechanism in non-equilibrium kinetics processes is carried out in the linear optical system.

Applied research of quantum information based on linear optics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Xiao-Ye

2016-08-01

This thesis reports on outstanding work in two main subfields of quantum information science: one involves the quantum measurement problem, and the other concerns quantum simulation. The thesis proposes using a polarization-based displaced Sagnac-type interferometer to achieve partial collapse measurement and its reversal, and presents the first experimental verification of the nonlocality of the partial collapse measurement and its reversal. All of the experiments are carried out in the linear optical system, one of the earliest experimental systems to employ quantum communication and quantum information processing. The thesis argues that quantum measurement can yield quantum entanglement recovery, which is demonstrated by using the frequency freedom to simulate the environment. Based on the weak measurement theory, the author proposes that white light can be used to precisely estimate phase, and effectively demonstrates that the imaginary part of the weak value can be introduced by means of weak measurement evolution. Lastly, a nine-order polarization-based displaced Sagnac-type interferometer employing bulk optics is constructed to perform quantum simulation of the Landau-Zener evolution, and by tuning the system Hamiltonian, the first experiment to research the Kibble-Zurek mechanism in non-equilibrium kinetics processes is carried out in the linear optical system.

Disseminating research information through Facebook and Twitter (DRIFT): presenting an evidence-based framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Gemma; Sfar-Gandoura, Hanah

2018-05-02

The social media platform Facebook boasts of having more than 1,284 million daily active users globally. A large proportion of adults use the internet to seek health-related information. To critically analyse the use of social media to engage parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the findings of clinical research. Observation and qualitative content analysis combined with Facebook Audience Insights were used to evaluate the levels of engagement and interaction with different types of research information. More than 1,100 people from 41 nations engaged with the group. Sharing information through a range of Facebook functions was found to successfully achieve engagement and reach this demographic nationally and internationally. Lay research users are eager to engage and understand clinical research. Social media platforms are an appropriate way to disseminate research. This paper presents a much-needed evidence-based framework that nursing and health researchers can use for effective communication. © 2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Providing Data Access for Interdisciplinary Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, R. P.; Couch, A.

2012-12-01

Developing an interdisciplinary understanding of human and environmental interactions with water requires access to a variety of data kinds collected by various organizations. The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) is a standards-based, services-oriented architecture designed for time-series data. Such data represents an important type of data in water studies. Through the efforts of HIS, a standard transmission language, WaterML2, has been adopted by the Open Geospatial Consortium and is under consideration by the World Meteorologic Organization as an international standards. Web services have also been developed to retrieve data and metadata. HIS is completed with a metadata catalog, hosted by San Diego Supercomputing Center, which indexes more than 20 million time series provided from over 90 different services. This catalog is supported through a hierarchically organized controlled vocabulary that is open for community input and mediation. Data publishers include federal agencies, universities, state agencies, and non-profit organizations such as watershed associations. Accessing data from such a broad spectrum of sources through a uniform service standard promises to truly transform the way in which hydrologic research is done. CUAHSI HIS is a large-scale prototype at this time, but a proposal is under consideration by the National Science Foundation to operationalize HIS through a data facility, tentatively called the CUAHSI Water Data Center. Establishing HIS is an important step to enable research into human-environment interactions with water, but it is only one step. Other data structures will need to be made accessible and interoperable to support this research. Some data—such as two-dimensional GIS coverages—already have widely used standards for transmission and sharing. The US Federal government has long operated a clearinghouse for federal geographic data that is now being augmented with other services such as ArcGIS OnLine. Other data

Problems of information support in scientific research

Science.gov (United States)

Shamaev, V. G.; Gorshkov, A. B.

2015-11-01

This paper reports on the creation of the open access Akustika portal (AKDATA.RU) designed to provide Russian-language easy-to-read and search information on acoustics and related topics. The absence of a Russian-language publication in foreign databases means that it is effectively lost for much of the scientific community. The portal has three interrelated sections: the Akustika information search system (ISS) (Acoustics), full-text archive of the Akusticheskii Zhurnal (Acoustic Journal), and 'Signal'naya informatsiya' ('Signaling information') on acoustics. The paper presents a description of the Akustika ISS, including its structure, content, interface, and information search capabilities for basic and applied research in diverse areas of science, engineering, biology, medicine, etc. The intended users of the portal are physicists, engineers, and engineering technologists interested in expanding their research activities and seeking to increase their knowledge base. Those studying current trends in the Russian-language contribution to international science may also find the portal useful.

Information field for historical research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sviatets, Yu. A.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the main information collision of historical knowledge, which consists in physical inaccessibility of events and phenomena of the past as an object of historical science for a historian as an investigator. The aim of the research is to formulate and discuss a working hypothesis about the information field of historical science. The article provides an analytical background on the main ideas and approaches in the field of modern information field theory. The author carries out the projection of the main provisions of the information field theory on historical research. It is shown that the information field is a really existing information carrier that provides its acquisition, transportation, storage and visualization, as well as provides information and knowledge recorded in various forms, realizes cultural communications. One of the manifestations of such a culture is the sign systems, which determine certain contexts. Signs are characterized by polysemy. Despite artificial origin, semiotic reality is objective. Simultaneously, signs provide intellectual activity of people. Mental signs in the historical process of use by society acquire additional meanings, generating new symbols. Polysemy shapes the problem of epistemological uncertainty of two stages – identifying the problem and solving it. Historians as researchers resort to cognitive models, which, thanks to the translational function, ensure the transfer of information from the known to the unknown. One of the explanations of polysemy is the theory of conceptual integration, according to which the structures of the original mental spaces are projected onto a new, constructed, mental space – blend. This is the result of a personʼs intellectual ability to create new meanings on the basis of the available ones. Since signs and symbols are multi-valued, they form a multiplicity of retrospective scenarios of historical research at the stage of problem formulation

Managing scientific information and research data

CERN Document Server

Baykoucheva, Svetla

2015-01-01

Innovative technologies are changing the way research is performed, preserved, and communicated. Managing Scientific Information and Research Data explores how these technologies are used and provides detailed analysis of the approaches and tools developed to manage scientific information and data. Following an introduction, the book is then divided into 15 chapters discussing the changes in scientific communication; new models of publishing and peer review; ethics in scientific communication; preservation of data; discovery tools; discipline-specific practices of researchers for gathering and using scientific information; academic social networks; bibliographic management tools; information literacy and the information needs of students and researchers; the involvement of academic libraries in eScience and the new opportunities it presents to librarians; and interviews with experts in scientific information and publishing.

Ocean energy researchers information user study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belew, W.W.; Wood, B.L.; Marle, T.L.; Reinhardt, C.L.

1981-03-01

This report describes the results of a series of telephone interviews with groups of users of information on ocean energy systems. These results, part of a larger study on many different solar technologies, identify types of information each group needed and the best ways to get information to each group. The report is 1 of 10 discussing study results. The overall study provides baseline data about information needs in the solar community. Only high-priority groups were examined. Results from 2 groups of researchers are analyzed in this report: DOE-Funded Researchers and Non-DOE-Funded Researchers. The data will be used as input to the determination of information products and services the Solar Energy Research Institute, the Solar Energy Information Data Bank Network, and the entire information outreach community should be preparing and disseminating.

Providing information regarding exposures in pregnancy: a survey of North American Teratology Information Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, Rebecca L; Ungar, Wendy J; Einarson, Adrienne; Goodstadt, Michael; Koren, Gideon

2008-04-01

Teratology Information Services (TIS) provide information on exposures during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Maintaining ongoing funding is a challenge. The purpose was to gather descriptive information on current TIS operations. All North American TIS (16 American, 2 Canadian) completed a detailed survey. Service goal ranked as most important was correction of risk misperceptions. Inquiries were primarily for medications (mean 43.5%, S.D. 14.1), lactation exposures, and workplace exposures. Median employees per TIS: three (range 1-12.5). Two TIS only counsel health care professionals (HCPs). Main callers to remaining TIS were pregnant women (mean 46.8%, S.D. 22.8), physicians, and nurses. Calls per week varied (median 20, range 4-600). Median annual budget: US dollars 69,000 (range dollars 3000-335,000). Seventeen TIS collect patient data for research. This survey was the first to document TIS operations in North America and demonstrates a spectrum of clinical and research activities, and provides data for a future cost-benefit analysis of TIS.

Research and Measurement of Software Complexity Based on Wuli, Shili, Renli (WSR and Information Entropy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Jiang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Complexity is an important factor throughout the software life cycle. It is increasingly difficult to guarantee software quality, cost and development progress with the increase in complexity. Excessive complexity is one of the main reasons for the failure of software projects, so effective recognition, measurement and control of complexity becomes the key of project management. At first, this paper analyzes the current research situation of software complexity systematically and points out existing problems in current research. Then, it proposes a WSR framework of software complexity, which divides the complexity of software into three levels of Wuli (WL, Shili (SL and Renli (RL, so that the staff in different roles may have a better understanding of complexity. Man is the main source of complexity, but the current research focuses on WL complexity, and the research of RL complexity is extremely scarce, so this paper emphasizes the research of RL complexity of software projects. This paper not only analyzes the composing factors of RL complexity, but also provides the definition of RL complexity. Moreover, it puts forward a quantitative measurement method of the complexity of personnel organization hierarchy and the complexity of personnel communication information based on information entropy first and analyzes and validates the scientificity and rationality of this measurement method through a large number of cases.

Researcher liability for negligence in human subject research: informed consent and researcher malpractice actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansson, Roger L

2003-02-01

Two sets of federal regulations, the "Common Rule" and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, govern human subject research that is either federally-funded or involves FDA regulated products. These regulations require, inter alia, that: (1) researchers obtain informed consent from human subjects, and (2) that an Institutional Review Board (IRB) independently review and approve the research protocol. Although the federal regulations do not provide an express cause of action against researchers, research subjects should be able to bring informed consent and malpractice actions against researchers by establishing a duty of care and standard of care. Researchers owe human subjects a duty of care analogous to the special relationship between physicians and patients. The federal regulations should provide the minimum standard of care for informed consent in human subject research, and complying with them should be a partial defense. In contrast, expert testimony should establish the standard of care for researcher malpractice, and IRB approval should be a partial defense.

78 FR 35323 - Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement-Gender-Informed Research (Women): Enhanced Approaches to...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-12

...--Gender-Informed Research (Women): Enhanced Approaches to Project Development AGENCY: National Institute... deliverables from this solicitation will be based on research and theory and are meant to provide a medium to...- Informed Research (Women): Enhanced Approaches to Project Development.'' The package must include: a cover...

5 CFR 890.910 - Provider information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Provider information. 890.910 Section 890.910 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS..., and FEHB Benefit Payments § 890.910 Provider information. The hospital provider information used to...

Isotope-based quantum information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plekhanov, Vladimir G.

2012-01-01

The present book provides to the main ideas and techniques of the rapid progressing field of quantum information and quantum computation using isotope - mixed materials. It starts with an introduction to the isotope physics and then describes of the isotope - based quantum information and quantum computation. The ability to manipulate and control electron and/or nucleus spin in semiconductor devices provides a new route to expand the capabilities of inorganic semiconductor-based electronics and to design innovative devices with potential application in quantum computing. One of the major challenges towards these objectives is to develop semiconductor-based systems and architectures in which the spatial distribution of spins and their properties can be controlled. For instance, to eliminate electron spin decoherence resulting from hyperfine interaction due to nuclear spin background, isotopically controlled devices are needed (i.e., nuclear spin-depleted). In other emerging concepts, the control of the spatial distribution of isotopes with nuclear spins is a prerequisite to implement the quantum bits (or qbits). Therefore, stable semiconductor isotopes are important elements in the development of solid-state quantum information. There are not only different algorithms of quantum computation discussed but also the different models of quantum computers are presented. With numerous illustrations this small book is of great interest for undergraduate students taking courses in mesoscopic physics or nanoelectronics as well as quantum information, and academic and industrial researches working in this field.

Performative, Arts-Based, or Arts-Informed? Reflections on the Development of Arts-Based Research in Music Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledger, Alison; McCaffrey, Tríona

2015-01-01

Arts-based research (ABR) has emerged in music therapy in diverse ways, employing a range of interpretive paradigms and artistic media. It is notable that no consensus exists as to when and where the arts are included in the research process, or which music therapy topics are most suited to arts-based study. This diversity may pose challenges for music therapists who are developing, reading, and evaluating arts-based research. This paper provides an updated review of arts-based research literature in music therapy, along with four questions for researchers who are developing arts-based research. These questions are 1) When should the arts be introduced? 2) Which artistic medium is appropriate? 3) How should the art be understood? and 4) What is the role of the audience? We argue that these questions are key to understanding arts-based research, justifying methods, and evaluating claims arising from arts-based research. Rather than defining arts-based research in music therapy, we suggest that arts-based research should be understood as a flexible research strategy appropriate for exploring the complexities of music therapy practice. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Future regulatory research needs on risk-informed and performance-based regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Wong Sik; Kim, Hho Jung

2004-01-01

The USNRC has pursued the incorporation of risk-informed and performance-based regulation (RIPBR) into nuclear safety regulatory system, as an alternative to improve existing nuclear safety regulation of nuclear power plants, which is deterministic and prescriptive. It focuses on the use of risk insight from probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). Recently, it becomes necessary to find a way to improve regulatory efficiency and effectiveness in order to cover the increasing regulatory needs in Korea. Also, the utility has optimized design and operation of the plant using PSA insight and equipment performance information. According to the increase of the necessity for regulatory improvement using risk and performance information, KINS (Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety) is developing, as a part of a mid and long-term project of Nuclear R and D program, how to adopt the RIPBR in Korean nuclear regulatory system. As the interim results, three basic directions and several principles that are necessary to implement RIPBR model were already identified from the previous study. This paper suggests a direction to future regulatory research on RIPBR based on the previous studies including the review of international trend of RIPBR and the evaluation of risk-informed regulatory environment

Campus Health Centers' Lack of Information Regarding Providers: A Content Analysis of Division-I Campus Health Centers' Provider Websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrault, Evan K

2018-07-01

Campus health centers are a convenient, and usually affordable, location for college students to obtain health care. Staffed by licensed and trained professionals, these providers can generally offer similar levels of care that providers at off-campus clinics can deliver. Yet, previous research finds students may forgo this convenient, on-campus option partially because of a lack of knowledge regarding the quality of providers at these campus clinics. This study sought to examine where this information deficit may come from by analyzing campus health centers' online provider information. All Division-I colleges or universities with an on-campus health center, which had information on their websites about their providers (n = 294), had their providers' online information analyzed (n = 2,127 providers). Results revealed that schools commonly offer professional information (e.g., provider specialties, education), but very little about their providers outside of the medical context (e.g., hobbies) that would allow a prospective student patient to more easily relate. While 181 different kinds of credentials were provided next to providers' names (e.g., MD, PA-C, FNP-BC), only nine schools offered information to help students understand what these different credentials meant. Most schools had information about their providers within one-click of the homepage. Recommendations for improving online information about campus health center providers are offered.

The Innovative Activity of Enterprises in the Context of Providing Information Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sazonets Olga M.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to study the peculiarities of the innovative activity in the context of providing the enterprise information security. By analyzing, systematizing and summarizing the scientific works of many scientists the essence of the concept of «information security» has been considered and components of the innovation development process from the standpoint of providing information security have been identified. The article discusses issues of providing information security on the basis of introducing innovations, which will allow achieving a state in which there would be realized a sustainable, protected from threats, development of the enterprise. It has been proved that the formation of the innovative enterprise policy should include measures to ensure information security. As a result of the study the types of threats to the enterprise information security have been identified. It has been determined that the innovation process in the field of information security is provided by means of research, administrative, industrial, technological and commercial activities leading to the emergence and commercialization of innovations. The prospect for further research in this area is determining a system of indicators for forecasting the integral innovation indicator of economic information security. The system of indicators for diagnostics of the enterprise information security level enables monitoring the indicators of the state of the enterprise innovation and information activity in order to prevent the emergence of threats.

Does providing nutrition information at vending machines reduce calories per item sold?

Science.gov (United States)

Dingman, Deirdre A; Schulz, Mark R; Wyrick, David L; Bibeau, Daniel L; Gupta, Sat N

2015-02-01

In 2010, the United States (US) enacted a restaurant menu labeling law. The law also applied to vending machine companies selling food. Research suggested that providing nutrition information on menus in restaurants might reduce the number of calories purchased. We tested the effect of providing nutrition information and 'healthy' designations to consumers where vending machines were located in college residence halls. We conducted our study at one university in Southeast US (October-November 2012). We randomly assigned 18 vending machines locations (residence halls) to an intervention or control group. For the intervention we posted nutrition information, interpretive signage, and sent a promotional email to residents of the hall. For the control group we did nothing. We tracked sales over 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after we introduced the intervention. Our intervention did not change what the residents bought. We recommend additional research about providing nutrition information where vending machines are located, including testing formats used to present information.

Developing a web-based information resource for palliative care: an action-research inspired approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gliddon Terry

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background General Practitioners and community nurses rely on easily accessible, evidence-based online information to guide practice. To date, the methods that underpin the scoping of user-identified online information needs in palliative care have remained under-explored. This paper describes the benefits and challenges of a collaborative approach involving users and experts that informed the first stage of the development of a palliative care website 1. Method The action research-inspired methodology included a panel assessment of an existing palliative care website based in Victoria, Australia; a pre-development survey (n = 197 scoping potential audiences and palliative care information needs; working parties conducting a needs analysis about necessary information content for a redeveloped website targeting health professionals and caregivers/patients; an iterative evaluation process involving users and experts; as well as a final evaluation survey (n = 166. Results Involving users in the identification of content and links for a palliative care website is time-consuming and requires initial resources, strong networking skills and commitment. However, user participation provided crucial information that led to the widened the scope of the website audience and guided the development and testing of the website. The needs analysis underpinning the project suggests that palliative care peak bodies need to address three distinct audiences (clinicians, allied health professionals as well as patients and their caregivers. Conclusion Web developers should pay close attention to the content, language, and accessibility needs of these groups. Given the substantial cost associated with the maintenance of authoritative health information sites, the paper proposes a more collaborative development in which users can be engaged in the definition of content to ensure relevance and responsiveness, and to eliminate unnecessary detail. Access to

Research methods in information

CERN Document Server

Pickard, Alison Jane

2013-01-01

The long-awaited 2nd edition of this best-selling research methods handbook is fully updated and includes brand new coverage of online research methods and techniques, mixed methodology and qualitative analysis. There is an entire chapter contributed by Professor Julie McLeod, Sue Childs and Elizabeth Lomas focusing on research data management, applying evidence from the recent JISC funded 'DATUM' project. The first to focus entirely on the needs of the information and communications community, it guides the would-be researcher through the variety of possibilities open to them under the heading "research" and provides students with the confidence to embark on their dissertations. The focus here is on the 'doing' and although the philosophy and theory of research is explored to provide context, this is essentially a practical exploration of the whole research process with each chapter fully supported by examples and exercises tried and tested over a whole teaching career. The book will take readers through eac...

Information from imagery: ISPRS scientific vision and research agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jun; Dowman, Ian; Li, Songnian; Li, Zhilin; Madden, Marguerite; Mills, Jon; Paparoditis, Nicolas; Rottensteiner, Franz; Sester, Monika; Toth, Charles; Trinder, John; Heipke, Christian

2016-05-01

With the increased availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery, terrain based imaging and participatory sensing, inexpensive platforms, and advanced information and communication technologies, the application of imagery is now ubiquitous, playing an important role in many aspects of life and work today. As a leading organisation in this field, the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) has been devoted to effectively and efficiently obtaining and utilising information from imagery since its foundation in the year 1910. This paper examines the significant challenges currently facing ISPRS and its communities, such as providing high-quality information, enabling advanced geospatial computing, and supporting collaborative problem solving. The state-of-the-art in ISPRS related research and development is reviewed and the trends and topics for future work are identified. By providing an overarching scientific vision and research agenda, we hope to call on and mobilise all ISPRS scientists, practitioners and other stakeholders to continue improving our understanding and capacity on information from imagery and to deliver advanced geospatial knowledge that enables humankind to better deal with the challenges ahead, posed for example by global change, ubiquitous sensing, and a demand for real-time information generation.

Listener: a probe into information based material specification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramsgaard Thomsen, Mette; Karmon, Ayelet

2011-01-01

This paper presents the thinking and making of the architectural research probe Listener. Developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration between textile design and architecture, Listener explores how information based fabrication technologies are challenging the material practices of architecture....... The paper investigates how textile design can be understood as a model for architectural production providing new strategies for material specification and allowing the thinking of material as inherently variegated and performative. The paper traces the two fold information based strategies present...

Providing Real Research Opoportunities to Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Ragozzine, Darin

2016-01-01

The current approach to undergraduate education focuses on teaching classes which provide the foundational knowledge for more applied experiences such as scientific research. Like most programs, Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) strongly encourages undergraduate research, but is dominated by content-focused courses (e.g., "Physical Mechanics"). Research-like experiences are generally offered through "lab" classes, but these are almost always reproductions of past experiments: contrived, formulaic, and lacking the "heart" of real (i.e., potentially publishable) scientific research. Real research opportunities 1) provide students with realistic insight into the actual scientific process; 2) excite students far more than end-of-chapter problems; 3) provide context for the importance of learning math, physics, and astrophysics concepts; and 4) allow unique research progress for well-chosen problems. I have provided real research opportunities as an "Exoplanet Lab" component of my Introduction to Space Science (SPS1020) class at Florida Tech, generally taken by first-year majors in our Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrobiology degree programs. These labs are a hybrid between citizen science (e.g., PlanetHunters) and simultaneously mentoring ~60 undergraduates in similar small research projects. These projects focus on problems that can be understood in the context of the course, but which benefit from "crowdsourcing". Examples include: dividing up the known planetary systems and developing a classification scheme and organizing them into populations (Fall 2013); searching through folded light curves to discover new exoplanets missed by previous pipelines (Fall 2014); and fitting n-body models to all exoplanets with known Transit Timing Variations to estimate planet masses (Fall 2015). The students love the fact that they are doing real potentially publishable research: not many undergraduates can claim to have discovered

Mixed methods for implementation research: application to evidence-based practice implementation and staff turnover in community-based organizations providing child welfare services.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarons, Gregory A; Fettes, Danielle L; Sommerfeld, David H; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2012-02-01

Many public sector service systems and provider organizations are in some phase of learning about or implementing evidence-based interventions. Child welfare service systems represent a context where implementation spans system, management, and organizational concerns. Research utilizing mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative design, data collection, and analytic approaches are particularly well suited to understanding both the process and outcomes of dissemination and implementation efforts in child welfare systems. This article describes the process of using mixed methods in implementation research and provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system. The authors integrate qualitative data with previously published quantitative analyses of job autonomy and staff turnover during this statewide implementation project in order to illustrate the utility of mixed method approaches in providing a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges in implementation research.

Research on image complexity evaluation method based on color information

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Duan, Jin; Han, Xue-hui; Xiao, Bo

2017-11-01

In order to evaluate the complexity of a color image more effectively and find the connection between image complexity and image information, this paper presents a method to compute the complexity of image based on color information.Under the complexity ,the theoretical analysis first divides the complexity from the subjective level, divides into three levels: low complexity, medium complexity and high complexity, and then carries on the image feature extraction, finally establishes the function between the complexity value and the color characteristic model. The experimental results show that this kind of evaluation method can objectively reconstruct the complexity of the image from the image feature research. The experimental results obtained by the method of this paper are in good agreement with the results of human visual perception complexity,Color image complexity has a certain reference value.

Information and research: an essential partnership

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oen, C.J.

1975-01-01

Information support is provided to the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) through the Ecological Sciences Information Center (ESIC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to offer an effective, easy-to-use link between the individual researcher and the literature relevant to his work. Information within the interest areas defined by NAEG administration is identified and entered into a computerized system that provides rapid, accurate retrieval. The primary topics are the environmental aspects of the transuranic elements. (auth)

Information Logistics Research report 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willems, A.; Hajdasinski, A.K.; Willems, J.

2009-01-01

The goal of this research report is to further explore the concept of Information Logistics (IL), which refers to the usage and dispatch of information and methods of logistics able to support those processes. This report is based upon 6 questions that examine IL in organizations, healthcare

Providing written information increases patient satisfaction: a web-based questionnaire survey of Japanese cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Hitomi; Katsumata, Noriyuki; Takahashi, Miyako

2017-07-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the United States recommends that all cancer survivors be provided with a survivorship care plan (SCP), which includes a patient treatment summary and a follow-up care plan. However, SCPs have not been widely adopted in Japan. To provide basic data necessary for implementing SCPs in Japan, we aimed to investigate the forms of clinical and survivorship-related information that Japanese cancer survivors receive from their healthcare providers, and to examine whether written information increases their satisfaction. We performed a cross-sectional online survey of cancer survivors who underwent acute cancer treatment and had at least one follow-up with a physician in the past year. Cancer survivors provided the elements and forms (verbally and/or written) of information they received, as well as the degree of satisfaction with the information provided. Responses were obtained from 545 cancer survivors. Information elements such as surgical procedure (98.3%), surgical outcome (98.1%), and names of administered chemotherapy agents (97.8%) were commonly provided, whereas mental care resources and providers (29.7%), effects on marital relationship and sexual health (35.7%), and effects on fertility (43.4%) were less common. A large proportion of cancer survivors received verbal information only. For 18 of 20 elements, except for effects on fertility and duration of hormonal therapy, satisfaction was significantly higher when both forms of information were provided (P information can better meet the needs of Japanese cancer survivors. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Information management for commercial aviation - A research perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Ricks, Wendell R.; Abbott, Kathy H.; Jonsson, Jon E.; Boucek, George; Rogers, William H.

1991-01-01

The problem of flight deck information management (IM), defined as processing, controlling, and directing information, for commercial flight decks, and a research effort underway to address this problem, are discussed. The premises provided are utilized to lay the groundwork required for such research by providing a framework to describe IM problems and an avenue to follow when investigating solution concepts. The research issues presented serve to identify specific questions necessary to achieve a better understanding of the IM problem, and to provide assessments of the relative merit of various solution concepts.

Mixed Methods for Implementation Research: Application to Evidence-Based Practice Implementation and Staff Turnover in Community Based Organizations Providing Child Welfare Services

Science.gov (United States)

Aarons, Gregory A.; Fettes, Danielle L.; Sommerfeld, David H.; Palinkas, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Many public sector services systems and provider organizations are in some phase of learning about or implementing evidence-based interventions. Child welfare service systems represent a context where implementation spans system, management, and organizational concerns. Research utilizing mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative design, data collection, and analytic approaches are particularly well-suited to understanding both the process and outcomes of dissemination and implementation efforts in child welfare systems. This paper describes the process of using mixed methods in implementation research and provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system. We integrate qualitative data with previously published quantitative analyses of job autonomy and staff turnover during this statewide implementation project in order to illustrate the utility of mixed method approaches in providing a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges in implementation research. PMID:22146861

Information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalervo Järvelin

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the research into information seeking and its directions at a general level. We approach this topic by analysis and argumentation based on past research in the domain. We begin by presenting a general model of information seeking and retrieval (IS&R which is used to derive nine broad dimensions that are needed to analyze IS&R. Past research is then contrasted with the dimensions and shown not to cover the dimensions sufficiently. Based on an analysis of the goals of information seeking research, and a view on human task performance augmentation, it is then shown that information seeking is intimately associated with, and dependent on, other aspects of work; tasks and technology included. This leads to a discussion on design and evaluation frameworks for IS&R, based on which two action lines are proposed: information retrieval research needs extension towards more context and information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology.

Psychometrics of an original measure of barriers to providing family planning information: Implications for social service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Melissa M; Newhill, Christina E

2017-07-01

Social service professionals can face challenges in the course of providing family planning information to their clients. This article reports findings from a study that developed an original 27-item measure, the Reproductive Counseling Obstacle Scale (RCOS) designed to measure such obstacles based conceptually on Bandura's social cognitive theory (1986). We examine the reliability and factor structure of the RCOS using a sample of licensed social workers (N = 197). A 20-item revised version of the RCOS was derived using principal component factor analysis. Results indicate that barriers to discussing family planning, as measured by the RCOS, appear to be best represented by a two-factor solution, reflecting self-efficacy/interest and perceived professional obligation/moral concerns. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

A novel Internet-based blended learning programme providing core competency in clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsugihashi, Yukio; Kakudate, Naoki; Yokoyama, Yoko; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Mishina, Hiroki; Fukumori, Norio; Nakamura, Fumiaki; Takegami, Misa; Ohno, Shinya; Wakita, Takafumi; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2013-04-01

We developed a novel Internet-based blended learning programme that allows busy health care professionals to attain core competency in clinical research. This study details the educational strategies and learning outcomes of the programme. This study was conducted at Kyoto University and seven satellite campuses from September 2009 to March 2010. A total of 176 health care professionals who had never attempted to attain core competency in clinical research were enrolled. The participants were supplied with a novel programme comprising the following four strategies: online live lectures at seven satellite campuses, short examinations after each lecture, an Internet-based feedback system and an end-of-course examination. We assessed the proportion of attendance at the lectures as the main outcome. In addition, we evaluated interaction via the feedback system and scores for end-of-course examination. Of the 176 participants, 134 (76%) reported working more than 40 hours per week. The mean proportion of attendance over all 23 lectures was 82%. A total of 156 (89%) participants attended more than 60% of all lectures and were eligible for the end-of-course examination. A total of the participants accessed the feedback system 3564 times and asked 284 questions. No statistically significant differences were noted in the end-of-course scores among medical doctors, pharmacists, registered nurses and other occupations. We developed an Internet-based blended learning programme providing core competency in clinical research. Most busy health care professionals completed the programme successfully. In addition, the participants could attain the core competency effectively, regardless of their occupation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Review of the effective approaches for providing the R and D information on the geological disposal of HLW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshizawa, Nobuaki; Shinozaki, Tsuyoshi; Yabuta, Naohiro

2002-03-01

Investigation about the effect has so far been conducted about information spread activities aiming at brew of an understanding of the cycle mechanism's stratum disposal research and development. Enactment of the law by which the framework of the disposal enterprise last year is provided in this case, and an establishment of the chief mourner object based on this, Holding of social situations, such as specification of a fund management subject, and JNC sponsored a ''stratum disposal forum'', Based on information offer for a well-informed person or a student, by performing the follow-up survey for [, such as this forum participant,] information offer about the durability of the information offer effect about the stratum disposal research and development which the cycle mechanism has so far carried out. The validity and the subject of the information offer technique are extracted. Moreover, arrangement of the example about information offer and examination of a new technique are performed, and the proposal which is in charge of future information offer is performed. (author)

Data base development and research and editorial support

Science.gov (United States)

1988-01-01

The Life Sciences Bibliographic Data Base was created in 1981 and subsequently expanded. A systematic, professional system was developed to collect, organize, and disseminate information about scientific publications resulting from research. The data base consists of bibliographic information and hard copies of all research papers published by Life Sciences-supported investigators. Technical improvements were instituted in the database. To minimize costs, take advantage of advances in personal computer technology, and achieve maximum flexibility and control, the data base was transferred from the JSC computer to personal computers at George Washington University (GWU). GWU also performed a range of related activities such as conducting in-depth searches on a variety of subjects, retrieving scientific literature, preparing presentations, summarizing research progress, answering correspondence requiring reference support, and providing writing and editorial support.

Quality Improvement in Home-Based Child Care Settings: Research Resources to Inform Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Sharmila; Stephens, Samuel A.

2016-01-01

This "Topic of Interest" provides a comprehensive list of research in the Research Connections collection that was published in 2005 or later addressing issues related to quality improvement specifically in home-based child care. The resources are grouped under the following headings: Overviews, Summaries, and Reviews of Quality…

Research on Logistics Service Providers Selection Based on AHP and VIKOR

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Lu

The logistics service providers supply a kind of service which is a service product, thus there is a plenty of uncertainty and fuzzy in selecting logistics service providers. AHP is first used to calculate the weights of logistics services providers evaluations and then VIKOR method developed for multi-criteria optimization determining a compromise solution is applied to select the logistics services providers. The latter method provides a maximum "group utility" for the "majority" and minimum of an individual regret for the "opponent". This decision making process of logistics services providers selection is verified to be scientific and feasible through the empirical research.

Beyond the Keyword Barrier: Knowledge-Based Information Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauldin, Michael; And Others

1987-01-01

Describes the inability of traditional subject index terms to represent relational information among concepts, and the development of frame based knowledge representation methods that provide relational semantic representations of documents and user queries. The discussion covers research in user interfaces and automatic document classifications,…

The Role of Security Concerns in Determining Information Systems/Technology Activities Outsourced to Offshore Service Providers in India

Science.gov (United States)

Ocholi, Smart

2012-01-01

Based on research studies, the Information System/Technology (IS/T) outsourcing industry in India is reasoned to maintain the status quo of providing IS/T services at the lower level of the IS/T value chain. The 2006 study conducted by Walsh supported the 2001 findings by Arora, Arunachalam, Asundi, and Fernandes that India-based IS /T service…

Data base on nuclear power plant dose reduction research projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, T.A.; Dionne, B.J.; Baum, J.W.

1985-12-01

This report contains project information on the research and development activities of the nuclear power industry in the area of dose reduction. It is based on a data base of information set up at the ALARA Center of Brookhaven National Laboratory. One purpose of this report is to draw attention to work in progress and to enable researchers and subscribers to obtain further information from the investigators and project managers. Information is provided on 180 projects, divided according to whether they are oriented to Engineering Research or to Health Physics Technology. The report contains indices on main category, project manager, principal investigator, sponsoring organization, contracting organization, and subject. This is an initial report. It is intended that periodic updates be issued whenever sufficient material has been accumulated.

Data base on nuclear power plant dose reduction research projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, T.A.; Dionne, B.J.; Baum, J.W.

1985-12-01

This report contains project information on the research and development activities of the nuclear power industry in the area of dose reduction. It is based on a data base of information set up at the ALARA Center of Brookhaven National Laboratory. One purpose of this report is to draw attention to work in progress and to enable researchers and subscribers to obtain further information from the investigators and project managers. Information is provided on 180 projects, divided according to whether they are oriented to Engineering Research or to Health Physics Technology. The report contains indices on main category, project manager, principal investigator, sponsoring organization, contracting organization, and subject. This is an initial report. It is intended that periodic updates be issued whenever sufficient material has been accumulated

Research on Crowdsourcing Emergency Information Extraction of Based on Events' Frame

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bo; Wang, Jizhou; Ma, Weijun; Mao, Xi

2018-01-01

At present, the common information extraction method cannot extract the structured emergency event information accurately; the general information retrieval tool cannot completely identify the emergency geographic information; these ways also do not have an accurate assessment of these results of distilling. So, this paper proposes an emergency information collection technology based on event framework. This technique is to solve the problem of emergency information picking. It mainly includes emergency information extraction model (EIEM), complete address recognition method (CARM) and the accuracy evaluation model of emergency information (AEMEI). EIEM can be structured to extract emergency information and complements the lack of network data acquisition in emergency mapping. CARM uses a hierarchical model and the shortest path algorithm and allows the toponomy pieces to be joined as a full address. AEMEI analyzes the results of the emergency event and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the event framework. Experiments show that event frame technology can solve the problem of emergency information drawing and provides reference cases for other applications. When the emergency disaster is about to occur, the relevant departments query emergency's data that has occurred in the past. They can make arrangements ahead of schedule which defense and reducing disaster. The technology decreases the number of casualties and property damage in the country and world. This is of great significance to the state and society.

Mapping a Research Agenda for Home Care Safety: Perspectives from Researchers, Providers, and Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Marilyn; Lang, Ariella; MacDonald, Jo-Anne

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive design was to explore the perspectives of researchers, health care providers, policy makers, and decision makers on key risks, concerns, and emerging issues related to home care safety that would inform a line of research inquiry. Defining safety specifically in this home care context has yet to be…

Knowledge-based information systems in practice

CERN Document Server

Jain, Lakhmi; Watada, Junzo; Howlett, Robert

2015-01-01

This book contains innovative research from leading researchers who presented their work at the 17th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems, KES 2013, held in Kitakyusha, Japan, in September 2013. The conference provided a competitive field of 236 contributors, from which 38 authors expanded their contributions and only 21 published. A plethora of techniques and innovative applications are represented within this volume. The chapters are organized using four themes. These topics include: data mining, knowledge management, advanced information processes and system modelling applications. Each topic contains multiple contributions and many offer case studies or innovative examples. Anyone that wants to work with information repositories or process knowledge should consider reading one or more chapters focused on their technique of choice. They may also benefit from reading other chapters to assess if an alternative technique represents a more suitable app...

The use of a GIS-based malaria information system for malaria research and control in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Carrin; Curtis, Bronwyn; Fraser, Colleen; Sharp, Brian

2002-12-01

The paper aims to outline the innovative development and application of a Geographical Information System based Malaria Information System for malaria research and control in South Africa. This system is a product of collaboration between the Malaria Control Programmes and the Malaria Research Programme of the Medical Research Council of South Africa. The ability of such a system to process data timeously into a usable format is discussed, as well as its relevance to malaria research, appropriate malaria control measures, tourism, and social and economic development.

Conducting Clinically Based Intimate Partner Violence Research: Safety Protocol Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Jocelyn C; Glass, Nancy E; Campbell, Jacquelyn C

Maintaining safety is of utmost importance during research involving participants who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Limited guidance on safety protocols to protect participants is available, particularly information related to technology-based approaches to informed consent, data collection, and contacting participants during the course of a study. The purpose of the article is to provide details on the safety protocol developed and utilized with women receiving care at an urban HIV clinic and who were taking part in an observational study of IPV, mental health symptoms, and substance abuse and their relationship to HIV treatment adherence. The protocol presents the technological strategies to promote safety and allow autonomy in participant decision-making throughout the research process, including Voice over Internet Protocol telephone numbers, and tablet-based eligibility screening and data collection. Protocols for management of participants at risk for suicide and/or intimate partner homicide that included automated high-risk messaging to participants and research staff and facilitated disclosure of risk to clinical staff based on participant preferences are discussed. Use of technology and partnership with clinic staff helped to provide an environment where research regarding IPV could be conducted without undue burden or risk to participants. Utilizing tablet-based survey administration provided multiple practical and safety benefits for participants. Most women who screened into high-risk categories for suicide or intimate partner homicide did not choose to have their results shared with their healthcare providers, indicating the importance of allowing participants control over information sharing whenever possible.

Failure to report and provide commentary on research ethics board approval and informed consent in medical journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, K A; Fernandez, C V

2008-10-01

The Declaration of Helsinki prohibits the publication of articles that do not meet defined ethical standards for reporting of research ethics board (REB) approval and informed consent. Despite this prohibition and a call to highlight the deficiency for the reader, articles with potential ethical shortcomings continue to be published. To determine what proportion of articles in major medical journals lack statements confirming REB approval and informed consent, and whether accompanying commentary alerts readers to this deficiency. Retrospective, observational study. Online review of five major medical journals. All clinical research articles published online between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2006 in the BMJ, Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine. Statement of REB approval and informed consent. Of 1780 articles reviewed, 1133 (63.7%) met inclusion criteria (manuscripts reporting human subjects, human tissue or identifiable personal data research), 36 (3.2%) articles lacked a statement of REB approval, 62 (5.5%) lacked disclosure of informed consent and 15 (1.3%) articles lacked both. Articles that did not state REB approval were associated with not stating informed consent (pjournals without editorial statements to alert the reader to this deficiency.

Provider-based research networks and diffusion of surgical technologies among patients with early-stage kidney cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Hung-Jui; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Kuo, Tzy-Mey; Smith, Angela B; Wheeler, Stephanie B; Carpenter, William R; Nielsen, Matthew E

2015-03-15

Provider-based research networks such as the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) have been shown to facilitate the translation of evidence-based cancer care into clinical practice. This study compared the utilization of laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy among patients with early-stage kidney cancer according to their exposure to CCOP-affiliated providers. With linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, patients with T1aN0M0 kidney cancer who had been treated with nephrectomy from 2000 to 2007 were identified. For each patient, the receipt of care from a CCOP physician or hospital and treatment with laparoscopy or partial nephrectomy were determined. Adjusted for patient characteristics (eg, age, sex, and marital status) and other organizational features (eg, community hospital and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center), multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association between each surgical innovation and CCOP affiliation. During the study interval, 1578 patients (26.8%) were treated by a provider with a CCOP affiliation. Trends in the utilization of laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy remained similar between affiliated and nonaffiliated providers (P ≥ .05). With adjustments for patient characteristics, organizational features, and clustering, no association was noted between CCOP affiliation and the use of laparoscopy (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-1.53) or partial nephrectomy (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.82-1.32) despite the more frequent receipt of these treatments in academic settings (P kidney cancer, indicating perhaps a more limited scope to provider-based research networks as they pertain to translational efforts in cancer care. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

RESEARCH OF PROBLEMS OF DESIGN OF COMPLEX TECHNICAL PROVIDING AND THE GENERALIZED MODEL OF THEIR DECISION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Skrypnikov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. In this work the general ideas of a method of V. I. Skurikhin taking into account the specified features develop and questions of the analysis and synthesis of a complex of technical means, with finishing them to the level suitable for use in engineering practice of design of information management systems are in more detail considered. In work the general system approach to the solution of questions of a choice of technical means of the information management system is created, the general technique of the sys tem analysis and synthesis of a complex of the technical means and its subsystems providing achievement of extreme value of criterion of efficiency of functioning of a technical complex of the information management system is developed. The main attention is paid to the applied party of system researches of complex technical providing, in particular, to definition of criteria of quality of functioning of a technical complex, development of methods of the analysis of information base of the information management system and definition of requirements to technical means, and also methods of structural synthesis of the main subsystems of complex technical providing. Thus, the purpose is research on the basis of system approach of complex technical providing the information management system and development of a number of methods of the analysis and the synthesis of complex technical providing suitable for use in engineering practice of design of systems. The well-known paradox of development of management information consists of that parameters of the system, and consequently, and requirements to the complex hardware, can not be strictly reasonable to development of algorithms and programs, and vice versa. The possible method of overcoming of these difficulties is prognostication of structure and parameters of complex hardware for certain management informations on the early stages of development, with subsequent clarification and

An evaluation of information sources and requirements for nuclear plant-aging research with life-extension implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, P.T.

1986-01-01

Information requirements for plant-aging and life-extension research are discussed. Various information sources that have been used in plant-aging studies and reliability assessments are described. Data-base searches and analyses were performed for a specific system using several data bases and plant sources. Comments are provided on the results using the various information sources

Looking for information a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior

CERN Document Server

Case, Donald O

2016-01-01

The 4th edition of this popular and well-cited text is now co-authored, and includes significant changes from earlier texts. Presenting a comprehensive review of over a century of research on information behavior (IB), this book is intended for students in information studies and disciplines interested in research on information activities. The initial two chapters introduce IB as a multi-disciplinary topic, the 3rd provides a brief history of research on information seeking. Chapter four discusses what is meant by the terms 'information' and 'knowledge.' Chapter five discusses 'information needs,' and how they are addressed. The 6th chapter identifies many related concepts. Twelve models of information behavior (expanded from earlier editions) are illustrated in chapter seven. Chapter eight reviews various paradigms and theories informing IB research. Chapter nine examines research methods invoked in IB studies and a discussion of qualitative and mixed approaches. The 10th chapter gives examples of IB studie...

Grand Challenges in Music Information Research

OpenAIRE

Goto, Masataka

2012-01-01

This paper discusses some grand challenges in which music information research will impact our daily lives and our society in the future. Here, some fundamental questions are how to provide the best music for each person, how to predict music trends, how to enrich human-music relationships, how to evolve new music, and how to address environmental, energy issues by using music technologies. Our goal is to increase both attractiveness and social impacts of music information research in the fut...

MODEL OF PROVIDING WITH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN AN ORGANIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Kuzkin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Subject of research. The paper presents research and instructional tools for assessment of providing with the development strategy for information technologies in an organization. Method. The corresponding assessment model is developed which takes into consideration IT-processes equilibrium according to selected efficiency factors of information technologies application. Basic results. The model peculiarity resides in applying neuro-fuzzy approximators where the conclusion is drawn upon fuzzy logic, and membership functions are adjusted through the use of neural networks. For the adequacy testing of the suggested model, due diligence result analysis has been carried out for the IT-strategy executed in the “Navigator” group of companies at the stage of implementation and support of new technologies and production methods. Data visualization with a circle diagram is applied for the comparative evaluation of the analysis results. The chosen model adequacy is proved by the agreement between predictive assessments for IT-strategy performance targets derived by means of the fuzzy cognitive model over 12 months planning horizon and the real values of these targets upon the expiry of the given planning term. Practical significance. The developed model application gives the possibility to solve the problem of sustainability assessment for the process of providing the required IT-strategy realization level based upon the fuzzy cognitive map analysis and to reveal IT-objectives changing tendencies for an organization over the stated planning interval.

Energy information data base: subject thesaurus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-10-01

The technical staff of the DOE Technical Information Center, during its subject indexing activities, develops and structures a vocabulary that allows consistent machine storage and retrieval of information necessary to the accomplishment of the DOE mission. This thesaurus incorporates that structured vocabulary. The terminology of this thesaurus is used for the subject control of information announced in DOE Energy Research Abstracts, Energy Abstracts for Policy Analysis, Solar Energy Update, Geothermal Energy Update, Fossil Energy Update, Fusion Energy Update, and Energy Conservation Update. This terminology also facilitates subject searching of the DOE energy information data base, a research in progress data base, a general and practical energy information data base, power reactor docket information data base, nuclear science abstracts data base, and the federal energy information data base on the DOE on-line retrieval system, RECON. The rapid expansion of the DOE's activities will result in a concomitant thesaurus expansion as information relating to new activities is indexed. Only the terms used in the indexing of documents at the Technical Information Center to date are included

IDAS-RR: an incident data base system for research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Kiyoshi; Kohsaka, Atsuo; Kaminaga, Masanori; Murayama, Youji; Ohnishi, Nobuaki; Maniwa, Masaki.

1990-03-01

An Incident Data Base System for Research Reactors, IDAS-RR, has been developed. IDAS-RR has information about abnormal incidents (failures, transients, accidents, etc.) of research reactors in the world. Data reference, input, editing and other functions of IDAS-RR are menu driven. The routine processing and data base management functions are performed by the system software and hardware. PC-9801 equipment was selected as the hardware because of its portability and popularity. IDAS-RR provides effective reference information for the following activities. 1) Analysis of abnormal incident of research reactors, 2) Detail analysis of research reactor behavior in the abnormal incident for building the knowledge base of the reactor emergency diagnostic system for research reactor, 3) Planning counter-measure for emergency situation in the research reactor. This report is a user's manual of IDAS-RR. (author)

Role of informal care providers in home based long term care in diabetes mellitus at Kaiwara Primary Health Center area, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arjunan Isaac

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To find the prevalence of diabetics, identify informal care providers for them in Kaiwara Primary Health Center (PHC area, assess the level of knowledge and skills of an informal care provider in home based long term care and improve the level of knowledge and skill of the informal care provider through a structured training capsule. Methods: A cross sectional and an interventional study was conducted on diabetics and their informal care providers in Kaiwara PHC area. Data were collected using pre-tested, structured questionnaire by an interview method. A structured training capsule was developed and implemented. Evaluation of the knowledge and skills was assessed at the beginning and at the end of the training. Student ’s paired/unpaired ‘t ’ tests and correlation analysis were done. Results: Improvement scores were calculated by subtracting the pre-evaluation scores from the post-evaluation scores. The mean improvement scores was (2.66暲0.32 and was statistically significant (P<0.001. No significant difference in mean values was found in the knowledge and skills scores in relation to the socio-demographic variables in the study. Conclusions: Knowledge and skills component of the informal care provider in home based care of diabetes could be perceived as a “felt need ”.

Qualitative Research and Community-Based Participatory Research: Considerations for Effective Dissemination in the Peer-Reviewed Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Grieb, Suzanne Dolwick; Eder, Milton Mickey; Smith, Katherine C; Calhoun, Karen; Tandon, Darius

2015-01-01

Qualitative research is appearing with increasing frequency in the public health and medical literature. Qualitative research in combination with a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach can be powerful. However little guidance is available on how to present qualitative research within a CBPR framework for peer-review publications. This article provides a brief overview of how qualitative research can advance CBPR partnerships and outlines practical guidelines for writing for publication about qualitative research within a CBPR framework to (1) guide partners with little experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals and/or (2) facilitate effective preparation of manuscripts grounded in qualitative research for peer-reviewed journals. We provide information regarding the specific benefits of qualitative inquiry in CBPR, tips for organizing the manuscript, questions to consider in preparing the manuscript, common mistakes in the presentation of qualitative research, and examples of peer-reviewed manuscripts presenting qualitative research conducted within a CBPR framework. Qualitative research approaches have tremendous potential to integrate community and researcher perspectives to inform community health research findings. Effective dissemination of CBPR informed qualitative research findings is crucial to advancing health disparities research.

Principles of Information Visualization for Business Research

OpenAIRE

Ioan I. ANDONE

2008-01-01

In the era of data-centric-science, a large number of visualization tools have been created to help researchers understand increasingly rich business databases. Information visualization is a process of constructing a visual presentation of business quantitative data, especially prepared for managerial use. Interactive information visualization provide researchers with remarkable tools for discovery and innovation. By combining powerful data mining methods with user-controlled interfaces, use...

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-09

This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer's perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements ( p transparency of information disclosure ( p information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information's applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

Focusing Information Systems Post-Graduate Research Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gail Ridley

1996-11-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on an investigation of mechanisms that assist Information Systems post-graduate research students to focus their projects. An evaluation is presented of the experiences of Information Systems research students in focussing their research projects based on a survey conducted of students who participated in two of the first three Information Systems doctoral consortia to be held in Australia. The survey sought to determine whether a doctoral consortium or 'systematic expert review' is the most valuable mechanism for focussing a research proposal. Systematic expert review was considered by the students to be more effective than the doctoral consortium process for the purpose of focussing their research project proposals.

Problem-Based Learning and Information Literacy: A Natural Partnership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kate Wenger

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Due to student overreliance on search engines and the time constraints of one-shot instruction sessions, librarians struggle to teach many of the information literacy skills that students need to conduct successful research. Problem-based learning (PBL provides a way to integrate information literacy naturally into an assignment or course by guiding students through the research process as they work to find a solution to a problem. This article first explains the PBL process, then describes the design and implementation of a PBL project in a required first-year general education course. Finally, it details the Association of College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education addressed by the project, as well as possible future modifications.

Primary Care Provider Views About Usefulness and Dissemination of a Web-Based Depression Treatment Information Decision Aid.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulac, Julie; Westmacott, Robin; Walker, John R; Vardanyan, Gohar

2016-06-08

Decisions related to mental health are often complex, problems often remain undetected and untreated, information unavailable or not used, and treatment decisions frequently not informed by best practice or patient preferences. The objective of this paper was to obtain the opinions of health professionals working in primary health care settings about a Web-based information decision aid (IDA) for patients concerning treatment options for depression and the dissemination of the resources in primary care settings. Participants were recruited from primary care clinics in Winnipeg and Ottawa, Canada, and included 48 family physicians, nurses, and primary care staff. The study design was a qualitative framework analytic approach of 5 focus groups. Focus groups were conducted during regular staff meetings, were digitally recorded, and transcripts created. Analysis involved a content and theme analysis. Seven key themes emerged including the key role of the primary care provider, common questions about treatments, treatment barriers, sources of patient information, concern about quality and quantity of available information, positive opinions about the IDA, and disseminating the IDA. The most common questions mentioned were about medication and side effects and alternatives to medication. Patients have limited access to alternative treatment options owing to cost and availability. Practitioners evaluated the IDA positively. The resources were described as useful, supportive of providers' messages, and accessible for patients. There was unanimous consensus that information needs to be available electronically through the Internet.

Translating research into practice: the role of provider-based research networks in the diffusion of an evidence-based colon cancer treatment innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, William R; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Wu, Yang; Qaqish, Bahjat; Sanoff, Hanna K; Goldberg, Richard M; Weiner, Bryan J

2012-08-01

Provider-based research networks (PBRNs)--collaborative research partnerships between academic centers and community-based practitioners--are a promising model for accelerating the translation of research into practice; however, empirical evidence of accelerated translation is limited. Oxaliplatin in adjuvant combination chemotherapy is an innovation with clinical trial-proven survival benefit compared with prior therapies. The goal of this study is to examine the diffusion of oxaliplatin into community practice, and whether affiliation with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP)--a nationwide cancer-focused PBRN--is associated with accelerated innovation adoption. This retrospective observational study used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare and NCI CCOP data to examine Medicare participants with stage III colon cancer initiating treatment in 2003 through 2006, the years surrounding oxaliplatin's Food and Drug Administration approval. A fixed-effects analysis examined chemotherapy use among patients treated outside academic centers at CCOP-affiliated practices compared with non-CCOP practices. Two-group modeling controlled for multiple levels of clustering, year of chemotherapy initiation, tumor characteristics, patient age, race, comorbidity, Medicaid dual-eligibility status, and education. Of 4055 community patients, 35% received 5-fluoruracil, 20% received oxaliplatin, 7% received another chemotherapy, and 38% received no chemotherapy. Twenty-five percent of CCOP patients received oxaliplatin, compared with 19% of non-CCOP patients. In multivariable analysis, CCOP exposure was associated with higher odds of receiving guideline-concordant treatment in general, and oxaliplatin specifically. These findings contribute to a growing set of evidence linking PBRNs with a greater probability of receiving treatment innovations and high-quality cancer care, with implications for clinical and research

Educational-researching and Information Resources In Interdisciplinary Automated Training System Based On Internet Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Savitskaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research is the study of the functionality of modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle to development the informational and educational and educational research resource for training students in the disciplines of natural-scientific and engineer science. Have considered scientific-practical and methodological experience in the development, implementation and use of the interdisciplinary automated training system based on the Moodle system in the educational process. Presented the structure of the typical training course and set out recommendations for the development of information and educational resources different types of lessons and self-study students.Have considered the features of preparation of teaching-research resources of the assignments for lab using the software package MatLab. Also has considered the experience of implementing the discipline “Remote educational technologies and electronic learning in the scientific and the educational activities” for the training of graduate students at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. The proposed an article approaches to the implementation of informational and educational and educational research resources in the interdisciplinary automated training system can be applied for a wide range of similar disciplines of natural-scientific and engineering sciences in a multilevel system of training of graduates.

Library & Information Science Research

OpenAIRE

Van Gaasbeck, Kalvin

2013-01-01

A brief introduction to the quarterly periodical, Library & Information Science Research (LISR) providing an overview of the scope of the publication. The current paper details the types of articles published in the journal and gives a general overview of the review process for articles published in the journal, concluding with a brief statement of the value of the publication to the LIS field for students.

Using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance evidence-based medical information.

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, Miriam J; Flanagin, Andrew J

2011-01-01

This article invokes research on information seeking and evaluation to address how providers of evidence-based medical information can use Web 2.0 technologies to increase access to, enliven users' experiences with, and enrich the quality of the information available. In an ideal scenario, evidence-based medical information can take appropriate advantage of community intelligence spawned by Web 2.0 technologies, resulting in the ideal combination of scientifically sound, high-quality information that is imbued with experiential insights from a multitude of individuals. To achieve this goal, the authors argue that people will engage with information that they can access easily, and that they perceive as (a) relevant to their information-seeking goals and (b) credible. The authors suggest the utility of Web 2.0 technologies for engaging stakeholders with evidence-based medical information through these mechanisms, and the degree to which the information provided can and should be trusted. Last, the authors discuss potential problems with Web 2.0 information in relation to decision making in health contexts, and they conclude with specific and practical recommendations for the dissemination of evidence-based health information via Web 2.0 technologies.

Applying Web-Based Tools for Research, Engineering, and Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Ivancic, William D.

2011-01-01

Personnel in the NASA Glenn Research Center Network and Architectures branch have performed a variety of research related to space-based sensor webs, network centric operations, security and delay tolerant networking (DTN). Quality documentation and communications, real-time monitoring and information dissemination are critical in order to perform quality research while maintaining low cost and utilizing multiple remote systems. This has been accomplished using a variety of Internet technologies often operating simultaneously. This paper describes important features of various technologies and provides a number of real-world examples of how combining Internet technologies can enable a virtual team to act efficiently as one unit to perform advanced research in operational systems. Finally, real and potential abuses of power and manipulation of information and information access is addressed.

Seeking quality scientific information for research in Psychology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliane Colepicolo

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This report aims to present the researcher in Psychology techniques for search and retrieval of information for academic and science research. Is based on my experiences as university librarian and as a doctoral student in Psychology, in a project on scientometry of the Social Skills field.  This goal is to obtain information reliable and with quality to develop research, from sources of online information. Are recommended and described steps to the process of searching for scientific information, with examples from the Social Skills field: defining research topic; applying appropriate search tactics; selecting reliable sources of information and experts on the topic; translating research into the language of the information source; developing an effective search strategy; evaluating the quality and reliability of the obtained items. It is expected that by following these steps, the researcher obtain a coherent corpus with the subject, time saving and quality bibliographic.

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-01

Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001). Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively. PMID:28075362

Digital information and communication networks and scientific research substance: An investigation of meteorology

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yi

This study investigated research meteorologists' current usage and evaluation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in performing research tasks and the current relationship between meteorologists' ICT use and content characteristics of their research outputs. It surveyed research meteorologists working in three NOAA funded research institutes based at universities. Follow-up interviews with two selective samples of the survey participants were conducted to provide additional evidence to survey results and make suggestions for future measurement development work. Multiple regression analysis was performed to test the hypothesized relationships between meteorologists' ICT use and two substantive characteristics of their research---data integration and intra-/interdisciplinarity. Descriptive statistics were calculated to discern inferences of the scientists' current state of use and their degree of satisfaction with ICT tools. Follow-up interviews were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively with open coding and axial coding. The study findings contradicted the two assumptions of ICT effects on meteorological research by showing that the greater frequency of networked ICT use is not significantly associated with either greater data integration in research analysis, or greater intra- or interdisciplinary research. The major ICT barrier is the lack of a data and information infrastructure and support system for integrated, standardized, specialized, and easily accessible data and information from distributed servers. Suggestions were provided on the improvements of technical, social, political, and educational settings to promote large-scale date integration and intra-/interdisciplinary research. By moving further from theoretical assumptions to practical examinations, the research findings provide empirical evidence of Bowker's theories on the social shaping and social impact of infrastructure in sciences and affirmed some of Bowker's arguments regarding

Providing Global Change Information for Decision-Making: Capturing and Presenting Provenance

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaogang; Fox, Peter; Tilmes, Curt; Jacobs, Katherine; Waple, Anne

2014-01-01

Global change information demands access to data sources and well-documented provenance to provide evidence needed to build confidence in scientific conclusions and, in specific applications, to ensure the information's suitability for use in decision-making. A new generation of Web technology, the Semantic Web, provides tools for that purpose. The topic of global change covers changes in the global environment (including alterations in climate, land productivity, oceans or other water resources, atmospheric composition and or chemistry, and ecological systems) that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life and support human systems. Data and findings associated with global change research are of great public, government, and academic concern and are used in policy and decision-making, which makes the provenance of global change information especially important. In addition, since different types of decisions benefit from different types of information, understanding how to capture and present the provenance of global change information is becoming more of an imperative in adaptive planning.

Application of Ethics for Providing Telemedicine Services and Information Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Langarizadeh, Mostafa; Moghbeli, Fatemeh; Aliabadi, Ali

2017-10-01

Advanced technology has increased the use of telemedicine and Information Technology (IT) in treating or rehabilitating diseases. An increased use of technology increases the importance of the ethical issues involved. The need for keeping patients' information confidential and secure, controlling a number of therapists' inefficiency as well as raising the quality of healthcare services necessitates adequate heed to ethical issues in telemedicine provision. The goal of this review is gathering all articles that are published through 5 years until now (2012-2017) for detecting ethical issues for providing telemedicine services and Information technology. The reason of this time is improvement of telemedicine and technology through these years. This article is important for clinical practice and also to world, because of knowing ethical issues in telemedicine and technology are always important factors for physician and health providers. the required data in this research were derived from published electronic sources and credible academic articles published in such databases as PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct. The following key words were searched for in separation and combination: tele-health, telemedicine, ethical issues in telemedicine. A total of 503 articles were found. After excluding the duplicates (n= 93), the titles and abstracts of 410 articles were skimmed according to the inclusion criteria. Finally, 64 articles remained. They were reviewed in full text and 36 articles were excluded. At the end, 28 articles were chosen which met our eligibility criteria and were included in this study. Ethics has been of a great significance in IT and telemedicine especially the Internet since there are more chances provided for accessing information. It is, however, accompanied by a threat to patients' personal information. Therefore, suggestions are made to investigate ethics in technology, to offer standards and guidelines to therapists. Due to the advancement in

OPERATIONS RESEARCH IN THE DESIGN OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Science.gov (United States)

management information systems is concerned with the identification and detailed specification of the information and data processing...of advanced data processing techniques in management information systems today, the close coordination of operations research and data systems activities has become a practical necessity for the modern business firm.... information systems in which mathematical models are employed as the basis for analysis and systems design. Operations research provides a

The Research and Education of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice; A Narrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahideh Zareh Gavgani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Evidence based librarianship (EBL was defined as “use of best available evidence from qualitative and quantitative research results and rational experience and decisions acquired from the daily practice of library”. However there are controversies about if the nature of EBL deals with library services or professional practice and if it needs a formal education or informal continuing education is enough? To shed light on this ambiguity, the aim of this study was to find out the state-of-the-art of education of EBL in the world. Material and Methods: The study utilized library and documentation methods to investigate the academic education of EBL through review of the available literature and websites. Results: The findings of the study revealed that evidence based librarianship does have formal curriculum for academic education in post graduate levels (post master and master. It also revealed that “Evidence Based Approach” (EBA and “Evidence Based Medicine” (EBM were also similar courses that are offered in Master and PhD levels. Conclusion: Based on the history and revolution of EBA, it is time to develop formal curriculum and field of study for Evidence Based Information Practice. This study suggests establishment of the academic field of Evidence Based and Information Science to overcome the problems and limitations that library science faces in practice.

Applied Information Systems Research Program Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

The first Applied Information Systems Research Program (AISRP) Workshop provided the impetus for several groups involved in information systems to review current activities. The objectives of the workshop included: (1) to provide an open forum for interaction and discussion of information systems; (2) to promote understanding by initiating a dialogue with the intended benefactors of the program, the scientific user community, and discuss options for improving their support; (3) create an advocacy in having science users and investigators of the program meet together and establish the basis for direction and growth; and (4) support the future of the program by building collaborations and interaction to encourage an investigator working group approach for conducting the program.

Building National Health Research Information Systems (COHRED ...

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

Building National Health Research Information Systems (COHRED). This grant will allow the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) to create, host and maintain a web-based resource on national health research in low- and middle-income countries in partnership with institutions in the South. Called ...

Health Information Research Platform (HIReP)--an architecture pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiweis, Björn; Schneider, Gerd; Eichner, Theresia; Bergh, Björn; Heinze, Oliver

2014-01-01

Secondary use or single source is still far from routine in healthcare, although lots of data are available either structured or unstructured. As data are stored in multiple systems, using them for biomedical research is difficult. Clinical data warehouses already help overcoming this issue, but currently they are only used for certain parts of biomedical research. A comprehensive research platform based on a generic architecture pattern could increase the benefits of existing data warehouses for both patient care and research by meeting two objectives: serving as a so called single point-of-truth and acting as a mediator between them strengthening interaction and close collaboration. Another effect is to reduce boundaries for the implementation of data warehouses. Taking further settings into account the architecture of a clinical data warehouse supporting patient care and biomedical research needs to be integrated with biomaterial banks and other sources. This work provides a solution conceptualizing a comprehensive architecture pattern of a Health Information Research Platform (HIReP) derived from use cases of the patient care and biomedical research domain. It serves as single IT infrastructure providing solutions for any type of use case.

Single-Case Research Design: An Alternative Strategy for Evidence-Based Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, Drue; Hawkins, Andrew

2015-01-01

Objective: The trend of utilizing evidence-based practice (EBP) in athletic training is now requiring clinicians, researchers, educators, and students to be equipped to both engage in and make judgments about research evidence. Single-case design (SCD) research may provide an alternative approach to develop such skills and inform clinical and…

Information literacy: perceptions of Brazilian HIV/AIDS researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Maria do Carmo Avamilano; França, Ivan; Cuenca, Angela Maria Belloni; Bastos, Francisco I; Ueno, Helene Mariko; Barros, Cláudia Renata; Guimarães, Maria Cristina Soares

2014-03-01

Information literacy has evolved with changes in lifelong learning. Can Brazilian health researchers search for and use updated scientific information? To describe researchers' information literacy based on their perceptions of their abilities to search for and use scientific information and on their interactions with libraries. Semi-structured interviews and focus group conducted with six Brazilian HIV/AIDS researchers. Analyses comprised the assessment of researchers as disseminators, their interactions with librarians, their use of information and communication technology and language. Interviewees believed they were partially qualified to use databases. They used words and phrases that indicated their knowledge of technology and terminology. They acted as disseminators for students during information searches. Researchers' abilities to interact with librarians are key skills, especially in a renewed context where libraries have, to a large extent, changed from physical spaces to digital environments. Great amounts of information have been made available, and researchers' participation in courses does not automatically translate into adequate information literacy. Librarians must help research groups, and as such, librarians' information literacy-related responsibilities in Brazil should be redefined and expanded. Students must develop the ability to learn quickly, and librarians should help them in their efforts. Librarians and researchers can act as gatekeepers for research groups and as information coaches to improve others' search abilities. © 2013 Health Libraries Group of CILIP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Proceedings of the specialist research meeting on nuclear science information, (5)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Itsuro; Takeuchi, Takayuki; Mizuma, Mitsuo

1985-02-01

The Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University held two meetings on nuclear science information in the academic year of 1984. The titles of the presented papers are: (1) Information retieval in nuclear safety; (2) Information retrieval in high-pressure gas safety; (3) Construction of nuclear science information data base at the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University (II); (4) Nuclear science information data base at the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University (KURRIP)*; (5) Nuclear structure and disintegration data base; (6) Evaluated nuclear structure data file and (7) World climate data file. This report contains the full text of these papers. (author)

Research on information models for the construction schedule management based on the IFC standard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weirui Xue

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this article is to study the description and extension of the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC standard in construction schedule management, which achieves the information exchange and sharing among the different information systems and stakeholders, and facilitates the collaborative construction in the construction projects. Design/methodology/approach: The schedule information processing and coordination are difficult in the complex construction project. Building Information Modeling (BIM provides the platform for exchanging and sharing information among information systems and stakeholders based on the IFC standard. Through analyzing the schedule plan, implementing, check and control, the information flow in the schedule management is reflected based on the IDEF. According to the IFC4, the information model for the schedule management is established, which not only includes the each aspect of the schedule management, but also includes the cost management, the resource management, the quality management and the risk management. Findings: The information requirement for the construction schedule management can be summarized into three aspects: the schedule plan information, the implementing information and the check and control information. The three aspects can be described through the existing and extended entities of IFC4, and the information models are established. Originality/value: The main contribution of the article is to establish the construction schedule management information model, which achieves the information exchange and share in the construction project, and facilitates the development of the application software to meet the requirements of the construction project.

Research on electricity consumption forecast based on mutual information and random forests algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jing; Shi, Yunli; Tan, Jian; Zhu, Lei; Li, Hu

2018-02-01

Traditional power forecasting models cannot efficiently take various factors into account, neither to identify the relation factors. In this paper, the mutual information in information theory and the artificial intelligence random forests algorithm are introduced into the medium and long-term electricity demand prediction. Mutual information can identify the high relation factors based on the value of average mutual information between a variety of variables and electricity demand, different industries may be highly associated with different variables. The random forests algorithm was used for building the different industries forecasting models according to the different correlation factors. The data of electricity consumption in Jiangsu Province is taken as a practical example, and the above methods are compared with the methods without regard to mutual information and the industries. The simulation results show that the above method is scientific, effective, and can provide higher prediction accuracy.

Mobile-Based Dictionary of Information and Communication Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Liando, O. E. S.; Mewengkang, A.; Kaseger, D.; Sangkop, F. I.; Rantung, V. P.; Rorimpandey, G. C.

2018-02-01

This study aims to design and build mobile-based dictionary of information and communication technology applications to provide access to information in the form of glossary of terms in the context of information and communication technologies. Applications built in this study using the Android platform, with SQLite database model. This research uses prototype model development method which covers the stages of communication, Quick Plan, Quick Design Modeling, Construction of Prototype, Deployment Delivery & Feedback, and Full System Transformation. The design of this application is designed in such a way as to facilitate the user in the process of learning and understanding the new terms or vocabularies encountered in the world of information and communication technology. Mobile-based dictionary of Information And Communication Technology applications that have been built can be an alternative to learning literature. In its simplest form, this application is able to meet the need for a comprehensive and accurate dictionary of Information And Communication Technology function.

A rapid extraction of landslide disaster information research based on GF-1 image

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sai; Xu, Suning; Peng, Ling; Wang, Zhiyi; Wang, Na

2015-08-01

In recent years, the landslide disasters occurred frequently because of the seismic activity. It brings great harm to people's life. It has caused high attention of the state and the extensive concern of society. In the field of geological disaster, landslide information extraction based on remote sensing has been controversial, but high resolution remote sensing image can improve the accuracy of information extraction effectively with its rich texture and geometry information. Therefore, it is feasible to extract the information of earthquake- triggered landslides with serious surface damage and large scale. Taking the Wenchuan county as the study area, this paper uses multi-scale segmentation method to extract the landslide image object through domestic GF-1 images and DEM data, which uses the estimation of scale parameter tool to determine the optimal segmentation scale; After analyzing the characteristics of landslide high-resolution image comprehensively and selecting spectrum feature, texture feature, geometric features and landform characteristics of the image, we can establish the extracting rules to extract landslide disaster information. The extraction results show that there are 20 landslide whose total area is 521279.31 .Compared with visual interpretation results, the extraction accuracy is 72.22%. This study indicates its efficient and feasible to extract earthquake landslide disaster information based on high resolution remote sensing and it provides important technical support for post-disaster emergency investigation and disaster assessment.

Spatial Information in local society's cultural conservation and research

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, J.-J.; Liao, H.-M.; Fan, I.-C.

2015-09-01

Center for Geographic Information Science, Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences,Academia Sinica (GIS center), Coordinate short-, medium-, and long-term operations of multidisciplinary researches focusing on related topics in the sciences and humanities. Based on the requirements of multi-disciplinary research applications, sustain collection and construction of sustaining and unifying spatial base data and knowledge and building of spatial data infrastructure. Since the 1990s, GIS center build geographic information platform: "Time and space infrastructure of Chinese civilization" (Chinese Civilizationin Time and Space, CCTS) and "Taiwan History and Culture Map" (Taiwan History and Culture in Time and Space, THCTS) . the goal of both system is constructing an integrated GIS-based application infrastructure on the spatial extent of China and Taiwan, in the timeframe of Chinese and Taiwanese history, and with the contents of Chinese and Taiwanese civilization. Base on THCTS, we began to build Cultural Resources GIS(CRGIS, http://crgis.rchss.sinica.edu.tw) in 2006, to collect temples, historic Monuments, historic buildings, old trees, wind lions god and other cultural resource in Taiwan, and provide a platform for the volunteers to make for all types of tangible, intangible cultural resources, add, edit, organize and query data via Content Management System(CMS) . CRGIS collected aggregated 13,000 temples, 4,900 churches. On this basis, draw a variety of religious beliefs map-multiple times Temple distributions, different main god distributions, church distribution. Such as Mazu maps, Multiple times temple distributions map (before 1823, 1823-1895,1895-1949,1949-2015 years) at Taijiang inner sea areas in Tainan. In Taiwan, there is a religious ritual through folk activities for a period ranging from one day to several days, passing specific geospatial range and passes through some temples or houses. Such an important folk activity somewhat similar to

A method for analyzing the business case for provider participation in the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program and similar federally funded, provider-based research networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiter, Kristin L; Song, Paula H; Minasian, Lori; Good, Marjorie; Weiner, Bryan J; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

2012-09-01

The Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) plays an essential role in the efforts of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to increase enrollment in clinical trials. Currently, there is little practical guidance in the literature to assist provider organizations in analyzing the return on investment (ROI), or business case, for establishing and operating a provider-based research network (PBRN) such as the CCOP. In this article, the authors present a conceptual model of the business case for PBRN participation, a spreadsheet-based tool and advice for evaluating the business case for provider participation in a CCOP organization. A comparative, case-study approach was used to identify key components of the business case for hospitals attempting to support a CCOP research infrastructure. Semistructured interviews were conducted with providers and administrators. Key themes were identified and used to develop the financial analysis tool. Key components of the business case included CCOP start-up costs, direct revenue from the NCI CCOP grant, direct expenses required to maintain the CCOP research infrastructure, and incidental benefits, most notably downstream revenues from CCOP patients. The authors recognized the value of incidental benefits as an important contributor to the business case for CCOP participation; however, currently, this component is not calculated. The current results indicated that providing a method for documenting the business case for CCOP or other PBRN involvement will contribute to the long-term sustainability and expansion of these programs by improving providers' understanding of the financial implications of participation. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Hua Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384. Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p < 0.001. We identified significant differences in health service providers’ and consumers’ awareness regarding the transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001. Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

A Framework to Support Research on Informal Inferential Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Zieffler, Andrew; Garfield, Joan; delMas, Robert; Reading, Chris

2008-01-01

Informal inferential reasoning is a relatively recent concept in the research literature. Several research studies have defined this type of cognitive process in slightly different ways. In this paper, a working definition of informal inferential reasoning based on an analysis of the key aspects of statistical inference, and on research from…

Health information technology needs help from primary care researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Krist, Alex H; Green, Lee A; Phillips, Robert L; Beasley, John W; DeVoe, Jennifer E; Klinkman, Michael S; Hughes, John; Puro, Jon; Fox, Chester H; Burdick, Tim

2015-01-01

While health information technology (HIT) efforts are beginning to yield measurable clinical benefits, more is needed to meet the needs of patients and clinicians. Primary care researchers are uniquely positioned to inform the evidence-based design and use of technology. Research strategies to ensure success include engaging patient and clinician stakeholders, working with existing practice-based research networks, and using established methods from other fields such as human factors engineering and implementation science. Policies are needed to help support primary care researchers in evaluating and implementing HIT into everyday practice, including expanded research funding, strengthened partnerships with vendors, open access to information systems, and support for the Primary Care Extension Program. Through these efforts, the goal of improved outcomes through HIT can be achieved. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Informed consent in paediatric critical care research--a South African perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, Brenda M; Argent, Andrew C; Kling, Sharon

2015-09-09

Medical care of critically ill and injured infants and children globally should be based on best research evidence to ensure safe, efficacious treatment. In South Africa and other low and middle-income countries, research is needed to optimise care and ensure rational, equitable allocation of scare paediatric critical care resources. Ethical oversight is essential for safe, appropriate research conduct. Informed consent by the parent or legal guardian is usually required for child research participation, but obtaining consent may be challenging in paediatric critical care research. Local regulations may also impede important research if overly restrictive. By narratively synthesising and contextualising the results of a comprehensive literature review, this paper describes ethical principles and regulations; potential barriers to obtaining prospective informed consent; and consent options in the context of paediatric critical care research in South Africa. Voluntary prospective informed consent from a parent or legal guardian is a statutory requirement for child research participation in South Africa. However, parents of critically ill or injured children might be incapable of or unwilling to provide the level of consent required to uphold the ethical principle of autonomy. In emergency care research it may not be practical to obtain consent when urgent action is required. Therapeutic misconceptions and sociocultural and language issues are also barriers to obtaining valid consent. Alternative consent options for paediatric critical care research include a waiver or deferred consent for minimal risk and/or emergency research, whilst prospective informed consent is appropriate for randomised trials of novel therapies or devices. We propose that parents or legal guardians of critically ill or injured children should only be approached to consent for their child's participation in clinical research when it is ethically justifiable and in the best interests of both

Current food chain information provides insufficient information for modern meat inspection of pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Felin, Elina; Jukola, Elias; Raulo, Saara; Heinonen, Jaakko; Fredriksson-Ahomaa, Maria

2016-05-01

Meat inspection now incorporates a more risk-based approach for protecting human health against meat-borne biological hazards. Official post-mortem meat inspection of pigs has shifted to visual meat inspection. The official veterinarian decides on additional post-mortem inspection procedures, such as incisions and palpations. The decision is based on declarations in the food chain information (FCI), ante-mortem inspection and post-mortem inspection. However, a smooth slaughter and inspection process is essential. Therefore, one should be able to assess prior to slaughter which pigs are suitable for visual meat inspection only, and which need more profound inspection procedures. This study evaluates the usability of the FCI provided by pig producers and considered the possibility for risk ranking of incoming slaughter batches according to the previous meat inspection data and the current FCI. Eighty-five slaughter batches comprising 8954 fattening pigs were randomly selected at a slaughterhouse that receives animals from across Finland. The mortality rate, the FCI and the meat inspection results for each batch were obtained. The current FCI alone provided insufficient and inaccurate information for risk ranking purposes for meat inspection. The partial condemnation rate for a batch was best predicted by the partial condemnation rate calculated for all the pigs sent for slaughter from the same holding in the previous year (p<0.001) and by prior information on cough declared in the current FCI (p=0.02) statement. Training and information to producers are needed to make the FCI reporting procedures more accurate. Historical meat inspection data on pigs slaughtered from the same holdings and well-chosen symptoms/signs for reporting, should be included in the FCI to facilitate the allocation of pigs for visual inspection. The introduced simple scoring system can be easily used for additional information for directing batches to appropriate meat inspection procedures. To

Human-Assisted Machine Information Exploitation: a crowdsourced investigation of information-based problem solving

Science.gov (United States)

Kase, Sue E.; Vanni, Michelle; Caylor, Justine; Hoye, Jeff

2017-05-01

The Human-Assisted Machine Information Exploitation (HAMIE) investigation utilizes large-scale online data collection for developing models of information-based problem solving (IBPS) behavior in a simulated time-critical operational environment. These types of environments are characteristic of intelligence workflow processes conducted during human-geo-political unrest situations when the ability to make the best decision at the right time ensures strategic overmatch. The project takes a systems approach to Human Information Interaction (HII) by harnessing the expertise of crowds to model the interaction of the information consumer and the information required to solve a problem at different levels of system restrictiveness and decisional guidance. The design variables derived from Decision Support Systems (DSS) research represent the experimental conditions in this online single-player against-the-clock game where the player, acting in the role of an intelligence analyst, is tasked with a Commander's Critical Information Requirement (CCIR) in an information overload scenario. The player performs a sequence of three information processing tasks (annotation, relation identification, and link diagram formation) with the assistance of `HAMIE the robot' who offers varying levels of information understanding dependent on question complexity. We provide preliminary results from a pilot study conducted with Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) participants on the Volunteer Science scientific research platform.

Utilization of Web-Based Information Resources for Researchers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

All the postgraduate students and lectures of three universities in the state who are registered library users formed the population of the study. Two research ... The implication of the findings implies that university libraries that provide such resources effectively will help to promote academic scholarship and research.

A model for the electronic support of practice-based research networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Kevin A; Delaney, Brendan C; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Taweel, Adel; Sandberg, Elisabeth A; Speedie, Stuart; Richard Hobbs, F D

2012-01-01

The principal goal of the electronic Primary Care Research Network (ePCRN) is to enable the development of an electronic infrastructure to support clinical research activities in primary care practice-based research networks (PBRNs). We describe the model that the ePCRN developed to enhance the growth and to expand the reach of PBRN research. Use cases and activity diagrams were developed from interviews with key informants from 11 PBRNs from the United States and United Kingdom. Discrete functions were identified and aggregated into logical components. Interaction diagrams were created, and an overall composite diagram was constructed describing the proposed software behavior. Software for each component was written and aggregated, and the resulting prototype application was pilot tested for feasibility. A practical model was then created by separating application activities into distinct software packages based on existing PBRN business rules, hardware requirements, network requirements, and security concerns. We present an information architecture that provides for essential interactions, activities, data flows, and structural elements necessary for providing support for PBRN translational research activities. The model describes research information exchange between investigators and clusters of independent data sites supported by a contracted research director. The model was designed to support recruitment for clinical trials, collection of aggregated anonymous data, and retrieval of identifiable data from previously consented patients across hundreds of practices. The proposed model advances our understanding of the fundamental roles and activities of PBRNs and defines the information exchange commonly used by PBRNs to successfully engage community health care clinicians in translational research activities. By describing the network architecture in a language familiar to that used by software developers, the model provides an important foundation for the

The development of web program for providing RI-biomics technical information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

KI, Na Kyung; Kim, Joo Yeon; Jang, Sol Ah; Park, Tai Jin

2014-01-01

For designing the model of the web program, the demand survey for the technology and information has been performed for the students of the related departments, industrialists and researchers. And, the survey, such as advantages and disadvantages, for the current situations has been examined through comparison and analysis by the establishment type and operational process for the present operating web programs having the similar functions in Korea. The contents and web program for the technology and information system have been also developed by the question investigation and the expert opinions. This system for RI-Biomics has been developed by focusing the convenience for the information provision and the information search as the first constructing direction. Information has been collected by the operator in our institute and making contract with Global Trend Briefing of KISTI in Korea. The information collection in the web program has been designed as the direction regularly provided with RSS. Information has been then analyzed by constructing the expert pool provided from the advisory committee for the technology and information, and using them. The publicity for this web program has been performed by webzines and then it is noted that the publicity programs such as some events should be regularly developed when expanded and advanced to a community in future

Developing a national and international research community in tree breeding through a web-based information system

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hohls, DR

2008-11-01

Full Text Available CSIR research group has developed a web-based information system on tree breeding, which will link national and international partners, which data dating back more than 80 years. Tree breeding relies heavily on managing and exploiting data. While...

Research information network survey of innovative technology for the earth. 2; Chikyu kankyo taisaku gijutsu no kenkyu joho network chosa. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

In order to construct the information network system for a research of innovative technology for the earth, a prototype has been made. To draw necessary functions for the information network system, an information flow in a general research work is analyzed to classify it based on the functions. The information collecting function, information accumulating and sharing function, special information system for research, information providing function, and communication function of the net work correspond to the collecting information, accumulating information, being engaged in research, providing information, and communication of researcher`s actions, respectively. The services on network system supposed from these functions are the homepage search mailing list, intranet service, special information system for research, WWW Internet broadcasting, and BBS/news/conference tool, respectively. It was found that latest Internet technology enabled to construct easily controlled system environment for users and WWW would develop as a standard communication tool. 2 refs., 26 figs., 27 tabs.

Management of Research Organization: Informational Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Bruc

2011-10-01

Full Text Available We consider the conceptual approach to the system, providing scientific management of a research institution, and information support of scientific cooperation with similar institutions from other countries. This approach is partly tested at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of Academy of Sciences of Moldova and is proposed for several other academic institutions. We believe that this approach will allow automated information management of cooperation with foreign scientific institutions.

Voluntary Informed Consent in Paediatric Oncology Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekking, Sara A S; Van Der Graaf, Rieke; Van Delden, Johannes J M

2016-07-01

In paediatric oncology, research and treatments are often closely combined, which may compromise voluntary informed consent of parents. We identified two key scenarios in which voluntary informed consent for paediatric oncology studies is potentially compromised due to the intertwinement of research and care. The first scenario is inclusion by the treating paediatric oncologist, the second scenario concerns treatments confined to the research context. In this article we examine whether voluntary informed consent of parents for research is compromised in these two scenarios, and if so whether this is also morally problematic. For this, we employ the account of voluntary consent from Nelson and colleagues, who assert that voluntary consent requires substantial freedom from controlling influences. We argue that, in the absence of persuasion or manipulation, inclusion by the treating physician does not compromise voluntariness. However, it may function as a risk factor for controlling influence as it narrows the scope within which parents make decisions. Furthermore, physician appeal to reciprocity is not controlling as it constitutes persuasion. In addition, framing information is a form of informational manipulation and constitutes a controlling influence. In the second scenario, treatments confined to the research context qualify as controlling if the available options are restricted through manipulation of options. Although none of the influences is morally problematic in itself, a combination of influences may create morally problematic instances of involuntary informed consent. Therefore, safeguards should be implemented to establish an optimal environment for parents to provide voluntary informed consent in an integrated research-care context. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Enabling long-term oceanographic research: Changing data practices, information management strategies and informatics

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Karen S.; Chandler, Cynthia L.

2008-09-01

Interdisciplinary global ocean science requires new ways of thinking about data and data management. With new data policies and growing technological capabilities, datasets of increasing variety and complexity are being made available digitally and data management is coming to be recognized as an integral part of scientific research. To meet the changing expectations of scientists collecting data and of data reuse by others, collaborative strategies involving diverse teams of information professionals are developing. These changes are stimulating the growth of information infrastructures that support multi-scale sampling, data repositories, and data integration. Two examples of oceanographic projects incorporating data management in partnership with science programs are discussed: the Palmer Station Long-Term Ecological Research program (Palmer LTER) and the United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (US JGOFS). Lessons learned from a decade of data management within these communities provide an experience base from which to develop information management strategies—short-term and long-term. Ocean Informatics provides one example of a conceptual framework for managing the complexities inherent to sharing oceanographic data. Elements are introduced that address the economies-of-scale and the complexities-of-scale pertinent to a broader vision of information management and scientific research.

Satisfaction with information provided to Danish cancer patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ross, Lone; Petersen, Morten Aagaard; Johnsen, Anna Thit

2013-01-01

To validate five items (CPWQ-inf) regarding satisfaction with information provided to cancer patients from health care staff, assess the prevalence of dissatisfaction with this information, and identify factors predicting dissatisfaction.......To validate five items (CPWQ-inf) regarding satisfaction with information provided to cancer patients from health care staff, assess the prevalence of dissatisfaction with this information, and identify factors predicting dissatisfaction....

Social Media in Health Research: An Example from Childcare Provider Message Boards

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Meghan

2011-01-01

Social media sites, such as message boards and blogs, provide innovative data sources for researchers as these sites feature people sharing advice and discussing issues in a public arena. Research has found the online context can encourage people to reveal more information than do such traditional methods as interviews or focus groups. However,…

Drug safety in pregnancy: utopia or achievable prospect? Risk information, risk research and advocacy in Teratology Information Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Christof

2011-03-01

Even though from preclinical testing to drug risk labeling, the situation with drugs in pregnancy has improved substantially since the thalidomide scandal, there is still an increasing need to provide healthcare professionals and patients with updated individualized risk information for clinical decision making. For the majority of drugs, clinical experience is still insufficient with respect to their safety in pregnancy. There is often uncertainty in how to interpret the available scientific data. Based on 20 years of experience with Teratology Information Services (TIS) cooperating in the European Network of Teratology Information Services (ENTIS) methods of risk interpretation, follow-up of exposed pregnancies through the consultation process and their evaluation is discussed. Vitamin K antagonists, isotretinoin and angiotensin (AT) II-receptor-antagonists are presented as examples of misinterpretation of drug risks and subjects of research based on observational clinical data recorded in TIS. As many TIS are poorly funded, advocacy is necessary by establishing contacts with decision makers in health politics and administration, informing them of the high return in terms of health outcomes and cost savings provided by TIS as reference institutions in clinical teratology. © 2011 The Author. Congenital Anomalies © 2011 Japanese Teratology Society.

Information for nuclear medicine researchers and practitioners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartlett, W.

1987-01-01

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has a major research program in nuclear medicine; this article describes the information support given to the program by the Lucas Heights Research Laboratories (LHRL) Library. The INIS database is a prime indicator of the information held at LHRL Library, however, other databases also cover nuclear medicine. As part of the Australian library system the ANSTO Library's resources are accessed by subscription. The ANSTO Library staff can also search INIS for a fee for external enquiries but the other databases can presently only be searched for LHRL staff and affiliates. Even so, most major library and information services can provide access to these databases

Management Information Systems Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Research on management information systems is illusive in many respects. Part of the basic research problem in MIS stems from the absence of standard...decision making. But the transition from these results to the realization of ’satisfactory’ management information systems remains difficult indeed. The...paper discusses several aspects of research on management information systems and reviews a selection of efforts that appear significant for future progress. (Author)

Computer-based control of nuclear power information systems at international level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boniface, Ekechukwu; Okonkwo, Obi

2011-01-01

In most highly industrialized countries of the world information plays major role in anti-nuclear campaign. Information and discussions on nuclear power need critical and objective analysis before the structured information presentation to the public to avoid bias anti-nuclear information on one side and neglect of great risk in nuclear power. This research is developing a computer-based information system for the control of nuclear power at international level. The system is to provide easy and fast information highways for the followings: (1) Low Regulatory dose and activity limit as level of high danger for individuals and public. (2) Provision of relevant technical or scientific education among the information carriers in the nuclear power countries. The research is on fact oriented investigation about radioactivity. It also deals with fact oriented education about nuclear accidents and safety. A standard procedure for dissemination of latest findings using technical and scientific experts in nuclear technology is developed. The information highway clearly analyzes the factual information about radiation risk and nuclear energy. Radiation cannot be removed from our environment. The necessity of radiation utilizations defines nuclear energy as two-edge sword. It is therefore, possible to use computer-based information system in projecting and dissemination of expert knowledge about nuclear technology positively and also to use it in directing the public on the safety and control of the nuclear energy. The computer-based information highway for nuclear energy technology is to assist in scientific research and technological development at international level. (author)

Perceptions of climate change and trust in information providers in rural Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Buys, Laurie; Aird, Rosemary; van Megen, Kimberley; Miller, Evonne; Sommerfeld, Jeffrey

2014-02-01

Disagreement within the global science community about the certainty and causes of climate change has led the general public to question what to believe and whom to trust on matters related to this issue. This paper reports on qualitative research undertaken with Australian residents from two rural areas to explore their perceptions of climate change and trust in information providers. While overall, residents tended to agree that climate change is a reality, perceptions varied in terms of its causes and how best to address it. Politicians, government, and the media were described as untrustworthy sources of information about climate change, with independent scientists being the most trusted. The vested interests of information providers appeared to be a key reason for their distrust. The findings highlight the importance of improved transparency and consultation with the public when communicating information about climate change and related policies.

Implementation of Technology-based Patient Engagement Strategies within Practice-based Research Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Careyva, Beth; Shaak, Kyle; Mills, Geoffrey; Johnson, Melanie; Goodrich, Samantha; Stello, Brian; Wallace, Lorraine S

2016-01-01

Technology-based patient engagement strategies (such as patient portals) are increasingly available, yet little is known about current use and barriers within practice-based research networks (PBRNs). PBRN directors have unique opportunities to inform the implementation of patient-facing technology and to translate these findings into practice. PBRN directors were queried regarding technology-based patient engagement strategies as part of the 2015 CAFM Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of PBRN directors. A total of 102 PBRN directors were identified via the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's registry; 54 of 96 eligible PBRN directors completed the survey, for a response rate of 56%. Use of technology-based patient engagement strategies within PBRNs was limited, with less than half of respondents reporting experience with the most frequently named tools (risk assessments/decision aids). Information technology (IT) support was the top barrier, followed by low rates of portal enrollment. For engaging participant practices, workload and practice leadership were cited as most important, with fewer respondents noting concerns about patient privacy. Given limited use of patient-facing technologies, PBRNs have an opportunity to clarify the optimal use of these strategies. Providing IT support and addressing clinician concerns regarding workload may facilitate the inclusion of innovative technologies in PBRNs. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

A Location-Based Business Information Recommendation Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shudong Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, many researches on information (e.g., POI, ADs recommendation based on location have been done in both research and industry. In this paper, we firstly construct a region-based location graph (RLG, in which region node respectively connects with user node and business information node, and then we propose a location-based recommendation algorithm based on RLG, which can combine with user short-ranged mobility formed by daily activity and long-distance mobility formed by social network ties and sequentially can recommend local business information and long-distance business information to users. Moreover, it can combine user-based collaborative filtering with item-based collaborative filtering, and it can alleviate cold start problem which traditional recommender systems often suffer from. Empirical studies from large-scale real-world data from Yelp demonstrate that our method outperforms other methods on the aspect of recommendation accuracy.

A review of European research on consumer response to nutrition information on food labels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Wills, Josephine M.

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to review research conducted in 2003-2006 in the EU-15 countries on how consumers perceive, understand, like and use nutrition information on food labels. Based on a search of databases on academic publications, Google-based search, and enquiries directed to a range...... with an earlier review by Cowburn and Stockley (Public Health Nutr 8:21-28, 2005), covering research up to 2002, but provide new insights into consumer liking and understanding of simplified front of pack signposting formats. There is an urgent need for more research studying consumer use of nutritional...

A metasynthesis of patient-provider communication in hospital for patients with severe communication disabilities: informing new translational research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemsley, Bronwyn; Balandin, Susan

2014-12-01

Poor patient-provider communication in hospital continues to be cited as a possible causal factor in preventable adverse events for patients with severe communication disabilities. Yet to date there are no reports of empirical interventions that investigate or demonstrate an improvement in communication in hospital for these patients. The aim of this review was to synthesize the findings of research into communication in hospital for people with severe communication disabilities arising from lifelong and acquired stable conditions including cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disability, aphasia following stroke, but excluding progressive conditions and those solely related to sensory impairments of hearing or vision. Results revealed six core strategies suggested to improve communication in hospital: (a) develop services, systems, and policies that support improved communication, (b) devote enough time to communication, (c) ensure adequate access to communication tools (nurse call systems and communication aids), (d) access personally held written health information, (e) collaborate effectively with carers, spouses, and parents, and (f) increase the communicative competence of hospital staff. Currently there are no reports that trial or validate any of these strategies specifically in hospital settings. Observational and evaluative research is needed to investigate the ecological validity of strategies proposed to improve communication.

Spatial Information in local society’s cultural conservation and research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-J. Jang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Center for Geographic Information Science, Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences,Academia Sinica (GIS center, Coordinate short-, medium-, and long-term operations of multidisciplinary researches focusing on related topics in the sciences and humanities. Based on the requirements of multi-disciplinary research applications, sustain collection and construction of sustaining and unifying spatial base data and knowledge and building of spatial data infrastructure. Since the 1990s, GIS center build geographic information platform: "Time and space infrastructure of Chinese civilization" (Chinese Civilizationin Time and Space, CCTS and "Taiwan History and Culture Map" (Taiwan History and Culture in Time and Space, THCTS . the goal of both system is constructing an integrated GIS-based application infrastructure on the spatial extent of China and Taiwan, in the timeframe of Chinese and Taiwanese history, and with the contents of Chinese and Taiwanese civilization. Base on THCTS, we began to build Cultural Resources GIS(CRGIS, http://crgis.rchss.sinica.edu.tw/ in 2006, to collect temples, historic Monuments, historic buildings, old trees, wind lions god and other cultural resource in Taiwan, and provide a platform for the volunteers to make for all types of tangible, intangible cultural resources, add, edit, organize and query data via Content Management System(CMS . CRGIS collected aggregated 13,000 temples, 4,900 churches. On this basis, draw a variety of religious beliefs map-multiple times Temple distributions, different main god distributions, church distribution. Such as Mazu maps, Multiple times temple distributions map (before 1823, 1823-1895,1895-1949,1949-2015 years at Taijiang inner sea areas in Tainan. In Taiwan, there is a religious ritual through folk activities for a period ranging from one day to several days, passing specific geospatial range and passes through some temples or houses. Such an important folk activity somewhat

A Design-Based Research Project on Information Literacy Focusing on Process, Reflections and Self-Feedback

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majbritt Ursula Johansen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Many curriculums assume that the new generation of students are digital natives and information literate. However, studies show that this is not often the case. From these studies and our own experiences working with multidisciplinary students in the Health Sciences we found that students were not as information literate as required in the curriculum. Using Design Based Research as a method (following the four phases below, we developed a new information search process and a web-based tool with feedback opportunities from teachers and librarians in order to qualify the students competencies. Problem identification: Despite earlier initiatives from library and department, the students didn’t achieve higher levels of information literacy. Prototyping: Requirements and educational material were merged and tested while gathering feedback. Iterations: The prototype and feedback were evaluated and developed into a new information search process, which was tested and evaluated. Reflection and generalization: Initiative was taken to develope a web-based application visualizing the steps with the learning points: self-feedback, peer-feedback and counselor feedback. The result of the project is a new information search process model and a web-based learning environment called B!NKO 2.0. The evaluations have shown positive feedback on both the process and the web tool. The project has opened up new possibilities that go beyond the Health multidisciplinary students. A new project concerning the Humanities and Social Sciences is incipient. In this project new functionalities are also expected. B!NKO 2.0 has to a great extent shown its worth to help Health multidisciplinary students to get a deeper understanding of information literacy, and how to develop and change searches to get better results. B!NKO 2.0 has also given a positive "side effect” on the librarians work. Time spend on the "Book a Librarian” service have decreased for the librarians using

Using community-based participatory research principles to develop more understandable recruitment and informed consent documents in genomic research.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harlyn G Skinner

Full Text Available Heart Healthy Lenoir is a transdisciplinary project aimed at creating long-term, sustainable approaches to reduce cardiovascular disease risk disparities in Lenoir County, North Carolina using a design spanning genomic analysis and clinical intervention. We hypothesized that residents of Lenoir County would be unfamiliar and mistrustful of genomic research, and therefore reluctant to participate; additionally, these feelings would be higher in African-Americans.To test our hypothesis, we conducted qualitative research using community-based participatory research principles to ensure our genomic research strategies addressed the needs, priorities, and concerns of the community. African-American (n = 19 and White (n = 16 adults in Lenoir County participated in four focus groups exploring perceptions about genomics and cardiovascular disease. Demographic surveys were administered and a semi-structured interview guide was used to facilitate discussions. The discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed in ATLAS.ti.From our analysis, key themes emerged: transparent communication, privacy, participation incentives and barriers, knowledge, and the impact of knowing. African-Americans were more concerned about privacy and community impact compared to Whites, however, African-Americans were still eager to participate in our genomic research project. The results from our formative study were used to improve the informed consent and recruitment processes by: 1 reducing misconceptions of genomic studies; and 2 helping to foster participant understanding and trust with the researchers. Our study demonstrates how community-based participatory research principles can be used to gain deeper insight into the community and increase participation in genomic research studies. Due in part to these efforts 80.3% of eligible African-American participants and 86.9% of eligible White participants enrolled in the Heart Healthy Lenoir Genomics

Drug knowledge bases and their applications in biomedical informatics research.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yongjun; Elemento, Olivier; Pathak, Jyotishman; Wang, Fei

2018-01-03

Recent advances in biomedical research have generated a large volume of drug-related data. To effectively handle this flood of data, many initiatives have been taken to help researchers make good use of them. As the results of these initiatives, many drug knowledge bases have been constructed. They range from simple ones with specific focuses to comprehensive ones that contain information on almost every aspect of a drug. These curated drug knowledge bases have made significant contributions to the development of efficient and effective health information technologies for better health-care service delivery. Understanding and comparing existing drug knowledge bases and how they are applied in various biomedical studies will help us recognize the state of the art and design better knowledge bases in the future. In addition, researchers can get insights on novel applications of the drug knowledge bases through a review of successful use cases. In this study, we provide a review of existing popular drug knowledge bases and their applications in drug-related studies. We discuss challenges in constructing and using drug knowledge bases as well as future research directions toward a better ecosystem of drug knowledge bases. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Strengthening Information Society Research Capacity Alliance ...

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

2011-09-13

The project is expected to strengthen the body of theoretically based, methodologically sound, interdisciplinary research on information society issues. Project ID. 106618. Project status. Closed. Start Date. September 13, 2011. End Date. August 12, 2014. Duration. 24 months. IDRC Officer. Smith, Matthew. Total funding.

The ABCs of incentive-based treatment in health care: a behavior analytic framework to inform research and practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meredith SE

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Steven E Meredith,1 Brantley P Jarvis,2 Bethany R Raiff,3 Alana M Rojewski,2 Allison Kurti,2 Rachel N Cassidy,2 Philip Erb,2 Jolene R Sy,4 Jesse Dallery2 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 3Department of Psychology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA; 4Saint Louis University School of Social Work, St Louis, MO, USA Abstract: Behavior plays an important role in health promotion. Exercise, smoking cessation, medication adherence, and other healthy behavior can help prevent, or even treat, some diseases. Consequently, interventions that promote healthy behavior have become increasingly common in health care settings. Many of these interventions award incentives contingent upon preventive health-related behavior. Incentive-based interventions vary considerably along several dimensions, including who is targeted in the intervention, which behavior is targeted, and what type of incentive is used. More research on the quantitative and qualitative features of many of these variables is still needed to inform treatment. However, extensive literature on basic and applied behavior analytic research is currently available to help guide the study and practice of incentive-based treatment in health care. In this integrated review, we discuss how behavior analytic research and theory can help treatment providers design and implement incentive-based interventions that promote healthy behavior. Keywords: incentives, contingency management, conditional cash transfer, pay-for-performance, wellness

Unfree markets: socially embedded informal health providers in northern Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Asha; Iyer, Aditi

2013-11-01

The dynamics of informal health markets in marginalised regions are relevant to policy discourse in India, but are poorly understood. We examine how informal health markets operate from the viewpoint of informal providers (those without any government-recognised medical degrees, otherwise known as RMPs) by drawing upon data from a household survey in 2002, a provider census in 2004 and ongoing field observations from a research site in Koppal district, Karnataka, India. We find that despite their illegality, RMPs depend on government and private providers for their training and referral networks. Buffeted by unregulated market pressures, RMPs are driven to provide allopathic commodities regardless of need, but can also be circumspect in their practice. Though motivated by profit, their socially embedded practice at community level at times undermines their ability to ensure payment of fees for their services. In addition, RMPs feel that communities can threaten them via violence or malicious rumours, leading them to seek political favour and social protection from village elites and elected representatives. RMPs operate within negotiated quid pro quo bargains that lead to tenuous reciprocity or fragile trust between them and the communities in which they practise. In the context of this 'unfree' market, some RMPs reported being more embedded in health systems, more responsive to communities and more vulnerable to unregulated market pressures than others. Understanding the heterogeneity, nuanced motivations and the embedded social relations that mark informal providers in the health systems, markets and communities they work in, is critical for health system reforms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Providing Data Quality Information for Remote Sensing Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, F.; Blaschke, T.; Lang, S.; Abdulmutalib, H. M.; Szabó, G.; Barsi, Á.; Batini, C.; Bartsch, A.; Kugler, Zs.; Tiede, D.; Huang, G.

2018-04-01

The availability and accessibility of remote sensing (RS) data, cloud processing platforms and provided information products and services has increased the size and diversity of the RS user community. This development also generates a need for validation approaches to assess data quality. Validation approaches employ quality criteria in their assessment. Data Quality (DQ) dimensions as the basis for quality criteria have been deeply investigated in the database area and in the remote sensing domain. Several standards exist within the RS domain but a general classification - established for databases - has been adapted only recently. For an easier identification of research opportunities, a better understanding is required how quality criteria are employed in the RS lifecycle. Therefore, this research investigates how quality criteria support decisions that guide the RS lifecycle and how they relate to the measured DQ dimensions. Subsequently follows an overview of the relevant standards in the RS domain that is matched to the RS lifecycle. Conclusively, the required research needs are identified that would enable a complete understanding of the interrelationships between the RS lifecycle, the data sources and the DQ dimensions, an understanding that would be very valuable for designing validation approaches in RS.

Standardized reporting of functioning information on ICF-based common metrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Prodinger, Birgit; Tennant, Alan; Stucki, Gerold

2018-02-01

In clinical practice and research a variety of clinical data collection tools are used to collect information on people's functioning for clinical practice and research and national health information systems. Reporting on ICF-based common metrics enables standardized documentation of functioning information in national health information systems. The objective of this methodological note on applying the ICF in rehabilitation is to demonstrate how to report functioning information collected with a data collection tool on ICF-based common metrics. We first specify the requirements for the standardized reporting of functioning information. Secondly, we introduce the methods needed for transforming functioning data to ICF-based common metrics. Finally, we provide an example. The requirements for standardized reporting are as follows: 1) having a common conceptual framework to enable content comparability between any health information; and 2) a measurement framework so that scores between two or more clinical data collection tools can be directly compared. The methods needed to achieve these requirements are the ICF Linking Rules and the Rasch measurement model. Using data collected incorporating the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), and the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS 3.0), the application of the standardized reporting based on common metrics is demonstrated. A subset of items from the three tools linked to common chapters of the ICF (d4 Mobility, d5 Self-care and d6 Domestic life), were entered as "super items" into the Rasch model. Good fit was achieved with no residual local dependency and a unidimensional metric. A transformation table allows for comparison between scales, and between a scale and the reporting common metric. Being able to report functioning information collected with commonly used clinical data collection tools with ICF-based common metrics enables clinicians

Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group: Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 4

Science.gov (United States)

Estes, John E.; Smith, Terence; Star, Jeffrey L.

1987-01-01

Information Sciences Research Group (ISRG) research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. Particular focus in on the needs of the remote sensing research and application science community which will be served by the Earth Observing System (EOS) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The areas of georeferenced information systems, machine assisted information extraction from image data, artificial intelligence and both natural and cultural vegetation analysis and modeling research will be expanded.

Market research and complementary advertising under asymmetric information

OpenAIRE

Tsuchihashi, Toshihiro

2008-01-01

We consider whether market research can always increase a seller's sales under bilateral asymmetric information. If a monopoly seller provides a high quality object, market research cannot increase sales even when the cost is sufficiently low. A low quality seller, on the other hand, can likely benefit from market research. However, this research has shown that market research alone does not improve sales and that advertising complements market research. Thus the high quality seller can incre...

Evidence-Based Scholarly Communication: Information Professionals Unlocking Translational Research

OpenAIRE

Philip J. Kroth; Holly E. Phillips; Jonathan D. Eldredge

2010-01-01

The Evidence-Based Scholarly Communication Conference (EBSCC) was held March 11-12, 2010 in Albuquerque, NM. The conference addressed the perceived gap in knowledge and training for scholarly communication principles in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program. The EBSCC brought together librarians and information specialists to share evidence based strategies for developing effective local scholarly communication support and training and...

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Whitehead

2009-06-01

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

Energy information data base. Guide to abstracting and indexing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-02-01

The Technical Information Center (TIC) acquires and brings under bibliographic control information related to the administrative and research, development, and demonstration activities of the Department of Energy (DOE). Three major data bases are being created and maintained: the Energy Information Data Base (EDB) containing scientific and technical information covering all areas of energy as well as quasi-technical information in the area of energy policy and management; the General and Practical Information Base (GAP) containing mass-distribution information on energy, ''how-to'' information primarily in the areas of energy conservation and solar energy utilization, and information on energy-related legislation and standards; and the Research in Progress Information Base (RIP), which describes current research and development programs in the field of energy. Two smaller, classified data bases are also produced, one on weapons data and the second containing other information that must be given limited distribution. Two of the more significant components of the document records stored are abstracts and subject descriptors. This manual contains the guidelines used in abstract writing and editing and in subject descriptor selection. The associated acquisition and subject categorization functions are also addressed

A Research-Informed, School-Based Professional Development Workshop Programme to Promote Dialogic Teaching with Interactive Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Sara; Dragovic, Tatjana; Warwick, Paul

2018-01-01

The study reported in this article investigated the influence of a research-informed, school-based, professional development workshop programme on the quality of classroom dialogue using the interactive whiteboard (IWB). The programme aimed to develop a dialogic approach to teaching and learning mediated through more interactive uses of the IWB,…

Evidence, Engagement, and Technology: Themes of and the State of Primary Care Practice-based Network Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Nease, Donald E

2016-01-01

Practice-based research supported by practice-based research network (PBRN) infrastructure has historically provided an important method for challenging guidelines and evidence arising from secondary and tertiary care settings. This sample of current practice-based research in this issue of the JABFM provides an opportunity to ask whether practice-based research continues to address questions relevant to primary care practices and clinicians and whether a PBRN infrastructure is instrumental to maintaining the relevance and feasibility of practice-based research. Based on this issue's articles, the current state of practice-based research seems to be good, at face value addressing relevant issues for primary care practices. Less clear is the degree to which PBRN infrastructures and relationships informed the questions asked and facilitated the implementation of the studies presented. Practice-based research-related articles that routinely report about how study questions arose-from practices and their clinicians, staff and communities, or elsewhere-could help directly answer questions of relevance. In addition, reporting how practices are recruited to practice-based research studies could inform the degree to which ongoing relationships central to PBRNs facilitate the recruitment and conduct of practice-based research. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Ethical aspects of registry-based research in the Nordic countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludvigsson, Jonas F; Håberg, Siri E; Knudsen, Gun Peggy; Lafolie, Pierre; Zoega, Helga; Sarkkola, Catharina; von Kraemer, Stephanie; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Nørgaard, Mette

2015-01-01

National health care registries in the Nordic countries share many attributes, but different legal and ethical frameworks represent a challenge to promoting effective joint research. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about how ethical matters are considered in Nordic registry-based research, and a lack of knowledge about how Nordic ethics committees operate and what is needed to obtain an approval. In this paper, we review ethical aspects of registry-based research, the legal framework, the role of ethics review boards in the Nordic countries, and the structure of the ethics application. We discuss the role of informed consent in registry-based research and how to safeguard the integrity of study participants, including vulnerable subjects and children. Our review also provides information on the different government agencies that contribute registry-based data, and a list of the major health registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Both ethical values and conditions for registry-based research are similar in the Nordic countries. While Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have chosen different legal frameworks, these differences can be resolved through mutual recognition of ethical applications and by harmonizing the different systems, likely leading to increased collaboration and enlarged studies.

Knowledge-Based Information Management in Decision Support for Ecosystem Management

Science.gov (United States)

Keith Reynolds; Micahel Saunders; Richard Olson; Daniel Schmoldt; Michael Foster; Donald Latham; Bruce Miller; John Steffenson; Lawrence Bednar; Patrick Cunningham

1995-01-01

The Pacific Northwest Research Station (USDA Forest Service) is developing a knowledge-based information management system to provide decision support for watershed analysis in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. The decision support system includes: (1) a GIS interface that allows users to graphically navigate to specific provinces and watersheds and display a...

Supporting patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based health-related quality of life information prior to and after esophageal cancer surgery

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, M.

2015-01-01

The overall aim of this thesis was to support patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based HRQL data prior to and following esophageal cancer surgery. This thesis is divided in two parts. In Part I, we addressed the information needs of esophageal cancer patients prior to and following esophageal surgery, the barriers and facilitators patients experienced when discussing their information needs with their oncologist, and the development of a web-based question prompt shee...

Integrating information technologies as tools for surgical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Schell, Scott R

2005-10-01

Surgical research is dependent upon information technologies. Selection of the computer, operating system, and software tool that best support the surgical investigator's needs requires careful planning before research commences. This manuscript presents a brief tutorial on how surgical investigators can best select these information technologies, with comparisons and recommendations between existing systems, software, and solutions. Privacy concerns, based upon HIPAA and other regulations, now require careful proactive attention to avoid legal penalties, civil litigation, and financial loss. Security issues are included as part of the discussions related to selection and application of information technology. This material was derived from a segment of the Association for Academic Surgery's Fundamentals of Surgical Research course.

Coal transportation research and information needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eck, R.W. (West Virginia Univ., Morgantown); Hui, C.Y.

1978-09-01

This paper examines some of the existing and emerging issues of interest to engineers and planners dealing with coal transportation. One conclusion is that any research or data collection efforts in this field must be of a multidisciplinary nature. Not only must transportation planners, highway engineers, maintenance engineers, and soils engineers work together but, in addition, engineers will need to work with geologists, economists, and marketing specialists for effective planning, design, and operation of the coal transportation system. Earlier sections of this paper may have given the erroneous impression that all future research should concentrate on problems of transporting coal by truck. Although the West Virginia coal conversion study documented information deficiencies relative to the highway transportation of coal, research efforts involving railroads and waterways should continue. There is a serious need for research and information relative to the interactions between modes. For example, in order to predict the impact of local coal conversions on rail and barge systems that serve retailers, it is necessary to have a knowledge of the typical volumes that would be required by retail facilities, frequency of delivery to retail yards, and transportation distances involved mine and retailer. This paper deals with relatively short-term planning, however, information is required on the long-range future of the coal industry. Decision makers involved with providing an adequate coal transportation system must have information on the future role that coal will play in United States energy policy. (MCW)

Informed consent needed for sterilization or research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, B

1998-01-01

Informed choice involves enabling family planning clients to base their decisions about contraceptive use upon adequate information. It is a process in which clients give their permission to undergo a procedure, take a medication, or participate in a study after being fully informed. Informed consent protects an individual's freedom of choice, respects his or her autonomy, is important in both family planning programs and reproductive health research, and should always be available to clients seeking health services. Although written informed consent is not needed for most reproductive health services, it should be obtained from men and women who undergo sterilization, since that involves surgery and is considered permanent. In addition, people who volunteer to participate in contraceptive studies need to be fully informed of the risks and benefits of any new drugs or devices they receive. Volunteers should understand the potential effects of methods upon their physical health and other aspects of their lives. Ethical reviews need to be conducted before research begins.

Nevada Applied Ecology Information Center: a review of technical information support provided to the Nevada Applied Ecology Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fore, C.S.; Pfuderer, H.A.

1983-01-01

The Nevada Applied Ecology Information Center (NAEIC) was established in January 1972 to serve the needs of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) by identifying, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating technical information relevant to NAEG programs. Since its inception, the NAEIC has been active in providing specialized information support to NAEG staff in the following research areas: (1) environmental aspects of the transuranics; (2) historic literature (pre-1962) on plutonium and uranium; (3) cleanup and treatment of radioactively contaminated land; (4) bioenvironmental aspects of europium and rhodium; (5) NAEG contractor reports; and (6) uptake of radioactivity by food crops

Web-Based Tools for Text-Based Patient-Provider Communication in Chronic Conditions: Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Voruganti, Teja; Grunfeld, Eva; Makuwaza, Tutsirai; Bender, Jacqueline L

2017-10-27

Patients with chronic conditions require ongoing care which not only necessitates support from health care providers outside appointments but also self-management. Web-based tools for text-based patient-provider communication, such as secure messaging, allow for sharing of contextual information and personal narrative in a simple accessible medium, empowering patients and enabling their providers to address emerging care needs. The objectives of this study were to (1) conduct a systematic search of the published literature and the Internet for Web-based tools for text-based communication between patients and providers; (2) map tool characteristics, their intended use, contexts in which they were used, and by whom; (3) describe the nature of their evaluation; and (4) understand the terminology used to describe the tools. We conducted a scoping review using the MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) and EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database) databases. We summarized information on the characteristics of the tools (structure, functions, and communication paradigm), intended use, context and users, evaluation (study design and outcomes), and terminology. We performed a parallel search of the Internet to compare with tools identified in the published literature. We identified 54 papers describing 47 unique tools from 13 countries studied in the context of 68 chronic health conditions. The majority of tools (77%, 36/47) had functions in addition to communication (eg, viewable care plan, symptom diary, or tracker). Eight tools (17%, 8/47) were described as allowing patients to communicate with the team or multiple health care providers. Most of the tools were intended to support communication regarding symptom reporting (49%, 23/47), and lifestyle or behavior modification (36%, 17/47). The type of health care providers who used tools to communicate with patients were predominantly allied health professionals of various disciplines (30%, 14

Web-based provision of information on infectious diseases: a systems study.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Anjana; Kostkova, Patty; Catchpole, Michael; Carson, Ewart

2006-12-01

The National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) is an Internet medical information resources portal, principally for healthcare professionals, within which the National electronic Library of Infection (NeLI) is one of NeLH Specialist Libraries providing evidence on infectious diseases. In this article, we describe a systems-based evaluation of NeLI based on a soft systems methodology. User feedback and other data for the analysis were obtained using online questionnaires. This evaluation, which is a pilot study aimed at demonstrating proof of concept, provided evidence for improving three systems that are crucial to effective NeLI provision. These are navigation of the site, quality and tagging of information provided by NeLI, and information regarding users and their usage of the system. On the basis of a soft systems analysis, an action plan was formulated identifying areas where improvement is needed. Actions for consideration included simplifying terminologies to improve the navigation, enhancing the provision of research assessments, quality tagging NeLI documents, provided by experts in the field, and attracting a broader cross-section of healthcare professional user.

Integration of an OWL-DL knowledge base with an EHR prototype and providing customized information.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Xia; Kay, Stephen; Marley, Tom; Hardiker, Nicholas R

2014-09-01

When clinicians use electronic health record (EHR) systems, their ability to obtain general knowledge is often an important contribution to their ability to make more informed decisions. In this paper we describe a method by which an external, formal representation of clinical and molecular genetic knowledge can be integrated into an EHR such that customized knowledge can be delivered to clinicians in a context-appropriate manner.Web Ontology Language-Description Logic (OWL-DL) is a formal knowledge representation language that is widely used for creating, organizing and managing biomedical knowledge through the use of explicit definitions, consistent structure and a computer-processable format, particularly in biomedical fields. In this paper we describe: 1) integration of an OWL-DL knowledge base with a standards-based EHR prototype, 2) presentation of customized information from the knowledge base via the EHR interface, and 3) lessons learned via the process. The integration was achieved through a combination of manual and automatic methods. Our method has advantages for scaling up to and maintaining knowledge bases of any size, with the goal of assisting clinicians and other EHR users in making better informed health care decisions.

Value of information-based inspection planning for offshore structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irman, Arifian Agusta; Thöns, Sebastian; Leira, Bernt J.

2017-01-01

with each inspection strategy. A simplified and generic risk-based inspection planning utilizing pre- posterior Bayesian decision analysis had been proposed by Faber et al. [1] and Straub [2]. This paper provides considerations on the theoretical background and a Value of Information analysis......-based inspection planning. The paper will start out with a review of the state-of-art RBI planning procedure based on Bayesian decision theory and its application in offshore structure integrity management. An example of the Value of Information approach is illustrated and it is pointed to further research......Asset integrity and management is an important part of the oil and gas industry especially for existing offshore structures. With declining oil price, the production rate is an important factor to be maintained that makes integrity of the structures one of the main concerns. Reliability based...

Values in a Science of Social Work: Values-Informed Research and Research-Informed Values

Science.gov (United States)

Longhofer, Jeffrey; Floersch, Jerry

2014-01-01

While social work must be evaluative in relation to its diverse areas of practice and research (i.e., values-informed research), the purpose of this article is to propose that values are within the scope of research and therefore research on practice should make values a legitimate object of investigation (i.e., research-informed values). In this…

REQUIREMENTS TO AUTOMATIZATION PROCESSING IN THE PROGRAMMING INFORMATION SYSTEM OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES IN ACADEMY OF PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alla V. Kilchenko

2010-08-01

Full Text Available A construction and introduction of the information systems in a management education is the actual task of forming of modern information society. In the article the results of research of automation of treatment of financial documents, which was conducted within the project «Scientific-methodical providing of the informative system of programming of scientific researches in Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine based on the Internet» № 0109U002139 are represented. The article contains methodical principles of automation of treatment programming and financial documents as well as requirements to the information system, which will be the base to next project stages.

Informing potential participants about research: observational study with an embedded randomized controlled trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen M Kirkby

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To assess: 1 the feasibility of electronic information provision; 2 gather evidence on the topics and level of detail of information potential research participant's accessed; 3 to assess satisfaction and understanding. DESIGN: Observational study with an embedded randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Low risk intervention study based in primary care. PARTICIPANTS: White British & Irish, South Asian and African-Caribbean subjects aged between 40-74 years eligible for a blood pressure monitoring study. INTERVENTIONS: PDF copy of the standard paper participant information sheet (PDF-PIS and an electronic Interactive Information Sheet (IIS where participants could choose both the type and level of detail accessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 1 Proportion of participants providing an email address and accessing electronic information 2 Willingness to participate in a recruitment clinic. 3 Type and depth of information accessed on the IIS. 4 Participant satisfaction and understanding. RESULTS: 1160 participants were eligible for the study. Of these, 276 (24% provided an active email address, of whom 84 did not respond to the email. 106 responded to the email but chose not to access any electronic information and were therefore ineligible for randomisation. 42 were randomised to receive the PDF-PIS and 44 to receive the IIS (with consent rates of 48% and 36%, respectively; odds ratio 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.25 to 1.4. Electronic observation of information accessed by potential participants showed 41% chose to access no information and only 9% accessed the detail presented on the Research Ethics Committee approved participant information sheet before booking to attend a recruitment clinic for the intervention study. 63 of the 106 participants (59% who chose not to access any electronic information also booked an appointment. CONCLUSIONS: Current written information about research may not be read, emphasising the importance of the consent

Bandwidth Optimization On Design Of Visual Display Information System Based Networking At Politeknik Negeri Bali

Science.gov (United States)

Sudiartha, IKG; Catur Bawa, IGNB

2018-01-01

Information can not be separated from the social life of the community, especially in the world of education. One of the information fields is academic calendar information, activity agenda, announcement and campus activity news. In line with technological developments, text-based information is becoming obsolete. For that need creativity to present information more quickly, accurately and interesting by exploiting the development of digital technology and internet. In this paper will be developed applications for the provision of information in the form of visual display, applied to computer network system with multimedia applications. Network-based applications provide ease in updating data through internet services, attractive presentations with multimedia support. The application “Networking Visual Display Information Unit” can be used as a medium that provides information services for students and academic employee more interesting and ease in updating information than the bulletin board. The information presented in the form of Running Text, Latest Information, Agenda, Academic Calendar and Video provide an interesting presentation and in line with technological developments at the Politeknik Negeri Bali. Through this research is expected to create software “Networking Visual Display Information Unit” with optimal bandwidth usage by combining local data sources and data through the network. This research produces visual display design with optimal bandwidth usage and application in the form of supporting software.

[Schizophrenia and informed consent to research].

Science.gov (United States)

Fovet, T; Amad, A; Thomas, P; Jardri, R

2015-10-01

Informed consent to research remains a complex issue, while sometimes staying difficult to obtain, even in the general population. This problem may be maximized with patients suffering from schizophrenia. This paper summarizes available data in the literature about informed consent for research involving patients suffering from schizophrenia. Medline and Google Scholar searches were conducted using the following MESH terms: schizophrenia, informed consent and research. Studies using dedicated standardized scales (e.g. MacCAT-CR) revealed a decrease in the capacity to consent of patients with schizophrenia when compared with healthy individuals. Keeping in mind that schizophrenia is an heterogeneous disorder, patients with the lowest insight as well as those with the most severe cognitive symptoms appeared more impaired in their capacity to consent. Such a poor capacity to understand and consent to trials was shown linked with alterations in decision-making. For these specific patients, interventions may be set up to increase their capacity to consent. Various strategies were proposed: enhanced consent forms, extended discussion, test/feedback method or multimedia interventions. Among them, interventions relying on communication and the growing field of information technologies (e.g. web-based tools) seem promising. Finally, associations grouping families and patients (like the French Association UNAFAM) may facilitate the involvement of patients in research programs with safer conditions. Patients suffering from schizophrenia appear able to consent to research programs when suitable interventions are proposed. Further studies are now needed to optimize and individualize such interventions. Copyright © 2014 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Evolution of the Research Libraries Information Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, David; Lerche, Carol

1989-01-01

Discusses current RLIN (Research Libraries Information Network) communications technology and motivations for change. Goals, topology, hardware, software, and protocol, terminal wiring, and deployment are considered. Sidebars provide a diagram of the current RLIN communications technology and describe the integrated RLIN network. (one reference)…

Capturing information needs of care providers to support knowledge sharing and distributed decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, M; Zach, L; An, Y; Dalrymple, P

2012-01-01

This paper reports on work carried out to elicit information needs at a trans-disciplinary, nurse-managed health care clinic that serves a medically disadvantaged urban population. The trans-disciplinary model provides a "one-stop shop" for patients who can receive a wide range of services beyond traditional primary care. However, this model of health care presents knowledge sharing challenges because little is known about how data collected from the non-traditional services can be integrated into the traditional electronic medical record (EMR) and shared with other care providers. There is also little known about how health information technology (HIT) can be used to support the workflow in such a practice. The objective of this case study was to identify the information needs of care providers in order to inform the design of HIT to support knowledge sharing and distributed decision making. A participatory design approach is presented as a successful technique to specify requirements for HIT applications that can support a trans-disciplinary model of care. Using this design approach, the researchers identified the information needs of care providers working at the clinic and suggested HIT improvements to integrate non-traditional information into the EMR. These modifications allow knowledge sharing among care providers and support better health decisions. We have identified information needs of care providers as they are relevant to the design of health information systems. As new technology is designed and integrated into various workflows it is clear that understanding information needs is crucial to acceptance of that technology.

Information support of Energy Research and Development Administration's environmental program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulrikson, G.U.

1975-01-01

The primary function of the Information Center Complex (ICC) is to develop and correlate the information activities of the energy and related environmental research projects at ORNL and to systematize operations to achieve maximum response to the information needs of funding agencies and user community. The development of new data bases and information services as need arises is a major responsibility of ICC. Interactions among segments of ICC provide for a wide range of analysis and synthesis of knowledge, resulting in a synergistic effect. Present methods used to retrieve environmental information from the scientific literature are reviewed with respect to specific procedures employed by ICC, and the use of highly specialized data bases in relation to manual and computerized sources is discussed. Procedures employed for different types of queries and the search strategy utilized are summarized indicating the extent of coverage from the various data bases. The ICC matrix organization is described. This organizational structure is representative of the subject area disciplines which contribute to biomedical and environmental information and an intersecting structure which provides for the accomplishment of mission-oriented tasks overlapping general disciplines. The advantages of a matrix organization are discussed

Isotope-based quantum information

CERN Document Server

G Plekhanov, Vladimir

2012-01-01

The present book provides to the main ideas and techniques of the rapid progressing field of quantum information and quantum computation using isotope - mixed materials. It starts with an introduction to the isotope physics and then describes of the isotope - based quantum information and quantum computation. The ability to manipulate and control electron and/or nucleus spin in semiconductor devices provides a new route to expand the capabilities of inorganic semiconductor-based electronics and to design innovative devices with potential application in quantum computing. One of the major challenges towards these objectives is to develop semiconductor-based systems and architectures in which the spatial distribution of spins and their properties can be controlled. For instance, to eliminate electron spin decoherence resulting from hyperfine interaction due to nuclear spin background, isotopically controlled devices are needed (i.e., nuclear spin-depleted). In other emerging concepts, the control of the spatial...

Text mining scientific papers: a survey on FCA-based information retrieval research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poelmans, J.; Ignatov, D.I.; Viaene, S.; Dedene, G.; Kuznetsov, S.O.

2012-01-01

Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) is an unsupervised clustering technique and many scientific papers are devoted to applying FCA in Information Retrieval (IR) research. We collected 103 papers published between 2003-2009 which mention FCA and information retrieval in the abstract, title or keywords.

Design and development of semantic web-based system for computer science domain-specific information retrieval

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ritika Bansal

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In semantic web-based system, the concept of ontology is used to search results by contextual meaning of input query instead of keyword matching. From the research literature, there seems to be a need for a tool which can provide an easy interface for complex queries in natural language that can retrieve the domain-specific information from the ontology. This research paper proposes an IRSCSD system (Information retrieval system for computer science domain as a solution. This system offers advanced querying and browsing of structured data with search results automatically aggregated and rendered directly in a consistent user-interface, thus reducing the manual effort of users. So, the main objective of this research is design and development of semantic web-based system for integrating ontology towards domain-specific retrieval support. Methodology followed is a piecemeal research which involves the following stages. First Stage involves the designing of framework for semantic web-based system. Second stage builds the prototype for the framework using Protégé tool. Third Stage deals with the natural language query conversion into SPARQL query language using Python-based QUEPY framework. Fourth Stage involves firing of converted SPARQL queries to the ontology through Apache's Jena API to fetch the results. Lastly, evaluation of the prototype has been done in order to ensure its efficiency and usability. Thus, this research paper throws light on framework development for semantic web-based system that assists in efficient retrieval of domain-specific information, natural language query interpretation into semantic web language, creation of domain-specific ontology and its mapping with related ontology. This research paper also provides approaches and metrics for ontology evaluation on prototype ontology developed to study the performance based on accessibility of required domain-related information.

An evidence synthesis of the international knowledge base for new care models to inform and mobilise knowledge for multispecialty community providers (MCPs).

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Alison; Mulla, Abeda; Booth, Andrew; Aldridge, Shiona; Stevens, Sharon; Battye, Fraser; Spilsbury, Peter

2016-10-01

NHS England's Five Year Forward View (NHS England, Five Year Forward View, 2014) formally introduced a strategy for new models of care driven by simultaneous pressures to contain costs, improve care and deliver services closer to home through integrated models. This synthesis focuses on a multispecialty community provider (MCP) model. This new model of care seeks to overcome the limitations in current models of care, often based around single condition-focused pathways, in contrast to patient-focused delivery (Royal College of General Practitioners, The 2022 GP: compendium of evidence, 2012) which offers greater continuity of care in recognition of complex needs and multimorbidity. The synthesis, an innovative combination of best fit framework synthesis and realist synthesis, will develop a "blueprint" which articulates how and why MCP models work, to inform design of future iterations of the MCP model. A systematic search will be conducted to identify research and practice-derived evidence to achieve a balance that captures the historical legacy of MCP models but focuses on contemporary evidence. Sources will include bibliographic databases including MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, HMIC and Cochrane Library; and grey literature sources. The Best Fit synthesis methodology will be combined with a synthesis following realist principles which are particularly suited to exploring what works, when, for whom and in what circumstances. The aim of this synthesis is to provide decision makers in health and social care with a practical evidence base relating to the multispecialty community provider (MCP) model of care. PROSPERO CRD42016039552 .

An Integral Model to Provide Reactive and Proactive Services in an Academic CSIRT Based on Business Intelligence

OpenAIRE

Walter Fuertes; Francisco Reyes; Paúl Valladares; Freddy Tapia; Theofilos Toulkeridis; Ernesto Pérez

2017-01-01

Cyber-attacks have increased in severity and complexity. That requires, that the CERT/CSIRT research and develops new security tools. Therefore, our study focuses on the design of an integral model based on Business Intelligence (BI), which provides reactive and proactive services in a CSIRT, in order to alert and reduce any suspicious or malicious activity on information systems and data networks. To achieve this purpose, a solution has been assembled, that generates information stores, bein...

A rural community's involvement in the design and usability testing of a computer-based informed consent process for the Personalized Medicine Research Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahnke, Andrea N; Plasek, Joseph M; Hoffman, David G; Partridge, Nathan S; Foth, Wendy S; Waudby, Carol J; Rasmussen, Luke V; McManus, Valerie D; McCarty, Catherine A

2014-01-01

Many informed consent studies demonstrate that research subjects poorly retain and understand information in written consent documents. Previous research in multimedia consent is mixed in terms of success for improving participants' understanding, satisfaction, and retention. This failure may be due to a lack of a community-centered design approach to building the interventions. The goal of this study was to gather information from the community to determine the best way to undertake the consent process. Community perceptions regarding different computer-based consenting approaches were evaluated, and a computer-based consent was developed and tested. A second goal was to evaluate whether participants make truly informed decisions to participate in research. Simulations of an informed consent process were videotaped to document the process. Focus groups were conducted to determine community attitudes towards a computer-based informed consent process. Hybrid focus groups were conducted to determine the most acceptable hardware device. Usability testing was conducted on a computer-based consent prototype using a touch-screen kiosk. Based on feedback, a computer-based consent was developed. Representative study participants were able to easily complete the consent, and all were able to correctly answer the comprehension check questions. Community involvement in developing a computer-based consent proved valuable for a population-based genetic study. These findings may translate to other types of informed consents, including those for trials involving treatment of genetic disorders. A computer-based consent may serve to better communicate consistent, clear, accurate, and complete information regarding the risks and benefits of study participation. Additional analysis is necessary to measure the level of comprehension of the check-question answers by larger numbers of participants. The next step will involve contacting participants to measure whether understanding of

Health information exchanges--Unfulfilled promise as a data source for clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Carol; Weiner, Michael; Reeves, Mathew

2016-03-01

To determine the use of health information exchange organizations (HIEs) to support and conduct clinical research. This scoping review included US-based studies published between January 2003 and March 2014 that used data from an HIE to address at least one of three categories of research: clinical or epidemiological research, financial evaluation, or utilization of health services. Eligibility was not restricted to research on HIEs. Studies with research questions outside of the evaluation of HIEs themselves were sought. Eighteen articles met final study inclusion criteria from an initial list of 847 hits. Fifteen studies addressed a clinical or epidemiological research question, 6 addressed a financial consideration, and 8 addressed a utilization issue. Considerable overlap was found among the research categories: 13 articles addressed more than one category. Of the eighteen included studies, only two used HIE data to answer a research objective that was NOT specific to HIE use. Research designs were varied and ranged from observational studies, such as cohort and cross-sectional studies, to randomized trials. The 18 articles represent the involvement of a small number of HIEs; 7 of the studies were from a single HIE. This review demonstrates that HIE-provided information is available and used to answer clinical or epidemiological, financial, or utilization-based research questions; however, the majority of the studies using HIE data are done with the primary goal of evaluating the use and impact of HIEs on health care delivery and outcomes. As HIEs mature and become integrated parts of the health care industry, the authors anticipate that fewer studies will be published that describe or validate the role of HIEs, and more will use HIEs as multi-institutional data sources for conducting clinical research and improving health services and clinical outcomes. Articles identified in this review indicate the limited extent that HIE data are being used for clinical

Developing a community based service model for disability: Listening to the needs of all beneficiaries and providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Katrina

2017-12-11

To inform the strategic and operational development of a community based service model at the Crann Centre, Cork, Ireland for SB children, adults, their families and providers. A needs assessment was conducted by gathering the views of multiple stakeholder perspectives within the SB community in the geographical region the Centre will serve. The intention is to create project deliverables that are responsive to the needs highlighted through this research. The study used a multi method design with a participatory research approach to explore the needs of SB individuals, families and providers. This involved in depth interviews, focus groups and online surveys. One hundred and fifty-nine respondents contributed to this qualitative needs assessment. The research established a range of psychosocial, clinical, vocational and educational issues causing ongoing difficulties for SB individuals and families. Providers highlighted supports that would benefit the social and clinical wellbeing of persons with SB. Collectively participants in the study reported that there was an absence of coordinated, continuous and comprehensive service delivery for the SB community in the region. This was amplified by geographical location of services and access to relevant supports. Consensus across stakeholders in this research pointed to the necessity for an innovative model of community based provision at the Crann Centre. This was described as offering a service with family at the core of an assets based model of practice. A key finding was the lack of importance placed on the social and emotional development of SB individuals. Traditionally participants described a singular focus on physical health through clinically defined treatment models. The desire for a social model of disability that informed health and wellbeing of SB individuals and families emerged as a prominent recommendation from the research.

Duty to provide pre-contractual information of crop insurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivančević Katarina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Crop insurance is one of the most important types of agricultural insurance. From the aspect of insurance technique, this insurance is very challenging and requires careful drafting of insurance terms and tariffs. This type of insurance can provide security to farmers in case of financial losses caused by numerous risks which they are exposed to. Insufficient knowledge of the opportunities that the insurance provides is caused in part by inaccurate and vague explanations that have been offered by insurers in negotiation stage to interested farmers. In this regard, an important novelty in Serbian law is the obligation of contractual information which was introduced by the new Insurance Law (IL. In this way, additional protection to users of the service of insurance in relation to the provisions of the obligation law is provided. The goal of this obligation is to allow a negotiator to gain a clear idea of the essential elements of the insurance contract, to consider the proposed coverage and make a reasonable decision whether to accept the conclusion of the insurance contract or not, i.e. under what conditions it should be concluded. Sanctions for failure in the obligation to inform act preventively and repressively on insurers. The aim of this study is analyse the legal and factual position of the service beneficiaries in terms of obligation of economically and experientially superior contractor of lawful and full information of a policyholder prior to the conclusion of an insurance contract in a very specific branch of insurance, such as crop insurance. The application of inductive-deductive and comparative-legal research method, points to certain doctrinal and normative solutions from other legal systems, legal provisions applicable in the law of the Republic of Serbia are critically set out, as well as the daily practice of insurance companies.

Perceptions of informal care givers: health and support services provided to people with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Robert; Radin, Dagmar; Chakravorty, Bonnie J; Tyry, Tuula

2010-01-01

About 30% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) need some form of home care assistance, with 80% of that assistance provided by informal or unpaid care givers. This study focuses on the care givers to 530 more disabled people with MS, with the objective to learn more about informal care giving to people with greater dependency and need for assistance. The data presented in this study were collected in a national survey of 530 informal care givers to people with MS who have greater levels of physical dependency. About 70% of informal care givers responded that assisting the person with MS perform daily activities or personal care took up the largest amount of their care giving time. Care givers also reported a range of home and community-based services that would make care giving easier or improve the care provided. However, informal care givers generally reported low satisfaction with health insurance coverage of these services, especially coverage by health maintenance organizations and other managed care plans. Lack of health insurance coverage of needed home and community-based services can reduce the quality of informal care provided, as well as increase the burden of informal care giving.

Demonstration-informative center based on research reactor IR-50 in heat regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupenina, Ph.

2000-01-01

Many problems exist in the nuclear field, but the most significant one is the public's mistrust of Nuclear Energy. Strong downfalls of the radiological culture affect public perception, the main paradox being the situation after Chernobyl. The task of creating a Demonstration-Informative Center (Minatom RF) on reactor IR-50 research is conducted by Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (ENTEK). The IR-50 is situated on the grounds of the institute. It will be a unique event when the functional reactor is situated in the center of the city. The purposes of the Demonstration-Informative Center are discussed. (authors)

User study: information needs of contracting companies of market research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederico Cesar Mafra Pereira

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper has as main objective to understand why companies use market research as a source of information for their business, with a comparison between what they want to apply for a research and the effective use of the information received. The main methodological approach was based on the 'Model for identifying needs, seeking and use of information' (MAFRA PEREIRA, 2010, and from this approach has drawn up a script for conducting interviews with clients of research institute located in Belo Horizonte (MG. The results showed the applicability of the model, identifying information needs, gaps of information and the effective use of information in their respective organizational contexts; besides the methodological procedures for conducting and analyzing the results.

Assessing the quality of websites providing information on multiple sclerosis: evaluating tools and comparing sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Harland, Juliet; Bath, Peter

2007-09-01

The quality of health information available on the Internet has proved difficult to assess objectively. The Internet's growing popularity as a source of health information, accompanied by the lack of regulation of websites, has resulted in research that has developed and tested tools to evaluate health website quality. However, only a few studies have tested the validity and reliability of these tools. There is a lack of consensus about appropriate indicators with which to operationalize the concept of quality health information. This study aimed to contribute to this research by testing the validity and reliability of existing tools, through their application to websites that provided information about multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, a specific tool for evaluating multiple sclerosis information was developed, contributing to the debate about suitable criteria for measuring the ;quality' of health information on the web.

Information sharing for effective IT incident resolving in IT service provider networks: A financial service case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlietland, J.; Vliet, J.C.

2015-01-01

Information technology (IT)-enabled financial services are typically delivered by a network of interdependent IT service providers. Such networks need information to resolve IT incidents in their delivered IT services. The objective of this research is to identify the set of information that needs

The changing face of government information providing access in the twenty-first century

CERN Document Server

Kumar, Suhasini L

2006-01-01

Learn what innovative changes lie in the future of government information The Changing Face of Government Information comprehensively examines the way government documents' librarians acquire, provide access, and provide reference services in the new electronic environment. Noted experts discuss the impact electronic materials have had on the Government Printing Office (GPO), the reference services within the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and the new opportunities in the transition from paper-based information policy to an electronic e-government. This source reveals the latest changes in the field of government documents librarianship and the knowledge and expertise needed to teach users how to access what they need from this enormous wealth of government information. Major changes have taken place in the way government information is created, disseminated, accessed, and preserved. The Changing Face of Government Information explains in detail the tremendous change taking place in libraries and ...

Informed consent and registry-based research - the case of the Danish circumcision registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ploug, Thomas; Holm, Søren

2017-01-01

Background: Research into personal health data holds great potential not only for improved treatment but also for economic growth. In these years many countries are developing policies aimed at facilitating such research often under the banner of 'big data'. A central point of debate is whether...... the secondary use of health data requires informed consent if the data is anonymised. In 2013 the Danish Minister of Health established a new register collecting data about all ritual male childhood circumcisions in Denmark. The main purpose of the register was to enable future research into the consequences......) polarised research, and that a person may therefore have a strong and legitimate interest in deciding whether or not such data should be collected and/or used in research. This casts doubt on the claim that the requirement of informed consent could and should be waived for all types of secondary research...

A Study of the Information Literacy of Biomedical Graduate Students: Based on the Thesis Topic Discovery Process in Molecular Biology Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jhao-Yen Huang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The biomedical information environment is in a state of constant and rapid change due to the increase in research data and rapid technological advances. In Taiwan, few research has investigated the information literacy of biomedical graduate students. This exploratory study examined the information literacy abilities and training of biomedical graduate students in Taiwan. Semi-structured interviews based on the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology were conducted with 20 molecular biological graduate students. The interview inquired about their information-seeking channels and information literacy education. The findings show that the biomedical graduate students developed a workable thesis topic with their advisors. Through various information-seeking channels and retrieval strategies, they obtained and critically evaluated information to address different information needs for their thesis research. Through seminars, annual conferences and papers, the interviewees were informed of current developments in their field. Subsequently, through written or oral communications, they were able to integrate and exchange the information. Most interviewees cared about the social, economic, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the use of information. College courses and labs were the main information literacy education environment for them to learn about research skills and knowledge. The study concludes four areas to address for the information literacy of biomedical graduate students, i.e., using professional information, using the current information, efficiency in assessing the domain information, and utilization of diverse information channels. Currently, the interviewees showed rather low usage of library resources, which is a concern for biomedical educators and libraries. [Article content in Chinese

Improving research management: institutionalization of management informations systems in national agricultural research organisations in Sub Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Webber, H.

2006-01-01

Agricultural research management in the public sector in Sub Saharan Africa suffers from a lack of relevant, timely and accurate information on which to base decision-making. Developments in Management information systems over the past several years have been dramatic and can offer research managers

Library and information sciences trends and research

CERN Document Server

Larsen, Ronald

2014-01-01

This book explores the development, trends and research of library and information sciences (LIS) in the digital age. Inside, readers will find research and case studies written by LIS experts, educators and theorists, most of whom have visited China, delivered presentations there and drafted their articles based on feedback they received. As a result, readers will discover the LIS issues and concerns that China and the international community have in common. The book first introduces the opportunities and challenges faced by the library and information literacy profession and discusses the key role of librarians in the future of information literacy education. Next, it covers trends in LIS education by examining the vision of the iSchool movement and detailing its practice in Syracuse University. The book then covers issues in information seeking and retrieval by showing how visual data mining technology can be used to detect the relationship and pattern between terms on the Q&A of a social media site....

Research and information needs for management of oil shale development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-05-01

This report presents information and analysis to assist BLM in clarifying oil shale research needs. It provides technical guidance on research needs in support of their regulatory responsibilities for onshore mineral activities involving oil shale. It provides an assessment of research needed to support the regulatory and managerial role of the BLM as well as others involved in the development of oil shale resources on public and Indian lands in the western United States.

The Evolution of Research and Information Services at the American Federation of Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, F. Howard; Bailey, Bernadette

2002-01-01

Provides a history of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union and its information services and research functions. Examines the research department and the influence of technology, shifting from collecting information to using information from the Internet and online databases that has made access easier. Analyzes information services with…

History of the research reactor institute of Kyoto University in view of nuclear science information data base (KURRIP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeuchi, Takayuki; Mizuma, Mitsuo (Kyoto Univ., Kumatori, Osaka (Japan). Research Reactor Inst.); Kimura, Itsuro

1994-02-01

Since the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University was established as an inter-university research institute in 1963, a large number of cooperative research projects have been achieved by visiting scientists and its own staff in various research fields, making use of facilities centered around the Kyoto University Reactor, as well as the other experimental facilities. Ten years ago, the construction of the 'KURRIP' data base was initiated to grasp the whole aspect of the research activities at the Institute, in commemoration of its 20th anniversary. At the present time, KURRIP contains the information on 5,910 papers published for 29 years from 1963 to 1991. As this academic year is the 30th anniversary of the Institute, the history of its research activities was reviewed again using this data base. All of the publications were classified by authors's affiliations, kinds of papers, publishers, fields of studies, and research facilities used, and their historical variations are checked and discussed. (author).

Arctic Research Mapping Application (ARMAP): visualize project-level information for U.S. funded research in the Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Kassin, A.; Cody, R. P.; Barba, M.; Escarzaga, S. M.; Score, R.; Dover, M.; Gaylord, A. G.; Manley, W. F.; Habermann, T.; Tweedie, C. E.

2015-12-01

The Arctic Research Mapping Application (ARMAP; http://armap.org/) is a suite of online applications and data services that support Arctic science by providing project tracking information (who's doing what, when and where in the region) for United States Government funded projects. In collaboration with 17 research agencies, project locations are displayed in a visually enhanced web mapping application. Key information about each project is presented along with links to web pages that provide additional information. The mapping application includes new reference data layers and an updated ship tracks layer. Visual enhancements are achieved by redeveloping the front-end from FLEX to HTML5 and JavaScript, which now provide access to mobile users utilizing tablets and cell phone devices. New tools have been added that allow users to navigate, select, draw, measure, print, use a time slider, and more. Other module additions include a back-end Apache SOLR search platform that provides users with the capability to perform advance searches throughout the ARMAP database. Furthermore, a new query builder interface has been developed in order to provide more intuitive controls to generate complex queries. These improvements have been made to increase awareness of projects funded by numerous entities in the Arctic, enhance coordination for logistics support, help identify geographic gaps in research efforts and potentially foster more collaboration amongst researchers working in the region. Additionally, ARMAP can be used to demonstrate past, present, and future research efforts supported by the U.S. Government.

Informal information for web-based engineering catalogues

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Richard D.; Culley, Stephen J.; Hicks, Ben J.

2001-10-01

Success is highly dependent on the ability of a company to efficiently produce optimal designs. In order to achieve this companies must minimize time to market and possess the ability to make fully informed decisions at the early phase of the design process. Such decisions may include the choice of component and suppliers, as well as cost and maintenance considerations. Computer modeling and electronic catalogues are becoming the preferred medium for the selection and design of mechanical components. In utilizing these techniques, the designer demands the capability to identify, evaluate and select mechanical components both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative decisions generally encompass performance data included in the formal catalogue representation. It is in the area of qualitative decisions that the use of what the authors call 'Informal Information' is of crucial importance. Thus, 'Informal Information' must often be incorporated into the selection process and selection systems. This would enable more informed decisions to be made quicker, without the need for information retrieval via discussion with colleagues in the design environment. This paper provides an overview of the use of electronic information in the design of mechanical systems, including a discussion of limitations of current technology. The importance of Informal Information is discussed and the requirements for association with web based electronic catalogues are developed. This system is based on a flexible XML schema and enables the storage, classification and recall of Informal Information packets. Furthermore, a strategy for the inclusion of Informal Information is proposed, and an example case is used to illustrate the benefits.

"Willing but unwilling": attitudinal barriers to adoption of home-based health information technology among older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Rachel; Willis, Erin; Cameron, Glen; Geana, Mugur

2014-06-01

While much research focuses on adoption of electronic health-care records and other information technology among health-care providers, less research explores patient attitudes. This qualitative study examines barriers to adoption of home-based health information technology, particularly personal electronic health records, among older adults. We conducted in-depth interviews (30-90 min duration) with 35 American adults, aged 46-72 years, to determine their perceptions of and attitudes toward home-based health information technology. Analysis of interview data revealed that most barriers to adoption fell under four themes: technological discomfort, privacy or security concerns, lack of relative advantage, and perceived distance from the user representation. Based on our findings, systems to promote home-based health information technology should incorporate familiar computer applications, alleviate privacy and security concerns, and align with older adults' active and engaged self-image.

Perspectives on learning through research on critical issues-based science center exhibitions

Science.gov (United States)

Pedretti, Erminia G.

2004-07-01

Recently, science centers have created issues-based exhibitions as a way of communicating socioscientific subject matter to the public. Research in the last decade has investigated how critical issues-based installations promote more robust views of science, while creating effective learning environments for teaching and learning about science. The focus of this paper is to explore research conducted over a 10-year period that informs our understanding of the nature of learning through these experiences. Two specific exhibitions - Mine Games and A Question of Truth - provide the context for discussing this research. Findings suggest that critical issues-based installations challenge visitors in different ways - intellectually and emotionally. They provide experiences beyond usual phenomenon-based exhibitions and carry the potential to enhance learning by personalizing subject matter, evoking emotion, stimulating dialogue and debate, and promoting reflexivity. Critical issues-based exhibitions serve as excellent environments in which to explore the nature of learning in these nonschool settings.

Case study of information product for strategy research, planning research, and policy research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Yujun; Zou Lin; Liu Qun; Wang Yongping

2010-01-01

Soft science research is significant and can directly support the decision-making and development. The strategy research, planning research, and policy research each play an important role in soft science research. As the National Strategy of Informatization being implemented and advanced, some progress are made and some special information tools are produced in the process of strengthening the development research with information technologies. At first, the article introduced some cases of information products application, such as the domestic and overseas information products for energy strategy research and planning research and policy research, the governmental management information system for planning and investment, examination and approval and permission system for the planning of the land for construction, China agriculture decision support system and so on, and also gave a brief analysis on the theories and methods, main functions and application status. And then, with a analysis on the features of the works of development planning of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) development, this article gave some suggestions on how to strengthen the development of information system for the development planning of the CNNC. (authors)

Providers' Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practices: Is it Just About Providers, or do Practices Matter, Too?

Science.gov (United States)

Reding, Michael E. J.; Chorpita, Bruce F.; Lau, Anna S.; Innes-Gomberg, Debbie

2014-01-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) attitudes were measured in a sample of Los Angeles County mental health service providers. Three types of data were collected: provider demographic characteristics, attitudes toward EBP in general, and attitudes toward specific EBPs being implemented in the county. Providers could reliably rate characteristics of specific EBPs, and these ratings differed across interventions. Preliminary implementation data indicate that appealing features of an EBP relate to the degree to which providers use it. These findings suggest that assessing EBP-specific attitudes is feasible and may offer implementation-relevant information beyond that gained solely from providers' general attitudes toward EBP. PMID:24166077

Discussion of nuclear science and technology information base on serving our company scientific research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhong; Liu Wenbin

2010-01-01

In the eleventh five-year, our company scientific research have a long way to go and preparatory work of commercial reprocessing has startup under digital information society. Fundamental change of existing content, model of nuclear science and technology information occurred to fit for new situation and new environment, and in order to service for our company scientific research. In this paper, we discuss the development of new services that fits for our company science and technology information. (authors)

Development of a web-based pharmaceutical care plan to facilitate collaboration between healthcare providers and patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlies ME Geurts

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background To facilitate collaboration between different healthcare providers and to exchange patient data we developed a paper-based tool, which also enabled to plan interventions and follow-up activities: the PCP. Interviews with participating healthcare providers concluded the PCP was a very useful tool to collect and share patient data. A disadvantage was the time spent to collect all information. We therefore developed our PCP into a web-based tool: the web-based PCP (W-PCP.Objectives Development of a W-PCP to (1 provide healthcare providers with information from pharmacist- and GP computer systems and (2 facilitate collaboration between healthcare providers and patients.Method The W-PCP was used in three research lines, two in primary care and one in a hospital setting. Outcomes measures were defined as satisfaction about efficiency and effectiveness during data sharing and documentation in providing care and conducting medication reviews using the W-PCP.First experiences concerning the use of W-PCP in a primary care setting were collected by a questionnaire and interviews with pharmacists and GPs using the W-PCP.Results A questionnaire was sent to 38 healthcare providers. 17 healthcare providers returned the questionnaire. The use of W-PCP resulted in positive experiences from participating healthcare providers. On the basis of experiences and requirements collected, the application will be further developed.Conclusions The W-PCP application can potentially support successful collaboration between different healthcare providers and patients, which is important for medication therapy management. With this application, a successful collaboration between different healthcare providers and patients could be achieved.

Selective dissemination of information of library in scientific research institution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wenping

2010-01-01

Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) Service, which is an important component of intelligence, is the intelligence researcher to select key subjects and major issues and key technology or innovation goals under the actual needs of scientific research personnel issues, using network communication technology and database technology and information retrieval technologies, sustained and in a timely manner to track all kinds of literature for the front-line services, until the completion of research topics or key problem-solving. Library of China Institute of Atomic Energy is struggling to meet the diverse needs of customers, targeted to provide a lot of useful information for scientific researchers to use less time as possible to obtain as much intelligence information, and to research workers and leading to the successful completion of research tasks, and various decisions. The implementation of SDI services to identify clients and scope, to format SDI service team, to determine the SDI service principles and service mode. SDI services Selective demand intelligence researchers have been asked to improve their quality, to improve their interpersonal communication skills. (author)

An approach for setting evidence-based and stakeholder-informed research priorities in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehfuess, Eva A; Durão, Solange; Kyamanywa, Patrick; Meerpohl, Joerg J; Young, Taryn; Rohwer, Anke

2016-04-01

To derive evidence-based and stakeholder-informed research priorities for implementation in African settings, the international research consortium Collaboration for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Public Health in Africa (CEBHA+) developed and applied a pragmatic approach. First, an online survey and face-to-face consultation between CEBHA+ partners and policy-makers generated priority research areas. Second, evidence maps for these priority research areas identified gaps and related priority research questions. Finally, study protocols were developed for inclusion within a grant proposal. Policy and practice representatives were involved throughout the process. Tuberculosis, diabetes, hypertension and road traffic injuries were selected as priority research areas. Evidence maps covered screening and models of care for diabetes and hypertension, population-level prevention of diabetes and hypertension and their risk factors, and prevention and management of road traffic injuries. Analysis of these maps yielded three priority research questions on hypertension and diabetes and one on road traffic injuries. The four resulting study protocols employ a broad range of primary and secondary research methods; a fifth promotes an integrated methodological approach across all research activities. The CEBHA+ approach, in particular evidence mapping, helped to formulate research questions and study protocols that would be owned by African partners, fill gaps in the evidence base, address policy and practice needs and be feasible given the existing research infrastructure and expertise. The consortium believes that the continuous involvement of decision-makers throughout the research process is an important means of ensuring that studies are relevant to the African context and that findings are rapidly implemented.

INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY INFLUENCE ON ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE: A MODIFICATION OF TECHNOLOGY-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE AND SUCCESS MODEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trisnawati N.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims to examine the effect of information system quality on technology-based accounting information systems usage and their impact on organizational performance on local government. This study is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM, IS Success Model, and the success of technology-based information systems. This study is a combination of previous studies conducted by Seddon and Kiew (1997, Saeed and Helm (2008, and DeLone and McLean (1992. This study used survey method and took 101 respondents from accounting staff working in Malang and Mojokerto regencies. This study uses Partial Least Square to examine research data. Research result exhibits information system qualities affecting benefit perception and user satisfaction. Technology-based accounting information systems usage in local government is influenced by benefits perception and user satisfaction. Research result concluded that technology-based accounting information systems usage will affect the performance of local government organizations.

Research needs for risk-informed, performance-based regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thadani, A.C.

1997-01-01

This article summarizes the activities of the Office of Research of the NRC, both from a historical aspect as well as it applies to the application of risk-based decision making. The office has been actively involved in problems related to understanding risks related to core accidents, to understanding the problem of aging of reactor components and materials from years of service, and toward the understanding and analysis of severe accidents. In addition new policy statements regarding the role of risk assessment in regulatory applications has given focus for the need of further work. The NRC has used risk assessment in regulatory questions in the past but in a fairly ad hoc sort of manner. The new policies will clearly require a better defined application of risk assessment, and help for people evaluating applications in judging the applicability of such applications when a component of them is based on risk-based decision making. To address this, standard review plans are being prepared to serve as guides for such questions. In addition, with regulatory decisions being allowed to be based upon risk-based decisions, it is necessary to have an adequate data base prepared, and made publically available, to support such a position

Information handling in collaborative research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen Collins

2013-02-01

Full Text Available UK public policy makers have a growing interest in collaborative research, where academics work with public, private or third sector partners on a joint project which supports the partner’s aims. This paper reports on the findings of five case studies, looking at how information is sourced, managed, used and shared within collaborative research projects. It finds that researchers within collaborative projects have similar information management issues as are known to exist within academia more broadly, but that the specific conditions which govern research collaborations mean that interventions to improve or support information management must be carefully tailored.

The Research on Safety Management Information System of Railway Passenger Based on Risk Management Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenmin; Jia, Yuanhua

2018-01-01

Based on the risk management theory and the PDCA cycle model, requirements of the railway passenger transport safety production is analyzed, and the establishment of the security risk assessment team is proposed to manage risk by FTA with Delphi from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The safety production committee is also established to accomplish performance appraisal, which is for further ensuring the correctness of risk management results, optimizing the safety management business processes and improving risk management capabilities. The basic framework and risk information database of risk management information system of railway passenger transport safety are designed by Ajax, Web Services and SQL technologies. The system realizes functions about risk management, performance appraisal and data management, and provides an efficient and convenient information management platform for railway passenger safety manager.

Research on spatio-temporal database techniques for spatial information service

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Rong; Wang, Liang; Li, Yuxiang; Fan, Rongshuang; Liu, Ping; Li, Qingyuan

2007-06-01

Geographic data should be described by spatial, temporal and attribute components, but the spatio-temporal queries are difficult to be answered within current GIS. This paper describes research into the development and application of spatio-temporal data management system based upon GeoWindows GIS software platform which was developed by Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping (CASM). Faced the current and practical requirements of spatial information application, and based on existing GIS platform, one kind of spatio-temporal data model which integrates vector and grid data together was established firstly. Secondly, we solved out the key technique of building temporal data topology, successfully developed a suit of spatio-temporal database management system adopting object-oriented methods. The system provides the temporal data collection, data storage, data management and data display and query functions. Finally, as a case study, we explored the application of spatio-temporal data management system with the administrative region data of multi-history periods of China as the basic data. With all the efforts above, the GIS capacity of management and manipulation in aspect of time and attribute of GIS has been enhanced, and technical reference has been provided for the further development of temporal geographic information system (TGIS).

Guidelines for Conducting Positivist Case Study Research in Information Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graeme Shanks

2002-11-01

Full Text Available The case study research approach is widely used in a number of different ways within the information systems community. This paper focuses on positivist, deductive case study research in information systems. It provides clear definitions of important concepts in positivist case study research and illustrates these with an example research study. A critical analysis of the conduct and outcomes of two recently published positivist case studies is reported. One is a multiple case study that validated concepts in a framework for viewpoint development in requirements definition. The other is a single case study that examined the role of social enablers in enterprise resource planning systems implementation. A number of guidelines for successfully undertaking positivist case study research are identified including developing a clear understanding of key concepts and assumptions within the positivist paradigm; providing clear and unambiguous definitions of the units and interactions when using any theory; carefully defining the boundary of the theory used in the case study; using hypotheses rather than propositions in the empirical testing of theory; using fuzzy or probabilistic propositions in recognising that reality can never be perfectly known; selecting case studies carefully, particularly single case studies; and recognising that generalisation from positivist, single case studies is inherently different from generalisation from single experiments. When properly undertaken, positivist, deductive case study research is a valuable research approach for information systems researchers, particularly when used within pluralist research programs that use a number of different research approaches from different paradigms.

7 CFR 1220.230 - Promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Promotion, research, consumer information, and...), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SOYBEAN PROMOTION, RESEARCH, AND CONSUMER INFORMATION Soybean Promotion and Research Order Expenses and Assessments § 1220.230 Promotion, research, consumer information, and industry...

Federated health information architecture: Enabling healthcare providers and policymakers to use data for decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Manish; Mostafa, Javed; Ramaswamy, Rohit

2018-05-01

Health information systems (HIS) in India, as in most other developing countries, support public health management but fail to enable healthcare providers to use data for delivering quality services. Such a failure is surprising, given that the population healthcare data that the system collects are aggregated from patient records. An important reason for this failure is that the health information architecture (HIA) of the HIS is designed primarily to serve the information needs of policymakers and program managers. India has recognised the architectural gaps in its HIS and proposes to develop an integrated HIA. An enabling HIA that attempts to balance the autonomy of local systems with the requirements of a centralised monitoring agency could meet the diverse information needs of various stakeholders. Given the lack of in-country knowledge and experience in designing such an HIA, this case study was undertaken to analyse HIS in the Bihar state of India and to understand whether it would enable healthcare providers, program managers and policymakers to use data for decision-making. Based on a literature review and data collected from interviews with key informants, this article proposes a federated HIA, which has the potential to improve HIS efficiency; provide flexibility for local innovation; cater to the diverse information needs of healthcare providers, program managers and policymakers; and encourage data-based decision-making.

An ontologically founded architecture for information systems in clinical and epidemiological research.

Science.gov (United States)

Uciteli, Alexandr; Groß, Silvia; Kireyev, Sergej; Herre, Heinrich

2011-08-09

This paper presents an ontologically founded basic architecture for information systems, which are intended to capture, represent, and maintain metadata for various domains of clinical and epidemiological research. Clinical trials exhibit an important basis for clinical research, and the accurate specification of metadata and their documentation and application in clinical and epidemiological study projects represents a significant expense in the project preparation and has a relevant impact on the value and quality of these studies.An ontological foundation of an information system provides a semantic framework for the precise specification of those entities which are presented in this system. This semantic framework should be grounded, according to our approach, on a suitable top-level ontology. Such an ontological foundation leads to a deeper understanding of the entities of the domain under consideration, and provides a common unifying semantic basis, which supports the integration of data and the interoperability between different information systems.The intended information systems will be applied to the field of clinical and epidemiological research and will provide, depending on the application context, a variety of functionalities. In the present paper, we focus on a basic architecture which might be common to all such information systems. The research, set forth in this paper, is included in a broader framework of clinical research and continues the work of the IMISE on these topics.

ENHANCING SEISMIC CALIBRATION RESEARCH THROUGH SOFTWARE AUTOMATION AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruppert, S; Dodge, D A; Ganzberger, M D; Hauk, T F; Matzel, E M

2008-07-03

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Research and Development (GNEMRD) Program at LLNL continues to make significant progress enhancing the process of deriving seismic calibrations and performing scientific integration, analysis, and information management with software automation tools. Our tool efforts address the problematic issues of very large datasets and varied formats encountered during seismic calibration research. New information management and analysis tools have resulted in demonstrated gains in efficiency of producing scientific data products and improved accuracy of derived seismic calibrations. The foundation of a robust, efficient data development and processing environment is comprised of many components built upon engineered versatile libraries. We incorporate proven industry 'best practices' throughout our code and apply source code and bug tracking management as well as automatic generation and execution of unit tests for our experimental, development and production lines. Significant software engineering and development efforts have produced an object-oriented framework that provides database centric coordination between scientific tools, users, and data. Over a half billion parameters, signals, measurements, and metadata entries are all stored in a relational database accessed by an extensive object-oriented multi-technology software framework that includes stored procedures, real-time transactional database triggers and constraints, as well as coupled Java and C++ software libraries to handle the information interchange and validation requirements. Significant resources were applied to schema design to enable management of processing methods and station parameters, responses and metadata. This allowed for the development of merged ground-truth (GT) data sets compiled by the NNSA labs and AFTAC that include hundreds of thousands of events and tens of millions of arrivals. The

Research on the method of information system risk state estimation based on clustering particle filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cui Jia

2017-05-01

Full Text Available With the purpose of reinforcing correlation analysis of risk assessment threat factors, a dynamic assessment method of safety risks based on particle filtering is proposed, which takes threat analysis as the core. Based on the risk assessment standards, the method selects threat indicates, applies a particle filtering algorithm to calculate influencing weight of threat indications, and confirms information system risk levels by combining with state estimation theory. In order to improve the calculating efficiency of the particle filtering algorithm, the k-means cluster algorithm is introduced to the particle filtering algorithm. By clustering all particles, the author regards centroid as the representative to operate, so as to reduce calculated amount. The empirical experience indicates that the method can embody the relation of mutual dependence and influence in risk elements reasonably. Under the circumstance of limited information, it provides the scientific basis on fabricating a risk management control strategy.

Research on the method of information system risk state estimation based on clustering particle filter

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jia; Hong, Bei; Jiang, Xuepeng; Chen, Qinghua

2017-05-01

With the purpose of reinforcing correlation analysis of risk assessment threat factors, a dynamic assessment method of safety risks based on particle filtering is proposed, which takes threat analysis as the core. Based on the risk assessment standards, the method selects threat indicates, applies a particle filtering algorithm to calculate influencing weight of threat indications, and confirms information system risk levels by combining with state estimation theory. In order to improve the calculating efficiency of the particle filtering algorithm, the k-means cluster algorithm is introduced to the particle filtering algorithm. By clustering all particles, the author regards centroid as the representative to operate, so as to reduce calculated amount. The empirical experience indicates that the method can embody the relation of mutual dependence and influence in risk elements reasonably. Under the circumstance of limited information, it provides the scientific basis on fabricating a risk management control strategy.

Scientific support, soil information and education provided by the Austrian Soil Science Society

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Sigbert; Baumgarten, Andreas; Birli, Barbara; Englisch, Michael; Tulipan, Monika; Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie

2015-04-01

The Austrian Soil Science Society (ASSS), founded in 1954, is a non-profit organisation aiming at furthering all branches of soil science in Austria. The ASSS provides information on the current state of soil research in Austria and abroad. It organizes annual conferences for scientists from soil and related sciences to exchange their recent studies and offers a journal for scientific publications. Annually, ASSS awards the Kubiena Research Prize for excellent scientific studies provided by young scientists. In order to conserve and improve soil science in the field, excursions are organized, also in cooperation with other scientific organisations. Due to well-established contacts with soil scientists and soil science societies in many countries, the ASSS is able to provide its members with information about the most recent developments in the field of soil science. This contributes to a broadening of the current scientific knowledge on soils. The ASSS also co-operates in the organisation of excursions and meetings with neighbouring countries. Several members of the ASSS teach soil science at various Austrian universities. More detail on said conferences, excursions, publications and awards will be given in the presentation. Beside its own scientific journal, published once or twice a year, and special editions such as guidebooks for soil classification, the ASSS runs a website providing information on the Society, its activities, meetings, publications, awards and projects. Together with the Environment Agency Austria the ASSS runs a soil platform on the internet. It is accessible for the public and thus informs society about soil issues. This platform offers a calendar with national and international soil events, contacts of soil related organisations and networks, information on national projects and publications. The society has access to products, information material and information on educational courses. Last but not least information on specific soil

A human tissue and data resource: an overview of opportunities, challenges, and development of a provider/researcher partnership model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kort, Eric J; Campbell, Bryon; Resau, James H

2003-02-01

As we continue to strive to apply the findings of in vitro and animal studies to human disease and transition from genomics to proteomics, we will experience an ever-increasing need for human tissues. A web based system that provides access to tissues repositories and associated data will best facilitate the access to these vital resources and the application of research information to human disease treatment. There are organizational and design requirements that must be addressed in the implementation of the infrastructures that are needed to implement such a system, with special attention paid to the protection of patient anonymity. This report describes the implementation of a prototype human tissue network in the hope of encouraging implementation of similar systems among other consortia of providers and researchers.

A Web-Based Platform for Educating Researchers About Bioethics and Biobanking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sehovic, Ivana; Gwede, Clement K; Meade, Cathy D; Sodeke, Stephen; Pentz, Rebecca; Quinn, Gwendolyn P

2016-06-01

Participation in biobanking among individuals with familial risk for hereditary cancer (IFRs) and underserved/minority populations is vital for biobanking research. To address gaps in researcher knowledge regarding ethical concerns of these populations, we developed a web-based curriculum. Based on formative research and expert panel assessments, a curriculum and website was developed in an integrative, systematic manner. Researchers were recruited to evaluate the curriculum. Public health graduate students were recruited to pilot test the curriculum. All 14 researchers agreed the curriculum was easy to understand, adequately addressed the domains, and contained appropriate post-test questions. The majority evaluated the dialgoue animations as interesting and valuable. Twenty-two graduate students completed the curriculum, and 77 % improved their overall test score. A web-based curriculum is an acceptable and effective way to provide information to researchers about vulnerable populations' biobanking concerns. Future goals are to incorporate the curriculum with larger organizations.

Trends in Research on the Security of Medical Information in Korea: Focused on Information Privacy Security in Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong-Woon; Cho, Namin; Jang, Hye-Jung

2018-01-01

Information technology involves a risk of privacy violation in providing easy access to confidential information,such as personal information and medical information through the Internet. In this study, we investigated medical information security to gain a better understanding of trends in research related to medical information security. We researched papers published on '의료정보' and 'medical information' in various Korean journals during a 10-year period from 2005 to 2015. We also analyzed these journal papers for each fiscal year; these papers were categorized into the areas of literature research and empirical research, and were further subdivided according to themes and subjects. It was confirmed that 48 papers were submitted to 35 academic journals. There were 33 (68.8%) literature review articles, and analysis of secondary data was not carried out at all. In terms of empirical research, 8 (16.7%) surveys and 7 (14.6%) program developments were studied. As a result of analyzing these papers according to the research theme by research method, 17 (35.4%) papers on laws, systems, and policies were the most numerous. It was found that among the literature research papers on medical personnel were the most common, and among the empirical research papers, research on experts in information protection and medical personnel were the most common. We suggest that further research should be done in terms of social perception, human resource development, and technology development to improve risk management in medical information systems.

Canadian Healthcare Practitioners’ Access to Evidence Based Information Is Inequitable. A Review of: Chatterley, T., Storie, D., Chambers, T., Buckingham, J., Shiri, A., & Dorgan, M. (2012. Health information support provided by professional associations in Canada. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29(3, 233-241.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Melssen

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective – To determine what services and resources are available to health professionals through national Canadian and Alberta based health professional associations and licensing colleges and if those resources and services are being used. Also, to assess the associations’ perceptions of what resources and services Canadian health professionals actually need and if those needs are being met, membership satisfaction with the resources and services provided, and challenges the associations have with providing resources and services.Design – Structured telephone interview.Setting – Health professional associations and licensing colleges in Canada.Subjects – 23 health professional associations: 9 Alberta-based associations and 14 national-level professional associations and licensing colleges.Methods – A librarian, communications officer, or another individual in a comparable position at each association was invited via email to participate in the study. Individuals willing to participate in the interview were emailed the interview questions in advance. Telephone interviews were conducted in July and August of 2009. For those who did not respond to the email request or who did not wish to participate in the interviews, information was collected from the association’s website.Main Results – Of the 23 contacted associations 12 agreed to be interviewed: less than 50% response rate. Data was collected from websites of seven associations that either declined to be interviewed or did not respond to the authors’ email request. Data were unavailable for four associations due to data being in members only sections of the websites. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively.Resources and services provided by the associations and licensing colleges range from none to reference services provided by a librarian and access to licensed databases.None of the three licensing colleges or the two provincial associations interviewed

Energy Information Data Base: corporate author entries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-06-01

The DOE Energy Information Data Base has been created and is maintained by the DOE Technical Information Center. One of the controls for information entered into the base is the standardized name of the corporate entity or the corporate author. The purpose of this list of authorized or standardized corporate entries is to provide a means for the consistent citing of the names of organizations in bibliographic records. It also serves as a guide for users who retrieve information from a bibliographic data base and who want to locate information originating in particular organizations. This authority is a combination of entries established by the Technical Information Center and the International Atomic Energy Agency's International Nuclear Information System (INIS). The format calls, in general, for the name of the organization represented by the literature being cataloged to be cited as follows: the largest element, the place, the smallest element, e.g., Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah (USA), Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Code numbers are assigned to each entry to provide manipulation by computer. Cross references are used to reflect name changes and invalid entries

Information and research needs of acute-care clinical nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Spath, M; Buttlar, L

1996-01-01

The majority of nurses surveyed used the library on a regular but limited basis to obtain information needed in caring for or making decisions about their patients. A minority indicated that the libraries in their own institutions totally met their information needs. In fact, only 4% depended on the library to stay abreast of new information and developments in the field. Many of the nurses had their own journal subscriptions, which could account in part for the limited use of libraries and the popularity of the professional journal as the key information source. This finding correlates with the research of Binger and Huntsman, who found that 95% of staff development educators relied on professional journal literature to keep up with current information in the field, and only 45% regularly monitored indexing-and-abstracting services. The present study also revealed that nurses seek information from colleagues more than from any other source, supporting the findings of Corcoran-Perry and Graves. Further research is necessary to clarify why nurses use libraries on a limited basis. It appears, as Bunyan and Lutz contend, that a more aggressive approach to marketing the library to nurses is needed. Further research should include an assessment of how the library can meet the information needs of nurses for both research and patient care. Options to be considered include offering library orientation sessions for new staff nurses, providing current-awareness services by circulating photocopied table-of-contents pages, sending out reviews of new monographs, inviting nurses to submit search requests on a topic, scheduling seminars and workshops that teach CD-ROM and online search strategies, and providing information about electronic databases covering topics related to nursing. Information on databases may be particularly important in light of the present study's finding that databases available in CD-ROM format are consulted very little. Nursing education programs should

Strategic information systems planning for health service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, D D

1992-01-01

There is significant opportunity for health service providers to gain competitive advantage through the innovative use of strategic information systems. This analysis presents some key strategic information systems issues that will enable managers to identify opportunities within their organizations.

Design and Research on Platform to Enhance College Students’ Art Appreciation Capability Based on Modern Information Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen Xifei

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, with the rapid development of modern information technology, the college students could not preferably choose and learn to enhance their own art appreciation capability. Therefore, the colleges and universities have a more urgent desire to organize, develop and provide a good platform to enhance the college students’ art appreciation capability based on modern information technology. This paper describes how to enhance the art appreciation capability in detail, and designs and analyzes the platform to enhance college students’ art appreciation capability based on modern information technology---the “Music Corner” and the “Dance Corner”, indicating that the exchange platform built with modern information technology can promotes the college students’ art appreciation capability. Finally, through the analysis of statistical results of the questionnaire, college students are fonder of art appreciation after the establishment of platform, more inclined to the comprehensive learning of art, more brave to express their own sense of art, and fonder of artistic creation.

Research of building information extraction and evaluation based on high-resolution remote-sensing imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Qiong; Gu, Lingjia; Ren, Ruizhi; Wang, Lang

2016-09-01

Building extraction currently is important in the application of high-resolution remote sensing imagery. At present, quite a few algorithms are available for detecting building information, however, most of them still have some obvious disadvantages, such as the ignorance of spectral information, the contradiction between extraction rate and extraction accuracy. The purpose of this research is to develop an effective method to detect building information for Chinese GF-1 data. Firstly, the image preprocessing technique is used to normalize the image and image enhancement is used to highlight the useful information in the image. Secondly, multi-spectral information is analyzed. Subsequently, an improved morphological building index (IMBI) based on remote sensing imagery is proposed to get the candidate building objects. Furthermore, in order to refine building objects and further remove false objects, the post-processing (e.g., the shape features, the vegetation index and the water index) is employed. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, the omission errors (OE), commission errors (CE), the overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa are used at final. The proposed method can not only effectively use spectral information and other basic features, but also avoid extracting excessive interference details from high-resolution remote sensing images. Compared to the original MBI algorithm, the proposed method reduces the OE by 33.14% .At the same time, the Kappa increase by 16.09%. In experiments, IMBI achieved satisfactory results and outperformed other algorithms in terms of both accuracies and visual inspection

Bridging information requirements and information needs assessment: do scenarios and vignettes provide a link?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Urquhart

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to compare the philosophies of the vignette and critical incident techniques in information behaviour research, with the methodologies used in object oriented analysis such as use case scenarios and CRC (class, responsibility, collaboration cards. The principles of object oriented analysis are outlined, noting the emphasis on obtaining the "storyline" or "scripts" for information requirements analysis through use cases and CRC cards.  The critical incident technique and vignettes are used to obtain valid interpretations of users" information behaviour, using a storyline approach for data collection (and analysis which is similar to that of object oriented analysis. Some examples illustrate how techniques developed in object oriented analysis could be used for data display in information behaviour studies. Concludes that the methods developed by software engineering could be adapted usefully for information behaviour research.

Information transfer: what do decision makers want and need from researchers?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Law Mary

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to undertake a systematic assessment of the need for research-based information by decision-makers working in community-based organizations. It is part of a more comprehensive knowledge transfer and exchange strategy that seeks to understand both the content required and the format/methods by which such information should be presented. Methods This was a cross-sectional telephone survey. Questions covered current practices, research use, and demographic information, as well as preferences for receiving research information. Three types of organizations participated: Children's Treatment Centres of Ontario (CTCs; Ontario Community Care Access Centres (CCACs; and District Health Councils (DHCs. The analysis used descriptive statistics and analyses of variance (ANOVA to describe and explore variations across organizations. Results The participation rate was 70%. The highest perception of barriers to the use of research information was reported by the CCAC respondents, followed by CTCs and DHCs. The CTCs and DHCs reported greater use of research evidence in planning decisions as compared to the CCACs. Four sources of information transfer were consistently identified. These were websites, health-related research journals, electronic mail, and conferences and workshops. Preferred formats for receiving information were executive summaries, abstracts, and original articles. Conclusion There were a number of similarities across organization type with respect to perceived barriers to research transfer, as well as the types of activities the organizations engaged in to promote research use in decision-making. These findings support the importance of developing interactive, collaborative knowledge transfer strategies, as well as the need to foster relationships with health care decision-makers, practitioners and policymakers.

Trends in information behaviour research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greifeneder, Elke Susanne

2014-01-01

behaviour related publication venues between 2012 and 2014. Analysis. Publication titles, authors, years, publication venue, methods and topics were collected and quantitatively analysed. Results. Qualitative methods still dominate information behaviour research. Content analysis and participatory designs......Introduction. This paper traces current trends in information behaviour research, both in terms of methods and topics. Results are put into relation to the previous trend analysis by Julien et al. (2011) and Vakkari (2008). Method. Trends derive from a publication analysis taken from information...... are gaining terrain. Information seeking is still the major topic of interest. Important newer topics are studies focusing on users’ context and on special needs. Conclusion. Information behaviour research has evolved a great deal over the last years and has taken on new methods and new topics. A discussion...

Community-based participatory research and user-centered design in a diabetes medication information and decision tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Vida A; Barr, Kathryn L; An, Lawrence C; Guajardo, Claudia; Newhouse, William; Mase, Rebecca; Heisler, Michele

2013-01-01

Together, community-based participatory research (CBPR), user-centered design (UCD), and health information technology (HIT) offer promising approaches to improve health disparities in low-resource settings. This article describes the application of CBPR and UCD principles to the development of iDecide/Decido, an interactive, tailored, web-based diabetes medication education and decision support tool delivered by community health workers (CHWs) to African American and Latino participants with diabetes in Southwest and Eastside Detroit. The decision aid is offered in English or Spanish and is delivered on an iPad in participants' homes. The overlapping principles of CBPR and UCD used to develop iDecide/Decido include a user-focused or community approach, equitable academic and community partnership in all study phases, an iterative development process that relies on input from all stakeholders, and a program experience that is specified, adapted, and implemented with the target community. Collaboration between community members, researchers, and developers is especially evident in the program's design concept, animations, pictographs, issue cards, goal setting, tailoring, and additional CHW tools. The principles of CBPR and UCD can be successfully applied in developing health information tools that are easy to use and understand, interactive, and target health disparities.

Technology-base research project for electrochemical storage report for 1981

Science.gov (United States)

McLarnon, F.

1982-06-01

The technology base research (TBR) project which provides the applied reseach base that supports all electrochemical energy storage applications: electric vehicles, electric load leveling, storage of solar electricity, and energy and resource conservation is described. The TBR identifies electrochemical technologies with the potential to satisfy stringent performance and economic requirements and transfer them to industry for further development and scale up. The TBR project consists of four major elements: electrochemical systems research, supporting research, electrochemical processes, and fuel cells for transportation. Activities in these four project elements during 1981 are summarized. Information is included on: iron-air batteries; aluminum-air batteries; lithium-metal sulfide cells; materials development for various batteries; and the characteristics of an NH3-air alkaline fuel cell in a vehicle.

Informed consent and collaborative research: perspectives from the developing world.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyder, Adnan A; Wali, Salman A

2006-03-01

Informed consent has been recognized as an important component of research protocols and procedures of disclosure and consent in collaborative research have been criticized, as they may not be in keeping with cultural norms of developing countries. This study, which is part of a larger project funded by the United States National Bioethics Advisory Commission, explores the opinions of developing country researchers regarding informed consent in collaborative research. A survey of developing country researchers, involved in human subject research, was conducted by distributing a questionnaire with 169 questions, which included questions relating to informed consent. In addition, six focus group discussions, eight in-depth interviews and 78 responses to open-ended questions in the questionnaire provided qualitative data. 203 surveys were considered complete and were included in the analysis. Written consent was not used by nearly 40% of the researchers in their most recent studies. A large proportion of respondents recommended that human subject regulations should allow more flexibility in ways of documenting informed consent. 84% of researchers agreed that a mechanism to measure understanding should be incorporated in research studies as part of the process of informed consent. This paper is an empirical step in highlighting the ethical issues concerning disclosure. Health researchers in developing countries are well aware of the importance of consent in health research, and equally value the significance of educating human subjects regarding study protocols and associated risks and benefits. However, respondents emphasize the need for modifying ethical regulations in collaborative research.

Research and design of logistical information system based on SOA

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bo

2013-03-01

Through the study on the existing logistics information systems and SOA technology, based on the current situation of enterprise logistics management and business features, this paper puts forward a SOA-based logistics system design program. This program is made in the WCF framework, with the combination of SOA and the actual characteristics of logistics enterprises, is simple to realize, easy to operate, and has strong expansion characteristic, therefore has high practical value.

Developing and providing an online (web-based) clinical research design course in Japan: lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Glenn T; Mulligan, Roseann; Baba, Kazuyoshi

2011-04-01

This article reports on the lessons learned while teaching an 8-week-long online course about the principles of clinical research design in Japan. Student activity data and how it relates to performance in the course are presented. As prolog, this article focuses on the barriers and solutions to creating and delivering a web-based course and it lists and discusses the most common concerns that educators often have about this process, namely, cost of the system and time requirement of the faculty. Options that must be considered when selecting the support software and hardware needed to conduct live streaming lecture, online video-based conference course are presented. The ancillary role of e-mail based distribution lists as an essential instruction tool within an interactive, instructor-supervised online course is discussed. This article then discusses the inclusion of active learning elements within an online course as well as the pros and cons regarding open-book versus closed book, proctored testing. Lastly, copyright issues the online instructor should know about are discussed. The student tracking data show that as the course progresses, students will reduce the number for page viewings. We speculate that this reduction is due to a combination of conflicting priorities plus increasing efficiency of the students at extracting the critical information. The article also concludes that software and hardware costs to deliver an online course are relatively minor but the faculty's time requirement is initially substantially higher than teaching in a conventional face-to-face course. Copyright © 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

OpenAIRE

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

2010-01-01

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

A survey of core research in information systems

CERN Document Server

Sidorova, Anna; Torres, Russell; Johnson, Vess

2013-01-01

The Information Systems (IS) discipline was founded on the intersection of computer science and organizational sciences, and produced a rich body of research on topics ranging from database design and the strategic role of IT to website design and online consumer behavior. In this book, the authors provide an introduction to the discipline, its development, and the structure of IS research, at a level that is appropriate for emerging and current IS scholars. Guided by a bibliometric study of all research articles published in eight premier IS research journals over a 20-year period, the author

Information Expensiveness Perceived by Vietnamese Patients with Respect to Healthcare Provider's Choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Quan-Hoang, Vuong

2016-10-01

Patients have to acquire information to support their decision on choosing a suitable healthcare provider. But in developing countries like Vietnam, accessibility issues remain an obstacle, thus adversely affect both quality and costliness of healthcare information. Vietnamese use both sources from health professionals and friends/relatives, especially when quality of the Internet-based cheaper sources appear to be still questionable. The search of information from both professionals and friends/relatives incurs some cost, which can be viewed as low or high depending low or high accessibility to the sources. These views potentially affect their choices. To investigate the effects that medical/health services information on perceived expensiveness of patients' labor costs. Two related objectives are a) establishing empirical relations between accessibility to sources and expensiveness; and, b) probabilistic trends of probabilities for perceived expensiveness. There is evidence for established relations among the variables "Convexp" and "Convrel" (all p's perceived expensiveness. a) Probabilistic trends show Vietnamese patients have propensity to value healthcare information highly and do not see it as "expensive"; b) The majority of Vietnamese households still take non-professional advices at their own risks; c) There is more for the public healthcare information system to do to reduce costliness and risk of information. The Internet-based health service users communities cannot replace this system.

Memory and communication support in dementia: research-based strategies for caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Erin R; Broughton, Megan; Baker, Rosemary; Pachana, Nancy A; Angwin, Anthony J; Humphreys, Michael S; Mitchell, Leander; Byrne, Gerard J; Copland, David A; Gallois, Cindy; Hegney, Desley; Chenery, Helen J

2011-03-01

Difficulties with memory and communication are prominent and distressing features of dementia which impact on the person with dementia and contribute to caregiver stress and burden. There is a need to provide caregivers with strategies to support and maximize memory and communication abilities in people with dementia. In this project, a team of clinicians, researchers and educators in neuropsychology, psychogeriatrics, nursing and speech pathology translated research-based knowledge from these fields into a program of practical strategies for everyday use by family and professional caregivers. From the available research evidence, the project team identified compensatory or facilitative strategies to assist with common areas of difficulty, and structured these under the mnemonics RECAPS (for memory) and MESSAGE (for communication). This information was adapted for presentation in a DVD-based education program in accordance with known characteristics of effective caregiver education. The resultant DVD comprises (1) information on the nature and importance of memory and communication in everyday life; (2) explanations of common patterns of difficulty and preserved ability in memory and communication across the stages of dementia; (3) acted vignettes demonstrating the strategies, based on authentic samples of speech in dementia; and (4) scenarios to prompt the viewer to consider the benefits of using the strategies. Using a knowledge-translation framework, information and strategies can be provided to family and professional caregivers to help them optimize residual memory and communication in people with dementia. Future development of the materials, incorporating consumer feedback, will focus on methods for enabling wider dissemination.

Responding to the Challenge of Providing Stronger Research Base for Teacher Education: Research Discourses in the Norwegian National Research School for Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Østern, Anna-Lena

2016-01-01

Background and purpose: The purpose of this article is to shed light on how the research projects of 140 PhD candidates in the National Research School for Teacher Education in Norway (NAFOL) respond to the challenges faced by Norwegian teacher education regarding the demand for higher competence and a stronger research base. The concept of NAFOL…

The informative providing of trade education is in industry of physical culture and sport of countries of former soviet spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna Svistel’nik

2016-04-01

sport of countries of Ukraine, Belarus, RF, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in spite of general specific of preparation of skilled specialists, carry out different informative support of educational process. Ukraine is oriented on the European system of the informative providing, forms electronic repository are archives of storage, accumulation and providing of open access to the results of the scientific researches conducted in educational establishment. The institutes of higher of physical culture and sport of Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and RF are used by the so-called electronic-library systems on the base of state educational standard, and the informative providing carries out the sporting institute of higher of Moldova by the traditional forms of informing, not giving the users of the opened access to the electronic informative resources.

Obtaining and providing health information in the community pharmacy setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanowicz, Susan L; Marciniak, Macary Weck; Zeolla, Mario M

2006-06-15

Community pharmacists are a valuable information resource for patients and other healthcare providers. The advent of new information technology, most notably the Internet, coupled with the rapid availability of new healthcare information, has fueled this demand. Pharmacy students must receive training that enables them to meet this need. Community advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop and master drug information skills in a real-world setting. Preceptors must ensure that students are familiar with drug information resources and can efficiently identify the most useful resource for a given topic. Students must also be trained to assess the quality of resources and use this information to effectively respond to drug or health information inquiries. This article will discuss key aspects of providing drug information in the community pharmacy setting and can serve as a guide and resource for APPE preceptors.

Kuhlthau’s Classic Research on the Information Search Process (ISP Provides Evidence for Information Seeking as a Constructivist Process. A review of: Kuhlthau, Carol C. “Inside the Search Process: Information Seeking from the User's Perspective.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science 42.5 (1991: 361‐71.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelagh K. Genuis

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Objective – To extend understanding of purposeful information seeking and to present a model of the information search process (ISP from the perspective of the user.Design – Review of theoretical foundation, summing up of qualitative and quantitative data from a series of five foundational studies, and presentation of ISP model. Setting – Summarised research was conducted primarily in high school and college environments where subjects were investigating an assigned topic. A small proportion of public libraries were used in the fifth study within the reviewed series.Subjects – The ISP model as presented in this ‘classic’ article is based on studies involving a total of 558 participants. The first study involved 26 academically advanced high school seniors, and the 2 subsequent studies involved respectively 20 and 4 of the original participants following their completion of 4 years of college. The final 2 studies involved respectively 147 high, middle and low achieving high school seniors, and 385 academic, public and school library users.Methods – This paper presents the foundation for the ISP model by reviewing the relationship between Kelly’s personal construct theory, Belkin, Brooks, and Oddy’s investigation of cognitive aspects of the constructive information seeking process, and Taylor’s work on levels of information need (“Question‐negotiation” and value‐added information (“Value added”. This is followed by a review of Kuhlthau’s five foundational studies, which investigated the common information seeking experiences of users who were seeking to expand knowledge related to a particular topic or problem. The first of these studies was a small‐scale exploration in which participants were given two assignments. Questionnaires, journaling, search logs, and reflective writing were used to collect data throughout the process of assignment completion. Data collection was augmented by case studies involving in�

Managing incidental findings in population based biobank research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berge Solberg

2012-04-01

Full Text Available With the introduction of whole genome sequencing in medical research, the debate on how to handle incidental findings is becoming omnipresent. Much of the literature on the topic so far, seems to defend the researcher’s duty to inform, the participant’s right to know combined with a thorough informed consent in order to protect and secure high ethical standards in research. In this paper, we argue that this ethical response to incidental findings and whole genome sequencing is appropriate in a clinical context, in what we call therapeutic research. However, we further argue, that it is rather inappropriate in basic research, like the research going on in public health oriented population based biobanks. Our argument is based on two premises: First, in population based biobank research the duties and rights involved are radically different from a clinical based setting. Second, to introduce the ethical framework from the clinical setting into population based basic research, is not only wrong, but it may lead to unethical consequences. A Norwegian population based biobank and the research-ethical debate in Norway on the regulation of whole genome sequencing is used as an illustrative case to demonstrate the pitfalls when approaching the debate on incidental findings in population based biobank research.

Windowed correlation: a suitable tool for providing dynamic fMRI-based functional connectivity neurofeedback on task difficulty.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Zilverstand

Full Text Available The goal of neurofeedback training is to provide participants with relevant information on their ongoing brain processes in order to enable them to change these processes in a meaningful way. Under the assumption of an intrinsic brain-behavior link, neurofeedback can be a tool to guide a participant towards a desired behavioral state, such as a healthier state in the case of patients. Current research in clinical neuroscience regarding the most robust indicators of pathological brain processes in psychiatric and neurological disorders indicates that fMRI-based functional connectivity measures may be among the most important biomarkers of disease. The present study therefore investigated the general potential of providing fMRI neurofeedback based on functional correlations, computed from short-window time course data at the level of single task periods. The ability to detect subtle changes in task performance with block-wise functional connectivity measures was evaluated based on imaging data from healthy participants performing a simple motor task, which was systematically varied along two task dimensions representing two different aspects of task difficulty. The results demonstrate that fMRI-based functional connectivity measures may provide a better indicator for an increase in overall (motor task difficulty than activation level-based measures. Windowed functional correlations thus seem to provide relevant and unique information regarding ongoing brain processes, which is not captured equally well by standard activation level-based neurofeedback measures. Functional connectivity markers, therefore, may indeed provide a valuable tool to enhance and monitor learning within an fMRI neurofeedback setup.

Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group, Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 3

Science.gov (United States)

Estes, J. E.; Smith, T.; Star, J. L.

1986-01-01

Research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. The focus is on remote sensing and application for the Earth Observing System (Eos) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The remote sensing research activities are being expanded, integrated, and extended into the areas of global science, georeferenced information systems, machine assissted information extraction from image data, and artificial intelligence. The accomplishments in these areas are examined.

Ethical aspects of registry-based research in the Nordic countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludvigsson JF

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Jonas F Ludvigsson,1,2 Siri E Håberg,3 Gun Peggy Knudsen,3 Pierre Lafolie,4,5 Helga Zoega,6 Catharina Sarkkola,7 Stephanie von Kraemer,7 Elisabete Weiderpass,1,7–10 Mette Nørgaard11 1Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 2Department of Pediatrics, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden; 3Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; 4Department of Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, 5The Stockholm Regional Ethical Review Board, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 6Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland; 7Genetic Epidemiology Group, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland; 8Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, 9The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 10Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway; 11Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Abstract: National health care registries in the Nordic countries share many attributes, but different legal and ethical frameworks represent a challenge to promoting effective joint research. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about how ethical matters are considered in Nordic registry-based research, and a lack of knowledge about how Nordic ethics committees operate and what is needed to obtain an approval. In this paper, we review ethical aspects of registry-based research, the legal framework, the role of ethics review boards in the Nordic countries, and the structure of the ethics application. We discuss the role of informed consent in registry-based research and how to safeguard the integrity of study participants, including vulnerable subjects and children. Our review also provides information on the different government agencies that contribute registry-based data, and a list of the major health registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and

Human and Citizen Rights Guarantees While Providing Information Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serhii Yesimov

2018-05-01

Full Text Available With the development of information and communication technologies, issues of providing information security are becoming more and more aggravated. These are crimes related to the use of electronic computers, systems and computer networks and telecommunication networks, the propaganda of separatism and extremism, etc. While providing information security in the digital environment, the role of technical and legal human rights guarantees, due to technical means of protection, is increasing. Relying on the developers of technical means of protection determines the difference between the aforesaid concepts and the traditional approach to ensuring the protection of human and citizen rights, in which responsibilities are put on information intermediaries, owners of confidential information. Technical guarantees of human rights are a necessary component of ensuring information security, but the effectiveness of the application is provided in conjunction with the legal guarantees of human rights, as evidenced by the tendency to recognize the principles of inviolability of privacy on the basis of design decisions in the law of the European Union as legal acts. Providing information security is a legitimate goal of establishing constraints of human rights, since it can be correlated with the norms of international law. The establishment of constraints of human rights is permissible in order to attain other objectives–ensuring state security, public order, health, rights and freedoms of the person in the information sphere. The legitimacy of this goal is determined by its compliance with the objectives envisaged by international agreements ratified in an established order. The article examines the impact of the use of technical means in the field of providing information security in the aspect of following the fundamental human and civil rights in Ukraine, taking into account the legislation of the European Union and the decision of the European Court

30 CFR 206.108 - Does MMS protect information I provide?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Does MMS protect information I provide? 206.108... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 206.108 Does MMS protect information I provide? Certain information you submit to MMS regarding valuation of oil, including transportation allowances, may be exempt...

30 CFR 206.365 - Does MMS protect information I provide?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Does MMS protect information I provide? 206.365... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Geothermal Resources § 206.365 Does MMS protect information I provide? Certain information you submit to MMS regarding royalties or fees on geothermal resources or byproducts, including...

Innovative Research on the Development of Game-based Tourism Information Services Using Component-based Software Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Hsin Huang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted exploring the potential of digital tour guides, that is, multimedia components (e.g., 2D graphic, 3D models, and sound effects that can be integrated into digital storytelling with location-based services. This study uses component-based software engineering to develop the content of game-based tourism information services. The results of this study are combined with 3D VR/AR technology to implement the digital 2D/3D interactive tour guide and show all the attractions’ information on a service platform for the gamification of cultural tourism. Nine kinds of game templates have been built in the component module. Five locations have completed indoor or external 3D VR real scenes and provide online visitors with a virtual tour of the indoor or outdoor attractions. The AR interactive work has three logos. The interactive digital guide includes animated tour guides, interactive guided tours, directions and interactive guides. Based on the usage analysis of the component databases built by this study, VR game types are suited to object-oriented game templates, such as the puzzle game template and the treasure hunt game template. Background music is the database component required for each game. The icons and cue tones are the most commonly used components in 2D graphics and sound effects, but the icons are gathered in different directions to approximate the shape of the component to be consistent. This study built a vivid story of a scene tour for online visitors to enhance the interactive digital guide. However, the developer can rapidly build new digital guides by rearranging the components of the modules to shorten the development time by taking advantage of the usage frequency of various databases that have been built by this study to effectively continue to build and expand the database components. Therefore, more game-based digital tour guides can be created to make better defined high

Understanding Midwives’ Preferences for Providing Information About Newborn Bloodspot Screening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart James Wright

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Understanding preferences for information provision in the context of health care service provision is challenging because of the number of potential attributes that may influence preferences. This study aimed to identify midwives’ preferences for the process and outcomes of information provision in an expanded national newborn bloodspot screening program. Design: A sample of practicing midwives completed a hybrid-stated preference survey including a conjoint analysis (CA and discrete choice experiment to quantify preferences for the types of, and way in which, information should be provided in a newborn bloodspot screening program. Six conjoint analysis questions captured the impact of different types of information on parents’ ability to make a decision, and 10 discrete choice experiment questions identified preferences for four process attributes (including parents’ ability to make a decision. Results: Midwives employed by the UK National Health Service (n = 134 completed the survey. All types of information content were perceived to improve parents’ ability to make a decision except for the possibility of false-positive results. Late pregnancy was seen to be the best time to provide information, followed by day 3 postbirth. Information before 20 weeks of pregnancy was viewed as reducing parents’ ability to make a decision. Midwives preferred information to be provided by an individual discussion and did not think parents should receive information on the Internet. Conclusion: A hybrid stated preference survey design identified that a wide variety of information should be provided to maximize parents’ ability to make a decision ideally provided late in pregnancy or on day 3 postbirth.

Early Engagement of Stakeholders with Individual-Based Modeling Can Inform Research for Improving Invasive Species Management: The Round Goby as a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma Samson

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Individual-based models (IBMs incorporating realistic representations of key range-front processes such as dispersal can be used as tools to investigate the dynamics of invasive species. Managers can apply insights from these models to take effective action to prevent further spread and prioritize measures preventing establishment of invasive species. We highlight here how early-stage IBMs (constructed under constraints of time and data availability can also play an important role in defining key research priorities for providing key information on the biology of an invasive species in order that subsequent models can provide robust insight into potential management interventions. The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, is currently spreading through the Baltic Sea, with major negative effects being reported in the wake of its invasion. Together with stakeholders, we parameterize an IBM to investigate the goby's potential spread pattern throughout the Gulf of Gdansk and the Baltic Sea. Model parameters were assigned by integrating information obtained through stakeholder interaction, from scientific literature, or estimated using an inverse modeling approach when not available. IBMs can provide valuable direction to research on invasive species even when there is limited data and/or time available to parameterize/fit them to the degree to which we might aspire in an ideal world. Co-development of models with stakeholders can be used to recognize important invasion patterns, in addition to identifying and estimating unknown environmental parameters, thereby guiding the direction of future research. Well-parameterized and validated models are not required in the earlier stages of the modeling cycle where their main utility is as a tool for thought.

Visualization maps for the evolution of research hotspots in the field of regional health information networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanjun; Zheng, Jianzhong; Zhang, Ailian; Zhou, Wei; Dong, Haiyuan

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to reveal research hotspots in the field of regional health information networks (RHINs) and use visualization techniques to explore their evolution over time and differences between countries. We conducted a literature review for a 50-year period and compared the prevalence of certain index terms during the periods 1963-1993 and 1994-2014 and in six countries. We applied keyword frequency analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, and network visualization technology. The total number of keywords was found to increase with time. From 1994 to 2014, the research priorities shifted from hospital planning to community health planning. The number of keywords reflecting information-based research increased. The density of the knowledge network increased significantly, and partial keywords condensed into knowledge groups. All six countries focus on keywords including Information Systems; Telemedicine; Information Service; Medical Records Systems, Computerized; Internet; etc.; however, the level of development and some research priorities are different. RHIN research has generally increased in popularity over the past 50 years. The research hotspots are evolving and are at different levels of development in different countries. Knowledge network mapping and perceptual maps provide useful information for scholars, managers, and policy-makers.

Communication at an online infertility expert forum: provider responses to patients' emotional and informational cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarts, J W M; van Oers, A M; Faber, M J; Cohlen, B J; Nelen, W L D M; Kremer, J A M; van Dulmen, A M

2015-01-01

Online patient-provider communication has become increasingly popular in fertility care. However, it is not known to what extent patients express cues or concerns and how providers respond. In this study, we investigated cues and responses that occur in online patient-provider communication at an infertility-specific expert forum. We extracted 106 threads from the multidisciplinary expert forum of two Dutch IVF clinics. We performed the following analyses: (1) thematic analysis of patients' questions; and (2) rating patients' emotional and informational cues and subsequent professionals' responses using an adaptation of the validated Medical Interview Aural Rating Scale. Frequencies of themes, frequencies of cues and responses, and sequences (what cue is followed by what response) were extracted. Sixty-five infertile patients and 19 providers participated. The most common themes included medication and lifestyle. Patients gave more informational than emotional cues (106 versus 64). Responses to informational cues were mostly adequate (61%). The most common response to emotional cues was empathic acknowledgment (72%). Results indicate that an online expert forum could have a positive effect on patient outcomes, which should guide future research. Offering infertile patients an expert forum to communicate with providers can be a promising supplement to usual care in both providing information and addressing patients' concerns.

Supporting patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based health-related quality of life information prior to and after esophageal cancer surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, M.

2015-01-01

The overall aim of this thesis was to support patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based HRQL data prior to and following esophageal cancer surgery. This thesis is divided in two parts. In Part I, we addressed the information needs of esophageal cancer patients prior to and

[Italian physician's needs for medical information. Retrospective analysis of the medical information service provided by Novartis Pharma to clinicians].

Science.gov (United States)

Speroni, Elisabetta; Poggi, Susanna; Vinaccia, Vincenza

2013-10-01

The physician's need for medical information updates has been studied extensively in recent years but the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry on this need has rarely been considered. This paper reports the results of a retrospective analysis of the medical information service provided to Italian physicians by an important pharmaceutical company, Novartis Pharma, from 2004 to 2012. The results confirm clinicians' appreciation of a service that gives them access to tailored scientific documentation and the number of requests made to the network of medical representatives has been rising steadily, peaking whenever new drugs become available to physicians. The analysis confirms what -other international studies have ascertained, that most queries are about how to use the drugs and what their properties are. The results highlight some differences between different medical specialties: for example, proportionally, neurologists seem to be the most curious. This, as well as other interesting snippets, is worth further exploration. Despite its limits in terms of representativeness, what comes out of the study is the existence of an real unmet need for information by healthcare institutions and that the support offered by the pharmaceutical industry could be invaluable; its role could go well beyond that of a mere supplier to National Healthcare Systems, to that of being recognised as an active partner the process of ensuring balanced and evidence-based information. At the same time, closer appraisal of clinicians' needs could help the pharma industries to improve their communication and educational strategies in presenting their latest clinical research and their own products.

Regional Analysis of Remote Sensing Based Evapotranspiration Information

Science.gov (United States)

Geli, H. M. E.; Hain, C.; Anderson, M. C.; Senay, G. B.

2017-12-01

Recent research findings on modeling actual evapotranspiration (ET) using remote sensing data and methods have proven the ability of these methods to address wide range of hydrological and water resources issues including river basin water balance for improved water resources management, drought monitoring, drought impact and socioeconomic responses, agricultural water management, optimization of land-use for water conservations, water allocation agreement among others. However, there is still a critical need to identify appropriate type of ET information that can address each of these issues. The current trend of increasing demand for water due to population growth coupled with variable and limited water supply due to drought especially in arid and semiarid regions with limited water supply have highlighted the need for such information. To properly address these issues different spatial and temporal resolutions of ET information will need to be used. For example, agricultural water management applications require ET information at field (30-m) and daily time scales while for river basin hydrologic analysis relatively coarser spatial and temporal scales can be adequate for such regional applications. The objective of this analysis is to evaluate the potential of using an integrated ET information that can be used to address some of these issues collectively. This analysis will highlight efforts to address some of the issues that are applicable to New Mexico including assessment of statewide water budget as well as drought impact and socioeconomic responses which all require ET information but at different spatial and temporal scales. This analysis will provide an evaluation of four remote sensing based ET models including ALEXI, DisALEXI, SSEBop, and SEBAL3.0. The models will be compared with ground-based observations from eddy covariance towers and water balance calculations. Remote sensing data from Landsat, MODIS, and VIIRS sensors will be used to provide ET

Evidence-based information needs of public health workers: a systematized review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr-Walker, Jill

2017-01-01

This study assessed public health workers' evidence-based information needs, based on a review of the literature using a systematic search strategy. This study is based on a thesis project conducted as part of the author's master's in public health coursework and is considered a systematized review. Four databases were searched for English-language articles published between 2005 and 2015: PubMed, Web of Science, Library Literature & Information Science Index, and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA). Studies were excluded if there was no primary data collection, the population in the study was not identified as public health workers, "information" was not defined according to specific criteria, or evidence-based information and public health workers were not the major focus. Studies included in the final analysis underwent data extraction, critical appraisal using CASP and STROBE checklists, and thematic analysis. Thirty-three research studies were identified in the search, including twenty-one using quantitative methods and twelve using qualitative methods. Critical appraisal revealed many potential biases, particularly in the validity of research. Thematic analysis revealed five common themes: (1) definition of information needs, (2) current information-seeking behavior and use, (3) definition of evidence-based information, (4) barriers to information needs, and (5) public health-specific issues. Recommendations are given for how librarians can increase the use of evidence-based information in public health research, practice, and policy making. Further research using rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting practices in a wider variety of settings is needed to further evaluate public health workers' information needs.

THE USE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES OF THE KNUKIM SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY FOR INFORMATION SERVICES PROVIDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

В. В. Степко

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The article highlights information resources of the scientific library of the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts and characterizes its use in the system of providing librarian and informational services for users. It is proved that the important information resource of the library is website, which provides additional opportunities for users, forming a positive image of the library in the virtual space. The site contains information on various directions of the library’s activities, librarian services, projects and media products. One of the main tasks of the library is formation and presentation on the website of the electronic catalog as a multifunctional bibliographic resource, which is the basis for informational services and the basic information product of the library. The creation of an electronic library continues as the essential element of providing qualitative and effective services to users. The article discusses the functioning of the “Virtual Help” service as an effective form of working with remote users. The authors also consider such an actual direction of the library’s activity as the presentation of the scientific and creative heritage of the university with help of “12 + books of the year” project. The aim of the project is to inform about new editions of university’s teachers published this year and presented in the library fund. The implementation of the patriotic innovation and educational project “Treasures of the Nation”, whose purpose is to study and popularize the elements of the intangible cultural heritage ofUkraine, is analyzed. The booktrails and flash presentations are considered as a means of presenting books prepared by the library staff. The preparation of longreed, a new format for submitting information on the Internet, is also considered. Thanks to the use of Tilda Publishing and ThingLink services, innovative products were created: a complex multimedia story that combined photos

Four Challenges for Music Information Retrieval Researchers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sturm, Bob L.; Collins, Nick

Exemplified in the substantial amount of published research in music genre recognition, mood recognition and autotagging, content-based music information retrieval (MIR) advances an "engineering approach'': build a system producing the most "correct'' answers in datasets appearing throughout...... might not even be considering the through it answers "correctly''. It could thus be worthless for addressing real-world problems that must consider (e.g., music description). To emphasise the critical points above, and encourage a new approaches to research that address real-world problems, we present...

Measuring Provider Performance for Physicians Participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

Science.gov (United States)

Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all eligible providers to participate in the Quality Payment Program or face financial reimbursement penalty. The Quality Payment Program outlines two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. For the first performance period beginning in January of 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that approximately 83 to 90 percent of eligible providers will not qualify for participation in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model and therefore must participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System program. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System path replaces existing quality-reporting programs and adds several new measures to evaluate providers using four categories of data: (1) quality, (2) cost/resource use, (3) improvement activities, and (4) advancing care information. These categories will be combined to calculate a weighted composite score for each provider or provider group. Composite Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores based on 2017 performance data will be used to adjust reimbursed payment in 2019. In this article, the authors provide relevant background for understanding value-based provider performance measurement. The authors also discuss Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting requirements and scoring methodology to provide plastic surgeons with the necessary information to critically evaluate their own practice capabilities in the context of current performance metrics under the Quality Payment Program.

Research needs for risk-informed, performance-based regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cloninger, T.H.

1997-01-01

This presentation was made by an executive in the utility which operates the South Texas Project reactors, and summarizes their perspective on probabilistic safety analysis, risk-based operation, and risk-based regulation. They view it as a tool to help them better apply their resources to maintain the level of safety necessary to protect the public health and safety. South Texas served as one of the pilot plants for the application of risk-based regulation to the maintenance rule. The author feels that the process presents opportunities as well as challenges. Among the opportunities is the involvement of more people in the process, and the sense of investment they take in the decisions, in addition to the insight they can offer. In the area of challenges there is the need for better understanding of how to apply what already is known on problems, rather than essentially reinventing the wheel to address problems. Research is needed to better understand when some events are not truly of a significant safety concern. The demarcation between deterministic decisions and the appropriate application of risk-based decisions must be better defined, for the sake of the operator as well as the public observing plant operation

Center for Information Systems Research Research Briefings 2002

OpenAIRE

ROSS, JEANNE W.

2003-01-01

This paper is comprised of research briefings from the MIT Sloan School of Management's Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). CISR's mission is to perform practical empirical research on how firms generate business value from IT.

The roles of NRC research in risk-informed, performance-based regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, D.L.; Murphy, J.A.; Hodges, M.W.; Cunningham, M.A.; Drouin, M.T.; Ramey-Smith, A.M.; VanderMolen, H.

1997-01-01

The NRC is expanding the use of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) throughout the spectrum of its regulatory activities. The NRC's research program in PRA supports this expansion in a number of ways, from performing basic research to developing guidance for regulatory applications. The author provides an overview of the NRC's PRA research program, then focuses on two key activities - the review of individual plant examinations, and the development of guidance for use of PRA in reactor regulation

Review of research to inform California's climate scoping plan: Agriculture and working lands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Byrnes

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Agriculture in California contributes 8% of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG emissions. To inform the state's policy and program strategy to meet climate targets, we review recent research on practices that can reduce emissions, sequester carbon and provide other co-benefits to producers and the environment across agriculture and rangeland systems. Importantly, the research reviewed here was conducted in California and addresses practices in our specific agricultural, socioeconomic and biophysical environment. Farmland conversion and the dairy and intensive livestock sector are the largest contributors to GHG emissions and offer the greatest opportunities for avoided emissions. We also identify a range of other opportunities including soil and nutrient management, integrated and diversified farming systems, rangeland management, and biomass-based energy generation. Additional research to replicate and quantify the emissions reduction or carbon sequestration potential of these practices will strengthen the evidence base for California climate policy.

Addressing the Challenges in Tonsillectomy Research to Inform Health Care Policy: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandavia, Rishi; Schilder, Anne G M; Dimitriadis, Panagiotis A; Mossialos, Elias

2017-09-01

Eighty-five percent of investment in medical research has been wasted, with lack of effect on clinical practice and policy. There is increasing effort to improve the likelihood of research being used to influence clinical practice and policy. Tonsillectomy is one of the most common otorhinolaryngologic surgical procedures, and its frequency, cost, and morbidity create a clear need for evidence-based guidelines and policy. The first systematic review on tonsillectomy was conducted 40 years ago and highlighted the lack of definitive evidence for the procedure. Since that study, the body of evidence has still not been able to sufficiently inform policy. This review provides an overview of the key challenges in research to inform tonsillectomy policy and recommendations to help bridge the evidence-policy gap. The challenges in using research to inform policy can be summarized as 4 main themes: (1) non-policy-focused evidence and lack of available evidence, (2) quality of evidence, (3) communication of research findings, and (4) coordinating time frames. Researchers and decision makers should be aware of the limitations of research designs and conflicts of interest that can undermine policy decisions. Researchers must work with decision makers and patients throughout the research process to identify areas of unmet need and political priority, align research and policy time frames, and disseminate research findings. Incentives for researchers should be reorganized to promote dissemination of findings. It is important to consider why evidence gaps in tonsillectomy research have not been addressed during the past 40 years despite considerable investment in time and resources. These findings and recommendations will help produce research that is more responsive to policy gaps and more likely to result in policy changes.

Analysis of preservice science teacher information literacy towards research skills

Science.gov (United States)

Subekti, H.; Purnomo, A. R.; Susilo, H.; Ibrohim; Suwono, H.

2018-04-01

Information literacy is an important component for university students necessary to support personal development both in academic and real-life setting. This research aimed to analyze the drawing picture of information literacy ability among preservice science teacher in Universitas Negeri Surabaya related to research skills. Purposive sampling was used to determine the amount of participants, thereby involving 208 participants from class year 2014, 2015, and 2016. For gathering the data, the instruments being applied were questionnaire based information literacy test. The data then were analyzed in descriptive manner. The results indicated that the male students outperformed the female students by which they obtained 51.1% correct answer, 2% higher than the female students. Based on the duration of the study, the percentage of correct answers varies among students of class year 2014, 2015, and 2016; 56.2%, 45.1%, and 48.4% respectively. When looked at the average percentage of all students, however, most of items were scored in low category (below 50%) except for type of notification, strategy to accessing information, mastery of terminologies used in research and the essence of the copyright . To conclude, the literacy ability of preservice science teachers is still relatively low and the tendency of information literacy possessed by male students is relatively higher than female students.

Global Information Resources on Rice for Research and Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shri RAM

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Various issues concerning the progress of rice research are related to ambiguous germplasm identification, difficulty in tracing pedigree information, and lack of integration between genetic resources, characterization, breeding, evaluation and utilization data. These issues are the constraints in developing knowledge-intensive crop improvement programs. The rapid growth, development and the global spread of modern information and communication technology allow quick adoption in fundamental research. Thus, there is a need to provide an opportunity for the establishment of services which describe the rice information for better accessibility to information resources used by researchers to enhance the competitiveness. This work reviews some of available resources on rice bioinformatics and their roles in elucidating and propagating biological and genomic information in rice research. These reviews will also enable stakeholders to understand and adopt the change in research and development and share knowledge with the global community of agricultural scientists. The establishment like International Rice Information System, Rice Genome Research Project and Integrated Rice Genome Explorer are major initiatives for the improvement of rice. Creation of databases for comparative studies of rice and other cereals are major steps in further improvement of genetic compositions. This paper will also highlight some of the initiatives and organizations working in the field of rice improvement and explore the availability of the various web resources for the purpose of research and development of rice. We are developing a meta web server for integration of online resources such as databases, web servers and journals in the area of bioinformatics. This integrated platform, with acronym iBIRA, is available online at ibiranet.in. The resources reviewed here are the excerpts from the resources integrated in iBIRA.

Information provision in medical libraries: An evidence based ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper examined information provision in special libraries such as medical libraries. It provides an overview of evidence based practice as a concept for information provision by librarians. It specifically proffers meaning to the term evidence as used in evidence based practice and to evidence based medicine from where ...

Experience of an association as 'recipient' of information material provided through communication systems based on e-technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roussel, C.

2006-01-01

The IDEMU, or Urban Ecology Institute was created in 1995 as a non profit association to contribute to the development of training and information on the know-how related to environment and energy in urban areas. The Institute has had to set up a system of internet watch to keep up with evolutions in relevant domains such technologies, law, society, state policies and computer sciences. Among the various tools used for active research we have: research and meta research motors, specialised and generalized press, news-groups, import of the full content of selected web-sites and forum with data exchange

Research on choices of methods of internet of things pricing based on variation of perceived value of service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Li

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: With the rapid progress of Internet of Things technology, the information service of IoT has got unprecedented development, and plays an increasingly important role in real life. For the increasing demand of information service, the pricing of information service becomes more important. This paper aims to analyze the strategic options and payoff function between information provider and intermediaries based on Stackelberg game. Firstly, we describe information service delivery method based on the Internet of Things specific function. Secondly, we calculate the consumer demand for the information service. Finally, we explain two kinds of strategic options by the game theory, and then discuss the optimal pricing method of information services based on profit maximization.Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this objective, Considering the consumer perceived value of Internet of Things Service changing, we establish a Stackelberg model in which the supplier is the leader followed by the middleman. Then, we compare the advantages of using individual pricing with that of bundling pricing.Findings: The results show that whether information providers adopt bundling pricing strategy or individual pricing strategy depends on the cost of perception equipment, if information providers want to adopt individual pricing strategy, the variation of consumers’ perception value of information services must meet certain conditions.Research limitations/implications: the providers make price for the information service, in addition to continuously improve the quality of information service, it also devotes resources to tapping and understanding market information, such as the sensor device price, the variation of perception value of information services and so on, so as to create competitive advantage. This paper is just a preliminary model, it does not take into account the effect of mixed bundling.Originality/value: In this research, a new model for

The NIAID Division of AIDS enterprise information system: integrated decision support for global clinical research programs

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nitin; Varghese, Suresh; Virkar, Hemant

2011-01-01

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Division of AIDS (DAIDS) Enterprise Information System (DAIDS-ES) is a web-based system that supports NIAID in the scientific, strategic, and tactical management of its global clinical research programs for HIV/AIDS vaccines, prevention, and therapeutics. Different from most commercial clinical trials information systems, which are typically protocol-driven, the DAIDS-ES was built to exchange information with those types of systems and integrate it in ways that help scientific program directors lead the research effort and keep pace with the complex and ever-changing global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Whereas commercially available clinical trials support systems are not usually disease-focused, DAIDS-ES was specifically designed to capture and incorporate unique scientific, demographic, and logistical aspects of HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and vaccine research in order to provide a rich source of information to guide informed decision-making. Sharing data across its internal components and with external systems, using defined vocabularies, open standards and flexible interfaces, the DAIDS-ES enables NIAID, its global collaborators and stakeholders, access to timely, quality information about NIAID-supported clinical trials which is utilized to: (1) analyze the research portfolio, assess capacity, identify opportunities, and avoid redundancies; (2) help support study safety, quality, ethics, and regulatory compliance; (3) conduct evidence-based policy analysis and business process re-engineering for improved efficiency. This report summarizes how the DAIDS-ES was conceptualized, how it differs from typical clinical trial support systems, the rationale for key design choices, and examples of how it is being used to advance the efficiency and effectiveness of NIAID's HIV/AIDS clinical research programs. PMID:21816958

[Evidence-based medicine. 2. Research of clinically relevant biomedical information. Gruppo Italiano per la Medicina Basata sulle Evidenze--GIMBE].

Science.gov (United States)

Cartabellotta, A

1998-05-01

Evidence-based Medicine is a product of the electronic information age and there are several databases useful for practice it--MEDLINE, EMBASE, specialized compendiums of evidence (Cochrane Library, Best Evidence), practice guidelines--most of them free available through Internet, that offers a growing number of health resources. Because searching best evidence is a basic step to practice Evidence-based Medicine, this second review (the first one has been published in the issue of March 1998) has the aim to provide physicians tools and skills for retrieving relevant biomedical information. Therefore, we discuss about strategies for managing information overload, analyze characteristics, usefulness and limits of medical databases and explain how to use MEDLINE in day-to-day clinical practice.

Informative providing of processes of development on industrial enterprises

OpenAIRE

Kalinichenko, L.

2010-01-01

Information is definite by the basic resource of activity of enterprises. Suggestion in relation to the selection of informative subsystems of strategic, tactical, operative management is borne. The list of indexes in relation to estimation of the informative providing of functional processes of enterprise is offered.

The Usage of Informal Computer Based Communication in the Context of Organization’s Technological Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steponas Jonušauskas

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article is theoretically and practically analyze the features of informal computer based communication in the context of organization’s technological resources.Methodology—meta analysis, survey and descriptive analysis.Findings. According to scientists, the functions of informal communication cover sharing of work related information, coordination of team activities, spread of organizational culture and feeling of interdependence and affinity. Also, informal communication widens the individuals’ recognition of reality, creates general context of environment between talkers, and strengthens interpersonal attraction. For these reasons, informal communication is desirable and even necessary in organizations because it helps to ensure efficient functioning of the enterprise. However, communicating through electronic channels suppresses informal connections or addresses them to the outside of the organization. So, electronic communication is not beneficial for developing ties in informal organizational network. The empirical research showed, thatsignificant part of courts administration staff is prone to use technological resources of their office for informal communication. Representatives of courts administration choose friends for computer based communication much more often than colleagues (72% and 63%respectively. 93%of the research respondents use an additional e-mail box serviced by commercial providers for non work communication. High intensity of informal electronic communication with friends and familiars shows that workers of court administration are used to meet their psycho emotional needs outside the work place. The survey confirmed conclusion of the theoretical analysis: computer based communication is not beneficial for developing informal contacts between workers. In order for the informal communication could carry out its functions and technological recourses of organization would be used effectively, staff

The Usage of Informal Computer Based Communication in the Context of Organization’s Technological Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agota Giedrė Raišienė

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article is theoretically and practically analyze the features of informal computer based communication in the context of organization’s technological resources. Methodology—meta analysis, survey and descriptive analysis. Findings. According to scientists, the functions of informal communication cover sharing of work related information, coordination of team activities, spread of organizational culture and feeling of interdependence and affinity. Also, informal communication widens the individuals’ recognition of reality, creates general context of environment between talkers, and strengthens interpersonal attraction. For these reasons, informal communication is desirable and even necessary in organizations because it helps to ensure efficient functioning of the enterprise. However, communicating through electronic channels suppresses informal connections or addresses them to the outside of the organization. So, electronic communication is not beneficial for developing ties in informal organizational network. The empirical research showed, that significant part of courts administration staff is prone to use technological resources of their office for informal communication. Representatives of courts administration choose friends for computer based communication much more often than colleagues (72% and 63%respectively. 93%of the research respondents use an additional e-mail box serviced by commercial providers for non work communication. High intensity of informal electronic communication with friends and familiars shows that workers of court administration are used to meet their psycho emotional needs outside the work place. The survey confirmed conclusion of the theoretical analysis: computer based communication is not beneficial for developing informal contacts between workers. In order for the informal communication could carry out its functions and technological recourses of organization would be used effectively, staff

Energy Information Data Base: corporate author entries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-06-01

One of the controls for information entered into the data bases created and maintained by the DOE Technical Information Center is the standardized name for the corporate entity or the corporate author. The purpose of Energy Information Data Base: Corporate Author Entries is to provide a means for the consistent citing of the names of organizations in bibliographic records. These entries serve as guides for users of the DOE/RECON computerized data bases who want to locate information originating in particular organizations. The entries in this revision include the corporate entries used in report bibliographic citations since 1973 and list approximately 28,000 corporate sources

Research method of nuclear patent information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo Dan; Gao An'na; Sun Chenglin; Wang Lei; You Xinfeng

2010-01-01

When faced with a huge amount of nuclear patent information, the key to effective research include: (1) Choose convenient way to search, quick access to nuclear technology related patents; (2) To overcome the language barrier, analysis the technical content of patent information; (3) Organize the publication date of retrieved patent documents, analysis the status and trends of nuclear technology development; (4) Research the patented technology of main applicants; (5) Always pay attention to the legal status of patent information, free use the invalid patents, at the same time avoid the patent infringement. Summary, patent information is important to obtain the latest technical information source, and the research work of patent information is a comprehensive understanding and mastery way for advanced nuclear technology. (authors)

3rd International Conference on "Emerging Research in Computing, Information, Communication and Applications"

CERN Document Server

Prasad, NH; Nalini, N

2015-01-01

This proceedings volume covers the proceedings of ERCICA 2015. ERCICA provides an interdisciplinary forum for researchers, professional engineers and scientists, educators, and technologists to discuss, debate and promote research and technology in the upcoming areas of  Computing, Information, Communication and their Applications. The contents of this book cover emerging research areas in fields of Computing, Information, Communication and Applications. This will prove useful to both researchers and practicing engineers.

Russian and Foreign Experience of Integration of Agent-Based Models and Geographic Information Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantin Anatol’evich Gulin

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article provides an overview of the mechanisms of integration of agent-based models and GIS technology developed by Russian and foreign researchers. The basic framework of the article is based on critical analysis of domestic and foreign literature (monographs, scientific articles. The study is based on the application of universal scientific research methods: system approach, analysis and synthesis, classification, systematization and grouping, generalization and comparison. The article presents theoretical and methodological bases of integration of agent-based models and geographic information systems. The concept and essence of agent-based models are explained; their main advantages (compared to other modeling methods are identified. The paper characterizes the operating environment of agents as a key concept in the theory of agent-based modeling. It is shown that geographic information systems have a wide range of information resources for calculations, searching, modeling of the real world in various aspects, acting as an effective tool for displaying the agents’ operating environment and allowing to bring the model as close as possible to the real conditions. The authors also focus on a wide range of possibilities for various researches in different spatial and temporal contexts. Comparative analysis of platforms supporting the integration of agent-based models and geographic information systems has been carried out. The authors give examples of complex socio-economic models: the model of a creative city, humanitarian assistance model. In the absence of standards for research results description, the authors focus on the models’ elements such as the characteristics of the agents and their operation environment, agents’ behavior, rules of interaction between the agents and the external environment. The paper describes the possibilities and prospects of implementing these models

Landscapes‘ Capacities to Provide Ecosystem Services – a Concept for Land-Cover Based Assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Burkhard

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Landscapes differ in their capacities to provide ecosystem goods and services, which are the benefits humans obtain from nature. Structures and functions of ecosystems needed to sustain the provision of ecosystem services are altered by various human activities. In this paper, a concept for the assessment of multiple ecosystem services is proposed as a basis for discussion and further development of a respective evaluation instrument. Using quantitative and qualitative assessment data in combination with land cover and land use information originated from remote sensing and GIS, impacts of human activities can be evaluated. The results reveal typical patterns of different ecosystems‘ capacities to provide ecosystem services. The proposed approach thus delivers useful integrative information for environmental management and landscape planning, aiming at a sustainable use of services provided by nature. The research concept and methodological framework presented here for discussion have initially been applied in different case studies and shall be developed further to provide a useful tool for the quantification and spatial modelling of multiple ecosystem services in different landscapes. An exemplary application of the approach dealing with food provision in the Halle-Leipzig region in Germany is presented. It shows typical patterns of ecosystem service distribution around urban areas. As the approach is new and still rather general, there is great potential for improvement, especially with regard to a data-based quantification of the numerous hypotheses, which were formulated as base for the assessment. Moreover, the integration of more detailed landscape information on different scales will be needed in future in order to take the heterogeneous distribution of landscape properties and values into account. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to foster critical discussions on the methodological development presented here.

Persistent misunderstandings about evidence-based (sorry: informed!) policy-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Bédard, Pierre-Olivier; Ouimet, Mathieu

2016-01-01

The field of research on knowledge mobilization and evidence-informed policy-making has seen enduring debates related to various fundamental assumptions such as the definition of 'evidence', the relative validity of various research methods, the actual role of evidence to inform policy-making, etc. In many cases, these discussions serve a useful purpose, but they also stem from serious disagreement on methodological and epistemological issues. This essay reviews the rationale for evidence-informed policy-making by examining some of the common claims made about the aims and practices of this perspective on public policy. Supplementing the existing justifications for evidence-based policy making, we argue in favor of a greater inclusion of research evidence in the policy process but in a structured fashion, based on methodological considerations. In this respect, we present an overview of the intricate relation between policy questions and appropriate research designs. By closely examining the relation between research questions and research designs, we claim that the usual points of disagreement are mitigated. For instance, when focusing on the variety of research designs that can answer a range of policy questions, the common critical claim about 'RCT-based policy-making' seems to lose some, if not all of its grip.

Data base on dose reduction research projects for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, T.A.; Vulin, D.S.; Liang, H.; Baum, J.W. (Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States))

1992-08-01

This is the fourth volume in a series of reports that provide information on dose reduction research and health physics technology for nuclear power plants. The information is taken from a data base maintained by Brookhaven National Laboratory's ALARA Center for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This report presents information on 118 new or updated projects, covering a wide range of activities. Projects including steam generator degradation, decontamination, robotics, improvement in reactor materials, and inspection techniques, among others, are described in the research section of the report. The section on health physics technology includes some simple and very cost-effective projects to reduce radiation exposures. Included in this volume is a detailed description of how to access the BNL data bases which store this information. All project abstracts from this report, as well as many other useful documents, can be accessed, with permission, through our on-line system, ACE. A computer equipped with a modem, or a fax machine is all that is required to connect to ACE. Many features of ACE, including software, hardware, and communications specifics, are explained in this report.

Web information retrieval based on ontology

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian

2013-03-01

The purpose of the Information Retrieval (IR) is to find a set of documents that are relevant for a specific information need of a user. Traditional Information Retrieval model commonly used in commercial search engine is based on keyword indexing system and Boolean logic queries. One big drawback of traditional information retrieval is that they typically retrieve information without an explicitly defined domain of interest to the users so that a lot of no relevance information returns to users, which burden the user to pick up useful answer from these no relevance results. In order to tackle this issue, many semantic web information retrieval models have been proposed recently. The main advantage of Semantic Web is to enhance search mechanisms with the use of Ontology's mechanisms. In this paper, we present our approach to personalize web search engine based on ontology. In addition, key techniques are also discussed in our paper. Compared to previous research, our works concentrate on the semantic similarity and the whole process including query submission and information annotation.

77 FR 68769 - Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-16

... analysis of data and reports provided by industry on hydraulic fracturing. The work includes preparation of technical analysis and technical information; and report preparation. In accordance with 40 CFR 2.306(j... INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: Leigh DeHaven, Office of Research and Development...

The Online Parent Information and Support project, meeting parents' information and support needs for home-based management of childhood chronic kidney disease: research protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Swallow, Veronica; Knafl, Kathleen; Sanatacroce, Sheila; Hall, Andrew; Smith, Trish; Campbell, Malcolm; Webb, Nicholas J A

2012-09-01

This article is a report of a protocol for studying the development and evaluation of an online parent information and support package for home-based care of children with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5. The study is funded by a National Institute of Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Grant awarded (December 2010). Approval to undetake the study was obtained from the Department of Health National Research Ethics Service (June 2011). Children with chronic kidney disease require skilled, home-based care by parents, supported by professionals. Parents have identified a need for continuously available online resources to supplement professional support, and structured resources tailored to parents' needs are highlighted by policy makers as key to optimizing care; yet, online resource provision is patchy with little evidence base. Using mixed methods, we will (i) conduct parent/child/young person/professional/patient and parent volunteer focus groups to explore views on existing resources, (ii) collaboratively define gaps in provision, identify desirable components, develop/test resources and conduct a feasibility randomized controlled trial, and (iii) of usual professional support versus usual support supplemented by the package. Eighty parents of children with chronic kidney disease will be randomized. Primary outcomes will assess parents' self-efficacy and views of resources, using standardized measures at entry and 24 weeks, and semi-structured interviews at 24 weeks. We will finalize trial components for a later definitive trial. By working collaboratively, we will derive a detailed insight into parents' information and support needs and experiences of using the package, and should see improved parental self-efficacy. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Providing public information in the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fon Jager, Mojca

2000-01-01

Full text: Good safety culture is strongly related to transparent and timely information. Experience has shown that radiation and nuclear safety are under continuous surveillance by the public. The provision of open and authentic information to the public is a fundamental policy of the SNSA. The SNSA endeavors to provide substantial and reliable information to the interested institutions, mass media and to the citizens through press conferences, public statements, media discussions, and active participation in domestic and international meetings, symposia and congresses, through publications, the Internet and direct contacts with the interested public. The SNSA regularly provides information on nuclear safety to the Government, the National Assembly and the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia. The Annual Report on Nuclear and Radiation Safety is published in Poroeevalec (Reporter) - the publication of the National Assembly - in autumn, and is available in public libraries throughout Slovenia. Annual Report is available also on the Internet (http://www.sigov.si/ursjv/uvod.html) in Slovene and English. Access to data of the Central Radiation Early Warning System of Slovenia (CROSS), recording the real time (at half-hour intervals) gamma dose rate levels, is also available through Internet. The report in English is sent every year to Slovenian embassies world-wide, to certain foreign embassies in Slovenia and to other organizations participating in the activities in the nuclear and radiological field. Reports on the SNSA activities are also published in the bulletin Okolje in prostor (Environment and Spatial Planning), published by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. The SNSA regularly contributes articles on courses, seminars and symposia attended at home and abroad. The articles are intended to give basic information on training and the names of contact persons to provide additional information on certain topics to those interested. More than half of

Forging New Service Paths: Institutional Approaches to Providing Research Data Management Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Raboin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: This paper describes three different institutional experiences in developing research data management programs and services, challenges/opportunities and lessons learned.Overview: This paper is based on the Librarian Panel Discussion during the 4th Annual University of Massachusetts and New England Region e-Science Symposium. Librarians representing large public and private research universities presented an overview of service models developed at their respective organizations to bring support for data management and eScience to their communities. The approaches described include two library-based, integrated service models and one collaboratively-staffed, center-based service model.Results: Three institutions describe their experiences in creating the organizational capacity for research data management support services. Although each institutional approach is unique, common challenges include garnering administrative support, managing the integration of services with new or existing staff structures, and continuing to meet researchers needs as they evolve.Conclusions: There is no one way to provide research data management services, but any staff position, committee, or formalized center reflects an overarching organizational commitment to data management support.

Urban Planning and Management Information Systems Analysis and Design Based on GIS

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Wang

Based on the analysis of existing relevant systems on the basis of inadequate, after a detailed investigation and research, urban planning and management information system will be designed for three-tier structure system, under the LAN using C/S mode architecture. Related functions for the system designed in accordance with the requirements of the architecture design of the functional relationships between the modules. Analysis of the relevant interface and design, data storage solutions proposed. The design for small and medium urban planning information system provides a viable building program.

Informing parents about expanded newborn screening: influences on provider involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayeems, Robin Z; Miller, Fiona A; Little, Julian; Carroll, June C; Allanson, Judith; Chakraborty, Pranesh; Wilson, Brenda J; Bytautas, Jessica P; Christensen, Robert J

2009-09-01

Expanded newborn screening (NBS) identifies some disorders for which clinical benefit is uncertain, as well as "incidental" findings (eg, carrier status), thus enhancing the need to inform parents about NBS before sample collection. A self-complete survey was sent to a cross-sectional, stratified, random sample of 5 provider groups in Ontario (obstetricians, midwives, family physicians, pediatricians, and nurses). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the effects of core beliefs, perceived barriers, and demographic characteristics on the reported frequency of informing parents about NBS before sample collection. Virtually all of the midwives and almost half of the nurses reported discussing NBS with parents, whereas less than one sixth of the physicians did so. Providers who perceived a responsibility to inform parents were 3 times more likely to report doing so than those who did not perceive this responsibility (odds ratio: 2.9 [95% confidence interval: 2.1-4.1]). Those who lacked confidence to inform parents were 70% less likely to discuss NBS with parents compared with those who did not experience this cognitive barrier (odds ratio: 0.3 [95% confidence interval: 0.2-0.4]). Controlling for these covariates, family physicians and obstetricians were more likely than pediatricians to inform parents. These results provide guidance for capacity building among providers who are positioned to inform parents about NBS before sample collection. Our findings call for targeted educational interventions that consider patterns of provider practice related to prenatal and NBS care, seek to redress confidence limitations, and engage key provider groups in the importance of this professional responsibility.

A case study in the use of community-based participatory research in public health nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Christine L; Xu, Yin; Lee, Rebecca; Rose, Barbara L; Kappesser, Mary; Anthony, Jean Spann

2006-01-01

There is growing demand for research using a community-based participatory (CBPR) approach. CBPR requires that the academic research team actively partner with community members and stakeholders in the entire research process. The community members are full partners with the researchers in relation to the development and implementation of the study, analysis of the data, and dissemination of the findings. The purpose of this article is to review four basic principles of CBPR and provide an example of how these CBPR principles were used in an ethnographic study related to the culture of African American infant health. In the pilot study, CBPR provided the framework for recruitment and retention of participants, ongoing data analysis, and dissemination of findings. Using CBPR provided the researchers an introduction into the selected community. Community members served as key informants about the culture of the community and provided access to potential participants. The community partners contributed to analysis of emerging themes and in the dissemination of findings to the community, stakeholders, and the scientific community. CBPR provides opportunities for community health nurse researchers to conduct research with vulnerable populations and sets the stage for implementing evidenced-based nursing interventions in the community.

A randomized study of multimedia informational aids for research on medical practices: implications for informed consent

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft, Stephanie A; Constantine, Melissa; Magnus, David; Porter, Kathryn M.; Lee, Sandra Soo-Jin; Green, Michael; Kass, Nancy E; Wilfond, Benjamin S.; Cho, Mildred K

2016-01-01

Background/aims Participant understanding is a key element of informed consent for enrollment in research. However, participants often do not understand the nature, risks, benefits, or design of the studies in which they take part. Research on medical practices, which studies standard interventions rather than new treatments, has the potential to be especially confusing to participants because it is embedded within usual clinical care. Our objective in this randomized study was to compare the ability of a range of multimedia informational aids to improve participant understanding in the context of research on medical practices. Methods We administered a Web-based survey to members of a proprietary online panel sample selected to match national U.S. demographics. Respondents were randomized to one of five arms: four content-equivalent informational aids (animated videos, slideshows with voiceover, comics, and text), and one no-intervention control. We measured knowledge of research on medical practices using a summary knowledge score from 10 questions based on the content of the informational aids. We used ANOVA and paired t-tests to compare knowledge scores between arms. Results There were 1500 completed surveys (300 in each arm). Mean knowledge scores were highest for the slideshows with voiceover (65.7%), followed by the animated videos (62.7%), comics (60.7%), text (57.2%), and control (50.3%). Differences between arms were statistically significant except between the slideshows with voiceover and animated videos and between the animated videos and comics. Informational aids that included an audio component (animated videos and slideshows with voiceover) had higher knowledge scores than those without an audio component (64.2% versus 59.0%, peffectively than text alone. However, the relatively low knowledge scores suggest that targeted informational aids may be needed to teach some particularly challenging concepts. Nonetheless, our results demonstrate the

Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science research plan 2013-18

Science.gov (United States)

Usery, E. Lynn

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS) was created in 2006 and since that time has provided research primarily in support of The National Map. The presentations and publications of the CEGIS researchers document the research accomplishments that include advances in electronic topographic map design, generalization, data integration, map projections, sea level rise modeling, geospatial semantics, ontology, user-centered design, volunteer geographic information, and parallel and grid computing for geospatial data from The National Map. A research plan spanning 2013–18 has been developed extending the accomplishments of the CEGIS researchers and documenting new research areas that are anticipated to support The National Map of the future. In addition to extending the 2006–12 research areas, the CEGIS research plan for 2013–18 includes new research areas in data models, geospatial semantics, high-performance computing, volunteered geographic information, crowdsourcing, social media, data integration, and multiscale representations to support the Three-Dimensional Elevation Program (3DEP) and The National Map of the future of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Improving information for community-based adaptation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huq, Saleemul

2011-10-15

Community-based adaptation aims to empower local people to cope with and plan for the impacts of climate change. In a world where knowledge equals power, you could be forgiven for thinking that enabling this type of adaptation boils down to providing local people with information. Conventional approaches to planning adaptation rely on 'expert' advice and credible 'science' from authoritative information providers such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But to truly support the needs of local communities, this information needs to be more site-specific, more user-friendly and more inclusive of traditional knowledge and existing coping practices.

The information determinants in marketing of a research and scientific institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Sojkin

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with information – based marketing of scientific research institutes, which has been named SAVE (Solution – Access – Value – Education. A proper use of marketing instruments requires information assets which are defined in terms of the essence, the scope and the form of the defined information needs. The essence, the form and the pattern of information needs in reference to SAVE has been defined and described in the case of scientific research institute. The specification of needs for each instrument and for various market participants has been included into the description.

Practice and exploration: build nuclear science and technology information resources management system based on the TRS platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Jing; Meng Xu

2010-01-01

Nuclear science and technology information has played a very important role in the development of Chinese nuclear industry. In information explosion and information technology swift development's today, how to use information technology method to management and shared the nuclear information of nuclear research institutes, nuclear power plants and other nuclear-related units, become an important subject of nuclear information work. TRS information resource management platform provide a doable solution to manage and share the nuclear science and technology information. Nuclear Power Institute of China has built a nuclear science and technology information resources management system based on the TRS platform, through some steps just like system design, re-development and resource building. This management system has served for the research, testing, production and operation. (authors)

Research investigations in oil shale, tar sand, coal research, advanced exploratory process technology, and advanced fuels research: Volume 1 -- Base program. Final report, October 1986--September 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, V.E.

1994-05-01

Numerous studies have been conducted in five principal areas: oil shale, tar sand, underground coal gasification, advanced process technology, and advanced fuels research. In subsequent years, underground coal gasification was broadened to be coal research, under which several research activities were conducted that related to coal processing. The most significant change occurred in 1989 when the agreement was redefined as a Base Program and a Jointly Sponsored Research Program (JSRP). Investigations were conducted under the Base Program to determine the physical and chemical properties of materials suitable for conversion to liquid and gaseous fuels, to test and evaluate processes and innovative concepts for such conversions, to monitor and determine environmental impacts related to development of commercial-sized operations, and to evaluate methods for mitigation of potential environmental impacts. This report is divided into two volumes: Volume 1 consists of 28 summaries that describe the principal research efforts conducted under the Base Program in five topic areas. Volume 2 describes tasks performed within the JSRP. Research conducted under this agreement has resulted in technology transfer of a variety of energy-related research information. A listing of related publications and presentations is given at the end of each research topic summary. More specific and detailed information is provided in the topical reports referenced in the related publications listings.

Energy Information Data Base: corporate author entries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-03-01

One of the controls for information entered into the data bases created and maintained by the DOE Technical Information Center is the standardized name for the corporate entity or the corporate author. The purpose of Energy Information Data Base: Corporate Author Entries (TID-4585-R1) and this supplemental list of authorized or standardized corporate entries is to provide a means for the consistent citing of the names of organizations in bibliographic records. In general, an entry in Corporate Author Entries consists of the seven-digit code number assigned to the particular corporate entity, the two-letter country code, the largest element of the corporate name, the location of the corporate entity, and the smallest element of the corporate name (if provided). This supplement [DOE/TIC-4585-R1(Suppl.5)] contains additions to the base document (TID-4585-R1) and is intended to be used with that publication

Translating research into practice: evaluation of an e-learning resource for health care professionals to provide nutrition advice and support for cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jane; Worswick, Louise; Pulman, Andy; Ford, Grainne; Jeffery, Jaana

2015-01-01

Nurses and other allied health professionals are in a key position to provide appropriate and consistent advice on nutritional issues to support cancer survivors. However gaps in their nutrition knowledge and education warrant the need for enhanced learning as part of their Continued Professional Development (CPD). In the UK there are currently no formally recognised nutrition education programmes. Therefore e-learning offers a solution to provide flexible learning to target this need. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a freely available, internet-based learning resource, for nurses and allied health professionals who provide nutrition, diet and lifestyle advice for cancer survivors. It sought to explore the attitudes and conceptions of the resource and current knowledge base of those involved in the care pathway for cancer survivors. The design and development of the e-learning resource were informed by the best available research and policy evidence and in a format to facilitate on-line learning. A robust evaluation strategy incorporated focus groups and telephone interviews to gain in depth insights into the experiences of using the resource. Themes included 'Plugging a Gap' which shows an improved knowledge base for nutrition. Information was 'All in One Place' showing that the resource was valued as being within a 'trusted' organisation. 'Everyone Benefits' illustrates how learners felt that the resource provided them with an evidence base, whilst the 'Current and Live' theme captured how professionals felt about the information being up-to-date. The project has shown the benefits of interprofessional working to develop an e-learning resource for Health Care Professionals to support cancer survivors in following healthier lifestyles. Positive attitudes and potential improvements in the knowledge base and changes for professional practice were demonstrated. Further research is required to gauge sustained impact in the work environment by

Management information system of research institute supported by ministry of science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

This book mentions development strategy of MIS. This book contains development strategy of MIS research institute supported by government, computerization of administrative work of research institute, library computer system, methodology on system development, LAN build of ministry science and technology, ocean data base energy data base, computerization of research data management case of construction and analysis for chemical DB, information system of life science, electronic data interchange, queueing theory, biotechnology and computer, comprehensive weather information system, special equipment of data and data processing of oil-hunt operation.

Management information system of research institute supported by ministry of science and technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-12-15

This book mentions development strategy of MIS. This book contains development strategy of MIS research institute supported by government, computerization of administrative work of research institute, library computer system, methodology on system development, LAN build of ministry science and technology, ocean data base energy data base, computerization of research data management case of construction and analysis for chemical DB, information system of life science, electronic data interchange, queueing theory, biotechnology and computer, comprehensive weather information system, special equipment of data and data processing of oil-hunt operation.

Correlation Feature Selection and Mutual Information Theory Based Quantitative Research on Meteorological Impact Factors of Module Temperature for Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujing Sun

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The module temperature is the most important parameter influencing the output power of solar photovoltaic (PV systems, aside from solar irradiance. In this paper, we focus on the interdisciplinary research that combines the correlation analysis, mutual information (MI and heat transfer theory, which aims to figure out the correlative relations between different meteorological impact factors (MIFs and PV module temperature from both quality and quantitative aspects. The identification and confirmation of primary MIFs of PV module temperature are investigated as the first step of this research from the perspective of physical meaning and mathematical analysis about electrical performance and thermal characteristic of PV modules based on PV effect and heat transfer theory. Furthermore, the quantitative description of the MIFs influence on PV module temperature is mathematically formulated as several indexes using correlation-based feature selection (CFS and MI theory to explore the specific impact degrees under four different typical weather statuses named general weather classes (GWCs. Case studies for the proposed methods were conducted using actual measurement data of a 500 kW grid-connected solar PV plant in China. The results not only verified the knowledge about the main MIFs of PV module temperatures, more importantly, but also provide the specific ratio of quantitative impact degrees of these three MIFs respectively through CFS and MI based measures under four different GWCs.