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Sample records for readable dual-band qwip

  1. Multi-color IR sensors based on QWIP technology for security and surveillance applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundaram, Mani; Reisinger, Axel; Dennis, Richard; Patnaude, Kelly; Burrows, Douglas; Cook, Robert; Bundas, Jason

    2006-05-01

    Room-temperature targets are detected at the furthest distance by imaging them in the long wavelength (LW: 8-12 μm) infrared spectral band where they glow brightest. Focal plane arrays (FPAs) based on quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) have sensitivity, noise, and cost metrics that have enabled them to become the best commercial solution for certain security and surveillance applications. Recently, QWIP technology has advanced to provide pixelregistered dual-band imaging in both the midwave (MW: 3-5 μm) and longwave infrared spectral bands in a single chip. This elegant technology affords a degree of target discrimination as well as the ability to maximize detection range for hot targets (e.g. missile plumes) by imaging in the midwave and for room-temperature targets (e.g. humans, trucks) by imaging in the longwave with one simple camera. Detection-range calculations are illustrated and FPA performance is presented.

  2. QWIP technology for both military and civilian applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunapala, Sarath D.; Kukkonen, Carl A.; Sirangelo, Mark N.; McQuiston, Barbara K.; Chehayeb, Riad; Kaufmann, M.

    2001-10-01

    Advanced thermal imaging infrared cameras have been a cost effective and reliable method to obtain the temperature of objects. Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) based thermal imaging systems have advanced the state-of-the-art and are the most sensitive commercially available thermal systems. QWIP Technologies LLC, under exclusive agreement with Caltech University, is currently manufacturing the QWIP-ChipTM, a 320 X 256 element, bound-to-quasibound QWIP FPA. The camera performance falls within the long-wave IR band, spectrally peaked at 8.5 μm. The camera is equipped with a 32-bit floating-point digital signal processor combined with multi- tasking software, delivering a digital acquisition resolution of 12-bits using nominal power consumption of less than 50 Watts. With a variety of video interface options, remote control capability via an RS-232 connection, and an integrated control driver circuit to support motorized zoom and focus- compatible lenses, this camera design has excellent application in both the military and commercial sector. In the area of remote sensing, high-performance QWIP systems can be used for high-resolution, target recognition as part of a new system of airborne platforms (including UAVs). Such systems also have direct application in law enforcement, surveillance, industrial monitoring and road hazard detection systems. This presentation will cover the current performance of the commercial QWIP cameras, conceptual platform systems and advanced image processing for use in both military remote sensing and civilian applications currently being developed in road hazard monitoring.

  3. Multi-Color QWIP FPAs for Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soibel, Alexander; Luong, Ed; Mumolo, Jason M.; Liu, John; Rafol, Sir B.; Keo, Sam A.; Johnson, William; Willson, Dan; Hill, Cory J.; Ting, David Z.-Y.; hide

    2012-01-01

    Infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) covering broad mid- and long-IR spectral ranges are the central parts of the spectroscopic and imaging instruments in several Earth and planetary science missions. To be implemented in the space instrument these FPAs need to be large-format, uniform, reproducible, low-cost, low 1/f noise, and radiation hard. Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs), which possess all needed characteristics, have a great potential for implementation in the space instruments. However a standard QWIP has only a relatively narrow spectral coverage. A multi-color QWIP, which is compromised of two or more detector stacks, can to be used to cover the broad spectral range of interest. We will discuss our recent work on development of multi-color QWIP for Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer instruments. We developed QWIP compromising of two stacks centered at 9 and 10.5 ?m, and featuring 9 grating regions optimized to maximize the responsivity in the individual subbands across the 7.5-12 ?m spectral range. The demonstrated 1024x1024 QWIP FPA exhibited excellent performance with operability exceeding 99% and noise equivalent differential temperature of less than 15 mK across the entire 7.5-12 ?m spectral range.

  4. Quantum-Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) Focal Plane Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhabvala, Murzy; Jhabvala, Christine A.; Ewin, Audrey J.; Hess, Larry A.; Hartmann, Thomas M.; La, Anh T.

    2012-01-01

    A paper describes the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), a QWIP-based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a far-infrared imager operating in the pushbroom mode with two IR channels: 10.8 and 12 microns. The focal plane will contain three 640x512 QWIP arrays mounted on a silicon substrate. The silicon substrate is a custom-fabricated carrier board with a single layer of aluminum interconnects. The general fabrication process starts with a 4-in. (approx.10-cm) diameter silicon wafer. The wafer is oxidized, a single substrate contact is etched, and aluminum is deposited, patterned, and alloyed. This technology development is aimed at incorporating three large-format infrared detecting arrays based on GaAs QWIP technology onto a common focal plane with precision alignment of all three arrays. This focal plane must survive the rigors of flight qualification and operate at a temperature of 43 K (-230 C) for five years while orbiting the Earth. The challenges presented include ensuring thermal compatibility among all the components, designing and building a compact, somewhat modular system and ensuring alignment to very tight levels. The multi-array focal plane integrated onto a single silicon substrate is a new application of both QWIP array development and silicon wafer scale integration. The Invar-based assembly has been tested to ensure thermal reliability.

  5. Dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation and stable performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Hang; Qu, Shao-Bo; Peng, Wei-Dong; Lin, Bao-Qin; Wang, Jia-Fu; Ma, Hua; Zhang, Jie-Qiu; Bai, Peng; Wang, Xu-Hua; Xu, Zhuo

    2012-05-01

    A new technique of designing a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is presented. This technique is based on a delicately designed topology of L- and Ku-band microwave filters. The two band-pass responses are generated by a capacitively-loaded square-loop frequency selective surface and an aperture-coupled frequency selective surface, respectively. A Faraday cage is located between the two frequency selective surface structures to eliminate undesired couplings. Based on this technique, a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is designed, which possesses large band separation, high selectivity, and stable performance under various incident angles and different polarizations.

  6. Dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation and stable performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Hang; Qu Shao-Bo; Lin Bao-Qin; Wang Jia-Fu; Ma Hua; Zhang Jie-Qiu; Peng Wei-Dong; Bai Peng; Wang Xu-Hua; Xu Zhuo

    2012-01-01

    A new technique of designing a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is presented. This technique is based on a delicately designed topology of L- and Ku-band microwave filters. The two band-pass responses are generated by a capacitively-loaded square-loop frequency selective surface and an aperture-coupled frequency selective surface, respectively. A Faraday cage is located between the two frequency selective surface structures to eliminate undesired couplings. Based on this technique, a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is designed, which possesses large band separation, high selectivity, and stable performance under various incident angles and different polarizations. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

  7. Single-Band and Dual-Band Infrared Detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ting, David Z. (Inventor); Gunapala, Sarath D. (Inventor); Soibel, Alexander (Inventor); Nguyen, Jean (Inventor); Khoshakhlagh, Arezou (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    Bias-switchable dual-band infrared detectors and methods of manufacturing such detectors are provided. The infrared detectors are based on a back-to-back heterojunction diode design, where the detector structure consists of, sequentially, a top contact layer, a unipolar hole barrier layer, an absorber layer, a unipolar electron barrier, a second absorber, a second unipolar hole barrier, and a bottom contact layer. In addition, by substantially reducing the width of one of the absorber layers, a single-band infrared detector can also be formed.

  8. Dual-band dual-polarized array for WLAN applications

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Steyn, JM

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available dual-band dual-polarized (DBDP) antenna design for WLAN applications. The antenna is in the form of an array consisting of four double-dipole radiators. The basic radiating element consists of a rhombus shaped dipole above a planar ground plane... the ground planes and the respective feedlines. Substrate cuts and difierent heights for the horizontal feedlines were necessary to achieve the latter. The 2nd conflguration (for vertical polarization) has a slightly difierent feeding network layout...

  9. Dual-band infrared camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, H.; Schlemmer, H.

    2005-10-01

    Every year, numerous accidents happen on European roads due to bad visibility (fog, night, heavy rain). Similarly, the dramatic aviation accidents of year 2001 in Milan and Zurich have reminded us that aviation safety is equally affected by reduced visibility. A dual-band thermal imager was developed in order to raise human situation awareness under conditions of reduced visibility especially in the automotive and aeronautical context but also for all transportation or surveillance tasks. The chosen wavelength bands are the Short Wave Infrared SWIR and the Long Wave Infrared LWIR band which are less obscured by reduced visibility conditions than the visible band. Furthermore, our field tests clearly show that the two different spectral bands very often contain complementary information. Pyramidal fusion is used to integrate complementary and redundant features of the multi-spectral images into a fused image which can be displayed on a monitor to provide more and better information for the driver or pilot.

  10. Reconfigurable dual-band metamaterial antenna based on liquid crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Che, Bang-Jun; Meng, Fan-Yi; Lyu, Yue-Long; Wu, Qun

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, a novel reconfigurable dual-band metamaterial antenna with a continuous beam that is electrically steered in backward to forward directions is first proposed by employing a liquid crystal (LC)-loaded tunable extended composite right-/left-handed (E-CRLH) transmission line (TL). The frequency-dependent property of the E-CRLH TL is analyzed and a compact unit cell based on the nematic LC is proposed to realize the tunable dual band characteristics. The phase constant of the proposed unit cell can be dynamically continuously tuned from negative to positive values in two operating bands by changing the bias voltage of the loaded LC material. A resulting dual band fixed-frequency beam steering property has been predicted by numerical simulations and experimentally verified. The measured results show that the fabricated reconfigurable antenna features an electrically controlled continuous beam steering from backward  ‑16° to forward  +13° at 7.2 GHz and backward  ‑9° to forward  +17° at 9.4 GHz, respectively. This electrically controlled beam steering range turns out to be competitive with the previously reported single band reconfigurable antennas. Besides, the measured and simulated results of the proposed reconfigurable dual-band metamaterial antenna are in good agreement.

  11. Design of Dual-Band Two-Branch-Line Couplers with Arbitrary Coupling Coefficients in Bands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Prudyus

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available A new approach to design dual-band two-branch couplers with arbitrary coupling coefficients at two operating frequency bands is proposed in this article. The method is based on the usage of equivalent subcircuits input reactances of the even-mode and odd-mode excitations. The exact design formulas for three options of the dual-band coupler with different location and number of stubs are received. These formulas permit to obtain the different variants for each structure in order to select the physically realizable solution and can be used in broad range of frequency ratio and power division ratio. For verification, three different dual-band couplers, which are operating at 2.4/3.9 GHz with different coupling coefficients (one with 3/6 dB, and 10/3 dB two others are designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones.

  12. Real-time dual-band haptic music player for mobile devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Inwook; Lee, Hyeseon; Choi, Seungmoon

    2013-01-01

    We introduce a novel dual-band haptic music player for real-time simultaneous vibrotactile playback with music in mobile devices. Our haptic music player features a new miniature dual-mode actuator that can produce vibrations consisting of two principal frequencies and a real-time vibration generation algorithm that can extract vibration commands from a music file for dual-band playback (bass and treble). The algorithm uses a "haptic equalizer" and provides plausible sound-to-touch modality conversion based on human perceptual data. In addition, we present a user study carried out to evaluate the subjective performance (precision, harmony, fun, and preference) of the haptic music player, in comparison with the current practice of bass-band-only vibrotactile playback via a single-frequency voice-coil actuator. The evaluation results indicated that the new dual-band playback outperforms the bass-only rendering, also providing several insights for further improvements. The developed system and experimental findings have implications for improving the multimedia experience with mobile devices.

  13. Dual Y-Shaped Monopole Antenna for Dual-Band WLAN/WiMAX Operations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiqing Zhai

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A dual-band design of monopole antenna with two coupled Y-shaped strips for WLAN/WiMAX applications is presented. By the introduction of dual Y-shaped strips, two separated impedance bandwidths of 22.4% (3.28~4.10 GHz and 19.2% (4.90~5.94 GHz can be obtained to meet the specifications of the WLAN/WiMAX communication band applications. The proposed antenna is successfully simulated, designed, and measured, demonstrating the matched impedance and good radiation characteristics with an overall dimension of 17.7×26×1 mm3.

  14. Performance Enhancement in L-Band Edfa Through Dual Stage Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. W. Harun and H. Ahmad

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available An experiment on gain enhancement in the long wavelength band erbium doped fiber amplifier (L-band EDFA is demonstrated. It uses a dual stage technique with dual forward pumping scheme. Compared to a conventional single stage amplifier, the small signal gain for 1580nm signal can be improved by 5.5dB without paying much noise figure penalty. The corresponding noise figure penalty was 0.3dB due to the insertion loss of the optical isolator. The optimum pump power ratio for the first pump is experimentally determined to be 33%. The maximum gain improvement of 8.3dB was obtained at a signal wavelength of 1568nm while signal and total pump powers were fixed at -30dBm and 92mW, respectively. The employment of dual stage amplifier system seems to play an important role in the development of practical L-band EDFA from the perspective of economical usage of pump power.Key Words:  erbium doped fibre; optical amplifier; L-band EDFA; dual stage EDFA; amplified spontaneous emission

  15. A dual-band reconfigurable Yagi-Uda antenna with diverse radiation patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saurav, Kushmanda; Sarkar, Debdeep; Srivastava, Kumar Vaibhav

    2017-07-01

    In this paper, a dual-band pattern reconfigurable antenna is proposed. The antenna comprises of a dual-band complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) loaded dipole as the driven element and two copper strips with varying lengths as parasitic segments on both sides of the driven dipole. PIN diodes are used with the parasitic elements to control their electrical length. The CSRRs loading provide a lower order mode in addition to the reference dipole mode, while the parasitic elements along with the PIN diodes are capable of switching the omni-directional radiation of the dual-band driven element to nine different configurations of radiation patterns which include bi-directional end-fire, broadside, and uni-directional end-fire in both the operating bands. A prototype of the designed antenna together with the PIN diodes and DC bias lines is fabricated to validate the concept of dual-band radiation pattern diversity. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement. The proposed antenna can be used in wireless access points for PCS and WLAN applications.

  16. Dual-band absorber for multispectral plasmon-enhanced infrared photodetection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Peng; Ashalley, Eric; Wang, Zhiming; Wu, Jiang; Govorov, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    For most of the reported metamaterial absorbers, the peak absorption only occurs at one single wavelength. Here, we investigated a dual-band absorber which is based on simple gold nano-rings. Two absorption peaks can be readily achieved in 3–5 µ m and 8–14 µ m via tuning the width and radius of gold nano-rings and dielectric constant. The average maximum absorption of two bands can be as high as 95.1% (−0.22 dB). Based on the simulation results, the perfect absorber with nano-rings demonstrates great flexibility to create dual-band or triple-band absorption, and thus holds potential for further applications in thermophotovoltaics, multicolor infrared focal plane arrays, optical filters, and biological sensing applications. (paper)

  17. Evaluation of a color fused dual-band NVG

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hogervorst, M.A.; Toet, A.

    2009-01-01

    We designed and evaluated a dual-band Night Vision Goggles sensor system. The sensor system consists of two optically aligned NVGs fitted with filters splitting the sensitive range into a visual and a near-infrared band. The Color-the-night technique (Hogervorst & Toet, FUSION2008) was used to fuse

  18. Compact Dual-Band Bandpass Filter Using Stubs Loaded Ring Resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jin

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a novel second-order dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) by using proposed stubs loaded ring resonator. The resonant behavior of proposed stubs loaded ring resonator is analyzed by even-/odd-mode method, which shows its multiple-mode resonant characteristic. Parameters sweep is done so as to give the design guidelines. As an example, a second-order dual-band BPF operating at 1.8/5.2 GHz for GSM and WLAN applications is designed, fabricated and measured. The fabricated filter has a very compact size of 0.05λg×0.15λg. Measured results also show that the proposed dual-band BPF has a better than 20 dB rejection upper stopband from 5.47 GHz to 12.56 GHz. Good agreement is shown between the simulated and measured results.

  19. Wide frequency independently controlled dual-band inkjet-printed antenna

    KAUST Repository

    AbuTarboush, Hattan F.; Shamim, Atif

    2014-01-01

    .2 and 23.7%, respectively. These dual-bands have the ability to be controlled independently between 1.1 and 7.5 GHz without affecting the other band. In addition, the proposed antenna can be assigned for different mobile and wireless applications

  20. Evaluation of a color fused dual-band NVG

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hogervorst, M.A.; Toet, A.

    2009-01-01

    We have tested a prototype dual-band NVG system consisting of two NVGs fitted with filters that split the NVG sensitive range into a short (visual) and a long wavelength (NIR) band. The Color-the-night technique (see Hogervorst & Toet, SPIE D&S ‘08) was used to fuse the images of the two sensors. We

  1. Dual-band and high-efficiency polarization converter based on metasurfaces at microwave frequencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yajun; Xia, Song; Shi, Hongyu; Zhang, Anxue; Xu, Zhuo

    2016-06-01

    We present a dual-band and high-efficiency polarization converter in microwave regime. The proposed converter can convert a linearly polarized wave to its cross-polarized wave for two distinct bands: Ku (11.5-20.0 GHz) and Ka (28.8-34.0 GHz). It can also convert the linearly polarized wave to a circularly polarized wave at four other frequencies. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulation results for both frequency bands. The polarization conversion ratio is above 0.94 for the Ku-band and 0.90 for the Ka-band. Furthermore, the converter can achieve dual-band and high-efficiency polarization conversion over angles of incidence up to 45°. The converter is also polarization-selective in that only the x- and y-polarized waves can be converted. The physical mechanism of the dual-band polarization conversion effect is interpreted via decomposed electric field components that couple with different plasmon resonance modes of the structure.

  2. Wide field-of-view dual-band multispectral muzzle flash detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya, J.; Melchor, J.; Spiliotis, P.; Taplin, L.

    2013-06-01

    Sensor technologies are undergoing revolutionary advances, as seen in the rapid growth of multispectral methodologies. Increases in spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution, and in breadth of spectral coverage, render feasible sensors that function with unprecedented performance. A system was developed that addresses many of the key hardware requirements for a practical dual-band multispectral acquisition system, including wide field of view and spectral/temporal shift between dual bands. The system was designed using a novel dichroic beam splitter and dual band-pass filter configuration that creates two side-by-side images of a scene on a single sensor. A high-speed CMOS sensor was used to simultaneously capture data from the entire scene in both spectral bands using a short focal-length lens that provided a wide field-of-view. The beam-splitter components were arranged such that the two images were maintained in optical alignment and real-time intra-band processing could be carried out using only simple arithmetic on the image halves. An experiment related to limitations of the system to address multispectral detection requirements was performed. This characterized the system's low spectral variation across its wide field of view. This paper provides lessons learned on the general limitation of key hardware components required for multispectral muzzle flash detection, using the system as a hardware example combined with simulated multispectral muzzle flash and background signatures.

  3. A photo-excited broadband to dual-band tunable terahertz prefect metamaterial polarization converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jianfeng; Yang, Yang; Li, Shufang

    2018-04-01

    A new and simple design of photo-excited broadband to dual-band tunable terahertz (THz) metamaterial cross polarization converter is proposed in this paper. The tunable converter is a sandwich structure with the center-cut cross-shaped metallic patterned structure as a resonator, the middle dielectric layer as a spacer and the bottom metallic film as the ground. The conductivity of the photoconductive semiconductor (Silicon) filled in the gap of the cross-shaped metallic resonator can be tuned by the incident pump power, leading to an easy modulation of the electromagnetic response of the proposed converter. The results show that the proposed cross-polarization converter can be tuned from a broadband with polarization conversion ratio (PCR) beyond 95% (1.86-2.94 THz) to dual frequency bands (fl = 1 . 46 THz &fh = 2 . 9 THz). The conversion peaks can reach 99.9% for the broadband and, 99.5% (fl) and 99.7% (fh) for the dual-band, respectively. Most importantly, numerical simulations demonstrate that the broadband/dual-band polarization conversion mechanism of the converter originates from the localized surface plasmon modes, which make the design simple and different from previous designs. With these good features, the proposed broadband to dual-band tunable polarization converter is expected to be used in widespread applications.

  4. Dual-band linearly and circularly polarized microstrip patch antennas with meandering slot and metallic vias

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jin; Lin, Xianqi; Yu, Jiawei

    2018-01-01

    performances. The characteristics are analyzed in detail where we find that the existence of the vias also improves the impedance matching. Four samples are designed, where dual-band with both linear polarization, dual-band with circular- and linear-polarization, and single band with linear polarization...

  5. Single-Layer, Dual-Port, Dual-Band, and Orthogonal-Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antenna Array with Low Frequency Ratio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Wang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A single-layer, dual-port, dual-band, and dual circularly polarized (CP microstrip array is designed for satellite communication in this paper. The operating frequencies are 8.2 and 8.6 GHz with a very low ratio of 1.05. First, a rectangular patch element is fed through microstrip lines at two orthogonal edges to excite two orthogonal dominant modes of TM01 and TM10. The very low frequency ratio can be realized with high polarization isolations. Then, a 2-by-2 dual-band dual-CP subarray is constructed by two independent sets of sequentially rotated (SR feed structures. An 8-by-8 array is designed on the single-layer thin substrate. Finally, by utilizing one-to-four power dividers and semirigid coaxial cables, a 16-by-16 array is developed to achieve higher gain. Measured results show that the 16-by-16 array has 15 dB return loss (RL bandwidths of 4.81% and 6.75% and 3 dB axial ratio (AR bandwidths of 2.84% and 1.57% in the lower and the upper bands, respectively. Isolations of 18.6 dB and 19.4 dB and peak gains of 25.1 dBic and 25.6 dBic are obtained at 8.2 and 8.6 GHz, respectively.

  6. Design of dual band FSS by using quadruple L-slot technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fauzi, Noor Azamiah Md; Aziz, Mohamad Zoinol Abidin Abd.; Said, Maizatul Alice Meor; Othman, Mohd Azlishah; Ahmad, Badrul Hisham; Malek, Mohd Fareq Abd

    2015-05-01

    This paper presents a new design of dual band frequency selective surface (FSS) for band pass microwave transmission application. FSS can be used on energy saving glass to improve the transmission of wireless communication signals through the glass. The microwave signal will be attenuate when propagate throughout the different structure such as building. Therefore, some of the wireless communication system cannot be used in the optimum performance. The aim of this paper is designed, simulated and analyzed the new dual band FSS structure for microwave transmission. This design is based on a quadruple L slot combined with cross slot to produce pass band at 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz. The vertical of pair inverse L slot is used as the band pass for the frequency of 2.4GHz. While, the horizontal of pair inverse L slot is used as the band pass at frequency 900MHz. This design is simulated and analyzed by using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio (MWS) software. The characteristics of the transmission (S21) and reflection (S11) of the dual band FSS were simulater and analyzed. The bandwidth of the first band is 118.91MHz which covered the frequency range from 833.4MHz until 952.31MHz. Meanwhile, the bandwidth for the second band is 358.84MHz which covered the frequency range from 2.1475GHz until 2.5063GHz. The resonance/center frequency of this design is obtained at 900MHz with a 26.902dB return loss and 2.37GHz with 28.506dB a return loss. This FSS is suitable as microwave filter for GSM900 and WLAN 2.4GHz application.

  7. Dual-band reflective polarization converter based on slotted wire resonators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fengxia; Zhang, Linbo; Zhou, Peiheng; Chen, Haiyan; Zhao, Rui; Zhou, Yang; Liang, Difei; Lu, Haipeng; Deng, Longjiang

    2018-02-01

    A dual-band and high-efficiency reflective linear polarization converter composed of a layer of slotted metal wires has been proposed. Both the simulated and experimental results indicate that the structure can convert a linearly polarized wave to its cross-polarized state for two distinct frequency bands under normal incidence: 9.8-15.1 and 19.2-25.7 GHz. This phenomenon is attributed to a resonance that corresponds to the "trapped mode" at 15.8 GHz. This mode is stable with structural parameters and incident angle at a relatively wide range, and thus becomes promising for dual-band (also multiband) devices design. By surface current distribution and electric field analysis, the operation mechanism has been illuminated, especially for the "trapped mode", identified by the equally but also oppositely directed currents in each unit cell.

  8. Readability versus Leveling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fry, Edward

    2002-01-01

    Shows some similarities and differences between readability formulas and leveling procedures and reports some current large-scale uses of readability formulas. Presents a dictionary definition of readability and leveling, and a history and background of readability and leveling. Discusses what goes into determining readability and leveling scores.…

  9. Dual and tri-band bandpass filters based on novel Π-shaped resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Jian-Kang; Zhu, Wen-Jun; Zhao, Wei

    2014-05-01

    A novel Π-shaped resonator is proposed, and compact dual-band and tri-band bandpass filters that meet IEEE 802.11 application requirements by using the new resonator are designed. The dual-band bandpass filter centres at 2.45 and 5.6 GHz with a simulated passband insertion loss of no more than 0.8 dB, and the tri-band bandpass filter which is got by two-path coupling achieves simulated passband insertion loss of no more than 1.1 dB. The new designs are demonstrated by experiment. The new filters have advantages of simple and compact structures, low passband insertion losses, good frequency selectivity and miniature circuit sizes. All these have prospect to be applied in future wireless communication systems.

  10. Design and experimental verification of a dual-band metamaterial filter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Hong-Yang; Yao, Ai-Qin; Zhong, Min

    2016-10-01

    In this paper, we present the design, simulation, and experimental verification of a dual-band free-standing metamaterial filter operating in a frequency range of 1 THz-30 THz. The proposed structure consists of periodically arranged composite air holes, and exhibits two broad and flat transmission bands. To clarify the effects of the structural parameters on both resonant transmission bands, three sets of experiments are performed. The first resonant transmission band shows a shift towards higher frequency when the side width w 1 of the main air hole is increased. In contrast, the second resonant transmission band displays a shift towards lower frequency when the side width w 2 of the sub-holes is increased, while the first resonant transmission band is unchanged. The measured results indicate that these resonant bands can be modulated individually by simply optimizing the relevant structural parameters (w 1 or w 2) for the required band. In addition, these resonant bands merge into a single resonant band with a bandwidth of 7.7 THz when w 1 and w 2 are optimized simultaneously. The structure proposed in this paper adopts different resonant mechanisms for transmission at different frequencies and thus offers a method to achieve a dual-band and low-loss filter. Project supported by the Doctorate Scientific Research Foundation of Hezhou University, China (Grant No. HZUBS201503), the Promotion of the Basic Ability of Young and Middle-aged Teachers in Universities Project of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Grant No. KY2016YB453), the Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory Symbolic Computation, China, Engineering Data Processing and Mathematical Support Autonomous Discipline Project of Hezhou University, China (Grant No. 2016HZXYSX01).

  11. Dual Band Metamaterial Antenna For LTE/Bluetooth/WiMAX System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Md Mehedi; Faruque, Mohammad Rashed Iqbal; Islam, Mohammad Tariqul

    2018-01-19

    A compact metamaterial inspired antenna operate at LTE, Bluetooth and WiMAX frequency band is introduced in this paper. For the lower band, the design utilizes an outer square metallic strip forcing the patch to radiate as an equivalent magnetic-current loop. For the upper band, another magnetic current loop is created by adding metamaterial structure near the feed line on the patch. The metamaterial inspired antenna dimension of 42 × 32 mm 2 compatible to wireless devices. Finite integration technique based CST Microwave Studio simulator has been used to design and numerical investigation as well as lumped circuit model of the metamaterial antenna is explained with proper mathematical derivation. The achieved measured dual band operation of the conventional antenna are sequentially, 0.561~0.578 GHz, 2.346~2.906 GHz, and 2.91~3.49 GHz, whereas the metamaterial inspired antenna shows dual-band operation from 0.60~0.64 GHz, 2.67~3.40 GHz and 3.61~3.67 GHz, respectively. Therefore, the metamaterial antenna is applicable for LTE and WiMAX applications. Besides, the measured metamaterial antenna gains of 0.15~3.81 dBi and 3.47~3.75 dBi, respectively for the frequency band of 2.67~3.40 GHz and 3.61~3.67 GHz.

  12. Design of UWB Monopole Antenna with Dual Notched Bands Using One Modified Electromagnetic-Bandgap Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ziqiang

    2013-01-01

    A modified electromagnetic-bandgap (M-EBG) structure and its application to planar monopole ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna are presented. The proposed M-EBG which comprises two strip patch and an edge-located via can perform dual notched bands. By properly designing and placing strip patch near the feedline, the proposed M-EBG not only possesses a simple structure and compact size but also exhibits good band rejection. Moreover, it is easy to tune the dual notched bands by altering the dimensions of the M-EBG. A demonstration antenna with dual band-notched characteristics is designed and fabricated to validate the proposed method. The results show that the proposed antenna can satisfy the requirements of VSWR WLAN) at 3.5 GHz and 5.5 GHz, respectively. PMID:24170984

  13. Image registration for a UV-Visible dual-band imaging system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tao; Yuan, Shuang; Li, Jianping; Xing, Sheng; Zhang, Honglong; Dong, Yuming; Chen, Liangpei; Liu, Peng; Jiao, Guohua

    2018-06-01

    The detection of corona discharge is an effective way for early fault diagnosis of power equipment. UV-Visible dual-band imaging can detect and locate corona discharge spot at all-weather condition. In this study, we introduce an image registration protocol for this dual-band imaging system. The protocol consists of UV image denoising and affine transformation model establishment. We report the algorithm details of UV image preprocessing, affine transformation model establishment and relevant experiments for verification of their feasibility. The denoising algorithm was based on a correlation operation between raw UV images, a continuous mask and the transformation model was established by using corner feature and a statistical method. Finally, an image fusion test was carried out to verify the accuracy of affine transformation model. It has proved the average position displacement error between corona discharge and equipment fault at different distances in a 2.5m-20 m range are 1.34 mm and 1.92 mm in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, which are precise enough for most industrial applications. The resultant protocol is not only expected to improve the efficiency and accuracy of such imaging system for locating corona discharge spot, but also supposed to provide a more generalized reference for the calibration of various dual-band imaging systems in practice.

  14. Monolithic dual-band HgCdTe infrared detector structure

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Parish, G

    1997-07-01

    Full Text Available A monolithic HgCdTe photoconductive device structure is presented that is suitable for dual-band optically registered infrared photodetection in the two atmospheric transmission windows of 3-5 mu m and 8-12 mu m, which correspond to the mid...

  15. Design of UWB Monopole Antenna with Dual Notched Bands Using One Modified Electromagnetic-Bandgap Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A modified electromagnetic-bandgap (M-EBG structure and its application to planar monopole ultra-wideband (UWB antenna are presented. The proposed M-EBG which comprises two strip patch and an edge-located via can perform dual notched bands. By properly designing and placing strip patch near the feedline, the proposed M-EBG not only possesses a simple structure and compact size but also exhibits good band rejection. Moreover, it is easy to tune the dual notched bands by altering the dimensions of the M-EBG. A demonstration antenna with dual band-notched characteristics is designed and fabricated to validate the proposed method. The results show that the proposed antenna can satisfy the requirements of VSWR < 2 over UWB 3.1–10.6 GHz, except for the rejected bands of the world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX and the wireless local area network (WLAN at 3.5 GHz and 5.5 GHz, respectively.

  16. Miniaturized dual-band antenna array with double-negative (DNG) metamaterial for wireless applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alqadami, Abdulrahman Shueai Mohsen; Jamlos, Mohd Faizal; Soh, Ping Jack; Rahim, Sharul Kamal Abdul; Vandenbosch, Guy A. E.; Narbudowicz, Adam

    2017-01-01

    A miniaturized dual-band antenna array using a negative index metamaterial is presented for WiMAX, LTE, and WLAN applications. This left-handed metamaterial plane is located behind the antenna array, and its unit cell is a combination of split-ring resonator, square electric ring resonator, and rectangular electrical coupled resonator. This enables the achievement of a metamaterial structure exhibiting both negative permittivity and permeability, which results in antenna size miniaturization, efficiency, and gain enhancement. Moreover, the proposed metamaterial antenna has realized dual-band operating frequencies compared to a single frequency for normal antenna. The measured reflection coefficient (S11) shows a 50.25% bandwidth in the lower band (from 2.119 to 3.058 GHz) and 4.27% in the upper band (from 5.058 to 5.276 GHz). Radiation efficiency obtained in the lower and upper band are >95 and 80%, respectively.

  17. Dual-polarization, wideband microstrip antenna array for airborne C-band SAR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Granholm, Johan; Skou, Niels

    2000-01-01

    The paper describes the development of a C-band, dual linear polarization wideband antenna array, for use in the next-generation of the Danish airborne polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The array is made of probe-fed, stacked microstrip patches. The design and performance of the...... of the basic stacked patch element, operating from 4.9 GHz to 5.7 GHz, and a 2×2 element test array of these, are described.......The paper describes the development of a C-band, dual linear polarization wideband antenna array, for use in the next-generation of the Danish airborne polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The array is made of probe-fed, stacked microstrip patches. The design and performance...

  18. Dual-Mode Dual-Band Microstrip Bandpass Filter Based on Fourth Iteration T-Square Fractal and Shorting Pin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. S. Ahmed

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available A new class of dual mode microstrip fractal resonator is proposed and developed for miniaturization of the dual band bandpass filter. The perimeter of the proposed resonator is increased by employing fourth iteration T-square fractal shape. Consequently the lower resonant frequency of the filter is decreased without increasing the usable space. The self similarity of the usable structure enables it to produce the two degenerate modes which are coupled using the proper perturbation technique. The shorting pin is placed at the null in the surface current distribution at the center of the resonator. This shorting pin is coactively coupled to the resonant circuit of the resonator, effectively coupled to the lower degenerate mode and reduces the lower edge band resonant frequency. By adjusting the resonator dimensions and the size of the shorting pin, the resonant frequency and the out-of-band rejection around the transmission bands can be controlled to meet the design requirements. The simulated response of the designed filter has two transmission bands, the first band is from 2.34-3.65 GHz with resonant frequencies at 2.47GHz and 3.55GHz, the second band is from 4.37-5.324GHz with resonant frequencies at 4.5GHz and 5.13GHz. In the pass bands, the group delay is less than 0.65 ns. The proposed filter can be applied to WLAN (2.4 GHz and 5.2 GHz and WiMAX (3.5 GHz and Bluetooth and ZigBee (4.9 GHz.

  19. Wide frequency independently controlled dual-band inkjet-printed antenna

    KAUST Repository

    AbuTarboush, Hattan F.

    2014-01-08

    A low-cost inkjet-printed multiband monopole antenna is presented. The unique advantage of the proposed antenna is the freedom to adjust and set the dual-band of the antenna independently over a wide range (148.83%). To demonstrate the independent control feature, the 2.4 and 3.4 GHz bands for the wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications are selected as an example. The measured impedance bandwidths for the 2.4 and 3.4 GHz are 15.2 and 23.7%, respectively. These dual-bands have the ability to be controlled independently between 1.1 and 7.5 GHz without affecting the other band. In addition, the proposed antenna can be assigned for different mobile and wireless applications such as GPS, PCS, GSM 1800, 1900, UMTS, and up to 5-GHz WLAN and WiMAX applications. The mechanism of independent control of each radiator through dimensional variation is discussed in detail. The antenna has a compact size of 10 × 37.3 × 0.44 mm3, leaving enough space for the driving electronics on the paper substrate. The measured results from the prototype are in good agreement with the simulated results. Owing to inkjet printing on an ordinary paper, the design is extremely light weight and highly suitable for low cost and large volume manufacturing. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2013.

  20. X-band Linac for a 6 MeV dual-head radiation therapy gantry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seung Hyun; Shin, Seung-Wook; Lee, Jongchul; Kim, Hui-Su [WCU Department of Energy Science, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Byeong-No; Lee, Byung-Chul [Radiation Instrumentation Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup 56212 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hyung-dal; Song, Ki-back [Radiation Technology eXcellence (RTX), Daejeon 305-500 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Ho-seung; Mun, Sangchul; Ha, Donghyup [School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Chai, Jong-Seo, E-mail: jschai@skku.edu [School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-21

    We developed a design for a 6 MeV X-band linear accelerator for radiation therapy in a dual-head gantry layout. The dual-head gantry has two linacs that can be operated independently. Each X-band linac accelerates electron bunches using high-power RF and generates X-rays for radiation therapy. It requires a versatile RF system and pulse sequence to accomplish various radiation therapy procedures. The RF system consists of 9.3 GHz, 2 MW X-band magnetron and associated RF transmission components. A test linac was assembled and operated to characterize its RF performance without beam. This paper presents these results along with a description of the gantry linacs and their operational requirements.

  1. GPM GROUND VALIDATION DUAL POLARIZED C-BAND DOPPLER RADAR KING CITY GCPEX V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Dual Polarized C-Band Doppler Radar King City GCPEx dataset has special Range Height Indicator (RHI) and sector scans of several dual...

  2. Dual band metamaterial perfect absorber based on Mie resonances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Xiaoming; Lan, Chuwen; Li, Bo; Zhou, Ji, E-mail: zhouji@tsinghua.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Bi, Ke [School of Science, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); Zhao, Qian [State Key Lab of Tribology, Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2016-08-08

    We numerically and experimentally demonstrated a polarization insensitive dual-band metamaterial perfect absorber working in wide incident angles based on the two magnetic Mie resonances of a single dielectric “atom” with simple structure. Two absorption bands with simulated absorptivity of 99% and 96%, experimental absorptivity of 97% and 94% at 8.45 and 11.97 GHz were achieved due to the simultaneous magnetic and electric resonances in dielectric “atom” and copper plate. Mie resonances of dielectric “atom” provide a simple way to design metamaterial perfect absorbers with high symmetry.

  3. A Codesigned Compact Dual-Band Filtering Antenna with PIN Loaded for WLAN Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanxiong Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A codesigned compact dual-band filtering antenna incorporating a PIN diode for 2.45/5.2 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN applications is proposed in this paper. The integrated filtering antenna system consists of a simple monopole radiator, a microstrip dual-band band-pass filter, and a PIN diode. The performance of the filtering antenna is notably promoted by optimizing the impedance between the antenna and the band-pass filter, with good selectivity and out-of-band rejection. The design process follows the approach of the synthesis of band-pass filter. In addition, the PIN diode is incorporated in the filtering antenna for further size reduction, which also widens the coverage of the bandwidth by about 230% for 2.4 GHz WLAN. With the presence of small size and good filtering performances, the proposed filtering antenna is a good candidate for the wireless communication systems. Prototypes of the proposed filtering antenna incorporating a PIN diode are fabricated and measured. The measured results including return losses and radiation patterns are presented.

  4. Circularly Polarized S Band Dual Frequency Square Patch Antenna Using Glass Microfiber Reinforced PTFE Composite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Samsuzzaman

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Circularly polarized (CP dual frequency cross-shaped slotted patch antenna on 1.575 mm thick glass microfiber reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE composite material substrate is designed and fabricated for satellite applications. Asymmetric cross-shaped slots are embedded in the middle of the square patch for CP radiation and four hexagonal slots are etched on the four sides of the square patch for desired dual frequency. Different substrate materials have been analysed to achieve the desired operating band. The experimental results show that the impedance bandwidth is approximately 30 MHz (2.16 GHz to 2.19 GHz for lower band and 40 MHz (3.29 GHz to 3.33 GHz for higher band with an average peak gain of 6.59 dBiC and 5.52 dBiC, respectively. Several optimizations are performed to obtain the values of the antenna physical parameters. Moreover, the proposed antenna possesses compactness, light weight, simplicity, low cost, and circularly polarized. It is an attractive candidate for dual band satellite antennas where lower band can be used for uplink and upper band can be used for downlink.

  5. A reconfigurable frequency-selective surface for dual-mode multi-band filtering applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majidzadeh, Maryam; Ghobadi, Changiz; Nourinia, Javad

    2017-03-01

    A reconfigurable single-layer frequency-selective surface (FSS) with dual-mode multi-band modes of operation is presented. The proposed structure is printed on a compact 10 × 10 mm2 FR4 substrate with the thickness of 1.6 mm. A simple square loop is printed on the front side while another one along with two defected vertical arms is deployed on the backside. To realise the reconfiguration, two pin diodes are embedded on the backside square loop. Suitable insertion of conductive elements along with pin diodes yields in dual-mode multi-band rejection of applicable in service frequency ranges. The first operating mode due to diodes' 'ON' state provides rejection of 2.4 GHz WLAN in 2-3 GHz, 5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN and X band in 5-12 GHz, and a part of Ku band in 13.9-16 GHz. In diodes 'OFF' state, the FSS blocks WLAN in 4-7.3 GHz, X band in 8-12.7 GHz as well as part of Ku band in 13.7-16.7 GHz. As well, high attenuation of incident waves is observed by a high shielding effectiveness (SE) in the blocked frequency bands. Also, a stable behaviour against different polarisations and angles of incidence is obtained. Comprehensive studies are conducted on a fabricated prototype to assess its performance from which encouraging results are obtained.

  6. Pattern Synthesis of Dual-band Shared Aperture Interleaved Linear Antenna Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Guo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an approach to improve the efficiency of an array aperture by interleaving two different arrays in the same aperture area. Two sub-arrays working at different frequencies are interleaved in the same linear aperture area. The available aperture area is efficiently used. The element positions of antenna array are optimized by using Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO to reduce the peak side lobe level (PSLL of the radiation pattern. To overcome the shortness of traditional methods which can only fulfill the design of shared aperture antenna array working at the same frequency, this method can achieve the design of dual-band antenna array with wide working frequency range. Simulation results show that the proposed method is feasible and efficient in the synthesis of dual-band shared aperture antenna array.

  7. An offset-fed 20/30 GHz dual-band circularly polarized reflectarray antenna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Thomas Gunst; Vesterdal, Niels; Gothelf, Ulrich

    2013-01-01

    A dual-frequency circularly polarized offset reflectarray antenna for Ka-band satellite communication is presented. The reflectarray is designed using the concentric dual split-loop element which enables full 360° phase adjustment simultaneously in two separate frequency bands. The elements have...... been optimized to suppress the cross-polar reflection. Thereafter, the element data is used for synthesis of the reflectarray layout and computation of the associated radiation patterns. The reflectarray is 400mm × 400mm and radiates LHCP at 19.95 GHz and RHCP at 29.75 GHz. Aperture efficiencies of 58......% and 60% are obtained at these frequencies, and the cross-polarization is more than 25 dB below peak gain....

  8. Implementation and investigation of circular slot UWB antenna with dual-band-notched characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DadashZadeh Gholamreza

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The design and analysis of an ultra wideband aperture antenna with dual-band-notched characteristics are presented. The proposed antenna consists of a circular ring exciting stub on the front side and a circular slot on the back ground plane. By utilizing a parasitic strip and a T-shaped stub on the antenna structure, two notched bands of 850 MHz (3.5-4.35 GHz and 900 MHz (5.05-5.95 GHz are achieved. The proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. Measured results show that this antenna operates from 2.3 GHz to upper 11 GHz for voltage standing wave ratio less than 2, except two frequency notched bands of 3.5-4.35 and 5.05-5.95 GHz. Moreover, the experimental results show that proposed antenna has stable radiation patterns and constant gain. A conceptual circuit model, which is based on the measured impedance of the proposed antenna, is also shown to investigate the dual-band-notched characteristics.

  9. Modification of Banding in Dual-Phase Steels via Thermal Processing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mukherjee, Krishnendu; Thomas, L. S.; Bos, C.

    2014-01-01

    The potential to utilize controlled thermal processing to minimize banding in a DP780 steel with 2 wt pct Mn was evaluated on samples processed on a Gleeble® 3500 thermomechanical processing simulator. All processing histories were selected to result in final dual-phase steel microstructures...... simulating microstructures achievable during annealing of initially cold rolled sheet. Strip samples were processed to evaluate the effects of heating rate, annealing time, annealing temperature, and cooling rate. The degree of banding in the final microstructures was evaluated with standard light optical...... microscopic techniques. Results are presented to illustrate that the extent of banding depended on control of both heating and cooling rates, and a specific processing history based on a two-stage heating rate can be used to minimize visible banding in selected final heat treated products....

  10. A U-Shaped Slot UWB Antenna with Flexible and Wide Tunable Dual Notch Band

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Zhongmin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A coplanar waveguide (CPW fed ultra-wideband (UWB antenna with flexible and wide tunable dual bandnotched characteristics is proposed in this paper. The dual band-notched function is achieved by using an U-shaped slot inserted into the ellipse radiation patch and by using an elliptic parasitic slit placed near the ground plane. The wide tunable band-notched characteristic is implemented by adjusting the length of U-shaped slot and by adjusting the length of ellipse parasitic slit. The design aims to achieve wide reconfigurable band-notched features on the UWB antenna. The simulated results indicate that the proposed antenna has a wide bandwidth (VSWR under 2 from 2.9GHz to 12.6GHz with fractional bandwidth of 125%, and has a wide tunable notch band center frequency from 4.5GHz to 12.4GHz.

  11. High Selectivity Dual-Band Bandpass Filter with Tunable Lower Passband

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Qiang Pan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a novel method to design dual-band bandpass filters with tunable lower passband and fixed upper passband. It utilizes a trimode resonator with three controllable resonant modes. Discriminating coupling is used to suppress the unwanted mode to avoid the interference. Varactors are utilized to realize tunable responses. The bandwidth of the two bands can be controlled individually. Transmission zeros are generated near the passband edges, resulting in high selectivity. For demonstration, a tunable bandpass filter is implemented. Good agreement between the prediction and measurement validates the proposed method.

  12. HTS dual-band bandpass filters using stub-loaded hair-pin resonators for mobile communication systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sekiya, N., E-mail: nsekiya@yamanashi.ac.jp; Sugiyama, S.

    2014-09-15

    Highlights: • We have developed a HTS five-pole dual-band bandpass filter using stub-loaded hair-pin resonators. • The proposed dual-band BPF can independently control of the center frequency. • Flexibly adjustment of the bandwidth can be achieved by the H-shaped waveguide. • The proposed BPF is evaluated by simulation and measurement with good agreement. - Abstract: A HTS dual-band bandpass filter is developed to obtain sharp-cut off characteristics for mobile communication systems. The filter is composed of five stub-loaded hair-pin resonators with H-shaped waveguides between them. The main advantage of the proposed filter is to allow independent control of the center frequency of the first and second bands. The bandwidths can be flexibly adjusted using the H-shaped waveguide. An electromagnetic simulator was used to design and analyze the filter, which have a 3.5-GHz center frequency and a 70-MHz (2%) bandwidth for the first band and a 5.0-GHz center frequency and a 100-MHz (2%) bandwidth for the second band. The filter was fabricated using YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub y} thin film on an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate. Ground plane was fabricated using Au thin film. The measured frequency responses of the filter tally well with the simulated ones.

  13. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF BANDED STRUCTURES IN DUAL-PHASE STEELS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benoit Krebs

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Dual-Phase (DP steels are composed of martensite islands dispersed in a ductile ferrite matrix, which provides a good balance between strength and ductility. Current processing conditions (continuous casting followed by hot and cold rolling generate 'banded structures' i.e., irregular, parallel and alternating bands of ferrite and martensite, which are detrimental to mechanical properties and especially for in-use properties. We present an original and simple method to quantify the intensity and wavelength of these bands. This method, based on the analysis of covariance function of binary images, is firstly tested on model images. It is compared with ASTM E-1268 standard and appears to be more robust. Then it is applied on real DP steel microstructures and proves to be sufficiently sensitive to discriminate samples resulting from different thermo-mechanical routes.

  14. Dual-Band Split-Ring Antenna Design for WLAN Applications

    OpenAIRE

    BAŞARAN, S. Cumhur; ERDEMLİ, Yunus E.

    2014-01-01

    A dual-band microstrip antenna based on split-ring elements is introduced for WLAN (2.4/5.2 GHz) applications. The proposed split-ring antenna (SRA) has a compact novel design which provides about 2% impedance-bandwidth without a need for additional matching network. Analysis and design of the proposed microstrip antenna is carried out by means of full-wave simulators based on the finite-element method.

  15. Dual Band Magnonic Crystals: Model System and Basic Spin Wave Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Montoncello

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigate a special design of two-dimensional magnonic crystal, consisting of two superimposed lattices with different lattice constants, such that spin waves (SWs can propagate either in one or the other sublattice, depending on which of the two frequency bands they belong to. The SW bands are separated by a very large bandgap (in our model system, 6 GHz, easily tunable by changing the direction of an applied magnetic field, and the overlap of their spatial distribution, for any frequency of their bands, is always negligible. These properties make the designed system an ideal test system for a magnonic dual band waveguide, where the simultaneous excitation and subsequent propagation of two independent SW signals are allowed, with no mutual interference.

  16. A Novel Dual-Band Rectenna for Ambient RF Energy Harvesting at GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dinh Khanh Ho

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a novel dual-band rectenna for RF energy harvesting system. This rectenna is created from a dual-band antenna and a dual-band rectifier which operates at GSM bands (900 MHz and 1800 MHz. The printed monopole antenna is miniaturized by two meander-lines. The received signal from the receiving antenna is rectified by a voltage double using Schottky diode SMS-7630. The rectifier is optimized for low input power level of -20dBm using harmonic balance. Prototype is designed and fabricated. The simulation is validated by measurement with power conversion efficiency of 20% and 40.8% (in measurement at the input power level of -20dBm. The proposed rectenna has output voltage from 183-415 mV. From the measured results, this rectenna provides the possibility to harvest the ambient electromagnetic energy for powering low-power electronic devices.

  17. 20/30 GHz dual-band circularly polarized reflectarray antenna based on the concentric dual split-loop element

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Thomas Gunst; Vesterdal Larsen, Niels; Vesterager Gothelf, Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    A concentric dual split-loop element is designed and investigated for reflectarray antenna design in the emerging 20 GHz and 30 GHz Ka-band satellite communication spectrum. The element is capable of providing adjustment of the phase of reflection coefficients for circular plane waves in two...

  18. A New Fractal-Based Miniaturized Dual Band Patch Antenna for RF Energy Harvesting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sika Shrestha

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The growth of wireless communications in recent years has made it necessary to develop compact, lightweight multiband antennas. Compact antennas can achieve the same performance as large antennas do with low price and with greater system integration. Dual-frequency microstrip antennas for transmission and reception represent promising approach for doubling the system capacity. In this work, a miniaturized dual band antenna operable at 2.45 and 5.8 GHz is constructed by modifying the standard microstrip patch antenna geometry into a fractal structure. In addition to miniaturization and dual band nature, the proposed antenna also removes unwanted harmonics without the use of additional filter component. Using a finite-element-method-based high frequency structure simulator (HFSS, the antenna is designed and its performance in terms of return loss, impedance matching, radiation pattern, and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR is demonstrated. Simulation results are shown to be in close agreement with performance measurements from an actual antenna fabricated on an FR4 substrate. The proposed antenna can be integrated with a rectifier circuit to develop a compact rectenna that can harvest RF energy in both of these frequency bands at a reduction in size of 25.98% relative to a conventional rectangular patch antenna.

  19. The Principles of Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    DuBay, William H.

    2004-01-01

    The principles of readability are in every style manual. Readability formulas are in every writing aid. What is missing is the research and theory on which they stand. This short review of readability research spans 100 years. The first part covers the history of adult literacy studies in the U.S., establishing the stratified nature of the adult…

  20. Dual Band Planar Inverted F Antenna (PIFA with L-Shape Configuration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    khlouf Munzer Mohamad

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most used antennas in mobile devices is planar inverted F antenna (PIFA. PIFA can be design in dual band frequencies due to the coverage of the wireless service in a mobile device that requires a multiple frequencies. However, the consideration of technical operation has to be combined with an evaluation of the antenna radiation impact on the users. A procedure of PIFA work in GSM (867-960MHz and GSM (1710-1899MHz is done using CST Software. The dual band frequency response is obtained by means of an insertion of an L-shaped slot, which is use to tune the operation frequencies. The prototype of the antenna is fabricated as model by CST Software and evaluated. It is found out that the PIFA antenna has a good efficiency, bandwidth as well as produce a maximum gain for the antenna. A key and innovative research is still underway to broaden performance parameters of the antenna.

  1. A Compact CPW-Fed UWB Antenna with Dual Band-Notched Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiting Wu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A compact CPW-fed planar UWB antenna with dual band-notched property is presented. The dual band rejection is achieved by etching a C-shaped slot on the radiation patch and two L-shaped parasitic strips in the ground plane. The experimental and measured results show that the proposed antenna exhibits an impedance bandwidth over an ultrawideband frequency range from 2.4 to 12.5 GHz with VSWR less than 2, except for two stopbands at 3.3 to 3.75 GHz and 5.07 to 5.83 GHz for filtering the WiMAX and WLAN signals, respectively. It also demonstrates a nearly omnidirectional radiation pattern. The fabricated antenna has a tiny size, only 32 mm × 32 mm × 0.508 mm. The simulated results are compared with the measured performance and show good agreement. The simple structure, compact size, and good characteristics make the proposed antenna an excellent candidate for UWB applications.

  2. Design, Manufacturing, and Testing of a 20/30-GHz Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Reflectarray Antenna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Thomas Gunst; Gothelf, Ulrich; Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2013-01-01

    This letter documents the design, manufacturing, and testing of a single-layer dual-band circularly polarized reflectarray antenna for 19.7–20.2 and 29.5–30.0 GHz. The reflectarray is designed using the concentric dual split-loop element and the variable rotation technique that enables full 360......$^{\\circ}$ phase adjustment simultaneously in two separate frequency bands. The elements have been optimized to suppress cross-polar reflection. Thereafter, the element data is included in a design tool that computes the reflectarray layout and the associated radiation patterns. The reflectarray...

  3. Laser-based ultrasonics by dual-probe interferometer detection and narrow-band ultrasound generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jin

    1993-01-01

    Despite the advantages of laser-based ultrasonic (LBU) systems, the overall sensitivity of LBU systems needs to be improved for practical applications. Progress is reported to achieve better LBU detection accuracy and sensitivity for applications with surface waves and Lamb waves. A novel dual-probe laser interferometer has been developed to measure the same signal at two points. The dual-probe interferometer is a modification of a conventional single-probe interferometer in that the reference beam is guided to a second detecting point on the specimen surface to form a differential measurement mode, which measure the difference of the displacements at the two points. This dual-probe interferometer is particularly useful for accurate measurements of the speed and attenuation of surface waves and Lamb waves. The dual-probe interferometer has been applied to obtain accurate measurements of the surface wave speed and attenuation on surfaces of increasing surface roughness. It has also been demonstrated that with an appropriate signal processing method, namely, the power cepstrum method, the dual-probe interferometer is applicable to measure the local surface wave speed even when the probe separation is so small that the two waveforms in the interferometer output signal overlap in the time domain. Narrow-band signal generation and detection improve the sensitivity of LBU systems. It is proposed to use a diffraction grating to form an array of illuminating strips which form a source of narrowband surface and Lamb waves. The line-array of thermoelastic sources generates narrow-band signals whose frequency and bandwidth can be easily controlled. The optimum line-array parameters, such as width, spacing and the number of lines in the array have been derived theoretically and verified experimentally. Narrow-band signal generation with optimum parameters has been demonstrated. The enhanced LBU system with dual-probe detection and narrowband signal generation has been

  4. Highly miniaturised semi-loop meandered dual-band MIMO antenna system

    KAUST Repository

    Jehangir, Syed S.

    2017-12-05

    A novel dual-band two-element directional multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system is presented with 68% miniaturisation, which is achieved using a semi-loop meandered driven element and a small ground plane. The centre frequency of operation is 2 GHz. The antenna system covers two bands: the telemetry L-band 1.27-1.43 GHz and the global system for mobile communications/long-term evolution band 1.8-2.133 GHz. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement. The proposed antenna system mimics the quasi-Yagi antenna configuration with a measured front-to-back ratio of around 15 dB at 1.35 GHz and 17 dB at 2 GHz, which is achieved without using a large ground plane, extra metallic structures, multiple reflector elements, or any complex technique. A gain of more than 5 dBi is measured for the single element with a total radiation efficiency of around 85% in both bands. The measured isolation of the proposed MIMO antenna is more than 15 dB with < 0.0785 measured envelope correlation coefficient values in both bands.

  5. Highly miniaturised semi-loop meandered dual-band MIMO antenna system

    KAUST Repository

    Jehangir, Syed S.; Sharawi, Mohammad S.; Shamim, Atif

    2017-01-01

    A novel dual-band two-element directional multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system is presented with 68% miniaturisation, which is achieved using a semi-loop meandered driven element and a small ground plane. The centre frequency of operation is 2 GHz. The antenna system covers two bands: the telemetry L-band 1.27-1.43 GHz and the global system for mobile communications/long-term evolution band 1.8-2.133 GHz. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement. The proposed antenna system mimics the quasi-Yagi antenna configuration with a measured front-to-back ratio of around 15 dB at 1.35 GHz and 17 dB at 2 GHz, which is achieved without using a large ground plane, extra metallic structures, multiple reflector elements, or any complex technique. A gain of more than 5 dBi is measured for the single element with a total radiation efficiency of around 85% in both bands. The measured isolation of the proposed MIMO antenna is more than 15 dB with < 0.0785 measured envelope correlation coefficient values in both bands.

  6. Methods to Measure Map Readability

    OpenAIRE

    Harrie, Lars

    2009-01-01

    Creation of maps in real-time web services introduces challenges concerning map readability. Therefore we must introduce analytical measures controlling the readability. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate analytical readability measures with the help of user tests.

  7. A Flexible Monopole Antenna with Dual-Notched Band Function for Ultrawideband Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyan Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a flexible ultrawideband (UWB planar monopole antenna with dual-notched band characteristic printed on a polyimide substrate. The antenna is fed by a step coplanar waveguide (CPW that provides smooth transitional impedance for improved matching. It operates from 2.76 to 10.6 GHz with return loss greater than 10 dB except for the notch band to reduce the interference with existing 3.5 GHz WiMAX band and 5.5 GHz WLAN band. With a combination of rectangular and circle patches in which the U-shaped slot is carved, the overall size of antenna is 30 mm × 20 mm. Moreover, a pair of arc-shaped stubs located at both sides of the feed line is utilized to create the notch band for WiMAX band. The results also show that the antenna has omnidirectional radiation pattern and smooth gain over the entire operational band.

  8. Based on graphene tunable dual-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with wide-angle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Mulin; Cheng, Yongzhi; Cheng, Zhengze; Chen, Haoran; Mao, Xuesong; Gong, Rongzhou

    2018-05-01

    We present a wide-angle tunable dual-band terahertz (THz) metamaterial absorber (MMA) based on square graphene patch (SGP). This MMA is a simple periodic array, consisting of a dielectric substrate sandwiched with the SGP and a continuous metallic film. The designed MMA can achieve dual-band absorption by exciting fundamental and second higher-order resonance modes on SGP. The numerical simulations indicate that the absorption spectrum of the designed MMA is tuned from 0.85 THz to 1.01 THz, and from 2.84 THz to 3.37 THz when the chemical potential of the SGP is increasing from 0.4eV to 0.8eV. Moreover, it operates well in a wide-angle of the incident waves. The presented THz MMA based on the SGP could find some potential applications in optoelectronic related devices, such as sensor, emitter and wavelength selective radiators.

  9. The Readability of an Unreadable Text.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Robert M.

    1980-01-01

    The Dale-Chall Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Graph were used to analyze passages of Plato's "Parmenides," a notoriously difficult literary piece. The readability levels of the text ranged from fourth to eighth grade (Dale-Chall) and from sixth to tenth grade (Fry), indicating the limitations of the readability tests. (DF)

  10. A Double Inverted F-Shape Patch Antenna for Dual-Band Operation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Islam

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A double inverted F-shape patch antenna is presented for dual-band operation. The proposed antenna is comprised of circular and rectangular slots on a printed circuit board of 40 mm × 40 mm × 1.6 mm with a 50 Ω microstrip transmission line. Commercially available high frequency structural simulator (HFSS based on the finite element method (FEM has been adopted in this investigation. It has a measured impedance bandwidths (2 : 1 VSWR of 18.53% on the lower band and 7.8% on the upper band, respectively. It has achieved stable radiation efficiencies of 79.76% and 80.36% with average gains of 7.82 dBi and 5.66 dBi in the operating frequency bands. Moreover, numerical simulations have been indicated as an important uniformity with measured results.

  11. Reduced size dual band pass filters for RFID applications with excellent bandpass/bandstop characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdalla, M. A.; Choudhary, D. Kumar; Chaudhary, R. Kumar

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents the design of two reduced size dual-band metamaterial bandpass filters and its simulation followed by measurements of proposed filters. These filters are supporting different frequency bands and primarily could be utilize in radio frequency identification (RFID) application. The filter includes three cells in which two are symmetrical and both inductively coupled with the third cell which is present in between them. In the proposed designs, three different metamaterial composite right/left handed (CRLH) cell resonators have been analysed for compactness. The CRLH cell consists of an interdigital capacitor, a stub/meander line/spiral inductor and a via to connect the top of the structure and ground plane. Finally, the proposed dual band bandpass filters (using meander line and spiral inductor) are showing size reduction by 65% and 50% (with 25% operating frequency reduction), respectively, in comparison with reference filter using stub inductor. More than 30 dB attenuation has been achieved between the two passbands.

  12. A 3D printed dual GSM band near isotropic on-package antenna

    KAUST Repository

    Zhen, Su

    2017-10-25

    In this paper, we propose an on-package dual band monopole antenna with near-isotropic radiation pattern for GSM mobile applications. The proposed antenna is well matched for both GSM 900 and 1800 bands and provides decent gain for both the bands (1.67 and 3.27 dBi at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz respectively). The antenna is printed with silver ink on a 3D printed polymer based package. The package houses the GSM electronics and the battery. By optimizing the antenna arms width and length, a near-isotropic radiation pattern is achieved. Unlike the published isotropic antennas which are either single band or large in size, the proposed antenna covers both GSM bands with required bandwidth and is only half wavelength long. The design is low cost and highly suitable for various GSM applications such as localization, in additional to conventional communication applications.

  13. Compact Dual-Band Dipole Antenna with Asymmetric Arms for WLAN Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chung-Hsiu Chiu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A dual-band dipole antenna that consists of a horn- and a C-shaped metallic arm is presented. Depending on the asymmetric arms, the antenna provides two −10 dB impedance bandwidths of 225 MHz (about 9.2% at 2.45 GHz and 1190 MHz (about 21.6% at 5.5 GHz, respectively. This feature enables it to cover the required bandwidths for wireless local area network (WLAN operation at the 2.4 GHz band and 5.2/5.8 GHz bands for IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards. More importantly, the compact size (7 mm × 24 mm and good radiating performance of the antenna are profitable to be integrated with wireless communication devices on restricted RF-elements spaces.

  14. Wide-band coherent receiver development for enhanced surveillance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpson, M.L.; Richards, R.K.; Hutchinson, D.P.

    1998-03-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing advanced coherent IR heterodyne receivers for plasma diagnostics in fusion reactors for over 20 years. Recent progress in wide band IR detectors and high speed electronics has significantly enhanced the measurement capabilities of coherent receivers. In addition, developments in new HgCdTe and quantum well IR photodetector (QWIP) focal plane arrays are providing the possibility of both active and passive coherent imaging. In this paper the authors discuss the implications of these new enabling technologies to the IR remote sensing community for enhanced surveillance. Coherent receivers, as opposed to direct or thermal detection, provide multiple dimensions of information about a scene or target in a single detector system. Combinations of range, velocity, temperature, and chemical species information are all available from a coherent heterodyne receiver. They present laboratory data showing measured noise equivalent power (NEP) of new QWIP detectors with heterodyne bandwidths greater than 7 GHz. For absorption measurements, a wide band coherent receiver provides the capability of looking between CO 2 lines at off-resonance peaks and thus the measurement of lines normally inaccessible with conventional heterodyne or direct detection systems. Also described are differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and Doppler laboratory measurements using an 8 x 8 HgCdTe focal plane array demonstrating the snapshot capability of coherent receiver detector arrays for enhanced chemical plume and moving hardbody capture. Finally they discuss a variety of coherent receiver configurations that can suppress (or enhance) sensitivity of present active remote sensing systems to speckle, glint, and other measurement anomalies

  15. Joint Resource Allocation for Dual - Band Heterogeneous Wireless Network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adeogun, Ramoni

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate downlink resource allocation in two-tier OFDMA heterogeneous networks comprising a macrocell transmitting at a microwave frequency and dual band small cells utilizing both microwave and millimeter wave frequencies. A non - cooperative game theoretic approach...... is proposed for adaptively switching the SC transmission frequency based on the location of small cell users and interference to macrocell users. We propose a resource allocation approach which maximizes the sum rate of small cell users while minimizing interference to macrocell users and the total power...

  16. Enhanced optical transmission through a star-shaped bull's eye at dual resonant-bands in UV and the visible spectral range.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazari, Tavakol; Khazaeinezhad, Reza; Jung, Woohyun; Joo, Boram; Kong, Byung-Joo; Oh, Kyunghwan

    2015-07-13

    Dual resonant bands in UV and the visible range were simultaneously observed in the enhanced optical transmission (EOT) through star-shaped plasmonic structures. EOTs through four types of polygonal bull's eyes with a star aperture surrounded by the concentric star grooves were analyzed and compared for 3, 4, 5, and 6 corners, using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. In contrast to plasmonic resonances in the visible range, the UV-band resonance intensity was found to scale with the number of corners, which is related with higher order multipole interactions. Spectral positions and relative intensities of the dual resonances were analyzed parametrically to find optimal conditions to maximize EOT in UV-visible dual bands.

  17. Dual Band Parasitic Element Patch Antenna for LTE/WLAN Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BAG Biplab

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a single layer coaxial fed dual band slotted microstrip antenna is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of two direct couple parasitic elements and L-shape slots on the main resonating element. Two resonant modes are excited and it covers 4G LTE and WLAN middle band. The -10dB impedance bandwidth for resonant frequency of 2.35GHz and 5.28GHz are 140MHz (2.25-2.39GHz and 570MHz (5.18-5.75GHz, respectively. The measured VSWR at 2.35GHz is 1.27 and at 5.28GHz is 1.41. The proposed antenna is simple in design and compact in size. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement.

  18. A low-power current-reuse dual-band analog front-end for multi-channel neural signal recording.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepehrian, H; Gosselin, B

    2014-01-01

    Thoroughly studying the brain activity of freely moving subjects requires miniature data acquisition systems to measure and wirelessly transmit neural signals in real time. In this application, it is mandatory to simultaneously record the bioelectrical activity of a large number of neurons to gain a better knowledge of brain functions. However, due to limitations in transferring the entire raw data to a remote base station, employing dedicated data reduction techniques to extract the relevant part of neural signals is critical to decrease the amount of data to transfer. In this work, we present a new dual-band neural amplifier to separate the neuronal spike signals (SPK) and the local field potential (LFP) simultaneously in the analog domain, immediately after the pre-amplification stage. By separating these two bands right after the pre-amplification stage, it is possible to process LFP and SPK separately. As a result, the required dynamic range of the entire channel, which is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio of the SPK signal of larger bandwidth, can be relaxed. In this design, a new current-reuse low-power low-noise amplifier and a new dual-band filter that separates SPK and LFP while saving capacitors and pseudo resistors. A four-channel dual-band (SPK, LFP) analog front-end capable of simultaneously separating SPK and LFP is implemented in a TSMC 0.18 μm technology. Simulation results present a total power consumption per channel of 3.1 μw for an input referred noise of 3.28 μV and a NEF for 2.07. The cutoff frequency of the LFP band is fc=280 Hz, and fL=725 Hz and fL=11.2 KHz for SPK, with 36 dB gain for LFP band 46 dB gain for SPK band.

  19. A Novel Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Rectangular Slot Antenna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biao Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A coplanar waveguide fed dual-band circularly polarized rectangular slot antenna is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a rectangular metal frame acting as a ground and an S-shaped monopole as a radiator. The spatial distribution of the surface current density is employed to demonstrate that the circular polarization is generated by the S-shaped monopole which controls the path of the surface currents. An antenna prototype, having overall dimension 37 × 37 × 1 mm3, has been fabricated on FR4 substrate with dielectric constant 4.4. The proposed antenna achieves 10 dB return loss bandwidths and 3 dB axial ratio (AR in the frequency bands 2.39–2.81 GHz and 5.42–5.92 GHz, respectively. Both these characteristics are suitable for WLAN and WiMAX applications.

  20. Analyzing readability of medicines information material in Slovenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasesnik, Karin; Kline, Mihael

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Readability has been claimed to be an important factor for understanding texts describing health symptoms and medications. Such texts may be a factor which indirectly affects the health of the population. Despite the expertise of physicians, the readability of information sources may be important for acquiring essential treatment information. The aim of this study was to measure the readability level of medicines promotion material in Slovenia. Methods: The Flesch readability formula was modified to comply with Slovene texts. On the basis of determining the Slovene readability algorithm, the readability ease related to the readability grade level of different Slovene texts was established. In order to estimate an adjustment of the texts to the recommended readability grade level of the targeted population, readability values of English texts were set. One sample t-test and standard deviations from the arithmetic mean values were used as statistical tests. Results: The results of the research showed low readability scores of the Slovene texts. Difficult readability values were seen in different types of examined texts: in patient information leaflets, in the summaries of product characteristics, in promotional materials, while describing over-the-counter medications and in the materials for creating disease awareness. Especially low readability values were found within the texts belonging to promotional materials intended for the physicians. None of researched items, not even for the general public, were close to primary school grade readability levels and therefore could not be described as easily readable. Conclusion: This study provides an understanding of the level of readability of selected Slovene medicines information material. It was concluded that health-related texts were not compliant with general public or with healthcare professional needs. PMID:23093886

  1. A dual-band LO generation system using a 40GHz VCO with a phase noise of -106.8dBc/Hz at 1-MHz

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, Y.; Pei, Y.; Leenaerts, D.M.W.; Hanock, T.M.

    2013-01-01

    This paper demonstrates a dual-band LO generation system using a low phase noise single-band 40GHz VCO as the signal source. The LO generation system has two outputs: single-band LO1 at 20GHz and dual-band LO2 switchable between 10GHz and 15GHz. Implemented in 0.25-µm SiGe:C BiCMOS, the VCO achieves

  2. GPM GROUND VALIDATION NASA S-BAND DUAL POLARIMETRIC (NPOL) DOPPLER RADAR IFLOODS V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation NASA S-Band Dual Polarimetric (NPOL) Doppler Radar IFloodS data set was collected from April 30, 2013 to June 16, 2013 near Traer, Iowa as...

  3. Design of visible and IR infrared dual-band common-path telescope system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, YuLin; Yu, Xun; Tao, Yu; Jiang, Xu

    2018-01-01

    The use of visible and IR infrared dual-band combination can effectively improve the performance of photoelectric detection system,TV and IR system were designed with the common path by the common reflection optical system.A TV/IR infrared common-caliber and common-path system is designed,which can realize the Remote and all-day information.For the 640×512 cooled focal plane array,an infrared middle wave system was presented with a focal length of 600mm F number of 4 field of view(FOV) of 0.38°×0.43°, the system uses optical passive thermal design, has o compact structure and can meet 100% cold shield efficiency,meanwhile it meets the design requirements of lightweight and athermalization. For the 1920×1080 pixels CCD,a visible (TV) system ,which had 500mm focal length, 4F number,was completed.The final optical design along with their modulation transfer function is presented,showing excellent imaging performance in dual-band at the temperature range between -40° and 60°.

  4. Implementation and Investigation of a Compact Circular Wide Slot UWB Antenna with Dual Notched Band Characteristics using Stepped Impedance Resonators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yingsong Li

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available A coplanar waveguide (CPW fed ultra-wideband (UWB antenna with dual notched band characteristics is presented in this paper. The circular wide slot and circular radiation patch are utilized to broaden the impedance bandwidth of the UWB antenna. The dual notched band functions are achieved by employing two stepped impedance resonators (SIRs which etched on the circular radiation patch and CPW excitation line, respectively. The two notched bands can be controlled by adjusting the dimensions of the two stepped impedance resonators which give tunable notched band functions. The proposed dual notched band UWB antenna has been designed in details and optimized by means of HFSS. Experimental and numerical results show that the proposed antenna with compact size of 32 × 24 mm2, has an impedance bandwidth range from 2.8 GHz to 13.5 Hz for voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR less than 2, except the notch bands 5.0 GHz - 6.2 GHz for HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a (5.1 GHz - 5.9 GHz and 8.0 GHz - 9.3 GHz for satellite and military applications.

  5. A 5.2/5.8 GHz Dual Band On-Off Keying Transmitter Design for Bio-Signal Transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chang-Hsi; You, Hong-Cheng; Huang, Shun-Zhao

    2018-02-01

    An architecture of 5.2/5.8-GHz dual-band on-off keying (DBOOK) modulated transmitter is designed in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology. The proposed DBOOK transmitter is used in the biosignal transmission system with high power efficiency and small area. To reduce power consumption and enhance output swing, two pairs of center-tapped transformers are used as both LC tank and source grounding choke for the designed voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Switching capacitances are used to achieve dual band operations, and a complemented power combiner is used to merge the differential output power of VCO to a single-ended output. Besides, the linearizer circuits are used in the proposed power amplifier with wideband output matching to improve the linearity both at 5.2/5.8-GHz bands. The designed DBOOK transmitter is implemented by dividing it into two chips. One chip implements the dual-band switching VCO and power combiner, and the other chip implements a linear power amplifier including dual-band operation. The first chip drives an output power of 2.2mW with consuming power of 5.13 mW from 1.1 V supply voltage. With the chip size including pad of 0.61 × 0.91 m2, the measured data rate and transmission efficiency attained are 100 Mb/s and 51 pJ/bit, respectively. The second chip, for power enhanced mode, exhibits P1 dB of -9 dBm, IIP3 of 1 dBm, the output power 1 dB compression point of 12.42 dBm, OIP3 of about 21 dBm, maximum output power of 17.02/16.18 dBm, and power added efficiency of 17.13/16.95% for 5.2/ 5.8 GHz. The chip size including pads is 0:693 × 1:084mm2.

  6. Readability of Invasive Procedure Consent Forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eltorai, Adam E M; Naqvi, Syed S; Ghanian, Soha; Eberson, Craig P; Weiss, Arnold-Peter C; Born, Christopher T; Daniels, Alan H

    2015-12-01

    Informed consent is a pillar of ethical medicine which requires patients to fully comprehend relevant issues including the risks, benefits, and alternatives of an intervention. Given the average reading skill of US adults is at the 8th grade level, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend patient information materials should not exceed a 6th grade reading level. We hypothesized that text provided in invasive procedure consent forms would exceed recommended readability guidelines for medical information. To test this hypothesis, we gathered procedure consent forms from all surgical inpatient hospitals in the state of Rhode Island. For each consent form, readability analysis was measured with the following measures: Flesch Reading Ease Formula, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Fog Scale, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Linsear Write Formula. These readability scores were used to calculate a composite Text Readability Consensus Grade Level. Invasive procedure consent forms were found to be written at an average of 15th grade level (i.e., third year of college), which is significantly higher than the average US adult reading level of 8th grade (p readability guidelines for patient materials of 6th grade (p readability levels which makes comprehension difficult or impossible for many patients. Efforts to improve the readability of procedural consent forms should improve patient understanding regarding their healthcare decisions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Design of Two Novel Dual Band-Notched UWB Antennas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Li

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Two novel dual band-notched ultra-wideband (UWB printed monopole antennas with simple structure and small size are presented. The size of both antennas is 25×25×0.8 mm3. The bandwidth of one of the proposed antenna can be from 2.7 GHz to 36.8 GHz, except the bandwidth of 3.2–3.9 GHz for WiMAX applications and 5.14–5.94 GHz for WLAN applications. The bandwidth of the other is ranging for 2.7 to 41.1 GHz, except the bandwidth of 3.2–3.9 GHz for WiMAX applications and 4.8–5.9 GHz for WLAN applications. Bandwidths of the antennas are about 512% and 455% wider than those of conventional band-notched UWB antennas, respectively. In addition, the time-domain characteristics of the two antennas are investigated to show the difference between both antennas.

  8. Design and Implementation of Dual-Band MIMO Antenna with Low Mutual Coupling Using EBG for Handheld Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duong Thanh Tu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A dual-band Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO antenna system with enhanced isolation for LTE and WLAN applications is proposed. Using a double-rectangular Defected Ground Structure (DGS, the MIMO antenna gets two resonant frequencies of 2.6 GHz and 5.7 GHz with bandwidth of 5.7% and 4.3% respectively. To reduce much more mutual coupling between dual-band MIMO antenna ports, a novel double-side Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG structure with equivalent circuit model is proposed. Size of t gain of the antenna is getting better, especially at the low band. he EBG unit cell is 8.6x8.6 mm2 that is built on FR4 substrate with height of 1.6 mm, so it is achieved more compact size than conventional EBG structures. With 1x7 EBG structures, the mutual coupling gets -40dB in the low frequency band and -30 dB in the high one with narrow distance of 0.11 from feeding point to feeding point. Furthermore, radiation efficiency as well as gain of the antenna is getting better, especially at the low band.

  9. A compact dual band MIMO PIFA for 5G applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachakonda, A.; Bang, P.; Mudiganti, J.

    2017-11-01

    5G applications support operations in 28, 37, 60 and 73GHz bands and is expected to support 1GHz bandwidth. In the present paper, planar inverted F antenna for 28GHz operation has been proposed for 5G applications for which a return loss of -17.46dB and a gain of 9.30dB have been observed. In addition, the design has been extended for dual band operation at 28 and 37GHz by implementing an L slot in the patch. An excellent return loss of -32.54dB and -18.57dB with a gain of 8.62dB has been observed. Moreover, a feasible bandwidth of 1.02GHz has been obtained in former design, while an enhanced bandwidth of 1.3GHz has been obtained at both bands in case of latter design. However, for better gain & data rate considerations, the previous design has been extended as a MIMO configuration with 2 antenna elements (2x1) and corresponding performance parameters have been evaluated.

  10. Characterization of NPP Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Reflective Solar Bands Dual Gain Anomaly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shihyan; McIntire, Jeff; Oudari, Hassan

    2012-01-01

    The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) contains six dual gain bands in the reflective solar spectrum. The dual gain bands are designed to switch gain mode at pre-defined thresholds to achieve high resolution at low radiances while maintaining the required dynamic range for science. During pre-launch testing, an anomaly in the electronic response before transitioning from high to low gain was discovered and characterized. On-orbit, the anomaly was confirmed using MODIS data collected during Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses (SNOs). The analysis of the Earth scene data shows that dual gain anomaly can be determined at the orbital basis. To characterize the dual gain anomaly, the anomaly region and electronic offsets were tracked per week during the first 8 month of VIIRS operation. The temporal analysis shows the anomaly region can drift 20 DN and is impacted by detectors DC Restore. The estimated anomaly flagging regions cover 2.5 % of the high gain dynamic range and are consistent with prelaunch and on-orbit LUT. The prelaunch results had a smaller anomaly range (30-50 DN) and are likely the results of more stable electronics from the shorter data collection time. Finally, this study suggests future calibration efforts to focus on the anomaly's impact on science products and possible correction method to reduce uncertainties.

  11. Emotioncy: A Potential Measure of Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pishghadamn, Reza; Abbasnejad, Hannaheh

    2016-01-01

    Given the deficiencies of readability formulae as reliable tools for measuring text readability in educational settings, this study aims to offer a new measure to improve the current methods of testing the readability levels of texts through the incorporation of the newly-developed concept of emotioncy. To this end, a group of 221 students were…

  12. Readability assessment of online ophthalmic patient information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmunds, Matthew R; Barry, Robert J; Denniston, Alastair K

    2013-12-01

    Patients increasingly use the Internet to access information related to their disease, but poor health literacy is known to impact negatively on medical outcomes. Multiple agencies have recommended that patient-oriented literature be written at a fourth- to sixth-grade (9-12 years of age) reading level to assist understanding. The readability of online patient-oriented materials related to ophthalmic diagnoses is not yet known. To assess the readability of online literature specifically for a range of ophthalmic conditions. Body text of the top 10 patient-oriented websites for 16 different ophthalmic diagnoses, covering the full range of ophthalmic subspecialties, was analyzed for readability, source (United Kingdom vs non-United Kingdom, not for profit vs commercial), and appropriateness for sight-impaired readers. Four validated readability formulas were used: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Fog Index (GFOG). Data were compared with the Mann-Whitney test (for 2 groups) and Kruskal-Wallis test (for more than 2 groups) and correlation was assessed by the Spearman r. None of the 160 webpages had readability scores within published guidelines, with 83% assessed as being of "difficult" readability. Not-for-profit webpages were of significantly greater length than commercial webpages (P = .02) and UK-based webpages had slightly superior readability scores compared with those of non-UK webpages (P = .004 to P readability formula used). Of all webpages evaluated, only 34% included facility to adjust text size to assist visually impaired readers. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess readability of patient-focused webpages specifically for a range of ophthalmic diagnoses. In keeping with previous studies in other medical conditions, we determined that readability scores were inferior to those recommended, irrespective of the measure used. Although readability is only one

  13. Dual-band left-handed metamaterials fabricated by using tree-shaped fractal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu He-Xiu; Wang Guang-Ming; Yang Zi-Mu; Wang Jia-Fu

    2012-01-01

    A method of fabricating dual-band left-handed metematerials (LHMs) is investigated numerically and experimentally by single-sided tree-like fractals. The resulting structure features multiband magnetic resonances and two electric resonances. By appropriately adjusting the dimensions, two left-handed (LH) bands with simultaneous negative permittivity and permeability are engineered and are validated by full-wave eigenmode analysis and measurement as well in the microwave frequency range. To study the multi-resonant mechanism in depth, the LHM is analysed from three different perspectives of field distribution analysis, circuit model analysis, and geometrical parameters evaluation. The derived formulae are consistent with all simulated results and resulting electromagnetic phenomena, indicating the effectiveness of the established theory. The method provides an alternative to the design of multi-band LHM and has the advantage of not requiring two individual resonant particles and electrically continuous wires, which in turn facilitates planar design and considerably simplifies the fabrication. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

  14. Dual band multi frequency rectangular patch microstrip antenna with flyswatter shaped slot for wireless systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhardwaj, Dheeraj; Saraswat, Shriti; Gulati, Gitansh; Shekhar, Snehanshu; Joshi, Kanika; Sharma, Komal

    2016-01-01

    In this paper a dual band planar antenna has been proposed for IEEE 802.16 Wi-MAX /IEEE 802.11 WLAN/4.9 GHz public safety applications. The antenna comprises a frequency bandwidth of 560MHz (3.37GHz-3.93GHz) for WLAN and WiMAX and 372MHz (4.82GHz-5.192GHz) for 4.9 GHz public safety applications and Radio astronomy services (4.8-4.94 GHz). The proposed antenna constitutes of a single microstrip patch reactively loaded with three identical steps positioned in a zig-zag manner towards the radiating edges of the patch. The coaxially fed patch antenna characteristics (radiation pattern, antenna gain, antenna directivity, current distribution, S_1_1) have been investigated. The antenna design is primarily focused on achieving a dual band operation.

  15. Dual band multi frequency rectangular patch microstrip antenna with flyswatter shaped slot for wireless systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhardwaj, Dheeraj, E-mail: dbhardwaj.bit@gmail.com [Department of Physics, BIT-Mesra-Jaipur Campus, Jaipur 302017 (India); Saraswat, Shriti, E-mail: saraswat.srishti@gmail.com; Gulati, Gitansh, E-mail: gitanshgulati@gmail.com; Shekhar, Snehanshu, E-mail: snehanshushekhar.bit@gmail.com; Joshi, Kanika, E-mail: kanika.karesh@gmail.com [Department of Electronics & Communication, BIT-Mesra-Jaipur Campus, Jaipur 302017 (India); Sharma, Komal, E-mail: kbhardwaj18@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Jaipur 302017 (India)

    2016-03-09

    In this paper a dual band planar antenna has been proposed for IEEE 802.16 Wi-MAX /IEEE 802.11 WLAN/4.9 GHz public safety applications. The antenna comprises a frequency bandwidth of 560MHz (3.37GHz-3.93GHz) for WLAN and WiMAX and 372MHz (4.82GHz-5.192GHz) for 4.9 GHz public safety applications and Radio astronomy services (4.8-4.94 GHz). The proposed antenna constitutes of a single microstrip patch reactively loaded with three identical steps positioned in a zig-zag manner towards the radiating edges of the patch. The coaxially fed patch antenna characteristics (radiation pattern, antenna gain, antenna directivity, current distribution, S{sub 11}) have been investigated. The antenna design is primarily focused on achieving a dual band operation.

  16. Dual band multi frequency rectangular patch microstrip antenna with flyswatter shaped slot for wireless systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhardwaj, Dheeraj; Saraswat, Shriti; Gulati, Gitansh; Shekhar, Snehanshu; Joshi, Kanika; Sharma, Komal

    2016-03-01

    In this paper a dual band planar antenna has been proposed for IEEE 802.16 Wi-MAX /IEEE 802.11 WLAN/4.9 GHz public safety applications. The antenna comprises a frequency bandwidth of 560MHz (3.37GHz-3.93GHz) for WLAN and WiMAX and 372MHz (4.82GHz-5.192GHz) for 4.9 GHz public safety applications and Radio astronomy services (4.8-4.94 GHz). The proposed antenna constitutes of a single microstrip patch reactively loaded with three identical steps positioned in a zig-zag manner towards the radiating edges of the patch. The coaxially fed patch antenna characteristics (radiation pattern, antenna gain, antenna directivity, current distribution, S11) have been investigated. The antenna design is primarily focused on achieving a dual band operation.

  17. Ultra-Wideband, Dual-Polarized, Beam-Steering P-Band Array Antenna

    Science.gov (United States)

    duToit, Cornelis

    2014-01-01

    A dual-polarized, wide-bandwidth (200 MHz for one polarization, 100 MHz for the orthogonal polarization) antenna array at P-band was designed to be driven by NASA's EcoSAR digital beam former. EcoSAR requires two wide P-band antenna arrays mounted on the wings of an aircraft, each capable of steering its main beam up to 35deg off-boresight, allowing the twin radar beams to be steered at angles to the flight path. The science requirements are mainly for dual-polarization capability and a wide bandwidth of operation of up to 200 MHz if possible, but at least 100 MHz with high polarization port isolation and low cross-polarization. The novel design geometry can be scaled with minor modifications up to about four times higher or down to about half the current design frequencies for any application requiring a dual-polarized, wide-bandwidth steerable antenna array. EcoSAR is an airborne interferometric P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) research application for studying two- and three-dimensional fine-scale measurements of terrestrial ecosystem structure and biomass, which will ultimately aid in the broader study of the carbon cycle and climate change. The two 2×8 element Pband antenna arrays required by the system will be separated by a baseline of about 25 m, allowing for interferometry measurements. The wide 100-to- 200-MHz bandwidth dual-polarized beams employed will allow the determination of the amount of biomass and even tree height on the ground. To reduce the size of the patches along the boresight dimension in order to fit them into the available space, two techniques were employed. One technique is to add slots along the edges of each patch where the main electric currents are expected to flow, and the other technique is to bend the central part of the patch away from the ground plane. The latter also facilitates higher mechanical rigidity. The high port isolation of more than 40 dB was achieved by employing a highly symmetrical feed mechanism for each

  18. Miniaturized Ka-Band Dual-Channel Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, James P.; Moussessian, Alina; Jenabi, Masud; Custodero, Brian

    2011-01-01

    Smaller (volume, mass, power) electronics for a Ka-band (36 GHz) radar interferometer were required. To reduce size and achieve better control over RFphase versus temperature, fully hybrid electronics were developed for the RF portion of the radar s two-channel receiver and single-channel transmitter. In this context, fully hybrid means that every active RF device was an open die, and all passives were directly attached to the subcarrier. Attachments were made using wire and ribbon bonding. In this way, every component, even small passives, was selected for the fabrication of the two radar receivers, and the devices were mounted relative to each other in order to make complementary components isothermal and to isolate other components from potential temperature gradients. This is critical for developing receivers that can track each other s phase over temperature, which is a key mission driver for obtaining ocean surface height. Fully hybrid, Ka-band (36 GHz) radar transmitter and dual-channel receiver were developed for spaceborne radar interferometry. The fully hybrid fabrication enables control over every aspect of the component selection, placement, and connection. Since the two receiver channels must track each other to better than 100 millidegrees of RF phase over several minutes, the hardware in the two receivers must be "identical," routed the same (same line lengths), and as isothermal as possible. This level of design freedom is not possible with packaged components, which include many internal passive, unknown internal connection lengths/types, and often a single orientation of inputs and outputs.

  19. Tri Band Dual Polarized Patch Antenna System For Next Generation Cellular Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Daniyal Ali Shah

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In fifth generation networks much emphasis is given to reduce the handset and base station sizes while incorporating even more features for ubiquitous connectivity. Polarization diversity is one of the methods in which a single multi-polarized antenna brings the advantages of antenna diversity. The multiband handset antennas can be made dual-polarized for improved compensation of fading effects of propagation environment especially in terrestrial bands. This paper focuses on the outcomes of the development of a horizontal and vertical polarized patch antenna scheme that operates on 3 bands 900 MHz 1.8 GHz and 2.4 GHz. The antenna system is tested for gain directivity reflection loss polarization radiation pattern and other parameters. The results are published and found are found to satisfy the requirements of cellular and data communication networks in the specified bands.

  20. Dual-function photonic integrated circuit for frequency octo-tupling or single-side-band modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Mehedi; Maldonado-Basilio, Ramón; Hall, Trevor J

    2015-06-01

    A dual-function photonic integrated circuit for microwave photonic applications is proposed. The circuit consists of four linear electro-optic phase modulators connected optically in parallel within a generalized Mach-Zehnder interferometer architecture. The photonic circuit is arranged to have two separate output ports. A first port provides frequency up-conversion of a microwave signal from the electrical to the optical domain; equivalently single-side-band modulation. A second port provides tunable millimeter wave carriers by frequency octo-tupling of an appropriate amplitude RF carrier. The circuit exploits the intrinsic relative phases between the ports of multi-mode interference couplers to provide substantially all the static optical phases needed. The operation of the proposed dual-function photonic integrated circuit is verified by computer simulations. The performance of the frequency octo-tupling and up-conversion functions is analyzed in terms of the electrical signal to harmonic distortion ratio and the optical single side band to unwanted harmonics ratio, respectively.

  1. Dual-band high-efficiency polarization converter using an anisotropic metasurface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Baoqin; Wang, Buhong; Meng, Wen; Da, Xinyu; Li, Wei; Fang, Yingwu; Zhu, Zihang

    2016-05-01

    In this work, a dual-band and high-efficiency reflective cross-polarization converter based on an anisotropic metasurface for linearly polarized electromagnetic waves is proposed. Its unit cell is composed of an elliptical disk-ring mounted on grounded dielectric substrate, which is an anisotropic structure with a pair of mutually perpendicular symmetric axes u and v along ± 45 ° directions with respect to y-axis direction. Both the simulation and measured results show that the polarization converter can convert x- or y-polarized incident wave to its cross polarized wave in the two frequency bands (6.99-9.18 GHz, 11.66-20.40 GHz) with the conversion efficiency higher than 90%; moreover, the higher frequency band is an ultra-wide one with a relative bandwidth of 54.5% for multiple plasmon resonances. In addition, we present a detailed analysis for the polarization conversion of the polarization converter, and derive a formula to calculate the cross- and co-polarization reflections at y-polarized incidence according to the phase differences between the two reflected coefficients at u-polarized and v-polarized incidences. The simulated, calculated, and measured results are all in agreement with the entire frequency regions.

  2. A Dual Band Additively Manufactured 3D Antenna on Package with Near-Isotropic Radiation Pattern

    KAUST Repository

    Su, Zhen; Klionovski, Kirill; Bilal, Rana Muhammad; Shamim, Atif

    2018-01-01

    presents a novel 3D dual band near-isotropic wideband GSM antenna to fulfill these requirements. The antenna has been realized on the package of electronics through additive manufacturing to ensure efficient utilization of available space and lower cost

  3. The Readability of Principles of Macroeconomics Textbooks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinkler, Sarah; Woods, James

    2013-01-01

    The authors evaluated principles of macroeconomics textbooks for readability using Coh-Metrix, a computational linguistics tool. Additionally, they conducted an experiment on Amazon's Mechanical Turk Web site in which participants ranked the readability of text samples. There was a wide range of scores on readability indexes both among…

  4. Readability Approaches: Implications for Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulusoy, Mustafa

    2006-01-01

    Finding the right fit between students' reading ability and textbooks is very important for comprehension. Readability studies aim to analyse texts to find the right fit between students and texts. In this literature review, readability studies are classified under quantitative, qualitative and combined quantitative-qualitative readability…

  5. Study on general design of dual-DMD based infrared two-band scene simulation system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yue; Qiao, Yang; Xu, Xi-ping

    2017-02-01

    Mid-wave infrared(MWIR) and long-wave infrared(LWIR) two-band scene simulation system is a kind of testing equipment that used for infrared two-band imaging seeker. Not only it would be qualified for working waveband, but also realize the essence requests that infrared radiation characteristics should correspond to the real scene. Past single-digital micromirror device (DMD) based infrared scene simulation system does not take the huge difference between targets and background radiation into account, and it cannot realize the separated modulation to two-band light beam. Consequently, single-DMD based infrared scene simulation system cannot accurately express the thermal scene model that upper-computer built, and it is not that practical. To solve the problem, we design a dual-DMD based, dual-channel, co-aperture, compact-structure infrared two-band scene simulation system. The operating principle of the system is introduced in detail, and energy transfer process of the hardware-in-the-loop simulation experiment is analyzed as well. Also, it builds the equation about the signal-to-noise ratio of infrared detector in the seeker, directing the system overall design. The general design scheme of system is given, including the creation of infrared scene model, overall control, optical-mechanical structure design and image registration. By analyzing and comparing the past designs, we discuss the arrangement of optical engine framework in the system. According to the main content of working principle and overall design, we summarize each key techniques in the system.

  6. [Readability of surgical informed consent in Spain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Norberto, Enrique María; Gómez-Alonso, Daniel; Trigueros, José M; Quiroga, Jorge; Gualis, Javier; Vaquero, Carlos

    2014-03-01

    To assess the readability of informed consent documents (IC) of the different national surgical societies. During January 2012 we collected 504 IC protocols of different specialties. To calculate readability parameters the following criteria were assessed: number of words, syllables and phrases, syllables/word and word/phrase averages, Word correlation index, Flesch-Szigriszt index, Huerta Fernández index, Inflesz scale degree and the Gunning-Fog index. The mean Flesch-Szigriszt index was 50.65 ± 6,72, so readability is considered normal. There are significant differences between specialties such as Urology (43.00 ± 4.17) and Angiology and Vascular Surgery (63.00 ± 3.26, P<.001). No IC would be appropriate for adult readability according to the Fernández-Huerta index (total mean 55.77 ± 6.57); the IC of Angiology and Vascular Surgery were the closest ones (67.85 ± 3.20). Considering the Inflesz scale degree (total mean of 2.84 ± 3,23), IC can be described as «somewhat difficult». There are significant differences between the IC of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (3.23 ± 0.47) that could be qualified as normal, or Cardiovascular Surgery (2.79 ± 0.43) as «nearly normal readability»; and others such as Urology (1, 70 ± 0.46, P<.001) and Thoracic Surgery (1.90 ± 0.30, P<.001), with a readability between «very» and «somewhat» difficult. The Gunning-Fog indexes are far from the readability for a general audience (total mean of 26.29 ± 10,89). IC developed by scientific societies of different surgical specialties do not have an adequate readability for patients. We recommend the use of readability indexes during the writing of these consent forms. Copyright © 2012 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. A dual-band planar array of connected dipoles: Experimental validation based on bistatic RCS measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cavallo, D.; Neto, A.; Gerini, G.; Morello, D.

    2010-01-01

    Rigorous equivalent networks representing connected arrays in transmission and reception are derived in this paper. These equivalent networks are not based on reciprocity but on Green's functions. Thus, all components have well identified and physically meaningful roles. A dual-band connected array

  8. Machine Readable Passports & The Visa Waiver Programme

    CERN Multimedia

    2003-01-01

    From 1 October 2003, all passengers intending to enter the USA on the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) will be required to present a machine-readable passport (MRP). Passengers travelling to the USA with a non-machine readable passport will require a valid US entry visa. Applying for a US visa is a lengthy process, which can take several weeks or even months. Therefore it is strongly recommended that: • All Visa Waiver nationals who hold a non-machine readable passport should obtain a MRP before their next visit to the USA. • Children travelling on a parent's passport (be it machine readable or non-machine readable) cannot benefit from the Visa Waiver Programme and should obtain their own MRP prior to travelling to the USA or request a visa. What is a Machine Readable Passport (MRP)? A MRP has the holders' personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, nationality and their passport number contained in two lines of text at the base of the photo page. This text may be read by machine. These 2 lines ...

  9. A Multibeam Dual-Band Orthogonal Linearly Polarized Antenna Array for Satellite Communication on the Move

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The design and simulation of a 10 × 8 multibeam dual-band orthogonal linearly polarized antenna array operating at Ku-band are presented for transmit-receive applications. By using patches with different coupling methods as elements, both perpendicular polarization in 12.25–12.75 GHz band and horizontal polarization in 14.0–14.5 GHz band are realized in a shared antenna aperture. A microstrip Rotman lens is employed as the beamforming network with 7 input ports, which can generate a corresponding number of beams to cover −30°–30° with 5 dB beamwidth along one dimension. This type of multibeam orthogonal linearly polarized planar antenna is a good candidate for satellite communication (SatCom.

  10. Readability assessment of online tracheostomy care resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Keonho Albert; Hu, Amanda

    2015-02-01

    To assess the readability of online tracheostomy care resources. Cross-sectional study. Academic center. A Google search was performed for "tracheostomy care" in January 2014. The top 50 results were categorized into major versus minor websites and patient-oriented versus professional-oriented resources. These websites were evaluated with the following readability tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG). Readability scores for the websites were FRES 57.21 ± 16.71 (possible range = 0-100), FKGL 8.33 ± 2.84 (possible range = 3-12), SMOG 11.25 ± 2.49 (possible range = 3-19), and GFOG 11.43 ± 4.07 (possible range = 3-19). There was no significant difference in all 4 readability scores between major (n = 41) and minor (n = 9) websites. Professional-oriented websites (n = 19) had the following readability scores: FRES 40.77 ± 11.69, FKGL 10.93 ± 2.48, SMOG 13.29 ± 2.32, and GFOG 14.91 ± 3.98. Patient-oriented websites (n = 31) had the following readability scores: FRES 67.29 ± 9.91, FKGL 6.73 ± 1.61, SMOG 10.01 ± 1.64, and GFOG 9.30 ± 2.27. Professional-oriented websites had more difficult readability scores than patient-oriented websites for FRES (P readability between major and minor websites. Professional-oriented websites were more difficult to read than patient-oriented websites. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

  11. Hybrid method to predict the resonant frequencies and to characterise dual band proximity coupled microstrip antennas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varma, Ruchi; Ghosh, Jayanta

    2018-06-01

    A new hybrid technique, which is a combination of neural network (NN) and support vector machine, is proposed for designing of different slotted dual band proximity coupled microstrip antennas. Slots on the patch are employed to produce the second resonance along with size reduction. The proposed hybrid model provides flexibility to design the dual band antennas in the frequency range from 1 to 6 GHz. This includes DCS (1.71-1.88 GHz), PCS (1.88-1.99 GHz), UMTS (1.92-2.17 GHz), LTE2300 (2.3-2.4 GHz), Bluetooth (2.4-2.485 GHz), WiMAX (3.3-3.7 GHz), and WLAN (5.15-5.35 GHz, 5.725-5.825 GHz) bands applications. Also, the comparative study of this proposed technique is done with the existing methods like knowledge based NN and support vector machine. The proposed method is found to be more accurate in terms of % error and root mean square % error and the results are in good accord with the measured values.

  12. The readability of American Academy of Pediatrics patient education brochures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freda, Margaret Comerford

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) patient education brochures. Seventy-four brochures were analyzed using two readability formulas. Mean readability for all 74 brochures was grade 7.94 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and grade 10.1 with SMOG formula (P = .001). Using the SMOG formula, no brochures were of acceptably low (education brochures have acceptably low levels of readability, but at least half are written at higher than acceptable readability levels for the general public. This study also demonstrated statistically significant variability between the two different readability formulas; had only the SMOG formula been used, all of the brochures would have had unacceptably high readability levels. Readability is an essential concept for patient education materials. Professional associations that develop and market patient education materials should test for readability and publish those readability levels on each piece of patient education so health care providers will know if the materials are appropriate for their patients.

  13. Matrix transformation of Fibonacci band matrix on generalized $bv$-space and its dual spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anupam Das

    2018-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we introduce a new sequence space $bv(\\hat{F}$ by using the Fibonacci band matrix $\\hat{F}.$ We also establish a few inclusion relations concerning this space and determine its $\\alpha-,\\beta-,\\gamma-$duals. Finally we characterize some matrix classes on the space $bv(\\hat{F}.$

  14. Wideband or Dual-Band Low-Profile Circular Patch Antenna with High Gain and Sidelobe Suppression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Squadrito, Paolo; Zhang, Shuai; Pedersen, Gert F.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents a wideband or dual-band circular disk antenna with high gain and sidelobe suppression (SLS). The antenna has a single layer and single-fed configuration. The antenna can operate with the radiation field superposition of TM12 and TM14 modes at one frequency, which provides high...... gain and SLS. A circle of 10 shorting vias with non-identical diameters are loaded inside the antenna cavity in order to excite the field superposition of TM11 and TM13 modes at another frequency. By modifying the radius of the vias, the resonant frequency with the TM11 and TM13 superposition can...... be tuned closer to or further away from the one with the TM12 and TM14 superposition. In this way, a wideband or dual-band behavior can be obtained with high gain and SLS. The proposed antenna achieves the impedance bandwidth of 6.46% for the wideband case, which is over 6 times wider than the previous...

  15. Design of two-DMD based zoom MW and LW dual-band IRSP using pixel fusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yue; Xu, Xiping; Qiao, Yang

    2018-06-01

    In order to test the anti-jamming ability of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) dual-band imaging system, a zoom mid-wave (MW) and long-wave (LW) dual-band infrared scene projector (IRSP) based on two-digital micro-mirror device (DMD) was designed by using a projection method of pixel fusion. Two illumination systems, which illuminate the two DMDs directly with Kohler telecentric beam respectively, were combined with projection system by a spatial layout way. The distances of projection entrance pupil and illumination exit pupil were also analyzed separately. MWIR and LWIR virtual scenes were generated respectively by two DMDs and fused by a dichroic beam combiner (DBC), resulting in two radiation distributions in projected image. The optical performance of each component was evaluated by ray tracing simulations. Apparent temperature and image contrast were demonstrated by imaging experiments. On the basis of test and simulation results, the aberrations of optical system were well corrected, and the quality of projected image meets test requirements.

  16. Determining Readability: How to Select and Apply Easy-to-Use Readability Formulas to Assess the Difficulty of Adult Literacy Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Victoria; Greenberg, Daphne

    2010-01-01

    There are many readability tools that instructors can use to help adult learners select reading materials. We describe and compare different types of readability tools: formulas calculated by hand, tools found on the Web, tools embedded in a word processing program, and readability tools found in a commercial software program. Practitioners do not…

  17. Unidirectional Dual-Band CPW-Fed Antenna Loaded with an AMC Reflector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qun Luo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A unidirectional dual-band coplanar waveguide fed antenna (DB-CPWFA loaded with a reflector is presented in this paper. The reflector is made of an electric ground plane, a dielectric substrate, and artificial magnetic conductor (AMC which shows an effective dual operational bandwidth. Then, the closely spaced AMC reflector is employed under the DB-DPWFA for performance improvement including unidirectional radiation, low profile, gain enhancement, and higher front-to-back (F/B ratio. The final antenna design exhibits an 8% and 13% impedance bandwidths for 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency regions, respectively. The overall gain enhancement of about 4 dB is achieved. The F/B ratio is approximate to 20 dB with a 16 dB improvement. The measured results are inconsistent with the numerical values. The presented design is a suitable candidate for radio frequency identification (RFID reader application.

  18. Dual band monopole antenna for WLAN 2.4/5.2/5.8 with truncated ground

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandan, Bharti, Gagandeep; Srivastava, Toolika; Rai, B. S.

    2018-04-01

    A dual-band mono-pole antenna is proposed for Wireless LAN applications. The WLAN band is obtained by cutting a rectangular ring and a circular slot in the radiating patch. The overall dimension of antenna is 17×16.5×0.8 mmł. The frequency bands obtained are 2.38-2.9 GHz and 4.7-6.1 GHz with ≤ - 10 dB return loss which covers WLAN 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz bands. The behavior of the antenna is analyzed in terms of radiation pattern, peak realized gain, radiation efficiency and surface current density. It has dipole like radiation pattern with gain of 2.33 - 4.31 dBi for lower frequency band and 4.29 - 5.16 dBi for upper frequency band with radiation efficiency of 95-98% and 93-96% respectively. The parametric analysis is carried out to understand the consequence of the various shape parameters and to get an optimum design. The simulation and measurement gave the results having close agreement.

  19. Readability of Online Materials for Rhinoplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Pauline Joy F; Daar, David A; Paydar, Keyianoosh Z; Wirth, Garrett A

    2018-01-01

    Rhinoplasty is a popular aesthetic and reconstructive surgical procedure. However, little is known about the content and readability of online materials for patient education. The recommended grade level for educational materials is 7th to 8th grade according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This study aims to assess the readability of online patient resources for rhinoplasty. The largest public search engine, Google, was queried using the term "rhinoplasty" on February 26, 2016. Location filters were disabled and sponsored results excluded to avoid any inadvertent search bias. The 10 most popular websites were identified and all relevant, patient-directed information within one click from the original site was downloaded and saved as plain text. Readability was analyzed using five established analyses (Readability-score.com, Added Bytes, Ltd., Sussex, UK). Analysis of ten websites demonstrates an average grade level of at least 12 th grade. No material was at the recommended 7 th to 8 th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid, 11.1; Gunning-Fog, 14.1; Coleman-Liau, 14.5; SMOG 10.4; Automated Readability, 10.7; Average Grade Level, 12.2). Overall Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease Index was 43.5, which is rated as "difficult." Online materials available for rhinoplasty exceed NIH-recommended reading levels, which may prevent appropriate decision-making in patients considering these types of surgery. Outcomes of this study identify that Plastic Surgeons should be cognizant of available online patient materials and make efforts to develop and provide more appropriate materials. Readability results can also contribute to marketing strategy and attracting a more widespread interest in the procedure.

  20. A Twofold Comparison between Dual Cure Resin Modified Cement and Glass Ionomer Cement for Orthodontic Band Cementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attar, Hanaa El; Elhiny, Omnia; Salem, Ghada; Abdelrahman, Ahmed; Attia, Mazen

    2016-12-15

    To test the solubility of dual cure resin modified resin cement in a food simulating solution and the shear bond strength compared to conventional Glass ionomer cement. The materials tested were self-adhesive dual cure resin modified cement and Glass Ionomer (GIC). Twenty Teflon moulds were divided into two groups of tens. The first group was injected and packed with the modified resin cement, the second group was packed with GIC. To test the solubility, each mould was weighed before and after being placed in an analytical reagent for 30 days. The solubility was measured as the difference between the initial and final drying mass. To measure the Shear bond strength, 20 freshly extracted wisdom teeth were equally divided into two groups and embedded in self-cure acrylic resin. Four mm sections of stainless steel bands were cemented to the exposed buccal surfaces of teeth under a constant load of 500 g. Shear bond strength was measured using a computer controlled materials testing machine and the load required to deband the samples was recorded in Newtons. GIC showed significantly higher mean weight loss and an insignificant lower Shear bond strength, compared to dual cure resin Cement. It was found that dual cure resin modified cement was less soluble than glass ionomer cement and of comparable bond strength rendering it more useful clinically for orthodontic band cementation.

  1. Evaluating four readability formulas for Afrikaans.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, C. J. M.; Richards, Rose; Van Zyl, Liezl

    2017-01-01

    For almost a hundred years now, readability formulas have been used to measure how difficult it is to comprehend a given text. To date, four readability formulas have been developed for Afrikaans. Two such formulas were published by Van Rooyen (1986), one formula by McDermid Heyns (2007) and one

  2. Transition dipole-moment of the ν1 +ν3 band of acetylene measured with dual-comb Fourier-transform spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okubo, Sho; Iwakuni, Kana; Yamada, Koichi M. T.; Inaba, Hajime; Onae, Atsushi; Hong, Feng-Lei; Sasada, Hiroyuki

    2017-11-01

    The ν1 +ν3 vibration band of acetylene (C2H2) in the near infrared region was recorded with a dual-comb Fourier-transform spectrometer. We observed 56 transitions from P (26) to R (29) at six different column densities. The integral line intensity was determined for each recorded absorption line by fitting the line profile to Lambert-Beer's law with a Voigt function. Thanks to the outstanding capability of dual-comb spectroscopy to cover a broad spectrum in a relatively short time with high resolution and high frequency precision, we determined the reliable line strength for each ro-vibrational transition as well as the transition dipole moment for this band.

  3. Flood Monitoring using X-band Dual-polarization Radar Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekar, V.; Wang, Y.; Maki, M.; Nakane, K.

    2009-09-01

    A dense weather radar network is an emerging concept advanced by the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA). Using multiple radars observing over a common will create different data outcomes depending on the characteristics of the radar units employed and the network topology. To define this a general framework is developed to describe the radar network space, and formulations are obtained that can be used for weather radar network characterization. Current weather radar surveillance networks are based upon conventional sensing paradigm of widely-separated, standalone sensing systems using long range radars that operate at wavelengths in 5-10 cm range. Such configuration has limited capability to observe close to the surface of the earth because of the earth's curvature but also has poorer resolution at far ranges. The dense network radar system, observes and measures weather phenomenon such as rainfall and severe weather close to the ground at higher spatial and temporal resolution compared to the current paradigm. In addition the dense network paradigm also is easily adaptable to complex terrain. Flooding is one of the most common natural hazards in the world. Especially, excessive development decreases the response time of urban watersheds and complex terrain to rainfall and increases the chance of localized flooding events over a small spatial domain. Successful monitoring of urban floods requires high spatiotemporal resolution, accurate precipitation estimation because of the rapid flood response as well as the complex hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics in an urban environment. This paper reviews various aspects in radar rainfall mapping in urban coverage using dense X-band dual-polarization radar networks. By reducing the maximum range and operating at X-band, one can ensure good azimuthal resolution with a small-size antenna and keep the radar beam closer to the ground. The networked topology helps to achieve satisfactory

  4. Readability of Online Health Information: A Meta-Narrative Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daraz, Lubna; Morrow, Allison S; Ponce, Oscar J; Farah, Wigdan; Katabi, Abdulrahman; Majzoub, Abdul; Seisa, Mohamed O; Benkhadra, Raed; Alsawas, Mouaz; Larry, Prokop; Murad, M Hassan

    2018-01-01

    Online health information should meet the reading level for the general public (set at sixth-grade level). Readability is a key requirement for information to be helpful and improve quality of care. The authors conducted a systematic review to evaluate the readability of online health information in the United States and Canada. Out of 3743 references, the authors included 157 cross-sectional studies evaluating 7891 websites using 13 readability scales. The mean readability grade level across websites ranged from grade 10 to 15 based on the different scales. Stratification by specialty, health condition, and type of organization producing information revealed the same findings. In conclusion, online health information in the United States and Canada has a readability level that is inappropriate for general public use. Poor readability can lead to misinformation and may have a detrimental effect on health. Efforts are needed to improve readability and the content of online health information.

  5. Design of Miniaturized Dual-Band Microstrip Antenna for WLAN Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiachen; Wang, Huanling; Lv, Zhihan; Wang, Huihui

    2016-01-01

    Wireless local area network (WLAN) is a technology that combines computer network with wireless communication technology. The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands in the Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) band can be used in the WLAN environment. Because of the development of wireless communication technology and the use of the frequency bands without the need for authorization, the application of WLAN is becoming more and more extensive. As the key part of the WLAN system, the antenna must also be adapted to the development of WLAN communication technology. This paper designs two new dual-frequency microstrip antennas with the use of electromagnetic simulation software—High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). The two antennas adopt ordinary FR4 material as a dielectric substrate, with the advantages of low cost and small size. The first antenna adopts microstrip line feeding, and the antenna radiation patch is composed of a folded T-shaped radiating dipole which reduces the antenna size, and two symmetrical rectangular patches located on both sides of the T-shaped radiating patch. The second antenna is a microstrip patch antenna fed by coaxial line, and the size of the antenna is diminished by opening a stepped groove on the two edges of the patch and a folded slot inside the patch. Simulation experiments prove that the two designed antennas have a higher gain and a favourable transmission characteristic in the working frequency range, which is in accordance with the requirements of WLAN communication. PMID:27355954

  6. A Dual Band Slotted Patch Antenna on Dielectric Material Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Habib Ullah

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A low profile, compact dual band slotted patch antenna has been designed using finite element method-based high frequency full-wave electromagnetic simulator. The proposed antenna fabricated using LPKF printed circuit board (PCB fabrication machine on fiberglass reinforced epoxy polymer resin material substrate and the performance of the prototype has been measured in a standard far-field anechoic measurement chamber. The measured impedance bandwidths of (reflection coefficient <-10 dB 12.26% (14.3–16.2 GHZ, 8.24% (17.4–18.9 GHz, and 3.08% (19.2–19.8 have been achieved through the proposed antenna prototype. 5.9 dBi, 3.37 dBi, and 3.32 dBi peak gains have been measured and simulated radiation efficiencies of 80.3%, 81.9%, and 82.5% have been achieved at three resonant frequencies of 15.15 GHz, 18.2 GHz, and 19.5 GHz, respectively. Minimum gain variation, symmetric, and almost steady measured radiation pattern shows that the proposed antenna is suitable for Ku and K band satellite applications.

  7. Readability and Understandability of Online Vocal Cord Paralysis Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balakrishnan, Vini; Chandy, Zachariah; Hseih, Amy; Bui, Thanh-Lan; Verma, Sunil P

    2016-03-01

    Patients use several online resources to learn about vocal cord paralysis (VCP). The objective of this study was to assess the readability and understandability of online VCP patient education materials (PEMs), with readability assessments and the Patient Education Materials Evaluation Tool (PEMAT), respectively. The relationship between readability and understandability was then analyzed. Descriptive and correlational design. Online PEMs were identified by performing a Google search with the term "vocal cord paralysis." After scientific webpages, news articles, and information for medical professionals were excluded, 29 articles from the first 50 search results were considered. Readability analysis was performed with 6 formulas. Four individuals with different educational backgrounds conducted understandability analysis with the PEMAT. Fleiss's Kappa interrater reliability analysis determined consistency among raters. Correlation between readability and understandability was determined with Pearson's correlation test. The reading level of the reviewed articles ranged from grades 9 to 17. Understandability ranged from 29% to 82%. Correlation analysis demonstrated a strong negative correlation between materials' readability and understandability (r = -0.462, P Online PEMs pertaining to VCP are written above the recommended reading levels. Overall, materials written at lower grade levels are more understandable. However, articles of identical grade levels had varying levels of understandability. The PEMAT may provide a more critical evaluation of the quality of a PEM when compared with readability formulas. Both readability and understandability should be used to evaluate PEMs. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

  8. Readability of websites containing information on dental implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayaratne, Yasas S N; Anderson, Nina K; Zwahlen, Roger A

    2014-12-01

    It is recommended that health-related materials for patients be written at sixth grade level or below. Many websites oriented toward patient education about dental implants are available, but the readability of these sites has not been evaluated. To assess readability of patient-oriented online information on dental implants. Websites containing patient-oriented information on dental implants were retrieved using the Google search engine. Individual and mean readability/grade levels were calculated using standardized formulas. Readability of each website was classified as easy (≤ 6th-grade level) or difficult (≥ 10th grade level). Thirty nine websites with patient-oriented information on dental implant were found. The average readability grade level of these websites was 11.65 ± 1.36. No website scored at/below the recommended 6th grade level. Thirty four of 39 websites (87.18%) were difficult to read. The number of characters, words, and sentences on these sites varied widely. All patient-oriented websites on dental implants scored above the recommended grade level, and majority of these sites were "difficult" in their readability. There is a dire need to create patient information websites on implants, which the majority can read. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Ranger© - An Affordable, Advanced, Next-Generation, Dual-Pol, X-Band Weather Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stedronsky, Richard

    2014-05-01

    The Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC) Ranger© system is a new generation, X-band (3 cm), Adaptive Polarization Doppler Weather Surveillance Radar that fills the gap between high-cost, high-power traditional radar systems and the passive ground station weather sensors. Developed in partnership with the University of Oklahoma Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), the system uses relatively low power solid-state transmitters and pulse compression technology to attain nearly the same performance capabilities of much more expensive traditional radar systems. The Ranger© also employs Adaptive Dual Polarization (ADP) techniques to allow Alternating or Simultaneous Dual Polarization capability with total control over the transmission polarization state using dual independent coherent transmitters. Ranger© has been designed using the very latest technology available in the industry and the technical and manufacturing experience gained through over four decades of successful radar system design and production at EEC. The entire Ranger© design concept emphasizes precision, stability, reliability, and value using proven solid state technology combined with the most advanced motion control system ever conceived for weather radar. Key applications include meteorology, hydrology, aviation, offshore oil/gas drilling, wind energy, and outdoor event situational awareness.

  10. COMPACT DUAL-BAND INVERTED L SHAPED MONOPOLE ANTENNA FOR WLAN APPLICATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Sumathi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A highly compact and an optimized design of an Inverted L shaped printed monopole antenna with a simple compact ground plane is proposed. To make the designed antenna suitable for implantation it is embedded in FR-4 substrate and is presented. The antenna is designed for dual-band operation at 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz. It is suitable for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN applications with return loss (S11 < -10dB. The antenna has two different resonant current paths that support two resonances at 2.44GHz and 5.18GHz (forming an F-shaped structure. The size of the antenna is 32.5mm × 19.6mm × 1.6mm. The antenna design is simulated using the tool Advanced Design System (ADS 2014. This antenna design has good return loss and radiation characteristics in both the required frequency bands. The radiation pattern obtained from the proposed antenna is an Omni directional radiation pattern in the E and H plane over the frequency ranges 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz.

  11. Quality and readability of English-language internet information for aphasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azios, Jamie H; Bellon-Harn, Monica; Dockens, Ashley L; Manchaiah, Vinaya

    2017-08-14

    Little is known about the quality and readability of treatment information in specific neurogenic disorders, such as aphasia. The purpose of this study was to assess quality and readability of English-language Internet information available for aphasia treatment. Forty-three aphasia treatment websites were aggregated using five different country-specific search engines. Websites were then analysed using quality and readability assessments. Statistical calculations were employed to examine website ratings, differences between website origin and quality and readability scores, and correlations between readability instruments. Websites exhibited low quality with few websites obtaining Health On the Net (HON) certification or clear, thorough information as measured by the DISCERN. Regardless of website origin, readability scores were also poor. Approximate educational levels required to comprehend information on aphasia treatment websites ranged from 13 to 16 years of education. Significant differences were found between website origin and readability measures with higher levels of education required to understand information on websites of non-profit organisations. Current aphasia treatment websites were found to exhibit low levels of quality and readability, creating potential accessibility problems for people with aphasia and significant others. Websites including treatment information for aphasia must be improved in order to increase greater information accessibility.

  12. Tunable dual-band subwavelength imaging with a wire medium slab loaded with nanostructured graphene metasurfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Forouzmand

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrate that a wire medium slab loaded with graphene-nanopatch metasurfaces (GNMs enables the enhancement of evanescent waves for the subwavelength imaging at terahertz (THz frequencies. The analysis is based on the nonlocal homogenization model for wire medium with the additional boundary condition at the connection of wires to graphene. The physical mechanism behind this lens can be described as the surface plasmons excitement at the lower and upper GNMs which are coupled by an array of metallic wires. The dual nature (capacitive/inductive of the GNM is utilized in order to design a dual-band lens in which the unique controllable properties of graphene and the structural parameters of wire medium (WM slab provide more degrees of freedom in controlling two operating frequency bands. The lens can support the subwavelength imaging simultaneously at two tunable distinct frequencies with the resolution better than λ/6 even if the distance between GNMs is a significant fraction of wavelength (>λ/5.5. The major future challenges in the fabrication of the lens have been demonstrated and a promising approach for the practical configuration of the lens has been proposed.

  13. Readability of medicinal package leaflets: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires, Carla; Vigário, Marina; Cavaco, Afonso

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To review studies on the readability of package leaflets of medicinal products for human use. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review between 2008 and 2013 using the keywords "Readability and Package Leaflet" and "Readability and Package Insert" in the academic search engine Biblioteca do Conhecimento Online, comprising different bibliographic resources/databases. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses criteria were applied to prepare the draft of the report. Quantitative and qualitative original studies were included. Opinion or review studies not written in English, Portuguese, Italian, French, or Spanish were excluded. RESULTS We identified 202 studies, of which 180 were excluded and 22 were enrolled [two enrolling healthcare professionals, 10 enrolling other type of participants (including patients), three focused on adverse reactions, and 7 descriptive studies]. The package leaflets presented various readability problems, such as complex and difficult to understand texts, small font size, or few illustrations. The main methods to assess the readability of the package leaflet were usability tests or legibility formulae. Limitations with these methods included reduced number of participants; lack of readability formulas specifically validated for specific languages (e.g., Portuguese); and absence of an assessment on patients literacy, health knowledge, cognitive skills, levels of satisfaction, and opinions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the package leaflets presented various readability problems. In this review, some methodological limitations were identified, including the participation of a limited number of patients and healthcare professionals, the absence of prior assessments of participant literacy, humor or sense of satisfaction, or the predominance of studies not based on role-plays about the use of medicines. These limitations should be avoided in future studies and be considered when interpreting the results.

  14. Readability of the written study information in pediatric research in France.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Véronique Ménoni

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The aim was to evaluate the readability of research information leaflets (RIL for minors asked to participate in biomedical research studies and to assess the factors influencing this readability. METHODS AND FINDINGS: All the pediatric protocols from three French pediatric clinical research units were included (N = 104. Three criteria were used to evaluate readability: length of the text, Flesch's readability score and presence of illustrations. We compared the readability of RIL to texts specifically written for children (school textbooks, school exams or extracts from literary works. We assessed the effect of protocol characteristics on readability. The RIL had a median length of 608 words [350 words, 25(th percentile; 1005 words, 75(th percentile], corresponding to two pages. The readability of the RIL, with a median Flesch score of 40 [30; 47], was much poorer than that of pediatric reference texts, with a Flesch score of 67 [60; 73]. A small proportion of RIL (13/91; 14% were illustrated. The RIL were longer (p<0.001, more readable (p<0.001 and more likely to be illustrated (p<0.009 for industrial than for institutional sponsors. CONCLUSION: Researchers should routinely compute the reading ease of study information sheets and make greater efforts to improve the readability of written documents for potential participants.

  15. Structural parameter based modification of energy conscious ESPAR antenna system through optimization for WLAN’s dual-band operability

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Bembe, MJ

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available single device. In this study the focus is on the modification of the antenna designs for dual-band functionality which is limited on the ESPAR antenna’s structural parameter. This modification should result in an antenna system which operates in both 2...

  16. Readability of Wikipedia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lucassen, T.; Dijkstra, Roald; Schraagen, Johannes Martinus Cornelis

    2012-01-01

    Wikipedia is becoming widely acknowledged as a reliable source of encyclopedic information. However, concerns have been expressed about its readability. Wikipedia articles might be written in a language too difficult to be understood by most of its visitors. In this study, we apply the Flesch

  17. Differential contrast of gold nanorods in dual-band OCT using spectral multiplexing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al Rawashdeh, Wa’el [RWTH Aachen University, Experimental Molecular Imaging (Germany); Weyand, Thomas [DWI - Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials e.V. at RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Kray, Stefan; Lenz, Markus [RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Semiconductor Electronics (Germany); Buchkremer, Anne [RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Anorganische Chemie (Germany); Spöler, Felix [RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Semiconductor Electronics (Germany); Simon, Ulrich [RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Anorganische Chemie (Germany); Möller, Martin [DWI - Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials e.V. at RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Kiessling, Fabian; Lederle, Wiltrud, E-mail: wlederle@ukaachen.de [RWTH Aachen University, Experimental Molecular Imaging (Germany)

    2015-03-15

    In optical coherence tomography (OCT), differential contrast can be generated by resonant nanoparticles using spectral multiplexing. Differential contrast can be of interest for medical applications for improving detection specificity of structures with low endogenous contrast. Differential contrast has been shown using OCT systems with one bandwidth; however, this requires post-processing that is time consuming and reduces image resolution. In this study, we used a dual-band OCT prototype system with two far separated bandwidths in the clinically relevant optical window, and in search for the optimal differential contrast-generating particles for this prototype system, three different gold nanorods (AuNR) samples were investigated. The samples with different particle volume, aspect ratio, and absorption-maximum were imaged in a highly scattering phantom and on chicken muscle. In vitro, differential contrast was observed for the nanorods large (NRL) sample having the absorption-maximum within one bandwidth of the OCT and an average length of 75 nm. For the smaller AuNR (48 nm length) with comparable absorption-maximum, the obtained signal intensities were too low for being visible, although differences in signal intensities between both bandwidths could be measured. NRL optimal concentration for differential contrast using this prototype system is between 100 and 500 µg Au/mL (0.51–2.54 mM). These results demonstrate the potential of real-time imaging of differential contrast in dual-band OCT and motivate in vivo application of plasmon resonant AuNR in order to improve the detection sensitivity for structures that are difficult to identify by OCT such as small blood vessels.

  18. Text Readability and Intuitive Simplification: A Comparison of Readability Formulas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crossley, Scott A.; Allen, David B.; McNamara, Danielle S.

    2011-01-01

    Texts are routinely simplified for language learners with authors relying on a variety of approaches and materials to assist them in making the texts more comprehensible. Readability measures are one such tool that authors can use when evaluating text comprehensibility. This study compares the Coh-Metrix Second Language (L2) Reading Index, a…

  19. Readability of Online Patient Education Materials From the AAOS Web Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badarudeen, Sameer; Unes Kunju, Shebna

    2008-01-01

    One of the goals of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is to disseminate patient education materials that suit the readability skills of the patient population. According to standard guidelines from healthcare organizations, the readability of patient education materials should be no higher than the sixth-grade level. We hypothesized the readability level of patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site would be higher than the recommended grade level, regardless when the material was available online. Readability scores of all articles from the AAOS Internet-based patient information Web site, “Your Orthopaedic Connection,” were determined using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the 426 unique articles was 10.43. Only 10 (2%) of the articles had the recommended readability level of sixth grade or lower. The readability of the articles did not change with time. Our findings suggest the majority of the patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site had readability scores that may be too difficult for comprehension by a substantial portion of the patient population. PMID:18324452

  20. Readability, content, and quality of online patient education materials on preeclampsia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Elizabeth M S; Shah, Anuj M; Braithwaite, Brian A; You, Whitney B; Wong, Cynthia A; Grobman, William A; Toledo, Paloma

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the readability, content, and quality of patient education materials addressing preeclampsia. Websites of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residency programs were searched for patient education materials. Readability, content, and quality were assessed. A one-sample t-test was used to evaluate mean readability level compared with the recommended 6th grade reading level. Mean readability levels were higher using all indices (p education materials should be improved.

  1. A DUAL-BAND MILLIMETER-WAVE KINETIC INDUCTANCE CAMERA FOR THE IRAM 30 m TELESCOPE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monfardini, A.; Benoit, A.; Bideaud, A.; Swenson, L.; Cruciani, A.; Camus, P.; Hoffmann, C.; Desert, F. X.; Doyle, S.; Ade, P.; Mauskopf, P.; Tucker, C.; Roesch, M.; Leclercq, S.; Schuster, K. F.; Endo, A.; Baryshev, A.; Baselmans, J. J. A.; Ferrari, L.; Yates, S. J. C

    2011-01-01

    The Neel IRAM KIDs Array (NIKA) is a fully integrated measurement system based on kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) currently being developed for millimeter wave astronomy. The instrument includes dual-band optics allowing simultaneous imaging at 150 GHz and 220 GHz. The imaging sensors consist of two spatially separated arrays of KIDs. The first array, mounted on the 150 GHz branch, is composed of 144 lumped-element KIDs. The second array (220 GHz) consists of 256 antenna-coupled KIDs. Each of the arrays is sensitive to a single polarization; the band splitting is achieved by using a grid polarizer. The optics and sensors are mounted in a custom dilution cryostat, with an operating temperature of ∼70 mK. Electronic readout is realized using frequency multiplexing and a transmission line geometry consisting of a coaxial cable connected in series with the sensor array and a low-noise 4 K amplifier. The dual-band NIKA was successfully tested in 2010 October at the Institute for Millimetric Radio Astronomy (IRAM) 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta, Spain, performing in-line with laboratory predictions. An optical NEP was then calculated to be around 2 x 10 -16 W Hz -1/2 (at 1 Hz) while under a background loading of approximately 4 pW pixel -1 . This improvement in comparison with a preliminary run (2009) verifies that NIKA is approaching the target sensitivity for photon-noise limited ground-based detectors. Taking advantage of the larger arrays and increased sensitivity, a number of scientifically relevant faint and extended objects were then imaged including the Galactic Center SgrB2 (FIR1), the radio galaxy Cygnus A, and the NGC1068 Seyfert galaxy. These targets were all observed simultaneously in the 150 GHz and 220 GHz atmospheric windows.

  2. Readability of Malaria Medicine Information Leaflets in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To assess the readability of malaria medicines information leaflets available in Nigeria. Methods: Fourty five leaflets were assessed using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability test and by examining them for paper type, font size type, use of symbols and pictograms, and bilingual information ...

  3. Throughput Measurement of a Dual-Band MIMO Rectangular Dielectric Resonator Antenna for LTE Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasir, Jamal; Jamaluddin, Mohd Haizal; Ahmad Khan, Aftab; Kamarudin, Muhammad Ramlee; Yen, Bruce Leow Chee; Owais, Owais

    2017-01-13

    An L-shaped dual-band multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (RDRA) for long term evolution (LTE) applications is proposed. The presented antenna can transmit and receive information independently using fundamental TE 111 and higher order TE 121 modes of the DRA. TE 111 degenerate mode covers LTE band 2 (1.85-1.99 GHz), 3 (1.71-1.88 GHz), and 9 (1.7499-1.7849 GHz) at f r = 1.8 GHz whereas TE 121 covers LTE band 7 (2.5-2.69 GHz) at f r = 2.6 GHz, respectively. An efficient design method has been used to reduce mutual coupling between ports by changing the effective permittivity values of DRA by introducing a cylindrical air-gap at an optimal position in the dielectric resonator. This air-gap along with matching strips at the corners of the dielectric resonator keeps the isolation at a value more than 17 dB at both the bands. The diversity performance has also been evaluated by calculating the envelope correlation coefficient, diversity gain, and mean effective gain of the proposed design. MIMO performance has been evaluated by measuring the throughput of the proposed MIMO antenna. Experimental results successfully validate the presented design methodology in this work.

  4. Readability Assessment of Online Patient Abdominoplasty Resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Nicole A; Vargas, Christina R; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

    2015-02-01

    Limited functional health literacy is recognized as an important contributor to health disparities in the United States. As internet access becomes more universal, there is increasing concern about whether patients with poor or marginal literacy can access understandable healthcare information. As such, the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend that patient information be written at a sixth grade level. This study identifies the most popular online resources for patient information about abdominoplasty and evaluates their readability in the context of average American literacy. The two largest internet search engines were queried for "tummy tuck surgery" to simulate a patient search in lay terms. The ten most popular sites common to both search engines were identified, and all relevant articles from the main sites were downloaded. Sponsored results were excluded. Readability analysis of the articles was performed using ten established tests. Online information about abdominoplasty from the ten most popular publically available websites had an overall average readability of 12th grade. Mean reading grade level scores among tests were: Coleman-Liau 11.9, Flesch-Kincaid 11.4, FORCAST 11.1, Fry 13, Gunning Fog 13.5, New Dale-Chall 11.8, New Fog Count 9.9, Raygor Estimate 12, and SMOG 13.4; Flesch Reading Ease index score was 46. Online patient resources about abdominoplasty are uniformly above the recommended target readability level and are likely too difficult for many patients to understand. A range of readability identified among websites could allow surgeons to guide patients to more appropriate resources for their literacy skills.

  5. Readability of pediatric health materials for preventive dental care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riedy Christine A

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study examined the content and general readability of pediatric oral health education materials for parents of young children. Methods Twenty-seven pediatric oral health pamphlets or brochures from commercial, government, industry, and private nonprofit sources were analyzed for general readability ("usability" according to several parameters: readability, (Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Flesch Reading Ease, and SMOG grade level; thoroughness, (inclusion of topics important to young childrens' oral health; textual framework (frequency of complex phrases, use of pictures, diagrams, and bulleted text within materials; and terminology (frequency of difficult words and dental jargon. Results Readability of the written texts ranged from 2nd to 9th grade. The average Flesch-Kincaid grade level for government publications was equivalent to a grade 4 reading level (4.73, range, 2.4 – 6.6; F-K grade levels for commercial publications averaged 8.1 (range, 6.9 – 8.9; and industry published materials read at an average Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 7.4 (range, 4.7 – 9.3. SMOG readability analysis, based on a count of polysyllabic words, consistently rated materials 2 to 3 grade levels higher than did the Flesch-Kincaid analysis. Government sources were significantly lower compared to commercial and industry sources for Flesch-Kincaid grade level and SMOG readability analysis. Content analysis found materials from commercial and industry sources more complex than government-sponsored publications, whereas commercial sources were more thorough in coverage of pediatric oral health topics. Different materials frequently contained conflicting information. Conclusion Pediatric oral health care materials are readily available, yet their quality and readability vary widely. In general, government publications are more readable than their commercial and industry counterparts. The criteria for usability and results of the analyses

  6. Dual-etalon cavity ring-down frequency-comb spectroscopy with broad band light source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandler, David W; Strecker, Kevin E

    2014-04-01

    In an embodiment, a dual-etalon cavity-ring-down frequency-comb spectrometer system is described. A broad band light source is split into two beams. One beam travels through a first etalon and a sample under test, while the other beam travels through a second etalon, and the two beams are recombined onto a single detector. If the free spectral ranges ("FSR") of the two etalons are not identical, the interference pattern at the detector will consist of a series of beat frequencies. By monitoring these beat frequencies, optical frequencies where light is absorbed may be determined.

  7. Improving readability of informed consents for research at an academic medical institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadden, Kristie B; Prince, Latrina Y; Moore, Tina D; James, Laura P; Holland, Jennifer R; Trudeau, Christopher R

    2017-12-01

    The final rule for the protection of human subjects requires that informed consent be "in language understandable to the subject" and mandates that "the informed consent must be organized in such a way that facilitates comprehension." This study assessed the readability of Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent forms at our institution, implemented an intervention to improve the readability of consent forms, and measured the first year impact of the intervention. Readability assessment was conducted on a sample of 217 Institutional Review Board-approved informed consents from 2013 to 2015. A plain language informed consent template was developed and implemented and readability was assessed again after 1 year. The mean readability of the baseline sample was 10th grade. The mean readability of the post-intervention sample (n=82) was seventh grade. Providing investigators with a plain language informed consent template and training can promote improved readability of informed consents for research.

  8. Dual Band a-Si:H Solar-Slot Antenna for 2.4/5.2GHz WLAN Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. V. Shynu

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A simple and compact design of solar-slot antenna for dual band 2.4/5.2GHz wireless local area networks (WLAN applications is proposed. The design employs amorphous silicon (a-Si:H solar cells in polyimide substrate with an embedded twin strip slot structure to generate dual resonant frequencies. A T-shaped microstripline feed is used to excite the twin slot in the a-Si:H solar cell. The measured impedance bandwidths for the proposed solar antenna are 25.9% (642 MHz centered at 2.482 GHz and 8.2% (420 MHz centered at 5.098 GHz. The measured gain at 2.4 and 5.2 GHz are 3.1 dBi and 2.1 dBi respectively.

  9. A Differentially Driven Dual-Polarized Dual-Wideband Complementary Antenna for 2G/3G/LTE Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Botao Feng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel differentially driven dual-polarized dual-wideband complementary patch antenna with high isolation is proposed for 2G/3G/LTE applications. In order to generate dual-polarization and dual-wideband properties, a pair of biorthogonal dual-layer η-shaped tapered line feeding structures is utilized to feed two pairs of dual-layer U-shaped patches, respectively. The upper-layer U-shaped patches mainly serve the upper frequency band, while the lower-layer ones chiefly work for the lower frequency band. Besides, a horned reflector is introduced to improve radiation patterns and provide stable gain. The prototype antenna can achieve a bandwidth of 25.7% (0.78 GHz–1.01 GHz with a stable gain of 7.8±0.7 dBi for the lower band, and a bandwidth of 45.7% (1.69 GHz–2.69 GHz with a gain of 9.5±1.1 dBi for the upper band. Input isolation exceeding 30 dB has been obtained in the wide bandwidth. Thus, it can be potentially used as a base station antenna for 2G/3G/LTE networks.

  10. The readability of psychosocial wellness patient resources: improving surgical outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kugar, Meredith A; Cohen, Adam C; Wooden, William; Tholpady, Sunil S; Chu, Michael W

    2017-10-01

    Patient education is increasingly accessed with online resources and is essential for patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. The average American adult reads at a seventh grade level, and the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association (AMA) recommend that information be written at a sixth-grade reading level. Health literacy plays an important role in the disease course and outcomes of all patients, including those with depression and likely other psychiatric disorders, although this is an area in need of further study. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze written, online mental health resources on the Veterans Health Administration (VA) website, and other websites, using readability assessment instruments. An internet search was performed to identify written patient education information regarding mental health from the VA (the VA Mental Health Website) and top-rated psychiatric hospitals. Seven mental health topics were included in the analysis: generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and suicide. Readability analyses were performed using the Gunning Fog Index, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the Coleman-Liau Index, the SMOG Readability Formula, and the Automated Readability Index. These scores were then combined into a Readability Consensus score. A two-tailed t-test was used to compare the mean values, and statistical significance was set at P readability consensus than six of the top psychiatric hospitals (P readability consensus for mental health information on all websites analyzed was 9.52. Online resources for mental health disorders are more complex than recommended by the NIH and AMA. Efforts to improve readability of mental health and psychosocial wellness resources could benefit patient understanding and outcomes, especially in patients with lower literacy. Surgical outcomes are correlated with patient mental

  11. Assessing readability formula differences with written health information materials: application, results, and recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lih-Wern; Miller, Michael J; Schmitt, Michael R; Wen, Frances K

    2013-01-01

    Readability formulas are often used to guide the development and evaluation of literacy-sensitive written health information. However, readability formula results may vary considerably as a result of differences in software processing algorithms and how each formula is applied. These variations complicate interpretations of reading grade level estimates, particularly without a uniform guideline for applying and interpreting readability formulas. This research sought to (1) identify commonly used readability formulas reported in the health care literature, (2) demonstrate the use of the most commonly used readability formulas on written health information, (3) compare and contrast the differences when applying common readability formulas to identical selections of written health information, and (4) provide recommendations for choosing an appropriate readability formula for written health-related materials to optimize their use. A literature search was conducted to identify the most commonly used readability formulas in health care literature. Each of the identified formulas was subsequently applied to word samples from 15 unique examples of written health information about the topic of depression and its treatment. Readability estimates from common readability formulas were compared based on text sample size, selection, formatting, software type, and/or hand calculations. Recommendations for their use were provided. The Flesch-Kincaid formula was most commonly used (57.42%). Readability formulas demonstrated variability up to 5 reading grade levels on the same text. The Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability formula performed most consistently. Depending on the text sample size, selection, formatting, software, and/or hand calculations, the individual readability formula estimated up to 6 reading grade levels of variability. The SMOG formula appears best suited for health care applications because of its consistency of results, higher level of expected

  12. Assessing Online Patient Education Readability for Spine Surgery Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, William W; Modi, Krishna D; Haws, Brittany E; Khechen, Benjamin; Massel, Dustin H; Mayo, Benjamin C; Singh, Kern

    2018-03-01

    Increased patient reliance on Internet-based health information has amplified the need for comprehensible online patient education articles. As suggested by the American Medical Association and National Institute of Health, spine fusion articles should be written for a 4th-6th-grade reading level to increase patient comprehension, which may improve postoperative outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the readability of online health care education information relating to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and lumbar fusion procedures. Online health-education resource qualitative analysis. Three search engines were utilized to access patient education articles for common cervical and lumbar spine procedures. Relevant articles were analyzed for readability using Readability Studio Professional Edition software (Oleander Software Ltd). Articles were stratified by organization type as follows: General Medical Websites (GMW), Healthcare Network/Academic Institutions (HNAI), and Private Practices (PP). Thirteen common readability tests were performed with the mean readability of each compared between subgroups using analysis of variance. ACDF and lumbar fusion articles were determined to have a mean readability of 10.7±1.5 and 11.3±1.6, respectively. GMW, HNAI, and PP subgroups had a mean readability of 10.9±2.9, 10.7±2.8, and 10.7±2.5 for ACDF and 10.9±3.0, 10.8±2.9, and 11.6±2.7 for lumbar fusion articles. Of 310 total articles, only 6 (3 ACDF and 3 lumbar fusion) were written for comprehension below a 7th-grade reading level. Current online literature from medical websites containing information regarding ACDF and lumbar fusion procedures are written at a grade level higher than the suggested guidelines. Therefore, current patient education articles should be revised to accommodate the average reading level in the United States and may result in improved patient comprehension and postoperative outcomes.

  13. Assessing the Readability of Medical Documents: A Ranking Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

    2018-03-23

    The use of electronic health record (EHR) systems with patient engagement capabilities, including viewing, downloading, and transmitting health information, has recently grown tremendously. However, using these resources to engage patients in managing their own health remains challenging due to the complex and technical nature of the EHR narratives. Our objective was to develop a machine learning-based system to assess readability levels of complex documents such as EHR notes. We collected difficulty ratings of EHR notes and Wikipedia articles using crowdsourcing from 90 readers. We built a supervised model to assess readability based on relative orders of text difficulty using both surface text features and word embeddings. We evaluated system performance using the Kendall coefficient of concordance against human ratings. Our system achieved significantly higher concordance (.734) with human annotators than did a baseline using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, a widely adopted readability formula (.531). The improvement was also consistent across different disease topics. This method's concordance with an individual human user's ratings was also higher than the concordance between different human annotators (.658). We explored methods to automatically assess the readability levels of clinical narratives. Our ranking-based system using simple textual features and easy-to-learn word embeddings outperformed a widely used readability formula. Our ranking-based method can predict relative difficulties of medical documents. It is not constrained to a predefined set of readability levels, a common design in many machine learning-based systems. Furthermore, the feature set does not rely on complex processing of the documents. One potential application of our readability ranking is personalization, allowing patients to better accommodate their own background knowledge. ©Jiaping Zheng, Hong Yu. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 23.03.2018.

  14. Improving readability through extractive summarization for learners with reading difficulties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Nandhini

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the design and evaluation of extractive summarization approach to assist the learners with reading difficulties. As existing summarization approaches inherently assign more weights to the important sentences, our approach predicts the summary sentences that are important as well as readable to the target audience with good accuracy. We used supervised machine learning technique for summary extraction of science and social subjects in the educational text. Various independent features from the existing literature for predicting important sentences and proposed learner dependent features for predicting readable sentences are extracted from texts and are used for automatic classification. We performed both extrinsic and intrinsic evaluation on this approach and the intrinsic evaluation is carried out using F-measure and readability analysis. The extrinsic evaluation comprises of learner feedback using likert scale and the effect of assistive summary on improving readability for learners’ with reading difficulty using ANOVA. The results show significant improvement in readability for the target audience using assistive summary.

  15. Readability assessment of internet-based consumer health information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Tiffany M; Volsko, Teresa A

    2008-10-01

    A substantial amount of consumer health-related information is available on the Internet. Studies suggest that consumer comprehension may be compromised if content exceeds a 7th-grade reading level, which is the average American reading level identified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). To determine the readability of Internet-based consumer health information offered by organizations that represent the top 5 medical-related causes of death in America. We hypothesized that the average readability (reading grade level) of Internet-based consumer health information on heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes would exceed the USDHHS recommended reading level. From the Web sites of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Stroke Association we randomly gathered 100 consumer-health-information articles. We assessed each article with 3 readability-assessment tools: SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook), Gunning FOG (Frequency of Gobbledygook), and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. We also categorized the articles per the USDHHS readability categories: easy to read (below 6th-grade level), average difficulty (7th to 9th grade level), and difficult (above 9th-grade level). Most of the articles exceeded the 7th-grade reading level and were in the USDHHS "difficult" category. The mean +/- SD readability score ranges were: SMOG 11.80 +/- 2.44 to 14.40 +/- 1.47, Flesch-Kincaid 9.85 +/- 2.25 to 11.55 +/- 0.76, and Gunning FOG 13.10 +/- 3.42 to 16.05 +/- 2.31. The articles from the American Lung Association had the lowest reading-level scores with each of the readability-assessment tools. Our findings support that Web-based medical information intended for consumer use is written above USDHHS recommended reading levels. Compliance with these recommendations may increase the likelihood of consumer comprehension.

  16. A readability assessment of online stroke information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Nikhil; Tridimas, Andreas; Fitzsimmons, Paul R

    2014-07-01

    Patients and carers increasingly access the Internet as a source of health information. Poor health literacy is extremely common and frequently limits patient's comprehension of health care information literature. We aimed to assess the readability of online consumer-orientated stroke information using 2 validated readability measures. The 100 highest Google ranked consumer-oriented stroke Web pages were assessed for reading difficulty using the Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formulae. None of the included Web pages complied with the current readability guidelines when readability was measured using the gold standard SMOG formula. Mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 10.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.97-10.9) and mean SMOG grade 12.1 (95% CI 11.7-12.4). Over half of the Web pages were produced at graduate reading levels or above. Not-for-profit Web pages were significantly easier to read (P=.0006). The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimated reading difficulty, with a mean underestimation of 1.65 grades (95% CI 1.49-1.81), Preadability guidelines and to be comprehensible to the average patient. The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimates reading difficulty, and SMOG should be used as the measure of choice. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Readability of Brochures Produced by State of Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christ, William G.; Pharr, Paula

    1980-01-01

    A study of the readability of governmental pamphlets produced by the State of Florida, based on the use of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula and the Dale-Chall Formula, suggests that if a seventh or eighth grade readability level is considered an appropriate standard for public information brochures, the brochures tested may be too complex…

  18. Readability of online patient education materials on adult reconstruction Web sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polishchuk, Daniil L; Hashem, Jenifer; Sabharwal, Sanjeev

    2012-05-01

    Recommended readability of patient education materials is sixth-grade level or lower. Readability of 212 patient education materials pertaining to adult reconstruction topics available from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and 3 other specialty and private practitioner Web sites was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid score was 11.1 (range, 3-26.5). Only 5 (2%) articles had a readability level of sixth grade or lower. Readability of most of the articles for patient education on adult reconstruction Web sites evaluated may be too advanced for a substantial portion of patients. Further studies are needed to assess the optimal readability level of health information on the Internet. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Clearly written, easily comprehended? The readability of websites providing information on epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brigo, Francesco; Otte, Willem M; Igwe, Stanley C; Tezzon, Frediano; Nardone, Raffaele

    2015-03-01

    There is a general need for high-quality, easily accessible, and comprehensive health-care information on epilepsy to better inform the general population about this highly stigmatized neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy level of eight popular English-written websites that provide information on epilepsy in quantitative terms of readability. Educational epilepsy material on these websites, including 41 Wikipedia articles, were analyzed for their overall level of readability and the corresponding academic grade level needed to comprehend the published texts on the first reading. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess ease of comprehension while the Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook scales estimated the corresponding academic grade level needed for comprehension. The average readability of websites yielded results indicative of a difficult-to-fairly-difficult readability level (FRE results: 44.0±8.2), with text readability corresponding to an 11th academic grade level (11.3±1.9). The average FRE score of the Wikipedia articles was indicative of a difficult readability level (25.6±9.5), with the other readability scales yielding results corresponding to a 14th grade level (14.3±1.7). Popular websites providing information on epilepsy, including Wikipedia, often demonstrate a low level of readability. This can be ameliorated by increasing access to clear and concise online information on epilepsy and health in general. Short "basic" summaries targeted to patients and nonmedical users should be added to articles published in specialist websites and Wikipedia to ease readability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Improving the readability of online foot and ankle patient education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheppard, Evan D; Hyde, Zane; Florence, Mason N; McGwin, Gerald; Kirchner, John S; Ponce, Brent A

    2014-12-01

    Previous studies have shown the need for improving the readability of many patient education materials to increase patient comprehension. This study's purpose was to determine the readability of foot and ankle patient education materials and to determine the extent readability can be improved. We hypothesized that the reading levels would be above the recommended guidelines and that decreasing the sentence length would also decrease the reading level of these patient educational materials. Patient education materials from online public sources were collected. The readability of these articles was assessed by a readability software program. The detailed instructions provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were then used as a guideline for performing edits to help improve the readability of selected articles. The most quantitative guideline, lowering all sentences to less than 15 words, was chosen to show the effect of following the NIH recommendations. The reading levels of the sampled articles were above the sixth to seventh grade recommendations of the NIH. The MedlinePlus website, which is a part of the NIH website, had the lowest reading level (8.1). The articles edited had an average reduction of 1.41 grade levels, with the lowest reduction in the Medline articles of 0.65. Providing detailed instructions to the authors writing these patient education articles and implementing editing techniques based on previous recommendations could lead to an improvement in the readability of patient education materials. This study provides authors of patient education materials with simple editing techniques that will allow for the improvement in the readability of online patient educational materials. The improvement in readability will provide patients with more comprehendible education materials that can strengthen patient awareness of medical problems and treatments. © The Author(s) 2014.

  1. Readability assessment of patient education materials on major otolaryngology association websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eloy, Jean Anderson; Li, Shawn; Kasabwala, Khushabu; Agarwal, Nitin; Hansberry, David R; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael

    2012-11-01

    Various otolaryngology associations provide Internet-based patient education material (IPEM) to the general public. However, this information may be written above the fourth- to sixth-grade reading level recommended by the American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of otolaryngology-related IPEMs on various otolaryngology association websites and to determine whether they are above the recommended reading level for patient education materials. Analysis of patient education materials from 9 major otolaryngology association websites. The readability of 262 otolaryngology-related IPEMs was assessed with 8 numerical and 2 graphical readability tools. Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) analysis. Mean readability scores for each otolaryngology association website were compared. Mean website readability scores using Flesch Reading Ease test, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Coleman-Liau Index, SMOG grading, Gunning Fog Index, New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, FORCAST Formula, New Fog Count Test, Raygor Readability Estimate, and the Fry Readability Graph ranged from 20.0 to 57.8, 9.7 to 17.1, 10.7 to 15.9, 11.6 to 18.2, 10.9 to 15.0, 8.6 to 16.0, 10.4 to 12.1, 8.5 to 11.8, 10.5 to 17.0, and 10.0 to 17.0, respectively. ANOVA results indicate a significant difference (P < .05) between the websites for each individual assessment. The IPEMs found on all otolaryngology association websites exceed the recommended fourth- to sixth-grade reading level.

  2. Assessing the Accuracy and Readability of Online Health Information for Patients With Pancreatic Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storino, Alessandra; Castillo-Angeles, Manuel; Watkins, Ammara A; Vargas, Christina; Mancias, Joseph D; Bullock, Andrea; Demirjian, Aram; Moser, A James; Kent, Tara S

    2016-09-01

    The degree to which patients are empowered by written educational materials depends on the text's readability level and the accuracy of the information provided. The association of a website's affiliation or focus on treatment modality with its readability and accuracy has yet to be thoroughly elucidated. To compare the readability and accuracy of patient-oriented online resources for pancreatic cancer by treatment modality and website affiliation. An online search of 50 websites discussing 5 pancreatic cancer treatment modalities (alternative therapy, chemotherapy, clinical trials, radiation therapy, and surgery) was conducted. The website's affiliation was identified. Readability was measured by 9 standardized tests, and accuracy was assessed by an expert panel. Nine standardized tests were used to compute the median readability level of each website. The median readability scores were compared among treatment modality and affiliation categories. Accuracy was determined by an expert panel consisting of 2 medical specialists and 2 surgical specialists. The 4 raters independently evaluated all websites belonging to the 5 treatment modalities (a score of 1 indicates that readability and accuracy based on the focus of the treatment modality and the website's affiliation. Websites discussing surgery (with a median readability level of 13.7 and an interquartile range [IQR] of 11.9-15.6) were easier to read than those discussing radiotherapy (median readability level, 15.2 [IQR, 13.0-17.0]) (P = .003) and clinical trials (median readability level, 15.2 [IQR, 12.8-17.0]) (P = .002). Websites of nonprofit organizations (median readability level, 12.9 [IQR, 11.2-15.0]) were easier to read than media (median readability level, 16.0 [IQR, 13.4-17.0]) (P readability level, 14.8 [IQR, 12.9-17.0]) (P readability level, 14.0 [IQR, 12.1-16.1]) were easier to read than media websites (P = .001). Among treatment modalities, alternative therapy websites exhibited the

  3. Two orthogonal carriers assisted 101-Gb/s dual-band DDO-OFDM transmission over 320-km SSMF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yiqin; Hu, Rong; Yang, Qi; Luo, Ming; Yu, Shaohua; Li, Wei

    2015-05-04

    We propose a novel fading-free direct-detection optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DDO-OFDM) scheme for 100-Gb/s medium-reach transmission. In the proposed scheme, we adopts two bands spaced at 100-GHz to accommodate the same complex-valued OFDM signal. However, the signals are coupled with a pair of orthogonal optical carriers. By doing so, real and imaginary parts of the complex-valued OFDM signal can be recovered from the two bands, respectively. We also propose a cost-effective scheme to generate such DDO-OFDM signal using an optical 90-degree hybrid and an optical I/Q modulator. The advantage of the proposed method is that it is fading-free, and the electrical spectral efficiency (SE) is doubled compared to traditional direct-detection method. Finally, we experimentally demonstrated a 101-Gb/s dual-band transmission over 320-km SSMF within only 30-GHz electrical bandwidth, which is highly competitive in both capacity and cost.

  4. ISM band to U-NII band frequency transverter and method of frequency transversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepp, Jeffrey David [Grandview, MO; Hensley, Dale [Grandview, MO

    2006-09-12

    A frequency transverter (10) and method for enabling bi-frequency dual-directional transfer of digitally encoded data on an RF carrier by translating between a crowded or otherwise undesirable first frequency band, such as the 2.4 GHz ISM band, and a less-crowded or otherwise desirable second frequency band, such as the 5.0 GHz 6.0 GHz U-NII band. In a preferred embodiment, the transverter (10) connects between an existing data radio (11) and its existing antenna (30), and comprises a bandswitch (12); an input RF isolating device (14); a transmuter (16); a converter (18); a dual output local oscillator (20); an output RF isolating device (22); and an antenna (24) tuned to the second frequency band. The bandswitch (12) allows for bypassing the transverter (10), thereby facilitating its use with legacy systems. The transmuter (14) and converter (16) are adapted to convert to and from, respectively, the second frequency band.

  5. Design of 6 MeV X-band electron linac for dual-head gantry radiotherapy system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Seung-wook; Lee, Seung-Hyun; Lee, Jong-Chul; Kim, Huisu; Ha, Donghyup; Ghergherehchi, Mitra; Chai, Jongseo; Lee, Byung-no; Chae, Moonsik

    2017-12-01

    A compact 6 MeV electron linac is being developed at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with the Korea atomic energy research institute (KAERI). The linac will be used as an X-ray source for a dual-head gantry radiotherapy system. X-band technology has been employed to satisfy the size requirement of the dual-head gantry radiotherapy machine. Among the several options available, we selected a pi/2-mode, standing-wave, side-coupled cavity. This choice of radiofrequency (RF) cavity design is intended to enhance the shunt impedance of each cavity in the linac. An optimum structure of the RF cavity with a high-performance design was determined by applying a genetic algorithm during the optimization procedure. This paper describes the detailed design process for a single normal RF cavity and the entire structure, including the RF power coupler and coupling cavity, as well as the beam dynamics results.

  6. Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

    2016-07-16

    Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively. The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual study. As the readability level of the PICDs did not match the participants' educational level, consent may not have been valid, as the participants may have had a limited understanding of what they agreed to participate in. There should be more focus on the readability of PICDs. National guidelines for how to write clear and unambiguous PICDs in simple and easily understandable language could increase the focus on the readability of PICD.

  7. Readability of Internet Information on Hearing: Systematic Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Thorén, Elisabet Sundewall

    2015-09-01

    This systematic literature review asks the following question: “ What is the readability of Internet information on hearing that people with hearing impairment and their significant others can access in the context of their hearing care?” Searches were completed in three databases: CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus. Seventy-eight records were identified and systematically screened for eligibility: 8 records were included that contained data on the readability of Internet information on hearing that people with hear ing impairment and their significant others can access in the context of their hearing care. Records reported mean readability levels from 9 to over 14. In other words, people with hearing impairment and their significant others need 9 to 14 years of education to read and understand Internet information on hearing that they access in the context of their hearing care. The poor readability of Internet information on hearing has been well documented; it is time to focus on valid and sustainable initiatives that address this problem.

  8. Readability Assessment of Online Patient Education Material on Congestive Heart Failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Background Online health information is being used more ubiquitously by the general population. However, this information typically favors only a small percentage of readers, which can result in suboptimal medical outcomes for patients. Objective The readability of online patient education materials regarding the topic of congestive heart failure was assessed through six readability assessment tools. Methods The search phrase “congestive heart failure” was employed into the search engine Google. Out of the first 100 websites, only 70 were included attending to compliance with selection and exclusion criteria. These were then assessed through six readability assessment tools. Results Only 5 out of 70 websites were within the limits of the recommended sixth-grade readability level. The mean readability scores were as follows: the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.79), Gunning-Fog Score (11.95), Coleman-Liau Index (15.17), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index (11.39), and the Flesch Reading Ease (48.87). Conclusion Most of the analyzed websites were found to be above the sixth-grade readability level recommendations. Efforts need to be made to better tailor online patient education materials to the general population. PMID:28656111

  9. The Readability of Online Resources for Mastopexy Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas, Christina R; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

    2016-01-01

    As more patients use Internet resources for health information, there is increasing interest in evaluating the readability of available online materials. The National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend that patient educational content be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the most popular online resources for information about mastopexy relative to average adult literacy in the United States. The 12 most popular sites returned by the largest Internet search engine were identified using the search term "breast lift surgery." Relevant articles from the main sites were downloaded and formatted into text documents. Pictures, captions, links, and references were excluded. The readability of these 100 articles was analyzed overall and subsequently by site using 10 established readability tests. Subgroup analysis was performed for articles discussing the benefits of surgery and those focusing on risks. The overall average readability of online patient information was 13.3 (range, 11.1-15). There was a range of average readability scores overall across the 12 sites from 8.9 to 16.1, suggesting that some may be more appropriate than others for patient demographics with different health literacy levels. Subgroup analysis revealed that articles discussing the risks of mastopexy were significantly harder to read (mean, 14.1) than articles about benefits (11.6). Patient-directed articles from the most popular online resources for mastopexy information are uniformly above the recommended reading level and likely too difficult to be understood by a large number of patients in the United States.

  10. A Dual-Band Multiple Input Multiple Output Frequency Agile Antenna for GPSL1/Wi-Fi/WLAN2400/LTE Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajid Aqeel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel dual-band, single element multiple input multiple output (MIMO dielectric resonator antenna (DRA with a modest frequency tuning ability is presented in this communication. The proposed antenna operates at GPS L1/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/LTE2500/WLAN2400 frequency bands. A single dielectric resonator element is fed by two coaxial probes to excite the orthogonal modes. A couple of slots are introduced on the ground plane to improve the isolation between antenna ports. The slots also serve the purpose of reconfiguration in the lower band on placement of switches at optimized locations. The measured impedance bandwidth is 5.16% (1.41–1.49 GHz in the lower band and 26% (2.2–2.85 GHz in the higher band. The lower band reconfigures with an impedance bandwidth of 6.5% (1.55–1.65 GHz when PIN diodes are switched ON. The gain, efficiency, correlation coefficient, and diversity gain of the MIMO DRA are presented with a close agreement between simulated and measured results.

  11. Quality and Readability of English-Language Internet Information for Voice Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dueppen, Abigail J; Bellon-Harn, Monica L; Radhakrishnan, Nandhakumar; Manchaiah, Vinaya

    2017-12-15

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability and quality of English-language Internet information related to vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders. This study extends recent work because it evaluates readability, content quality, and website origin across broader search criteria than previous studies evaluating online voice material. Eighty-five websites were aggregated using five different country-specific search engines. Websites were then analyzed using quality and readability assessments. The entire web page was evaluated; however, no information or links beyond the first page was reviewed. Statistical calculations were employed to examine website ratings, differences between website origin and quality and readability scores, and correlations between readability instruments. Websites exhibited acceptable quality as measured by the DISCERN. However, only one website obtained the Health On the Net certification. Significant differences in quality were found among website origin, with government websites receiving higher quality ratings. Approximate educational levels required to comprehend information on the websites ranged from 8 to 9 years of education. Significant differences were found between website origin and readability measures with higher levels of education required to understand information on websites of nonprofit organizations. Current vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders websites were found to exhibit acceptable levels of quality and readability. However, highly rated Internet information related to voice care should be made more accessible to voice clients through Health On the Net certification. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Readability as a Factor in Magazine Ad Copy Recall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wesson, David A.

    1989-01-01

    Examines the relationship between advertising copy readability and advertising effectiveness. Finds that recall is improved when the copy style is either fairly easy or fairly hard to read. Suggests the value of considering copy readability as a potential contributor, though a minor one, to the success of magazine advertising. (RS)

  13. Consent information leaflets - readable or unreadable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Caroline; Reynard, John M; Turney, Benjamin W

    2015-05-01

    The objective of this article is to assess the readability of leaflets about urological procedures provided by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) to evaluate their suitability for providing information. Information leaflets were assessed using three measures of readability: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade formulae. The scores were compared with national literacy statistics. Relatively good readability was demonstrated using the Flesch Reading Ease (53.4-60.1) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (6.5-7.6) methods. However, the average SMOG index (14.0-15.0) for each category suggests that the majority of the leaflets are written above the reading level of an 18-year-old. Using national literacy statistics, at least 43% of the population will have significant difficultly understanding the majority of these leaflets. The results suggest that comprehension of the leaflets provided by the BAUS is likely to be poor. These leaflets may be used as an adjunct to discussion but it is essential to ensure that all the information necessary to make an informed decision has been conveyed in a way that can be understood by the patient.

  14. A Study of Readability of Texts in Bangla through Machine Learning Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Manjira; Basu, Anupam

    2016-01-01

    In this work, we have investigated text readability in Bangla language. Text readability is an indicator of the suitability of a given document with respect to a target reader group. Therefore, text readability has huge impact on educational content preparation. The advances in the field of natural language processing have enabled the automatic…

  15. Readability Assessment of Patient Information about Lymphedema and Its Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seth, Akhil K; Vargas, Christina R; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

    2016-02-01

    Patient use of online resources for health information is increasing, and access to appropriately written information has been associated with improved patient satisfaction and overall outcomes. The American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health recommend that patient materials be written at a sixth-grade reading level. In this study, the authors simulated a patient search of online educational content for lymphedema and evaluated readability. An online search for the term "lymphedema" was performed, and the first 12 hits were identified. User and location filters were disabled and sponsored results were excluded. Patient information from each site was downloaded and formatted into plain text. Readability was assessed using established tests: Coleman-Liau, Flesch-Kincaid, Flesch Reading Ease Index, FORCAST Readability Formula, Fry Graph, Gunning Fog Index, New Dale-Chall Formula, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Readability Formula. There were 152 patient articles downloaded; the overall mean reading level was 12.6. Individual website reading levels ranged from 9.4 (cancer.org) to 16.7 (wikipedia.org). There were 36 articles dedicated to conservative treatments for lymphedema; surgical treatment was mentioned in nine articles across four sites. The average reading level for conservative management was 12.7, compared with 15.6 for surgery (p readability, and surgeons should direct patients to sites appropriate for their level. There is limited information about surgical treatment available on the most popular sites; this information is significantly harder to read than sections on conservative measures.

  16. Readability Level of Spanish-Language Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Audiology and Otolaryngology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coco, Laura; Colina, Sonia; Atcherson, Samuel R.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the readability level of the Spanish versions of several audiology- and otolaryngology-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and include a readability analysis of 2 translation approaches when available—the published version and a “functionalist” version—using a team-based collaborative approach including community members. Method Readability levels were calculated using the Fry Graph adapted for Spanish, as well as the Fernandez-Huerta and the Spaulding formulae for several commonly used audiology- and otolaryngology-related PROMs. Results Readability calculations agreed with previous studies analyzing audiology-related PROMs in English and demonstrated many Spanish-language PROMs were beyond the 5th grade reading level suggested for health-related materials written for the average population. In addition, the functionalist versions of the PROMs yielded lower grade-level (improved) readability levels than the published versions. Conclusion Our results suggest many of the Spanish-language PROMs evaluated here are beyond the recommended readability levels and may be influenced by the approach to translation. Moreover, improved readability may be possible using a functionalist approach to translation. Future analysis of the suitability of outcome measures and the quality of their translations should move beyond readability and include an evaluation of the individual's comprehension of the written text. PMID:28892821

  17. readability of comprehension passages in junior high school (jhs)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    CHARLES

    ... to enhance readability. Key Words: readability formulas, comprehension passages, Junior High School, .... Index has a manual version but in this study the electronic version was used. The ..... probably the majority of the people heard the news by word of mouth. A critical look ..... The Journal of Tourism Studies 9.2: 49-60.

  18. Coupling X-band dual-polarized mini-radars and hydro-meteorological forecast models: the HYDRORAD project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Picciotti

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Hydro-meteorological hazards like convective outbreaks leading to torrential rain and floods are among the most critical environmental issues world-wide. In that context weather radar observations have proven to be very useful in providing information on the spatial distribution of rainfall that can support early warning of floods. However, quantitative precipitation estimation by radar is subjected to many limitations and uncertainties. The use of dual-polarization at high frequency (i.e. X-band has proven particularly useful for mitigating some of the limitation of operational systems, by exploiting the benefit of easiness to transport and deploy and the high spatial and temporal resolution achievable at small antenna sizes. New developments on X-band dual-polarization technology in recent years have received the interest of scientific and operational communities in these systems. New enterprises are focusing on the advancement of cost-efficient mini-radar network technology, based on high-frequency (mainly X-band and low-power weather radar systems for weather monitoring and hydro-meteorological forecasting. Within the above context, the main objective of the HYDRORAD project was the development of an innovative mbox{integrated} decision support tool for weather monitoring and hydro-meteorological applications. The integrated system tool is based on a polarimetric X-band mini-radar network which is the core of the decision support tool, a novel radar products generator and a hydro-meteorological forecast modelling system that ingests mini-radar rainfall products to forecast precipitation and floods. The radar products generator includes algorithms for attenuation correction, hydrometeor classification, a vertical profile reflectivity correction, a new polarimetric rainfall estimators developed for mini-radar observations, and short-term nowcasting of convective cells. The hydro-meteorological modelling system includes the Mesoscale Model 5

  19. Exploration on Automated Software Requirement Document Readability Approaches

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Mingda; He, Yao

    2017-01-01

    Context. The requirements analysis phase, as the very beginning of software development process, has been identified as a quite important phase in the software development lifecycle. Software Requirement Specification (SRS) is the output of requirements analysis phase, whose quality factors play an important role in the evaluation work. Readability is a quite important SRS quality factor, but there are few available automated approaches for readability measurement, because of the tight depend...

  20. Textbooks in Management, Marketing and Finance: An Analysis of Readability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Daniel J.; Thompson, G. Rodney

    1982-01-01

    Examines the readability of texts in basic junior level college courses in the fields of management, marketing, and finance. The readability model is described, along with its application and results. Specific texts and how they fared are listed in accompanying tables. (CT)

  1. Universally Designed Text on the Web: Towards Readability Criteria Based on Anti-Patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eika, Evelyn

    2016-01-01

    The readability of web texts affects accessibility. The Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAG) state that the recommended reading level should match that of someone who has completed basic schooling. However, WCAG does not give advice on what constitutes an appropriate reading level. Web authors need tools to help composing WCAG compliant texts, and specific criteria are needed. Classic readability metrics are generally based on lengths of words and sentences and have been criticized for being over-simplistic. Automatic measures and classifications of texts' reading levels employing more advanced constructs remain an unresolved problem. If such measures were feasible, what should these be? This work examines three language constructs not captured by current readability indices but believed to significantly affect actual readability, namely, relative clauses, garden path sentences, and left-branching structures. The goal is to see whether quantifications of these stylistic features reflect readability and how they correspond to common readability measures. Manual assessments of a set of authentic web texts for such uses were conducted. The results reveal that texts related to narratives such as children's stories, which are given the highest readability value, do not contain these constructs. The structures in question occur more frequently in expository texts that aim at educating or disseminating information such as strategy and journal articles. The results suggest that language anti-patterns hold potential for establishing a set of deeper readability criteria.

  2. Evaluation of the Readability of Dermatological Postoperative Patient Information Leaflets Across England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, William T N; McGrath, Emily J

    2016-06-01

    Postoperative patient information leaflets (PILs) provide important guidance to patients after skin surgery. Readability is a method of evaluating information for text comprehension. The recommended level for PIL readability is US grade ≤6. To evaluate the readability of public English dermatological postoperative PILs. All dermatology departments in England were requested to provide their postoperative PILs. Patient information leaflets were evaluated using Readability Studio (Oleander Software, Vandalia, OH). Two preselected parameters were also noted: whether the PIL was doctor or nurse-written, and whether the PIL was Information Standard hallmarked. Eighty-five of one hundred thirty (65.4%) of PILs were evaluated. Only 29.4% of the PILs were grade level ≤6 with Flesch-Kincaid. The mean readability levels were 7.8 for Flesch-Kincaid, 67 for Flesch reading ease, 10.5 for Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), 9.4 for Gunning-Fog, 8 for Fry, and 9.8 for FORCAST. No instruments demonstrated a significant difference between doctor (6) and nurse-written (7) PILs. Two instruments found that the 3 Information Standard hallmarked PILs had a higher (harder) readability than ordinary PILs (n = 82) (Gunning-Fog, p = .029*; SMOG p = .049*). Most English postoperative dermatological PILs' readability levels exceed recommendations (US grade ≤6). Departmental PILs should be reviewed to ensure that they are comprehensible to their patients.

  3. Readability of Orthopedic Trauma Patient Education Materials on the Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Rohith; Yi, Paul H; Morshed, Saam

    In this study, we used the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale to determine the readability levels of orthopedic trauma patient education materials on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) website and to examine how subspecialty coauthorship affects readability level. Included articles from the AAOS online patient education library and the AAOS OrthoPortal website were categorized as trauma or broken bones and injuries on the AAOS online library or were screened by study authors for relevance to orthopedic trauma. Subsequently, the Flesch-Kincaid scale was used to determine each article's readability level, which was reported as a grade level. Subspecialty coauthorship was noted for each article. A total of 115 articles from the AAOS website were included in the study and reviewed. Mean reading level was grade 9.1 for all articles reviewed. Nineteen articles (16.5%) were found to be at or below the eighth-grade level, and only 1 article was at or below the sixth-grade level. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between articles coauthored by the various orthopedic subspecialties and those authored exclusively by AAOS. Orthopedic trauma readability materials on the AAOS website appear to be written at a reading comprehension level too high for the average patient to understand.

  4. Measuring the Readability of Elementary Algebra Using the Cloze Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulm, Gerald

    The relationship to readability of ten variables characterizing structural properties of mathematical prose was investigated in elementary algebra textbooks. Readability was measured by algebra student's responses to two forms of cloze tests. Linear and currilinear correlations were calculated between each structural variable and the cloze test.…

  5. Readability of "Dear Patient" device advisory notification letters created by a device manufacturer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Luke A; Sharma, Arjun; Ottenberg, Abigale L; Mueller, Paul S

    2013-04-01

    In 2006, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) recommended that cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) manufacturers use advisory notification letters to communicate with affected patients. To evaluate the readability of the HRS sample "patient device advisory notification" letter and those created by 1 CIED manufacturer. The HRS sample letter and 25 Boston Scientific Corporation letters dated from 2005 through 2011 were evaluated by using 6 readability tests. Readability (Flesch-Kincaid score) of the HRS sample letter was grade level 12.5, and median readability of the device manufacturer letters was grade level 12.8 (range 10.8-18.9). Similar results were obtained by using other readability scales. No letters had readability scores at the National Work Group on Literacy and Health's recommended reading level-fifth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this recommended level by an average of 7.7 grades (95% confidence interval 6.9-8.5; Preadability scores at the average reading level of US adults-eighth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this level by an average of 4.7 grades (95% confidence interval 3.9-5.5; Preadability of the HRS sample letter and those created by a CIED manufacturer significantly exceeded the recommended and average US adults' reading skill levels. Such letters are unlikely to be informative to many patients. CIED manufacturers should ensure that advisory letters are comprehensible to most affected patients. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Readability Levels of the 1975 Third Grade Macmillan Basal Readers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinney, Ernestine Williams

    1983-01-01

    Analysis of third-grade books in the New Macmillan Reading Program reveals that the books exceeded the publisher's designation of readability and did not progress in difficulty from easy to more difficult. Findings suggest the need for more complete and reliable information from publishers concerning textbook readability. (FL)

  7. Readability and Reading Ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Benjamin D.; Stenner, A. Jackson

    This document discusses the measurement of reading ability and the readability of books by application of the Lexile framework. It begins by stating the importance of uniform measures. It then discusses the history of reading ability testing, based on the assumption that no researcher has been able to measure more than one kind of reading ability.…

  8. Metamaterial Combining Electric- and Magnetic-Dipole-Based Configurations for Unique Dual-Band Signal Enhancement in Ultrahigh-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Rita; Webb, Andrew

    2017-10-11

    Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) are both widely used techniques in medical diagnostics and research. One of the major thrusts in recent years has been the introduction of ultrahigh-field magnets in order to boost the sensitivity. Several MRI studies have examined further potential improvements in sensitivity using metamaterials, focusing on single frequency applications. However, metamaterials have yet to reach a level that is practical for routine MRI use. In this work, we explore a new metamaterial implementation for MRI, a dual-nuclei resonant structure, which can be used for both proton and heteronuclear magnetic resonance. Our approach combines two configurations, one based on a set of electric dipoles for the low frequency band, and the second based on a set of magnetic dipoles for the high frequency band. We focus on the implementation of a dual-nuclei metamaterial for phosphorus and proton imaging and spectroscopy at an ultrahigh-field strength of 7 T. In vivo scans using this flexible and compact structure show that it locally enhances both the phosphorus and proton transmit and receive sensitivities.

  9. Radiating Elements for Shared Aperture Tx/Rx Phased Arrays at K/Ka Band

    KAUST Repository

    Sandhu, Ali Imran; Arnieri, E.; Amendola, Giandomenico; Boccia, L.; Meniconi, Erika; Ziegler, Volker

    2016-01-01

    A dual band, Tx/Rx, self-diplexing phased array is presented. The antenna has been designed to cover Tx/Rx satellite communications at K/Ka band with a frequency ratio 1.5:1. To obtain dual band operations with a single radiating surface, a novel dual band radiator is adopted and placed in a configuration in which dual band and single band elements are interleaved. The proposed configuration reduces the number of radiating elements required by other solutions while avoiding the insurgence of grating lobes. The tightly packed arrangement of the elements poses many integration issues, which are solved with a novel integration technique. The array elements are optimized to scan the beam in excess of ° in both bands. A subarray with 49 Rx elements and 105 Tx elements was built and measured confirming the results obtained in simulations.

  10. Radiating Elements for Shared Aperture Tx/Rx Phased Arrays at K/Ka Band

    KAUST Repository

    Sandhu, Ali Imran

    2016-04-11

    A dual band, Tx/Rx, self-diplexing phased array is presented. The antenna has been designed to cover Tx/Rx satellite communications at K/Ka band with a frequency ratio 1.5:1. To obtain dual band operations with a single radiating surface, a novel dual band radiator is adopted and placed in a configuration in which dual band and single band elements are interleaved. The proposed configuration reduces the number of radiating elements required by other solutions while avoiding the insurgence of grating lobes. The tightly packed arrangement of the elements poses many integration issues, which are solved with a novel integration technique. The array elements are optimized to scan the beam in excess of ° in both bands. A subarray with 49 Rx elements and 105 Tx elements was built and measured confirming the results obtained in simulations.

  11. Readability and suitability assessment of patient education materials in rheumatic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhee, Rennie L; Von Feldt, Joan M; Schumacher, H Ralph; Merkel, Peter A

    2013-10-01

    Web-based patient education materials and printed pamphlets are frequently used by providers to inform patients about their rheumatic disease. Little attention has been given to the readability and appropriateness of patient materials. The objective of this study was to examine the readability and suitability of commonly used patient education materials for osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vasculitis. Five or 6 popular patient resources for each disease were chosen for evaluation. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level and suitability was determined by the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), a score that considers characteristics such as content, graphics, layout/topography, and cultural appropriateness. Three different reviewers rated the SAM score and means were used in the analysis. Twenty-three resources written on the 4 diseases were evaluated. The education material for all 4 diseases studied had readability above the eighth-grade level and readability did not differ among the diseases. Only 5 of the 23 resources received superior suitability scores, and 3 of these 5 resources were written for OA. All 4 diseases received adequate suitability scores, with OA having the highest mean suitability score. Most patient education materials for rheumatic diseases are written at readability levels above the recommended sixth-grade reading level and have only adequate suitability. Developing more appropriate educational resources for patients with rheumatic diseases may improve patient comprehension. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Rheumatology.

  12. Assessing readability of patient education materials: current role in orthopaedics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badarudeen, Sameer; Sabharwal, Sanjeev

    2010-10-01

    Health literacy is the single best predictor of an individual's health status. It is important to customize health-related education material to the individual patient's level of reading skills. Readability of a given text is the objective measurement of the reading skills one should possess to understand the written material. In this article, some of the commonly used readability assessment tools are discussed and guidelines to improve the comprehension of patient education handouts are provided. Where are we now? Several healthcare organizations have recommended the readability of patient education materials be no higher than sixth- to eighth-grade level. However, most of the patient education materials currently available on major orthopaedic Web sites are written at a reading level that may be too advanced for comprehension by a substantial proportion of the population. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: There are several readily available and validated tools for assessing the readability of written materials. While use of audiovisual aids such as video clips, line drawings, models, and charts can enhance the comprehension of a health-related topic, standard readability tools cannot construe such enhancements. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: Given the variability in the capacity to comprehend health-related materials among individuals seeking orthopaedic care, stratifying the contents of patient education materials at different levels of complexity will likely improve health literacy and enhance patient-centered communication.

  13. Initial Readability Assessment of Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Tian; Elhadad, Noémie; Weng, Chunhua

    2015-01-01

    Various search engines are available to clinical trial seekers. However, it remains unknown how comprehensible clinical trial eligibility criteria used for recruitment are to a lay audience. This study initially investigated this problem. Readability of eligibility criteria was assessed according to (i) shallow and lexical characteristics through the use of an established, generic readability metric; (ii) syntactic characteristics through natural language processing techniques; and (iii) health terminological characteristics through an automated comparison to technical and lay health texts. We further stratified clinical trials according to various study characteristics (e.g., source country or study type) to understand potential factors influencing readability. Mainly caused by frequent use of technical jargons, a college reading level was found to be necessary to understand eligibility criteria text, a level much higher than the average literacy level of the general American population. The use of technical jargons should be minimized to simplify eligibility criteria text. PMID:26958204

  14. Readability of patient education materials on the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine website.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eltorai, Adam E M; Han, Alex; Truntzer, Jeremy; Daniels, Alan H

    2014-11-01

    The recommended readability of patient education materials by the American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level. However, online resources may be too complex for some patients to understand, and poor health literacy predicts inferior health-related quality of life outcomes. This study evaluated whether the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) website's patient education materials meet recommended readability guidelines for medical information. We hypothesized that the readability of these online materials would have a Flesch-Kincaid formula grade above the sixth grade. All 65 patient education entries of the AOSSM website were analyzed for grade level readability using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, a widely used and validated tool to evaluate the text reading level. The average (standard deviation) readability of all 65 articles was grade level 10.03 (1.44); 64 articles had a readability score above the sixth-grade level, which is the maximum level recommended by the AMA and NIH. Mean readability of the articles exceeded this level by 4.03 grade levels (95% CI, 3.7-4.4; P reading level of US adults. Mean readability of the articles exceeded this level by 2.03 grade levels (95% CI, 1.7-2.4; P online AOSSM patient education materials exceeds the readability level recommended by the AMA and NIH, and is above the average reading level of the majority of US adults. This online information may be of limited utility to most patients due to a lack of comprehension. Our study provides a clear example of the need to improve the readability of specific education material in order to maximize the efficacy of multimedia sources.

  15. Dual-band infrared capabilities for imaging buried object sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Del Grande, N.K.; Durbin, P.F.; Gorvad, M.R.; Perkins, D.E.; Clark, G.A.; Hernandez, J.E.; Sherwood, R.J.

    1993-04-02

    We discuss dual-band infrared (DBIR) capabilities for imaging buried object sizes. We identify physical features affecting thermal contrast needed to distinguish buried object sites from undisturbed sites or surface clutter. Apart from atmospheric transmission and system performance, these features include: object size, shape, and burial depth; ambient soil, disturbed soil and object site thermal diffusivity differences; surface temperature, emissivity, plant-cover, slope, albedo and roughness variations; weather conditions and measurement times. We use good instrumentation to measure the time-varying temperature differences between buried object sites and undisturbed soil sites. We compare near surface soil temperature differences with radiometric infrared (IR) surface temperature differences recorded at 4.7 {plus_minus} 0.4 {mu}m and at 10.6 {plus_minus} 1.0 {mu}m. By producing selective DBIR image ratio maps, we distinguish temperature-difference patterns from surface emissivity effects. We discuss temperature differences between buried object sites, filled hole site (without buried objects), cleared (undisturbed) soil sites, and grass-covered sites (with and without different types of surface clutter). We compare temperature, emissivity-ratio, visible and near-IR reflectance signatures of surface objects, leafy plants and sod. We discuss the physical aspects of environmental, surface and buried target features affecting interpretation of buried targets, surface objects and natural backgrounds.

  16. Mapping human skeletal muscle perforator vessels using a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) might explain the variability of NIRS and LDF measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binzoni, T; Leung, T; Delpy, D T; Fauci, M A; Ruefenacht, D

    2004-01-01

    Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) have become the techniques of choice allowing the non-invasive study of local human skeletal muscle metabolism and blood perfusion on a small tissue volume (a few cm 3 ). However, it has been shown that both NIRS and LDF measurements may show a large spatial variability depending on the position of the optodes over the investigated muscle. This variability may be due to local morphologic and/or metabolic characteristics of the muscle and makes the data interpretation and comparison difficult. In the present work, we use a third method to investigate this problem which permits fast, non-invasive mapping of the intramuscular vessel distribution in the human vastus lateralis muscle. This method uses an advanced, passive, infrared imaging sensor called a QWIP (quantum well infrared photodetector). We demonstrate, using a recovery-enhanced infrared imaging technique, that there is a significant presence of perforator vessels in the region of interest of ∼30 x 18 cm (the number of vessels being: 14, 9, 8, 33, 17 and 18 for each subject, respectively). The presence of these vessels makes the skeletal muscle highly inhomogeneous, and may explain the observed NIRS and LDF spatial variability. We conclude that accurate comparison of the metabolic activity of two different muscle regions is not possible without reliable maps of vascular 'singularities' such as the perforator vessels, and that the QWIP-based imaging system is one method to obtain this information. (note)

  17. A Machine Learning Approach to Measurement of Text Readability for EFL Learners Using Various Linguistic Features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotani, Katsunori; Yoshimi, Takehiko; Isahara, Hitoshi

    2011-01-01

    The present paper introduces and evaluates a readability measurement method designed for learners of EFL (English as a foreign language). The proposed readability measurement method (a regression model) estimates the text readability based on linguistic features, such as lexical, syntactic and discourse features. Text readability refers to the…

  18. Dual-Comb Spectroscopy of the ν_1+ ν_3 Band of Acetylene: Intensity and Transition Dipole Moment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwakuni, Kana; Okubo, Sho; Yamada, Koichi MT; Inaba, Hajime; Onae, Atsushi; Hong, Feng-Lei; Sasada, Hiroyuki

    2017-06-01

    The ν_1+ν_3 vibration band of ^{12}C_2H_2 is recorded with a homemade dual-comb spectrometer. The spectral resolution and the accuracy of frequency determination are high, and the bandwidth is broad enough to take spectrum of the whole band in one shot. The last remarkable competence enables us to record all the spectral lines under constant experimental conditions. The linewidth and line strength of the P(26) to R(29) transitions are determined by fitting the line profile to Lambert-Beer's law with a Voigt function. In the course of analysis, we found the ortho-para dependence of the pressure-broadening coefficient. This time, we have determined the transition dipole moment of the ν_1+ν_3 band. It is noted that the transition dipole moment determined from the ortho lines agrees with that from the para lines. S. Okubo et al., Applied Physics Express 8, 082402 (2015). K.Iwakuni et al., 71th ISMS, WK15 K. Iwakuni et al., Physical Review Letters 117, 143902 (2016).

  19. A Dual Polarization, Active, Microstrip Antenna for an Orbital Imaging Radar System Operating at L-Band

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Kenneth C.; Huang, John

    2000-01-01

    A highly successful Earth orbiting synthetic antenna aperture radar (SAR) system, known as the SIR-C mission, was carried into orbit in 1994 on a U.S. Shuttle (Space Transportation System) mission. The radar system was mounted in the cargo bay with no need to fold, or in any other way reduce the size of the antennas for launch. Weight and size were not limited for the L-Band, C-Band, and X-Band radar systems of the SIR-C radar imaging mission; the set of antennas weighed 10,500 kg, the L-Band antenna having the major share of the weight. This paper treats designing an L-Band antenna functionally similar to that used for SIR-C, but at a fraction of the cost and at a weight in the order of 250 kg. Further, the antenna must be folded to fit into the small payload shroud of low cost booster rocket systems. Over 31 square meters of antenna area is required. This low weight, foldable, electronic scanning antenna is for the proposed LightSAR radar system which is to be placed in Earth orbit on a small, dedicated space craft at the lowest possible cost for an efficient L- Band radar imaging system. This LightSAR spacecraft radar is to be continuously available for at least five operational years, and have the ability to map or repeat-map any area on earth within a few days of any request. A microstrip patch array, with microstrip transmission lines heavily employed in the aperture and in the corporate feed network, was chosen as the low cost approach for this active dual-polarization, 80 MHz (6.4%) bandwidth antenna design.

  20. Readability of Online Patient Education Materials Related to IR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEnteggart, Gregory E; Naeem, Muhammad; Skierkowski, Dorothy; Baird, Grayson L; Ahn, Sun H; Soares, Gregory

    2015-08-01

    To assess the readability of online patient education materials (OPEM) related to common diseases treated by and procedures performed by interventional radiology (IR). The following websites were chosen based on their average Google search return for each IR OPEM content area examined in this study: Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), National Library of Medicine, RadiologyInfo, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and Wikipedia. IR OPEM content area was assessed for the following: peripheral arterial disease, central venous catheter, varicocele, uterine artery embolization, vertebroplasty, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and deep vein thrombosis. The following algorithms were used to estimate and compare readability levels: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Formula, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Coleman-Liau Index. Data were analyzed using general mixed modeling. On average, online sources that required beyond high school grade-level readability were Wikipedia (15.0), SIR (14.2), and RadiologyInfo (12.4); sources that required high school grade-level readability were CIRSE (11.3), Mayo Clinic (11.0), WebMD (10.6), and National Library of Medicine (9.0). On average, OPEM on uterine artery embolization, vertebroplasty, varicocele, and peripheral arterial disease required the highest level of readability (12.5, 12.3, 12.3, and 12.2, respectively). The IR OPEM assessed in this study were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level and the health literacy level of the average American adult. Many patients in the general public may not have the ability to read and understand health information in IR OPEM. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Readability and quality of wikipedia pages on neurosurgical topics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modiri, Omeed; Guha, Daipayan; Alotaibi, Naif M; Ibrahim, George M; Lipsman, Nir; Fallah, Aria

    2018-03-01

    Wikipedia is the largest online encyclopedia with over 40 million articles, and generating 500 million visits per month. The aim of this study is to assess the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages on neurosurgical related topics. We selected the neurosurgical related Wikipedia pages based on the series of online patient information articles that are published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). We assessed readability of Wikipedia pages using five different readability scales (Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG) Grade level, and Coleman-Liau Index). We used the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Clear Communication Index as well as the DISCERN Instrument to evaluate the quality of each Wikipedia article. We identified a total of fifty-five Wikipedia articles that corresponded with patient information articles published by the AANS. This constitutes 77.46% of the AANS topics. The mean Flesch Kincaid reading ease score for all of the Wikipedia articles we analyzed is 31.10, which indicates that a college-level education is necessary to understand them. In comparison to the readability analysis for the AANS articles, the Wikipedia articles were more difficult to read across every scale. None of the Wikipedia articles meet the CDC criterion for clear communications. Our analyses demonstrated that Wikipedia articles related to neurosurgical topics are associated with higher grade levels for reading and also below the expected levels of clear communications for patients. Collaborative efforts from the neurosurgical community are needed to enhance the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages related to neurosurgery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Readability analysis of online resources related to lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Kathleen D; Vargas, Christina R; Ho, Olivia A; Chuang, Danielle J; Weiss, Jonathan; Lee, Bernard T

    2016-11-01

    Patients seeking health information commonly use the Internet as the first source for material. Studies show that well-informed patients have increased involvement, satisfaction, and healthcare outcomes. As one-third of Americans have only basic or below basic health literacy, the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend patient-directed health resources be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the readability of commonly accessed online resources on lung cancer. A search for "lung cancer" was performed using Google and Bing, and the top 10 websites were identified. Location services were disabled, and sponsored sites were excluded. Relevant articles (n = 109) with patient-directed content available directly from the main sites were downloaded. Readability was assessed using 10 established methods and analyzed with articles grouped by parent website. The average reading grade level across all sites was 11.2, with a range from 8.8 (New Fog Count) to 12.2 (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook). The average Flesch Reading Ease score was 52, corresponding with fairly difficult to read text. The readability varied when compared by individual website, ranging in grade level from 9.2 to 15.2. Only 10 articles (9%) were written below a sixth-grade level and these tended to discuss simpler topics. Patient-directed online information about lung cancer exceeds the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Readability varies between individual websites, allowing physicians to direct patients according to level of health literacy. Modifications to existing materials can significantly improve readability while maintaining content for patients with low health literacy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Reading apps for children: Readability from the design perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammed, Wasan Abdulwahab; Husni, Husniza

    2017-10-01

    Electronic reading for young children opens new avenues especially with the advance of modern reading devices. The readability of mobile learning applications has received extensive attention by the designers and developers. The reason for such concern is due to its importance in determining usability related issues especially in the design context for children. In many cases, children find it difficult to interact with mobile reading apps. This is because apps for reading and for entertainment require different features. As such, this study sets out three objectives: 1) to evaluate five reading apps for young children from design perspectives; 2) to examine the readability for current existing mobile apps for reading and 3) to propose and evaluate mobile apps UI guideline for readability. Readability indices, observation and interview were conducted on 6 - 8 years old students. The obtained result showed that certain reading apps provide better reading experience for children than others. Some of the reasons are mostly related to the design characteristics embedded within the app. In addition, the use of animation was found to stimulate children reading experience as it is believed to offer the interactivity elements to gain their interest and willingness to read. These findings are believed to provide the recommendations and insights for designers of reading apps for children.

  4. The quality and readability of online consumer information about gynecologic cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobota, Aleksandra; Ozakinci, Gozde

    2015-03-01

    The Internet has become an important source of health-related information for consumers, among whom younger women constitute a notable group. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the quality and readability of online information about gynecologic cancer using validated instruments and (2) to relate the quality of information to its readability. Using the Alexa Rank, we obtained a list of 35 Web pages providing information about 7 gynecologic malignancies. These were assessed using the Health on the Net (HON) seal of approval, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and the DISCERN instrument. Flesch readability score was calculated for sections related to symptoms and signs and treatment. Less than 30% of the Web pages displayed the HON seal or achieved all JAMA benchmarks. The majority of the treatment sections were of moderate to high quality according to the DISCERN. There was no significant relationship between the presence of the HON seal and readability. Web pages achieving all JAMA benchmarks were significantly more difficult to read and understand than Web pages that missed any of the JAMA benchmarks. Treatment-related content of moderate to high quality as assessed by the DISCERN had a significantly better readability score than the low-quality content. The online information about gynecologic cancer provided by the most frequently visited Web pages is of variable quality and in general difficult to read and understand. The relationship between the quality and readability remains unclear. Health care providers should direct their patients to reliable material online because patients consider the Internet as an important source of information.

  5. 6 CFR 37.19 - Machine readable technology on the driver's license or identification card.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Machine readable technology on the driver's..., Verification, and Card Issuance Requirements § 37.19 Machine readable technology on the driver's license or identification card. For the machine readable portion of the REAL ID driver's license or identification card...

  6. Readability Comparison of Pro- and Anti-Cancer Screening Online Messages in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okuhara, Tsuyoshi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Okada, Masahumi; Kato, Mio; Kiuchi, Takahiro

    2016-01-01

    Background: Cancer screening rates are lower in Japan than those in western countries. Health professionals publish pro-cancer screening messages on the internet to encourage audiences to undergo cancer screening. However, the information provided is often difficult to read for lay persons. Further, anti-cancer screening activists warn against cancer screening with messages on the Internet. We aimed to assess and compare the readability of pro- and anti-cancer screening online messages in Japan using a measure of readability. Methods: We conducted web searches at the beginning of September 2016 using two major Japanese search engines (Google.jp and Yahoo!.jp). The included websites were classified as “anti”, “pro”, or “neutral” depending on the claims, and “health professional” or “non-health professional” depending on the writers. Readability was determined using a validated measure of Japanese readability. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way ANOVA. Results: In the total 159 websites analyzed, anti-cancer screening online messages were generally easier to read than pro-cancer screening online messages, Messages written by health professionals were more difficult to read than those written by non-health professionals. Claim × writer interaction was not significant. Conclusion: When health professionals prepare pro-cancer screening materials for publication online, we recommend they check for readability using readability assessment tools and improve text for easy comprehension when necessary. PMID:28125867

  7. The Readability of AAOS Patient Education Materials: Evaluating the Progress Since 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Heather; Zhang, Dafang; Dyer, George S M

    2016-09-07

    The Internet has become a major resource for patients; however, patient education materials are frequently written at relatively high levels of reading ability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of patient education materials on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) web site. Readability scores were calculated for all patient education articles on the AAOS web site using 5 algorithms: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) Grade, Coleman-Liau Index, and Gunning-Fog Index. The mean readability scores were compared across the anatomic categories to which they pertained. Using a liberal measure of readability, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, 3.9% of articles were written at or below the recommended sixth-grade reading level, and 84% of the articles were written above the eighth-grade reading level. Articles in the present study had a lower mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level than those available in 2008 (p readability levels of AAOS articles are higher than generally recommended. Although the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was lower in the present study than it was in 2008, a need remains to improve the readability of AAOS patient education articles. Ensuring that online patient education materials are written at an appropriate reading grade level would be expected to improve physician-patient communication. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

  8. Quality and readability assessment of websites related to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Giorgi, Michel R M; de Groot, Olivier S D; Dikkers, Frederik G

    2017-10-01

    Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare disease for which a limited number of information sources for patients exist. The role of the Internet in the patient-physician relationship is increasing. More and more patients search for online health information, which should be of good quality and easy readable. The study aim was to investigate the quality and readability of English online health information about RRP. Quality and readability assessment of online information. Relevant information was collected using three different search engines and seven different search terms. Quality was assessed with the DISCERN instrument. The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and average grade level (AGL) were determined to measure readability of the English websites. Fifty-one English websites were included. The mean DISCERN score of the websites is 28.1 ± 9.7 (poor quality); the mean FRES is 41.3 ± 14.9 (difficult to read); and the mean AGL is 12.6 ± 2.3. The quality and readability of English websites about RRP is alarmingly poor. NA. Laryngoscope, 127:2293-2297, 2017. © 2017 The Authors The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society Inc, “The Triological Society” and American Laryngological Association (ALA).

  9. Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Materials From Leading Orthopedic Academic Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Justine H; Yi, Paul H

    2016-05-01

    Cross-sectional analysis of online spine-related patient education materials from leading academic centers. To assess the readability levels of spine surgery-related patient education materials available on the websites of academic orthopedic surgery departments. The Internet is becoming an increasingly popular resource for patient education. Yet many previous studies have found that Internet-based orthopedic-related patient education materials from subspecialty societies are written at a level too difficult for the average American; however, no prior study has assessed the readability of spine surgery-related patient educational materials from leading academic centers. All spine surgery-related articles from the online patient education libraries of the top five US News & World Report-ranked orthopedic institutions were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of articles amongst the five academic institutions and articles were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the recommended sixth- or eight-grade levels. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of readability assessment were assessed. A total of 122 articles were reviewed. The mean overall FK grade level was 11.4; the difference in mean FK grade level between each department varied significantly (range, 9.3-13.4; P Online patient education materials related to spine from academic orthopedic centers are written at a level too high for the average patient, consistent with spine surgery-related patient education materials provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and spine subspecialty societies. This study highlights the potential difficulties patients might have in reading and comprehending the information in publicly available education materials related to spine. N/A.

  10. Dual-Band Compact Planar Antenna for a Low-Cost WLAN USB Dongle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurício Henrique Costa Dias

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Among the present technologies for WLAN devices, USB dongles still play a noticeable role. One major design challenge regards the antenna, which unavoidably has to comply with a very small volume available and sometimes should also allow multiband operation. In this scope, the present work discusses a dual-band WiFi compact planar IFA-based antenna design for a low-cost USB dongle application. Like most of the related published solutions, the methodology for deriving the present proposition was assisted by the use of an antenna analysis software. A prototype was assembled and tested in order to qualify the radiator design. Practical operation conditions were considered in the tests, such as the influence of the dongle case and the effect of the notebook itself. The results complied with the design constraints, presenting an impedance match quite stable regardless of the stick position alongside a laptop base.

  11. Ultrasmall Dual-Band Metamaterial Antennas Based on Asymmetrical Hybrid Resonators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Xu Zhu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A new type of hybrid resonant circuit model is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The resonant model consists of a right hand (RH patch part and a composite right and left handed (CRLH part (RH + CRLH, which determines a compact size and also a convenient frequency modulation characteristic for the proposed antennas. For experimental demonstration, two antennas are fabricated. The former dual-band antenna operating at f-1=3.5 GHz (Wimax and f+1=5.25 GHz (WLAN occupies an area of 0.21λ0×0.08λ0, and two dipolar radiation patterns are obtained with comparable gains of about 6.1 and 6.2 dB, respectively. The latter antenna advances in many aspects such as an ultrasmall size of only 0.16λ0×0.08λ0, versatile radiation patterns with a monopolar pattern at f0=2.4 GHz (Bluetooth, and a dipole one at f+1=3.5 GHz (Wimax and also comparable antenna gains. Circuit parameters are extracted and researched. Excellent performances of the antennas based on hybrid resonators predict promising applications in multifunction wireless communication systems.

  12. Readability evaluation of Internet-based patient education materials related to the anesthesiology field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Jung, Michael; Mccaffery, Kirsten J; McCarthy, Robert J; Wolf, Michael S

    2015-08-01

    The main objective of the current investigation was to assess the readability of Internet-based patient education materials related to the field of anesthesiology. We hypothesized that the majority of patient education materials would not be written according to current recommended readability grade level. Online patient education materials describing procedures, risks, and management of anesthesia-related topics were identified using the search engine Google (available at www.google.com) using the terms anesthesia, anesthesiology, anesthesia risks, and anesthesia care. Cross-sectional evaluation. None. Assessments of content readability were performed using validated instruments (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Formulae, the Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, the New Dale-Chall Test, the Fry graph, and the Flesch Reading Ease score). Ninety-six Web sites containing Internet patient education materials (IPEMs) were evaluated. The median (interquartile range) readability grade level for all evaluated IPEMs was 13.5 (12.0-14.6). All the evaluated documents were classified at a greater readability level than the current recommended readability grade, P Internet-based patient education materials related to the field of anesthesiology are currently written far above the recommended readability grade level. High complexity of written education materials likely limits access of information to millions of American patients. Redesign of online content of Web sites that provide patient education material regarding anesthesia could be an important step in improving access to information for patients with poor health literacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A K/Ka band radiating element for Tx/Rx phased array

    KAUST Repository

    Sandhu, Ali Imran; Arnieri, E.; Amendola, G.; Boccia, L.; Meniconi, E.; Ziegler, V.

    2017-01-01

    The paper presents a K/Ka band radiating element for TX/RX phased arrays. Dual band operations is obtained using a single radiating surface: a novel radiator is adopted and placed in a configuration in which dual band and single band elements are interleaved. The array elements are optimized to scan the beam in excess of 50° in both bands. A subarray with 49 Rx elements and 105 Tx elements was built and measured confirming the results obtained in simulations.

  14. A K/Ka band radiating element for Tx/Rx phased array

    KAUST Repository

    Sandhu, Ali Imran

    2017-01-20

    The paper presents a K/Ka band radiating element for TX/RX phased arrays. Dual band operations is obtained using a single radiating surface: a novel radiator is adopted and placed in a configuration in which dual band and single band elements are interleaved. The array elements are optimized to scan the beam in excess of 50° in both bands. A subarray with 49 Rx elements and 105 Tx elements was built and measured confirming the results obtained in simulations.

  15. Assessing the readability of ClinicalTrials.gov.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Danny T Y; Hanauer, David A; Mei, Qiaozhu; Clark, Patricia M; An, Lawrence C; Proulx, Joshua; Zeng, Qing T; Vydiswaran, V G Vinod; Collins-Thompson, Kevyn; Zheng, Kai

    2016-03-01

    ClinicalTrials.gov serves critical functions of disseminating trial information to the public and helping the trials recruit participants. This study assessed the readability of trial descriptions at ClinicalTrials.gov using multiple quantitative measures. The analysis included all 165,988 trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as of April 30, 2014. To obtain benchmarks, the authors also analyzed 2 other medical corpora: (1) all 955 Health Topics articles from MedlinePlus and (2) a random sample of 100,000 clinician notes retrieved from an electronic health records system intended for conveying internal communication among medical professionals. The authors characterized each of the corpora using 4 surface metrics, and then applied 5 different scoring algorithms to assess their readability. The authors hypothesized that clinician notes would be most difficult to read, followed by trial descriptions and MedlinePlus Health Topics articles. Trial descriptions have the longest average sentence length (26.1 words) across all corpora; 65% of their words used are not covered by a basic medical English dictionary. In comparison, average sentence length of MedlinePlus Health Topics articles is 61% shorter, vocabulary size is 95% smaller, and dictionary coverage is 46% higher. All 5 scoring algorithms consistently rated CliniclTrials.gov trial descriptions the most difficult corpus to read, even harder than clinician notes. On average, it requires 18 years of education to properly understand these trial descriptions according to the results generated by the readability assessment algorithms. Trial descriptions at CliniclTrials.gov are extremely difficult to read. Significant work is warranted to improve their readability in order to achieve CliniclTrials.gov's goal of facilitating information dissemination and subject recruitment. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association 2015. This work is written by US Government

  16. How Readable Are Parenting Books?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abram, Marie J.; Dowling, William D.

    1979-01-01

    The author's style of writing has implications for the ease with which the written material can be read. Using the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, the mean readability score, the standard deviation, and range are given for 50 parenting books. Discussion suggests how the list might be used by parent educators. (Author)

  17. Readability assessment of online urology patient education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colaco, Marc; Svider, Peter F; Agarwal, Nitin; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Jackson, Imani M

    2013-03-01

    The National Institutes of Health, American Medical Association, and United States Department of Health and Human Services recommend that patient education materials be written at a fourth to sixth grade reading level to facilitate comprehension. We examined and compared the readability and difficulty of online patient education materials from the American Urological Association and academic urology departments in the Northeastern United States. We assessed the online patient education materials for difficulty level with 10 commonly used readability assessment tools, including the Flesch Reading Ease Score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, New Dale-Chall Test, Coleman-Liau index, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate, FORCAST test and Fry score. Most patient education materials on the websites of these programs were written at or above the eleventh grade reading level. Urological online patient education materials are written above the recommended reading level. They may need to be simplified to facilitate better patient understanding of urological topics. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Pylinguistics: an open source library for readability assessment of texts written in Portuguese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castilhos, S.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Readability assessment is an important task in automatic text simplification that aims identify the text complexity by computing a set of metrics. In this paper, we present the development and assessment of an open source library called Pylinguistics to readability assessment of texts written in Portuguese. Additionally, to illustrate the possibilities of our tool, this work also presents an empirical analysis of readability of Brazilian scientific news dissemination.

  19. Readability of patient education materials in ophthalmology: a single-institution study and systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Andrew M; Muir, Kelly W; Rosdahl, Jullia A

    2016-08-03

    Patient education materials should be written at a level that is understandable for patients with low health literacy. The aims of this study are (1) to review the literature on readability of ophthalmic patient education materials and (2) to evaluate and revise our institution's patient education materials about glaucoma using evidence-based guidelines on writing for patients with low health literacy. A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed/MEDLINE database for studies that have evaluated readability level of ophthalmic patient education materials, and the reported readability scores were assessed. Additionally, we collected evidence-based guidelines for writing easy-to-read patient education materials, and these recommendations were applied to revise 12 patient education handouts on various glaucoma topics at our institution. Readability measures, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and word count were calculated for the original and revised documents. The original and revised versions of the handouts were then scored in random order by two glaucoma specialists using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument, a grading scale used to evaluate suitability of health information materials for patients. Paired t test was used to analyze changes in readability measures, word count, and SAM score between original and revised handouts. Finally, five glaucoma patients were interviewed to discuss the revised materials, and patient feedback was analyzed qualitatively. Our literature search included 13 studies that evaluated a total of 950 educational materials. Among the mean FKGL readability scores reported in these studies, the median was 11 (representing an eleventh-grade reading level). At our institution, handouts' readability averaged a tenth-grade reading level (FKGL = 10.0 ± 1.6), but revising the handouts improved their readability to a sixth-grade reading level (FKGL = 6.4 ± 1.2) (p readability and suitability of

  20. The readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corcoran, Nova; Ahmad, Fatuma

    2016-02-01

    To investigate the readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets. Application of SMOG, FRY and SAM tests to assess the readability and suitability of a selection of sexual health leaflets. SMOG and FRY scores illustrate an average reading level of grade 9. SAM scores indicate that 59% of leaflets are superior in design and 41% are average in design. Leaflets generally perform well in the categories of content, literacy demand, typography and layout. They perform poorly in use of graphics, learning stimulation/motivation and cultural appropriateness. Sexual health leaflets have a reading level that is too high. Leaflets perform well on the suitability scores indicating they are reasonably suitable. There are a number of areas where sexual health leaflets could improve their design. Numerous practical techniques are suggested for improving the readability and suitability of sexual health leaflets. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Consent information leaflets – readable or unreadable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Caroline; Reynard, John M; Turney, Benjamin W

    2016-01-01

    Objective The objective of this article is to assess the readability of leaflets about urological procedures provided by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) to evaluate their suitability for providing information. Methods Information leaflets were assessed using three measures of readability: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade formulae. The scores were compared with national literacy statistics. Results Relatively good readability was demonstrated using the Flesch Reading Ease (53.4–60.1) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (6.5–7.6) methods. However, the average SMOG index (14.0–15.0) for each category suggests that the majority of the leaflets are written above the reading level of an 18-year-old. Using national literacy statistics, at least 43% of the population will have significant difficultly understanding the majority of these leaflets. Conclusions The results suggest that comprehension of the leaflets provided by the BAUS is likely to be poor. These leaflets may be used as an adjunct to discussion but it is essential to ensure that all the information necessary to make an informed decision has been conveyed in a way that can be understood by the patient. PMID:27867520

  2. Readability of Online Patient Educational Resources Found on NCI-Designated Cancer Center Web Sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Stephen A; Francis, David; Hullett, Craig R; Morris, Zachary S; Fisher, Michael M; Brower, Jeffrey V; Bradley, Kristin A; Anderson, Bethany M; Bassetti, Michael F; Kimple, Randall J

    2016-06-01

    The NIH and Department of Health & Human Services recommend online patient information (OPI) be written at a sixth grade level. We used a panel of readability analyses to assess OPI from NCI-Designated Cancer Center (NCIDCC) Web sites. Cancer.gov was used to identify 68 NCIDCC Web sites from which we collected both general OPI and OPI specific to breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers. This text was analyzed by 10 commonly used readability tests: the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, Flesch Reading Ease scale, Flesch-Kinaid Grade Level, FORCAST scale, Fry Readability Graph, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook test, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook index, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate Graph, and Coleman-Liau Index. We tested the hypothesis that the readability of NCIDCC OPI was written at the sixth grade level. Secondary analyses were performed to compare readability of OPI between comprehensive and noncomprehensive centers, by region, and to OPI produced by the American Cancer Society (ACS). A mean of 30,507 words from 40 comprehensive and 18 noncomprehensive NCIDCCs was analyzed (7 nonclinical and 3 without appropriate OPI were excluded). Using a composite grade level score, the mean readability score of 12.46 (ie, college level: 95% CI, 12.13-12.79) was significantly greater than the target grade level of 6 (middle-school: Preadability metrics (P<.05). ACS OPI provides easier language, at the seventh to ninth grade level, across all tests (P<.01). OPI from NCIDCC Web sites is more complex than recommended for the average patient. Copyright © 2016 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

  3. Dual-band plasmonic resonator based on Jerusalem cross-shaped nanoapertures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cetin, Arif E.; Kaya, Sabri; Mertiri, Alket; Aslan, Ekin; Erramilli, Shyamsunder; Altug, Hatice; Turkmen, Mustafa

    2015-06-01

    In this paper, we both experimentally and numerically introduce a dual-resonant metamaterial based on subwavelength Jerusalem cross-shaped apertures. We numerically investigate the physical origin of the dual-resonant behavior, originating from the constituting aperture elements, through finite difference time domain calculations. Our numerical calculations show that at the dual-resonances, the aperture system supports large and easily accessible local electromagnetic fields. In order to experimentally realize the aperture system, we utilize a high-precision and lift-off free fabrication method based on electron-beam lithography. We also introduce a fine-tuning mechanism for controlling the dual-resonant spectral response through geometrical device parameters. Finally, we show the aperture system's highly advantageous far- and near-field characteristics through numerical calculations on refractive index sensitivity. The quantitative analyses on the availability of the local fields supported by the aperture system are employed to explain the grounds behind the sensitivity of each spectral feature within the dual-resonant behavior. Possessing dual-resonances with large and accessible electromagnetic fields, Jerusalem cross-shaped apertures can be highly advantageous for wide range of applications demanding multiple spectral features with strong nearfield characteristics.

  4. Readability assessment of package inserts of biological medicinal products from the European medicines agency website.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piñero-López, Ma Ángeles; Modamio, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Mariño, Eduardo L

    2014-07-01

    Package inserts that accompany medicines are a common source of information aimed at patients and should match patient abilities in terms of readability. Our objective was to determine the degree of readability of the package inserts for biological medicinal products commercially available in 2007 and compare them with the readability of the same package inserts in 2010. A total of 33 package inserts were selected and classified into five groups according to the type of medicine: monoclonal antibody-based products, cytokines, therapeutic enzymes, recombinant blood factors and other blood-related products, and recombinant hormones. The package inserts were downloaded from the European Medicines Agency website in 2007 and 2010. Readability was evaluated for the entire text of five of the six sections of the package inserts and for the 'Annex' when there was one. Three readability formulas were used: SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) grade, Flesh-Kincaid grade level, and Szigriszt's perspicuity index. No significant differences were found between the readability results for the 2007 package inserts and those from 2010 according to any of the three readability indices studied (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences (preadability scores of the sections of the package inserts in both 2007 and 2010. The readability of the package inserts was above the recommended sixth grade reading level (ages 11-12) and may lead to difficulties of understanding for people with limited literacy. All the sections should be easy to read and, therefore, the readability of the medicine package inserts studied should be improved.

  5. The Readability of Information Literacy Content on Academic Library Web Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Adriene

    2010-01-01

    This article reports on a study addressing the readability of content on academic libraries' Web sites, specifically content intended to improve users' information literacy skills. Results call for recognition of readability as an evaluative component of text in order to better meet the needs of diverse user populations. (Contains 8 tables.)

  6. Readability in reading materials selection and coursebook design for college English in China

    OpenAIRE

    Lu, Zhongshe

    2002-01-01

    This thesis studies the application of readability in reading materials selection and coursebook design for college English in an EFL context in China. Its aim is to develop rationales which coursebook writers can utilise in selecting materials as texts and as a basis for designing tasks. This study, through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, argues that readability is applicable in the EFL Chinese context, and readability plays a important role in determining...

  7. Using readability, comprehensibility and lexical coverage to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    experience academic difficulty in technical subjects such as Accounting. Davison and ...... The readability of managerial accounting and financial management textbooks. .... Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Available.

  8. A readability comparison of anti- versus pro-influenza vaccination online messages in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsuyoshi Okuhara

    2017-06-01

    When health professionals prepare pro-influenza vaccination materials for publication online, we recommend they check for readability using readability assessment tools and improve the text for easy reading if necessary.

  9. Readability of the web: a study on 1 billion web pages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Heus, Marije; Hiemstra, Djoerd

    We have performed a readability study on more than 1 billion web pages. The Automated Readability Index was used to determine the average grade level required to easily comprehend a website. Some of the results are that a 16-year-old can easily understand 50% of the web and an 18-year old can easily

  10. Readability of HIV/AIDS educational materials: the role of the medium of communication, target audience, and producer characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, J A

    1994-12-01

    The reading difficulty of many HIV/AIDS brochures and pamphlets limits their effectiveness. This analysis addresses correlates of readability in 136 HIV/AIDS educational items. Readability is measured using the SMOG Index. The medium of communication is significantly related to readability: comic books and brochures are, on average, more readable than books and pamphlets (10.9 versus 11.9). The target audience also differentiates readability. Materials for HIV antibody test seekers, the general community, and sexually active adults have a more difficult reading grade, averaging 12.1, whereas materials for ethnic minorities average a more readable 9.2. The producer organization's type and location are unrelated to readability, but an AIDS-specific organizational focus correlates with better readability (grade 10.8 vs. 11.8). These findings remain significant in multivariate analysis. The results indicate that brochures and comics are more likely to be comprehended by low-literacy populations, that an understanding of the literacy of target audiences is needed to produce materials with appropriate reading levels, and that policies to influence producer organizations may result in the creation of more readable materials.

  11. Using Readability Tests to Improve the Accuracy of Evaluation Documents Intended for Low-Literate Participants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kouame, Julien B.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Readability tests are indicators that measure how easy a document can be read and understood. Simple, but very often ignored, readability statistics cannot only provide information about the level of difficulty of the readability of particular documents but also can increase an evaluator's credibility. Purpose: The purpose of this…

  12. Web-based information on the treatment of oral leukoplakia - quality and readability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiriyakijja, Paswach; Fedele, Stefano; Porter, Stephen; Ni Riordain, Richeal

    2016-09-01

    To categorise the content and assess the quality and readability of the online information regarding the treatment for oral leukoplakia. An online search using the term 'leukoplakia treatment' was carried out on 8th June 2015 using the Google search engine. The content, quality and readability of the first 100 sites were explored. The quality of the web information was assessed using the following tools, the DISCERN instrument and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks for website analysis and the HON seal. Readability was assessed via the Flesch Reading Ease Score. The search strategy generated 357 000 sites on the Google search engine. Due to duplicate links, non-operating links and irrelevant links, a total of 47 of the first 100 websites were included in this study. The mean overall rating achieved by included websites using the DISCERN instrument was 2.3. With regard to the JAMA benchmarks, the vast majority of examined websites (95.7%) completely fulfilled the disclosure benchmark and less than 50% of included websites met the three remaining criteria. A mean total readability score of 47.5 was recorded with almost 90% of websites having a readability level ranging from fairly difficult to very difficult. Based on this study, the online health information regarding oral leukoplakia has challenging readability with content of questionable accuracy. As patients often search for health information online, it would be prudent for clinicians to highlight the caution with which online information should be interpreted. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Assessment of readability, understandability, and completeness of pediatric hospital medicine discharge instructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unaka, Ndidi I; Statile, Angela; Haney, Julianne; Beck, Andrew F; Brady, Patrick W; Jerardi, Karen E

    2017-02-01

    The average American adult reads at an 8th-grade level. Discharge instructions written above this level might increase the risk of adverse outcomes for children as they transition from hospital to home. We conducted a cross-sectional study at a large urban academic children's hospital to describe readability levels, understandability scores, and completeness of written instructions given to families at hospital discharge. Two hundred charts for patients discharged from the hospital medicine service were randomly selected for review. Written discharge instructions were extracted and scored for readability (Fry Readability Scale [FRS]), understandability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]), and completeness (5 criteria determined by consensus). Descriptive statistics enumerated the distribution of readability, understandability, and completeness of written discharge instructions. Of the patients included in the study, 51% were publicly insured. Median age was 3.1 years, and median length of stay was 2.0 days. The median readability score corresponded to a 10th-grade reading level (interquartile range, 8-12; range, 1-13). Median PEMAT score was 73% (interquartile range, 64%-82%; range, 45%-100%); 36% of instructions scored below 70%, correlating with suboptimal understandability. The diagnosis was described in only 33% of the instructions. Although explicit warning signs were listed in most instructions, 38% of the instructions did not include information on the person to contact if warning signs developed. Overall, the readability, understandability, and completeness of discharge instructions were subpar. Efforts to improve the content of discharge instructions may promote safe and effective transitions home. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:98-101. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  14. ANALISIS TIPOGRAFI PADA LOGOTYPE BAND FORGOTTEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atang Riyan Isnandar

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstrak Forgotten merupakan band asal kota Bandung yang beraliran death metal. Band ini telah memiliki beberapa album yang cukup sukses. Salah satu faktor yang turut berperan penting dalam album-album Forgotten adalah desain sampul album. Sampul album merupakan identitas dan pesan dari musik yang dibawakan oleh Forgotten. Dalam sampul album, terdapat salah satu elemen visual yaitu Tipografi. Salah satu peran tipografi dalam sampul album Forgotten adalah sebagai logotype dari band. Yang menarik, dari lima album yang telah dirilis Forgotten yaitu “Future Syndrome” (1997, “Obsesi Mati” (2000, “Tuhan Telah Mati” (2001, “Tiga Angka Enam” (2003 dan “Laras Perlaya” (2011 adalah tampilan logotype band yang selalu berbeda. Perubahan logotype Forgotten disebabkan oleh beberapa faktor seperti adanya perubahan selera, transformasi musik dan pergantian personil yang dialami oleh band Forgotten. Perubahan ini berakibat pada munculnya kesan visual yang berbeda-beda dari masing-masing logotype di setiap sampul albumnya. Apalagi logotype band dengan genre death metal memiliki kecendrungan yang unik, dekoratif, bahkan sulit untuk dibaca. Oleh karena itu untuk mengetahui kesan visual yang dimunculkan oleh setiap logotype akan dilakukan penelitian dengan pendekatan tipografi. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah selain untuk mengetahui perubahan logotype dari kelima sampul album yang telah dirilis oleh Forgotten juga ingin mengetahui kesan visual terhadap tipografi terkait dengan prinsip kejelasan (legibility, keterbacaan (readability dan kemampuannya untuk dilihat pada jarak tertentu (visibility. Kata Kunci: Sampul Album, Tipografi, Logotype, Forgotten Abstract Forgotten is a band from Bandung, the death metal genre. The band has had some fairly successful album. One of important factor in albums Forgotten is the album cover design. The album cover are the identity and the message of the music performed by the Forgotten. In the cover of the album

  15. A Software Application for Assessing Readability in the Japanese EFL Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozasa, Toshiaki; Weir, George R. S.; Fukui, Masayasu

    2010-01-01

    We have been engaged in developing a readability index and its application software attuned for Japanese EFL learners. The index program, Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 1.0, was used in developing the readability metric Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Index but tended to assume a high level of computer knowledge in its users. As a result, the…

  16. Readability of Air Force Publications: A Criterion Referenced Evaluation. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooke, Lydia R.; And Others

    In a study of the readability of Air Force regulations, the writer-estimated reading grade level (RGL) for each regulation was rechecked by using the FORCAST readability formula. In four of the seven cases, the regulation writers underestimated the RGL of their regulation by more than one grade level. None of the writers produced a document with…

  17. Readability of Questionnaires Assessing Listening Difficulties Associated with (Central) Auditory Processing Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atcherson, Samuel R.; Richburg, Cynthia M.; Zraick, Richard I.; George, Cassandra M.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Eight English-language, student- or parent proxy-administered questionnaires for (central) auditory processing disorders, or (C)APD, were analyzed for readability. For student questionnaires, readability levels were checked against the approximate reading grade levels by intended administration age per the questionnaires' developers. For…

  18. Varying Readability of Science-Based Text in Elementary Readers: Challenges for Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Tiffany L.; Fazio, Xavier; Gunning, Thomas G.

    2012-01-01

    This investigation compared readability formulae to publishers' identified reading levels in science-based elementary readers. Nine well-established readability indices were calculated and comparisons were made with the publishers' identified grade designations and between different genres of text. Results revealed considerable variance among the…

  19. Dual-Frequency, Dual-Polarization Microstrip Antenna Development for High-Resolution, Airborne SAR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Granholm, Johan; Skou, N.

    2000-01-01

    synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The dual-frequency array concept adopted relies on the use of probe-fed perforated, stacked patches for L-band (1.2-1.3 GHz). Inside these perforations probe-fed, wideband stacked microstrip patches for C-band (4.9-5.7 GHz) are placed. Measured impedance and radiation...

  20. Readability of Trauma-Related Patient Education Materials From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eltorai, Adam E M; P Thomas, Nathan; Yang, Heejae; Daniels, Alan H; Born, Christopher T

    2016-02-01

    According to the american medical association (AMA) and the national institutes of health (NIH), the recommended readability of patient education materials should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level. The online patient education information produced by the american academy of orthopaedic surgeons (AAOS) may be too complicated for some patients to understand. This study evaluated whether the AAOS's online trauma-related patient education materials meet recommended readability guidelines for medical information. Ninety-nine articles from the "Broken Bones and Injuries" section of the AAOS-produced patient education website, orthoinfo.org, were analyzed for grade level readability using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, a widely-used and validated tool to evaluate the text reading level. Results for each webpage were compared to the AMA/NIH recommended sixth-grade reading level and the average reading level of U.S. adults (eighth-grade). The mean (SD) grade level readability for all patient education articles was 8.8 (1.1). All but three of the articles had a readability score above the sixth-grade level. The readability of the articles exceeded this level by an average of 2.8 grade levels (95% confidence interval, 2.6 - 3.0; P reading skill level of U.S. adults (eighth grade) by nearly an entire grade level (95% confidence interval, 0.6-1.0; P education website have readability levels that may make comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the patient population.

  1. Sense and readability: participant information sheets for research studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennis, Liam; Wykes, Til

    2016-02-01

    Informed consent in research is partly achieved through the use of information sheets. There is a perception however that these information sheets are long and complex. The recommended reading level for patient information is grade 6, or 11-12 years old. To investigate whether the readability of participant information sheets has changed over time, whether particular study characteristics are related to poorer readability and whether readability and other study characteristics are related to successful study recruitment. Method: We obtained 522 information sheets from the UK National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Mental Health portfolio database and study principal investigators. Readability was assessed with the Flesch reading index and the Grade level test. Information sheets increased in length over the study period. The mean grade level across all information sheets was 9.8, or 15-16 years old. A high level of patient involvement was associated with more recruitment success and studies involving pharmaceutical or device interventions were the least successful. The complexity of information sheets had little bearing on successful recruitment. Information sheets are far more complex than the recommended reading level of grade 6 for patient information. The disparity may be exacerbated by an increasing focus on legal content. Researchers would benefit from clear guidance from ethics committees on writing succinctly and accessibly and how to balance the competing legal issues with the ability of participants to understand what a study entails. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

  2. A dual-band near-field focused reflectarray antenna for RFID applications at 0.9 and 2.4 GHz

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Hsi-Tseng; Hsueh, Pai-Han; Hung, Tso-Ming; Kuo, Li-Ruei; Chou, Hsi-Hsir

    2011-12-01

    This paper presents a dual-band reflectarray antenna which operates at 0.915 and 2.4 GHz to radiate electromagnetic fields focused in the near-zone of array aperture. The design uses two stacked feed antennas operated at 0.915 and 2.4 GHz, respectively, so that the currently available RFID systems in the market can be simultaneously used in an independent fashion. Numerical investigations on the radiation characteristics of this reflectarray, as well as an experimental validation, are presented to demonstrate its feasibility.

  3. [Systematic analysis of the readability of patient information on the websites of clinics for plastic surgery].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esfahani, B Janghorban; Faron, A; Roth, K S; Schaller, H-E; Medved, F; Lüers, J-C

    2014-12-01

    The Internet is becoming increasing-ly important as a source of information for patients in medical issues. However, many patients have problems to adequately understand texts, especially with medical content. A basic requirement to understand a written text is the read-ability of a text. The aim of the present study was to examine texts on the websites of German -plastic-surgical hospitals with patient information regarding their readability. In this study, the read-ability of texts of 27 major departments of plastic and Hand surgery in Germany was systematically analysed using 5 recognised readability indices. First, texts were searched based on 20 representative key words and themes. Thereafter, texts were assigned to one of 3 major themes in order to enable statistical analysis. In addition to the 5 readability indices, further objective text parameters were also recorded. Overall, 288 texts were found for analyzation. Most articles were found on the topic of "handsurgery" (n=124), less were found for "facial plastic surgery" (n=80) and "flaps, breast and reconstructive surgery" (n=84). Consistently, all readability indices showed a poor readability for the vast majority of analysed texts with the text appearing readable only for readers with a higher educational level. No significant differences in readability were found between the 3 major themes. Especially in the communication of medical information, it is important to consider the knowledge and education of the addressee. The texts studied consistently showed a readability that is understandable only for academics. Thus, a large part of the intended target group is probably not reached. In order to adequately deliver online information material, a revision of the analysed internet texts appears to be recommendable. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  4. The readability of scientific texts is decreasing over time

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Clarity and accuracy of reporting are fundamental to the scientific process. Readability formulas can estimate how difficult a text is to read. Here, in a corpus consisting of 709,577 abstracts published between 1881 and 2015 from 123 scientific journals, we show that the readability of science is steadily decreasing. Our analyses show that this trend is indicative of a growing use of general scientific jargon. These results are concerning for scientists and for the wider public, as they impact both the reproducibility and accessibility of research findings. PMID:28873054

  5. Transport in bilayer and trilayer graphene: band gap engineering and band structure tuning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jun

    2014-03-01

    Controlling the stacking order of atomically thin 2D materials offers a powerful tool to control their properties. Linearly dispersed bands become hyperbolic in Bernal (AB) stacked bilayer graphene (BLG). Both Bernal (ABA) and rhombohedral (ABC) stacking occur in trilayer graphene (TLG), producing distinct band structures and electronic properties. A symmetry-breaking electric field perpendicular to the sample plane can further modify the band structures of BLG and TLG. In this talk, I will describe our experimental effort in these directions using dual-gated devices. Using thin HfO2 film deposited by ALD as gate dielectric, we are able to apply large displacement fields D > 6 V/nm and observe the opening and saturation of the field-induced band gap Eg in bilayer and ABC-stacked trilayer graphene, where the conduction in the mid gap changes by more than six decades. Its field and temperature dependence highlights the crucial role played by Coulomb disorder in facilitating hopping conduction and suppressing the effect of Eg in the tens of meV regime. In contrast, mid-gap conduction decreases with increasing D much more rapidly in clean h-BN dual-gated devices. Our studies also show the evolution of the band structure in ABA-stacked TLG, in particular the splitting of the Dirac-like bands in large D field and the signatures of two-band transport at high carrier densities. Comparison to theory reveals the need for more sophisticated treatment of electronic screening beyond self-consistent Hartree calculations to accurately predict the band structures of trilayer graphene and graphenic materials in general.

  6. Readability of Patient Education Materials in Hand Surgery and Health Literacy Best Practices for Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadden, Kristie; Prince, Latrina Y; Schnaekel, Asa; Couch, Cory G; Stephenson, John M; Wyrick, Theresa O

    2016-08-01

    This study aimed to update a portion of a 2008 study of patient education materials from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site with new readability results, to compare the results to health literacy best practices, and to make recommendations to the field for improvement. A sample of 77 patient education documents were downloaded from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site, handcare.org, and assessed for readability using 4 readability tools. Mean readability grade-level scores were derived. Best practices for plain language for written health materials were compiled from 3 government agency sources. The mean readability of the 77 patient education documents in the study was 9.3 grade level. This reading level is reduced from the previous study in 2008 in which the overall mean was 10.6; however, the current sample grade level still exceeds recommended readability according to best practices. Despite a small body of literature on the readability of patient education materials related to hand surgery and other orthopedic issues over the last 7 years, readability was not dramatically improved in our current sample. Using health literacy as a framework, improvements in hand surgery patient education may result in better understanding and better outcomes for patients seeing hand surgeons. Improved understanding of patient education materials related to hand surgery may improve preventable negative outcomes that are clinically significant as well as contribute to improved quality of life for patients. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Can Readability Formulas Be Used to Successfully Gauge Difficulty of Reading Materials?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begeny, John C.; Greene, Diana J.

    2014-01-01

    A grade level of reading material is commonly estimated using one or more readability formulas, which purport to measure text difficulty based on specified text characteristics. However, there is limited direction for teachers and publishers regarding which readability formulas (if any) are appropriate indicators of actual text difficulty. Because…

  8. A Comparison of Readability in Science-Based Texts: Implications for Elementary Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Tiffany; Fazio, Xavier; Ciampa, Katia

    2017-01-01

    Science curriculum standards were mapped onto various texts (literacy readers, trade books, online articles). Statistical analyses highlighted the inconsistencies among readability formulae for Grades 2-6 levels of the standards. There was a lack of correlation among the readability measures, and also when comparing different text sources. Online…

  9. Evaluation of dual polarization scattering matrix radar rain backscatter measurements in the X- and Q-bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrawal, A. P.; Carnegie, D. W.; Boerner, W.-M.

    This paper presents an evaluation of polarimetric rain backscatter measurements collected with coherent dual polarization radar systems in the X (8.9 GHz) and Q (45GHz) bands, the first being operated in a pulsed mode and the second being a FM-CW system. The polarimetric measurement data consisted for each band of fifty files of time-sequential scattering matrix measurements expressed in terms of a linear (H, V) antenna polarization state basis. The rain backscattering takes place in a rain cell defined by the beam widths and down range distances of 275 ft through 325 ft and the scattering matrices were measured far below the hydrometeoric scattering center decorrelation time so that ensemble averaging of time-sequential scattering matrices may be applied. In the data evaluation great care was taken in determining: (1) polarimetric Doppler velocities associated with the motion of descending oscillating raindrops and/or eddies within the moving swaths of coastal rain showers, and (2) also the properties of the associated co/cross-polarization rain clutter nulls and their distributions on the Poincare polarization sphere.

  10. A survey of machine readable data bases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matlock, P.

    1981-01-01

    Forty-two of the machine readable data bases available to the technologist and researcher in the natural sciences and engineering are described and compared with the data bases and date base services offered by NASA.

  11. Readability levels of health pamphlets distributed in hospitals and health centres in Athens, Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondilis, B K; Akrivos, P D; Sardi, T A; Soteriades, E S; Falagas, M E

    2010-10-01

    Health literacy is important in the medical and social sciences due to its impact on behavioural and health outcomes. Nevertheless, little is known about it in Greece, including patients' level of understanding health brochures and pamphlets distributed in Greek hospitals and clinics. Observational study in the greater metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. Pamphlets and brochures written in the Greek language were collected from 17 hospitals and healthcare centres between the spring and autumn of 2006. Readability of pamphlets using the Flesch-Kincaid, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Fog methods was calculated based on a Greek readability software. Out of 70 pamphlets collected from 17 hospitals, 37 pamphlets met the criteria for the study. The average readability level of all scanned pamphlets was ninth to 10th grade, corresponding to a readability level of 'average'. A highly significant difference (PPamphlets from private hospitals were one grade more difficult than those from public hospitals. Approximately 43.7% of the Greek population aged ≥20 years would not be able to comprehend the available pamphlets, which were found to have an average readability level of ninth to 10th grade. Further research examining readability levels in the context of health literacy in Greece is warranted. This effort paves the way for additional research in the field of readability levels of health pamphlets in the Greek language, the sources of health information, and the level of understanding of key health messages by the population. Copyright © 2010 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands......, Denmark, and Norway. METHODS: 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. RESULTS: The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively....... The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual...

  13. Evaluating the Readability of Radio Frequency Identification for Construction Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Younghan Jung

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Radio Frequency Identification (RFID, which was originally introduced to improve material handling and speed production as part of supply chain management, has become a globally accepted technology that is now applied on many construction sites to facilitate real-time information visibility and traceability. This paper describes a senior undergraduate project for a Construction Management (CM program that was specifically designed to give the students a greater insight into technical research in the CM area. The students were asked to determine whether it would be possible to utilize an RFID system capable of tracking tagged equipment, personnel and materials across an entire construction site. This project required them to set up an experimental program, execute a series of experiments, analyze the results and summarize them in a report. The readability test was performed using an active Ultra-High frequency (UHF, 433.92 MHz RFID system with various construction materials, including metal, concrete, wood, plastic, and aluminum. The readability distance distances are measured for each of the six scenarios. The distance at which a tag was readable with no obstructions was found to be an average of 133.9m based on three measurements, with a standard deviation of 3.9m. This result confirms the manufacturer’s claimed distance of 137.2m. The RFID tag embedded under 50.8mm of concrete was readable for an average distance of only 12.2m, the shortest readable distance of any of the scenarios tested. At the end of the semester, faculty advisors held an open discussion session to gather feedback and elicit the students’ reflections on their research experiences, revealing that the students’ overall impressions of their undergraduate research had positively affected their postgraduate education plans.

  14. Readability assessment of online thyroid surgery patient education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Chirag R; Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2013-10-01

    Published guidelines recommend written health information be written at or below the sixth-grade level. We evaluate the readability of online materials related to thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery materials were evaluated using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Thirty-one documents were evaluated. FRES scores ranged from 29.3 to 67.8 (possible range = 0 to 100), and averaged 50.5. FKGL ranged from 6.9 to 14.9 (possible range = 3 to 12), and averaged 10.4. SMOG scores ranged from 11.8 to 14.5 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.0. GFOG scores ranged from 10.6 to 18.0 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.5. Readability scores for online thyroid surgery materials are higher (i.e., more difficult) than the recommended levels. However, readability is only one aspect of comprehension. Written information should be designed with that fact in mind. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Analysis of the readability of patient education materials from surgical subspecialties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Shah, Ravi; Schmitt, Paul J; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael; Carmel, Peter W; Prestigiacomo, Charles J; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2014-02-01

    Patients are increasingly using the Internet as a source of information on medical conditions. Because the average American adult reads at a 7th- to 8th-grade level, the National Institutes of Health recommend that patient education material be written between a 4th- and 6th-grade level. In this study, we assess and compare the readability of patient education materials on major surgical subspecialty Web sites relative to otolaryngology. Descriptive and correlational design. Patient education materials from 14 major surgical subspecialty Web sites (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American Society of General Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Society for Thoracic Surgeons, and American Urological Association) were downloaded and assessed for their level of readability using 10 widely accepted readability scales. The readability level of patient education material from all surgical subspecialties was uniformly too high. Average readability levels across all subspecialties ranged from the 10th- to 15th-grade level. Otolaryngology and other surgical subspecialties Web sites have patient education material written at an education level that the average American may not be able to understand. To reach a broader population of patients, it might be necessary to rewrite patient education material at a more appropriate level. N/A. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  16. Readability of pediatric otolaryngology information by children's hospitals and academic institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kevin; Levi, Jessica R

    2017-04-01

    Evaluate the readability of pediatric otolaryngology-related patient education materials from leading online sources. Cross-sectional analysis. All pediatric otolaryngology-related articles from the online patient health libraries of the top 10 US News & World Report-ranked children's hospitals, top 5 Doximity-ranked pediatric otolaryngology fellowships, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery were collected. Each article was copied in plain text format into a blank document. Web page navigation, appointment information, references, author information, appointment information, acknowledgements, and disclaimers were removed. Follow-up editing was also performed to remove paragraph breaks, colons, semicolons, numbers, percentages, and bullets. Readability grade was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning-Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were assessed. A total of 502 articles were analyzed. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were both excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. The average readability grade across all authorships and readability assessments exceeded the reading ability of the average American adult. Only 142 articles (28.3%) were written at or below the reading ability of the average American adult, whereas the remaining 360 articles (71.7%) were written above the reading level of the average adult. Current online health information related to pediatric otolaryngology may be too difficult for the average reader to understand. Revisions may be necessary for current materials to benefit a larger readership. NA Laryngoscope, 127:E138-E144, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  17. Readability of patient education materials available at the point of care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stossel, Lauren M; Segar, Nora; Gliatto, Peter; Fallar, Robert; Karani, Reena

    2012-09-01

    Many patient education materials (PEMs) available on the internet are written at high school or college reading levels, rendering them inaccessible to the average US resident, who reads at or below an 8(th) grade level. Currently, electronic health record (EHR) providers partner with companies that produce PEMs, allowing clinicians to access PEMs at the point of care. To assess the readability of PEMs provided by a popular EHR vendor as well as the National Library of Medicine (NLM). We included PEMs from Micromedex, EBSCO, and MedlinePlus. Micromedex and EBSCO supply PEMs to Meditech, a popular EHR supplier in the US. MedlinePlus supplies the NLM. These PEM databases have high market penetration and accessibility. Grade reading level of the PEMs was calculated using three validated indices: Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Gunning Fog (GFI), and Flesch-Kincaid (FKI). The percentage of documents above target readability and average readability scores from each database were calculated. We randomly sampled 100 disease-matched PEMs from three databases (n = 300 PEMs). Depending on the readability index used, 30-100% of PEMs were written above the 8(th) grade level. The average reading level for MedlinePlus, EBSCO, and Micromedex PEMs was 10.2 (1.9), 9.7 (1.3), and 8.6 (0.9), respectively (p ≤ 0.000) as estimated by the GFI. Estimates of readability using SMOG and FKI were similar. The majority of PEMS available through the NLM and a popular EHR were written at reading levels considerably higher than that of the average US adult.

  18. The Readability of Malaysian English Children Books: A Multilevel Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adlina Ismail

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available These days, there are more English books for children published by local publishers in Malaysia. It is a positive development because the books will be more accessible to the children. However, the books have never been studied and evaluated in depth yet. One important factor in assessing reading materials is readability. Readability determines whether a text is easy or difficult to understand and a balanced mix of both can promote learning and language development. Various researchers mentioned a multilevel framework of discourse that any language assessment on a text should take into account. The levels that were proposed were word, syntax, textbase, situation model and genre and rhetorical structures. Traditional readability measures such as Flesh Reading Ease Formula, Gunning Readability Index, Fog Count, and Fry Grade Level are not able to address the multilevel because they are based on shallow variables. In contrast, Coh-metrix TERA provided five indices that are correlated to grade level and aligned to the multilevel framework. This study analyzed ten Malaysian English chapter books for children using this Coh-metrix TERA. The result revealed that the Malaysian English children books were easy in shallow level but there was a possible difficulty in textbase and situation model level because of the lack of cohesion. In conclusion, more attention should be given on deeper level of text rather than just word and syntax level.

  19. Readability of Healthcare Literature for Hepatitis B and C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meillier, Andrew; Patel, Shyam; Al-Osaimi, Abdullah M S

    2015-12-01

    Patients increasingly use the Internet for educational material concerning health and diseases. This information can be utilized to teach the population of hepatitis B and C if properly written at the necessary grade level of the intended patient population. We explored the readability of online resources concerning hepatitis B and C. Google searches were performed for "Hepatitis B" and "Hepatitis C." The Internet resources that were intended for patient education were used with specific exclusions. Articles were taken from 19 and 23 different websites focusing on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis B and C, respectively. The articles were analyzed using Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Solutions, Vandalia, OH) using 10 different readability scales. The results were compared and averaged to identify the anticipated academic grade level required to understand the information. The average readability scores of the 10 scales had ranges of 9.7-16.4 for hepatitis B and 9.2-16.4 for hepatitis C. The average academic reading grade level for hepatitis B was 12.6 ± 2.1 and for hepatitis C was 12.7 ± 2.1. There was no significant discrepancy between the hepatitis B and C Internet resource averaged grade levels. The resources accessed by patients are higher than the previously determined necessary grade level for patients to properly understand the intended information. The American Medical Association recommends material should be simplified to grade levels below the sixth grade level to benefit the ideal proportion of the patient population.

  20. Calisthenics with words: The effect of readability and investor sophistication on investors' performance judgment

    OpenAIRE

    Cui, Xiao Carol

    2016-01-01

    Since the 1990s, the SEC has advocated for financial disclosures to be in “plain English” so that they would be more readable and informative. Past research has shown that high readability is related to more extreme investor judgments of firm performance. Processing fluency is the prevalent theory to explain this: higher readability increases the investor’s subconscious reliance on the disclosure, so positive (negative) news leads to more positive (negative) judgments. The relationship may no...

  1. Readability of Healthcare Literature for Gastroparesis and Evaluation of Medical Terminology in Reading Difficulty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meillier, Andrew; Patel, Shyam

    2017-02-01

    Gastroparesis is a chronic condition that can be further enhanced with patient understanding. Patients' education resources on the Internet have become increasingly important in improving healthcare literacy. We evaluated the readability of online resources for gastroparesis and the influence by medical terminology. Google searches were performed for "gastroparesis", "gastroparesis patient education material" and "gastroparesis patient information". Following, all medical terminology was determined if included on Taber's Medical Dictionary 22nd Edition. The medical terminology was replaced independently with "help" and "helping". Web resources were analyzed with the Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Solutions, Vandalia, OH) using 10 different readability scales. The average of the 26 patient education resources was 12.7 ± 1.8 grade levels. The edited "help" group had 6.6 ± 1.0 and "helping" group had 10.4 ± 2.1 reading levels. In comparing the three groups, the "help" and "helping" groups had significantly lower readability levels (P Medical Association. Medical terminology was shown to be the cause for this elevated readability level with all, but four resources within the recommended grade levels following word replacement.

  2. Computer-readable ''Nuclear Data Sheets''

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ewbank, W.B.

    1975-01-01

    The evaluated nuclear structure data contained in ''Nuclear Data Sheets'' are available in computer-readable form. Experimentally established properties of nuclear levels are included as well as radiations from nuclear reactions and radioactive decay. Portions of the data can be selected for distribution in several formats on magnetic tape or computer cards. A variety of different listing and drawing formats are also available. 4 figures

  3. How Readable Is BPH Treatment Information on the Internet? Assessing Barriers to Literacy in Prostate Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Kevin; Yap, Ronald L

    2017-03-01

    Information about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has become increasingly accessible on the Internet. Though the ability to find such material is encouraging, its readability and impact on informing patient decision making are not known. To evaluate the readability of Internet-based information about BPH in the context of website ownership and Health on the Net certification, three search engines were queried daily for 1 month with BPH-related keywords. Website ownership data and Health on the Net certification status were verified. Three readability analyses were performed: SMOG test, Dale-Chall readability formula, and Fry readability graph. An adjusted SMOG calculation was performed to reduce overestimation from medical jargon. After a total of 270 searches, 52 websites met inclusion criteria. Mean SMOG grade was 10.6 ( SD = 1.4) and 10.2 after adjustment. Mean Dale-Chall score was 9.1 ( SD = 0.6), or Grades 13 to 15. Mean Fry graph coordinates (173 syllables, 5.1 sentences) corresponded to Grade 15. Seven sites (13%) were at or below the average adult reading level based on SMOG; none of the sites qualified based on the other tests. Readability was significantly poorer for academic versus commercial sites and for Health on the Net-certified versus noncertified sites. In conclusion, online information about BPH treatment markedly exceeds the reading comprehension of most U.S. adults. Websites maintained by academic institutions and certified by the Health on the Net standard have more difficult readability. Efforts to improve literacy with respect to urological health should target content readability independent of reliability.

  4. Deployment and Performance of an X-Band Dual-Polarization Radar during the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Shi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available An X-band dual-polarization radar (XPRAD was deployed in Guangdong province as part of the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX during the storm season in 2016. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of XPRAD observations during SCMREX with emphasis on data processing and rainfall products. The differential phase-based attenuation correction and radar calibration using self-consistency of dual-polarization observables are presented. It is found that the standard deviation of the Z d r bias is less than 0.2 dB based on ‘light rain at low angle’ and ‘dry aggregate snow’ observations. Cross-comparison with two standard S-band China New Generation Weather Radars (CINRAD shows that the bias of Z h has a mean value less than 1.5 dBZ and a standard deviation less than 0.5 dBZ. In addition, fifteen rainfall events that occurred during the intensive observing period (IOP are analyzed to demonstrate the rainfall estimation performance of XPRAD. In particular, rainfall accumulations at 1-, 2- and 3-h scales derived using R( K d p and R( Z h , Z d r relations are evaluated using national level rain gauge data and CINRAD-based rainfall estimation. The results show that both R( K d p - and R( Z h , Z d r -based products agree well with the rain gauge observations and CINRAD estimation. The difference between R ( K d p and R ( Z h , Z d r is not significant, although R ( K d p shows slightly better performance than R ( Z h , Z d r .

  5. Readability assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to facial fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanghvi, Saurin; Cherla, Deepa V; Shukla, Pratik A; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2012-09-01

    Various professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and health care-related Web sites provide Internet-based patient education material (IPEMs) to the general public. However, this information may be written above the 6th-grade reading level recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this study is to assess the readability of facial fracture (FF)-related IPEMs and compare readability levels of IPEMs provided by four sources: professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and miscellaneous sources. Analysis of IPEMs on FFs available on Google.com. The readability of 41 FF-related IPEMs was assessed with four readability indices: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG). Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance and t tests. Only 4.9% of IPEMs were written at or below the 6th-grade reading level, based on FKGL. The mean readability scores were: FRES 54.10, FKGL 9.89, SMOG 12.73, and Gunning FOG 12.98, translating into FF-related IPEMs being written at a "difficult" writing level, which is above the level of reading understanding of the average American adult. IPEMs related to FFs are written above the recommended 6th-grade reading level. Consequently, this information would be difficult to understand by the average US patient. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  6. Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to "labour analgesia".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

    2017-11-01

    We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to "labour analgesia." In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites.We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words "labour analgesia" were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded.The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined.Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37.In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to "labour analgesia" was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability.

  7. The Effect of Technology-Based Altered Readability Levels on Struggling Readers' Science Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marino, Matthew T.; Coyne, Michael; Dunn, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This article reports findings from a study examining how altered readability levels affected struggling readers' (N = 288) comprehension of scientific concepts and vocabulary. Specifically, the researchers were interested in learning what effect altered readability levels have when low ability readers participate in a technology-based science…

  8. Constructing and validating readability models: the method of integrating multilevel linguistic features with machine learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Yao-Ting; Chen, Ju-Ling; Cha, Ji-Her; Tseng, Hou-Chiang; Chang, Tao-Hsing; Chang, Kuo-En

    2015-06-01

    Multilevel linguistic features have been proposed for discourse analysis, but there have been few applications of multilevel linguistic features to readability models and also few validations of such models. Most traditional readability formulae are based on generalized linear models (GLMs; e.g., discriminant analysis and multiple regression), but these models have to comply with certain statistical assumptions about data properties and include all of the data in formulae construction without pruning the outliers in advance. The use of such readability formulae tends to produce a low text classification accuracy, while using a support vector machine (SVM) in machine learning can enhance the classification outcome. The present study constructed readability models by integrating multilevel linguistic features with SVM, which is more appropriate for text classification. Taking the Chinese language as an example, this study developed 31 linguistic features as the predicting variables at the word, semantic, syntax, and cohesion levels, with grade levels of texts as the criterion variable. The study compared four types of readability models by integrating unilevel and multilevel linguistic features with GLMs and an SVM. The results indicate that adopting a multilevel approach in readability analysis provides a better representation of the complexities of both texts and the reading comprehension process.

  9. Quality and readability of online information resources on insomnia

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yan Ma; Albert C.Yang; Ying Duan; Ming Dong; Albert S.Yeung

    2017-01-01

    The internet is a major source for health information.An increasing number of people,including patients with insomnia,search for remedies online;however,little is known about the quality of such information.This study aimed to evaluate the quality and readability of insomnia-related online information.Google was used as the search engine,and the top websites on insomnia that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated for quality and readability.The analyzed websites belonged to nonprofit,commercial,or academic organizations and institutions such as hospitais and universities.Insomnia-related websites typically included definitions (85%),causes and risk factors (100%),symptoms (95%),and treatment options (90%).Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-Ⅰ) was the most commonly recommended approach for insomnia treatment,and sleep drugs are frequently mentioned.The overall quality of the websites on insomnia is moderate,but all the content exceeded the recommended reading ease levels.Concerns that must be addressed to increase the quality and trustworthiness of online health information include sharing metadata,such as authorship,time of creation and last update,and conflicts of interest;providing evidence for reliability;and increasing the readability for a layman audience.

  10. [Readability and internet accessibility of informative documents for spinal cord injury patients in Spanish].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bea-Muñoz, M; Medina-Sánchez, M; Flórez-García, M T

    2015-01-01

    Patients with spinal cord injuries and their carers have access to leaflets on Internet that they can use as educational material to complement traditional forms of education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the readability of informative documents in Spanish, obtained from Internet and aimed at patients with spinal cord injuries. A search was made with the Google search engine using the following key words: recommendation, advice, guide, manual, self-care, education and information, adding spinal cord injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia to each of the terms. We analyzed the first 50 results of each search. The readability of the leaflets was studied with the Flesch-Szigriszt index and the INFLESZ scale, both available on the INFLESZ program. Also indicated were year of publication, country and number of authors of the documents obtained. We obtained 16 documents, developed between 2001 and 2011. Readability oscillated between 43.34 (some-what difficult) and 62 (normal), with an average value of 51.56 (somewhat difficult). Only 4 pamphlets (25%) showed a Flesch-Szigriszt index of ≥ 55 (normal). There was no difference in readability by year, authors or country of publication. The readability of 75% of the documents studied was "somewhat difficult" according to the INFLESZ scale. These results coincide with previous studies, in both Spanish and English. If the readability of this type of documents is improved, it will be easier to achieve their educational goal.

  11. Calisthenics with Words: The Effect of Readability and Investor Sophistication on Investors’ Performance Judgment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Carol Cui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the 1990s, the SEC has advocated for financial disclosures to be in “plain English” so that they would be more readable and informative. Past research has shown that high readability is related to more extreme investor judgments of firm performance. Processing fluency is the prevalent theory to explain this: higher readability increases the investor’s subconscious reliance on the disclosure, so positive (negative news leads to more positive (negative judgments. The relationship may not be so simple, though: drawing on research from cognitive psychology, I predict and find that investor financial literacy simultaneously influences investor decision-making, and that it has an interactive effect with readability. When presented with financial disclosure containing conflicting financial information, investors with higher financial literacy make more negative judgments than investors with low financial literacy when the disclosure is easy to read, but the effect becomes insignificant when the disclosure becomes difficult to read. This effect is moderated by a comprehension gap between the two investor groups. Financial literacy and readability interact to impact both how and how well the investor processes financial information.

  12. Peak response wavelengths of p- and n-type InxGa1-xAs-InP quantum well infrared photodetectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Y.; Willander, M.; Sengupta, D.K.

    2005-01-01

    p- and n-type In x Ga 1-x As-InP quantum wells are suitable for multi-color infrared photodetector applications in atmospheric windows due to improved barrier quality and carrier-transport properties. We apply the k.p method to study the energy band structures and optical transition properties, which show that the peak response wavelengths of p- and n-type In x Ga 1-x As-InP quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are determined not only by the energy distance from the ground sublevels in the quantum well to the energy band edges of extended states, but also by the characteristics of the extended states. The optical phonon scattering process converts the broad absorption spectrum of the p-QWIP from 0 to 16 μm into a short-wavelength spectrum centered at 4.5 μm. The transport of electrons in the extended states of the n-QWIP is characterized by running wave boundary conditions, resulting in a theoretically optimal absorption rate by a 8-nm-thick In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As quantum well. Moreover, a conduction-band offset of 0.5 for an In x Ga 1-x As-InP (x=0.53) heterostructure gives the best data fitting of theoretical and experimental response peaks, whereas 0.55 is generally recommended in the literature. (orig.)

  13. A Dual Band Additively Manufactured 3D Antenna on Package with Near-Isotropic Radiation Pattern

    KAUST Repository

    Su, Zhen

    2018-04-06

    Internet of things (IoT) applications need wireless connectivity on devices with very small footprints, and in RF obscure environments. The antenna for such applications must work on multiple GSM bands (preferred choice for network connectivity), provide near isotropic radiation pattern to maintain orientation insensitive communication, be small in size so that it can be integrated with futuristic miniaturized IoT devices, and be low in cost to be implemented on billions of devices. This paper presents a novel 3D dual band near-isotropic wideband GSM antenna to fulfill these requirements. The antenna has been realized on the package of electronics through additive manufacturing to ensure efficient utilization of available space and lower cost. The proposed antenna consists of a meander line antenna that is folded on the faces of a 3D package with two variations, 0.375λ length for narrowband version and 0.67λ length for the wideband version. Theoretical conditions to achieve near isotropic radiation pattern with bent wire antennas on a 3D surface have been derived. The antenna has been optimized to operate with embedded electronics and a large metallic battery. The antenna provides 8.9% and 34.4% bandwidths, at 900 and 1800 MHz respectively with decent near isotropic radiation behavior.

  14. Readability Levels of Dental Patient Education Brochures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boles, Catherine D; Liu, Ying; November-Rider, Debra

    2016-02-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate dental patient education brochures produced since 2000 to determine if there is any change in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability. A convenience sample of 36 brochures was obtained for analysis of the readability of the patient education material on multiple dental topics. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level through Microsoft Word. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the relationship among the factors of interest. Backward model selection of multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and a set of predictors included in this study. A convenience sample (n=36) of dental education brochures produced from 2000 to 2014 showed a mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of 9.15. Weak to moderate correlations existed between word count and grade level (r=0.40) and characters count and grade level (r=0.46); strong correlations were found between grade level and average words per sentence (r=0.70), average characters per word (r=0.85) and Flesch Reading Ease (r=-0.98). Only 1 brochure out of the sample met the recommended sixth grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.7). Overall, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of all brochures was significantly higher than the recommended sixth grade reading level (preadability of the brochures. However, the majority of the brochures analyzed are still testing above the recommended sixth grade reading level. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

  15. Computational Text Analysis: A More Comprehensive Approach to Determine Readability of Reading Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziz, Anealka; Fook, Chan Yuen; Alsree, Zubaida

    2010-01-01

    Reading materials are considered having high readability if readers are interested to read the materials, understand the content of the materials and able to read the materials fluently. In contrast, reading materials with low readability discourage readers from reading the materials, create difficulties for readers to understand the content of…

  16. Readability of Early Intervention Program Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizur-Barnekow, Kris; Patrick, Timothy; Rhyner, Paula M.; Cashin, Susan; Rentmeester, Angela

    2011-01-01

    Accessibility of early intervention program literature was examined through readability analysis of documents given to families who have a child served by the Birth to 3 program. Nine agencies that serve families in Birth to 3 programs located in a county in the Midwest provided the (n = 94) documents. Documents were included in the analysis if…

  17. Design of a Dual-Band Bidirectional Antenna Using Superellipse-Monopole-Fed Rectangular Ring for IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekajit Khoomwong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the design of a dual-band bidirectional ring antenna fed by a superellipse surface probe for 2.4/5 GHz WLAN applications. The Method of Moments (MoM with RWG basis function was utilized in the study and design processes. A prototype antenna was fabricated successfully with the advantages of simple and low-cost structure. The measured impedance bandwidth of 810 MHz (2.10–2.91 GHz and 2.39 GHz (3.57–5.96 GHz is achieved for the first and second band, respectively. The peak gains are also feasible, 4.67 dBi at 2.45 GHz and 7.83 dBi at 5.5 GHz, with bidirectional radiation patterns for both bands. From the experimental field tests, the proposed antenna was suitable for most applications in long and narrow communication sites in 2.4/5 GHz bands as desired. Also, the measured and calculated results were in good agreement.

  18. Readability of American online patient education materials in urologic oncology: a need for simple communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pruthi, Amanda; Nielsen, Matthew E; Raynor, Mathew C; Woods, Michael E; Wallen, Eric M; Smith, Angela B

    2015-02-01

    To determine the readability levels of reputable cancer and urologic Web sites addressing bladder, prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. Online patient education materials (PEMs) for bladder, prostate, kidney, and testicular malignancies were evaluated from the American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Urology Care Foundation, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Kidney Cancer Association, and Testicular Cancer Resource Center. Grade level was determined using several readability indices, and analyses were performed on the basis of cancer type, Web site, and content area (general, causes, risk factors and prevention, diagnosis and staging, treatment, and post-treatment). Estimated grade level of online PEMs ranged from 9.2 to 14.2 with an overall mean of 11.7. Web sites for kidney cancer had the least difficult readability (11.3) and prostate cancer had the most difficult readability (12.1). Among specific Web sites, the most difficult readability levels were noted for the Urology Care Foundation Web site for bladder and prostate cancer and the Kidney Cancer Association and Testicular Cancer Resource Center for kidney and testes cancer. Readability levels within content areas varied on the basis of the disease and Web site. Online PEMs in urologic oncology are written at a level above the average American reader. Simplification of these resources is necessary to improve patient understanding of urologic malignancy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. UWB Filtering Power Divider with Two Narrow Notch-bands and Wide Stop-band

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Feng; Wang, Xin-Yi; Zou, Xin Tong; Shi, Xiao Wei

    2017-12-01

    A compact filtering ultra-wideband (UWB) microstrip power divider (PD) with two sharply rejected notch-bands and wide stopband is analyzed and designed in this paper. The proposed UWB PD is based on a conventional Wilkinson power divider, while two stub loaded resonators (SLRs) are coupled into two symmetrical output ports to achieve a bandpass filtering response. The simplified composite right/left-handed (SCRLH) resonators are employed to generate the dual notched bands. Defected ground structure (DGS) is introduced to improve the passband performance. Good insertion/return losses, isolation and notch-band rejection are achieved as demonstrated in both simulation and experiment.

  20. Readability of informed consent forms in vascular and interventional radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinto, I.; Vigil, D.

    1998-01-01

    To evaluate the readability of the informed consent forms prepared for vascular and interventional radiology. The 18 informed consent forms were analyzed using the Gramatica tool employed in Microsoft Word 97 For Windows which combines the statistics on legibility in terms of three sections: scores, averages and legibility (Flech index, passive voice, sentence complexity and vocabulary complexity). For each, the integrated readability index was also manually calculated. All the documents present a Flesch index of over 10; the sentence complexity indexes are less than or equal to 20, demonstrating that the sentences are not long or complicated in structure. Finally, the integrated readability index of all of them is well over 70. The forms posses acceptable legibility indexes, but their evaluation should be completed by an opinion poll of the patients for whom they are written. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that these documents, like the procedures performed, are changing continually. Thus, it is necessary to update and modify the information to be provided to the patients. (Author) 11 refs

  1. Method of generating a computer readable model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2008-01-01

    A method of generating a computer readable model of a geometrical object constructed from a plurality of interconnectable construction elements, wherein each construction element has a number of connection elements for connecting the construction element with another construction element. The met......A method of generating a computer readable model of a geometrical object constructed from a plurality of interconnectable construction elements, wherein each construction element has a number of connection elements for connecting the construction element with another construction element....... The method comprises encoding a first and a second one of the construction elements as corresponding data structures, each representing the connection elements of the corresponding construction element, and each of the connection elements having associated with it a predetermined connection type. The method...... further comprises determining a first connection element of the first construction element and a second connection element of the second construction element located in a predetermined proximity of each other; and retrieving connectivity information of the corresponding connection types of the first...

  2. The quality and readability of internet information regarding clavicle fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dafang; Schumacher, Charles; Harris, Mitchel Byron

    2016-03-01

    The internet has become a major source of health information for patients. However, there has been little scrutiny of health information available on the internet to the public. Our objectives were to evaluate the quality and readability of information available on the internet regarding clavicle fractures and whether they changed with academic affiliation of the website or with complexity of the search term. Through a prospective evaluation of 3 search engines using 3 different search terms of varying complexity ("broken collarbone," "collarbone fracture," and "clavicle fracture"), we evaluated 91 website hits for quality and readability. Websites were specifically analyzed by search term and by website type. Information quality was evaluated on a four-point scale, and information readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid score for reading grade level. The average quality score for our website hits was low, and the average reading grade level was far above the recommended level. Academic websites offered significantly higher quality information, whereas commercial websites offered significantly lower quality information. The use of more complex search terms yielded information of higher reading grade level but not higher quality. Current internet information regarding clavicle fractures is of low quality and low readability. Higher quality information utilizing more accessible language on clavicle fractures is needed on the internet. It is important to be aware of the information accessible to patients prior to their presentation to our clinics. Patients should be advised to visit websites with academic affiliations and to avoid commercial websites. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. [Global analysis of the readability of the informed consent forms used in public hospitals of Spain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariscal-Crespo, M I; Coronado-Vázquez, M V; Ramirez-Durán, M V

    To analyse the readability of informed consent forms (ICF) used in Public Hospitals throughout Spain, with the aim of checking their function of providing comprehensive information to people who are making any health decision no matter where they are in Spain. A descriptive study was performed on a total of 11,339 ICF received from all over Spanish territory, of which 1617 ICF were collected from 4 web pages of Health Portal and the rest (9722) were received through email and/or telephone contact from March 2012 to February 2013. The readability level was studied using the Inflesz tool. A total of 372 ICF were selected and analysed using simple random sampling. The Inflesz scale and the Flesch-Szigriszt index were used to analyse the readability. The readability results showed that 62.4% of the ICF were rated as a "little difficult", the 23.4% as "normal", and the 13.4% were rated as "very difficult". The highest readability means using the Flesch index were scored in Andalusia with a mean of 56.99 (95% CI; 55.42-58.57) and Valencia with a mean of 51.93 (95% CI; 48.4-55.52). The lowest readability means were in Galicia with a mean of 40.77 (95% CI; 9.83-71.71) and Melilla, mean=41.82 (95% CI; 35.5-48.14). The readability level of Spanish informed consent forms must be improved because their scores using readability tools could not be classified in normal scales. Furthermore, there was very wide variability among Spanish ICF, which showed a lack of equity in information access among Spanish citizens. Copyright © 2017 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  4. Readability assessment of online patient education materials provided by the European Association of Urology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betschart, Patrick; Zumstein, Valentin; Bentivoglio, Maico; Engeler, Daniel; Schmid, Hans-Peter; Abt, Dominik

    2017-12-01

    To assess the readability of the web-based patient education material provided by the European Association of Urology. English patient education materials (PEM) as available in May 2017 were obtained from the EAU website. Each topic was analyzed separately using six well-established readability assessment tools, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), SMOG Grade Level (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Flesch Reading Ease Formula (FRE) and Fry Readability Graph (FRG). A total of 17 main topics were identified of which separate basic and in-depth information is provided for 14 topics. Calculation of grade levels (FKGL, SMOG, CLI, GFI) showed readability scores of 7th-13th grade for basic information, 8th-15th grade for in-depth information and 7th-15th grade for single PEM. Median FRE score was 54 points (range 45-65) for basic information and 56 points (41-64) for in-depth information. The FRG as a graphical assessment revealed only 13 valid results with an approximate 8th-17th grade level. The EAU provides carefully worked out PEM for 17 urological topics. Although improved readability compared to similar analyses was found, a simplification of certain chapters might be helpful to facilitate better patient understanding.

  5. Readability assessment of Internet-based patient education materials related to endoscopic sinus surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Choudhry, Osamah J; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2012-08-01

    Numerous professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals provide Internet-based patient education materials (PEMs) to the general public, but not all of this information is written at a reading level appropriate for the average patient. The National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that PEMs be written at or below the sixth-grade level. Our purpose was to assess the readability of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)-related PEMs available on the Internet and compare readability levels of PEMs provided by three sources: professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals. A descriptive and correlational design was used for this study. The readability of 31 ESS-related PEMs was assessed with four different readability indices: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG). Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance and t tests. The majority of PEMs (96.8%) were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level, based on FKGL (P Internet-based PEMs related to ESS, regardless of source type, were written well above the recommended sixth-grade level. Materials from the hospitals/university-affiliated websites had lower readability scores, but were still above recommended levels. Web-based PEMs pertaining to ESS should be written with the average patient in mind. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  6. Readability of Patient Education Materials From the Web Sites of Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Meghan M; Yi, Paul H; Hussein, Khalil I; Cross, Michael B; Della Valle, Craig J

    2017-12-01

    Prior studies indicate that orthopedic patient education materials are written at a level that is too high for the average patient. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials provided by orthopedic implant manufacturers. All patient education articles available in 2013 from the web sites of the 5 largest orthopedic implant manufacturers were identified. Each article was evaluated with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. The number of articles with readability ≤ the eighth-grade level (average reading ability of US adults) and the sixth-grade level (recommended level for patient education materials) was determined. Mean readability levels of each company's articles were compared using analysis of variance (significance set at P articles were reviewed from the 5 largest implant manufacturers. The mean overall FK grade level was 10.9 (range, 3.8-16.1). Only 58 articles (10%) were written ≤ the eighth-grade level, and only 13 (2.2%) were ≤ the sixth-grade level. The mean FK grade level was significantly different among groups (Smith & Nephew = 12.0, Stryker = 11.6, Biomet = 11.3, DePuy = 10.6, Zimmer = 10.1; P education materials from implant manufacturers are written at a level too high to be comprehended by the average patient. Future efforts should be made to improve the readability of orthopedic patient education materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to “labour analgesia”

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

    2017-01-01

    Abstract We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to “labour analgesia.” In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites. We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words “labour analgesia” were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded. The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined. Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37. In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to “labour analgesia” was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability. PMID:29137057

  8. A Dual Band Frequency Reconfigurable Origami Magic Cube Antenna for Wireless Sensor Network Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Imran Hussain Shah

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a novel dual band frequency reconfigurable antenna using an origami magic cube is proposed for wireless sensor network (WSN applications. The proposed origami antenna consists of a meandered monopole folded onto three sides of the magic cube. A microstrip open-ended stub is loaded on the meandered monopole. The proposed origami magic cube can be mechanically folded and unfolded. The proposed antenna operates at 1.57 GHZ and 2.4 GHz in the folded state. In the unfolded state, the proposed antenna operates at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz. The resonant frequency of the second band can be tunable by varying the length and position of the open stub. The origami magic cube is built on paper. Its performance is numerically and experimentally demonstrated from S-parameters and radiation patterns. The measured 10 dB impedance bandwidth of the proposed origami antenna is 18% (900–1120 MHz and 15% (2.1–2.45 GHz for the unfolded state and 20% (1.3–1.6 GHz and 14% (2.3–2.5 GHz for the folded state. The measured peak gain at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz are 1.1 dBi and 2.32 dBi, respectively, in the unfolded state. The measured peak gain at 1.5 GHz and 2.4 GHz are 3.28 dBi and 1.98 dBi, respectively, in the folded state.

  9. A Dual Band Frequency Reconfigurable Origami Magic Cube Antenna for Wireless Sensor Network Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Syed Imran Hussain; Lim, Sungjoon

    2017-11-20

    In this paper, a novel dual band frequency reconfigurable antenna using an origami magic cube is proposed for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The proposed origami antenna consists of a meandered monopole folded onto three sides of the magic cube. A microstrip open-ended stub is loaded on the meandered monopole. The proposed origami magic cube can be mechanically folded and unfolded. The proposed antenna operates at 1.57 GHZ and 2.4 GHz in the folded state. In the unfolded state, the proposed antenna operates at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz. The resonant frequency of the second band can be tunable by varying the length and position of the open stub. The origami magic cube is built on paper. Its performance is numerically and experimentally demonstrated from S-parameters and radiation patterns. The measured 10 dB impedance bandwidth of the proposed origami antenna is 18% (900-1120 MHz) and 15% (2.1-2.45 GHz) for the unfolded state and 20% (1.3-1.6 GHz) and 14% (2.3-2.5 GHz) for the folded state. The measured peak gain at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz are 1.1 dBi and 2.32 dBi, respectively, in the unfolded state. The measured peak gain at 1.5 GHz and 2.4 GHz are 3.28 dBi and 1.98 dBi, respectively, in the folded state.

  10. Readability Formulas as Applied to College Economics Textbooks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnell, Campbell R.

    1982-01-01

    Determines from empirical information on the application of four readability formulas to a group of widely used college economics textbooks that there is no consistency in the absolute reading levels or the rank orderings of these books. (AEA)

  11. Readability of Malaria Medicine Information Leaflets in Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Erah

    2010-12-18

    Dec 18, 2010 ... for malaria medicines information leaflets available in Nigeria was 13.69 ± 1.70. This value is equivalent ... Health promotion and behaviour change communication ... their rational use at the community level. Readability is the ...

  12. Design of an ultra-thin dual band infrared system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Ke; Cheng, Xuemin; Lv, Qichao; Hu, YiFei

    2014-11-01

    The ultra-thin imaging system using reflective multiple-fold structure has smaller volume and less weight while maintaining high resolution compared with conventional optical systems. The multi-folded approach can significantly extend focal distance within wide spectral range without incurring chromatic aberrations. In this paper, we present a dual infrared imaging system of four-folded reflection with two air-spaced concentric reflective surfaces. The dual brand IR system has 107mm effective focal length, 0.7NA, +/-4° FOV, and 50mm effective aperture with 80mm outer diameter into a 25mm total thickness, which spectral response is 3~12μm.

  13. Analysis of Readability and Interest of Marketing Education Textbooks: Implications for Special Needs Learners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Karen H.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    The readability, reading ease, interest level, and writing style of 20 current textbooks in secondary marketing education were evaluated. Readability formulas consistently identified lower reading levels for special needs education, human interest scores were not very reliable information sources, and writing style was also a weak variable. (JOW)

  14. A Readability Analysis of Selected Introductory Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Daniel J.; Thompson, G. Rodney

    1981-01-01

    To aid secondary school and college level economics teachers as they select textbooks for introductory economics courses, this article recounts how teachers can use the Flesch Reading Ease Test to measure readability. Data are presented on application of the Flesch Reading Ease Test to 15 introductory economics textbooks. (Author/DB)

  15. Online Patient Resources for Liposuction: A Comparative Analysis of Readability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas, Christina R; Ricci, Joseph A; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

    2016-03-01

    As patients strive to become informed about health care, inadequate functional health literacy is a significant barrier. Nearly half of American adults have poor or marginal health literacy skills and the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association have recommended that patient information should be written at a sixth grade level. The aim of this study is to identify the most commonly used online patient information about liposuction and to evaluate its readability relative to average American literacy. An internet search of "liposuction" was performed and the 10 most popular websites identified. User and location data were disabled and sponsored results excluded. All relevant, patient-directed articles were downloaded and formatted into plain text. Articles were then analyzed using 10 established readability tests. A comparison group was constructed to identify the most popular online consumer information about tattooing. Mean readability scores and specific article characteristics were compared. A total of 80 articles were collected from websites about liposuction. Readability analysis revealed an overall 13.6 grade reading level (range, 10-16 grade); all articles exceeded the target sixth grade level. Consumer websites about tattooing were significantly easier to read, with a mean 7.8 grade level. These sites contained significantly fewer characters per word and words per sentence, as well as a smaller proportion of complex, long, and unfamiliar words. Online patient resources about liposuction are potentially too difficult for a large number of Americans to understand. Liposuction websites are significantly harder to read than consumer websites about tattooing. Aesthetic surgeons are advised to discuss with patients resources they use and guide patients to appropriate information for their skill level.

  16. Measuring the Readability of Children's Trade Books.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popp, Helen M.; Porter, Douglas

    In order to utilize interesting children's trade books in a systematic reading program, two readability formulas were devised based on a selection of children's trade books. Children's scores on selections from these books and judges' rankings were compared. The judges' decisions were considered to be highly credible and were used as the criterion…

  17. Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Gaiyan; Liu, Xinchun; Huang, Lihua; Shu, Jingxian; Xu, Nana; Chen, Ruifang; Huang, Zhijun; Yang, Guoping; Wang, Xiaomin; Xiang, Yuxia; Lu, Yao; Yuan, Hong

    2016-01-01

    To explore the readability and content integrity of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in China and to compare the quality of Chinese local ICFs with that of international ICFs. The length, readability and content of 155 consent documents from phase II-IV drug clinical trials from the Third Xiangya Hospital Ethics Committee from November 2009 to January 2015 were evaluated. Reading difficulty was tested using a readability formula adapted for the Chinese language. An ICF checklist containing 27 required elements was successfully constructed to evaluate content integrity. The description of alternatives to participation was assessed. The quality of ICFs from different sponsorships were also compared. Among the 155 evaluable trials, the ICFs had a median length of 5286 words, corresponding to 7 pages. The median readability score was 4.31 (4.02-4.41), with 63.9% at the 2nd level and 36.1% at the 3rd level. Five of the 27 elements were frequently neglected. The average score for the description of alternatives to participation was 1.06, and 27.7% of the ICFs did not mention any alternatives. Compared with Chinese local ICFs, international ICFs were longer, more readable and contained more of the required elements (P readability and content integrity than Chinese local ICFs. More efforts should thus be made to improve the quality of consent documents in China.

  18. Measuring the readability of sustainability reports: : A corpus-based analysis through standard formulae and NLP

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smeuninx, N.; De Clerck, B.; Aerts, Walter

    2016-01-01

    This study characterises and problematises the language of corporate reporting along region, industry, genre, and content lines by applying readability formulae and more advanced natural language processing (NLP)–based analysis to a manually assembled 2.75-million-word corpus. Readability formulae

  19. Assessment of readability, quality and popularity of online information on ureteral stents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozafarpour, Sarah; Norris, Briony; Borin, James; Eisner, Brian H

    2018-02-12

    To evaluate the quality and readability of online information on ureteral stents. Google.com was queried using the search terms "ureteric stent", "ureteral stent", "double J stent" and, "Kidney stent" derived from Google AdWords. Website popularity was determined using Google Rank and the Alexa tool. Website quality assessment was performed using the following criteria: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, Health on the Net (HON) criteria, and a customized DISCERN questionnaire. The customized DISCERN questionnaire was developed by combining the short validated DISCERN questionnaire with additional stent-specific items including definition, placement, complications, limitations, removal and "when to seek help". Scores related to stent items were considered as the "stent score" (SS). Readability was evaluated using five readability tests. Thirty-two websites were included. The mean customized DISCERN score and "stent score" were 27.1 ± 7.1 (maximum possible score = 59) and 14.6 ± 3.8 (maximum possible score = 24), respectively. A minority of websites adequately addressed "stent removal" and "when to seek medical attention". Only two websites (6.3%) had HON certification (drugs.com, radiologyinfo.org) and only one website (3.3%) met all JAMA criteria (bradyurology.blogspot.com). Readability level was higher than the American Medical Association recommendation of sixth-grade level for more than 75% of the websites. There was no correlation between Google rank, Alexa rank, and the quality scores (P > 0.05). Among the 32 most popular websites on the topic of ureteral stents, online information was highly variable. The readability of many of the websites was far higher than standard recommendations and the online information was questionable in many cases. These findings suggest a need for improved online resources in order to better educate patients about ureteral stents and also should inform physicians that popular websites may

  20. Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

    2017-03-02

    Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients' comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople's perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas' appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople's perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. The distributions of both readability formulas' scores (Preadability predictions and laypeople's perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (Preadability formulas' predictions did not align with perceived difficulty in either text genre. The widely used readability formulas were

  1. Readability of informed consent forms in clinical trials conducted in a skin research center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samadi, Aniseh; Asghari, Fariba

    2016-01-01

    Obtaining informed consents is one of the most fundamental principles in conducting a clinical trial. In order for the consent to be informed, the patient must receive and comprehend the information appropriately. Complexity of the consent form is a common problem that has been shown to be a major barrier to comprehension for many patients. The objective of this study was to assess the readability of different templates of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in clinical trials in the Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy (CRTSDL), Tehran, Iran. This study was conducted on ICFs of 45 clinical trials of the CRTSDL affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. ICFs were tested for reading difficulty, using the readability assessments formula adjusted for the Persian language including the Flesch–Kincaid reading ease score, Flesch–Kincaid grade level, and Gunning fog index. Mean readability score of the whole text of ICFs as well as their 7 main information parts were calculated. The mean ± SD Flesch Reading Ease score for all ICFs was 31.96 ± 5.62 that is in the difficult range. The mean ± SD grade level was calculated as 10.71 ± 1.8 (8.23–14.09) using the Flesch–Kincaid formula and 14.64 ± 1.22 (12.67–18.27) using the Gunning fog index. These results indicate that the text is expected to be understandable for an average student in the 11th grade, while the ethics committee recommend grade level 8 as the standard readability level for ICFs. The results showed that the readability scores of ICFs assessed in our study were not in the acceptable range. This means they were too complex to be understood by the general population. Ethics committees must examine the simplicity and readability of ICFs used in clinical trials. PMID:27471590

  2. Cauda equina syndrome: assessing the readability and quality of patient information on the Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Shane Ciaran; Baker, Joseph Frederick; Fitzgerald, Conall; Fleming, Christina; Rowan, Fiachra; Byrne, Damien; Synnott, Keith

    2014-05-01

    A readability and quality control Internet-based study using recognized quality scoring systems. To assess the readability and quality of Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome accessed through common search engines. Access to health-related Internet information has increased dramatically during the past decade. A significant proportion of this information has been demonstrated to be set at too high a level for general comprehension. Despite this, searching for health-related information is now the third most popular online activity. A total of 125 cauda equina syndrome Web sites were analyzed from the 5 most popular Internet search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, and AOL. Web site authorship was classified: academic, physician, medico-legal, commercial, or discussion/social media. Readability of each Web site was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score, the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and the Gunning Fog Index. Quality was calculated using the DISCERN instrument and The Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria. The presence of HON-code certification was also assessed. Fifty-two individual Web sites were identified and assessed. The majority of Web sites were academic or physician compiled (53.8%; 28/52); however, a significant minority of Web sites were medico-legal related (19.2%; 10/52). Just 13.5% (7/52) of Web sites were at or below the recommended sixth-grade readability level. HON-code certified Web sites achieved significantly greater DISCERN (P = 0.0006) and The Journal of the American Medical Association (P = 0.0002) scores. Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome is of variable quality and largely set at an inappropriate readability level. Given this variability in quality, health care providers should direct patients to known sources of reliable, readable online information. Identification of reliable sources may be aided by known markers of quality such as HON-code certification.

  3. Combined machine-readable and visually authenticated optical devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souparis, Hugues

    1996-03-01

    Optical variable devices are now widely used on documents or values. The most recent optical visual features with high definition, animation, brightness, special color tune, provide excellent first and second levels of authentication. Human eye is the only instrument required to check the authenticity. This is a major advantage of OVDs in many circumstances, such as currency exchange, ID street control . . . But, under other circumstances, such as automatic payments with banknotes, volume ID controls at boarders, ID controls in shops . . . an automatic authentication will be necessary or more reliable. When both a visual and automated authentication are required, the combination, on the same security component, of a variable image and a machine readable optical element is a very secure and cost effective solution for the protection of documents. Several techniques are now available an can be selected depending upon the respective roles of the machine readability and visual control.

  4. Validation Study of Waray Text Readability Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyzon, Voltaire Q.; Corrales, Juven B.; Estardo, Wilfredo M., Jr.

    2015-01-01

    In 2012 the Leyte Normal University developed a computer software--modelled after the Spache Readability Formula (1953) made for English--made to help rank texts that can is used by teachers or research groups on selecting appropriate reading materials to support the DepEd's MTB-MLE program in Region VIII, in the Philippines. However,…

  5. Development of SMOG-Cro readability formula for healthcare communication and patient education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brangan, Sanja

    2015-03-01

    Effective communication shows a positive impact on patient satisfaction, compliance and medical outcomes, at the same time reducing the healthcare costs. Written information for patients needs to correspond to health literacy levels of the intended audiences. Readability formulas correlate well with the reading and comprehension tests but are considered an easier and quicker method to estimate a text difficulty. SMOG readability formula designed for English language needs to be modified if used for texts in other languages. The aim of this study was to develop a readability formula based on SMOG, that could be used to estimate text difficulty of written materials for patients in Croatian language. Contras- tive analysis of English and Croatian language covering a corpus of almost 100,000 running words showed clear linguis- tic differences in the number of polysyllabic words. The new formula, named SMOG-Cro, is presented as an equation: SMOG-Cro = 2 + √4+ syllables, with the score showing the number of years of education a person needs to be able to understand a piece of writing. The presented methodology could help in the development of readability formulas for other languages. We hope the results of this study are soon put into practice for more effective healthcare communication and patient education, and for development of a health literacy assessment tool in Croatian language.

  6. Dual Polarized Monopole Patch Antennas for UWB Applications with Elimination of WLAN Signals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Kumar

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the design, fabrication and measurement of dual polarized microstrip patch antennas for ultra wideband (UWB applications with notch at 5-6 GHz band. The proposed antenna rejects the wireless local area network (WLAN signals and work properly in the entire remaining ultra-wideband. Two antennas are designed for two different frequency bands of ultra wideband and both antennas together produce the entire ultra wideband with notch at 5-6 GHz band. The antennas are fed by a 50 coaxial probe and the entire design is optimized using CST Microwave Studio. The bandwidth of 3.1-5 GHz is achieved by the optimized design of Antenna-1 and the bandwidth of 6 -10.6 GHz is achieved by the optimized design of Antenna-2. The bandwidth of the optimized combined antenna is 3.1-10.6 GHz with elimination of the 5-6 GHz band. Both antennas are simulated, developed and measured. The simulated and measured results are presented. The two designed dual polarized antennas i.e. Antenna-1 and Antenna-2 can be used for 3.1-5 GHz band and 6-10.6 GHz band dual polarized applications, respectively, and the combined antenna structure can be used for UWB dual polarized applications with elimination of 5-6 GHz band signals.

  7. Readability assessment of online patient education materials from academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svider, Peter F; Agarwal, Nitin; Choudhry, Osamah J; Hajart, Aaron F; Baredes, Soly; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the readability of online patient education materials among academic otolaryngology departments in the mid-Atlantic region, with the purpose of determining whether these commonly used online resources were written at a level readily understood by the average American. A readability analysis of online patient education materials was performed using several commonly used readability assessments including the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, the New Dale-Chall Test, the Coleman-Liau Index, the New Fog Count, the Raygor Readability Estimate, the FORCAST test, and the Fry Graph. Most patient education materials from these programs were written at or above an 11th grade reading level, considerably above National Institutes of Health guidelines for recommended difficulty. Patient educational materials from academic otolaryngology Web sites are written at too difficult a reading level for a significant portion of patients and can be simplified. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Readability Revisited? The Implications of Text Complexity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wray, David; Janan, Dahlia

    2013-01-01

    The concept of readability has had a variable history, moving from a position where it was considered as a very important topic for those responsible for producing texts and matching those texts to the abilities and needs of learners, to its current declining visibility in the education literature. Some important work has been coming from the USA…

  9. Informed consent recall and comprehension in orthodontics: traditional vs improved readability and processability methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Edith Y; Fields, Henry W; Kiyak, Asuman; Beck, F Michael; Firestone, Allen R

    2009-10-01

    Low general and health literacy in the United States means informed consent documents are not well understood by most adults. Methods to improve recall and comprehension of informed consent have not been tested in orthodontics. The purposes of this study were to evaluate (1) recall and comprehension among patients and parents by using the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) informed consent form and new forms incorporating improved readability and processability; (2) the association between reading ability, anxiety, and sociodemographic variables and recall and comprehension; and (3) how various domains (treatment, risk, and responsibility) of information are affected by the forms. Three treatment groups (30 patient-parent pairs in each) received an orthodontic case presentation and either the AAO form, an improved readability form (MIC), or an improved readability and processability (pairing audio and visual cues) form (MIC + SS). Structured interviews were transcribed and coded to evaluate recall and comprehension. Significant relationships among patient-related variables and recall and comprehension explained little of the variance. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient recall and parent recall and comprehension. Recall was better than comprehension, and parents performed better than patients. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient treatment comprehension and risk recall and parent treatment recall and comprehension. Patients and parents both overestimated their understanding of the materials. Improving the readability of consent materials made little difference, but combining improved readability and processability benefited both patients' recall and parents' recall and comprehension compared with the AAO form.

  10. EMISAR: A Dual-frequency, Polarimetric Airborne SAR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dall, Jørgen; Christensen, Erik Lintz

    2002-01-01

    EMISAR is a fully polarimetric, dual frequency (L- and C-band) SAR system designed for remote sensing applications. The data are usually processed to 2×2 m resolution. The system has the capability of C-band cross-track single-pass interferometry and fully polarimetric repeat-pass interferometry....

  11. An evaluation of the readability of drinking water quality reports: a national assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Siddhartha; Phetxumphou, Katherine; Dietrich, Andrea M; Estabrooks, Paul A; You, Wen; Davy, Brenda M

    2015-09-01

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency mandates that community water systems (or water utilities) provide annual consumer confidence reports (CCRs)--water quality reports--to their consumers. These reports encapsulate information regarding sources of water, detected contaminants, regulatory compliance, and educational material. These reports have excellent potential for providing the public with accurate information on the safety of tap water, but there is a lack of research on the degree to which the information can be understood by a large proportion of the population. This study evaluated the readability of a nationally representative sample of 30 CCRs, released between 2011 and 2013. Readability (or 'comprehension difficulty') was evaluated using Flesch-Kincaid readability tests. The analysis revealed that CCRs were written at the 11th-14th grade level, which is well above the recommended 6th-7th grade level for public health communications. The CCR readability ease was found to be equivalent to that of the Harvard Law Review journal. These findings expose a wide chasm that exists between current water quality reports and their effectiveness toward being understandable to US residents. Suggestions for reorienting language and scientific information in CCRs to be easily comprehensible to the public are offered.

  12. Readability Assessment of Online Uveitis Patient Education Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayoub, Samantha; Tsui, Edmund; Mohammed, Taariq; Tseng, Joseph

    2017-12-29

    To evaluate the readability of online uveitis patient education materials. A Google search in November 2016 was completed using search term "uveitis" and "uveitis inflammation." The top 50 websites with patient-centered information were selected and analyzed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Gunning FOG Index (GFI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Statistical analysis was performed with two-tailed t-tests. The mean word count of the top 50 websites was 1162.7 words, and averaged 16.2 words per sentence. For these websites, the mean FRES was 38.0 (range 4-66, SD = 12.0), mean FKGL was 12.3 (range 6.8-19, SD = 2.4), mean SMOG score was 14.4 (range 9.8-19, SD = 1.8), and the mean Gunning FOG index was 14.0 (range 8.6-19, SD = 2.0). The majority of online patient directed uveitis materials are at a higher reading level than that of the average American adult.

  13. Use of a New Set of Linguistic Features to Improve Automatic Assessment of Text Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimi, Takehiko; Kotani, Katsunori; Isahara, Hitoshi

    2012-01-01

    The present paper proposes and evaluates a readability assessment method designed for Japanese learners of EFL (English as a foreign language). The proposed readability assessment method is constructed by a regression algorithm using a new set of linguistic features that were employed separately in previous studies. The results showed that the…

  14. Enhancing the Radiologist-Patient Relationship through Improved Communication: A Quantitative Readability Analysis in Spine Radiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansberry, D R; Donovan, A L; Prabhu, A V; Agarwal, N; Cox, M; Flanders, A E

    2017-06-01

    More than 75 million Americans have less than adequate health literacy skills according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Readability scores are used as a measure of how well populations read and understand patient education materials. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of Web sites dedicated to patient education for radiologic spine imaging and interventions. Eleven search terms relevant to radiologic spine imaging were searched on the public Internet, and the top 10 links for each term were collected and analyzed to determine readability scores by using 10 well-validated quantitative readability assessments from patient-centered education Web sites. The search terms included the following: x-ray spine, CT spine, MR imaging spine, lumbar puncture, kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, discogram, myelogram, cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine. Collectively, the 110 articles were written at an 11.3 grade level (grade range, 7.1-16.9). None of the articles were written at the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommended 3rd-to-7th grade reading levels. The vertebroplasty articles were written at a statistically significant ( P readability scores of the articles and the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommended guidelines, it is likely that many patients do not fully benefit from these resources. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  15. Forensic scientists' conclusions: how readable are they for non-scientist report-users?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, Loene M; Kirkbride, K Paul; Kelty, Sally F; Julian, Roberta; Kemp, Nenagh

    2013-09-10

    Scientists have an ethical responsibility to assist non-scientists to understand their findings and expert opinions before they are used as decision-aids within the criminal justice system. The communication of scientific expert opinion to non-scientist audiences (e.g., police, lawyers, and judges) through expert reports is an important but under-researched issue. Readability statistics were used to assess 111 conclusions from a proficiency test in forensic glass analysis. The conclusions were written using an average of 23 words per sentence, and approximately half of the conclusions were expressed using the active voice. At an average Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of university undergraduate (Grade 13), and Flesch Reading Ease score of difficult (42), the conclusions were written at a level suitable for people with some tertiary education in science, suggesting that the intended non-scientist readers would find them difficult to read. To further analyse the readability of conclusions, descriptive features of text were used: text structure; sentence structure; vocabulary; elaboration; and coherence and unity. Descriptive analysis supported the finding that texts were written at a level difficult for non-scientists to read. Specific aspects of conclusions that may pose difficulties for non-scientists were located. Suggestions are included to assist scientists to write conclusions with increased readability for non-scientist readers, while retaining scientific integrity. In the next stage of research, the readability of expert reports in their entirety is to be explored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The readability of pediatric patient education materials on the World Wide Web.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alessandro, D M; Kingsley, P; Johnson-West, J

    2001-07-01

    Literacy is a national and international problem. Studies have shown the readability of adult and pediatric patient education materials to be too high for average adults. Materials should be written at the 8th-grade level or lower. To determine the general readability of pediatric patient education materials designed for adults on the World Wide Web (WWW). GeneralPediatrics.com (http://www.generalpediatrics.com) is a digital library serving the medical information needs of pediatric health care providers, patients, and families. Documents from 100 different authoritative Web sites designed for laypersons were evaluated using a built-in computer software readability formula (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid reading levels) and hand calculation methods (Fry Formula and SMOG methods). Analysis of variance and paired t tests determined significance. Eighty-nine documents constituted the final sample; they covered a wide spectrum of pediatric topics. The overall Flesch Reading Ease score was 57.0. The overall mean Fry Formula was 12.0 (12th grade, 0 months of schooling) and SMOG was 12.2. The overall Flesch-Kincaid grade level was significantly lower (Peducation materials on the WWW are not written at an appropriate reading level for the average adult. We propose that a practical reading level and how it was determined be included on all patient education materials on the WWW for general guidance in material selection. We discuss suggestions for improved readability of patient education materials.

  17. What parents are reading about laryngomalacia: Quality and readability of internet resources on laryngomalacia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corredera, Erica; Davis, Kara S; Simons, Jeffrey P; Jabbour, Noel

    2018-05-01

    The goal of this study is to measure the quality and readability of websites related to laryngomalacia, and to compare the quality and readability scores for the sites accessed through the most popular search engines. Laryngomalacia is a common diagnosis in children but is often difficult for parents to comprehend. As information available on the internet is unregulated, the quality and readability of this information may vary. An advanced search on Google, Yahoo, and Bing was conducted using the terms "laryngomalacia" OR "soft larynx" OR "floppy voice box." The first ten websites meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated, for each search engine. Quality and readability were assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Flesch reading ease scoring (FRES) and Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) tests, respectively. The top 10 hits on each search engine yielded 15 unique web pages. The median DISCERN score (out of a possible high-score of 80) was 48.5 (SD 12.6). The median USA grade-level estimated by the FKGL was 11.3 (SD 1.4). Only one website (6.7%), had a readability score in the optimal range of 6th to 8th grade reading level. DISCERN scores did not correlate with FKGL scores (r = 0.10). Online information discussing laryngomalacia often varies in quality and may not be easily comprehensible to the public. It is important for healthcare professionals to understand the quality of health information accessible to patients as it may influence medical decision-making by patient families. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. How Readability and Topic Incidence Relate to Performance on Mathematics Story Problems in Computer-Based Curricula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walkington, Candace; Clinton, Virginia; Ritter, Steven N.; Nathan, Mitchell J.

    2015-01-01

    Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that recently developed measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations…

  19. An experimental study on the readability of the digital images in the furcal bone defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Bong Hyeon; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae

    1995-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare observer performance between conventional radiographs and their digitized images for the detection of bone loss in the bifurcation of mandibular first molar. One dried human mandible with minimal periodontal bone loss around the first molar was selected and serially enlarged 27 step defects were prepared in the bifurcation area. The mandible was radiographed with exposure time of 0.12, 0.20, 0.25, 0.32, 0.40, 0.64 seconds, after each successive step in the preperation and all radiographs were digitized with IBM-PC/32 bit-Dx compatible, video camera (VM-S8200, Hitachi Co., Japan), and color monitor (Multisync 3D, NEC, Japan). Sylvia Image Capture Board for the ADC (analog to digital converter) was used. The following results obtained: 1. In the conventional radiographs, the mean score of the readability was higher at the condition of exposure time with 0.32 second. Also, as the size of artificial lesion was increased, the readability of radiographs was elevated (p<0.05). 2. In the digital images, the mean score of the readability was higher at the condition of exposure time with 0.40 second. Also, as the size of artificial lesion was increased, the readability of digital images was elevated (p<0.05). 3. At the same exposure time, the mean scores of readability were mostly higher in the digitized images. As the exposure time was increased, the digital images were superior to radiographs in readability. 4. As the size of lesion was changed, the digital images were superior to radiographs in detecting small lesion. 5. The coefficient of variation of mean score has no significant difference between digital images and radiographs.

  20. Tools for Assessing Readability of Statistics Teaching Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lesser, Lawrence; Wagler, Amy

    2016-01-01

    This article provides tools and rationale for instructors in math and science to make their assessment and curriculum materials (more) readable for students. The tools discussed (MSWord, LexTutor, Coh-Metrix TEA) are readily available linguistic analysis applications that are grounded in current linguistic theory, but present output that can…

  1. Accurate Energy Consumption Modeling of IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH Using Dual-BandOpenMote Hardware.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneels, Glenn; Municio, Esteban; Van de Velde, Bruno; Ergeerts, Glenn; Weyn, Maarten; Latré, Steven; Famaey, Jeroen

    2018-02-02

    The Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) mode of the IEEE 802.15.4e amendment aims to improve reliability and energy efficiency in industrial and other challenging Internet-of-Things (IoT) environments. This paper presents an accurate and up-to-date energy consumption model for devices using this IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH mode. The model identifies all network-related CPU and radio state changes, thus providing a precise representation of the device behavior and an accurate prediction of its energy consumption. Moreover, energy measurements were performed with a dual-band OpenMote device, running the OpenWSN firmware. This allows the model to be used for devices using 2.4 GHz, as well as 868 MHz. Using these measurements, several network simulations were conducted to observe the TSCH energy consumption effects in end-to-end communication for both frequency bands. Experimental verification of the model shows that it accurately models the consumption for all possible packet sizes and that the calculated consumption on average differs less than 3% from the measured consumption. This deviation includes measurement inaccuracies and the variations of the guard time. As such, the proposed model is very suitable for accurate energy consumption modeling of TSCH networks.

  2. Contents and readability of currently used surgical/ procedure ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: The content of majority of the informed consent forms used in Nigerian tertiary health institutions are poor and their readability scores are not better than those used in developed parts of the world. Health Institutions in Nigeria should revise their informed consent forms to improve their contents and do a usability ...

  3. Comparative Readability of Shoulder and Elbow Patient Education Materials within Orthopaedic Websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beutel, Bryan G; Danna, Natalie R; Melamed, Eitan; Capo, John T

    2015-12-01

    There is growing concern that the readability of online orthopaedic patient education materials are too difficult for the general public to fully understand. It is recommended that this information be at the sixth grade reading level or lower. This study compared the readability of shoulder and elbow education articles from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) websites. Seventy-six patient education articles from the AAOS and ASSH concerning shoulder and elbow disorders were evaluated. Each article was assessed for the number of years since its last update, word count, percentage of passive sentences, Flesch Reading Ease score, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade, and New Dale-Chall grade level. Only one article was at or below the sixth grade reading level. The AAOS and ASSH articles had the following respective scores: a mean Flesch Reading Ease score of 54.3 and 51.8, Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 9.4 and 10.3, SMOG grade of 8.5 and 9.4, and New Dale-Chall grade of 10.4 and 11.0. Articles from the AAOS were longer (p education materials regarding the shoulder and elbow on the AAOS and ASSH websites have readability scores above the recommended reading level. These may be too challenging for the majority of patients to read and consequently serve as a barrier to proper patient education. Reducing the percentage of passive sentences may serve as a novel target for improving readability.

  4. Dr Google: The readability and accuracy of patient education websites for Graves' disease treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purdy, Amanda C; Idriss, Almoatazbellah; Ahern, Susan; Lin, Elizabeth; Elfenbein, Dawn M

    2017-11-01

    National guidelines emphasize the importance of incorporating patient preferences into the recommendations for the treatment of Graves' disease. Many patients use the Internet to obtain health information, and search results can affect their treatment decisions. This study compares the readability and accuracy of patient-oriented online resources for the treatment of Graves' disease by website affiliation and treatment modality. A systematic Internet search was used to identify the top websites discussing the treatment of Graves' disease. Readability was measured using 5 standardized tests. Accuracy was assessed by a blinded, expert panel, which scored the accuracy of sites on a scale of 1 to 5. Mean readability and accuracy scores were compared among website affiliations and treatment modalities. We identified 13 unique websites, including 2 academic, 2 government, 5 nonprofit, and 4 private sites. There was a difference in both readability (mean 13.2, range 9.1-15.7, P = .003) and accuracy (mean 4.04, range 2.75-4.50, P = .019) based on website affiliation. Government sites (mean readability 11.1) were easier to read than academic (14.3, P < .01), nonprofit (13.9, P < .01), and private sites (13.5, P < .05). Academic sites (mean accuracy 4.50) were more accurate than private sites (3.56, P < .05). Online patient resources for the treatment of Graves' disease are written at an inappropriately high reading level. Academic sites contain both the most accurate and the most difficult to read information. Private sites represented the majority of our top results but contained the least accurate information. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Clozing in on readability : How linguistic features affect and predict text comprehension and on-line processing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleijn, S.

    2018-01-01

    Is my text comprehensible for my audience? It is a question publishers, organizations and governments struggle with and it is a question that readability formulae proclaim to solve. With a press of a button the readability of a text is assessed and users know whether texts are suited for their

  6. Readability of online patient education materials for velopharyngeal insufficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Deborah X; Wang, Ray Y; Chinnadurai, Sivakumar

    2018-01-01

    Evaluate the readability of online and mobile application health information about velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Top website and mobile application results for search terms "velopharyngeal insufficiency", "velopharyngeal dysfunction", "VPI", and "VPD" were analyzed. Readability was determined using 10 algorithms with Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Software Ltd; Vandalia, OH). Subgroup analysis was performed based on search term and article source - academic hospital, general online resource, peer-reviewed journal, or professional organization. 18 unique articles were identified. Overall mean reading grade level was a 12.89 ± 2.9. The highest reading level among these articles was 15.47-approximately the level of a college senior. Articles from "velopharyngeal dysfunction" had the highest mean reading level (13.73 ± 2.11), above "velopharyngeal insufficiency" (12.30 ± 1.56) and "VPI" (11.66 ± 1.70). Articles from peer-reviewed journals had the highest mean reading level (15.35 ± 2.79), while articles from academic hospitals had the lowest (12.81 ± 1.66). There were statistically significant differences in reading levels between the different search terms (P reading level guidelines, online patient education materials for VPI are disseminated with language too complex for most readers. There is also a lack of VPI-related mobile application data available for patients. Patients will benefit if future updates to websites and disseminated patient information are undertaken with health literacy in mind. Future studies will investigate patient comprehension of these materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. First experience with the InfiniBand interconnect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwickerath, Ulrich; Heiss, Andreas

    2004-01-01

    A test cluster of dual Intel-Xeon processor server nodes has been equipped with 10 GBit/s InfiniBand interconnect. Capabilities of this new technique were tested and compared to Gigabit-Ethernet (GE) with respect to both High-Performance Computing (MPI-based parallel computing applications) and High-Throughput Computing (HTC). RFIO, a protocol for fast and efficient file transfers, has been ported to make immediate use of InfiniBand, utilizing the remote direct memory access (RDMA) capabilities of the InfiniBand hardware. The performance is compared to Gigabit-Ethernet

  8. High gain L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier with two-stage ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    stage erbium-doped fiber amplifier; amplified spontaneous emission. Abstract. An experiment on gain enhancement in the long wavelength band erbium-doped fiber amplifier (L-band EDFA) is demonstrated using dual forward pumping scheme ...

  9. Readability Analysis of the Package Leaflets for Biological Medicines Available on the Internet Between 2007 and 2013: An Analytical Longitudinal Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piñero-López, María Ángeles; Modamio, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Mariño, Eduardo L

    2016-05-25

    The package leaflet included in the packaging of all medicinal products plays an important role in the transmission of medicine-related information to patients. Therefore, in 2009, the European Commission published readability guidelines to try to ensure that the information contained in the package leaflet is understood by patients. The main objective of this study was to calculate and compare the readability levels and length (number of words) of the package leaflets for biological medicines in 2007, 2010, and 2013. The sample of this study included 36 biological medicine package leaflets that were downloaded from the European Medicines Agency website in three different years: 2007, 2010, and 2013. The readability of the selected package leaflets was obtained using the following readability formulas: SMOG grade, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Szigriszt's perspicuity index. The length (number of words) of the package leaflets was also measured. Afterwards, the relationship between these quantitative variables (three readability indexes and length) and categorical (or qualitative) variables were analyzed. The categorical variables were the year when the package leaflet was downloaded, the package leaflet section, type of medicine, year of authorization of biological medicine, and marketing authorization holder. The readability values of all the package leaflets exceeded the sixth-grade reading level, which is the recommended value for health-related written materials. No statistically significant differences were found between the three years of study in the readability indexes, although differences were observed in the case of the length (P=.002), which increased over the study period. When the relationship between readability indexes and length and the other variables was analyzed, statistically significant differences were found between package leaflet sections (Preadability indexes (SMOG grade and Flesch-Kincaid grade level: r(2)=.92; SMOG grade and Szigriszt

  10. Readability of Orthopaedic Patient-reported Outcome Measures: Is There a Fundamental Failure to Communicate?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, Jorge L; Mosher, Zachary A; Watson, Shawna L; Sheppard, Evan D; Brabston, Eugene W; McGwin, Gerald; Ponce, Brent A

    2017-08-01

    Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used to quantify patients' perceptions of functional ability. The American Medical Association and NIH suggest patient materials be written at or below 6th to 8th grade reading levels, respectively, yet one recent study asserts that few PROMs comply with these recommendations, and suggests that the majority of PROMs are written at too high of a reading level for self-administered patient use. Notably, this study was limited in its use of only one readability algorithm, although there is no commonly accepted, standard readability algorithm for healthcare-related materials. Our study, using multiple readability equations and heeding equal weight to each, hopes to yield a broader, all-encompassing estimate of readability, thereby offering a more accurate assessment of the readability of orthopaedic PROMS. (1) What proportion of orthopaedic-related PROMs and orthopaedic-related portions of the NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® ) are written at or below the 6th and 8th grade levels? (2) Is there a correlation between the number of questions in the PROM and reading level? (3) Using systematic edits based on guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, what proportion of PROMs achieved American Medical Association and NIH-recommended reading levels? Eighty-six (86) independent, orthopaedic and general wellness PROMs, drawn from commonly referenced orthopaedic websites and prior studies, were chosen for analysis. Additionally, owing to their increasing use in orthopaedics, four relevant short forms, and 11 adult, physical health question banks from the PROMIS ® , were included for analysis. All documents were analyzed for reading grade levels using 19 unique readability algorithms. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS Version 22.0. The majority of the independent PROMs (64 of 86; 74%) were written at or below the 6th grade level, with 81 of 86

  11. Readability assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to mammography for breast cancer screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    AlKhalili, Rend; Shukla, Pratik A; Patel, Ronak H; Sanghvi, Saurin; Hubbi, Basil

    2015-03-01

    The US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that Internet-based patient education materials (IPEMs) be written below the sixth-grade reading level to target the average American adult. This study was designed to determine the readability of IPEMs regarding mammography for breast cancer screening. Three-hundred mammography-related Web sites were reviewed for IPEMs. Forty-two IPEMs that met the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct were assessed for readability level with four readability indices that use existing algorithms based on word and sentence length to quantitatively analyze Internet sources for language intricacy including the following: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG; GFOG). Results were compared to national recommendations, and intergroup analysis was performed. No IPEMs (0%) regarding mammography were written at or below the sixth-grade reading level, based on FKGL. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 49.04 ± 10.62; FKGL, 10.71 ± 2.01; SMOG, 13.33 ± 1.67; and Gunning FOG, 14.32 ± 2.18. These scores indicate that the readability of mammography IPEMs is written at a "difficult" level, significantly above the recommended sixth-grade reading level (P < .05) determined by the USDHHS. IPEMs related to mammography are written well above the recommended sixth-grade level and likely reflect other IPEMs in diagnostic radiology. Copyright © 2015 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Readability of Electronic Cigarette Health Information and Advice: A Quantitative Analysis of Web-Based Information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Albert; Zhu, Shu-Hong; Conway, Mike

    2017-01-06

    The popularity and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased across all demographic groups in recent years. However, little is currently known about the readability of health information and advice aimed at the general public regarding the use of e-cigarettes. The objective of our study was to examine the readability of publicly available health information as well as advice on e-cigarettes. We compared information and advice available from US government agencies, nongovernment organizations, English speaking government agencies outside the United States, and for-profit entities. A systematic search for health information and advice on e-cigarettes was conducted using search engines. We manually verified search results and converted to plain text for analysis. We then assessed readability of the collected documents using 4 readability metrics followed by pairwise comparisons of groups with adjustment for multiple comparisons. A total of 54 documents were collected for this study. All 4 readability metrics indicate that all information and advice on e-cigarette use is written at a level higher than that recommended for the general public by National Institutes of Health (NIH) communication guidelines. However, health information and advice written by for-profit entities, many of which were promoting e-cigarettes, were significantly easier to read. A substantial proportion of potential and current e-cigarette users are likely to have difficulty in fully comprehending Web-based health information regarding e-cigarettes, potentially hindering effective health-seeking behaviors. To comply with NIH communication guidelines, government entities and nongovernment organizations would benefit from improving the readability of e-cigarettes information and advice. ©Albert Park, Shu-Hong Zhu, Mike Conway. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.01.2017.

  13. Influence of vocabulary and sentence complexity and passive voice on the readability of consumer-oriented mental health information on the Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ownby, Raymond L

    2005-01-01

    Searching for health care information is one of the most common uses of the Internet by the elderly. Our earlier research showed that health care information websites may present information at levels of readability that are excessively difficult for many potential users. This study investigated the influence of several aspects of readability (vocabulary and sentence complexity and use of passive voice construction) on overall readability at several different levels of readability. Results show that easier to read sites could be differentiated most consistently from more difficult sites by vocabulary complexity. Comparison of the easiest and most difficult sites in several cases showed that sentence complexity and passive voice may also be important. These results can provide guidance for those interested in improving the readability of web sites that provide mental health information for consumers.

  14. An Analysis of the Readability of Financial Accounting Textbooks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Gerald; And Others

    1981-01-01

    The Flesch formula was used to calculate the readability of 15 financial accounting textbooks. The 15 textbooks represented introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels and also were classified by five different publishers. Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc analysis revealed some significant differences. (Author/CT)

  15. Reduction of dark-band-like metal artifacts caused by dental implant bodies using hypothetical monoenergetic imaging after dual-energy computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Ray; Hayashi, Takafumi; Ike, Makiko; Noto, Yoshiyuki; Goto, Tazuko K

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of hypothetical monoenergetic images after dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for assessment of the bone encircling dental implant bodies. Seventy-two axial images of implantation sites clipped out from image data scanned using DECT in dual-energy mode were used. Subjective assessment on reduction of dark-band-like artifacts (R-DBAs) and diagnosability of adjacent bone condition (D-ABC) in 3 sets of DECT images-a fused image set (DE120) and 2 sets of hypothetical monoenergetic images (ME100, ME190)-was performed and the results were statistically analyzed. With regards to R-DBAs and D-ABC, significant differences among DE120, ME100, and ME190 were observed. The ME100 and ME190 images revealed more artifact reduction and diagnosability than those of DE120. DECT imaging followed by hypothetical monoenergetic image construction can cause R-DBAs and increase D-ABC and may be potentially used for the evaluation of postoperative changes in the bone encircling implant bodies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Readability of patient information pamphlets in urogynecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reagan, Krista M L; O'Sullivan, David M; Harvey, David P; Lasala, Christine A

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the reading level of frequently used patient information pamphlets and documents in the field of urogynecology. Urogynecology pamphlets were identified from a variety of sources. Readability was determined using 4 different accepted formulas: the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the simple measure of gobbledygook Index, the Coleman-Liau Index, and the Gunning Fog index. The scores were calculated using an online calculator (http://www.readability-score.com). Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. The average of the 4 scores was calculated for each pamphlet. Subsequently, Z-scores were used to standardize the averages between the reading scales. Of the 40 documents reviewed, only a single pamphlet met the National Institutes of Health-recommended reading level. This document was developed by the American Urological Association and was specifically designated as a "Low-Literacy Brochure." The remainder of the patient education pamphlets, from both industry-sponsored and academic-sponsored sources, consistently rated above the recommended reading level for maximum comprehension. The majority of patient education pamphlets, from both industry-sponsored and academic-sponsored sources, are above the reading level recommended by the National Institutes of Health for maximum patient comprehension. Future work should be done to improve the educational resources available to patients by simplifying the verbiage in these documents.

  17. The compiled catalogue of galaxies in machine-readable form and its statistical investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kogoshvili, N.G.

    1982-01-01

    The compilation of a machine-readable catalogue of relatively bright galaxies was undertaken in Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory in order to facilitate the statistical analysis of a large observational material on galaxies from the Palomar Sky Survey. In compiling the catalogue of galaxies the following problems were considered: the collection of existing information for each galaxy; a critical approach to data aimed at the selection of the most important features of the galaxies; the recording of data in computer-readable form; and the permanent updating of the catalogue. (Auth.)

  18. A quantitative readability analysis of patient education resources from gastroenterology society websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansberry, David R; Patel, Sahil R; Agarwal, Prateek; Agarwal, Nitin; John, Elizabeth S; John, Ann M; Reynolds, James C

    2017-06-01

    The lay public frequently access and rely on online information as a source of their medical knowledge. Many medical societies are unaware of national patient education material guidelines and subsequently fail to meet them. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the readability of patient education materials within the medical field of gastroenterology. Two hundred fourteen articles pertaining to patient education materials were evaluated with ten well-established readability scales. The articles were available on the websites for the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), and the NIH section National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) post hoc analysis were conducted to determine any differences in level of readability between websites. The 214 articles were written at an 11.8 ± 2.1 grade level with a range of 8.0 to 16.0 grade level. A one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc analysis determined the ACG was written at a significantly (p gastroenterology content.

  19. Readability of Informed Consent Documents at University Counseling Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lustgarten, Samuel D.; Elchert, Daniel M.; Cederberg, Charles; Garrison, Yunkyoung L.; Ho, Y. C. S.

    2017-01-01

    The extent to which clients understand the nature and anticipated course of therapy is referred to as informed consent. Counseling psychologists often provide informed consent documents to enhance the education of services and for liability purposes. Professionals in numerous health care settings have evaluated the readability of their informed…

  20. Dual-frequency radio soundings of planetary ionospheres avoid misinterpretations of ionospheric features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paetzold, M.; Andert, T.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Hinson, D. P.; Peter, K.; Tellmann, S.

    2017-12-01

    Planetary ionospheres are usually sounded at single frequency, e.g. S-band or X-band, or at dual-frequencies, e.g. simultaneous S-band and X-band frequencies. The differential Doppler is computed from the received dual-frequency sounding and it has the advantage that any residual motion by the spaceraft body is compensated. The electron density profile is derived from the propagation of the two radio signals through the ionospheric plasma. Vibrational motion of small amplitude by the spacecraft body may still be contained in the single frequency residuals and may be translated into electron densities. Examples from Mars Express and Venus Express shall be presented. Cases from other missions shall be presented where wave-like structures in the upper ionosphere may be a misinterpretation.

  1. Readability, complexity, and suitability analysis of online lymphedema resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Bao Ngoc N; Singh, Mansher; Lee, Bernard T; Rudd, Rima; Singhal, Dhruv

    2017-06-01

    Over 72% of Americans use online health information to assist in health care decision-making. Previous studies of lymphedema literature have focused only on reading level of patient-oriented materials online. Findings indicate they are too advanced for most patients to comprehend. This, more comprehensive study, expands the previous analysis to include critical elements of health materials beyond readability using assessment tools to report on the complexity and density of data as well as text design, vocabulary, and organization. The top 10 highest ranked websites on lymphedema were identified using the most popular search engine (Google). Website content was analyzed for readability, complexity, and suitability using Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, PMOSE/iKIRSCH, and Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), respectively. PMOSE/iKIRSCH and SAM were performed by two independent raters. Fleiss' kappa score was calculated to ensure inter-rater reliability. Online lymphedema literature had a reading grade level of 14.0 (SMOG). Overall complexity score was 6.7 (PMOSE/iKIRSCH) corresponding to "low" complexity and requiring a 8th-12th grade education. Fleiss' kappa score was 80% (P = 0.04, "substantial" agreement). Overall suitability score was 45% (SAM) correlating to the lowest level of "adequate" suitability. Fleiss' kappa score was 76% (P = 0.06, "substantial" agreement). Online resources for lymphedema are above the recommended levels for readability and complexity. The suitability level is barely adequate for the intended audience. Overall, these materials are too sophisticated for the average American adult, whose literacy skills are well documented. Further efforts to revise these materials are needed to improve patient comprehension and understanding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Reassessing the Accuracy and Use of Readability Formulae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janan, Dahlia; Wray, David

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the study is to review readability formulae and offer a critique, based on a comparison of the grading of a variety of texts given by six well-known formulae. Methodology: A total of 64 texts in English were selected either by or for native English speaking children aged between six and 11 years. Each text was assessed…

  3. Polyadenylated Sequencing Primers Enable Complete Readability of PCR Amplicons Analyzed by Dideoxynucleotide Sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Beránek

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Dideoxynucleotide DNA sequencing is one of the principal procedures in molecular biology. Loss of an initial part of nucleotides behind the 3' end of the sequencing primer limits the readability of sequenced amplicons. We present a method which extends the readability by using sequencing primers modified by polyadenylated tails attached to their 5' ends. Performing a polymerase chain reaction, we amplified eight amplicons of six human genes (AMELX, APOE, HFE, MBL2, SERPINA1 and TGFB1 ranging from 106 bp to 680 bp. Polyadenylation of the sequencing primers minimized the loss of bases in all amplicons. Complete sequences of shorter products (AMELX 106 bp, SERPINA1 121 bp, HFE 208 bp, APOE 244 bp, MBL2 317 bp were obtained. In addition, in the case of TGFB1 products (366 bp, 432 bp, and 680 bp, respectively, the lengths of sequencing readings were significantly longer if adenylated primers were used. Thus, single strand dideoxynucleotide sequencing with adenylated primers enables complete or near complete readability of short PCR amplicons.

  4. Evaluation of Quality and Readability of Health Information Websites Identified through India's Major Search Engines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, S; Sharma, V L; Singh, A J; Goel, S

    2016-01-01

    Background. The available health information on websites should be reliable and accurate in order to make informed decisions by community. This study was done to assess the quality and readability of health information websites on World Wide Web in India. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014. The key words "Health" and "Information" were used on search engines "Google" and "Yahoo." Out of 50 websites (25 from each search engines), after exclusion, 32 websites were evaluated. LIDA tool was used to assess the quality whereas the readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and SMOG. Results. Forty percent of websites (n = 13) were sponsored by government. Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification was present on 50% (n = 16) of websites. The mean LIDA score (74.31) was average. Only 3 websites scored high on LIDA score. Only five had readability scores at recommended sixth-grade level. Conclusion. Most health information websites had average quality especially in terms of usability and reliability and were written at high readability levels. Efforts are needed to develop the health information websites which can help general population in informed decision making.

  5. Health literacy and the Internet: a study on the readability of Australian online health information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

    2015-08-01

    Almost 80% of Australian Internet users seek out health information online so the readability of this information is important. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of Australian online health information and determine if it matches the average reading level of Australians. Two hundred and fifty-one web pages with information on 12 common health conditions were identified across sectors. Readability was assessed by the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, with grade 8 adopted as the average Australian reading level. The average reading grade measured by F-K and SMOG was 10.54 and 12.12 respectively. The mean FRE was 47.54, a 'difficult-to-read' score. Only 0.4% of web pages were written at or below grade 8 according to SMOG. Information on dementia was the most difficult to read overall, while obesity was the most difficult among government websites. The findings suggest that the readability of Australian health websites is above the average Australian levels of reading. A quantifiable guideline is needed to ensure online health information accommodates the reading needs of the general public to effectively use the Internet as an enabler of health literacy. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

  6. Readability Trends of Online Information by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kevin; Levi, Jessica R

    2017-01-01

    Objective Previous studies have shown that patient education materials published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation may be too difficult for the average reader to understand. The purpose of this study was to determine if current educational materials show improvements in readability. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting The Patient Health Information section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation website. Subjects and Methods All patient education articles were extracted in plain text. Webpage navigation, references, author information, appointment information, acknowledgments, and disclaimers were removed. Follow-up editing was also performed to remove paragraph breaks, colons, semicolons, numbers, percentages, and bullets. Readability grade was calculated with the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning-Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. Intra- and interobserver reliability were assessed. Results A total of 126 articles from 7 topics were analyzed. Readability levels across all 6 tools showed that the difficulty of patient education materials exceeded the abilities of an average American. As compared with previous studies, current educational materials by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation have shown a decrease in difficulty. Intra- and interobserver reliability were both excellent, with intraclass coefficients of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. Conclusion Improvements in readability is an encouraging finding and one that is consistent with recent trends toward improved health literacy. Nevertheless, online patient educational material is still too difficult for the average reader. Revisions may be necessary for current materials to benefit a larger readership.

  7. Accuracy and readability of cardiovascular entries on Wikipedia: are they reliable learning resources for medical students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azer, Samy A; AlSwaidan, Nourah M; Alshwairikh, Lama A; AlShammari, Jumana M

    2015-10-06

    To evaluate accuracy of content and readability level of English Wikipedia articles on cardiovascular diseases, using quality and readability tools. Wikipedia was searched on the 6 October 2013 for articles on cardiovascular diseases. Using a modified DISCERN (DISCERN is an instrument widely used in assessing online resources), articles were independently scored by three assessors. The readability was calculated using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The inter-rater agreement between evaluators was calculated using the Fleiss κ scale. This study was based on 47 English Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases. The DISCERN scores had a median=33 (IQR=6). Four articles (8.5%) were of good quality (DISCERN score 40-50), 39 (83%) moderate (DISCERN 30-39) and 4 (8.5%) were poor (DISCERN 10-29). Although the entries covered the aetiology and the clinical picture, there were deficiencies in the pathophysiology of diseases, signs and symptoms, diagnostic approaches and treatment. The number of references varied from 1 to 127 references; 25.9±29.4 (mean±SD). Several problems were identified in the list of references and citations made in the articles. The readability of articles was 14.3±1.7 (mean±SD); consistent with the readability level for college students. In comparison, Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 18th edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level. The overall agreement between the evaluators was good (Fleiss κ 0.718 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.83). The Wikipedia entries are not aimed at a medical audience and should not be used as a substitute to recommended medical resources. Course designers and students should be aware that Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases lack accuracy, predominantly due to errors of omission. Further improvement of the Wikipedia content of cardiovascular entries would be needed before they could be considered a supplementary resource

  8. Independent polarization and multi-band THz absorber base on Jerusalem cross

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arezoomand, Afsaneh Saee; Zarrabi, Ferdows B.; Heydari, Samaneh; Gandji, Navid P.

    2015-10-01

    In this paper, we present the design and simulation of a single and multi-band perfect metamaterial absorber (MA) in the THz region base on Jerusalem cross (JC) and metamaterial load in unit cells. The structures consist of dual metallic layers for allowing near-perfect absorption with absorption peak of more than 99%. In this novel design, four-different shape of Jerusalem cross is presented and by adding L, U and W shape loaded to first structure, we tried to achieve a dual-band absorber. In addition, by good implementation of these loaded, we are able to control the absorption resonance at second resonance at 0.9, 0.7 and 0.85 THz respectively. In the other hand, we achieved a semi stable designing at first resonance between 0.53 and 0.58 THz. The proposed absorber has broadband polarization angle. The surface current modeled and proved the broadband polarization angle at prototype MA. The LC resonance of the metamaterial for Jerusalem cross and modified structures are extracting from equivalent circuit. As a result, proposed MA is useful for THz medical imaging and communication systems and the dual-band absorber has applications in many scientific and technological areas.

  9. Design study of an S-band RF cavity of a dual-energy electron LINAC for the CIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Byeong-No; Park, Hyungdal; Song, Ki-baek; Li, Yonggui; Lee, Byung Cheol; Cha, Sung-su; Lee, Jong-Chul; Shin, Seung-Wook; Chai, Jong-seo

    2014-01-01

    The design of a resonance frequency (RF) cavity for the dual-energy S-band electron linear accelerator (LINAC) has been carried out for the cargo inspection system (CIS). This Standing-wave-type RF cavity is operated at a frequency under the 2856-MHz resonance frequency and generates electron beams of 9 MeV (high mode) and 6 MeV (low mode). The electrons are accelerated from the initial energy of the electron gun to the target energy (9 or 6 MeV) inside the RF cavity by using the RF power transmitted from a 5.5-MW-class klystron. Then, electron beams with a 1-kW average power (both high mode and low mode) bombard an X-ray target a 2-mm spot size. The proposed accelerating gradient was 13 MV/m, and the designed Q value was about 7100. On going research on 15-MeV non-destructive inspections for military or other applications is presented.

  10. Third Molars on the Internet: A Guide for Assessing Information Quality and Readability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanna, Kamal; Brennan, David; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason

    2015-10-06

    Directing patients suffering from third molars (TMs) problems to high-quality online information is not only medically important, but also could enable better engagement in shared decision making. This study aimed to develop a scale that measures the scientific information quality (SIQ) for online information concerning wisdom tooth problems and to conduct a quality evaluation for online TMs resources. In addition, the study evaluated whether a specific piece of readability software (Readability Studio Professional 2012) might be reliable in measuring information comprehension, and explored predictors for the SIQ Scale. A cross-sectional sample of websites was retrieved using certain keywords and phrases such as "impacted wisdom tooth problems" using 3 popular search engines. The retrieved websites (n=150) were filtered. The retained 50 websites were evaluated to assess their characteristics, usability, accessibility, trust, readability, SIQ, and their credibility using DISCERN and Health on the Net Code (HoNCode). Websites' mean scale scores varied significantly across website affiliation groups such as governmental, commercial, and treatment provider bodies. The SIQ Scale had a good internal consistency (alpha=.85) and was significantly correlated with DISCERN (r=.82, Psoftware estimates were associated with scientific information comprehensiveness measures.

  11. An analysis of the readability of patient information and consent forms used in research studies in anaesthesia in Australia and New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, H E; Bramley, D E P

    2012-11-01

    The provision of written information is a component of the informed consent process for research participants. We conducted a readability analysis to test the hypothesis that the language used in patient information and consent forms in anaesthesia research in Australia and New Zealand does not meet the readability standards or expectations of the Good Clinical Practice Guidelines, the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. We calculated readability scores for 40 patient information and consent forms using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid formulas. The mean grade level of patient information and consent forms when using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid readability formulas was 12.9 (standard deviation of 0.8, 95% confidence interval 12.6 to 13.1) and 11.9 (standard deviation 1.1, 95% confidence interval 11.6 to 12.3), respectively. This exceeds the average literacy and comprehension of the general population in Australia and New Zealand. Complex language decreases readability and negatively impacts on the informed consent process. Care should be exercised when providing written information to research participants to ensure language and readability is appropriate for the audience.

  12. Design of high–order HTS dual–band bandpass filters with receiver subsystem for future mobile communication systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sekiya, N., E-mail: nsekiya@yamanashi.ac.jp

    2016-08-15

    Highlights: • We have developed two high-order HTS dual-band BPFs with a receiver subsystem for future mobile communication systems. • We developed a method for flexibly adjusting the coupling coefficient for the two passbands. • We demonstrated an HTS dual-band BPF receiver subsystem that uses a pulse tube cryocooler and a wideband LNA. • The proposed BPF is evaluated by simulation and measurement with good agreement. - Abstract: We have developed two high-order high-temperature superconducting (HTS) dual-band bandpass filters (BPFs) with a receiver subsystem for future mobile communication systems. They feature stub-loaded hair-pin resonators with two types of microstrip lines between them. One has a six-pole design, and the other has an eight-pole design. Both were designed to operate at 2.15 GHz with a 43-MHz (2%) bandwidth for the lower passband and at 3.50 GHz with a 70-MHz (2%) bandwidth for the upper one. They were fabricated using YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub y} thin film on a CeO{sub 2}-bufferd r-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate. The measured results for both filters agree well with the simulated ones. The HTS dual-band BPF receiver subsystem uses a pulse tube cryocooler and a wideband low noise amplifier (LNA). We measured the frequency response of the six-pole dual-band BPF with and without a wideband LNA with a gain of 10 dB. The measured return losses were close.

  13. Double dipole antenna for dual-band wireless local area networks applications

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Steyn, JM

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available band dipole is rhombus shaped and radiates above a planar ground plane, while radiation from the rectangular higher band dipole is directed through the use of a passive director. The antenna is characterized in terms of impedance bandwidth, gain...

  14. Evaluation of Quality and Readability of Health Information Websites Identified through India’s Major Search Engines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Raj

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The available health information on websites should be reliable and accurate in order to make informed decisions by community. This study was done to assess the quality and readability of health information websites on World Wide Web in India. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014. The key words “Health” and “Information” were used on search engines “Google” and “Yahoo.” Out of 50 websites (25 from each search engines, after exclusion, 32 websites were evaluated. LIDA tool was used to assess the quality whereas the readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL, and SMOG. Results. Forty percent of websites (n=13 were sponsored by government. Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode certification was present on 50% (n=16 of websites. The mean LIDA score (74.31 was average. Only 3 websites scored high on LIDA score. Only five had readability scores at recommended sixth-grade level. Conclusion. Most health information websites had average quality especially in terms of usability and reliability and were written at high readability levels. Efforts are needed to develop the health information websites which can help general population in informed decision making.

  15. Logic without unique readability - a study of semantic and syntactic ambiguity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentzen, Martin Mose

    One of the main reasons for introducing a formal language is to remove ambiguity, the possibility of assigning several meanings to a linguistic expression. Typically, this is achieved through ensuring unique readability of formulas by using brackets (or another convention, such as Polish notation...... not hold true universally. Whereas e.g. scope ambiguities in natural languages have been studied extensively, ambiguous formal languages have not been the focus of in depth research. Here, we lift the assumption of unique readability by omitting the brackets from propositional logic, making it possible...... to formally distinguish between syntactic and semantic ambiguity. A valuation then amounts to a semantic disambiguation, and rather than a unique valuation (truth value), there is a set of valuations corresponding to ways a formula could have been constructed. We show what happens to familiar concepts...

  16. Multi-band Microwave Antennas and Devices based on Generalized Negative-Refractive-Index Transmission Lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Colan Graeme Matthew

    Focused on the quad-band generalized negative-refractive-index transmission line (G-NRI-TL), this thesis presents a variety of novel printed G-NRI-TL multi-band microwave device and antenna prototypes. A dual-band coupled-line coupler, an all-pass G-NRI-TL bridged-T circuit, a dual-band metamaterial leaky-wave antenna, and a multi-band G-NRI-TL resonant antenna are all new developments resulting from this research. In addition, to continue the theme of multi-band components, negative-refractive-index transmission lines are used to create a dual-band circularly polarized transparent patch antenna and a two-element wideband decoupled meander antenna system. High coupling over two independently-specified frequency bands is the hallmark of the G-NRI-TL coupler: it is 0.35lambda0 long but achieves approximately -3 dB coupling over both bands with a maximum insertion loss of 1 dB. This represents greater design flexibility than conventional coupled-line couplers and less loss than subsequent G-NRI-TL couplers. The single-ended bridged-T G-NRI-TL offers a metamaterial unit cell with an all-pass magnitude response up to 8 GHz, while still preserving the quad-band phase response of the original circuit. It is shown how the all-pass response leads to wider bandwidths and improved matching in quad-band inverters, power dividers, and hybrid couplers. The dual-band metamaterial leaky-wave antenna presented here was the first to be reported in the literature, and it allows broadside radiation at both 2 GHz and 6 GHz without experiencing the broadside stopband common to conventional periodic antennas. Likewise, the G-NRI-TL resonant antenna is the first reported instance of such a device, achieving quad-band operation between 2.5 GHz and 5.6 GHz, with a minimum radiation efficiency of 80%. Negative-refractive-index transmission line loading is applied to two devices: an NRI-TL meander antenna achieves a measured 52% impedance bandwidth, while a square patch antenna incorporates

  17. Readability Levels of the Reading Passages in the ITED: Final Report. Iowa Testing Programs Research Report. Number 6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsyth, Robert

    The readability level of passages from three subtests of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), Forms X-6 and Y-6, were compared with the readability level of passages selected from the Des Moines Resister, Reader's Digest, Time, Newsweek, Saturday Review, and 18 high school textbooks from the fields of social studies, science, and…

  18. Reply to "Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)"

    Science.gov (United States)

    McHugh, R. Kathryn; Behar, Evelyn

    2012-01-01

    In his commentary on our previously published article "Readability of Self-Report Measures of Depression and Anxiety," J. Schinka (2012) argued for the importance of considering readability of patient materials and highlighted limitations of existing methodologies for this assessment. Schinka's commentary articulately described the weaknesses of…

  19. Readability of self-illuminated signs obscured by black fuel-fire smoke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-07-01

    This study, using black fuel-fire generated smoke, is a partial replication of an earlier study using an inert white smoke as the obscuring agent in the study of the readability of smoke-obscured, self-illuminated emergency exit signs. : The results ...

  20. How well are health information websites displayed on mobile phones? Implications for the readability of health information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

    2017-03-01

    Issue addressed More than 87% of Australians own a mobile phone with Internet access and 82% of phone owners use their smartphones to search for health information, indicating that mobile phones may be a powerful tool for building health literacy. Yet, online health information has been found to be above the reading ability of the general population. As reading on a smaller screen may further complicate the readability of information, this study aimed to examine how health information is displayed on mobile phones and its implications for readability. Methods Using a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling, a sample of 270 mobile webpages with information on 12 common health conditions was generated for analysis, they were categorised based on design and position of information display. Results The results showed that 71.48% of webpages were mobile-friendly but only 15.93% were mobile-friendly webpages designed in a way to optimise readability, with a paging format and queried information displayed for immediate viewing. Conclusion With inadequate evidence and lack of consensus on how webpage design can best promote reading and comprehension, it is difficult to draw a conclusion on the effect of current mobile health information presentation on readability. So what? Building mobile-responsive websites should be a priority for health information providers and policy-makers. Research efforts are urgently required to identify how best to enhance readability of mobile health information and fully capture the capabilities of mobile phones as a useful device to increase health literacy.

  1. The role of readability in effective health communication: an experiment using a Japanese health information text on chronic suppurative otitis media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Yukiko

    2013-09-01

    This study identifies the most significant readability factors and examines ways of improving and evaluating Japanese health information text in terms of ease of reading and understanding. Six different Japanese texts were prepared based on an original short text written by a medical doctor for a hospital web site intended for laypersons regarding chronic suppurative otitis media. Four were revised for single readability factor (syntax, vocabulary, or text structure) and two were modified in all three factors. Using a web-based survey, 270 high school students read one of the seven texts, including the original, completed two kinds of comprehension tests, and answered questions on their impressions of the text's readability. Significantly higher comprehension test scores were shown in the true or false test for a mixed text that presented important information first for better text structure. They were also found in the cloze test for a text using common vocabulary and a cohesive mixed text. Vocabulary could be a critical single readability factor when presumably combined with better text structure. Using multiple evaluation methods can help assess comprehensive readability. The findings on improvement and evaluation methods of readability can be applied to support effective health communication. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group Health Information and Libraries Journal.

  2. Recent Developments of Reflectarray Antennas in Dual-Reflector Configurations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Tienda

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent work on dual-reflector antennas involving reflectarrays is reviewed in this paper. Both dual-reflector antenna with a reflectarray subreflector and dual-reflectarrays antennas with flat or parabolic main reflectarray are considered. First, a general analysis technique for these two configurations is described. Second, results for beam scanning and contoured-beam applications in different frequency bands are shown and discussed. The performance and capabilities of these antennas are shown by describing some practical design cases for radar, satellite communications, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS applications.

  3. Concept Design of a Multi-Band Shared Aperture Reflectarray/Reflector Antenna

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spence, Thomas; Cooley, Michael; Stenger, Peter; Park, Richard; Li, Lihua; Racette, Paul; Heymsfield, Gerald; Mclinden, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    A scalable dual-band (KaW) shared-aperture antenna system design has been developed as a proposed solution to meet the needs of the planned NASA Earth Science Aerosol, Clouds, and Ecosystem (ACE) mission. The design is comprised of a compact Cassegrain reflector/reflectarray with a fixed pointing W-band feed and a cross track scanned Ka-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA). Critical Sub-scale prototype testing and flight tests have validated some of the key aspects of this innovative antenna design, including the low loss reflector/reflectarray surface.More recently the science community has expressed interest in a mission that offers the ability to measure precipitation in addition to clouds and aerosols. In this paper we present summaries of multiple designs that explore options for realizing a tri-frequency (KuKaW), shared-aperture antenna system to meet these science objectives. Design considerations include meeting performance requirements while emphasizing payload size, weight, prime power, and cost. The extensive trades and lessons learned from our previous dual-band ACE system development were utilized as the foundation for this work.

  4. Readability of Spanish language online information for the initial treatment of burns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Votta, Kaitlyn; Metivier, Meghan; Romo, Stephanie; Garrigan, Hannah; Drexler, Alana; Nodoushani, Ariana; Sheridan, Robert

    2018-06-01

    This study's aim is to identify the most popular online resources for burn treatment information available in the Spanish language, and to evaluate the readability of this information. The phrase "tratamiento de quemaduras" (burn treatment) was entered into search engines Google and Bing on 9/15/2014 and 9/13/2017. The top 12 Spanish web results on each site were identified and analyzed using Readability Studio Professional Edition v2012.1. The software generated a "mean grade reading level" for each article, or the grade of students that could be expected to understand the article's language. 21 distinct articles were identified at T1 and 17 at T2, with seven overlapping between T1 and T2. The average grade reading level of all the websites ranged from 7.8 to 13.8 at T1 (approximately 8th grade to sophomore year of college) and 7.8 to 12.2 at T2. No websites were within 1 standard deviation of the American Medical Association recommended 6th grade reading level. With readability showing little improvement during the past three years, providers should be aware of the complexity of online literature, and the potential complications this presents to patients. Additionally, burn centers should prioritize generating more accessible information for the Spanish speaking public. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  5. Toolsets for Airborne Data (TAD): Improving Machine Readability for ICARTT Data Files

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northup, E. A.; Early, A. B.; Beach, A. L., III; Kusterer, J.; Quam, B.; Wang, D.; Chen, G.

    2015-12-01

    NASA has conducted airborne tropospheric chemistry studies for about three decades. These field campaigns have generated a great wealth of observations, including a wide range of the trace gases and aerosol properties. The ASDC Toolsets for Airborne Data (TAD) is designed to meet the user community needs for manipulating aircraft data for scientific research on climate change and air quality relevant issues. TAD makes use of aircraft data stored in the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) file format. ICARTT has been the NASA standard since 2010, and is widely used by NOAA, NSF, and international partners (DLR, FAAM). Its level of acceptance is due in part to it being generally self-describing for researchers, i.e., it provides necessary data descriptions for proper research use. Despite this, there are a number of issues with the current ICARTT format, especially concerning the machine readability. In order to overcome these issues, the TAD team has developed an "idealized" file format. This format is ASCII and is sufficiently machine readable to sustain the TAD system, however, it is not fully compatible with the current ICARTT format. The process of mapping ICARTT metadata to the idealized format, the format specifics, and the actual conversion process will be discussed. The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate an example of how to improve the machine readability of ASCII data format protocols.

  6. Critical Analysis of the Quality, Readability, and Technical Aspects of Online Information Provided for Neck-Lifts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rayess, Hani; Zuliani, Giancarlo F; Gupta, Amar; Svider, Peter F; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Carron, Michael A

    2017-03-01

    The number of patients using the internet to obtain health information is growing. This material is unregulated and heterogeneous and can influence patient decisions. To compare the quality, readability, and technical aspects of online information about neck-lifts provided by private practice websites vs academic medical centers and reference sources. In this cross-sectional analysis conducted between November 2015 and January 2016, a Google search of the term neck-lift was performed, and the first 45 websites were evaluated. The websites were categorized as private practice vs other. Private websites (PWs) included sites created by private practice physicians. Other websites (OWs) were created by academic medical centers or reference sources. Quality, readability, and technical aspects of online websites related to neck-lifts. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net principles (HONcode). Readability was assessed using 7 validated and widely used criteria. Consensus US reading grade level readability was provided by a website (readabilityformulas.com). Twelve technical aspects were evaluated based on criteria specified by medical website creators. Forty-five websites (8 OWs [18%] and 37 PWs [82%]) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in quality between OWs and PWs based on the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The DISCERN overall mean (SD) scores were 2.3 (0.5) for OWs and 1.3 (0.3) for PWs (P analysis, the mean (SD) was 8.6 (1.8) (range, 5-11) for OW, and the mean (SD) was 5.8 (1.7) (range, 2-9) for PW. The mean (SD) readability consensus reading grade level scores were 11.7 (1.9) for OWs and 10.6 (1.9) for PWs. Of a total possible score of 12, the mean (SD) technical scores were 6.3 (1.8) (range, 4-9) for OWs and 6.4 (1.5) (range, 3-9) for PWs. Compared with PWs, OWs had a significantly higher quality score based on both the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The mean readability for OWs and PWs was

  7. Readability Levels of Health-Based Websites: From Content to Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schutten, Mary; McFarland, Allison

    2009-01-01

    Three of the national health education standards include decision-making, accessing information and analyzing influences. WebQuests are a popular inquiry-oriented method used by secondary teachers to help students achieve these content standards. While WebQuests support higher level thinking skills, the readability level of the information on the…

  8. Spanish Readability Formulas for Elementary-Level Texts: A Validation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Richard I.; Hasbrouck, Jan E.; Weaver, Laurie

    2001-01-01

    Uses two formulas developed for Spanish language text to analyze 9 stories that were read by 36 Spanish-speaking second graders with limited English proficiency. Finds that the Spanish readability formulas only weakly predicted student performance, indicating the need to pursue broader, qualitative indices of difficulty for Spanish text. (SG)

  9. Quality and readability of websites for patient information on tonsillectomy and sleep apnea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Ethan; Jabbour, Noel; Aaronson, Nicole Leigh

    2017-07-01

    Tonsillectomy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Internet allows patients direct access to medical information. Since information on the Internet is largely unregulated, quality and readability are variable. This study evaluates the quality and readability of the most likely visited websites presenting information on sleep apnea and tonsillectomy. The three most popular search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) were queried with the phrase "sleep apnea AND tonsillectomy." The DISCERN instrument was used to assess quality of information. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Out of the maximum of 80, the average DISCERN quality score for the websites was 55.1 (SD- 12.3, Median- 60.5). The mean score for FRES was 42.3 (SD- 15.9, Median- 45.5), which falls in the range defined as difficult. No website was above the optimal score of 65. The mean score for the FKGL was US grade-level of 10.7 (SD- 1.6, Median- 11.6). Only 4(27%) websites were in the optimal range of 6-8. There was very weak correlation between FRES and DISCERN (r = 0.07) and FKGL and DISCERN (r = 0.21). Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgeries in the US. However, the internet information readily available to patients varies in quality. Additionally, much of the information is above the recommended grade level for comprehension by the public. By being aware of what information patients are reading online, physicians can better explain treatments and address misunderstandings. Physicians may consider using similar methods to test the readability for their own resources for patient education. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. An efficient atomistic quantum mechanical simulation on InAs band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhi [State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083 (China); Jiang, Xiang-Wei; Li, Shu-Shen [State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083 (China); Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Wang, Lin-Wang, E-mail: lwwang@lbl.gov [Material Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

    2014-03-24

    We have presented a fully atomistic quantum mechanical simulation method on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) field-effect transistors (FETs). Our simulation approach is based on the linear combination of bulk band method with empirical pseudopotentials, which is an atomist method beyond the effective-mass approximation or k.p perturbation method, and can be used to simulate real-size devices (∼10{sup 5} atoms) efficiently (∼5 h on a few computational cores). Using this approach, we studied the InAs dual-gate BTBT FETs. The I-V characteristics from our approach agree very well with the tight-binding non-equilibrium Green's function results, yet our method costs much less computationally. In addition, we have studied ways to increase the tunneling current and analyzed the effects of different mechanisms for that purpose.

  11. An efficient atomistic quantum mechanical simulation on InAs band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhi; Jiang, Xiang-Wei; Li, Shu-Shen; Wang, Lin-Wang

    2014-01-01

    We have presented a fully atomistic quantum mechanical simulation method on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) field-effect transistors (FETs). Our simulation approach is based on the linear combination of bulk band method with empirical pseudopotentials, which is an atomist method beyond the effective-mass approximation or k.p perturbation method, and can be used to simulate real-size devices (∼10 5 atoms) efficiently (∼5 h on a few computational cores). Using this approach, we studied the InAs dual-gate BTBT FETs. The I-V characteristics from our approach agree very well with the tight-binding non-equilibrium Green's function results, yet our method costs much less computationally. In addition, we have studied ways to increase the tunneling current and analyzed the effects of different mechanisms for that purpose

  12. Readability of patient discharge instructions with and without the use of electronically available disease-specific templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Stephanie K; Giannelli, Kyla; Boxer, Robert; Schnipper, Jeffrey L

    2015-07-01

    Low health literacy is common, leading to patient vulnerability during hospital discharge, when patients rely on written health instructions. We aimed to examine the impact of the use of electronic, patient-friendly, templated discharge instructions on the readability of discharge instructions provided to patients at discharge. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 233 patients discharged from a large tertiary care hospital to their homes following the implementation of a web-based "discharge module," which included the optional use of diagnosis-specific templated discharge instructions. We compared the readability of discharge instructions, as measured by the Flesch Reading Ease Level test (FREL, on a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater readability) and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test (FKGL, measured in grade levels), between discharges that used templated instructions (with or without modification) versus discharges that used clinician-generated instructions (with or without available templated instructions for the specific discharge diagnosis). Templated discharge instructions were provided to patients in 45% of discharges. Of the 55% of patients that received clinician-generated discharge instructions, the majority (78.1%) had no available templated instruction for the specific discharge diagnosis. Templated discharge instructions had higher FREL scores (71 vs. 57, P readability (a higher FREL score and a lower FKGL score) than the use of clinician-generated discharge instructions. The main reason for clinicians to create discharge instructions was the lack of available templates for the patient's specific discharge diagnosis. Use of electronically available templated discharge instructions may be a viable option to improve the readability of written material provided to patients at discharge, although the library of available templates requires expansion. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the

  13. Multi-terminal Two-color ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe Based Quantum-well Infrared Photodetector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Yasin; Ravikumar, Arvind; Chen, Guopeng; Tamargo, Maria C.; Shen, Aidong; Gmachl, Claire

    Target recognition and identification applications benefits from two-color infrared (IR) detectors in the mid and long-wavelength IR regions. Currently, InGaAs/AlGaAs and GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells (QWs) grown on GaAs substrate are the most commonly used two-color QW IR photodetectors (QWIPs). However, the lattice-mismatch and the buildup of strain limit the number of QWs that can be grown, in turn increasing the dark current noise, and limiting the device detectivity.In this work, we report on two-color QWIPs based on the large conduction band offset (~1.12ev) ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe material system lattice matched to InP. QWIPs were designed based on a bound to quasi-bound transition, centered at 4 μm and 7 μm and each QW is repeated 50 times to eliminate the high dark current and a contact layer is inserted between the two stacks of QWs for independent electrical contacts. Wafers are processed into two step rectangular mesas by lithography and wet etching. Experiments showed absorption spectra centered at 4.9 μm and 7.6 μm at 80 K and the full width at half maximums were Δλ / λ = 21 % and Δλ / λ = 23 % , respectively. Current work studies the Johnson and the background noise limited detectivities of these QWIPs. Current address: School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

  14. High-temperature superconducting coplanar-waveguide quarter-wavelength resonator with odd- and even-mode resonant frequencies for dual-band bandpass filter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Satoh, Kei; Takagi, Yuta; Narahashi, Shoichi [Research Laboratories, NTT DOCOMO, INC., 3-6 Hikari-no-oka Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239-8536 Japan (Japan); Nojima, Toshio, E-mail: satokei@nttdocomo.co.j [Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Kita 14, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0814 Japan (Japan)

    2010-06-01

    This paper presents a high-temperature superconducting coplanar-waveguide quarter-wavelength resonator that has two different resonant modes for use in a dual-band bandpass filter (DBPF). An RF filter with multiple passbands such as the DBPF is a basic element that is expected to achieve broadband transmission by using separated frequency bands aggregately and simultaneously in future mobile communication systems. The proposed resonator has a folded center conductor and two open stubs that are aligned close to it. The odd- and even-mode resonant frequencies are configured using the space between the folded center conductor and the open stubs. It is easy to configure the odd- and even-mode coupling coefficients independently because the two resonant modes have different current density distributions. Consequently, a DBPF with two different bandwidths can be easily designed. This paper presents three design examples for a four-pole Chebyshev DBPF with different combinations of fractional bandwidths in order to investigate the validity of the proposed resonator. This paper also presents measured results of the DBPF based on the design examples from the standpoint of experimental investigation. The designed and measured frequency responses confirm that the proposed resonator is effective in achieving DBPFs not only with two of the same bandwidths but also with two different bandwidths.

  15. An experimental study on the readability of digital images in the furcal bone defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Hyung Wuk; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae [Kyunghee University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-06-15

    To evaluate and compare the efficacy of digital radiographic images in the detection of bone loss at the bifurcation area of the mandibular first molar with traditional film-based periapical radiographs. One dried human mandible with minimal periodontal bone loss around the first molar was selected and an artificial alveolar bone defect at the bifurcation area was serially prepared over 18 steps. Images were taken using a direct CCD-based system and with F-speed periapical films. The images were evaluated by seven interpreters (3 radiologists, 3 periodontologists, and 1 general dentist) using a 5-point confidence rating scale. The readability of both periapical radiographs and digital image increased as the size of the artificial lesion and exposure time increased (p<0.05). Periapical radiographs offered greater readability of smaller bone defects than digital images, and the coefficient of variation of mean score between periapical radiographs and digital images showed a significant difference. The experimental results indicate that a significant difference in the coefficient of variation of mean score exists between periapical radiographs and digital images, and that traditional film-based periapical images offer greater readability of smaller bone defects than digital images can presently offer.

  16. An experimental study on the readability of digital images in the furcal bone defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Hyung Wuk; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae

    2003-01-01

    To evaluate and compare the efficacy of digital radiographic images in the detection of bone loss at the bifurcation area of the mandibular first molar with traditional film-based periapical radiographs. One dried human mandible with minimal periodontal bone loss around the first molar was selected and an artificial alveolar bone defect at the bifurcation area was serially prepared over 18 steps. Images were taken using a direct CCD-based system and with F-speed periapical films. The images were evaluated by seven interpreters (3 radiologists, 3 periodontologists, and 1 general dentist) using a 5-point confidence rating scale. The readability of both periapical radiographs and digital image increased as the size of the artificial lesion and exposure time increased (p<0.05). Periapical radiographs offered greater readability of smaller bone defects than digital images, and the coefficient of variation of mean score between periapical radiographs and digital images showed a significant difference. The experimental results indicate that a significant difference in the coefficient of variation of mean score exists between periapical radiographs and digital images, and that traditional film-based periapical images offer greater readability of smaller bone defects than digital images can presently offer.

  17. Readability and quality assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to laryngeal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narwani, Vishal; Nalamada, Keerthana; Lee, Michael; Kothari, Prasad; Lakhani, Raj

    2016-04-01

    Patients are increasingly using the internet to access health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability and quality of laryngeal cancer-related websites. Patient education materials were identified by performing an internet search using 3 search engines. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The DISCERN instrument was utilized to assess quality of health information. A total of 54 websites were included in the analysis. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 48.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.8-51.6); FKGL, 10.9 (95% CI = 10.3-11.5); and GFI, 13.8 (95% CI = 11.3-16.3). These scores suggest that, on average, online information about patients with laryngeal cancer is written at an advanced level. The mean DISCERN score was 49.8 (95% CI = 45.4-54.2), suggesting that online information is of variable quality. Our study suggests much of the laryngeal cancer information available online is of suboptimal quality and written at a level too difficult for the average adult to read comfortably. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Readability of Written Materials for CKD Patients: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morony, Suzanne; Flynn, Michaela; McCaffery, Kirsten J; Jansen, Jesse; Webster, Angela C

    2015-06-01

    The "average" patient has a literacy level of US grade 8 (age 13-14 years), but this may be lower for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Current guidelines suggest that patient education materials should be pitched at a literacy level of around 5th grade (age 10-11 years). This study aims to evaluate the readability of written materials targeted at patients with CKD. Systematic review. Patient information materials aimed at adults with CKD and written in English. Patient education materials designed to be printed and read, sourced from practices in Australia and online at all known websites run by relevant international CKD organizations during March 2014. Quantitative analysis of readability using Lexile Analyzer and Flesch-Kincaid tools. We analyzed 80 materials. Both Lexile Analyzer and Flesch-Kincaid analyses suggested that most materials required a minimum of grade 9 (age 14-15 years) schooling to read them. Only 5% of materials were pitched at the recommended level (grade 5). Readability formulas have inherent limitations and do not account for visual information. We did not consider other media through which patients with CKD may access information. Although the study covered materials from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, all non-Internet materials were sourced locally, and it is possible that some international paper-based materials were missed. Generalizability may be limited due to exclusion of non-English materials. These findings suggest that patient information materials aimed at patients with CKD are pitched above the average patient's literacy level. This issue is compounded by cognitive decline in patients with CKD, who may have lower literacy than the average patient. It suggests that information providers need to consider their audience more carefully when preparing patient information materials, including user testing with a low-literacy patient population. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by

  19. The Readability and Complexity of District-Provided School-Choice Information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, Marc L.; Nagro, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    Public school choice has become a common feature in American school districts. Any potential benefits that could be derived from these policies depend heavily on the ability of parents and students to make informed and educated decisions about their school options. We examined the readability and complexity of school-choice guides across a sample…

  20. [Systematic Readability Analysis of Medical Texts on Websites of German University Clinics for General and Abdominal Surgery].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esfahani, B Janghorban; Faron, A; Roth, K S; Grimminger, P P; Luers, J C

    2016-12-01

    Background: Besides the function as one of the main contact points, websites of hospitals serve as medical information portals. As medical information texts should be understood by any patients independent of the literacy skills and educational level, online texts should have an appropriate structure to ease understandability. Materials and Methods: Patient information texts on websites of clinics for general surgery at German university hospitals (n = 36) were systematically analysed. For 9 different surgical topics representative medical information texts were extracted from each website. Using common readability tools and 5 different readability indices the texts were analysed concerning their readability and structure. The analysis was furthermore stratified in relation to geographical regions in Germany. Results: For the definite analysis the texts of 196 internet websites could be used. On average the texts consisted of 25 sentences and 368 words. The reading analysis tools congruously showed that all texts showed a rather low readability demanding a high literacy level from the readers. Conclusion: Patient information texts on German university hospital websites are difficult to understand for most patients. To fulfill the ambition of informing the general population in an adequate way about medical issues, a revision of most medical texts on websites of German surgical hospitals is recommended. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. Fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres: a promising tool for fast-simultaneous-addressable high-throughput analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Min; Hu, Jun; Wen, Cong-Ying; Zhang, Zhi-Ling; Xie, Hai-Yan; Pang, Dai-Wen

    2012-01-01

    Bead-based optical encoding or magnetic encoding techniques are promising in high-throughput multiplexed detection and separation of numerous species under complicated conditions. Therefore, a self-assembly strategy implemented in an organic solvent is put forward to fabricate fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres. Briefly, hydrophobic trioctylphosphine oxide-capped CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and oleic acid-capped nano-γ-Fe2O3 magnetic particles are directly, selectively and controllably assembled on branched poly(ethylene imine)-coated nanospheres without any pretreatment, which is crucial to keep the high quantum yield of QDs and good dispersibility of γ-Fe2O3. Owing to the tunability of coating amounts of QDs and γ-Fe2O3 as well as controllable fluorescent emissions of deposited-QDs, dual-encoded nanospheres with different photoluminescent emissions and gradient magnetic susceptibility are constructed. Using this improved layer-by-layer self-assembly approach, deposition of hydrophobic nanoparticles onto hydrophilic carriers in organic media can be easily realized; meanwhile, fluorescent-magnetic dual-functional nanospheres can be further equipped with readable optical and magnetic addresses. The resultant fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres possess both the unique optical properties of QDs and the superparamagnetic properties of γ-Fe2O3, exhibiting good monodispersibility, huge encoding capacity and nanoscale particle size. Compared with the encoded microbeads reported by others, the nanometre scale of the dual-encoded nanospheres gives them minimum steric hindrance and higher flexibility.

  2. Health literacy and contraception: a readability evaluation of contraceptive instructions for condoms, spermicides and emergency contraception in the USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Ibiary, Shareen Y; Youmans, Sharon L

    2007-03-01

    To assess readability of over-the-counter (OTC) contraceptive product instructions currently available, compare the results with previous studies from a decade ago, and review the implications for health care providers, in particular pharmacists counseling on OTC contraceptives. A sample of contraceptive instructions was submitted to a readability analysis using four standard readability formulas. Products included condoms, spermicides, and emergency contraception instruction pamphlets. Reading grade levels for condoms ranged from 6th to 12th grade. The average reading levels for the spermicides were 9th-10th grade and for the emergency contraceptives 10th-12th grade. These results were consistent with those of similar studies performed a decade ago. Consumers need to have at least a high school reading level in order to comprehend current product instructions. Very little has changed in the past decade regarding readability of OTC contraceptive patient instructions, despite calls to simplify written instructions. Healthcare providers, in particular pharmacists, must be aware of these disparities to enhance patient education and advocate for simpler reading materials.

  3. Readability and quality assessment of websites related to microtia and aural atresia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alamoudi, Uthman; Hong, Paul

    2015-02-01

    Many parents and children utilize the Internet for health-related information, but the quality of these websites can vary. The objective of this study was to assess the quality and readability of microtia and aural atresia related websites. The search engine Google was queried with the terms 'microtia' and 'aural atresia.' The first 30 results were evaluated, and those websites containing original information written in English were reviewed. Quality of content was assessed with the DISCERN instrument, and readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKGL) and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) tests. Each website was also reviewed for ownership and the date of last update. Sixteen microtia and 14 aural atresia websites were included for full review. The mean DISCERN score for microtia websites was 54.4 (SD=8.3), and for aural atresia websites it was 47.6 (SD=10.7), which indicates 'good' and 'fair' quality of content, respectively. Readability assessments showed an average reading level requiring a grade 10 education on FKGL, and only one microtia (6.3%) and one aural atresia (7.1%) websites were deemed to be at 'reasonable' reading level on FRES. High-quality websites that are considered easily comprehensible to the general public were lacking. Since parents and children may use websites when making treatment decisions, physicians should be aware of the quality of health information pertaining to their area of expertise available on the Internet. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The EMIR multi-band mm-wave receiver for the IRAM 30-m telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, M.; Lazareff, B.; Maier, D.; Chenu, J.-Y.; Fontana, A.-L.; Bortolotti, Y.; Boucher, C.; Navarrini, A.; Blanchet, S.; Greve, A.; John, D.; Kramer, C.; Morel, F.; Navarro, S.; Peñalver, J.; Schuster, K. F.; Thum, C.

    2012-02-01

    Aims: The prime motivation of this project was to design and build a state-of-art mm-wave heterodyne receiver system to enhance the observing throughput of the IRAM 30-m radiotelescope. More specifically, the requirements were i) state-of-art noise performance for spectroscopic observations; ii) simultaneous dual polarization and dual-frequency observing; iii) coverage of the atmospheric transmission windows from 83 to 360 GHz; iv) compact footprint and minimal maintenance. Methods: Key elements for low noise performance of heterodyne mixers are the superconducting Niobium junctions, operating at ≃4 K. These junctions are embedded in carefully designed coupling structures; furthermore, since atmospheric radiation is a significant contributor to the system noise budget, all mixers are either sideband separating or sideband rejecting. To achieve low noise, it is also essential to maximize the coupling of the receiver to the astronomical source, and to minimize the coupling to thermal radiation from the ground-based environment; this is achieved through mirror optics that realize a wavelength-independent coupling to the telescope. A flexible configuration of mirrors and frequency selective surfaces permits various combinations of frequency bands, as well as dual-load radiometric calibration. Low noise intermediate frequency amplifiers and bias electronics also play an important role in the system performance. Results: The EMIR receiver in operation at the 30 m telescope offers four frequency bands: B1: 83-117 GHz, B2: 129-174 GHz, B3: 200-267 GHz, and B4: 260-360 GHz. In each band, the two orthogonal polarizations are observed simultaneously. Dual-band combinations B1/2 B1/3, and B2/4 are available. Bands 1 and 4 (also 3 as of Nov.-2011) feature sideband separation. In dual-band configuration, including sideband separation and polarization diplexing, up to eight IF channels are delivered to the spectrometers, totaling up to 64 GHz of signal bandwidth (of which 32

  5. Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) [machine-readable data file].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock. General Education Div.

    The Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) machine-readable data file (MRDF) is a collection of education and health data on more than 750,000 migrant children in grades K-12 in the United States (except Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and the outlying territories of Puerto Rico and the Mariana and Marshall Islands. The active file…

  6. Non-invasive imaging and monitoring of rodent retina using simultaneous dual-band optical coherence tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cimalla, Peter; Burkhardt, Anke; Walther, Julia; Hoefer, Aline; Wittig, Dierk; Funk, Richard; Koch, Edmund

    2011-03-01

    Spectral domain dual-band optical coherence tomography for simultaneous imaging of rodent retina in the 0.8 μm and 1.3 μm wavelength region and non-invasive monitoring of the posterior eye microstructure in the field of retinal degeneration research is demonstrated. The system is illuminated by a supercontinuum laser source and allows three-dimensional imaging with high axial resolution better than 3.8 μm and 5.3 μm in tissue at 800 nm and 1250 nm, respectively, for precise retinal thickness measurements. A fan-shaped scanning pattern with the pivot point close to the eye's pupil and a contact lens are applied to obtain optical access to the eye's fundus. First in vivo experiments in a RCS (royal college of surgeons) rat model with gene-related degeneration of the photoreceptor cells show good visibility of the retinal microstructure with sufficient contrast for thickness measurement of individual retinal layers. An enhanced penetration depth at 1250 nm is clearly identifiable revealing sub-choroidal structures that are not visible at 800 nm. Furthermore, additional simultaneous imaging at 1250 nm improves image quality by frequency compounding speckle noise reduction. These results are encouraging for time course studies of the rodent retina concerning its development related to disease progression and treatment response.

  7. Evaluation of the Mechanical Durability of the Egyptian Machine Readable Booklet Passport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Mahmoud Yosri

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In 2008 the first Egyptian booklet Machine Readable Passport/ MRP has been issued and its security and informative standard quality levels were proved in a research published in 2011. Here the durability profiles of the Egyptian MRP have been evaluated. Seven mechanical durability tests were applied on the Egyptian MRP. Such tests are specified in the International Civil Aviation Organization / ICAO standard requirements documents. These seven very severe durability tests resulted in that the Egyptian MRP has achieved better & higher results than the values detected in ICAO-Doc N0232: Durability of Machine Readable Passports - Version: 3.2. Hence, this research had proved the complete conformance between the Egyptian MRP mechanical durability profiles to the international requirements. The Egyptian booklet MRP doesn’t need any obligatory modification concerning its mechanical durability profiles.

  8. Third Molars on the Internet: A Guide for Assessing Information Quality and Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, David; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason

    2015-01-01

    Background Directing patients suffering from third molars (TMs) problems to high-quality online information is not only medically important, but also could enable better engagement in shared decision making. Objectives This study aimed to develop a scale that measures the scientific information quality (SIQ) for online information concerning wisdom tooth problems and to conduct a quality evaluation for online TMs resources. In addition, the study evaluated whether a specific piece of readability software (Readability Studio Professional 2012) might be reliable in measuring information comprehension, and explored predictors for the SIQ Scale. Methods A cross-sectional sample of websites was retrieved using certain keywords and phrases such as “impacted wisdom tooth problems” using 3 popular search engines. The retrieved websites (n=150) were filtered. The retained 50 websites were evaluated to assess their characteristics, usability, accessibility, trust, readability, SIQ, and their credibility using DISCERN and Health on the Net Code (HoNCode). Results Websites’ mean scale scores varied significantly across website affiliation groups such as governmental, commercial, and treatment provider bodies. The SIQ Scale had a good internal consistency (alpha=.85) and was significantly correlated with DISCERN (r=.82, Preadability grade (10.3, SD 1.9) was above the recommended level, and was significantly correlated with the Scientific Information Comprehension Scale (r=.45. PReadability Studio software estimates were associated with scientific information comprehensiveness measures. PMID:26443470

  9. Dual Wideband Antenna for WLAN/WiMAX and Satellite System Applications Based on a Metamaterial Transmission Line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Da-Lin; Hong Jing-Song; Xiong Han

    2012-01-01

    A dual band planar antenna based on metamaterial transmission lines is presented for WLAN, WiMAX, and satellite system communication applications. This antenna is composed of an interdigital capacitor and a ground plane with triangular shaped slots on its top edges to broaden the impedance bandwidth. The measured bandwidth for 10 dB return loss is from 3.29 to 4.27 GHz and 5.04 to 9.8 GHz, covering the 5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN, 3.5/5.5 GHz WiMAX bands, and the X-band satellite communication systems at 7.4 GHz. The proposed antenna exhibits stable monopole-like radiation patterns and enough gains across the dual operating bands

  10. A Design Of Feeding Network For A Dual-Linear Polarization, Stacked, Probe-Fed Microstrip Patch Antenna Array

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jaworski, G.; Krozer, Viktor

    2004-01-01

    Components of multilayer feed network are presented for application in broad-band dual-linear polarized stacked C-band antenna. Measurement results of wide band matching circuits and different types of power divider networks constituting parts of BFN demonstrate wideband operation. Suitable...

  11. Assessing the Readability of Geoscience Textbooks, Laboratory Manuals, and Supplemental Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hippensteel, Scott P.

    2015-01-01

    Reading materials used in undergraduate science classes have not received the same attention in the literature as those used in secondary schools. Additionally, reports critical of college textbooks and their prose are common. To assess both problems and determine the readability of assignments and texts used by geoscience faculty at the…

  12. Readability of Igbo Language Textbook in Use in Nigerian Secondary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eze, Nneka Justina

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed the readability of Igbo language textbook in use in Nigerian secondary schools. Five Igbo Language textbook were evaluated. The study employed an evaluation research design. The study was conducted in South Eastern Geopolitical zone of Nigeria which is predominantly the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. Four hundred secondary school…

  13. Design of a dual linear polarization antenna using split ring resonators at X-band

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sadiq; Chandra, Madhukar

    2017-11-01

    Dual linear polarization microstrip antenna configurations are very suitable for high-performance satellites, wireless communication and radar applications. This paper presents a new method to improve the co-cross polarization discrimination (XPD) for dual linear polarized microstrip antennas at 10 GHz. For this, three various configurations of a dual linear polarization antenna utilizing metamaterial unit cells are shown. In the first layout, the microstrip patch antenna is loaded with two pairs of spiral ring resonators, in the second model, a split ring resonator is placed between two microstrip feed lines, and in the third design, a complementary split ring resonators are etched in the ground plane. This work has two primary goals: the first is related to the addition of metamaterial unit cells to the antenna structure which permits compensation for an asymmetric current distribution flow on the microstrip antenna and thus yields a symmetrical current distribution on it. This compensation leads to an important enhancement in the XPD in comparison to a conventional dual linear polarized microstrip patch antenna. The simulation reveals an improvement of 7.9, 8.8, and 4 dB in the E and H planes for the three designs, respectively, in the XPD as compared to the conventional dual linear polarized patch antenna. The second objective of this paper is to present the characteristics and performances of the designs of the spiral ring resonator (S-RR), split ring resonator (SRR), and complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) metamaterial unit cells. The simulations are evaluated using the commercial full-wave simulator, Ansoft High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS).

  14. Quality and readability of online patient information regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pass, Jonathan H; Patel, Amani H; Stuart, Sam; Barnacle, Alex M; Patel, Premal A

    2018-05-01

    Patients often use the internet as a source of information about their condition and treatments. However, this information is unregulated and varies in quality. To evaluate the readability and quality of online information for pediatric and adult patients and caregivers regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations. "Venous malformation sclerotherapy" was entered into Google, and results were reviewed until 20 sites that satisfied predefined inclusion criteria were identified. Scientific and non-patient-focused web pages were excluded. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score and American Medical Association reading difficulty recommendations and quality was assessed using Journal of the American Medical Association standards and assessing if the site displayed HONcode (Health on the Net Code) certification. Assessment of the breadth of relevant information was made using a predefined checklist. Forty-nine search engine results were reviewed before 20 sites were identified for analysis. Average Flesch Reading Ease Score was 44 (range: 24.2-70.1), representing a "fairly difficult" reading level. None of the sites had a Flesch Reading Ease Score meeting the American Medical Association recommendation of 80-90. Only one site met all four Journal of the American Medical Association quality criteria (average: 2.1). None of the sites displayed a HONcode seal. The information most frequently found was: sclerotherapy is performed by radiologists, multiple treatments may be needed and surgery is an alternative treatment. Online information regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations is heterogeneous in quality and breadth of information, and does not meet readability recommendations for patient information. Radiologists should be aware of and account for this when meeting patients.

  15. The Evaluation of High School Geography 9 and High School Geography 11 Text Books with Some Formulas of Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gecit, Yilmaz

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate readability of 9th and 11th grade geography text-books currently used in schools. As known, one of the most fundamental features in a text-book is the readability of the text by students. In addition, it is also very important that the fluency and suitability of books match age level. In this study, the…

  16. Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies (MCG) of Vorontsov-Velyaminov et al, 1962-1968

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren, W. H., Jr.

    1982-01-01

    Modifications, corrections, and the record format are provided for the machine-readable version of the "Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies.' In addition to hundreds of individual corrections, a detailed comparison of the machine-readable with the published catalogue resulted in the addition of 116 missing objects, the deletion of 10 duplicate records, and a format modification to increase storage efficiency.

  17. The readability of expert reports for non-scientist report-users: reports of forensic comparison of glass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, Loene M; Kirkbride, K Paul; Kelty, Sally F; Julian, Roberta; Kemp, Nenagh

    2014-03-01

    Scientific language contains features that may impede understanding for non-scientists. Forensic scientists' written reports are read by police, lawyers, and judges, and thus assessment of readability is warranted. Past studies of readability differed in background theory and approach, but analysed one or more of: content and sequence; language; and format. Using a holistic approach, we assessed the readability of expert reports (n=78) of forensic glass comparison from 7 Australian jurisdictions. Two main audiences for reports were relevant: police and the courts. Reports for police were presented either as a completed form or as a brief legal-style report. Reports for court were less brief and used either legal or scientific styles, with content and formatting features supporting these distinctions. Some jurisdictions prepared a single report to satisfy both the courts and police. In general, item list, analytical techniques, results, notes on interpretation, and conclusions were included in reports of all types. However, some reports omitted analytical techniques, and results and conclusions were sometimes combined. According to Flesch Reading Ease, language was difficult, with a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of university undergraduate. Sentences were long and contained undefined specialist terms. Information content per clause (lexical density), was typically high, as for other scientific texts. Uncertainty was expressed differently by jurisdiction. Reports from most jurisdictions were cluttered in appearance, with single-line spacing, narrow margins, and gridlines in tables. Simple suggestions, based on theory and past research, are provided to assist scientists to enhance the readability of expert reports for non-scientists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Photonic Choke-Joints for Dual-Polarization Waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wollack, Edward J.; U-yen, Kongpop; Chuss, David T.

    2010-01-01

    Photonic choke joint (PCJ) structures for dual-polarization waveguides have been investigated for use in device and component packaging. This interface enables the realization of a high performance non-contacting waveguide joint without degrading the in-band signal propagation properties. The choke properties of two tiling approaches, symmetric square Cartesian and octagonal quasi-crystal lattices of metallic posts, are explored and optimal PCJ design parameters are presented. For each of these schemes, the experimental results for structures with finite tilings demonstrate near ideal transmission and reflection performance over a full waveguide band.

  19. Readability, complexity, and suitability of online resources for mastectomy and lumpectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Bao Ngoc N; Singh, Mansher; Singhal, Dhruv; Rudd, Rima; Lee, Bernard T

    2017-05-15

    Nearly half of American adults have low or marginal health literacy. This negatively affects patients' participation, decision-making, satisfaction, and overall outcomes especially when there is a mismatch between information provided and the skills of the intended audience. Recommendations that patient information be written below the sixth grade level have been made for over three decades. This study compares online resources for mastectomy versus lumpectomy using expanded metrics including readability level, complexity, and density of data and overall suitability for public consumption. The 10 highest ranked Web sites for mastectomy and lumpectomy were identified using the largest Internet engine (Google). Each Web site was assessed for readability (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook), complexity (PMOSE/iKIRSCH), and suitability (Suitability Assessment of Materials). Scores were analyzed by each Web site and overall. Readability analysis showed a significant reading grade level difference between mastectomy and lumpectomy online information (15.4 and 13.9, P = 0.04, respectively). Complexity analysis via PMOSE/iKIRSCH revealed a mean score of 6.5 for mastectomy materials corresponding to "low" complexity and eighth to 12 th grade education. Lumpectomy literature had a lower PMOSE/iKIRSCH score of 5.8 corresponding to a "very low" complexity and fourth to eighth grade education (P = 0.05). Suitability assessment showed mean values of 41% and 46% (P = 0.83) labeled as the lowest level of "adequacy" for mastectomy and lumpectomy materials, respectively. Inter-rater reliability was high for both complexity and suitability analysis. Online resources for the surgical treatment of breast cancer are above the recommended reading grade level. The suitability level is barely adequate indicating a need for revision. Online resources for mastectomy have a higher reading grade level than do materials for lumpectomy and tend to be more complex. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier

  20. A Sideband-Separating Mixer Upgrade for ALMA Band 9

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hesper, R.; Gerlofsma, G.; Mena, P.; Spaans, M.; Baryshev, A.

    2009-01-01

    The ALMA band 9 (600-720 GHz) receiver cartridge, as currently being produced, features two single-ended (dual sideband) SIS mixers in orthogonal polarisations. In the case of spectral line observations in the presence of atmospheric backgound, the integration time to reach a certain desired signal

  1. Readability of written medicine information materials in Arabic language: expert and consumer evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Aqeel, Sinaa; Abanmy, Norah; Aldayel, Abeer; Al-Khalifa, Hend; Al-Yahya, Maha; Diab, Mona

    2018-02-27

    Written Medicine Information (WMI) is one of the sources that patients use to obtain information concerning medicine. This paper aims to assess the readability of two types of WMIs in Arabic language based on vocabulary use and sentence structure using a panel of experts and consumers. This is a descriptive study. Two different types of materials, including the online text from King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Arabic Health Encyclopaedia (KAAHE) and medication leaflets submitted by the manufacturers to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) were evaluated. We selected a group of sentences from each WMI. The readability was assessed by experts (n = 5) and consumers (n = 5). The sentence readability of each measured using a specific criteria and rated as 1 = easy, 2 = intermediate, or 3 = difficult. A total of 4476 sentences (SFDA 2231; KAHEE 2245) extracted from websites or patient information leaflets on 50 medications and evaluated. The majority of the vocabulary and sentence structure was considered easy by both expert (SFDA: 68%; KAAHE: 76%) and consumer (SFDA: 76%; KAAHE: 84%) groups. The sentences with difficult or intermediate vocabulary and sentence structure are derived primarily from the precautions and side effects sections. The SFDA and KAAHE WMIs are easy to read and understand as judged by our study sample. However; there is room for improvement, especially in sections related to the side effects and precautions.

  2. Prostate Cancer Information Available in Health-Care Provider Offices: An Analysis of Content, Readability, and Cultural Sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Seul Ki; Seel, Jessica S; Yelton, Brooks; Steck, Susan E; McCormick, Douglas P; Payne, Johnny; Minter, Anthony; Deutchki, Elizabeth K; Hébert, James R; Friedman, Daniela B

    2018-07-01

    Prostate cancer (PrCA) is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States, and African American men have the highest incidence among men in the United States. Little is known about the PrCA-related educational materials being provided to patients in health-care settings. Content, readability, and cultural sensitivity of materials available in providers' practices in South Carolina were examined. A total of 44 educational materials about PrCA and associated sexual dysfunction was collected from 16 general and specialty practices. The content of the materials was coded, and cultural sensitivity was assessed using the Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool. Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook were used to assess readability. Communication with health-care providers (52.3%), side effects of PrCA treatment (40.9%), sexual dysfunction and its treatment (38.6%), and treatment options (34.1%) were frequently presented. All materials had acceptable cultural sensitivity scores; however, 2.3% and 15.9% of materials demonstrated unacceptable cultural sensitivity regarding format and visual messages, respectively. Readability of the materials varied. More than half of the materials were written above a high-school reading level. PrCA-related materials available in health-care practices may not meet patients' needs regarding content, cultural sensitivity, and readability. A wide range of educational materials that address various aspects of PrCA, including treatment options and side effects, should be presented in plain language and be culturally sensitive.

  3. Estimation of degree of sea ice ridging based on dual-polarized C-band SAR data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gegiuc, Alexandru; Similä, Markku; Karvonen, Juha; Lensu, Mikko; Mäkynen, Marko; Vainio, Jouni

    2018-01-01

    For ship navigation in the Baltic Sea ice, parameters such as ice edge, ice concentration, ice thickness and degree of ridging are usually reported daily in manually prepared ice charts. These charts provide icebreakers with essential information for route optimization and fuel calculations. However, manual ice charting requires long analysis times, and detailed analysis of large areas (e.g. Arctic Ocean) is not feasible. Here, we propose a method for automatic estimation of the degree of ice ridging in the Baltic Sea region, based on RADARSAT-2 C-band dual-polarized (HH/HV channels) SAR texture features and sea ice concentration information extracted from Finnish ice charts. The SAR images were first segmented and then several texture features were extracted for each segment. Using the random forest method, we classified them into four classes of ridging intensity and compared them to the reference data extracted from the digitized ice charts. The overall agreement between the ice-chart-based degree of ice ridging and the automated results varied monthly, being 83, 63 and 81 % in January, February and March 2013, respectively. The correspondence between the degree of ice ridging reported in the ice charts and the actual ridge density was validated with data collected during a field campaign in March 2011. In principle the method can be applied to the seasonal sea ice regime in the Arctic Ocean.

  4. Textbook Readability and Student Performance in Online Introductory Corporate Finance Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Chien-Chih

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines whether the choice of a more readable textbook can improve student performance in online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 206 students during the period from 2008 to 2012. The results of this study show that the student's age, student's major,…

  5. An analysis of the readability characteristics of oral health information literature available to the public in Tasmania, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Tony; Hoang, Ha; Furlan, Ashlea

    2016-03-17

    The effectiveness of print-based health promotion materials is dependent on their readability. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of print-based oral health information literature publically available in Tasmania, Australia. Oral health education brochures were collected from 11 dental clinics across Tasmania and assessed for structure and format, content and readability. Reading level was calculated using three widely-used measures: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) reading grade level. The FKGL of the 67 brochures sampled ranged from grade 3 to 13. The grade level for government health department brochures (n = 14) ranged from grade 4 to 11 (5.6 ± 1.8). Reading levels for materials produced by commercial sources (n = 22) ranged from 3 to 13 (8.3 ± 2.1), those from professional associations (n = 22) ranged from grade 7 to 11 (8.9 ± 0.9) and brochures produced by other sources (n = 9) ranged from 5 to 10 (7.6 ± 1.5). The SMOG test was positively correlated with the FKGL (rs = 0.92, p readability characteristics differed. Many brochures required a reading skill level higher than that suited to a large proportion of the Tasmanian population. Readability and other characteristics of oral health education materials should be assessed to ensure their suitability for use with patients, especially those suspected of having low literacy skills.

  6. A GPU-Based Wide-Band Radio Spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chennamangalam, Jayanth; Scott, Simon; Jones, Glenn; Chen, Hong; Ford, John; Kepley, Amanda; Lorimer, D. R.; Nie, Jun; Prestage, Richard; Roshi, D. Anish; Wagner, Mark; Werthimer, Dan

    2014-12-01

    The graphics processing unit has become an integral part of astronomical instrumentation, enabling high-performance online data reduction and accelerated online signal processing. In this paper, we describe a wide-band reconfigurable spectrometer built using an off-the-shelf graphics processing unit card. This spectrometer, when configured as a polyphase filter bank, supports a dual-polarisation bandwidth of up to 1.1 GHz (or a single-polarisation bandwidth of up to 2.2 GHz) on the latest generation of graphics processing units. On the other hand, when configured as a direct fast Fourier transform, the spectrometer supports a dual-polarisation bandwidth of up to 1.4 GHz (or a single-polarisation bandwidth of up to 2.8 GHz).

  7. Reconstructing Readability: Recent Developments and Recommendations in the Analysis of Text Difficulty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjamin, Rebekah George

    2012-01-01

    Largely due to technological advances, methods for analyzing readability have increased significantly in recent years. While past researchers designed hundreds of formulas to estimate the difficulty of texts for readers, controversy has surrounded their use for decades, with criticism stemming largely from their application in creating new texts…

  8. Multifunctional Antenna with Reconfigurable Ultra-Wide Band Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Verma

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a multifunctional antenna is presented which offers an ultra-wideband (UWB operation, an UWB operation with two switchable notches and reconfigurable dual-band operation for WiMAX and WLAN applications, respectively. Total seven functions/states could be achieved from a single antenna using an electronic switching. The antenna uses dual slots on the ground plane to provide a wide bandwidth, ranging from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. U-Shaped slot and C-Shaped printed strip in the ground are used to generate two notches at 3.6 GHz(WiMAX and 5.2 GHz (WLAN/ WiFi bands, respectively. Moreover, four parasitic strips are added in the feed side to make antenna functional at either3.6 GHz or 5.2 GHz or both. Total Five PIN diodes are required to obtain seven operations from the proposed antenna. Seven structures are fabricated and measured to verify the seven states and results are found in good agreement with estimated results obtained from the simulation.

  9. Test of Neural Network Techniques using Simulated Dual-Band Data of LEO Satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-01

    component to allow for glinting surfaces, such as solar panels. Radiant intensities are calculated for a blue band (468-495 nm) and a red band (738-765...When a satellite is visible for at least one of the observation sites, OSC is used to calculate radiant intensity in the blue and red spectral bands...Input node, aji , contains the ith value of radiant intensity for the jth pass of a satellite. In this work, the n input nodes are values of radiant

  10. Research Translation Strategies to Improve the Readability of Workplace Health Promotion Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Alison; Joss, Nerida

    2016-01-01

    Without deliberate and resourced translation, research evidence is unlikely to inform policy and practice. This paper describes the processes and practical solutions used to translate evaluation research findings to improve the readability of print materials in a large scale worksite health programme. It is argued that a knowledge brokering and…

  11. Simultaneous microwave photonic and phononic band gaps in piezoelectric–piezomagnetic superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Zheng-hua [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Jiang, Zheng-Sheng [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Chen, Tao [Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Materials, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Lei, Da-Jun [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Yan, Wen-Yan, E-mail: yanwenyan88@126.com [School of Software and Communication Engineering, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Qiu, Feng; Huang, Jian-Quan; Deng, Hai-Ming; Yao, Min [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China)

    2016-04-29

    A novel phoxonic crystal using the piezoelectric (PMN-PT) and piezomagnetic (CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell (PPSUC) is present, in which dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can be obtained simultaneously. Two categories of phononic band gaps, originating from both the Bragg scattering of acoustic waves in periodic structures at the Brillouin zone boundary and the electromagnetic wave-lattice vibration couplings near the Brillouin zone center, can be observed in the phononic band structures. The general characteristics of the microwave photonic band structures are similar to those of pure piezoelectric or piezomagnetic superlattices, with the major discrepancy being the appearance of nearly dispersionless branches within the microwave photonic band gaps, which show an extremely large group velocity delay. Thus, the properties may also be applied to compact acoustic-microwave devices. - Highlights: • Dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can coexist in the PPSUC. • Two categories of phononic band gaps with different mechanism can be obtained. • Nearly dispersionless branches appear in the microwave photonic band gaps.

  12. Readability of sports medicine-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganta, Abhishek; Yi, Paul H; Hussein, Khalil; Frank, Rachel M

    2014-04-01

    Although studies have revealed high readability levels of orthopedic patient education materials, no study has evaluated sports medicine-related patient education materials. We conducted a study to assess the readability of sports medicine-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). All sports medicine patient education articles available online in 2012 from the AAOS and the AOSSM, including the Stop Sports Injuries Campaign (STOP), were identified, and their readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kinkaid (FK) readability test. Mean overall FK grade level of the 170 articles reviewed (104 from AAOS, 36 from AOSSM, 30 from STOP) was 10.2. Mean FK levels for the 3 sources were 9.5 (AAOS), 11.0 (AOSSM), and 11.5 (STOP) (P = .16). Fifteen (8.8%) of the 170 articles had a readability level at or below eighth grade (average reading level of US adults); only 2 (1.2%) of the 170 articles were at or below the recommended sixth-grade level. The majority of sports medicine-related patient education materials from AAOS and AOSSM had reading levels higher than recommended, indicating that the majority of the patient population may find it difficult to comprehend these articles.

  13. Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Medical Procedures in Croatia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vučemilo, Luka; Borovečki, Ana

    2015-01-01

    High quality of informed consent form is essential for adequate information transfer between physicians and patients. Current status of medical procedure consent forms in clinical practice in Croatia specifically in terms of the readability and the content is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the readability and the content of informed consent forms for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used with patients in Croatia. 52 informed consent forms from six Croatian hospitals on the secondary and tertiary health-care level were tested for reading difficulty using Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formula adjusted for Croatian language and for qualitative analysis of the content. The averaged SMOG grade of analyzed informed consent forms was 13.25 (SD 1.59, range 10-19). Content analysis revealed that informed consent forms included description of risks in 96% of the cases, benefits in 81%, description of procedures in 78%, alternatives in 52%, risks and benefits of alternatives in 17% and risks and benefits of not receiving treatment or undergoing procedures in 13%. Readability of evaluated informed consent forms is not appropriate for the general population in Croatia. The content of the forms failed to include in high proportion of the cases description of alternatives, risks and benefits of alternatives, as well as risks and benefits of not receiving treatments or undergoing procedures. Data obtained from this research could help in development and improvement of informed consent forms in Croatia especially now when Croatian hospitals are undergoing the process of accreditation.

  14. Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Medical Procedures in Croatia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vučemilo, Luka; Borovečki, Ana

    2015-01-01

    Background High quality of informed consent form is essential for adequate information transfer between physicians and patients. Current status of medical procedure consent forms in clinical practice in Croatia specifically in terms of the readability and the content is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the readability and the content of informed consent forms for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used with patients in Croatia. Methods 52 informed consent forms from six Croatian hospitals on the secondary and tertiary health-care level were tested for reading difficulty using Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formula adjusted for Croatian language and for qualitative analysis of the content. Results The averaged SMOG grade of analyzed informed consent forms was 13.25 (SD 1.59, range 10–19). Content analysis revealed that informed consent forms included description of risks in 96% of the cases, benefits in 81%, description of procedures in 78%, alternatives in 52%, risks and benefits of alternatives in 17% and risks and benefits of not receiving treatment or undergoing procedures in 13%. Conclusions Readability of evaluated informed consent forms is not appropriate for the general population in Croatia. The content of the forms failed to include in high proportion of the cases description of alternatives, risks and benefits of alternatives, as well as risks and benefits of not receiving treatments or undergoing procedures. Data obtained from this research could help in development and improvement of informed consent forms in Croatia especially now when Croatian hospitals are undergoing the process of accreditation. PMID:26376183

  15. Impact d'une modulation duale sur les performances d'une liaison ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Le présent document présente la technique de modulation duale Fréquence - Amplitude dans le cas d'une liaison optique du type IM-DD. Ce travail révèle que la modulation duale Fréquence - Amplitude permet de générer un signal à bande latérale unique. Les performances d'une liaison optique IM-DD basée sur cette ...

  16. Quasi-optical assessment of the ALMA band 9 front-end

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Candotti, Massimo; Baryshev, Andrey M.; Trappe, Neil

    The ALMA band 9 (600-720 GHz) receiver is a dual channel heterodyne system which is capable of detecting orthogonally polarised signals utilising a wire grid beam splitter. Two Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) mixers mounted behind hybrid mode corrugated horns are coupled to the 12 m

  17. Readability of consumer health information on the internet: a comparison of U.S. government-funded and commercially funded websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risoldi Cochrane, Zara; Gregory, Philip; Wilson, Amy

    2012-01-01

    The Internet has become an extremely prevalent means of communicating health information to consumers. Guidelines for selecting reliable health information websites give preference to U.S. government sites over commercially funded sites. However, these websites are not useful to consumers unless they are able to read and understand them. The authors' objective was to compare the readability of Internet health information intended for consumers found on U.S. government-funded websites versus that found on commercially funded websites. Consumer health websites were identified through a systematic Internet search. Webpages for 10 common health topics were extracted from each website. Readability of webpages was determined by 3 validated measures: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level, and SMOG Formula. Mean readability of government-funded and commercially funded websites was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Commercially funded websites were significantly more difficult to read as measured by Flesch Reading Ease (49.7 vs. 55.6 for government-funded sites, p = .002) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level (10.1 vs. 9.3, p = .012). There was no significant difference according to SMOG Formula (12.8 vs. 13.2, p = .150). The overall readability of Internet health information intended for consumers was poor. Efforts should be made to ensure that health information communicated via the Internet is easy for consumers to read and understand.

  18. Rainfall Estimation and Performance Characterization Using an X-band Dual-Polarization Radar in the San Francisco Bay Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cifelli, R.; Chen, H.; Chandra, C. V.

    2016-12-01

    The San Francisco Bay area is home to over 5 million people. In February 2016, the area also hosted the NFL Super bowl, bringing additional people and focusing national attention to the region. Based on the El Nino forecast, public officials expressed concern for heavy rainfall and flooding with the potential for threats to public safety, costly flood damage to infrastructure, negative impacts to water quality (e.g., combined sewer overflows) and major disruptions in transportation. Mitigation of the negative impacts listed above requires accurate precipitation monitoring (quantitative precipitation estimation-QPE) and prediction (including radar nowcasting). The proximity to terrain and maritime conditions as well as the siting of existing NEXRAD radars are all challenges in providing accurate, short-term near surface rainfall estimates in the Bay area urban region. As part of a collaborative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory, Colorado State University (CSU), and Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), an X-band dual-polarization radar was deployed in Santa Clara Valley in February of 2016 to provide support for the National Weather Service during the Super Bowl and NOAA's El Nino Rapid Response field campaign. This high-resolution radar was deployed on the roof of one of the buildings at the Penitencia Water Treatment Plant. The main goal was to provide detailed precipitation information for use in weather forecasting and assists the water district in their ability to predict rainfall and streamflow with real-time rainfall data over Santa Clara County especially during a potentially large El Nino year. The following figure shows the radar's coverage map, as well as sample reflectivity observations on March 06, 2016, at 00:04UTC. This paper presents results from a pilot study from February, 2016 to May, 2016 demonstrating the use of X-band weather radar for quantitative precipitation

  19. Readability of Educational Materials to Support Parent Sexual Communication With Their Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballonoff Suleiman, Ahna; Lin, Jessica S; Constantine, Norman A

    2016-05-01

    Sexual communication is a principal means of transmitting sexual values, expectations, and knowledge from parents to their children and adolescents. Many parents seek information and guidance to support talking with their children about sex and sexuality. Parent education materials can deliver this guidance but must use appropriate readability levels to facilitate comprehension and motivation. This study appraised the readability of educational materials to support parent sexual communication with their children. Fifty brochures, pamphlets, and booklets were analyzed using the Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index methods. Mean readability grade-level scores were 8.3 (range = 4.5-12.8), 9.7 (range = 5.5-14.9), and 10.1 (range = 6.7-13.9), respectively. Informed by National Institutes of Health-recommended 6th to 7th grade levels and American Medical Association-recommended 5th to 6th grade levels, percentages falling at or below the 7.0 grade level were calculated as 38%, 12%, and 2% and those falling at or below the 6.0 grade level were calculated as 12%, 2%, and 0% based on the Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and SMOG methods, respectively. These analyses indicate that the majority of educational materials available online to support parents' communication with their children about sex and sexuality do not meet the needs of many or most parents. Efforts to improve the accessibility of these materials are warranted.

  20. Aligning Theme and Information Structure to Improve the Readability of Technical Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, N. A. J.

    2006-01-01

    The readability of technical writing, and technical manuals in particular, especially for second language readers, can be noticeably improved by pairing Theme with Given and Rheme with New. This allows for faster processing of text and easier access to the "method of development" of the text. Typical Theme-Rheme patterns are described, and the…

  1. Availability and Readability of Online Patient Education Materials Regarding Regional Anesthesia Techniques for Perioperative Pain Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Gunjan; Howard, Steven K; Kou, Alex; Kim, T Edward; Butwick, Alexander J; Mariano, Edward R

    2017-10-01

    Patient education materials (PEM) should be written at a sixth-grade reading level or lower. We evaluated the availability and readability of online PEM related to regional anesthesia and compared the readability and content of online PEM produced by fellowship and nonfellowship institutions. With IRB exemption, we constructed a cohort of online regional anesthesia PEM by searching Websites from North American academic medical centers supporting a regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine fellowships and used a standardized Internet search engine protocol to identify additional nonfellowship Websites with regional anesthesia PEM based on relevant keywords. Readability metrics were calculated from PEM using the TextStat 0.1.4 textual analysis package for Python 2.7 and compared between institutions with and without a fellowship program. The presence of specific descriptive PEM elements related to regional anesthesia was also compared between groups. PEM from 17 fellowship and 15 nonfellowship institutions were included in analyses. The mean (SD) Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for PEM from the fellowship group was 13.8 (2.9) vs 10.8 (2.0) for the nonfellowship group (p = 0.002). We observed no other differences in readability metrics between fellowship and nonfellowship institutions. Fellowship-based PEM less commonly included descriptions of the following risks: local anesthetic systemic toxicity (p = 0.033) and injury due to an insensate extremity (p = 0.003). Available online PEM related to regional anesthesia are well above the recommended reading level. Further, fellowship-based PEM posted are at a higher reading level than PEM posted by nonfellowship institutions and are more likely to omit certain risk descriptions. 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

  2. Beauty and the Beast - on the readability of object-oriented example programs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Börstler, Jürgen; Caspersen, Michael E.; Nordström, Marie

    2016-01-01

    Some solutions to a programming problem are more beautiful, elegant, and simple than others and thus more understandable for students. But why is it so, and can we quantify the notion of understandability of programs? We review desirable properties of program examples from a cognitive and a measu...... and exemplify a readability measure for software. An application of this measure to a set of object-oriented textbook examples shows encouraging results which we hope will ignite further research in this area.......Some solutions to a programming problem are more beautiful, elegant, and simple than others and thus more understandable for students. But why is it so, and can we quantify the notion of understandability of programs? We review desirable properties of program examples from a cognitive...... and a measurement point of view. It can be argued that some cognitive aspects of example programs are captured by common software measures, but we argue that they are not sucient to capture the most important aspects of understandability. A key aspect of understandability is readability. The authors propose...

  3. A Practical Method to Increase the Frequency Readability for Vibration Signals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean Loius Ntakpe

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Damage detection and nondestructive evaluation of mechanical and civil engineering structures are nowadays very important to assess the integrity and ensure the reliability of structures. Thus, frequency evaluation becomes a crucial issue, since this modal parameter is mainly used in structural integrity assessment. The herein presented study highligts the possibility of increasing the frequency readability by involving a simple and cost-effective method.

  4. Compact Dual-Band Zeroth-Order Resonance Antenna

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu He-Xiu; Wang Guang-Ming; Gong Jian-Qiang

    2012-01-01

    A novel microstrip zeroth-order resonator (ZOR) antenna and its equivalent circuit model are exploited with two zeroth-order resonances. It is constructed based on a resonant-type composite right/left handed transmission line (CRLH TL) using a Wunderlich-shaped extended complementary single split ring resonator pair (W-ECSSRRP) and a series capacitive gap. The gap either can be utilized for double negative (DNG) ZOR antenna or be removed to engineer a simplified elision-negative ZOR (ENG) antenna. For verification, a DNG ZOR antenna sample is fabricated and measured. Numerical and experimental results agree well with each other, indicating that the omnidirectional radiations occur at two frequency bands which are accounted for by two shunt branches in the circuit model. The size of the antenna is 49% more compact than its previous counterpart. The superiority of W-ECSSRRP over CSSRRP lies in the lower fundamental resonance of the antenna by 38.2% and the introduction of a higher zeroth-order resonance. (fundamental areas of phenomenology(including applications))

  5. Designing and Evaluating Patient Education Pamphlets based on Readability Indexes and Comparison with Literacy Levels of Society

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdieh Arian

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Hundreds of patient education materials i.e. pamphlets are annually published in healthcare systems following their design, correction, and revision. Aim: to design and evaluate patient education pamphlets based on readability indexes and their comparison with literacy level in society. Method: The average literacy level among 500 patients admitted to two training hospitals in Bojnurd (northeastern Iran was determined in 2014-2015. Afterwards, all patient education pamphlets in both hospitals (n=69 were collected and their readability level was determined. After that, all the pamphlets were re-designed according to the given standards and in line with literacy level in society. The SPSS software (Version 20 was also used to analyze the data. Results: The average level of literacy among 500 patients in both hospitals in the present study was 6.72±4.34 which was placed in grades six and seven in terms of the guide to readability indexes. In line with McLaughlin’s SMOG Readability Formula, the bulk of pamphlets (91.3% were at college level before corrections and revisions based on the given standards, but 23.2% were at a level lower than grade seven following corrections and revisions. Implications for Practice: Evaluation of patient education pamphlets plays an important role in promoting self-care among patients. Due to the novelty of the present study in Iran, the results of this study can contribute to patient education researchers in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of patient education materials i.e. pamphlets based on scientific indices as well as their revisions and re-developments.

  6. Dual-band LTCC antenna based on 0.95Zn2SiO4-0.05CaTiO3 ceramics for GPS/UMTS applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Gang; Li, Yu-Xia; Guo, Mei

    2015-10-01

    In this paper, we present a compact low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) dual-band antenna by using the electromagnetic coupling effect concept for global positioning system (GPS) and universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) applications. The overall dimension of the antenna is 8.6 mm × 13.0 mm × 1.1 mm. It consists of double meander lines and a via hole line. The top meander line operates at the upper band, and the bottom radiating patch is designed for the lower band. The via-hole line is employed to connect the double meander lines. Because of the effect of the coupled line, total dimension of the proposed antenna is greatly reduced. With the 2.5: voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) impedance bandwidth definition, the lower and upper bands have the bandwidths of 110 MHz and 150 MHz, respectively. The proposed antenna is successfully designed, simulated, and analyzed by a high frequency structure simulator (HFSS). And the antenna is manufactured by using the 0.95Zn2SiO4-0.05CaTiO3 ceramics (εr = 7.1, tanδ = 0.00038) that is prepared by ourselves. The results show that the antenna is compact, efficient, and of near omnidirectional radiation pattern. Project supported by the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20133718120009), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Provence, China (Grant Nos. ZR2013FQ002 and ZR2014FQ006), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2014M551935), the Qingdao Municipality Postdoctoral Science Foundation, China, and the Scientific Research Foundation of Shandong University of Science and Technology for Recruited Talents, China (Grant Nos. 2013RCJJ042 and 2014RCJJ052).

  7. A technique for improving readability of Forrester diagram in system dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Wei-Tzen

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe a three-pass algorithm for improving the readability of Forrester Diagram in system dynamics. The first pass converts Forrester Diagram to recurrent hierarchy. The second pass sorts the vertices on each level, with the goal of minimizing crossings. The third pass is a finite tuning of the layout that determines the horizontal positions of vertices. An illustrative example is given to verify the result. .

  8. Reliability, Readability and Quality of Online Information about Femoracetabular Impingement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatih Küçükdurmaz

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: According to our results, the websites intended to attract patients searching for information regarding femoroacetabular impingement are providing a highly accessible, readable information source, but do not appear to apply a comparable amount of rigor to scientific literature or healthcare practitioner websites in regard to matters such as citing sources for information, supplying methodology and including a publication date. This indicates that while these resources are easily accessed by patients, there is potential for them to be a source of misinformation.

  9. A tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber laser with a simple linear cavity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaoying; Fang, Xia; Liao, Changrui; Wang, D N; Sun, Junqiang

    2009-11-23

    A simple linear cavity erbium-doped fiber laser based on a Fabry-Perot filter which consists of a pair of fiber Bragg gratings is proposed for tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength operation. The single-longitudinal-mode is obtained by the saturable absorption of an unpumed erbium-doped fiber together with a narrow-band fiber Bragg grating. Under the high pump power (>166 mW) condition, the stable dual-wavelength oscillation with uniform amplitude can be realized by carefully adjusting the polarization controller in the cavity. Wavelength selection and switching are achieved by tuning the narrow-band fiber Bragg grating in the system. The spacing of the dual-wavelength can be selected at 0.20 nm (approximately 25.62 GHz), 0.22 nm (approximately 28.19 GHz) and 0.54 nm (approximately 69.19 GHz).

  10. Readability Statistics of Patient Information Leaflets in a Speech and Language Therapy Department

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pothier, Louise; Day, Rachael; Harris, Catherine; Pothier, David D.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Information leaflets are commonly used in Speech and Language Therapy Departments. Despite widespread use, they can be of variable quality. Aims: To revise current departmental leaflets using the National Health Service (NHS) Toolkit for Producing Patient Information and to test the effect that this has on the readability scores of the…

  11. Bandwidth enhancement of a dual band planar monopole antenna using meandered microstrip feeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahsan, M R; Islam, M T; Habib Ullah, M; Misran, N

    2014-01-01

    A meandered-microstrip fed circular shaped monopole antenna loaded with vertical slots on a high dielectric material substrate (ε r = 15) is proposed in this paper. The performance criteria of the proposed antenna have been experimentally verified by fabricating a printed prototype. The experimental results show that the proposed antenna has achieved wider bandwidth with satisfactory gain by introducing meandered-microstrip feeding in assistant of partial ground plane. It is observed that, the -10 dB impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna at lower band is 44.4% (600 MHz-1 GHz) and at upper band is 28% (2.25 GHz-2.95 GHz). The measured maximum gains of -1.18 dBi and 4.87 dBi with maximum radiation efficiencies have been observed at lower band and upper band, respectively. The antenna configuration and parametric study have been carried out with the help of commercially available computer-aided EM simulator, and a good accordance is perceived in between the simulated and measured results. The analysis of performance criteria and almost consistent radiation pattern make the proposed antenna a suitable candidate for UHF RFID, WiMAX, and WLAN applications.

  12. Readability of Orthopaedic Oncology-related Patient Education Materials Available on the Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Akash K; Yi, Paul H; Stein, Andrew

    2015-12-01

    A person's health literacy is one of the most important indicators of a patient's health status. According to national recommendations, patient education materials should be written at no higher than the sixth- to eighth-grade reading level. The purpose of our study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials related to orthopaedic oncology on the websites of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Cancer Society (ACS), Bone and Cancer Foundation (BCF), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). We searched the online patient education libraries of the AAOS, ACS, BCF, and NCI for all articles related to orthopaedic oncology. The Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability score was calculated for each article and compared between sources. A total of 227 articles were identified with an overall mean FK grade level of 9.8. Stratified by source, the mean FK grade levels were 10.1, 9.6, 11.1, and 9.5 for the AAOS, ACS, BCF, and NCI, respectively (P education materials related to orthopaedic oncology appear to be written at a level above the comprehension ability of the average patient. Copyright 2015 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

  13. Toward the Development of a Model to Estimate the Readability of Credentialing-Examination Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badgett, Barbara A.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a set of procedures to establish readability, including an equation, that accommodates the multiple-choice item format and occupational-specific language related to credentialing examinations. The procedures and equation should be appropriate for learning materials, examination materials, and occupational…

  14. RRI-GBT MULTI-BAND RECEIVER: MOTIVATION, DESIGN, AND DEVELOPMENT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maan, Yogesh; Deshpande, Avinash A.; Chandrashekar, Vinutha; Chennamangalam, Jayanth; Rao, K. B. Raghavendra; Somashekar, R.; Ezhilarasi, M. S.; Sujatha, S.; Kasturi, S.; Sandhya, P.; Duraichelvan, R.; Amiri, Shahram; Aswathappa, H. A.; Sarabagopalan, G.; Ananda, H. M.; Anderson, Gary; Bauserman, Jonah; Beaudet, Carla; Bloss, Marty; Barve, Indrajit V.

    2013-01-01

    We report the design and development of a self-contained multi-band receiver (MBR) system, intended for use with a single large aperture to facilitate sensitive and high time-resolution observations simultaneously in 10 discrete frequency bands sampling a wide spectral span (100-1500 MHz) in a nearly log-periodic fashion. The development of this system was primarily motivated by need for tomographic studies of pulsar polar emission regions. Although the system design is optimized for the primary goal, it is also suited for several other interesting astronomical investigations. The system consists of a dual-polarization multi-band feed (with discrete responses corresponding to the 10 bands pre-selected as relatively radio frequency interference free), a common wide-band radio frequency front-end, and independent back-end receiver chains for the 10 individual sub-bands. The raw voltage time sequences corresponding to 16 MHz bandwidth each for the two linear polarization channels and the 10 bands are recorded at the Nyquist rate simultaneously. We present the preliminary results from the tests and pulsar observations carried out with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope using this receiver. The system performance implied by these results and possible improvements are also briefly discussed.

  15. RRI-GBT MULTI-BAND RECEIVER: MOTIVATION, DESIGN, AND DEVELOPMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maan, Yogesh; Deshpande, Avinash A.; Chandrashekar, Vinutha; Chennamangalam, Jayanth; Rao, K. B. Raghavendra; Somashekar, R.; Ezhilarasi, M. S.; Sujatha, S.; Kasturi, S.; Sandhya, P.; Duraichelvan, R.; Amiri, Shahram; Aswathappa, H. A.; Sarabagopalan, G.; Ananda, H. M. [Raman Research Institute, Bangalore (India); Anderson, Gary; Bauserman, Jonah; Beaudet, Carla; Bloss, Marty [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV (United States); Barve, Indrajit V. [Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore (India); and others

    2013-01-15

    We report the design and development of a self-contained multi-band receiver (MBR) system, intended for use with a single large aperture to facilitate sensitive and high time-resolution observations simultaneously in 10 discrete frequency bands sampling a wide spectral span (100-1500 MHz) in a nearly log-periodic fashion. The development of this system was primarily motivated by need for tomographic studies of pulsar polar emission regions. Although the system design is optimized for the primary goal, it is also suited for several other interesting astronomical investigations. The system consists of a dual-polarization multi-band feed (with discrete responses corresponding to the 10 bands pre-selected as relatively radio frequency interference free), a common wide-band radio frequency front-end, and independent back-end receiver chains for the 10 individual sub-bands. The raw voltage time sequences corresponding to 16 MHz bandwidth each for the two linear polarization channels and the 10 bands are recorded at the Nyquist rate simultaneously. We present the preliminary results from the tests and pulsar observations carried out with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope using this receiver. The system performance implied by these results and possible improvements are also briefly discussed.

  16. DUAL TIMELIKE NORMAL AND DUAL TIMELIKE SPHERICAL CURVES IN DUAL MINKOWSKI SPACE

    OpenAIRE

    ÖNDER, Mehmet

    2009-01-01

    Abstract: In this paper, we give characterizations of dual timelike normal and dual timelike spherical curves in the dual Minkowski 3-space and we show that every dual timelike normal curve is also a dual timelike spherical curve. Keywords: Normal curves, Dual Minkowski 3-Space, Dual Timelike curves. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 53C50, 53C40. DUAL MINKOWSKI UZAYINDA DUAL TIMELIKE NORMAL VE DUAL TIMELIKE KÜRESEL EĞRİLER Özet: Bu çalışmada, dual Minkowski 3-...

  17. Informed consent and the readability of the written consent form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivanadarajah, N; El-Daly, I; Mamarelis, G; Sohail, M Z; Bates, P

    2017-11-01

    Introduction The aim of this study was to objectively ascertain the level of readability of standardised consent forms for orthopaedic procedures. Methods Standardised consent forms (both in summary and detailed formats) endorsed by the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) were retrieved from orthoconsent.com and assessed for readability. This involved using an online tool to calculate the validated Flesch reading ease score (FRES). This was compared with the FRES for the National Health Service (NHS) Consent Form 1. Data were analysed and interpreted according to the FRES grading table. Results The FRES for Consent Form 1 was 55.6, relating to the literacy expected of an A level student. The mean FRES for the BOA summary consent forms (n=27) was 63.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.2-66.0) while for the detailed consent forms (n=32), it was 68.9 (95% CI: 67.7-70.0). All BOA detailed forms scored >60, correlating to the literacy expected of a 13-15-year-old. The detailed forms had a higher FRES than the summary forms (p<0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates that the BOA endorsed standardised consent forms are much easier to read and understand than the NHS Consent Form 1, with the detailed BOA forms being the easiest to read. Despite this, owing to varying literacy levels, a significant proportion of patients may struggle to give informed consent based on the written information provided to them.

  18. Dual-comb spectroscopy of water vapor with a free-running semiconductor disk laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Link, S M; Maas, D J H C; Waldburger, D; Keller, U

    2017-06-16

    Dual-comb spectroscopy offers the potential for high accuracy combined with fast data acquisition. Applications are often limited, however, by the complexity of optical comb systems. Here we present dual-comb spectroscopy of water vapor using a substantially simplified single-laser system. Very good spectroscopy measurements with fast sampling rates are achieved with a free-running dual-comb mode-locked semiconductor disk laser. The absolute stability of the optical comb modes is characterized both for free-running operation and with simple microwave stabilization. This approach drastically reduces the complexity for dual-comb spectroscopy. Band-gap engineering to tune the center wavelength from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared could optimize frequency combs for specific gas targets, further enabling dual-comb spectroscopy for a wider range of industrial applications. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  19. Analysis of Resonance Response Performance of C-Band Antenna Using Parasitic Element

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, M. T.; Misran, N.; Mandeep, J. S.

    2014-01-01

    Analysis of the resonance response improvement of a planar C-band (4–8 GHz) antenna is proposed using parasitic element method. This parasitic element based method is validated for change in the active and parasitic antenna elements. A novel dual-band antenna for C-band application covering 5.7 GHz and 7.6 GHz is designed and fabricated. The antenna is composed of circular parasitic element with unequal microstrip lines at both sides and a rectangular partial ground plane. A fractional bandwidth of 13.5% has been achieved from 5.5 GHz to 6.3 GHz (WLAN band) for the lower band. The upper band covers from 7.1 GHz to 8 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 12%. A gain of 6.4 dBi is achieved at the lower frequency and 4 dBi is achieved at the upper frequency. The VSWR of the antenna is less than 2 at the resonance frequency. PMID:24895643

  20. Assessing the Readability of College Textbooks in Public Speaking: Attending to Entry Level Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, David E.

    2011-01-01

    More research is needed that examines textbooks intended for the entry level college classroom. This study offers valuable information to academics that adopt a public speaking textbook for instruction as well as objective feedback to the collective authors. Readability levels of 22 nationally published textbooks, based on McGlaughlin's (1969)…

  1. Computer-Based Readability Testing of Information Booklets for German Cancer Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keinki, Christian; Zowalla, Richard; Pobiruchin, Monika; Huebner, Jutta; Wiesner, Martin

    2018-04-12

    Understandable health information is essential for treatment adherence and improved health outcomes. For readability testing, several instruments analyze the complexity of sentence structures, e.g., Flesch-Reading Ease (FRE) or Vienna-Formula (WSTF). Moreover, the vocabulary is of high relevance for readers. The aim of this study is to investigate the agreement of sentence structure and vocabulary-based (SVM) instruments. A total of 52 freely available German patient information booklets on cancer were collected from the Internet. The mean understandability level L was computed for 51 booklets. The resulting values of FRE, WSTF, and SVM were assessed pairwise for agreement with Bland-Altman plots and two-sided, paired t tests. For the pairwise comparison, the mean L values are L FRE  = 6.81, L WSTF  = 7.39, L SVM  = 5.09. The sentence structure-based metrics gave significantly different scores (P < 0.001) for all assessed booklets, confirmed by the Bland-Altman analysis. The study findings suggest that vocabulary-based instruments cannot be interchanged with FRE/WSTF. However, both analytical aspects should be considered and checked by authors to linguistically refine texts with respect to the individual target group. Authors of health information can be supported by automated readability analysis. Health professionals can benefit by direct booklet comparisons allowing for time-effective selection of suitable booklets for patients.

  2. Reconfigurable phased antenna array for extending cubesat operations to Ka-band: Design and feasibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buttazzoni, G.; Comisso, M.; Cuttin, A.; Fragiacomo, M.; Vescovo, R.; Vincenti Gatti, R.

    2017-08-01

    Started as educational tools, CubeSats have immediately encountered the favor of the scientific community, subsequently becoming viable platforms for research and commercial applications. To ensure competitive data rates, some pioneers have started to explore the usage of the Ka-band beside the conventional amateur radio frequencies. In this context, this study proposes a phased antenna array design for Ka-band downlink operations consisting of 8×8 circularly polarized subarrays of microstrip patches filling one face of a single CubeSat unit. The conceived structure is developed to support 1.5 GHz bandwidth and dual-task missions, whose feasibility is verified by proper link budgets. The dual-task operations are enabled by a low-complexity phase-only control algorithm that provides pattern reconfigurability in order to satisfy both orbiting and intersatellite missions, while remaining adherent to the cost-effective CubeSat paradigm.

  3. Fabrication and characterization of nano/amorphous dual-phase FINEMET microwires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS), Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR (United Kingdom); Qin, F.X. [Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS), Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR (United Kingdom); Xing, D.W.; Cao, F.Y. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Peng, H.X. [Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS), Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR (United Kingdom); Bristol Centre for NanoScience and Quantum Information (NSQI), University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1FD (United Kingdom); Sun, J.F., E-mail: jfsun@hit.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

    2013-12-01

    Highlights: • Nano/amorphous dual-phase FINEMET microwire was fabricated and characterized. • The unique dual-phase structure is correlated to its different cooling experience. • The extracted microwires possess high tensile strength over 1800 MPa. • Excellent EMI property was elucidated by the multiple magnetic loss mechanisms. -- Abstract: A nano/amorphous dual-phase FINEMET microwire was fabricated directly from molten alloy without any interstage annealing by a home-built melt extraction technique (MET). The microstructure, mechanical and pronounced electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI) effectiveness of this dual-phase microwire has been systematically evaluated. The structural analysis reveals that the as-cast FINEMET microwire consists of two distinct structures, i.e., amorphous and nanocrystalline phase due to their different cooling characteristics. Compared with other reported FINEMET alloys, the extracted microwire exhibits a superior high tensile strength of 1800 MPa. These nanocrystals enabled dual-phase microwires also exhibit large EMI SE values in the frequency range of 8–12 GHz (X-band) due to the multiple magnetic loss mechanisms associated with their intrinsic structural characteristics. The combination of excellent mechanical properties and electromagnetic properties make this kind of melt-extracted dual-phase FINEMET microwire promising for a range of structure and multifunctional applications.

  4. Designing analysis of the polarization beam splitter in two communication bands based on a gold-filled dual-core photonic crystal fiber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Zhen-Kai; Li Shu-Guang; Fan Yu-Qiu; Zhang Wan; An Guo-Wen; Bao Ya-Jie

    2014-01-01

    We design a novel kind of polarization beam splitter based on a gold-filled dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF). Owing to filling with two gold wires in this DC-PCF, its coupling characteristics can be changed greatly by the second-order surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and the resonant coupling between the surface plasmon modes and the fiber-core guided modes can enhance the directional power transfer in the two fiber-cores. Numerical results by using the finite element method show the extinction ratio at the wavethlengths of 1.327 μm and 1.55 μm can reach −58 dB and −60 dB and the bandwidths as the extinction ratio better than −12 dB are about 54 nm and 47 nm, respectively. Compared with the gold-unfilled DC-PCF, a 1.746-mm-long gold-filled DC-PCF is better applied to the polarization beam splitter in the two communication bands of λ = 1.327 μm and 1.55 μm. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

  5. The Explicit Determinations Of Dual Plane Curves And Dual Helices In Terms Of Its Dual Curvature And Dual Torsion

    OpenAIRE

    Lee Jae Won; Choi Jin Ho; Jin Dae Ho

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we give the explicit determinations of dual plane curves, general dual helices and dual slant helices in terms of its dual curvature and dual torsion as a fundamental theory of dual curves in a dual 3-space

  6. GCP compliance and readability of informed consent forms from an emerging hub for clinical trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satish Chandrasekhar Nair

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The rapid expansion of trials in emerging regions has raised valid concerns about research subject protection, particularly related to informed consent. The purpose of this study is to assess informed consent form (ICF compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP guidelines and the readability easeof the ICFs in Abu Dhabi, a potential destination for clinical trials in the UAE. Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 140 ICFs from industry sponsored and non-sponsored studies was conducted by comparing against a local standard ICF. Flesch-Kincaid Reading Scale was used to assess the readability ease of the forms. Results: Non-sponsored studies had signifi cantly lower overall GCP compliance of 55.8% when compared to 79.5% for industry sponsored studies. Only 33% of sponsored and 16% of non-sponsored studies included basic information on the participants′ rights and responsibilities. Flesch-Kincaid Reading ease score for the informed consent forms from industry sponsored studies was signifi cantly higher 48.9 ± 4.8 as compared to 38.5 ± 8.0 for non-sponsored studies, though both were more complex than recommended. Reading Grade Level score was also higher than expected, but scores for the ICFs from the industry sponsored studies were 9.7 ± 0.7, signifi cantly lower as compared to 12.2 ± 1.3 for non-sponsored studies. Conclusion: In spite of the undisputed benefits of conducting research in emerging markets readability, comprehension issues and the lack of basic essential information call for improvements in the ICFs to protect the rights of future research subjects enrolled in clinical trials in the UAE.

  7. An FSS-Backed 20/30 GHz Circularly Polarized Reflectarray for a Shared Aperture L- and Ka-Band Satellite Communication Antenna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Thomas Gunst; Gothelf, Ulrich; Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2014-01-01

    antenna. The reflectarray is based on the concentric dual split-loop element backed by a concentric dual-loop FSS element. The reflectarray comprises 80 × 80 elements and it is printed on a 40 ×40 cm2 Rogers 5880 substrate, while the L-band antenna is a 2 × 2 patch array. The reflectarray antenna has been...

  8. Readability of alphanumeric characters having various contrast levels as a function of age and illumination mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1977-07-01

    Readability data of alphanumeric characters that vary in figure-to- ground contrast ratio were obtained from 36 subjects; 12 subjects were placed in each of three age groups (20-25 yr, 40-45 yr, and 60-65 yr). Minimum illuminance required to identify...

  9. Readability of the Most Commonly Accessed Arthroscopy-Related Online Patient Education Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinleye, Sheriff D; Krochak, Ryan; Richardson, Nicholas; Garofolo, Garret; Culbertson, Maya Deza; Erez, Orry

    2018-04-01

    To assess the readability and comprehension of written text by the most commonly visited websites containing patient education materials on common conditions that can be treated arthroscopically. We examined 50 websites, assessed independently by 2 orthopaedic surgery residents (S.A. and G.G.), with educational materials on 5 common conditions treated by arthroscopic surgeons: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, meniscus tear, hip labral tear, shoulder labral tear, and rotator cuff tear. Following a Google search for each condition, we analyzed the 10 most visited websites for each disorder using a widely used and validated tool for assessing the reading levels of written materials (Flesch-Kincaid formula). The average grade reading level of the 50 websites studied was 9.90 with a reading ease of 52.14 ("fairly difficult, high school"). Only 26% of the websites were at or below the national average of an eighth-grade reading level. Of the 5 conditions treated by arthroscopic surgery, ACL tear had the highest average grade reading level at 10.73 ± 1.54, whereas meniscus tear had the lowest at 9.31 ± 1.81. Every condition in this study had an average readability at or above the ninth-grade reading level. The most frequently accessed materials for patients with injuries requiring arthroscopic surgery exceeds the readability recommendations of the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health, as well as the average reading ability of US adults. Given the fact that these are the most commonly visited websites by the lay public, there needs to be a greater emphasis on tailoring written information to the literacy levels of the patient population. This study emphasizes the discrepancy between the recommended versus the measured reading levels of online patient education materials related to conditions treated by arthroscopic surgeons. The subject matter of these conditions is inherently complex; thus, relying solely on text to inform patients

  10. Improving Readability of an Evaluation Tool for Low-Income Clients Using Visual Information Processing Theories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Marilyn S.; Sylva, Kathryn; Martin, Anna; Metz, Diane; Wooten-Swanson, Patti

    2008-01-01

    Literacy is an issue for many low-income audiences. Using visual information processing theories, the goal was improving readability of a food behavior checklist and ultimately improving its ability to accurately capture existing changes in dietary behaviors. Using group interviews, low-income clients (n = 18) evaluated 4 visual styles. The text…

  11. Student Achievement Study, 1970-1974. The IEA Six-Subject Data Bank [machine-readable data file].

    Science.gov (United States)

    International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, Stockholm (Sweden).

    The "Student Achievement Study" machine-readable data files (MRDF) (also referred to as the "IEA Six-Subject Survey") are the result of an international data collection effort during 1970-1974 by 21 designated National Centers, which had agreed to cooperate. The countries involved were: Australia, Belgium, Chile, England-Wales,…

  12. Multi-band Monopole Antennas Loaded with Metamaterial TL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Zhi-jie; Liang, Jian-gang

    2015-05-01

    A novel metamaterial transmission line (TL) by loading complementary single Archimedean spiral resonator pair (CSASRP) is investigated and used to design a set of multi-frequency monopole antennas. The particularity is that the CSASRP which features dual-shunt branches in the equivalent circuit model is directly etched in the signal strip. By smartly controlling the element parameters, three antennas are designed and one of them covering UMTS and Bluetooth bands is fabricated and measured. The antenna exhibits impedance matching better than -10 dB and normal monopolar radiation patterns at working bands of 1.9-2.22 and 2.38-2.5 GHz. Moreover, the loaded element also contributes to the radiation, which is the major advantage of this prescription over previous lumped-element loadings. The proposed antenna is also more compact over previous designs.

  13. Microwave generation enhancement of X-band CRBWO by use of coaxial dual annular cathodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Teng

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an approach that greatly enhances both the output power and the conversion efficiency of the coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO by using coaxial dual annular cathodes, which increases the diode current rather than the diode voltage. The reasons for the maladjustment of CRBWO under a high diode voltage are analyzed theoretically. It is found that by optimization of the diode structure, the shielding effect of the space charge of the outer beams on the inner cathode can be alleviated effectively and dual annular beams with the same kinetic energy can be explosively emitted in parallel. The coaxial reflector can enhance the conversion efficiency by improving the premodulation of the beams. The electron dump on the inner conductor ensures that the electron beams continue to provide kinetic energy to the microwave output until they vanish. Particle-in-cell (PIC simulation results show that generation can be enhanced up to an output power level of 3.63 GW and conversion efficiency of 45% at 8.97 GHz under a diode voltage of 659 kV and current of 12.27 kA. The conversion efficiency remains above 40% and the output frequency variation is less than 100 MHz over a voltage range of more than 150 kV. Also, the application of the coaxial dual annular cathodes means that the diode impedance is matched to that of the transmission line of the accelerators. This impedance matching can effectively eliminate power reflection at the diode, and thus increase the energy efficiency of the entire system.

  14. Multi-band microwave photonic satellite repeater scheme employing intensity Mach-Zehnder modulators

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yin Jie; Dong Tao; Zhang Bin; Hao Yan; Cao Guixing; Cheng Zijing; Xu Kun; Zhou Yue; Dai Jian

    2017-01-01

    To solve the satellite repeater's flexible and wideband frequency conversion problem,we propose a novel microwave photonic repeater system,which can convert the upload signal's carrier to six different frequencies.The scheme employs one 20 GHz bandwidth dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) and two 10 GHz bandwidth MZMs.The basic principle of this scheme is filtering out two optical sidebands after the optical carrier suppression (OCS) modulation and combining two sidebands modulated by the input radio frequency (RF) signal.This structure can realize simultaneous multi-band frequency conversion with only one frequency-fixed microwave source and prevent generating harmful interference sidebands by using two corresponding optical filters after optical modulation.In the simulation,one C-band signal of 6 GHz carrier can be successfully converted to 12 GHz (Ku-band),28 GHz,34 GHz,40 GHz,46 GHz (Ka-band) and 52 GHz (V-band),which can be an attractive method to realize multi-band microwave photonic satellite repeater.Alternatively,the scheme can be configured to generate multi-band local oscillators (LOs) for widely satellite onboard clock distribution when the input RF signal is replaced by the internal clock source.

  15. Readability Assessment of Internet-Based Patient Education Materials Related to Parathyroid Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Chirag R; Sanghvi, Saurin; Cherla, Deepa V; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2015-07-01

    Patient education is critical in obtaining informed consent and reducing preoperative anxiety. Written patient education material (PEM) can supplement verbal communication to improve understanding and satisfaction. Published guidelines recommend that health information be presented at or below a sixth-grade reading level to facilitate comprehension. We investigate the grade level of online PEMs regarding parathyroid surgery. A popular internet search engine was used to identify PEM discussing parathyroid surgery. Four formulas were used to calculate readability scores: Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Thirty web-based articles discussing parathyroid surgery were identified. The average FRE score was 42.8 (±1 standard deviation [SD] 16.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 36.6-48.8; range, 6.1-71.3). The average FKGL score was 11.7 (±1 SD 3.3; 95% CI, 10.5-12.9; range, 6.1-19.0). The SMOG scores averaged 14.2 (±1 SD 2.6; 95% CI, 13.2-15.2; range, 10.7-21.9), and the GFOG scores averaged 15.0 (±1 SD 3.5; 95% CI, 13.7-16.3; range, 10.6-24.8). Online PEM on parathyroid surgery is written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Improving readability of PEM may promote better health education and compliance. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. Health Literacy: Readability of ACC/AHA Online Patient Education Material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapoor, Karan; George, Praveen; Evans, Matthew C; Miller, Weldon J; Liu, Stanley S

    To determine whether the online patient education material offered by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) is written at a higher level than the 6th-7th grade level recommended by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Online patient education material from each website was subjected to reading grade level (RGL) analysis using the Readability Studio Professional Edition. One-sample t testing was used to compare the mean RGLs obtained from 8 formulas to the NIH-recommended 6.5 grade level and 8th grade national mean. In total, 372 articles from the ACC website and 82 from the AHA were studied. Mean (±SD) RGLs for the 454 articles were 9.6 ± 2.1, 11.2 ± 2.1, 11.9 ± 1.6, 10.8 ± 1.6, 9.7 ± 2.1, 10.8 ± 0.8, 10.5 ± 2.6, and 11.7 ± 3.5 according to the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG Index), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning-Fog Index (GFI), New Dale-Chall reading level formula (NDC), FORCAST, Raygor Readability Estimate (RRE), and Fry Graph (Fry), respectively. All analyzed articles had significantly higher RGLs than both the NIH-recommended grade level of 6.5 and the national mean grade level of 8 (p education material provided on the ACC and AHA websites is written above the NIH-recommended 6.5 grade level and 8th grade national mean reading level. Additional studies are required to demonstrate whether lowering the RGL of this material improves outcomes among patients with cardiovascular disease. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Coexistence of Cognitive Small Cell and WiFi System: A Traffic Balancing Dual-Access Resource Allocation Scheme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoge Huang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a holistic approach for dual-access cognitive small cell (DACS networks, which uses the LTE air interface in both licensed and unlicensed bands. In the licensed band, we consider a sensing-based power allocation scheme to maximize the sum data rate of DACSs by jointly optimizing the cell selection, the sensing operation, and the power allocation under the interference constraint to macrocell users. Due to intercell interference and the integer nature of the cell selection, the resulting optimization problems lead to a nonconvex integer programming. We reformulate the problem to a nonconvex power allocation game and find the relaxed equilibria, quasi-Nash equilibrium. Furthermore, in order to guarantee the fairness of the whole system, we propose a dynamic satisfaction-based dual-band traffic balancing (SDTB algorithm over licensed and unlicensed bands for DACSs which aims at maximizing the overall satisfaction of the system. We obtain the optimal transmission time in the unlicensed band to ensure the proportional fair coexistence with WiFi while guaranteeing the traffic balancing of DACSs. Simulation results demonstrate that the SDTB algorithm could achieve a considerable performance improvement relative to the schemes in literature, while providing a tradeoff between maximizing the total data rate and achieving better fairness among networks.

  18. Evaluating the Quality, Accuracy, and Readability of Online Resources Pertaining to Hallux Valgus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tartaglione, Jason P; Rosenbaum, Andrew J; Abousayed, Mostafa; Hushmendy, Shazaan F; DiPreta, John A

    2016-02-01

    The Internet is one of the most widely utilized resources for health-related information. Evaluation of the medical literature suggests that the quality and accuracy of these resources are poor and written at inappropriately high reading levels. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the quality, accuracy, and readability of online resources pertaining to hallux valgus. Two search terms ("hallux valgus" and "bunion") were entered into Google, Yahoo, and Bing. With the use of scoring criteria specific to hallux valgus, the quality and accuracy of online information related to hallux valgus was evaluated by 3 reviewers. The Flesch-Kincaid score was used to determine readability. Statistical analysis was performed with t tests and significance was determined by P values hallux valgus" (P = .045). Quality and accuracy were significantly higher in resources authored by physicians as compared to nonphysicians (quality, P = .04; accuracy, P hallux valgus is poor and written at inappropriate reading levels. Furthermore, the search term used, authorship, and presence of commercial bias influence the value of these materials. It is important for orthopaedic surgeons to become familiar with patient education materials, so that appropriate recommendations can be made regarding valuable resources. Level IV. © 2015 The Author(s).

  19. Quantitative analysis of the level of readability of online emergency radiology-based patient education resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansberry, David R; D'Angelo, Michael; White, Michael D; Prabhu, Arpan V; Cox, Mougnyan; Agarwal, Nitin; Deshmukh, Sandeep

    2018-04-01

    The vast amount of information found on the internet, combined with its accessibility, makes it a widely utilized resource for Americans to find information pertaining to medical information. The field of radiology is no exception. In this paper, we assess the readability level of websites pertaining specifically to emergency radiology. Using Google, 23 terms were searched, and the top 10 results were recorded. Each link was evaluated for its readability level using a set of ten reputable readability scales. The search terms included the following: abdominal ultrasound, abdominal aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, appendicitis, cord compression, CT abdomen, cholecystitis, CT chest, diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, epidural hematoma, dural venous thrombosis, head CT, MRI brain, MR angiography, MRI spine, ovarian torsion, pancreatitis, pelvic ultrasound, pneumoperitoneum, pulmonary embolism, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and subdural hematoma. Any content that was not written for patients was excluded. The 230 articles that were assessed were written, on average, at a 12.1 grade level. Only 2 of the 230 articles (1%) were written at the third to seventh grade recommended reading level set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA). Fifty-two percent of the 230 articles were written so as to require a minimum of a high school education (at least a 12th grade level). Additionally, 17 of the 230 articles (7.3%) were written at a level that exceeded an undergraduate education (at least a 16th grade level). The majority of websites with emergency radiology-related patient education materials are not adhering to the NIH and AMA's recommended reading levels, and it is likely that the average reader is not benefiting fully from these information outlets. With the link between health literacy and poor health outcomes, it is important to address the online content in this area of radiology, allowing for patient to more fully benefit

  20. Multi-focus image fusion based on area-based standard deviation in dual tree contourlet transform domain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Min; Dong, Chenghui; Guo, Miao; Wang, Zhe; Mu, Xiaomin

    2018-04-01

    Multiresolution-based methods, such as wavelet and Contourlet are usually used to image fusion. This work presents a new image fusion frame-work by utilizing area-based standard deviation in dual tree Contourlet trans-form domain. Firstly, the pre-registered source images are decomposed with dual tree Contourlet transform; low-pass and high-pass coefficients are obtained. Then, the low-pass bands are fused with weighted average based on area standard deviation rather than the simple "averaging" rule. While the high-pass bands are merged with the "max-absolute' fusion rule. Finally, the modified low-pass and high-pass coefficients are used to reconstruct the final fused image. The major advantage of the proposed fusion method over conventional fusion is the approximately shift invariance and multidirectional selectivity of dual tree Contourlet transform. The proposed method is compared with wavelet- , Contourletbased methods and other the state-of-the art methods on common used multi focus images. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed fusion framework is feasible and effective, and it performs better in both subjective and objective evaluation.

  1. Augmented reality with image registration, vision correction and sunlight readability via liquid crystal devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu-Jen; Chen, Po-Ju; Liang, Xiao; Lin, Yi-Hsin

    2017-03-27

    Augmented reality (AR), which use computer-aided projected information to augment our sense, has important impact on human life, especially for the elder people. However, there are three major challenges regarding the optical system in the AR system, which are registration, vision correction, and readability under strong ambient light. Here, we solve three challenges simultaneously for the first time using two liquid crystal (LC) lenses and polarizer-free attenuator integrated in optical-see-through AR system. One of the LC lens is used to electrically adjust the position of the projected virtual image which is so-called registration. The other LC lens with larger aperture and polarization independent characteristic is in charge of vision correction, such as myopia and presbyopia. The linearity of lens powers of two LC lenses is also discussed. The readability of virtual images under strong ambient light is solved by electrically switchable transmittance of the LC attenuator originating from light scattering and light absorption. The concept demonstrated in this paper could be further extended to other electro-optical devices as long as the devices exhibit the capability of phase modulations and amplitude modulations.

  2. Reading and Readability Affect on E-Learning Success in a Fortune 100 Company: A Correlational Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finnegan, Denis Michael Thomas

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between employees' reading skills, E-learning readability, student learning, and student satisfaction. The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) form 10 Level A instrument evaluated student-reading skills. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index course assessed…

  3. Developing Lightning Prediction Tools for the CCAFS Dual-Polarimetric Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, W. A.; Carey, L. D.; Deierling, W.; Johnson, E.; Bateman, M.

    2009-01-01

    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama Huntsville are collaborating with the 45th Weather Squadron (45WS) to develop improved lightning prediction capabilities for the new C-band dual-polarimetric weather radar being acquired for use by 45WS and launch weather forecasters at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). In particular, these algorithms will focus on lightning onset, cessation and combined lightning-radar applications for convective winds assessment. Research using radar reflectivity (Z) data for prediction of lightning onset has been extensively discussed in the literature and subsequently applied by launch weather forecasters as it pertains to lightning nowcasting. Currently the forecasters apply a relatively straight forward but effective temperature-Z threshold algorithm for assessing the likelihood of lightning onset in a given storm. In addition, a layered VIL above the freezing level product is used as automated guidance for the onset of lightning. Only limited research and field work has been conducted on lightning cessation using Z and vertically-integrated Z for determining cessation. Though not used operationally vertically-integrated Z (basis for VIL) has recently shown promise as a tool for use in nowcasting lightning cessation. The work discussed herein leverages and expands upon these and similar reflectivity-threshold approaches via the application/addition of over two decades of polarimetric radar research focused on distinct multi-parameter radar signatures of ice/mixed-phase initiation and ice-crystal orientation in highly electrified convective clouds. Specifically, our approach is based on numerous previous studies that have observed repeatable patterns in the behavior of the vertical hydrometeor column as it relates to the temporal evolution of differential reflectivity and depolarization (manifested in either LDR or p(sub hv)), development of in-situ mixed and ice phase microphysics, electric fields, and

  4. A decision-directed network for dual-polarization crosstalk cancellation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, W. J., III

    1979-01-01

    Frequency reuse in the specific form of dual-polarized microwave communication systems has grown in importance in recent years as a practical means of radio spectrum conservation. Ideally the capacity of a given frequency allocation can be doubled through dual-polarization. However, hardware imperfections and propagation effects, particularly rain depolarization, prevent the achievement of this doubling without severe system performance degradation. A decision-directed cross-polarization correction network is presented whose operation depends on only simple base-band signal processing. No pilot tones or frequency offsets are required. The loop can work with any two-dimensional signal set for digital data transmission. The loop has been experimentally verified and provides a means of doubling the data capacity with little performance degradation.

  5. A Systematic Assessment of Google Search Queries and Readability of Online Gynecologic Oncology Patient Education Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Alexandra; Stewart, J Ryan; Gaskins, Jeremy; Medlin, Erin

    2018-01-20

    The Internet is a major source of health information for gynecologic cancer patients. In this study, we systematically explore common Google search terms related to gynecologic cancer and calculate readability of top resulting websites. We used Google AdWords Keyword Planner to generate a list of commonly searched keywords related to gynecologic oncology, which were sorted into five groups (cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer) using five patient education websites from sgo.org . Each keyword was Google searched to create a list of top websites. The Python programming language (version 3.5.1) was used to describe frequencies of keywords, top-level domains (TLDs), domains, and readability of top websites using four validated formulae. Of the estimated 1,846,950 monthly searches resulting in 62,227 websites, the most common was cancer.org . The most common TLD was *.com. Most websites were above the eighth-grade reading level recommended by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH). The SMOG Index was the most reliable formula. The mean grade level readability for all sites using SMOG was 9.4 ± 2.3, with 23.9% of sites falling at or below the eighth-grade reading level. The first ten results for each Google keyword were easiest to read with results beyond the first page of Google being consistently more difficult. Keywords related to gynecologic malignancies are Google-searched frequently. Most websites are difficult to read without a high school education. This knowledge may help gynecologic oncology providers adequately meet the needs of their patients.

  6. Change Detection in Full and Dual Polarization, Single- and Multifrequency SAR Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut; Skriver, Henning

    2015-01-01

    of obtaining a smaller value of the test statistic are given. In a case study, airborne EMISAR C- and L-band SAR images from the spring of 1998 covering agricultural fields and wooded areas near Foulum, Denmark, are used in single- and bifrequency, bitemporal change detection with full and dual polarimetry...

  7. Improving Readability in an Explicit Genre-Based Approach: The Case of an EFL Workplace Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albino, Gabriel

    2017-01-01

    The present study investigates how learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) improve the readability of their texts in an explicit genre-based approach that is utilized in an oil and gas exploration workplace in Angola. By drawing on the English for Specific Purposes and Systemic Functional Linguistics genre traditions, the study engages 18…

  8. Privacy Policies for Apps Targeted Toward Youth: Descriptive Analysis of Readability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Gitanjali; Cheung, Cynthia; Nebeker, Camille; Bietz, Matthew

    2018-01-01

    Background Due to the growing availability of consumer information, the protection of personal data is of increasing concern. Objective We assessed readability metrics of privacy policies for apps that are either available to or targeted toward youth to inform strategies to educate and protect youth from unintentional sharing of personal data. Methods We reviewed the 1200 highest ranked apps from the Apple and Google Play Stores and systematically selected apps geared toward youth. After applying exclusion criteria, 99 highly ranked apps geared toward minors remained, 64 of which had a privacy policy. We obtained and analyzed these privacy policies using reading grade level (RGL) as a metric. Policies were further compared as a function of app category (free vs paid; entertainment vs social networking vs utility). Results Analysis of privacy policies for these 64 apps revealed an average RGL of 12.78, which is well above the average reading level (8.0) of adults in the United States. There was also a small but statistically significant difference in word count as a function of app category (entertainment: 2546 words, social networking: 3493 words, and utility: 1038 words; P=.02). Conclusions Although users must agree to privacy policies to access digital tools and products, readability analyses suggest that these agreements are not comprehensible to most adults, let alone youth. We propose that stakeholders, including pediatricians and other health care professionals, play a role in educating youth and their guardians about the use of Web-based services and potential privacy risks, including the unintentional sharing of personal data. PMID:29301737

  9. Fivefold Symmetric Photonic Quasi-Crystal Fiber for Dispersion Compensation from S- to L-Band and Optimized at 1.55 μm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sivacoumar Rajalingam

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A highly dispersive dual core quasi-periodic photonic crystal fiber is proposed for chromatic dispersion compensation. The dispersion for the dual concentric core fiber is optimized to compensate the chromatic dispersion with a high negative dispersion, accomplishing the communication bandwidth from S-band (1460 nm to L-band (1625 nm. By precise control of structural parameter we have achieved a maximum dispersion of −18,838 ps/nm-km with the phase matching wavelength centred around 1.55 μm. We also numerically investigate the influence of structural parameter and doping effects and its response on peak dispersion parameter.

  10. Readability of arthroscopy-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Arthroscopy Association of North America Web sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Paul H; Ganta, Abhishek; Hussein, Khalil I; Frank, Rachel M; Jawa, Andrew

    2013-06-01

    We sought to assess the readability levels of arthroscopy-related patient education materials available on the Web sites of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). We identified all articles related to arthroscopy available in 2012 from the online patient education libraries of AAOS and AANA. After performing follow-up editing, we assessed each article with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of the articles from the AAOS Web site and the AANA Web site were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the eighth-grade level (the average reading ability of the US adult population) and sixth-grade level (the widely recommended level for patient education materials). Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability of FK grade assessment were evaluated. A total of 62 articles were reviewed (43 from AAOS and 19 from AANA). The mean overall FK grade level was 10.2 (range, 5.2 to 12). The AAOS articles had a mean FK grade level of 9.6 (range, 5.2 to 12), whereas the AANA articles had a mean FK grade level of 11.4 (range, 8.7 to 12); the difference was significant (P Online patient education materials related to arthroscopy from AAOS and AANA may be written at a level too difficult for a large portion of the patient population to comprehend. Copyright © 2013 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Compact 1 × 2 and 2 × 2 Dual Polarized Series-Fed Antenna Array for X-Band Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venkata Kishore Kothapudi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, compact linear dual polarized series-fed 1 × 2 linear and 2 × 2 planar arrays antennas for airborne SAR applications are proposed. The proposed antenna design consists of a square radiating patch that is placed on top of the substrate, a quarter wave transformer and 50-Ω matched transformer. Matching between a radiating patch and the 50-Ω microstrip line is accomplished through a direct coupled-feed technique with the help of an impedance inverter (λ/4 impedance transformer placed at both horizontal and vertical planes, in the case of the 2 × 2 planar array. The overall size for the prototype-1 and prototype-2 fabricated antennas are 1.9305 × 0.9652 × 0.05106 λ03 and 1.9305 × 1.9305 × 0.05106 λ03, respectively. The fabricated structure has been tested, and the experimental results are similar to the simulated ones. The CST MWS simulated and vector network analyzer measured reflection coefficient (S11 results were compared, and they indicate that the proposed antenna prototype-1 yields the impedance bandwidth > 140 MHz (9.56–9.72 GHz defined by S11 140 MHz for all the individual ports. The surface currents and the E- and H-field distributions were studied for a better understanding of the polarization mechanism. The measured results of the proposed dual polarized antenna were in accordance with the simulated analysis and showed good performance of the S-parameters and radiation patterns (co-pol and cross-pol, gain, efficiency, front-to-back ratio, half-power beam width at the resonant frequency. With these features and its compact size, the proposed antenna will be suitable for X-band airborne synthetic aperture radar applications.

  12. Dual-anticipating, dual and dual-lag synchronization in modulated time-delayed systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Dibakar; Chowdhury, A. Roy

    2010-01-01

    In this Letter, dual synchronization in modulated time delay system using delay feedback controller is proposed. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, we suggest a general method to achieve the dual-anticipating, dual, dual-lag synchronization of time-delayed chaotic systems and we find both its existing and sufficient stability conditions. Numerically it is shown that the dual synchronization is also possible when driving system contain two completely different systems. Effect of parameter mismatch on dual synchronization is also discussed. As an example, numerical simulations for the Mackey-Glass and Ikeda systems are conducted, which is in good agreement with the theoretical analysis.

  13. Comparative Costs of Converting Shelf List Records to Machine Readable Form

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard E. Chapin

    1968-03-01

    Full Text Available A study at Michigan State University Library compared the costs of three different methods of conversion: keypunching, paper-tape typewriting, and optical scanning by a service bureau. The record converted included call number, copy number, first 39 letters of the author's name, first 43 letters of the title, and date of publication. Source documents were all of the shelf list cards at the Library. The end products were a master book tape of the library collections and a machine readable book card for each volume to be used in an automated circulation system.

  14. Dual-Band Modulation of Visible and Near-Infrared Light Transmittance in an All-Solution-Processed Hybrid Micro-Nano Composite Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xiao; Chen, Mei; Guo, Shumeng; Zhang, Lanying; Li, Fasheng; Yang, Huai

    2017-11-22

    Smart windows with controllable visible and near-infrared light transmittance can significantly improve the building's energy efficiency and inhabitant comfort. However, most of the current smart window technology cannot achieve the target of ideal solar control. Herein, we present a novel all-solution-processed hybrid micronano composite smart material that have four optical states to separately modulate the visible and NIR light transmittance through voltage and temperature, respectively. This dual-band optical modulation was achieved by constructing a phase-separated polymer framework, which contains the microsized liquid crystals domains with a negative dielectric constant and tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide (W-VO 2 ) nanocrystals (NCs). The film with 2.5 wt % W-VO 2 NCs exhibits transparency at normal condition, and the passage of visible light can be reversibly and actively regulated between 60.8% and 1.3% by external applied voltage. Also, the transmittance of NIR light can be reversibly and passively modulated between 59.4% and 41.2% by temperature. Besides, the film also features easy all-solution processability, fast electro-optical (E-O) response time, high mechanical strength, and long-term stability. The as-prepared film provides new opportunities for next-generation smart window technology, and the proposed strategy is conductive to engineering novel hybrid inorganic-organic functional matters.

  15. Design and Analysis of a Multicolor Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Alves, Fabio D. P

    2005-01-01

    .... These characteristics have been found in quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIP). Driven by these applications, a QWIP photodetector capable of detecting simultaneously infrared emissions within near infrared (NIR...

  16. Tropical-forest biomass estimation at X-Band from the spaceborne TanDEM-X interferometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. Treuhaft; F. Goncalves; J.R. dos Santos; M. Keller; M. Palace; S.N. Madsen; F. Sullivan; P.M.L.A. Graca

    2014-01-01

    This letter reports the sensitivity of X-band interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data from the first dual-spacecraft radar interferometer, TanDEM-X, to variations in tropical-forest aboveground biomass (AGB). It also reports the first tropical-forest AGB estimates fromTanDEM-X data. Tropical forests account for...

  17. Development of IR imaging at IRnova

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martijn, Henk; Asplund, Carl; Malm, Hedda; Smuk, Sergiy; Höglund, Linda; Gustafsson, Oscar; Hammar, Mattias; Hellström, Staffan

    2009-05-01

    Historically IRnova has exclusively been a company, focused on manufacturing of QWIP detectors. Nowadays, besides continuous improvements of the performance of QWIP FPAs and development of new formats IRnova is involved in development of QWIP detectors for special applications and has started the development of the next generation infrared detectors, as well. In the light of the development of new formats we validate experimentally theoretical calculations of the response of QWIPs for smaller pixel size. These results allow for the development of high performance megapixel QWIP FPA that exhibit the high uniformity and operability QWIP detectors are known for. QWIP is also being considered for space applications. The requirements on dark current and operating temperature are however much more stringent as compared to the terrestrial applications. We show ways to improve the material quality with as a result a higher detector operating temperature. IRnova is also looking at antimony-based strained superlattice material for the LWIR region together with partners at the IMAGIC centre of excellence. One of the ways to overcome the problem with surface currents is passivating overgrowth. We will report the status and results of overgrowing the detector mesas with AlGa(As)Sb in a MOVPE system. At the same centre of excellence a novel material concept is being developed for LWIR detection. This new material contains a superlattice of vertically aligned and electronically coupled InAs and GaSb quantum dots. Simulations show that it should be possible to have LWIR detection in this material. We will present the current status and report results in this research.

  18. Change detection in quad and dual pol, single- and bi-frequency SAR data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut; Skriver, Henning

    2015-01-01

    -value are given. In a case study airborne EMISAR C- and L-band SAR images covering agricultural fields and wooded areas near Foulum, Denmark, are used in single- and bi-frequency, bi-temporal change detection with full and dual polarimetry data. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation...

  19. Tri-Band CPW-Fed Stub-Loaded Slot Antenna Design for WLAN/WiMAX Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jianxing; Guo, Jianying; He, Bin; Zhang, Anxue; Liu, Qing Huo

    2016-11-01

    A novel uniplanar CPW-fed tri-band stub-loaded slot antenna is proposed for wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications. Dual resonant modes were effectively excited in the upper band by using two identical pairs of slot stubs and parasitic slots symmetrically along the arms of a traditional CPW-fed slot dipole, achieving a much wider bandwidth. The middle band was realized by the fundamental mode of the slot dipole. To obtain the lower band, two identical inverted-L-shaped open-ended slots were symmetrically etched in the ground plane. A prototype was fabricated and measured, showing that tri-band operation with 10-dB return loss bandwidths of 150 MHz from 2.375 to 2.525 GHz, 725 MHz from 3.075 to 3.8 GHz, and 1.9 GHz from 5.0 to 6.9 GHz has been achieved. Details of the antenna design as well as the measured and simulated results are presented and discussed.

  20. Dual-Telescope Multi-Channel Thermal-Infrared Radiometer for Outer Planet Fly-By Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslam, Shahid; Amato, Michael; Bowles, Neil; Calcutt, Simon; Hewagama, Tilak; Howard, Joseph; Howett, Carly; Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Hurford, Terry; Hurley, Jane; hide

    2016-01-01

    The design of a versatile dual-telescope thermal-infrared radiometer spanning the spectral wavelength range 8-200 microns, in five spectral pass bands, for outer planet fly-by missions is described. The dual- telescope design switches between a narrow-field-of-view and a wide-field-of-view to provide optimal spatial resolution images within a range of spacecraft encounters to the target. The switchable dual-field- of-view system uses an optical configuration based on the axial rotation of a source-select mirror along the optical axis. The optical design, spectral performance, radiometric accuracy, and retrieval estimates of the instrument are discussed. This is followed by an assessment of the surface coverage performance at various spatial resolutions by using the planned NASA Europa Mission 13-F7 fly-by trajectories as a case study.

  1. Dual Entwining Structures and Dual Entwined Modules

    OpenAIRE

    Abuhlail, Jawad Y.

    2003-01-01

    In this note we introduce and investigate the concepts of dual entwining structures and dual entwined modules. This generalizes the concepts of dual Doi-Koppinen structures and dual Doi-Koppinen modules introduced (in the infinite case over rings) by the author is his dissertation.

  2. Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schinka, John A.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Issues regarding the readability of self-report assessment instruments, methods for establishing the reading ability level of respondents, and guidelines for development of scales designed for marginal readers have been inconsistently addressed in the literature. A recent study by McHugh and Behar (2009) provided new findings relevant…

  3. Readability, suitability, and characteristics of asthma action plans: examination of factors that may impair understanding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, H Shonna; Gupta, Ruchi S; Tomopoulos, Suzy; Wolf, Michael S; Mendelsohn, Alan L; Antler, Lauren; Sanchez, Dayana C; Lau, Claudia Hillam; Dreyer, Benard P

    2013-01-01

    Recognition of the complexity of asthma management has led to the development of asthma treatment guidelines that include the recommendation that all pediatric asthma patients receive a written asthma action plan. We assessed the readability, suitability, and characteristics of asthma action plans, elements that contribute to the effectiveness of action plan use, particularly for those with limited literacy. This was a descriptive study of 30 asthma action plans (27 state Department of Health (DOH)-endorsed, 3 national action plans endorsed by 6 states). (1) readability (as assessed by Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Forcast), (2) suitability (Suitability Assessment of Materials [SAM], adequate: ≥ 0.4; unsuitable: typography (30.0%), learning stimulation/motivation (26.7%), and graphics (13.3%). There were no statistically significant differences between the average grade level or SAM score of state DOH developed action plans and those from or adapted from national organizations. Plans varied with respect to terms used, symptoms included, and recommended actions. Specific improvements in asthma action plans could maximize patient and parent understanding of appropriate asthma management and could particularly benefit individuals with limited literacy skills.

  4. Multi-cavity locally resonant structure with the low frequency and broad band-gaps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiulong Jiang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A multi-cavity periodic structure with the characteristic of local resonance was proposed in the paper. The low frequency band-gap structure was comparatively analyzed by the finite element method (FEM and electric circuit analogy (ECA. Low frequency band-gap can be opened through the dual influence of the coupling’s resonance in the cavity and the interaction among the couplings between structures. Finally, the influence of the structural factors on the band-gap was analyzed. The results show that the structure, which is divided into three parts equally, has a broader effective band-gap below the frequency of 200 Hz. It is also proved that reducing the interval between unit structures can increase the intensity of the couplings among the structures. And in this way, the width of band-gap would be expanded significantly. Through the parameters adjustment, the structure enjoys a satisfied sound insulation effect below the frequency of 500Hz. In the area of low frequency noise reduction, the structure has a lot of potential applications.

  5. Augmented reality with image registration, vision correction and sunlight readability via liquid crystal devices

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Yu-Jen; Chen, Po-Ju; Liang, Xiao; Lin, Yi-Hsin

    2017-01-01

    Augmented reality (AR), which use computer-aided projected information to augment our sense, has important impact on human life, especially for the elder people. However, there are three major challenges regarding the optical system in the AR system, which are registration, vision correction, and readability under strong ambient light. Here, we solve three challenges simultaneously for the first time using two liquid crystal (LC) lenses and polarizer-free attenuator integrated in optical-see-...

  6. USA - Postponement of Deadline for Machine-Readable Passports

    CERN Multimedia

    2003-01-01

    U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has granted a postponement until October 26, 2004, as the date by which travellers holding Swiss passports must present a machine-readable passport at a U.S. port of entry to be admitted to the country without a visa. As in the past, citizens of Switzerland and other visa waiver program countries are permitted to enter the United States for general business or tourist purposes for a maximum of 90 days without needing a visa. Other categories of travellers such as students, journalists, individuals employed in the U.S., and all individuals staying for more than 90 days still require a visa. The postponement granted by the Secretary of State applies to a total to the following countries: Australia - Austria - Denmark - Finland - France - Germany - Iceland - Ireland - Italy - Japan - Monaco - Netherlands - New Zealand - Norway - Portugal - San Marino - Singapore - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - United Kingdom More information available: http://www.us-embassy.ch Your Carlson...

  7. Variations in Textualization: A Cross-Generic and Cross-Disciplinary Study, Implications for Readability of the Academic Discourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonabi, Mina Abbasi; Lotfipour-Saedi, Kazem; Hemmati, Fatemeh; Jafarigohar, Manoochehr

    2018-01-01

    According to discoursal views on language, variations in textualization strategies are always sociocontextually motivated and never happen at random. The textual forms employed in a text, along with many other discoursal and contextual factors, could certainly affect the readability of the text, making it more or less processable for the same…

  8. Does obfuscating excessive CEO pay work? The influence of remuneration report readability on say-on-pay votes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hooghiemstra, Reggy; Kuang, Yu Flora; Qin, Bo

    2017-01-01

    This paper assesses whether reducing ‘readability’ is an effective obfuscation strategy for influencing the level of shareholder say-on-pay voting dissent in firms with excessive CEO pay. Based on a sample of UK-listed firms, our results indicate that in cases of excessive CEO pay, a less readable

  9. Evaluating the quality and readability of Internet information sources regarding the treatment of swallowing disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell Ferster, Ashley P; Hu, Amanda

    2017-03-01

    The Internet has become a popular resource for patient education. The information it provides, however, is rarely peer-reviewed, and its quality may be a concern. Since the average American reads at an 8th grade level, the American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health have recommended that health information be written at a 4th to 6th grade level. We performed a study to assess the quality and readability of online information regarding the treatment of swallowing disorders. A Google search for "swallowing treatment" was conducted. We studied the first 50 websites that appeared on the search engine's results with the use of the DISCERN quality index tool, the Flesch Ease of Reading Score (FRES), and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) readability test. DISCERN is a validated 16-item questionnaire used to assess the quality of written health information; FRES and FKGL are used to assess readability. We classified the websites as either patient-targeted or professional-targeted sites, as well as either major or minor. The overall DISCERN score was 1.61 ± 0.61 (range: 1 to 5), the overall FRES was 39.1 ± 19.0 (range: 1 to 100), and the overall FKGL was 11.8 ± 3.4 (range: 3 to 12). As would be expected, patient-targeted websites had significantly higher FRES and significantly lower FKGL scores than did the professional-targeted websites (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04, respectively); there was no significant difference between the two in DISCERN scores. The major websites had significantly higher DISCERN scores than did the minor sites (p = 0.002); there were no significant differences in FRES and FKGL scores. We conclude that online information sources regarding the treatment of swallowing disorders were of suboptimal quality in that information was written at a level too difficult for the average American to easily understand. Also, the patient-targeted websites were written at a lower reading level, and the major websites contained a higher quality

  10. Low-Profile, Dual-Wavelength, Dual-Polarized Antenna

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carswell, James R.

    2010-01-01

    A single-aperture, low-profile antenna design has been developed that supports dual-polarization and simultaneous operation at two wavelengths. It realizes multiple beams in the elevation plane, and supports radiometric, radar, and conical scanning applications. This antenna consists of multiple azimuth sticks, with each stick being a multilayer, hybrid design. Each stick forms the h-plane pattern of the C and Ku-band vertically and horizontally polarized antenna beams. By combining several azimuth sticks together, the elevation beam is formed. With a separate transceiver for each stick, the transmit phase and amplitude of each stick can be controlled to synthesize a beam at a specific incidence angle and to realize a particular side-lobe pattern. By changing the transmit phase distribution through the transceivers, the transmit antenna beam can be steered to different incidence angles. By controlling the amplitude distribution, different side lobe patterns and efficiencies can be realized. The receive beams are formed using digital beam synthesis techniques, resulting in very little loss in the receive path, thus enabling a very-low loss receive antenna to support passive measurements.

  11. Dual-Polarized Antenna Arrays with CMOS Power Amplifiers for SiP Integration at W-Band

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giese, Malte; Vehring, Sönke; Böck, Georg; Jacob, Arne F.

    2017-09-01

    This paper presents requirements and front-end solutions for low-cost communication systems with data rates of 100 Gbit/s. Link budget analyses in different mass-market applications are conducted for that purpose. It proposes an implementation of the front-end as an active antenna array with support for beam steering and polarization multiplexing over the full W-band. The critical system components are investigated and presented. This applies to a transformer coupled power amplifier (PA) in 40 nm bulk CMOS. It shows saturated output power of more than 10 dBm and power-added-efficiency of more than 10 % over the full W-band. Furthermore, the performance of microstrip-to-waveguide transitions is shown exemplarily as an important part of the active antenna as it interfaces active circuitry and antenna in a polymer-and-metal process. The transition test design shows less than 0.9 dB insertion loss and more than 12 dB return loss for the differential transition over the full W-band.

  12. Developing a Practical Readability Tool for Assessing Written Oral Health Promotion Material for People with Low Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Silva, Andrea M.; Martin-Kerry, Jacqueline M.; Van, Kelly; Hegde, Shalika; Heilbrunn-Lang, Adina

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Oral health promotion resources need to be simple, useful, accessible and understandable to be effective. The importance of this is magnified for population groups who are at increased risk of poor oral health, have low literacy or language barriers. Consultation with health service providers identified the need for a readability tool…

  13. An online readability analysis of pathology-related patient education articles: an opportunity for pathologists to educate patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabhu, Arpan V; Kim, Christopher; Crihalmeanu, Tudor; Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; DeFrances, Marie C; Trejo Bittar, Humberto E

    2017-07-01

    Information for patients regarding their clinical conditions and treatment options is widely available online. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that online patient-oriented materials be written at no higher than a seventh-grade reading level to ensure full comprehension by the average American. This study sought to determine whether online patient-oriented materials explaining common pathology procedures are written at appropriate reading levels. Ten pathology procedures that patients would likely research were queried into Google search, and plain text from the first 10 Web sites containing patient education materials for each procedure was analyzed using 10 validated readability scales. We determined mean reading levels of materials grouped by readability scale, procedure, and Web site domain, the overall average reading level of all resources, and popular Web site domains. One hundred Web sites were accessed; one was omitted for short length (pathology-related patient education materials exceeded those recommended by national health literacy guidelines. These patient education materials should be revised to help patients fully understand them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Design of Wideband Dual-Polarized Planar Antenna Using Multimode Concept

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deqiang Yang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A wideband dual-polarized planar antenna is designed and analyzed by using the theory of characteristic modes (TCM. The eigenvalue, eigencurrent, characteristic pattern, and modal weighting coefficient are analyzed to bring physical insight to this kind of antenna. The results demonstrate that there are two modes resonant in the operating band for each polarization, which have been combined to form a wider frequency band. A bandwidth of 60.2% (1.72–3.2 GHz for VSWR < 1.5 with high isolation of 32 dB is achieved simultaneously. The size of the radiator structure is 0.33λ0 × 0.33λ0 × 0.22λ0 (λ0 refers to the center operating frequency.

  15. Design of an X-band accelerating structure using a newly developed structural optimization procedure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Xiaoxia [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Fang, Wencheng; Gu, Qiang [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Zhao, Zhentang, E-mail: zhaozhentang@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2017-05-11

    An X-band high gradient accelerating structure is a challenging technology for implementation in advanced electron linear accelerator facilities. The present work discusses the design of an X-band accelerating structure for dedicated application to a compact hard X-ray free electron laser facility at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, and numerous design optimizations are conducted with consideration for radio frequency (RF) breakdown, RF efficiency, short-range wakefields, and dipole/quadrupole field modes, to ensure good beam quality and a high accelerating gradient. The designed X-band accelerating structure is a constant gradient structure with a 4π/5 operating mode and input and output dual-feed couplers in a racetrack shape. The design process employs a newly developed effective optimization procedure for optimization of the X-band accelerating structure. In addition, the specific design of couplers providing high beam quality by eliminating dipole field components and reducing quadrupole field components is discussed in detail.

  16. Topology-optimized dual-polarization Dirac cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zin; Christakis, Lysander; Li, Yang; Mazur, Eric; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; Lončar, Marko

    2018-02-01

    We apply a large-scale computational technique, known as topology optimization, to the inverse design of photonic Dirac cones. In particular, we report on a variety of photonic crystal geometries, realizable in simple isotropic dielectric materials, which exhibit dual-polarization Dirac cones. We present photonic crystals of different symmetry types, such as fourfold and sixfold rotational symmetries, with Dirac cones at different points within the Brillouin zone. The demonstrated and related optimization techniques open avenues to band-structure engineering and manipulating the propagation of light in periodic media, with possible applications to exotic optical phenomena such as effective zero-index media and topological photonics.

  17. Readability and Comprehension of the Geriatric Depression Scale and PROMIS® Physical Function Items in Older African Americans and Latinos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paz, Sylvia H; Jones, Loretta; Calderón, José L; Hays, Ron D

    2017-02-01

    Depression and physical function are particularly important health domains for the elderly. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® ) physical function item bank are two surveys commonly used to measure these domains. It is unclear if these two instruments adequately measure these aspects of health in minority elderly. The aim of this study was to estimate the readability of the GDS and PROMIS ® physical function items and to assess their comprehensibility using a sample of African American and Latino elderly. Readability was estimated using the Flesch-Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulae for English versions, and a Spanish adaptation of the FRE formula for the Spanish versions. Comprehension of the GDS and PROMIS ® items by minority elderly was evaluated with 30 cognitive interviews. Readability estimates of a number of items in English and Spanish of the GDS and PROMIS ® physical functioning items exceed the U.S. recommended 5th-grade threshold for vulnerable populations, or were rated as 'fairly difficult', 'difficult', or 'very difficult' to read. Cognitive interviews revealed that many participants felt that more than the two (yes/no) GDS response options were needed to answer the questions. Wording of several PROMIS ® items was considered confusing, and interpreting responses was problematic because they were based on using physical aids. Problems with item wording and response options of the GDS and PROMIS ® physical function items may reduce reliability and validity of measurement when used with minority elderly.

  18. Single vs. dual color fire detection systems: operational tradeoffs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danino, Meir; Danan, Yossef; Sinvani, Moshe

    2017-10-01

    In attempt to supply a reasonable fire plume detection, multinational cooperation with significant capital is invested in the development of two major Infra-Red (IR) based fire detection alternatives, single-color IR (SCIR) and dual-color IR (DCIR). False alarm rate was expected to be high not only as a result of real heat sources but mainly due to the IR natural clutter especially solar reflections clutter. SCIR uses state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated algorithms to filter out threats from clutter. On the other hand, DCIR are aiming at using additional spectral band measurements (acting as a guard), to allow the implementation of a simpler and more robust approach for performing the same task. In this paper we present the basics of SCIR & DCIR architecture and the main differences between them. In addition, we will present the results from a thorough study conducted for the purpose of learning about the added value of the additional data available from the second spectral band. Here we consider the two CO2 bands of 4-5 micron and of 2.5-3 micron band as well as off peak band (guard). The findings of this study refer also to Missile warning systems (MWS) efficacy, in terms of operational value. We also present a new approach for tunable filter to such sensor.

  19. Receiver sensitivity improvement in spectrally-efficient guard-band twin-SSB-OFDM using an optical IQ modulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ming; Peng, Miao; Zhou, Hui; Zheng, Zhiwei; Tang, Xionggui; Maivan, Lap

    2017-12-01

    To further improve receiver sensitivity of spectrally-efficient guard-band direct-detection optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) with twin single-side-band (SSB) modulation technique, an optical IQ modulator (IQM) is employed to optimize optical carrier-to-signal power ratio (CSPR). The CSPRs for the guard-band twin-SSB-OFDM signal generated by using dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DD-MZM) and optical IQM are theoretically analyzed and supported by simulations. The optimal CSPR for the two types of guard-band twin-SSB-OFDM are identified. The simulations exhibit that the error vector magnitude (EVM) performance of the IQM-enabled guard-band twin-SSB-OFDM is improved by more than 4-dB compared to that of the twin-SSB-OFDM enabled by DD-MZM after 80-km single-mode fiber (SMF) transmission. In addition, more than 3-dB and 10 dB receiver sensitivity improvements in terms of received optical power (ROP) and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) are also achieved, respectively.

  20. Corrugated Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Focal Plane Array Test Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, A.; Choi, K. K.; Das, N. C.; La, A.; Jhabvala, M.

    1999-01-01

    The corrugated quantum-well infrared photodetector (C-QWIP) uses total internal reflection to couple normal incident light into the optically active quantum wells. The coupling efficiency has been shown to be relatively independent of the pixel size and wavelength thus making the C-QWIP a candidate for detectors over the entire infrared spectrum. The broadband coupling efficiency of the C-QWIP makes it an ideal candidate for multiwavelength detectors. We fabricated and tested C-QWIP focal plane arrays (FPAs) with cutoff wavelengths of 11.2 and 16.2 micrometers. Each FPA has 256 x 256 pixels that are bump-bonded to a direct injection readout circuit. Both FPAs provided infrared imagery with good aesthetic attributes. For the 11.2-micrometers FPA, background-limited performance (BLIP) was observed at 60 K with f/3 optics. For the 16.2-micrometers FPA, BLIP was observed at 38 K. Besides the reduction of dark current in C-QWIP structures, the measured internal quantum efficiency (eta) remains to be high. The values for responsivity and quantum efficiency obtained from the FPA results agree well with those measured for single devices.