Cost uncertainty for different levels of technology maturity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMuth, S.F.; Franklin, A.L.

1996-01-01

It is difficult at best to apply a single methodology for estimating cost uncertainties related to technologies of differing maturity. While highly mature technologies may have significant performance and manufacturing cost data available, less well developed technologies may be defined in only conceptual terms. Regardless of the degree of technical maturity, often a cost estimate relating to application of the technology may be required to justify continued funding for development. Yet, a cost estimate without its associated uncertainty lacks the information required to assess the economic risk. For this reason, it is important for the developer to provide some type of uncertainty along with a cost estimate. This study demonstrates how different methodologies for estimating uncertainties can be applied to cost estimates for technologies of different maturities. For a less well developed technology an uncertainty analysis of the cost estimate can be based on a sensitivity analysis; whereas, an uncertainty analysis of the cost estimate for a well developed technology can be based on an error propagation technique from classical statistics. It was decided to demonstrate these uncertainty estimation techniques with (1) an investigation of the additional cost of remediation due to beyond baseline, nearly complete, waste heel retrieval from underground storage tanks (USTs) at Hanford; and (2) the cost related to the use of crystalline silico-titanate (CST) rather than the baseline CS100 ion exchange resin for cesium separation from UST waste at Hanford

Comparison of Remote Labs in Different Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Mergl

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Recently several possibilities arose to conduct electronic measurement experiments via remote control. Now a comparison of the latest different technologies should bring some answers to interested people, so that they can choose the best technology for them under their criteria. Criteria in this case are, the up-to-dateness of the technology, the development-time, the system-independency of the client in terms of the operating system and internet browser as well as other necessary installations on the client.

Similarities and differences between families who have frequent and infrequent family meals: A qualitative investigation of low-income and minority households.

Science.gov (United States)

Berge, Jerica M; Draxten, Michelle; Trofholz, Amanda; Hanson-Bradley, Carrie; Justesen, Kathryn; Slattengren, Andrew

2018-04-01

Numerous quantitative studies have examined the association between family meal frequency and child/adolescent weight and weight-related behaviors. However, limited qualitative research has been conducted to identify mealtime characteristics (e.g., child behavior during meals, rules/expectations, family dynamics) that occur during family meals that may explain why some families engage in frequent family meals and others do not. This is particularly important within racially/ethnically diverse households, as these demographic groups are at higher risk for weight-related problems. The current study aimed to identify similarities and differences in mealtime characteristics between households that have frequent and infrequent family meals within a low-income and minority population. This qualitative study included 118 parents who participated in Family Meals, LIVE!, a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study. Parents (90% female; mean age = 35) were racially/ethnically diverse (62% African American, 19% White, 4% Native American, 4% Asian, 11% Mixed/Other) and from low-income (73% eating, involving family members in meal preparation) between households having frequent and infrequent family meals. Additionally, several differences in mealtime characteristics were identified between households having frequent (i.e., importance of family meals, flexibility in the definition of family meals, family meal rules, no pressure-to-eat feeding practices) versus infrequent family meals (i.e., pressure-to-eat parent feeding practices, family meals are dinner meals only, and difficult meal time behaviors). Study findings may be useful for developing intervention targets for low-income and racially/ethnically diverse households so more families can benefit from the protective nature of family meals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The bedding environment, sleep position, and frequent wheeze in childhood.

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Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Dwyer, Terence; Trevillian, Leigh; Kemp, Andrew; Cochrane, Jennifer; Couper, David; Carmichael, Allan

2004-05-01

Synthetic quilt use has been associated with increased childhood wheeze in previous studies. Our aim was to examine whether the adverse effect of synthetic quilt use on frequent wheeze differed by usual sleep position. A population-based cross-sectional study of 6378 (92% of those eligible) 7-year-olds in Tasmania, Australia, was conducted in 1995. Exercise-challenge lung function was obtained on a subset of 414 children from randomly selected schools. Child bedding including pillow and overbedding composition and usual sleep position by parental questionnaire. Frequent wheeze (>12 wheeze episodes over the past year), using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood parental questionnaire, and baseline and postexercise forced expiratory volume in 1 second lung-function measures. Frequent wheeze (n = 117) was positively associated with synthetic quilts, synthetic pillows, electric blankets, and sleeping in a bottom bunk bed but did not vary by sleep position. In a nested case-control analysis, the association between synthetic quilt use and frequent wheeze differed by sleep position. Among children who slept supine, synthetic (versus feather) quilt use was associated with frequent wheeze (adjusted odds ratio: 2.37 [1.08, 5.23]). However, among nonsupine sleepers, overlying synthetic quilt use was not associated with frequent wheeze (adjusted odds ratio: 1.06 [0.60, 1.88]). This difference in quilt effect by sleep position was highly significant. Similarly, synthetic quilt use was associated with lower postexercise forced expiratory volume in 1 second measures among supine but not nonsupine sleeping children. An increasing focus on the bedding environment immediately adjacent to the nose and mouth is required for respiratory disorders provoked by bedding, such as child asthma characterized by frequent wheeze.

(Ir)reconcilable differences? The debate concerning nursing and technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandelowski, M

1997-01-01

To review and critique the debate concerning nursing and technology. Technology has been considered both at one and at odds with nursing. Mitcham's (1994) concepts of technological optimism and romanticism. Nursing literature since 1960. Historical analysis. Technological optimists in nursing have viewed technology as an extension of and as readily assimilable into humanistic nursing practice, and nursing as socially advantaged by technology. Technological romantics have viewed technology as irreconcilable with nursing culture, as an expression of masculine culture, and as recirculating existing gender and social inequalities. Both optimists and romantics essentialize technology and nursing, treating the two as singular and fixed entities. The (ir)reconcilability of nursing and technology may be a function of how devices are used by people in different contexts, or of the (ir)reconcilability of views of technology in nursing.

A Global Online Handwriting Recognition Approach Based on Frequent Patterns

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C. Gmati

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In this article, the handwriting signals are represented based on geometric and spatio-temporal characteristics to increase the feature vectors relevance of each object. The main goal was to extract features in the form of a numeric vector based on the extraction of frequent patterns. We used two types of frequent motifs (closed frequent patterns and maximal frequent patterns that can represent handwritten characters pertinently. These common features patterns are generated from a raw data transformation method to achieve high relevance. A database of words consisting of two different letters was created. The proposed application gives promising results and highlights the advantages that frequent pattern extraction algorithms can achieve, as well as the central role played by the “minimum threshold” parameter in the overall description of the characters.

Associations of work ability with frequent and long-term sickness absence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Notenbomer, A.; Groothoff, J. W.; van Rhenen, W.; Roelen, C. A. M.

Background Reduced work ability is related to long-term sickness absence. The relationship between work ability and frequent sickness absence has not previously been investigated. It is important to distinguish between frequent and long-term sickness absence as they are outcomes of different

Managing Technology Is Different.

Science.gov (United States)

Levinson, Eliot; Grohe, Barbara

2002-01-01

Discusses methods that school superintendents can use to manage technology issues in their schools beyond traditional delegation. Highlights include participation more than delegation to a technology coordinator; identifying the right problems; determining what to make and what to buy; and the need for continual technology funding. (LRW)

Examination of Operation Quality for High-frequent Railway Operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Landex, Alex; Kaas, Anders H.

2009-01-01

take the first train in their direction. The article examines four different approaches to examine operation quality for high-frequent operation that are based on the experiences of the passengers. These approaches are the service frequency of the operation, travel time extension, a combination......The examination of operation quality for high-frequent operation requires other approaches than the typical evaluation of punctuality (trains on time) and reliability (operated trains). This is because passengers in high-frequent railway systems do not necessarily notice train delays as they just...... of the service frequency and travel time approaches, and passenger delays. The service frequency and travel time approaches are simple measurements with low complexity and complement each other. Therefore, the article recommends combining the service frequency and travel time approaches to get a more accurate...

Vaginal microbiota of women with frequent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xia; Westman, Rachel; Hickey, Roxana; Hansmann, Melanie A; Kennedy, Colleen; Osborn, Thomas W; Forney, Larry J

2009-09-01

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an insidious infection that afflicts a large proportion of women of all ages, and 5 to 8% of affected women experience recurrent VVC (RVVC). The aim of this study was to explore the possible importance of vaginal bacterial communities in reducing the risk of RVVC. The species composition and diversity of microbial communities were evaluated for 42 women with and without frequent VVC based on profiles of terminal restriction fragment polymorphisms of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences from the numerically dominant microbial populations. The data showed that there were no significant differences between the vaginal microbial communities of women in the two groups (likelihood score, 5.948; bootstrap P value, 0.26). Moreover, no novel bacteria were found in the communities of women with frequent VVC. The vaginal communities of most women in both groups (38/42; 90%) were dominated by species of Lactobacillus. The results of this study failed to provide evidence for the existence of altered or unusual vaginal bacterial communities in women who have frequent VVC compared to women who do not have frequent VVC. The findings suggest that commensal vaginal bacterial species may not be able to prevent VVC.

Frequent users of emergency services: associated factors and reasons for seeking care

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Aline Marques Acosta

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: to identify the profile of frequent users of emergency services, to verify the associated factors and to analyze the reasons for the frequent use of the services. METHOD: An explanatory sequential type mixed method was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from the electronic medical records, with a sample of 385 users attended four or more times in an emergency service, during the year 2011. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 users, intentionally selected from the results of the quantitative stage. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: It was found that 42.9% were elderly, 84.9% had chronic diseases, 63.5% were classified as urgent, 42.1% stayed for more than 24 hours in the service and 46.5% were discharged. Scheduled follow-up appointment, risk classification, length of stay and outcome were factors associated with frequent use. The reasons for seeking the services were mainly related to the exacerbation of chronic diseases, to easier access and concentration of technology, to the bond, and to the scheduled appointments. CONCLUSIONS: The results contribute to comprehending the repeated use of emergency services and provide additional data to plan alternatives to reduce frequent use.

Exploring gender differences in perceptions of 3D telepresence collaboration technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maurin, Hanna; Sonnenwald, Diane H.; Cairns, Bruce

2006-01-01

Previous research on gender differences and collaboration technology illustrate the need to investigate gender issues as early as possible in the development cycle in order to avoid any negative consequences the technology may impose. Therefore we are investigating the potential of 3D telepresence....... The results show several gender differences that imply male paramedics may inherently receive more benefits from use of the 3D telepresence technology than female paramedics....

Frequently Asked Questions for Parents of Children with PH

Science.gov (United States)

... Frequently Asked Questions for Parents of Children with PH What causes pulmonary hypertension in children? I’ve ... of what I read is about adults with PH. What are the primary differences between PH in ...

FDI technology spillover and threshold effect of the technology gap: regional differences in the Chinese industrial sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Liu, Huifang; Cao, Zhiyong; Wang, Bowen

2016-01-01

This paper presents a new perspective that there is a double-threshold effect in terms of the technology gap existing in the foreign direct investment (FDI) technology spillover process in different regional Chinese industrial sectors. In this paper, a double-threshold regression model was established to examine the relation between the threshold effect of the technology gap and technology spillover. Based on the provincial panel data of Chinese industrial sectors from 2000 to 2011, the empirical results reveal that there are two threshold values, which are 1.254 and 2.163, in terms of the technology gap in the industrial sector in eastern China. There are also two threshold values in both the central and western industrial sector, which are 1.516, 2.694 and 1.635, 2.714, respectively. The technology spillover is a decreasing function of the technology gap in both the eastern and western industrial sectors, but a concave curve function of the technology gap is in the central industrial sectors. Furthermore, the FDI technology spillover has increased gradually in recent years. Based on the empirical results, suggestions were proposed to elucidate the introduction of the FDI and the improvement in the industrial added value in different regions of China.

[Frequently accidents and injury at school].

Science.gov (United States)

Gautier Vargas, María; Martínez González, Vanesa

2011-01-01

During the time we have been in a private company that provide schools with medical care, we were surprised by the frequent and constant phone calls received to ask for our services. This fact made us take the decision to carry out a survey to find out the accidents and the most frequent injuries. According to the retrospective study we realized throughout two different academic courses in several schools in Cantabria, the 3.23% of the students have any accidents or injuries. We found out children between 11 and 15 have the highest accident rate, being 10.8 % higher when boys (rather than girls) are involved. The most common injuries are contusions 42.85%, followed by sprains 23.45%, being blows the reason in 42% of the cases, and surprisingly acts of aggression in 1%. It was also unexpected to learn that gyms, where children are taught in physical education, have the highest percent on accident rate. All these inquiries lead us to think that age, play and sports are determinant factors in the accidents happened in the school area.

Testing QoE in Different 3D HDTV Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Slanina

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The three dimensional (3D display technology has started flooding the consumer television market. There is a number of different systems available with different marketing strategies and different advertised advantages. The main goal of the experiment described in this paper is to compare the systems in terms of achievable Quality of Experience (QoE in different situations. The display systems considered are the liquid crystal display using polarized light and passive lightweight glasses for the separation of the left- and right-eye images, a plasma display with time multiplexed images and active shutter glasses and a projection system with time multiplexed images and active shutter glasses. As no standardized test methodology has been defined for testing of stereoscopic systems, we develop our own approach to testing different aspects of QoE on different systems without reference using semantic differential scales. We present an analysis of scores with respect to different phenomena under study and define which of the tested aspects can really express a difference in the performance of the considered display technologies.

The most frequently used tests for assessing executive functions in aging

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Camila de Assis Faria

Full Text Available There are numerous neuropsychological tests for assessing executive functions in aging, which vary according to the different domains assessed. OBJECTIVE: To present a systematic review of the most frequently used instruments for assessing executive functions in older adults with different educational levels in clinical and experimental research. METHODS: We searched for articles published in the last five years, using the PubMed database with the following terms: "neuropsychological tests", "executive functions", and "mild cognitive impairment". There was no language restriction. RESULTS: 25 articles fulfilled all the inclusion criteria. The seven neuropsychological tests most frequently used to evaluate executive functions in aging were: [1] Trail Making Test (TMT Form B; [2] Verbal Fluency Test (VFT - F, A and S; [3] VFT Animals category; [4] Clock Drawing Test (CDT; [5] Digits Forward and Backward subtests (WAIS-R or WAIS-III; [6] Stroop Test; and [7] Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST and its variants. The domains of executive functions most frequently assessed were: mental flexibility, verbal fluency, planning, working memory, and inhibitory control. CONCLUSION: The study identified the tests and domains of executive functions most frequently used in the last five years by research groups worldwide to evaluate older adults. These results can direct future research and help build evaluation protocols for assessing executive functions, taking into account the different educational levels and socio-demographic profiles of older adults in Brazil.

Handling Dynamic Weights in Weighted Frequent Pattern Mining

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Ahmed, Chowdhury Farhan; Tanbeer, Syed Khairuzzaman; Jeong, Byeong-Soo; Lee, Young-Koo

Even though weighted frequent pattern (WFP) mining is more effective than traditional frequent pattern mining because it can consider different semantic significances (weights) of items, existing WFP algorithms assume that each item has a fixed weight. But in real world scenarios, the weight (price or significance) of an item can vary with time. Reflecting these changes in item weight is necessary in several mining applications, such as retail market data analysis and web click stream analysis. In this paper, we introduce the concept of a dynamic weight for each item, and propose an algorithm, DWFPM (dynamic weighted frequent pattern mining), that makes use of this concept. Our algorithm can address situations where the weight (price or significance) of an item varies dynamically. It exploits a pattern growth mining technique to avoid the level-wise candidate set generation-and-test methodology. Furthermore, it requires only one database scan, so it is eligible for use in stream data mining. An extensive performance analysis shows that our algorithm is efficient and scalable for WFP mining using dynamic weights.

Infrequent and Frequent Nondaily Smokers and Daily Smokers: Their Characteristics and Other Tobacco Use Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yingning; Sung, Hai-Yen; Yao, Tingting; Lightwood, James; Max, Wendy

2018-05-03

The proportion of smokers who do not smoke daily has increased over time, but nondaily smokers are a heterogeneous group. We compare characteristics and other tobacco product use of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily US adult smokers. We analyzed data from the 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys. Current smokers were categorized as daily, infrequent nondaily (smoked 1-12 days in the past 30 days), and frequent nondaily (smoked 13-29 days in the past 30 days) smokers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlates of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily smoking. Among current smokers, 8.3% were infrequent nondaily, 8.1% were frequent nondaily, and 83.6% were daily smokers. The prevalence of infrequent versus daily smoking increased over time, with a smaller increase among non-Hispanic Blacks than non-Hispanic Whites. The adjusted odds of both infrequent and frequent smoking versus daily smoking differed by age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, quit attempts in the past 12 months, and binge drinking. Snuff users (vs. non-snuff users) were 2.4 times as likely to be infrequent than daily smokers. There were also differences in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, quit attempts, and snuff use between infrequent versus frequent smokers. Infrequent smokers differ from both frequent and daily smokers in socio-demographics, quit attempts, and snuff use. The heterogeneity of nondaily smokers should be considered in developing targeted tobacco control and smoking cessation programs. Infrequent and frequent nondaily smokers were found to differ from daily smokers in age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, and quit attempts and they were different from each other in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, and quit attempts. Binge drinkers were more likely to be infrequent smokers and frequent smokers versus

Medical students' online learning technology needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Heeyoung; Nelson, Erica; Wetter, Nathan

2014-02-01

This study investigated medical students' online learning technology needs at a medical school. The study aimed to provide evidence-based guidance for technology selection and online learning design in medical education. The authors developed a 120-item survey in collaboration with the New Technology in Medical Education (NTIME) committee at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIUSOM). Overall, 123 of 290 medical students (42%) at the medical school participated in the survey. The survey focused on five major areas: students' hardware and software use; perception of educational technology (ET) in general; online behaviours; perception of ET use at the school; and demographic information. Students perceived multimedia tools, scheduling tools, communication tools, collaborative authoring tools, learning management systems and electronic health records useful educational technologies for their learning. They did not consider social networking tools useful for their learning, despite their frequent use. Third-year students were less satisfied with current technology integration in the curriculum, information sharing and collaborative learning than other years. Students in clerkships perceived mobile devices as useful for their learning. Students using a mobile device (i.e. a smartphone) go online, text message, visit social networking sites and are online during classes more frequently than non-users. Medical students' ET needs differ between preclinical and clinical years. Technology supporting ubiquitous mobile learning and health information technology (HIT) systems at hospitals and out-patient clinics can be integrated into clerkship curricula. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a frequent heartburn index.

Science.gov (United States)

Stull, Donald E; van Hanswijck de Jonge, Patricia; Houghton, Katherine; Kocun, Christopher; Sandor, David W

2011-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop and validate a brief instrument for the measurement of overall psychosocial impact of frequent heartburn (heartburn experienced 2+ times weekly) in the general U.S. population, yielding a single, composite score. Item reduction and psychometric analyses of an existing Frequent Heartburn (FHB) Survey, a 52-item, 13-domain, patient-reported outcomes (PRO) survey assessing the impact of frequent heartburn on psychosocial quality of life. Item reduction resulted in 9 items from the original FHB Survey measuring all domains. All retained items in this full Frequent Heartburn Index (FHBI-Full) had moderate to strong factor loadings on the underlying factor (range: 0.66-0.85) and acceptable overall model fit (CFI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.04). Coefficient alpha was 0.92. A shorter FHBI (FHBI-Brief) was created that excludes the two employment-related items. The FHBI-Brief had a coefficient alpha of 0.90. Both FHBI versions have good psychometric properties and capture a full range of psychosocial effects of frequent heartburn. Normed national scores for the FHBI are available against which an individual can compare their own FHBI score. The FHBI-Full and FHBI-Brief show promise as PRO instruments that may help individuals and clinicians better understand the effect of frequent heartburn on psychosocial functioning.

Digital Disconnect or Digital Difference? A Socio-Ecological Perspective on Young Children's Technology Use in the Home and the Early Childhood Centre

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Susan; Henderson, Michael; Gronn, Donna; Scott, Anne; Mirkhil, Moska

2017-01-01

A digital disconnect perspective is founded on an assumption that technology use in the home is frequent, creative and generative, and that technology use in the early childhood centre should be the same as that found in the home. However, such arguments divert our attention from understanding the nature of the setting and thereby from an…

Measurements of radio frequent cavity volt ages by X-ray spectrum measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toprek Dragan

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with X-ray spectrum measurement as a method for the measurement of radio frequent cavity voltage and the theory of X-ray spectrum calculation. Experimental results at 72 MHz for three different values of the radio frequent power of ACCEL K250 super conducting cyclotron are being presented.

Epidemiology of frequent attenders: a 3-year historic cohort study comparing attendance, morbidity and prescriptions of one-year and persistent frequent attenders

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ter Riet Gerben

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background General Practitioners spend a disproportionate amount of time on frequent attenders. So far, trials on the effect of interventions on frequent attenders have shown negative results. However, these trials were conducted in short-term frequent attenders. It would be more reasonable to target intervention at persistent frequent attenders. Typical characteristics of persistent frequent attenders, as opposed to 1-year frequent attenders and non-frequent attenders, may generate hypotheses regarding modifiable factors on which new randomized trials may be designed. Methods We used the data of all 28,860 adult patients from 5 primary healthcare centers. Frequent attenders were patients whose attendance rate ranked in the (age and sex adjusted top 10 percent during 1 year (1-year frequent attenders or 3 years (persistent frequent attenders. All other patients on the register over the 3-year period were referred to as non-frequent attenders. The lists of medical problems coded by the GP using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC were used to assess morbidity. First, we determined which proportion of 1-year frequent attenders was still a frequent attender during the next two consecutive years and calculated the GPs' workload for these patients. Second, we compared morbidity and number of prescriptions for non-frequent attenders, 1-year frequent attenders and persistent frequent attenders. Results Of all 1-year frequent attenders, 15.4% became a persistent frequent attender equal to 1.6% of all patients. The 1-year frequent attenders (3,045; 10.6% were responsible for 39% of the face-to-face consultations; the 470 patients who would become persistent frequent attenders (1.6% were responsible for 8% of all consultations in 2003. Persistent frequent attenders presented more social problems, more psychiatric problems and medically unexplained physical symptoms, but also more chronic somatic diseases (especially diabetes

Troubling distinctions: a semiotics of the nursing/technology relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandelowski, M

1999-09-01

I consider the discursive practices that have served conceptually and ontologically to trouble the boundaries between nursing and technology: between nurse/human/subject and machine/non-human/object. Nursing and technology have been semiotically related largely by two processes: (a) by the metaphor that depicts nursing as technology and (b) by opposition, or as not like and even in conflict with technology. Less frequently but no less significantly, nursing and technology have been semiotically linked (c) by the metaphor that depicts technology as nursing and (d) by metonymy, or by word or picture juxtapositions of nursing with technology. The troubling distinctions between nursing and technology suggest yet another reason why the construction of difference continues to elude nursing.

Barriers to the Diffusion of Solar Thermal Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

Despite its considerable potential in household, domestic and industry sectors, the possible contribution of solar heat is often neglected in many academic and institutional energy projections and scenarios. This is best explained by the frequent failure to distinguish heat and work as two different forms of energy transfers. As a result, policy makers in many countries or States have tended to pay lesser attention to solar thermal technologies than to other renewable energy technologies.

Different ways of problematising biotechnology--and what it means for technology governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogner, Alexander; Torgersen, Helge

2015-07-01

To understand controversies over technologies better, we propose the concept of 'problematisation'. Drawing on Foucault's idea of problematisation and on the concept of frames in media research, we identify characteristic forms of problematising biotechnology in pertaining controversies, typically emphasising ethical, risk or economic aspects. They provide a common basis for disputes and allow participants to argue effectively. The different forms are important for how controversies are negotiated, which experts get involved, what role public engagement plays and how political decisions are legitimized--in short, for technology governance. We develop a heuristic for analysing the link between forms of problematisation and different options for technology governance. Applied to synthetic biology, we discuss different problematisations of this technology and the implications for governance. © The Author(s) 2014.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bunion Surgery

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... A | Print | Share Frequently Asked Questions About Bunion Surgery Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and ... best for you. 5. How can I avoid surgery? Sometimes observation of the bunion is all that ...

Tradition over trend: Neighboring chimpanzee communities maintain differences in cultural behavior despite frequent immigration of adult females.

Science.gov (United States)

Luncz, Lydia V; Boesch, Christophe

2014-07-01

The notion of animal culture has been well established mainly through research aiming at uncovering differences between populations. In chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus), cultural diversity has even been found in neighboring communities, where differences were observed despite frequent immigration of individuals. Female chimpanzees transfer at the onset of sexual maturity at an age, when the behavioral repertoire is fully formed. With immigrating females, behavioral variety enters the group. Little is known about the diversity and the longevity of cultural traits within a community. This study is building on previous findings of differences in hammer selection when nut cracking between neighboring communities despite similar ecological conditions. We now further investigated the diversity and maintenance of cultural traits within one chimpanzee community and were able to show high levels of uniformity in group-specific behavior. Fidelity to the behavior pattern did not vary between dispersing females and philopatric males. Furthermore, group-specific tool selection remained similar over a period of 25 years. Additionally, we present a study case on how one newly immigrant female progressively behaved more similar to her new group, suggesting that the high level of similarity in behavior is actively adopted by group members possibly even when originally expressing the behavior in another form. Taken together, our data support a cultural transmission process in adult chimpanzees, which leads to persisting cultural behavior of one community over time. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of frequent announced parasitology quizzes on the academic achievement.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghasem Zamini

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of frequent examinations on the students' learning has had inconsistent results. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of frequent announced quizzes on the learning of a representative sample of Iranian medical students.This experimental study was conducted among 37 fifth semester medical students who had taken the course in Protozoology and Helminthology, in which the same basic information were provided about different types of protozoa and worms. Initially, in the teaching of helminthology, ten routine sessions were handled with lectures and interactive questions and answers. Then at the beginning of the protozoology topic in the beginning of all of the next 9 sessions, the students were informed that they will have a quiz at the end of each session. At the end of the semester, the total scores of quizzes were compared with the mean final scores of protozoology and helminthology using paired t and repeated measure tests.The mean final scores of the protozoology lesson were not significantly different from that of the helminthology (10.45 ± 2.75 vs.11.25 ± 2.56 on the scale of 20, respectively, P=0.13. There was no significant difference in the mean score of the five quizzes compared with the mean final term score of protozoology. The overall mean scores in the helminthology lesson (11.25±2.56, protozoology lesson (10.45±2.75, and the quizzes (9.16 ± 3.55 were significantly different (P <0.0001.Frequent announced quizzes were not effective on increasing the medical students' motivation and learning.

Wind Penetration with different wind turbine technologies in a weak grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos Fuentefria, Ariel; Castro Fernandez, Miguel A.; Martínez García, Antonio

2012-01-01

The insertion of wind energy into electric network may provoke stability problems due to stochastic character of wind. The variation in the wind causes voltage variation in the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). In a weakest system that variation is high. Another important factor is wind turbine technology. The use of grid-connected fixed speed wind generator introduces a great consumption of reactive power that can be compensated using different devices as capacitors bank or static var compensator (SVC or STATCOM). In the other hand the variable speed wind turbine have an electronic converter to control the reactive consumption to maintain the PCC voltage more stable. In this paper a comparison between the different types of wind turbines technology is show. It's analyzing the impact in wind power limit for different wind turbine technologies in a weak system. (author)

Emergy Evaluation of Different Straw Reuse Technologies in Northeast China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoxian Zhang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Open burning of straw in China has degraded agricultural environments and has become a contributor to air pollution. Development of efficient straw-reuse technologies not only can yield economic benefits but also can protect the environment and can provide greater benefit to society. Thus, the overall benefits of straw-reuse technologies must be considered when making regional development planning and enterprise technology decisions. In addition, agricultural areas in China cross several climatic zones and have different weather characteristics and cultural conditions. In the present study, we assessed five types of straw-reuse technologies (straw-biogas production, -briquetting, -based power generation, -gasification, and -bioethanol production, using emergy analysis, in northeast China. Within each type, five individual cases were investigated, and the highest-performing cases were used for comparison across technologies. Emergy indices for comprehensive benefits for each category, namely, EYR, ELR, and ESI were calculated. Calculated indices suggest that straw-briquetting and -biogas production are the most beneficial technologies in terms of economy, environmental impact, and sustainability compared to straw-based power generation, -gasification, and -bioethanol production technologies. These two technologies can thus be considered the most suitable for straw reuse in China.

Frequent hemodialysis in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Warady, Bradley A; Fischbach, Michel; Geary, Denis; Goldstein, Stuart L

2007-07-01

Frequent hemodialysis is currently conducted in a limited number of pediatric dialysis centers. However, the preliminary experience with children who have undergone procedures such as "daily" intensive hemodiafiltration and nocturnal hemodialysis has been positive, with the allowance for unrestricted diets and fluid intake, the lack of need for phosphate binders, excellent metabolic and blood pressure control, and, in the case of hemodiafiltration, excellent growth. The provision of frequent daily hemodialysis with the NxStage System has also recently been introduced to pediatrics. An overview about what is currently understood regarding the technical and clinical application of these approaches to therapy for children with end-stage renal disease form the basis for this article and highlight the impact of the procedures to date and the need for additional experience and collaborative data collection.

Higher education technological knowledge and patterns of technology adoptions in undergraduate STEM courses

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Zarka Asghar

Identifying, examining, and understanding faculty members' technological knowledge development and the process of technology adoption in higher education is a multifaceted process. Past studies have used Rogers (1995, 2003) diffusion of innovation theoretical framework to delineate the technology adoption process. These studies, however, have frequently reported the influencing factors based on the statistical analysis such as regression analysis-based approach, and have not focused on the emerging process of technology adoptions or the developing process of technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. A mixed method study was designed to see how faculty members acquire different technologies and develop technological knowledge that might help them adopt technologies in their classrooms and online using different pedagogies. A sample of STEM teaching faculty members with different ranks, tenure, teaching experience, and varied degree of experience in the use of educational technologies participated in the study. A survey was designed to identify internal and external factors affecting technology adoption and its effective use in different teaching activities. To elaborate survey results, the study also included class observations as well as pre- and post-observation interviews. Online classrooms used by the faculty via Blackboard learning management system, online flipped classrooms, or other websites such as Piazza were also examined for data triangulation. The findings of the study indicate that faculty members are influenced by their own professional motivations and student learning to improve their teaching methods and to enhance student interactions and learning through the use of different educational technologies. The adoption process was identified as spreading over a period of time and it looked at how faculty members' developed their technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. With the recognition of the social, organizational, and

Scalable Frequent Subgraph Mining

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab

2017-01-01

Given an input graph, the Frequent Subgraph Mining (FSM) task finds all subgraphs with frequencies exceeding a given threshold. FSM is crucial for graph analysis, and it is an essential building block in a variety

Frequent video game players resist perceptual interference.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron V Berard

Full Text Available Playing certain types of video games for a long time can improve a wide range of mental processes, from visual acuity to cognitive control. Frequent gamers have also displayed generalized improvements in perceptual learning. In the Texture Discrimination Task (TDT, a widely used perceptual learning paradigm, participants report the orientation of a target embedded in a field of lines and demonstrate robust over-night improvement. However, changing the orientation of the background lines midway through TDT training interferes with overnight improvements in overall performance on TDT. Interestingly, prior research has suggested that this effect will not occur if a one-hour break is allowed in between the changes. These results have suggested that after training is over, it may take some time for learning to become stabilized and resilient against interference. Here, we tested whether frequent gamers have faster stabilization of perceptual learning compared to non-gamers and examined the effect of daily video game playing on interference of training of TDT with one background orientation on perceptual learning of TDT with a different background orientation. As a result, we found that non-gamers showed overnight performance improvement only on one background orientation, replicating previous results with the interference in TDT. In contrast, frequent gamers demonstrated overnight improvements in performance with both background orientations, suggesting that they are better able to overcome interference in perceptual learning. This resistance to interference suggests that video game playing not only enhances the amplitude and speed of perceptual learning but also leads to faster and/or more robust stabilization of perceptual learning.

Frequent video game players resist perceptual interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Berard, Aaron V; Cain, Matthew S; Watanabe, Takeo; Sasaki, Yuka

2015-01-01

Playing certain types of video games for a long time can improve a wide range of mental processes, from visual acuity to cognitive control. Frequent gamers have also displayed generalized improvements in perceptual learning. In the Texture Discrimination Task (TDT), a widely used perceptual learning paradigm, participants report the orientation of a target embedded in a field of lines and demonstrate robust over-night improvement. However, changing the orientation of the background lines midway through TDT training interferes with overnight improvements in overall performance on TDT. Interestingly, prior research has suggested that this effect will not occur if a one-hour break is allowed in between the changes. These results have suggested that after training is over, it may take some time for learning to become stabilized and resilient against interference. Here, we tested whether frequent gamers have faster stabilization of perceptual learning compared to non-gamers and examined the effect of daily video game playing on interference of training of TDT with one background orientation on perceptual learning of TDT with a different background orientation. As a result, we found that non-gamers showed overnight performance improvement only on one background orientation, replicating previous results with the interference in TDT. In contrast, frequent gamers demonstrated overnight improvements in performance with both background orientations, suggesting that they are better able to overcome interference in perceptual learning. This resistance to interference suggests that video game playing not only enhances the amplitude and speed of perceptual learning but also leads to faster and/or more robust stabilization of perceptual learning.

Determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States: characterizing the digital divide.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, Mark; Saunders, Milda; Josephson, Michelle A; Becker, Yolanda T; Lee, Christopher

2015-03-01

The Internet is a staple of electronic communication and is essential to the emerging telemonitoring and health information technology interventions for adults with chronic diseases. To identify determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States. A single center, cross-sectional survey study. An urban Midwestern transplant center. 78 pretransplant and 177 posttransplant patients. Frequent Internet use, defined as using the Internet more than 5 hours per week. Only 38% of participants reported being frequent Internet users. Non-Hispanic blacks and participants who reported their race/ethnicity as "other" were significantly less likely than whites to report being frequent Internet users. Women were 59% less likely than men to be frequent users of the Internet. Those who reported having kidney disease for more than 3 years were more likely to report being frequent Internet users. As education increased, Internet use increased. As age increased, Internet use decreased. Alternatives to electronic information sources and/or additional resources should be considered for those who may fall in the so-called digital divide.

The Frequent Unusual Headache Syndromes: A Proposed Classification Based on Lifetime Prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Valença, Marcelo M; de Oliveira, Daniella A

2016-01-01

There is no agreement on a single cutoff point or prevalence for regarding a given disease as rare. The concept of what is a rare headache disorder is even less clear and the spectrum from a very frequent, frequent, occasional to rare headache syndrome is yet to be established. An attempt has been made to estimate the lifetime prevalence of each of the headache subtypes classified in the ICHD-II. Using the ICHD-II, 199 different headache subtypes were identified. The following classification was made according to the estimated lifetime prevalence of each headache disorder: very frequent (prevalence >10%); frequent (between 1 and 10%); occasional (between 0.07 and 1%); and unusual or rare (headache disorders, 7/199 (4%) as very frequent, 9/199 (5%) as frequent, and 29/199 (15%) as occasional forms of headache disorder. The unusual headache syndromes do not appear to be as infrequent in clinical practice as has been generally believed. About three-fourths of the classified headache disorders found in the ICHD-II can be considered as rare. This narrative review article may be regarded as an introduction to the concept of unusual headaches and a proposed classification of all headaches (at least those listed in the ICHD-II). © 2015 American Headache Society.

Frequent Questions on Recycling

Science.gov (United States)

This is a list of frequent questions on recycling, broken down into five categories. These are answers to common questions that EPA has received from press and web inquiries. This list is located on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle website.

Barriers to Technology Diffusion: The Case of Compact Fluorescent Lamps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

Despite its considerable potential in household, domestic and industry sectors, the possible contribution of solar heat is often neglected in many academic and institutional energy projections and scenarios. This is best explained by the frequent failure to distinguish heat and work as two different forms of energy transfers. As a result, policy makers in many countries or States have tended to pay lesser attention to solar thermal technologies than to other renewable energy technologies.

Frequent Pattern Mining Algorithms for Data Clustering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zimek, Arthur; Assent, Ira; Vreeken, Jilles

2014-01-01

that frequent pattern mining was at the cradle of subspace clustering—yet, it quickly developed into an independent research field. In this chapter, we discuss how frequent pattern mining algorithms have been extended and generalized towards the discovery of local clusters in high-dimensional data......Discovering clusters in subspaces, or subspace clustering and related clustering paradigms, is a research field where we find many frequent pattern mining related influences. In fact, as the first algorithms for subspace clustering were based on frequent pattern mining algorithms, it is fair to say....... In particular, we discuss several example algorithms for subspace clustering or projected clustering as well as point out recent research questions and open topics in this area relevant to researchers in either clustering or pattern mining...

Different generalizations of the elderly in design of welfare technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ertner, Marie

2016-01-01

’ into design, is that it shows how Science and Technology Studies (STS) can be useful in order to better recognize differences between different enactments of an imagined user, in this case the elderly. The contribution of the paper to STS is a discussion of how I as an STS-informed ethnographer was invited......This article explores problems of representing the elderly in a User Driven Innovation (UDI) project developing Welfare Technology. Drawing on Helen Verran’s concept of the dual logics of generalization I attend to differences in enactments of the elderly. I engage with situations where the objects...... to participate in a User Driven Innovation project. Based on my reflections on this role, the paper reflects on the ethnographic account as a tool with particular qualities and limitations when inhabiting a position as mediator between users and an innovation project....

Comparison of Different Technologies for Integrated Solar Combined Cycles: Analysis of Concentrating Technology and Solar Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Rovira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the annual performance of Integrated Solar Combined Cycles (ISCCs using different solar concentration technologies: parabolic trough collectors (PTC, linear Fresnel reflectors (LFR and central tower receiver (CT. Each solar technology (i.e. PTC, LFR and CT is proposed to integrate solar energy into the combined cycle in two different ways. The first one is based on the use of solar energy to evaporate water of the steam cycle by means of direct steam generation (DSG, increasing the steam production of the high pressure level of the steam generator. The other one is based on the use of solar energy to preheat the pressurized air at the exit of the gas turbine compressor before it is introduced in the combustion chamber, reducing the fuel consumption. Results show that ISCC with DSG increases the yearly production while solar air heating reduces it due to the incremental pressure drop. However, air heating allows significantly higher solar-to-electricity efficiencies and lower heat rates. Regarding the solar technologies, PTC provides the best thermal results.

Predicting hospital mortality among frequently readmitted patients: HSMR biased by readmission

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Casemix adjusted in-hospital mortality is one of the measures used to improve quality of care. The adjustment currently used does not take into account the effects of readmission, because reliable data on readmission is not readily available through routinely collected databases. We have studied the impact of readmissions by linking admissions of the same patient, and as a result were able to compare hospital mortality among frequently, as opposed to, non-frequently readmitted patients. We also formulated a method to adjust for readmission for the calculation of hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs). Methods We conducted a longitudinal retrospective analysis of routinely collected hospital data of six large non-university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands with casemix adjusted standardised mortality ratios ranging from 65 to 114 and a combined value of 93 over a five-year period. Participants concerned 240662 patients admitted 418566 times in total during the years 2003 - 2007. Predicted deaths by the HSMR model 2008 over a five-year period were compared with observed deaths. Results Numbers of readmissions per patient differ substantially between the six hospitals, up to a factor of 2. A large interaction was found between numbers of admissions per patient and HSMR-predicted risks. Observed deaths for frequently admitted patients were significantly lower than HSMR-predicted deaths, which could be explained by uncorrected factors surrounding readmissions. Conclusions Patients admitted more frequently show lower risks of dying on average per admission. This decline in risk is only partly detected by the current HSMR. Comparing frequently admitted patients to non-frequently admitted patients commits the constant risk fallacy and potentially lowers HSMRs of hospitals treating many frequently admitted patients and increases HSMRs of hospitals treating many non-frequently admitted patients. This misleading effect can only be demonstrated by an

Emergency Department Frequent Users for Acute Alcohol Intoxication.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Lauren R; Martel, Marc L; Driver, Brian E; Reing, Mackenzie; Cole, Jon B

2018-03-01

A subset of frequent users of emergency services are those who use the emergency department (ED) for acute alcohol intoxication. This population and their ED encounters have not been previously described. This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients presenting to the ED for acute alcohol intoxication between 2012 and 2016. We collected all data from the electronic medical record. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication were defined as those with greater than 20 visits for acute intoxication without additional medical chief complaints in the previous 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate characteristics of frequent users for alcohol intoxication, as well as their ED encounters. We identified 32,121 patient encounters. Of those, 325 patients were defined as frequent users for alcohol intoxication, comprising 11,370 of the encounters during the study period. The median maximum number of encounters per person for alcohol intoxication in a one-year period was 47 encounters (range 20 to 169). Frequent users were older (47 years vs. 39 years), and more commonly male (86% vs. 71%). Frequent users for alcohol intoxication had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities including liver disease, chronic kidney disease, ischemic vascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In this study, we identified a group of ED frequent users who use the ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities compared to non-frequent users.

Mining frequent binary expressions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calders, T.; Paredaens, J.; Kambayashi, Y.; Mohania, M.K.; Tjoa, A.M.

2000-01-01

In data mining, searching for frequent patterns is a common basic operation. It forms the basis of many interesting decision support processes. In this paper we present a new type of patterns, binary expressions. Based on the properties of a specified binary test, such as reflexivity, transitivity

An implicit test of UX: individuals differ in what they associate with computers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmettow, Martin; Noordzij, Matthijs Leendert; Mundt, M.

2013-01-01

User experience research has made considerable progress in understanding subjective experience with interactive technology. Nevertheless, we argue, some blind spots have remained: individual differences are frequently ignored, the prevalent measures of self-report rarely undergo verification, and

Emergency Department Frequent Users for Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc L. Martel

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A subset of frequent users of emergency services are those who use the emergency department (ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population and their ED encounters have not been previously described. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients presenting to the ED for acute alcohol intoxication between 2012 and 2016. We collected all data from the electronic medical record. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication were defined as those with greater than 20 visits for acute intoxication without additional medical chief complaints in the previous 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate characteristics of frequent users for alcohol intoxication, as well as their ED encounters. Results: We identified 32,121 patient encounters. Of those, 325 patients were defined as frequent users for alcohol intoxication, comprising 11,370 of the encounters during the study period. The median maximum number of encounters per person for alcohol intoxication in a one-year period was 47 encounters (range 20 to 169. Frequent users were older (47 years vs. 39 years, and more commonly male (86% vs. 71%. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities including liver disease, chronic kidney disease, ischemic vascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Conclusion: In this study, we identified a group of ED frequent users who use the ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities compared to non-frequent users.

Evaluation of the performance of different anaerobic digestion technologies for solid waste treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chavez-Vazquez, M.; Bagley, D.M. [Univ. of Toronto, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2002-06-15

The anaerobic digestion of solid wastes is now a widely-used technology in Europe with more than 50 full-scale plants operating. However, anaerobic solid waste digestion is still used to only a limited extent in North America with only three facilities in Canada. Because of the expected importance of anaerobic digestion in the future for energy recovery, reliable tools are required to evaluate the different available technologies, as well as the feed stocks that are suitable for treatment. Therefore, this paper presents a framework that has been developed for evaluating anaerobic solid waste digestion. To develop the framework, a review of the performance of digestion processes was first conducted. Because the data presented were for very different operational parameters (retention time, temperature, configuration set up, mixing, etc.) as well as substrates used for digestion, a standard method of comparison was developed. Gas production per Mg input, organic loading rate and percent volatile solids removal were identified as useful standard parameters for evaluating the performance of different technologies. This framework was constructed as a spread sheet and can be used for different set ups (configuration, organic loading rate, etc.) and with different substrates. It can predict, based on the input and using mass balances, the mass of products of the digester including biogas, treated solids and water. This framework provides a useful tool for evaluating the technical capabilities of different technologies, predicting the quantity of the products, and ultimately, making decisions as to which technologies best meet local needs. (author)

Evaluation of the performance of different anaerobic digestion technologies for solid waste treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez-Vazquez, M.; Bagley, D.M.

2002-01-01

The anaerobic digestion of solid wastes is now a widely-used technology in Europe with more than 50 full-scale plants operating. However, anaerobic solid waste digestion is still used to only a limited extent in North America with only three facilities in Canada. Because of the expected importance of anaerobic digestion in the future for energy recovery, reliable tools are required to evaluate the different available technologies, as well as the feed stocks that are suitable for treatment. Therefore, this paper presents a framework that has been developed for evaluating anaerobic solid waste digestion. To develop the framework, a review of the performance of digestion processes was first conducted. Because the data presented were for very different operational parameters (retention time, temperature, configuration set up, mixing, etc.) as well as substrates used for digestion, a standard method of comparison was developed. Gas production per Mg input, organic loading rate and percent volatile solids removal were identified as useful standard parameters for evaluating the performance of different technologies. This framework was constructed as a spread sheet and can be used for different set ups (configuration, organic loading rate, etc.) and with different substrates. It can predict, based on the input and using mass balances, the mass of products of the digester including biogas, treated solids and water. This framework provides a useful tool for evaluating the technical capabilities of different technologies, predicting the quantity of the products, and ultimately, making decisions as to which technologies best meet local needs. (author)

Differences in technology transfer between science-based and development-based industries : transfer mechanisms and barriers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gilsing, V.A.; Bekkers, R.N.A.; Bodas Freitas, I.M.; Steen, van der M.

2011-01-01

Although several studies in the wide body of literature on technology transfer have hinted at differences across industries, this still remains an understudied issue. Our study addresses this topic and considers to what degree technology transfer processes differ across different industrial sectors.

Cost, Time, and Risk Assessment of Different Wave Energy Converter Technology Development Trajectories: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Jochem W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Laird, Daniel [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Costello, Ronan [Wave Venture; Roberts, Jesse [Sandia National Laboratories; Bull, Diana [Sandia National Laboratories; Babarit, Aurelien [Ecole Centrale de Nantes; Nielsen, Kim [Ramboll; Ferreira, Claudio Bittencourt [DNV-GL; Kennedy, Ben [Wave Venture

2017-09-14

This paper presents a comparative assessment of three fundamentally different wave energy converter technology development trajectories. The three technology development trajectories are expressed and visualised as a function of technology readiness levels and technology performance levels. The assessment shows that development trajectories that initially prioritize technology readiness over technology performance are likely to require twice the development time, consume a threefold of the development cost, and are prone to a risk of technical or commercial failure of one order of magnitude higher than those development trajectories that initially prioritize technology performance over technology readiness.

Teaching Speech Communication in a Black College: Does Technology Make a Difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Nwadike, Fellina O.; Ekeanyanwu, Nnamdi T.

2011-01-01

Teaching a speech communication course in typical HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) comes with many issues, because the application of technology in some minority institutions differs. The levels of acceptability as well as affordability are also core issues that affect application. Using technology in the classroom means many…

Predicting hospital mortality among frequently readmitted patients: HSMR biased by readmission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelder Johannes C

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Casemix adjusted in-hospital mortality is one of the measures used to improve quality of care. The adjustment currently used does not take into account the effects of readmission, because reliable data on readmission is not readily available through routinely collected databases. We have studied the impact of readmissions by linking admissions of the same patient, and as a result were able to compare hospital mortality among frequently, as opposed to, non-frequently readmitted patients. We also formulated a method to adjust for readmission for the calculation of hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs. Methods We conducted a longitudinal retrospective analysis of routinely collected hospital data of six large non-university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands with casemix adjusted standardised mortality ratios ranging from 65 to 114 and a combined value of 93 over a five-year period. Participants concerned 240662 patients admitted 418566 times in total during the years 2003 - 2007. Predicted deaths by the HSMR model 2008 over a five-year period were compared with observed deaths. Results Numbers of readmissions per patient differ substantially between the six hospitals, up to a factor of 2. A large interaction was found between numbers of admissions per patient and HSMR-predicted risks. Observed deaths for frequently admitted patients were significantly lower than HSMR-predicted deaths, which could be explained by uncorrected factors surrounding readmissions. Conclusions Patients admitted more frequently show lower risks of dying on average per admission. This decline in risk is only partly detected by the current HSMR. Comparing frequently admitted patients to non-frequently admitted patients commits the constant risk fallacy and potentially lowers HSMRs of hospitals treating many frequently admitted patients and increases HSMRs of hospitals treating many non-frequently admitted patients. This misleading effect can

Gender-Based Motivational Differences in Technology Education

Science.gov (United States)

Virtanen, Sonja; Räikkönen, Eija; Ikonen, Pasi

2015-01-01

Because of a deeply gendered history of craft education in Finland, technology education has a strong gender-related dependence. In order to motivate girls into pursuing technological studies and to enable them to see their own potential in technology, gender sensitive approaches should be developed in technology education. This study explores…

Frequently cited journals in forensic psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Steve

2012-02-01

Works cited in six forensic psychology journals published 2008-2010 were counted to identify the most frequently cited journals. The sample of works cited (N = 21,776) was not a definitive ranked list of important journals in forensic psychology, but was large enough to indicate high-impact journals. The list of frequently cited publications included more general psychiatry and psychology journals than titles specific to forensic psychology. The implications of the proportion of general versus specific titles for collections supporting research in forensic psychology were discussed.

[Frequent attendance in a Primary Health Care District].

Science.gov (United States)

Menéndez Granados, Nicolás; Vaquero Abellán, Manuel; Toledano Estepa, Manuel; Pérez Díaz, Manuel Modesto; Redondo Pedraza, Rosa

2017-10-09

To describe the distribution of frequent attenders (FA) through the different primary care practices in Cordoba-Guadalquivir Health District (Córdoba, Spain). An ecological study was performed, including data from 2011 to 2015. Defining FA as those subjects who made12 or more appointments per year; independently analysed for nursing, general practice and paediatrics. Prevalence of frequent attendance and FA/professional ratio were used as dependent variables. Demographic characteristics from district population, number of health professionals and use of general facilities were also examinated. Aiming to understand FA distribution, primary health settings were classified according to facility size and environmental location (urban, suburban and rural). The mean prevalence for FA was 10.86% (0.5 SE) for nursing; general practice 21.70% (0.7 SE) and for paediatrics 16.96% (0.7 SE). FA/professional ratios for the different professional categories were: 101.07 (5.0 SE) for nursing, 239.74 (9.0 SE) for general practice and 159.54 (9.8 SE) for paediatrics. A major part of primary health care users make a high number of consultations. From this group, women overuse nursing and general practitioner services more compared to men. A higher prevalence of FAs was observed in smaller settings, in rural areas. Although taking the FAs:professional ratio as the bar, medium-size practices are more highly overused. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Technologies - Making a difference together

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Sandra Burri Gram

book on persuasive technology was published. Since then, already twelve annual conferences have been held on the topic. The Persuasive Technology community has attracted many young scholars and has kept very strong core of leading scientists in the area of research. At the same time, not all...... discourses around human behaviour, behaviour change, early interventions for behaviour change, persuasive technology, persuasive systems design, design with intent, personalized persuasion, behaviour change support systems, health behaviour change, socially influencing systems, user experience design...

Comparing composts formed by different technological processing

Science.gov (United States)

Lyckova, B.; Mudrunka, J.; Kucerova, R.; Glogarova, V.

2017-10-01

The presented article compares quality of composts which were formed by different technological processes. The subject to comparison was a compost which was created in a closed fermenter where ideal conditions for decomposition and organic substances conversion were ensured, with compost which was produced in an open box of community composting. The created composts were analysed to determine whether it is more important for the final compost to comply with the composting conditions or better sorting of raw materials needed for compost production. The results of the carried out experiments showed that quality of the resulting compost cannot be determined unequivocally.

Student pharmacists' use and perceived impact of educational technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolte, Scott K; Richard, Craig; Rahman, Ateequr; Kidd, Robert S

2011-06-10

To assess the frequency of use by and perceived impact of various educational technologies on student pharmacists. Data were obtained using a validated, Web-based survey instrument designed to evaluate the frequency of use and impact on learning of various technologies used in educating first-, second-, and third-year student pharmacists. Basic demographic data also were collected and analyzed. The majority (89.4%) of the 179 respondents were comfortable with the technology used in the academic program. The most frequently used technologies for educational purposes were in class electronic presentations, course materials posted on the school Web site, and e-mail. The technologies cited as having the most beneficial impact on learning were course materials posted on the Web site and in-class electronic presentations, and those cited as most detrimental were video-teleconferencing and online testing. Compared to the course textbook, students reported more frequent use of technologies such as electronic course materials, presentations, digital lecture recordings, e-mail, and hand-held devices. Because students' opinions of educational technologies varied, colleges and schools should incorporate educational technologies that students frequently use and that positively impact learning.

EFFECTIVENESS OF SECRETOLYTIC THERAPY IN REHABILITATION PROGRAM IN FREQUENTLY AILING CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.V. Kiselev

2008-01-01

Full Text Available A problem of rehabilitation of frequently ailing children (FAC is one of the actual problems in pediatrics. Disorders of mucosal immunity, depending on different factors including the state of mucociliary transport, play important role in formation of FAC group including patients with recurrent episodes of obstructive bronchitis. Morphological and functional unity of mucous tunic of respiratory tract allows determining the state of mucociliary clearance and effectiveness of secretolytic therapy by the state of mucosal tunic of nose and nasopharynx (it is the most accessible mucosal tunic for the objective examination. Specified rates of time of mucociliary transport in different groups of FAC are presented in this article. An effectiveness of mucoregulatory medication ambroxol in complex treatment of FAC with adenoids and recurrent episodes of obstructive bronchitis, and advisability of its prolonged (14–18 days use for the recovery of disturbed system of mucociliary transport were described in this article.Key words: frequently ailing children, somatotype, mucociliary clearance, treatment.

Climate Leadership Awards Frequent Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Climate Leadership Awards, sponsored by EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership with co-sponsorship from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry.

Cecal intubation rates in different eras of endoscopic technological development.

Science.gov (United States)

Matyja, Maciej; Pasternak, Artur; Szura, Mirosław; Pędziwiatr, Michał; Major, Piotr; Rembiasz, Kazimierz

2018-03-01

Colonoscopy plays a critical role in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and has been widely regarded as the gold standard. Cecal intubation rate (CIR) is one of the well-defined quality indicators used to assess colonoscopy. To assess the impact of new technologies on the quality of colonoscopy by assessing completion rates. This was a dual-center study at the 2 nd Department of Surgery at Jagiellonian University Medical College and at the Specialist Center "Medicina" in Krakow, Poland. The CIR and cecal intubation time (CIT) in three different eras of technological advancement were determined. The study enrolled 27 463 patients who underwent colonoscopy as part of a national CRC screening program. The patients were divided into three groups: group I - 3408 patients examined between 2000 and 2003 (optical endoscopes); group II - 10 405 patients examined between 2004 and 2008 (standard electronic endoscopes); and group III - 13 650 patients examined between 2009 and 2014 (modern endoscopes). There were statistically significant differences in the CIR between successive eras. The CIR in group I (2000-2003) was 69.75%, in group II (2004-2008) was 92.32%, and in group III (2009-2014) was 95.17%. The mean CIT was significantly reduced in group III. Our study shows that the technological innovation of novel endoscopy devices has a great influence on the effectiveness of the CRC screening program. The new era of endoscopic technological development has the potential to reduce examination-related patient discomfort, obviate the need for sedation and increase diagnostic yields.

Comparative economic evaluation of environmental impact of different cogeneration technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrascu, Roxana; Athanasovici, Victor; Raducanu, Cristian; Minciuc, Eduard; Bitir-Istrate, Ioan

2004-01-01

Cogeneration is one of the most powerful technologies for reduction of environmental pollution along with renewable energies. At the Kyoto Conference cogeneration has been identified as being the most important measure for reducing emissions of greenhouse effect gases. It has also been mentioned that cogeneration has a potential of reducing pollution with about 180 million tones per year. In order to promote new cogeneration technologies and evaluate the existing ones it is necessary to know and to be able to quantify in economical terms the environmental issues. When comparing different cogeneration technologies: steam turbine (TA), gas turbine (TG), internal combustion engine (MT), in order to choose the best one, the final decision implies an economic factor, which is even more important if it includes the environmental issues. The environmental impact of different cogeneration technologies is quantified using different criteria: depletion of non-renewable natural resources, eutrofisation, greenhouse effect, acidification etc. Environmental analysis using these criteria can be made using the 'impact with impact' methodology or the global one. The results of such an analysis cannot be quantified economically directly. Therefore there is a need of internalisation of ecological effects within the costs of produced energy: electricity and heat. In the energy production sector the externalizations represent the indirect effects on the environment. They can be materialised within different types of environmental impact: - Different buildings of mines, power plants etc; - Fuel losses during transportation and processing; - Effect of emissions in the air, water and soil. Introduction of the environmental impact costs in the energy price is called internalisation and it can be made using the direct and indirect methods. The paper discusses aspects regarding the emissions of cogeneration systems, the eco-taxes - method of 'internalisation' of environmental

Why eat at fast-food restaurants: reported reasons among frequent consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rydell, Sarah A; Harnack, Lisa J; Oakes, J Michael; Story, Mary; Jeffery, Robert W; French, Simone A

2008-12-01

A convenience sample of adolescents and adults who regularly eat at fast-food restaurants were recruited to participate in an experimental trial to examine the effect of nutrition labeling on meal choices. As part of this study, participants were asked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with 11 statements to assess reasons for eating at fast-food restaurants. Logistic regression was conducted to examine whether responses differed by demographic factors. The most frequently reported reasons for eating at fast-food restaurants were: fast food is quick (92%), restaurants are easy to get to (80%), and food tastes good (69%). The least frequently reported reasons were: eating fast food is a way of socializing with family and friends (33%), restaurants have nutritious foods to offer (21%), and restaurants are fun and entertaining (12%). Some differences were found with respect to the demographic factors examined. It appears that in order to reduce fast-food consumption, food and nutrition professionals need to identify alternative quick and convenient food sources. As motivation for eating at fast-food restaurants appears to differ somewhat by age, sex, education, employment status, and household size, tailored interventions could be considered.

Past speculations of future health technologies: a description of technologies predicted in 15 forecasting studies published between 1986 and 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Doos, Lucy; Packer, Claire; Ward, Derek; Simpson, Sue; Stevens, Andrew

2017-07-31

To describe and classify health technologies predicted in forecasting studies. A portrait describing health technologies predicted in 15 forecasting studies published between 1986 and 2010 that were identified in a previous systematic review. Health technologies are classified according to their type, purpose and clinical use; relating these to the original purpose and timing of the forecasting studies. All health-related technologies predicted in 15 forecasting studies identified in a previously published systematic review. Outcomes related to (1) each forecasting study including country, year, intention and forecasting methods used and (2) the predicted technologies including technology type, purpose, targeted clinical area and forecast timeframe. Of the 896 identified health-related technologies, 685 (76.5%) were health technologies with an explicit or implied health application and included in our study. Of these, 19.1% were diagnostic or imaging tests, 14.3% devices or biomaterials, 12.6% information technology systems, eHealth or mHealth and 12% drugs. The majority of the technologies were intended to treat or manage disease (38.1%) or diagnose or monitor disease (26.1%). The most frequent targeted clinical areas were infectious diseases followed by cancer, circulatory and nervous system disorders. The most frequent technology types were for: infectious diseases-prophylactic vaccines (45.8%), cancer-drugs (40%), circulatory disease-devices and biomaterials (26.3%), and diseases of the nervous system-equally devices and biomaterials (25%) and regenerative medicine (25%). The mean timeframe for forecasting was 11.6 years (range 0-33 years, median=10, SD=6.6). The forecasting timeframe significantly differed by technology type (p=0.002), the intent of the forecasting group (p<0.001) and the methods used (p<001). While description and classification of predicted health-related technologies is crucial in preparing healthcare systems for adopting new innovations

Frequent price changes under menu costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per Svejstrup

1999-01-01

, the price may be changed more frequent in the short run, and in the long run it definitely will. Hence, observing frequent price changes is not necessarily inconsistent with a firm operating under menu costs. This paper relies on an article by Dixit (1991), (Review of Economic studies, 58, 141......This paper investigates the effect of uncertainty on a single firm's pricing behaviour in a dynamic menu cost model that results in (S,s)-rules where the price is fixed inside a band. It will be demonstrated that even though the band of inaction widens in response to increased uncertainty...

Different methods for ethical analysis in health technology assessment: an empirical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saarni, Samuli I; Braunack-Mayer, Annette; Hofmann, Bjørn; van der Wilt, Gert Jan

2011-10-01

Ethical analysis can highlight important ethical issues related to implementing a technology, values inherent in the technology itself, and value-decisions underlying the health technology assessment (HTA) process. Ethical analysis is a well-acknowledged part of HTA, yet seldom included in practice. One reason for this is lack of knowledge about the properties and differences between the methods available. This study compares different methods for ethical analysis within HTA. Ethical issues related to bariatric (obesity) surgery were independently evaluated using axiological, casuist, principlist, and EUnetHTA models for ethical analysis within HTA. The methods and results are presented and compared. Despite varying theoretical underpinnings and practical approaches, the four methods identified similar themes: personal responsibility, self-infliction, discrimination, justice, public funding, and stakeholder involvement. The axiological and EUnetHTA models identified a wider range of arguments, whereas casuistry and principlism concentrated more on analyzing a narrower set of arguments deemed more important. Different methods can be successfully used for conducting ethical analysis within HTA. Although our study does not show that different methods in ethics always produce similar results, it supports the view that different methods of ethics can yield relevantly similar results. This suggests that the key conclusions of ethical analyses within HTA can be transferable between methods and countries. The systematic and transparent use of some method of ethics appears more important than the choice of the exact method.

Frequent job change and associated health.

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalfe, Chris; Davey Smith, George; Sterne, Jonathan A C; Heslop, Pauline; Macleod, John; Hart, Carole

2003-01-01

The contemporary labour market is widely regarded as having become more "flexible". It is proposed that such flexibility is a characteristic of employment histories which will have effects on psychosocial status, health-related behaviour, and physical health. Recent increases in flexibility are unlikely to have accumulated over sufficient portions of individual employment histories for any effect on health to be apparent, but a "preview" of these effects may be gained from study of older cohorts. This cross-sectional study is based on data collected in the early 1970s from 5399 men and 945 women in paid work, recruited from 27 workplaces in the west of Scotland. A flexible employment history was defined as one encompassing a large number of changes between jobs. Perceived psychological stress, health behaviour (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical exercise), physiology (diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, forced expiratory volume, plasma cholesterol concentration) and current health (angina, myocardial ischaemia) were assessed. Those individuals who reported having experienced frequent job change were more likely to smoke, consume greater amounts of alcohol, and perhaps to exercise less. Similar findings were observed in both males and females, and for different age and socio-economic groups. We found no suggestion that this association was due to higher levels of psychosocial stress, and the expected consequences for health were not observed. Interpretation of these findings is not straightforward due to an uncertain direction of causation, and a possible selection bias. However, the observed relationship between frequent job changing and a higher incidence of health risk behaviours, in the absence of a relationship with poorer health, invites further research.

Integration of GMR Sensors with Different Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cubells-Beltrán, María-Dolores; Reig, Càndid; Madrenas, Jordi; De Marcellis, Andrea; Santos, Joana; Cardoso, Susana; Freitas, Paulo P

2016-06-22

Less than thirty years after the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect was described, GMR sensors are the preferred choice in many applications demanding the measurement of low magnetic fields in small volumes. This rapid deployment from theoretical basis to market and state-of-the-art applications can be explained by the combination of excellent inherent properties with the feasibility of fabrication, allowing the real integration with many other standard technologies. In this paper, we present a review focusing on how this capability of integration has allowed the improvement of the inherent capabilities and, therefore, the range of application of GMR sensors. After briefly describing the phenomenological basis, we deal on the benefits of low temperature deposition techniques regarding the integration of GMR sensors with flexible (plastic) substrates and pre-processed CMOS chips. In this way, the limit of detection can be improved by means of bettering the sensitivity or reducing the noise. We also report on novel fields of application of GMR sensors by the recapitulation of a number of cases of success of their integration with different heterogeneous complementary elements. We finally describe three fully functional systems, two of them in the bio-technology world, as the proof of how the integrability has been instrumental in the meteoric development of GMR sensors and their applications.

Technological learning in offshore wind energy: Different roles of the government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smit, Thijs; Junginger, Martin; Smits, Ruud

2007-01-01

Offshore wind energy is a promising source of renewable electricity, even though its current costs prevent large-scale implementation. Technological learning has improved the technology and its economic performance already, and could result in significant further improvements. This study investigates how technological learning takes place in offshore wind energy and how technological learning is related to different policy regimes. Offshore wind energy developments in Denmark and the United Kingdom have been analysed with a technology-specific innovation systems approach. The results reveal that the dominant forms of learning are learning by doing and learning by using. At the same time, learning by interacting is crucial to achieve the necessary binding elements in the technology-specific innovation system. Generally, most learning processes were performed by self-organizing entities. However, sometimes cultural and technical barriers occurred, excluding component suppliers and knowledge institutes from the innovation system. Danish policies successfully anticipated these barriers and removed them; therefore, the Danish policies can be characterized as pro-active. British policies shaped stable conditions for learning only; therefore, they can be characterized as active. In the future, barriers could hinder learning by interacting between the oil and gas industry, the offshore wind industry and academia. Based on this study, we suggest national and international policy makers to design long-term policies to anticipate these barriers, in order to contribute to technological learning

Focus Group Study Exploring Factors Related to Frequent Sickness Absence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette Notenbomer

Full Text Available Research investigating frequent sickness absence (3 or more episodes per year is scarce and qualitative research from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves is lacking. The aim of the current study is to explore awareness, determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves.We performed a qualitative study of 3 focus group discussions involving a total of 15 frequent absentees. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Results were analyzed with the Graneheim method using the Job Demands Resources (JD-R model as theoretical framework.Many participants were not aware of their frequent sickness absence and the risk of future long-term sickness absence. As determinants, participants mentioned job demands, job resources, home demands, poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Managing these factors and improving communication (skills were regarded as solutions to reduce frequent sickness absence.The JD-R model provided a framework for determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence. Additional determinants were poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Frequent sickness absence should be regarded as a signal that something is wrong. Managers, supervisors, and occupational health care providers should advise and support frequent absentees to accommodate job demands, increase both job and personal resources, and improve health rather than express disapproval of frequent sickness absence and apply pressure regarding work attendance.

Focus Group Study Exploring Factors Related to Frequent Sickness Absence.

Science.gov (United States)

Notenbomer, Annette; Roelen, Corné A M; van Rhenen, Willem; Groothoff, Johan W

2016-01-01

Research investigating frequent sickness absence (3 or more episodes per year) is scarce and qualitative research from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves is lacking. The aim of the current study is to explore awareness, determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves. We performed a qualitative study of 3 focus group discussions involving a total of 15 frequent absentees. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Results were analyzed with the Graneheim method using the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) model as theoretical framework. Many participants were not aware of their frequent sickness absence and the risk of future long-term sickness absence. As determinants, participants mentioned job demands, job resources, home demands, poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Managing these factors and improving communication (skills) were regarded as solutions to reduce frequent sickness absence. The JD-R model provided a framework for determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence. Additional determinants were poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Frequent sickness absence should be regarded as a signal that something is wrong. Managers, supervisors, and occupational health care providers should advise and support frequent absentees to accommodate job demands, increase both job and personal resources, and improve health rather than express disapproval of frequent sickness absence and apply pressure regarding work attendance.

Gender Differences in the Use and Benefit of Advanced Learning Technologies for Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Arroyo, Ivon; Burleson, Winslow; Tai, Minghui; Muldner, Kasia; Woolf, Beverly Park

2013-01-01

We provide evidence of persistent gender effects for students using advanced adaptive technology while learning mathematics. This technology improves each gender's learning and affective predispositions toward mathematics, but specific features in the software help either female or male students. Gender differences were seen in the students' style…

THE FREQUENT SKIN DISEASES DIAGNOSED AT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yesim KAYMAK

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The incidence of some skin diseases are increasing at adolescent and early adulthood period. The most frequent disease at this period is acne vulgaris whereas fungal diseases, dermatitis, dermatosis which are due to stress and other reasons, oral mucosal lesions and herpetic lesions of perioral region are also frequent. In this research we aim to determine the frequent dermatologic diseases of university students and 147 female, 74 male, a total of 221 students are included. We questioned the dermatologic complaints of students, then examined dermatologically in detail and registered ages, sexes, findings of the dermatological examination and dermatological diagnostic informations. As a result it is found out that the most frequent diseases are acne vulgaris (34.1%, allergic and pruritic dermatosis (16.6%, fungal diseases ( 13.0%, and eritamatous-squamous disease (8.3%. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2005; 4(6.000: 313-320

A difference between day and night : protein intake improves after the transition from conventional to frequent nocturnal home hemodialysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ipema, Karin J. R.; van der Schans, Cees P.; Vonk, Noortje; de Vries, Jorien M.; Westerhuis, Ralf; Duym, Ellen; Franssen, Casper F. M.

Background: Malnutrition is an important cause of the excessive morbidity and mortality rate of dialysis patients. Frequent nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) has many benefits compared with conventional thrice-weekly hemodialysis (CHD), due to the virtual absence of dietary restrictions and a much

Frequent flyer business travelers: major exposure hazards.

Science.gov (United States)

Tompkins, Olga S; Randolph, Susan A; Ostendorf, Judith S

2005-02-01

Bagshaw (2004) notes "the modern commercial aircraft cabin is maintained with adequate environmental control for the comfort of most healthy individuals" (p. 417). Occupational health nurses frequently deal with a population that may include unhealthy individuals or those with pre-existing conditions. It is critical for occupational health nurses to stay current with major hazards faced by frequent flyer business travelers to assist in identifying and preventing adverse health effects associated with these exposures.

Technological quality of common bean grains obtained in different growing seasons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliana Francischinelli Perina

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The traits that provide technological quality to common bean grains exhibit genetic and environmental variation and variation in the genotype x environment interaction. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of different periods of the growing season on the technological quality of common bean grains. The experiment was conducted with 25 bean genotypes (carioca [beige with brown stripes] and black commercial group that are part of the Value for Cultivation and Use (Valor de Cultivo e Uso - VCU trials in three growing seasons, namely, the 2009/2010 rainy season, the 2010/2011 dry season and the 2010/2011 winter season, in a randomized block experimental design with three replications in which the following items were assessed: cooking time (CT, water absorption capacity before cooking (Peanc and after cooking (Peapc, percentage of whole grains (PWG, total soluble solids in the broth (TSSb, volume expansion before cooking (EXPVbc and after cooking (EXPVac, and dry grain density (DD, grain density after maceration (SD and grain density after cooking (CD. Assessments showed that the different growing seasons for obtaining grains for the purpose of analysis of technological quality have an effect on the results and on differentiation among genotypes, indicating genotype x environment interaction. They also showed that the genotypes C2-1-6-1, C4-8-1-1, LP04-03, IAC-Imperador, P5-4-4-1 and Pr11-6-4-1-2 had the best results in relation to cooking time in the mean values of the three growing seasons. The use of early selection based on phenotypic correlations that exist among the technological features is not expressive, due to the variation of magnitude among the different growing seasons.

Extremely frequent behavior in consumer research: theory and empirical evidence for chronic casino gambling.

Science.gov (United States)

Perfetto, Ralph; Woodside, Arch G

2009-09-01

The present study informs understanding of customer segmentation strategies by extending Twedt's heavy-half propositions to include a segment of users that represent less than 2% of all households-consumers demonstrating extremely frequent behavior (EFB). Extremely frequent behavior (EFB) theory provides testable propositions relating to the observation that few (2%) consumers in many product and service categories constitute more than 25% of the frequency of product or service use. Using casino gambling as an example for testing EFB theory, an analysis of national survey data shows that extremely frequent casino gamblers do exist and that less than 2% of all casino gamblers are responsible for nearly 25% of all casino gambling usage. Approximately 14% of extremely frequent casino users have very low-household income, suggesting somewhat paradoxical consumption patterns (where do very low-income users find the money to gamble so frequently?). Understanding the differences light, heavy, and extreme users and non-users can help marketers and policymakers identify and exploit "blue ocean" opportunities (Kim and Mauborgne, Blue ocean strategy, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2005), for example, creating effective strategies to convert extreme users into non-users or non-users into new users.

Comparison of the effectiveness of different antimicrobial surface technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buhl Sebastian

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The risk of infection via microbiologically contaminated surfaces has already been demonstrated by other publications. In this work two different antibacterial surface technologies transition metalloacids (AMiSTec and TiO2/AgNO3 (Health Complete were compared regarding feasibility as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The examination of the antimicrobial activity was assessed according to the JIS Z 2801. We could demonstrate that all of our tested samples showed a strong antimicrobial activity (>log 3 germ reduction in the JIS experiments. Furthermore this strong antibacterial effect could be shown already after <30min incubation and at low light intensity (approx. 300 Lux for the TiO2/AgNO3 samples. Both technologies provide a high potential for an improved infection control for example in a high risk environment like operation rooms or intensive care units.

Technologies for physical activity self-monitoring: a study of differences between users and non-users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Åkerberg A

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Anna Åkerberg,1,2 Anne Söderlund,2 Maria Lindén1 1School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, 2School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden Background: Different kinds of physical activity (PA self-monitoring technologies are used today to monitor and motivate PA behavior change. The user focus is essential in the development process of this technology, including potential future users such as representatives from the group of non-users. There is also a need to study whether there are differences between the groups of users and non-users. The aims of this study were to investigate possible differences between users and non-users regarding their opinions about PA self-monitoring technologies and to investigate differences in demographic variables between the groups. Materials and methods: Participants were randomly selected from seven municipalities in central Sweden. In total, 107 adults responded to the Physical Activity Products Questionnaire, which consisted of 22 questions. Results: Significant differences between the users and non-users were shown for six of the 20 measurement-related items: measures accurately (p=0.007, measures with high precision (p=0.024, measures distance (p=0.020, measures speed (p=0.003, shows minutes of activity (p=0.004, and shows geographical position (p=0.000. Significant differences between the users and non-users were also found for two of the 29 encouragement items: measures accurately (p=0.001 and has long-term memory (p=0.019. Significant differences between the groups were also shown for level of education (p=0.030 and level of physical exercise (p=0.037. Conclusion: With a few exceptions, the users and the non-users in this study had similar opinions about PA self-monitoring technologies. Because this study showed significant differences regarding level of education and level of physical exercise, these demographic variables seemed more relevant to investigate

Frequently Used Coping Scales: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Tsukasa

2015-10-01

This article reports the frequency of the use of coping scales in academic journals published from 1998 to 2010. Two thousand empirical journal articles were selected from the EBSCO database. The COPE, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, Religious-COPE and Coping Response Inventory were frequently mentioned. In particular, the COPE (20.2%) and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (13.6%) were used the most frequently. In this literature reviewed, coping scales were most often used to assess coping with health issues (e.g. illness, pain and medical diagnoses) over other types of stressors, and patients were the most frequent participants. Further, alpha coefficients were estimated for the COPE subscales, and correlations between the COPE subscales and coping outcomes were calculated, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, negative affect, psychological distress, physical symptoms and well-being. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DMBT1 is frequently downregulated in well-differentiated gastric carcinoma but more frequently upregulated across various gastric cancer types

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conde, Ana R; Martins, Ana P; Brito, Miguel

2007-01-01

in cell differentiation and protection and has been proposed as a candidate tumour suppressor for brain and epithelial cancer. One study reported a loss of DMBT1 expression in 12.5% (5/40) of gastric cancer samples. Here, we examined in more detail DMBT1 protein and mRNA expression in 78 primary gastric...... preferentially take place in well-differentiated gastric carcinoma. However, an upregulation of DMBT1 expression is more frequently found across all gastric cancer types.......Well-differentiated gastric carcinomas are considered to represent a distinct entity emerging via specific molecular changes different from those found in other gastric carcinoma types. The gene deleted in malignant brain tumours 1 (DMBT1) at 10q25.3-q26.1 codes for a protein presumably involved...

Bayesian Method for Building Frequent Landsat-Like NDVI Datasets by Integrating MODIS and Landsat NDVI

OpenAIRE

Limin Liao; Jinling Song; Jindi Wang; Zhiqiang Xiao; Jian Wang

2016-01-01

Studies related to vegetation dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes often require Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) datasets with both high spatial resolution and frequent coverage, which cannot be satisfied by a single sensor due to technical limitations. In this study, we propose a new method called NDVI-Bayesian Spatiotemporal Fusion Model (NDVI-BSFM) for accurately and effectively building frequent high spatial resolution Landsat-like NDVI datasets by integrating Moderate Resol...

Integration of GMR Sensors with Different Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María-Dolores Cubells-Beltrán

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Less than thirty years after the giant magnetoresistance (GMR effect was described, GMR sensors are the preferred choice in many applications demanding the measurement of low magnetic fields in small volumes. This rapid deployment from theoretical basis to market and state-of-the-art applications can be explained by the combination of excellent inherent properties with the feasibility of fabrication, allowing the real integration with many other standard technologies. In this paper, we present a review focusing on how this capability of integration has allowed the improvement of the inherent capabilities and, therefore, the range of application of GMR sensors. After briefly describing the phenomenological basis, we deal on the benefits of low temperature deposition techniques regarding the integration of GMR sensors with flexible (plastic substrates and pre-processed CMOS chips. In this way, the limit of detection can be improved by means of bettering the sensitivity or reducing the noise. We also report on novel fields of application of GMR sensors by the recapitulation of a number of cases of success of their integration with different heterogeneous complementary elements. We finally describe three fully functional systems, two of them in the bio-technology world, as the proof of how the integrability has been instrumental in the meteoric development of GMR sensors and their applications.

Optimization of Emissions Sensor Networks Incorporating Tradeoffs Between Different Sensor Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, B.; Klise, K. A.; Laird, C. D.; Ravikumar, A. P.; Brandt, A. R.

2017-12-01

In order to comply with current and future methane emissions regulations, natural gas producers must develop emissions monitoring strategies for their facilities. In addition, regulators must develop air monitoring strategies over wide areas incorporating multiple facilities. However, in both of these cases, only a limited number of sensors can be deployed. With a wide variety of sensors to choose from in terms of cost, precision, accuracy, spatial coverage, location, orientation, and sampling frequency, it is difficult to design robust monitoring strategies for different scenarios while systematically considering the tradeoffs between different sensor technologies. In addition, the geography, weather, and other site specific conditions can have a large impact on the performance of a sensor network. In this work, we demonstrate methods for calculating optimal sensor networks. Our approach can incorporate tradeoffs between vastly different sensor technologies, optimize over typical wind conditions for a particular area, and consider different objectives such as time to detection or geographic coverage. We do this by pre-computing site specific scenarios and using them as input to a mixed-integer, stochastic programming problem that solves for a sensor network that maximizes the effectiveness of the detection program. Our methods and approach have been incorporated within an open source Python package called Chama with the goal of providing facility operators and regulators with tools for designing more effective and efficient monitoring systems. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Evaluation of Public E-Services and Information Technology Accessibility in Different Social Groups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramutė Naujikienė

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to develop an approach based on the social quality evaluation square model for evaluation of information technology usage in different social groups. Componential view to the accessibility of e-services including IT means providing the possibility to research the influences of different life conditions to usage of the public e-services. The task of this empirical study is directed towards revealing the differences of e-inclusion and e-services accessibility for social groups of citizens of Lithuania, and to compare this accessibility data with other EU countries.Design/methodology/approach—the approach is based on the square model of social quality evaluation of information technology usage in different social groups. The social division square model includes an assessment of quality according to the evaluation of socioeconomic security, social inclusion, social cohesion, and empowerment. Empowerment can be defined as consisting of individual or collective decisions to act on one’s own life.Findings—the results are demonstrated by the accessibility of public e-services data, which are evaluated by the quality of social group development according to IT applications. The hypothesis was confirmed that the e-government activities can be realized by properly selecting and installing technologies, and using technology facilities. E-services influence the capabilities of state officials to apply modern technology and increase the availability of e-services for social groups. Results consist of individual or collective decisions to act on one’s own life, to implementation of effective information technologies in the e-government activities and using of e-services. An important indicator is the implementation of e-services in the activity of citizens. It is submitted as the index of e-participation in dealing with the activities of citizens and the possibilities of authorities directly related with providing services

Evaluation of Public E-Services and Information Technology Accessibility in Different Social Groups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramutė Naujikienė

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to develop an approach based on the social quality evaluation square model for evaluation of information technology usage in different social groups. Componential view to the accessibility of e-services including IT means providing the possibility to research the influences of different life conditions to usage of the public e-services. The task of this empirical study is directed towards revealing the differences of e-inclusion and e-services accessibility for social groups of citizens of Lithuania, and to compare this accessibility data with other EU countries. Design/methodology/approach—the approach is based on the square model of social quality evaluation of information technology usage in different social groups. The social division square model includes an assessment of quality according to the evaluation of socioeconomic security, social inclusion, social cohesion, and empowerment. Empowerment can be defined as consisting of individual or collective decisions to act on one’s own life. Findings—the results are demonstrated by the accessibility of public e-services data, which are evaluated by the quality of social group development according to IT applications. The hypothesis was confirmed that the e-government activities can be realized by properly selecting and installing technologies, and using technology facilities. E-services influence the capabilities of state officials to apply modern technology and increase the availability of e-services for social groups. Results consist of individual or collective decisions to act on one’s own life, to implementation of effective information technologies in the e-government activities and using of e-services. An important indicator is the implementation of e-services in the activity of citizens. It is submitted as the index of e-participation in dealing with the activities of citizens and the possibilities of authorities directly related with providing

Ionizing radiation effect on different types of flours used in bakery technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, Christian Alexandre Heinz Melsheimer

2011-01-01

In this work, an evaluation of the changes caused by ionizing radiation in different types and quantities of products rich in starch (wheat flour, cassava, rye, whole wheat, green banana pulp and maize) on rheological, technological, physical and texture characteristics was studied. The samples were irradiated in a 60 Co source with doses up to 10kGy, and dose rate about 2kGy/h. It was studied the force and the extensibility of strong and weak wheat flours and the rheological behavior was observed for one, five and thirty days after irradiation. The technological characteristic studied for up to 1 month after irradiation, was the enzymatic activity of the irradiated, weak and strong flours. The physical characteristics: height, weight and moisture loss and texture of loaves made with a partial replacement (30%) of wheat flour by different irradiated flours was established. The results showed that with the increase of radiation dose there was an increase of enzymatic activity, especially for higher doses (9kGy). These results corroborate for the understanding that there would be no need of addition of enzymatic improvers for the bread confection. The height, weight, and loss of moisture from the products developed with different substitutions of flours used in the formulations, showed different behaviors. With an increasing of the radiation dose applied, there was an increase in the height of the loaves, as well as a reduced loss of moisture on the products developed with substitution of 30% of the wheat flour with irradiated wheat flour and pulp of green banana flour. From a technological standpoint, the enzymatic activity was not adversely affected by radiation. Considering the characteristics studied, the dose of 9kGy would be recommended seeking the production of loaves. Although the irradiation process is generally applied in the preservation of hygienic quality of food products, its use on different kinds of flours used in bread production may induce some

Gender differences in information technology usage: a U.S.-Japan comparison

OpenAIRE

Hiroshi Ono; Madeline Zavodny

2004-01-01

This study examines whether there are differences in men’s and women’s use of computers and the Internet in the United States and Japan and how any such gender gaps have changed over time. The authors focus on these two countries because information technology is widely used in both, but there are substantial differences in institutions and social organizations. They use microdata from several surveys during the 1997–2001 period to examine differences and trends in computer and Internet usage...

Corporate Governance Frequently Asked Questions

OpenAIRE

International Finance Corporation

2016-01-01

This guidebook is designed to address common questionson corporate governance that are frequently asked byowners and managers of companies in the Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA) region. It familiarizes readerswith the basic concepts of corporate governance,providing a comprehensive overview of the subject matter,using case studies as practical examples of corporategovernance application...

Predictors of Frequent Emergency Room Visits among a Homeless Population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kinna Thakarar

Full Text Available Homelessness, HIV, and substance use are interwoven problems. Furthermore, homeless individuals are frequent users of emergency services. The main purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for frequent emergency room (ER visits and to examine the effects of housing status and HIV serostatus on ER utilization. The second purpose was to identify risk factors for frequent ER visits in patients with a history of illicit drug use.A retrospective analysis was performed on 412 patients enrolled in a Boston-based health care for the homeless program (HCH. This study population was selected as a 2:1 HIV seronegative versus HIV seropositive match based on age, sex, and housing status. A subgroup analysis was performed on 287 patients with history of illicit drug use. Chart data were analyzed to compare demographics, health characteristics, and health service utilization. Results were stratified by housing status. Logistic models using generalized estimating equations were used to predict frequent ER visits.In homeless patients, hepatitis C was the only predictor of frequent ER visits (OR 4.49, p<0.01. HIV seropositivity was not predictive of frequent ER visits. In patients with history of illicit drug use, mental health (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.07-5.95 and hepatitis C (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.37-5.93 were predictors of frequent ER use. HIV seropositivity did not predict ER use (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21 - 0.97.In a HCH population, hepatitis C predicted frequent ER visits in homeless patients. HIV seropositivity did not predict frequent ER visits, likely because HIV seropositive HCH patients are engaged in care. In patients with history of illicit drug use, hepatitis C and mental health disorders predicted frequent ER visits. Supportive housing for patients with mental health disorders and hepatitis C may help prevent unnecessary ER visits in this population.

Students' Age Difference of Confidence in Using Technology for Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Yau, Hon Keung; Cheng, Alison Lai Fong

2012-01-01

Some past studies find that older students have more confidence in using technology for learning than younger students but some other studies find the opposite result. However, it is found that there are a few researches studying on the age difference in the perception of using technology for learning in Hong Kong. Therefore, the aim of the study…

Smoked cannabis' psychomotor and neurocognitive effects in occasional and frequent smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Desrosiers, Nathalie A; Ramaekers, Johannes G; Chauchard, Emeline; Gorelick, David A; Huestis, Marilyn A

2015-05-01

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive constituent in cannabis, impairs psychomotor performance, cognition and driving ability; thus, driving under the influence of cannabis is a public safety concern. We documented cannabis' psychomotor, neurocognitive, subjective and physiological effects in occasional and frequent smokers to investigate potential differences between these smokers. Fourteen frequent (≥4x/week) and 11 occasional (cannabis smokers entered a secure research unit ∼19 h prior to smoking one 6.8% THC cigarette. Cognitive and psychomotor performance was evaluated with the critical tracking (CTT), divided attention (DAT), n-back (working memory) and Balloon Analog Risk (BART) (risk-taking) tasks at -1.75, 1.5, 3.5, 5.5 and 22.5 h after starting smoking. GLM (General Linear Model) repeated measures ANOVA was utilized to compare scores. Occasional smokers had significantly more difficulty compensating for CTT tracking error compared with frequent smokers 1.5 h after smoking. Divided attention performance declined significantly especially in occasional smokers, with session × group effects for tracking error, hits, false alarms and reaction time. Cannabis smoking did not elicit session × group effects on the n-back or BART. Controlled cannabis smoking impaired psychomotor function, more so in occasional smokers, suggesting some tolerance to psychomotor impairment in frequent users. These data have implications for cannabis-associated impairment in driving under the influence of cannabis cases. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

The Most Frequent English Homonyms

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, Kevin

2012-01-01

This article distinguishes homonymy, homophony, homography and polysemy, and provides a list of the most frequent homonyms using corpus-derived data. For most of the homonyms, the most common meaning accounts for 90% or more of the total uses of the form. The pedagogical and research implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 5…

[Which are the most frequently occurring enteropathogenic bacteria in clinical practice?].

Science.gov (United States)

Rohrbach, M; Gualzata, M D; Hollfelder, R; Viollier, A F; Viollier, M; Viollier, E H

1988-12-10

Diarrhea is an increasingly frequent clinical finding in Swiss medical practice. One reason is the volume of tourism in countries with different climatic and social circumstances. To obtain an overview of the enteropathogenic bacteria spectrum as a cause of diarrhea, we analyzed 11,163 stool specimens from a representative group of patients throughout Switzerland. Enteropathogenic bacteria were found in 15.2% of all specimens; 50% were Campylobacter jejuni/coli, 35% Salmonella spp., 8% Aeromonas hydrophila group, 4% Shigella spp. and 3% Yersinia enterocolitica. This distribution is taken for all age groups and for both sexes. In the infant age there was a maximum evidence of enteropathogenic bacteria of the female sex. In childhood this maximum concerned to the male sex. Patients older than fifty had no positive stool specimens. As expected the most frequent positive stool specimens were in summer.

The determinants of medical technology adoption in different decisional systems: A systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Varabyova, Yauheniya; Blankart, Carl Rudolf; Greer, Ann Lennarson; Schreyögg, Jonas

2017-03-01

Studies of determinants of adoption of new medical technology have failed to coalesce into coherent knowledge. A flaw obscuring strong patterns may be a common habit of treating a wide range of health care innovations as a generic technology. We postulate three decisional systems that apply to different medical technologies with distinctive expertise, interest, and authority: medical-individualistic, fiscal-managerial, and strategic-institutional decisional systems. This review aims to examine the determinants of the adoption of medical technologies based on the corresponding decision-making system. We included quantitative and qualitative studies that analyzed factors facilitating or inhibiting the adoption of medical technologies. In total, 65 studies published between 1974 and 2014 met our inclusion criteria. These studies contained 688 occurrences of variables that were used to examine the adoption decisions, and we subsequently condensed these variables to 62 determinants in four main categories: organizational, individual, environmental, and innovation-related. The determinants and their empirical association with adoption were grouped and analyzed by the three decision-making systems. Although we did not identify substantial differences across the decision-making systems in terms of the direction of the determinants' influence on adoption, a clear pattern emerged in terms of the categories of determinants that were targeted in different decision-making systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of long term performance measurements of PV modules with different technologies

OpenAIRE

Degner, T.; Ries, M.

2004-01-01

PV modules of six different technologies (m-Si, mc-Si, EFG, CIS, CdTe, a-Si) have been monitored concerning the performance under external conditions for a period of more than 2 years. In addition to the standard solar radiation measurements with pyranometer solar sensors with corresponding cell technology have been used to supplement the measurements. This allows in principle to consider spectral effects. The solar radiation measured with the sensor and the pyranometer is analysed on monthly...

EXPERIENCE GROWING A FRY WALLEYE (STIZOSTEDION LUCIOPERCA UNDER DIFFERENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Martsenuk

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The question of growing and cultivation technology a fry walleye (Stizostedion Sander lucioperca, in various conditions of intensification and cultivation of the objects on the example of Ukraine, Poland and Czech Republic. Methodology. Some of the research conducted in JSC "Lebedynska RMS." There was a corresponding work of herd sires and fry. Also used published articles and monographs using statistical analysis methods. Findings. The existing technology of breeding and raising perch as in natural waters and artificial reproduction. Also, this is a clear description of the biology walleye in the early stages postembryogenesis perch. Also highlighted key points in the technology of the object at different aquaculture technologies. Originality. On the basis of existing technologies were analyzed current methods for growing and perch are to be brought in fish farms Ukraine, depending on the technical capabilities of enterprises. Practical value. Comparative review of technology growing perch allows farmers to introduce more appropriate technology of walleye for your own needs. Since it is directly a particular manufacturer planting material of the object is necessary to choose the most suitable and perfect technology, based on the existing herd sires, space, equipment and ability to use hormonal stimulation. So can use the following methods of breeding walleye: natural spawning, uncontrolled; controlled natural spawning; spawning in lake; artificial spawning; spawning outside-seasonal. During the early stages of walleye can identify a number of critical periods greatly affect the possibility of wound development: small body size at the final stage of resorption of yolk sac; small size of the cavity; feed intake in the water column; high sensitivity to stress; belonging to the group of fish with a closed bladder; great demands on environmental conditions; relative preferences heat; penchant for cannibalism.

Annual energy yield of different photovoltaic technologies at different climatic conditions; Jahresenergieertraege unterschiedlicher Photovoltaik-Technologien bei verschiedenen klimatischen Bedingungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zinsser, Bastian

2010-10-04

It is very important for engineers as well as for investors to know which amount of energy E [kWh] a photovoltaic (PV) system produces under real operating conditions. In most cases the costs [Euroct/kWh] for the solar electricity are the main question. Most data sheets contain the efficiency of the PV modules only for standard test conditions (STC) in the laboratory. In reality higher module temperatures, lower irradiation G and a modified spectrum of the irradiation G change the standard test conditions efficiency. However, standard test conditions never appear at real live in Germany. In southern countries, which have more sun, the operation conditions differ much more from standard test conditions. Therefore, the effects on the annual energy yield are even bigger. To answer the question which PV technology gives the highest energy yield at specific climate conditions, this thesis set up thirteen PV systems using different technologies in Stuttgart, Nicosia, and Cairo. An extensive data acquisition is added to monitor weather and system data. Mono- and multicrystalline silicon (Si) as well as several thin film technologies like amorphous silicon, Cu(InGa)Se{sub 2} (CIGS), and CdTe are investigated. First the thesis extracts the temperature and low light behavior from the measured field data. At the end it models the PV systems to forecast the annual energy yield EJahr and compares with the measured values. The analysis of the field data reconfirms the better temperature behavior of the thin film technologies reported in literature. The HIT technology exhibits a better low light behavior, than the crystalline Si technologies, which all show a similar low light behavior. In the field the CIGS technology shows a contrary low light behavior compared to the laboratory. Field data show, that amorphous Si and CdTe technologies have a much better low light behavior than the crystalline Si technologies. The tolerances of the nominal power PSTC have the biggest influence

Technology Education and the Arts

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2009-01-01

One hears quite frequently how the arts continually suffer in the academic day. Many long-time technology education champions certainly know what this is all about; but there may be some ways to use technology education to bring the arts into the classroom. This article offers a series of activities and suggestions that will help students better…

Discovering frequently recurring movement sequences in team-sport athlete spatiotemporal data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeting, Alice J; Aughey, Robert J; Cormack, Stuart J; Morgan, Stuart

2017-12-01

Athlete external load is typically analysed from predetermined movement thresholds. The combination of movement sequences and differences in these movements between playing positions is also currently unknown. This study developed a method to discover the frequently recurring movement sequences across playing position during matches. The external load of 12 international female netball athletes was collected by a local positioning system during four national-level matches. Velocity, acceleration and angular velocity were calculated from positional (X, Y) data, clustered via one-dimensional k-means and assigned a unique alphabetic label. Combinations of velocity, acceleration and angular velocity movement were compared using the Levenshtein distance and similarities computed by the longest common substring problem. The contribution of each movement sequence, according to playing position and relative to the wider data set, was then calculated via the Minkowski distance. A total of 10 frequently recurring combinations of movement were discovered, regardless of playing position. Only the wing attack, goal attack and goal defence playing positions are closely related. We developed a technique to discover the movement sequences, according to playing position, performed by elite netballers. This methodology can be extended to discover the frequently recurring movements within other team sports and across levels of competition.

Communication Technology Use and Study Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Penny

2017-01-01

Research suggests a negative relationship between frequent use of communication technologies, such as text messaging and social network sites, and academic performance, but the nature of the relationship needs to be explored in greater detail. This study explored the relationship between use of communication technologies and self-reported study…

On practical issues about interference in telecare applications based on different wireless technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

García, C Urdiales; Sigler, F Garcia; Duran, M Dominguez; Torre, J De La; Aristizabal, F Coslado; Parras, S Perez; Miralles, R Trapero; Sandoval, F

2007-10-01

Telemedicine systems have been progressively paying more and more attention to wireless technologies for personal area network (PAN). Depending on the features of the system to be developed, different technologies need to be deployed. These technologies are supposed to coexist, even though many of them operate in the same 2.4-GHz band. In case of interference, there are safety mechanisms included in the standard. However, these mechanisms do not work exactly as expected in theory. This paper presents an experiment with a real Bluetoothbased ECG system and Zigbee temperature sensors in an environment where a WiFi network is operating. The main novelty of the paper is the real implementation and experiments of all three wireless technologies for both continuous and discrete medical signals. Conclusions and recommendations for reliable operation are given for all three involved technologies.

Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions

Science.gov (United States)

... Trials? Finding Help Reprints For More Information Share Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions Download PDF Download ... a week. Text “HOME” to 741741. What Is Suicide? Suicide is when people direct violence at themselves ...

Educational technology use among US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Monaghan, Michael S; Cain, Jeff J; Malone, Patrick M; Chapman, Tracy A; Walters, Ryan W; Thompson, David C; Riedl, Steven T

2011-06-10

To develop a searchable database of educational technologies used at schools and colleges of pharmacy. A cross-sectional survey design was used to determine what educational technologies were being used and to identify an individual at each institution who could serve as an information resource for peer-to-peer questions. Eighty-nine survey instruments were returned for a response rate of 75.4%. The resulting data illustrated the almost ubiquitous presence of educational technology. The most frequently used technology was course management systems and the least frequently used technology was microblogging. Educational technology use is trending toward fee-based products for enterprise-level applications and free, open-source products for collaboration and presentation. Educational technology is allowing educators to restructure classroom time for something other than simple transmission of factual information and to adopt an evidence-based approach to instructional innovation and reform.

Decarbonising the power sector via technological change – differing contributions from heterogeneous firms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, Tobias S.; Schneider, Malte; Hoffmann, Volker H.

2012-01-01

In the power sector, technological change is a key lever to address the decarbonisation needed to avoid dangerous climate change. Policy makers aim to accelerate and redirect technological change by targeting relevant firms via climate policy, e.g., the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and climate-relevant technology policies, e.g., feed-in tariffs. Changes in firm's behaviour, i.e., their research and development (R and D) as well as diffusion activities, are at the heart of technological change. However, firms are heterogeneous actors with varying attributes which perceive policy differently. Hence, they can be expected to react very heterogeneously to these new policies. Based on an original dataset of 201 firms, we perform a cluster analysis grouping firms along their R and D and diffusion activity changes. We then compare these clusters with regards to the characteristics of the contained firms. Our analysis results in seven clusters showing very diverse contributions to low-carbon technological change, suggesting potential for policy to become more effective. A comparison of the firms' characteristics allows us to derive indicative recommendations on how to adjust the policy mix in order to induce contributions from most firms in the power sector. - Highlights: ► Firms differ strongly regarding their contribution low-carbon technological change. ► E.g., about 40% of the surveyed firms have not changed their R and D and diffusion activities. ► These observations cast doubt upon the effectiveness of current policy. ► From the findings recommendations for making policy more effective are derived.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Prospective Mathematics Teacher in Three Dimensional Material Based on Sex Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Aqib, M. A.; Budiarto, M. T.; Wijayanti, P.

2018-01-01

The effectiveness of learning in this era can be seen from 3 factors such as: technology, content, and pedagogy that covered in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). This research was a qualitative research which aimed to describe each domain from TPCK include Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technological Knowledge, Technological Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge. The subjects of this research were male and female mathematics college students at least 5th semester who has almost the same ability for some course like innovative learning, innovative learning II, school mathematics I, school mathematics II, computer applications and instructional media. Research began by spreading the questionnaire of subject then continued with the assignment and interview. The obtained data was validated by time triangulation.This research has result that male and female prospective teacher was relatively same for Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge domain. While it was difference in the Technological Knowledge domain. The difference in this domain certainly has an impact on other domains that has technology components on it. Although it can be minimized by familiarizing the technology.

Technology-based tools and services for people with dementia and carers: Mapping technology onto the dementia care pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Klara; Freddolino, Paul P; Comas-Herrera, Adelina; Knapp, Martin; Damant, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

The extent to which technology may be able to support people with dementia and their carers along the care pathway and in different care settings is of interest to policy makers and governments. In this paper we provide an overview of the role of technology in dementia care, treatment and support by mapping existing technologies - by function, target user and disease progression. Technologies identified are classified into seven functions: memory support, treatment, safety and security, training, care delivery, social interaction and other. Different groups of potential users are distinguished: people with mild cognitive impairment and early stages of dementia, people with moderate to severe dementia and unpaid carers and health- and social care professionals. We also identified the care settings, in which the technologies are used (or for which the technologies are developed): at home in the community and in institutional care settings. The evidence has been drawn from a rapid review of the literature, expert interviews and web and social media searches. The largest number of technologies identified aim to enhance the safety and security of people with dementia living in the community. These devices are often passive monitors, such as smoke detectors. Other safety interventions, such as panic buttons, require active intervention. The second largest number of interventions aims to enhance people's memory and includes global positioning systems devices and voice prompts. These technologies mostly target people in the early stages of dementia. A third group focusing on treatment and care delivery emerged from the literature. These interventions focus on technology-aided reminiscence or therapeutic aspects of care for people with dementia and their carers. While the review found a range of technologies available for people with dementia and carers there is very little evidence of widespread practical application. Instead, it appears that stakeholders frequently rely

Bringing stability to the COPD patient: clinical and pharmacological considerations for frequent exacerbators

Science.gov (United States)

Gulati, Swati

2017-01-01

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are critical events associated with accelerated loss of lung function, increased morbidity, and excess mortality. AECOPD are heterogeneous in nature and this may directly impact clinical decision making, specifically in patients with frequent exacerbations. A “frequent exacerbator” is a sub-phenotype of COPD that is defined as an individual who experiences ≥2 moderate to severe exacerbations per year. This distinct subgroup has higher mortality and account for more than half of COPD-related hospitalizations annually. Thus, it is imperative to identify individuals at risk for frequent exacerbations and choose optimal strategies to minimize risk for these events. New paradigms for utilizing combination inhalers and the introduction of novel oral compounds provide expanded treatment options to reduce the risk and frequency of exacerbations. The goals of managing frequent exacerbators or patients at risk for AECOPD are: 1) maximizing bronchodilation, 2) reducing inflammation, and 3) targeting specific molecular pathways implicated in COPD and AECOPD pathogenesis. Novel inhaler therapies include combination long acting muscarinic agents (LAMA) plus long acting beta agonists (LABA) show promising results compared to monotherapy or LABA inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) combination in reducing exacerbation risk among individuals at risk for exacerbations and among frequent exacerbators. Likewise, oral medications including macrolides and phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitors reduce the risk for AECOPD in select groups of individuals at high risk for exacerbation. Future direction in COPD management is based on identification of various subtypes or “endotypes” and targeting therapies based on their pathophysiology. This review aims to describe the impact of AECOPD, challenges posed by frequent exacerbators, and explores the rationale for different pharmacologic approaches to preventing AECOPD in these

Influence of Frequent Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis on Food Preference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ipema, Karin; Franssen, Casper; van der Schans, Cees; Smit, Lianne; Noordman, Sabine; Haisma, Hinke

Objective: Dialysis patients frequently report a change of taste that is reversible after renal transplantation, suggesting that uremic toxins may negatively influence taste. Currently, frequent nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) is the most effective method of hemodialysis, and is associated with

Frequently Asked Questions about Radiation Emergencies

Science.gov (United States)

... Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Radiation Emergencies Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir For more information on radiation, go to the Radiation Dictionary . Get Inside: Why should I get inside during ...

Predictors of Frequent Emergency Room Visits among a Homeless Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakarar, Kinna; Morgan, Jake R; Gaeta, Jessie M; Hohl, Carole; Drainoni, Mari-Lynn

2015-01-01

Homelessness, HIV, and substance use are interwoven problems. Furthermore, homeless individuals are frequent users of emergency services. The main purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for frequent emergency room (ER) visits and to examine the effects of housing status and HIV serostatus on ER utilization. The second purpose was to identify risk factors for frequent ER visits in patients with a history of illicit drug use. A retrospective analysis was performed on 412 patients enrolled in a Boston-based health care for the homeless program (HCH). This study population was selected as a 2:1 HIV seronegative versus HIV seropositive match based on age, sex, and housing status. A subgroup analysis was performed on 287 patients with history of illicit drug use. Chart data were analyzed to compare demographics, health characteristics, and health service utilization. Results were stratified by housing status. Logistic models using generalized estimating equations were used to predict frequent ER visits. In homeless patients, hepatitis C was the only predictor of frequent ER visits (OR 4.49, phomeless patients. HIV seropositivity did not predict frequent ER visits, likely because HIV seropositive HCH patients are engaged in care. In patients with history of illicit drug use, hepatitis C and mental health disorders predicted frequent ER visits. Supportive housing for patients with mental health disorders and hepatitis C may help prevent unnecessary ER visits in this population.

Recent developments in chemical decontamination technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, C.J. [Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (United States)

1995-03-01

Chemical decontamination of parts of reactor coolant systems is a mature technology, used routinely in many BWR plants, but less frequently in PWRs. This paper reviews recent developments in the technology - corrosion minimization, waste processing and full system decontamination, including the fuel. Earlier work was described in an extensive review published in 1990.

Educational Technology Research Journals: "Australasian Journal of Educational Technology," 2003-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Hadlock, Camey Andersen; Clegg, J. Aleta; Hickman, Garrett R.; Huyett, Sabrina Lynn; Jensen, Hyrum C.; West, Richard E.

2014-01-01

The authors analyzed all research articles in the "Australasian Journal of Educational Technology" from 2003 to 2012 to determine the types of research methodologies published, major contributing authors, and most frequently referenced keywords, abstract terms, and cited articles. During this decade, the majority of articles published…

Economic issues of storage technologies in different applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beurskens, L.W.M.; De Noord, M.

2004-09-01

For evaluating energy storage technologies, economical parameters are of considerable importance. A qualitative assessment is given of storage technologies in general, contributing to success or failure of their use. Based on data of nine storage technologies that are defined in the INVESTIRE Network (Investigation on storage technologies for intermittent renewable energies: evaluation and recommended R and D strategy), results of a quantitative cost analysis are presented, based on device-specific key parameters. The costs have been defined as additional costs, effected by the required investments and operation and maintenance expenditures, the efficiency of a device and its lifetime. In order to compare the technologies properly, categories of typical use have been defined, ranging from stand-alone small applications (typical storage capacity of 0.1 kWh) to levelling of power production (approximately 1 MWh). The outcome is presented in such a way that for each category of typical use, the best technological options are identified, based on a cost analysis

Social environment and frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede

2005-01-01

of 1423 (73.7%) frequent attenders and 1103 (74.9%) infrequent attenders responded. Male frequent attendance was associated, with statistical significance, with living alone and being without work or on a disability pension. Among women, lack of professional education or being without work tended...

Distinguishing the relevant features of frequent suicide attempters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Castroman, Jorge; Perez-Rodriguez, Maria de las Mercedes; Jaussent, Isabelle; Alegria, Analucia A; Artes-Rodriguez, Antonio; Freed, Peter; Guillaume, Sébastien; Jollant, Fabrice; Leiva-Murillo, Jose Miguel; Malafosse, Alain; Oquendo, Maria A; de Prado-Cumplido, Mario; Saiz-Ruiz, Jeronimo; Baca-Garcia, Enrique; Courtet, Philippe

2011-05-01

In spite of the high prevalence of suicide behaviours and the magnitude of the resultant burden, little is known about why individuals reattempt. We aim to investigate the relationships between clinical risk factors and the repetition of suicidal attempts. 1349 suicide attempters were consecutively recruited in the Emergency Room (ER) of two academic hospitals in France and Spain. Patients were extensively assessed and demographic and clinical data obtained. Data mining was used to determine the minimal number of variables that blinded the rest in relation to the number of suicide attempts. Using this set, a probabilistic graph ranking relationships with the target variable was constructed. The most common diagnoses among suicide attempters were affective disorders, followed by anxiety disorders. Risk of frequent suicide attempt was highest among middle-aged subjects, and diminished progressively with advancing age of onset at first attempt. Anxiety disorders significantly increased the risk of presenting frequent suicide attempts. Pathway analysis also indicated that frequent suicide attempts were linked to greater odds for alcohol and substance abuse disorders and more intensive treatment. Novel statistical methods found several clinical features that were associated with a history of frequent suicide attempts. The identified pathways may promote new hypothesis-driven studies of suicide attempts and preventive strategies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequent Pairs in Data Streams: Exploiting Parallelism and Skew

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campagna, Andrea; Kutzkow, Konstantin; Pagh, Rasmus

2011-01-01

We introduce the Pair Streaming Engine (PairSE) that detects frequent pairs in a data stream of transactions. Our algorithm finds the most frequent pairs with high probability, and gives tight bounds on their frequency. It is particularly space efficient for skewed distribution of pair supports...... items mining in data streams. We show how to efficiently scale these approaches to handle large transactions. We report experimental results showcasing precision and recall of our method. In particular, we find that often our method achieves excellent precision, returning identical upper and lower...... bounds on the supports of the most frequent pairs....

Perceived Quality of Social Relations and Frequent Drunkenness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærulff, Thora M; Rivera, Francisco; Jiménez-Iglesias, Antonia

2014-01-01

in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) 2010 survey were used including 1177 female and 1126 male students aged between 15 and 16 years. RESULTS: For both genders, students reporting low school satisfaction had increased odds of frequent drunkenness. Among females, low and medium levels of classmate support...... predictors of frequent drunkenness among female than male students and that other factors than social relations may contribute to explain excessive alcohol use among Spanish adolescents....

Classification and Target Group Selection Based Upon Frequent Patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.H.L.M. Pijls (Wim); R. Potharst (Rob)

2000-01-01

textabstractIn this technical report , two new algorithms based upon frequent patterns are proposed. One algorithm is a classification method. The other one is an algorithm for target group selection. In both algorithms, first of all, the collection of frequent patterns in the training set is

Comparative analysis of the application of different Low Power Wide Area Network technologies in power grid

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Sui, Hong; Liao, Xing; Li, Junhao

2018-03-01

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies developed rapidly in recent years, but the application principle of different LPWAN technologies in power grid is still not clear. This paper gives a comparative analysis of two mainstream LPWAN technologies including NB-IoT and LoRa, and gives an application suggestion of these two LPWAN technologies, which can guide the planning and construction of LPWAN in power grid.

Frequent methodological errors in clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva Aycaguer, L C

2018-03-07

Several errors that are frequently present in clinical research are listed, discussed and illustrated. A distinction is made between what can be considered an "error" arising from ignorance or neglect, from what stems from a lack of integrity of researchers, although it is recognized and documented that it is not easy to establish when we are in a case and when in another. The work does not intend to make an exhaustive inventory of such problems, but focuses on those that, while frequent, are usually less evident or less marked in the various lists that have been published with this type of problems. It has been a decision to develop in detail the examples that illustrate the problems identified, instead of making a list of errors accompanied by an epidermal description of their characteristics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Guide and manual of frequent special radiological procedures pertaining frequent pediatric patient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quesada Rodriguez, Marco V.

2012-01-01

A set of instructions and / or recommendations are afforded, developed in a systematic way, whose purpose is to help treating doctors to make decisions about the mode of study appropriate for a specialized clinical circumstance. The instructions are aimed at radiologists, in order to facilitate the selection and realization of special studies in the pediatric patient images, so that in this way, guide of the best and most efficient way to the resolution of the cases before diagnostic doubts that seek to clarify the treating clinician. The studies most frequently requested are exposed, as well as those with their prompt realization will lead to a quick and timely medical care and / or surgical of a specific problem [es

Macroeconomic effects and benefits of different power generation technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeenpaeae, I.; Tervo, H.

1994-01-01

The report compares the overall economic effects and benefits of different power station technologies using the FMS long-term simulation model for the Finnish economy. Special emphasis is placed on domestic fuels and new technologies that are on the average of commercialization. The overall economic benefits are compared as such and also assuming the implementation of targets for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Without environmental targets nuclear power, natural gas combined cycle and coal gasification combined cycle were shown to be macroeconomically the most profitable means of generating electricity. For the municipal cogeneration of heat and power, a natural gas diesel plant was the most advantageous, followed by solid fuel gasification combined cycle plants. Upon implementation of CO 2 -emission reduction targets nuclear power would remain the most beneficial alternative, but the benefits of wood and wind power rises would be nearly as great. For municipal cogeneration, the wood gasification combined cycle type power plant surpasses gas diesel and the relative benefits of the fluidized bed combustion of wood also increases. (7 refs., 9 tabs.)

Health technology assessment process of a cardiovascular medical device in four different settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Olry de Labry Lima, Antonio; Espín Balbino, Jaime; Lemgruber, Alexandre; Caro Martínez, Araceli; García-Mochón, Leticia; Martín Ruiz, Eva; Lessa, Fernanda

2017-10-01

Health technology assessment (HTA) is a tool to help the decision-making process. The aim is to describe methods and processes used in the reimbursement decision making for drug-eluting stents (DES) in four different settings. DES as a technology under study was selected according to different criteria, all of them agreed by a working group. A survey of key informants was designed. DES was evaluated following well-structured HTA processes. Nonetheless, scope for improvement was observed in relation to the data considered for the final decision, the transparency and inclusiveness of the process as well as in the methods employed. An attempt to describe the HTA processes of a well-known medical device.

Uncovering patterns of technology use in consumer health informatics

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Man; Conrad, Jillian; Hon, Shirley D.; Cheng, Christine; Franklin, Jeremy D.; Tang, Philip

2014-01-01

Internet usage and accessibility has grown at a staggering rate, influencing technology use for healthcare purposes. The amount of health information technology (Health IT) available through the Internet is immeasurable and growing daily. Health IT is now seen as a fundamental aspect of patient care as it stimulates patient engagement and encourages personal health management. It is increasingly important to understand consumer health IT patterns including who is using specific technologies, how technologies are accessed, factors associated with use, and perceived benefits. To fully uncover consumer patterns it is imperative to recognize common barriers and which groups they disproportionately affect. Finally, exploring future demand and predictions will expose significant opportunities for health IT. The most frequently used health information technologies by consumers are gathering information online, mobile health (mHealth) technologies, and personal health records (PHRs). Gathering health information online is the favored pathway for healthcare consumers as it is used by more consumers and more frequently than any other technology. In regard to mHealth technologies, minority Americans, compared with White Americans utilize social media, mobile Internet, and mobile applications more frequently. Consumers believe PHRs are the most beneficial health IT. PHR usage is increasing rapidly due to PHR integration with provider health systems and health insurance plans. Key issues that have to be explicitly addressed in health IT are privacy and security concerns, health literacy, unawareness, and usability. Privacy and security concerns are rated the number one reason for the slow rate of health IT adoption. PMID:24904713

Photovoltaics: tests of thin-film technologies. 6 thin-film technologies in 3 different BIPV modes compared in a real outdoor performance test; PV-ThinFilmTest. 6 thin-film technologies in 3 different BIPV modes compared in a real outdoor performance test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frei, R.; Meier, Ch.

2005-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of a comparison made between six types of thin-film, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technologies used in three different modes of building-integration. More than 450 thin-film modules including amorphous silicon and CIS technologies were monitored. Each type of module was installed in three different modes: inclined (20{sup o}), flat with free back air flow, and flat with thermal back insulation. The performance of these commercially available thin-film BIPV systems was monitored using an extensive monitoring program. Additionally, three mono-crystalline PV arrays allowed direct comparison of the technologies. The results of the monitoring work are presented and further work to be done is discussed, including the monitoring of possible long-term degradation.

Social capital and frequent attenders in general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pasgaard, Alexander A.; Mæhlisen, Maiken H.; Overgaard, Charlotte

2018-01-01

weeks. RESULTS: Using multiple logistic regression, we found that frequent attendance was associated with a lower score in interpersonal trust [OR 0.86 (0.79-0.94)] and social network [OR 0.88 (0.79-0.98)] for women, when adjusted for age, education, income and SF12 health scores. Norms of reciprocity...... at the individual level, and includes cognitive (interpersonal trust and norms of reciprocity) as well as structural (social network and civic engagement) dimensions. Frequent attendance is defined as the upper-quartile of the total number of measured consultations with a general practitioner over a period of 148...... and civic engagement were not significantly associated with frequent attendance for women [OR 1.05 (0.99-1.11) and OR 1.01 (0.92-1.11) respectively]. None of the associations were statistically significant for men. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that for women, some aspects of social capital are associated...

GRAMI: Generalized Frequent Subgraph Mining in Large Graphs

KAUST Repository

El Saeedy, Mohammed El Sayed

2011-07-24

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs, but modern applications, such as social networks, citation graphs or protein-protein interaction in bioinformatics, are modeled as a single large graph. Interesting interactions in such applications may be transitive (e.g., friend of a friend). Existing methods, however, search for frequent isomorphic (i.e., exact match) subgraphs and cannot discover many useful patterns. In this paper we propose GRAMI, a framework that generalizes frequent subgraph mining in a large single graph. GRAMI discovers frequent patterns. A pattern is a graph where edges are generalized to distance-constrained paths. Depending on the definition of the distance function, many instantiations of the framework are possible. Both directed and undirected graphs, as well as multiple labels per vertex, are supported. We developed an efficient implementation of the framework that models the frequency resolution phase as a constraint satisfaction problem, in order to avoid the costly enumeration of all instances of each pattern in the graph. We also implemented CGRAMI, a version that supports structural and semantic constraints; and AGRAMI, an approximate version that supports very large graphs. Our experiments on real data demonstrate that our framework is up to 3 orders of magnitude faster and discovers more interesting patterns than existing approaches.

Frequent rhabdomyolysis in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Jung-Ah; Lee, Soon-Tae; Kim, Tae-Joon; Moon, Jangsup; Sunwoo, Jun-Sang; Byun, Jung-Ick; Jung, Keun-Hwa; Jung, Ki-Young; Chu, Kon; Lee, Sang Kun

2016-09-15

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation and provocation factors of rhabdomyolysis in anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Among the 16 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis in our institutional cohort, nine patients had elevated CK enzyme levels and clinical evidence of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis was more frequent after immunotherapy. The use of dopamine receptor blocker (DRB) increased the risk of rhabdomyolysis. None of the patients without rhabdomyolysis received DRBs. Rhabdomyolysis is a frequent complication in anti-NMDAR encephalitis and more common after immunotherapy and the use of DRBs increases the risk. Therefore, DRBs should be administered carefully in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technology, Learning, and Individual Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Bear, Anne A. Ghost

2012-01-01

The learning needs for adults that result from the constant increase in technology are rooted in the adult learning concepts of (a) andragogy, (b) self-directed learning, (c) learning-how-to-learn, (d) real-life learning, and (e) learning strategies. This study described the learning strategies that adults use in learning to engage in an online…

A perspective on the comparison of risks from different technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastenberg, W.E.; Griesmeyer, J.M.; Johnson, D.H.

1982-01-01

Comparisons between the risks of various technologies have been used in evaluating different technologies which produce particular benefits, in developing perspectives on the acceptability of risks, and in developing suitable priorities for risk reductions. Although difficult and controversial these comparisons will continue to be used in design, in regulation and in the socio-political process. In this paper, some of the problems that arise in the comparison of risk are discussed. These include the choice of the proper range of impacts to be addressed in the risk assessments, the difficulty of ensuring completeness in the treatment of the impacts that are addressed, and uncertainties that arise from modeling and from the scarcity of data and its interpretation. In addition, the disparate manner in which the various risks are manifested (types, magnitude and distribution of consequences as well as frequency) makes the comparison of the risks controversial

Short communication: Persistent socio-economic inequality in frequent headache among Danish adolescents from 1991 to 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Holstein, B E; Andersen, A; Denbaek, A M; Johansen, A; Michelsen, S I; Due, P

2018-05-01

The association between socio-economic status (SES) and headache among adolescents is an understudied issue, and no study has examined whether such an association changes over time. The aim was to examine trends in socio-economic inequality in frequent headache among 11- to 15-year-olds in Denmark from 1991 to 2014, using occupational social class (OSC) as indicator of SES. The study applies data from the Danish part of the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. HBSC includes nationally representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds. This study combines data from seven data survey years from 1991 to 2014, participation rate 88.6%, n = 31,102. We report absolute inequality as per cent difference in frequent headache between high and low OSC and relative inequality as odds ratio for frequent headache by OSC. In the entire study population, 10.4% reported frequent headache. There was a significant increase in frequent headache from 8.0% in 1991 to 12.9% in 2014, test for trend, p economic inequality in frequent headache was persistent from 1991 to 2014. There was a significant and persistent socio-economic inequality, i.e. increasing prevalence of frequent headache with decreasing OSC. The association between socio-economic position and headache did not significantly change over time, i.e. the statistical interaction between OSC and survey year was insignificant. The prevalence of frequent headache among adolescents increases with decreasing SES. This socio-economic inequality has been persistent among adolescents in Denmark from 1991 to 2014. Clinicians should be aware of this social inequality. © 2018 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Enumerating all maximal frequent subtrees in collections of phylogenetic trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Deepak, Akshay; Fernández-Baca, David

2014-01-01

A common problem in phylogenetic analysis is to identify frequent patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees. The goal is, roughly, to find a subset of the species (taxa) on which all or some significant subset of the trees agree. One popular method to do so is through maximum agreement subtrees (MASTs). MASTs are also used, among other things, as a metric for comparing phylogenetic trees, computing congruence indices and to identify horizontal gene transfer events. We give algorithms and experimental results for two approaches to identify common patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees, one based on agreement subtrees, called maximal agreement subtrees, the other on frequent subtrees, called maximal frequent subtrees. These approaches can return subtrees on larger sets of taxa than MASTs, and can reveal new common phylogenetic relationships not present in either MASTs or the majority rule tree (a popular consensus method). Our current implementation is available on the web at https://code.google.com/p/mfst-miner/. Our computational results confirm that maximal agreement subtrees and all maximal frequent subtrees can reveal a more complete phylogenetic picture of the common patterns in collections of phylogenetic trees than maximum agreement subtrees; they are also often more resolved than the majority rule tree. Further, our experiments show that enumerating maximal frequent subtrees is considerably more practical than enumerating ordinary (not necessarily maximal) frequent subtrees.

Understanding access and use of technology among youth with first-episode psychosis to inform the development of technology-enabled therapeutic interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Baki, Amal; Lal, Shalini; D-Charron, Olivier; Stip, Emmanuel; Kara, Nadjia

2017-02-01

Computers, video games and technological devices are part of young people's everyday lives. However, their use in first-episode psychosis (FEP) treatment is rare. The purpose of this study was to better understand the access and use of technology among individuals with FEP, including gaming activities, to inform future development of technology-enabled therapeutic applications. Self-administered survey on use of technological tools in 71 FEP individuals. PCs/laptops were used by all participants; cellphones/smartphones by 92%, consoles by 83% (mainly male and younger participants). Women texted and used social networks more frequently; men played games (mainly action) more often. The younger individuals reported playing games frequently (32% daily) with less use of the Web and social networks (favourite: Facebook). These data will be useful for developing Web-based psychoeducation tools and cognitive remediation video games for youth with FEP. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Risk factors associated with incidence and persistence of frequent headaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Marklund, Susanna; Häggman-Henrikson, Birgitta; Wänman, Anders

2014-11-01

Headaches represent a significant public health problem, but the knowledge of factors specifically related to incidence and persistence of headaches is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether gender, self-reported bruxism and variations in the dental occlusion contribute to onset and persistence of frequent headaches. The study population comprised 280 dental students, examined annually in a 2-year prospective study with a questionnaire and a clinical examination of the jaw function. In the analysis subjects were dichotomized into cases with frequent (once a week or more) or without frequent headaches (controls). The 2-year cumulative incidence was based on subjects without frequent headaches at baseline. Cases with 2-year persistent headaches reported such symptoms at all three examinations. Self-reported bruxism and factors in the dental occlusion at baseline were used as independent variables in logistic regression analyses. The 2-year cumulative incidence of frequent headaches was 21%. Female gender (OR = 2.6; CI = 1.3-5.4), self-reported bruxism (OR = 2.3; CI = 1.2-4.4) and mandibular instability in intercuspal position (OR = 3.2; CI = 1.4-7.5) were associated with incidence of frequent headaches. Persistent headaches during the observation period were present in 12 individuals (4%) and significantly related to mandibular instability in intercuspal position (OR = 6.1; CI = 1.6-22.6). The results indicate that female gender, self-reported bruxism and mandibular instability in intercuspal position are of importance in the development of frequent headaches. In management of these patients a multidisciplinary approach including dentists may be important and, thus, advocated.

THE PREVALENCE OF INFECTION WITH HERPES VIRUSES AMONG FREQUENTLY ILL CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volyansky AY

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Frequently ill children (FIC - a group of dispensary an inclusion criterion which is the frequency of episodes of colds are over 4-6 throughout the year depending on age. In children population among all diseases marked the absolute predominance (90% of acute respiratory infections (ARI. The maximum incidence of acute respiratory infections among children there is between the ages of 1 to 3 years, and then gradually decreases. Among primary school children the incidence is 2-5 cases a year, among teens - no more than 2-4 diseases throughout the year. Opinions of scholars and practitioners pediatricians as to the legality of frequent classification of cases of children to pathologic conditions of the immune system are different and often diametrically opposed. Objective: To determine the prevalence of infection with herpes viruses of frequently ill children. Materials and methods. The analysis consists the results of clinical and laboratory examination of 170 frequently ill children. The criterion for selection of children for the study is the frequency of episodes of colds according to the classification of A.A.Baranov V.Yu.Albitskiy. Analysis of clinical and anamnesis data revealed that in the observed group of children there is a high rate of recurrent respiratory diseases. Thus, in the observed group of children the average incidence of ARI was 7,42 ± 0,92 episodes a year. The average duration of an episode of disease was 9,12 ± 2,75 days. The complicated course occurred in 32% of cases, the average duration of a complicated episode grew to 12,37 ± 3,91 days. This study led to the following conclusions: 1. To 3 years of age, about 85% frequently ill children are infected with at least one virus of the family Herpesviridae. By 6 years of age the number grows to 95%, to 11 years - to 98%. 2. Infectiousness 3 or more herpes viruses among children up to 3 years is more than 30%, among children 3-6 years is 48%, in the age group 6-11 years more

2017 Annual Technology Baseline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, Wesley J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hand, M. M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Eberle, Annika [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Beiter, Philipp C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kurup, Parthiv [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Turchi, Craig S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Feldman, David J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, Robert M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Augustine, Chad R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Maness, Michael [Formerly NREL; O' Connor, Patrick [Oak Ridge National Laboratory

2018-03-26

Consistent cost and performance data for various electricity generation technologies can be difficult to find and may change frequently for certain technologies. With the Annual Technology Baseline (ATB), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory annually provides an organized and centralized set of such cost and performance data. The ATB uses the best information from the Department of Energy national laboratories' renewable energy analysts as well as information from the Energy Information Administration for fuel-based technologies. The ATB has been reviewed by experts and it includes the following electricity generation technologies: land-based wind, offshore wind, utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV), commercial-scale solar PV, residential-scale solar PV, concentrating solar power, geothermal power, hydropower, coal, natural gas, nuclear, and conventional biopower. This webinar presentation introduces the 2017 ATB.

[Prevalence and factors associated with frequent attendence in family medicine clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Parejo Maestre, N; Lendínez-de la Cruz, J M; Bermúdez-Torres, F M; Gónzalez-Contero, L; Gutierrez-Espinosa de Los Monteros, M P; Espejo-Almazán María, T

2016-01-01

The use of health services has seen a steep rise. The frequent users are responsible for significant economic, human and social impact. The objective is to analyze the characteristics of frequent attenders in our Health Center, in order to evaluate the possibility of taking corrective measures to improve the quality of care and efficiency in the use of resources. Descriptive observational study of a sample of 379 patients over 18 years old. The dependent variables were attendance (number of visits to their family doctor during the previous year), frequent attendance (10 or more visits to the family doctor in the last year), and persistent frequent attenders (10 or more visits to the family doctor in each of the last two years). Data were collected from medical records and by telephone interview. The mean attendance was 6.83 (95%CI: 6.13-7.53), frequent attendance reached 25.4% (95%CI: 21.4-29.6), and persistent frequent attenders, 1.6% (95%CI: 0.5-2.9). Frequent attendance was associated with sex, age, marital status, educational level, family structure, existence of chronic disease, use of anxiolytic and antidepressants, request for additional tests, and referrals to other specialists, proximity to the health center, and level of satisfaction with their family doctor. The low persistent frequent attenders found suggests that frequent attendance could be largely due to factors related to professional and organization. Studies are required to address the high level of consumption of psychotropic drugs, and improving professional skills in dealing with mental problems. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A analysis of differences between common types of 3D stereoscopic movie & TV technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Shuangyin

2013-06-01

Full Text Available 3D stereoscopic movie & TV technology develops rapidly.It is spreading into common people's life day by day.In this thesis,the author analyzes 3D stereoscopic movie & TV technology thoroughly.By comparing and studying the different technical solutions of the stereoscopic photography and video recording,production process and playing back,the author generalizes the characteristics of various programs and analyzes their strength and weakness.Eventually,the thesis gives the specific application of existing technical solutions and the future development.At last,it puts improvement goals of 3D stereoscopic movie & TV technology and gives large future development.

Enumerating all maximal frequent subtrees in collections of phylogenetic trees

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background A common problem in phylogenetic analysis is to identify frequent patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees. The goal is, roughly, to find a subset of the species (taxa) on which all or some significant subset of the trees agree. One popular method to do so is through maximum agreement subtrees (MASTs). MASTs are also used, among other things, as a metric for comparing phylogenetic trees, computing congruence indices and to identify horizontal gene transfer events. Results We give algorithms and experimental results for two approaches to identify common patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees, one based on agreement subtrees, called maximal agreement subtrees, the other on frequent subtrees, called maximal frequent subtrees. These approaches can return subtrees on larger sets of taxa than MASTs, and can reveal new common phylogenetic relationships not present in either MASTs or the majority rule tree (a popular consensus method). Our current implementation is available on the web at https://code.google.com/p/mfst-miner/. Conclusions Our computational results confirm that maximal agreement subtrees and all maximal frequent subtrees can reveal a more complete phylogenetic picture of the common patterns in collections of phylogenetic trees than maximum agreement subtrees; they are also often more resolved than the majority rule tree. Further, our experiments show that enumerating maximal frequent subtrees is considerably more practical than enumerating ordinary (not necessarily maximal) frequent subtrees. PMID:25061474

Consumo frequente de bebidas alcoólicas por adolescentes escolares: estudo de fatores associados Frequent consumption of alcohol by school age adolescents: study of associated factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Analy Marquardt de Matos

2010-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar fatores associados ao consumo frequente de bebidas alcoólicas por adolescentes escolares em Feira de Santana, BA. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal, com amostra aleatória, estratificada por conglomerado, totalizando 10 escolas de portes diferenciados e 776 estudantes de ambos os sexos que relataram consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, na faixa etária de 14 a 19 anos, assegurando representatividade das escolas e alunos. O instrumento auto-aplicável foi elaborado segundo a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS e questionários validados em outros estudos. A coleta garantiu procedimentos para anonimato e sigilo. Foram considerados expostos adolescentes que referiram consumo frequente (em pelo menos todo final de semana. RESULTADOS: O consumo frequente/pesado mostrou associações significantes com sexo masculino, consumo precoce, parceiro sexual pouco conhecido, problemas com substâncias psicoativas (SPAs na família, coabitação com companheiro, renda própria, tráfico de drogas, consumo com amigos, atividades na escola, motivações (ansiedade, animação/prazer; e consequências (outras SPAs, brigas, inadimplência ao trabalhoescola. CONCLUSÕES: O conhecimento dos fatores pessoais, interpessoais, familiares e ambientais associados ao consumo de bebidas alcoólicas por adolescentes devem ser considerados na implementação de programas escolares e políticas públicas de prevenção, visando comportamentos que minimizem a exposição ao risco associado.OBJECTIVES: To analyze factors associated with the frequent consumption of alcohol by school age adolescents in Feira de Santana, Bahia. METHOD: Cross sectional study with random sampling, stratified by clusters, totaling 10 schools of different sizes. Although 1,409 students were included in the sample, only 776 of both genders, aged 14 to 19 years who reported alcohol drinking were included in the analysis, providing representativeness of schools and students. Data collection tools

Stability of the frequent COPD exacerbator in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reilev, Mette; Lykkegaard, Jesper; Halling, Anders

2017-01-01

Exacerbation frequency is central in treatment strategies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients from the general population with frequent exacerbations continue to have frequent exacerbations over an extended period of time is c...... considerably over time. This could hold implications for COPD treatment and challenge assumptions made about disease progression....... is currently unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the stability of the frequent exacerbator in a population-based setting. To this end, we conducted a nationwide register-based descriptive study with a 10-year follow-up period of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with at least one...... obstructive pulmonary disease treatment guidelines and their practical application. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE: VARIATIONS IN DISEASE PROGRESSION: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who suffer from frequent exacerbations do not necessarily persist with such severity over time...

Incremental Frequent Subgraph Mining on Large Evolving Graphs

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab

2017-08-22

Frequent subgraph mining is a core graph operation used in many domains, such as graph data management and knowledge exploration, bioinformatics and security. Most existing techniques target static graphs. However, modern applications, such as social networks, utilize large evolving graphs. Mining these graphs using existing techniques is infeasible, due to the high computational cost. In this paper, we propose IncGM+, a fast incremental approach for continuous frequent subgraph mining problem on a single large evolving graph. We adapt the notion of “fringe” to the graph context, that is the set of subgraphs on the border between frequent and infrequent subgraphs. IncGM+ maintains fringe subgraphs and exploits them to prune the search space. To boost the efficiency, we propose an efficient index structure to maintain selected embeddings with minimal memory overhead. These embeddings are utilized to avoid redundant expensive subgraph isomorphism operations. Moreover, the proposed system supports batch updates. Using large real-world graphs, we experimentally verify that IncGM+ outperforms existing methods by up to three orders of magnitude, scales to much larger graphs and consumes less memory.

The influence of bread improvers and different technological parameters on bread quality

OpenAIRE

Duobienė, Lina

2015-01-01

Goal of the research: to analyse quality parameters of different types of bread, produced with or without improvers, also to evaluate intensity of microbiological spoilage of bread during storage. Results and findings: Different bread technologies have influence on bread quality parameters and in all cases bread improvers have positive influence on bread quality: „Lietuviškas ragaišis“ (Lithuanian whole wheat bread) using improvers the higher specific volume (21.27%) and porosity (9.02%...

Social environment and frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede

2005-01-01

inequalities in health or whether social factors in themselves determine the use of general practice. AIM: To examine if social factors are associated with frequent attendance in general practice after adjusting for physical and psychological health variables. DESIGN OF STUDY: Population-based cross......BACKGROUND: A lack of social support is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and a decreased effect of prevention. Frequent attenders to primary care are characterised by poorer social conditions than other patients in general practice, but we do not know whether this is due to social...... during the period November 1997-October 1998. A questionnaire about physical, psychological and social factors was sent to the patients. The associations between social factors and frequent attendance were adjusted for physical and psychological health and tendency towards somatisation. RESULTS: A total...

The practical paradox of technology: The influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Hoeven, C.L.; van Zoonen, W.; Fonner, K.L.

2016-01-01

Technological advancements in the workplace frequently have produced contradictory effects by facilitating accessibility and efficiency while increasing interruptions and unpredictability. We combine insights from organizational paradoxes and the job demands–resources model to construct a framework

Unhappiness Intensifies the Avoidance of Frequent Losses While Happiness Overcomes It.

Science.gov (United States)

Yechiam, Eldad; Telpaz, Ariel; Krupenia, Stas; Rafaeli, Anat

2016-01-01

The implication of spontaneous and induced unhappiness to people's decision style is examined. It is postulated that unhappy individuals have a greater tendency to avoid frequent losses because these can have depleting effects, and unhappy individuals are more sensitive to such effects. This is evaluated in Study 1 by using an annoying customer call manipulation to induce negative affect; and by examining the effect of this manipulation on choices in an experiential decision task (the Iowa Gambling task). In Study 2 we examined the association between self-reported (un)happiness and choices on the same decision task. In Study 1 the induction of negative affect led to avoidance of choice alternatives with frequent losses, compared to those yielding rarer but larger losses. Specifically, this pertained to the advantageous alternatives with frequent vs. non-frequent losses. In Study 2 unhappiness was similarly associated with less exposure to frequent losses; while extreme high happiness was associated with no tendency to avoid frequent losses when these were part of an advantageous alternative. The findings clarify the role of happiness in decision making processes by indicating that unhappiness induces sensitivity to the frequency rather than to the total effect of negative events.

Determinants of frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Jeanette Therming; Andersen, John Sahl; Tjønneland, Anne

2016-01-01

. below recommended level), and hormone therapy in women (1.52; 1.42-1.63) were all significant determinants of frequent attendance. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to pre-existing medical conditions, gender, socio-demographic and gender-specific factors, lifestyle (obesity, smoking, exercise and alcohol use.......57-0.69, >4 years higher education vs. no vocational training) and employment (0.61; 0.57-0.65) were inversely associated with frequent attendance. Finally, obesity (1.54; 1.14-2.08), smoking (1.21; 1.12-1.30, current vs. never), physical activity (0.84; 0.80-89), alcohol consumption (0.83; 0.78-0.87 above vs...

High quality maize centromere 10 sequence reveals evidence of frequent recombination events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Kai Wolfgruber

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The ancestral centromeres of maize contain long stretches of the tandemly arranged CentC repeat. The abundance of tandem DNA repeats and centromeric retrotransposons (CR have presented a significant challenge to completely assembling centromeres using traditional sequencing methods. Here we report a nearly complete assembly of the 1.85 Mb maize centromere 10 from inbred B73 using PacBio technology and BACs from the reference genome project. The error rates estimated from overlapping BAC sequences are 7 x 10-6 and 5 x 10-5 for mismatches and indels, respectively. The number of gaps in the region covered by the reassembly was reduced from 140 in the reference genome to three. Three expressed genes are located between 92 and 477 kb of the inferred ancestral CentC cluster, which lies within the region of highest centromeric repeat density. The improved assembly increased the count of full-length centromeric retrotransposons from 5 to 55 and revealed a 22.7 kb segmental duplication that occurred approximately 121,000 years ago. Our analysis provides evidence of frequent recombination events in the form of partial retrotransposons, deletions within retrotransposons, chimeric retrotransposons, segmental duplications including higher order CentC repeats, a deleted CentC monomer, centromere-proximal inversions, and insertion of mitochondrial sequences. Double-strand DNA break (DSB repair is the most plausible mechanism for these events and may be the major driver of centromere repeat evolution and diversity. This repair appears to be mediated by microhomology, suggesting that tandem repeats may have evolved to facilitate the repair of frequent DSBs in centromeres.

Cancer Caregiver: Perceived Benefits of Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapid, Maria I; Atherton, Pamela J; Clark, Matthew M; Kung, Simon; Sloan, Jeff A; Rummans, Teresa A

2015-11-01

The burden associated with caregiving has been well documented. Caregivers have multiple responsibilities, and technology may be accessible as a potential burden-alleviating resource. We surveyed cancer caregivers regarding current technology use and willingness to use technology for easing burden or distress. Because age has been associated with technology use, responses were compared between geriatric (≥65 years old) and nongeriatric (18-64 years old) caregivers. We had 112 respondents. Based on nonmissing responses, 66% (n=71) were women, 95% (n=106) were white, and 84% (n=91) had post-high school education. Almost all caregivers reported having Internet (105 [94%]) and e-mail (102 [91%]) access. Nongeriatric caregivers indicated more willingness to access Internet-based tools that help caregivers (54 [93%] versus 41 [76%]; p=0.04) and were more frequent users of social media (37 [64%] versus 16 [30%]; p=0.01), smartphones (33 [57%] versus 16 [30%]; p=0.01), and other mobile wireless devices (42 [72%] versus 19 [35%]; p<0.001) than geriatric caregivers. They also more frequently expected technologies to improve their own quality of life (p=0.009), increase their feelings of being effective as a caregiver (p=0.02), and save time (p=0.003). Regardless of age, a majority of caregivers (67 [62%]) endorsed the potential benefit of caregiving technologies in preventing burnout. Most caregivers have high access to and use of technology. Geriatric and nongeriatric caregivers were receptive to technology-based tools to help with their caregiving roles. Although nongeriatric caregivers expected to derive more benefit from such tools, both groups believed that caregiving technologies could reduce burden.

Test-retest of computerized health status questionnaires frequently used in the monitoring of knee osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudbergsen, Henrik; Bartels, Else M.; Krusager, Peter

2011-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To compare data based on touch screen to data based on traditional paper versions of questionnaires frequently used to examine patient reported outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on this comparison METHODS: Participa......ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To compare data based on touch screen to data based on traditional paper versions of questionnaires frequently used to examine patient reported outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on this comparison METHODS...... subgroups, completing either the paper or touch screen version first. Mean, mean differences (95% CI), median, median differences and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for all questionnaires. RESULTS: ICCs between data based on computerized and paper versions ranged from 0.86 to 0.......99. Analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between versions of the ADL Taxonomy, but not for the remaining questionnaires. Age, computer experience or education-level had no significant impact on the results. The computerized questionnaires were reported to be easier to use. CONCLUSION...

Recirculating aquaculture production systems : an overview of different components, management, economics and technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kals, J.

2004-01-01

Report of a literature study on Recirculating aquaculture production systems executed within the MRG ercirculation program. The report gives an overview of different components, management, economics and technology and is made by the Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO).

Recent findings and technological advances in phosphoproteomics for cells and tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

von Stechow, Louise; Francavilla, Chiara; Olsen, Jesper V

2015-01-01

Site-specific phosphorylation is a fast and reversible covalent post-translational modification that is tightly regulated in cells. The cellular machinery of enzymes that write, erase and read these modifications (kinases, phosphatases and phospho-binding proteins) is frequently deregulated in different diseases, including cancer. Large-scale studies of phosphoproteins - termed phosphoproteomics - strongly rely on the use of high-performance mass spectrometric instrumentation. This powerful technology has been applied to study a great number of phosphorylation-based phenotypes. Nevertheless, many technical and biological challenges have to be overcome to identify biologically relevant phosphorylation sites in cells and tissues. This review describes different technological strategies to identify and quantify phosphorylation sites with high accuracy, without significant loss of analysis speed and reproducibility in tissues and cells. Moreover, computational tools for analysis, integration and biological interpretation of phosphorylation events are discussed.

Identifying consumer preference for beef produced with different levels of growth promotant technology

Science.gov (United States)

Objectives: Objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate growth performance and carcass characteristics, and 2) determine environmental and economic impacts of cattle raised with different levels of growth promoting technology. Materials and Methods: Angus' Simmental,and crossbred steer calves (n =...

Application of Tunnel Repair Technology under the Influence of Frequent Mining%频繁采动影响下巷道修复技术的应用

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

姚绍强; 郝立东

2011-01-01

Under the influence of frequent mining, the roadway and cavern are damaged often in construction repair and use process because of the unreasonable support method and parameter selection. In recent years, the anchors, nets, spray, beam, cable, note supporting technology are promoted to repair roadway, which has opened up a new way to support and repair the roadway and cavern. Its application effectively controls the rock deformation and ensures the stability of the roadway and cavern supporting.%介绍频繁采动影响下巷道和硐室,因支护方式和参数选择不尽合理,在施工修复和使用过程中时有破坏.采用近年来推广的锚、网、喷、梁,索、注支护技术进行修复巷道,在巷道、硐室的支护与修复开辟了一条新的途径.它的推广应用,有效地控制了围岩变形,保证了巷道、硐室支护的稳定.

Conserving and Restoring Old Growth in Frequent-fire Forests: Cycles of Disruption and Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dave Egan

2007-12-01

Full Text Available I provide a synthesis of the papers in the Special Issue, The Conservation and Restoration of Old Growth in Frequent-fire Forests of the American West. These papers - the product of an Old Growth Writing Workshop, held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona on 18-19 April 2006 - represent the ideas of 25 workshop participants who argue for a new attitude toward managing old growth in the frequent-fire forests of the American West. Unlike the lush, old-growth rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, the dry, frequent-fire forests of the western United States evolved with surface fires that disturbed the system with such regularity that young trees were almost always killed. When saplings did survive, they grew beyond the harm of frequent surface fires and, ultimately, attained the characteristics that define old growth in these systems. This system worked well, producing old-growth trees in abundance, until the onset of Euro-American settlement in the mid- to late-19th century. The arrival of these settlers put in motion an interplay of unprecedented social, political, economic, and ecological forces (e.g., removal of Native Americans and their fire-based land management systems, overgrazing of the understory, aggressive logging, establishment of federal land management agencies, implementation of a federal fire suppression policy. These activities have culminated in 1 overly dense forested ecosystems that are now on the verge of collapse because of catastrophic fires (i.e., crown fire at the landscape level; the Rodeo-Chediski Fire and insect outbreaks, 2 the emergence of conservation-minded environmental legislation and policy, and 3 greater levels of interaction between citizens, federal agencies, and fire-prone landscapes. Recognizing the tenuous ecological situation of these forests, restoration ecologists, foresters, and others have developed ways to return historic ecological processes and lower tree densities to these forests

Iron Deficiency In Frequent And First Time Female Blood Donors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim of the study: This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of iron deficiency and relevant factors in frequent and first time female blood donors at Casablanca blood transfusion centre, Morocco. Methods: Between November 2005 and April 2006, twenty-one female first time and twenty-one frequent female blood ...

Exploring the Factors That Affect the Intention to Use Collaborative Technologies: The Differing Perspectives of Sequential/Global Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yong-Ming

2015-01-01

The use of collaborative technologies in learning has received considerable attention in recent years, but few studies to date have examined the factors that affect sequential and global learners' intention to use such technologies. Previous studies have shown that the learners of different learning styles have different needs for educational…

Advice and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Citizen-Science Environmental Health Assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Barzyk, Timothy M; Huang, Hongtai; Williams, Ronald; Kaufman, Amanda; Essoka, Jonathan

2018-05-11

Citizen science provides quantitative results to support environmental health assessments (EHAs), but standardized approaches do not currently exist to translate findings into actionable solutions. The emergence of low-cost portable sensor technologies and proliferation of publicly available datasets provides unparalleled access to supporting evidence; yet data collection, analysis, interpretation, visualization, and communication are subjective approaches that must be tailored to a decision-making audience capable of improving environmental health. A decade of collaborative efforts and two citizen science projects contributed to three lessons learned and a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that address the complexities of environmental health and interpersonal relations often encountered in citizen science EHAs. Each project followed a structured step-by-step process in order to compare and contrast methods and approaches. These lessons and FAQs provide advice to translate citizen science research into actionable solutions in the context of a diverse range of environmental health issues and local stakeholders.

Technology and Gender: Differences in Masculine and Feminine Views.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Cornelia; Bennett, Dorothy

1997-01-01

The feminine attitude toward technology looks through Learning Environments for Today's Classroom machinery to its social function; the masculine view focuses more on the machine. Presenting technology as an end in itself turns most young women off. Exploring whether new technology solves a social problem, rather than celebrating speed or power,…

The Impact of Frequent Shopper Programs in Grocery Retailing

OpenAIRE

David Bell; Rajiv Lal

2002-01-01

Frequent Shopper programs are becoming ubiquitous in retailing. Retailers seem unsure however about whether these programs are leading to higher loyalty, or to higher profits. In this paper we analyze data from a US supermarket chain that has used a number of frequent shopper rewards to improve sales and profitability. We find that while these programs are profitable, this is only because substantial incremental sales to casual shoppers (cherry pickers) oset subsidies to already loyal custome...

Mining top-k frequent closed itemsets in data streams using sliding window

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, Z.; Shahbaz, M.

2013-01-01

Frequent itemset mining has become a popular research area in data mining community since the last few years. T here are two main technical hitches while finding frequent itemsets. First, to provide an appropriate minimum support value to start and user need to tune this minimum support value by running the algorithm again and again. Secondly, generated frequent itemsets are mostly numerous and as a result a number of association rules generated are also very large in numbers. Applications dealing with streaming environment need to process the data received at high rate, therefore, finding frequent itemsets in data streams becomes complex. In this paper, we present an algorithm to mine top-k frequent closed itemsets using sliding window approach from streaming data. We developed a single-pass algorithm to find frequent closed itemsets of length between user's defined minimum and maximum- length. To improve the performance of algorithm and to avoid rescanning of data, we have transformed data into bitmap based tree data structure. (author)

Using Technology to Break Gender Barriers: Gender Differences in Teachers' Information and Communication Technology Use in Saudi Arabian Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Wiseman, Alexander W.; Al-bakr, Fawziah; Davidson, Petrina M.; Bruce, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

How does teachers' gender influence their information and communication technology-based instruction in Saudi Arabian government schools? Using unique data collected in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2014, the analyses presented here show that male and female teachers in intermediate school classrooms differently use information and communication…

Does the Number of Pharmacies a Patient Frequents Affect Adherence to Statins?

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, Russell; Sketris, Ingrid; Andreou, Pantalis; Holbrook, Anne; Levy, Adrian; Tamim, Hala

2017-05-06

We hypothesized that medication adherence is affected by the number of pharmacies a patient frequents. The objective was to estimate the strength of association between the number of pharmacies a patient frequents and adherence to statins. Using administrative data from the Nova Scotia Seniors' Pharmacare program, a retrospective cohort study was conducted among subjects aged 65 years and older first dispensed statin between 1998 and 2008. The Usual Provider of Care (UPC), was defined as the number of dispensation days from the most frequented pharmacy divided by the total number of dispensation days. Estimated adherence of over 80% of the Medication Possession Ratio was defined as adherent. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. The cohort of 25,641 subjects was 59% female with a mean age of 74 years. During follow-up, subjects filled prescriptions in a median of 2 (mean = 2; standard deviation = 0.88) pharmacies and visited pharmacies a median of 28 (mean = 30) times. During that time, 61% of patients used one pharmacy exclusively. Among subjects using 1 pharmacy, 59% were adherent while 58% using more than one pharmacy were adherent. However, upon adjustment for differences in distributions of age, sex, and other confounders, subjects who used more than one pharmacy had 10% decreased odds of statin adherence (odds ratio: 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.96). These results were robust in sensitivity analyses. Among seniors newly starting statin therapy, using a single community pharmacy was modestly associated with adherence.

Adolescent and parent use of new technologies for health communication: a study in an urban latino community.

Science.gov (United States)

Smaldone, Arlene; Stockwell, Melissa S; Osborne, Jennel C; Cortes, Yamnia; Bekele, ElShadey; Green, Nancy S

2015-02-20

Mobile communication technologies provide novel opportunities to support clinic-based health initiatives. Adoption of technologies for daily use and for health communication can differ between communities, depending upon demographic and cultural characteristics. A survey was administered in adolescent primary care and subspecialty clinics to assess parent-adolescent preferences in use of mobile technologies and social media to support provider-patient communication in an urban Latino community. Of 130 respondents (65 parent-adolescent pairs), approximately half frequently sent and received text messages but lacked agreement regarding the other's text messaging use. In contrast, adolescents only rarely used email compared to parents (15.4% versus 37.5%, P=0.006). Of social media, Facebook™/MySpace™ was most frequently used by parents and youth (60% and 55.4%, P=0.59); however, most lacked interest in using social media for health communication. Parents reported more interest than adolescents in receiving email (73.4% versus 35.9%, PInstant Messaging or Facebook™/MySpace™ (aOR 4.6, 95%CI 1.4-14.7) were more likely to be interested in using social media for health communication. These findings underscore the importance of targeted assessment for planning the utilization of communication technologies and social media in clinical care or research for underserved youth. Significance for public healthCommunication technologies provide novel opportunities to support clinic-based health initiatives for underserved youth. However, adoption of technologies among communities may differ depending upon demographic and cultural characteristics. We surveyed a sample of urban Latino parents and youth regarding their current use of mobile and social media technologies and preferences for use of these technologies for health communication. This is the first study to compare the perspective of underserved parents and their youth regarding use of a wide variety of mobile and

Elementary School Teachers' Use of Technology during Mathematics Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Polly, Drew

2014-01-01

Various educational technologies have been advanced as potential vehicles to transform teaching and learning. Still, research studies have documented that primary school teachers struggle to integrate technology in meaningful ways. This article presents the findings of a year-long study in which the author frequently observed three primary school…

The Use of Behavior Change Techniques and Theory in Technologies for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment in Adults: A Comprehensive Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Sandra J; Sheats, Jylana L; King, Abby C

2016-01-01

This review examined the use of health behavior change techniques and theory in technology-enabled interventions targeting risk factors and indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment. Articles targeting physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation and management of hypertension, lipids and blood glucose were sourced from PubMed (November 2010-2015) and coded for use of 1) technology, 2) health behavior change techniques (using the CALO-RE taxonomy), and 3) health behavior theories. Of the 984 articles reviewed, 304 were relevant (240=intervention, 64=review). Twenty-two different technologies were used (M=1.45, SD=+/-0.719). The most frequently used behavior change techniques were self-monitoring and feedback on performance (M=5.4, SD=+/-2.9). Half (52%) of the intervention studies named a theory/model - most frequently Social Cognitive Theory, the Trans-theoretical Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action. To optimize technology-enabled interventions targeting CVD risk factors, integrated behavior change theories that incorporate a variety of evidence-based health behavior change techniques are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emissions from international shipping. Pt. 2: Impact of future technologies - scenarios for the years 2020 and 2050

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eyring, V.; Lauer, A.; Lemper, B.

2004-01-01

We use the today's fleet-average emission factors of the most important ship exhausts to calculate emission scenarios for the future. To develop plausible future scenarios we first discuss upcoming regulations and compliance with future regulations through technological improvements. We present geographically resolved emission inventory forecast scenarios for the years 2020 and 2050. The scenarios are based on some very strict assumptions of future ship traffic demand and technological improvements. The future ship traffic demand scenario is mainly determined by the economic growth and the growth in world seaborne trade and distinguishes between different ship types. The annual growth rates of sea trade volumes and expected vessel traffic density is assumed to be smaller for today's most frequently sailed routes (in particular east-west-trades) than for those that are currently less frequently sailed (in particular south-north-trades). This leads to an adjustment of the number of ships sailing the different shipping routes in 2020 and even stronger in 2050. For the future technology scenarios we assume a diesel-only fleet in 2020 resulting in an estimated fuel consumption of 422 million metric tons (Mt) and 1226 Tg CO 2 emissions. For 2050 one scenario for fuel consumption assumes that 25% of the fuel consumed by a diesel-only fleet can be saved by using future alternative propulsion plants, resulting in a fuel consumption of 422 Mt and 1339 Tg CO 2 emissions in 2050. The other scenario is a business-as-usual scenario for a diesel-only fleet even in 2050 and gives an estimate of 646 Mt and 1783 Tg CO 2 emissions in 2050. Dependent on how rapid technology improvements for diesel engines are introduced we present four different technology scenarios. (orig.)

Bridging Differences -- how Social Relationships and Racial Diversity Matter in a Girls' Technology Program

Science.gov (United States)

Kekelis, Linda S.; Ancheta, Rebecca Wepsic; Heber, Etta; Countryman, Jeri

In this article, we explore an understudied dimension of girls' single-sex education - how social relationships and racial diversity impact the educational environment for girls, and how teachers may best address these concerns. Findings are presented from a 3-year qualitative study of girls' experiences in a single-sex technology program. Girls valued the all-girls aspect of the programs, and friendships formed the foundation of their social experiences. Girls' friendship groups influenced their experiences and eventually their success in the after school technology programs. When friendship groups were observed to be racially homogeneous, they created challenges for including and supporting a racially diverse student membership. Our responses to the challenges that cultural differences and tensions present are outlined, along with recommendations for helping girls bridge these differences.

GRAMI: Frequent subgraph and pattern mining in a single large graph

KAUST Repository

Elseidy, M.; Abdelhamid, Ehab; Skiadopoulos, S.; Kalnis, Panos

2014-01-01

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs; it is defined as finding all subgraphs that appear frequently in a database according to a given frequency threshold. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs

Absence of frequent herpesvirus transmission in a nonhuman primate predator-prey system in the wild.

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, Sripriya; Couacy-Hymann, Emmanuel; Metzger, Sonja; Nowak, Kathrin; De Nys, Helene; Boesch, Christophe; Wittig, Roman; Jarvis, Michael A; Leendertz, Fabian H; Ehlers, Bernhard

2013-10-01

Emergence of viruses into the human population by transmission from nonhuman primates (NHPs) represents a serious potential threat to human health that is primarily associated with the increased bushmeat trade. Transmission of RNA viruses across primate species appears to be relatively frequent. In contrast, DNA viruses appear to be largely host specific, suggesting low transmission potential. Herein, we use a primate predator-prey system to study the risk of herpesvirus transmission between different primate species in the wild. The system was comprised of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and their primary (western red colobus, Piliocolobus badius badius) and secondary (black-and-white colobus, Colobus polykomos) prey monkey species. NHP species were frequently observed to be coinfected with multiple beta- and gammaherpesviruses (including new cytomegalo- and rhadinoviruses). However, despite frequent exposure of chimpanzees to blood, organs, and bones of their herpesvirus-infected monkey prey, there was no evidence for cross-species herpesvirus transmission. These findings suggest that interspecies transmission of NHP beta- and gammaherpesviruses is, at most, a rare event in the wild.

Frequent callers to crisis helplines: who are they and why do they call?

Science.gov (United States)

Spittal, Matthew J; Fedyszyn, Izabela; Middleton, Aves; Bassilios, Bridget; Gunn, Jane; Woodward, Alan; Pirkis, Jane

2015-01-01

Frequent callers present a challenge for crisis helplines, which strive to achieve optimal outcomes for all callers within finite resources. This study aimed to describe frequent callers to Lifeline (the largest crisis helpline in Australia) and compare them with non-frequent callers, with a view to furthering knowledge about models of service delivery that might meet the needs of frequent callers. Lifeline provided an anonymous dataset on calls made between December 2011 and May 2013. We assumed calls from the same (encrypted) phone number were made by the same person, and aggregated call level data up to the person level. Individuals who made 0.667 calls per day in any period from 1 week to the full 549 days for which we had data (i.e. 4.7 calls in 7 days, 20 calls in 30 days, 40 calls in 60 days, etc.) were regarded as frequent callers. Our analysis dataset included 411,725 calls made by 98,174 individuals, 2594 (2.6%) of whom met our definition of frequent callers. We identified a number of predictors of being a frequent caller, including being male or transgender, and never having been married. The odds increased with age until 55-64 years, and then declined. Suicidality, self-harm, mental health issues, crime, child protection and domestic violence issues all predicted being a frequent caller. Collectively, frequent callers have a significant impact on crisis lines, and solutions need to be found for responding to them that are in everybody's best interests (i.e. the frequent callers themselves, other callers, telephone crisis supporters who staff crisis lines, and those who manage crisis lines). In striking this balance, the complex and multiple needs of frequent callers must be taken into account. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

University students’ self-regulated learning using digital technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Yot-Domínguez

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Analysing the process by which students—whether at university or not—manage and facilitate their own learning has been a recurrent educational research problem. Recently, the question arises about how the development of strategies taking place during the aforementioned process could be made easier by using technologies. In an effort to know whether university students really use digital technologies to plan, organize and facilitate their own learning, we have proposed three research questions. Which technologies do university students use to self-regulate their learning? What self-regulated learning strategies do they develop using technologies? What profiles could be identified among students based on their use of self-regulation strategies with technology? To answer these questions, the “Survey of Self-regulated Learning with Technology at the University” was designed. Information from a sample group with 711 students from various universities located in the region of Andalusia (Spain was collected with this survey. The results indicate that university students, even when they are frequent users of digital technology, they tend not to use these technologies to regulate their own learning process. Of all technologies analysed, Internet information search and instant communication tools are used continually. In turn, the most generalised self-regulation learning strategies are those relative to social support. Nevertheless, students differ from each other regarding their use and frequency. There are groups of students who make use of self-regulation strategies when learning with technologies. In this regard, two distinctive groups of students have been identified, who show differentiated self-regulated levels.

The Role of Old-growth Forests in Frequent-fire Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Binkley

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Classic ecological concepts and forestry language regarding old growth are not well suited to frequent-fire landscapes. In frequent-fire, old-growth landscapes, there is a symbiotic relationship between the trees, the understory graminoids, and fire that results in a healthy ecosystem. Patches of old growth interspersed with younger growth and open, grassy areas provide a wide variety of habitats for animals, and have a higher level of biodiversity. Fire suppression is detrimental to these forests, and eventually destroys all old growth. The reintroduction of fire into degraded frequent-fire, old-growth forests, accompanied by appropriate thinning, can restore a balance to these ecosystems. Several areas require further research and study: 1 the ability of the understory to respond to restoration treatments, 2 the rate of ecosystem recovery following wildfires whose level of severity is beyond the historic or natural range of variation, 3 the effects of climate change, and 4 the role of the microbial community. In addition, it is important to recognize that much of our knowledge about these old-growth systems comes from a few frequent-fire forest types.

Frequent Shifts in Aspergillus flavus Populations Associated with Maize Production in Sonora, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Beltran, A; Cotty, P J

2018-03-01

Aspergillus flavus frequently contaminates maize, a critical staple for billions of people, with aflatoxins. Diversity among A. flavus L morphotype populations associated with maize in Sonora, Mexico was assessed and, in total, 869 isolates from 83 fields were placed into 136 vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) using nitrate-nonutilizing mutants. VCG diversity indices did not differ in four agroecosystems (AES) but diversity significantly differed among years. Frequencies of certain VCGs changed manyfold over single years in both multiple fields and multiple AES. Certain VCGs were highly frequent (>1%) in 2006 but frequencies declined repeatedly in each of the two subsequent years. Other VCGs that had low frequencies in 2006 increased in 2007 and subsequently declined. None of the VCGs were consistently associated with any AES. Fourteen VCGs were considered dominant in at least a single year. However, frequencies often varied significantly among years. Only 9% of VCGs were detected all 3 years whereas 66% were detected in only 1 year. Results suggest that the most realistic measurements of both genetic diversity and the frequency of A. flavus VCGs are obtained by sampling multiple locations in multiple years. Single-season sampling in many locations should not be substituted for sampling over multiple years.

Robotic technologies in surgical oncology training and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Orvieto, Marcelo A; Marchetti, Pablo; Castillo, Octavio A; Coelho, Rafael F; Chauhan, Sanket; Rocco, Bernardo; Ardila, Bobby; Mathe, Mary; Patel, Vipul R

2011-09-01

The modern-day surgeon is frequently exposed to new technologies and instrumentation. Robotic surgery (RS) has evolved as a minimally invasive technique aimed to improve clinical outcomes. RS has the potential to alleviate the inherent limitations of laparoscopic surgery such as two dimensional imaging, limited instrument movement and intrinsic human tremor. Since the first reported robot-assisted surgical procedure performed in 1985, the technology has dramatically evolved and currently multiple surgical specialties have incorporated RS into their daily clinical armamentarium. With this exponential growth, it should not come as a surprise the ever growing requirement for surgeons trained in RS as well as the interest from residents to receive robotic exposure during their training. For this reason, the establishment of set criteria for adequate and standardized training and credentialing of surgical residents, fellows and those trained surgeons wishing to perform RS has become a priority. In this rapidly evolving field, we herein review the past, present and future of robotic technologies and its penetration into different surgical specialties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology in the United Kingdom’s Higher Education Context

OpenAIRE

Price, Linda; Kirkwood, Adrian

2008-01-01

Frequently, university-wide strategic decisions about technology are made without fully understanding the implications for resources, administration, teaching programmes, teaching practices and learning approaches, often resulting in technology-led course designs. Yet evidence shows that it is not the technology per se that changes learning and teaching but the pedagogical advantage we make of its use. In parallel, professional development programmes have largely focused on how to use the tec...

Effects of frequent hemodialysis on perceived caregiver burden in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Suri, Rita S; Larive, Brett; Hall, Yoshio; Kimmel, Paul L; Kliger, Alan S; Levin, Nathan; Tamura, Manjula Kurella; Chertow, Glenn M

2014-05-01

Patients receiving hemodialysis often perceive their caregivers are overburdened. We hypothesize that increasing hemodialysis frequency would result in higher patient perceptions of burden on their unpaid caregivers. In two separate trials, 245 patients were randomized to receive in-center daily hemodialysis (6 days/week) or conventional hemodialysis (3 days/week) while 87 patients were randomized to receive home nocturnal hemodialysis (6 nights/week) or home conventional hemodialysis for 12 months. Changes in overall mean scores over time in the 10-question Cousineau perceived burden scale were compared. In total, 173 of 245 (70%) and 80 of 87 (92%) randomized patients in the Daily and Nocturnal Trials, respectively, reported having an unpaid caregiver at baseline or during follow-up. Relative to in-center conventional dialysis, the 12-month change in mean perceived burden score with in-center daily hemodialysis was -2.1 (95% confidence interval, -9.4 to +5.3; P=0.58). Relative to home conventional dialysis, the 12-month change in mean perceived burden score with home nocturnal dialysis was +6.1 (95% confidence interval, -0.8 to +13.1; P=0.08). After multiple imputation for missing data in the Nocturnal Trial, the relative difference between home nocturnal and home conventional hemodialysis was +9.4 (95% confidence interval, +0.55 to +18.3; P=0.04). In the Nocturnal Trial, changes in perceived burden were inversely correlated with adherence to dialysis treatments (Pearson r=-0.35; P=0.02). Relative to conventional hemodialysis, in-center daily hemodialysis did not result in higher perceptions of caregiver burden. There was a trend to higher perceived caregiver burden among patients randomized to home nocturnal hemodialysis. These findings may have implications for the adoption of and adherence to frequent nocturnal hemodialysis.

A frequent flyer program for nuclear mythology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, J.A.L.

1997-01-01

The anti-nuclear literature contains many erroneous and misleading allegations, collectively constituting a mythology. These are repeated endlessly, however often they are refuted, and are quoted uncritically by the media. Many are collected here, together with my rebuttals. For an explanation of the use here of the term 'frequent flyers', read on... (author)

Botulism: A Frequently Forgotten Old Malady

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teguh Thajeb

2007-09-01

Full Text Available A frequently forgotten old malady called botulism has been recognized for more than a century. This ailment occurs worldwide, afflicts human of all age groups from infants to elderly and affects Oriental people more often in several regions of China. Occurrence in Taiwan is uncommon, and therefore, it is often overlooked. The outbreaks of human botulism in various regions of the world, the clinical types, the molecular mechanisms, and the electrophysiologic findings will be highlighted.

Integrating different tracking systems in football: multiple camera semi-automatic system, local position measurement and GPS technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchheit, Martin; Allen, Adam; Poon, Tsz Kit; Modonutti, Mattia; Gregson, Warren; Di Salvo, Valter

2014-12-01

Abstract During the past decade substantial development of computer-aided tracking technology has occurred. Therefore, we aimed to provide calibration equations to allow the interchangeability of different tracking technologies used in soccer. Eighty-two highly trained soccer players (U14-U17) were monitored during training and one match. Player activity was collected simultaneously with a semi-automatic multiple-camera (Prozone), local position measurement (LPM) technology (Inmotio) and two global positioning systems (GPSports and VX). Data were analysed with respect to three different field dimensions (small, systems were compared, and calibration equations (linear regression models) between each system were calculated for each field dimension. Most metrics differed between the 4 systems with the magnitude of the differences dependant on both pitch size and the variable of interest. Trivial-to-small between-system differences in total distance were noted. However, high-intensity running distance (>14.4 km · h -1 ) was slightly-to-moderately greater when tracked with Prozone, and accelerations, small-to-very largely greater with LPM. For most of the equations, the typical error of the estimate was of a moderate magnitude. Interchangeability of the different tracking systems is possible with the provided equations, but care is required given their moderate typical error of the estimate.

Technical Training Seminar: Laser Trackers: the Local Positioning Technology (LPT)

CERN Document Server

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

Friday 20 May from 10:00 to 16:00, Training Centre (bldg. 593) Laser Trackers: the Local Positioning Technology (LPT) Simon Moser, Michael Lettau, Achim Lupus, Niklaus Suter, Leica GEOSYSTEMS AG, Switzerland Laser trackers are used at CERN for different applications within the LHC Project. Leica Geosystems AG have been developing during the last four years the revolutionary Local Positioning Technology (LPT). Laser trackers are increasingly used to ensure accuracy of large fabrications, and alignment in the final assembly process. Competing portable Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) with articulated arms require a frequent repositioning, known to lead to a loss of accuracy and efficiency. Leica Geosystems developed armless solutions, the T-Probe and T-Scan, for use with its laser trackers. The combination of the tracker technology with photogrammetry is the base of LPT, enabling real time measurements with free hand-held devices, such as the T-Probe and T-Scan. T-Probe and T-Scan overcome the proble...

Women in Technology: College Experiences That Are Correlated with Long-Term Career Success

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Melissa Gearhart

2017-01-01

Women are underrepresented in technology careers because they pursue technology degrees less frequently and leave technology careers at greater numbers than do men. By analyzing a representative dataset of college graduates with degrees in computer science, computer engineering, and management information systems, this study identified…

Cool, callous and in control: superior inhibitory control in frequent players of video games with violent content

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Robert G; Palumbo, Robert; Garbarino, James; Silton, Rebecca L

2017-01-01

Abstract Research on the effects of media violence exposure has shown robust associations among violent media exposure, increased aggressive behavior, and decreased empathy. Preliminary research indicates that frequent players of violent video games may have differences in emotional and cognitive processes compared to infrequent or nonplayers, yet research examining the amount and content of game play and the relation of these factors with affective and cognitive outcomes is limited. The present study measured neural correlates of response inhibition in the context of implicit attention to emotion, and how these factors are related to empathic responding in frequent and infrequent players of video games with graphically violent content. Participants completed a self-report measure of empathy as well as an affective stop-signal task that measured implicit attention to emotion and response inhibition during electroencephalography. Frequent players had lower levels of empathy as well as a reduction in brain activity as indicated by P100 and N200/P300 event related potentials. Reduced P100 amplitude evoked by happy facial expressions was observed in frequent players compared to infrequent players, and this effect was moderated by empathy, such that low levels of empathy further reduced P100 amplitudes for happy facial expressions for frequent players compared to infrequent players. Compared to infrequent players, frequent players had reduced N200/P300 amplitude during response inhibition, indicating less neural resources were recruited to inhibit behavior. Results from the present study illustrate that chronic exposure to violent video games modulates empathy and related neural correlates associated with affect and cognition. PMID:29040750

Clinical characteristics of persistent frequent attenders in primary care: case–control study

OpenAIRE

Patel, Shireen; Kai, Joe; Atha, Christopher; Avery, Anthony; Guo, Boliang; James, Marilyn; Malins, Samuel; Sampson, Christopher James; Stubley, Michelle; Morriss, Richard K.

2015-01-01

Background. Most frequent attendance in primary care is temporary, but persistent frequent attendance is expensive and may be suitable for psychological intervention. To plan appropriate intervention and service delivery, there is a need for research involving standardized psychiatric interviews with assessment of physical health and health status.\\ud \\ud Objective. To compare the mental and physical health characteristics and health status of persistent frequent attenders (FAs) in primary ca...

Governance Mechanisms in Information Technology Outsourcing

Science.gov (United States)

Ravindran, Kiron

2010-01-01

While the dominance of Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) as a sourcing strategy would seem to indicate successful and well-informed practice, frequent examples of unraveled engagements highlight the associated risks. Successful instances of outsourcing suggest that governance mechanisms effectively manage the related risks. This…

International comparison of the definition and the practical application of health technology assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Draborg, Eva; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte; Poulsen, Peter Bo; Horder, Mogens

2005-01-01

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is defined as a policy research approach that examines the short- and long-term social consequences of the application or use of technology. Internationally different institutions have translated this definition to local contexts. In Denmark, HTA is comprehensive with focus on four aspects of the problem in question (technology [clinical evidence], economy, patient, and organization). The objective of this study is to study how the application of HTA differs across leading countries and to study the extent to which Danish HTA reports differ from foreign HTAs. A sample of 433 HTA reports published in the period 1989--2002 by eleven leading institutions or agencies in Denmark and eight other countries were reviewed. We looked at the characteristics of the HTA with respect to focus on the four main aspects and the manner in which each aspect has been approached. The study shows health technology procedures to be the most common type of health technology assessed in HTAs and literature review to be the most often used method of analysis. Policy recommendations are only present in approximately half of the HTA reports. In the HTAs one generally sees a great focus on the clinical aspect of health technologies, leaving the economic, the patient-related, and the organizational aspect much more unanalyzed. The Danish HTAs generally have a wider scope than HTAs produced in other countries and tend to focus more frequently on patient-related and organizational dimensions.

Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room - A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Manuela

2018-03-01

Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room (PER) constitute a small subgroup of patients, yet they are responsible for a disproportionate number of visits and thus claim considerable resources. Their needs are often left unmet and their repetitive visits reflect their dissatisfaction as well as that of PERs' staff. Motivated by these dilemmas, this study systematically reviews the literature about frequent visitors at PER and seeks to answer two questions: What characterizes frequent visitors at PER in the literature? and What characterizes PER in the literature? Based on 29 studies, this paper offers answers to the two questions based on a strength weakness opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. The results of the review and subsequent analysis of the literature revealed the multiplicity and complexity of frequent visitors' characteristics and how they appear to converge. Commonalities were more difficult to identify in PER characteristics. In some cases, this happened because the characteristics were poorly described or were context specific. As a result, it was not easy to compare the studies on PER. Based on SWOT and the findings of the analysis, the paper proposes new venues of research and suggests how the field of mental health might develop by taking into account its opportunities and threats.

Storing energy for cooling demand management in tropical climates: A techno-economic comparison between different energy storage technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comodi, Gabriele; Carducci, Francesco; Sze, Jia Yin; Balamurugan, Nagarajan; Romagnoli, Alessandro

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the role of energy storage in cooling applications. Cold energy storage technologies addressed are: Li-Ion batteries (Li-Ion EES), sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES); phase change material (PCM TES), compressed air energy storage (CAES) and liquid air energy storage (LAES). Batteries and CAES are electrical storage systems which run the cooling systems; SHTES and PCM TES are thermal storage systems which directly store cold energy; LAES is assessed as a hybrid storage system which provides both electricity (for cooling) and cold energy. A hybrid quantitative-qualitative comparison is presented. Quantitative comparison was investigated for different sizes of daily cooling energy demand and three different tariff scenarios. A techno-economic analysis was performed to show the suitability of the different storage systems at different scales. Three parameters were used (Pay-back period, Savings-per-energy-unit and levelized-cost-of-energy) to analyze and compare the different scenarios. The qualitative analysis was based on five comparison criteria (Complexity, Technology Readiness Level, Sustainability, Flexibility and Safety). Results showed the importance of weighing the pros and cons of each technology to select a suitable cold energy storage system. Techno-economic analysis highlighted the fundamental role of tariff scenario: a greater difference between peak and off-peak electricity tariff leads to a shorter payback period of each technology. - Highlights: • Techno-economic evaluation of energy storage solutions for cooling applications. • Comparison between five energy storage (EES, SHTES, PCM, CAES, LAES) is performed. • Qualitative and quantitative performance parameters were used for the analysis. • LAES/PCM can be valid alternatives to more established technologies EES, SHTES, CAES. • Tariffs, price arbitrage and investment cost play a key role in energy storage spread.

Moderators of the relationship between frequent family demands and inflammation among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Cynthia S; Hoffer, Lauren C; Chen, Edith

2017-05-01

Frequent demands from others in relationships are associated with worse physiological and health outcomes. The present research investigated 2 potential moderators of the relationship between frequency of demands from one's family and inflammatory profiles among adolescents: (a) closeness of adolescents' relationships with their families, and (b) the frequency with which adolescents provided help to their families. Two hundred thirty-four adolescents, ages 13-16 (Mage = 14.53; 47.83% male), completed a daily dairy in which they reported on the frequency of demands made by family members. They were also interviewed about the closeness of their family relationships and reported in the daily diary on how frequently they provided help to their families. Adolescents also underwent a blood draw to assess low-grade inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation. More frequent demands from family predicted higher levels of low-grade inflammation and cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation in adolescents. Family closeness moderated the relationship between frequent demands and stimulated cytokine production such that more frequent demands predicted higher cytokine production among adolescents who were closer to their families. Furthermore, frequency of providing help moderated the relationship between frequent demands and both low-grade inflammation and stimulated cytokine production, such that more frequent demands predicted worse inflammatory profiles among adolescents who provided more help to their families. These findings build on previous work on family demands and health to show under what circumstances family demands might have a physiological cost. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Characterizing the vulnerability of frequent emergency department users by applying a conceptual framework: a controlled, cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodenmann, Patrick; Baggio, Stéphanie; Iglesias, Katia; Althaus, Fabrice; Velonaki, Venetia-Sofia; Stucki, Stephanie; Ansermet, Corine; Paroz, Sophie; Trueb, Lionel; Hugli, Olivier; Griffin, Judith L; Daeppen, Jean-Bernard

2015-12-09

Frequent emergency department (ED) users meet several of the criteria of vulnerability, but this needs to be further examined taking into consideration all vulnerability's different dimensions. This study aimed to characterize frequent ED users and to define risk factors of frequent ED use within a universal health care coverage system, applying a conceptual framework of vulnerability. A controlled, cross-sectional study comparing frequent ED users to a control group of non-frequent users was conducted at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland. Frequent users were defined as patients with five or more visits to the ED in the previous 12 months. The two groups were compared using validated scales for each one of the five dimensions of an innovative conceptual framework: socio-demographic characteristics; somatic, mental, and risk-behavior indicators; and use of health care services. Independent t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Pearson's Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used for the comparison. To examine the -related to vulnerability- risk factors for being a frequent ED user, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. We compared 226 frequent users and 173 controls. Frequent users had more vulnerabilities in all five dimensions of the conceptual framework. They were younger, and more often immigrants from low/middle-income countries or unemployed, had more somatic and psychiatric comorbidities, were more often tobacco users, and had more primary care physician (PCP) visits. The most significant frequent ED use risk factors were a history of more than three hospital admissions in the previous 12 months (adj OR:23.2, 95%CI = 9.1-59.2), the absence of a PCP (adj OR:8.4, 95%CI = 2.1-32.7), living less than 5 km from an ED (adj OR:4.4, 95%CI = 2.1-9.0), and household income lower than USD 2,800/month (adj OR:4.3, 95%CI = 2.0-9.2). Frequent ED users within a universal health coverage system form a highly

Reference values of thirty-one frequently used laboratory markers for 75-year-old males and females

Science.gov (United States)

Ryden, Ingvar; Lind, Lars

2012-01-01

Background We have previously reported reference values for common clinical chemistry tests in healthy 70-year-old males and females. We have now repeated this study 5 years later to establish reference values also at the age of 75. It is important to have adequate reference values for elderly patients as biological markers may change over time, and adequate reference values are essential for correct clinical decisions. Methods We have investigated 31 frequently used laboratory markers in 75-year-old males (n = 354) and females (n = 373) without diabetes. The 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles for these markers were calculated according to the recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. Results Reference values are reported for 75-year-old males and females for 31 frequently used laboratory markers. Conclusion There were minor differences between reference intervals calculated with and without individuals with cardiovascular diseases. Several of the reference intervals differed from Scandinavian reference intervals based on younger individuals (Nordic Reference Interval Project). PMID:22300333

Impacts of Frequent Burning on Live Tree Carbon Biomass and Demography in Post-Harvest Regrowth Forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luke Collins

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The management of forest ecosystems to increase carbon storage is a global concern. Fire frequency has the potential to shift considerably in the future. These shifts may alter demographic processes and growth of tree species, and consequently carbon storage in forests. Examination of the sensitivity of forest carbon to the potential upper and lower extremes of fire frequency will provide crucial insight into the magnitude of possible change in carbon stocks associated with shifts in fire frequency. This study examines how tree biomass and demography of a eucalypt forest regenerating after harvest is affected by two experimentally manipulated extremes in fire frequency (i.e., ~3 year fire intervals vs. unburnt sustained over a 23 year period. The rate of post-harvest biomass recovery of overstorey tree species, which constituted ~90% of total living tree biomass, was lower within frequently burnt plots than unburnt plots, resulting in approximately 20% lower biomass in frequently burnt plots by the end of the study. Significant differences in carbon biomass between the two extremes in frequency were only evident after >15–20 years of sustained treatment. Reduced growth rates and survivorship of smaller trees on the frequently burnt plots compared to unburnt plots appeared to be driving these patterns. The biomass of understorey trees, which constituted ~10% of total living tree biomass, was not affected by frequent burning. These findings suggest that future shifts toward more frequent fire will potentially result in considerable reductions in carbon sequestration across temperate forest ecosystems in Australia.

Continuous Partial Attention as a Problematic Technology Use: A Case Of Educators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Mehmet Firat

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Continuous Partial Attention is a current concept open to research which, besides multitasking, intensely occupies the agenda of education, communication and cognitive psychology. The purpose of the present study was to determine educators’ continuous partial attention. In line with this purpose, the research data were collected from 109 educators in higher education from different age groups and from four different countries with the use of a questionnaire made up of two sections and seven questions. The findings obtained in the study revealed that the educators’ Continuous Partial Attention did not significantly differ with respect to their technology use efficacies, their ages or their countries. In addition, it was found out that the educators’ Continuous Partial Attention differed statistically significantly depending on the fields they worked in. Based on this, it could be stated that educators working in the field of educational technologies encounter with Continuous Partial Attention more frequently than educators working in other fields. At the end of the study, several suggestions were put forward.

Different body doses under frequently taken biomedical radiography of equal indication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kossel, F.

1981-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)/ICR26 77/ has re-emphasized the importance of optimizing the radiation exposure in diagnostic X-ray procedures. Techniques and equipment should allow the reduction of doses received by the tissues in the examined body region to a minimum value compatible with obtaining the necessary information in each individual patient. While the dose received by the examined region of the body can be assessed, a quantification of the extent of information required is essentially more difficult. A possibility to achieve this end lies in the application of comparable parameters described in recognized textbooks. The results indicate that on one hand the projections of details in the examined body region, which are of diagnostic importance for the medical evaluation, are in good agreement and also the mean density of the X-ray film. The recommended exposure data, on the other hand, may lead to differences in organ doses that are factors apart. (orig.) [de

Physical Activity in an Underserved Population: Identifying Technology Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Medairos, Robert; Kang, Vicky; Aboubakare, Carissa; Kramer, Matthew; Dugan, Sheila Ann

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify patterns of use and preferences related to technology platforms that could support physical activity (PA) programs in an underserved population. A 29-item questionnaire was administered at 5 health and wellness sites targeting low income communities in Chicago. Frequency tables were generated for Internet, cell phone, and social media use and preferences. Chi-squared analysis was used to evaluate differences across age and income groups. A total of 291 individuals participated and were predominantly female (69.0%). Majority reported incomes less than $30,000 (72.9%) and identified as African American/Black/Caribbean (49.3%) or Mexican/Mexican American (34.3%). Most participants regularly used smartphones (63.2%) and the Internet (75.9%). Respondents frequently used Facebook (84.8%), and less commonly used Instagram (43.6%), and Twitter (20.0%). Free Internet-based exercise programs were the most preferred method to increase PA levels (31.6%), while some respondents (21.0%) thought none of the surveyed technology applications would help. Cell phone, Internet, and social media use is common among the surveyed underserved population. Technology preferences to increase PA levels varied, with a considerable number of respondents not preferring the surveyed technology platforms. Creating educational opportunities to increase awareness may maximize the effectiveness of technology-based PA interventions.

Valuing real options: frequently made errors

OpenAIRE

Fernández, Pablo

2002-01-01

In this paper we analyze frequently made errors when valuing real options. The best way of doing it is through examples. We start by analyzing Damodaran's proposal to value the option to expand the business of Home Depot. Some of the errors and problems of this and other approaches are: - Assuming that the option is replicable and using Black and Scholes' formula. - The estimation of the option's volatility is arbitrary and has a decisive effect on the option's value. - As there is no riskles...

Mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis frequently remains unrecorded in subjects with craniofacial fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Puljula, Jussi; Cygnel, Hanna; Mäkinen, Elina; Tuomivaara, Veli; Karttunen, Vesa; Karttunen, Ari; Hillbom, Matti

2012-12-01

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in subjects with craniofacial fractures are usually diagnosed by emergency room physicians. We investigated how often TBI remains unrecorded in these subjects, and whether diagnostic accuracy has improved after the implementation of new TBI guidelines. All subjects with craniofacial fractures admitted to Oulu University Hospital in 1999 and in 2007 were retrospectively identified. New guidelines for improving the diagnostic accuracy of TBI were implemented between 2000 and 2006. Clinical symptoms of TBI were gathered from notes on hospital charts and compared to the recorded diagnoses at discharge. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors for TBI to remain unrecorded. Of 194 subjects with craniofacial fracture, 111(57%) had TBI, 40 in 1999 and 71 in 2007. Fifty-one TBIs (46%) remained unrecorded at discharge, 48 being mild and 3 moderate-to-severe. Subjects with unrecorded TBI were significantly less frequently referred to follow-up visits. Failures to record the TBI diagnosis were less frequent (29/71, 41%) in 2007 than in 1999 (22/40, 55%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The most significant independent predictor for this failure was the clinical specialty (other than neurology/neurosurgery) of the examining physician (palcohol intoxication did not hamper the diagnosis of TBI. TBIs remain frequently unrecorded in subjects with craniofacial fractures. Recording of mild TBI slightly but insignificantly improved after the implementation of new guidelines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incremental Frequent Subgraph Mining on Large Evolving Graphs

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab; Canim, Mustafa; Sadoghi, Mohammad; Bhatta, Bishwaranjan; Chang, Yuan-Chi; Kalnis, Panos

2017-01-01

, such as social networks, utilize large evolving graphs. Mining these graphs using existing techniques is infeasible, due to the high computational cost. In this paper, we propose IncGM+, a fast incremental approach for continuous frequent subgraph mining problem

Psychiatric status, somatisation, and health care utilization of frequent attenders at the emergency department: a comparison with routine attenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, E R; Guthrie, E; Mackway-Jones, K; James, M; Tomenson, B; Eastham, J; McNally, D

2001-03-01

Seventy-seven frequent attenders at an emergency department (ED) in an inner-city hospital in the UK (defined as seven or more visits in the previous 12 months) were compared with 182 patients who were attending the same department on a routine basis. Patients completed the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and the Short Form (SF)-36. Information was obtained on 64% of the frequent attenders and 45% underwent a detailed psychiatric assessment. Of the frequent attenders, 45% had psychiatric disorder and 49% had some form of an alcohol-related disorder. Compared with routine attenders, frequent attenders reported lower health status, had more psychiatric disorder (odds ratio: OR=8.2, 95% confidence interval: CI=3.8--18.1), had more general hospital admissions (OR=19.9, 95% CI=8.3--47.8), more psychiatric admissions (OR=167.5, 95% CI=9.5--2959.0), and more GP visits (95% CI for difference=-10.2 to -5.7). There was no evidence that frequent attenders had more somatisation than routine attenders. Specific treatment and management strategies need to be developed for this group of patients, although a substantial proportion may be difficult to engage in the treatment process.

A Review of NICE Methods and Processes Across Health Technology Assessment Programmes: Why the Differences and What is the Impact?

Science.gov (United States)

Cowles, Emma; Marsden, Grace; Cole, Amanda; Devlin, Nancy

2017-08-01

Decisions made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) exert an influence on the allocation of resources within 'fixed' National Health Service budgets. Yet guidance for different types of health interventions is handled via different 'programmes' within NICE, which follow different methods and processes. The objective of this research was to identify differences in the processes and methods of NICE health technology assessment programmes and to explore how these could impact on allocative efficiency within the National Health Service. Data were extracted from the NICE technology appraisal programme, medical technologies guidance, diagnostic assessment programme, highly specialised technologies programme, and clinical guidelines process and methods manuals to undertake a systematic comparison. Five qualitative interviews were carried out with NICE members of staff and committee members to explore the reasons for the differences found. The main differences identified were in the required evidence review period, or lack thereof, mandatory funding status, the provision of a reference case for economic evaluation, the requirement for and the type of economic analysis undertaken, and the decision making criteria used for appraisal. Many of the differences found can be justified on grounds of practicality and relevance to the health technologies under assessment. Nevertheless, from a strict utilitarian view, there are several potential areas of inefficiency that could lead to the misallocation of resources within the National Health Service, although some of these might be eliminated or reduced if an egalitarian view is taken. The challenge is determining where society is willing to trade health gains between different people.

Cool, callous and in control: superior inhibitory control in frequent players of video games with violent content.

Science.gov (United States)

Stockdale, Laura; Morrison, Robert G; Palumbo, Robert; Garbarino, James; Silton, Rebecca L

2017-12-01

Research on the effects of media violence exposure has shown robust associations among violent media exposure, increased aggressive behavior, and decreased empathy. Preliminary research indicates that frequent players of violent video games may have differences in emotional and cognitive processes compared to infrequent or nonplayers, yet research examining the amount and content of game play and the relation of these factors with affective and cognitive outcomes is limited. The present study measured neural correlates of response inhibition in the context of implicit attention to emotion, and how these factors are related to empathic responding in frequent and infrequent players of video games with graphically violent content. Participants completed a self-report measure of empathy as well as an affective stop-signal task that measured implicit attention to emotion and response inhibition during electroencephalography. Frequent players had lower levels of empathy as well as a reduction in brain activity as indicated by P100 and N200/P300 event related potentials. Reduced P100 amplitude evoked by happy facial expressions was observed in frequent players compared to infrequent players, and this effect was moderated by empathy, such that low levels of empathy further reduced P100 amplitudes for happy facial expressions for frequent players compared to infrequent players. Compared to infrequent players, frequent players had reduced N200/P300 amplitude during response inhibition, indicating less neural resources were recruited to inhibit behavior. Results from the present study illustrate that chronic exposure to violent video games modulates empathy and related neural correlates associated with affect and cognition. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

Treatment of Anthrax Disease Frequently Asked Questions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judd, Kathleen S.; Young, Joan E.; Lesperance, Ann M.; Malone, John D.

2010-05-14

This document provides a summary of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the treatment of anthrax disease caused by a wide-area release of Bacillus anthracis spores as an act bioterrorism. These FAQs are intended to provide the public health and medical community, as well as others, with guidance and communications to support the response and long-term recovery from an anthrax event.

Ethanol content in different gasohol blend spills influences the decision-making on remediation technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilela Steiner, Leonardo; Toledo Ramos, Débora; Rubini Liedke, Ana Maria; Serbent, Maria Pilar; Corseuil, Henry Xavier

2018-04-15

Gasohol blend spills with variable ethanol content exert different electron acceptor demands in groundwater and the distinct dynamics undergone by these blends underscores the need for field-based information to aid decision-making on suitable remediation technologies for each gasohol blend spill. In this study, a comparison of two gasohol releases (E10 (10:90 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) and E25 (25:75 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) under monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and nitrate biostimulation, respectively) was conducted to assess the most effective remediation strategy for each gasohol release. Microbial communities were assessed to support geochemical data as well as to enable the characterization of important population shifts that evolve during biodegradation processes in E25 and E10 field experiments. Results revealed that natural attenuation processes sufficiently supported ethanol and BTEX compounds biodegradation in E10 release, due to the lower biochemical oxygen demand they exert relative to E25 blend. In E25 release, nitrate reduction was largely responsible for BTEX and ethanol biodegradation, as intended. First-order decay constants demonstrated that ethanol degradation rates were similar (p remediation technologies (2.05 ± 0.15 and 2.22 ± 0.23, for E25 and E10, respectively) whilst BTEX compounds exhibited different degradation rates (p > 0.05) that were higher for the experiment under MNA (0.33 ± 0.06 and 0.43 ± 0.03, for E25 and E10, respectively). Therefore, ethanol content in different gasohol blends can influence the decision-making on the most suitable remediation technology, as MNA processes can be applied for the remediation of gasohol blends with lower ethanol content (i.e., 10% v/v), once the aquifer geochemical conditions provide a sufficient electron acceptor pool. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first field study to monitor two long-term gasohol releases over various time scales in order to assess

Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis is more frequently seen in women than in men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukran Erten

2015-01-01

Conclusion SpA are frequent diseases and physicians other than rheumatologists should also be aware of them. uSpA is more frequent in women than men. Early diagnosis of SpA is important because early treatment with new biological therapies may lead to much better Results than applying them in the advanced stages.

Pedagogy and/or technology: Making difference in improving students' problem solving skills

Science.gov (United States)

Hrepic, Zdeslav; Lodder, Katherine; Shaw, Kimberly A.

2013-01-01

Pen input computers combined with interactive software may have substantial potential for promoting active instructional methodologies and for facilitating students' problem solving ability. An excellent example is a study in which introductory physics students improved retention, conceptual understanding and problem solving abilities when one of three weekly lectures was replaced with group problem solving sessions facilitated with Tablet PCs and DyKnow software [1,2]. The research goal of the present study was to isolate the effect of the methodology itself (using additional time to teach problem solving) from that of the involved technology. In Fall 2011 we compared the performance of students taking the same introductory physics lecture course while enrolled in two separate problem-solving sections. One section used pen-based computing to facilitate group problem solving while the other section used low-tech methods for one third of the semester (covering Kinematics), and then traded technologies for the middle third of the term (covering Dynamics). Analysis of quiz, exam and standardized pre-post test results indicated no significant difference in scores of the two groups. Combining this result with those of previous studies implies primacy of pedagogy (collaborative problem solving itself) over technology for student learning in problem solving recitations.

Technologies to remediate hazardous waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falco, J.W.

1990-03-01

Technologies to remediate hazardous wastes must be matched with the properties of the hazardous materials to be treated, the environment in which the wastes are imbedded, and the desired extent of remediation. Many promising technologies are being developed, including biological treatment, immobilization techniques, and in situ methods. Many of these new technologies are being applied to remediate sites. The management and disposal of hazardous wastes is changing because of federal and state legislation as well as public concern. Future waste management systems will emphasize the substitution of alternatives for the use of hazardous materials and process waste recycling. Onsite treatment will also become more frequently adopted. 5 refs., 7 figs

Antioxidant activity of Macrolepiota procera wild mushroom submitted to different processing technologies

OpenAIRE

Fernandes, Ângela; Carocho, Márcio; Antonio, Amilcar L.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Martins, Anabela; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

2013-01-01

Mushrooms are very perishable food products and tend to lose quality immediately after harveStr. Drying is the most common method for preserving mushrooms, freezing is becoming increasingly popular and food irradiation has also been suggested by many researchers as a good conservation technique in order to maintain and increase the food shelf life. In the present work, the effects of different processing technologies (freezing, drying and gamma irradiation) on antioxidant activity...

Frequent Users of Pornography. A Population Based Epidemiological Study of Swedish Male Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Svedin, Carl Goran; Akerman, Ingrid; Priebe, Gisela

2011-01-01

Frequent use of pornography has not been sufficiently studied before. In a Swedish survey 2015 male students aged 18 years participated. A group of frequent users of pornography (N = 200, 10.5%) were studied with respect to background and psychosocial correlates. The frequent users had a more positive attitude to pornography, were more often…

A group decision-making tool for the application of membrane technologies in different water reuse scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadr, S M K; Saroj, D P; Kouchaki, S; Ilemobade, A A; Ouki, S K

2015-06-01

A global challenge of increasing concern is diminishing fresh water resources. A growing practice in many communities to supplement diminishing fresh water availability has been the reuse of water. Novel methods of treating polluted waters, such as membrane assisted technologies, have recently been developed and successfully implemented in many places. Given the diversity of membrane assisted technologies available, the current challenge is how to select a reliable alternative among numerous technologies for appropriate water reuse. In this research, a fuzzy logic based multi-criteria, group decision making tool has been developed. This tool has been employed in the selection of appropriate membrane treatment technologies for several non-potable and potable reuse scenarios. Robust criteria, covering technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects, were selected, while 10 different membrane assisted technologies were assessed in the tool. The results show this approach capable of facilitating systematic and rigorous analysis in the comparison and selection of membrane assisted technologies for advanced wastewater treatment and reuse. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drought, tree mortality, and wildfire in forests adapted to frequent fire

Science.gov (United States)

Scott L Stephens; Brandon M Collins; Christopher J Fettig; Mark A Finney; Chad M Hoffman; Eric E Knapp; Malcolm P North; Hugh Safford; Rebecca B Wayman

2018-01-01

Massive tree mortality has occurred rapidly in frequent-fire-adapted forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. This mortality is a product of acute drought compounded by the long-established removal of a key ecosystem process: frequent, low- to moderate-intensity fire. The recent tree mortality has many implications for the future of these forests and the ecological...

Frequent hospital admissions in Singapore: clinical risk factors and impact of socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Lian Leng; Tay, Wei Yi; Ng, Matthew Joo Ming; Tan, Shu Yun; Liu, Nan; Lee, Kheng Hock

2018-01-01

Frequent admitters to hospitals are high-cost patients who strain finite healthcare resources. However, the exact risk factors for frequent admissions, which can be used to guide risk stratification and design effective interventions locally, remain unknown. Our study aimed to identify the clinical and sociodemographic risk factors associated with frequent hospital admissions in Singapore. An observational study was conducted using retrospective 2014 data from the administrative database at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Variables were identified a priori and included patient demographics, comorbidities, prior healthcare utilisation, and clinical and laboratory variables during the index admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for frequent admissions. A total of 16,306 unique patients were analysed and 1,640 (10.1%) patients were classified as frequent admitters. On multivariate logistic regression, 16 variables were independently associated with frequent hospital admissions, including age, cerebrovascular disease, history of malignancy, haemoglobin, serum creatinine, serum albumin, and number of specialist outpatient clinic visits, emergency department visits, admissions preceding index admission and medications dispensed at discharge. Patients staying in public rental housing had a 30% higher risk of being a frequent admitter after adjusting for demographics and clinical conditions. Our study, the first in our knowledge to examine the clinical risk factors for frequent admissions in Singapore, validated the use of public rental housing as a sensitive indicator of area-level socioeconomic status in Singapore. These risk factors can be used to identify high-risk patients in the hospital so that they can receive interventions that reduce readmission risk. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association

Technology Roadmap: Energy Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-03-01

Energy storage technologies are valuable components in most energy systems and could be an important tool in achieving a low-carbon future. These technologies allow for the decoupling of energy supply and demand, in essence providing a valuable resource to system operators. There are many cases where energy storage deployment is competitive or near-competitive in today's energy system. However, regulatory and market conditions are frequently ill-equipped to compensate storage for the suite of services that it can provide. Furthermore, some technologies are still too expensive relative to other competing technologies (e.g. flexible generation and new transmission lines in electricity systems). One of the key goals of this new roadmap is to understand and communicate the value of energy storage to energy system stakeholders. This will include concepts that address the current status of deployment and predicted evolution in the context of current and future energy system needs by using a ''systems perspective'' rather than looking at storage technologies in isolation.

Culture as an Explanation of Technology Acceptance Differences: An Empirical Investigation of Chinese and US Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Srite

2006-11-01

Full Text Available This article examines the issue of the acceptance of technology across two cultures. To do this an extended technology acceptance model was tested in China and the US. Over one hundred participants, across both cultures, were surveyed as to their perceptions regarding technology acceptance. Cultural values were also measured for each group. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the research model. In general, the model explained a more than adequate amount of variance and achieved acceptable levels of significance. Differences across the two cultures were explained utilizing the cultural values of the participants. Implications for both research and practice were provided

Single-cell technologies to study the immune system.

Science.gov (United States)

Proserpio, Valentina; Mahata, Bidesh

2016-02-01

The immune system is composed of a variety of cells that act in a coordinated fashion to protect the organism against a multitude of different pathogens. The great variability of existing pathogens corresponds to a similar high heterogeneity of the immune cells. The study of individual immune cells, the fundamental unit of immunity, has recently transformed from a qualitative microscopic imaging to a nearly complete quantitative transcriptomic analysis. This shift has been driven by the rapid development of multiple single-cell technologies. These new advances are expected to boost the detection of less frequent cell types and transient or intermediate cell states. They will highlight the individuality of each single cell and greatly expand the resolution of current available classifications and differentiation trajectories. In this review we discuss the recent advancement and application of single-cell technologies, their limitations and future applications to study the immune system. © 2015 The Authors. Immunology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Re-Imagining the Nature of (Student-Focused) Learning through Digital Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, Nina

2018-01-01

Digital technology is frequently positioned as being central to the establishment of a 'future focused' education system that provides high quality student-focused learning opportunities and re-envisioned educational outcomes. While recognising the potential of technology, this paper explores some of the questions about its role in education and…

Evolution of technology convergence networks in Korea: Characteristics of temporal changes in R&D according to institution type

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae Young; Jeong, Seongkyoon

2018-01-01

This study investigates the temporal changes in development of technology convergence networks by institution type, i.e., public research institute (PRI), university and industry. Using the co-classification of technological domains of patents, we identified technology convergence of Korean patents, which were filed at Korea Intellectual Properties Office (KIPO) from 1997 to 2011. We conducted a network analysis at the technology level to search for the key technology fields and frequent instances of technology convergence. The results show that technology convergence networks have grown significantly in the recent period regardless of the institution type. While industries started to conspicuously engage in technology convergence in the late 1990s, universities or PRIs did not do so until the mid-2000s. This discrepancy in the phase of technology convergence is attributed to the temporal difference in R&D stage (e.g., basic research and commercial product development). Our findings imply that corporal and governmental R&D management decision on promising technology fields will be more effective if the decision makers carefully consider the type of R&D entity in analyzing technological landscapes. PMID:29420574

Evolution of technology convergence networks in Korea: Characteristics of temporal changes in R&D according to institution type.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae Young; Jeong, Seongkyoon; Jung, Jung-Kyu

2018-01-01

This study investigates the temporal changes in development of technology convergence networks by institution type, i.e., public research institute (PRI), university and industry. Using the co-classification of technological domains of patents, we identified technology convergence of Korean patents, which were filed at Korea Intellectual Properties Office (KIPO) from 1997 to 2011. We conducted a network analysis at the technology level to search for the key technology fields and frequent instances of technology convergence. The results show that technology convergence networks have grown significantly in the recent period regardless of the institution type. While industries started to conspicuously engage in technology convergence in the late 1990s, universities or PRIs did not do so until the mid-2000s. This discrepancy in the phase of technology convergence is attributed to the temporal difference in R&D stage (e.g., basic research and commercial product development). Our findings imply that corporal and governmental R&D management decision on promising technology fields will be more effective if the decision makers carefully consider the type of R&D entity in analyzing technological landscapes.

Frequent gain and loss of introns in fungal cytochrome b genes.

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Liang-Fen Yin

Full Text Available In this study, all available cytochrome b (Cyt b genes from the GOBASE database were compiled and the evolutionary dynamics of the Cyt b gene introns was assessed. Cyt b gene introns were frequently present in the fungal kingdom and some lower plants, but generally absent or rare in Chromista, Protozoa, and Animalia. Fungal Cyt b introns were found at 35 positions in Cyt b genes and the number of introns varied at individual positions from a single representative to 32 different introns at position 131, showing a wide and patchy distribution. Many homologous introns were present at the same position in distantly related species but absent in closely related species, suggesting that introns of the Cyt b genes were frequently lost. On the other hand, highly similar intron sequences were observed in some distantly related species rather than in closely related species, suggesting that these introns were gained independently, likely through lateral transfers. The intron loss-and-gain events could be mediated by transpositions that might have occurred between nuclear and mitochondria. Southern hybridization analysis confirmed that some introns contained repetitive sequences and might be transposable elements. An intron gain in Botryotinia fuckeliana prevented the development of QoI fungicide resistance, suggesting that intron loss-and-gain events were not necessarily beneficial to their host organisms.

Assessing the effect of standardized cost systems on financial performance. A difference-in-differences approach for hospitals according to their technological level.

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García-Cornejo, Beatriz; Pérez-Méndez, José A

2018-04-01

Promoting the improvement of standardized cost systems (CS) is one of the measures available to health policy makers for the purpose of improving efficiency in hospitals over the long-term. Nevertheless, very few studies evaluate the relationship between alternative CS and the costs really incurred. We use data from 242 hospitals of the Spanish National Health Service (NHS) between 2010 and 2013 in order to explore the determinants of the cost per adjusted patient day, using a difference-in-differences approach where the treatment is the implementation of an advanced CS. We also investigate if the association between advanced CS and unit cost is different depending upon the technological level of the hospital. Results show that hospitals with more advanced CS contained their costs better. However, the latter effect of advanced CS is lower in hospitals with a greater endowment of high technology. Results suggest that health authorities should support the development of CS, particularly in high-tech hospitals, which are usually larger and more complex hospitals that tend to accumulate a greater portion of NHS hospital sector expenditure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FREQUENT SUBGRAPH MINING OF PERSONALIZED SIGNALING PATHWAY NETWORKS GROUPS PATIENTS WITH FREQUENTLY DYSREGULATED DISEASE PATHWAYS AND PREDICTS PROGNOSIS.

Science.gov (United States)

Durmaz, Arda; Henderson, Tim A D; Brubaker, Douglas; Bebek, Gurkan

2017-01-01

Large scale genomics studies have generated comprehensive molecular characterization of numerous cancer types. Subtypes for many tumor types have been established; however, these classifications are based on molecular characteristics of a small gene sets with limited power to detect dysregulation at the patient level. We hypothesize that frequent graph mining of pathways to gather pathways functionally relevant to tumors can characterize tumor types and provide opportunities for personalized therapies. In this study we present an integrative omics approach to group patients based on their altered pathway characteristics and show prognostic differences within breast cancer (p network-based classifier algorithms and showed that our unsupervised approach generates more robust and biologically relevant clustering whereas previous approaches failed to report specific functions for similar patient groups or classify patients into prognostic groups. These results could serve as a means to improve prognosis for future cancer patients, and to provide opportunities for improved treatment options and personalized interventions. The proposed novel graph mining approach is able to integrate PPI networks with gene expression in a biologically sound approach and cluster patients in to clinically distinct groups. We have utilized breast cancer and glioblastoma multiforme datasets from microarray and RNA-Seq platforms and identified disease mechanisms differentiating samples. Supplementary methods, figures, tables and code are available at https://github.com/bebeklab/dysprog.

Social capital and frequent attenders in general practice: a register-based cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasgaard, Alexander A; Mæhlisen, Maiken H; Overgaard, Charlotte; Ejlskov, Linda; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Bøggild, Henrik

2018-03-02

Frequent attendance to primary care constitutes a large use of resources for the health care system. The association between frequent attendance and illness-related factors has been examined in several studies, but little is known about the association between frequent attendance and individual social capital. The aim of this study is to explore this association. The analysis is conducted on responders to the North Denmark Region Health Profile 2010 (n = 23,384), individually linked with information from administrative registers. Social capital is operationalized at the individual level, and includes cognitive (interpersonal trust and norms of reciprocity) as well as structural (social network and civic engagement) dimensions. Frequent attendance is defined as the upper-quartile of the total number of measured consultations with a general practitioner over a period of 148 weeks. Using multiple logistic regression, we found that frequent attendance was associated with a lower score in interpersonal trust [OR 0.86 (0.79-0.94)] and social network [OR 0.88 (0.79-0.98)] for women, when adjusted for age, education, income and SF12 health scores. Norms of reciprocity and civic engagement were not significantly associated with frequent attendance for women [OR 1.05 (0.99-1.11) and OR 1.01 (0.92-1.11) respectively]. None of the associations were statistically significant for men. This study suggests that for women, some aspects of social capital are associated with frequent attendance in general practice, and the statistically significant dimensions belonged to both cognitive and structural aspects of social capital. This association was not seen for men. This indicates a multifaceted and heterogeneous relationship between social capital and frequent attendance among genders.

A triangular fuzzy TOPSIS-based approach for the application of water technologies in different emergency water supply scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Jianhua; Meng, Xianlin; Yu, Huan; You, Hong

2016-09-01

Because of the increasing frequency and intensity of unexpected natural disasters, providing safe drinking water for the affected population following a disaster has become a global challenge of growing concern. An onsite water supply technology that is portable, mobile, or modular is a more suitable and sustainable solution for the victims than transporting bottled water. In recent years, various water techniques, such as membrane-assisted technologies, have been proposed and successfully implemented in many places. Given the diversity of techniques available, the current challenge is how to scientifically identify the optimum options for different disaster scenarios. Hence, a fuzzy triangular-based multi-criteria, group decision-making tool was developed in this research. The approach was then applied to the selection of the most appropriate water technologies corresponding to the different emergency water supply scenarios. The results show this tool capable of facilitating scientific analysis in the evaluation and selection of emergency water technologies for enduring security drinking water supply in disaster relief.

Gender Difference of Confidence in Using Technology for Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yau, Hon Keung; Cheng, Alison Lai Fong

2012-01-01

Past studies have found male students to have more confidence in using technology for learning than do female students. Males tend to have more positive attitudes about the use of technology for learning than do females. According to the Women's Foundation (2006), few studies examined gender relevant research in Hong Kong. It also appears that no…

A Parallel Approach for Frequent Subgraph Mining in a Single Large Graph Using Spark

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengcai Qiao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Frequent subgraph mining (FSM plays an important role in graph mining, attracting a great deal of attention in many areas, such as bioinformatics, web data mining and social networks. In this paper, we propose SSiGraM (Spark based Single Graph Mining, a Spark based parallel frequent subgraph mining algorithm in a single large graph. Aiming to approach the two computational challenges of FSM, we conduct the subgraph extension and support evaluation parallel across all the distributed cluster worker nodes. In addition, we also employ a heuristic search strategy and three novel optimizations: load balancing, pre-search pruning and top-down pruning in the support evaluation process, which significantly improve the performance. Extensive experiments with four different real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing GraMi (Graph Mining algorithm by an order of magnitude for all datasets and can work with a lower support threshold.

Medical technology as a key driver of rising health expenditure: disentangling the relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Sorenson, Corinna; Drummond, Michael; Bhuiyan Khan, Beena

2013-01-01

Health care spending has risen steadily in most countries, becoming a concern for decision-makers worldwide. Commentators often point to new medical technology as the key driver for burgeoning expenditures. This paper critically appraises this conjecture, based on an analysis of the existing literature, with the aim of offering a more detailed and considered analysis of this relationship. Several databases were searched to identify relevant literature. Various categories of studies (eg, multivariate and cost-effectiveness analyses) were included to cover different perspectives, methodological approaches, and issues regarding the link between medical technology and costs. Selected articles were reviewed and relevant information was extracted into a standardized template and analyzed for key cross-cutting themes, ie, impact of technology on costs, factors influencing this relationship, and methodological challenges in measuring such linkages. A total of 86 studies were reviewed. The analysis suggests that the relationship between medical technology and spending is complex and often conflicting. Findings were frequently contingent on varying factors, such as the availability of other interventions, patient population, and the methodological approach employed. Moreover, the impact of technology on costs differed across technologies, in that some (eg, cancer drugs, invasive medical devices) had significant financial implications, while others were cost-neutral or cost-saving. In light of these issues, we argue that decision-makers and other commentators should extend their focus beyond costs solely to include consideration of whether medical technology results in better value in health care and broader socioeconomic benefits. PMID:23807855

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act frequently asked questions

Science.gov (United States)

One stop shop for Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) questions. This frequently asked document will assist with Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) related questions.

Evaluation of Costs in Asparagus Production in Relation to Different Technological Processes in Conditions of Slovak Republic

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Patrik Burg

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study deals with analysis structure of cost on the production of asparagus in relation to three different technological processes in conditions of Slovak Republic. Obtained results can be used as a template to prepare budgets and make production decisions to estimate potential returns and to analyze investment and financial analysis decisions in the asparagus cultivation. Production practices used in the budget are based on typical practices for asparagus in this country. From the analysis of the cost structure of assessed variants different technological procedures follows that the largest share of the costs fall to purchased material and labor.

Frequent epigenetic inactivation of Wnt antagonist genes in breast cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, H; Toyota, M; Caraway, H; Gabrielson, E; Ohmura, T; Fujikane, T; Nishikawa, N; Sogabe, Y; Nojima, M; Sonoda, T; Mori, M; Hirata, K; Imai, K; Shinomura, Y; Baylin, S B; Tokino, T

2008-01-01

Although mutation of APC or CTNNB1 (β-catenin) is rare in breast cancer, activation of Wnt signalling is nonetheless thought to play an important role in breast tumorigenesis, and epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonist genes, including the secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP) and Dickkopf (DKK) families, has been observed in various tumours. In breast cancer, frequent methylation and silencing of SFRP1 was recently documented; however, altered expression of other Wnt antagonist genes is largely unknown. In the present study, we found frequent methylation of SFRP family genes in breast cancer cell lines (SFRP1, 7 out of 11, 64%; SFRP2, 11 out of 11, 100%; SFRP5, 10 out of 11, 91%) and primary breast tumours (SFRP1, 31 out of 78, 40%; SFRP2, 60 out of 78, 77%; SFRP5, 55 out of 78, 71%). We also observed methylation of DKK1, although less frequently, in cell lines (3 out of 11, 27%) and primary tumours (15 out of 78, 19%). Breast cancer cell lines express various Wnt ligands, and overexpression of SFRPs inhibited cancer cell growth. In addition, overexpression of a β-catenin mutant and depletion of SFRP1 using small interfering RNA synergistically upregulated transcriptional activity of T-cell factor/lymphocyte enhancer factor. Our results confirm the frequent methylation and silencing of Wnt antagonist genes in breast cancer, and suggest that their loss of function contributes to activation of Wnt signalling in breast carcinogenesis. PMID:18283316

Analysis on complex structure stability under different bar angle with BIM technology

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Wang Xiongjue

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Sun Valley, the landmark building of World Expo in Shanghai, which has free surface with single-layer reticulated shell structure, is a typical complex structure. CAD/CAM integrated information system to design is used for the complex structure; however, it is a very rigorous process to be used widely. The relevant technology of the Sun Valley is not open to the public at present, so we try to use BIM technology to model the Sun Valley, including architecture modelling and structure analysis. By analysis of the Sun Valley structure using this method, it is proved that the problems in modelling may be solved by writing some script codes in Rhino software and the stability of the model can also be analyzed. The new approach is viable and effective in combination with different softwares such as Rhino, Revit, and Midas in solution of the complex shaped surfaces’ structure for modelling and calculation.

Diffusion of environmentally-friendly energy technologies: buy versus lease differences in residential PV markets

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Varun; Sigrin, Benjamin

2013-03-01

Diffusion of microgeneration technologies, particularly rooftop photovoltaic (PV), represents a key option in reducing emissions in the residential sector. We use a uniquely rich dataset from the burgeoning residential PV market in Texas to study the nature of the consumer’s decision-making process in the adoption of these technologies. In particular, focusing on the financial metrics and the information decision-makers use to base their decisions upon, we study how the leasing and buying models affect individual choices and, thereby, the adoption of capital-intensive energy technologies. Overall, our findings suggest that the leasing model more effectively addresses consumers’ informational requirements and that, contrary to some other studies, buyers and lessees of PV do not necessarily differ significantly along socio-demographic variables. Instead, we find that the leasing model has opened up the residential PV market to a new, and potentially very large, consumer segment—those with a tight cash-flow situation.

Diffusion of environmentally-friendly energy technologies: buy versus lease differences in residential PV markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rai, Varun; Sigrin, Benjamin

2013-01-01

Diffusion of microgeneration technologies, particularly rooftop photovoltaic (PV), represents a key option in reducing emissions in the residential sector. We use a uniquely rich dataset from the burgeoning residential PV market in Texas to study the nature of the consumer’s decision-making process in the adoption of these technologies. In particular, focusing on the financial metrics and the information decision-makers use to base their decisions upon, we study how the leasing and buying models affect individual choices and, thereby, the adoption of capital-intensive energy technologies. Overall, our findings suggest that the leasing model more effectively addresses consumers’ informational requirements and that, contrary to some other studies, buyers and lessees of PV do not necessarily differ significantly along socio-demographic variables. Instead, we find that the leasing model has opened up the residential PV market to a new, and potentially very large, consumer segment—those with a tight cash-flow situation. (letter)

INAA study of sorption U from technological solution by different microorganisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhamedshina, N.M.; Mirsagatova, A.A.; Bekmukhamedova, N.K.; Khamidova, Kh.M.; Rakhimova, M.S.

2004-01-01

Full text: The capacity of microorganisms to accumulate metal ions can be used for the extraction of metals from technological solutions. The aim of this INAA study is to investigate the extraction U from technological solutions by different microorganisms- actinomycetes, Aspergillus niger and Acremonium sp10 cultures and to search more effective biosorbents of U among them. INAA is more available and cheap method for us also it has high enough sensitivity and allows to avoid exposing the bacteria to radioactive metals. Atomic absorptive analyzer is more suitable for the determination of impurities in solutions, but it is expensive and not available for us. Biomasses of microorganisms (1 g of each) were tested for their U sorption capacity from a technological solution of U-production, containing 71.1 mg/l ions U (initial solution diluted 10 times). The interaction between biomass and solutions lasted for 15 min. The flask with the solution was placed on a horizontal shaker (180 rpm) for 15 min and was then centrifuged. Then the amount U not sorted by the microorganisms was measured from the over-sedimentary solution (decantation). After sorption, 0.1 ml aliquots of the decantation were dropped on strips of ash free filter paper. The strips (samples) were dried, wrapped in the aluminum packets and placed in a container for irradiation in nuclear reactor. The U samples were irradiated for 5 at the fission neutron flux density of 5.3·10 13 cm -2 s -1 . The U content was calculated from the gamma-line (228.2 keV, 277.8 keV) intensities of radionuclide 239Np Uncertainty the U determining (relative standard deviation) was 2-3 %. Is shown, that the most effective sorbents of U from technological solutions are some strains of actinomycetes (98,0%) and microscopical fungus Acremonium sp10 (98, 3%).The optimal temperature solution was from of 23.5 o to 42.0 o and optimal pH was 8,3

Impact of different packaging technologies on post harvest losses of stone fruits in swat pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahzad, M.; Luqman, M.; Jehan, N.

2015-01-01

Soft texture of stone fruits makes them prone to post harvest losses. Effect of different packaging materials on the texture of fruits also varies for their post-harvest losses. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of wooden and cardboard box technologies on post-harvest losses of plum through its marketing channel. Primary data was collected through pre tested questionnaires by proportionate random sampling procedure. Quantitative losses were estimated through percentage method while partial losses were estimated at the wholesale and retail level by price differential method. Multiple regression analysis was employed to find relation between post-harvest losses and different factors at three different stages. Findings of the study revealed the channel of cardboard box technology accounted for post-harvest losses of 10.49% while at farm level, losses were 2.90%, at wholesale level 1.45% and retail level the losses were 6.14%. On the other hand post-harvest losses were 14.24% in wooden box channel; in which 6.10% occurred at farm level, 1.43% at the wholesale level and 6.71% at the retail level. Cardboard box technology has reduced post-harvest losses of plum by 27%. Post-harvest losses were moderate and positively correlated at farm level, weakly and positive related at whole sale level and weak and negatively correlated at retail level. Pre-harvest management, careful handling and harvesting in proper maturity can help in reducing post-harvest losses. (author)

Detection time for THC in oral fluid after frequent cannabis smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

Andås, Hilde T; Krabseth, Hege-Merete; Enger, Asle; Marcussen, Bjarne N; Haneborg, An-Magritt; Christophersen, Asbjørg S; Vindenes, Vigdis; Øiestad, Elisabeth L

2014-12-01

The use of oral fluid for detecting drugs of abuse has become increasingly more frequent. Few studies have, however, investigated the detection times for drugs of abuse in oral fluid, compared with that of in urine or in blood. Cannabis is the world's most widely used drug of abuse, and the detection times for cannabis, in different types of matrixes, are therefore important information to the laboratories or institutions performing and evaluating drugs of abuse analyses. It is well known that frequent use of high dosages of cannabis, for longer periods of time, might lead to prolonged detection times for THC-COOH in urine. Cannabis intake is detected in oral fluid as THC, and a positive finding is considered to be a result of recent smoking, although some studies have already reported longer detection times. The aim of this study was to investigate the detection time for THC in oral fluid, collected from drug addicts admitted for detoxification. Findings in oral fluid were compared with findings in urine, among 26 patients admitted to a closed detoxification unit. The study, being the first in doing so, describes the concentration-time profiles for THC in oral fluid among chronic cannabis users, during monitored abstinence, using the Intercept collection kit. The study also includes the concentration-time profiles for creatinine-corrected THC-COOH ratios in urine samples, included to monitor for the possibility of new intakes. THC was detected in oral fluid collected from 11 of the 26 patients in the study. The elimination curves for THC in oral fluid revealed that negative samples could be interspersed among positive samples several days after cessation, whereas the THC-COOH concentrations in urine were decreasing. THC was, in this study, detected in oral fluid for up to 8 days after admission. The study shows that frequent use of high dosages of cannabis may lead to prolonged detection times, and that positive samples can be interspersed among negative samples

The technology vicinity: a location based view on technology

OpenAIRE

Steenhuis, H.J.; de Bruijn, E.J.; Kocaoglu, D.F.; Anderson, T.R.

2001-01-01

The issue of technology transfer has been viewed from many different perspectives. In this case the focus is on the process of (production) technology transfer. One of the difficulties in studying international technology transfer is the definition of technology. The many technology definitions that exist are either too ‘loosely’ formulated or they require thorough expert knowledge. This results in difficulties with measuring technology and comparing different studies meaningfully. This study...

Predicting frequent emergency department visits among children with asthma using EHR data.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Lala T; Abramson, Erika L; Stone, Anne E; Kondrich, Janienne E; Kern, Lisa M; Grinspan, Zachary M

2017-07-01

For children with asthma, emergency department (ED) visits are common, expensive, and often avoidable. Though several factors are associated with ED use (demographics, comorbidities, insurance, medications), its predictability using electronic health record (EHR) data is understudied. We used a retrospective cohort study design and EHR data from one center to examine the relationship of patient factors in 1 year (2013) and the likelihood of frequent ED use (≥2 visits) in the following year (2014), using bivariate and multivariable statistics. We applied and compared several machine-learning algorithms to predict frequent ED use, then selected a model based on accuracy, parsimony, and interpretability. We identified 2691 children. In bivariate analyses, future frequent ED use was associated with demographics, co-morbidities, insurance status, medication history, and use of healthcare resources. Machine learning algorithms had very good AUC (area under the curve) values [0.66-0.87], though fair PPV (positive predictive value) [48-70%] and poor sensitivity [16-27%]. Our final multivariable logistic regression model contained two variables: insurance status and prior ED use. For publicly insured patients, the odds of frequent ED use were 3.1 [2.2-4.5] times that of privately insured patients. Publicly insured patients with 4+ ED visits and privately insured patients with 6+ ED visits in a year had ≥50% probability of frequent ED use the following year. The model had an AUC of 0.86, PPV of 56%, and sensitivity of 23%. Among children with asthma, prior frequent ED use and insurance status strongly predict future ED use. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patient and nurse safety: how information technology makes a difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Roy L

2005-01-01

The Institute of Medicine's landmark report asserted medical error is seldom the fault of individuals, but the result of faulty healthcare policy/procedure systems. Numerous studies have shown that information technology can shore up weak systems. For nursing, information technology plays a key role in protecting patients by eliminating nursing mistakes and protecting nurses by reducing their negative exposure. However, managing information technology is a function of managing the people who use it. This article examines critical issues that impact patient and nurse safety, both physical and professional. It discusses the importance of eliminating the culture of blame, the requirements of process change, how to implement technology in harmony with the organization and the significance of vision.

Why do they keep coming back? Persistent frequent attenders in primary care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, F.T.M.

2014-01-01

The background of frequent attenders (FAs) of the General Practitioner (GP) often remains unclear. This thesis examines persistent frequent attendance, the relationship with (medical) conditions, methods to treat FAs, the impact of FAs on the GP’s workload and costs of healthcare, which medical file

Categorizing "frequent visitors" in the psychiatric emergency room: a semistructured interview study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buus, Niels

2011-01-01

Nurses can become demoralized and hostile toward frequent visitors in psychiatric emergency rooms because of the number of visits. The aim of this study was to develop more knowledge about the ways in which nurses categorize frequent visitors. Eleven nurses were interviewed, and their categorizing...... practices were examined from a social constructionist perspective. The results showed that the nurses did not categorize frequent visitors as particularly unlikeable or difficult to treat. Like other visitors, they could be categorized as difficult if they obstructed a smooth flow of successful referrals...... through the emergency room and/or there was poor rapport with the nurses....

Frequent gene conversion events between the X and Y homologous chromosomal regions in primates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirai Hirohisa

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mammalian sex-chromosomes originated from a pair of autosomes. A step-wise cessation of recombination is necessary for the proper maintenance of sex-determination and, consequently, generates a four strata structure on the X chromosome. Each stratum shows a specific per-site nucleotide sequence difference (p-distance between the X and Y chromosomes, depending on the time of recombination arrest. Stratum 4 covers the distal half of the human X chromosome short arm and the p-distance of the stratum is ~10%, on average. However, a 100-kb region, which includes KALX and VCX, in the middle of stratum 4 shows a significantly lower p-distance (1-5%, suggesting frequent sequence exchanges or gene conversions between the X and Y chromosomes in humans. To examine the evolutionary mechanism for this low p-distance region, sequences of a corresponding region including KALX/Y from seven species of non-human primates were analyzed. Results Phylogenetic analysis of this low p-distance region in humans and non-human primate species revealed that gene conversion like events have taken place at least ten times after the divergence of New World monkeys and Catarrhini (i.e., Old World monkeys and hominoids. A KALY-converted KALX allele in white-handed gibbons also suggests a possible recent gene conversion between the X and Y chromosomes. In these primate sequences, the proximal boundary of this low p-distance region is located in a LINE element shared between the X and Y chromosomes, suggesting the involvement of this element in frequent gene conversions. Together with a palindrome on the Y chromosome, a segmental palindrome structure on the X chromosome at the distal boundary near VCX, in humans and chimpanzees, may mediate frequent sequence exchanges between X and Y chromosomes. Conclusion Gene conversion events between the X and Y homologous regions have been suggested, mainly in humans. Here, we found frequent gene conversions in the

What's in the input? Frequent frames in child-directed speech offer distributional cues to grammatical categories in Spanish and English.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisleder, Adriana; Waxman, Sandra R

2010-11-01

Recent analyses have revealed that child-directed speech contains distributional regularities that could, in principle, support young children's discovery of distinct grammatical categories (noun, verb, adjective). In particular, a distributional unit known as the frequent frame appears to be especially informative (Mintz, 2003). However, analyses have focused almost exclusively on the distributional information available in English. Because languages differ considerably in how the grammatical forms are marked within utterances, the scarcity of cross-linguistic evidence represents an unfortunate gap. We therefore advance the developmental evidence by analyzing the distributional information available in frequent frames across two languages (Spanish and English), across sentence positions (phrase medial and phrase final), and across grammatical forms (noun, verb, adjective). We selected six parent-child corpora from the CHILDES database (three English; three Spanish), and analyzed the input when children were aged 2 ; 6 or younger. In each language, frequent frames did indeed offer systematic cues to grammatical category assignment. We also identify differences in the accuracy of these frames across languages, sentences positions and grammatical classes.

HSMNR belongs to the most frequent types of hereditary neuropathy in the Czech Republic and is twice more frequent than HMSNL.

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Šafka Brožková, D; Haberlová, J; Mazanec, R; Laštůvková, J; Seeman, P

2016-08-01

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type Russe (HMSNR), also called CMT4G, is an autosomal recessive inherited peripheral neuropathy (IPN) caused by a founder mutation in the HK1 gene. HMSNR affects only patients with Roma origin, similar to the better known HMSN type Lom clarified earlier. By testing IPN patients with Roma origin, we realized that HMSNR affects surprisingly many patients in the Czech Republic. HMSNR is one of the most frequent types of IPN in this country and appears to be twice more frequent than HMSNL. Pronounced lower limb atrophies and severe deformities often lead to walking inability in even young patients, but hands are usually only mildly affected even after many years of disease duration. The group of 20 patients with HMSNR presented here is the first report about the prevalence of HMSNR from central Europe. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Long-term effects of frequent cannabis use on working memory and attention: an fMRI study.

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Jager, Gerry; Kahn, Rene S; Van Den Brink, Wim; Van Ree, Jan M; Ramsey, Nick F

2006-04-01

Excessive use of cannabis may have long-term effects on cognitive abilities. Mild impairments have been found in several cognitive domains, particularly in memory and attention. It is not clear, however, whether these effects also occur with moderate, recreational use of cannabis. Furthermore, little is known about underlying brain correlates. The aim of this study is to assess brain function in frequent but relatively moderate cannabis users in the domains of working memory and selective attention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine verbal working memory and visuo-auditory selective attention in ten frequent cannabis users (after 1 week of abstinence) and ten non-using healthy controls. Groups were similar in age, gender and estimated IQ. Cannabis users and controls performed equally well during the working memory task and the selective attention task. Furthermore, cannabis users did not differ from controls in terms of overall patterns of brain activity in the regions involved in these cognitive functions. However, for working memory, a more specific region-of-interest analysis showed that, in comparison to the controls, cannabis users displayed a significant alteration in brain activity in the left superior parietal cortex. No evidence was found for long-term deficits in working memory and selective attention in frequent cannabis users after 1 week of abstinence. Nonetheless, frequent cannabis use may affect brain function, as indicated by altered neurophysiological dynamics in the left superior parietal cortex during working memory processing.

Workup and management of patients with frequent premature ventricular contractions.

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Giles, Katie; Green, Martin S

2013-11-01

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a frequently encountered entity in clinical cardiology. They rarely affect prognosis or management. However, they might produce bothersome symptoms and, in select individuals with a high PVC burden, they might contribute to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Workup of patients with very frequent PVCs consists of a thorough history and physical examination to screen for underlying cardiac disease and potential triggers. Routine investigations include a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram, as well as an echocardiogram. A Holter monitor should be performed in those with severe symptoms, a history of syncope, or a malignant family history. Exercise stress testing has a role in evaluating for ischemia and in the assessment of patients with exertional symptoms. More advanced testing is not warranted if these initial investigations are reassuring. Referral to an arrhythmia specialist should be considered in patients with LV dysfunction whose PVC burden exceeds 15%. Frequent ventricular ectopy represents a rare, but reversible cause of LV dysfunction and these patients should be further evaluated for possible catheter ablation. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Restrictions of frequent frames as cues to categories: the case of Dutch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erkelens, M.A.; Chan, H.; Kapia, E.; Jacob, H.

2008-01-01

Why Dutch 12-month-old infants do not use frequent frames in early categorization Mintz (2003) proposes that very local distributional contexts of words in the input-so-called 'frequent frames'-function as reliable cues for categories corresponding to the adult verb and noun. He shows that

Dental enamel defect diagnosis through different technology-based devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Tatiana Yuriko; Vitor, Luciana Lourenço Ribeiro; Carrara, Cleide Felício Carvalho; Silva, Thiago Cruvinel; Rios, Daniela; Machado, Maria Aparecida Andrade Moreira; Oliveira, Thais Marchini

2018-06-01

Dental enamel defects (DEDs) are faulty or deficient enamel formations of primary and permanent teeth. Changes during tooth development result in hypoplasia (a quantitative defect) and/or hypomineralisation (a qualitative defect). To compare technology-based diagnostic methods for detecting DEDs. Two-hundred and nine dental surfaces of anterior permanent teeth were selected in patients, 6-11 years of age, with cleft lip with/without cleft palate. First, a conventional clinical examination was conducted according to the modified Developmental Defects of Enamel Index (DDE Index). Dental surfaces were evaluated using an operating microscope and a fluorescence-based device. Interexaminer reproducibility was determined using the kappa test. To compare groups, McNemar's test was used. Cramer's V test was used for comparing the distribution of index codes obtained after classification of all dental surfaces. Cramer's V test revealed statistically significant differences (P < .0001) in the distribution of index codes obtained using the different methods; the coefficients were 0.365 for conventional clinical examination versus fluorescence, 0.961 for conventional clinical examination versus operating microscope and 0.358 for operating microscope versus fluorescence. The sensitivity of the operating microscope and fluorescence method was statistically significant (P = .008 and P < .0001, respectively). Otherwise, the results did not show statistically significant differences in accuracy and specificity for either the operating microscope or the fluorescence methods. This study suggests that the operating microscope performed better than the fluorescence-based device and could be an auxiliary method for the detection of DEDs. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.

[Self-efficacy and the gender gap as determinants of interest in a science and technology career].

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Tomoko

2012-12-01

Interest in a science and technology career, and determinants of such interest, were investigated. In Study 1, self-efficacy for work activities and interest in a science and technology career were assessed. Participants were undergraduate students (n = 264; 132 men, 132 women) and graduates (n = 276; 146 men, 130 women). Graduates were more interested in a science and technology career than undergraduate students, and men were more interested in a technology career than women. Moreover, self-efficacy for realistic and investigative activities was positively related with interest in such a career. In Study 2, relationships between self-efficacy for realistic and investigative activities and childhood experiences were investigated using data from undergraduates (n = 262; 132 men, 130 women) and graduates (n = 274; 141 men, 133 women). Individuals who frequently experienced daily activities, activities in nature, and activities with animals and plants in their childhood had higher self-efficacy for realistic and investigative activities. Moreover, graduates had such past experiences more frequently than undergraduates and males more frequently than females.

[Effect of fluoride concentration on the corrosion behavior of cobalt-chromium alloy fabricated by two different technology processes].

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Qiuxia, Yang; Ying, Yang; Han, Xu; Di, Wu; Ke, Guo

2016-02-01

This study aims to determine the effect of fluoride concentration on the corrosion behavior of cobalt-chromium alloy fabricated by two different technology processes in a simulated oral environment. A total of 15 specimens were employed with selective laser melting (SLM) and another 15 for traditional casting (Cast) in cobalt-chromium alloy powders and blocks with the same material composition. The corrosion behavior of the specimens was studied by potentiodynamic polarization test under different oral environments with varying solubilities of fluorine (0, 0.05%, and 0.20% for each) in acid artificial saliva (pH = 5.0). The specimens were soaked in fluorine for 24 h, and the surface microstructure was observed under a field emission scanning electron microscope after immersing the specimens in the test solution at constant temperature. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) value of the cobalt-chromium alloy cast decreased with increasing fluoride concentration in acidic artificial saliva. The Ecorr, Icorr, and Rp values of the cobalt-chromium alloy fabricated by two different technology processes changed significantly when the fluoride concentration was 0.20% (P technology processes exhibited a statistically significant difference. The Icorr value of the cobalt-chromium alloy cast was higher than that in the SLM group cobalt-chromium alloy when the fluoride concentration was 0.20% (P technology processes. The corrosion resistance of the cobalt-chromium alloy cast was worse than that of the SLM group cobalt-chromium alloy when the fluoride concentration was 0.20%.

Frequent mutations of chromatin remodeling genes in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gui, Yaoting; Guo, Guangwu; Huang, Yi

2011-01-01

frequently in tumors of low stages and grades, highlighting its potential role in the classification and diagnosis of bladder cancer. Our results provide an overview of the genetic basis of TCC and suggest that aberration of chromatin regulation might be a hallmark of bladder cancer.......Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most common type of bladder cancer. Here we sequenced the exomes of nine individuals with TCC and screened all the somatically mutated genes in a prevalence set of 88 additional individuals with TCC with different tumor stages and grades. In our study, we...

Changes in the fertility of a leached chernozem under different primary tillage technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Korolev, V. A.; Gromovik, A. I.; Borontov, O. K.

2016-01-01

Changes in the fertility of a leached chernozem under different tillage technologies (moldboard, non-inversive, and combined tillage) were studied in a multifactor stationary field experiment established in 1985 in Voronezh oblast on a low-humus medium-deep light clayey leached chernozem. The nine-field rotation of cereals and sugar beet was practiced. It was found that the major parameters of soil fertility—the content and qualitative composition of humus and the physicochemical and physical properties of the chernozem—remained relatively stable independently from the applied primary tillage technologies. However, taking into account economic characteristics (crop yields, production costs, energy expenses, etc.), the combined tillage system proved to be most efficient. It can be recommended for cereals-sugar beet rotation systems in the central chernozemic region, as it ensures the highest efficiency of crop growing and preserves the fertility of leached chernozems.

GRAMI: Frequent subgraph and pattern mining in a single large graph

KAUST Repository

Elseidy, M.

2014-01-01

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs; it is defined as finding all subgraphs that appear frequently in a database according to a given frequency threshold. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs, but modern applications, such as social networks, citation graphs, or proteinprotein interactions in bioinformatics, are modeled as a single large graph. In this paper we present GRAMI, a novel framework for frequent subgraph mining in a single large graph. GRAMI undertakes a novel approach that only finds the minimal set of instances to satisfy the frequency threshold and avoids the costly enumeration of all instances required by previous approaches. We accompany our approach with a heuristic and optimizations that significantly improve performance. Additionally, we present an extension of GRAMI that mines frequent patterns. Compared to subgraphs, patterns offer a more powerful version of matching that captures transitive interactions between graph nodes (like friend of a friend) which are very common in modern applications. Finally, we present CGRAMI, a version supporting structural and semantic constraints, and AGRAMI, an approximate version producing results with no false positives. Our experiments on real data demonstrate that our framework is up to 2 orders of magnitude faster and discovers more interesting patterns than existing approaches. 2014 VLDB Endowment.

Onset of frequent dust storms in northern China at ~AD 1100.

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He, Yuxin; Zhao, Cheng; Song, Mu; Liu, Weiguo; Chen, Fahu; Zhang, Dian; Liu, Zhonghui

2015-11-26

Dust storms in northern China strongly affect the living and health of people there and the dusts could travel a full circle of the globe in a short time. Historically, more frequent dust storms occurred during cool periods, particularly the Little Ice Age (LIA), generally attributed to the strengthened Siberian High. However, limited by chronological uncertainties in proxy records, this mechanism may not fully reveal the causes of dust storm frequency changes. Here we present a late Holocene dust record from the Qaidam Basin, where hydrological changes were previously reconstructed, and examine dust records from northern China, including the ones from historical documents. The records, being broadly consistent, indicate the onset of frequent dust storms at ~AD 1100. Further, peaked dust storm events occurred at episodes of high total solar irradiance or warm-dry conditions in source regions, superimposed on the high background of frequent dust storms within the cool LIA period. We thus suggest that besides strong wind activities, the centennial-scale dust storm events over the last 1000 years appear to be linked to the increased availability of dust source. With the anticipated global warming and deteriorating vegetation coverage, frequent occurrence of dust storms in northern China would be expected to persist.

[Utilization of antibiotics according to most frequent indications at Hungarian hospitals and results of surveys].

Science.gov (United States)

Ternák, G; Almási, I

1997-05-25

Antibiotic utilisation of 8 Hungarian hospitals was analyzed examining the case histories of patients who were discharged between January 1 and 31, 1995. Usage of antibiotics in the most frequent indications is reported in this paper. Majority of the prescriptions for the treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections were broad spectrum beta lactams. Higher rate of penicillin usage was found only in tonsillitis cases. Besides II. generation cephalosporins (22.7% of 730 prescriptions), beta-lactamase inhibitor + aminopenicillin combinations (13.4%) and III. generation cephalosporins (9.5%) considerable quantity of aminoglycosides (14.9%) and quinolones (9.5%) were found in pneumonia. Relatively high rate of aminoglycosides in the treatment of lower respiratory infections is inconsistent with therapeutic guidelines in force. Co-trimoxazol and quinolones were most frequently prescribed for the treatment of lower urinary tract infections. Traditional urodesinficients were on the first place only at one hospital. Treatment of frequently occurring nosocomial infections was compared with those of community acquired at the same site. There was not significant difference in the utilisation rates of the most of antibiotic groups regarding place of disease acquisition. 44% of the 1373 prescriptions for perioperative profilaxis was indicated for clean operations where benefit of antibiotic administration is questionable. Duration of antibiotic profilaxis was more than 48 hours in 59% of prescriptions. Drugs most frequently used for perioperative profilaxis were II. generation cephalosporins (23.7%), metronidazol (16.7%), aminoglycosides (9.6%) and III. generation cephalosporines (9.6%). The authors compare their results to the literature. They suggest the setting up of "infection control committees" to organise the antibiotic policies in hospitals.

The practical paradox of technology: The influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement.

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Ter Hoeven, Claartje L; van Zoonen, Ward; Fonner, Kathryn L

2016-04-02

Technological advancements in the workplace frequently have produced contradictory effects by facilitating accessibility and efficiency while increasing interruptions and unpredictability. We combine insights from organizational paradoxes and the job demands-resources model to construct a framework identifying positive and negative mechanisms in the relationship between communication technology use (CTU) and employee well-being, operationalized as work engagement and burnout. In this study of Dutch workers, we demonstrate that CTU increases well-being through positive pathways (accessibility and efficiency) and decreases well-being through negative pathways (interruptions and unpredictability). We highlight the importance of (1) investigating CTU resources and demands simultaneously to grasp the relationship between CTU and employee well-being, and (2) considering CTU's downsides to successfully implement new communication technologies and flexible work designs.

Efficacy of levamisole in children with frequently relapsing and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekambaram, Sudha; Mahalingam, Vijayakumar; Nageswaran, Prahlad; Udani, Amish; Geminiganesan, Sangeetha; Priyadarshini, Shweta

2014-05-01

To assess the efficacy of levamisole in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome. Retrospective analysis of hospital case records. Pediatric nephrology department of a tertiary referral pediatric hospital. 62 children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome and 35 children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome. Case records of children who were diagnosed as steroid-dependant or frequently-relapsing nephrotic syndrome from June 2004 to June 2011, were reviewed. Levamisole was given daily (2 mg/kg/d) along with tapering doses of alternate day steroids after remission on daily steroids. Levamisole was effective in 77.3% children with a better (80.6%) efficacy in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome. A total of 34 children completed 1 year follow-up post levamisole therapy. The cumulative mean (SD) steroid dose 1-year before therapy was 4109(1154) mg/m2 and 1-year post therapy was 661 (11) mg/m2 (P<0.001). The relapses were also less during the period of post-levamisole therapy. Levamisole is an effective alternative therapy in frequently relapsing and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.

Utilization of dashboard technology in academic radiology departments: results of a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansoori, Bahar; Novak, Ronald D; Sivit, Carlos J; Ros, Pablo R

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to identify the most widely used financial, productivity, and accessibility metrics used by academic radiology departments (ARDs) in a dashboard format via a national survey. The results provide a guide to the selection of preferred or commonly used indicators to facilitate dashboard implementation and use. The study met the criteria for an exemption from institutional review board approval. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a survey approved by the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments and sent to its members. The survey was designed to evaluate the adoption, access, and composition of dashboard technology in ARDs, particularly those related to measures of productivity and financial performance. The overall response rate was 42% (56 of 131 members). Sixty-two percent of responding ARDs currently use some form of dashboard technology, but 50% have used this technology for ≤2 years. Sixty-five percent of all ARDs use their dashboard information on a monthly basis. The two dashboard financial indicators most frequently used by ARDs are revenue and actual expenses. Similarly, the two productivity indicators used most widely are total examination volume and examination volume per modality. The two most important access indicators used are report turnaround time and backlog per unit time. Currently, fewer than two-thirds of the responding ARDs use dashboard technology, and one-half have used the technology for ≤2 years. Although some fiscal and productivity indices are more frequently used, there are a diverse number of factors used to measure productivity, finance, access, and other operational parameters in ARD dashboards. Thus, the information provided by each institutional dashboard may be significantly different from that in other ARDs. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Non alcoholic fatty liver. A frequent entity with an unknown outcome].

Science.gov (United States)

Barisio D'Angelo, María Gabriela; Mariel Actis, Andrea; Outomuro, Delia

2009-01-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), defined as excessive fat accumulation into the hepatocytes, has a prevalence of approximately 15 to 25%. Frequently associated risk factors for NAFLD are obesity, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. It has been proponed that a mitochondrial dysfunction would play a crucial role in the disease development.On the other hand, focus is on insulin resistance syndrome, the only metabolic alteration strongly associated with this malady. The disease is suspected in individuals with insulina resistance characteristics such as metabolic syndrome and also in those with augmented serum aminotransferases levels. Different tests with biochemical markers have been proposed to predict the development of fibrosis or steatohepatitis. Therapeutic options in NAFLD patients are limited and weight lost remains as the most recommended one.

Attitudes in Korea toward Introducing Smart Policing Technologies: Differences between the General Public and Police Officers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HyungBin Moon

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes different attitudes toward introduction of smart policing technologies in cybercrime policing among the Korean public and police. Policing is essential for a sustainable community. Technological advances in policing have both positive and negative aspects, making it essential to investigate perceptions of both public and police when introducing smart policing technologies. A discrete choice experiment was undertaken to survey preferences of the public and police toward introduction of such technologies and conduct simulation analysis to compare changes in the acceptance of various scenarios. The study divides cybercrime policing into prevention and investigation. The sample included 500 members of the public and 161 police officers. The results show that the public thinks an increase in yearly taxes and invasion of privacy are the most important factors. Conversely, the police think factors enhancing the efficiency of policing are most important. Moreover, when smart policing technologies are introduced, the public and police perceive more utility in the prevention and investigation of cybercrime, respectively. Few studies in this field separate the prevention and investigation of crimes, or compare perceptions of the public and police toward the introduction of smart policing technologies. This study’s quantitative analysis provides insights lacking in previous literature.

Discovering More Accurate Frequent Web Usage Patterns

OpenAIRE

Bayir, Murat Ali; Toroslu, Ismail Hakki; Cosar, Ahmet; Fidan, Guven

2008-01-01

Web usage mining is a type of web mining, which exploits data mining techniques to discover valuable information from navigation behavior of World Wide Web users. As in classical data mining, data preparation and pattern discovery are the main issues in web usage mining. The first phase of web usage mining is the data processing phase, which includes the session reconstruction operation from server logs. Session reconstruction success directly affects the quality of the frequent patterns disc...

[Effect of different parts, harvesting time and processing technologies on alkaloids content of Coptis chinensis adventitious root].

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Jie; Wang, De-Zhen; Zou, Zong-Yao; Wang, Yan-Zhi; Gao, Qian; Li, Xue-Gang

2014-03-01

To investigate the effect of different parts, harvesting time and processing technologies on alkaloids content of Coptis chinensis adventitious root. The content of alkaloids were analyzed by HPLC. The content of total alkaloids in adventitious root harvested in different time was ranged from 2.5% to 2.9%, in which that of berberine and coptisine were the highest, reaching to 1%, and that of palmatine was only 0.1%. It suggested there was no significant difference of total alkaloids at different harvesting time. Nevertheless, the difference of the alkaloids content from different parts was much significant. The content of total alkaloid of adventitious root near to rhizome was about 4%, 2 times higher than that away from rhizome (only 2%). In addition, different processing technologies would affect alkaloids content obviously. There was hardly loss of alkaloids when the fresh adventitious root was washed with water, but it would decrease alkaloids content when the dried adventitious root was washed. Medicine value of Coptis chinensis adventitious root near to rhizome is higher than that away from rhizome. And fresh Coptis chinensis adventitious root can be washed with water.

Mobilizing technology for developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, C Jr

1979-10-01

Mr. Weiss says that the 15 years since the UN Conference on Science, Technology, and Development in Geneva have taught us that what seem at first to be technological obstacles to development frequently turn out on closer examination to have been policy failures; that introduction of technologies into developing countries must be accompanied by institutional and policy changes if the technologies are to benefit the countries. He points out that choice of alternative technology for a developing country should depend on careful overall assessment of local techno-economic, geographical, ecological, and social factors, as well as the desired balance between growth and equity. Such a technology assessment, a key element in the choice of appropriate (i.e., locally suitable) technology for particular investment projects, should be built into procedures for project preparation and appraisal in governments and development assistance agencies. Turning to technologists, Mr. Weiss says they face a double challenge: (1) to recognize potential for new efforts to harness science and technology for the benefit of the developing countries; and (2) by understanding the social, institutional, and economic framework into which an innovation is to operate, to ease its application and diffusion, and thus speed and increase its practical impact. 25 references.

Frequently Asked Questions about Measles in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

... Pan American Health Organization Frequently Asked Questions about Measles in the U.S. Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) ... I’ve been exposed to someone who has measles. What should I do? A: Immediately call your ...

Experimental evaluation of ontology-based HIV/AIDS frequently asked question retrieval system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayalew, Yirsaw; Moeng, Barbara; Mosweunyane, Gontlafetse

2018-05-01

This study presents the results of experimental evaluations of an ontology-based frequently asked question retrieval system in the domain of HIV and AIDS. The main purpose of the system is to provide answers to questions on HIV/AIDS using ontology. To evaluate the effectiveness of the frequently asked question retrieval system, we conducted two experiments. The first experiment focused on the evaluation of the quality of the ontology we developed using the OQuaRE evaluation framework which is based on software quality metrics and metrics designed for ontology quality evaluation. The second experiment focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the ontology in retrieving relevant answers. For this we used an open-source information retrieval platform, Terrier, with retrieval models BM25 and PL2. For the measurement of performance, we used the measures mean average precision, mean reciprocal rank, and precision at 5. The results suggest that frequently asked question retrieval with ontology is more effective than frequently asked question retrieval without ontology in the domain of HIV/AIDS.

Current trends in endodontic practice: emergency treatments and technological armamentarium.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Michelle; Winkler, Johnathon; Hartwell, Gary; Stewart, Jeffrey; Caine, Rufus

2009-01-01

The current clinical practice of endodontics includes the utilization of a variety of new technological advances and materials. The last comprehensive survey that compared treatment modalities used in endodontic practices was conducted in 1990. The purpose of the current survey was to determine the frequency with which these new endodontic technologies and materials are being used in endodontic practices today. An e-mail questionnaire was sent to the 636 active diplomates of the American Board of Endodontics with current e-mail addresses. Two hundred thirty-two diplomates responded for a response rate of 35%. Calcium hydroxide was found to be the most frequently used intracanal medicament for all cases diagnosed with necrotic pulps. Ibuprofen was the most frequently prescribed medication for pain, and penicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic when an active infection was present. Eighty-two percent of the respondents are still incorporating hand files in some fashion during the cleansing and shaping phase of treatment. Lateral condensation and continuous wave were the most common methods used for obturation. Digital radiography was reported as being used by 72.5% of the respondents, whereas 45.3% reported using the microscope greater than 75% of the patient treatment. Ultrasonics was used by 97.8% of the respondents. It appears from the results that new endodontic technology is currently being used in the endodontic offices of those who responded to the survey.

Characterization of photovoltaic solar panels in outdoor conditions and according to different technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mambrini, Thomas

2014-01-01

Nowadays, photovoltaic (PV) keeps growing fast and an increasing number of studies is require in order to assure the reliability and predictability of the PV-produced electricity. The lack of visibility concerning this field is a continuous source of complaints from the investors who hesitate to commit to PV projects (especially after the decrease of buying prices in Europe). Therefore, to assure the successful increase of PV energy, it is necessary to provide studies aiming at better understanding PV systems in real operation conditions, that means in outdoor conditions. The goal of this doctoral work has been to characterize different PV module technologies in their real use conditions. The outdoor parameters that influence the behavior of different module technologies have been investigated. The goal was to obtain useful information which could make PV-produced electricity more reliable. Therefore, these studies can efficiently complete standard laboratory characterization tests made under a single condition, the purpose of which is usually to determine the efficiency of the different solar cells technologies. To achieve this goal, first it has been necessary to define the outdoor parameters that mainly influence the modules and the most suitable methods to be used for their investigation. For this reason, part of this doctoral work has been devoted to the study of weather and atmospheric factors affecting the electrical behavior of the modules, as well as setting up instruments and methods to measure them. Additionally, advantages and disadvantages of outdoors characterizations have been addressed. Then, after multiple fully automated PV platforms, mounted at the LGEP and at Ecole Polytechnique, thanks to a collaboration with the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (LMD). The different applications and uses of these platforms have been highlighted by analyzing data recorded periodically (every minute on average) over periods ranging from days to several

GraMi: Generalized Frequent Pattern Mining in a Single Large Graph

KAUST Repository

Saeedy, Mohammed El

2011-11-01

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs, but modern applications, such as social networks, citation graphs or protein-protein interaction in bioinformatics, are modeled as a single large graph. Interesting interactions in such applications may be transitive (e.g., friend of a friend). Existing methods, however, search for frequent isomorphic (i.e., exact match) subgraphs and cannot discover many useful patterns. In this paper the authors propose GRAMI, a framework that generalizes frequent subgraph mining in a large single graph. GRAMI discovers frequent patterns. A pattern is a graph where edges are generalized to distance-constrained paths. Depending on the definition of the distance function, many instantiations of the framework are possible. Both directed and undirected graphs, as well as multiple labels per vertex, are supported. The authors developed an efficient implementation of the framework that models the frequency resolution phase as a constraint satisfaction problem, in order to avoid the costly enumeration of all instances of each pattern in the graph. The authors also implemented CGRAMI, a version that supports structural and semantic constraints; and AGRAMI, an approximate version that supports very large graphs. The experiments on real data demonstrate that the authors framework is up to 3 orders of magnitude faster and discovers more interesting patterns than existing approaches.

Two Different Maintenance Strategies in the Hospital Environment: Preventive Maintenance for Older Technology Devices and Predictive Maintenance for Newer High-Tech Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Sezdi, Mana

2016-01-01

A maintenance program generated through the consideration of characteristics and failures of medical equipment is an important component of technology management. However, older technology devices and newer high-tech devices cannot be efficiently managed using the same strategies because of their different characteristics. This study aimed to generate a maintenance program comprising two different strategies to increase the efficiency of device management: preventive maintenance for older technology devices and predictive maintenance for newer high-tech devices. For preventive maintenance development, 589 older technology devices were subjected to performance verification and safety testing (PVST). For predictive maintenance development, the manufacturers' recommendations were used for 134 high-tech devices. These strategies were evaluated in terms of device reliability. This study recommends the use of two different maintenance strategies for old and new devices at hospitals in developing countries. Thus, older technology devices that applied only corrective maintenance will be included in maintenance like high-tech devices.

Bedload-surrogate monitoring technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, John R.; Laronne, Jonathan B.; Marr, Jeffrey D.G.

2010-01-01

Advances in technologies for quantifying bedload fluxes and in some cases bedload size distributions in rivers show promise toward supplanting traditional physical samplers and sampling methods predicated on the collection and analysis of physical bedload samples. Four workshops held from 2002 to 2007 directly or peripherally addressed bedload-surrogate technologies, and results from these workshops have been compiled to evaluate the state-of-the-art in bedload monitoring. Papers from the 2007 workshop are published for the first time with this report. Selected research and publications since the 2007 workshop also are presented. Traditional samplers used for some or all of the last eight decades include box or basket samplers, pan or tray samplers, pressure-difference samplers, and trough or pit samplers. Although still useful, the future niche of these devices may be as a means for calibrating bedload-surrogate technologies operating with active- and passive-type sensors, in many cases continuously and automatically at a river site. Active sensors include acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), sonar, radar, and smart sensors. Passive sensors include geophones (pipes or plates) in direct contact with the streambed, hydrophones deployed in the water column, impact columns, and magnetic detection. The ADCP for sand and geophones for gravel are currently the most developed techniques, several of which have been calibrated under both laboratory and field conditions. Although none of the bedload-surrogate technologies described herein are broadly accepted for use in large-scale monitoring programs, several are under evaluation. The benefits of verifying and operationally deploying selected bedload-surrogate monitoring technologies could be considerable, providing for more frequent and consistent, less expensive, and arguably more accurate bedload data obtained with reduced personal risk for use in managing the world's sedimentary resources. Twenty-six papers are

Distal technologies and type 1 diabetes management.

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Danny C; Barry, Samantha; Wagner, David V; Speight, Jane; Choudhary, Pratik; Harris, Michael A

2018-02-01

Type 1 diabetes requires intensive self-management to avoid acute and long-term health complications. In the past two decades, substantial advances in technology have enabled more effective and convenient self-management of type 1 diabetes. Although proximal technologies (eg, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, closed-loop and artificial pancreas systems) have been the subject of frequent systematic and narrative reviews, distal technologies have received scant attention. Distal technologies refer to electronic systems designed to provide a service remotely and include heterogeneous systems such as telehealth, mobile health applications, game-based support, social platforms, and patient portals. In this Review, we summarise the empirical literature to provide current information about the effectiveness of available distal technologies to improve type 1 diabetes management. We also discuss privacy, ethics, and regulatory considerations, issues of global adoption, knowledge gaps in distal technology, and recommendations for future directions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technological Singularity: What Do We Really Know?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey Potapov

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The concept of the technological singularity is frequently reified. Futurist forecasts inferred from this imprecise reification are then criticized, and the reified ideas are incorporated in the core concept. In this paper, I try to disentangle the facts related to the technological singularity from more speculative beliefs about the possibility of creating artificial general intelligence. I use the theory of metasystem transitions and the concept of universal evolution to analyze some misconceptions about the technological singularity. While it may be neither purely technological, nor truly singular, we can predict that the next transition will take place, and that the emerged metasystem will demonstrate exponential growth in complexity with a doubling time of less than half a year, exceeding the complexity of the existing cybernetic systems in few decades.

The effect of PBL and film showing, frequent quizzes and lecture-based method on short-term performance of dentistry students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadr Lahijani M.S

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Advocates have proposed that frequent testing increases the effectiveness of instruction by encouraging learners to study and review more often. It has also been argued that in this way, student errors can be identified and corrected earlier and good performance can be recognized, leading to more positive attitudes toward learning process. In problem-based learning (PBL, medical students reportedly take a more active role in learning and have better recall than students in a conventional learning environment. The hypothetical benefits of a PBL and studentbased environment and use of films in the class are the development of self-learning and problem-solving skills and enhancement of knowledge and motivation. Purpose: To examine the effect of combination of PBL method and film showing on the short-term performance of dentistry students and to compare it with lecture-based method and frequent quizzes. Methods: All students of 3 years (from 2000 till 2002 that had theoretical endodontic course (part 1 participated in this descriptive-analytic study. The scores of final examinations of this course were obtained from their files. Data were analyzed by SPSS software & ANOVA. Results: The results showed that by changing the way of learning (PBL and film showing in 2001, there was a statistical difference between scores of the students of 2000 and 2001. Also there was a statistical difference with the students’ scores in 2002- the group with frequent quizzes. Conclusion: The variables such as changing the way of learning, using different methods in teaching, showing scientific films in class or, as a whole, active learning have significant effects on the results of final examination. Key Words: PBL, lecture based method, education, frequent quizzes

Impact of climate policy uncertainty on the adoption of electricity generating technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuss, Sabine; Obersteiner, Michael; Johansson, Daniel J.A.; Szolgayova, Jana

2009-01-01

This paper presents a real options model where multiple options are evaluated simultaneously so that the effect of the individual options on each other is accounted for. We apply this model to the electricity sector, where we analyze three typical technologies based on fossil fuel, fossil fuel with carbon capture and renewable energy, respectively. In this way, we can analyze the transition from CO 2 -intensive to CO 2 -neutral electricity production in the face of rising and uncertain CO 2 prices. In addition, such a modelling approach enables us to estimate precisely the expected value of (perfect) information, i.e. the willingness of investors and producers to pay for information about the correct CO 2 price path. As can be expected, the expected value of information rises with increasing CO 2 price uncertainty. In addition, the larger the price uncertainty, the larger are the cumulative CO 2 emissions over the coming century. The reason for this is that the transition to less CO 2 -intensive technologies is increasingly postponed with rising CO 2 price uncertainty. By testing different price processes (geometric Brownian motion versus jump processes with different jump frequencies), we can also make useful recommendations concerning the importance of policy predictability. We find that it is better to have climate change policies that are stable over a certain length of time and change abruptly than less abrupt but more frequently changing policies. Less frequent fluctuations reduce the expected value of information and result in smaller cumulative CO 2 emissions. (author)

Technology of data transmitting between different data sources based on LAN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yang; Wang Ling; Chen Yue; Yu Yaowei; Zhang Xiaodong

2007-01-01

During experimental operation of EAST, vacuum data and temperature data of inner components should not only be supplied for inner surveillance function of vacuum system, but also be sent by appointed format to database of central control system via LAN of control in real time and by shot document, so that it can supply necessary information for control of plasma discharging and physical analysis. This paper presents how to solves the problem of data communication between EAST vacuum control system and central control system by using OPC function supposed by kingview6.51, Winsock network programming and multithreading technologies. Consequently data transmitting in real-time and by shot document between different data sources within LAN is achieved simultaneously. (authors)

Frequent use of emergency departments by older people: a comparative cohort study of characteristics and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Maryann; Berry, Debra; Considine, Julie

2018-04-12

To characterise older people who frequently use emergency departments (EDs) and compare patient outcomes with older non-frequent ED attenders. Retrospective comparative cohort study. Logistic regression modelling of patient characteristics and health service usage, comparing older frequent ED attenders (≥4 ED attendances in 12 months) to non-frequent ED attenders. Three Australian public hospital EDs, with a total of 143 327 emergency attendances in the 12 months. People aged ≥65 years attending the ED in financial year 2013/2014. The primary outcome was frequent ED use; secondary outcomes were ED length of stay, discharge destination from ED, hospital length of stay, re-presentation within 48 h, hospital readmission within 30 days and in-hospital mortality. Five percent of older people were frequent attenders (n = 1046/21 073), accounting for 16.9% (n = 5469/32 282) of all attendances by older people. Frequent ED attenders were more likely to be male, aged 75-84 years, arrive by ambulance and have a diagnosis relating to chronic illness. Frequent attenders stayed 0.4 h longer in ED (P < 0.001), were more likely to be admitted to hospital (69.2% vs 67.2%; P = 0.004), and had a 1 day longer hospital stay (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality for older frequent ED attenders was double that of non-frequent attenders (7.0% vs 3.2%, P < 0.001) over 12 months. Older frequent ED attenders had more chronic disease and care needs requiring hospital admission than non-frequent attenders. A new approach to care planning and coordination is recommended, to optimise the patient journey and improve outcomes.

ECONOMY OF A NON-WASTE ROAD REPAIRING AND COVERING TECHNOLOGY IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilyara Kyazymovna Izmaylova

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article questions the economic feasibility of the use of a non-waste repairing and restoration technology for the road surfaces. While writing this article there were conducted several analyses, for example: analysis of consumption volumes of mineral components of asphalt mixtures based on the geography of the commodity market, analysis of changes in cost of materials considering transport conditions. Also defined the conditions and preferential types of asphalt concrete processing in different countries.

The practical paradox of technology: The influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Ter Hoeven, Claartje L.; van Zoonen, Ward; Fonner, Kathryn L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Technological advancements in the workplace frequently have produced contradictory effects by facilitating accessibility and efficiency while increasing interruptions and unpredictability. We combine insights from organizational paradoxes and the job demands–resources model to construct a framework identifying positive and negative mechanisms in the relationship between communication technology use (CTU) and employee well-being, operationalized as work engagement and burnout. In this study of Dutch workers, we demonstrate that CTU increases well-being through positive pathways (accessibility and efficiency) and decreases well-being through negative pathways (interruptions and unpredictability). We highlight the importance of (1) investigating CTU resources and demands simultaneously to grasp the relationship between CTU and employee well-being, and (2) considering CTU's downsides to successfully implement new communication technologies and flexible work designs. PMID:27226694

Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online gamers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Tim; Notebaert, Karolien Hilde; Dresler, Thomas; Kowarsch, Linda; Reif, Andreas; Fallgatter, Andreas J

2014-01-01

Millions of people regularly play so-called massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal, and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state, and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" (WoW) - similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addictions - show a generally deficient reward system. In frequent players of the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" (WoW-players) and in a control group of non-gamers we assessed (1) trait sensitivity to reward (SR), (2) BOLD responses during monetary reward processing in the ventral striatum, and (3) ventral-striatal resting-state dynamics. We found a decreased neural activation in the ventral striatum during the anticipation of both small and large monetary rewards. Additionally, we show generally altered neurodynamics in this region independent of any specific task for WoW players (resting state). On the behavioral level, we found differences in trait SR, suggesting that the reward processing deficiencies found in this study are not a consequence of gaming, but predisposed to it. These findings empirically support a direct link between frequent online gaming and the broad field of behavioral and drug addiction research, thus opening new avenues for clinical interventions in addicted gamers and potentially improving the assessment of addiction-risk in the vast population of frequent gamers.

Case Management Reduces Length of Stay, Charges, and Testing in Emergency Department Frequent Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jameel Sughair

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Case management is an effective, short-term means to reduce emergency department (ED visits in frequent users of the ED. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of case management on frequent ED users, in terms of reducing ED and hospital length of stay (LOS, accrued costs, and utilization of diagnostic tests. Methods: The study consisted of a retrospective chart review of ED and inpatient visits in our hospital’s ED case management program, comparing patient visits made in the one year prior to enrollment in the program, to the visits made in the one year after enrollment in the program. We examined the LOS, use of diagnostic testing, and monetary charges incurred by these patients one year prior and one year after enrollment into case management. Results: The study consisted of 158 patients in case management. Comparing the one year prior to enrollment to the one year after enrollment, ED visits decreased by 49%, inpatient admissions decreased by 39%, the use of computed tomography imaging decreased 41%, the use of ultrasound imaging decreased 52%, and the use of radiographs decreased 38%. LOS in the ED and for inpatient admissions decreased by 39%, reducing total LOS for these patients by 178 days. ED and hospital charges incurred by these patients decreased by 5.8 million dollars, a 41% reduction. All differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Case management for frequent users of the ED is an effective method to reduce patient visits, the use of diagnostic testing, length of stay, and cost within our institution.

Oral Astragalus (Huang qi) for preventing frequent episodes of acute respiratory tract infection in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Guobin; Chen, Xiankun; Liu, Zhuangzhu; Yang, Lihong; Zhang, La; Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia; Wen, Zehuai; Guo, Xinfeng; Qin, Xindong; Liang, Jueyao; Liu, Xusheng

2016-12-01

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are common in children and can involve both upper and lower airways. Many children experience frequent ARTI episodes or recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) in early life, which creates challenges for paediatricians, primary care physicians, parents and carers of children.In China, Astragalus (Huang qi), alone or in combination with other herbs, is used by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in the form of a water extract, to reduce the risk of ARTIs; it is believed to stimulate the immune system. Better understanding of the therapeutic mechanisms of Astragalus may provide insights into ARTI prevention, and consequently reduced antibiotic use. To assess the effectiveness and safety of oral Astragalus for preventing frequent episodes of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children in community settings. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Issue 12, 2015), MEDLINE (Ovid) (1946 to 31 December 2015), Embase (Elsevier) (1974 to 31 December 2015), AMED (Ovid) (1985 to 31 December 2015), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (1979 to 31 December 2015) and Chinese Scientific Journals full text database (CQVIP) (1989 to 31 December 2015), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM 1976 to 31 December 2015) and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform (WanFang) (1998 to 31 December 2015). We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oral Astragalus as a sole Chinese herbal preparation with placebo to prevent frequent episodes of ARTIs in children. We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures for this review. We assessed search results to identify relevant studies. We planned to extract data using standardised forms. Disagreements were to be resolved through discussion. Risk of bias was to be assessed using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. We planned to use mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) for continuous data and risk

Competence-Based Education and Training– about Frequently Asked Questions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, M.

2012-01-01

This article follows the author's previous piece on practical guidelines for the development of comprehensive competence-based education and training (Mulder, 2012). It is about the questions that have been and are still frequently asked in presentations, workshops and classes about the introduction

Effects of Different Multimedia Presentations on Viewers' Information-Processing Activities Measured by Eye-Tracking Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Hsueh-Hua; Liu, Han-Chin

2012-01-01

This study implemented eye-tracking technology to understand the impact of different multimedia instructional materials, i.e., five successive pages versus a single page with the same amount of information, on information-processing activities in 21 non-science-major college students. The findings showed that students demonstrated the same number…

Do David and Goliath Play the Same Game? Explanation of the Abundance of Rare and Frequent Invasive Alien Plants in Urban Woodlands in Warsaw, Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Obidziński, Artur; Mędrzycki, Piotr; Kołaczkowska, Ewa; Ciurzycki, Wojciech; Marciszewska, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Invasive Alien Plants occur in numbers differing by orders of magnitude at subsequent invasion stages. Effective sampling and quantifying niches of rare invasive plants are quite problematic. The aim of this paper is an estimation of the influence of invasive plants frequency on the explanation of their local abundance. We attempted to achieve it through: (1) assessment of occurrence of self-regenerating invasive plants in urban woodlands, (2) comparison of Random Forest modelling results for frequent and rare species. We hypothesized that the abundance of frequent species would be explained better than that of rare ones and that both rare and frequent species share a common hierarchy of the most important determinants. We found 15 taxa in almost two thirds of 1040 plots with a total number of 1068 occurrences. There were recorded 6 taxa of high frequency-Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra, Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, Impatiens parviflora and Solidago spp.-and 9 taxa of low frequency: Acer saccharinum, Amelanchier spicata, Cornus spp., Fraxinus spp., Parthenocissus spp., Syringa vulgaris, Echinocystis lobata, Helianthus tuberosus, Reynoutria spp. Random Forest's models' quality grows with the number of occurrences of frequent taxa but not of the rare ones. Both frequent and rare taxa share a similar hierarchy of predictors' importance: Land use > Tree stand > Seed source and, for frequent taxa, Forest properties as well. We conclude that there is an 'explanation jump' at higher species frequencies, but rare species are surprisingly similar to frequent ones in their determinant's hierarchy, with differences conforming with their respective stages of invasion.

Do David and Goliath Play the Same Game? Explanation of the Abundance of Rare and Frequent Invasive Alien Plants in Urban Woodlands in Warsaw, Poland.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artur Obidziński

Full Text Available Invasive Alien Plants occur in numbers differing by orders of magnitude at subsequent invasion stages. Effective sampling and quantifying niches of rare invasive plants are quite problematic. The aim of this paper is an estimation of the influence of invasive plants frequency on the explanation of their local abundance. We attempted to achieve it through: (1 assessment of occurrence of self-regenerating invasive plants in urban woodlands, (2 comparison of Random Forest modelling results for frequent and rare species. We hypothesized that the abundance of frequent species would be explained better than that of rare ones and that both rare and frequent species share a common hierarchy of the most important determinants. We found 15 taxa in almost two thirds of 1040 plots with a total number of 1068 occurrences. There were recorded 6 taxa of high frequency-Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra, Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, Impatiens parviflora and Solidago spp.-and 9 taxa of low frequency: Acer saccharinum, Amelanchier spicata, Cornus spp., Fraxinus spp., Parthenocissus spp., Syringa vulgaris, Echinocystis lobata, Helianthus tuberosus, Reynoutria spp. Random Forest's models' quality grows with the number of occurrences of frequent taxa but not of the rare ones. Both frequent and rare taxa share a similar hierarchy of predictors' importance: Land use > Tree stand > Seed source and, for frequent taxa, Forest properties as well. We conclude that there is an 'explanation jump' at higher species frequencies, but rare species are surprisingly similar to frequent ones in their determinant's hierarchy, with differences conforming with their respective stages of invasion.

Do David and Goliath Play the Same Game? Explanation of the Abundance of Rare and Frequent Invasive Alien Plants in Urban Woodlands in Warsaw, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Mędrzycki, Piotr; Kołaczkowska, Ewa; Ciurzycki, Wojciech; Marciszewska, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Invasive Alien Plants occur in numbers differing by orders of magnitude at subsequent invasion stages. Effective sampling and quantifying niches of rare invasive plants are quite problematic. The aim of this paper is an estimation of the influence of invasive plants frequency on the explanation of their local abundance. We attempted to achieve it through: (1) assessment of occurrence of self-regenerating invasive plants in urban woodlands, (2) comparison of Random Forest modelling results for frequent and rare species. We hypothesized that the abundance of frequent species would be explained better than that of rare ones and that both rare and frequent species share a common hierarchy of the most important determinants. We found 15 taxa in almost two thirds of 1040 plots with a total number of 1068 occurrences. There were recorded 6 taxa of high frequency–Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra, Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, Impatiens parviflora and Solidago spp.–and 9 taxa of low frequency: Acer saccharinum, Amelanchier spicata, Cornus spp., Fraxinus spp., Parthenocissus spp., Syringa vulgaris, Echinocystis lobata, Helianthus tuberosus, Reynoutria spp. Random Forest’s models’ quality grows with the number of occurrences of frequent taxa but not of the rare ones. Both frequent and rare taxa share a similar hierarchy of predictors’ importance: Land use > Tree stand > Seed source and, for frequent taxa, Forest properties as well. We conclude that there is an ‘explanation jump’ at higher species frequencies, but rare species are surprisingly similar to frequent ones in their determinant’s hierarchy, with differences conforming with their respective stages of invasion. PMID:27992516

Frequent Experience of LGBQ Microaggression on Campus Associated With Smoking Among Sexual Minority College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ylioja, Thomas; Cochran, Gerald; Woodford, Michael R; Renn, Kristen A

2018-02-07

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer/questioning (LGBQ) microaggressions refer to often-unintentional insults, assaults, and invalidations that denigrate sexual minorities. While experiencing hostile discrimination and violence has previously been associated with elevated rates of smoking cigarettes for LGBQ college students, the relationship between LGBQ microaggressions and smoking is unknown. Data from a national anonymous online survey of sexual and gender minority college students were used to examine the relationship between past month cigarette smoking and interpersonal LGBQ microaggressions. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the relationship between smoking and frequent (chronic) experiences of microaggressions, using a hierarchical procedure to control for demographics, predictors of smoking, and academic factors. Past year frequent LGBQ microaggression was reported by 48% of respondents and was more common among students who smoked in past 30 days. Experiencing past year physical violence was reported by 15% and did not differ by smoking status. Past year frequent experience of microaggressions was associated with increased odds of 1.72 (95% CI 1.03-2.87) for past 30-day smoking after adjusting for age, gender, race, socioeconomic indicators, alcohol misuse, physical violence, as well as academic stress and engagement. The results indicate that frequently experiencing LGBQ microaggressions is a risk factor for LGBQ college students smoking cigarettes. The mechanisms underlying this relationship require additional research, as does identifying positive coping strategies and institutional strategies to address LGBQ microaggressions on campuses. Tobacco control efforts should consider the impact of microaggression on the social environment for the prevention and treatment of tobacco use among LGBQ individuals. Microaggressions related to sexual minority identity include subtle forms of discrimination experienced during daily interactions that can create

Technology thrusts for future Earth science applications

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Shahid

2001-02-01

This paper presents NASA's recent direction to invest in the critical science instrument and platform technologies in order to realize more reliable, frequent and versatile missions for future Earth Science measurements. Historically, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise has developed and flown science missions that have been large in size, mass and volume. These missions have taken much longer to implement due to technology development time, and have carried a large suite of instruments on a large spacecraft. NASA is now facing an era where the budget for the future years is more or less flat and the possibility for any major new start does not vividly appear on the horizon. Unfortunately, the scientific measurement needs for remote sensing have not shrunk to commensurate with the budget constraints. In fact, the challenges and scientific appetite in search of answers to a score of outstanding questions have been gradually expanding. With these factors in mind, for the last three years NASA has been changing its focus to concentrate on how to take advantage of smaller missions by relying on industry, and minimizing the overall mission life cycle by developing technologies that are independent of the mission implementation cycle. The major redirection of early investment in the critical technologies should eventually have its rewards and significantly reduce the mission development period. Needless to say, in the long run this approach should save money, minimize risk, promote or encourage partnering, allow for a rapid response to measurement needs, and enable frequent missions making a wider variety of earth science measurements. This paper gives an overview of some of the identified crucial technologies and their intended applications for meeting the future Earth Science challenges.

Technology Thrust for Future Earth Science Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Shahid

2000-01-01

This paper presents NASA's recent direction to invest in the critical science instrument and platform technologies in order to realize more reliable, frequent and versatile missions for future Earth Science measurements. Traditionally, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise has developed and flown science missions that have been large in size, weight and volume. These missions have taken much longer implementation due to technology development time and have carried a large suite of instruments on a large-size spacecraft. NASA is also facing an era where the budget for the future years is more or less flat and the possibility for any major new start does not vividly appear on the horizon. Unfortunately, the scientific goals have not shrunk to commensurate with the budget constraints. In fact, the challenges and scientific appetite in search of answers to a score of outstanding questions have been gradually expanding. With these factors in mind, for the last three years NASA has been changing its focus to concentrate on how to take advantage of smaller missions by relying on industry, and minimizing the overall life cycle by infusing technologies that are being developed independently of any planned mission's implementation cycle. The major redirection of early investment in the critical technologies should have its rewards and significantly reduce the mission development period. Needless to say, in the long run this approach should save money, minimize risk, promote or encourage partnering, and allow for more frequent missions or earth science measurements to occur. This paper gives an overview of some of the identified crucial technologies and their intended applications for meeting the future Earth Science challenges.

Assessment of Global Emissions, Local Emissions and Immissions of Different Heating Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Erdmann

2009-08-01

Full Text Available This paper assesses and compares existing and new technologies for space heating in Germany (e.g., heat pumps, and solar thermal and wood pellet systems in terms of their environmental impacts. The various technologies were analyzed within the context of the new German legislation. The assessment was carried out on three levels: 1. Global emissions: a life cycle assessment was carried out in order to find the global environmental footprint of the various technologies; 2. Local emissions: the effects of local emissions on human health were analyzed; and 3. Immissions: the immissions were evaluated for the various technologies using a dispersion calculation. A special feature of this study is the substitution of frequently used database emission values by values obtained from field studies and our own measurements. The results show large differences between the different technologies: while electric heat pumps performed quite well in most categories, wood pellet systems performed the best with respect to climate change. The latter, however, are associated with high impacts in other environmental impact categories and on a local scale. The promotion of some technologies (especially systems based on fuel oil, a mixture of fuel oil and rapeseed oil, or a mixture of natural gas and biomethane by the newly introduced German legislation is doubtful. In terms of the immissions of wood pellet systems, it can be concluded that, even for extremely unfavorable meteorological conditions, the regulatory limits are not exceeded and the heating systems have a negligible influence on the total PM load in the ambient air.

Art technologies as possible propulsars in technological innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Lars Botin

2003-01-01

kind. This discussion, of general character, constitutes the initial part of this paper. Then it briefly looks into the final terms of the papertitle and try to relate to the diffuse and discussed technological innovation. Both aspects – art and technology and technological innovation – will be dealt...... with from a historical/hermeneutic and social constructivist point of view, as the paper moves from a general principal level to a more specific, exemplary level, where three different art technologies are presented as possible propulsars in technological innovation.......Art and technology has, as the German philosopher Martin Heidegger points out, the same etymological root. A thorough investigation of the relationship between art and technology will show how this same root has manifested itself in different times and spaces bringing results of the most variegated...

Predicting the transition from frequent cannabis use to cannabis dependence: a three-year prospective study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Pol, P.; Liebregts, N.; de Graaf, R.; Korf, D.J.; van den Brink, W.; van Laar, M.

2013-01-01

Background Frequent cannabis users are at high risk of dependence, still most (near) daily users are not dependent. It is unknown why some frequent users develop dependence, whereas others do not. This study aims to identify predictors of first-incidence DSM-IV cannabis dependence in frequent

Effects of frequent cannabis use on hippocampal activity during an associative memory task

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jager, Gerry; van Hell, Hendrika H.; de Win, Maartje M. L.; Kahn, Rene S.; van den Brink, Wim; van Ree, Jan M.; Ramsey, Nick F.

2007-01-01

Interest is growing in the neurotoxic potential of cannabis on human brain function. We studied non-acute effects of frequent cannabis use on hippocampus-dependent associative memory, investigated with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in 20 frequent cannabis users and 20 non-users

Rationales for technology-specific RES support and their relevance for German policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gawel, Erik; Lehmann, Paul; Purkus, Alexandra; Söderholm, Patrik; Witte, Katherina

2017-01-01

In order to achieve cost-effective RES-E deployment it is often argued that technology-neutral support schemes for renewables are indispensable. Against this background, RES-E support policies making widely use of technology differentiation in remuneration settings, e.g. across the EU, are frequently criticized from a theoretical point of view. However, in this paper we provide a systematic critique of the technology neutrality concept as a foundation for designing policy support schemes in the RES-E technology field. Specifically, the main objective of the paper is to scrutinize the arguments for technology-neutrality, and discuss three conceptual arguments for why technology-specific support schemes could in fact help minimize the societal costs of reaching future RES-E targets. We also briefly address different political economy concerns, which could constrain the choice of cost-effective policy support schemes, and that have to be taken into account for economic policy advice. For empirical illustration of the key arguments we refer to the case of German RES-E policy-making. The central conclusion from this paper is that technology-specific RES-E support schemes may generate significant economic benefits, particularly if technology markets work imperfectly and in second-best policy settings with additional non-internalized market failures. - Highlights: • Three theoretical cost-effectiveness reasons for technology-specific RES-E support. • German case study to show relevance of theoretical arguments for policy-making. • Political economy constraints to technology-neutral support are demonstrated. • Technology-specific RES-E support may generate significant economic benefits.

Understanding differences in the diffusion of environmentally beneficial technology. Final project report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blackman, A.; Boyd, J.; Simpson, R.D.; Toman, M.

1996-12-31

The factors affecting the diffusion of technical discoveries among firms and nations remain one of the most interesting and important but least understood elements of economic behavior. Recently, interest in technology diffusion has been heightened by a recognition that the spread of technologies could have important implications for environmental quality as well as for market goods and services. A specific motivation for this study was the question of how rapidly technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions might diffuse. Technologies in this category include technologies that improve the efficiency of fossil energy use or promote substitution of renewable energy resources. The speed with which these technologies spread could have a significant effect on the rate of accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. From a modeling perspective, the rate of innovation and diffusion of carbon-reducing technology is known to be a crucial parameter in integrated assessments of climate change risks and policy responses. Thus, a better understanding of factors that might influence the spread of carbon-reducing technologies could be valuable in studies on long-term global change and policy assessment.

Predicting the transition from frequent cannabis use to cannabis dependence: a three-year prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Pol, Peggy; Liebregts, Nienke; de Graaf, Ron; Korf, Dirk J.; van den Brink, Wim; van Laar, Margriet

2013-01-01

Frequent cannabis users are at high risk of dependence, still most (near) daily users are not dependent. It is unknown why some frequent users develop dependence, whereas others do not. This study aims to identify predictors of first-incidence DSM-IV cannabis dependence in frequent cannabis users. A

Comparative analysis of methods for gene transcription profiling data derived from different microarray technologies in rat and mouse models of diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bihoreau Marie-Thérèse

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray technologies are widely used to quantify the abundance of transcripts corresponding to thousands of genes. To maximise the robustness of transcriptome results, we have tested the performance and reproducibility of rat and mouse gene expression data obtained with Affymetrix, Illumina and Operon platforms. Results We present a thorough analysis of the degree of reproducibility provided by analysing the transcriptomic profile of the same animals of several experimental groups under different popular microarray technologies in different tissues. Concordant results from inter- and intra-platform comparisons were maximised by testing many popular computational methods for generating fold changes and significances and by only considering oligonucleotides giving high expression levels. The choice of Affymetrix signal extraction technique was shown to have the greatest effect on the concordance across platforms. In both species, when choosing optimal methods, the agreement between data generated on the Affymetrix and Illumina was excellent; this was verified using qRT-PCR on a selection of genes present on all platforms. Conclusion This study provides an extensive assessment of analytical methods best suited for processing data from different microarray technologies and can assist integration of technologically different gene expression datasets in biological systems.

Information-Seeking about Anxiety and Perceptions about Technology to Teach Coping Skills in Older Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata, Aimee Marie L; Beaudreau, Sherry A; O'Hara, Ruth; Bereknyei Merrell, Sylvia; Bruce, Janine; Garrison-Diehn, Christina; Gould, Christine E

2018-01-01

We sought to learn where older veterans seek information about anxiety and coping. Due to increasing use of technology in health care, we also explored benefits and barriers of using technology to teach coping skills. Twenty veterans (mean age = 69.5 years, SD = 7.3) participated in semi-structured interviews in which we inquired about where they seek information about anxiety. We explored quantitative and qualitative differences for veterans with high versus low anxiety. In follow-up focus groups, we examined opinions about learning coping skills using technology. Though veterans primarily named health care professionals as sources of information about anxiety, online searches and reading books were frequently mentioned. Reported benefits of using technology were convenience and standardized instruction of coping skills. Barriers included lack of interaction and frustration with technology usability. Older veterans use multiple sources, heavily rely on interpersonal sources (e.g., professionals, friends), and employ varied search strategies regarding how to cope with anxiety. Using technology to teach coping skills was generally acceptable to older veterans. Health care professionals could guide patients towards credible online and book sources. Providing instruction about using technology may help older adults use technology to learn coping skills.

Conceptual model for marketing solar based technology to developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter, Raj; Ramaseshan, B.; Nayar, C.V.

2002-01-01

Developing countries are faced with large shortfalls of electric-power generation, shortages of usable indigenous fuels, and transportation bottlenecks for those fuels. The loss of revenue that is forced upon the industry due to power cuts and frequent interruptions of power supply is substantial. Renewable sources of energy have an important role to play in providing much needed power in the context of growing global concern about sustainable energy supplies and protecting the environment from the adverse effects of fossil fuel utilization. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors that influence the adoption of solar-based technology. An examination of the literature in the area of diffusion of technology has led to the identification of different variables. The possible relationships that may exist between these variables is depicted in the conceptual framework. This paper attempts to clarify the relationships between the variables that have been identified and the decision to adopt. (Author)

СHILDREN OF MEGAPOLISES WHO FALL ILL FREQUENTLY: ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.M. Torshkhoeva

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to prevention and treatment of acute respiratory diseases children of megapolises who fall ill frequently. The authors prove the thesis that children falling ill frequently and residing in mega cities, and not only in Russia, have a similar immune status, according to which not only therapeutic but also preventive immunomodulatory treatment courses must be administered to them.Key words: frequently ill children, bacterial immunomodulation, cytokinic status.

Mobile technology use and desired technology-based intervention characteristics among HIV+ Black men who have sex with men.

Science.gov (United States)

Senn, Theresa E; Braksmajer, Amy; Coury-Doniger, Patricia; Urban, Marguerite A; Carey, Michael P

2017-04-01

HIV positive Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are retained in HIV medical care at suboptimal rates. Interventions targeted to Black MSM are needed to help to improve their retention in care. The purposes of this study were to investigate the use of mobile technology among HIV+ Black MSM and to explore participants' thoughts about the use of mobile technology for HIV retention in care interventions. Twenty-two HIV+ Black MSM completed a technology use survey and participated in a qualitative interview regarding technology-based interventions. The majority of participants (95%) had access to a cell phone, and used their phones frequently (median 3 hours/day). Men preferred interventions that would allow for anonymous participation and that would provide individually tailored support. Mobile technology is a promising approach to intervention delivery for both younger and older HIV+ Black MSM. These interventions should incorporate features that are desirable to men (i.e., anonymous participation and individual tailoring).

New Technologies Smart, or Harm Work-Family Boundaries Management? Gender Differences in Conflict and Enrichment Using the JD-R Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Ghislieri, Chiara; Emanuel, Federica; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio G.; Colombo, Lara

2017-01-01

Background: The relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work and well-being outcomes is a recent issue in scientific literature. Whether the use of technology for work purpose in off-work time may have a positive or negative impact on work-family balance remains an open question and the role of gender in this relationship is poorly understood. Aim: According to the JD-R theory, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between off-work hours technology assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and both work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE). Moreover, it considered two general job demands, workload and emotional dissonance, and one job resource, supervisory coaching. Method: The hypotheses were tested with a convenience sample of 671 workers. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 23 and through multi-group structural equation model (SEM) (Mplus 7). Results: The estimated SEM [Chi-square (510) = 1041.29; p work-life interface by analyzing the association between off-TAJD and WFC and Enrichment. Our findings suggest it is important to pay attention to gender differences in the study of the impact of supplemental work carried out during off-work hours using technology on the work-life interface. In fact, employee perception of Company demands of being available during off-work time, with the use of technology, may have different consequences for men and women, indicating potential differences in the centrality of the working role. Practical implications, at both cultural and organizational levels, should address the use of technology during leisure time. PMID:28713300

New Technologies Smart, or Harm Work-Family Boundaries Management? Gender Differences in Conflict and Enrichment Using the JD-R Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghislieri, Chiara; Emanuel, Federica; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio G; Colombo, Lara

2017-01-01

Background: The relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work and well-being outcomes is a recent issue in scientific literature. Whether the use of technology for work purpose in off-work time may have a positive or negative impact on work-family balance remains an open question and the role of gender in this relationship is poorly understood. Aim: According to the JD-R theory, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between off-work hours technology assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and both work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE). Moreover, it considered two general job demands, workload and emotional dissonance, and one job resource, supervisory coaching. Method: The hypotheses were tested with a convenience sample of 671 workers. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 23 and through multi-group structural equation model (SEM) (Mplus 7). Results: The estimated SEM [Chi-square (510) = 1041.29; p work-life interface by analyzing the association between off-TAJD and WFC and Enrichment. Our findings suggest it is important to pay attention to gender differences in the study of the impact of supplemental work carried out during off-work hours using technology on the work-life interface. In fact, employee perception of Company demands of being available during off-work time, with the use of technology, may have different consequences for men and women, indicating potential differences in the centrality of the working role. Practical implications, at both cultural and organizational levels, should address the use of technology during leisure time.

Medical technology as a key driver of rising health expenditure: disentangling the relationship

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Sorenson C

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Corinna Sorenson,1,2 Michael Drummond,2,3 Beena Bhuiyan Khan1 1LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK; 2European Health Technology Institute for Socioeconomic Research, Brussels, Belgium; 3Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK Abstract: Health care spending has risen steadily in most countries, becoming a concern for decision-makers worldwide. Commentators often point to new medical technology as the key driver for burgeoning expenditures. This paper critically appraises this conjecture, based on an analysis of the existing literature, with the aim of offering a more detailed and considered analysis of this relationship. Several databases were searched to identify relevant literature. Various categories of studies (eg, multivariate and cost-effectiveness analyses were included to cover different perspectives, methodological approaches, and issues regarding the link between medical technology and costs. Selected articles were reviewed and relevant information was extracted into a standardized template and analyzed for key cross-cutting themes, ie, impact of technology on costs, factors influencing this relationship, and methodological challenges in measuring such linkages. A total of 86 studies were reviewed. The analysis suggests that the relationship between medical technology and spending is complex and often conflicting. Findings were frequently contingent on varying factors, such as the availability of other interventions, patient population, and the methodological approach employed. Moreover, the impact of technology on costs differed across technologies, in that some (eg, cancer drugs, invasive medical devices had significant financial implications, while others were cost-neutral or cost-saving. In light of these issues, we argue that decision-makers and other commentators should extend their focus beyond costs solely to include consideration of whether medical technology results in

Promiscuous 2-aminothiazoles (PrATs): a frequent hitting scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Devine, Shane M; Mulcair, Mark D; Debono, Cael O; Leung, Eleanor W W; Nissink, J Willem M; Lim, San Sui; Chandrashekaran, Indu R; Vazirani, Mansha; Mohanty, Biswaranjan; Simpson, Jamie S; Baell, Jonathan B; Scammells, Peter J; Norton, Raymond S; Scanlon, Martin J

2015-02-12

We have identified a class of molecules, known as 2-aminothiazoles (2-ATs), as frequent-hitting fragments in biophysical binding assays. This was exemplified by 4-phenylthiazol-2-amine being identified as a hit in 14/14 screens against a diverse range of protein targets, suggesting that this scaffold is a poor starting point for fragment-based drug discovery. This prompted us to analyze this scaffold in the context of an academic fragment library used for fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) and two larger compound libraries used for high-throughput screening (HTS). This analysis revealed that such "promiscuous 2-aminothiazoles" (PrATs) behaved as frequent hitters under both FBDD and HTS settings, although the problem was more pronounced in the fragment-based studies. As 2-ATs are present in known drugs, they cannot necessarily be deemed undesirable, but the combination of their promiscuity and difficulties associated with optimizing them into a lead compound makes them, in our opinion, poor scaffolds for fragment libraries.

SU-E-P-10: Imaging in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab - Technologies and Clinical Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fetterly, K

2014-01-01

Purpose: Diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is often aided by a multitude of imaging technologies. The purpose of this work is to highlight the contributions to patient care offered by the various imaging systems used during cardiovascular interventional procedures. Methods: Imaging technologies used in the cardiac catheterization lab were characterized by their fundamental technology and by the clinical applications for which they are used. Whether the modality is external to the patient, intravascular, or intracavity was specified. Specific clinical procedures for which multiple modalities are routinely used will be highlighted. Results: X-ray imaging modalities include fluoroscopy/angiography and angiography CT. Ultrasound imaging is performed with external, trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE), and intravascular (IVUS) transducers. Intravascular infrared optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) is used to assess vessel endothelium. Relatively large (>0.5 mm) anatomical structures are imaged with x-ray and ultrasound. IVUS and IVOCT provide high resolution images of vessel walls. Cardiac CT and MRI images are used to plan complex cardiovascular interventions. Advanced applications are used to spatially and temporally merge images from different technologies. Diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease frequently utilizes angiography and intra-vascular imaging, and treatment of complex structural heart conditions routinely includes use of multiple imaging modalities. Conclusion: There are several imaging modalities which are routinely used in the cardiac catheterization laboratory to diagnose and treat both coronary artery and structural heart disease. Multiple modalities are frequently used to enhance the quality and safety of procedures. The cardiac catheterization laboratory includes many opportunities for medical physicists to contribute substantially toward advancing patient care

Psychological distress as a predictor of frequent attendance in family practice: a cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Fink, Per; Olesen, Frede

2001-01-01

In cross-sectional studies, psychological distress has been associated with frequent health care utilization. However, there is a need for prospective studies to confirm these findings. This cohort study evaluated whether psychological distress predicted frequent attendance in family practice.......16 [0.99-1.36] for SCL and OR 1.31 [1.05-1.65] for Whiteley). Psychological distress involved an increased risk of future frequent attendance among adult patients consulting family practice in the daytime about an illness........ In 1990, 185 consecutive adults who consulted their primary care physician (PCP) about an illness were rated on two psychometric scales (Hopkins Symptom Check List [SCL-8] and Whiteley-7), and their annual number of face-to-face contacts with a family practice was followed until 1996. Frequent attenders...

Perceived difficulty in use of everyday technology in persons with acquired brain injury of different severity: a comparison with controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallahpour, Mandana; Kottorp, Anders; Nygård, Louise; Lund, Maria Larsson

2014-07-01

To compare the perceived difficulty in use of everyday technology in persons with acquired brain injury with different levels of severity of disability with that of controls. This comparison study recruited 2 samples of persons with acquired brain injury and controls, comprising a total of 161 participants, age range 18-64 years. The long and short versions of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire and the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale were used to evaluate participants. Persons with acquired brain injury demonstrated lower mean levels of perceived ability in use of everyday technology than controls (F = 21.84, degrees of freedom = 1, p technology between persons with severe disability and good recovery, between persons with severe disability and controls, and between persons with moderate disability and controls. No significant mean difference was found between persons with severe disability and moderate disability, between persons with moderate disability and good recovery, and between persons with good recovery and controls. Perceived difficulty in using everyday technology is significantly increased among persons with acquired brain injury with severe to moderate disability compared with controls. Rehabilitation services should consider the use of everyday technology in order to increase participation in everyday activities after acquired brain injury.

The Knowledge-Based Technology Applications Center (KBTAC) seminar series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isik, C.; Wood, R.M.

1993-12-01

Neural Networks are adaptive systems that allow users to model complex systems, classify patterns, filter data or control processes with little or no a-priori knowledge. Neural networks represent a branch of artificial intelligence technology. Fuzzy logic is a generalization of formalized mathematical logic that allows representation of uncertainty by providing a smooth transition from true to false, instead of a step change. It allows for a proposition to be both true and false, to different degrees at the same time. This allows representation of approximate reasoning concepts that occur frequently in everyday experience, such as ''somewhat true,'' or ''not very hot.'' To utilize these technologies, utility personnel need to acquire knowledge and skills in a number of areas: 1. basic principles of neural networks and fuzzy logic; 2. types of neural networks and fuzzy logic systems, their applications, and requirements for use; 3. considerations for designing neural networks and fuzzy logic systems; 4. software tools available for these technologies. Off-the-shelf software is available for a variety of hardware platforms to rapidly develop, tune and test neural networks and fuzzy logic systems. Familiarity with the problem to which a neural network or fuzzy logic system is applied allows the designer to develop an appropriate design. Therefore, it is desirable to teach neural network and fuzzy logic technology to utility experts in the domain of application

Psychological distress as a predictor of frequent attendance in family practice: a cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Fink, Per; Olesen, Frede

2001-01-01

In cross-sectional studies, psychological distress has been associated with frequent health care utilization. However, there is a need for prospective studies to confirm these findings. This cohort study evaluated whether psychological distress predicted frequent attendance in family practice.......16 [0.99-1.36] for SCL and OR 1.31 [1.05-1.65] for Whiteley). Psychological distress involved an increased risk of future frequent attendance among adult patients consulting family practice in the daytime about an illness....

Criticism of technology in a state of antagonism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Detzer, K.A.

1987-01-01

The book presents a compilation of public lectures, review articles, and statements of opinion from public debates that all refer to topical, socio-political problems in connection with technology and industry, and is intended to reveal structural interdependencies in order to contradict the frequently observed simplifications, prejudices, or ideologies, and in order to point out true arguments that can be used in a fair discussion based on pluralistic principles, about the decisions to be taken. Technology and its impacts on industry, politics, education and ethics. (HSCH) [de

Cost/benefit of high technology in diagnostic radiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goethlin, J.H.

1987-08-01

High technology is frequently blamed as a main cause for the last decade's disproportionate rise in health expenditure. Total costs for all large diagnostic and therapeutic appliances are typically less than 1% of annual expenditure on health care. CT, DSA, MRI, interventional radiology, ESWL, US, mammography, computers in radiology and PACS may save 10-80% of total cost for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Expenditure on high technology is in general vastly overestimated. Because of its medical utility, a slower deployment cannot be desirable. (orig.)

Cost/benefit of high technology in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goethlin, J.H.

1987-01-01

High technology is frequently blamed as a main cause for the last decade's disproportionate rise in health expenditure. Total costs for all large diagnostic and therapeutic appliances are typically less than 1% of annual expenditure on health care. CT, DSA, MRI, interventional radiology, ESWL, US, mammography, computers in radiology and PACS may save 10-80% of total cost for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Expenditure on high technology is in general vastly overestimated. Because of its medical utility, a slower deployment cannot be desirable. (orig.)

A single lysis solution for the analysis of tissue samples by different proteomic technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gromov, P.; Celis, J.E.; Gromova, I.

2008-01-01

-based proteomics (reverse-phase lysate arrays or direct antibody arrays), allowing the direct comparison of qualitative and quantitative data yielded by these technologies when applied to the same samples. The usefulness of the CLB1 solution for gel-based proteomics was further established by 2D PAGE analysis...... dissease, is driving scientists to increasingly use clinically relevant samples for biomarker and target discovery. Tissues are heterogeneous and as a result optimization of sample preparation is critical for generating accurate, representative, and highly reproducible quantitative data. Although a large...... number of protocols for preparation of tissue lysates has been published, so far no single recipe is able to provide a "one-size fits all" solubilization procedure that can be used to analyse the same lysate using different proteomics technologies. Here we present evidence showing that cell lysis buffer...

The technology vicinity: a location based view on technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenhuis, H.J.; de Bruijn, E.J.; Kocaoglu, D.F.; Anderson, T.R.

2001-01-01

The issue of technology transfer has been viewed from many different perspectives. In this case the focus is on the process of (production) technology transfer. One of the difficulties in studying international technology transfer is the definition of technology. The many technology definitions that

Using Information and Communication Technologies in Hospital Classrooms: SAVEH Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolores Meneses

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Children suffering a serious illness, experience enormous changes in their daily lives. Not only does the direct consequences of the disease affect the child, but also the fact of being at a hospital, or at home and not being allowed to go to school. Frequently, connections with classmates, neighbors, and sometimes even some with his relatives are lost. Furthermore, the responsibility of the state, to continue his schooling process is much harder, since different communities (family, school teachers, hospital teachers, medical doctors, psychologists… have to be coordinated. Last but not least, entertainment and enjoyment should be provided to avoid boredom and to improve their affective state. At the same time, with the development of Information and Communication Technologies, a large number of solutions have arisen that allow people to enhance their communication, education and entertainment possibilities. These technologies seem perfectly suitable to be used to tackle the problems described above. In this article, some of the special necessities of children suffering from a serious illness are pointed out, technologies available to be facilitated are described and some initiatives taking place in Spain mentioned. The SAVEH project will be described in detail.

Anti-jamming Technology in Small Satellite Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Zixiang

2018-01-01

Small satellite communication has an increasingly important position among the wireless communications due to the advantages of low cost and high technology. However, in view of the case that its relay station stays outside the earth, its uplink may face interference from malicious signal frequently. Here this paper classified enumerates existing interferences, and proposes channel signals as main interference by comparison. Based on a basic digital communication process, then this paper discusses the possible anti - jamming techniques that commonly be realized at all stages in diverse processes, and comes to the conclusion that regarding the spread spectrum technology and antenna anti-jamming technology as fundamental direction of future development. This work provides possible thought for the design of new small satellite communication system with the coexistence of multi - technologies. This basic popular science can be consulted for people interested in small satellite communication.

Ban the Book Report: Promoting Frequent and Enthusiastic Reading

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Graham

2012-01-01

Teachers recognize that frequent independent reading increases student knowledge on a wide range of topics, enhances vocabulary, and improves comprehension. "Ban the Book Report" inspires teachers to go beyond narrow and analytical book reports by exploring the potential of book talks, alternate book covers, identifying features of informational…

Health technology funding decision-making processes around the world: the same, yet different.

Science.gov (United States)

Stafinski, Tania; Menon, Devidas; Philippon, Donald J; McCabe, Christopher

2011-06-01

All healthcare systems routinely make resource allocation decisions that trade off potential health gains to different patient populations. However, when such trade-offs relate to the introduction of new, promising health technologies, perceived 'winners' and 'losers' are more apparent. In recent years, public scrutiny over such decisions has intensified, raising the need to better understand how they are currently made and how they might be improved. The objective of this paper is to critically review and compare current processes for making health technology funding decisions at the regional, state/provincial and national level in 20 countries. A comprehensive search for published, peer-reviewed and grey literature describing actual national, state/provincial and regional/institutional technology decision-making processes was conducted. Information was extracted by two independent reviewers and tabulated to facilitate qualitative comparative analyses. To identify strengths and weaknesses of processes identified, websites of corresponding organizations were searched for commissioned reviews/evaluations, which were subsequently analysed using standard qualitative methods. A total of 21 national, four provincial/state and six regional/institutional-level processes were found. Although information on each one varied, they could be grouped into four sequential categories: (i) identification of the decision problem; (ii) information inputs; (iii) elements of the decision-making process; and (iv) public accountability and decision implementation. While information requirements of all processes appeared substantial and decision-making factors comprehensive, the way in which they were utilized was often unclear, as were approaches used to incorporate social values or equity arguments into decisions. A comprehensive inventory of approaches to implementing the four main components of all technology funding decision-making processes was compiled, from which areas for future

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-01-01

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field. PMID:26213926

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre Gross

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage, laser microdissection (17%, manual cell picking (17%, random seeding/dilution (15%, and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12% are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-07-24

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

AN EFFICIENT DATA MINING METHOD TO FIND FREQUENT ITEM SETS IN LARGE DATABASE USING TR- FCTM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saravanan Suba

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mining association rules in large database is one of most popular data mining techniques for business decision makers. Discovering frequent item set is the core process in association rule mining. Numerous algorithms are available in the literature to find frequent patterns. Apriori and FP-tree are the most common methods for finding frequent items. Apriori finds significant frequent items using candidate generation with more number of data base scans. FP-tree uses two database scans to find significant frequent items without using candidate generation. This proposed TR-FCTM (Transaction Reduction- Frequency Count Table Method discovers significant frequent items by generating full candidates once to form frequency count table with one database scan. Experimental results of TR-FCTM shows that this algorithm outperforms than Apriori and FP-tree.

BACTERIAL LYSATES IN COMPLEX TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN FREQUENTLY SICK CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.N. Lupan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The literature review analyzes the results of Imudon administration in pediatrics. The drug contains a mixture of purified lyzates of bacteria which are the most frequent causative agents of pathologic processes in oral cavity and throat. Presented data show high efficacy and safety of a drug.Key words: frequently sick children, respiratory infections, topical immunocorrector, clinical studies.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2011; 10 (4: 41–46

Technology transfer by CDM projects: A comparison of Brazil, China, India and Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dechezlepretre, Antoine; Glachant, Matthieu; Meniere, Yann

2009-01-01

In a companion paper [Dechezlepretre, A., Glachant, M., Meniere, Y., 2008. The Clean Development Mechanism and the international diffusion of technologies: An empirical study, Energy Policy 36, 1273-1283], we gave a general description of technology transfers by Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects and we analyzed their drivers. In this paper, we use the same data and similar econometric models to explain inter-country differences. We focus on 4 countries gathering about 75% of the CDM projects: Brazil, China, India and Mexico. Sixty eight percent of Mexican projects include an international transfer of technology. The rates are, respectively, 12%, 40% and 59% for India, Brazil and China. Our results show that transfers to Mexico and Brazil are mainly related to the strong involvement of foreign partners and good technological capabilities. Besides a relative advantage with respect to these factors, the higher rate of international transfers in Mexico seems to be due to a sector-composition effect. The involvement of foreign partners is less frequent in India and China, where investment opportunities generated by fast growing economies seem to play a more important role in facilitating international technology transfers through the CDM. International transfers are also related to strong technology capabilities in China. In contrast, the lower rate of international transfer (12%) in India may be due to a better capability to diffuse domestic technologies

Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: Converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online gamers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim eHahn

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Millions of people regularly play so-called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs. Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW – similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addictions – show a generally deficient reward system. In frequent players of the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW-players and in a control group of non-gamers we assessed 1 trait sensitivity to reward, 2 BOLD responses during monetary reward processing in the ventral striatum and 3 ventral-striatal resting state dynamics. We find a decreased neural activation in the ventral striatum during the anticipation of both small and large monetary rewards. Additionally, we show generally altered neurodynamics in this region independent of any specific task for WoW players (resting state. On the behavioral level, we found differences in trait sensitivity to reward, suggesting that the reward processing deficiencies found in this study are not a consequence of gaming, but predisposed to it. These findings empirically support a direct link between frequent online gaming and the broad field of behavioral and drug addiction research, thus opening new avenues for clinical interventions in addicted gamers and potentially improving the assessment of addiction-risk in the vast population of frequent gamers.

Social perceptions about a technological innovation for fuelwood cooking: Case study in rural Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troncoso, Karin; Castillo, Alicia; Masera, Omar; Merino, Leticia

2007-01-01

The widespread use of traditional biomass fuels in open fires in developing countries brings about serious health effects, besides high fuelwood consumption. A technological innovation-i.e., improved cookstoves-reduce fuel consumption and address the health effects of indoor air pollution. Implementation projects have been conducted worldwide, but have frequently faced very low success rates. Different demographic and socio-economic factors have been analysed to explain low rates but there are almost no studies that try to understand, from the users' perspective, the factors involved when choosing among different cooking technologies. Through a qualitative methodological approach we documented the adoption of improved cookstoves through the implementation programme of a Mexican NGO. Results showed that although the programme raised public awareness, the improved cookstoves did not reach the poorest sector. The socioeconomic level was found positively correlated with the adoption of the improved cookstoves, but neither the age nor the educational levels were. Payment of the stove did not seem to be an adoption factor. Differences among individual users were more significant than differences between communities. Finally as men are the principal fuelwood harvesters, they should be considered as an important group in diffusion programs

Most Frequently Reported Prescription Medications and Supplements in Couples Planning Pregnancy: The LIFE Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmsten, Kristin; Flores, Katrina F; Chambers, Christina D; Weiss, Lauren A; Sundaram, Rajeshwari; Buck Louis, Germaine M

2018-01-01

To identify frequently reported prescription medications and supplements among couples planning pregnancy because there is a lack of descriptive information on these agents in women and men who are trying to conceive. Five hundred one couples enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Infertility and the Environment, which took place between 2005 and 2009. Participants reported prescription medications as well as prescription and over-the-counter supplements used through interviews at study enrollment and through daily dairies during the 12-month follow-up. We identified prescription medications and supplements prospectively reported by ≥1% of women and men at baseline and from daily journal information grouped into 3-month preconception follow-up intervals while couples tried for pregnancy. The 5 most reported prescription medications among women were levothyroxine (5.8%), cetirizine (2.6%), fluticasone (2.4%), escitalopram (1.8%), and fluoxetine (1.8%) and for men were lisinopril (2.0%), mometasone (2.0%), fexofenadine (1.8%), atorvastatin (1.6%), and montelukast (1.6%). The most reported supplements were multivitamins (63.3%, 43.5%) and fish oil (13.2%, 9.4%) for women and men, respectively, and prenatal vitamins (22.0%) for women. For women during the first 3 months of follow-up, prenatal vitamins (6.0%) and antibiotics (1.2%-2.6%) were among the most frequently started medications. During the next 3 months, clomiphene (4.5%) was the most frequently initiated medication. Couples trying for pregnancy reported a variety of prescription medications and supplements, and they differed by gender. Preconception guidance should address medication and supplement use to avoid potential exposures associated with adverse reproductive and perinatal outcomes.

Assessment of frequent litter amendment application on ammonia emission from broilers operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong; Lin, Chongyang; Collier, Stephen; Brown, William; White-Hansen, Susan

2013-04-01

Litter amendments have been used to control the ammonia (NH3) emission from the broiler litter during the brooding period. One of the commercially available litter amendments, sodium bisulfate, was frequently applied on the litter with two different rates on weekly basis in a laboratory setup and with a single rate on biweekly basis under field conditions. Repeated application ofsodium bisulfate led to significant reduction in NH3 emissions from broilers. The magnitude of NH3 emission reduction increases with the application rate of sodium bisulfate. The reduction rates of cumulative emissions with 366 g/wk-m2 (75 lb/wk-1000 ft) rate (from 14% to 64.5%) were higher than the reduction rate of 183 g/wk-m2 (37.5 lb/wk-1000 ft2) rate (from 0% to 55%) from 28 to 61 days of age. The cumulative NH3 emission was reduced by 51.7% with 244 g/2 wk-m2 (50 lb/2 wk-1000 ft2) rate over a three-flockperiod (8-wk average grow-out per flock) under field production conditions. Sodium bisulfate application showed no significant difference on body weight and feed conversion efficiency. However, footpad quality was significantly improved by sodium bisulfate application. Litter pH and ammonia nitrogen level of the litter were decreased by sodium bisulfate application with both rates. Organic and total nitrogen contents in the litter were higher, whereas less nitrogen was emitted as NH3. The laboratory-scale findings of emission reduction by the additives should be considered to be preliminary if the additives are to be applied under commercial production settings. This work demonstrated that frequent litter amendment application can be used to reduce NH3 emissions from broiler houses, with no adverse effect on the animal production performances. The NH3 reduction rates could vary with different application frequencies and rates. Using litter amendment during broiler grow-out to lower NH3 emissions should be applicable to boiler production systems. The results of this study also

Sensemaking technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Charlotte Øland

Research scope: The scope of the project is to study technological implementation processes by using Weick's sensemaking concept (Weick, 1995). The purpose of using a social constructivist approach to investigate technological implementation processes is to find out how new technologies transform......, Orlikowski 2000). Viewing the use of technology as a process of enactment opens up for investigating the social processes of interpreting new technology into the organisation (Orlikowski 2000). The scope of the PhD project will therefore be to gain a deeper understanding of how the enactment of new...... & Brass, 1990; Kling 1991; Orlikowski 2000). It also demonstrates that technology is a flexible variable adapted to the organisation's needs, culture, climate and management philosophy, thus leading to different uses and outcomes of the same technology in different organisations (Barley 1986; 1990...

Competence-Based Education and Training--About Frequently Asked Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Mulder, Martin

2012-01-01

This article follows the author's previous piece on practical guidelines for the development of comprehensive competence-based education and training (Mulder, 2012). It is about the questions that have been and are still frequently asked in presentations, workshops and classes about the introduction of competence-based education. Here, the author…

Carotid near-occlusion frequently has high peak systolic velocity on Doppler ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khangure, Simon R.; Machnowska, Matylda; Fox, Allan J.; Hojjat, Seyed-Parsa; Aviv, Richard I. [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Neuroimaging, Toronto (Canada); Benhabib, Hadas [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); Groenlund, Christer [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Herod, Wendy [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); Maggisano, Robert [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); University of Toronto, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto (Canada); Sjoeberg, Anders [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Wester, Per [Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden); Karolinska Institutet Danderyds Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences, Stockholm (Sweden); Hopyan, Julia [University of Toronto, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Toronto (Canada); Johansson, Elias [Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden)

2018-01-15

Carotid near-occlusion is a tight atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) resulting in decrease in diameter of the vessel lumen distal to the stenosis. Near-occlusions can be classified as with or without full collapse, and may have high peak systolic velocity (PSV) across the stenosis, mimicking conventional > 50% carotid artery stenosis. We aimed to determine how frequently near-occlusions have high PSV in the stenosis and determine how accurately carotid Doppler ultrasound can distinguish high-velocity near-occlusion from conventional stenosis. Included patients had near-occlusion or conventional stenosis with carotid ultrasound and CT angiogram (CTA) performed within 30 days of each other. CTA examinations were analyzed by two blinded expert readers. Velocities in the internal and common carotid arteries were recorded. Mean velocity, pulsatility index, and ratios were calculated, giving 12 Doppler parameters for analysis. Of 136 patients, 82 had conventional stenosis and 54 had near-occlusion on CTA. Of near-occlusions, 40 (74%) had high PSV (≥ 125 cm/s) across the stenosis. Ten Doppler parameters significantly differed between conventional stenosis and high-velocity near-occlusion groups. However, no parameter was highly sensitive and specific to separate the groups. Near-occlusions frequently have high PSV across the stenosis, particularly those without full collapse. Carotid Doppler ultrasound does not seem able to distinguish conventional stenosis from high-velocity near-occlusion. These findings question the use of ultrasound alone for preoperative imaging evaluation. (orig.)

Cannabis consumption patterns among frequent consumers in Uruguay.

Science.gov (United States)

Boidi, María Fernanda; Queirolo, Rosario; Cruz, José Miguel

2016-08-01

In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to fully regulate the cannabis market, which now operates under state control. Cannabis can be legally acquired in three ways: growing it for personal use (self-cultivation), cannabis club membership, and from pharmacies (not yet implemented). Users must be entered into a confidential official registry to gain access. This article presents findings of a Respondent Driven Sample survey of 294 high-frequency cannabis consumers in the Montevideo metropolitan area. Frequent consumers resort to more than one method for acquiring cannabis, with illegal means still predominating after 1 year of the new regulation law. Cannabis users overwhelmingly support the current regulation, but many of them are reluctant to register. Some of the attitudes and behaviors of the high-frequency consumers pose a challenge to the success of the cannabis law. Individuals relying on more than one method of access defy the single access clause, a prerequisite for legal use, while the maximum amount of cannabis individuals can access monthly seems too high even for most frequent consumers, which might promote the emergence of a grey market. Reluctance to register among a significant proportion of high-frequency consumers raises doubts about the law's ability to achieve its stated objectives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Altered gene expression in blood and sputum in COPD frequent exacerbators in the ECLIPSE cohort.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dave Singh

Full Text Available Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD who are defined as frequent exacerbators suffer with 2 or more exacerbations every year. The molecular mechanisms responsible for this phenotype are poorly understood. We investigated gene expression profile patterns associated with frequent exacerbations in sputum and blood cells in a well-characterised cohort. Samples from subjects from the ECLIPSE COPD cohort were used; sputum and blood samples from 138 subjects were used for microarray gene expression analysis, while blood samples from 438 subjects were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR testing. Using microarray, 150 genes were differentially expressed in blood (>±1.5 fold change, p≤0.01 between frequent compared to non-exacerbators. In sputum cells, only 6 genes were differentially expressed. The differentially regulated genes in blood included downregulation of those involved in lymphocyte signalling and upregulation of pro-apoptotic signalling genes. Multivariate analysis of the microarray data followed by confirmatory PCR analysis identified 3 genes that predicted frequent exacerbations; B3GNT, LAF4 and ARHGEF10. The sensitivity and specificity of these 3 genes to predict the frequent exacerbator phenotype was 88% and 33% respectively. There are alterations in systemic immune function associated with frequent exacerbations; down-regulation of lymphocyte function and a shift towards pro-apoptosis mechanisms are apparent in patients with frequent exacerbations.

The Influencing Factors, Regional Difference and Temporal Variation of Industrial Technology Innovation: Evidence with the FOA-GRNN Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongli Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Technology innovation is a motivating force for sustainable development. The recognition and measurement of influencing factors are a basic prerequisite of technology innovation research. In response to the gaps and shortages of existing theories and methods, this paper builds the impact indicators of technology innovation, the proposed FOA-GRNN model, and analyzes the influencing factors, regional differences and temporal variations of technology innovation based on industrial above-scale enterprises of 31 provinces in China from 2008 to 2015. The empirical results show that innovation investment is a determinant of technology innovation in China, and is more and more significant; meanwhile a wide gap of innovation resource between Eastern China and Western China exists. In general, the enterprise scale has a negative effect: with enlargement of enterprise in China, the innovation efficiency of enterprise will decline, while the effect has regional disparity, with positive influence in Central and Western China, and negative influence in Eastern China. Government support has negative effects on technology innovation: indirect equity investment contributes more to technology innovation than direct fund support. Innovation environment has positive and weak effects on technology innovation, but it is the biggest obstacle in Western China, and the innovation environment in China has improved continuously. This paper provides new evidence that can shine some light on determining the factors affecting technology innovation, and also presents a novel approach, which comprises characteristics of nonlinear function approximation, high accuracy and a small sample.

Screening mammography interpretation test: more frequent mistakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gozzi, Gino; Ganzetti, Alessandra; Martinoli, Carlo; Bacigalupo, Lorenzo; Bodini, Maria; Fiorentino, Carla; Marini, Ugo Paolo; Santini, Dolores

2005-01-01

Purpose: To present the mammographic cases most commonly misinterpreted by the participants in the mammography self-test proposed by the Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM) National Congress in Rimini, Italy, 2002, by analysing the findings responsible for errors, suggesting reasons for the errors, and assessing possible inadequacies in the format of the test. Materials and methods: The self-test was performed on the mammograms of 160 cases (32 positive and 128 negative for cancer as confirmed by histology). The mammograms had been taken in the four standard projections and placed on four multi-panel diaphanoscopes, each displaying a set of 40 cases comprising benign and malignant cases in equal proportions. The participants were given pre-printed forms on which to note down their diagnostic judgement. We evaluated a total of 134 fully-completed forms. Among these, we identified the 23 cases most frequently misread by over 15 participants in percentages varying between 40-90%. Of these cases, 10 were malignancies and 13 were negative mammograms. On review, we also assessed the diagnostic contribution of complementary investigations (not available the participants). The 134 fully-completed forms (all of the 40 cases) yielded a total of 5360 responses, 1180 of which (22.01%) were incorrect. Of these 823 out of the 4288 cases expected to be negative (19.2%) were false positive, and 357 out of the 1072 cases expected to be positive (33.3%) were false negative. As regards the 23 most frequently misread cases, these were 10/32 (31.25%) mammograms positive for malignancy and 13/128 (10.15%) negative mammograms or mammograms showing benign disease. The 10 malignancies included 7 infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 1 infiltrating cribriform carcinoma, 1 infiltrating tubular carcinoma, and 1 carcinoma in situ. The 13 cases of benign disease - as established by histology or long-term follow-up - mistaken for malignancies by the test participants were fibrocystic breast

Designing services for frequent attenders to the emergency department: a characterisation of this population to inform service design.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Rebecca; Wong, Mai Luen; Hayhurst, Catherine; Watson, Peter; Morrison, Cecily

2016-08-01

Frequent attendance to the emergency department (ED) is a growing public health concern. Designing services for frequent attenders poses challenges, given the heterogeneous nature of this group. This was a two-part observational study identifying frequent attenders from ED records. The first stage studied trends and developed personas with emphasis on differentiating moderate frequent attenders (attending between 5 and 20 times per year) and extreme frequent attenders (attending more than 20 times). Stage 2 included a case note review of 100 consecutive frequent attenders. Results showed an increase in frequent attendance from 2.59% to 4.12% over 8 years. Moderate frequent attenders accounted for 97%. Of the 100 frequent attenders studied, 45% had medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), associated with younger age (p0.05). In conclusion, the ED is a useful hub for identifying frequent attenders with MUS, particularly among moderate frequent attenders; service design for this group should consider a 'whole-systems approach' with integration between primary and secondary care, including specialist liaison psychiatry services where appropriate. © 2016 Royal College of Physicians.

Combining different Technologies in a Funerary Archaeology content and language integrated Learning (CLIL) Course

OpenAIRE

Cignoni, Laura; Fornaciari, Gino

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe a project in which Italian undergraduate students at the Palaeopathology Division of Pisa University will attend a two-year Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course combining the study of funerary archaeology with English as vehicular language. At the presence of a subject and language teacher working together, the trainees will use different types of technology including devices such as electronic blackboards and Word applications with user-...

Love in the Time of Facebook: How Technology Now Shapes Romantic Attachments in College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Michael C.

2013-01-01

College counseling clinicians need to understand how students use technology to form, sustain, and end romantic attachments. Students now frequently incorporate aspects of these technologically based interactions, or mediated communications, into counseling sessions and often make important attributions based on them. Heavy daily use of a growing…

University Procurement Officers’ Use of Technology When Seeking Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yahel Giat

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The transition from printed to electronic sources of information has resulted in a profound change to the way procurement officers seek information. Furthermore, in the past decade there have been additional technological revolutions that are expected to further affect the procurement process. In this paper, we conduct a survey among forty nine university procurement officers in Israel to examine to what extent procurement officers have adapted to smartphones and tablets by testing how frequently officers use notebooks, smartphones, and tablets for work-related and leisure purposes. We find that while officers prefer electronic sources of information over printed sources of information, officers have not yet adapted to the later technological advances (i.e., smartphones and tablets. Notebooks are more frequently used than either smartphones or tablets for work-related and leisure purposes. One explanation behind this result is that officers are not skilled in using smartphone and tablets applications. This implies that training officers in the use of these devices may improve their performance.

Causality discovery technology

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, M.; Ertl, T.; Jirotka, M.; Trefethen, A.; Schmidt, A.; Coecke, B.; Bañares-Alcántara, R.

2012-11-01

Causality is the fabric of our dynamic world. We all make frequent attempts to reason causation relationships of everyday events (e.g., what was the cause of my headache, or what has upset Alice?). We attempt to manage causality all the time through planning and scheduling. The greatest scientific discoveries are usually about causality (e.g., Newton found the cause for an apple to fall, and Darwin discovered natural selection). Meanwhile, we continue to seek a comprehensive understanding about the causes of numerous complex phenomena, such as social divisions, economic crisis, global warming, home-grown terrorism, etc. Humans analyse and reason causality based on observation, experimentation and acquired a priori knowledge. Today's technologies enable us to make observations and carry out experiments in an unprecedented scale that has created data mountains everywhere. Whereas there are exciting opportunities to discover new causation relationships, there are also unparalleled challenges to benefit from such data mountains. In this article, we present a case for developing a new piece of ICT, called Causality Discovery Technology. We reason about the necessity, feasibility and potential impact of such a technology.

Trusted Computing Technologies, Intel Trusted Execution Technology.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guise, Max Joseph; Wendt, Jeremy Daniel

2011-01-01

We describe the current state-of-the-art in Trusted Computing Technologies - focusing mainly on Intel's Trusted Execution Technology (TXT). This document is based on existing documentation and tests of two existing TXT-based systems: Intel's Trusted Boot and Invisible Things Lab's Qubes OS. We describe what features are lacking in current implementations, describe what a mature system could provide, and present a list of developments to watch. Critical systems perform operation-critical computations on high importance data. In such systems, the inputs, computation steps, and outputs may be highly sensitive. Sensitive components must be protected from both unauthorized release, and unauthorized alteration: Unauthorized users should not access the sensitive input and sensitive output data, nor be able to alter them; the computation contains intermediate data with the same requirements, and executes algorithms that the unauthorized should not be able to know or alter. Due to various system requirements, such critical systems are frequently built from commercial hardware, employ commercial software, and require network access. These hardware, software, and network system components increase the risk that sensitive input data, computation, and output data may be compromised.

Technological learning in offshore wind energy: Different roles of the government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, T.; Junginger, M.; Smits, R.E.H.M.

2007-01-01

Offshore wind energy is a promising source of renewable electricity, even though its current costs prevent large-scale implementation. Technological learning has improved the technology and its economic performance already, and could result in significant further improvements. This study

Genealogies of Modern Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Søren

2008-01-01

Does modern technology differ from ancient technology and does it have a unique essence? This twofold question opens one of Martin Heidegger's most influential philosophical inquiries, The Question Concerning Technology. The answer Heidegger offers has inspired various critiques and appraisals from...... a vast number of contemporary scholars of technology.1 Heidegger's answer is traditionally thought to suggest a great difference between ancient and modern technology. However, by re-examining Heidegger's text, it is possible to discover previously ignored or misunderstood lines of thoughts that affirm...... a multi-stable interpretation of the origin of modern technology. In what follows, we shall see how The Question Concerning Technology in fact supports three different genealogies of modern technology...

Internal wave-mediated shading causes frequent vertical migrations in fishes

KAUST Repository

Kaartvedt, Stein; Klevjer, TA; Aksnes, Dag L.

2012-01-01

We provide evidence that internal waves cause frequent vertical migrations (FVM) in fishes. Acoustic data from the Benguela Current revealed that pelagic scattering layers of fish below ~140 m moved in opposite phases to internal waves, ascending

Cultural differences and process adaptation in international R&D project management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Xing; Li, J. Z.

2009-01-01

In the era of globalization, Western companies have started to explore China as a source of technology. Yet, Western R&D project management processes in China are frequently facing many problems. Some of the problems can be conceptualized by analyzing a number of known cultural contrasts between ...... project success. At the same time, lessons and recommendations on the adaptability to Chinese style business and management interactions will be drawn from the case study for international companies that locate R&D projects in China.......In the era of globalization, Western companies have started to explore China as a source of technology. Yet, Western R&D project management processes in China are frequently facing many problems. Some of the problems can be conceptualized by analyzing a number of known cultural contrasts between...

Technology Acceptance of Augmented Reality and Wearable Technologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wild, Fridolin; Klemke, Roland; Lefrere, Paul; Fominykh, Mikhail; Kuula, Timo

2017-01-01

Augmented Reality and Wearables are the recent media and computing technologies, similar, but different from established technologies, even mobile computing and virtual reality. Numerous proposals for measuring technology acceptance exist, but have not been applied, nor fine-tuned to such

Daily corticosteroids reduce infection-associated relapses in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulati, Ashima; Sinha, Aditi; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Math, Aparna; Hari, Pankaj; Bagga, Arvind

2011-01-01

Relapses of nephrotic syndrome often follow minor infections, commonly of the upper respiratory tract. Daily administration of maintenance prednisolone during intercurrent infections was examined to determine whether the treatment reduces relapse rates in children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome. In a randomized controlled trial (nonblind, parallel group, tertiary-care hospital), 100 patients with idiopathic, frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome eligible for therapy with prolonged low-dose, alternate-day prednisolone with or without levamisole were randomized to either receive their usual dose of alternate-day prednisolone daily for 7 days during intercurrent infections (intervention group) or continue alternate-day prednisolone (controls). Primary outcome was assessed by comparing the rates of infection-associated relapses at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were the frequency of infections and the cumulative amount of prednisolone received in both groups. Patients in the intervention group showed significantly lower infection-associated (rate difference, 0.7 episodes/patient per year; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.3, 1.1) and lower total relapse rates (0.9 episodes/patient per year, 95% CI 0.4, 1.4) without increase in steroid toxicity. Poisson regression, adjusted for occurrence of infections, showed that daily administration of prednisolone during infections independently resulted in 59% reduction in frequency of relapses (rate ratio, 0.41; 95% CI 0.3, 0.6). For every six patients receiving this intervention, one showed a reduction of relapse frequency to less than three per year. Daily administration of maintenance doses of prednisolone, during intercurrent infections, significantly reduces relapse rates and the proportion of children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome.

New Technologies of Information and Communications from a Science, Technology and Society.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Martín Rodríguez

2012-03-01

Full Text Available With this work we want to make a short analysis of the New Technologies of Information and Communications in basic aspects of interest to technology education, refered to it from a Science Technology and Society (CTS. Based on different conceptions of technology and technological literacy, considers issues such as beliefs about the nature of technological knowledge, relationships and differences between scientific knowledge and the interactions between technology and society, the interests and attitudes of teachers and students to technology and learning from the perspective of education and, finally, various approaches to technology education programs following the approaches Science, Technology and Society.

Possible roles for frequent salivary antiepileptic drug monitoring in the management of epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Herkes, G K; Eadie, M J

1990-07-01

Salivary levels of phenytoin, phenobarbitone, carbamazepine and carbamazepine-epoxide correlate with the simultaneous plasma water levels of these substances, after correcting for the effects of pH differences between saliva and plasma in the case of phenobarbitone. Saliva is easy and painless to collect, and salivary levels of the drugs are conveniently measured. Frequent (often daily) monitoring of pre-dose morning anticonvulsant drug concentrations in saliva over periods of weeks or months in 3 groups of epileptic subjects showed that (i) in some but not all poorly controlled epileptic patients seizures tended to occur on days when salivary anticonvulsant levels were lower than on non-seizure days, (ii) in such subjects it was possible to estimate an anticipated optimal drug concentration and dose to minimize seizure activity from the plot of seizure frequency against drug concentrations, (iii) in women with 'catamenial' epilepsy, salivary anticonvulsant levels were lower on perimenstrual days than at mid-cycle in half of the subjects studied, and (iv) in pregnant epileptic women the time course of the change in drug levels relative to dose could be followed more closely throughout pregnancy and the post-natal period than was practicable when using blood level measurements. Frequent measurement of salivary anticonvulsant concentrations appears a promising and inexpensive adjunct to the investigation and management of certain problem areas in epilepsy.

Two Different Maintenance Strategies in the Hospital Environment: Preventive Maintenance for Older Technology Devices and Predictive Maintenance for Newer High-Tech Devices

OpenAIRE

Sezdi, Mana

2016-01-01

A maintenance program generated through the consideration of characteristics and failures of medical equipment is an important component of technology management. However, older technology devices and newer high-tech devices cannot be efficiently managed using the same strategies because of their different characteristics. This study aimed to generate a maintenance program comprising two different strategies to increase the efficiency of device management: preventive maintenance for older tec...

Injury patterns in children with frequent emergency department visits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, B

2006-01-01

-14 years. Information on all ED visits was obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry. Injury type, place of accident, injury mechanism, admission, and distance to ED were compared between children with frequent ED visits (five or more during the three years) and children with only one visit...... less severe injuries and more dislocations, sprains, and strains....

An Efficient Approach to Mining Maximal Contiguous Frequent Patterns from Large DNA Sequence Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Rezaul Karim

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Mining interesting patterns from DNA sequences is one of the most challenging tasks in bioinformatics and computational biology. Maximal contiguous frequent patterns are preferable for expressing the function and structure of DNA sequences and hence can capture the common data characteristics among related sequences. Biologists are interested in finding frequent orderly arrangements of motifs that are responsible for similar expression of a group of genes. In order to reduce mining time and complexity, however, most existing sequence mining algorithms either focus on finding short DNA sequences or require explicit specification of sequence lengths in advance. The challenge is to find longer sequences without specifying sequence lengths in advance. In this paper, we propose an efficient approach to mining maximal contiguous frequent patterns from large DNA sequence datasets. The experimental results show that our proposed approach is memory-efficient and mines maximal contiguous frequent patterns within a reasonable time.

Dementia and depression: two frequent disorders of the aged in primary health care in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Argyriadou, S; Melissopoulou, H; Krania, E; Karagiannidou, A; Vlachonicolis, I; Lionis, C

2001-02-01

Dementia and depression are very common disorders among elderly people and their presence decreases the well-being of the aged. The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of dementia and depression among elderly people living in different settings in the catchment area of the Chrisoupolis health centre (HCCh) in northern Greece. A total of 536 patients aged 65 years and over, including 48 subjects living in an old people's home, 75 subjects who were taking part in the activities of the open centre for the elderly and 413 subjects randomly selected from those visiting the HCCh, were interviewed by the primary health care team of the HCCh. Medical and family history data were recorded, while cognitive and mood disorders were assessed by using the Mini Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Screening Scale. At the time of the examination, 37.6% of the men and 41.6% of the women showed various degrees of cognitive impairment, while 29.9% of the women and 19.6% of the men showed mild to moderate depression. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension frequently were found to co-exist with depression and dementia. The results reaffirm that there is a high prevalence of the studied mental disorders in older patients in the out-patient setting in Greece. A set of recommendations to Greek GPs has now been formulated, with specific emphasis on the use of different screening tools and the appropriate treatment of the most frequently co-existing chronic diseases.

Establishing a support service for educational technology within a university

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. A. Longstaffe

1996-12-01

Full Text Available Over the past decade it has become increasingly apparent that computer technology is extremely effective in the support of teaching and learning. It has also become obvious that without proselytization and support, the adoption of this new method of teaching is patchy and frequently inappropriate. The raising of awareness, the training of staff and the provision of informed advice and support are necessary to facilitate the appropriate development of technology-supported learning within an institution.

Myenteric plexitis: A frequent feature in patients undergoing surgery for colonic diverticular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassotti, Gabrio; Villanacci, Vincenzo; Sidoni, Angelo; Nascimbeni, Riccardo; Dore, Maria P; Binda, Gian A; Bandelloni, Roberto; Salemme, Marianna; Del Sordo, Rachele; Cadei, Moris; Manca, Alessandra; Bernardini, Nunzia; Maurer, Christoph A; Cathomas, Gieri

2015-12-01

Diverticular disease of the colon is frequent in clinical practice, and a large number of patients each year undergo surgical procedures worldwide for their symptoms. Thus, there is a need for better knowledge of the basic pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disease entity. Because patients with colonic diverticular disease have been shown to display abnormalities of the enteric nervous system, we assessed the frequency of myenteric plexitis (i.e. the infiltration of myenteric ganglions by inflammatory cells) in patients undergoing surgery for this condition. We analyzed archival resection samples from the proximal resection margins of 165 patients undergoing left hemicolectomy (60 emergency and 105 elective surgeries) for colonic diverticulitis, by histology and immunochemistry. Overall, plexitis was present in almost 40% of patients. It was subdivided into an eosinophilic (48%) and a lymphocytic (52%) subtype. Plexitis was more frequent in younger patients; and it was more frequent in those undergoing emergency surgery (50%), compared to elective (28%) surgery (p = 0.007). All the severe cases of plexitis displayed the lymphocytic subtype. In conclusion, myenteric plexitis is frequent in patients with colonic diverticular disease needing surgery, and it might be implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease.

The Qualitative Interview Study of Persistent and Nonpersistent Substance Use in the MTA: Sample Characteristics, Frequent Use, and Reasons for Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, James M; Wigal, Timothy; Jensen, Peter S; Mitchell, John T; Weisner, Thomas S; Murray, Desiree; Arnold, L Eugene; Hechtman, Lily; Molina, Brooke S G; Owens, Elizabeth B; Hinshaw, Stephen P; Belendiuk, Katherine; Howard, Andrea; Wigal, Sharon B; Sorensen, Page; Stehli, Annamarie

2017-10-01

To evaluate participants' perceptions about frequent use and reasons for substance use (SU) in the qualitative interview study, an add-on to the multimodal treatment study of ADHD (MTA). Using the longitudinal MTA database, 39 ADHD cases and 19 peers with Persistent SU, and 86 ADHD cases and 39 peers without Persistent SU were identified and recruited. In adulthood, an open-ended interview was administered, and SU excerpts were indexed and classified to create subtopics (frequent use and reasons for use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs). For marijuana, the Persistent compared with Nonpersistent SU group had a significantly higher percentage of participants describing frequent use and giving reasons for use, and the ADHD group compared with the group of peers had a significantly higher percentage giving "stability" as a reason for use. Motivations for persistent marijuana use may differ for adults with and without a history of ADHD.

Mars Technology Program: Planetary Protection Technology Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ying

2006-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the development of Planetary Protection Technology in the Mars Technology Program. The goal of the program is to develop technologies that will enable NASA to build, launch, and operate a mission that has subsystems with different Planetary Protection (PP) classifications, specifically for operating a Category IVb-equivalent subsystem from a Category IVa platform. The IVa category of planetary protection requires bioburden reduction (i.e., no sterilization is required) The IVb category in addition to IVa requirements: (i.e., terminal sterilization of spacecraft is required). The differences between the categories are further reviewed.

Cool, callous and in control: superior inhibitory control in frequent players of video games with violent content

OpenAIRE

Stockdale, Laura; Morrison, Robert G; Palumbo, Robert; Garbarino, James; Silton, Rebecca L

2017-01-01

Abstract Research on the effects of media violence exposure has shown robust associations among violent media exposure, increased aggressive behavior, and decreased empathy. Preliminary research indicates that frequent players of violent video games may have differences in emotional and cognitive processes compared to infrequent or nonplayers, yet research examining the amount and content of game play and the relation of these factors with affective and cognitive outcomes is limited. The pres...

Integrating Entropy and Closed Frequent Pattern Mining for Social Network Modelling and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Adnan, Muhaimenul; Alhajj, Reda; Rokne, Jon

The recent increase in the explicitly available social networks has attracted the attention of the research community to investigate how it would be possible to benefit from such a powerful model in producing effective solutions for problems in other domains where the social network is implicit; we argue that social networks do exist around us but the key issue is how to realize and analyze them. This chapter presents a novel approach for constructing a social network model by an integrated framework that first preparing the data to be analyzed and then applies entropy and frequent closed patterns mining for network construction. For a given problem, we first prepare the data by identifying items and transactions, which arc the basic ingredients for frequent closed patterns mining. Items arc main objects in the problem and a transaction is a set of items that could exist together at one time (e.g., items purchased in one visit to the supermarket). Transactions could be analyzed to discover frequent closed patterns using any of the well-known techniques. Frequent closed patterns have the advantage that they successfully grab the inherent information content of the dataset and is applicable to a broader set of domains. Entropies of the frequent closed patterns arc used to keep the dimensionality of the feature vectors to a reasonable size; it is a kind of feature reduction process. Finally, we analyze the dynamic behavior of the constructed social network. Experiments were conducted on a synthetic dataset and on the Enron corpus email dataset. The results presented in the chapter show that social networks extracted from a feature set as frequent closed patterns successfully carry the community structure information. Moreover, for the Enron email dataset, we present an analysis to dynamically indicate the deviations from each user's individual and community profile. These indications of deviations can be very useful to identify unusual events.

Utilizing TOPSIS intensified with adjustment similarity factor to determine price of technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Mohammad Seyedhosseini

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Technology transfer has been a very frequent activity in the industrial world nowadays. Technology valuation, and in particular technology pricing, has played a considerable role in these transactions, in spite of a huge amount of limitations in the pricing methodologies applied. Making a sound, traceable and reliable means for applying the price evaluation procedure, seems as a technological requirement to be traced for. The objective of delivering this paper is to introduce a new numerical technology pricing method to provide the two transacting parties a unique compromised price. A three-dimensional model for technology pricing is proposed and The TOPSPS algorithm has been utilized to select the most similar technologies to the intended one and the constructed scoring system is applied to calculate the final technology price accordingly.

Biomechanical variables and perception of comfort in running shoes with different cushioning technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinato, Roberto C; Ribeiro, Ana P; Butugan, Marco K; Pereira, Ivye L R; Onodera, Andrea N; Sacco, Isabel C N

2015-01-01

To investigate the relationships between the perception of comfort and biomechanical parameters (plantar pressure and ground reaction force) during running with four different types of cushioning technology in running shoes. Randomized repeated measures. Twenty-two men, recreational runners (18-45 years) ran 12km/h with running shoes with four different cushioning systems. Outcome measures included nine items related to perception of comfort and 12 biomechanical measures related to the ground reaction forces and plantar pressures. Repeated measure ANOVAs, Pearson correlation coefficients, and step-wise multiple regression analyses were employed (p≤0.05). No significant correlations were found between the perception of comfort and the biomechanical parameters for the four types of investigated shoes. Regression analysis revealed that 56% of the perceived general comfort can be explained by the variables push-off rate and pressure integral over the forefoot (p=0.015) and that 33% of the perception of comfort over the forefoot can be explained by second peak force and push-off rate (p=0.016). The results did not demonstrate significant relationships between the perception of comfort and the biomechanical parameters for the three types of shoes investigated (Gel, Air, and ethylene-vinyl acetate). Only the shoe with Adiprene+ technology had its general comfort and cushioning perception predicted by the loads over the forefoot. Thus, in general, one cannot predict the perception of comfort of a running shoe through impact and plantar pressure received. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and optimization of different P-channel LUDMOS architectures on a 0.18 µm SOI-CMOS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortés, I; Toulon, G; Morancho, F; Hugonnard-Bruyere, E; Villard, B; Toren, W J

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the design and optimization of different power P-channel LDMOS transistors (V BR > 120 V) to be integrated in a new generation of smart-power technology based upon a 0.18 µm SOI-CMOS technology. Different drift architectures have been envisaged in this work with the purpose of optimizing the transistor static (R on-sp /V BR trade-off) and dynamic (R on × Q g ) characteristics to improve their switching performance. Conventional single-RESURF P-channel LUDMOS architectures on thin-SOI substrates show very poor R on-sp /V BR trade-off due to their low RESURF effectiveness. Alternative drift configurations such as the addition of an N-type buried layer deep inside the SOI layer or the application of the superjunction concept by alternatively placing stacked P- and N-type pillars could highly improve the RESURF effectiveness and the P-channel device switching performance

Analysis of spectral effects on the energy yield of different PV (photovoltaic) technologies: The case of four specific sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso-Abella, M.; Chenlo, F.; Nofuentes, G.; Torres-Ramírez, M.

2014-01-01

This work is aimed at looking into the impact of the solar spectrum distribution on the energy yield of some PV (photovoltaic) materials on both monthly and annual time scales. The relative spectral responses of eight different PV solar cells – representative of each considered technology – have been selected. Modeling solar spectra in four sites located in the north hemisphere together with a 12-month experimental campaign in which spectral irradiances were periodically recorded in two of these sites located in Spain have provided highly interesting results. Regardless of the site, the considered amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride PV cells experience the most noticeable modeled and experimental variations of their monthly spectral gains, whilst flatter seasonal ones are identified in the remaining considered PV technologies. Thus, the maximum monthly variations of these spectral gains take place in the a-Si PV cell, ranging from −16% (winter) to 4% (summer) in Stuttgart. Anyway, the monthly spread of the spectral effects decreases as the latitude of the site does. Last, the impact of the solar spectrum distribution is remarkably reduced when the period of integration is enlarged up to a year. In fact, annual spectral gains keep below 2.2% for all the studied technologies and sites. - Highlights: • Monthly and annual spectral effects on eight different PV (photovoltaic) technologies studied. • Modeled spectra in four sites combined with relative spectral responses. • Measured spectra (12 months) in two sites combined with relative spectral responses. • Higher bandgap technologies: noticeable monthly variations in their spectral gains. • Annual spectral gains keep below 2.2% for all the studied technologies and sites

Case Report Frequent malaria illness episodes in two Malawian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Frequent malaria in two patients on ART after stopping CPT 57. Malawi Medical Journal 29 (1): March 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v29i1.12. Wongani J.S. Nyangulu1, Edson Mwinjiwa1, Titus H. Divala2, Randy G. Mungwira2,. Osward Nyirenda2, Maxwell Kanjala2, Gillian Mbambo3, Jane Mallewa4, Terrie E. Taylor2,.

Frequent activation of EGFR in advanced chordomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewaele Barbara

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chordomas are rare neoplasms, arising from notochordal remnants in the midline skeletal axis, for which the current treatment is limited to surgery and radiotherapy. Recent reports suggest that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK might be essential for the survival or proliferation of chordoma cells, providing a rationale for RTK targeted therapy. Nevertheless, the reported data are conflicting, most likely due to the assorted tumor specimens used for the studies and the heterogeneous methodological approaches. In the present study, we performed a comprehensive characterization of this rare entity using a wide range of assays in search for relevant therapeutic targets. Methods Histopathological features of 42 chordoma specimens, 21 primary and 21 advanced, were assessed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH using PDGFRB, CSF1R, and EGFR probes. Twenty-two of these cases, for which frozen material was available (nine primary and 13 advanced tumors, were selectively analyzed using the whole-genome 4.3 K TK-CGH-array, phospho-kinase antibody array or Western immunoblotting. The study was supplemented by direct sequencing of KIT, PDGFRB, CSF1R and EGFR. Results We demonstrated that EGFR is frequently and the most significantly activated RTK in chordomas. Furthermore, concurrent to EGFR activation, the tumors commonly reveal co-activation of alternative RTK. The consistent activation of AKT, the frequent loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN allele, the recurrent activation of upstream RTK and of downstream effectors like p70S6K and mTOR, all indicate the PI3K/AKT pathway as an important mediator of transformation in chordomas. Conclusions Given the complexity of the signaling in chordomas, combined treatment regimens targeting multiple RTK and downstream effectors are likely to be the most effective in these tumors. Personalized therapy with careful selection of the patients, based on the molecular profile of

Evidence-based treatment of frequent heartburn: the benefits and limitations of over-the-counter medications.

Science.gov (United States)

McRorie, Johnson W; Gibb, Roger D; Miner, Philip B

2014-06-01

This review summarizes the pharmacological effects of over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn drugs, and the implications for treating frequent heartburn. PubMed and SCOPUS were searched across all years to identify well-controlled, randomized clinical studies that assessed mechanism of action and efficacy. Antacids can transiently neutralize acid in the esophagus, but do not significantly affect gastric pH or prevent subsequent heartburn episodes. Histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2 RAs) rapidly develop tolerance with repeat dosing, and exhibit an analgesic effect that may provide heartburn relief while leaving the esophagus exposed to acid. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) provide a sustained inhibition of gastric acid production, and are superior to antacids and H2 RAs for control of gastric acid and treatment of frequent heartburn. When recommending therapies for frequent heartburn, it is of particular importance to understand the strengths and weaknesses of available OTC medications. Antacids and H2 RAs are not recommended for treatment of frequent heartburn, while OTC PPIs are both indicated for, and effective for, treatment of frequent heartburn. A PPI dose of 20 mg is optimal for empiric treatment of frequent heartburn, and consistent with the 2013 treatment guidelines established by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) for treatment with a minimum effective dose. ©2014 The Author(s) ©2014 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Using assistive technology services at differing levels of care: healthy older couples' perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrefors, Christina; Axelsson, Karin; Sävenstedt, Stefan

2010-07-01

The aim of the study was to describe healthy older couples' perceptions of using assistive technology services when needing assistance with care. The use of information technology-based assistive technology services in elder care has increased as a result of an increase of care performed in private homes. The use of assistive technology services in care of older people at home has been evaluated as something positive by patients, relatives and nursing staff, while as resistance to their increased use has also been noted. Twelve healthy couples, aged over 70 years, from northern Sweden were interviewed in 2005 about their perceptions of using assistive technology services in the case of being in need of assistance with personal care. Open, individual semi-structured interviews supported by written vignettes describing three levels of caring needs were used and the data analysed with content analysis. The findings were interpreted as one main theme with three categories: Asset or threat depends on caring needs and abilities. Three categories were identified within the theme: Assistive technology services provide an opportunity; The consequences of using assistive technology services are hard to anticipate; and Fear of assistive technology services when completely dependent on care. Trust and security in the care of older people who are severely ill, dependent on care and living at home should be a hallmark in using assistive technology services. Human presence is an important dimension and must be considered when developing concepts for use of assistive technology services.

[Study and comparison on HPLC fingerprints of flavonoids of frequently used Chinese materia medica in citrus].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yonggang; Lin, Li

2011-10-01

To establish the HPLC fingerprint of flavonoids of the six clinical frequently used Chinese materia medica for regulating Qi flow,such as Citri grandis, C. grands, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride, Aurantii Fructus, and Aurantii Fructus Immaturus from Citrus, and analysis differences in the fingerprints to provide scientific basis for profile-effect research and clinical reasonable use. HPLC was performed on a C18 column with methanol-water (with acetic acid), to establish HPLC fingerprints of the six kinds of medicinal herbs on the same chromatograph condition. The six frequently used Chinese materia medica were divided into naringin type and hesperidin type according to the method of phytochemotaxonomy. Based on the retention time of chromatograph peaks, C. grandis and C. grands had fifteen common peaks; Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride, Aurantii Fructus and Aurantii Fructus Immaturus had ten common peaks. All herbs had five common peaks. Compared with mutual model, the holistic similarity of chromatograms of C. grandis and C. grands was in the range of 0.9285 - 0.9962. The degree of similarity was high. For Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride and Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, it was in the range of 0.9221 - 0.9973 and high. But the similarity of Aurantii Fructus was only in 0.4547 - 0.7733 with the mutual model. The established fingerprints of flavonoids of the six common traditional Chinese medicines can be used to compare the differences intuitively. Meanwhile, the peak height and peak areas of characteristic peaks are different remarkably, but whether it is connected with the different function of regulating Qi flow of the six medical materials in clinical use, is still needed to be studied.

Emerging energy-efficient technologies for industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worrell, Ernst; Martin, Nathan; Price, Lynn; Ruth, Michael; Elliott, Neal; Shipley, Anna; Thorn, Jennifer

2001-01-01

For this study, we identified about 175 emerging energy-efficient technologies in industry, of which we characterized 54 in detail. While many profiles of individual emerging technologies are available, few reports have attempted to impose a standardized approach to the evaluation of the technologies. This study provides a way to review technologies in an independent manner, based on information on energy savings, economic, non-energy benefits, major market barriers, likelihood of success, and suggested next steps to accelerate deployment of each of the analyzed technologies. There are many interesting lessons to be learned from further investigation of technologies identified in our preliminary screening analysis. The detailed assessments of the 54 technologies are useful to evaluate claims made by developers, as well as to evaluate market potentials for the United States or specific regions. In this report we show that many new technologies are ready to enter the market place, or are currently under development, demonstrating that the United States is not running out of technologies to improve energy efficiency and economic and environmental performance, and will not run out in the future. The study shows that many of the technologies have important non-energy benefits, ranging from reduced environmental impact to improved productivity. Several technologies have reduced capital costs compared to the current technology used by those industries. Non-energy benefits such as these are frequently a motivating factor in bringing technologies such as these to market. Further evaluation of the profiled technologies is still needed. In particular, further quantifying the non-energy benefits based on the experience from technology users in the field is important. Interactive effects and inter-technology competition have not been accounted for and ideally should be included in any type of integrated technology scenario, for it may help to better evaluate market

A universal cue for grammatical categories in the input to children: Frequent frames.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Steven; Blasi, Damián E; Schikowski, Robert; Küntay, Aylin C; Pfeiler, Barbara; Allen, Shanley; Stoll, Sabine

2018-06-01

How does a child map words to grammatical categories when words are not overtly marked either lexically or prosodically? Recent language acquisition theories have proposed that distributional information encoded in sequences of words or morphemes might play a central role in forming grammatical classes. To test this proposal, we analyze child-directed speech from seven typologically diverse languages to simulate maximum variation in the structures of the world's languages. We ask whether the input to children contains cues for assigning syntactic categories in frequent frames, which are frequently occurring nonadjacent sequences of words or morphemes. In accord with aggregated results from previous studies on individual languages, we find that frequent word frames do not provide a robust distributional pattern for accurately predicting grammatical categories. However, our results show that frames are extremely accurate cues cross-linguistically at the morpheme level. We theorize that the nonadjacent dependency pattern captured by frequent frames is a universal anchor point for learners on the morphological level to detect and categorize grammatical categories. Whether frames also play a role on higher linguistic levels such as words is determined by grammatical features of the individual language. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Next generation safety performance monitoring at signalized intersections using connected vehicle technology.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-08-01

Crash-based safety evaluation is often hampered by randomness, lack of timeliness, and rarity of crash : occurrences. This is particularly the case for technology-driven safety improvement projects that are : frequently updated or replaced by newer o...

Humidity Sensors Principle, Mechanism, and Fabrication Technologies: A Comprehensive Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Farahani

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Humidity measurement is one of the most significant issues in various areas of applications such as instrumentation, automated systems, agriculture, climatology and GIS. Numerous sorts of humidity sensors fabricated and developed for industrial and laboratory applications are reviewed and presented in this article. The survey frequently concentrates on the RH sensors based upon their organic and inorganic functional materials, e.g., porous ceramics (semiconductors, polymers, ceramic/polymer and electrolytes, as well as conduction mechanism and fabrication technologies. A significant aim of this review is to provide a distinct categorization pursuant to state of the art humidity sensor types, principles of work, sensing substances, transduction mechanisms, and production technologies. Furthermore, performance characteristics of the different humidity sensors such as electrical and statistical data will be detailed and gives an added value to the report. By comparison of overall prospects of the sensors it was revealed that there are still drawbacks as to efficiency of sensing elements and conduction values. The flexibility offered by thick film and thin film processes either in the preparation of materials or in the choice of shape and size of the sensor structure provides advantages over other technologies. These ceramic sensors show faster response than other types.

Humidity Sensors Principle, Mechanism, and Fabrication Technologies: A Comprehensive Review

Science.gov (United States)

Farahani, Hamid; Wagiran, Rahman; Hamidon, Mohd Nizar

2014-01-01

Humidity measurement is one of the most significant issues in various areas of applications such as instrumentation, automated systems, agriculture, climatology and GIS. Numerous sorts of humidity sensors fabricated and developed for industrial and laboratory applications are reviewed and presented in this article. The survey frequently concentrates on the RH sensors based upon their organic and inorganic functional materials, e.g., porous ceramics (semiconductors), polymers, ceramic/polymer and electrolytes, as well as conduction mechanism and fabrication technologies. A significant aim of this review is to provide a distinct categorization pursuant to state of the art humidity sensor types, principles of work, sensing substances, transduction mechanisms, and production technologies. Furthermore, performance characteristics of the different humidity sensors such as electrical and statistical data will be detailed and gives an added value to the report. By comparison of overall prospects of the sensors it was revealed that there are still drawbacks as to efficiency of sensing elements and conduction values. The flexibility offered by thick film and thin film processes either in the preparation of materials or in the choice of shape and size of the sensor structure provides advantages over other technologies. These ceramic sensors show faster response than other types. PMID:24784036

The Use of information technology tools to reduce barriers of distance learning

OpenAIRE

Targamadzė, Aleksandras; Petrauskienė, Rūta

2012-01-01

Distance learning takes place when learning conditions do not allow using traditional learning. Remoteness is the main feature of distance learning; however, it can be various. Remoteness is frequently described as barriers and includes traditional barriers such as distance and time as well as technological, organizational, social, cultural, psychological and other barriers that have not been examined so widely. Barriers can be eliminated or reduced when using information technologies (ITs). ...

Large Scale Frequent Pattern Mining using MPI One-Sided Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vishnu, Abhinav; Agarwal, Khushbu

2015-09-08

In this paper, we propose a work-stealing runtime --- Library for Work Stealing LibWS --- using MPI one-sided model for designing scalable FP-Growth --- {\\em de facto} frequent pattern mining algorithm --- on large scale systems. LibWS provides locality efficient and highly scalable work-stealing techniques for load balancing on a variety of data distributions. We also propose a novel communication algorithm for FP-growth data exchange phase, which reduces the communication complexity from state-of-the-art O(p) to O(f + p/f) for p processes and f frequent attributed-ids. FP-Growth is implemented using LibWS and evaluated on several work distributions and support counts. An experimental evaluation of the FP-Growth on LibWS using 4096 processes on an InfiniBand Cluster demonstrates excellent efficiency for several work distributions (87\\% efficiency for Power-law and 91% for Poisson). The proposed distributed FP-Tree merging algorithm provides 38x communication speedup on 4096 cores.

Research on Performance and Microstructure of Sewage Pipe Mortar Strengthened with Different Anti-Corrosion Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Song; Zhou, Huaxin; Shi, Liang; Liu, Jianzhong; Cai, Jingshun; Wang, Feng

2017-10-01

Mostly urban underground sewage is the acidic corrosion environment with a high concentration of aggressive ions and microbe, which resulted in performance deterioration and service-life decrease of sewage concrete pipe. In order to effectively protect durability of the concrete pipe, the present paper briefly analysed the main degradation mechanism of concrete pipe attacked by urban underground sewage, and proposed that using penetrating and strengthening surface sealer based on inorganic chemistry. In addition, using index of compressive strength, weight loss and appearance level to investigate the influence of the sealer on corrosion resistance of mortar samples after different dry-wet cycles. Besides, comparative research on effect of the sealer, aluminate cement and admixture of corrosion resistance was also addressed. At last, the SEM technology was used to reveal the improvement mechanism of different technologies of corrosion resistance. The results indicated that the sealer and aluminate cement can significantly improve corrosion resistance of mortar. Besides, the improvement effect can be described as the descending order: the penetrating and strengthening surface sealer > aluminate cement > admixture of corrosion resistance. The mortar sample treated with the sealer displayed the condensed and sound microstructure which proved that the sealer can improve the corrosion resistance to urban underground sewage.

Utilization of communication technology by patients enrolled in substance abuse treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

McClure, Erin A; Acquavita, Shauna P; Harding, Emily; Stitzer, Maxine L

2013-04-01

Technology-based applications represent a promising method for providing efficacious, widely available interventions to substance abuse treatment patients. However, limited access to communication technology (i.e., mobile phones, computers, internet, and e-mail) could significantly impact the feasibility of these efforts, and little is known regarding technology utilization in substance abusing populations. A survey was conducted to characterize utilization of communication technology in 266 urban, substance abuse treatment patients enrolled at eight drug-free, psychosocial or opioid-replacement therapy clinics. Survey participants averaged 41 years of age and 57% had a yearly household income of less than $15,000. The vast majority reported access to a mobile phone (91%), and to SMS text messaging (79%). Keeping a consistent mobile phone number and yearly mobile contract was higher for White participants, and also for those with higher education, and enrolled in drug-free, psychosocial treatment. Internet, e-mail, and computer use was much lower (39-45%), with younger age, higher education and income predicting greater use. No such differences existed for the use of mobile phones however. Concern regarding the digital divide for marginalized populations appears to be disappearing with respect to mobile phones, but still exists for computer, internet, and e-mail access and use. Results suggest that mobile phone and texting applications may be feasibly applied for use in program-client interactions in substance abuse treatment. Careful consideration should be given to frequent phone number changes, access to technology, and motivation to engage with communication technology for treatment purposes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Socially compatible technology management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tschiedel, R.

1989-01-01

The public has a critical eye on the impacts of technology, and there is a growing awareness of the social impacts in addition to health hazards and economic and ecologic impacts. 'Socially compatible technology management' is the magic formula frequently used which has emerged as a political demand in the course of the social controversy about the hazards of large-scale technology. It marks a position in the conflict between those who declare existing market and policy instruments to be sufficient regulatory tools, and those who understand the incidents ranging from inadequacy to desaster as a warning, and call for more precaution in decisions with an impact on the future. The concept of 'social compatibility' has to be given shape by elaborating criteria and methods for achieving this goal. The book shows that social compatibility cannot sufficiently be defined either as a quality of a technology and of a socio-technical system (acceptability), or as the willingness of the people concerned to accept a technology (acceptance). The investigation explains by means of empirical analysis and examples that participation is the only way to combine acceptability and acceptance into a socially compatibly designed technology. The leading theoretical and political formula developed for this purpose is 'acquisition'. To put it in a provocative way: Man has to learn to manage and master technical systems as if they were an integral part of themselves. Which means, man has to acquire the required knowledge and skill in the changing social structures, and the real power of disposal. Sociology of technology is a branch of research that can and should give support in the process of designing and managing technological systems in a way compatible with social needs. (orig./HP) [de

An Adaptive Algorithm for Finding Frequent Sets in Landmark Windows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dang, Xuan-Hong; Ong, Kok-Leong; Lee, Vincent

2012-01-01

We consider a CPU constrained environment for finding approximation of frequent sets in data streams using the landmark window. Our algorithm can detect overload situations, i.e., breaching the CPU capacity, and sheds data in the stream to “keep up”. This is done within a controlled error threshold...

Adaptations to Short, Frequent Sessions of Endurance and Strength Training Are Similar to Longer, Less Frequent Exercise Sessions When the Total Volume Is the Same.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilen, Anders; Hjelvang, Line B; Dall, Niels; Kruse, Nanna L; Nordsborg, Nikolai B

2015-11-01

The hypothesis that the distribution of weekly training across several short sessions, as opposed to fewer longer sessions, enhances maximal strength gain without compromising maximal oxygen uptake was evaluated. Twenty-nine subjects completed an 8-week controlled parallel-group training intervention. One group ("micro training" [MI]: n = 21) performed nine 15-minute training sessions weekly, whereas a second group ("classical training" [CL]: n = 8) completed exactly the same training on a weekly basis but as three 45-minute sessions. For each group, each session comprised exclusively strength, high-intensity cardiovascular training or muscle endurance training. Both groups increased shuttle run performance (MI: 1,373 ± 133 m vs. 1,498 ± 126 m, p ≤ 0.05; CL: 1,074 ± 213 m vs. 1,451 ± 202 m, p training intervention. In conclusion, similar training adaptations can be obtained with short, frequent exercise sessions or longer, less frequent sessions where the total volume of weekly training performed is the same.

Adolescent and adult drivers' mobile phone use while driving with different interlocutors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirman, Jessica H; Durbin, Dennis R; Lee, Yi-Ching; Seifert, Sara J

2017-07-01

We examined the frequency of adolescents' and their parents' mobile phone use while driving (MPUWD) in the context of their peer and parent-child interlocutors (i.e., communication partners), considering individual differences in perceived risk and symptoms of technology addiction. Ninety-four participants (47 parent-adolescent dyads) completed a survey battery measuring their symptoms of technology addiction, perceived risk of MPUWD, and MPUWD with family members and with their peers as assessed via the proportion of trips when drivers used a mobile phone to communicate. For both adolescents and their parents across both types of interlocutors (parent-child, peer), stronger risk perceptions were associated with less MPUWD, and stronger symptoms of technology addiction were associated with more MPUWD. A three-way interaction among technology addiction, interlocutor (parent-child, peer), and driver (parent, adolescent) was observed. For adolescents, the association between technology addiction and MPUWD was significantly stronger for MPUWD with their peers than it was for their MPUWD with their parents; this association was not observed for parents. Parents engaged in MPUWD with their children as frequently as adolescents engaged in MPUWD with their peers. Symptoms of technology addiction play a stronger role for adolescents' MPUWD with their peers than it does for adolescents' MPUWD with their parents. These and other driver-by-interlocutor interactions should be considered in future research on distracted driving and in prevention efforts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subjective Technology Adaptivity Predicts Technology Use in Old Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamin, Stefan T; Lang, Frieder R; Beyer, Anja

2017-01-01

To date, not much is known about the psychological and motivational factors underlying technology use in late life. What are the interindividual determinants that lead older adults to invest in using technological innovations despite the age-related physiological changes that impose challenges on behavioral plasticity in everyday life? This research explores interindividual differences in subjective technology adaptivity - a general technology-related motivational resource that accounts for technology use in late life. More specifically, we investigate the influence of this factor relative to demographic characteristics, personality traits, and functional limitations in a longitudinal sample of community-dwelling older adults. We report results from a paper-and-pencil survey with 136 older adults between 59 and 92 years of age (mean = 71.4, SD = 7.4). Of those participants, 77 participated in a 2-year follow-up. We assessed self-reports of technology use, subjective technology adaptivity, functional limitations, and the personality traits openness to new experiences and neuroticism. Higher levels of subjective technology adaptivity were associated with technology use at the first measurement as well as increased use over the course of 2 years. Subjective technology adaptivity is a significant predictor of technology use in old age. Our findings contribute to improving the understanding of interindividual differences when using technological innovation in late life. Moreover, our findings have implications in the context of user involvement and may contribute to the successful development of innovative technology for older adults. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A statistical approach to discriminate between non-fallers, rare fallers and frequent fallers in older adults based on posturographic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Maranesi, E; Merlo, A; Fioretti, S; Zemp, D D; Campanini, I; Quadri, P

2016-02-01

Identification of future non-fallers, infrequent and frequent fallers among older people would permit focusing the delivery of prevention programs on selected individuals. Posturographic parameters have been proven to differentiate between non-fallers and frequent fallers, but not between the first group and infrequent fallers. In this study, postural stability with eyes open and closed on both a firm and a compliant surface and while performing a cognitive task was assessed in a consecutive sample of 130 cognitively able elderly, mean age 77(7)years, categorized as non-fallers (N=67), infrequent fallers (one/two falls, N=45) and frequent fallers (more than two falls, N=18) according to their last year fall history. Principal Component Analysis was used to select the most significant features from a set of 17posturographic parameters. Next, variables derived from principal component analysis were used to test, in each task, group differences between the three groups. One parameter based on a combination of a set of Centre of Pressure anterior-posterior variables obtained from the eyes-open on a compliant surface task was statistically different among all groups, thus distinguishing infrequent fallers from both non-fallers (Peyes-open on a compliant surface condition and this new parameter could be used, in a future study, to improve the performance of protocols and to verify the ability of this method to identify new-fallers in elderly without cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescent and parent use of new technologies for health communication: a study in an urban Latino community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arlene Smaldone

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background. Mobile communication technologies provide novel opportunities to support clinic-based health initiatives. Adoption of technologies for daily use and for health communication can differ between communities, depending upon demographic and cultural characteristics. Design and methods. A survey was administered in adolescent primary care and subspecialty clinics to assess parent-adolescent preferences in use of mobile technologies and social media to support provider-patient communication in an urban Latino community. Results. Of 130 respondents (65 parent-adolescent pairs, approximately half frequently sent and received text messages but lacked agreement regarding the other’s text messaging use. In contrast, adolescents only rarely used email compared to parents (15.4% versus 37.5%, P=0.006. Of social media, FacebookTM/MySpaceTM was most frequently used by parents and youth (60% and 55.4%, P=0.59; however, most lacked interest in using social media for health communication. Parents reported more interest than adolescents in receiving email (73.4% versus 35.9%, P<0.001 and text messages (58.5% versus 33.9%, P=0.005 for health, but had more concerns about privacy issues (26.2% versus 9.2%, P=0.01. Respondents who were American born (aOR 5.7, 95%CI 1.2-28.5 or regularly used Instant Messaging or FacebookTM/MySpaceTM (aOR 4.6, 95%CI 1.4-14.7 were more likely to be interested in using social media for health communication. Conclusions. These findings underscore the importance of targeted assessment for planning the utilization of communication technologies and social media in clinical care or research for underserved youth.

Capacitive technology for energy extraction from chemical potential differences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bastos Sales, B.

2013-01-01

This thesis introduces the principle of Capacitive energy extraction based on Donnan Potential (CDP) to exploit salinity gradients. It also shows the fundamental characterization and improvements of CDP. An alternative application of this technology aimed at thermal gradients was tested.

A Range-Based Vehicle Life Cycle Assessment Incorporating Variability in the Environmental Assessment of Different Vehicle Technologies and Fuels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maarten Messagie

2014-03-01

Full Text Available How to compare the environmental performance of different vehicle technologies? Vehicles with lower tailpipe emissions are perceived as cleaner. However, does it make sense to look only to tailpipe emissions? Limiting the comparison only to these emissions denies the fact that there are emissions involved during the production of a fuel and this approach gives too much advantage to zero-tailpipe vehicles like battery electric vehicles (BEV and fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV. Would it be enough to combine fuel production and tailpipe emissions? Especially when comparing the environmental performance of alternative vehicle technologies, the emissions during production of the specific components and their appropriate end-of-life treatment processes should also be taken into account. Therefore, the complete life cycle of the vehicle should be included in order to avoid problem shifting from one life stage to another. In this article, a full life cycle assessment (LCA of petrol, diesel, fuel cell electric (FCEV, compressed natural gas (CNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, hybrid electric, battery electric (BEV, bio-diesel and bio-ethanol vehicles has been performed. The aim of the manuscript is to investigate the impact of the different vehicle technologies on the environment and to develop a range-based modeling system that enables a more robust interpretation of the LCA results for a group of vehicles. Results are shown for climate change, respiratory effects, acidification and mineral extraction damage of the different vehicle technologies. A broad range of results is obtained due to the variability within the car market. It is concluded that it is essential to take into account the influence of all the vehicle parameters on the LCA results.

Systematic review of frequent users of emergency departments in non-US hospitals: state of the art.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tiel, Sofie; Rood, Pleunie P M; Bertoli-Avella, Aida M; Erasmus, Vicky; Haagsma, Juanita; van Beeck, Ed; Patka, Peter; Polinder, Suzanne

2015-10-01

This review focuses on frequent users (FUs) of the emergency department (ED). Elucidation of the characteristics of frequent ED users will help to improve healthcare services. A systematic review of the literature (from 1999 onwards) on frequent ED users in non-US hospitals was performed. Twenty-two studies were included. FUs are responsible for a wide variety of 1-31% of ED visits depending on the FU definition used. They have a mean age between 40 and 50 years and are older than nonfrequent users. Chronic physical and mental diseases seem to be the main reasons for frequent ED visits. In terms of social characteristics, lacking a partner is more frequently reported among FUs in some studies. The absence of a universal definition for FUs complicates the determination of the burden on emergency healthcare services. FUs are a heterogeneous group of patients with genuine medical needs and high consumption of other healthcare services.

Frequent flyer business travelers. The role of the occupational health nurse.

Science.gov (United States)

Tompkins, Olga S; Randolph, Susan A; Ostendorf, Judith S

2005-03-01

When managing frequent flyer business travelers, occupational health nurses focus on health promotion and health protection goals. The three types of prevention (i.e., primary, secondary, tertiary) follow a timeline beginning with complete prevention, and proceeding through and ending with management of a disease process. Occupational health nurses design and implement practice strategies based on this progression. Travel health nursing is rapidly expanding as the number of travelers, immunizations, and modes of transportation increase. Physicians focus on disease, industrial hygienists focus on hazard exposure, and safety professionals address occupational issues related to illnesses and injuries. Occupational health nurses are the professionals who focus on all three areas, in addition to health promotion and health protection. Frequent flyer business travelers have specific and complex needs that occupational health nurses are in a unique position to address.

Esophageal motor disorders are frequent during pre and post lung transplantation. Can they influence lung rejection?

Science.gov (United States)

Ciriza de Los Ríos, Constanza; Canga Rodríguez-Valcárcel, Fernando; de Pablo Gafas, Alicia; Castel de Lucas, Isabel; Lora Pablos, David; Castellano Tortajada, Gregorio

2018-06-01

lung transplantation (LTx) is a viable option for most patients with end-stage lung diseases. Esophageal motor disorders (EMD) are frequent in candidates for LTx, but there is very little data about changes in esophageal motility post-LTx. the aim of our study was to assess esophageal motor disorders by high resolution manometry (HRM) both pre-LTx and six months post-LTx in patients with and without organ rejection. HRM (Manoscan®) was performed in 57 patients both pre-LTx and six months post-LTx. HRM plots were analyzed according to the Chicago classification 3.0. EMD were found in 33.3% and in 49.1% of patients pre-LTx and post-LTx, respectively, and abnormal peristalsis was more frequently found post-LTx (p = 0.018). Hypercontractile esophagus was frequently found post-LTx (1.8% and 19.3% pre-LTx and post-LTx, respectively). Esophagogastric junction (EGJ) morphology changed significantly pre-LTx and post-LTx; type I (normal) was more frequent post-LTx (63-2% and 82.5% respectively, p = 0.007). EMD were more frequent post-LTx in both the non-rejection and rejection group, although particularly in the rejection group (43.2% and 69.2% respectively, p = 0.09). EMD such as distal spasm, hypercontractile esophagus and EGJ outflow obstruction were also observed more frequently post-LTx in the rejection group. significant changes in esophageal motility were observed pre-LTx and particularly post-LTx; hypercontractile esophagus was a frequent EMD found post-LTx. EMD were more frequent in the group of patients that experienced organ rejection compared to the non-rejection group. EMD leading to an impaired esophageal clearance should be considered as an additional factor that contributes to LTx failure.

The Differences in Career-Related Variables between Temporary and Permanent Employees in Information Technology Companies in Korea

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Tak, Jinkook; Lim, Beomsik

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in career-related variables, such as career commitment and career satisfaction, based on employment status (temporary vs. permanent employees) and job type (professional vs. nonprofessional employees). With a sample of 302 employees working in information technology companies in Korea, it was…

Persons with Mild or Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Use a Basic Orientation Technology to Travel to Different Rooms within a Day Center

Science.gov (United States)

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Perilli, Viviana; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Bosco, Andrea; De Caro, Maria Fara; Cassano, Germana; Pinto, Katia; Minervini, Mauro

2011-01-01

This study assessed whether three patients with Alzheimer's disease could learn to use a basic orientation technology to reach different rooms within a day center. At each travel instance, the technology provided verbal messages (cues) from the room to reach. For the first two patients, the messages were presented at intervals of about 15 s. For…

Perinatal outcomes of pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šljivančanin Tamara

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Recent epidemiological studies showed significantly higher incidence of perinatal complications in newborns and women after the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART. Multiple pregnancies are more frequent after the use of ART. Singleton pregnancies following ART are more prone to preterm birth, low and very low birth weight (LBW and VLBW, small for gestational age (SGA and perinatal mortality. Objective. The aim of this study was to summarize the results of relevant articles and to evaluate whether the mode of conception is the determining factor for different pregnancy outcomes after assisted and natural conceptions. Methods. Eleven studies were included in this review. The following outcomes were observed: preterm and very preterm birth, SGA, LBW, VLBW, perinatal mortality, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU, and Apgar score (As ≤7 at fifth minute. Qualitative analysis and quantitative assessment were performed. Results. For singletons, odds ratios were 1.794 (95% confidence interval 1.660-1.939 for preterm birth, 1.649 (1.301-2.089 for LBW, 1.265 (1.048-1.527 for SGA. Admission to NICU, As≤7 at fifth minute and perinatal mortality showed significantly different frequency after assisted conception. Summary of results for twin gestations showed no significant difference between ART and spontaneous conception for preterm birth (32-36 weeks, very preterm birth (<32 weeks, LBW and VLBW. Conclusion. Analyzed studies showed that infants from ART have significantly worse perinatal outcome compared with natural conception. More observational studies should be conducted in order to establish the exact mechanism leading to more frequent perinatal morbidity and mortality after the use of ART.

Why do singletons conceived after assisted reproduction technology have adverse perinatal outcome?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinborg, A; Wennerholm, U B; Romundstad, L B

2013-01-01

Assisted reproduction technology (ART) is used worldwide, at increasing rates, and data show that some adverse outcomes occur more frequently than following spontaneous conception (SC). Possible explanatory factors for the well-known adverse perinatal outcome in ART singletons were evaluated....

Frequent hemodialysis with NxStage system in pediatric patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Stuart L; Silverstein, Douglas M; Leung, Jocelyn C; Feig, Daniel I; Soletsky, Beth; Knight, Cathy; Warady, Bradley A

2008-01-01

Recent evidence from adult hemodialysis (HD) patient studies reveal improved biochemical control and reported health-related quality of life after transition from conventional thrice weekly to daily home maintenance HD treatment. Published pediatric frequent dialysis experiences demonstrate similar improvement but all used conventional HD machines, which employ a treated municipal water supply, thereby frequently exposing patients to proinflammatory components. We report our pediatric experience with six-times-weekly HD using the NxStage system, which uses sterile dialysis fluid to provide dialysis in the home or center setting. Four patients (weight range 38-61.4 kg) completed the 16-week study. Patients exhibited progressive reductions in casual pretreatment systolic and diastolic blood pressures, discontinuation of antihypertensive medications, and decreased blood pressure load by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Mean serum phosphorus improved without change in phosphorus binder medication, and all three patients with a normalized protein catabolic rate 1.1 g/kg per day. Patients reported no adverse effects. Variable changes in proinflammatory cytokine levels were observed. We suggest that frequent HD with the NxStage system be considered for children who would benefit from home-based maintenance dialysis.

Sex and age related differences in postmyelographic adverse reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maly, P.

1989-01-01

Differences in frequency of postmyelographic adverse reactions were analyzed with respect to sex and age in a prospective study including 1026 patients injected with metrizamide and 739 injected with iohexol. Regardless of the type of contrast medium or myelography, all types of adverse reactions were 1.4-3.8 times as frequent in women as in men. Most of the differences were statistically significant. Headache was more frequent, while vomiting and dizziness were less frequent in both women and men aged 26-50 years compared with those over 50 years of age. Dizziness and increased low back pain were consistently reported spontaneously by the patients less frequently than emerged via formal interview. The large differences between the sexes suggest that further research on contrast media toxicity would be best performed with separation of the data by gender. (orig.)

Digital Literacies in Higher Education: Exploring Textual and Technological Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Lea, Mary R.; Jones, Sylvia

2011-01-01

Concerns are frequently raised about undergraduates being so immersed in web-based technologies in their broader lives that they have difficulties engaging in more conventional study practices, such as academic reading and writing essays. The research reported on here examines this issue through a literacies lens. The project findings illustrate…

2016 Annual Technology Baseline (ATB)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, Wesley; Kurup, Parthiv; Hand, Maureen; Feldman, David; Sigrin, Benjamin; Lantz, Eric; Stehly, Tyler; Augustine, Chad; Turchi, Craig; O' Connor, Patrick; Waldoch, Connor

2016-09-01

Consistent cost and performance data for various electricity generation technologies can be difficult to find and may change frequently for certain technologies. With the Annual Technology Baseline (ATB), National Renewable Energy Laboratory provides an organized and centralized dataset that was reviewed by internal and external experts. It uses the best information from the Department of Energy laboratory's renewable energy analysts and Energy Information Administration information for conventional technologies. The ATB will be updated annually in order to provide an up-to-date repository of current and future cost and performance data. Going forward, we plan to revise and refine the values using best available information. The ATB includes both a presentation with notes (PDF) and an associated Excel Workbook. The ATB includes the following electricity generation technologies: land-based wind; offshore wind; utility-scale solar PV; concentrating solar power; geothermal power; hydropower plants (upgrades to existing facilities, powering non-powered dams, and new stream-reach development); conventional coal; coal with carbon capture and sequestration; integrated gasification combined cycle coal; natural gas combustion turbines; natural gas combined cycle; conventional biopower. Nuclear laboratory's renewable energy analysts and Energy Information Administration information for conventional technologies. The ATB will be updated annually in order to provide an up-to-date repository of current and future cost and performance data. Going forward, we plan to revise and refine the values using best available information.

What factors are associated with frequent unhealthy snack-food consumption among Australian secondary-school students?

Science.gov (United States)

Niven, Philippa; Scully, Maree; Morley, Belinda; Baur, Louise; Crawford, David; Pratt, Iain S; Wakefield, Melanie

2015-08-01

To examine demographic and behavioural correlates of unhealthy snack-food consumption among Australian secondary-school students and the association between their perceptions of availability, convenience and intake with consumption. Cross-sectional survey of students' eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours using validated instruments administered via an online questionnaire. Australian secondary schools across all states/territories. Secondary-school students aged 12-17 years participating in the 2009-10 National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey (n 12 188). Approximately one in five students (21 %) reported consuming unhealthy snack foods ≥14 times/week ('frequent snackers'). After adjusting for all covariates, older students and those with a BMI of ≥25 kg/m² were less likely to be frequent snackers, while students who reported high fast-food and high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and those who watched television for >2 h/d were more likely to snack frequently. Furthermore, after adjusting for all covariates and demographic factors, students who agreed that snack foods are usually available at home, convenient to buy and that they eat too many snack foods were more likely to be snacking frequently. Conversely, students who agreed that fruit is a convenient snack were less likely to be frequent snackers. Frequent unhealthy snack-food consumption appears to cluster with other poor health behaviours. Perceptions of availability and convenience are factors most readily amenable to change, and findings suggest interventions should focus on decreasing the availability of unhealthy snack foods in the home and promoting healthier options such as fruit as convenient snacks.

"Frequent frames" in German child-directed speech: a limited cue to grammatical categories.

Science.gov (United States)

Stumper, Barbara; Bannard, Colin; Lieven, Elena; Tomasello, Michael

2011-08-01

Mintz (2003) found that in English child-directed speech, frequently occurring frames formed by linking the preceding (A) and succeeding (B) word (A_x_B) could accurately predict the syntactic category of the intervening word (x). This has been successfully extended to French (Chemla, Mintz, Bernal, & Christophe, 2009). In this paper, we show that, as for Dutch (Erkelens, 2009), frequent frames in German do not enable such accurate lexical categorization. This can be explained by the characteristics of German including a less restricted word order compared to English or French and the frequent use of some forms as both determiner and pronoun in colloquial German. Finally, we explore the relationship between the accuracy of frames and their potential utility and find that even some of those frames showing high token-based accuracy are of limited value because they are in fact set phrases with little or no variability in the slot position. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Comparative analysis of video processing and 3D rendering for cloud video games using different virtualization technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Bada, Adedayo; Alcaraz-Calero, Jose M.; Wang, Qi; Grecos, Christos

2014-05-01

This paper describes a comprehensive empirical performance evaluation of 3D video processing employing the physical/virtual architecture implemented in a cloud environment. Different virtualization technologies, virtual video cards and various 3D benchmarks tools have been utilized in order to analyse the optimal performance in the context of 3D online gaming applications. This study highlights 3D video rendering performance under each type of hypervisors, and other factors including network I/O, disk I/O and memory usage. Comparisons of these factors under well-known virtual display technologies such as VNC, Spice and Virtual 3D adaptors reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the various hypervisors with respect to 3D video rendering and streaming.

Acute Unstable Depressive Syndrome (AUDS) is associated more frequently with epilepsy than major depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaaler, Arne E; Morken, Gunnar; Iversen, Valentina C

2010-01-01

present with an Acute Unstable Depressive Syndrome (AUDS) that does not meet DSM-IV criteria of a Major Depressive Episode (MDE). In a previous publication we have documented that AUDS patients indeed have more often a history of epileptic seizures and abnormal EEG recordings than MDE patients (Vaaler et......Depressive disorders are frequent in epilepsy and associated with reduced seizure control. Almost 50% of interictal depressive disorders have to be classified as atypical depressions according to DSM-4 criteria. Research has mainly focused on depressive symptoms in defined populations with epilepsy...... al. 2009). This study aimed to further classify the differences of depressive symptoms at admittance and follow-up of patients with AUDS and MDE....

Managing for Old Growth in Frequent-fire Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carl E. Fiedler

2007-12-01

Full Text Available There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing frequent-fire, old-growth forests. However, there are general guidelines to follow: 1 set objectives for both structure (tree density, diameter distribution, tree species composition, spatial arrangement, amount of coarse woody debris and function (nutrient cycling, desired tree species regeneration; 2 prioritize treatments according to ecological, economic, and social needs and risks; 3 identify the potential treatments (natural fire, prescribed fire, silvicultural cutting that best meet the objectives and scale of the project; and 4 implement the treatment(s. We discuss each of these guidelines in this article.

Brain perfusion SPECT in children with frequent fits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiskala, H.; Launes, J.; Pihko, H.; Nikkinen, P.; Santavuori, P.

1993-01-01

We studied 14 children with frequent fits using 99m Tc-HM-PAO single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). There were 11 patients with partial secondary generalized epilepsy (PSGE) and 3 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). The typical regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) finding in PSGE was a single area of abnormally low perfused cortex, and that in LGS, multiple hypoperfused areas. Clinically, the LGS patients were more severely affected. SPECT was more sensitive in detecting abnormalities than EEG, CT or MRI. Extensive impairment of rCBF may thus indicate unfavourable development of intellectual performance and poor seizure control. (author)

Use of Payment Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xiao, Xiao; Hedman, Jonas; Runnemark, Emma

2015-01-01

Drawing on the theory of consumption value, this research-in-progress strives to provide a theoretical explanation of payment technology use by investigating the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of different consumption values associated with a certain payment technology and their choice...... to use the technology. We conducted the study in the context of Denmark, a Northern European country, with three well established payment technologies: cash, payment cards, and Internet banking. Following a focus group of identifying and defining four types of consumption values associated with each...... payment technology, a survey was then conducted by a national statistics agency in the country. Preliminary results have shown that different consumption values matter for the use of different payment technologies. The findings will potentially contribute to a better understanding of consumer payment...

Health Information Technology (HIT) Adaptation: Refocusing on the Journey to Successful HIT Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Po-Yin; McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Sieck, Cynthia J; Hefner, Jennifer L; Huerta, Timothy R

2017-09-07

In past years, policies and regulations required hospitals to implement advanced capabilities of certified electronic health records (EHRs) in order to receive financial incentives. This has led to accelerated implementation of health information technologies (HIT) in health care settings. However, measures commonly used to evaluate the success of HIT implementation, such as HIT adoption, technology acceptance, and clinical quality, fail to account for complex sociotechnical variability across contexts and the different trajectories within organizations because of different implementation plans and timelines. We propose a new focus, HIT adaptation, to illuminate factors that facilitate or hinder the connection between use of the EHR and improved quality of care as well as to explore the trajectory of changes in the HIT implementation journey as it is impacted by frequent system upgrades and optimizations. Future research should develop instruments to evaluate the progress of HIT adaptation in both its longitudinal design and its focus on adaptation progress rather than on one cross-sectional outcome, allowing for more generalizability and knowledge transfer. ©Po-Yin Yen, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Cynthia J Sieck, Jennifer L Hefner, Timothy R Huerta. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 07.09.2017.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on Smallpox

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... with smallpox is still infectious until the last scabs fall off. How fast does smallpox spread? The ... Variola virus research Variola virus repository inspections Synthetic Biology Technology for smallpox Post-eradication of smallpox You ...

Technology use and interest among low-income parents of young children: differences by age group and ethnicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Swindle, Taren M; Ward, Wendy L; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; Bokony, Patti; Pettit, Dawn

2014-01-01

To examine demographic differences in frequency of use of technologies and interest in receiving nutrition information via technology by low-income parents and caregivers. Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Head Start and state-funded child care programs. A total of 806 parents and caregivers from low-income families. A 20-item survey assessed frequency of use and interest in technologies (dependent variables) and collected participant age and ethnicity (independent variables). Multivariate ANOVA analysis investigated whether age, ethnicity, and their interactions were related to frequency of use and interest in technology types. Daily rates of usage for Internet, text messaging, and cell phone use were over 60%. However, Twitter and blogs were accessed daily by interaction of ethnicity and age was nonsignificant. However, main effects for ethnicity (Wilks' λ = .85; F = 3.13; P < .001) and age (Wilks' λ = .89; F = 2.29; P < .001) were observed. Facebook, e-mail, texting, and smartphone applications may be innovative modalities to engage with low-income parents and caregivers aged ≤ 45. However, some strategies may be ineffective for reaching Hispanic families as they reported less use of the Internet, Facebook, and e-mail as well as less interest in e-mail. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Application of electrostatic prevention technology on polyethylene silos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Hong; Liu, Quanzhen; Tan, Fenggui; Zhang, Yunpeng

2013-01-01

The main reasons of static electric explosion accidents in polyolefin plant silos were analyzed in this paper, and the study finds that the reasons include control failure of flammable gas content in the feed, high electrification caused by the wind supply, and frequent electrostatic discharge in silos. The electrostatic-reducing technologies of polyolefin powder were introduced, and its application performance in polyolefin plant silos was also clarified. In addition, the methods including FDCS and DGES for evaluation of electrostatic explosion in polyolefin plant silo were proposed. In the end, the risk of electrostatic explosion in PE plant blended silo was evaluated before and after application of electrostatic reducing technology.

Finding Frequent Closed Itemsets in Sliding Window in Linear Time

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Junbo; Zhou, Bo; Chen, Lu; Wang, Xinyu; Ding, Yiqun

One of the most well-studied problems in data mining is computing the collection of frequent itemsets in large transactional databases. Since the introduction of the famous Apriori algorithm [14], many others have been proposed to find the frequent itemsets. Among such algorithms, the approach of mining closed itemsets has raised much interest in data mining community. The algorithms taking this approach include TITANIC [8], CLOSET+[6], DCI-Closed [4], FCI-Stream [3], GC-Tree [15], TGC-Tree [16] etc. Among these algorithms, FCI-Stream, GC-Tree and TGC-Tree are online algorithms work under sliding window environments. By the performance evaluation in [16], GC-Tree [15] is the fastest one. In this paper, an improved algorithm based on GC-Tree is proposed, the computational complexity of which is proved to be a linear combination of the average transaction size and the average closed itemset size. The algorithm is based on the essential theorem presented in Sect. 4.2. Empirically, the new algorithm is several orders of magnitude faster than the state of art algorithm, GC-Tree.

Electron beam technology for modifying the functional properties of maize starch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemtanu, M.R.; Minea, R.; Kahraman, K.; Koksel, H.; Ng, P.K.W.; Popescu, M.I.; Mitru, E.

2007-01-01

Maize starch is a versatile biopolymer with a wide field of applications (e.g. foods, pharmaceutical products, adhesives, etc.). Nowadays there is a continuous and intensive search for new methods and techniques to modify its functional properties due to the fact that native form of starch may exhibit some disadvantages in certain applications. Radiation technology is frequently used to change the properties of different polymeric materials. Thus, the goal of the work is to discuss the application of accelerated electron beams on maize starch in the view of changing some of its functional properties. Maize starch has been irradiated with doses up to 52.15 kGy by using electron beam technology and the modifications of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and pasting characteristics, paste clarity, freezing and thawing stability as well as colorimetric characteristics have been investigated. The results of the study revealed that the measured properties can be modified by electron beam treatment and, therefore, this method can be an efficient and ecological alternative to obtain modified maize starch

Health impacts of different energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Energy is needed to sustain the economy, health and welfare of nations. As a consequence of this, energy consumption figures are frequently used as an index of a nation's advancement. As a result of the global energy crisis, almost every nation has had to develop all its available energy resources and plan its future use of energy. The planners of national and international energy policies are however often faced with a problem of 'public acceptance' arising from the potential health and environmental impacts of developing energy resources. The public's desire to preserve the quality of man's health and his environment frequently results in opposition to many industrial innovations, including the generation and use of energy. Reliable, quantitative data and information are needed on the risks to health and the environment of different contemporary energy systems, to improve public understanding, and to serve as the basis from which national planners can choose between different energy supply options. With the exception of nuclear energy, even in technologically advanced countries little systematic research and development has been done on the quantitative assessment of the effects on health and the environment of the conventional energy sources. The need for this information has only been realized over the past decade as the climate and environment in many regions of the world has deteriorated with the unabated release of pollutants from factories and energy generating plants in particular. A number of countries have started national environmental health research programmes to monitor and regulate toxic emissions from industry and energy plants. Energy-related environmental health research has been supported and co-ordinated by various international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). WHO has supported expert reviews on the potential health risks posed

Clustering Suicide Attempters: Impulsive-Ambivalent, Well-Planned, or Frequent.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Castroman, Jorge; Nogue, Erika; Guillaume, Sebastien; Picot, Marie Christine; Courtet, Philippe

2016-06-01

Attempts to predict suicidal behavior within high-risk populations have so far shown insufficient accuracy. Although several psychosocial and clinical features have been consistently associated with suicide attempts, investigations of latent structure in well-characterized populations of suicide attempters are lacking. We analyzed a sample of 1,009 hospitalized suicide attempters that were recruited between 1999 and 2012. Eleven clinically relevant items related to the characteristics of suicidal behavior were submitted to a Hierarchical Ascendant Classification. Phenotypic profiles were compared between the resulting clusters. A decisional tree was constructed to facilitate the differentiation of individuals classified within the first 2 clusters. Most individuals were included in a cluster characterized by less lethal means and planning ("impulse-ambivalent"). A second cluster featured more carefully planned attempts ("well-planned"), more alcohol or drug use before the attempt, and more precautions to avoid interruptions. Finally, a small, third cluster included individuals reporting more attempts ("frequent"), more often serious or violent attempts, and an earlier age at first attempt. Differences across clusters by demographic and clinical characteristics were also found, particularly with the third cluster whose participants had experienced high levels of childhood abuse. Cluster analysis consistently supported 3 distinct clusters of individuals with specific features in their suicidal behaviors and phenotypic profiles that could help clinicians to better focus prevention strategies. © Copyright 2016 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Designing and Implementing Performance Technology for Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joi L. Moore

2004-06-01

Full Text Available This paper synthesizes research findings from a performance analysis of teacher tasks and the implementation of performance technology. These findings are aligned with design and implementation theories to provide understanding of the complex factors and events that occur during the implementation process. The article describes the necessary elements and conditions for designing and implementing performance tools in school environments that will encourage usage, efficient performance, and positive attitudes. Two models provide a visual representation of causal relationships between the implementation factors and the technology user. Although the implementation process can become complex because of the simultaneous events and phases, it can be properly managed through good communication and strategic involvement of teachers during the design and development process. The models may be able to assist technology designers and advocates with presenting innovations to teachers who are frequently asked to try technical solutions for performance support or improvement.

Hybrid Recommendation System Memanfaatkan Penggalian Frequent Itemset dan Perbandingan Keyword

OpenAIRE

Suka Parwita, Wayan Gede; Winarko, Edi

2015-01-01

Abstrak Recommendation system sering dibangun dengan memanfaatkan data peringkat item dan data identitas pengguna. Data peringkat item merupakan data yang langka pada sistem yang baru dibangun. Sedangkan, pemberian data identitas pada recommendation system dapat menimbulkan kekhawatiran penyalahgunaan data identitas. Hybrid recommendation system memanfaatkan algoritma penggalian frequent itemset dan perbandingan keyword dapat memberikan daftar rekomendasi tanpa menggunakan data identi...

Antibody deficiency in patients with frequent exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Science.gov (United States)

McCullagh, Brian N; Comellas, Alejandro P; Ballas, Zuhair K; Newell, John D; Zimmerman, M Bridget; Azar, Antoine E

2017-01-01

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the third leading cause of death in the US, and is associated with periodic exacerbations, which account for the largest proportion of health care utilization, and lead to significant morbidity, mortality, and worsening lung function. A subset of patients with COPD have frequent exacerbations, occurring 2 or more times per year. Despite many interventions to reduce COPD exacerbations, there is a significant lack of knowledge in regards to their mechanisms and predisposing factors. We describe here an important observation that defines antibody deficiency as a potential risk factor for frequent COPD exacerbations. We report a case series of patients who have frequent COPD exacerbations, and who were found to have an underlying primary antibody deficiency syndrome. We also report on the outcome of COPD exacerbations following treatment in a subset with of these patients with antibody deficiency. We identified patients with COPD who had 2 or more moderate to severe exacerbations per year; immune evaluation including serum immunoglobulin levels and pneumococcal IgG titers was performed. Patients diagnosed with an antibody deficiency syndrome were treated with either immunoglobulin replacement therapy or prophylactic antibiotics, and their COPD exacerbations were monitored over time. A total of 42 patients were identified who had 2 or more moderate to severe COPD exacerbations per year. Twenty-nine patients had an underlying antibody deficiency syndrome: common variable immunodeficiency (8), specific antibody deficiency (20), and selective IgA deficiency (1). Twenty-two patients had a follow-up for at least 1 year after treatment of their antibody deficiency, which resulted in a significant reduction of COPD exacerbations, courses of oral corticosteroid use and cumulative annual dose of oral corticosteroid use, rescue antibiotic use, and hospitalizations for COPD exacerbations. This case series identifies antibody deficiency as a

Exergetic comparison of two different cooling technologies for the power cycle of a thermal power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco-Marigorta, Ana M.; Victoria Sanchez-Henriquez, M.; Pena-Quintana, Juan A.

2011-01-01

Exergetic analysis is without any doubt a powerful tool for developing, evaluating and improving an energy conversion system. In the present paper, two different cooling technologies for the power cycle of a 50 MWe solar thermal power plant are compared from the exergetic viewpoint. The Rankine cycle design is a conventional, single reheat design with five closed and one open extraction feedwater heaters. The software package GateCycle is used for the thermodynamic simulation of the Rankine cycle model. The first design configuration uses a cooling tower while the second configuration uses an air cooled condenser. With this exergy analysis we identify the location, magnitude and the sources or thermodynamic inefficiencies in this thermal system. This information is very useful for improving the overall efficiency of the power system and for comparing the performance of both technologies.

Increased risk of breast cancer following different regimens of hormone replacement therapy frequently used in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stahlberg, Claudia; Pedersen, Anette Tønnes; Lynge, Elsebeth

2004-01-01

was established in 1993, where all female nurses aged 45 years and above received a mailed questionnaire (n = 23,178). A total of 19,898 women returned the questionnaire (86%). The questionnaire included information on HRT types and regimens, reproductive history and lifestyle-related factors. Breast cancer cases......Epidemiologic studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer following hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The aim of this study was to investigate whether different treatment regimens or the androgenecity of progestins influence the risk of breast cancer differently. The Danish Nurse Cohort...

The experiences of frequent users of crisis helplines: A qualitative interview study.

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Aves; Gunn, Jane; Bassilios, Bridget; Pirkis, Jane

2016-11-01

To understand why some users call crisis helplines frequently. Nineteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with callers to Lifeline Australia who reported calling 20 times or more in the past month and provided informed consent. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was used to generate common themes. Approval was granted by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. Three overarching themes emerged from the data and included reasons for calling, service response and calling behaviours. Respondents called seeking someone to talk to, help with their mental health issues and assistance with negative life events. When they called, they found short-term benefits in the unrestricted support offered by the helpline. Over time they called about similar issues and described reactive, support-seeking and dependent calling behaviours. Frequent users of crisis helplines call about ongoing issues. They have developed distinctive calling behaviours which appear to occur through an interaction between their reasons for calling and the response they receive from the helpline. The ongoing nature of the issues prompting frequent users to call suggests that a service model that includes a continuity of care component may be more efficient in meeting their needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ophthalmic patients' utilization of technology and social media: an assessment to improve quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Aleo, Chelsea L; Hark, Lisa; Leiby, Benjamin; Dai, Yang; Murchison, Ann P; Martinez, Patricia; Haller, Julia A

2014-10-01

E-health tools have the potential to improve the quality of care for ophthalmic patients, many of whom have chronic conditions. However, little research has assessed ophthalmic patients' use or acceptance of technological devices and social media platforms for health-related purposes. The present study evaluated utilization of technological devices and social media platforms by eye clinic patients, as well as their willingness to receive health reminders through these technologies. A 31-item paper questionnaire was administered to eye clinic patients (n=843) at an urban, tertiary-care center. Questions focused on technology ownership, comfort levels, frequency of use, and preferences for receiving health reminders. Demographic data were also recorded. Eye clinic patients most commonly owned cellular phones (90%), landline phones (81%), and computers (80%). Overall, eye clinic patients preferred to receive health reminders through phone calls and e-mail and used these technologies frequently and with a high level of comfort. Less than 3% of patients preferred using social networking to receive health reminders. In addition, age was significantly associated with technology ownership, comfort level, and frequency of use (ptechnologies more frequently and with a higher comfort level (ptechnologies for appointment reminders, general eye and vision health information, asking urgent medical questions, and requesting prescription refills. Future controlled trials could further explore the efficacy of e-health tools for these purposes.

A Comparative Study of Hooks in the Ya Rns Produced by Different Spinning Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghosh Anindya

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents a comparative study of hooks’ characteristics of ring, rotor, air-jet and open-end friction spun yarns. Hook types and their extent, spinning in-coefficient and mean fibre extent in the yarns produced on different spinning technologies are investigated. The results show that the hook extents for open-end friction spun yarn are the highest followed by rotor, ring and air-jet spun yarns. Ring and air-jet spun yarns have higher percentage and extent of trailing hook as compared with leading hook, whereas, rotor and friction spun yarns show the reverse trend.

New Technologies Smart, or Harm Work-Family Boundaries Management? Gender Differences in Conflict and Enrichment Using the JD-R Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Ghislieri

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work and well-being outcomes is a recent issue in scientific literature. Whether the use of technology for work purpose in off-work time may have a positive or negative impact on work-family balance remains an open question and the role of gender in this relationship is poorly understood.Aim: According to the JD-R theory, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between off-work hours technology assisted job demand (off-TAJD and both work-family conflict (WFC and work-family enrichment (WFE. Moreover, it considered two general job demands, workload and emotional dissonance, and one job resource, supervisory coaching.Method: The hypotheses were tested with a convenience sample of 671 workers. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 23 and through multi-group structural equation model (SEM (Mplus 7.Results: The estimated SEM [Chi-square (510 = 1041.29; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06 (0.05, 0.06; SRMR = 0.05. M = 319/F = 352] showed that off-TAJD was positively related to WFC in both subsamples; off-TAJD was positively related also to WFE only in the Male group. Workload was positively related to WFC in both Male and Female subsamples. Emotional dissonance was positively related to WFC in both subsamples and was negatively related to WFE. Supervisory coaching was strongly, positively related to WFE in both groups, and only in the Male subsample presented a low negative relationship with WFC.Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature on new challenges in work-life interface by analyzing the association between off-TAJD and WFC and Enrichment. Our findings suggest it is important to pay attention to gender differences in the study of the impact of supplemental work carried out during off-work hours using technology on the work-life interface. In fact, employee perception of Company demands of being available

Concept-guided development of technology in ‘traditional’ and ‘innovative’ schools: quantitative and qualitative differences in technology integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koster, S.; Volman, M.; Kuiper, E.

2017-01-01

The integration of technology into the classroom remains a challenge for those involved. A concept-guided approach to the development of technology has been suggested as a way of meeting this challenge. This multiple case study was performed in the context of a project in which five elementary

Structural properties of porous materials and powders used in different fields of science and technology

CERN Document Server

Volfkovich, Yury Mironovich; Bagotsky, Vladimir Sergeevich

2014-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive and concise description of most important aspects of experimental and theoretical investigations of porous materials and powders, with the use and application of these materials in different fields of science, technology, national economy and environment. It allows the reader to understand the basic regularities of heat and mass transfer and adsorption occurring in qualitatively different porous materials and products, and allows the reader to optimize the functional properties of porous and powdered products and materials. Written in an straightforward and transparent manner, this book is accessible to both experts and those without specialist knowledge, and it is further elucidated by drawings, schemes and photographs. Porous materials and powders with different pore sizes are used in many areas of industry, geology, agriculture and science. These areas include (i) a variety of devices and supplies; (ii) thermal insulation and building materials; (iii) oil-bearing geologic...

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Methods Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. Results 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Conclusions Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kron, Frederick W; Gjerde, Craig L; Sen, Ananda; Fetters, Michael D

2010-06-24

Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about the use of video games and related new

The Clean Development Mechanism and neglected environmental technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Eun; Popp, David; Prag, Andrew

2013-01-01

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) provides an institutional framework for developed countries to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. Are the technologies promoted those most needed by the recipient countries? We address this question by first reviewing Technology Needs Assessments prepared by developing countries, and then comparing the stated needs to the technologies most frequently promoted via CDM. While there appears to be a good match between requested technologies and those used in CDM, desired technologies such as solar energy for remote locations, biofuels, improved cooking stoves, and efficient lighting appear “neglected” by CDM. Nonetheless, a review of costs for these technologies suggests that many could be cost effective for developing countries. For projects requiring wide dispersal of household items, such as cooking stoves or lighting, the administrative burdens of CDM provide a hurdle. In other cases, difficulties quantifying the ancillary benefits of these projects hinder the promotion of these technologies. We conclude with possible explanations for why these technologies are neglected and suggestions for future research. - Highlights: ► We identify technologies desired by developing countries but not provided via CDM. ► Solar PV is neglected due to high costs. ► The CDM process provides a hurdle for improved cooking stoves and efficient lighting. ► Implications for CDM and climate policy are discussed

Approximating Frequent Items in Asynchronous Data Stream over a Sliding Window

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Leung Chan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In an asynchronous data stream, the data items may be out of order with respect to their original timestamps. This paper studies the space complexity required by a data structure to maintain such a data stream so that it can approximate the set of frequent items over a sliding time window with sufficient accuracy. Prior to our work, the best solution is given by Cormode et al. [1], who gave an O (1/ε log W log (εB/ log W min {log W, 1/ε} log |U|- space data structure that can approximate the frequent items within an ε error bound, where W and B are parameters of the sliding window, and U is the set of all possible item names. We gave a more space-efficient data structure that only requires O (1/ε log W log (εB/ logW log log W space.

[Would the Screening of Common Mental Disorders in Primary-Care Health Services Hyper-Frequent Patients Be Useful?].

Science.gov (United States)

Rincón-Hoyos, Hernán G; López, Mérida R Rodríguez; Ruiz, Ana María Villa; Hernández, Carlos Augusto; Ramos, Martha Lucía

2012-12-01

Hyper-frequentation in health services is a problem for patients, their families and the institutions. This study is aimed at determining the frequency and characteristics of common mental disorders in hyper-frequent patients showing vague symptoms and signs at a primary healthcare service during the year 2007 in the city of Cali (Colombia). Cross sectional. The most frequent mental disorders in hyper-frequent patients were detected through a telephone interview which included several modules of the PRIME MD instrument. In general, healthcare service hyper-frequenters are working women, 38,7-year old in average. Basically, the consultation is due to cephalalgia but they also exhibit a high prevalence of common mental disorders (somatization, depression and anxiety) not easily diagnosed by physicians in primary care. Expenses for additional health activities generated by these patients are attributed basically to medical consultation and required procedures. Considering hyper-frequenters in health care services as a risk group in terms of common mental disorders involves screening as an efficient strategy to prevent abuse in service use and to improve satisfaction with the attention received. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous technologies, strategic groups and environmental efficiency technology gaps for European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kounetas, Konstantinos

2015-01-01

This paper measures technology (TG) and environmental efficiency technology gaps (EETGs) in 25 European countries over two distinct periods 2002 and 2008 examining the possible effect of adopted environmental regulations and the Kyoto protocol commitments on environmental efficiency technology gaps. However, the introduction of the metafrontier in our analysis puts into our discussion the role of heterogeneous technologies and its effect on the above-mentioned measures. Employing a directional distance function, we investigate whether there is an actual difference, in terms of environmental efficiency and efficiency performance, among European countries considering the technological frontiers under which they operate. The construction of individual frontiers has been realized employing a large number of variables that are highly correlated with countries' learning and absorbing capacity, new technological knowledge and using economic theory and classical frontier discrimination like developed vs. developing, North vs. South and participation in the Eurozone or not. The overall results indicate a crucial role of heterogeneous technologies for technology gaps in both periods. Moreover, a significant decrease for both measures, although in different percent, has been recorded emphasizing the key role of knowledge spillovers. -- Highlights: •We estimate technology gaps (TGs) for 25 EU countries in two distinct periods. •We estimate environmental efficiency technology gaps (EETGs). •We consider countries' technological capabilities with R&D, innovation and eco-innovation. •We test the effect of different frontier constitutions on TGs-EETGs. •We denote the specific role of knowledge spillovers

Mixed Waste Focus Area alternative oxidation technologies development and demonstration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borduin, L.C.; Fewell, T.; Gombert, D.; Priebe, S.

1998-01-01

The Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) is currently supporting the development and demonstration of several alternative oxidation technology (AOT) processes for treatment of combustible mixed low-level wastes. The impetus for this support derives from regulatory and political hurdles frequently encountered by traditional thermal techniques, primarily incinerators. AOTs have been defined as technologies that destroy organic material without using open-flame reactions. Whether thermal or nonthermal, the processes have the potential advantages of relatively low-volume gaseous emissions, generation of few or no dioxin/furan compounds, and operation at low enough temperatures that metals (except mercury) and most radionuclides are not volatilized. Technology development and demonstration are needed to confirm and realize the potential of AOTs and to compare them on an equal basis with their fully demonstrated thermal counterparts. AOTs include both thermal and nonthermal processes that oxidize organic wastes but operate under significantly different physical and chemical conditions than incinerators. Nonthermal processes currently being studied include Delphi DETOX and acid digestion at the Savannah River Site, and direct chemical oxidation at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. All three technologies are at advanced stages of development or are entering the demonstration phase. Nonflame thermal processes include catalytic chemical oxidation, which is being developed and deployed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and team reforming, a commercial process being supported by Department of Energy. Related technologies include two low-flow, secondary oxidation processes (Phoenix and Thermatrix units) that have been tested at MSE, Inc., in Butte, Montana. Although testing is complete on some AOT technologies, most require additional support to complete some or all of the identified development objectives. Brief descriptions, status, and planned paths forward for each

Frequent Evaluation To Improve Compliance In Patients Treated With Occlusion For Amblyopia: A Randomized controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Iturriaga, Hernan; Zanolli, Mario; Damm, Constanza; Oporto, Jorge; Acuna, Olga; Valenzuela, Felipe

2012-01-01

The benefits of occlusion treatment for amblyopia are well established.True compliance can be difficult to assess and is usually based on patient history. We hypothesize that more visits to the physician provides more chances to improve compliance. We conducted a prospective, comparative, blind trial in which 30 children with amblyopia were randomly assigned to be followed up more frequently (every 4 to 6 weeks) (study group) or as established on our standard regular basis (month intervals based on age in years) (control group). The primary outcome was to study differences in treatment compliance between these groups. The secondary outcome was to report compliance in a group of Chilean children and to compare survey results with adherence, to assess concordance between them. Baseline clinical characteristics were similar in the two groups. 30 patients were recruited. Mean compliance for all patients was 82%. Study group compliance was 83% versus 76% in control group (p = 0.5). Without epidemiology, intention to treat analysis (ITT), study group compliance was 97% compared to 76% in control group (p = 0.049). Pearson correlation between negative responses to a parental survey after treatment, of the percentage of adherence and compliance, was -0.57 and statistically significant (p = 0.013). There were no differences in patient compliance comparing more frequent evaluation versus a follow up evaluation based in an age according scheme. There is a high compliance to occlusion therapy in this group of Chilean children. If parents reported more negative adherence aspects in the survey, the worse the compliance.

“Frequent exacerbator” is a phenotype of poor prognosis in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomioka R

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Ryusuke Tomioka,1,2 Tomotaka Kawayama,1 Masashi Suetomo,1,2 Takashi Kinoshita,1 Yoshihisa Tokunaga,1 Haruki Imaoka,1 Kazuko Matsunaga,1 Masaki Okamoto,1 Tomoaki Hoshino1 1Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, 2Respiratory Medicine, Chikugo City Hospital, Chikugo, JapanBackground: The prognosis of Japanese patients with COPD who suffer repeated exacerbations is unclear, although Westerners with such episodes have a poor prognosis.Materials and methods: We conducted a 1-year prospective observational trial involving 90 Japanese patients with COPD: 58 nonexacerbators, 12 infrequent exacerbators, and 20 frequent exacerbators classified on the basis of exacerbation frequency (zero, one, and two or more exacerbations/year, respectively, during the previous year were observed prospectively for 1 year. The characteristics of frequent exacerbators, the frequency of exacerbation, and the period until the first event were then compared among the groups.Results: A total of 78 patients completed the study. Frequent exacerbators had a significantly higher risk of frequent exacerbation in the following year than the case for nonexacerbators (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 2.94 [1.21–7.17], P=0.0340, but not in comparison with infrequent exacerbators (1.51 [0.49–4.63], P>0.05. The mean annual frequency of exacerbations in the following year was significantly (P=0.0020 higher in the frequent exacerbators (1.4 exacerbations/year than in the nonexacerbators (0.4, but not in the infrequent exacerbators (0.9, P>0.05. The mean period until the first exacerbation was significantly shorter in the frequent exacerbators than in the infrequent or nonexacerbators (P=0.0012. Independent risk factors for future frequent exacerbation included the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, more severe airflow obstruction, and use of inhaled corticosteroids.Conclusion: Our present

Adverse childhood experiences and frequent insufficient sleep in 5 U.S. States, 2009: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Daniel P; Liu, Yong; Presley-Cantrell, Letitia R; Edwards, Valerie J; Wheaton, Anne G; Perry, Geraldine S; Croft, Janet B

2013-01-03

Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have previously been demonstrated to be adversely associated with a variety of health outcomes in adulthood, their specific association with sleep among adults has not been examined. To better address this issue, this study examines the relationship between eight self-reported ACEs and frequent insufficient sleep among community-dwelling adults residing in 5 U.S. states in 2009. To assess whether ACEs were associated with frequent insufficient sleep (respondent did not get sufficient rest or sleep ≥ 14 days in past 30 days) in adulthood, we analyzed ACE data collected in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a random-digit-dialed telephone survey in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Washington. ACEs included physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, household mental illness, incarcerated household members, household substance abuse, parental separation/divorce, and witnessing domestic violence before age 18. Smoking status and frequent mental distress (FMD) (≥ 14 days in past 30 days when self-perceived mental health was not good) were assessed as potential mediators in multivariate logistic regression analyses of frequent insufficient sleep by ACEs adjusted for race/ethnicity, gender, education, and body mass index. Overall, 28.8% of 25,810 respondents reported frequent insufficient sleep, 18.8% were current smokers, 10.8% reported frequent mental distress, 59.5% percent reported ≥ 1 ACE, and 8.7% reported ≥ 5 ACEs. Each ACE was associated with frequent insufficient sleep in multivariate analyses. Odds of frequent insufficient sleep were 2.5 (95% CI, 2.1-3.1) times higher in persons with ≥ 5 ACEs compared to those with no ACEs. Most relationships were modestly attenuated by smoking and FMD, but remained significant. Childhood exposures to eight indicators of child maltreatment and household dysfunction were significantly associated with frequent insufficient sleep during

Adverse childhood experiences and frequent insufficient sleep in 5 U.S. States, 2009: a retrospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chapman Daniel P

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs have previously been demonstrated to be adversely associated with a variety of health outcomes in adulthood, their specific association with sleep among adults has not been examined. To better address this issue, this study examines the relationship between eight self-reported ACEs and frequent insufficient sleep among community-dwelling adults residing in 5 U.S. states in 2009. Methods To assess whether ACEs were associated with frequent insufficient sleep (respondent did not get sufficient rest or sleep ≥14 days in past 30 days in adulthood, we analyzed ACE data collected in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a random-digit-dialed telephone survey in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Washington. ACEs included physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, household mental illness, incarcerated household members, household substance abuse, parental separation/divorce, and witnessing domestic violence before age 18. Smoking status and frequent mental distress (FMD (≥14 days in past 30 days when self-perceived mental health was not good were assessed as potential mediators in multivariate logistic regression analyses of frequent insufficient sleep by ACEs adjusted for race/ethnicity, gender, education, and body mass index. Results Overall, 28.8% of 25,810 respondents reported frequent insufficient sleep, 18.8% were current smokers, 10.8% reported frequent mental distress, 59.5% percent reported ≥1 ACE, and 8.7% reported ≥ 5 ACEs. Each ACE was associated with frequent insufficient sleep in multivariate analyses. Odds of frequent insufficient sleep were 2.5 (95% CI, 2.1-3.1 times higher in persons with ≥5 ACEs compared to those with no ACEs. Most relationships were modestly attenuated by smoking and FMD, but remained significant. Conclusions Childhood exposures to eight indicators of child maltreatment and household dysfunction were significantly

Flipped Classroom Research and Trends from Different Fields of Study