Intensive Data Collection Research Articles

The role of electron diffraction in zeolite structure determination

Because electron diffraction can sample individual microcrystals, it is clear that this single crystal method can facilitate, in at least two ways, structure determination for inorganic materials, such as zeolites, that are preferentially microcrystalline. First, in a qualitative application, three-dimensional tilts of individual small crystals, to map the reciprocal lattice, greatly facilitates unit cell and space group determination when powder diffraction indexing programs fail. If incoherent multiple scattering leads to violation of systematic absences, these absences can be restored by collection of precession diffraction patterns based on the Vincent-Midgley method [1], as demonstrated recently [2]. The second, quantitative application, i. e. ab initio structure determination from electron diffraction intensity data, also seems to be feasible. In the auspicious case of thin layered zeolite crystals in the MWW framework, the three-dimensional structure was determined by direct methods based on maximum entropy and likelihood [3], the only difficulty arising from the ’missing cone’ of structural information imposed by the goniometric tilt limit. Possible methods for restoration of the missing information, although approximately provided by phase and amplitude prediction (Sayre equation), include alternate crystallization of the desired crystal projection by appropriate structure directing agents, or, simply, by sectioning the desired view of the structure in available samples. Multiple scattering perturbations include both n-beam dynamical and secondary scattering; collection of precession data greatly reduces the latter influence [2], facilitating ab initio analyses via direct methods (e. g. tests on LTA, ITQ-1, ITQ-7, ZSM-10, MOR, MCM-68), while systematic dynamical diffraction is still observed (even at 300 kV). Improved collection of intensity data via imaging plates, exploiting a much greater linear response to intensity, is also recommended. One other, largely unexplored, possibility is to collect zero loss electron diffraction intensities in electron microscopes with in-line ’omega’ energy filters. Generally, for unknown zeolite structures, electron diffraction analyses have been carried out in parallel with the usual powder determinations, not only to provide needed symmetry information but also to detect structural details of important zones, e. g. the location of porous channels to guide the powder determination; in some cases, the crystal structure would not have been solved without this electron crystallographic information. Whether or not true ab initio electron crystallography can ever exist as an independent structural tool for zeolites remains a question to be answered by ongoing research.

Siteless Survey and Intensive Data Collection in an Artifact-rich Environment

Archaeological survey in the eastern Mediterranean has become increasingly intensive over the last 20 years, producing greater and more diverse data for smaller units of space. While complex, siteless data sets have allowed more sophisticated reconstructions of natural and cultural regional histories, the employment of more intensive methods has refocused the scope of Mediterranean surveys from region to ‘micro-region’. Such increasingly myopic approaches have been criticized for their failure to address research questions framed by a large-scale, regional perspective and the analytical categories of ‘settlement’ and ‘site’. This paper uses results from a survey in southern Greece to show how artifact-based approaches make valuable contributions to ‘big-picture’ historical and archaeological issues in a Mediterranean context.

A population-based study of congenital diaphragmatic hernia outcome in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 1992-2001

Purpose The aim of the study was to describe the incidence and survival of infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in the state of New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. Methods A population-based cohort study of all infants inclusive up to 1 month of age diagnosed with CDH in NSW and the ACT between 1992 and 2001 was conducted. Data sources were the NSW and ACT Neonatal Intensive Care Data Collection (Neonatal Intensive Care Units Study), NSW Birth Defects Register, Population Health Research Centre of ACT Health, and NSW Midwives Data Collection. Individual risk factors for mortality were assessed using the χ 2 test with P < .05 being considered statistically significant. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression to adjust for potential confounding variables. Results From the databases used, the incidence of CDH in NSW and the ACT was 1 per 3800 births. Of 242 infants identified with CDH, 8% underwent termination of pregnancy, 10% were stillborn after 20 weeks' gestation, and 82% were liveborn. Most liveborn infants (70%) were delivered at term with a 64% survival, whereas 30% were preterm with a 35% survival. For liveborn infants, the overall preoperative mortality was 35% with 56% surviving to discharge. Logistic regression identified a low 5-minute Apgar score, prematurity, and air leak as independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusions This population-based study of CDH provides us with baseline data for our states. Mortality is high in preterm infants and in the preoperative period. Avoiding preterm delivery and improving preoperative stabilization are the measures most likely to improve survival.

Long-range Al,Si equilibrium configuration in Sr feldspar treated at high temperatures

AbstractSingle crystals of Sr feldspar (SrAl2Si2O8, space group: I2/c) were treated isothermally in the temperature range between 1410 and 1640°C, in order to determinate the evolution of the Al,Si configurations at equilibrium with thermal treatments. X-ray intensity data collection and structural refinement were performed on the quenched crystals. Significant modifications were observed in the average tetrahedral distances and therefore in Qod values.Two different series of thermal treatments were performed: (1) a crystal of ordered Sr feldspar (Qod= 0.85) was progressively disordered at 1560°C (Qod = 0.82), at 1610°C (Qod = 0.74) and at 1640°C (Qod = 0.69); (2) another crystal with Qod = 0.72 (obtained by annealing a glass at T =1625°C), was ordered at T = 1600° (Qod = 0.75).As already observed in anorthite quenched from 1530°C (Qod = 0.78), also in Sr feldspar, annealing near Tmelt, caused significant disorder in the Al-Si configuration (Qod = 0.69).Observations by transmission electron microscopy show an increase in the average size of the i-type antiphase domains up to 5000Å in the samples quenched from 1640°C, in comparison with samples annealed at 1450°C (∼ 2000 Å). The modifications observed in the Al,Si configurations are due to intradomain disorder.

Under-Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions

The purpose of this review was to estimate the extent of under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to spontaneous reporting systems and to investigate whether there are differences between different types of ADRs. A systematic literature search was carried out to identify studies providing a numerical estimate of under-reporting. Studies were included regardless of the methodology used or the setting, e.g. hospital versus general practice. Estimates of under-reporting were either extracted directly from the published study or calculated from the study data. These were expressed as the percentage of ADRs detected from intensive data collection that were not reported to the relevant local, regional or national spontaneous reporting systems. The median under-reporting rate was calculated across all studies and within subcategories of studies using different methods or settings. In total, 37 studies using a wide variety of surveillance methods were identified from 12 countries. These generated 43 numerical estimates of under-reporting. The median under-reporting rate across the 37 studies was 94% (interquartile range 82-98%). There was no significant difference in the median under-reporting rates calculated for general practice and hospital-based studies. Five of the ten general practice studies provided evidence of a higher median under-reporting rate for all ADRs compared with more serious or severe ADRs (95% and 80%, respectively). In comparison, for five of the eight hospital-based studies the median under-reporting rate for more serious or severe ADRs remained high (95%). The median under-reporting rate was lower for 19 studies investigating specific serious/severe ADR-drug combinations but was still high at 85%. This systematic review provides evidence of significant and widespread under-reporting of ADRs to spontaneous reporting systems including serious or severe ADRs. Further work is required to assess the impact of under-reporting on public health decisions and the effects of initiatives to improve reporting such as internet reporting, pharmacist/nurse reporting and direct patient reporting as well as improved education and training of healthcare professionals.

Single Crystal to Single Crystal Transformations

The past decade has witnessed escalating interest in solidstate phase transitions that involve significant changes in structure without appreciable loss of crystal mosaicity— single crystal to single crystal (SC-SC) transformation.[1–5] Several factors have contributed to these studies: increased general access to X-ray diffraction facilities, softwareassisted demystification of crystallography, technological developments leading to rapid intensity data collection, and the popularization of crystal engineering as a research field. The two most active areas of interest with regard to SC-SC transformations are the development of porous materials and solventless topochemical reactions. Recent new results representing the current state-of-the-art with regard to both of these topics are reported in the Research Front of this issue of the Australian Journal of Chemistry. In 1988 Dunitz, Schomaker, and Trueblood recounted a prior statement by Nobel Laureate (chemistry, 1939) Leopold Ruzicka, that ‘a crystal is a chemical cemetery’. This was interpreted to imply that, in sharp contrast to liquids and gases, the solid state consists of molecules that are lifelessly interred in fixed geometrical arrangements with little prospect of an interesting existence.[6] However, it has long been known that structural rearrangement can occur in the solid state in response to a variety of physical or chemical factors. Provided that these structural changes are subtle, it is reasonable to expect that the relative absence of mechanical stress would allow individual crystals to retain their mosaicity, both during and after transformation. In most cases, though, changes of the chemical composition and/or molecular conformation and/or packing arrangement within crystals are well known to cause catastrophic disruption of packing continuity. Concomitant fracturing of

Diagnostic, predictive and compositional modeling with data mining in integrated learning environments

Models represent a set of generic patterns to test hypotheses. This paper presents the CogMoLab student model in the context of an integrated learning environment. Three aspects are discussed: diagnostic and predictive modeling with respect to the issues of credit assignment and scalability and compositional modeling of the student profile in the context of an intelligent tutoring system/adaptive hypermedia learning system architectural pattern. The SOM–PCA, a collaborative-based data mining approach, is shown to be reusable for all three purposes above, enabling fast, objective implementations without requiring much intensive data collection.

Patient-reported service quality on a medicine unit

Service quality, defined as patients' self-reported experience of care, is used as a metric for evaluating quality. Most studies rely on retrospective consumer surveys rather then more intensive data collection methods, possibly underestimating the incidence of service quality incidents. The objective of the study was to characterize patient-reported service quality deficiencies on a general medicine unit. We studied a cohort of 228 adult inpatients at a Boston teaching hospital. Investigators reviewed medical records and interviewed patients during the hospitalization and by telephone after discharge. Physician investigators classified patients' incident reports. We calculated the rate of service incidents, characterized incident types, and used multivariable Poisson and logistic regression models to examine factors associated with patient reporting and overall rating of the hospitalization. Eighty-eight (38.6%) of 228 patients experienced 157 service quality incidents during the admission, for a rate of 68.9 incidents per 100 admissions. The most common service quality problems involved waits and delays (n = 45), problems with communication between staff and patients (n = 36), and environmental issues and amenities (n = 35). In the multivariable analysis, men (IRR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.2), patients covered by hospitalists (1.5, 1.1-2.2), and patients with more medication allergies (1.1 per allergy, 1.1-1.2) reported more service incidents; patients with Medicaid or free care reported fewer (0.5, 0.3-0.9). Patients with service quality incidents were more likely to describe the hospitalization as other than excellent (adjusted OR 1.8 per incident, 95% CI 1.3-2.5). Service quality deficiencies are common among medical inpatients, and are strongly associated with patients' dissatisfaction with the hospitalization.

Lessons learned from investigations on case study level for modelling of nutrient emissions in the Danube basin

In the framework of the project daNUbs (Nutrient Management in the Danube Basin and its Impact on the Black Sea) the MONERIS emission model is used for the basin wide calculation of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) emissions in the Danube Basin. The MONERIS model was developed and successfully applied for German river catchments. Based on investigations in selected test regions (case studies) the daNUbs approach is to check the applicability of the MONERIS emission model for the specific conditions of the Danube Basin in more detail than is possible with a basin wide application. Six case studies with areas of 400-3,500 km2 and several subcatchments have been selected in order to represent different conditions along the Danube Basin. In this study region intensive data collection and enhanced monitoring has been performed in order to raise the database significantly above the generally available data. Water balance as well as nutrient balance calculations have been performed with the MONERIS model as well as with other approaches. Results are compared to each other and to data from monitoring. Results up till now showed the applicability and sensitivity of the MONERIS approach in different conditions of the Danube Basin (e.g. emissions via groundwater). They indicated that the nitrogen retention in the catchments is well described with the MONERIS model.

Historical Review of School-Based Randomized Trials for Evaluating Problem Behavior Prevention Programs

The authors provide a historical review of developments in the methods of school-based evaluations of problem behavior prevention interventions. The design and statistical methodologies used in school-based intervention research have advanced tremendously over the past twenty years. Methods have improved for approaches to the randomization of whole schools, the choice of appropriate comparison or control groups, solutions when randomization breaks down, limiting and handling of variation in integrity of the intervention received, limiting biases introduced by data collection, awareness of the effects of intensive and long-term data collection, limiting and analysis of subject attrition and other missing data, approaches to obtaining parental consent for children to engage in research, design and analysis issues when only small numbers of schools are available or can be afforded, the choice of the unit of analysis, phases of research, optimizing and extending the reach of interventions, and differential effects in subpopulations. The authors conclude that sequential planning, timing, keeping up with methodological advances, publication of results, and accumulation of knowledge are all important in conducting high-quality school-based intervention research, and that the devil is in the details.

Longitudinal study of babies born to mothers enrolled in a preconception prospective pregnancy study: study design and methodology, New York State Angler Cohort Study

Persistent environmental chemicals such as organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been associated with alterations in fetal development and child health including subtle differences in developmental status. Previous prospective studies have ascertained prenatal or postnatal exposures but none have been designed to assess exposures at critical windows including preconception. To address this gap, we followed infants born to mothers recruited prior to conception in the New York State Prospective Pregnancy Study to assess feasibility issues including acceptability of a relatively invasive study protocol during the child's first 2 years of life. Longitudinal measurements on health, development, and growth were obtained from 53 live-born infants; 49 families consented to standardized in-home neurodevelopmental and psychosocial evaluations at 12 and 24 months of age. Nineteen participating parents consented to the collection of blood from infants for lead thyroid and PCB levels. Despite the intensive data collection protocol over 2 years coupled with the mothers having completed an intensive prospective pregnancy protocol, we found parents readily open to continued participation in a longitudinal study involving their children. Suggestions for conducting in-home assessments include use of a consistent contact nurse, comprehensive parent-friendly developmental assessment tools with some interim assessment by parent report, and periodic team visits.

JOHILLERITE FROM TOLBACHIK, KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA: CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE REFINEMENT AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Johillerite from a fumarole in the North Breach of the Great Fissure Tolbachik eruption (GFTE), Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, monoclinic, a 6.7520(14), b 12.739(3), c 11.068(2) A, β 100.37(3)°, V 936.4(2) A3, I 2/ a , Z = 4 has been refined to an R 1 value of 3.2% for 1175 observed (| F o| ⋄ 4σ F ) reflections measured with a Bruker P 4 diffractometer equipped with a CCD detector. The crystal used for the collection of the X-ray intensity data was subsequently analyzed with an electron microprobe; the resulting structural formula is Na0.77 K0.03 Pb0.01 Ca0.01 Mn0.01 2+ Zn0.13 Mg2.18 Cu1.55 2+ Fe0.26 3+ Al0.06 (As2.96 5+ P0.04) O12. The unusual feature of the johillerite structure is the A (1)’ site, a square-planar-coordinated site fully occupied by Cu2+, that is displaced ¼ along x. The A (2) site is similar to that in other alluaudite-group minerals, surrounded by eight O-atoms with a distance of 2.70 A, and occupied by Na plus small amounts of other large cations. The refined site-scattering values and observed distances at the M (1) and M (2) sites are in accord with occupancy primarily by Mg, with Cu2+ at M (1) and Cu2+ + Fe3+ + Al at M (2). Relative to the compositions of the arsenate minerals arseniopleite and caryinite, Cu2+ has replaced Ca in the formula of johillerite. In arseniopleite and caryinite, Ca (+ Na) at the A (1) site is [7]- or [8]-coordinated, and the resulting sites occur in chains of edge-sharing coordination polyhedra extending in the a direction. Rather than replacing Ca at the center of the A (1) polyhedron, Cu2+ in johillerite occurs close to the edge shared between adjacent polyhedra, adopting square-planar coordination that is common for Cu2+.

Meso- and Submesoscale Structure of a Convecting Field

Intensive data collection in the region of the Labrador Sea northwest of former Ocean Weather Station Bravo during the winter of 1998 allowed examination of the meso- and submesoscale structure during active convection. Data used include shipboard CTDs, shipboard underway data, isobaric CTD profiling floats, and high-drag floats whose trajectories were approximately Lagrangian in the horizontal and vertical directions. On the mesoscale, O(20 km), horizontal variability was nearly 1°C and 0.1 psu. An anticyclonic eddy of 40-km diameter was found. On a smaller scale, O(5 km), variability of 0.04 psu and 0.3°C was found. By utilizing data from fully Lagrangian floats, this smaller-scale field was found to be organized into eddies of 1–12-km radius. Both cyclonic and anticyclonic features were found, with the anticyclones being larger. This observation may explain the excess of anticyclones reported in previous studies having lower spatial resolution. These features were unsteady, with an anticyclone doubling in size in less than a week. There was communication between eddies, with four of five floats escaping an anticyclone. This exchange produced horizontal diffusivities (250–350 m2 s−1) on the order of basin-scale values, implying these small-scale features could produce the majority of the stirring. The influence of these structures on convection was explored: convection occurred throughout the region sampled despite the presence of eddies, the deepest mixed layers were found within an anticyclone, and convective trajectories within small cyclones were found to be significantly tilted so as to avoid the surface centers of the cyclones.

High-Throughput Chemical Crystallography (HTCC): Meeting and Greeting the Combichem Challenge

In this article, possibilities for high-throughput single crystal structure determinations and analysis of results, currently being developed in the author's laboratory, are reviewed. Methods for the automated insertion of mounted crystals on the goniometer of a diffractometer, collection and processing of cell and intensity data, and the automated solution of structures are described. Details are given of experiments that show how rapid data collections are possible, along with an assessment of the effects of crystal mis-centring. Both show robustness in relation to obtaining data of an acceptable quality. Details are also presented of developments in the automated analysis of structures, in terms of assessment of similarities between crystal structures of families of compounds, co-crystals, polymorphs and pseudopolymorphs. Finally, the article invites debate on ways in which the increasing quantity of structure and property data can be effectively disseminated.

X-ray crystallographic studies of protein-ligand interactions.

X-ray crystallography enables details of covalent and non-covalent interactions to be analysed quantitatively in three dimensions, thus providing the basis for the understanding of binding of ligands to proteins as well as modes of action such as cell-surface binding. This article is concerned with current methods employed for the X-ray analysis of protein structures complexed with ligands. It deals mainly with 'what can be done' in current research, rather than providing details of 'how to do it'. In recent years significant advances have been made in a variety of techniques: growing protein crystals from very small samples by scanning a wide range of conditions; X-ray intensity data collection and measurement through the use of charge-coupled devices and high-intensity, versatile synchrotron sources; cryo-crystallography which both stabilizes the crystals and provides improved data; methods for analysing and interpreting the structures, dependent, at least in part, on both structural and sequence databases; and improvements in hardware and software. To illustrate the type of results achievable two examples involving protein-sugar interactions are discussed: (i) SNAII (the lectin Sambucus nigra agglutinin-II from elder) N-terminal sugar-binding site where terminal sugar units in a glycosylation chain from a symmetry-related molecule bind and (ii) MLI (mistletoe lectin I) C-terminal sugar-binding site with lactose.

The effect of the timing and spacing of observations in longitudinal studies of tobacco and other drug use: temporal design considerations

This article explores the impact of the temporal design, i.e. the sampling of times of measurement, on the statistical and substantive conclusions drawn from longitudinal biomedical and social science research. It is shown that for a study of a given duration, if observations are spaced too far apart the resulting data can support misleading conclusions, whereas if observations are spaced relatively close together, a much more veridical picture of the process of interest is provided. The application of these ideas in several areas is discussed, including correlation and regression analysis where a variable measured at one time is used to predict a variable measured at a later time; growth curve analyses; and analyses involving stage-sequential processes. We argue that longitudinal designs should relate the choice of timing and spacing of observations in longitudinal studies to characteristics of the processes being measured. In addition, consideration of the possible effects of measurement design on results of statistical analyses may aid in their interpretation. New approaches involving intensive data collection with much shorter measurement intervals, such as Ecological Momentary Assessment, are promising, but are costly and are not suitable for every research question. More information is needed to help guide researchers in their choice of temporal design.

The collection of electron diffraction intensity data and their use in structure determination

Journal Article The collection of electron diffraction intensity data and their use in structure determination Get access J Gjonnes, J Gjonnes Center for Materials Science, University of Oslo, Gaustadalleen 21 N-0349 Oslo, Norway Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar V Hansen, V Hansen Stavanger University College, Departement of Technology and Natural Sciences, P.O. Box 2557 Ullandhaug N-4091 Stavanger, Norway Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar XZ Li XZ Li Walter Scott Engineering Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0656. USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 8, Issue S02, 1 August 2002, Pages 100–101, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927602102017 Published: 01 August 2002

Restructuring Teachers' Work

Despite repeated attempts to reform schools, teachers' work has remained surprisingly stable. The purpose of this study was to investigate implementation of a state-funded restructuring initiative that intended broad changes in teachers' professional roles. Sponsors of the founding legislation reasoned that changes in teachers' roles would contribute to higher student achievement. This study examined the question of whether and how this program of comprehensive whole-school change promoted changes in teachers' roles in school governance, collegial relations, and the classroom. Further, the study traced the relationship of these changes to one another, and weighed the likelihood that they had the capacity to affect core educational practices. Theoretically, this study is situated in the available literature on teachers' collegial relations; participation in shared decision making; and classroom roles, relationships and practice. Three elementary schools served as the sites for intensive qualitative data collection completed over a two-year period. The schools differed in geographic location (two urban, one rural), but all enrolled a racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse population of students, and more than half of the students in each school qualified for free or reduced price lunch. The study resulted in multiple types and sources of data on teachers' professional roles, including: observations in classrooms, collegial interactions, and governance situations; interviews with teachers (including teacher leaders), parents, administrators, and students; and documents pertaining to the restructuring plans and process. Findings show that changes in the three areas were achieved unevenly in the three schools. All three schools introduced changes in classroom practice and roles, ranging from the adoption of multi-age classrooms to more modest innovations in curriculum or instruction. In only one case were changes in professional roles outside the classroom organized to support and sustain classroom changes. Two of the three schools introduced changes in staff organization (teacher teams) and leadership (governance committees), but under-estimated the professional development and other supports that would in turn support changes in classroom practice. Altogether, it appears unlikely that the observed changes in professional roles were sufficiently well established and connected to affect core educational practice in the long run.

Comparison of Redox Indicators in a Paddy Soil during Rice‐Growing Season

The objective of this study was to compare three methods of evaluating redox status, i.e., conventional redox potential (EH) measurement, terminal electron‐accepting processes (TEAPs) and oxidative capacity (OXC) in pore waters of a paddy soil during the rice‐growing season. The redox potential can be measured readily which can monitor progressive development of reducing conditions and distinguish oxic from anoxic conditions but with little information on specific redox processes under anoxic conditions. Identifying dominant TEAPs requires intensive data collection and analysis. The sequence of TEAPs development basically followed theoretical predictions but overlapping, typically among Mn, Fe, SO2−4‐S reductions and methane production, was featured throughout the season. The measured dissolved H2 gas as the intermediate product, reflected the overlap among electron acceptors. Oxidative capacity integrated all the major oxidized and reduced species to a single conservative parameter and showed clearly the progressive redox status from oxic to postoxic and then to sulfidic conditions in the paddies with no apparent methanic condition during this particular growing season. In OXC computations, a more reliable method to estimate Mn and Fe oxyhydroxide concentrations as electron acceptors needs further testing. The measured EH showed a higher correlation to redox species Mn(II), Fe(II) and methane concentrations (r2 = 0.76, 0.73, and 0.76, respectively) than to dissolved O2 (DO), NO−3‐N, and SO2−4‐S (r2 = 0.53, 0.37, and 0.16, respectively). Measured EH was also highly correlated to OXC for low sulfate solutions. The three methods for evaluating redox status all indicated that more reducing conditions were developed in straw‐incorporated paddies than that with straw‐burned.

Reliability of the SNAP (score of neonatal acute p00hysiology) data collection in mechanically ventilated term babies in New South Wales, Australia

The aim of this population‐based, case‐control, cohort study was to report inter‐rater reliability between the New South Wales Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Data Collection (NICUS) audit nurses' collection of SNAP (OS) and a research nurse's SNAP data as the audit SNAP (AS). The study was carried out in Sydney and four large rural/urban health areas in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The subjects—182 singleton term infants with no major congenital anomalies—were admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for mechanical ventilation. SNAP data were collected on the 182 case infants, born between 1 January and 31 December 1996, by clinical audit officers in the nine tertiary NICUs in NSW. The research officer conducted an audit of the original SNAP score on all infants. The data were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient, weighted kappa, a plot of difference in SNAP against mean SNAP and Wilcoxon's signed rank sum test. Pearson's correlation coefficient between the OS and AS data was 0.80. Median (interquartile range) SNAP was 13 (9,19) for the OS and 14 (10,20) for the AS. Weighted kappa was highest for highest heart rate, paO2, temperature (°C), oxygenation index, haematocrit, platelet count, lowest serum sodium, lowest blood glucose and seizure. In 17 (9%) infants, OS and AS differed by ≥10, 14 because of an original data collection error, 1 data entry error, 1 audit error and 1 for both data collection and data entry errors. Conclusion: If SNAP is to be incorporated into any routine NICU data collection, it should be audited regularly on a sample of records. It is important to standardize and adhere to strict definitions for parameters before the collection of SNAP data.