Paper Files Research Articles

ALC: automated reduction of rule-based models

BackgroundCombinatorial complexity is a challenging problem for the modeling of cellular signal transduction since the association of a few proteins can give rise to an enormous amount of feasible protein complexes. The layer-based approach is an approximative, but accurate method for the mathematical modeling of signaling systems with inherent combinatorial complexity. The number of variables in the simulation equations is highly reduced and the resulting dynamic models show a pronounced modularity. Layer-based modeling allows for the modeling of systems not accessible previously.ResultsALC (Automated Layer Construction) is a computer program that highly simplifies the building of reduced modular models, according to the layer-based approach. The model is defined using a simple but powerful rule-based syntax that supports the concepts of modularity and macrostates. ALC performs consistency checks on the model definition and provides the model output in different formats (C MEX, MATLAB, Mathematica and SBML) as ready-to-run simulation files. ALC also provides additional documentation files that simplify the publication or presentation of the models. The tool can be used offline or via a form on the ALC website.ConclusionALC allows for a simple rule-based generation of layer-based reduced models. The model files are given in different formats as ready-to-run simulation files.

Table of Contents

Abstract Cover Story Use threat assessment for early identification of high‐risk students Use threat assessment to ID students in crisis Beware of overreacting to threats from students Helpful Hints Avoid common mistakes Briefs College launches online carpool program University decreases alcohol judicial cases Student paper files free speech lawsuit FIRE protests threat to cancel party Assessment Advice Use appreciative inquiry to put positive spin on assessment Washington Report Bush signs reauthorization of Higher Education Act Did you Know? Bill would increase financial aid Free Speech Avoid First Amendment lawsuits with tips from past cases Crisis Management Review well‐publicized incidents to improve crisis response Managing Your Office Learn to respond to staff conflicts effectively Bright Idea Manage staff members' expectations Law & Campus FERPA Only aggrieved parties can trigger FPCO investigations DISABILITIES Evacuation plan must consider everyone with disabilities SEXUAL HARASSMENT Court protects students in complaint against professor DUE PROCESS University can suspend black students for hazing FINANCIAL AID Suspending financial aid for drug offenders is constitutional Leaders & Innovators MIKE SEGAWA, VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND Form interdisciplinary team to identify students in crisis Bright Idea Listen to faculty members' ideas for new programs

Pflegebedarfserhebung auf onkologischen Abteilungen in einem deutschen Universitätsklinikum

In order to explore the status quo of the assessment of nursing care needs in newly admitted inpatients on oncology wards a survey in a German university hospital was carried out. Research questions included: Do the nurses collect data regarding nursing care needs of admitted cancer patients? When are the data collected? What data are collected? What is documented, when is it documented, and is the patient involved in the documentation? What, if any, factors on the part of nurses have an impact on the way in which these data are collected? Two methods were used to collect research data: nursing documents of hospitalised cancer patients were analysed (n = 68), followed by an interview with the nurses (n = 81). Beforehand, an instrument was developed and tested for both investigative methods. The main result was: the nurses' perception of the needs' assessment was incongruent with data in the patients' documentation files. The study showed that nurses consider their documentation of nursing care needs to be more comprehensive with regard to the time and content/areas of documentation than it actually is. With regard to the psychological, social, and spiritual care needs, for example, this means: in the nurses' own opinion, they had taken into account these needs far more strongly than they actually had. According to the analysis of the care documents, patients were involved in the documentation in 15% of the cases. According to the nurses, general communication skills, the use of assessment instruments, and the standardisation of the documentation need to be improved. The review of international literature confirms the deficiency recorded by this survey. The oncology patients' perspective should be included more strongly in the assessment of nursing care needs. In this way, individual nursing care needs are assumed to be understood more appropriately. Self-assessment instruments could be a suitable resource in this context. The instruments have to be introduced by education, and their validity, reliability, practical relevancy, and applicability need to be checked continuously.

FDA toxicity databases and real-time data entry

Structure-searchable electronic databases are valuable new tools that are assisting the FDA in its mission to promptly and efficiently review incoming submissions for regulatory approval of new food additives and food contact substances. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Office of Food Additive Safety (CFSAN/OFAS), in collaboration with Leadscope, Inc., is consolidating genetic toxicity data submitted in food additive petitions from the 1960s to the present day. The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Pharmaceutical Science's Informatics and Computational Safety Analysis Staff (CDER/OPS/ICSAS) is separately gathering similar information from their submissions. Presently, these data are distributed in various locations such as paper files, microfiche, and non-standardized toxicology memoranda. The organization of the data into a consistent, searchable format will reduce paperwork, expedite the toxicology review process, and provide valuable information to industry that is currently available only to the FDA. Furthermore, by combining chemical structures with genetic toxicity information, biologically active moieties can be identified and used to develop quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling and testing guidelines. Additionally, chemicals devoid of toxicity data can be compared to known structures, allowing for improved safety review through the identification and analysis of structural analogs. Four database frameworks have been created: bacterial mutagenesis, in vitro chromosome aberration, in vitro mammalian mutagenesis, and in vivo micronucleus. Controlled vocabularies for these databases have been established. The four separate genetic toxicity databases are compiled into a single, structurally-searchable database for easy accessibility of the toxicity information. Beyond the genetic toxicity databases described here, additional databases for subchronic, chronic, and teratogenicity studies have been prepared.

Getting to the electronic medical record

By custom, the medical record has been stored as a paper file in the physician's office. The keeper of the record has been the physician — a banality in which lie 2 deeper concepts: one of ownership and one of access. Lately, it has come to be understood that the physician and the patient own the

Reserves, Electronic Reserves and Student Copying Practices at the University of Colorado, Boulder

When electronic reserves emerged in the 1990s, publishers maintained, “Digital is different.” Publishers reasoned that students were more likely to copy electronic files than paper files and more likely to distribute electronic copies to others via the Internet. This paper reports the results of a survey of 925 students at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The authors found that there was little difference between student copying practices of reserves in electronic and paper formats. The authors also found that students rarely transmitted copies in either format to other individuals outside the class.

Little River Experimental Watershed, Tifton, Georgia, United States: A historical geographic database of conservation practice implementation

The Little River Experimental Watershed located in the headwaters of the Upper Suwannee River basin is one of twelve national benchmark watersheds participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Effects Assessment Project–Watershed Assessment Studies (CEAP‐WAS). Historical paper files and maps (circa 1980–2006) were collected and used to develop a geographic database of conservation practices supported by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. The CEAP‐WAS database can be queried by conservation practice, total acreages enrolled, year of implementation, and location. The CEAP‐WAS database is integral to understanding the links between conservation practice implementation and placement with observed changes in hydrologic processes within a small southern Coastal Plain watershed. All associated geographic information has been provided in shapefile format and has been projected into universal transverse Mercator coordinates (zone 17), using NAD83 as the datum and GRS80 as the ellipsoid. Data may be accessed via ftp://www.tiftonars.org/, archived in a folder named ceap_data.

Validation of computerized Swedish horse insurance data against veterinary clinical records

The aim was to evaluate the agreement between computerized insurance data in a large Swedish horse insurance database and the information in the corresponding clinical records (CR). A random sample of 400 veterinary care and 140 life claims was included. Information on name of the horse, breed and gender, year of birth, specific diagnosis and system diagnosis (e.g. joints, digestive and skeletal) was compared between sources. The concordance for demographic variables was categorized as agreement, disagreement or data missing. For diagnostic information, the categories were agreement, minor disagreement and major disagreement and for system information agreement or disagreement. There were missing values for demographic information in the CR, varying from 2% for name to 16% for breed. The overall agreement for demographic information was >94% (disregarding missing data), 92% for system and 84% for specific diagnosis. For veterinary care and life claims, the observed agreement for diagnosis was 85 and 83%, minor disagreement 6 and 5%, and major disagreement 9 and 12%, respectively. Using the CR data as gold standard, for the systems evaluated (joints, digestive, skeletal, skin and hooves), sensitivity varied between 62% (skin) and 89% (digestive) whereas the specificity was >96% for all systems. The positive predictive values ranged from 86% (skin) to 97% (digestive). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with agreement for diagnosis. Analyses were performed separately for veterinary care and life claims. Factors examined were type of visit (clinic/field), treating veterinarian/clinic (categorized as district veterinarians, private practitioners, small clinics, medium clinics and, for the clinics with ≥20 claims, the specific clinics), computerized or manual CR, processing clerk, whether the CR was included in the paper file, if the claim was rejected or reimbursed, system diagnosis and if a immediate settlement (in analysis for veterinary care claims) or death certificate (in analysis for life claims) was included in the paper file. For veterinary care claims, in the logistic regression model type of visit was significantly associated with agreement, with clinic visits generating better agreement than field visits.

Identifying the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami: The role of the private sector

Until the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, identifying victims of a mass catastrophe was done largely by police and forensic scientists who tried to match pre-death and post-death data from paper files. The tsunami brought computer databases into the world of forensic identification and led to major involvement from four private-sector companies from Canada, France, Denmark and Norway. Between them, the firms created a system to improve the handling of missing persons’ calls; an automated fingerprint identification system; a system to generate possible matches between pre and post-death data; and a state-of-the-art morgue in Phuket, Thailand. In the past, there has been private-sector involvement in mass death incidents — for example, most funerals are conducted by private firms — but the tsunami marked a major shift to a public-private partnership in an area that has generally been limited to police and forensic scientists.

The German neuroendocrine tumor (NET) registry: Quality of data documentation

Introduction: In 9/2003 the German NET-Registry was introduced. With 13 centres and 904 pts included, we analysed the quality of data documentation in patients' files of 13 active university centres.

On panopticism, criminal records and sex offender registries

Having explored Foucault’s notion of panopticism, the author highlights some socio-legal implications of criminal records in current Canadian society, such as access to employment, access to insurance, and international travel. She contends that there is a need to rethink the traditional notion of criminal records as a paper file, but as digitized criminal information that flows freely across national and international borders. Finally, she explores the use of sex offender criminal registries and their availability to general public in the Canadian context.

DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection

BackgroundRandomized, prospective trials involving multi-institutional collaboration have become a central part of clinical and translational research. However, data management and coordination of multi-center studies is a complex process that involves developing systems for data collection and quality control, tracking data queries and resolutions, as well as developing communication procedures. We describe DADOS-Prospective, an open-source Web-based application for collecting and managing prospective data on human subjects for clinical and translational trials. DADOS-Prospective not only permits users to create new clinical research forms (CRF) and supports electronic signatures, but also offers the advantage of containing, in a single environment, raw research data in downloadable spreadsheet format, source documentation and regulatory files stored in PDF format, and audit trails.ResultsFeedback from formal and field usability tests was used to guide the design and development of DADOS-Prospective. To date, DADOS-Prospective has been implemented in five prospective clinical studies at our institution. Four of these studies are still in the CRF creation phase and one study has been entirely launched.ConclusionDADOS-Prospective has significant advantages over existing Web-based data collecting programs. At our institution, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for prospective clinical studies.

Taking advantages of a disadvantage: Digital forensics and steganography using document metadata

All the information contained in a plain-text document are visible to everybody. On the other hand, compound documents using opaque formats, like Microsoft Compound Document File Format, may contain undisclosed data such as authors name, organizational information of users involved, previously deleted text, machine related information, and much more. Those information could be exploited by third party for illegal purposes. Computer users are unaware of the problem and, even though the Internet offers several tools to clean hidden data from documents, they are not widespread. Furthermore, there is only one paper about this problem in scientific literature, but there is no detailed analysis. In this paper we fill the gap, analyzing the problem with its causes and then we show how to take advantage of this issue: we show how hidden data may be extracted to gain evidence in forensic environment where even a small piece of information may be relevant and we also introduce a new stegosystem especially designed for Microsoft Office documents. We developed FTA, a tool to improve forensic analysis of Microsoft Office documents, and StegOlè, another tool that implements a new stegosystem for Microsoft Office documents. This is the first scientific paper to address the problem from both a steganographic and a forensic point of view.

Standards in The Visual and Linguistic Language of An Online Historic Costume Collection

In a quest to increase access to and conserve their collections many institutions are creating websites that do more than advertise the physical collection but provide images and data for selected pieces from their collection. Libraries and archives, some with digital images, are implementing the standards for metadata harvesting and image capture created to facilitate the use of the internet, beyond its use as a tool for resource discovery, to a tool for “distributed custodianship” of resources. Small museums and collections may have trouble justifying the expending of the resources to implement these standards. This paper describes an evolutionary prototype for an archiving project for Historic Costume that is developing a process to incorporate these standards into an online searchable database for the Collection, http://digimuse.cis.drexel.edu. The evolution of the prototype includes the retrospective conversion of collection data from 3“x5” paper file card to a relational database that includes images. All aspects of standardized data structure from naming conventions, data structure, and image capture have been considered.

Does height modify the risk of angina associated with economic adversity?

Adult height partly reflects childhood exposures, and we hypothesise that some exposures impairing growth may also increase susceptibility to coronary heart disease—angina pectoris (angina)—risks, such that shorter adults may be more susceptible to some exposures in adulthood that are risks for heart disease. This hypothesis is tested among all adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey (USA), 1997–2000 [The National Health Survey, 1997–2000. Data file documentation, National Health Interview Survey (machine-readable data file and documentation). National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Maryland, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm]. In the entire study population, height was negatively associated with angina and after adjustment for potential confounding factors; the odds ratio (and 95% confidence interval) for angina risk associated with the tallest height fifth compared with the shortest fifth is 0.77 (0.97, 0.88). The association of low income (less than US$ 20,000) with angina was assessed separately in each of five height strata defined by fifths of the height distribution. The magnitude of this association is lower in the shortest than the tallest height fifth, with odds ratios of 1.18 and 1.60, respectively (effect modification). The unexpected results may be explained by the following: childhood adversity resulting in shorter stature may confer resilience against adult economic adversity; the relative disadvantage of low income may be perceived more keenly by those of taller stature thereby increasing stress and thus disease risk; or health-promoting characteristics associated with taller stature may be less effective in the face of adult economic adversity in the low-income group.

Records management

PurposeTo share the experience of implementing a single, shared electronic system for managing paper and electronic mail and files in all of the offices of the French Ministry of Justice's central administration in order to improve control and management consistency.Design/methodology/approachDiscusses the situation prior to implementation of the new MESSAGER electronic (workflow) system and the inherent problems. Explains how files are managed through a basic data field called “file type” which includes retention information, in the new system. Shares the project timelines and discusses the involvement of staff in its design and implementation.FindingsThe system has brought office improvements in mail and file management, more efficient handling of business, as well as better service to those seeking justice in the justice system. Outlines ongoing challenges. The Archives Service has been able to increase its visibility and role in electronic archiving as a result of being part of the project.Practical implicationsHighlights the role played by the Archives Service and the benefits accrued; the importance of including department representatives in the project team.Originality/valueThis paper is a useful case study of implementing a shared electronic system for managing particular types of records (mail) across several offices within a central government department and the critical success factors.

The virtual portfolio: from conception to reality

The rapid growth in web technologies illustrates how global attitudes to paper are changing. The world of radiotherapy is responding to this by steadily replacing paper-based systems with digital equivalents. In this time when the world is swapping thousands of years of dependence on ink and paper for pixels and screens, representing professional development in a large file of paper may soon seem incongruous.This paper aims to introduce the concept of a “virtual portfolio” along with the rationale for using it. In the context of radiotherapy professional practice, the virtual portfolio's function mirrors that of a conventional portfolio, but uses electronic media to collate and present the evidence. Potential advantages and disadvantages of the virtual portfolio are presented, along with a brief overview of the software tools that can assist with the transition away from paper.Since a portfolio is ultimately a very individual expression of personal and professional development, it is obvious that the virtual portfolio will not be suitable for everyone. It can be seen that electronic media offer some useful tools to the portfolio developer, but ultimately it is the content and use of the portfolio rather than the format that is of importance.

Contract management: Opportunities to improve pricing of gsa multiple award schedules contracts

Federal agencies can directly purchase more than 8 million commercial products and services through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) multiple award schedules (MAS) contracts. Over the past 10 years, MAS contract sales have increased dramatically--with sales jumping from $4 billion to $32 billion. In addition to simplifying the procurement process, the MAS program is designed to take advantage of the government’s significant aggregate buying power. While GSA seeks to negotiate best pricing for its MAS contracts by analyzing vendor-provided information--such as discounts given to other customers and recent sales data for the same or similar items--past reports have found that GSA has not always used pricing tools effectively and that management controls for better ensuring fair and reasonable pricing had been reduced. This report discusses GSA’s process for negotiating most favored customer prices for MAS contracts and its efforts to improve the overall quality of negotiations. Contract negotiators at the four MAS acquisition centers that GAO reviewed use a variety of tools for obtaining most favored customer pricing--that is, the prices vendors offer their best customers. However, the GAO analysis of GSA’s review of selected fiscal year 2004 MAS contract files found that nearly 60 percent lacked the documentation needed to establish clearly that the prices were effectively negotiated. Specifically, the contract documentation did not establish that negotiated prices were based on accurate, complete, and current vendor information; adequate price analyses; and reasonable price negotiations. GSA’s efforts to ensure most favored customer pricing have been hindered by the significant decline in the use of pre-award and postaward audits of pre-award pricing information, two independent pricing tools that have helped GSA avoid or recover hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive pricing. In fiscal year 1995, GSA conducted 154 pre-award audits; by 2004 the number of pre-award audits fell to 40. Postaward audits--which resulted in an average annual recovery of $18 million in the early 1990s--were discontinued in 1997 when GSA revised its MAS contract audit policies to increase the use of pre-award audits--an increase that has not materialized. In March 2003, GSA established the Acquisition Quality Measurement and Improvement Program, initiating the use of prenegotiation panels and postaward quality reviews of contracts. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives has been limited due to insufficient oversight. For example, three of the MAS acquisition centers that GAO visited had not reported the results of their 2003 prenegotiation panels--information needed by management to identify problems and make needed improvements. Moreover, the fourth acquisition center--which accounted for about 56 percent of the fiscal year 2004 MAS sales--has yet to hold a panel. While the postaward quality reviews--the second program initiative--have identified deficiencies in contract file documentation, they did not determine the underlying causes of these deficiencies or prescribe actions needed to address them. As a result of these weaknesses, GSA cannot be assured that fair and reasonable prices have been negotiated for its MAS contracts.

Guidelines for Design: Mapping Out the Ideal Clinical Engineering Department

It has been an almost magical meeting with your administrator. You have been invited to meet with the architects and space planners next week, not to discuss a new clinical area and the required medical technology, but to discuss space and design for a new clinical engineering department and biomed shop. Unfortunately, more often than not, the bubble bursts fairly quickly when during the space planning meeting you are asked dozens of questions about what you do, how you do it, what space you need, why, where are the standards, etc. Unlike most other hospital areas, there is no set state or federal standards for square footage for clinical engineering (or facility engineering) support services. When an architect or space planner meets with a nurse to discuss a new intensive care unit (ICU), the architect already has some ideas as to the requirements for square footage of an intensive care unit area and patient room, number of power receptacles, medical gasses, and other support systems required. Unfortunately, that information is typically not available for the architect for your new clinical engineering department and shop. The most referenced document for hospital space planning is typically the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Health Care Facilities. Last published in 2001, the new edition will be published in March of 2006. The Guidelines are referenced by space planners, architects, engineers, and healthcare professionals throughout the United States and in other countries who are planning new or renovated healthcare construction. Authorities in 42 states, the Joint Commission (JCAHO), and several federal agencies use the Guidelines as a reference code or standard when reviewing construction designs and plans and completed healthcare facilities. Based on experience, there are some basic fundamental space information you can review and provide to the architectural team. The first is the functions that are required for the department. Typical functions for a modern clinical engineering department include: • Technician work space • Manager office • Administrative / clerical space • File storage • Equipment decontamination area • Library • Parts storage • Receiving / packing area Guidelines for Design: Mapping Out the Ideal Clinical Engineering Department

A transcontinental distribution

The difference over twenty years, in the making of ET since 1985, includes the vanishing away of paper files. In a cabinet beside my desk I have A–Z files for the many people who literally ‘wrote’ – that is, typed – to me on paper. I almost never consult any of those files now, and don’t remember when I last added a sheet to them. Instead, of course, I check my email, which piles up electronically in non-real space somewhere inside this machine in front of me. And, though I strive to keep my records straight, I seldom check back very far or go into e-files of old e-mails. And, most days, whether in Cambridge or in Hong Kong, I read daily e-abstracts from my much-prized Edinburgh newspaper, The Scotsman, and don't recall when I last saw, leave alone bought and read, a conventional paper edition of it.