Importance Of Information Research Articles

Source reconstruction of airborne toxics based on acute health effects information

The intentional or accidental release of airborne toxics poses great risk to the public health. During these incidents, the greatest factor of uncertainty is related to the location and rate of released substance, therefore, an information of high importance for emergency preparedness and response plans. A novel computational algorithm is proposed to estimate, efficiently, the location and release rate of an airborne toxic substance source based on health effects observations; data that can be readily available, in a real accident, contrary to actual measurements. The algorithm is demonstrated by deploying a semi-empirical dispersion model and Monte Carlo sampling on a simplified scenario. Input data are collected at varying receptor points for toxics concentrations (C; standard approach) and two new types: toxic load (TL) and health effects (HE; four levels). Estimated source characteristics are compared with scenario values. The use of TL required the least number of receptor points to estimate the release rate, and demonstrated the highest probability (>90%). HE required more receptor points, than C, but with lesser deviations while probability was comparable, if not better. Finally, the algorithm assessed very accurately the source location when using C and TL with comparable confidence, but HE demonstrated significantly lower confidence.

Експериментальне дослідження проблем детектування закладних пристроїв засобами нелінійної локації

It is common knowledge that today information is the most important resource of the modern world. Active development of information technologies and their integration, determine the extremely important roles that they play in many spheres of human life. Important information of national importance should be protected from unauthorized interception and the special importance in the issue of information security is the problem of information leakage through the mortgage devices. The problem lies in the fact that such devices for data capture can use most of the existing leakage channels. However, bookmarks are often used to intercept acoustic (linguistic) and specific information. Therefore, knowledge of the structural and technical features of the construction and functioning of hardware bookmarks is necessary to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to choose the optimal method of counteraction. The experimental researches of problems of detection of the mortgaged devices by a nonlinear locator are carried out. Laboratory studies were carried out using different semiconductor elements with different lengths of legs. The obtained results have shown that the length of the legs of semiconductor elements affects their detection.

QTL Mapping of Wood FT-IR Chemotypes Shows Promise for Improving Biofuel Potential in Short Rotation Coppice Willow (Salix spp.)

An increasing interest to convert lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels has highlighted the potential of using willows for this purpose, due to its fast growth in short rotation coppice systems. Here, we use a mapping population of 463 individuals of a cross between Salix viminalis and S. viminalis × S. schwerinii to investigate the genetic background of different wood chemical traits, information of importance for breeding towards different uses of wood. Furthermore, using a subset of the mapping population, the correlation between biogas production and chemical traits was investigated. The phenotyping of wood was carried by Furrier-transformed-Infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and water content analysis. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis was used to identify regions in the genome of importance for the phenotypic variation of these chemical traits. We found 27 QTLs for various traits. On linkage group (LG) VI-1, QTLs for signals assigned to G-lignin, lignin, and the S/G ratio were collocated and on LG XIV we found a cluster of QTLs representing signals assigned to lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and water. The QTLs explained from 3.4 to 6.9% of the phenotypic variation indicating a quantitative genetic background where many genes influence the traits. For the biogas production, a positive and negative correlation was seen with the signals assigned to acetyl and lignin, respectively. This study represents a first step in the understanding of the genetic background of wood chemical traits for willows, information needed for complementary studies, mapping of important genes, and for breeding of varieties for biofuel production purposes.

Hospital Mortality \u2013 a neglected but rich source of information supporting the transition to higher quality health systems in low and middle income countries

BackgroundThere is increasing focus on the strength of primary health care systems in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). There are important roles for higher quality district hospital care within these systems. These hospitals are also sources of information of considerable importance to health systems, but this role, as with the wider roles of district hospitals, has been neglected.Key messagesAs we make efforts to develop higher quality health systems in LMIC we highlight the critical importance of district hospitals focusing here on how data on hospital mortality offers value: i) in understanding disease burden; ii) as part of surveillance and impact monitoring; iii) as an entry point to exploring system failures; and iv) as a lens to examine variability in health system performance and possibly as a measure of health system quality in its own right. However, attention needs paying to improving data quality by addressing reporting gaps and cause of death reporting. Ideally enabling the collection of basic, standardised patient level data might support at least simple case-mix and case-severity adjustment helping us understand variation. Better mortality data could support impact evaluation, benchmarking, exploration of links between health system inputs and outcomes and critical scrutiny of geographic variation in quality and outcomes of care. Improved hospital information is a neglected but broadly valuable public good.ConclusionAccurate, complete and timely hospital mortality reporting is a key attribute of a functioning health system. It can support countries’ efforts to transition to higher quality health systems in LMIC enabling national and local advocacy, accountability and action.

Design and rationale of the Study of Etanercept and Methotrexate in Combination or as Monotherapy in Subjects with Psoriatic Arthritis (SEAM-PsA)

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of etanercept and methotrexate as monotherapies and as combination therapy in subjects with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).MethodsThe Study of Etanercept and Methotrexate in Combination or as...

POLAND AND THE EASTERN PACT

The article features the activities of the Soviet and the Polish governments aimed at creating the so-called Eastern Pact in 1933 – the spring of 1935. The archives of Soviet intelligence declassified in the 2000s show that while the Soviet government fought for the pact, the governments of Poland, Germany and Japan were secretly preparing to conduct a policy of aggression against the USSR as early as in 1935; the secret sponsor and mastermind behind the plan was representatives of the British ruling circles. The major figures of the group were the head of the Bank of England M. Norman and the head of the House of Lords and the Minister of War, Lord Hailsham. By the spring of 1935, the Soviet political authorities already possessed all the information of strategic importance, which allowed them to take the necessary action. In March 1935, the Chinese Eastern Railway was sold, in April they publicized the secret Polish-German treaty signed on 25 February, 1934; on 2 May the Franco-Soviet treaty of mutual assistance was signed, and a similar treaty with Czechoslovakia was concluded on 16 May. Thus, the minor collective security system was established, which would put an end to the plans of Berlin, Tokyo and Warsaw to unleash their anti-Soviet intervention before the end of 1935.

Soluble Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I related Chain A (sMICA) levels influence graft outcome following Renal Transplantation

BackgroundSince soluble isoforms of MICA play an important role in modulating the immune response, we evaluated a possible correlation between their levels and development of acute rejection following renal transplantation. MethodsSerum samples collected at pre- and different time points post-transplant from 137 live related donor renal transplant recipients were evaluated retrospectively for sMICA levels and for the presence of MICA antibodies. Samples from 30 healthy volunteers were also tested as controls. ResultsSignificantly higher levels of sMICA were observed in the pretransplant sera of allograft recipients as compared to healthy controls. Patients with acute cellular rejection experienced a significant fall in their levels at the time of diagnosis as compared to their pretransplant values and posttransplant follow up time points (p = .01, .003, .005 and .04 respectively at pre vs biopsy (Bx), POD7 vs Bx, POD 30 vs Bx, POD 90 vs Bx). However, no such difference was noted in patients undergoing antibody mediated rejection. Further the study did not reveal any correlation on the presence/absence of MICA antibodies with either an increase or decrease in sMICA levels. ConclusionsEstimating circulating levels of soluble MICA could provide useful information of prognostic importance in assessing graft outcome following renal transplantation.

The Importance of Informatization in Medical Education

Along with informatization, medical education faces with new challenges and opportunities. Education informatization in our country is now into a period of rapid development and gets achievement. Modern distance education network, computer platform of medical education research and education satellite network are established. Satellite broadband multimedia transmission platform has been initially formed. They are interactive based on modern distance interactive education network platform. The new concept of modern informationization and digital network has gradually replaced the traditional medical teaching practice, which is also the big trend of education development and informationization teaching in China.

IS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION NECESSARY FOR BOTSWANA

This study sought to find out if affirmative action is necessary in Botswana given the fact that various groups of people are being discriminated against in various ways. These groups of people include: ethnic minority groups, married women, and girls. The study answered various questions and addressed various objectives. The questions were: 1. Should minority languages be used to broadcast certain programmes in the national media such as national radio stations and the national television station? 2. Should minority languages be used in the print media to disseminate information of national importance? 3. Should minority languages be used as media of instruction in Botswana public primary and secondary schools? 4. Should neutral words be used to name land boards and the country Botswana instead of the use of names that promote the languages of the majority ethnic groups as it is currently the case? 5. Should the requirement that married women get the consent of their husbands to obtain loans from banks or when applying for plots (land) be discontinued? 6. Should cultures that promote the education for boys at the expense of education for girls discontinue the practice? 7. Should the number of women both in Parliament (National Assembly) and Councils be increased to ensure that women have more representations in these institutions? 8. Should all senior tribal authorities recognized by their tribes as chiefs be referred to as Paramount Chiefs so that the House of Chiefs become a non-discriminatory institution? 9. Based on the responses, what recommendations can you make that can be implemented to remedy the current situation in which minority languages are marginalized and discriminated against in broadcasting all the programmes on national radio stations and Botswana’s only television station? The objectives were: 1. To find out if the minority languages in Botswana should be used to broadcast certain programmes in the national media such as the national radio stations and the national television station. 2. To find out if minority languages should be used in the print media to disseminate information of national importance.3. To find out if minority languages should be used as media of instruction in Botswana public primary and secondary schools.4. To find out if neutral words should be used to name land boards and the country Botswana instead of the use of names that promote the languages of the majority ethnic groups as it is currently the case.5. To find out if the requirement that married women get the consent of their husbands to obtain loans from banks or when applying for plots (land) should be discontinued. 6. To find out if cultures that promote the education for boys at the expense of girls should discontinue the practice.7. To find out if the number of women both in Parliament (National Assembly) and Councils should be increased to ensure that women have more representations in these institutions/8. To find out if all senior tribal authorities recognized by their tribes as chiefs should be referred to as Paramount Chiefs so that the House of Chiefs becomes a non-discriminatory institution. 9. To determine recommendations that can be implemented to remedy the current situation in which minority languages are marginalized and discriminated against in as far as the national media is used in Botswana. The study intended to sample a reasonable number of students in a class of thirty-five (35). Questionnaires, which were the only data collection instrument used, were distributed to all students in class. Only four (4) students responded to the questionnaire. They therefore, formed the sample for the study. The study found that all the groups identified (ethnic minority groups, married women, and girls) were discriminated against in various ways by various groups of people in Botswana. As a result, affirmative action was found to be a necessary remedy to address the situation and various recommendations were identified to address specific situations. For example, on the issue of exclusion of minority ethnic groups’ languages with respect to their use in the national media, it was recommended that these languages be used in such media so that they are treated with equal dignity visa-a-vis the languages of majority ethnic groups. Article visualizations:

Dynamic Model of Applied Facial Anatomy with Emphasis on Teaching of Botulinum Toxin A.

The use of botulinum toxin type A is considered one of the most revolutionary and promising face rejuvenation methods. Although rare, most of the complications secondary to the use of botulinum toxin A are technician dependent. Among the major shortcomings identified in the toxin administration education is unfamiliarity with applied anatomy. This article proposes the use of body painting as an innovative method of teaching the application of botulinum toxin A. Using the body painting technique, facial anatomy was represented on the face of a model showing the major muscle groups of botulinum toxin A targets. Photographic records and films were made for documentation of represented muscles at rest and contraction. Using the body painting technique, each of the muscles involved in facial expression and generation of hyperkinetic wrinkles can be faithfully reproduced on the model's face. The documentation of the exact position of the points of application, the distribution of the feature points in the muscular area, the proper angulation and syringe grip, as well as the correlation of the points of application with the presence of hyperkinetic wrinkles, could be properly registered, providing professional training with information of great practical importance, development of highly effective treatments, and low complication rates. By making it possible to interrelate anatomy of a function, body painting is proposed in the present study as an innovative method, which in a demonstrative and highly didactic manner presents great potential as a teaching tool in the application of botulinum toxin A.

Do not forget the parents-Parents' concerns during transition to adult care for adolescents with congenital heart disease.

Growing up with congenital heart disease (CHD) often means transfer to adult care and lifelong medical follow-up. An optimal transition process usually involves a multipart collaboration between the patient, their parents and other family members, and the healthcare providers. Taking an active role while knowing when it is time to step aside can be difficult for all the concerned parties, even the healthcare professionals. The aim of the present study therefore, was to explore parents' expectations and needs during their adolescent's transition to adult care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents of 16 adolescents (aged 13-18years) with CHD in 4 pediatric cardiology settings in Sweden. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in 2 main themes: (a) Feeling secure-the importance of being prepared and informed. This theme focused on the need to be prepared and informed about transition and future transfer to adult care. (b) Recognizing when to hand over at the right time. This theme addressed the process of handing over the responsibility from the parent to the adolescents and contained handing over from pediatric care to adult care. Being prepared and informed about the upcoming transition process was essential. The parents underlined the importance of being involved in the transition planning for gradually handing over responsibility to the adolescent. They also considered establishing contact with the adult healthcare team before transfer as important and needed to be assured that CHD-related information of importance for the young person's daily life would be given.

Direct NMR Probing of Hydration Shells of Protein Ligand Interfaces and Its Application to Drug Design.

Fragment-based drug design exploits initial screening of low molecular weight compounds and their concomitant affinity improvement. The multitude of possible chemical modifications highlights the necessity to obtain structural information about the binding mode of a fragment. Herein we describe a novel NMR methodology (LOGSY titration) that allows the determination of binding modes of low affinity binders in the protein-ligand interface and reveals suitable ligand positions for the addition of functional groups that either address or substitute protein-bound water, information of utmost importance for drug design. The particular benefit of the methodology and in contrast to conventional ligand-based methods is the independence of the molecular weight of the protein under study. The validity of the novel approach is demonstrated on two ligands interacting with bromodomain 1 of bromodomain containing protein 4, a prominent cancer target in pharmaceutical industry.

Information society as a scientific-conceptual-practionological paradigm of the development of the global information system of the XXI century

The relevance of the research topic is that the essence and importance of informatics is revealed, which is a theoretical and practical basis for information management of the organization. The essence of information science as the most important paradigm of the 21st century is revealed, which influences the development of the Internet as a global information system. The main goal is the conceptualization of information science as the basis for information management of the organization in the conditions of the formation and development of the global information system. Methodology is an informational approach that allows deep penetration into the essence of the information society and reveals its problems. The research is based on the identification of the principle of the development of the global information system, based on information support for the management of the organization. Conclusion - the concepts of information science as the basis of information support for the management of an organization in the conditions of the formation and development of a global information system are disclosed; the evolution of the Internet as a global information system; the directions of information support of the organization management in the conditions of the global information system are revealed. It is reported that information science contributes to the national interests of highly developed countries, improves the manageability of the economy, serves the development of science-intensive industries and high technologies, increases labor productivity, improves socio-economic relations, enriches spiritual life and further democratizes society

Improving the Informed Consent Process in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Patient, Caregiver, and Provider Perspectives

One of the significant modifications to the Common Rule is the requirement that prospective participants be given information sufficient for a “reasonable person.” However, research is limited on what types of information patients, caregivers, and providers consider “key information.” Although certain aspects of informed consent (IC) may be considered standard, considering the individualized needs and preferences of patients is necessary for patient-centered consent. In this study, we qualitatively examined the specific types of information that patients and caregivers involved in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), as well as their providers, believe to be important and necessary as part of the IC process to make a decision about participating in clinical research; and further, how these perspectives are aligned. Our findings suggest opportunities for improving the IC document and process by emphasizing information of importance to patients, such as the benefits to others and contributions to science that are associated with participation in clinical research. Furthermore, increasing patient engagement during the IC process may allow providers to streamline information that is aligned with patient information needs and preferences.

A materialidade epistolar. O que nos dizem os manuscritos autógrafos

Quando a reprodução fac-similar não é possível, as edições de correspondências propõem aos leitores um texto impresso, sem levar em conta tudo o que remete à aparência dos manuscritos autógrafos. Em geral, tais aspectos materiais são portadores de informações de fundamental relevância no que diz respeito à maneira como um endereço é redigido no envelope; ao movimento da escrita e da forma dos caracteres; ao desenho da assinatura; às indicações contidas nas zonas periféricas das cartas, as margens ou cabeçalhos. Neste artigo, pretende-se analisar esses diversos elementos à luz de um objeto privilegiado – a correspondência d’Émile Zola. Os exemplos examinados mostram que, em todos os casos, é extremamente produtivo retornar ao manuscrito original e reexeminá-lo, pois o documento oferece informações que o mero conhecimento do texto impresso quase nunca fornece.

Thermomechanical analysis of polymeric foams subjected to cyclic loading: Anelasticity, self-heating and strain-induced crystallization

The present study investigates the thermomechanical behavior of TPU foams. Different densities were tested, including the compact state, which ensures a relevant characterization of the relative effect of the void volume fraction. A series of cyclic uniaxial tensile tests was carried out at different loading rates and different specimen densities. The effects of the density and the loading conditions on the softening, the residual strain and the hysteresis have been characterized. The thermal responses exhibit numerous particularities. First, a threshold effect in terms of the density on the self-heating has been highlighted. Second, entropic effects are weighted by energetic effects (internal energy variations) during the deformation. Typical changes in the thermal response highlight that strain-induced crystallization (SIC) and crystallite melting occur during the deformation. The characteristic stretches of this phenomenon evolve with the maximum stretch applied, which increases the residual stretch, and the number of cycles, which induces the softening. Decreasing the density decreases the crystallinity: the volume of crystallizing matter is lower and cell wholes become more and more thin, which decreases the mobility of the molecular chains. These effects cannot be predicted from the mechanical responses and the present study provides therefore information of importance to better understand and model the effects of the density and the loading conditions on the thermomechanical behavior of TPU foams.

Transient characteristics of induced polarization in inhomogeneous media (from results of 2D numerical simulation)

This paper presents the results of 2D mathematical modeling of induced polarization (IP) in the cases of profiling and electrical tomography for piecewise homogeneous media containing ore bodies with different structures, sizes, depths, relaxation times, chargeability, and electrical resistivity. The standard and spectral approaches to data analysis are compared. The cases where analysis of transient IP characteristics yields new information of practical importance are considered. The main features of transient IP characteristics in 2D inhomogeneous media are determined from the modeling results. Analysis of transient IP characteristics is found to yield the best results when the depth of occurrence of polarizable bodies is minimal and their electrical conductivity is an order of magnitude lower than that of the host tock.

Core information sets for informed consent to surgical interventions: baseline information of importance to patients and clinicians

BackgroundConsent remains a crucial, yet challenging, cornerstone of clinical practice. The ethical, legal and professional understandings of this construct have evolved away from a doctor-centred act to a patient-centred process that encompasses the patient’s values, beliefs and goals. This alignment of consent with the philosophy of shared decision-making was affirmed in a recent high-profile Supreme Court ruling in England. The communication of information is central to this model of health care delivery but it can be difficult for doctors to gauge the information needs of the individual patient. The aim of this paper is to describe ‘core information sets’ which are defined as a minimum set of consensus-derived information about a given procedure to be discussed with all patients. Importantly, they are intended to catalyse discussion of subjective importance to individuals.Main bodyThe model described in this paper applies health services research and Delphi consensus-building methods to an idea orginally proposed 30 years ago. The hypothesis is that, first, large amounts of potentially-important information are distilled down to discrete information domains. These are then, secondly, rated by key stakeholders in multiple iterations, so that core information of agreed importance can be defined. We argue that this scientific approach is key to identifying information important to all stakeholders, which may otherwise be communicated poorly or omitted from discussions entirely. Our methods apply systematic review, qualitative, survey and consensus-building techniques to define this ‘core information’. We propose that such information addresses the ‘reasonable patient’ standard for information disclosure but, more importantly, can serve as a spring board for high-value discussion of importance to the individual patient.ConclusionThe application of established research methods can define information of core importance to informed consent. Further work will establish how best to incorporate this model in routine practice.

Assessing maize foliar water stress levels under field conditions using in-situ spectroscopy

Plant physiological processes required for crop productivity are dependent on the availability of water to crops. Water availability to crops therefore requires real time monitoring for timeous rescue or intervention measures. Such monitoring over vast areas is only possible through remotely sensed techniques such as spectroscopy with its numerous fine wavelengths and is non-destructive to the crops as opposed to other traditional ground-based methods. The management of spectral reflectance data to extract information of importance for plant water status has been motivated by knowledge of the availability of specific bands in the electromagnetic spectrum responsible for water absorption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of using selected spectral bands to develop water indices that could monitor the water status at leaf level on maize (Zea mays) plants grown under field conditions. Leaf spectral reflectance of maize plants was collected under three different water conditions being healthy (H), intermediary water stressed (IWS) and water stressed (WS) using a leaf-clip of a handheld spectroradiometer. The spectral reflectance indicated an increased reflectance in portions of the visible, near-infrared and short infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum for the water stressed maize plants. The random forest (RF) algorithm was utilised to extract wavelengths of importance from which water indices were developed among which were the normalised difference water index (NDWI860-1240) and the water band index (WBI950-970). The indices were used in a combined algorithm of RF and partial least square (PLS) for its predictive ability to classify the maize leaf water status into the three categories (H, IWS and WS). The results showed an overall accuracy of 70±1.2 %. Therefore, confirming the potential of assessing leaf water content using in-situ spectroscopy. The three most important indices were NDWI860-1240, NDWI860-1240 and NDWI860-1240. An in-depth study would be required to quantify and measure actual water content in maize leaves and possibly upscale to canopy level which would directly support irrigation management plans.Keywords: in-situ spectroscopy, maize, partial least square, random forest, water spectral indices, water stress

Unsupervised ensemble ranking of terms in electronic health record notes based on their importance to patients

BackgroundAllowing patients to access their own electronic health record (EHR) notes through online patient portals has the potential to improve patient-centered care. However, EHR notes contain abundant medical jargon that can be difficult for patients to comprehend. One way to help patients is to reduce information overload and help them focus on medical terms that matter most to them. Targeted education can then be developed to improve patient EHR comprehension and the quality of care. ObjectiveThe aim of this work was to develop FIT (Finding Important Terms for patients), an unsupervised natural language processing (NLP) system that ranks medical terms in EHR notes based on their importance to patients. MethodsWe built FIT on a new unsupervised ensemble ranking model derived from the biased random walk algorithm to combine heterogeneous information resources for ranking candidate terms from each EHR note. Specifically, FIT integrates four single views (rankers) for term importance: patient use of medical concepts, document-level term salience, word co-occurrence based term relatedness, and topic coherence. It also incorporates partial information of term importance as conveyed by terms’ unfamiliarity levels and semantic types. We evaluated FIT on 90 expert-annotated EHR notes and used the four single-view rankers as baselines. In addition, we implemented three benchmark unsupervised ensemble ranking methods as strong baselines. ResultsFIT achieved 0.885 AUC-ROC for ranking candidate terms from EHR notes to identify important terms. When including term identification, the performance of FIT for identifying important terms from EHR notes was 0.813 AUC-ROC. Both performance scores significantly exceeded the corresponding scores from the four single rankers (P<0.001). FIT also outperformed the three ensemble rankers for most metrics. Its performance is relatively insensitive to its parameter. ConclusionsFIT can automatically identify EHR terms important to patients. It may help develop future interventions to improve quality of care. By using unsupervised learning as well as a robust and flexible framework for information fusion, FIT can be readily applied to other domains and applications.