Special Card Research Articles

Daddy Cool

Children everywhere will be wanting to make special cards and gifts for the most important men in their lives this Father’s Day, 19 June. These ideas take familiar images for some unusual makes that won’t break the bank

New development for the reverse time of flight analysis of spectra measured using Fourier Diffractometer Facilities

The present work introduces a new design to replace the (Finnish make) reverse time of flight (RTOF) analyzer used for the Fourier diffractometer facilities. The new design applies a data acquisition system, a special interface card and software program installed in a PC computer, to perform the cross-correlation functions between signals received from the chopper-decoder and detector. It has been found from test measurements performed with the Cairo Fourier diffractometer facility (CFDF) and the similar high resolution one at JINR (Dubna-Russia) that the new design can successfully replace the Finnish make RTOF analyzer.

Origins of coordination and team effectiveness: A perspective from game theory and nonlinear dynamics.

Coordination occurs when 2 or more people do the same or complementary tasks at the same time; it takes several forms. The form of coordination studied here was similar to behavior at a 4-way stop traffic intersection. The performance task involved 12 4-person groups and a special card game. Split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that coordination rules were implicitly learned and then transferred successfully to new rules of similar difficulty and that coordination can occur without verbal mediation or leadership actions. Transfer of coordination was less positive to a task of greater difficulty. Nonlinear regression showed that fixed-point attractors could be extracted from all learning curves. The difficult shift contained a second chaotic process and a critical utility threshold at which the difficult rule could be mastered ar not. Work-group effectiveness has been studied from a variety of perspectives; central themes have included cooperation, cohesion, incentives, task structure, size, and leadership attributes. In this project we focused on the dynamics of group coordination and traced its conceptual origins; here we report new theory, an experiment, and analytic techniques that explore the origins of coordination in groups. Coordination occurs when two or more people do the same or complementary tasks at the same time. Coordination is vital to group effectiveness in situations where a successful outcome for the entire group is the end result of numerous contributions or efforts by all group members and where successful contributions by one participant are contingent on a correct and timely contribution by another participant. Coordination among team members has been recognized as an important correlate of team performance (Bowers, Baker, & Salas, 1994; Brannick, Prince, Prince, & Salas, 1995; Brannick, Roach, & Salas, 1993; Cannon-Bowers, Tannenbaum, Salas, & Volpe, 1995; Coovert, Campbell, Cannon-Bowers, & Salas, 1995; Daily, 1980; Leedom & Simon, 1995; Stout, Salas, & Carson, 1994). Coordination has been operationalized

Computer-based desktop system for surgical videotape editing.

The educational role of surgical video presentations should be optimized by linking surgical images to graphic evaluation of indications, techniques, and results. We describe a PC-based video production system for personal editing of surgical tapes, according to the objectives of each presentation. The hardware requirement is a personal computer (100 MHz processor, 1-Gb hard disk, 16 Mb RAM) with a PC-to-TV/video transfer card plugged into a slot. Computer-generated numerical data, texts, and graphics are transformed into analog signals displayed on TV/video. A Genlock interface (a special interface card) synchronizes digital and analog signals, to overlay surgical images to electronic illustrations. The presentation is stored as digital information or recorded on a tape. The proliferation of multimedia tools is leading us to adapt presentations to the objectives of lectures and to integrate conceptual analyses with dynamic image-based information. We describe a system that handles both digital and analog signals, production being recorded on a tape. Movies may be managed in a digital environment, with either an "on-line" or "off-line" approach. System requirements are high, but handling a single device optimizes editing without incurring such complexity that management becomes impractical to surgeons. Our experience suggests that computerized editing allows linking surgical scientific and didactic messages on a single communication medium, either a videotape or a CD-ROM.

Teaching students with mental retardation and other disabilities to make simple drawings through a computer system and special cards.

3 students with mental retardation and other disabilities were trained to make simple drawings on a computer screen (with a light-pen) following the color sequence used for the same drawings on special cards. The screen provided immediate feedback on the students' drawing accuracy. Teachers rated the students' posttraining drawings much higher than the pretraining ones.

Information on a system of attesting to managers' ability in Czechoslovakia

In the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, a system of attesting to special ability has been in practice within some activities in the construction industry since 1983, and this paper seeks to analyse the realization of such a system. The issue of a special card certifying ability of managers in a certain field is described as are courses approved by the State Commission for Science and Technology and Investment in special ability.

Morbidity in children of the first seven years of life

We studied the morbidity of infants and preschool children according to three years of attendance at medical and preventive institutions in rural areas of the Gorki Oblast. The study was based on 10 so-called point settlements with Central Regional Hospital, district hospitals, or outpatient clinics. All appeals for the years 1982-1984 (both primary and secondary) were copied to a special statistical card from 3,895 child development histories (Form No. 112). (The data on secondary contacts for illnesses were copied from the special statistical card for 1982-1984. Data on secondary contacts for exacerbations of chronic diseases were used to calculate the criterion for identifying a contingent of frequently ill children. In the statistical chart, primary contacts were coded, on the basis of which disease prevalence rates were calculated.

Optical and electronic systems for spatial and temporal analysis of video images

In this paper are described two systems for spatial (two-dimensional coordinates) and temporal analysis of video images. In the optical version, the Apple IIe generates a pointer on an Apple monitor; the pointer is then superimposed on the video image of a second video monitor, by reflecting the pointer with a half-silvered mirror. In the electronic version, a special card was designed for the Apple IIe to generate a pointer directly on the other video monitor. Both systems use the same software. The procedures of spatial and temporal data acquisition and storage are described as well as the reading, writing, printing, removing, listing, chaining, and dating operations of the digital and graphics files.

Patterns of bleeding and body iron stores during the use of a levonorgestrel-releasing intracervical device

A levonorgestrel-releasing intracervical device (LNG-ICD) was inserted in 198 women. The subjects registered bleeding and spotting days on special cards, which were analyzed after one year of treatment. Bleeding and spotting days gradually declined from sixteen during the first month to seven during the seventh month, and they remained under that level until the end of the first year. There were more days of spotting than bleeding. Eleven per cent of the subjects experienced at least 90 days non-bleeding interval during the first year of LNG-ICD use. There were no significant changes in blood hemoglobin concentrations during the first four years of LNG-ICD use. The mean serum ferritin concentration increased from 38 μg/l at the beginning to 97 μg/l at the end of the fourth year.

A gas and vapor generation system with programmed automatic cyclic output.

This paper describes a gas and vapor generation system that can be programmed to produce contaminant concentrations that are variable with time and that are repeatable. The system utilizes an electromechanical programmer designed to vary a potentiometer in accordance with variations in a program curve manually etched in the surface of a special program card. The output of this programmer is interfaced with a linear mass flow controller which will control either the contaminant stream or the dilution air stream to achieve the desired range of contaminant concentrations. The results of some experiments with carbon monoxide and toluene show repeatability of one to three percent for periodically repeated cycles, and demonstrate the flexibility of the system.

ESCAF&#2013A New and Cheap System for Complex Reliability Analysis and Computation

ESCAF stands for ``Ensemble de Simulation et de Calcul de Fiabilite'' - (``Electronic Simulator to Compute and Analyze Failures''). This paper describes the apparatus and illustrates, with examples, the multiple possibilities afforded to system design engineers, reliability engineers, and researchers: 1. Simulating and analyzing, directly or through fault trees, complex systems with as many as 416 components. 2. Simulating and analyzing networks with 2-way information flow. 3. Studying sequential circuits and flow networks. An exceptionally simple, cheap, and easy-to-use apparatus, ESCAF is employed typically to determine and list cut sets and (for s-coherent systems) minimal cut sets, or path sets and minimal path sets; to gauge the importance of each component or event by constructing histograms; to compute system failure probability or unavailability, for both s-coherent and non-coherent systems; and to detect potential weak-points in design. An optional diode plug programming matrix allows common-cause failures to be studied. To analyze a system with ESCAF, it is simulated very simply by standard integrated circuits mounted on one or more special cards. When inserted in the 440 × 226 × 470 mm basic ESCAF unit, these cards are automatically connected to a failure combination generator. This circuit generates all combinations of component failures (or fault tree basic events), first one-by-one, then two-by-two, and so on. The ESCAF processing unit analyzes the resulting system output states and derives the wanted information. The basic ESCAF unit is connected to one or two standard peripherals (visual display unit, printer, punched tape or diskette, etc.

Injury and trauma care at a photographic materials plant

We have studied disability injuries and their relationship with social and hygiene factors at a plant that produces film and photo materials. Information about the age, length of service, time and circumstances of the injury and the assistance provided, etc. were copied onto special cards from the outpatient cards of the trauma center at the outpatient clinic of the plant's medical unit, from sick leave certificates and accident reports. All 202 workers and employees who were injured were called to study long-term results. 47.5% of injured people are men, although their share in the team is much smaller - 33%. More often injuries are recorded among workers in older age groups (from 50 to 59 years), which can be explained by some disregard for compliance with safety rules.

Stockholm's transport for elderly and handicapped: an integrated model

Stockholm's programme of special transportation, administered by the Greater Stockholm Public Transport (SL) is composed of three elements (a) a demand responsive service utilizing commercial taxis for individual trips, (b) a fleet of modified minibuses for routine and repetitive trips, both offering door-to-door service, and (c) continued modification of conventional public transport vehicles and equipment to extend their accessibility for handicapped trip makers. Commercial taxi service is described as the primary source of transportation, with 91 per cent of those eligible being provided with special authorization cards. The user pays three crowns, the current mass transit fare to the driver, and the taxi company is reimbursed by SL at the metered rate. Reimbursement controls associated with the 2500 taxis participating in this scheme are described, and statistics provided on journey details and costs. A fleet of 135 modified minibuses caters for those who cannot or need not use taxis, with three quarters of the trips being associated with home to and from school and clinic journeys. Details of the vehicles, journey schedules and driver training are presented. Reference to public transport accessibility indicates the installation of lifts at all subways, and escalators from street and or ticket levels to station platforms. Financing and costs are discussed. (TRRL)

Thailand: Using Family Planning Acceptors to Recruit New Cases

In 1968 at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok Thailand 695 IUD acceptors were given special service cards that would enable women who returned them to be given free preferential treatment at the clinic. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the effects that acceptors can have on promoting family planning to other women. 26% of the women had 1 or more of their cards returned. There was a 28% increase in insertions in the experimental provinces compared to 6% in the controls. The only suggested differences found among women whose cards were returned and those whose were not returned was that the former group contained a higher proportion of women with no education. Because of the success of this study 3 special service cards are presently given out at the hospital to new family planning acceptors.

Studying the Political Problems of French-speaking Tropical Africa in Paris

Among the principal Parisian libraries with African document collections are: (1) Library of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, 27 Rue St. Guillaume, Paris VIeme (metro: St. Germain des Prés). These facilities are a good starting point for the foreign Africanist visiting Paris. Of particular interest are the “dossiers” of the “Centre de Documentation” (third floor of the library) where under various headings (such as “French relations with Africa”) one may find press clippings from about 100 of the major French newspapers and periodicals. The dossiers of clippings are kept up to date and extend back for several years. In the same third floor library there exists a special card catalog in which thousands of articles which have appeared in French periodicals for the past ten years are listed and briefly analyzed; there are several hundred cards dealing with French-speaking Africa. This special catalog is kept up to date and has trays devoted to each of the new African nations.

Prevention of Hearing Loss from Exposure to Noise

In a number of countries occupational hearing loss has been accepted as a compensable injury. Eventually hearing conservation has become an important part of industrial hygiene. General trends of hearing conservation programs are given. Hearing damage risk should be calculated from exposure time, intensity and frequency analysis of hazardous noise. The first, preferably pre-employment, otologic and audiometric examination should be detailed.Headlines of noise abatement and ear protection are mentioned. Resulting damage risk reduction should be calculated. Employees should have the opportunity to control their ear protection during working hours.Protection against sound waves from explosions follows separate lines.Monitoring audiometry is the key-stone of the program. Special data cards are of importance for the control of the employees and for the evaluation of the results of the hearing conservation program.These cards should be issued by state authorities and on request submitted for statistical analysis.

Application of Punched Card Equipment to the Analysis of Complex Spectra

The punched card tabulating and sorting equipment generally used in statistical and accounting work has been applied to the analysis of complex spectra into term values. The wave numbers of the lines are punched on the special cards provided for use with the machines. The method enables one either to determine wave number differences which frequently occur or to isolate those line pairs showing a given frequency difference. The advantages of the method include high speed, accuracy as high as desired without checking with an adding machine, and the fact that only one simple modification is needed of standard equipment that is available almost everywhere.

A New Protractor Card for Verifying the Axes of Cylindrical and Sphero-Cylindrical Lenses

The importance of correct placing of cylinder axes justifies the use of a special protractor card to determine if this has been satisfactorily done. The card here described and illustrated supplies the necessary data for such determinations.

INFANT AND CHILD MORTALITY

The material for this work is taken from the social histories of 10,000 families which we have gathered in the course of ten years. The social status represented is that usually seen in a large city such as New York, in families in which the earning capacity in prewar times was from ten to eighteen dollars a week, a bare living wage. The nationalities included are approximately: We were fortunate in having, during the period covered, the same social worker, a woman versed in the various languages, so that the data may be considered fairly even and accurate. The social histories were obtained on special cards, 1 on which were noted income, nationality, pregnancies, miscarriages, etc. Of the 10,000 charts of social histories thus obtained, we have analyzed only the first 7,000, partly on account of the stupendous amount of work involved, and also because we believe that the present