Suboptimal filtering. Part 2 - Compensation for modeling errors in orbit determination problems Final report

Compensation for dynamic and measurement model errors in real time orbit determination system

A developmental evaluation to enhance stakeholder engagement in a wide-scale interactive project disseminating quality improvement data: Study protocol for a mixed-methods study

© 2017 Article author(s). All rights reserved. Introduction: Bringing together continuous quality improvement (CQI) data from multiple health services offers opportunities to identify common improvement priorities and to develop interventions at various system levels to achieve large-scale improvement in care. An important principle of CQI is practitioner participation in interpreting data and planning evidence-based change. This study will contribute knowledge about engaging diverse stakeholders in collaborative and theoretically informed processes to identify and address priority evidence-practice gaps in care delivery. This paper describes a developmental evaluation to support and refine a novel interactive dissemination project using aggregated CQI data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare centres in Australia. The project aims to effect multilevel system improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare. Methods and analysis: Data will be gathered using document analysis, online surveys, interviews with participants and iterative analytical processes with the research team. These methods will enable real-time feedback to guide refinements to the design, reports, tools and processes as the interactive dissemination project is implemented. Qualitative data from interviews and surveys will be analysed and interpreted to provide in-depth understanding of factors that influence engagement and stakeholder perspectives about use of the aggregated data and generated improvement strategies. Sources of data will be triangulated to build up a comprehensive, contextualised perspective and integrated understanding of the project's development, implementation and findings. Ethics and dissemination: The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the Northern Territory Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research (Project 2015-2329), the Central Australian HREC (Project 15-288) and the Charles Darwin University HREC (Project H15030) approved the study. Dissemination will include articles in peer-reviewed journals, policy and research briefs. Results will be presented at conferences and quality improvement network meetings. Researchers, clinicians, policymakers and managers developing evidence-based system and policy interventions should benefit from this research

Application of the i-PARIHS framework for enhancing understanding of interactive dissemination to achieve wide-scale improvement in Indigenous primary healthcare

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: Participatory research approaches improve the use of evidence in policy, programmes and practice. Few studies have addressed ways to scale up participatory research for wider system improvement or the intensity of effort required. We used the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework to analyse implementation of an interactive dissemination process engaging stakeholders with continuous quality improvement (CQI) data from Australian Indigenous primary healthcare centres. This paper reports lessons learnt about scaling knowledge translation research, facilitating engagement at a system level and applying the i-PARIHS framework to a system-level intervention. Methods: Drawing on a developmental evaluation of our dissemination process, we conducted a post-hoc analysis of data from project records and interviews with 30 stakeholders working in Indigenous health in different roles, organisation types and settings in one Australian jurisdiction and with national participants. Content-analysed data were mapped onto the i-PARIHS framework constructs to examine factors contributing to the success (or otherwise) of the process. Results: The dissemination process achieved wide reach, with stakeholders using aggregated CQI data to identify system-wide priority evidence-practice gaps, barriers and strategies for improvement across the scope of care. Innovation characteristics influencing success were credible data, online dissemination and recruitment through established networks, research goals aligned with stakeholders' interest in knowledge-sharing and motivation to improve care, and iterative phases of reporting and feedback. The policy environment and infrastructure for CQI, as well as manager support, influenced participation. Stakeholders who actively facilitated organisational- and local-level engagement were important for connecting others with the data and with the externally located research team. Developmental evaluation was facilitative in that it supported real-time adaptation and tailoring to stakeholders and context. Conclusions: A participatory research process was successfully implemented at scale without intense facilitation efforts. These findings broaden the notion of facilitation and support the utility of the i-PARIHS framework for planning participatory knowledge translation research at a system level. Researchers planning similar interventions should work through established networks and identify organisational- or local-level facilitators within the research design. Further research exploring facilitation in system-level interventions and the use of interactive dissemination processes in other settings is needed

Suboptimal filtering. Part 4 - Test-bed computer program Final report

Computer program plan for simulating real time observation schedules and combined effects of dynamic model errors in three-dimensional satellite motio

Design and performance of ropes for climbing and sailing

Ropes are an important part of the equipment used by climbers, mountaineers, and sailors. On first inspection, most modern polymer ropes appear similar, and it might be assumed that their designs, construction, and properties are governed by the same requirements. In reality, the properties required of climbing ropes are dominated by the requirement that they effectively absorb and dissipate the energy of the falling climber, in a manner that it does not transmit more than a critical amount of force to his body. This requirement is met by the use of ropes with relatively low longitudinal stiffness. In contrast, most sailing ropes require high stiffness values to maximize their effectiveness and enable sailors to control sails and equipment precisely. These conflicting requirements led to the use of different classes of materials and different construction methods for the two sports. This paper reviews in detail the use of ropes, the properties required, manufacturing techniques and materials utilized, and the effect of service conditions on the performance of ropes. A survey of research that has been carried out in the field reveals what progress has been made in the development of these essential components and identifies where further work may yield benefits in the future

Daily monthly and seasonal variation in PSA levels and the association with weather parameters

International audienceProstate-specific antigen (PSA) levels have shown daily and seasonal variation, although data are conflicting regarding the season with higher PSA levels and the clinical relevance of this. We assessed the correlation of total PSA levels with meteorological data on a daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal basis. Data from 53 224 men aged 45-74 years, with an initial PSA <10.0ng/ml were correlated with temperature (oC), duration of bright sunshine (hours) and rainfall (mm). There was seasonal variation in PSA levels, with median PSA being higher in spring compared to other seasons (1.18 vs. 1.10ng/ml, p=0.004). Seasonal variation was not apparent when PSA levels were age-adjusted (p=0.112). Total PSA was not correlated with daily, weekly or monthly hours of sunshine, rainfall nor mean temperature. In contrast, age-adjusted PSA varied with weekday, with higher PSA levels on Thursday and Friday compared to other days (1.16 vs. 1.10ng/ml respectively). On multivariate analysis, only age predicted for PSA levels >3.0ng/ml. In conclusion, PSA levels did show seasonal variation although there was no direct correlation between PSA and any meteorological parameter. The degree of seasonal variation is small and the decision to proceed to prostate biopsy should be independent of season or weather parameters

Neuromotor Changes in Participants with a Concussion History can be Detected with a Custom Smartphone App

Neuromotor dysfunction after a concussion is common, but balance tests used to assess neuromotor dysfunction are typically subjective. Current objective balance tests are either cost- or space-prohibitive, or utilize a static balance protocol, which may mask neuromotor dysfunction due to the simplicity of the task. To address this gap, our team developed an Android-based smartphone app (portable and cost-effective) that uses the sensors in the device (objective) to record movement profiles during a stepping-in-place task (dynamic movement). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which our custom smartphone app and protocol could discriminate neuromotor behavior between concussed and non-concussed participants. Data were collected at two university laboratories and two military sites. Participants included civilians and Service Members (N = 216) with and without a clinically diagnosed concussion. Kinematic and variability metrics were derived from a thigh angle time series while the participants completed a series of stepping-in-place tasks in three conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, and head shake. We observed that the standard deviation of the mean maximum angular velocity of the thigh was higher in the participants with a concussion history in the eyes closed and head shake conditions of the stepping-in-place task. Consistent with the optimal movement variability hypothesis, we showed that increased movement variability occurs in participants with a concussion history, for which our smartphone app and protocol were sensitive enough to capture