Reliability model generator

An improved method and system for automatically generating reliability models for use with a reliability evaluation tool is described. The reliability model generator of the present invention includes means for storing a plurality of low level reliability models which represent the reliability characteristics for low level system components. In addition, the present invention includes means for defining the interconnection of the low level reliability models via a system architecture description. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a reliability model for the entire system is automatically generated by aggregating the low level reliability models based on the system architecture description

Reliability model generator specification

The Reliability Model Generator (RMG), a program which produces reliability models from block diagrams for ASSIST, the interface for the reliability evaluation tool SURE is described. An account is given of motivation for RMG and the implemented algorithms are discussed. The appendices contain the algorithms and two detailed traces of examples

Context-induced Contrast and Assimilation in Judging Supportiveness

Social support research increasingly draws from research on social cognition. Most of this research has studied assimilation and chronically accessible (i.e., frequently activated) social support constructs. This article presents three studies, in both laboratory and treatment settings, on context-induced contrast and assimilation in support judgments. In each study, participants exposed to positive social contexts subsequently rated supportive stimuli more negatively than participants exposed to negative social contexts. These effects were observed in ratings of participants’ own social networks, the social climate of a residential treatment environment, and a videotaped supportive interaction. In two studies, negative contexts also were associated with increased negative affect and affect-related assimilation. That is, participants with more negative affect rated social environments more negatively than participants with less negative emotion. In some circumstances, context- induced contrast and assimilation counteracted each other. These effects have implications for social support interventions

Perceived barriers to infection prevention and control for nursing home certified nursing assistants: a qualitative study.

Healthcare-associated infections, while preventable, result in increased morbidity and mortality in nursing home (NH) residents. Frontline personnel, such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs), are crucial to successful implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers to implementing and maintaining IPC practices for NH CNAs as well as to describe strategies used to overcome these barriers. We conducted a multi-site qualitative study of NH personnel important to infection control. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Five key themes emerged as perceived barriers to effective IPC for CNAs: 1) language/culture; 2) knowledge/training; 3) per-diem/part-time staff; 4) workload; and 5) accountability. Strategies used to overcome these barriers included: translating in-services, hands on training, on-the-spot training for per-diem/part-time staff, increased staffing ratios, and inclusion/empowerment of CNAs. Understanding IPC barriers and strategies to overcome these barriers may better enable NHs to achieve infection reduction goals

Understanding infection prevention and control in nursing homes: A qualitative study.

Infections have been identified as a priority issue in nursing homes (NHs). We conducted a qualitative study purposively sampling 10 NHs across the country where 6-8 employees were recruited (N = 73). Semi-structured, open-ended guides were used to conduct in-depth interviews. Data were audiotaped, transcribed and a content analysis was performed. Five themes emerged: \u27Residents\u27 Needs\u27, \u27Roles and Training\u27 \u27Using Infection Data,\u27 \u27External Resources\u27 and \u27Focus on Hand Hygiene.\u27 Infection prevention was a priority in the NHs visited. While all sites had hand hygiene programs, other recommended areas were not a focus and many sites were not aware of available resources. Developing ways to ensure effective, efficient and standardized infection prevention and control in NHs continues to be a national priority

Searches for Metal-Poor Stars from the Hamburg/ESO Survey using the CH G-band

We describe a new method to search for metal-poor candidates from the Hamburg/ESO objective-prism survey (HES) based on identifying stars with apparently strong CH G-band strengths for their colors. The hypothesis we exploit is that large over-abundances of carbon are common among metal-poor stars. The selection was made by considering two line indices in the 4300A region, applied directly to the low-resolution prism spectra. This work also extends a previously published method by adding bright sources to the sample. The spectra of these stars suffer from saturation effects, compromising the index calculations and leading to an undersampling of the brighter candidates. Visual inspection and classification of the spectra from the HES plates yielded a list of 5,288 new metal-poor candidates, which are presently being used as targets for medium-resolution spectroscopic follow-up. Estimates of the stellar atmospheric parameters, as well as carbon abundances, are now available for 117 of the first candidates, based on follow-up medium-resolution spectra obtained with the SOAR 4.1m and Gemini 8m telescopes. We demonstrate that our new method improves the metal-poor star fractions found by our pilot study by up to a factor of three in the same magnitude range, as compared with our pilot study based on only one CH G-band index. Our selection scheme obtained roughly a 40% success rate for identification of stars with [Fe/H] < -1.0; the primary contaminant is late-type stars with near solar abundances and, often, emission line cores that filled in the CaII K line on the prism spectrum. Because the selection is based on carbon, we greatly increase the numbers of known CEMP stars from the HES with intermediate metallicities -2.0 < [Fe/H] < -1.0, which previous survey efforts undersampled. There are eight newly discovered stars with [Fe/H] < -3.0 in our sample, including two with [Fe/H] < -3.5.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in A

A prospective cohort study assessing clinical referral management & workforce allocation within a UK regional medical genetics service

Abstract Ensuring patient access to genomic information in the face of increasing demand requires clinicians to develop innovative ways of working. This paper presents the first empirical prospective observational cohort study of UK multi-disciplinary genetic service delivery. It describes and explores collaborative working practices including the utilisation and role of clinical geneticists and non-medical genetic counsellors. Six hundred and fifty new patients referred to a regional genetics service were tracked through 850 clinical contacts until discharge. Referral decisions regarding allocation of lead health professional assigned to the case were monitored, including the use of initial clinical contact guidelines. Significant differences were found in the cases led by genetic counsellors and those led by clinical geneticists. Around a sixth, 16.8% (109/650) of referrals were dealt with by a letter back to the referrer or re-directed to another service provider and 14.8% (80/541) of the remaining patients chose not to schedule an appointment. Of the remaining 461 patients, genetic counsellors were allocated as lead health professional for 46.2% (213/461). A further 61 patients did not attend. Of those who did, 86% (345/400) were discharged after one or two appointments. Genetic counsellors contributed to 95% (784/825) of total patient contacts. They provided 93.7% (395/432) of initial contacts and 26.8% (106/395) of patients were discharged at that point. The information from this study informed a planned service re-design. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different models of collaborative multi-disciplinary working within genetics services. Keywords (MeSH terms) Genetic Services, Genetic Counseling, Interdisciplinary Communication, Cohort Studies, Delivery of Healthcare, Referral and Consultation

Observed impacts of COVID-19 on urban CO₂ emissions

Governments restricted mobility and effectively shuttered much of the global economy in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties were the first region in the United States to issue a “shelter‐in‐place” order asking non‐essential workers to stay home. Here we use CO₂ observations from 35 Berkeley Environment, Air‐quality and CO₂ Network (BEACO₂N) nodes and an atmospheric transport model to quantify changes in urban CO₂ emissions due to the order. We infer hourly emissions at 900‐m spatial resolution for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks during the order. We observe a 30% decrease in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions during the order and show that this decrease is primarily due to changes in traffic (–48%) with pronounced changes to daily and weekly cycles; non‐traffic emissions show small changes (–8%). These findings provide a glimpse into a future with reduced CO₂ emissions through electrification of vehicles

Observed impacts of COVID-19 on urban CO₂ emissions

Governments restricted mobility and effectively shuttered much of the global economy in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties were the first region in the United States to issue a “shelter‐in‐place” order asking non‐essential workers to stay home. Here we use CO₂ observations from 35 Berkeley Environment, Air‐quality and CO₂ Network (BEACO₂N) nodes and an atmospheric transport model to quantify changes in urban CO₂ emissions due to the order. We infer hourly emissions at 900‐m spatial resolution for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks during the order. We observe a 30% decrease in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions during the order and show that this decrease is primarily due to changes in traffic (–48%) with pronounced changes to daily and weekly cycles; non‐traffic emissions show small changes (–8%). These findings provide a glimpse into a future with reduced CO₂ emissions through electrification of vehicles

Role of special coagulation studies for preoperative screening of thrombotic complications in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation

Background: Vascular thrombosis is a well-known complication after simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation procedures. The role of preoperative special coagulation studies to screen patients at high risk for vascular thrombosis is unclear and not well studied