A computer program for grain-size data

The computer program presented here seeks to improve estimation of statistical parameters for grain-size data by use of interpolated values. Interpolation is made by fitting a series of overlapping parabolas to the data, and follows the method of Snyder (1961). The values are used in moment formulas to compute standard statistical measures. Skewness and kurtosis are reduced by the interpolation data, and extreme positive values of kurtosis tend to be greatly reduced. The program also picks major modes, the median, and sediment type .The United States Geological Survey under Contract USGS-14-08-0001-835

Some properties of thermocline equations in a subtropical gyre

The functional dependence of solutions of a theoretical model of the subtropical oceanic thermocline upon the physical parameters and boundary conditions is exhibited: (1) in a limited range by a boundary layer approximation; and (2) in a wider range by numerical solutions of the nonlinear equations

Anticipating the clinical adoption of regenerative medicine : building institutional readiness in the UK

This perspective paper examines the challenges of implementing regenerative medicine (RM) therapies within hospitals and clinics. Drawing on recent work in the social sciences, the paper highlights dynamics within existing healthcare systems that will present both hindrances and affordances for the implementation of new RM technologies within hospitals and clinics. The paper argues that identifying suitable locations for cell- and gene-therapy treatment centers requires an assessment of their institutional readiness for RM. Some provisional criteria for assessing institutional readiness are outlined, and the paper will suggest that it is necessary to begin developing a program for the phased introduction of RM in the longer ter

Defining the Role for Information Systems in Environmental Sustainability Measurement

Information Systems scholars have played a limited role in addressing the problem of environmental sustainability, resulting in calls for our community to become more actively involved in tackling this critical problem. One of the most significant hurdles standing in the way of progress is measurement. Sustainability measurement represents a complex issue requiring the expertise of many different fields. We propose that sustainability measurement principles, which represent adopted rules or methods for conducting measurement in practice, provide an important mechanism for building the necessary linkages between disciplines, while at the same time moving us forward in protecting our global environment. In this paper we outline eight essential measurement principles and provide illustrative examples of how IS can support and embody these principles. We conclude the paper with research directions in relation to the potential role of IS in sustainability measurement

Consumer awareness and self-reported behaviours related to salt consumption in Australia

Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to reduce population salt intake. A consumer survey was commissioned to quantify baseline aspects of awareness and behaviour related to salt and health amongst Australians. A total of 1084 individuals aged 14 years or over were surveyed by ACA Research using an established consumer panel. Participants were selected to include people of each sex, within different age bands, from major metropolitan and other areas of all Australian states and territories. Participants were invited via email to complete a brief questionnaire online. Two-thirds knew that salt was bad for health but only 14% knew the recommended maximum daily intake. Seventy percent correctly identified that most dietary salt comes from processed foods but only a quarter regularly checked food labels for salt content. Even fewer reported their food purchases were influenced by the salt level indicated (21%). The survey showed a moderate understanding of how salt effects health but there was little evidence of action to reduce salt intake. Consumer education will be one part of the effort necessary to reduce salt intake in Australia and will require government investment in a targeted campaign to achieve improvements in knowledge and behaviours.<br /

Community volunteer support for families with young children: Protocol for the volunteer family connect randomized controlled trial

Background: Use of community volunteers to support vulnerable families is a widely employed strategy with a long history. However, there has been minimal formal scientific investigation into the effectiveness of volunteer home visiting programs for families. There is also a need for research examining whether volunteer home visiting leads to improved outcomes for volunteers. Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe the research protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Volunteer Family Connect intervention, a volunteer home visiting program designed to support families of young children who experience social isolation or a lack of parenting confidence and skills. The project is being conducted in partnership with 3 leading not-for-profit organizations, designed to contribute to the body of evidence that informs decisions about appropriate family support services according to the level of need. It is the first study to examine outcomes for both the families and the volunteers who deliver the service. Methods: The RCT is being conducted in 7 sites across Australia. We aim to recruit 300 families to the study: 150 control (services as usual) and 150 intervention (services as usual + volunteer home visiting) families. Intervention families will receive the service for 3-12 months according to their needs, and all participants will complete 6 data collection points over 15 months. A minimum of 80 volunteers will also be recruited, along with a matched community comparison group. The volunteers will complete 3 data collection points over 12 months. Primary outcomes include community connectedness and parenting competence. Secondary outcomes include parent physical and mental health; general parent well-being; parent empowerment; the child-parent relationship; sustainability of family routines; child immunization; child nutrition or breastfeeding; number of accidental injury reports; and volunteer health, well-being, and community connectedness. Results: This effectiveness trial was funded in 2016, and we aim to complete data collection by the end of 2018. The first results are expected to be submitted early in 2019. Conclusions: There is a need to rigorously assess volunteer home visiting and whether it has a unique and important role on the service landscape, complementary to professional services. This research is the first trial of a volunteer home visiting program to be conducted in Australia and one of the largest of its kind worldwide

Evaluación de seis años de interconsultas odontológicas provenientes del área de internación pediátrica del Hospital Criança Conceição de Porto Alegre, Brasil

Introduction: this study aimed to describe the profile of the referrals sent to the hospital dentistry team from patients in Hospital Criança Conceição in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from January 2012 to July 2018. Methods: a descriptive, retrospective study was conducted, evaluating 193 electronic dental records to extract the following data: patient’s sex and age, description of the referral made by other health professionals and the dentist’s behavior in solving the presented problem. Results: 61.6% of patients were male and the mean age of all patients was 10.5 years. Most dental referrals came from the oncohematology area (75.12%) and the predominant reason was pre- and post-chemotherapy patients’ dental care (40.4%). The diagnosis most commonly found by dentists was mucositis (17.6%) and caries (16%). There was absence of oral diseases in 23.8% of cases. The interventions most commonly performed by the hospital dentistry team were laser therapy (57.5%) and oral hygiene instructions (49.1%) in the hospital setting, while procedures in dental offices and surgical rooms included exodontias (27.7%) and restorations (11.7%). Conclusions: the profile of referrals sent to the hospital dentistry team from patients hospitalized in the Hospital Criança Conceição in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is inadequate, since there was a lack of transdisciplinary management including dental care, in addition to poor use of information technology resources and lack of more objective medical records for easy retrieval of patient health information.Introducción: este estudio pretende describir el perfil de las interconsultas enviadas al equipo de odontología hospitalaria provenientes de pacientes internados en el Hospital Criança Conceição de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, en el período de enero de 2012 a julio de 2018. Métodos: estudio descriptivo retrospectivo en el que se evaluaron 193 historias clínicas odontológicas electrónicas para extraer los siguientes datos: sexo y edad del paciente, descripción de la interconsulta realizada por otros profesionales de salud y conducta del cirujano dentista frente al problema presentado. Resultados: el 61,6% de los pacientes fue de sexo masculino y la edad promedio general fue 10,5 años. Las interconsultas más solicitadas para los cirujanos dentistas fueron provenientes del área de oncohematología (75,12%) y el motivo predominante fue sobre el cuidado bucal a pacientes pre y posquimioterapia (40,4%). El diagnóstico que más encontraron los dentistas fue mucositis (17,6%) y lesiones de caries (16%). Hubo ausencia de enfermedades bucales en 23,8% de los casos. Las intervenciones más realizadas por el equipo de odontología fueron aplicaciones de laserterapia (57,5%) y orientaciones de higiene bucal (49,1%) en ámbito hospitalario; en sillón dental y sala quirúrgica, fueron exodoncias (27,7%) y restauraciones (11,7%). Conclusiones: el perfil de las interconsultas enviadas al equipo de odontología hospitalaria provenientes de pacientes internados en el Hospital Criança Conceição de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, es inadecuado, pues se demostró falta de manejo transdisciplinar que incluya odontología, además de la necesidad de un mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos de tecnología de información e historias clínicas más objetivas y que permitan obtener más fácilmente la información de salud de los pacientes