Applying contextual memory cues for retrieval from personal information archives

Advances in digital technologies for information capture combined with massive increases in the capacity of digital storage media mean that it is now possible to capture and store one’s entire life experiences in a Human Digital Memory (HDM). Information can be captured from a myriad of personal information devices including desktop computers, PDAs, digital cameras, video and audio recorders, and various sensors, including GPS, Bluetooth, and biometric devices. These diverse collections of personal information are potentially very valuable, but will only be so if significant information can be reliably retrieved from them. HDMs differ from traditional document collections for which existing search technologies have been developed since users may have poor recollection of contents or even the existence of stored items. Additionally HDM data is highly heterogeneous and unstructured, making it difficult to form search queries. We believe that a Personal Information Management (PIM) system which exploits the context of information capture, and potentially of earlier refinding, can be valuable in effective retrieval from an HDM. We report an investigation into how individuals perform searches of their personal information, and use the outcome of this study to develop an information retrieval (IR) framework for HDM search incorporating the context of document capture. We then describe the creation of a pilot HDM test collection, and initial experiments in retrieval from this collection. Results from these experiments indicate that use of context data can be significantly beneficial to increasing the efficient retrieval of partially recalled items from an HDM

A study of remembered context for information access from personal digital archives

Retrieval from personal archives (or Human Digital Memories (HDMs)) is set to become a significant challenge in information retrieval (IR) research. These archives are unique in that the items in them are personal to the owner and as such the owner may have personal memories associated with the items. It is recognized that the harnessing of an individual’s memories about HDM items can be used as context data (such as user location at the time of item access) to aid retrieval. We present a pilot study, using one subject’s HDM, of remembered context data and its utility in retrieval. Our results explore the types of context data best remembered for different item types and categories over time and show that context appears to become a more important factor in effective HDM IR over time as the subject’s recall of contents declines

Wind Energy Workforce Development: A Roadmap to a Sustainable Wind Industry

As the United States moves toward greatly expanded wind energy use, the need for skilled workers at all industry levels has been repeatedly identified as a critical issue. Additionally, if the industry and nation wish to capitalize on this rapid industry growth by becoming a major international green technology exporter, reversing current educational trends away from science, engineering, and technical skills must be achieved. This poster provides an overview of the educational infrastructure and expected industry needs through a discussion of the activities to train workers while addressing issues for each of the education sectors, leading to the development of an educational infrastructure to support wind technology

Case report of spuriously low sodium and calcium in a 36-year-old male in primary care

An unseparated serum specimen for a 36-year-old male was received from primary care. The specimen arrived in the laboratory at Cork University Hospital one day after collection, as documented on the paper request card, and was promptly centrifuged. Analysis was delayed for three days due to operational constraints and serum indices were run at the same time as the biochemical analyses. Results showed a moderately haemolysed specimen with remarkably low concentrations of both sodium (119 mmol/L) and total calcium (1.15 mmol/L), with all other parameters within their appropriate reference intervals (RIs). The complete report was released electronically and both sodium and calcium results were phoned to, and acknowledged by, the requesting general practitioner (GP). Discussion between the medical scientists and clinical biochemist on duty raised the possibility that the specimen was significantly older than initially thought. Further discussion of results with the GP clarified that the documented time of collection corresponded with specimen receipt by the courier, rather than the time of phlebotomy. Thus, the specimen was 7 days old when received in the laboratory and 10 days old when analysed. This case illustrates the dangers of multiple convergent preanalytical errors. Laboratories should be mindful of the stability of analytes in unseparated blood and unusual patterns of results which might suggest a specimen is “old”, and that this may coexist with erroneous request information. Any potential adverse effects on patient care were prevented in this case by laboratory vigilance

The nature and function of setting in Jane Austen's novels

This study examines the settings in Jane Austen's six novels. Chapter I introduces the topic generally, and refers briefly to Jane Austen's aims and methods of creating her settings. Short accounts are given of the emphasis put on setting in the criticism of Jane Austen's work; of the chronology of the novels; and of the use made of this aspect of the novel in eighteenth-century predecessors. Chapter II deals with the treatment of place in Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. The consideration of five novels together makes it possible to generalize about aspects of place common to all , and to discuss particulars peculiar to individual novels without, I hope, excessive repetition. The chapter may be thought disproportionately long, but this aspect of setting is most prominent and important in the delineation of character. Chapter III discusses the handling of spatial detail and time in these five novels. Chapter IV offers a fuller analysis of what is the chief concern of this thesis, the nature and function of setting, in respect of the single novel Persuasion, and attempts to draw together into a coherent whole some of the points made in Chapters II and III. Persuasion separates conveniently from the other works, not only because it was written after them, but more importantly because in it there is a new development in Jane Austen's use of setting. Some critics, notably E.M. Forster and B.C. Southam, have found startlingly new qualities in the setting of Sanditon, and, certainly, the most striking feature of the fragment is the treatment of place. But Jane Austen left off writing Sanditon in March 1817 because of illness, and the twelve chapters make up too small and unfinished a piece to be considered in the same way as the other novels. The Watsons, too, except for some references to it in Chapter I, does not come within the scope of this dissertation. Another introductory point needs to be made briefly. Where it is necessary, the distinction between Jane Austen and the omniscient narrator is observed, but generally, partly because it is clear that Jane Austen's values are close to those of the narrator, and partly because it is convenient, traditional and sensible to do so, the name "Jane Austen" is used to refer both to the actual person and to the narrator of the novels

"I can't make all this work." : end of life care provision in natural disasters : a qualitative study

Background: Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe and profoundly impact the end-of-life care experience, including service provision. There is a paucity of research examining healthcare workers’ experiences in responding to care demands when disasters strike. This research aimed to fill this gap by exploring end-of-life care providers’ perceptions of the impact of natural disasters on end-of-life care. Methods: Between Feb 2021-June 2021 ten in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals providing end-of-life care during recent natural disasters, COVID-19, and/or fires and floods. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a hybrid inductive and deductive thematic approach. Results: The overarching theme from the healthcare workers’ accounts was of being unable to provide effective compassionate and quality care - “I can’t make all this work.” They spoke of the considerable burdens the system imposed on them, of being overextended and overwhelmed, having their roles overturned, and losing the human element of care for those at end-of-life. Conclusion: There is urgent need to pioneer effective solutions to minimise the distress of healthcare professionals in delivering end-of-life care in disaster contexts, and to improve the experience of those dying

The Sea of the Future: Building the Productivity Infrastructure

Productivity is clearly a priority in state education agencies (SEA). The first two volumes of The SEA of the Future made the case for a "productivity mindset" in our country's state education agencies. Authors in these volumes argued that SEAs must fight against focusing exclusively on regulatory compliance to find more ways to provide local autonomy and consistently measure, assess, and hold themselves, their districts, and schools accountable for both performance and costs. Though these essays sharply challenged the traditional work of SEAs, state leaders responded enthusiastically, saying, "Yes. Where do we start?" In this third volume of the series, we introduce the "productivity infrastructure." The productivity infrastructure constitutes the building blocks for an SEA committed to supporting productivity, innovation, and performance -- from the state chief to the classroom. These building blocks include: * Policies to expand the flexibility of district and school leaders and allow them to make choices about resource use.* State funding arrangements that fund students, not programs.* Information systems that allow district and school leaders to accurately assess the productivity of policies and practices.The essays in this volume offer a rich discussion of each of these elements

Feasibility and acceptability of telehealth coaching to promote healthy eating in chronic kidney disease: A mixed-methods process evaluation

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a personalised telehealth intervention to support dietary self-management in adults with stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design Mixed-methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial. Participants People with stage 3-4 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]15-60 mL/min/1.73 m 2). Setting Participants were recruited from three hospitals in Australia and completed the intervention in ambulatory community settings. Intervention The intervention group received one telephone call per fortnight and 2-8 tailored text messages for 3 months, and then 4-12 tailored text messages for 3 months without telephone calls. The control group received usual care for 3 months then non-tailored education-only text messages for 3 months. Main outcome measures Feasibility (recruitment, non-participation and retention rates, intervention fidelity and participant adherence) and acceptability (questionnaire and semistructured interviews). Statistical analyses performed Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Results Overall, 80/230 (35%) eligible patients who were approached consented to participate (mean±SD age 61.5±12.6 years). Retention was 93% and 98% in the intervention and control groups, respectively, and 96% of all planned intervention calls were completed. All participants in the intervention arm identified the tailored text messages as useful in supporting dietary self-management. In the control group, 27 (69%) reported the non-tailored text messages were useful in supporting change. Intervention group participants reported that the telehealth programme delivery methods were practical and able to be integrated into their lifestyle. Participants viewed the intervention as an acceptable, personalised alternative to face-face clinic consultations, and were satisfied with the frequency of contact. Conclusions This telehealth-delivered dietary coaching programme is an acceptable intervention which appears feasible for supporting dietary self-management in stage 3-4 CKD. A larger-scale randomised controlled trial is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the coaching programme on clinical and patient-reported outcomes. Trial registration number ACTRN12616001212448; Results

Death Literacy Index: A Report on its Development and Implementation

The Death Literacy Index (DLI) provides a means to measure and research public health palliative care initiatives, including those under the umbrella of Compassionate Communities, by exploring the ways in which community members’ knowledge and practice are enhanced through these initiatives. Within public health palliative care, the Compassionate Communities approach views the community as equal partners in the long and complex task of providing quality health care at end of life. Over the past decade there has been growing acknowledgement that communities have been marginalised in the increasingly professionalised EOL care service sector. In contrast Compassionate Communities draw upon the social connections, reciprocity and trust available when social capital is present in a community. Thus, the DLI is designed to be used by community practitioners and researchers alike. This report provides an overview of the concept of death literacy and the development of the DLI. The DLI was developed from personal narratives of carers, with input from a wide range of professionals and experts and was tested on a national sample of Australians. The report includes detailed information about the development of the Index, reliability and validity statistics, four case studies demonstrating the uses of the DLI and a series of data tables for understanding the norms and baseline data about death literacy in Australia