The role of the built environment in explaining relationships between perceived and actual pedestrian and bicyclist safety

While the conventional approach to safety planning has emphasized crash analysis with police-reported crash information, transportation professionals increasingly recognize the importance of proactively identifying potential crash risk and considering environmental characteristics. In a proactive approach, individuals’ perception of crash risk provides important information in identifying potential crash risk. As built environment characteristics influence the levels of pedestrian and bicycle safety, this study examined how perceived and actual crash risk are related with each other and with respect to built environmental characteristics. Our results showed that residents who live in low density-single residential neighborhoods are more likely to perceive their neighborhood as dangerous relative to residents of compact, mixed-use neighborhoods even though the latter exhibited higher actual crash rates. The results of path analyses confirmed that a simultaneous but opposite relationship exists between perceived and actual crash risks. Our results indicate that higher actual crash risk increases perceived crash risk, while higher perceived crash risk is negatively associated to actual crash rates. Consequently, low density and non-mixed land uses increase individuals perception of crash risk, and increased perception of risk and unfriendly environment for pedestrian and bikers reduces actual crash rates as a result of behavioral changes. From a policy standpoint, more attention and proactive interventions are desirable in suburban areas beyond the areas with high crash rates, as some of these areas have high-perceived risks.     

Experimental and three-dimensional global-local finite element analysis of a composite component including degradation process at the interfaces

A specimen is studied in order to analyse the stringer runout effect in a specific design. An experimental test was carried out in several stages until specimen collapse, allowing the damaged regions and their characteristic geometric dimensions to be identified by ultrasound inspections. Several numerical analyses based on finite element method of the component were performed using the commercial software ABAQUS. These numerical analyses aimed to study in detail the onset and propagation of damage in the skin-stringer joint during the load procedure. Due to the high computational cost that this kind of procedure usually requires, a global–local approach was performed, comparing the two techniques offered by the software ABAQUS: Submodeling and Shell-to-Solid Coupling. Shell element typology was used in both cases for the global model. In order to estimate the extension of the critical zone in the specimen, the adhesive layer was modeled by means of solid elements. With reference to the local analysis, laminate continuum elements were selected to discretize the skin and the stringer, whereas the adhesive was represented by interface cohesive elements to take the damage evolution into account. A final correlation was carried out between numerical predictions and experimental results of the damaged regions in the component at several load levels.     

The quality management system as a tool for improving stakeholder confidence.

The Corps of Engineers works with local restoration advisory boards (RAB) to exchange information and develop plans for restoration of closed military bases for civilian reuse. Meetings of the RAB to discuss progress in environmental assessment and restoration of former defense sites can be contentious due to the complex technical nature of the information to be shared and the personal stake that the members of the community have in ensuring that contentious areas are restored for safe use. A prime concern of community representatives is often the quality of the data used to make environmental decisions. Laboratory case narratives and data flags may suggest laboratory errors and low data quality to those without an understanding of the information's full meaning. RAB members include representatives from local, state, and tribal governments, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the local community. The Corps of Engineers representatives usually include project technical and management personnel, but these individuals may not have sufficient expertise in the project quality assurance components and laboratory data quality procedures to completely satisfy community concerns about data quality. Communication of this information to the RAB by a quality assurance professional could serve to resolve some of the questions members have about the quality of acquired data and proper use of analytical results, and increase community trust that appropriate decisions are made regarding restoration. Details of the effectiveness of including a quality assurance professional in RAB discussions of laboratory data quality and project quality management are provided in this paper.     

Visual neurophysiology: a field-effect amplifier designed and built by R. L. De Valois

In the middle of the last century, R. L. De Valois designed and built a unique and effective amplifier based on the newly developed field-effect transistor (FET). This amplifier has many beneficial qualities for amplifying the signals of neurons with minimal disturbance. We have used this amplifier successfully for more than three decades. We describe the circuitry of the De Valois amplifier and provide performance specifications. The FET amplifier is one of De Valois's contributions to visual neurophysiology; we share the design in his honor, with the hope that it might prove useful to others.     

A firm as a knowledge-creating entity: a new perspective on the theory of the firm

The knowledge-based view of the firm views a firm as a knowledge-creatingentity, and argues that knowledge and the capability to createand utilize such knowledge are the most important source ofa firm's sustainable competitive advantage. Knowledge and skillsgive a firm a competitive advantage because it is through thisset of knowledge and skills that a firm is able to innovatenew products/processes/services, or improve existing ones moreefficiently and/or effectively. The raison d'être of afirm is to continuously create knowledge.     

The universal scissor component: Optimization of a reconfigurable component for deployable scissor structures

Deployable scissor structures are well equipped for temporary and mobile applications since they are able to change their form and functionality. They are structural mechanisms that transform from a compact state to an expanded, fully deployed configuration. A barrier to the current design and reuse of scissor structures, however, is that they are traditionally designed for a single purpose. Alternatively, a universal scissor component (USC)—a generalized element which can achieve all traditional scissor types—introduces an opportunity for reuse in which the same component can be utilized for different configurations and spans. In this article, the USC is optimized for structural performance. First, an optimized length for the USC is determined based on a trade-off between component weight and structural performance (measured by deflections). Then, topology optimization, using the simulated annealing algorithm, is implemented to determine a minimum weight layout of beams within a single USC component.     

多举措优化认证市场环境 促认证工作质量明显提升

为切实履行认证认可监管职能,2009年,浙江省质量技术监督局积极探索加强认证认可监管工作的新途径和新方法,为促进浙江省经济又好又快发展做出新的贡献。具体表现在以下几个方面。一、创新认证认可监管体系确保各项工作落到实处     

Major issues in quality assessment and improvement of clinical hyperbaric services: an international perspective.

The continued rapid worldwide diffusion of clinical hyperbaric facilities has substantially increased interest in clinical quality assessment and service improvement. This paper examines major issues, perspectives, and methods integral to the measurement and improvement of the quality of care provided to hyperbaric patients and their relevance and applicability across different societies. Special focus is directed toward the importance of quality assessment and improvement of clinical hyperbaric care, multiple stakeholder perspectives on improved clinical quality, measurement of clinical outcomes of hyperbaric care, importance of facility accreditation, process improvement methods, and the future importance of quality management in clinical hyperbaric facilities.     

The Inchworm as a precision translator in a high magnetic field and uhv environment

A new set-up has been designed and tested for on-line, high-precision mass measurements of short-lived radioactive isotopes via a determination of the ion cyclotron resonance. Ions delivered by the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN/Geneva are stored in a Penning trap installed in a superconducting solenoid. Due to severe space limitations in the bore of the solenoid, it is impossible to use conventional mechanical feedthroughs for the necessary manipulations inside the uhv chamber. Instead, a number of Inchworms, a high-precision positioning device based on the piezo-electric effect are employed. This publication reports on the first application of this device in a uhv environment at a magnetic field of nearly 6 T.     

Conference report. Measuring and improving the quality of care in health plans.

BACKGROUND: More than 200 health care policymakers and researchers, clinicians, quality professionals, and other representatives of managed care organizations, government, and academia, attended the fifth annual Building Bridges conference, "The Health Care Puzzle: Using Research to Bridge the Gap Between Perception and Reality," in Chicago, April 11-13, 1999. Sponsored by the American Association of Health Plans and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research--and now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--these annual conferences are intended to promote research in measuring the quality and effectiveness of the services health plans provide. Selected plenary sessions from the conference are represented in this report. KEYNOTE ADDRESS: "Three worthy objectives" for managed care-harmonize practice guidelines, develop evidence-based copays or price structure for drugs, and demystify medical necessity--were discussed. PLENARY: A POPULATION HEALTH PERSPECTIVE: Population-based care is designed to identify effective clinical and service interventions and ensure their efficient delivery, identify ineffective interventions and minimize their use, and monitor outcomes and change practice if outcomes are suboptimal. Yet certain questions need to be asked about how to put this strategy in place, especially Why should any individual or potential patient be willing to be treated in a population-based delivery system? THE FINANCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BEHIND PREVENTION: The concepts of scientific evidence and financial evidence for prevention were reviewed and applied in scenarios of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of selected preventive care services. Education efforts are needed to promote the use of effective interventions and encourage questioning of interventions with unproven or less important effectiveness and poor cost-effectiveness.     

The cerium-nitrogen-oxygen system. Oxygen as a component in the “binary” Ce-N system at 950°C

Cerium nitride prepared by reacting the metal with nitrogen at 795°C is inhomogeneous with an outer nitride layer surrounding a core of cerium oxynitride. Long annealing at 950°C produces a homogeneous product. The variation of the lattice parameter of the cerium nitride in two phase cerium nitride-metal mixtures indicates the system must be considered as ternary with oxygen as the third component. The literature value of 5.023₅Å for the lattice parameter of CeN is believed to refer to a low oxygen content substoichiometric nitride and extrapolation predicts 5.020Å as the lattice parameter of oxygen free, stoichiometric CeN.     

Quality assurance growing pains: a state perspective on implementing an organizational-wide quality system in environmental laboratories.

To implement an effective and efficient quality system in a network of established environmental testing laboratories requires a committed long-term effort that is potentially fraught with multiple obstacles. This presentation discusses one state's ongoing efforts at implementing such a system. First is the need to convince management of the rationale for a quality systems-based approach versus the traditional QA/QC program. Once development of a quality system has been sanctioned, a team-based approach utilizing project planning tools is a good way to approach the effort. Resources are assigned to the development of key quality system components, and generally a phased-deployment or roll-out works best. Once implementation is underway, assuring operational utilization and compliance with the quality system are vital steps in the process. Important to successful implementation is ongoing assessment and refinement of the quality system. Fundamental and key elements of the laboratory quality system are numerous and need to work in concert with each other. Quality system elements to be discussed in the presentation range from management and QA roles and functions to the typical documentation of laboratory policies and procedures. Numerous QA assessment tools and other vital quality system practices that play an important role in making a complete quality system are addressed. In addition, efforts must be undertaken to integrate the laboratory quality system with other management systems within the organization. The bottom line is that all environmental laboratories need a quality system more now than ever. Data users need it. Customers' expectations for data quality are high. USEPA policy and/or programs call for it. Additionally, good quality systems can benefit the organization in multiple ways and help avoid the "pay-me-now or pay-me-later" syndrome. In conclusion, all environmental testing laboratories (i.e., academic, private, commercial and especially governmental) need to invest in and implement a quality system based on a recognized standard (e.g., NELAC, ISO 17025, ANSI/ASQC E-4). The author recommends pursuing NELAP laboratory accreditation with a NELAP-recognized accrediting authority.     

The effectiveness of an air cleaner in controlling droplet/aerosol particle dispersion emitted from a patient's mouth in the indoor environment of dental clinics

Dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) are at high risk of occupational exposure to droplets and aerosol particles emitted from patients'' mouths during treatment. We evaluated the effectiveness of an air cleaner in reducing droplet and aerosol contamination by positioning the device in four different locations in an actual dental clinic. We applied computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to solve the governing equations of airflow, energy and dispersion of different-sized airborne droplets/aerosol particles. In a dental clinic, we measured the supply air velocity and temperature of the ventilation system, the airflow rate and the particle removal efficiency of the air cleaner to determine the boundary conditions for the CFD simulations. Our results indicate that use of an air cleaner in a dental clinic may be an effective method for reducing DHCWs'' exposure to airborne droplets and aerosol particles. Further, we found that the probability of droplet/aerosol particle removal and the direction of airflow from the cleaner are both important control measures for droplet and aerosol contamination in a dental clinic. Thus, the distance between the air cleaner and droplet/aerosol particle source as well as the relative location of the air cleaner to both the source and the DHCW are important considerations for reducing DHCWs'' exposure to droplets/aerosol particles emitted from the patient''s mouth during treatments.     

Triple Helix indicators as an emergent area of enquiry: a bibliometric perspective

This contribution explores how work on Triple Helix (TH) indicators has evolved. Over the past 15 years a body of literature has emerged that brings together a variety of approaches to capture, map or measure the dynamics of TH relationships. We apply bibliographic coupling and co-citation in combination with content analysis to develop a better understanding of this literature. We identify several clusters that can be aggregated to two broad streams of work—one ‘neo-evolutionary’, the other ‘neo-institutional’ in nature. We make this observation both for bibliographic coupling and co-citation analyses which we take as indication of an emerging differentiation of the field. Our content analysis underlines this observation about the ‘two faces’ of the TH. We conclude this paper with a discussion of future opportunities for research. We see great potential in developing the application side of TH indicators.     

Global quality control perspective for the physical and technical aspects of screen-film mammography--image quality and radiation dose

The systematic monitoring of image quality and radiation dose is an ultimate solution to ensuring the continuously high quality of mammography examination. At present several protocols exist around the world, and different test objects are used for quality control (QC) of the physical and technical aspects of screen-film mammography. This situation may lead to differences in radiation image quality and dose reported. This article reviews the global QC perspective for the physical and technical aspects of screen-film mammography with regard to image quality and radiation dose. It points out issues that must be resolved in terms of radiation dose and that also affect the comparison.     

Quality improvement in a managed care organization from a medical director's perspective: an interview with Bruce Perry. Interview by Douglas Roblin

BACKGROUND: In late 1994 the Quality Forum commissioned the Interdisciplinary Prevention Committee [IPC]. One of the IPC's charges was to identify priorities for QI in preventive health services. The IPC established priorities through a review of scientific literature, identification of national and state health initiative priorities, and consideration of what services to establish as priorities and of the practicality of implementing low-cost interventions to achieve specific QI goals. Breast cancer screening was selected as a top-ten priority for guideline development and for focused intervention because of the disease's prevalence, morbidity, and mortality and because of the fact that it is most treatable and curable when it is found early through routine screening. The national HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set; National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA), Washington, DC] result of 71%, reported in May 1995, provided our baseline performance measurement. This result fell short of our goal of being in the 90th percentile of performance on each HEDIS effectiveness of care measure. In August 1995 the Quality Forum accepted the IPC's recommendations, which had been endorsed by the department of medicine. These recommendations emphasized the importance of annual clinical breast exam and mammography for women of targeted age groups. In November 1997, a new "Excellence in Quality: HEDIS Improvement Team" began work. Its charge was to undertake analyses of underlying causes of reduced performance and to develop additional steps to improve performance by changes in care delivery processes in 1998. In March 1998 the Quality Forum's executive committee designated breast cancer screening one of the six organizationwide quality priorities for 1998 and designated two "owners" who would be accountable for this performance--the chief and director of radiology. RESULTS: The screening rate increased from 73.8% in 1996 to 84.0% in 1999. National benchmarks [90th percentile] in 1998 were 81% for commercially insured members and 84% for Medicare members. The 84% screening rate made the Georgia region the Kaiser Permanente national leader and put the region in the top 10% of all health plans in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The program has achieved these results with a broad array of activities: Saturday hours, mobile mammography, medical record reminders (fuschia-colored inserts), patient and physician reminders, call-center outreach, provider feedback on performance, and provider financial incentives. Several of these innovations demonstrate the ability to integrate improved care management into evolving service delivery in Kaiser Permanente--such as use of call-center technologies and redesign of primary care delivery. While we cannot point to any one of these innovations as a key driver of improvement, it is clear that substantial improvements in care delivery can be achieved. All these activities are relatively low cost and easily implemented in other managed care organizations and in other areas of medical care.     

The halocarbon contamination problem. Part II: Chlorofluorocarbons in the environment

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have a number of uses in several major industries, including refrigeration. The theory that CFCs deplete stratospheric ozone has attracted considerable concern and major research programmes are in hand to assess the net effect of CFCs in conjunction with the many other reactions which occur in the stratosphere.Despite the considerable uncertainties which exist and the need for an explanation of various discrepancies in the science, action has been taken in some countries to control or prohibit the use of CFCs in aerosols. Some consideration is also being given to control of other uses, including refrigeration.The two most important CFCs, 11 and 12, widely used as aerosol propellants, are also of importance to the refrigeration industry; CFC 11 as a blowing agent for insulating polyurethane foam, and CFC 12 as a primary refrigerant. These compounds are those most seriously affected by the ozone problem although they are not the only ones.Regulation of CFC 11 and 12 in any sector of use has a direct or indirect effect on the refrigeration industry, the magnitude depending on the patterns of use which vary from country to country. It is intended to review the overall situation from a regulatory and political standpoint, the industrial actions undertaken and intended, and where possible to make predictions for the future.