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The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) successfully acquired terrain elevation data for 80 percent of the Earth's landmass in February 2000. The radar system and data collection scheme designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) met the global requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense for Level 2 Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED®). JPL processed the raw data &to unfinished DTED® 2 and other products that were delivered to two contractors of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The contractors edited the unfinished DTED® 2, updated the associated products, and generated finished products for distribution. Automated processes were developed by each contractor to identify, delineate and set heights for lakes, rivers, and ocean coastlines in conformance with an extensive set of editing rules created to maintain consistency and uniformity in the final products. The finished DTED® is significantly better than the 16 m vertical accuracy required by the original specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The Michigan Public Health Institute and the Michigan Cancer Consortium's Cervical Cancer Committee conducted a national survey of health care providers, thanks to funding from the Centers for Disease Control Cooperative Agreement 5U47CI000743-02. Papanicolaou test screening practices were examined, emphasizing the relationship between clinical and laboratory practices. This survey found differing screening practices among providers of women's health care., Objectives: To collect information from family medicine practitioners, women's nurse practitioners, obstetricians and gynecologists, and certified nurse-midwives on Papanicolaou and human papillomavirus testing; to discuss how those practices align with current cytology screening and follow-up recommendations from professional organizations (US Preventive Services Task Force, American Cancer Society, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Society for Colposcopy, and Cervical Pathology); and ultimately, to make recommendations aimed at standardizing practice performance., Design: This survey was conducted in part to examine clinicians' practices and their perceptions of laboratory performance, to evaluate items that are known to enhance quality of care, and to examine factors that may prohibit universal implementation of best standards of care. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire, distributed to 9366 clinicians, with 1601 (17.1%) completed surveys., Results: This assessment shows a clear lack of consensus among practitioners in performing Papanicolaou testing. It demonstrates how differently patients are tested, based on the providers' screening practices, and demonstrates specific cervical cancer screening practice disparities between and among the 4 provider groups, both in Papanicolaou testing and in the use of human papillomavirus testing., Conclusion: A unified mandate for screening is needed to standardize screening practices.

Objective: To determine general attitudes and approaches to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among physicians who care for gynecologic oncology patients., Methods: Surveys were mailed to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the Michigan Oncology Group. Physicians were asked to rate their general attitude toward CAM., Results: Surveys were obtained from 462 physicians. Gynecologic oncologists and female physicians were more likely to have positive attitudes toward CAM, and to believe that clinical care should integrate conventional and CAM practices, compared with other oncologists and male physicians., Conclusion: Discrepancies exist among oncologists regarding attitude and use of CAM in their practice. Education of physicians regarding the safety and efficacy of CAM modalities may ultimately improve patient care.