State Strategies to Improve Low-Performing Schools: California's High Priority School Grants Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timar, Thomas; Rodriguez, Gloria; Simon, Virginia Adams; Ferrario, Kim; Kim, Kris

2006-01-01

Central to California's school accountability system are programs to engage low-performing schools in improvement efforts. One of these is the High Priority Schools Program (HPSGP), created by Assembly Bill 961 (Chapter 747, "Statutes of 2001") to provide funds to the lowest performing schools in the state. To be eligible for funding,…

Guidelines for conducting vulnerability assessments. [Susceptibility of programs to unauthorized use of resources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1982-06-01

The US General Accounting Office and executive agency Inspectors General have reported losses of millions of dollars in government funds resulting from fraud, waste and error. The Administration and the Congress have initiated determined efforts to eliminate such losses from government programs and activities. Primary emphasis in this effort is on the strengthening of accounting and administrative controls. Accordingly, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Circular No. A-123, Internal Control Systems, on October 28, 1981. The campaign to improve internal controls was endorsed by the Secretary of Energy in a memorandum to Heads of Departmental Components, dated Marchmore » 13, 1981, Subject: Internal Control as a Deterrent to Fraud, Waste and Error. A vulnerability assessment is a review of the susceptibility of a program or function to unauthorized use of resources, errors in reports and information, and illegal or unethical acts. It is based on considerations of the environment in which the program or function is carried out, the inherent riskiness of the program or function, and a preliminary evaluation as to whether adequate safeguards exist and are functioning.« less

Control of corruption, democratic accountability, and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance.

PubMed

Lee, Hwa-Young; Yang, Bong-Ming; Kang, Minah

2016-01-01

Despite continued global efforts, HIV/AIDS outcomes in developing countries have not made much progress. Poor governance in recipient countries is often seen as one of the reasons for ineffectiveness of aid efforts to achieve stated objectives and desired outcomes. This study examines the impact of two important dimensions of governance - control of corruption and democratic accountability - on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance. An empirical analysis using dynamic panel Generalized Method of Moments estimation was conducted on 2001-2010 datasets. Control of corruption and democratic accountability revealed an independent effect and interaction with the amount of HIV/AIDS aid on incidence of HIV/AIDS, respectively, while none of the two governance variables had a significant effect on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Specifically, in countries with accountability level below -2.269, aid has a detrimental effect on incidence of HIV/AIDS. The study findings suggest that aid programs need to be preceded or at least accompanied by serious efforts to improve governance in recipient countries and that democratic accountability ought to receive more critical attention.

The western gulf forest tree improvement program, history and organization

Treesearch

J.P. Van Buijtenen

1973-01-01

The following remarks are primarily an account of the experience of the Texas Forest Service in organizing the Western Gulf Forest Tree Improvement Program (WGFTIP) and the philosophy that went into its devetopment. The program of the Texas Forest Service has had two very distinct phases, although in both phases it was a cooperative effort. The initial phase lasted...

Learning from NCLB: School Responses to Accountability Pressure and Student Subgroup Performance. Policy Brief. RB-54

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinbaum, Elliot H.; Weiss, Michael J.; Beaver, Jessica K.

2012-01-01

Prior to the mandatory testing and reporting required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school improvement efforts were shown to lack coherence (Newman, Smith, Allensworth, & Bryk, 2001) and often included conflicting programs (Hatch, 2002). Part of the theory of performance-based accountability in general, and NCLB in particular, was…

Determining an Appropriate Sampling Method. School Accountability Series. Monograph 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCallon, Earl; McClaran, Rutledge

This is one of a series of eight short monographs intended to aid practicing educators in planning and conducting accountability programs in schools. This booklet discusses how to determine a sampling method that is appropriate to the objectives of a particular research or evaluation effort. Short sections focus in turn on why and when to sample,…

Future pension accounting changes: implications for hospitals.

PubMed

Weld, Tim; Klein, Gina

2011-05-01

Proposed rules in accounting for defined benefit plans may affect hospitals' statement of operations and affect the time, effort, and cost to comply with periodic financial reporting requirements. The new standard would require immediate recognition of the full amount of plan amendments in determining operating income. Hospitals should consider the role of pension plans in their compensation programs.

"What Do I Do with the Data Now?": Analyzing Assessment Information for Accountability and Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pieper, Suzanne L.; Fulcher, Keston H.; Sundre, Donna L.; Erwin, T. Dary

2008-01-01

Most colleges and universities have implemented an assessment program of some kind in an effort to respond to calls for accountability from stakeholders as well as to continuously improve student learning on their campuses. While institutions administer assessment instruments to students and receive reports, many campuses do not reap the maximum…

Democracy at Work: The Struggle To Renorm One Middle Level Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Ronald

Disagreement exists about the role and function of middle schools. Demand for improved student achievement, greater accountability, improved test scores, and greater responsiveness to parents characterize tensions. This paper reports on the efforts of one community to examine its middle-school program and reposition it to become more effective at…

Arizona Early Childhood Education Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona State Dept. of Education, Phoenix.

In an effort to provide a sound basis for educational accountability for preschool programs, the Arizona Early Childhood Education (ECE) Standards were developed as a framework for literacy-based programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and to provide parents with a basic understanding of indicators of early learning. These standards, to be adopted by…

The Best Laid Plans: Pay for Performance Incentive Programs for School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goff, Peter; Goldring, Ellen; Canney, Melissa

2016-01-01

In an era of heightened accountability and limited fiscal resources, school districts have sought novel ways to increase the effectiveness of their principals in an effort to increase student proficiency. To address these needs, some districts have turned to pay-for-performance programs, aligning leadership goals with financial incentives to…

Evaluation of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership: Progress Report on First Stage of Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

effort to support the monitoring and evaluation of Military Community and Family Policy’s portfolio of Spouse Education and Career Opportunities...SECO) programs and initiatives. Other programs in the SECO portfolio include the My Career Advancement Account Program, career counseling services...available through the Military OneSource SECO Career Center, and Department of Defense State Liaison Office initiatives to expand unemployment

Happy Marriage or Uneasy Alliance? The Relationship between Comprehensive School Reform and State Accountability Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datnow, Amanda

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine how the relationship between comprehensive school reform (CSR) and state accountability systems helps or hinders school improvement efforts. This article draws on case study data collected in schools in 3 states that received funding to implement reforms through the federal CSR program. Findings show that…

Control of corruption, democratic accountability, and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance

PubMed Central

Lee, Hwa-Young; Yang, Bong-Ming; Kang, Minah

2016-01-01

Background Despite continued global efforts, HIV/AIDS outcomes in developing countries have not made much progress. Poor governance in recipient countries is often seen as one of the reasons for ineffectiveness of aid efforts to achieve stated objectives and desired outcomes. Objective This study examines the impact of two important dimensions of governance – control of corruption and democratic accountability – on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance. Design An empirical analysis using dynamic panel Generalized Method of Moments estimation was conducted on 2001–2010 datasets. Results Control of corruption and democratic accountability revealed an independent effect and interaction with the amount of HIV/AIDS aid on incidence of HIV/AIDS, respectively, while none of the two governance variables had a significant effect on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Specifically, in countries with accountability level below −2.269, aid has a detrimental effect on incidence of HIV/AIDS. Conclusion The study findings suggest that aid programs need to be preceded or at least accompanied by serious efforts to improve governance in recipient countries and that democratic accountability ought to receive more critical attention. PMID:27189199

At-Risk and Delinquent Youth. Multiple Programs Lack Coordinated Federal Effort. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Youth Violence, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchette, Cornelia M.

The General Accounting Office evaluated federal programs that serve at-risk and delinquent youth. The work, which took place over several years, focused on: (1) who administers such programs; (2) how much money is spent on federal programs for at-risk youth; and (3) what is known about their effectiveness. Overall, its is apparent that multiple…

Quality consciousness...auditing for HIPAA Privacy Compliance.

PubMed

LePar, Kathleen

2004-01-01

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy deadline has passed. Now it is essential to comply with the regulations. The stakes are high; therefore, a HIPAA Privacy Compliance Program must be part of an organization's quality initiatives. This article provides guidelines for the challenges of continual program improvement, successful cultural change, and effective monitoring of the existing program. Healthcare organizations will attain compliance goals through internal audits on the processes, policies, and training efforts of their HIPAA program.

Measuring public health practice and outcomes in chronic disease: a call for coordination.

PubMed

Porterfield, Deborah S; Rogers, Todd; Glasgow, LaShawn M; Beitsch, Leslie M

2015-04-01

A strategic opportunity exists to coordinate public health systems and services researchers' efforts to develop local health department service delivery measures and the efforts of divisions within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) to establish outcome indicators for public health practice in chronic disease. Several sets of outcome indicators developed by divisions within NCCDPHP and intended for use by state programs can be tailored to assess outcomes of interventions within smaller geographic areas or intervention settings. Coordination of measurement efforts could potentially allow information to flow from the local to the state to the federal level, enhancing program planning, accountability, and even subsequent funding for public health practice.

The Infrastructure Necessary to Support a Sustainable Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bachner, Katherine M.; Mladineo, Stephen V.

The NNSA Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) program has been engaged for fifteen years in upgrading the security of nuclear materials in Russia. Part of the effort has been to establish the conditions necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of nuclear security. A sustainable program of nuclear security requires the creation of an indigenous infrastructure, starting with sustained high level government commitment. This includes organizational development, training, maintenance, regulations, inspections, and a strong nuclear security culture. The provision of modern physical protection, control, and accounting equipment to the Russian Federation alone is not sufficient. Comprehensive infrastructure projects support themore » Russian Federation's ability to maintain the risk reduction achieved through upgrades to the equipment. To illustrate the contributions to security, and challenges of implementation, this paper discusses the history and next steps for an indigenous Tamper Indication Device (TID) program, and a Radiation Portal Monitoring (RPM) program.« less

ICAO Assistance to Civil Aviation in the Developing World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vivian, Jack

1981-01-01

Describes the cost advantages of air transportation over road, rail, and river transportation in many circumstances which prevail today in developing countries. Presents accounts of International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) efforts supporting civil aviation programs in these countries. (DS)

Combating Corruption: How the Rule of Law Can Defeat a Culture of Impunity in Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

empowerment of the Afghan public to participate in accountable and transparent government.95 Presently, the Justice Sector Support Program ( JSSP ) is...engaged in a multi-prong effort to develop and strengthen the capacity of the Afghan criminal justice sector.96 JSSP works with state justice...enforce the rule of law.101 Measuring Success Through CJIATF-Shafafiyat, JSSP , and similar efforts, formal justice institutions have been

The brave new world of GEC evaluation: the experience of the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center.

PubMed

Filinson, Rachel; Clark, Phillip G; Evans, Joann; Padula, Cynthia; Willey, Cynthia

2012-01-01

In 2007, the Health Resources Services Administration introduced new mandates that raised the standards on program evaluation for Geriatric Education Centers. Described in this article are the primary and secondary evaluation efforts undertaken for one program within the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC), the findings from these efforts, and the modifications to assessment that ensued in response to the increased accountability requirements. The evaluation focused on RIGEC's series of continuing education, day-long workshops for health and social service professionals, the completion of all seven of which leads to a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Practice in Geriatrics.

Food Assistance: Efforts To Control Fraud and Abuse in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Should Be Strengthened. United States General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Robert E.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides over $1.5 billion in benefits annually to children and adults in day care. In order to address the longstanding problems of fraud and abuse present in the program, state agencies have been charged with the responsibility for implementing Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) regulations to prevent and…

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) Diversity and Inclusion Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Establish accountability for successful diversity efforts through the USAFA Institutional Effectiveness Program ( IEP ) and senior leader oversight to...Plan is aligned with USAFA’s strategic planning process. The USAFA Institutional Effectiveness Program ( IEP ) will assess the effectiveness of the USAFA...Diversity and Inclusion Plan in achieving USAFA’s strategic goals and objectives. The IEP will also help highlight gaps to be addressed in future

The Biennial Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Title III State Formula Grant Program: School Years 2004-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of English Language Acquisition, US Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

The biennial report to Congress on the implementation of the Title III state formula grant program provides a snapshot of the status of the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to hold states accountable for ensuring that all limited English proficient (LEP) students attain English language proficiency (ELP) and are achieving in the content…

78 FR 15123 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Accountable Official...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of...) Program AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork...

FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-06

efforts to administer and oversee grants awarded under the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, fully offset from within the Department of...Economic opportunity : $8.6 million to expand credit union services, including Islamic-compliant financing. The INCLE account is implemented by the...growth and provide services and opportunities outside of Port-au- Prince. The Haitian government and donors agreed that the current crisis provides an

School Lunch Program: Efforts Needed To Improve Nutrition and Encourage Healthy Eating. United States General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Kay E.; Miller, Robert B.; Whitman-Miner, Dianne L.; Wallace, Shana B.; Fucile, Tamara L.; Schwimer, Daniel A.; Angulo, Karyn I.; Stenersen, Stanley G.

Over 15 percent of children are overweightdouble the rate in 1980. Children's diets are high in fat but low in fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods. The National School Lunch Program has had a continuing role in providing students with nutritious meals; however students must choose to eat the nutritious food and limit less healthful…

Executive Handbook for Financial Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

Review 3-U Section V Fund Control 3-8 Section VI Reimbursement Programs- 3-A Section VII Financing Remote Activities 3-13 Section VIII Monitoring...conduct of the dev- elopment effort. For more on this subject, see chapt er 9. k. Army procurement accounts. The reimbursable (customer) programs for...obligations. When these orders change or get lost, duplicated, or cancelled, they impact on the Army’s reimbursable obligational authority. This reimbursable

Educating African American Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Edward E.

2010-01-01

Background: Schools across America spend money, invest in programs, and sponsor workshops, offer teacher incentives, raise accountability standards, and even evoke the name of Obama in efforts to raise the academic achievement of African American males. Incarceration and college retention rates point to a dismal plight for many African American…

The Role of Affect in Rational (Attributional) Approaches to Human Motivation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiner, Bernard

1980-01-01

Documents characteristics of emotions in relation to action and self-perception. Argues that taking affect into account yields a different interpretation of successful achievement-change programs. Also clarifies the differences between ability and effort as perceived causes of success and failure. (Author/GC)

One project`s waste is another project`s resource

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Short, J.

1997-02-01

The author describes the efforts being made toward pollution prevention within the DOE complex, as a way to reduce overall project costs, in addition to decreasing the amount of waste to be handled. Pollution prevention is a concept which is trying to be ingrained into project planning. Part of the program involves the concept that ultimately the responsibility for waste comes back to the generator. Parts of the program involve efforts to reuse materials and equipment on new projects, to recycle wastes to generate offsetting revenue, and to increase awareness, accountability and incentives so as to stimulate action on thismore » plan. Summaries of examples are presented in tables.« less

Managing for Results--Linking Performance Measures and Budgets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, William L.; Fountain, James R., Jr.

1995-01-01

The Government Accounting Standards Board notion of service efforts and accomplishments reporting is one step in a process of managing for results that includes strategic planning, development and use of performance measures of managing ongoing programs, and outputs to budgetary appropriation. Reports a trial application to one school district.…

The SMART Goal Framework: Teacher Perceptions of Professional Learning and Teacher Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yates, Sigrid S.

2014-01-01

Most states require that schools engage in school improvement programs to meet accountability mandates which necessitates that teachers develop the skills necessary to accomplish school improvement efforts. The problem is that classroom practitioners lack the skills necessary to achieve effective school improvement. Limited research exists with…

Development status of the Vulcain engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gastal, J.; Eury, S.; Borromee, J.; Micewicz, J. B.

1993-06-01

The present account of the current status of the Ariane V launch vehicle's Vulcain first-stage cryofueled bipropellant engine gives attention to the Vulcain's overall configuration, as well as to its component designs, operational flowcharts, turbopump and combustion chamber performance verification trials, and program management responsibilities. Prospective development efforts currently envisioned are noted.

An Ounce of Knowledge = a Pound of Deterrence: Preventing Sexual Harassment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoop, Robert J.

1995-01-01

A "boilerplate" sexual harassment policy embedded in the district policy manual is insufficient. Schools need a comprehensive sexual harassment prevention program addressing authority, accountability, responsibility, and training. Since the vast majority of sexual harassment in schools is student-to-student, training efforts should not be limited…

Getting Value out of Value-Added: Report of a Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Henry, Ed.; Chudowsky, Naomi, Ed.; Koenig, Judith, Ed.

2010-01-01

Value-added methods refer to efforts to estimate the relative contributions of specific teachers, schools, or programs to student test performance. In recent years, these methods have attracted considerable attention because of their potential applicability for educational accountability, teacher pay-for-performance systems, school and teacher…

Unseen Differences: Cultural Diversity among Hispanic and Latino Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Claudia; Parrish, Jesse; Parks, Rodney

2017-01-01

To promote inclusion and creating a welcoming environment for an increasingly diverse population of undergraduate students, many institutions invest heavily in the development of programs and resources that celebrate diversity and encourage meaningful interactions. Noble though they may be, these efforts often fail to account for the truly…

From favours to entitlements: community voice and action and health service quality in Zambia

PubMed Central

Topp, Stephanie M.; Ngulube, Moses

2017-01-01

Abstract Social accountability is increasingly invoked as a way of improving health services. This article presents a theory-driven qualitative study of the context, mechanisms and outcomes of a social accountability program, Citizen Voice and Action (CVA), implemented by World Vision (WV) in Zambia. Primary data were collected between November 2013 and January 2014. It included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with program stakeholders. Secondary data were used iteratively—to inform the process for primary data collection, to guide primary data analysis and to contextualize findings from the primary data. CVA positively impacted the state, society, state–society relations and development coordination at the local level. Specifically, sustained improvements in some aspects of health system responsiveness, empowered citizens, the improved provision of public goods (health services) and increased consensus on development issues appeared to flow from CVA. The central challenge described by interviewees and FGD participants was the inability of CVA to address problems that required central level input. The mechanisms that generated these outcomes included productive state–society communication, enhanced trust, and state–society co-production of priorities and the provision of services. These mechanisms were activated in the context of existing structures for state–society interaction, willing political leaders, buy-in by traditional leaders, and WV’s strong reputation and access to resources. Prospective observational research in multiple contexts would shed more light on the context, mechanisms and outcomes of CVA programs. In addition to findings that are intuitive and well supported in the literature we identified new areas that are promising areas for future research. These include (1) the context of organizational reputation by the organization(s) spearheading social accountability efforts; (2) the potential relationship between social accountability efforts and making ambitious national programs operational at the frontlines of the health system and (3) the feasibility of scale up for certain types of local level responsiveness. PMID:28369410

From favours to entitlements: community voice and action and health service quality in Zambia.

PubMed

Schaaf, Marta; Topp, Stephanie M; Ngulube, Moses

2017-07-01

Social accountability is increasingly invoked as a way of improving health services. This article presents a theory-driven qualitative study of the context, mechanisms and outcomes of a social accountability program, Citizen Voice and Action (CVA), implemented by World Vision (WV) in Zambia. Primary data were collected between November 2013 and January 2014. It included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with program stakeholders. Secondary data were used iteratively-to inform the process for primary data collection, to guide primary data analysis and to contextualize findings from the primary data. CVA positively impacted the state, society, state-society relations and development coordination at the local level. Specifically, sustained improvements in some aspects of health system responsiveness, empowered citizens, the improved provision of public goods (health services) and increased consensus on development issues appeared to flow from CVA. The central challenge described by interviewees and FGD participants was the inability of CVA to address problems that required central level input. The mechanisms that generated these outcomes included productive state-society communication, enhanced trust, and state-society co-production of priorities and the provision of services. These mechanisms were activated in the context of existing structures for state-society interaction, willing political leaders, buy-in by traditional leaders, and WV's strong reputation and access to resources. Prospective observational research in multiple contexts would shed more light on the context, mechanisms and outcomes of CVA programs. In addition to findings that are intuitive and well supported in the literature we identified new areas that are promising areas for future research. These include (1) the context of organizational reputation by the organization(s) spearheading social accountability efforts; (2) the potential relationship between social accountability efforts and making ambitious national programs operational at the frontlines of the health system and (3) the feasibility of scale up for certain types of local level responsiveness. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Development and qualification of the US Cruise Missile Propulsion System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reardon, William H.; Cifone, Anthony J.

1992-09-01

This paper provides a description of the very successful Cruise Missile gas turbine propulsion program managed by the United States Department of Defense. The paper contains a summary of the procurement process, the technical and programmatic milestones, issues and challenges, and lessons learned. In the past fifteen years, testing at the Naval Air Propulsion Center has included over 800 cruise engine development and component substantiation efforts spanning the engine specification qualification requirements. This paper provides a detailed account of environmental test techniques used to qualify the F107 family of gas turbine engines which propel the U.S. Cruise Missile. In addition, a missile freestream flight test simulation for the TOMAHAWK Cruise Missile is discussed along with current and future program efforts.

A New Type of Ed School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kronholz, June

2012-01-01

Spreading accountability from the teacher back to the education school is an idea the Obama administration is also promoting in its efforts to remake teacher training. This spring, a federal panel looking at teacher-preparation programs debated, among other things, rating education schools based on how much their teachers add to student learning.…

Social Determinants of Educational Outcomes in Indigenous Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Michael J.

2010-01-01

For the better part of two decades, the author and his research colleagues have been engaged in a broad program of research aimed at identifying certain of the "social determinants of health and wellbeing" common to Canadian First Nation, Metis, and Inuit youth. The present account samples from these ongoing research efforts by recapping…

Collaborative implementation for ecological restoration on US public lands: implications for legal context, accountability, and adaptive management

Treesearch

William H. Butler; Ashley Monroe; Sarah McCaffrey

2015-01-01

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP), established in 2009, encourages collaborative landscape scale ecosystem restoration efforts on United States Forest Service (USFS) lands. Although the USFS employees have experience engaging in collaborative planning, CFLRP requires collaboration in implementation, a domain where little prior experience...

Environmental Assessment for Demolition and Construction of Military Personnel Support Facilities Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

sound program are unclear. We should capitalize on the pool’s existing gover - nance, efficiency in operations and fiscal accountability stan- dards to...dollar eco- tourism industry. Maintaining the health of the river is critical to our future. Cooperative conservation efforts among government

State Guide to Developing Successful Early Childhood Data Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ICF International (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

Early education leaders--inside and outside of government--are looking for new ways to improve quality, accountability, and efficiency across many different programs serving young children and their families, and they see investment in data systems as a pivotal part of that effort. However, it can be challenging to develop and implement effective…

Designing California's Next School Accountability Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Paul

2014-01-01

California is in the midst of a major K-12 reform effort. In 2010, the state adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which outline what students should know in mathematics and English. In 2013, it adopted tests of the new standards developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Collaborative (SBAC). These tests will be administered beginning…

Utilizing Evaluation To Develop a Marketing Strategy in the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coreil, Paul D.; Verma, Satish

Marketing has become a popular strategic initiative among state extension services to meet the growing demand for program accountability. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES) began a formative evaluation of its marketing efforts as a step toward a comprehensive marketing plan. All extension faculty were surveyed to determine their…

A Statewide Collaborative Effort to Create School Leadership that Supports Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waddle, Jerry L.; Murphy, Carole H.

2007-01-01

With the evidence that improved leadership in schools produces increased student learning and with the accountability demands of No Child Left Behind and the Missouri School Improvement Program, it is imperative that school leaders in Missouri be prepared to support student learning at its highest level. Therefore, Missouri has made a substantial…

Leadership and Leader Developmental Self-Efficacy: Their Role in Enhancing Leader Development Efforts.

PubMed

Murphy, Susan Elaine; Johnson, Stefanie K

2016-01-01

This chapter describes the role of two types of self-efficacy-leader self-efficacy and leader developmental efficacy-for enhancing leadership development. Practical implications for designing and developing leadership programs that take into account these two types of self-efficacy are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

The Challenge of Bilingualism in Education in the City of New York.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerra, Emilio L.

In this brief account are discussed the efforts made by New York City public schools to establish special programs for non-English speaking students, especially Puerto Rican migrants. The pioneer project using bilingual teachers to instruct "orientation classes" in East Harlem's Benjamin Franklin High School is described. Special…

A blueprint for community benefit. A CHA-AAHA (Catholic Health Association-American Association of Homes for the Aging) document helps long-term care providers plan for and implement needed services.

PubMed

Forschner, B; Trocchio, J

1993-05-01

A collaborative effort of the Catholic Health Association (CHA) and the American Association of Homes for the Aging, The Social Accountability Program: Continuing the Community Benefit Tradition of Not-for-Profit Homes and Services for the Aging helps long-term care organizations plan and report community benefit activities. The program takes long-term care providers through five sequential tasks: reaffirming commitment to the elderly and others in the community; developing a community service plan; developing and providing community services; reporting community services; and evaluating the community service role. To help organizations reaffirm commitment, the Social Accountability Program presents a process facilities can use to review their historical roots and purposes and evaluate whether current policies and procedures are consistent with the organizational philosophy. Once this step is completed, providers can develop a community service plan by identifying target populations and the services they need. For facilities developing and implementing such services, the program suggests ways of measuring and monitoring them for budgetary purposes. Once they have implemented services, not-for-profit healthcare organizations must account for their impact on the community. The Social Accountability Program lists elements to be included in community service reports. It also provides guidelines for evaluating these services' effectiveness and the organization's overall community benefit role.

Challenges and strategies in applying performance measurement to federal public health programs.

PubMed

DeGroff, Amy; Schooley, Michael; Chapel, Thomas; Poister, Theodore H

2010-11-01

Performance measurement is widely accepted in public health as an important management tool supporting program improvement and accountability. However, several challenges impede developing and implementing performance measurement systems at the federal level, including the complexity of public health problems that reflect multiple determinants and involve outcomes that may take years to achieve, the decentralized and networked nature of public health program implementation, and the lack of reliable and consistent data sources and other issues related to measurement. All three of these challenges hinder the ability to attribute program results to specific public health program efforts. The purpose of this paper is to explore these issues in detail and offer potential solutions that support the development of robust and practical performance measures to meet the needs for program improvement and accountability. Adapting performance measurement to public health programs is both an evolving science and art. Through the strategies presented here, appropriate systems can be developed and monitored to support the production of meaningful data that will inform effective decision making at multiple levels. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Landowners' Perspectives on Coordinated, Landscape-Level Invasive Species Control: The Role of Social and Ecological Context.

PubMed

Niemiec, Rebecca M; Pech, Roger P; Norbury, Grant L; Byrom, Andrea E

2017-03-01

To achieve biodiversity gains, landowner engagement in coordinated invasive species control programs across private lands is needed. Understanding landowners' perspectives toward such coordinated control efforts is crucial to facilitating engagement. We conducted in person and mail surveys of 68 landowners in and adjacent to the area of a proposed invasive predator control program in New Zealand. We find that, similar to previous studies, landowners consider the potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits of invasive species control and express a strong desire to enhance native biodiversity. However, we also find that landowners take into account the complexity of the local social and ecological context in which a program will unfold in three ways: they consider (1) the level of contribution by other landowners and urban residents who are benefiting from collective control efforts; (2) the potential for the program to upset the local "ecological balance", leading to increases in other pests; and (3) the probability that the program will be successful given the likelihood of others participating and control tactics being effective. We suggest that managers of coordinated invasive species control efforts may benefit from devoting time and resources toward addressing beliefs about social and ecological context, rather than solely providing financial subsidies and information about control tactics or the impacts of invasive species.

Landowners' Perspectives on Coordinated, Landscape-Level Invasive Species Control: The Role of Social and Ecological Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemiec, Rebecca M.; Pech, Roger P.; Norbury, Grant L.; Byrom, Andrea E.

2017-03-01

To achieve biodiversity gains, landowner engagement in coordinated invasive species control programs across private lands is needed. Understanding landowners' perspectives toward such coordinated control efforts is crucial to facilitating engagement. We conducted in person and mail surveys of 68 landowners in and adjacent to the area of a proposed invasive predator control program in New Zealand. We find that, similar to previous studies, landowners consider the potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits of invasive species control and express a strong desire to enhance native biodiversity. However, we also find that landowners take into account the complexity of the local social and ecological context in which a program will unfold in three ways: they consider (1) the level of contribution by other landowners and urban residents who are benefiting from collective control efforts; (2) the potential for the program to upset the local "ecological balance", leading to increases in other pests; and (3) the probability that the program will be successful given the likelihood of others participating and control tactics being effective. We suggest that managers of coordinated invasive species control efforts may benefit from devoting time and resources toward addressing beliefs about social and ecological context, rather than solely providing financial subsidies and information about control tactics or the impacts of invasive species.

Recruitment strategies and costs for a community-based physical activity program.

PubMed

Peck, Lara E; Sharpe, Patricia A; Burroughs, Ericka L; Granner, Michelle L

2008-04-01

A community-based participatory research project using social marketing strategies was implemented to promote physical activity among women aged 35 to 54 who were insufficiently active or completely inactive. A variety of media were used to disseminate messages about how to enroll in Step Up. Step Out! This article describes the effectiveness and cost of the recruitment strategies and lessons learned in recruiting the women. Of the total inquiries (n = 691), 430 women were eligible and enrolled in the program. Based on data from questionnaires, the most effective method of recruiting women into Step Up. Step Out! was word of mouth (36%). Newspaper ads accounted for 29% of the women's responses. The least effective method was billboards. Mass media was not as effective in recruiting women for the program as interpersonal efforts such as word of mouth. Interpersonal efforts are a valuable and possibly underrated recruitment and promotion tool.

Welfare Reform: States' Efforts To Expand Child Care Programs. United States General Accounting Office Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Children and Families, Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Health, Education, and Human Services Div.

The sweeping changes of welfare reform embodied in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and which created the Child Care and Development Block Grant, raise many questions about how states will implement subsidy programs to help an increasing number of low-income families meet their child care needs. At the…

Gender differences in career progression and career satisfaction among graduates of a midwestern M.H.S.A. program.

PubMed

Matus, Justin C; MacDowell, N Martin

2005-01-01

This article compares factors influencing career success among male and female health services manager alumni. A sample of 833 M.H.S.A. graduates received a mail out 27 item questionnaire. Response rate was 48 percent. Factor analysis using Varimax rotation indicated three variables defined as effort, environment and perception, each accounting for 18.18 percent, 16.23 percent, and 10.95 percent of the variance respectively. Independent sample t-tests comparing male versus female scores for factors effort, environment, and perception indicated no statistically significant difference for effort; however there were statistically significant differences for environment and perception. Using a list-wise selection procedure, a sub-sample of 166 cases was further analyzed. Factor scores for effort, environment, and perception were calculated and entered into a regression model to predict career satisfaction. All three factors entered the model at a significance level .05 or less. The authors indicate that because males and females see the influence of these factors differently, there are implications for academic programs and the profession. Academic programs need to discuss concerns about the environment and perceptions and their effect on career progression. Likewise leaders of healthcare organizations should take note of the role that workplace environment and perceptions have in one's career progression.

Modifying Taper-Derived Merchantable Height Estimates to Account for Tree Characteristics

Treesearch

James A. Westfall

2006-01-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northeastern Forest Inventory and Analysis program (NE-FIA) is developing regionwide tree-taper equations. Unlike most previous work on modeling tree form, this effort necessarily includes a wide array of tree species. For some species, branching patterns can produce undesirable tree form that reduces the merchantable...

The Path to Excellence: Quality Assurance in Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Research Reports, No. 1. FYI Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcus, Lawrence R.; And Others

There is an increasing interest by government in accountability for higher education. Efforts such as performance budgeting, performance auditing, and state review of academic programs are becoming more common. Opponents of government involvement assert that regional accreditation reviews are sufficient to maintain quality standards. However,…

Defaulted Student Loans. Private Lender Collection Efforts Often Inadequate. Report to the Secretary of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

The increasing costs, paid by the Department of Education through 47 loan guaranty agencies, for defaulted loans made through the Guaranteed Student Loan Program prompted the General Accounting Office (GAO) to evaluate the policies and procedures used by the Department and the guaranty agencies. The purposes were to determine whether: (1) the…

Exploring Lesson Study as an Improvement Strategy at a High-Stakes Accountability School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Alice Tae

2012-01-01

This study addressed the problem of chronic low student achievement in language arts at a Program Improvement 5+ school by implementing two cycles of facilitated lesson study. Using action research to facilitate and monitor change in instructional practices at a school that is currently undergoing a teacher-initiated turnaround reform effort, this…

Effects of a Teacher Incentive Program on 4th Grade State Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfaro, Moises; Jones, Don; Holland, Glenda; Mundy, Marie-Anne

2012-01-01

Recent national and state standards of accountability have focused on increasing student performance and achievement as well as teacher quality. Included in this challenge is the issue of teacher compensation and how it has evolved with the efforts of providing quality instruction in order to improve the performance of students. Texas has…

Lessons Learned about Collaborative Evaluation Using the Capacity for Applying Project Evaluation (CAPE) Framework with School and District Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corn, Jenifer O.; Byrom, Elizabeth; Knestis, Kirk; Matzen, Nita; Thrift, Beth

2012-01-01

Schools, districts, and state-level educational organizations are experiencing a great shift in the way they do the business of education. This shift focuses on accountability, specifically through the expectation of the effective utilization of evaluative-focused efforts to guide and support decisions about educational program implementation. In…

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking via Data Matrix Symbols for Mission Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moss, Chantrice

2013-01-01

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part-marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using 15 marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, orbital), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (data plates, label printing, direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including in-house vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Evaluating the impact of implementation factors on family-based prevention programming: methods for strengthening causal inference.

PubMed

Crowley, D Max; Coffman, Donna L; Feinberg, Mark E; Greenberg, Mark T; Spoth, Richard L

2014-04-01

Despite growing recognition of the important role implementation plays in successful prevention efforts, relatively little work has sought to demonstrate a causal relationship between implementation factors and participant outcomes. In turn, failure to explore the implementation-to-outcome link limits our understanding of the mechanisms essential to successful programming. This gap is partially due to the inability of current methodological procedures within prevention science to account for the multitude of confounders responsible for variation in implementation factors (i.e., selection bias). The current paper illustrates how propensity and marginal structural models can be used to improve causal inferences involving implementation factors not easily randomized (e.g., participant attendance). We first present analytic steps for simultaneously evaluating the impact of multiple implementation factors on prevention program outcome. Then, we demonstrate this approach for evaluating the impact of enrollment and attendance in a family program, over and above the impact of a school-based program, within PROSPER, a large-scale real-world prevention trial. Findings illustrate the capacity of this approach to successfully account for confounders that influence enrollment and attendance, thereby more accurately representing true causal relations. For instance, after accounting for selection bias, we observed a 5% reduction in the prevalence of 11th grade underage drinking for those who chose to receive a family program and school program compared to those who received only the school program. Further, we detected a 7% reduction in underage drinking for those with high attendance in the family program.

Flying the Infrared Skies: An Authentic SOFIA Educator Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, J. G.

2015-11-01

The NASA/DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) flagship education effort is its Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program. The program flies teams of teachers on SOFIA research flights as part of an educator professional development effort enabling these teachers to experience first-hand the workings of the airborne observatory, to interact with scientists and technologists, to observe research in progress and how scientists use technology—all in support of national STEM goals. The presenter will share his own experience as an EPO escort on a recent SOFIA flight including two educator teams, providing a first-hand account of how an “authentic” science experience can exploit unique NASA assets to improve science teaching, inspire students, inform local communities, and contribute to the elevation of public science literacy.

Special Report on the "Department of Energy's Efforts to Meet Accountability and Performance Reporting Objectives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act"

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was to jumpstart the U.S. economy, create or save millions of jobs, spur technological advances in health and science, and invest in the Nation's energy future. The Department of Energy will receive an unprecedented $38 billion in Recovery Act funding to support a variety of science, energy, and environmental initiatives. The Recovery Act requires transparency and accountability over these funds. To this end, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidance requiring the Department to compile and report a wide variety of funding, accounting, and performancemore » information. The Department plans to leverage existing information systems to develop accounting and performance information that will be used by program managers and ultimately reported to Recovery.gov, the government-wide source of Recovery Act information, and to OMB. The Department's iManage iPortal, a system that aggregates information from a number of corporate systems, will serve as the main reporting gateway for accounting information. In addition, the Department plans to implement a methodology or system that will permit it to monitor information reported directly to OMB by prime funding recipients. Furthermore, performance measures or metrics that outline expected outcomes are being developed, with results ultimately to be reported in a recently developed Department-wide system. Because of the significance of funds provided and their importance to strengthening the Nation's economy, we initiated this review to determine whether the Department had taken the steps necessary to ensure that Recovery Act funds can be appropriately tracked and are transparent to the public, and whether the benefits of the expenditures can be properly measured and reported clearly, accurately, and in a timely manner. Although not yet fully mature, we found that the Department's efforts to develop, refine, and apply the control structure needed to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable reporting to be both proactive and positive. We did, however, identify certain issues relating to Recovery Act performance management, accounting and reporting accuracy, and timeliness that should be addressed and resolved. In particular, at the time of our review: (1) Program officials had not yet determined whether existing information systems will be able to process anticipated transaction increases associated with the Recovery Act; (2) System modifications made to the Department's performance management system to accommodate Recovery Act performance measures had not yet been fully tested and verified; (3) The ability of prime and sub-recipients to properly segregate and report both accounting and performance information had not been determined; (4) There was a lack of coordination between Headquarters organizations related to aspects of Recovery Act reporting. For example, we observed that the Offices of Fossil Energy and Program, Analysis and Evaluation were both involved in developing job creation estimates that could yield significantly different results; and, (5) A significant portion (91 of 142, or 64 percent) of the performance measures developed for the Recovery Act activities were not quantifiable. In some instances, Project Operating Plans had not been finalized and we were not able to verify that all needed performance measures had been developed. Furthermore, the Department had not developed specific metrics to measure federal and contractor jobs creation and retention, an essential Recovery Act objective. The Department had devoted a great deal of time and resources to identifying and mitigating Recovery Act-related risks. For example, the Department developed a risk assessment tool that is intended to assist programs in identifying risks that can prevent its Recovery Act projects from meeting their intended goals. We also found that program staff and management officials at multiple levels were actively engaged in designing Recovery Act-related control and accountability programs. These efforts ranged from updating existing information systems to developing matrices designed to ensure that all required reporting and performance elements were addressed. Each of these activities required substantial effort and was accomplished within a relatively short period. Further, we noted that the Office of the Chief Financial Officer had been instrumental in helping impacted program elements identify issues that could adversely affect the Department's ability to execute its accounting, reporting, and performance monitoring responsibilities. While much has been done, additional work is necessary if the Department is to successfully manage Recovery Act-related risks. For example, as previously noted, OMB has issued guidance establishing Recovery Act monitoring and reporting requirements.« less

Understanding the MBA Gender Gap: Women Respond to Gender Norms by Reducing Public Assertiveness but Not Private Effort.

PubMed

Wallen, Aaron S; Morris, Michael W; Devine, Beth A; Lu, Jackson G

2017-08-01

Women's underperformance in MBA programs has been the subject of recent debate and policy interventions, despite a lack of rigorous evidence documenting when and why it occurs. The current studies document a performance gap, specifying its contours and contributing factors. Two behaviors by female students that may factor into the gap are public conformity and private internalization. We predicted that women conform to the norm associating maleness with technical prowess by minimizing their public assertiveness in class discussions and meetings, but that they do not internalize the norm by reducing private effort. Data from multiple cohorts of a top-ranked MBA program reveal female underperformance occurred in technical subjects (e.g., accounting), but not social subjects (e.g., marketing). As predicted, the gender effect ran not through private effort but through public assertiveness, even controlling for gender differences in interests and aptitudes. These findings support some current policy interventions while casting doubt on others.

World blindness and the medical profession: conflicting medical cultures and the ethical dilemmas of helping.

PubMed

Gray, B H

1992-01-01

This is an account of a thwarted humanitarian effort and the strategic and ethical issues that is raised. Between 14 and 17 million people in the world are blind with cataract, a condition readily corrected by surgery. In 1989 a proposal was developed to attack this problem by supplying volunteer ophthalmologists to the world's leading private voluntary organizations that carry out programs in less developed countries. The proposal was rejected. This article describes the proposal and the issues on which it foundered: cost effectiveness, appropriate technology, changing ideologies of assistance, and conflict between the cultures of medicine and public health. The account illustrates the far-flung consequences of technological change in medicine, as well as the practical and ethical questions facing organizations that carry out overseas assistance programs.

Evaluating analytical approaches for estimating pelagic fish biomass using simulated fish communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yule, Daniel L.; Adams, Jean V.; Warner, David M.; Hrabik, Thomas R.; Kocovsky, Patrick M.; Weidel, Brian C.; Rudstam, Lars G.; Sullivan, Patrick J.

2013-01-01

Pelagic fish assessments often combine large amounts of acoustic-based fish density data and limited midwater trawl information to estimate species-specific biomass density. We compared the accuracy of five apportionment methods for estimating pelagic fish biomass density using simulated communities with known fish numbers that mimic Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Ontario, representing a range of fish community complexities. Across all apportionment methods, the error in the estimated biomass generally declined with increasing effort, but methods that accounted for community composition changes with water column depth performed best. Correlations between trawl catch and the true species composition were highest when more fish were caught, highlighting the benefits of targeted trawling in locations of high fish density. Pelagic fish surveys should incorporate geographic and water column depth stratification in the survey design, use apportionment methods that account for species-specific depth differences, target midwater trawling effort in areas of high fish density, and include at least 15 midwater trawls. With relatively basic biological information, simulations of fish communities and sampling programs can optimize effort allocation and reduce error in biomass estimates.

A Case Study of Principal Leadership in an Effective Inclusive School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoppey, David; McLeskey, James

2013-01-01

This investigation examined the role of the principal in school change during the current era of high-stakes accountability. Qualitative methods were used to conduct a case study of one principal who had a record of success in leading school change efforts and developing a model inclusive program in his school. The results of the case study…

A Correlation of Quality Reviews and Fourth Grade Performance in English Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Ann V.

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to determine if there is a relationship between two of New York City's accountability tools, and, if so, to what the extent this correlation exists. The ongoing calls for school reform have left individual states and school systems initiating one program after another in an effort to improve student achievement. New York…

Developing Quality Indicators for Family Support Services in Community Team-Based Mental Health Care

PubMed Central

Olin, S. Serene; Kutash, Krista; Pollock, Michele; Burns, Barbara J.; Kuppinger, Anne; Craig, Nancy; Purdy, Frances; Armusewicz, Kelsey; Wisdom, Jennifer; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.

2013-01-01

Quality indicators for programs integrating parent-delivered family support services for children’s mental health have not been systematically developed. Increasing emphasis on accountability under the Affordable Care Act highlights the importance of quality-benchmarking efforts. Using a modified Delphi approach, quality indicators were developed for both program level and family support specialist level practices. These indicators were pilot tested with 21 community-based mental health programs. Psychometric properties of these indicators are reported; variations in program and family support specialist performance suggest the utility of these indicators as tools to guide policies and practices in organizations that integrate parent-delivered family support service components. PMID:23709287

Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCoy, Amy L.; Holmes, S. Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A.

2018-03-01

Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework.

PubMed

McCoy, Amy L; Holmes, S Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A

2018-03-01

Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

Evaluating the Impact of Implementation Factors on Family-Based Prevention Programming: Methods for Strengthening Causal Inference

PubMed Central

Crowley, D. Max; Coffman, Donna L.; Feinberg, Mark; Greenberg, Mark; Spoth, Richard

2013-01-01

Despite growing recognition of the important role implementation plays in successful prevention efforts, relatively little work has sought to demonstrate a causal relationship between implementation factors and participant outcomes. In turn, failure to explore the implementation-to-outcome link limits our understanding of the mechanisms essential to successful programming. This gap is partially due to the inability of current methodological procedures within prevention science to account for the multitude of confounders responsible for variation in implementation factors (i.e., selection bias). The current paper illustrates how propensity and marginal structural models can be used to improve causal inferences involving implementation factors not easily randomized (e.g., participant attendance). We first present analytic steps for simultaneously evaluating the impact of multiple implementation factors on prevention program outcome. Then we demonstrate this approach for evaluating the impact of enrollment and attendance in a family program, over and above the impact of a school-based program, within PROSPER, a large scale real-world prevention trial. Findings illustrate the capacity of this approach to successfully account for confounders that influence enrollment and attendance, thereby more accurately representing true causal relations. For instance, after accounting for selection bias, we observed a 5% reduction in the prevalence of 11th grade underage drinking for those who chose to receive a family program and school program compared to those who received only the school program. Further, we detected a 7% reduction in underage drinking for those with high attendance in the family program. PMID:23430578

Start-Up and Ongoing Practice Expenses of Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration Interventions in the Advancing Care Together (ACT) Program.

PubMed

Wallace, Neal T; Cohen, Deborah J; Gunn, Rose; Beck, Arne; Melek, Steve; Bechtold, Donald; Green, Larry A

2015-01-01

Provide credible estimates of the start-up and ongoing effort and incremental practice expenses for the Advancing Care Together (ACT) behavioral health and primary care integration interventions. Expenditure data were collected from 10 practice intervention sites using an instrument with a standardized general format that could accommodate the unique elements of each intervention. Average start-up effort expenses were $44,076 and monthly ongoing effort expenses per patient were $40.39. Incremental expenses averaged $20,788 for start-up and $4.58 per patient for monthly ongoing activities. Variations in expenditures across practices reflect the differences in intervention specifics and organizational settings. Differences in effort to incremental expenditures reflect the extensive use of existing resources in implementing the interventions. ACT program incremental expenses suggest that widespread adoption would likely have a relatively modest effect on overall health systems expenditures. Practice effort expenses are not trivial and may pose barriers to adoption. Payers and purchasers interested in attaining widespread adoption of integrated care must consider external support to practices that accounts for both incremental and effort expense levels. Existing knowledge transfer mechanisms should be employed to minimize developmental start-up expenses and payment reform focused toward value-based, Triple Aim-oriented reimbursement and purchasing mechanisms are likely needed. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Eastern Europe: Status of U.S. Assistance Efforts

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-26

110 United States e= General Accounting OfficeWashington, D.C. 20548 Accesion For National Security and NTIS CRA&M International Affairs Division DTIC...the international donor community or the East European governments, (2) Hungarian government officials have not clearly identified the type and...through the International Red Cross and $250,000 for medical supplies. The five principal SEED program elements were: " Structural adjustment assistance

Highway Safety Improvement Program : further efforts needed to address data limitations and better align funding with states' top safety priorities : report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-01

About 43,000 people died and another 290,000 were seriously injured on the nation's roads in 2006. To reduce these numbers, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) nearly doubled funding f...

Child Care: States Exercise Flexibility in Setting Reimbursement Rates and Providing Access for Low-Income Children. Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaul, Marnie S.

In order to promote low-income parents' job preparation and work efforts, states were given greater flexibility to design programs using federal funds to subsidize child care for low-income families. At Congressional request, this report from the General Accounting Office describes how states set reimbursement rates and calculates the extent to…

Welfare Dependency: Coordinated Community Efforts Can Better Serve Young At-Risk Teen Girls. Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Health, Education, and Human Services Div.

This General Accounting Office study, commissioned by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, reflects concerns about rising caseloads and long-term dependence on welfare programs, such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Attention has been focused the United State's welfare system, particularly on the rising number of teenage mothers. The forces…

Improving the Army’s Assessment of Interactive Multimedia Instruction Courseware

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

pretests and posttests , along with automated procedures to analyze and report test scores across courses or schools. Learning (knowledge retention...determine whether the training program (versus other factors) accounts for differences in pretest and posttest scores (although some study designs allow...based efforts have also been made. Learning Many courses have posttests , but there are no reports of pretest / posttest comparisons across courses or

George Kuzmycz Training Center : 5 years of American-Ukrainian efforts in the field of material control and accounting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gavrilyuk, V. I.; Gavrylyuk, A. V.; Kirischuk, V. I.

2004-01-01

The George Kuzmycz Training Center for Physical Protection, Control and Accounting of Nuclear Material (GKTC) was established in October 1998 at the Kiev Institute for Nuclear Research. During the past six years, about 700 professionals from all Ukrainian nuclear installations, executive and regulatory bodies were trained at the GKTC. Future Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) training courses are going to be held even more frequently because Ukraine has already signed the Additional Model Protocol and its ratification by Ukrainian Parliament is expected to happen very soon. Additionally, a number of new training courses will be developed. US DOE trough Argonnemore » National Laboratory has made significant efforts to transfer Automated Inventory/Material Accounting System (AIMAS) software to Ukraine. As a result, AIMAS software can be used as a basic code for the development of the Computerized MC&A System for all Ukrainian nuclear facilities despite their differences. In 2003, a new laboratory for Nondestructive Assay (NDA) was established with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy. As a result, GKTC training capabilities will increase substantially. Furthermore, in order to increase the efficiency of NDA laboratory, it is planned to use the NDA equipment for a program of interdiction of illicit traffic of nuclear materials in Ukraine. American-Ukrainian MC&A efforts for the last 6 years, the problems encountered and the solutions to these problems, as well as comments, suggestions and recommendations for future activity at GKTC to promote and improve the nuclear material management culture in Ukraine are discussed in detail.« less

Parts quality management: Direct part marking of data matrix symbol for mission assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, Chantrice; Chakrabarti, Suman; Scott, David W.

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using direct part marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, Low Earth Orbit), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (label printing, data plates, and direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including in-house vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Update on DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. J. Lambregts

2009-04-01

The Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) Nuclear Energy University Program Office assists the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) by administering its University Program. To promote accountable relationships between universities and the TIOs/TDOs, a process was designed and administered which includes two competitive Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) and two FOAs in the following areas: (1)Research and Development Grants, (2)Infrastructure improvement, and (3)Scholarships and Fellowships. NEUP will also host periodic reviews of university mission-specific R&D that document progress, reinforce accountability, and assess return on investment; sponsor workshops that inform universities of the Department’s research needs to facilitatemore » continued alignment of university R&D with NE missions; and conduct communications activities that foster stakeholder trust, serve as a catalyst for accomplishing NEUP objectives, and provide national visibility of NEUP activities and accomplishments. Year to date efforts to achieve these goals will be discussed.« less

Update on DOE's Nuclear Energy University Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambregts, Marsha J.

2009-08-19

The Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) Office assists the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) by administering its University Program. To promote accountable relationships between universities and the Technical Integration Offices (TIOs)/Technology Development Offices (TDOs), a process was designed and administered which includes two competitive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and two Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) in the following areas: (1) Research and Development (R and D) Grants, (2) Infrastructure improvement, and (3) Scholarships and Fellowships. NEUP will also host periodic reviews of university mission-specific R and D that document progress, reinforce accountability, and assess return on investment;more » sponsor workshops that inform universities of the Department's research needs to facilitate continued alignment of university R and D with NE missions; and conduct communications activities that foster stakeholder trust, serve as a catalyst for accomplishing NEUP objectives, and provide national visibility of NEUP activities and accomplishments. Year to date efforts to achieve these goals will be discussed.« less

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking of Data Matrix Symbol for Mission Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moss, Chantrice; Chakrabarti, Suman; Scott, David W.

2013-01-01

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using direct part marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, Low Earth Orbit), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (label printing, data plates, and direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including inhouse vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

No hospital left behind? Education policy lessons for value-based payment in healthcare.

PubMed

Maurer, Kristin A; Ryan, Andrew M

2016-01-01

Value-based payment systems have been widely implemented in healthcare in an effort to improve the quality of care. However, these programs have not broadly improved quality, and some evidence suggests that they may increase inequities in care. No Child Left Behind is a parallel effort in education to address uneven achievement and inequalities. Yet, by penalizing the lowest performers, No Child Left Behind's approach to accountability has led to a number of unintended consequences. This article draws lessons from education policy, arguing that financial incentives should be designed to support the lowest performers to improve quality. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Survey of nongovernmental organizations providing pediatric cardiovascular care in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Nguyen, Nguyenvu; Jacobs, Jeffrey P; Dearani, Joseph A; Weinstein, Samuel; Novick, William M; Jacobs, Marshall L; Massey, Jeremy; Pasquali, Sara K; Walters, Henry L; Drullinsky, David; Stellin, Giovanni; Tchervenkov, Christo I

2014-04-01

Nearly 90% of the children with heart disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) cannot access cardiovascular (CV) services. Limitations include inadequate financial, human, and infrastructure resources. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played crucial roles in providing clinical services and infrastructure supports to LMICs CV programs; however, these outreach efforts are dispersed, inadequate, and lack coordination. A survey was sent to members of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Society and PediHeart. A clearinghouse was created to provide information on NGO structures, geographic reach, and scope of services. The survey identified 80 NGOs supporting CV programs in 92 LMICs. The largest outreach efforts were in South and Central America (42%), followed by Africa (18%), Europe (17%), Asia (17%), and Asia-Western Pacific (6%). Most NGOs (51%) supported two to five outreach missions per year. The majority (87%) of NGOs provided education, diagnostics, and surgical or catheter-based interventions. Working jointly with LMIC partners, 59% of the NGOs performed operations in children and infants; 41% performed nonbypass neonatal operations. Approximately a quarter (26%) reported that partner sites do not perform interventions in between missions. Disparity and inadequacy in pediatric CV services remain an important problem for LMICs. A global consensus and coordinated efforts are needed to guide strategies on the development of regional centers of excellence, a global outcome database, and a CV program registry. Future efforts should be held accountable for impacts such as growth in the number of independent LMIC programs as well as reduction in mortality and patient waiting lists.

Survey of Nongovernmental Organizations Providing Pediatric Cardiovascular Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Nguyenvu; Jacobs, Jeffrey P.; Dearani, Joseph A.; Weinstein, Samuel; Novick, William M.; Jacobs, Marshall L.; Massey, Jeremy; Pasquali, Sara K.; Walters, Henry L.; Drullinsky, David; Stellin, Giovanni; Tchervenkov, Christo I.

2014-01-01

Background Nearly 90% of the children with heart disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) cannot access cardiovascular (CV) services. Limitations include inadequate financial, human, and infrastructure resources. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played crucial roles in providing clinical services and infrastructure supports to LMICs CV programs; however, these outreach efforts are dispersed, inadequate, and lack coordination. Methods A survey was sent to members of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Society and PediHeart. Results A clearinghouse was created to provide information on NGO structures, geographic reach, and scope of services. The survey identified 80 NGOs supporting CV programs in 92 LMICs. The largest outreach efforts were in South and Central America (42%), followed by Africa (18%), Europe (17%), Asia (17%), and Asia-Western Pacific (6%). Most NGOs (51%) supported two to five outreach missions per year. The majority (87%) of NGOs provided education, diagnostics, and surgical or catheter-based interventions. Working jointly with LMIC partners, 59% of the NGOs performed operations in children and infants; 41% performed nonbypass neonatal operations. Approximately a quarter (26%) reported that partner sites do not perform interventions in between missions. Conclusions Disparity and inadequacy in pediatric CV services remain an important problem for LMICs. A global consensus and coordinated efforts are needed to guide strategies on the development of regional centers of excellence, a global outcome database, and a CV program registry. Future efforts should be held accountable for impacts such as growth in the number of independent LMIC programs as well as reduction in mortality and patient waiting lists. PMID:24668973

Promoting transparency, accountability, and access through a multi-stakeholder initiative: lessons from the medicines transparency alliance.

PubMed

Vian, Taryn; Kohler, Jillian C; Forte, Gilles; Dimancesco, Deirdre

2017-01-01

Barriers to expanding access to medicines include weak pharmaceutical sector governance, lack of transparency and accountability, inadequate attention to social services on the political agenda, and financing challenges. Multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) may help overcome these barriers. Between 2008 and 2015, MeTA engaged stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sectors of seven countries (Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Philippines, Uganda, and Zambia) to promote access goals through greater transparency. We reviewed archival data to document MeTA activities and results related to transparency and accountability in the seven countries where it was implemented. We identified common themes and content areas, noting specific activities used to make information transparent and accessible, how data were used to inform discussions, and the purpose and timing of meetings and advocacy activities to help set priorities and influence governance decisions. The cross-case analysis looked for pathways which might link the MeTA strategies to results such as better policies or program improvements. Countries used evidence gathering, open meetings, and proactive information dissemination to increase transparency. MeTA fostered policy dialogue to bring together the many government, civil society and private company stakeholders concerned with access issues, and provided them with information to understand barriers to access at policy, organizational, and community levels. We found strong evidence that transparency was enhanced. Some evidence suggests that MeTA efforts contributed to new policies and civil society capacity strengthening although the impact on government accountability is not clear. MeTA appears to have achieved its goal of creating a multi-stakeholder shared policy space in which government, civil society, and private sector players can come together and have a voice in the national pharmaceutical policy making process. Assuming that transparency is in place to leverage accountability, the success of MeTA's efforts to promote accountability by the government as well as other stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector will depend on how well efforts are sustained over time.

Canadianization a red flag to US firms and their friends in Congress

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corrigan, R.

1981-08-01

Efforts to gain control over its own petroleum industry are squeezing US-based oil and gas companies that have dominated Canadian energy development. Foreign-owned firms account for 72% of Canada's industry revenues. The effort is more a de-Americanization than a nationalization in the series of take-over moves and countermoves. The US views this as an abrupt shift in traditional business and trade relationships, with angry industry leaders lobbying Congress for retaliatory action. Trudeau's program to slow the drain of wealth from energy-poor eastern provinces to the west has also sparked controversy in Canada. The program enlarges the federal role in oilmore » companies, regulates foreign acquisitions, gives preferential treatment to Canadian firms, and continues price controls in Canadian crude oil. Several American interagency groups are evaluating Canada's moves, but the administraion is reluctant to move beyond diplomatic persuasion. (DCK)« less

Quality management as knowledge sharing: experiences of the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency.

PubMed

Harrison, Lindsay

2012-01-01

Lacking a coordinated effort in utilizing data and tracking program outcomes, one agency developed a Quality Management (QM) division to facilitate and manage more effective data use. To support this process, the agency sought to develop a collective, agency-wide understanding and investment in improving and measuring client outcomes. Similarly, the agency also focused efforts on creating a culture of transparency and accountability, with goals of improving service, increasing agency integrity, meeting regulatory compliance, and engaging in effective risk management. Operationalizing the QM initiative involved developing procedures, systems, and guidelines that would facilitate the generation of reliable and accurate data that could be used to inform program change and decision-making. This case study describes this agency's experience in successfully creating and implementing a QM initiative aimed at engaging in greater knowledge sharing. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Toward international collaboration on credentialing in health promotion and health education: the Galway Consensus Conference.

PubMed

Allegrante, John P; Barry, Margaret M; Auld, M Elaine; Lamarre, Marie-Claude; Taub, Alyson

2009-06-01

The interest in competencies, standards, and quality assurance in the professional preparation of public health professionals whose work involves health promotion and health education dates back several decades. In Australia, Europe, and North America, where the interest in credentialing has gained momentum, there have been rapidly evolving efforts to codify competencies and standards of practice as well as the processes by which quality and accountability can be ensured in academic professional preparation programs. The Galway Consensus Conference was conceived as a first step in an effort to explore the development of an international consensus regarding the core competencies of health education specialists and professionals in health promotion and the commonalities and differences in establishing uniform standards for the accreditation of academic professional preparation programs around the world. This article describes the purposes, objectives, and process of the Galway Consensus Conference and the background to the meeting that was convened.

Where are the young men in HIV prevention efforts? Comments on HIV prevention programs and research from young men who sex with men in Los Angeles county.

PubMed

Holloway, Ian W; Cederbaum, Julie A; Ajayi, Antonette; Shoptaw, Steven

2012-12-01

Despite increasing rates of HIV infection among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), only a minority participate in formal HIV prevention efforts. Semi-structured mixed-methods interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of YMSM (N = 100, M(age) = 25.0 years) in Los Angeles, California, to identify facilitators and barriers to participation in HIV prevention programs. Summative content analyses were used to evaluate transcribed field notes from these interviews. Results showed that 28.0 % of all participants had previously attended an HIV prevention program, and that 21.3 % of those who were also asked if they had ever participated in any research pertaining to HIV prevention had done so. A significantly higher percentage of those who had participated in HIV prevention programs had been tested for HIV in the past 6 months compared to those who had not (p < .05). The most frequently mentioned barriers to participation in such a program were being too busy to attend (12.0 %), not perceiving themselves to be at risk for HIV infection (14.0 %), and believing that they already knew everything they needed to know about HIV transmission (23.0 %). YMSM suggested that future interventions should use technology (e.g., the Internet, mobile devices), engage their social networks, and highlight HIV prevention as a means for community connection. Collectively, these results provide some explanations for why YMSM account for a minority of HIV prevention program participants and offer possible directions for future HIV prevention efforts that target YMSM.

Pell Grant Validation Imposes Some Costs and Does Not Greatly Reduce Award Errors: New Strategies Are Needed. Report to the Honorable Paul Simon, United States Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.

Efforts of the U.S. Department of Education to verify data submitted by applicants to the Pell Grant program were analyzed by the General Accounting Office. The effects of carrying out the Department's policy or methodology, called "validation," on financial aid applicants and colleges were assessed. Costs of 1982-1983 validation on…

The Oklahoma City bombing: a personal account.

PubMed

Spengler, C

1995-09-01

On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City (and the United States) lost its innocence. Almost all Oklahomans can relate exactly what they were doing either at 9:02 AM that day or when they first learned of the bombing. Of course, the whole world watched the events unfold through around-the-clock television coverage. One of the resident physicians in the University Hospital Emergency Medicine program, Dr Carl Spengler, was the first physician on the scene and directed early triage efforts. Because the Journal of Child Neurology is the only major biomedical journal with editorial offices in Oklahoma, we considered it appropriate that his personal account of this disaster be published in JCN.

Manufacturing implementation of off-line programming for the Space Shuttle Main Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sliwinski, K. E.; Pierson, B. L.; Anderson, R. R.; Guthmiller, W. A.

1989-01-01

An account is given of the efforts made to implement an off-line programming (OLP) system for a gas tungsten arc welding robot in actual manufacturing operations, namely those involved in the manufacture of the SSMEs. In conjunction with a real-time sensor control system, the OLP constitutes the Advanced Robotic Welding System, or 'AROWS'. OLP's task is to develop a robot-motion path without the initial use of the robot to 'teach' the characteristics of such motion; actual process parameters are recorded by OLP and correlated with the position along the weld.

California four cities program, 1971 - 1973. [aerospace-to-urban technology application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macomber, H. L.; Wilson, J. H.

1974-01-01

A pilot project in aerospace-to-urban technology application is reported. Companies assigned senior engineering professionals to serve as Science and Technology Advisors to participating city governments. Technical support was provided by the companies and JPL. The cities, Anaheim, Fresno, Pasadena, and San Hose, California, provided the working environment and general service support. Each city/company team developed and carried out one or more technical or management pilot projects together with a number of less formalized technology efforts and studies. An account and evaluation is provided of the initial two-year phase of the program.

76 FR 60387 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-29

...)(3) (Accounting for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the... recipient agency. Disclosure of the accounting would therefore present a serious impediment to law enforcement efforts and/or efforts to preserve national security. Disclosure of the accounting would also...

Particle Engulfment and Pushing By Solidifying Interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The study of particle behavior at solid/liquid interfaces (SLI s) is at the center of the Particle Engulfment and Pushing (PEP) research program. Interactions of particles with SLI s have been of interest since the 1960 s, starting with geological observations, i.e., frost heaving. Ever since, this field of research has become significant to such diverse areas as metal matrix composite materials, fabrication of superconductors, and inclusion control in steels. The PEP research effort is geared towards understanding the fundamental physics of the interaction between particles and a planar SLI. Experimental work including 1-g and mu-g experiments accompany the development of analytical and numerical models. The experimental work comprised of substantial groundwork with aluminum (Al) and zinc (Zn) matrices containing spherical zirconia particles, mu-g experiments with metallic Al matrices and the use of transparent organic metal-analogue materials. The modeling efforts have grown from the initial steady-state analytical model to dynamic models, accounting for the initial acceleration of a particle at rest by an advancing SLI. To gain a more comprehensive understanding, numerical models were developed to account for the influence of the thermal and solutal field. Current efforts are geared towards coupling the diffusive 2-D front tracking model with a fluid flow model to account for differences in the physics of interaction between 1-g and -g environments. A significant amount of this theoretical investigation has been and is being performed by co-investigators at NASA MSFC.

Two-stage fuzzy-stochastic robust programming: a hybrid model for regional air quality management.

PubMed

Li, Yongping; Huang, Guo H; Veawab, Amornvadee; Nie, Xianghui; Liu, Lei

2006-08-01

In this study, a hybrid two-stage fuzzy-stochastic robust programming (TFSRP) model is developed and applied to the planning of an air-quality management system. As an extension of existing fuzzy-robust programming and two-stage stochastic programming methods, the TFSRP can explicitly address complexities and uncertainties of the study system without unrealistic simplifications. Uncertain parameters can be expressed as probability density and/or fuzzy membership functions, such that robustness of the optimization efforts can be enhanced. Moreover, economic penalties as corrective measures against any infeasibilities arising from the uncertainties are taken into account. This method can, thus, provide a linkage to predefined policies determined by authorities that have to be respected when a modeling effort is undertaken. In its solution algorithm, the fuzzy decision space can be delimited through specification of the uncertainties using dimensional enlargement of the original fuzzy constraints. The developed model is applied to a case study of regional air quality management. The results indicate that reasonable solutions have been obtained. The solutions can be used for further generating pollution-mitigation alternatives with minimized system costs and for providing a more solid support for sound environmental decisions.

Projections of costs, financing, and additional resource requirements for low- and lower middle-income country immunization programs over the decade, 2011-2020.

PubMed

Gandhi, Gian; Lydon, Patrick; Cornejo, Santiago; Brenzel, Logan; Wrobel, Sandra; Chang, Hugh

2013-04-18

The Decade of Vaccines Global Vaccine Action Plan has outlined a set of ambitious goals to broaden the impact and reach of immunization across the globe. A projections exercise has been undertaken to assess the costs, financing availability, and additional resource requirements to achieve these goals through the delivery of vaccines against 19 diseases across 94 low- and middle-income countries for the period 2011-2020. The exercise draws upon data from existing published and unpublished global forecasts, country immunization plans, and costing studies. A combination of an ingredients-based approach and use of approximations based on past spending has been used to generate vaccine and non-vaccine delivery costs for routine programs, as well as supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). Financing projections focused primarily on support from governments and the GAVI Alliance. Cost and financing projections are presented in constant 2010 US dollars (US$). Cumulative total costs for the decade are projected to be US$57.5 billion, with 85% for routine programs and the remaining 15% for SIAs. Delivery costs account for 54% of total cumulative costs, and vaccine costs make up the remainder. A conservative estimate of total financing for immunization programs is projected to be $34.3 billion over the decade, with country governments financing 65%. These projections imply a cumulative funding gap of $23.2 billion. About 57% of the total resources required to close the funding gap are needed just to maintain existing programs and scale up other currently available vaccines (i.e., before adding in the additional costs of vaccines still in development). Efforts to mobilize additional resources, manage program costs, and establish mutual accountability between countries and development partners will all be necessary to ensure the goals of the Decade of Vaccines are achieved. Establishing or building on existing mechanisms to more comprehensively track resources and commitments for immunization will help facilitate these efforts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The World Bank and the Afghan Government Have Established Mechanisms to Monitor and Account for Funds Contributed to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, but Some Limitations and Challenges Should Be Addressed

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-22

Embassy"s Justice Sector Support Program ( JSSP ) advisors and mentors have been embedded with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) since 2007 and with ti1e...units wi ll merge tmder established transition timetables. Additionally. JSSP has dedicated one advisor to ussist the intemalional effort, h:d by dam

An Application of Instructional System Development to Determine Financial Management Education Needs for Logistics Management Positions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-09-01

The purpose of this research effort was to determine the financial management educational needs of USAF graduate logistics positions. Goal analysis...was used to identify financial management techniques and task analysis was used to develop a method to identify the use of financial management techniques...positions. The survey identified financial management techniques in five areas: cost accounting, capital budgeting, working capital, financial forecasting, and programming. (Author)

A new Masters program in Greenhouse Gas Management and Accounting at Colorado State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conant, R. T.; Ogle, S. M.

2015-12-01

Management guru Peter Drucker said that "what gets measured gets managed." But the unstated implication is that what doesn't get measured doesn't get managed. Accurate quantification of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts is central to the clean technology sector. Very soon professionals of all kinds (business people, accountants, lawyers) will need to understand carbon accounting and crediting. Over the next few decades food production is expected to double and energy production must triple in order to meet growing global demands; sustainable management of land use and agricultural systems will be critical. The food and energy supply challenges are inextricably linked to the challenge of limiting anthropogenic impacts on climate by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. To avoid serious disruption of the climate system and stabilize GHG concentrations, society must move aggressively to avoid emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O and to actively draw down CO2 already in the atmosphere. A new cadre of technically adept professionals is needed to meet these challenges. We describe a new professional Masters degree in greenhouse gas management and accounting at Colorado State University. This effort leverages existing, internationally-recognized expertise from across campus and partners from agencies and industry, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to develop the skills needed to fill this emerging demand.

ENHANCING RESEARCH ETHICS REVIEW SYSTEMS IN EGYPT: THE FOCUS OF AN INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM INFORMED BY AN ECOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO ENHANCING RESEARCH ETHICS CAPACITY

PubMed Central

Edwards, Hillary Anne; Hifnawy, Tamer; Silverman, Henry

2014-01-01

Recently, training programs in research ethics have been established to enhance individual and institutional capacity in research ethics in the developing world. However, commentators have expressed concern that the efforts of these training programs have placed “too great an emphasis on guidelines and research ethics review”, which will have limited effect on ensuring ethical conduct in research. What is needed instead is a culture of ethical conduct supported by national and institutional commitment to ethical practices that are reinforced by upstream enabling conditions (strong civil society, public accountability, and trust in basic transactional processes), which are in turn influenced by developmental conditions (basic freedoms of political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security). Examining this more inclusive understanding of the determinants of ethical conduct enhances at once both an appreciation of the limitations of current efforts of training programs in research ethics and an understanding of what additional training elements are needed to enable trainees to facilitate national and institutional policy changes that enhance research practices. We apply this developmental model to a training program focused in Egypt to describe examples of such additional training activities. PMID:24894063

Enhancing Research Ethics Review Systems in Egypt: The Focus of an International Training Program Informed by an Ecological Developmental Approach to Enhancing Research Ethics Capacity.

PubMed

Edwards, Hillary Anne; Hifnawy, Tamer; Silverman, Henry

2015-12-01

Recently, training programs in research ethics have been established to enhance individual and institutional capacity in research ethics in the developing world. However, commentators have expressed concern that the efforts of these training programs have placed 'too great an emphasis on guidelines and research ethics review', which will have limited effect on ensuring ethical conduct in research. What is needed instead is a culture of ethical conduct supported by national and institutional commitment to ethical practices that are reinforced by upstream enabling conditions (strong civil society, public accountability, and trust in basic transactional processes), which are in turn influenced by developmental conditions (basic freedoms of political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security). Examining this more inclusive understanding of the determinants of ethical conduct enhances at once both an appreciation of the limitations of current efforts of training programs in research ethics and an understanding of what additional training elements are needed to enable trainees to facilitate national and institutional policy changes that enhance research practices. We apply this developmental model to a training program focused in Egypt to describe examples of such additional training activities. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

78 FR 58254 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-23

...)(3) and (4) (Accounting for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert... the recipient agency. Disclosure of the accounting would therefore present a serious impediment to law enforcement efforts and/or efforts to preserve national security. Disclosure of the accounting would also...

Inferring invasive species abundance using removal data from management actions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Amy J.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Miller, Ryan S.; Farnsworth, Matthew L.; Lewis, Jesse S.; Moxcey, Michael; Pepin, Kim M.

2016-01-01

Evaluation of the progress of management programs for invasive species is crucial for demonstrating impacts to stakeholders and strategic planning of resource allocation. Estimates of abundance before and after management activities can serve as a useful metric of population management programs. However, many methods of estimating population size are too labor intensive and costly to implement, posing restrictive levels of burden on operational programs. Removal models are a reliable method for estimating abundance before and after management using data from the removal activities exclusively, thus requiring no work in addition to management. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate abundance from removal data accounting for varying levels of effort, and used simulations to assess the conditions under which reliable population estimates are obtained. We applied this model to estimate site-specific abundance of an invasive species, feral swine (Sus scrofa), using removal data from aerial gunning in 59 site/time-frame combinations (480–19,600 acres) throughout Oklahoma and Texas, USA. Simulations showed that abundance estimates were generally accurate when effective removal rates (removal rate accounting for total effort) were above 0.40. However, when abundances were small (<50) the effective removal rate needed to accurately estimates abundances was considerably higher (0.70). Based on our post-validation method, 78% of our site/time frame estimates were accurate. To use this modeling framework it is important to have multiple removals (more than three) within a time frame during which demographic changes are minimized (i.e., a closed population; ≤3 months for feral swine). Our results show that the probability of accurately estimating abundance from this model improves with increased sampling effort (8+ flight hours across the 3-month window is best) and increased removal rate. Based on the inverse relationship between inaccurate abundances and inaccurate removal rates, we suggest auxiliary information that could be collected and included in the model as covariates (e.g., habitat effects, differences between pilots) to improve accuracy of removal rates and hence abundance estimates.

Case Study: Clinical Governance as an Approach to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health in 22 Hospitals in Indonesia.

PubMed

Amelia, Dwirani; Suhowatsky, Stephanie; Baharuddin, Mohammad; Tholandi, Maya; Hyre, Anne; Sethi, Reena

Clinical governance is a concept used to improve management, accountability and the provision of quality healthcare. An approach to strengthen clinical governance as a means to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care in Indonesia was developed by the Expanding Maternal and Neonatal Survival (EMAS) Program. This case study presents findings and lessons learned from EMAS program experience in 22 hospitals where peer-to-peer mentoring supported staff in strengthening clinical governance from 2012-2015. Efforts resulted in improved hospital preparedness and significantly increased the odds of facility-level coverage for three evidence-based maternal and newborn healthcare interventions.

Defense Working Capital Fund Pricing in the Defense Finance Accounting Service: A Useful, but Limited, Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Air Force), Zack Gaddy (former DFAS director), Ray Gaw (DFAS Indianapolis), Stephen Herrera (U.S. Air Force), Tony Hullinger (DFAS Indianapolis...Erica Thomas (U.S. Navy), and James Watkins (U.S. Army). Cynthia R. Cook and Marc Robbins provided program leadership to the RAND research team. We...appreciate their efforts on our behalf. Dr. Robbins provided numerous helpful suggestions as this research evolved. Allison Kerns edited this report

Sustaining Reliability on Accountability Measures at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

PubMed

Pronovost, Peter J; Holzmueller, Christine G; Callender, Tiffany; Demski, Renee; Winner, Laura; Day, Richard; Austin, J Matthew; Berenholtz, Sean M; Miller, Marlene R

2016-02-01

In 2012 Johns Hopkins Medicine leaders challenged their health system to reliably deliver best practice care linked to nationally vetted core measures and achieve The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures ®program recognition and the Delmarva Foundation award. Thus, the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality implemented an initiative to ensure that ≥96% of patients received care linked to measures. Nine low-performing process measures were targeted for improvement-eight Joint Commission accountability measures and one Delmarva Foundation core measure. In the initial evaluation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all accountability measures for the Top Performer program reached the required ≥95% performance, gaining them recognition by The Joint Commission in 2013. Efforts were made to sustain performance of accountability measures at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Improvements were sustained through 2014 using the following conceptual framework: declare and communicate goals, create an enabling infrastructure, engage clinicians and connect them in peer learning communities, report transparently, and create accountability systems. One part of the accountability system was for teams to create a sustainability plan, which they presented to senior leaders. To support sustained improvements, Armstrong Institute leaders added a project management office for all externally reported quality measures and concurrent reviewers to audit performance on care processes for certain measure sets. The Johns Hopkins Hospital sustained performance on all accountability measures, and now more than 96% of patients receive recommended care consistent with nationally vetted quality measures. The initiative methods enabled the transition of quality improvement from an isolated project to a way of leading an organization.

This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, Loyd S., Jr.; Grimwood, James M.; Alexander, Charles C.

1998-01-01

When Congress created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958, it charged NASA with the responsibility "to contribute materially to . . . the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space" and "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof." NASA wisely interpreted this mandate to include responsibility for documenting the epochal progress of which it is the focus. The result has been the development of a historical program by NASA as unprecedented as the task of extending man's mobility beyond his planet. This volume is not only NASA's accounting of its obligation to disseminate information to our current generation of Americans. It also fulfills, as do all of NASA's future-oriented scientific-technological activities, the further obligation to document the present as the heritage of the future. The wide-ranging NASA history program includes chronicles of day-to-day space activities; specialized studies of particular fields within space science and technology; accounts of NASA's efforts in organization and management, where its innovations, while less known to the public than its more spectacular space shots, have also been of great significance; narratives of the growth and expansion of the space centers throughout the country, which represent in microcosm many aspects of NASA's total effort; program histories, tracing the successes- and failures- of the various projects that mark man's progress into the Space Age; and a history of NASA itself, incorporating in general terms the major problems and challenges, and the responses thereto, of our entire civilian space effort. The volume presented here is a program history, the first in a series telling of NASA's pioneering steps into the Space Age. It deals with the first American manned-spaceflight program: Project Mercury. Although some academicians might protest that this is "official" history, it is official only in the fact that it has been prepared and published with the support and cooperation of NASA. It is not "official" history in the sense of presenting a point of view supposedly that of NASA officialdom-if anyone could determine what the "point of view" of such a complex organism might be. Certainly, the authors were allowed to pursue their task with the fullest freedom and in accordance with the highest scholarly standards of the history profession.

Antecedents of Teachers Fostering Effort within Two Different Management Regimes: An Assessment-Based Accountability Regime and Regime without External Pressure on Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christophersen, Knut-Andreas; Elstad, Eyvind; Turmo, Are

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the comparison of organizational antecedents of teachers' fostering of students' effort in two quite different accountability regimes: one management regime with an external-accountability system and one with no external accountability devices. The methodology involves cross-sectional surveys from two different management…

PERSPECTIVES: Accountability for Mental Health: The Australian Experience.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Sebastian; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2017-03-01

Australia was one of the first countries to develop a national policy for mental health. A persistent characteristic of all these policies has been their reference to the importance of accountability. What does this mean exactly and have we achieved it? Can Australia tell if anybody is getting better? To review accountability for mental health in Australia and question whether two decades of Australian rhetoric around accountability for mental health has been fulfilled. This paper first considers the concept of accountability and its application to mental health. We then draw on existing literature, reports, and empirical data from national and state governments to illustrate historical and current approaches to accountability for mental health. We provide a content analysis of the most current set of national indicators. The paper also briefly considers some relevant international processes to compare Australia's progress in establishing accountability for mental health. Australia's federated system of government permits competing approaches to accountability, with multiple and overlapping data sets. A clear national approach to accountability for mental health has failed to emerge. Existing data focuses on administrative and health service indicators, failing to reflect broader social factors which reveal quality of life. In spite of twenty years of investment and effort Australia has been described as outcome blind, unable to demonstrate the merit of USD 8bn spent on mental health annually. While it may be prolific, existing administrative data provide little outcomes information against which Australia can genuinely assess the health and welfare of people with a mental illness. International efforts are evolving slowly. Even in high income countries such as Australia, resources for mental health services are constrained. Countries cannot afford to continue to invest in services or programs that fail to demonstrate good outcomes for people with a mental illness or are not value for money. New approaches are needed which ensure that chosen accountability indicators reflect national health and social priorities. Such priorities must be meaningful to a range of stakeholders and the community about the state of mental health. They must drive an agenda of continuous improvement relevant to those most affected by mental disorders. These approaches should be operable in emerging international contexts. Australia must further develop its approach to health accountability in relation to mental health. A limited set of new preferred national mental health indicators should be agreed. These should be tested, both domestically and internationally, for their capacity to inform and drive quality improvement processes in mental health. Existing systems of accountability are not fit for purpose, incapable of firing necessary quality improvement processes. Supported by adequate resources, realistic targets and a culture of openness, new accountability could drive real quality improvement processes for mental health, facilitate jurisdictional comparisons in Australia, and contribute to new efforts to benchmark mental health internationally.

Applying your corporate compliance skills to the HIPAA security standard.

PubMed

Carter, P I

2000-01-01

Compliance programs are an increasingly hot topic among healthcare providers. These programs establish policies and procedures covering billing, referrals, gifts, confidentiality of patient records, and many other areas. The purpose is to help providers prevent and detect violations of the law. These programs are voluntary, but are also simply good business practice. Any compliance program should now incorporate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security standard. Several sets of guidelines for development of compliance programs have been issued by the federal government, and each is directed toward a different type of healthcare provider. These guidelines share certain key features with the HIPAA security standard. This article examines the common areas between compliance programs and the HIPAA security standard to help you to do two very important things: (1) Leverage your resources by combining compliance with the security standard with other legal and regulatory compliance efforts, and (2) apply the lessons learned in developing your corporate compliance program to developing strategies for compliance with the HIPAA security standard.

Can a single "powerless" mitochondrion in the malaria parasite contribute to parasite programmed cell death in the asexual stages?

PubMed

Ch'ng, Jun-Hong; Yeo, Su-Ping; Shyong-Wei Tan, Kevin

2013-05-01

The protozoan pathogens responsible for malaria are from the Plasmodium genus, with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax accounting for almost all clinical infections. With recent estimates of mortality exceeding 800,000 annually, malaria continues to take a terrible toll on lives and the early promises of medicine to eradicate the disease have yet to approach realization, in part due to the spread of drug resistant parasites. Recent reports of artemisinin-resistance have prompted renewed efforts to identify novel therapeutic options, and one such pathway being considered for antimalarial exploit is the parasite's programmed cell death (PCD) pathway. In this mini-review, we will discuss the roles of the plasmodium mitochondria in cell death and as a target of antimalarial compounds, taking into account recent data suggesting that PCD pathways involving the mitochondria may be attractive antimalarial targets. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) System Upgrades and Performance Testing at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF) VNIIEF)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bushmelev, Vadim; Viktorov, Vladimir; Zhikharev, Stanislav

2008-01-01

The All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics (VNIIEF), founded in 1946 at the historic village of Sarov, in Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast, is the largest nuclear research center in the Rosatom complex. In the framework of international collaboration, the United States (US) Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency, in cooperation with US national laboratories, on the one hand, Rosatom and VNIIEF on the other hand, have focused their cooperative efforts to upgrade the existing material protection control and accountability system to prevent unauthorized access to the nuclear material. In this paper we will discuss the present status of material controlmore » and accounting (MC&A) system upgrades and the preliminary results from a pilot program on the MC&A system performance testing that was recently conducted at one technical area.« less

Pilot Program Evaluating Personal Tablet Device Use Across Campus

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

that we had to individually activate the device through iTunes and manu- ally load the apps to the devices. As discussed below, the technology for...beginning of the effort, though, individual iTunes accounts were created for each of the students and tied to a domain email ad- dress provided by...required a USB connection to a computer in order to activate prior to use. We initially had a bank of laptops with iTunes installed that students

Assessment of U.S. Government and Coalition Efforts to Develop the Logistics Sustainment Capability of the Afghan National Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-09

management are inadequate at some FSDs. • No one was held accountable when ANA vehicles and equipment were wrecked /damaged due to command/operator...regions, services provided, facilities constructed, etc. c. DCOM-Programs also hosts a biweekly review that is more of a deep dive contract...Number 37, for additional details.) • NTM-A/CSTC-A’s, “ANA Logistics Deep Dive ” briefing for DOD IG team, Director CJ4, April 28, 2011

Hyper-X Stage Separation: Background and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reubush, David E.

1999-01-01

This paper provides an overview of stage separation activities for NASA's Hyper-X program; a focused hypersonic technology effort designed to move hypersonic, airbreathing vehicle technology from the laboratory environment to the flight environment. This paper presents an account of the development of the current stage separation concept, highlights of wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics investigations being conducted to define the separation event, results from ground tests of separation hardware, schedule and status. Substantial work has been completed toward reducing the risk associated with stage separation.

Lessons Learned From Community-Based Approaches to Sodium Reduction

PubMed Central

Kane, Heather; Strazza, Karen; Losby PhD, Jan L.; Lane, Rashon; Mugavero, Kristy; Anater, Andrea S.; Frost, Corey; Margolis, Marjorie; Hersey, James

2017-01-01

Purpose This article describes lessons from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiative encompassing sodium reduction interventions in six communities. Design A multiple case study design was used. Setting This evaluation examined data from programs implemented in six communities located in New York (Broome County, Schenectady County, and New York City); California (Los Angeles County and Shasta County); and Kansas (Shawnee County). Subjects Participants (n = 80) included program staff, program directors, state-level staff, and partners. Measures Measures for this evaluation included challenges, facilitators, and lessons learned from implementing sodium reduction strategies. Analysis The project team conducted a document review of program materials and semi structured interviews 12 to 14 months after implementation. The team coded and analyzed data deductively and inductively. Results Five lessons for implementing community-based sodium reduction approaches emerged: (1) build relationships with partners to understand their concerns, (2) involve individuals knowledgeable about specific venues early, (3) incorporate sodium reduction efforts and messaging into broader nutrition efforts, (4) design the program to reduce sodium gradually to take into account consumer preferences and taste transitions, and (5) identify ways to address the cost of lower-sodium products. Conclusion The experiences of the six communities may assist practitioners in planning community-based sodium reduction interventions. Addressing sodium reduction using a community-based approach can foster meaningful change in dietary sodium consumption. PMID:24575726

Do federal and state audits increase compliance with a grant program to improve municipal infrastructure (AUDIT study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

De La O, Ana L; Martel García, Fernando

2014-09-03

Poor governance and accountability compromise young democracies' efforts to provide public services critical for human development, including water, sanitation, health, and education. Evidence shows that accountability agencies like superior audit institutions can reduce corruption and waste in federal grant programs financing service infrastructure. However, little is know about their effect on compliance with grant reporting and resource allocation requirements, or about the causal mechanisms. This study protocol for an exploratory randomized controlled trial tests the hypothesis that federal and state audits increase compliance with a federal grant program to improve municipal service infrastructure serving marginalized households. The AUDIT study is a block randomized, controlled, three-arm parallel group exploratory trial. A convenience sample of 5 municipalities in each of 17 states in Mexico (n=85) were block randomized to be audited by federal auditors (n=17), by state auditors (n=17), and a control condition outside the annual program of audits (n=51) in a 1:1:3 ratio. Replicable and verifiable randomization was performed using publicly available lottery numbers. Audited municipalities were included in the national program of audits and received standard audits on their use of federal public service infrastructure grants. Municipalities receiving moderate levels of grant transfers were recruited, as these were outside the auditing sampling frame--and hence audit program--or had negligible probabilities of ever being audited. The primary outcome measures capture compliance with the grant program and markers for the causal mechanisms, including deterrence and information effects. Secondary outcome measure include differences in audit reports across federal and state auditors, and measures like career concerns, political promotions, and political clientelism capturing synergistic effects with municipal accountability systems. The survey firm and research assistants assessing outcomes were blind to treatment status. This study will improve our understanding of local accountability systems for public service delivery in the 17 states under study, and may have downstream policy implications. The study design also demonstrates the use of verifiable and replicable randomization, and of sequentially partitioned hypotheses to reduce the Type I error rate in multiple hypothesis tests. Controlled-trials.com Identifier ISRCTN22381841: Date registered 02/11/2012.

Active Control of Fan Noise: Feasibility Study. Volume 5; Numerical Computation of Acoustic Mode Reflection Coefficients for an Unflanged Cylindrical Duct

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, R. E.

1996-01-01

A computational method to predict modal reflection coefficients in cylindrical ducts has been developed based on the work of Homicz, Lordi, and Rehm, which uses the Wiener-Hopf method to account for the boundary conditions at the termination of a thin cylindrical pipe. The purpose of this study is to develop a computational routine to predict the reflection coefficients of higher order acoustic modes impinging on the unflanged termination of a cylindrical duct. This effort was conducted wider Task Order 5 of the NASA Lewis LET Program, Active Noise Control of aircraft Engines: Feasibility Study, and will be used as part of the development of an integrated source noise, acoustic propagation, ANC actuator coupling, and control system algorithm simulation. The reflection coefficient prediction will be incorporated into an existing cylindrical duct modal analysis to account for the reflection of modes from the duct termination. This will provide a more accurate, rapid computation design tool for evaluating the effect of reflected waves on active noise control systems mounted in the duct, as well as providing a tool for the design of acoustic treatment in inlet ducts. As an active noise control system design tool, the method can be used preliminary to more accurate but more numerically intensive acoustic propagation models such as finite element methods. The resulting computer program has been shown to give reasonable results, some examples of which are presented. Reliable data to use for comparison is scarce, so complete checkout is difficult, and further checkout is needed over a wider range of system parameters. In future efforts the method will be adapted as a subroutine to the GEAE segmented cylindrical duct modal analysis program.

Paradigms, Power, and PR in New York City: Assessing Two School Accountability Implementation Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Craig

2014-01-01

This policy study critically compares two different efforts to implement an accountability system in the New York City public schools. In 1971, the New York City Board of Education contracted with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which created a lengthy accountability plan for the district. Fitful maneuvers to execute the ETS plan fizzled…

Incentives and Test-Based Accountability in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hout, Michael, Ed.; Elliott, Stuart W., Ed.

2011-01-01

In recent years there have been increasing efforts to use accountability systems based on large-scale tests of students as a mechanism for improving student achievement. The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a prominent example of such an effort, but it is only the continuation of a steady trend toward greater test-based accountability in…

Standard setting: the crucial issues. A case study of accounting & auditing.

PubMed

Nowakowski, J R

1982-01-01

A study of standard-setting efforts in accounting and auditing is reported. The study reveals four major areas of concern in a professional standard-setting effort: (1) issues related to the rationale for setting standards, (2) issues related to the standard-setting board and its support structure, (3) issues related to the content of standards and rules for generating them, and (4) issues that deal with how standards are put to use. Principles derived from the study of accounting and auditing are provided to illuminate and assess standard-setting efforts in evaluation.

A social media program to increase adolescent seat belt use.

PubMed

Drake, Stacy A; Zhang, Ni; Applewhite, Courtney; Fowler, Katherine; Holcomb, John B

2017-09-01

In response to motor vehicle crashes remaining the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States, a nursing clinical group (n = 10) in conjunction with a local hospital injury prevention program created an educational campaign to bolster seat belt use. The nursing students created an Instagram account to serve as an educational tool to promote seat belt use among teenagers aged 14-19, and the program was presented at three high school health fairs. In all, 135 postings were made to the account over a 3-month period. The number of likes posted by high school students was the unit of analysis. The most significant result (p = .01) was the difference between postings most liked (celebrities wearing seat belts) and least liked (postings made at the high school health fair), otherwise, differences among postings liked (humor postings, response requests, pictures of celebrities, factual data) were not significant. Instagram user engagement, measured in number of likes, is indicative that social media provides platforms to promote injury prevention efforts. Further research is needed to identify measurable elements of social media and to follow-up on behavioral changes following participation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Latino Physician Shortage: How the Affordable Care Act Increases the Value of Latino Spanish-Speaking Physicians and What Efforts Can Increase Their Supply.

PubMed

Daar, David A; Alvarez-Estrada, Miguel; Alpert, Abigail E

2018-02-01

The United States Latino population is growing at a rapid pace and is set to reach nearly 30% by 2050. The demand for culturally and linguistically competent health care is increasing in lockstep with this growth; however, the supply of doctors with skills and experience suited for this care is lagging. In particular, there is a major shortage of Latino Spanish-speaking physicians, and the gap between demand and supply is widening. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased the capacity of the US healthcare system to care for the growing Latino Spanish-speaking population, through health insurance exchanges, increased funding for safety net institutions, and efforts to improve efficiency and coordination of care, particularly with Accountable Care Organizations and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. With these policies in mind, the authors discuss how the value of Latino Spanish-speaking physicians to the healthcare system has increased under the environment of the ACA. In addition, the authors highlight key efforts to increase the supply of this physician population, including the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act, premedical pipeline programs, and academic medicine and medical school education initiatives to increase Latino representation among physicians.

Guided goal setting: effectiveness in a dietary and physical activity intervention with low-income adolescents.

PubMed

Shilts, Mical Kay; Horowitz, Marcel; Townsend, Marilyn S

2009-01-01

Determining the effectiveness of the guided goal setting strategy on changing adolescents' dietary and physical activity self-efficacy and behaviors. Adolescents were individually assigned to treatment (intervention with guided goal setting) or control conditions (intervention without guided goal setting) with data collected before and after the education intervention. Urban middle school in a low-income community in Central California. Ethnically diverse middle school students (n = 94, 55% male) who were participants of a USDA nutrition education program. Driven by the Social Cognitive Theory, the intervention targeted dietary and physical activity behaviors of adolescents. Dietary self-efficacy and behavior; physical activity self-efficacy and behavior; goal effort and spontaneous goal setting. ANCOVA and path analysis were performed using the full sample and a sub-sample informed by Locke's recommendations (accounting for goal effort and spontaneous goal setting). No significant differences were found between groups using the full sample. Using the sub-sample, greater gains in dietary behavior (p < .05), physical activity behavior (p < .05), and physical activity self-efficacy (p < .05) were made by treatment participants compared to control participants. Change in physical activity behaviors was mediated by self-efficacy. Accounting for goal effort and spontaneous goal setting, this study provides some evidence that the use of guided goal setting with adolescents may be a viable strategy to promote dietary and physical activity behavior change.

Improved Multi-Axial, Temperature and Time Dependent (MATT) Failure Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, D. E.; Anderson, G. L.; Macon, D. J.

2002-01-01

An extensive effort has recently been completed by the Space Shuttle's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) nozzle program to completely characterize the effects of multi-axial loading, temperature and time on the failure characteristics of three filled epoxy adhesives (TIGA 321, EA913NA, EA946). As part of this effort, a single general failure criterion was developed that accounted for these effects simultaneously. This model was named the Multi- Axial, Temperature, and Time Dependent or MATT failure criterion. Due to the intricate nature of the failure criterion, some parameters were required to be calculated using complex equations or numerical methods. This paper documents some simple but accurate modifications to the failure criterion to allow for calculations of failure conditions without complex equations or numerical techniques.

Indissoluble Connection of Russian MC&A System Sustainability with that of the Russian Methodological & Training Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryazanov, Boris G.; Goryunov, Victor; Pshakin, Gennady M.

During the past 10 years of collaboration under the U.S.-Russian Materials Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program great efforts were made to transform and upgrade the Russian Federal Nuclear Materials Control and Accounting (MC&A) System. The efforts were focused not only on MC&A systems for nuclear facilities but also on creating and developing the system infrastructure, including legislation, state inspection and agency monitoring, training of operators and inspectors, instrument and methodological support, and the Federal Information System (FIS). At present the most important and urgent goal is to provide sustainability of MC&A systems at the existing level or at themore » level that will be achieved in 2007-2008. Since the very beginning of the program, the Russian Methodological and Training Center (RMTC) activities have been focused on intensive training of the personnel as well as the methodological support necessary for transformation and development of the entire system and its elements located at nuclear facilities. Sustainability of the federal MC&A system is impossible without advanced training of personnel and methodological support for upgrading of system elements at nuclear facilities. That is why the RMTC sustainability is one of the key conditions required for the system sustainability as a whole. The paper presents the results of analysis of the conditions for the Russian MC&A system sustainable development in conjunction with the RMTC sustainability.« less

Inferring invasive species abundance using removal data from management actions.

PubMed

Davis, Amy J; Hooten, Mevin B; Miller, Ryan S; Farnsworth, Matthew L; Lewis, Jesse; Moxcey, Michael; Pepin, Kim M

2016-10-01

Evaluation of the progress of management programs for invasive species is crucial for demonstrating impacts to stakeholders and strategic planning of resource allocation. Estimates of abundance before and after management activities can serve as a useful metric of population management programs. However, many methods of estimating population size are too labor intensive and costly to implement, posing restrictive levels of burden on operational programs. Removal models are a reliable method for estimating abundance before and after management using data from the removal activities exclusively, thus requiring no work in addition to management. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate abundance from removal data accounting for varying levels of effort, and used simulations to assess the conditions under which reliable population estimates are obtained. We applied this model to estimate site-specific abundance of an invasive species, feral swine (Sus scrofa), using removal data from aerial gunning in 59 site/time-frame combinations (480-19,600 acres) throughout Oklahoma and Texas, USA. Simulations showed that abundance estimates were generally accurate when effective removal rates (removal rate accounting for total effort) were above 0.40. However, when abundances were small (<50) the effective removal rate needed to accurately estimates abundances was considerably higher (0.70). Based on our post-validation method, 78% of our site/time frame estimates were accurate. To use this modeling framework it is important to have multiple removals (more than three) within a time frame during which demographic changes are minimized (i.e., a closed population; ≤3 months for feral swine). Our results show that the probability of accurately estimating abundance from this model improves with increased sampling effort (8+ flight hours across the 3-month window is best) and increased removal rate. Based on the inverse relationship between inaccurate abundances and inaccurate removal rates, we suggest auxiliary information that could be collected and included in the model as covariates (e.g., habitat effects, differences between pilots) to improve accuracy of removal rates and hence abundance estimates. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Do less effective teachers choose professional development does it matter?

PubMed

Barrett, Nathan; Butler, J S; Toma, Eugenia F

2012-10-01

In an ongoing effort to improve teacher quality, most states require continuing education or professional development for their in-service teachers. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of various professional development programs have assumed a normal distribution of quality of teachers participating in the programs. Because participation in many professional development programs is either targeted or voluntary, this article suggests past evaluations of the effectiveness of professional development may be subject to selection bias and policy recommendations may be premature. This article presents an empirical framework for evaluating professional development programs where treatment is potentially nonrandom, and explicitly accounts for the teacher's prior effectiveness in the classroom as a factor that may influence participation in professional development. This article controls for the influence of selection bias on professional development outcomes by generating a matched sample based on propensity scores and then estimating the program's effect. In applying this framework to the professional development program examined in this article, less effective teachers are found to be more likely to participate in the program, and correcting for this selection leads to different conclusions regarding the program's effectiveness than when ignoring teacher selection patterns.

Building a Communication, Education, an Outreach Program for the ShakeAlert National Earthquake Early Warning Program - Recommendations for Public Alerts Via Cell Phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeGroot, R. M.; Long, K.; Strauss, J. A.

2017-12-01

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and its partners are developing the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast of the United States. To be an integral part of successful implementation, ShakeAlert engagement programs and materials must integrate with and leverage broader earthquake risk programs. New methods and products for dissemination must be multidisciplinary, cost effective, and consistent with existing hazards education and communication efforts. The ShakeAlert Joint Committee for Communication, Education, and Outreach (JCCEO), is identifying, developing, and cultivating partnerships with ShakeAlert stakeholders including Federal, State, academic partners, private companies, policy makers, and local organizations. Efforts include developing materials, methods for delivery, and reaching stakeholders with information on ShakeAlert, earthquake preparedness, and emergency protective actions. It is essential to develop standards to ensure information communicated via the alerts is consistent across the public and private sector and achieving a common understanding of what actions users take when they receive a ShakeAlert warning. In February 2017, the JCCEO convened the Warning Message Focus Group (WMFG) to provide findings and recommendations to the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions on the use of earthquake early warning message content standards for public alerts via cell phones. The WMFG represents communications, education, and outreach stakeholders from various sectors including ShakeAlert regional coordinators, industry, emergency managers, and subject matter experts from the social sciences. The group knowledge was combined with an in-depth literature review to ensure that all groups who could receive the message would be taken into account. The USGS and the participating states and agencies acknowledge that the implementation of ShakeAlert is a collective effort requiring the participation of hundreds of stakeholders committed to ensuring public accessibility.

Toward defining and measuring social accountability in graduate medical education: a stakeholder study.

PubMed

Reddy, Anjani T; Lazreg, Sonia A; Phillips, Robert L; Bazemore, Andrew W; Lucan, Sean C

2013-09-01

Since 1965, Medicare has publically financed graduate medical education (GME) in the United States. Given public financing, various advisory groups have argued that GME should be more socially accountable. Several efforts are underway to develop accountability measures for GME that could be tied to Medicare payments, but it is not clear how to measure or even define social accountability. We explored how GME stakeholders perceive, define, and measure social accountability. Through purposive and snowball sampling, we completed semistructured interviews with 18 GME stakeholders from GME training sites, government agencies, and health care organizations. We analyzed interview field notes and audiorecordings using a flexible, iterative, qualitative group process to identify themes. THREE THEMES EMERGED IN REGARDS TO DEFINING SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: (1) creating a diverse physician workforce to address regional needs and primary care and specialty shortages; (2) ensuring quality in training and care to best serve patients; and (3) providing service to surrounding communities and the general public. All but 1 stakeholder believed GME institutions have a responsibility to be socially accountable. Reported barriers to achieving social accountability included training time constraints, financial limitations, and institutional resistance. Suggestions for measuring social accountability included reviewing graduates' specialties and practice locations, evaluating curricular content, and reviewing program services to surrounding communities. Most stakeholders endorsed the concept of social accountability in GME, suggesting definitions and possible measures that could inform policy makers calls for increased accountability despite recognized barriers.

Mobilizing the private sector. Indonesia.

PubMed

Ferraz-tabor, L

1993-12-01

The national diarrheal disease control program has made progress against diarrheal illness in Indonesia, but diarrhea still accounts for 130,000 deaths of under-5 year olds annually. The potential of the private sector had been virtually untapped until the PRITECH Project designed and implemented a private sector based program to complement government efforts to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality related to diarrhea. PRITECH wanted to motivate commercial firms to invest the capital necessary to commercialize oral rehydration salts (ORS) so that program self-sufficiency would be maximized over the long term without depending upon donor support. Sections describe the lack of commercial sector ORS promotion, supply and demand factors, raising interest in ORS, conditions for change, the potential market for ORS, demand, production capacity, previous collaborative efforts, areas for improvement, PRITECH's role as catalyst, coordination with commercial companies, marketing workshops, collaboration with the Indonesian Medical Association, the handwashing campaign, and program impact. Although the program has been in place for just 1 year, sales of ORS have increased along with the degree of sustainable collaboration among local institutions. The author stresses that for the model to be successfully replicated elsewhere, the government, medical and pediatric associations, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, groups which can promote oral rehydration therapy, and opinion leaders in the medical community must be involved. Finally, note is made that the image of ORS must be improved and that the work of the public and commercial sectors can be complementary.

Continuous Efforts to Develop the National System for Material Control and Accounting Training at the George Kuzmycz Training Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gavrilyuk, Victor I.; Kirischuk, Volodymyr; Romanova, Olena

2011-10-01

The George Kuzmycz Training Center (GKTC) for Physical Protection, Control and Accounting of Nuclear Materials was established in 1998 at the Kyiv Institute of Nuclear Research of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences through the collaborative efforts of the United States and Ukraine. Later the European Commission (EC) joined the US in assisting with the Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) part of the GKTC training program. The Government of Ukraine designated the GKTC as the National Center responsible for providing training and methodological support for nuclear facilities and nuclear specialists in the Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) area. To increasemore » the efficiency of the State MC&A system an essential number of new regulations, norms and rules have been developed; some of them mandate regular and more intensive training of MC&A specialists in the industry - from those working at the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Ukraine to the personnel of nuclear facilities. To meet such regulations GKTC plans to develop next year a number of training courses under the EC contract; such courses will reflect both the specifics of Ukrainian nuclear facilities and the level of expertise of the facilities’ personnel. The NDA training laboratory, established in 2003 with US DOE financial support and technical and methodological assistance, considerably expanded the GKTC’s training capabilities for MC&A programs. Next year that lab will be supplemented with a new NM Surveillance and Containment laboratory as current plans call for under the EC contract. The US DOE is also providing funding to support that project. Under the EC contract the laboratory will be equipped with state-of-the-art, advanced surveillance and containment equipment which will strengthen and expand even further the GKTC’s training capabilities and potential. This will allow GKTC to train Ukrainian nuclear industry specialists in practically all MC&A topics. Furthermore, GKTC is planning to offer already this year and to continue offering in the future, on a regular basis, the courses that have already been developed, while continuing to develop new ones. This paper briefly describes the work done to upgrade the Ukrainian MC&A system, both at the State and at the facilities’ levels, as well as the results of efforts to develop the National System for training MC&A personnel at the GKTC. It also describes problems encountered and their solution; it includes comments, suggestions and recommendations for future activities to promote and improve the nuclear material management culture in Ukraine.« less

Accounting for natural resources and environmental sustainability: linking ecosystem services to human well-being.

PubMed

Jordan, Stephen J; Hayes, Sharon E; Yoskowitz, David; Smith, Lisa M; Summers, J Kevin; Russell, Marc; Benson, William H

2010-03-01

One of society's greatest challenges is to sustain natural resources while promoting economic growth and quality of life. In the face of this challenge, society must measure the effectiveness of programs established to safeguard the environment. The impetus for demonstrating positive results from government-sponsored research and regulation in the United States comes from Congress (General Accountability Office; GAO) and the Executive Branch (Office of Management and Budget; OMB). The message is: regulatory and research programs must demonstrate outcomes that justify their costs. Although the concept is simple, it is a complex problem to demonstrate that environmental research, policies, and regulations cause measurable changes in environmental quality. Even where changes in environmental quality can be tracked reliably, the connections between government actions and environmental outcomes seldom are direct or straightforward. In this article, we describe emerging efforts (with emphasis on the role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; EPA) to frame and measure environmental outcomes in terms of ecosystem services and values-societally and ecologically meaningful metrics for gauging how well we manage environmental resources. As examples of accounting for outcomes and values, we present a novel, low-cost method for determining relative values of multiple ecosystem services, and describe emerging research on indicators of human well-being.

Ethics, equity, and economics: a primer on women in medicine.

PubMed

Essary, Alison C; Coplan, Bettie

2014-05-01

Women account for more than 70% of physician assistant (PA) students, 62% of practicing PAs, and 57% of faculty in PA programs. About half of all US medical students, 30% of actively practicing physicians, and 37% of faculty at academic medical centers are female. However, women in medicine are paid less than men for equal work effort and achieve fewer leadership positions within academia and medicine. Neglecting the skills and talents of women may lead to a workforce that fails to represent our patient and student populations.

The quest for an accurate accounting of public health expenditures.

PubMed

Atchison, C; Barry, M A; Kanarek, N; Gebbie, K

2000-09-01

This article describes one effort to develop management tools that will help public health administrators and policy makers implement comprehensive public health strategies. It recounts the ongoing development of a methodology through which the Essential Public Health Services can be related to public health budgets, appropriations, and expenditures. Through three pilot projects involving: (1) nine state health agencies, (2) three local health agencies, and (3) all local jurisdictions and the state health agency in one state, a workable methodology for identifying public expenditures for comprehensive public health programming has been identified.

Biofouling and corrosion studies. Final report, Part I, May 1, 1976-December 1977

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahalingam, L. M.

1978-01-01

Three sets of biofouling experiments were conducted. Two of these sets were done in the Pacific Ocean at Keahole Point, Hawaii, and one was in the Caribbean at St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Data and results from these experiments are presented and discussed. Heat transfer, biological, and metallurgical measurements are presented. A brief account of the data analysis procedures, and an assessment of the hardware performance are given. Recommendations are made to improve the quality of the current efforts in the OTEC Biofouling, Corrosion and Materials program.

Creating a Statewide Educational Data System for Accountability and Improvement: A Comprehensive Information and Assessment System for Making Evidence-Based Change at School, District, and Policy Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felner, Robert D.; Bolton, Natalie; Seitsinger, Anne M.; Brand, Stephen; Burns, Amy

2008-01-01

This article reports on one ongoing statewide effort to create a high-quality data reporting and utilization system (i.e., High-Performance Learning Community [HiPlaces] Assessment) to inform educational accountability and improvement efforts system. This effort has undergoing refinement for more than a decade. The article describes the features…

Single-Step BLUP with Varying Genotyping Effort in Open-Pollinated Picea glauca.

PubMed

Ratcliffe, Blaise; El-Dien, Omnia Gamal; Cappa, Eduardo P; Porth, Ilga; Klápště, Jaroslav; Chen, Charles; El-Kassaby, Yousry A

2017-03-10

Maximization of genetic gain in forest tree breeding programs is contingent on the accuracy of the predicted breeding values and precision of the estimated genetic parameters. We investigated the effect of the combined use of contemporary pedigree information and genomic relatedness estimates on the accuracy of predicted breeding values and precision of estimated genetic parameters, as well as rankings of selection candidates, using single-step genomic evaluation (HBLUP). In this study, two traits with diverse heritabilities [tree height (HT) and wood density (WD)] were assessed at various levels of family genotyping efforts (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) from a population of white spruce ( Picea glauca ) consisting of 1694 trees from 214 open-pollinated families, representing 43 provenances in Québec, Canada. The results revealed that HBLUP bivariate analysis is effective in reducing the known bias in heritability estimates of open-pollinated populations, as it exposes hidden relatedness, potential pedigree errors, and inbreeding. The addition of genomic information in the analysis considerably improved the accuracy in breeding value estimates by accounting for both Mendelian sampling and historical coancestry that were not captured by the contemporary pedigree alone. Increasing family genotyping efforts were associated with continuous improvement in model fit, precision of genetic parameters, and breeding value accuracy. Yet, improvements were observed even at minimal genotyping effort, indicating that even modest genotyping effort is effective in improving genetic evaluation. The combined utilization of both pedigree and genomic information may be a cost-effective approach to increase the accuracy of breeding values in forest tree breeding programs where shallow pedigrees and large testing populations are the norm. Copyright © 2017 Ratcliffe et al.

A scientifically based nationwide assessment of groundwater quality in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alley, W.M.; Cohen, P.

1991-01-01

Beginning in 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey began an effort to develop a National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The basic premise underlying this initiative is that a better understanding of the quality of water resources across the country, both surface- and groundwater, is needed to develop effective programs and policies to meet the nation's water-quality concerns. The program will focus on water-quality conditions that are prevalent or large in scale, such as occur from nonpoint sources of pollution or from a high density of point sources. The design of the program is substantially different from the traditional approach of a diffuse national monitoring network. The major activities of the assessment program will be clustered within a set of hydrologic systems (river basins and aquifer systems), referred to as study units. In aggregate, the study units will account for a large part of the nation's water use and represent a wide range of settings across the country. Unique attributes of the program include: (1) the use of consistent study approaches, field and laboratory methods, water-quality measurements, and ancillary data measurements for all study units; (2) the development of a progressive understanding of water-quality conditions and trends in each study unit through long-term studies that rotate periods of intensive data collection and analysis with periods during which the assessment activities are less intensive; and (3) the focus of considerable effort on synthesizing results from among the study units to provide information on regional and national water-quality issues. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Accounting for sampling patterns reverses the relative importance of trade and climate for the global sharing of exotic plants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sofaer, Helen R.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.

2017-01-01

AimThe distributions of exotic species reflect patterns of human-mediated dispersal, species climatic tolerances and a suite of other biotic and abiotic factors. The relative importance of each of these factors will shape how the spread of exotic species is affected by ongoing economic globalization and climate change. However, patterns of trade may be correlated with variation in scientific sampling effort globally, potentially confounding studies that do not account for sampling patterns.LocationGlobal.Time periodMuseum records, generally from the 1800s up to 2015.Major taxa studiedPlant species exotic to the United States.MethodsWe used data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to summarize the number of plant species with exotic occurrences in the United States that also occur in each other country world-wide. We assessed the relative importance of trade and climatic similarity for explaining variation in the number of shared species while evaluating several methods to account for variation in sampling effort among countries.ResultsAccounting for variation in sampling effort reversed the relative importance of trade and climate for explaining numbers of shared species. Trade was strongly correlated with numbers of shared U.S. exotic plants between the United States and other countries before, but not after, accounting for sampling variation among countries. Conversely, accounting for sampling effort strengthened the relationship between climatic similarity and species sharing. Using the number of records as a measure of sampling effort provided a straightforward approach for the analysis of occurrence data, whereas species richness estimators and rarefaction were less effective at removing sampling bias.Main conclusionsOur work provides support for broad-scale climatic limitation on the distributions of exotic species, illustrates the need to account for variation in sampling effort in large biodiversity databases, and highlights the difficulty in inferring causal links between the economic drivers of invasion and global patterns of exotic species occurrence.

Personal computer security: part 1. Firewalls, antivirus software, and Internet security suites.

PubMed

Caruso, Ronald D

2003-01-01

Personal computer (PC) security in the era of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) involves two interrelated elements: safeguarding the basic computer system itself and protecting the information it contains and transmits, including personal files. HIPAA regulations have toughened the requirements for securing patient information, requiring every radiologist with such data to take further precautions. Security starts with physically securing the computer. Account passwords and a password-protected screen saver should also be set up. A modern antivirus program can easily be installed and configured. File scanning and updating of virus definitions are simple processes that can largely be automated and should be performed at least weekly. A software firewall is also essential for protection from outside intrusion, and an inexpensive hardware firewall can provide yet another layer of protection. An Internet security suite yields additional safety. Regular updating of the security features of installed programs is important. Obtaining a moderate degree of PC safety and security is somewhat inconvenient but is necessary and well worth the effort. Copyright RSNA, 2003

Explaining homosexuality: philosophical issues, and who cares anyhow?

PubMed

Suppe, F

1994-01-01

Standard behavioral and biological attempts to explain the etiology of homosexuality are surveyed. These include genetic, physiological (e.g., hormonal), constitutional (e.g., wrong pubic hair configurations), childhood experience, parenting, and psychoanalytic accounts. These are criticized from a number of perspectives, including inadequate conceptualization of homosexuality and heterosexuality. The use of path analysis to assess etiological accounts is examined, with particular attention being paid to the Kinsey Institute's Sexual Preference efforts. Drawing from the sociology of science, recent philosophical work on the growth of scientific knowledge, and historical considerations, the legitimacy of homosexual etiology as a scientific research question is examined. It is argued that homosexual etiology is a degenerative research program. The research program's conceptual crudity with respect to sexual identity and sexual orientation precludes it from making any scientific contribution. Thus the claim that homosexual etiology is a legitimate scientific issue is plausible only against the background of a set of late Victorian normative assumptions about "normal love," some surrogate thereof, or a political agenda. Implications of the homosexuality etiology case study for more general philosophical treatments of explanation are considered briefly.

A model of determining a fair market value for teaching residents: who profits?

PubMed

Cullen, Edward J; Lawless, Stephen T; Hertzog, James H; Penfil, Scott; Bradford, Kathleen K; Nadkarni, Vinay M; Corddry, David H; Costarino, Andrew T

2003-07-01

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Resources and Services Administration Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (GME) Payment Program now supports freestanding children's teaching hospitals. To analyze the fair market value impact of GME payment on resident teaching efforts in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Cost-accounting model, developed from a 1-year retrospective, descriptive, single-institution, longitudinal study, applied to physician teachers, residents, and CMS. Sixteen-bed PICU in a freestanding, university-affiliated children's teaching hospital. Pediatric critical care physicians, second-year residents. Cost of physician opportunity time; CMS investment return; the teaching physicians' investment return; residents' investment return; service balance between CMS and teaching service investment margins; economic balance points; fair market value. GME payments to our hospital increased 4.8-fold from 577 886 dollars to 2 772 606 dollars during a 1-year period. Critical care physicians' teaching opportunity cost rose from 250 097 dollars to 262 215 dollars to provide 1523 educational hours (6853 relative value units). Residents' net financial value for service provided to the PICU rose from 245 964 dollars to 317 299 dollars. There is an uneven return on investment in resident education for CMS, critical care physicians, and residents. Economic balance points are achievable for the present educational efforts of the CMS, critical care physicians, and residents if the present direct medical education payment increases from 29.38% to 36%. The current CMS Health Resources and Services Administration Children's Hospitals GME Payment Program produces uneven investment returns for CMS, critical care physicians, and residents. We propose a cost-accounting model, based on perceived production capability measured in relative value units and available GME funds, that would allow a clinical service to balance and obtain a fair market value for the resident education efforts of CMS, physician teachers, and residents.

Calculating cost savings in utilization management.

PubMed

MacMillan, Donna

2014-01-01

A major motivation for managing the utilization of laboratory testing is to reduce the cost of medical care. For this reason it is important to understand the basic principles of cost accounting in the clinical laboratory. The process of laboratory testing includes three distinct components termed the pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic phases. Utilization management efforts may impact the cost structure of these three phases in different ways depending on the specific details of the initiative. Estimates of cost savings resulting from utilization management programs reported in the literature have often been fundamentally flawed due to a failure to understand basic concepts such as the difference between laboratory costs versus charges and the impact of reducing laboratory test volumes on the average versus marginal cost structure in the laboratory. This article will provide an overview of basic cost accounting principles in the clinical laboratory including both job order and process cost accounting. Specific examples will be presented to illustrate these concepts in various different scenarios. © 2013.

Health Promotion Efforts as Predictors of Physical Activity in Schools: An Application of the Diffusion of Innovations Model.

PubMed

Glowacki, Elizabeth M; Centeio, Erin E; Van Dongen, Daniel J; Carson, Russell L; Castelli, Darla M

2016-06-01

Implementing a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) effectively addresses public health issues by providing opportunities for physical activity (PA). Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovations model, the purpose of this study was to identify how health promotion efforts facilitate opportunities for PA. Physical and health education teachers (N = 256) nationwide were surveyed using a CSPAP Index to identify teacher's efforts for providing opportunities for PA within a school setting. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed total number of PA opportunities was significantly predicted by teachers' health promotion efforts, p < .001. Sex and years of experience were not significant covariates, p = .35, in the final step of the model. Accounting for teaching environments, the model was significant, p < .001. The strongest predictors were the promotional efforts of PA for family and community, p < .001, PA for staff members, p < .01, PA during the school day, p < .05, and PA before school, p < .05. To increase PA opportunities for children in schools, emphasis should be placed on health promotion. This study confirms the importance of teachers involving family, community, and staff members as co-health promoters when trying to increase PA engagement surrounding schools. © 2016, American School Health Association.

The RMTC as a result of 10-year fruitful joint cooperation of the USA, EC and Russia under NMC&A programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dickman, Deborah A.; Frigola, P.; Guardini, Sergio

The Ministry for Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation made the decision to establish the Russian Methodological and Training Center (RMTC) not only as the leading center on personnel training in nuclear material control and accounting (NMC&A) field, but also as the center for rendering methodological support to specialists and inspectors in the course of development and implementation of a new Russian NMC&A system and to the state authorities in their regulatory activities. The importance of the project on RMTC establishment and development was the main reason for concentrating significant efforts not only of the United States (U.S.) National Laboratoriesmore » but also of the European Commission's (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC). The coordination of their efforts in the projects implemented under the U.S.-Russia cooperative program and Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) program resulted in establishing the RMTC, a unique NMC&A methodological and training center in Russia, that has the state-of-the-art instrumentation and tools and highly qualified personnel. The Center has the possibility to invite not only the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute of Physics and Power Engineering named after A. I. Leypunsky (IPPE) specialists but also the specialists from other facilities and agencies to serve as instructors. By now the firm basis for methodological activity has been established in the Center. The RMTC specialists render their knowledge and expertise for many projects on NMC&A upgrading. The RMTC methodological activity is primarily concentrated on development of guidelines on the use of new federal and Rosatom NMC&A regulatory documents. This work is being done with the use of resources and potential of the TACIS program and U.S.-Russia MPC&A program. The paper presents a brief summary of the results achieved in the course of RMTC creation and evolution during the 10-year joint Russian, U.S. and EC efforts.« less

How well do middle school science programs measure up? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesidou, Sofia; Roseman, Jo Ellen

2002-08-01

The purposes of this study were to examine how well middle school programs support the attainment of key scientific ideas specified in national science standards, and to identify typical strengths and weaknesses of these programs using research-based criteria. Nine widely used programs were examined by teams of teachers and specialists in research on teaching and learning. Reviewers found that whereas key ideas were generally present in the programs, they were typically buried between detailed or even unrelated ideas. Programs only rarely provided students with a sense of purpose for the units of study, took account of student beliefs that interfere with learning, engaged students with relevant phenomena to make abstract scientific ideas plausible, modeled the use of scientific knowledge so that students could apply what they learned in everyday situations, or scaffolded student efforts to make meaning of key phenomena and ideas presented in the programs. New middle school science programs that reflect findings from learning research are needed to support teachers better in helping students learn key ideas in science. The criteria and findings from this study on the inadequacies in existing programs could serve as guidelines in new curriculum development.

"Before This Decade Is Out...": Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Glen E. (Editor)

1999-01-01

This handbook presents "Before This Decade Is Out..." Personal Reflections on the Appolo Program. The accounts included in this book are a small sampling of the large number of oral histories that have been conducted under the auspices of the NASA history program, since near the beginning of the Agency. They also represent the many personal contributions made during Project Apollo, the single largest peacetime endeavor in American history. These recollections span the origins, management, and completion of that enormous effort and measurably enhance our appreciation of its difficulty. The comments of some of the key individuals involved in Project Apollo are being preserved by NASA and made available through this book. The people who are quoted in this book were among the top leaders of NASA. All of them played a prominent part in the conduct and accomplishments of Appolo.

Anonymous or confidential HIV counseling and voluntary testing in federally funded testing sites--United States, 1995-1997.

PubMed

1999-06-25

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and voluntary testing (CT) programs have been an important part of national HIV prevention efforts since the first HIV antibody tests became available in 1985. In 1995, these programs accounted for approximately 15% of annual HIV antibody testing in the United States, excluding testing for blood donation. CT opportunities are offered to persons at risk for HIV infection at approximately 11,000 sites, including dedicated HIV CT sites, sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, drug-treatment centers, hospitals, and prisons. In 39 states, testing can be obtained anonymously, where persons do not have to give their name to get tested. All states provide confidential testing (by name) and have confidentiality laws and regulations to protect this information. This report compares patterns of anonymous and confidential testing in all federally funded CT programs from 1995 through 1997 and documents the importance of both types of testing opportunities.

Quality and safety in medical care: what does the future hold?

PubMed

Liang, Bryan A; Mackey, Tim

2011-11-01

The rapid changes in health care policy, embracing quality and safety mandates, have culminated in programs and initiatives under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. To review the context of, and anticipated quality and patient safety mandates for, delivery systems, incentives under health care reform, and models for future accountability for outcomes of care. Assessment of the provisions of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, other reform efforts, and reform initiatives focusing on future quality and safety provisions for health care providers. Health care reform and other efforts focus on consumerism in the context of price. Quality and safety efforts will be structured using financial incentives, best-practices research, and new delivery models that focus on reaching benchmarks while reducing costs. In addition, patient experience will be a key component of reimbursement, and a move toward "retail" approaches directed at the individual patient may supplant traditional "wholesale" efforts at attracting employers. Quality and safety have always been of prime importance in medicine. However, in the future, under health care reform and associated initiatives, a shift in the paradigm of medicine will integrate quality and safety measurement with financial incentives and a new emphasis on consumerism.

The Relationship among Rank, Experience, and Accounting Faculty Effort Allocations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Clifford T.

1991-01-01

Analysis of questionnaires returned by 16 of 450 accounting faculty found that (1) experience is inversely related to the amount of effort allocated to research alone and to the aggregate of teaching, research, and service; and (2) a significant positive relationship was found between rank and administrative activity. (SK)

Methodological Framework for Analysis of Buildings-Related Programs with BEAMS, 2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas B.; Dirks, James A.; Hostick, Donna J.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) develops official “benefits estimates” for each of its major programs using its Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation (PAE) Team. PAE conducts an annual integrated modeling and analysis effort to produce estimates of the energy, environmental, and financial benefits expected from EERE’s budget request. These estimates are part of EERE’s budget request and are also used in the formulation of EERE’s performance measures. Two of EERE’s major programs are the Building Technologies Program (BT) and the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) supports PAEmore » by developing the program characterizations and other market information necessary to provide input to the EERE integrated modeling analysis as part of PAE’s Portfolio Decision Support (PDS) effort. Additionally, PNNL also supports BT by providing line-item estimates for the Program’s internal use. PNNL uses three modeling approaches to perform these analyses. This report documents the approach and methodology used to estimate future energy, environmental, and financial benefits using one of those methods: the Building Energy Analysis and Modeling System (BEAMS). BEAMS is a PC-based accounting model that was built in Visual Basic by PNNL specifically for estimating the benefits of buildings-related projects. It allows various types of projects to be characterized including whole-building, envelope, lighting, and equipment projects. This document contains an overview section that describes the estimation process and the models used to estimate energy savings. The body of the document describes the algorithms used within the BEAMS software. This document serves both as stand-alone documentation for BEAMS, and also as a supplemental update of a previous document, Methodological Framework for Analysis of Buildings-Related Programs: The GPRA Metrics Effort, (Elliott et al. 2004b). The areas most changed since the publication of that previous document are those discussing the calculation of lighting and HVAC interactive effects (for both lighting and envelope/whole-building projects). This report does not attempt to convey inputs to BEAMS or the methodology of their derivation.« less

The patient perspective: utilizing focus groups to inform care coordination for high-risk medicaid populations.

PubMed

Sheff, Alex; Park, Elyse R; Neagle, Mary; Oreskovic, Nicolas M

2017-07-25

Care coordination programs for high-risk, high-cost patients are a critical component of population health management. These programs aim to improve outcomes and reduce costs and have proliferated over the last decade. Some programs, originally designed for Medicare patients, are now transitioning to also serve Medicaid populations. However, there are still gaps in the understanding of what barriers to care Medicaid patients experience, and what supports will be most effective for providing them care coordination. We conducted two focus groups (n = 13) and thematic analyses to assess the outcomes drivers and programmatic preferences of Medicaid patients enrolled in a high-risk care coordination program at a major academic medical center in Boston, MA. Two focus groups identified areas where care coordination efforts were having a positive impact, as well as areas of unmet needs among the Medicaid population. Six themes emerged from the focus groups that clustered in three groupings: In the first group (1) enrollment in an existing medical care coordination programs, and (2) provider communication largely presented as positive accounts of assistance, and good relationships with providers, though participants also pointed to areas where these efforts fell short. In the second group (3) trauma histories, (4) mental health challenges, and (5) executive function difficulties all presented challenges faced by high-risk Medicaid patients that would likely require redress through additional programmatic supports. Finally, in the third group, (6) peer-to-peer support tendencies among patients suggested an untapped resource for care coordination programs. Programs aimed at high-risk Medicaid patients will want to consider programmatic adjustments to attend to patient needs in five areas: (1) provider connection/care coordination, (2) trauma, (3) mental health, (4) executive function/paperwork and coaching support, and (5) peer-to-peer support.

Subsurface Microsensors for Assisted Recertification of TPS (SmarTPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pallix, Joan B.; Milos, Frank S.; Huestis, Dave; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Commercialization of a competitive reusable launch vehicle (RLV) is a primary goal for both NASA and the U.S. aerospace industry. To expedite achievement of this goal, the Bantam-X Technology Program is funding development of innovative technologies to lower costs for access to space. Ground operations is one area where significant cost reduction is required. For the Shuttle fleet, ground operations account for over 80% of the life cycle costs, and TPS recertification accounts for 27% of the operation costs ($4.5M per flight). Bantam Task TPS-7, Subsurface Microsensors for Assisted Recertification of TPS (SmarTPS), is a joint effort between NASA centers and industry partners to develop rapid remote detection and scanning technology for inspection of TPS and detection of subsurface defects. This short paper will provide a general overview of the SmarTPS concept.

Individual differences in responses to provocation and frequent victimization by peers.

PubMed

Champion, Kelly M; Clay, Daniel L

2007-02-01

This study examined associations between victimization by peers and intention to respond to provocative events as a function of anger arousal and motivation to improve the situation in a cross-sectional sample of school-age children (N = 506, 260 males, 246 females). Results demonstrated that more intense anger and more retaliatory motivation were positively associated with intentions to aggress and with frequency of victimization. The association between aggressive intentions to respond to anger provocation and victimization could be accounted for by subjective feelings of anger and motivation to retaliate. The contribution of emotion processes was stronger for boys than for girls. A post hoc examination of non-bullying participants revealed that motivation accounted for aggressive intentions among the non-bullies. Results support including anger management programs in prevention efforts that target the school climate and victims' risk for psychopathology.

Social Return on Investment (SROI): An Innovative Approach to Sustainable Development Goals for Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Kumar, Shubha R; Banke-Thomas, Aduragbemi

2016-09-01

Despite efforts, sub-Saharan Africa did not achieve many key Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) targets under the Millennium Development Goals. In the post 2015 era, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will frame decisions on donor priorities and resource allocations. Successfully addressing SRH challenges in sub-Saharan Africa have been blunted due to fragmentation of SRH interventions in planning and implementation, lack of coherence between policies and program implementation, resulting in poor program performance and lack of accountability. We suggest the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework offers a strategic approach for sub-Saharan Africa in support of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SRH programs given its capacity to capture social and economic impacts, stakeholder participation, and sensitivity towards key human rights concerns relevant to SRH. SROI disrupts a -business as usual‖ approach for one that is systematic, participatory, and supportive of economic and human rights needs for success in the SDG era.

A Change Impact Analysis to Characterize Evolving Program Behaviors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rungta, Neha Shyam; Person, Suzette; Branchaud, Joshua

2012-01-01

Change impact analysis techniques estimate the potential effects of changes made to software. Directed Incremental Symbolic Execution (DiSE) is an intraprocedural technique for characterizing the impact of software changes on program behaviors. DiSE first estimates the impact of the changes on the source code using program slicing techniques, and then uses the impact sets to guide symbolic execution to generate path conditions that characterize impacted program behaviors. DiSE, however, cannot reason about the flow of impact between methods and will fail to generate path conditions for certain impacted program behaviors. In this work, we present iDiSE, an extension to DiSE that performs an interprocedural analysis. iDiSE combines static and dynamic calling context information to efficiently generate impacted program behaviors across calling contexts. Information about impacted program behaviors is useful for testing, verification, and debugging of evolving programs. We present a case-study of our implementation of the iDiSE algorithm to demonstrate its efficiency at computing impacted program behaviors. Traditional notions of coverage are insufficient for characterizing the testing efforts used to validate evolving program behaviors because they do not take into account the impact of changes to the code. In this work we present novel definitions of impacted coverage metrics that are useful for evaluating the testing effort required to test evolving programs. We then describe how the notions of impacted coverage can be used to configure techniques such as DiSE and iDiSE in order to support regression testing related tasks. We also discuss how DiSE and iDiSE can be configured for debugging finding the root cause of errors introduced by changes made to the code. In our empirical evaluation we demonstrate that the configurations of DiSE and iDiSE can be used to support various software maintenance tasks

Assessment and Evaluation of Primary Prevention in Spinal Cord Injury

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Although the incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI) is low, the consequences of this disabling condition are extremely significant for the individual, family, and the community. Sequelae occur in the physical, psychosocial, sexual, and financial arenas, making global prevention of SCI crucial. Understanding how to assess and evaluate primary prevention programs is an important competency for SCI professionals. Assessing a program’s success requires measuring processes, outcomes, and impact. Effective evaluation can lead future efforts for program design while ensuring accountability for the program itself. The intended impact of primary prevention programs for SCI is to decrease the number of individuals who sustain traumatic injury; many programs have process and outcome goals as well. An understanding of the basic types of evaluation, evaluation design, and the overall process of program evaluation is essential for ensuring that these programs are efficacious. All health care professionals have the opportunity to put prevention at the forefront of their practice. With the current paucity of available data, it is important that clinicians share their program design, their successes, and their failures so that all can benefit and future injury can be prevented. PMID:23678281

Approaching 4 Decades of Legislation in the National Family Planning Program: An Analysis of Title X's History From 1970 to 2008

PubMed Central

Daley, Ellen M.; Perrin, Kay M.; Mahan, Charles S.; Buhi, Eric R.

2011-01-01

Family planning is an important public health activity. Title X (Pub L No. 91-572), enacted in 1970, remains the only national family planning program in the United States dedicated to providing voluntary and confidential services to all individuals. We conducted a thematic analysis of Title X's legislative history. Of 293 federal bills included in the legislative history, only 20 (6.8%) were enacted into law. Regardless of the proposed challenges, limited changes have been adopted. Except for technical amendments, bills involving restrictions accounted for the highest percentage of enacted bills, demonstrating efforts to undermine reproductive health rights. Title X requires political will and bipartisan support if it is to continue to protect individuals' reproductive rights. PMID:21940931

International Multidisciplinary Learning: An Account of a Collaborative Effort among Three Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poh, Paul S. H.; Soetanto, Robby; Austin, Stephen; Adamu, Zulkifar A.

2014-01-01

Requiring students to complete their course assignments in partnership and in collaboration with students from other institutions is not commonplace teaching pedagogy. Even less so when they transcend disciplines and international borders. This paper presents a brief account of an ongoing collaborative effort between Ryerson University, Coventry…

Effects of a Community-Based Fall Management Program on Medicare Cost Savings.

PubMed

Ghimire, Ekta; Colligan, Erin M; Howell, Benjamin; Perlroth, Daniella; Marrufo, Grecia; Rusev, Emil; Packard, Michael

2015-12-01

Fall-related injuries and health risks associated with reduced mobility or physical inactivity account for significant costs to the U.S. healthcare system. The widely disseminated lay-led A Matter of Balance (MOB) program aims to help older adults reduce their risk of falling and associated activity limitations. This study examined effects of MOB participation on health service utilization and costs for Medicare beneficiaries, as a part of a larger effort to understand the value of community-based prevention and wellness programs for Medicare. A controlled retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2012-2013, using 2007-2011 MOB program data and 2006-2013 Medicare data. It investigated program effects on falls and fall-related fractures, and health service utilization and costs (standardized to 2012 dollars), of 6,136 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MOB from 2007 through 2011. A difference-in-differences analysis was employed to compare outcomes of MOB participants with matched controls. MOB participation was associated with total medical cost savings of $938 per person (95% CI=$379, $1,498) at 1 year. Savings per person amounted to $517 (95% CI=$265, $769) for unplanned hospitalizations; $81 for home health care (95% CI=$20, $141); and $234 (95% CI=$55, $413) for skilled nursing facility care. Changes in the incidence of falls or fall-related fractures were not detected, suggesting that cost savings accrue through other mechanisms. This study suggests that MOB and similar prevention programs have the potential to reduce Medicare costs. Further research accounting for program delivery costs would help inform the development of Medicare-covered preventive benefits. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Boundary work for sustainable development: Natural resource management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

PubMed

Clark, William C; Tomich, Thomas P; van Noordwijk, Meine; Guston, David; Catacutan, Delia; Dickson, Nancy M; McNie, Elizabeth

2016-04-26

Previous research on the determinants of effectiveness in knowledge systems seeking to support sustainable development has highlighted the importance of "boundary work" through which research communities organize their relations with new science, other sources of knowledge, and the worlds of action and policymaking. A growing body of scholarship postulates specific attributes of boundary work that promote used and useful research. These propositions, however, are largely based on the experience of a few industrialized countries. We report here on an effort to evaluate their relevance for efforts to harness science in support of sustainability in the developing world. We carried out a multicountry comparative analysis of natural resource management programs conducted under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. We discovered six distinctive kinds of boundary work contributing to the successes of those programs-a greater variety than has been documented in previous studies. We argue that these different kinds of boundary work can be understood as a dual response to the different uses for which the results of specific research programs are intended, and the different sources of knowledge drawn on by those programs. We show that these distinctive kinds of boundary work require distinctive strategies to organize them effectively. Especially important are arrangements regarding participation of stakeholders, accountability in governance, and the use of "boundary objects." We conclude that improving the ability of research programs to produce useful knowledge for sustainable development will require both greater and differentiated support for multiple forms of boundary work.

One more thing: Faculty response to increased emphasis on project teams in undergraduate engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Jane

Tenured and tenure-track faculty members at institutions of higher education, especially those at Research I institutions, are being asked to do more than ever before. With rapidly changing technology, significant decreases in public funding, the shift toward privately funded research, and the ever increasing expectations of students for an education that adequately prepares them for professional careers, engineering faculty are particularly challenged by the escalating demands on their time. In 1996, the primary accreditation organization for engineering programs (ABET) adopted new criteria that required, among other things, engineering programs to teach students to function on multidisciplinary teams and to communicate effectively. In response, most engineering programs utilize project teams as a strategy for teaching these skills. The purpose of this qualitative study of tenured and tenure track engineering faculty at a Research I institution in the southwestern United States was to explore the variety of ways in which the engineering faculty responded to the demands placed upon them as a result of the increased emphasis on project teams in undergraduate engineering education. Social role theory and organizational climate theory guided the study. Some faculty viewed project teams as an opportunity for students to learn important professional skills and to benefit from collaborative learning but many questioned the importance and feasibility of teaching teamwork skills and had concerns about taking time away from other essential fundamental material such as mathematics, basic sciences and engineering sciences. Although the administration of the College of Engineering articulated strong support for the use of project teams in undergraduate education, the prevailing climate did little to promote significant efforts related to effective utilization of project teams. Too often, faculty were unwilling to commit sufficient time or effort to make project teamwork a truly valuable learning opportunity because those efforts were not perceived to be valuable and were rarely rewarded. Few formal professional development opportunities were available and few incentives were in place to encourage other informal efforts to develop the necessary skills. Those who committed significant effort to project teams were challenged by concerns about team composition, student accountability and assigning individual grades for group teamwork.

Surgical education to improve the quality of patient care: the role of practice-based learning and improvement.

PubMed

Sachdeva, Ajit K

2007-11-01

Health care is going through immense change, and concerns regarding the quality of patient care and patient safety continue to be expressed in many national forums. A variety of stakeholders are demanding greater accountability from the health care profession. Education is key to supporting surgeons' efforts to provide high-quality patient care during these challenging times. Educational programs for surgeons should be founded on principles of continuous professional development (CPD) and practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI). CPD focuses on the specific needs of individual surgeons and involves lifelong learning throughout a surgeon's career. It needs to form the basis of PBLI efforts. PBLI involves a cycle of four steps--identifying areas for improvement, engaging in learning, applying new knowledge and skills to practice, and checking for improvement. Ongoing involvement in PBLI activities to address specific learning needs should positively impact a surgeon's practice and improve outcomes of surgical care.

Spacecraft contamination programs within the Air Force Systems Command Laboratories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murad, Edmond

1990-01-01

Spacecraft contamination programs exist in five independent AFSC organizations: Geophysics Laboratory (GL), Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC), Rome Air Development Center (RADC/OSCE), Wright Research and Development Center (MLBT), Armament Laboratory (ATL/SAI), and Space Systems Division (SSD/OL-AW). In addition, a sizable program exists at Aerospace Corp. These programs are complementary, each effort addressing a specific area of expertise: GL's effort is aimed at addressing the effects of on-orbit contamination; AEDC's effort is aimed at ground simulation and measurement of optical contamination; RADC's effort addresses the accumulation, measurement, and removal of contamination on large optics; MLBT's effort is aimed at understanding the effect of contamination on materials; ATL's effort is aimed at understanding the effect of plume contamination on systems; SSD's effort is confined to the integration of some contamination experiments sponsored by SSD/CLT; and Aerospace Corp.'s effort is aimed at supporting the needs of the using System Program Offices (SPO) in specific areas, such as contamination during ground handling, ascent phase, laboratory measurements aimed at understanding on-orbit contamination, and mass loss and mass gain in on-orbit operations. These programs are described in some detail, with emphasis on GL's program.

Hyper-X Stage Separation: Simulation Development and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reubush, David E.; Martin, John G.; Robinson, Jeffrey S.; Bose, David M.; Strovers, Brian K.

2001-01-01

This paper provides an overview of stage separation simulation development and results for NASA's Hyper-X program; a focused hypersonic technology effort designed to move hypersonic, airbreathing vehicle technology from the laboratory environment to the flight environment. This paper presents an account of the development of the current 14 degree of freedom stage separation simulation tool (SepSim) and results from use of the tool in a Monte Carlo analysis to evaluate the risk of failure for the separation event. Results from use of the tool show that there is only a very small risk of failure in the separation event.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in India: an attempt to link biosocial determinants.

PubMed

Atre, Sachin R; Mistry, Nerges F

2005-04-01

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has emerged as a possible threat to global tuberculosis control efforts in recent years. It is a challenge not only from a public health point of view but also in the context of global economy, especially in the absence of treatment for MDR-TB at national-level programs in developing countries. Biological accounts are insufficient to understand the emergence and dynamics of drug resistance. This article focuses essentially on the need for a holistic perspective, linking biosocial determinants that would probably lead to better insights into MDR-TB control strategies.

Health Games: A Key Component for the Evolution of Wellness Programs.

PubMed

Lenihan, David

2012-06-01

Healthcare cost growth has been a major concern for both governments and employers. Considerable efforts have been made to "bend the trend" or find ways to control costs. At the highest levels, this has been the move from indemnity care models to managed care and then to consumer-directed health models using Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts and Healthcare Spending Accounts in plan designs. Accompanying this move in plan design has been an effort to get the consumer/patient/employee more engaged and responsible for his or her health expenditures, health decision-making, and activities. Consumers have gone through the phases of health being doctor-centric (indemnity care model), to health plan-centric (managed care models), to consumer-centric (consumer-directed health models). There is currently a need to incorporate wellness into the equation. Simply put, wellness is intended to keep people out of the health system by reducing the risk factors that would put them into the system in the first place. This includes things like smoking cessation, exercise, weight management, nutrition, and other factors over which individuals have a significant level of control over, as well as condition management such as medication adherence, and condition monitoring (such as glucose monitoring for diabetics). Wellness will become increasingly more common for major buyers, initially large self-funded employers and then health plans that will offer it as a part of their overall Plan Design and Administration services. Wellness initiatives will also be offered by Federal and State governments and will include programs for the elderly and at-risk populations as well as for the general population. The measure of success of wellness programs to actually "bend the trend" will be engagement. How large a piece of the population can be captured and retained will be the critical metric for success…and metrics require real data and will be used by the entire healthcare value-chain to measure efficacy and efficiency of "wellness spending."

Neurite, a Finite Difference Large Scale Parallel Program for the Simulation of Electrical Signal Propagation in Neurites under Mechanical Loading

PubMed Central

García-Grajales, Julián A.; Rucabado, Gabriel; García-Dopico, Antonio; Peña, José-María; Jérusalem, Antoine

2015-01-01

With the growing body of research on traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, computational neuroscience has recently focused its modeling efforts on neuronal functional deficits following mechanical loading. However, in most of these efforts, cell damage is generally only characterized by purely mechanistic criteria, functions of quantities such as stress, strain or their corresponding rates. The modeling of functional deficits in neurites as a consequence of macroscopic mechanical insults has been rarely explored. In particular, a quantitative mechanically based model of electrophysiological impairment in neuronal cells, Neurite, has only very recently been proposed. In this paper, we present the implementation details of this model: a finite difference parallel program for simulating electrical signal propagation along neurites under mechanical loading. Following the application of a macroscopic strain at a given strain rate produced by a mechanical insult, Neurite is able to simulate the resulting neuronal electrical signal propagation, and thus the corresponding functional deficits. The simulation of the coupled mechanical and electrophysiological behaviors requires computational expensive calculations that increase in complexity as the network of the simulated cells grows. The solvers implemented in Neurite—explicit and implicit—were therefore parallelized using graphics processing units in order to reduce the burden of the simulation costs of large scale scenarios. Cable Theory and Hodgkin-Huxley models were implemented to account for the electrophysiological passive and active regions of a neurite, respectively, whereas a coupled mechanical model accounting for the neurite mechanical behavior within its surrounding medium was adopted as a link between electrophysiology and mechanics. This paper provides the details of the parallel implementation of Neurite, along with three different application examples: a long myelinated axon, a segmented dendritic tree, and a damaged axon. The capabilities of the program to deal with large scale scenarios, segmented neuronal structures, and functional deficits under mechanical loading are specifically highlighted. PMID:25680098

Dypas: A dynamic payload scheduler for shuttle missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Stephen

1988-01-01

Decision and analysis systems have had broad and very practical application areas in the human decision making process. These software systems range from the help sections in simple accounting packages, to the more complex computer configuration programs. Dypas is a decision and analysis system that aids prelaunch shutlle scheduling, and has added functionality to aid the rescheduling done in flight. Dypas is written in Common Lisp on a Symbolics Lisp machine. Dypas differs from other scheduling programs in that it can draw its knowledge from different rule bases and apply them to different rule interpretation schemes. The system has been coded with Flavors, an object oriented extension to Common Lisp on the Symbolics hardware. This allows implementation of objects (experiments) to better match the problem definition, and allows a more coherent solution space to be developed. Dypas was originally developed to test a programmer's aptitude toward Common Lisp and the Symbolics software environment. Since then the system has grown into a large software effort with several programmers and researchers thrown into the effort. Dypas is currently using two expert systems and three inferencing procedures to generate a many object schedule. The paper will review the abilities of Dypas and comment on its functionality.

Estimations of relative effort during sit-to-stand increase when accounting for variations in maximum voluntary torque with joint angle and angular velocity.

PubMed

Bieryla, Kathleen A; Anderson, Dennis E; Madigan, Michael L

2009-02-01

The main purpose of this study was to compare three methods of determining relative effort during sit-to-stand (STS). Fourteen young (mean 19.6+/-SD 1.2 years old) and 17 older (61.7+/-5.5 years old) adults completed six STS trials at three speeds: slow, normal, and fast. Sagittal plane joint torques at the hip, knee, and ankle were calculated through inverse dynamics. Isometric and isokinetic maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) for the hip, knee, and ankle were collected and used for model parameters to predict the participant-specific maximum voluntary joint torque. Three different measures of relative effort were determined by normalizing STS joint torques to three different estimates of maximum voluntary torque. Relative effort at the hip, knee, and ankle were higher when accounting for variations in maximum voluntary torque with joint angle and angular velocity (hip=26.3+/-13.5%, knee=78.4+/-32.2%, ankle=27.9+/-14.1%) compared to methods which do not account for these variations (hip=23.5+/-11.7%, knee=51.7+/-15.0%, ankle=20.7+/-10.4%). At higher velocities, the difference in calculating relative effort with respect to isometric MVC or incorporating joint angle and angular velocity became more evident. Estimates of relative effort that account for the variations in maximum voluntary torque with joint angle and angular velocity may provide higher levels of accuracy compared to methods based on measurements of maximal isometric torques.

Developing a university-workforce partnership to address rural and frontier MCH training needs: the Rocky Mountain Public Health Education Consortium (RMPHEC).

PubMed

Taren, Douglas L; Varela, Frances; Dotson, Jo Ann W; Eden, Joan; Egger, Marlene; Harper, John; Johnson, Rhonda; Kennedy, Kathy; Kent, Helene; Muramoto, Myra; Peacock, Jane C; Roberts, Richard; Sjolander, Sheila; Streeter, Nan; Velarde, Lily; Hill, Anne

2011-10-01

The objective of the article is to provide the socio-cultural, political, economic, and geographic conditions that justified a regional effort for training maternal and child health (MCH) professionals in the Rocky Mountain region, describe a historical account of factors that led to the development of the Rocky Mountain Public Health Education Consortium (RMPHEC), and present RMPHEC as a replicable model developed to enhance practice/academic partnerships among state, tribal, and public health agencies and universities to enhance public health capacity and MCH outcomes. This article provides a description of the development of the RMPHEC, the impetus that drove the Consortium's development, the process used to create it, and its management and programs. Beginning in 1997, local, regional, and federal efforts encouraged stronger MCH training and continuing education in the Rocky Mountain Region. By 1998, the RMPHEC was established to respond to the growing needs of MCH professionals in the region by enhancing workforce development through various programs, including the MCH Certificate Program, MCH Institutes, and distance learning products as well as establishing a place for professionals and MCH agencies to discuss new ideas and opportunities for the region. Finally over the last decade local, state, regional, and federal efforts have encouraged a synergy of MCH resources, opportunities, and training within the region because of the health disparities among MCH populations in the region. The RMPHEC was founded to provide training and continuing education to MCH professionals in the region and as a venue to bring regional MCH organizations together to discuss current opportunities and challenges. RMPHEC is a consortium model that can be replicated in other underserved regions, looking to strengthen MCH training and continuing education.

A Qualitative Study of Factors Facilitating Clinical Nurse Engagement in Emergency Department Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention.

PubMed

Carter, Eileen J; Pallin, Daniel J; Mandel, Leslie; Sinnette, Corine; Schuur, Jeremiah D

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to explore the actions of nurse leaders that facilitated clinical nurses' active involvement in emergency department (ED) catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention programs. Hospitals face increasing financial pressures to reduce CAUTI. Urinary catheters, often inserted in the ED, expose patients to CAUTI risk. Nurses are the principal champions of ED CAUTI prevention programs. This was a qualitative analysis from a multisite, comparative case study project. A total of 52 interviews and 9 focus groups were analyzed across 6 enrolled EDs. Using a conventional content analysis, members of the research team coded data and developed site summaries to describe themes that had emerged across transcripts. Subsequently, all codes and site summaries were reviewed to identify the actions of nurse leaders that facilitated clinical nurses' engagement in CAUTI prevention efforts. Nurse leaders were the principal champions of CAUTI prevention programs and successfully engaged clinical nurses in CAUTI prevention efforts by (1) reframing urinary catheters as a source of potential patient harm; (2) empowering clinical nurses to identify and address CAUTI improvement opportunities; (3) fostering a culture of teamwork, which facilitated interdisciplinary communication around urinary catheter appropriateness and alternatives; and (4) holding clinical nurses accountable for CAUTI process and outcome measures. The prevention of CAUTI is an important opportunity for nurse leaders to engage clinical nurses in meaningful improvement efforts. Clinical nurses are best positioned to examine urinary catheter insertion workflow and to suggest improvements in avoiding use and improving placement and maintenance. To engage clinical nurses in CAUTI prevention, nurse leaders should focus on how urinary catheters expose patients to potential harm, involve nurses in designing and implementing practice changes, and provide local data to show the impact of nursing practices on patient outcomes.

Associations Among Parental Education, Home Environment Quality, Effortful Control, and Preacademic Knowledge

PubMed Central

Merz, Emily C.; Landry, Susan H.; Williams, Jeffrey M.; Barnes, Marcia A.; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L.; Valiente, Carlos; Assel, Michael; Taylor, Heather B.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Phillips, Beth M.; Clancy-Menchetti, Jeanine

2014-01-01

This study used a longitudinal design to examine whether effortful control mediated the associations of parental education and home environment quality with preacademic knowledge in toddlers and young preschoolers. The sample consisted of 226 children (2 to 4 years of age at T1) from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Parents provided data on parent education and home environment quality. Children completed effortful control, early literacy, and early math assessments. T2 effortful control partially mediated the associations of T1 parental education and T1 home environment quality with T3 emergent literacy after accounting for child age, gender, race/ethnicity, T1 effortful control, and T2 early literacy. T2 effortful control partially mediated the association between T1 parental education and T3 emergent math after accounting for child age, gender, race/ethnicity, T1 effortful control, and T2 early math. Prior to entry into preschool, parental education and home environment quality may shape effortful control which in turn influences preacademic knowledge. PMID:25110382

Infusing Stretch Goal Requirements into the Constellation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Young H.; Galpin, Roger A.; Ingoldsby, Kevin

2008-01-01

In 2004, the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) was announced by the United States President's Administration in an effort to explore space and to extend a human presence across our solar system. Subsequently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) to develop a constellation of new capabilities, supporting technologies, and foundational research that allows for the sustained and affordable exploration of space. Then, ESMD specified the primary mission for the Constellation Program to carry out a series of human expeditions, ranging from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to the surface of Moon, Mars, and beyond for the purposes of conducting human exploration of space. Thus, the Constellation Program was established at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) to manage the development of the flight and ground infrastructure and systems that can enable continued and extended human access to space. Constellation Program's "Design Objectives" call for an early attention to the program's life cycle costs management through the Program's Need, Goals, and Objectives (NGO) document, which provides the vision, scope, and key areas of focus for the Program. One general policy of the Constellation Program, found in the Constellation Architecture Requirements Document (CARD), states: "A sustainable program hinges on how effectively total life cycle costs are managed. Developmental costs are a key consideration, but total life cycle costs related to the production, processing, and operation of the entire architecture must be accounted for in design decisions sufficiently to ensure future resources are available for ever more ambitious missions into the solar system....It is the intent of the Constellation Program to aggressively manage this aspect of the program using the design policies and simplicity." To respond to the Program's strong desire to manage the program life cycle costs, special efforts were established to identify operability requirements to influence flight vehicle and ground infrastructure design in order to impact the life cycle operations costs, and stretch goal requirements were introduced to the Program. This paper will describe how these stretch goal requirements were identified, developed, refined, matured, approved, and infused into the CARD. The paper will also document several challenges encountered when infusing the stretch goal requirements into the Constellation Program.

Online versus Face-to-Face Accounting Education: A Comparison of CPA Exam Outcomes across Matched Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, John Daniel

2015-01-01

Programmatic-level comparisons are made between the certified public accountant (CPA) exam outcomes of two types of accounting programs: online or distance accounting programs and face-to-face or classroom accounting programs. After matching programs from each group on student selectivity at admission, the two types of programs are compared on CPA…

Cognitive capacity limitations and Need for Cognition differentially predict reward-induced cognitive effort expenditure.

PubMed

Sandra, Dasha A; Otto, A Ross

2018-03-01

While psychological, economic, and neuroscientific accounts of behavior broadly maintain that people minimize expenditure of cognitive effort, empirical work reveals how reward incentives can mobilize increased cognitive effort expenditure. Recent theories posit that the decision to expend effort is governed, in part, by a cost-benefit tradeoff whereby the potential benefits of mental effort can offset the perceived costs of effort exertion. Taking an individual differences approach, the present study examined whether one's executive function capacity, as measured by Stroop interference, predicts the extent to which reward incentives reduce switch costs in a task-switching paradigm, which indexes additional expenditure of cognitive effort. In accordance with the predictions of a cost-benefit account of effort, we found that a low executive function capacity-and, relatedly, a low intrinsic motivation to expend effort (measured by Need for Cognition)-predicted larger increase in cognitive effort expenditure in response to monetary reward incentives, while individuals with greater executive function capacity-and greater intrinsic motivation to expend effort-were less responsive to reward incentives. These findings suggest that an individual's cost-benefit tradeoff is constrained by the perceived costs of exerting cognitive effort. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comprehensive examination of U.S. laws enacted to reduce alcohol-related crashes among underage drivers.

PubMed

Romano, Eduardo; Scherer, Michael; Fell, James; Taylor, Eileen

2015-12-01

To effectively address concerns associated with alcohol-related traffic laws, communities must apply comprehensive and well-coordinated interventions that account for as many factors as possible. The goal of the current research article is to examine and evaluate the simultaneous contribution of 20 underage drinking laws and 3 general driving safety laws, while accounting for demographic, economic, and environmental variables. Annual fatal crash data (1982 to 2010), policies, and demographic, economic, and environmental information were collected and applied to each of the 51 jurisdictions (50 states and the District of Columbia). A structural equation model was fit to estimate the relative contribution of the variables of interest to alcohol-related crashes. As expected, economic factors (e.g., unemployment rate, cost of alcohol) and alcohol outlet density were found highly relevant to the amount of alcohol teens consume and therefore to teens' impaired driving. Policies such as those regulating the age of bartenders, sellers, or servers; social host civil liability laws; dram shop laws; internal possession of alcohol laws; and fake identification laws do not appear to have the same impact on teens' alcohol-related crash ratios as other types of policies such as those regulating alcohol consumption or alcohol outlet density. This effort illustrates the need for comprehensive models of teens' impaired driving. After simultaneously accounting for as many factors as possible, we found that in general (for most communities) further reductions in alcohol-related crashes among teens might be more rapidly achieved from efforts focused on reducing teens' drinking rather than on reducing teens' driving. Future efforts should be made to develop models that represent specific communities. Based on this and community-specific models, simulation programs can be developed to help communities understand and visualize the impact of various policy alternatives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the 2014 Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs as Compared to the 2004 Top Undergraduate Accounting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Paula Hearn; Griffin, Richard B.

2017-01-01

This paper describes and compares the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by "U.S. News and World Report" in 2004 with the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by the "Accounting Degree Review" in 2014. The "Accounting Degree Review"'s list…

Performance deterioration based on simulated aerodynamic loads test, JT9D jet engine diagnostics program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stromberg, W. J.

1981-01-01

An engine was specially prepared with extensive instrumentation to monitor performance, case temperatures, and clearance changes. A special loading device was used to apply known loads on the engine by the use of cables placed around the flight inlet. These loads simulated the estimated aerodynamic pressure distributions that occur on the inlet in various segments of a typical airplane flight. Test results indicate that the engine lost 1.3 percent in take-off thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC) during the course of the test effort. Permanent clearance changes due to the loads accounted for 1.1 percent; increase in low pressure compressor airfoil roughness and thermal distortion in the high pressure turbine accounted for 0.2 percent. Pretest predicted performance loss due to clearance changes was 0.9 percent in TSFC. Therefore, the agreement between measurement and prediction is considered to be excellent.

78 FR 43140 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

... ``Marine Recreational Information Program'' to ``Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey''. Marine recreational anglers are surveyed to collect catch and effort data, fish biology data...: Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey. OMB Control Number: 0648-0652. Form Number...

Consolidating newborn screening efforts in the Asia Pacific region : Networking and shared education.

PubMed

Padilla, Carmencita David; Therrell, Bradford L

2012-01-01

Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific Region, particularly those with depressed and developing economies, are just initiating newborn screening programs for selected metabolic and other congenital disorders. The cultural, geographic, language, and economic differences that exist throughout the region add to the challenges of developing sustainable newborn screening systems. There are currently more developing programs than developed programs within the region. Newborn screening activities in the Asia Pacific Region are particularly important since births there account for approximately half of the world's births. To date, there have been two workshops to facilitate formation of the Asia Pacific Newborn Screening Collaboratives. The 1st Workshop on Consolidating Newborn Screening Efforts in the Asia Pacific Region occurred in Cebu, Philippines, on March 30-April 1, 2008, as a satellite meeting to the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Human Genetics. The second workshop was held on June 4-5, 2010, in Manila, Philippines. Workshop participants included key policy-makers, service providers, researchers, and consumer advocates from 11 countries with 50% or less newborn screening coverage. Expert lectures included experiences in the United States and the Netherlands, international quality assurance activities and ongoing and potential research activities. Additional meeting support was provided by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center, the International Society for Neonatal Screening, and the March of Dimes. As part of both meeting activities, participants shared individual experiences in program implementation with formal updates of screening information for each country. This report reviews the activities and country reports from two Workshops on Consolidating Newborn Screening Efforts in the Asia Pacific Region with emphasis on the second workshop. It also updates the literature on screening activities and implementation/expansion challenges in the participating countries.

The Armstrong Institute: An Academic Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, Research, Training, and Practice.

PubMed

Pronovost, Peter J; Holzmueller, Christine G; Molello, Nancy E; Paine, Lori; Winner, Laura; Marsteller, Jill A; Berenholtz, Sean M; Aboumatar, Hanan J; Demski, Renee; Armstrong, C Michael

2015-10-01

Academic medical centers (AMCs) could advance the science of health care delivery, improve patient safety and quality improvement, and enhance value, but many centers have fragmented efforts with little accountability. Johns Hopkins Medicine, the AMC under which the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Health System are organized, experienced similar challenges, with operational patient safety and quality leadership separate from safety and quality-related research efforts. To unite efforts and establish accountability, the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality was created in 2011.The authors describe the development, purpose, governance, function, and challenges of the institute to help other AMCs replicate it and accelerate safety and quality improvement. The purpose is to partner with patients, their loved ones, and all interested parties to end preventable harm, continuously improve patient outcomes and experience, and eliminate waste in health care. A governance structure was created, with care mapped into seven categories, to oversee the quality and safety of all patients treated at a Johns Hopkins Medicine entity. The governance has a Patient Safety and Quality Board Committee that sets strategic goals, and the institute communicates these goals throughout the health system and supports personnel in meeting these goals. The institute is organized into 13 functional councils reflecting their behaviors and purpose. The institute works daily to build the capacity of clinicians trained in safety and quality through established programs, advance improvement science, and implement and evaluate interventions to improve the quality of care and safety of patients.

A gloomy picture: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reveals disappointing effectiveness of programs aiming at preventing child maltreatment.

PubMed

Euser, Saskia; Alink, Lenneke Ra; Stoltenborgh, Marije; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H

2015-10-18

Consistent findings about the effectiveness of parent programs to prevent or reduce child maltreatment are lacking. In the present meta-analysis we synthesized findings from 27 independent samples from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of 20 different intervention programs aimed at (i) preventing the occurrence of child maltreatment in the general population or with at-risk but non-maltreating families, or (ii) reducing the incidence of child maltreatment in maltreating families. A significant combined effect on maltreatment (d = 0.13; N = 4883) disappeared after the trim-and-fill approach that takes into account publication bias against smaller studies without significant outcomes. However, moderator analyses showed that larger effect sizes were found for more recent studies, studies with smaller samples, programs that provide parent training instead of only support, programs that target maltreating instead of at-risk families, and programs with a moderate length (6-12 months) or a moderate number of sessions (16-30). More RCTs are needed to further unravel which factors are associated with program effectiveness. Because currently existing programs appeared to only reduce and not prevent child maltreatment, efforts in the field of preventive intervention should also focus on the development and testing of preventive programs for families at risk for child maltreatment.

Advanced electromagnetic methods for aerospace vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balanis, Constantine A.; El-Sharawy, El-Budawy; Hashemi-Yeganeh, Shahrokh; Aberle, James T.; Birtcher, Craig R.

1991-01-01

During this period the research program addressed the following three topics: (1) composite materials; (2) precipitation static (P-Static); and (3) antenna technology. On the topic of Composite Materials our main efforts were directed toward making measurements on several new samples of composite materials made available to ASU by Stanford Research Institute (SRI) through the efforts of Mr. Frank Casler of AVRADA. These samples can be classified into three distinct materials with each material having its own distinct electrical properties. In addition, attempts were made to make predictions of the effects on antenna patterns by composite materials. This will take a greater emphasis in the next reporting period. In Precipitation Static (P-Static), the main effort was devoted toward developing a Voltage Finite-Difference Time-Domain computer code to account for the voltage variation on a conducting body as the primary source of corona discharge, instead of the electric field. Due to complexities stemming from the interactions between the potentials, the fields, and current sources, the decision was made to begin with a simple two-dimensional problem without the corona discharge and check our programs in a series of simple models, culminating in the full corona discharge problem. This report deals with the first stage of such development. During this reporting period, the main effort in Antenna Technology was toward the design, fabrication, and testing of a cavity-backed slot antenna using ferrite material. Using the ferrite material available to us during this period, the resonances of this antenna were around 5 and 8 GHz. Attempts will be made to model such an antenna and to lower its resonance down into the VHF and UHF bands.

The Role of Public-Sector Family Planning Programs in Meeting the Demand for Contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Bongaarts, John; Hardee, Karen

2017-06-01

Commonly used indicators of contraceptive behavior in a population-modern contraceptive prevalence (mCPR), unmet need for contraception, demand for contraception and demand satisfied-are not well-suited for evaluating the progress made by government family planning programs in helping women and men achieve their reproductive goals. Trends in these measures in 26 Sub-Saharan African countries between 1990 and 2014 were examined. Trends in a proposed new indicator, the public-sector family planning program impact score (PFPI), and its relationship to mCPR and the family planning effort score were also assessed. Case studies were used to review public family planning program development and implementation in four countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya). The four commonly used indicators capture the extent to which women use family planning and to which demand is satisfied, but shed no direct light on the role of family planning programs. PFPI provides evidence that can be used to hold governments accountable for meeting the demand for family planning, and was closely related to policy developments in the four case-study countries. PFPI provides a useful addition to the indicators currently used to assess progress in reproductive health and family planning programs.

Multiple Concentric Cylinder Model (MCCM) user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Todd O.; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy

1994-01-01

A user's guide for the computer program mccm.f is presented. The program is based on a recently developed solution methodology for the inelastic response of an arbitrarily layered, concentric cylinder assemblage under thermomechanical loading which is used to model the axisymmetric behavior of unidirectional metal matrix composites in the presence of various microstructural details. These details include the layered morphology of certain types of ceramic fibers, as well as multiple fiber/matrix interfacial layers recently proposed as a means of reducing fabrication-induced, and in-service, residual stress. The computer code allows efficient characterization and evaluation of new fibers and/or new coating systems on existing fibers with a minimum of effort, taking into account inelastic and temperature-dependent properties and different morphologies of the fiber and the interfacial region. It also facilitates efficient design of engineered interfaces for unidirectional metal matrix composites.

The Hawthorne experiments and the introduction of Jean Piaget in American industrial psychology, 1929-1932.

PubMed

Hsueh, Yeh

2002-05-01

The Hawthorne interview program between 1929 and 1932 was one of the most significant industrial studies in the United States. The Hawthorne researchers applied Jean Piaget's clinical method in their extensive interviews with tens of thousands of workers. Chiefly responsible for the program's methodology was Elton Mayo, an Australian who saw interviewing as a means to promote social cooperation. Previous discussions of the Hawthorne experiments have ignored the influence of Piaget in the social sciences. This article provides an account of Mayo's and the Hawthorne researchers' efforts to fuse Piaget's innovation with burgeoning American industrial psychology. The endeavor was not an isolated event but rather drew on the theories and practice of Janet-Piaget psychology, on the support of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Foundation, and on the discourse among social scientists about Piaget's work.

Food advertising during children's television programming on broadcast and cable channels.

PubMed

Stitt, Carmen; Kunkel, Dale

2008-11-01

The rise in the number of overweight and obese children in the United States is recognized as a serious health threat. Among the factors contributing to this increase is the preponderance of food marketing on television targeted at children. Previous content analysis studies have identified patterns of food product types that are commonly associated with unhealthy diets, but few have attempted to independently evaluate the nutritional quality of advertised foods. This study identifies the nature and extent of food marketing messages presented during children's television programs, while also classifying the products advertised using a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services consumer food rating scheme. The findings indicate that food advertising accounts for nearly half of all commercial messages on children's programs. An average hour includes 11 food ads that account for 4:25 of total ad time. Broadcast channels deliver more food advertising than cable channels, although the types of food products marketed on both channels are highly similar. The overwhelming majority of foods ads directed to children are for high-calorie, low nutrient food products that should not be part of a regular diet. These data provide a baseline for evaluating anticipated future industry efforts at reform, such as attempts to comply with a recent Institute of Medicine (2006) policy recommendation that food marketing to children should be balanced between more healthy and less healthy food products within two years time.

Neurocomputational account of how the human brain decides when to have a break

PubMed Central

Meyniel, Florent; Sergent, Claire; Rigoux, Lionel; Daunizeau, Jean; Pessiglione, Mathias

2013-01-01

No pain, no gain: cost–benefit trade-off has been formalized in classical decision theory to account for how we choose whether to engage effort. However, how the brain decides when to have breaks in the course of effort production remains poorly understood. We propose that decisions to cease and resume work are triggered by a cost evidence accumulation signal reaching upper and lower bounds, respectively. We developed a task in which participants are free to exert a physical effort knowing that their payoff would be proportional to their effort duration. Functional MRI and magnetoencephalography recordings conjointly revealed that the theoretical cost evidence accumulation signal was expressed in proprioceptive regions (bilateral posterior insula). Furthermore, the slopes and bounds of the accumulation process were adapted to the difficulty of the task and the money at stake. Cost evidence accumulation might therefore provide a dynamical mechanistic account of how the human brain maximizes benefits while preventing exhaustion. PMID:23341598

Neurocomputational account of how the human brain decides when to have a break.

PubMed

Meyniel, Florent; Sergent, Claire; Rigoux, Lionel; Daunizeau, Jean; Pessiglione, Mathias

2013-02-12

No pain, no gain: cost-benefit trade-off has been formalized in classical decision theory to account for how we choose whether to engage effort. However, how the brain decides when to have breaks in the course of effort production remains poorly understood. We propose that decisions to cease and resume work are triggered by a cost evidence accumulation signal reaching upper and lower bounds, respectively. We developed a task in which participants are free to exert a physical effort knowing that their payoff would be proportional to their effort duration. Functional MRI and magnetoencephalography recordings conjointly revealed that the theoretical cost evidence accumulation signal was expressed in proprioceptive regions (bilateral posterior insula). Furthermore, the slopes and bounds of the accumulation process were adapted to the difficulty of the task and the money at stake. Cost evidence accumulation might therefore provide a dynamical mechanistic account of how the human brain maximizes benefits while preventing exhaustion.

Toward a Rational and Mechanistic Account of Mental Effort.

PubMed

Shenhav, Amitai; Musslick, Sebastian; Lieder, Falk; Kool, Wouter; Griffiths, Thomas L; Cohen, Jonathan D; Botvinick, Matthew M

2017-07-25

In spite of its familiar phenomenology, the mechanistic basis for mental effort remains poorly understood. Although most researchers agree that mental effort is aversive and stems from limitations in our capacity to exercise cognitive control, it is unclear what gives rise to those limitations and why they result in an experience of control as costly. The presence of these control costs also raises further questions regarding how best to allocate mental effort to minimize those costs and maximize the attendant benefits. This review explores recent advances in computational modeling and empirical research aimed at addressing these questions at the level of psychological process and neural mechanism, examining both the limitations to mental effort exertion and how we manage those limited cognitive resources. We conclude by identifying remaining challenges for theoretical accounts of mental effort as well as possible applications of the available findings to understanding the causes of and potential solutions for apparent failures to exert the mental effort required of us.

7 CFR 1700.32 - Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis. 1700.32... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.32 Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis. RUS, through Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis, monitors and...

7 CFR 1700.32 - Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis. 1700.32... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.32 Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis. RUS, through Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis, monitors and...

AHRQ series paper 3: identifying, selecting, and refining topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews: AHRQ and the effective health-care program.

PubMed

Whitlock, Evelyn P; Lopez, Sarah A; Chang, Stephanie; Helfand, Mark; Eder, Michelle; Floyd, Nicole

2010-05-01

This article discusses the identification, selection, and refinement of topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews within the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Effective Health Care (EHC) program. The EHC program seeks to align its research topic selection with the overall goals of the program, impartially and consistently apply predefined criteria to potential topics, involve stakeholders to identify high-priority topics, be transparent and accountable, and continually evaluate and improve processes. A topic prioritization group representing stakeholder and scientific perspectives evaluates topic nominations that fit within the EHC program (are "appropriate") to determine how "important" topics are as considered against seven criteria. The group then judges whether a new comparative effectiveness systematic review would be a duplication of existing research syntheses, and if not duplicative, if there is adequate type and volume of research to conduct a new systematic review. Finally, the group considers the "potential value and impact" of a comparative effectiveness systematic review. As the EHC program develops, ongoing challenges include ensuring the program addresses truly unmet needs for synthesized research because national and international efforts in this arena are uncoordinated, as well as engaging a range of stakeholders in program decisions while also achieving efficiency and timeliness.

Opinions on the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program: results of a national survey of hospital leaders.

PubMed

Joynt, Karen E; Figueroa, Jose E; Oray, John; Jha, Ashish K

2016-08-01

To determine the opinions of US hospital leadership on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), a national mandatory penalty-for-performance program. We developed a survey about federal readmission policies. We used a stratified sampling design to oversample hospitals in the highest and lowest quintile of performance on readmissions, and hospitals serving a high proportion of minority patients. We surveyed leadership at 1600 US acute care hospitals that were subject to the HRRP, and achieved a 62% response rate. Results were stratified by the size of the HRRP penalty that hospitals received in 2013, and adjusted for nonresponse and sampling strategy. Compared with 36.1% for public reporting of readmission rates and 23.7% for public reporting of discharge processes, 65.8% of respondents reported that the HRRP had a "great impact" on efforts to reduce readmissions. The most common critique of the HRRP penalty was that it did not adequately account for differences in socioeconomic status between hospitals (75.8% "agree" or "agree strongly"); other concerns included that the penalties were "much too large" (67.7%), and hospitals' inability to impact patient adherence (64.1%). These sentiments were each more common in leaders of hospitals with higher HRRP penalties. The HRRP has had a major impact on hospital leaders' efforts to reduce readmission rates, which has implications for the design of future quality improvement programs. However, leaders are concerned about the size of the penalties, lack of adjustment for socioeconomic and clinical factors, and hospitals' inability to impact patient adherence and postacute care. These concerns may have implications as policy makers consider changes to the HRRP, as well as to other Medicare value-based payment programs that contain similar readmission metrics.

Does HPA-Axis Dysregulation Account for the Effects of Income on Effortful Control and Adjustment in Preschool Children?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lengua, Liliana J.; Zalewski, Maureen; Fisher, Phil; Moran, Lyndsey

2013-01-01

The effects of low income on children's adjustment might be accounted for by disruptions to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity and to the development of effortful control. Using longitudinal data and a community sample of preschool-age children (N?=?306, 36-39?months) and their mothers, recruited to over-represent low-income…

The Other Side of Accountability: Measuring Students' Use of Facilities and Opportunities. AIR Forum 1979 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pace, C. Robert

A set of measures was developed to assess the quality of student effort in the utilization of the facilities and opportunities available in the college setting. The measures are based on the assumption that students are accountable for the amount, scope, and quality of effort they invest in using the available resources for their learning and…

Nuclear Security in the 21^st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, Daniel E.

2006-10-01

Nuclear security has been a priority for the United States, starting in the 1940s with the secret cities of the Manhattan Project. In the 1970s, the United States placed radiation monitoring equipment at nuclear facilities to detect nuclear material diversion. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, cooperative Russian/U.S. programs were launched in Russia to secure the estimated 600+ metric tons of fissionable materials against diversion (Materials Protection, Control, and Accountability -- MPC&A). Furthermore, separate programs were initiated to detect nuclear materials at the country's borders in the event that these materials had been stolen (Second Line of Defense - SLD). In the 2000s, new programs have been put in place in the United States for radiation detection, and research is being funded for more advanced systems. This talk will briefly touch on the history of nuclear security and then focus on some recent research efforts in radiation detection. Specifically, a new breed of radiation monitors will be examined along with the concept of sensor networks.

The barriers to environmental sustainability in post-disaster settings: a case study of transitional shelter implementation in Haiti.

PubMed

Abrahams, Daniel

2014-04-01

Disaster recovery operations that do not account for environmental sustainability (ES) risk exacerbating the impact of the disaster and hindering long-term recovery efforts. Yet aid agencies do not always consider ES. This research is a case study of the recovery that followed the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Using timber and concrete procurement as proxies for broader post-disaster operations, research examined perceptions of ES as well as attempts at and barriers to incorporating it into programming. Identified barriers can be grouped into two categories: (1) prioritisations and perceptions within the disaster response sector that resulted in limited enthusiasm for incorporating ES into programming, and (2) structural and organisational barriers within the disaster response framework that impeded ES attempts and served as a further disincentive to incorporating ES into programming. As a result of those barriers, incorporation of ES was sporadic and inconsistent and often depended on the capacity and motivation of specific implementers. © 2014 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2014.

Boundary work for sustainable development: Natural resource management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

PubMed Central

Clark, William C.; Tomich, Thomas P.; van Noordwijk, Meine; Guston, David; Catacutan, Delia; Dickson, Nancy M.; McNie, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Previous research on the determinants of effectiveness in knowledge systems seeking to support sustainable development has highlighted the importance of “boundary work” through which research communities organize their relations with new science, other sources of knowledge, and the worlds of action and policymaking. A growing body of scholarship postulates specific attributes of boundary work that promote used and useful research. These propositions, however, are largely based on the experience of a few industrialized countries. We report here on an effort to evaluate their relevance for efforts to harness science in support of sustainability in the developing world. We carried out a multicountry comparative analysis of natural resource management programs conducted under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. We discovered six distinctive kinds of boundary work contributing to the successes of those programs—a greater variety than has been documented in previous studies. We argue that these different kinds of boundary work can be understood as a dual response to the different uses for which the results of specific research programs are intended, and the different sources of knowledge drawn on by those programs. We show that these distinctive kinds of boundary work require distinctive strategies to organize them effectively. Especially important are arrangements regarding participation of stakeholders, accountability in governance, and the use of “boundary objects.” We conclude that improving the ability of research programs to produce useful knowledge for sustainable development will require both greater and differentiated support for multiple forms of boundary work. PMID:21844351

A preliminary study of the Soviet civil space program. Volume 1: Organization and Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newton, Elizabeth K.

1990-01-01

The organization, planning, and personnel is focused of Soviet space, advantage is taken of glasnost and improved foreign relations to explore a hitherto obscure subject. The way in which the civil space program obtains approval and funding is altered. Missions must be approved before the Supreme Soviet, and public opinion is beginning to play a greater role in the legislature's budget decision. The Soviet civil space program remains a collection of disparate elements, not unified by any national, centralized space agency. An attempt was made to catalog and delineate the relationships between the components proves helpful. There is little or no coordination of independent associations' efforts, and the planning process relied on previously to set priorities and allocate resources appears to be currently inoperative or in a state of flux. The civil space program is moving in new directions: toward budget tautness, more international interactions, an emphasis on civilian over military applications, commercialization, and fiscal accountability. This study is a snapshot of a dynamic subject, but hopefully on which has highlighted the critical elements to track.

Measuring Success in Health Care Value-Based Purchasing Programs

PubMed Central

Damberg, Cheryl L.; Sorbero, Melony E.; Lovejoy, Susan L.; Martsolf, Grant R.; Raaen, Laura; Mandel, Daniel

2014-01-01

Abstract Value-based purchasing (VBP) refers to a broad set of performance-based payment strategies that link financial incentives to health care providers' performance on a set of defined measures in an effort to achieve better value. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is advancing the implementation of VBP across an array of health care settings in the Medicare program in response to requirements in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and policymakers are grappling with many decisions about how best to design and implement VBP programs so that they are successful in achieving stated goals. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge about VBP based on a review of the published literature, a review of publicly available documentation from VBP programs, and discussions with an expert panel composed of VBP program sponsors, health care providers and health systems, and academic researchers with VBP evaluation expertise. Three types of VBP models were the focus of the review: (1) pay-for-performance programs, (2) accountable care organizations, and (3) bundled payment programs. The authors report on VBP program goals and what constitutes success; the evidence on the impact of these programs; factors that characterize high– and low–performing providers in VBP programs; the measures, incentive structures, and benchmarks used by VBP programs; evidence on spillover effects and unintended consequences; and gaps in the knowledge base. PMID:28083347

A review and forecast of engine system research at the Army Propulsion Directorate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobula, George A.

1989-01-01

An account is given of the development status and achievements to date of the U.S. Army Propulsion Directorate's Small Turbine Engine Research (STER) programs, which are experimental investigations of the physics of entire engine systems from the viewpoints of component interactions and/or system dynamics. STER efforts are oriented toward the evaluation of complete turboshaft engine advanced concepts and are conducted at the ECRL-2 indoor, sea-level engine test facility. Attention is given to the results obtained by STER experiments concerned with IR-suppressing engine exhausts, a ceramic turbine-blade shroud, an active shaft-vibration control system, and a ceramic-matrix combustor liner.

Creep fatigue life prediction for engine hot section materials (isotropic): Fourth year progress review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Richard S.; Schoendorf, John F.

1986-01-01

As gas turbine technology continues to advance, the need for advanced life prediction methods for hot section components is becoming more and more evident. The complex local strain and temperature histories at critical locations must be accurately interpreted to account for the effects of various damage mechanisms (such as fatigue, creep, and oxidation) and their possible interactions. As part of the overall NASA HOST effort, this program is designed to investigate these fundamental damage processes, identify modeling strategies, and develop practical models which can be used to guide the early design and development of new engines and to increase the durability of existing engines.

25 CFR 170.605 - When may BIA use force account methods in the IRR Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When may BIA use force account methods in the IRR Program... § 170.605 When may BIA use force account methods in the IRR Program? BIA may use force account methods... account project activities. ...

Computerizing the Accounting Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, John F.; England, Thomas G.

1986-01-01

Discusses the use of computers in college accounting courses. Argues that the success of new efforts in using computers in teaching accounting is dependent upon increasing instructors' computer skills, and choosing appropriate hardware and software, including commercially available business software packages. (TW)

Estimating Software Effort Hours for Major Defense Acquisition Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallshein, Corinne C.

2010-01-01

Software Cost Estimation (SCE) uses labor hours or effort required to conceptualize, develop, integrate, test, field, or maintain program components. Department of Defense (DoD) SCE can use initial software data parameters to project effort hours for large, software-intensive programs for contractors reporting the top levels of process maturity,…

An Account of Women's Progress in Engineering: a Social Cognitive Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Christina

Traditionally, women were not welcome in higher education, especially in male-dominated fields. Undoubtedly, women have dramatically increased their enrollments in many once male-only fields, such as law, medicine, and several of the sciences; nevertheless, engineering remains a field where women continue to be underrepresented. This has often been attributed to social barriers in engineering classrooms. However, a new turn of events has been reported: Young women entering engineering may receive higher grades and have a greater tendency to remain than men. To examine what has recently changed, the author applied Bandura's triadic model of reciprocity between environment, self, and behavior. The measured variables included academic integration or discrimination, self-measures of academic self-confidence, engineering self-efficacy, and behaviors taken to self-regulate learning: critical thinking, effort, peer learning, and help seeking. The data revealed that women apply slightly more effort and have slightly less self-efficacy than men. Their academic confidence is nearly equal in almost all areas. Most significantly, many previous gender biases appear diminished, and those that do exist are slight. However, it is recommended that continued efforts be undertaken to attract and retain women in engineering programs.

How to Professionalize Accounting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allyn, Robert G.

1977-01-01

The author, a certified public accountant on the State Board for Public Accountancy of New York, Discusses education and training programs to "professionalize" accounting, particularly the need for innovative learning modules that integrate the traditional sequence of courses in baccalaureate programs. (MF)

Interests, Effort, Achievement and Vocational Preference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoberg, L.

1984-01-01

Relationships between interest in natural sciences and technology and perceived ability, success, and invested effort were studied in Swedish secondary school students. Interests were accounted for by logical orientation and practical value. Interests and grades were strongly correlated, but correlations between interests and effort and vocational…

Advancing Cervical Cancer Prevention in India: Implementation Science Priorities

PubMed Central

Madsen, Emily; Porterfield, Deborah; Varghese, Beena

2013-01-01

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in India, accounting for 17% of all cancer deaths among women aged 30 to 69 years. At current incidence rates, the annual burden of new cases in India is projected to increase to 225,000 by 2025, but there are few large-scale, organized cervical cancer prevention programs in the country. We conducted a review of the cervical cancer prevention research literature and programmatic experiences in India to summarize the current state of knowledge and practices and recommend research priorities to address the gap in services. We found that research and programs in India have demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of cervical cancer prevention efforts and that screening strategies requiring minimal additional human resources and laboratory infrastructure can reduce morbidity and mortality. However, additional evidence generated through implementation science research is needed to ensure that cervical cancer prevention efforts have the desired impact and are cost-effective. Specifically, implementation science research is needed to understand individual- and community-level barriers to screening and diagnostic and treatment services; to improve health care worker performance; to strengthen links among screening, diagnosis, and treatment; and to determine optimal program design, outcomes, and costs. With a quarter of the global burden of cervical cancer in India, there is no better time than now to translate research findings to practice. Implementation science can help ensure that investments in cervical cancer prevention and control result in the greatest impact. PMID:24217555

Exhaust Nozzles for Propulsion Systems with Emphasis on Supersonic Cruise Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stitt, Leonard E.

1990-01-01

This compendium summarizes the contributions of the NASA-Lewis and its contractors to supersonic exhaust nozzle research from 1963 to 1985. Two major research and technology efforts sponsored this nozzle research work; the U.S. Supersonic Transport (SST) Program and the follow-on Supersonic Cruise Research (SCR) Program. They account for two generations of nozzle technology: the first from 1963 to 1971, and the second from 1971 to 1985. First, the equations used to calculate nozzle thrust are introduced. Then the general types of nozzles are presented, followed by a discussion of those types proposed for supersonic aircraft. Next, the first-generation nozzles designed specifically for the Boeing SST and the second-generation nozzles designed under the SCR program are separately reviewed and then compared. A chapter on throttle-dependent afterbody drag is included, since drag has a major effect on the off-design performance of supersonic nozzles. A chapter on the performance of supersonic dash nozzles follows, since these nozzles have similar design problems, Finally, the nozzle test facilities used at NASA-Lewis during this nozzle research effort are identified and discussed. These facilities include static test stands, a transonic wind tunnel, and a flying testbed aircraft. A concluding section points to the future: a third generation of nozzles designed for a new era of high speed civil transports to produce even greater advances in performance, to meet new noise rules, and to ensure the continuity of over two decades of NASA research.

High and low neurobehavior disinhibition clusters within locales: implications for community efforts to prevent substance use disorder.

PubMed

Ridenour, Ty A; Reynolds, Maureen; Ahlqvist, Ola; Zhai, Zu Wei; Kirisci, Levent; Vanyukov, Michael M; Tarter, Ralph E

2013-05-01

Knowledge of where substance use and other such behavioral problems frequently occur has aided policing, public health, and urban planning strategies to reduce such behaviors. Identifying locales characterized by high childhood neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND), a strong predictor of substance use and consequent disorder (SUD), may likewise improve prevention efforts. The distribution of ND in 10-12-year olds was mapped to metropolitan Pittsburgh, PA, and tested for clustering within locales. The 738 participating families represented the population in terms of economic status, race, and population distribution. ND was measured using indicators of executive cognitive function, emotion regulation, and behavior control. Innovative geospatial analyzes statistically tested clustering of ND within locales while accounting for geographic barriers (large rivers, major highways), parental SUD severity, and neighborhood quality. Clustering of youth with high and low ND occurred in specific locales. Accounting for geographic barriers better delineated where high ND is concentrated, areas which also tended to be characterized by greater parental SUD severity and poorer neighborhood quality. Offering programs that have been demonstrated to improve inhibitory control in locales where youth have high ND on average may reduce youth risk for SUD and other problem behaviors. As demonstrated by the present results, geospatial analysis of youth risk factors, frequently used in community coalition strategies, may be improved with greater statistical and measurement rigor.

Analytical solutions for coagulation and condensation kinetics of composite particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piskunov, Vladimir N.

2013-04-01

The processes of composite particles formation consisting of a mixture of different materials are essential for many practical problems: for analysis of the consequences of accidental releases in atmosphere; for simulation of precipitation formation in clouds; for description of multi-phase processes in chemical reactors and industrial facilities. Computer codes developed for numerical simulation of these processes require optimization of computational methods and verification of numerical programs. Kinetic equations of composite particle formation are given in this work in a concise form (impurity integrated). Coagulation, condensation and external sources associated with nucleation are taken into account. Analytical solutions were obtained in a number of model cases. The general laws for fraction redistribution of impurities were defined. The results can be applied to develop numerical algorithms considerably reducing the simulation effort, as well as to verify the numerical programs for calculation of the formation kinetics of composite particles in the problems of practical importance.

NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange (NNBE). Volume 1. Interim Report. Navy Submarine Program Safety Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange (NNBE) was undertaken to identify practices and procedures and to share lessons learned in the Navy's submarine and NASA's human space flight programs. The NNBE focus is on safety and mission assurance policies, processes, accountability, and control measures. This report is an interim summary of activity conducted through October 2002, and it coincides with completion of the first phase of a two-phase fact-finding effort.In August 2002, a team was formed, co-chaired by senior representatives from the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and the NAVSEA 92Q Submarine Safety and Quality Assurance Division. The team closely examined the two elements of submarine safety (SUBSAFE) certification: (1) new design/construction (initial certification) and (2) maintenance and modernization (sustaining certification), with a focus on: (1) Management and Organization, (2) Safety Requirements (technical and administrative), (3) Implementation Processes, (4) Compliance Verification Processes, and (5) Certification Processes.

Monitoring low density avian populations: An example using Mountain Plovers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dreitz, V.J.; Lukacs, P.M.; Knopf, F.L.

2006-01-01

Declines in avian populations highlight a need for rigorous, broad-scale monitoring programs to document trends in avian populations that occur in low densities across expansive landscapes. Accounting for the spatial variation and variation in detection probability inherent to monitoring programs is thought to be effort-intensive and time-consuming. We determined the feasibility of the analytical method developed by Royle and Nichols (2003), which uses presence-absence (detection-non-detection) field data, to estimate abundance of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) per sampling unit in agricultural fields, grassland, and prairie dog habitat in eastern Colorado. Field methods were easy to implement and results suggest that the analytical method provides valuable insight into population patterning among habitats. Mountain Plover abundance was highest in prairie dog habitat, slightly lower in agricultural fields, and substantially lower in grassland. These results provided valuable insight to focus future research into Mountain Plover ecology and conservation. ?? The Cooper Ornithological Society 2006.

The world bank and the environment, exercise 1992. Annual report. Banco mundial y el medio ambiente, ejercicio de 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-01-01

The report describes the Bank's activities in assisting countries with environmental management, such as programs to reduce poverty without exhausting natural resources. Included are assessments of the environmental impacts of projects supported by World Bank loans, and accounts of efforts to meet global environmental challenges with coordinated international action through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Among the events in the period covered by the report are the affirmation of the World Bank's participation with United Nations organizations in the GEF and the Bank's administration of pilot programs aimed at finding solutions to such global environmental problems as pollution of internationalmore » waters, global warming, depletion of the Earth's ozone layer, and dwindling biological diversity; the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development; and the publication of the World Development Report 1992, with its theme of development and the environment.« less

Goal programming for cyclical auxiliary police scheduling at UiTM Cawangan Perlis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustapar, Wasilatul Effah; Nasir, Diana Sirmayunie Mohd; Nor, Nor Azriani Mohamad; Abas, Sharifah Fhahriyah Syed

2017-11-01

Constructing a good and fair schedule for shift workers poses a great challenge as it requires a lot of time and effort. In this study, goal programming has been applied on scheduling to achieve the hard and soft constraints for a cyclical schedule that would ease the head of auxiliary police at building new schedules. To accomplish this goal, shift types were assigned in order to provide a fair schedule that takes into account the auxiliary police's policies and preferences. The model was run using Lingo software. Three out of four goals set for the study were achieved. In addition, the results considered an equal allocation for every auxiliary police, namely 70% for total duty and 30% for the day. Furthermore, the schedule was able to cyclically generate another 10 sets schedule. More importantly, the model has provided unbiased scheduling of auxiliary policies which led to high satisfaction in auxiliary police management.

50 CFR 648.262 - Effort-control program for red crab limited access vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Effort-control program for red crab... UNITED STATES Management Measures for the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery § 648.262 Effort-control program for red crab limited access vessels. (a) General. A vessel issued a limited access red crab permit...

The Relationship between External Accountability Policy and Internal Accountability: A Cross-State Analysis of Charter and Traditional Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, Sonja Martin

2011-01-01

Using data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, this article examines the relationship between strength of state accountability policy (i.e., external accountability) and internal accountability, defined as a school-level system in which collective behaviors and conditions exist that direct the attention and effort of the internal…

Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches against the Tropical Infectious Diseases Malaria, Tuberculosis, Trypanosomiasis, and Leishmaniasis.

PubMed

Njogu, Peter M; Guantai, Eric M; Pavadai, Elumalai; Chibale, Kelly

2016-01-08

Despite the tremendous improvement in overall global health heralded by the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in the year 2000, tropical infections remain a major health problem in the developing world. Recent estimates indicate that the major tropical infectious diseases, namely, malaria, tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, account for more than 2.2 million deaths and a loss of approximately 85 million disability-adjusted life years annually. The crucial role of chemotherapy in curtailing the deleterious health and economic impacts of these infections has invigorated the search for new drugs against tropical infectious diseases. The research efforts have involved increased application of computational technologies in mainstream drug discovery programs at the hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization stages. This review highlights various computer-aided drug discovery approaches that have been utilized in efforts to identify novel antimalarial, antitubercular, antitrypanosomal, and antileishmanial agents. The focus is largely on developments over the past 5 years (2010-2014).

Indian programme on middle atmosphere - Some results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, A. P.

An account of the very extensive program on the middle atmosphere carried out in India since 1982 is presented. Three rocket ranges (Thumba, SHAR and Balasore), a high altitude balloon facility at Hyderabad, a lidar at Thumba, a laser heterodyning system at Delhi, a meteor radar in Thumba, a network of UVB and multiwavelength radiometers, and a host of conventional ground based facilities scattered over the entire subcontinent were used. These facilities covered a range of latitudes from 8 deg N to 34 deg N and largely around the same longitude zone of 75 deg E. The nature of the Indian effort is the emphasis on campaign mode operations, knitting special rocket and balloon efforts with more conventional ground based activities around specific themes. Major campaigns carried out included: (1) Indo-Soviet Ozone Intercomparison campaigns in 1983 and 1987, (2) Aerosol campaign (3), Ionization and conductivity campaigns, (4) Equatorial Wave Campaign, (5) Antarctic Ozone Hole campaign in Dakshin Gangotri. A few of the more important findings are outlined.

An assessment of standards-based reform in Florida's middle school science programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart Hammer, Kathryn Elizabeth

The era of school accountability and standards based reform (SBR) has brought many challenges and changes to Florida's public schools. It is important to understand any shifts in teachers' attitudes and to identify the changes teachers are making as they implement SBR. The study was designed to assess teachers' attitudes and perceptions of changes related to SBR and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in middle school science programs in Florida. Survey questions sought to identify teacher perceptions of changes in curriculum, instruction and daily practice as schools documented and incorporated the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) for science and began focusing on preparing students for the science FCAT. The survey was distributed to 265 randomly selected middle school science teachers throughout the State of Florida. Seventy-six and ninety-two percent of teachers reported increased levels of stress as a result of SBR and the science FCAT, respectively. Eighty-six percent of teachers reported loss of autonomy and control over what goes on in their classrooms, and fifty-four percent of teachers reported loss of freedom and creativity regarding curriculum and lessons. Eighty-three percent of teachers believe that increased time spent on test preparation has come at the expense of other important curricular items. By contrast, only nineteen percent of teachers believe that the science FCAT has brought about improvement in curriculum, instruction and student learning in science. Yet, twenty-five percent of teachers believe that reform efforts will improve their school. An important finding is that teachers' attitudes toward reform efforts are strongly influenced by their attitudes toward the administration at their school. Teachers who receive more support from administrators have more positive attitudes toward all aspects of SBR and the science FCAT measured in this study. Although the majority of teachers reported negative attitudes toward the reform process, a small minority that report working under supportive administrators believe that reform efforts are working well or will soon show positive effects. No school should overlook the potential of a supportive administration in its effort to improve school programs.

78 FR 79388 - Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Catch and Effort Limits for the U.S. Participating Territories

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

...NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region. If approved, Amendment 7 would establish a management framework and process for specifying fishing catch and effort limits and accountability measures for pelagic fisheries in the U.S. Pacific territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The framework would authorize the government of each territory to allocate a portion of its specified catch or effort limit to a U.S. fishing vessel or vessels through a specified fishing agreement, and establish criteria, which a specified fishing agreement must satisfy. The framework also includes measures to ensure accountability for adhering to fishing catch and effort limits.

National poverty reduction strategies and HIV/AIDS governance in Malawi: a preliminary study of shared health governance.

PubMed

Wachira, Catherine; Ruger, Jennifer Prah

2011-06-01

The public health and development communities understand clearly the need to integrate anti-poverty efforts with HIV/AIDS programs. This article reports findings about the impact of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process on Malawi's National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework (NSF). In this article we ask, how does the PRSP process support NSF accountability, participation, access to information, funding, resource planning and allocation, monitoring, and evaluation? In 2007, we developed and conducted a survey of Malawian government ministries, United Nations agencies, members of the Country Coordination Mechanism, the Malawi National AIDS Commission (NAC), and NAC grantees (N = 125, 90% response rate), seeking survey respondents' retrospective perceptions of NSF resource levels, participation, inclusion, and governance before, during, and after Malawi's PRSP process (2000-2004). We also assessed principle health sector and economic indicators and budget allocations for HIV/AIDS. These indicators are part of a new conceptual framework called shared health governance (SHG), which seeks congruence among the values and goals of different groups and actors to reflect a common purpose. Under this framework, global health policy should encompass: (i) consensus among global, national, and sub-national actors on goals and measurable outcomes; (ii) mutual collective accountability; and (iii) enhancement of individual and group health agency. Indicators to assess these elements included: (i) goal alignment; (ii) adequate resource levels; (iii) agreement on key outcomes and indicators for evaluating those outcomes; (iv) meaningful inclusion and participation of groups and institutions; (v) special efforts to ensure participation of vulnerable groups; and (vi) effectiveness and efficiency measures. Results suggest that the PRSP process supported accountability for NSF resources. However, the process may have marginalized key stakeholders, potentially undercutting the implementation of HIV/AIDS Action Plans. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

No Time to Lose: Turnaround Leader Performance Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhim, Lauren Morando

2012-01-01

Effective leadership is critical to successful school turnaround efforts. Yet, district leaders have historically been hesitant to hold leaders accountable for bold change efforts. As federal and state dollars flow to districts and individual schools charged with embarking upon transformative change efforts, districts must adopt a laser-sharp…

78 FR 20296 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

... Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey AGENCY: National... title will be changed from ``Marine Recreational Information Program'' to ``Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey''. Marine recreational anglers are surveyed to collect catch and...

Accountability and Grade Inflation in a Rural School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Deborah Hayes; Holman, David M.

In an effort to hold schools accountable, Arkansas added grade inflation into the accountability system. The Arkansas Legislature mandated that the Arkansas Department of Education identify high schools with "statistically significant variance" between students' grade point averages (GPAs) and ACT performances. A grade inflation index…

A New Approach to Accountability: Creating Effective Learning Environments for Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Surr, Wendy

2012-01-01

This article describes a new paradigm for accountability that envisions afterschool programs as learning organizations continually engaged in improving quality. Nearly 20 years into the era of results-based accountability, a new generation of afterschool accountability systems is emerging. Rather than aiming to test whether programs have produced…

An Accounting Program Merit Pay Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, David H.; Campbell, Annhenrie; Tan, Kim B.; Wagner, Andrew

2010-01-01

Basing the compensation of accounting professors on merit pay in order to encourage better teaching, research and service is controversial. Before the effectiveness of merit-based salary plans can be examined empirically, it must be determined which accounting programs use such a system. In this study, the 852 accounting programs in the United…

Staff Accountability Plan for New Mexico Schools: Provisions and Directives. [and] Questions and Answers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Carroll L.

In an effort to explain the Staff Accountability Plan for New Mexico's schools, two pamphlets were developed. Designed to address the issue of teacher accountability and certification, pamphlet 1 presents the three provisions of the New Mexico Staff Accountability Plan. The plan requires: (1) a written basic skills assessment as part of teacher…

Self-Reliability and Motivation in a Nuclear Security Culture Enhancement Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, Cary E.; de Boer, Gloria; De Castro, Kara

2010-10-01

The threat of nuclear terrorism has become a global concern. Many countries continue to make efforts to strengthen nuclear security by enhancing systems of nuclear material protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A). Though MPC&A systems can significantly upgrade nuclear security, they do not eliminate the “human factor.” Gen. Eugene Habiger, a former “Assistant Secretary for Safeguards and Security” at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) nuclear-weapons complex and a former commander of U.S. strategic nuclear forces, has observed that “good security is 20% equipment and 80% people.”1 Although eliminating the “human factor” is not possible, accounting for and mitigating the riskmore » of the insider threat is an essential element in establishing an effective nuclear security culture. This paper will consider the organizational role in mitigating the risk associated with the malicious insider through monitoring and enhancing human reliability and motivation as well as enhancing the nuclear security culture.« less

Self-Reliability and Motivation in a Nuclear Security Culture Enhancement Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers,E.; deBoer,G.; Crawford, C.

2009-10-19

The threat of nuclear terrorism has become a global concern. Many countries continue to make efforts to strengthen nuclear security by enhancing systems of nuclear material protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A). Though MPC&A systems can significantly upgrade nuclear security, they do not eliminate the "human factor." Gen. Eugene Habiger, a former "Assistant Secretary for Safeguards and Security" at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) nuclear-weapons complex and a former commander of U.S. strategic nuclear forces, has observed that "good security is 20% equipment and 80% people." Although eliminating the "human factor" is not possible, accounting for and mitigating the riskmore » of the insider threat is an essential element in establishing an effective nuclear security culture. This paper will consider the organizational role in mitigating the risk associated with the malicious insider through monitoring and enhancing human reliability and motivation as well as enhancing the nuclear security culture.« less

Review and assessment of the HOST turbine heat transfer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladden, Herbert J.

1988-01-01

The objectives of the HOST Turbine Heat Transfer subproject were to obtain a better understanding of the physics of the aerothermodynamic phenomena occurring in high-performance gas turbine engines and to assess and improve the analytical methods used to predict the fluid dynamics and heat transfer phenomena. At the time the HOST project was initiated, an across-the-board improvement in turbine design technology was needed. Therefore, a building-block approach was utilized, with research ranging from the study of fundamental phenomena and analytical modeling to experiments in simulated real-engine environments. Experimental research accounted for 75 percent of the project, and analytical efforts accounted for approximately 25 percent. Extensive experimental datasets were created depicting the three-dimensional flow field, high free-stream turbulence, boundary-layer transition, blade tip region heat transfer, film cooling effects in a simulated engine environment, rough-wall cooling enhancement in a rotating passage, and rotor-stator interaction effects. In addition, analytical modeling of these phenomena was initiated using boundary-layer assumptions as well as Navier-Stokes solutions.

Development of a System-Wide Predator Control Program: Stepwise Implementation of a Predation Index, Predator Control Fisheries, and Evaluation Plan in the Columbia River Basin; Northern Pikeminnow Management Program, 2001 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porter, Russell G.; Winther, Eric C.; Fox, Lyle G.

2003-03-01

This report presents results for year eleven in a basin-wide program to harvest northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis). This program was started in an effort to reduce predation by northern pikeminnow on juvenile salmonids during their emigration from natal streams to the ocean. Earlier work in the Columbia River Basin suggested predation by northern pikeminnow on juvenile salmonids might account for most of the 10-20% mortality juvenile salmonids experience in each of eight Columbia River and Snake River reservoirs. Modeling simulations based on work in John Day Reservoir from 1982 through 1988 indicated that, if predator-size northern pikeminnow were exploited atmore » a 10-20% rate, the resulting restructuring of their population could reduce their predation on juvenile salmonids by 50%. To test this hypothesis, we implemented a sport-reward angling fishery and a commercial longline fishery in the John Day Pool in 1990. We also conducted an angling fishery in areas inaccessible to the public at four dams on the mainstem Columbia River and at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. Based on the success of these limited efforts, we implemented three test fisheries on a system-wide scale in 1991--a tribal longline fishery above Bonneville Dam, a sport-reward fishery, and a dam-angling fishery. Low catch of target fish and high cost of implementation resulted in discontinuation of the tribal longline fishery. However, the sport-reward and dam-angling fisheries were continued in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, we investigated the feasibility of implementing a commercial longline fishery in the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam and found that implementation of this fishery was also infeasible.« less

Using normal ranges for interpreting results of monitoring and tiering to guide future work: A case study of increasing polycyclic aromatic compounds in lake sediments from the Cold Lake oil sands (Alberta, Canada) described in Korosi et al. (2016).

PubMed

Munkittrick, Kelly R; Arciszewski, Tim J

2017-12-01

Since the publishing of the Kelly et al. papers (2009, 2010) describing elevated contaminants in snow near the Alberta oil sands, there has been a significant expansion of monitoring efforts, enhanced by $50M a year contributed by industry to a regional Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. In parallel to the intensification of research and monitoring efforts, including expansion of measured indicators, techniques for chemical analysis have also become more sensitive. Both factors contribute to the increased sensitivity and power, and improve our capacity to detect any change. The increase in capability requires a counterbalance to account for trivial change. This can be done using an interpretative approach that requires contextualization of differences to meaningfully inform environmental monitoring programs and provide focus for action. Experience obtained through 25 years of involvement with Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program has shown that a tiered program informed by triggers can provide the context to make decisions about monitoring priorities. Here we provide a potential interpretation framework using a case study around the Korosi et al. (2016) study which found recent increases in alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (aPACs) in the Cold Lake in situ oil sands area. Public contaminant profiles from the JOSM studies in the oil sands region are used to evaluate the changes using an interpretation framework based on estimated normal ranges using existing data for site-specific, local and regional (distant) levels that was modelled after the tiered Canadian EEM design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

12 CFR 370.4 - Transaction Account Guarantee Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Transaction Account Guarantee Program. 370.4 Section 370.4 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.4 Transaction Account Guarantee Program. (a) In...

Activities of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1 January - 31 December 1983

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

There are many facets to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for JPL is an organization of multiple responsibilities and broad scope, of diverse talents and great enterprise. The Laboratory's philosophy, mission, and goals have been shaped by its ties to the California Institute of Technology (JPL's parent organization) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (JPL's principal sponsor). JPL's activities for NASA in planetary, Earth, and space sciences currently account for almost 75 percent of the Laboratory's overall effort. JPL Research activities in the following areas are discussed: (1) deep space exploration; (2) telecommunications systems; (3) Earth observations; (4) advanced technology; (5) defense programs; and (6) energy and technology applications.

Interaction of pollution abatement with world dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, G. L.

1973-01-01

The world dynamics model of Jay W. Forrester was modified to account for pollution abatement. In the modified model, it is assumed that as pollution increases, efforts are made to control pollution. There is a competition between food supply, material standard of living, and pollution abatement for capital, and time is required for diversion of capital toward pollution abatement. Inclusion of pollution abatement in the model drastically alters the response of the world system for the case in which depletion of natural resources is not considered. Instead of undergoing a pollution catastrophe, all system levels move more or less smoothly toward an equilibrium. A FORTRAN program listing of the modified world dynamics model is included.

Communicate or pay the price of silence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Derry, F.E.

The electric utility industry's efforts to communicate with its customers through advertising, while highly criticized by consumer interest and other groups, is an important link in providing information that is in the public interest and which the industry has the right and obligation to provide. Advertising represents an efficient and economical way to share information and increase public understanding of the factors affecting utility reliability and cost. Surveys of utility customers show that they want an accounting of what the utility does with its money and consider advertising an appropriate vehicle. By pinpointing cost-related issues, advertising also helps to marketmore » programs that will reduce utility costs, such as off-peak energy use.« less

Safeguards: The past present, and future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seaton, M.B.

1987-07-01

The non-destructive assay techniques developed at Los Alamos have become a primary means for verification by the IAEA and most important for domestic safeguards. We must challenge our assumptions, e.g., that inventory differences are a valid measure of safeguards performance, that more money is the solution, and the threats are much exaggerated. A human reliability program will be initiated. Material control, accounting, and physical protection need further integration. A serious effort involving scholarships, internships, etc. is needed to attract and motivate young people. Increased emphasis will be placed on designing safeguards into new systems such as laser isotope separation. Finally,more » continuing generous support for the IAEA is most important.« less

New forecasting methodology indicates more disease and earlier mortality ahead for today's younger Americans.

PubMed

Reither, Eric N; Olshansky, S Jay; Yang, Yang

2011-08-01

Traditional methods of projecting population health statistics, such as estimating future death rates, can give inaccurate results and lead to inferior or even poor policy decisions. A new "three-dimensional" method of forecasting vital health statistics is more accurate because it takes into account the delayed effects of the health risks being accumulated by today's younger generations. Applying this forecasting technique to the US obesity epidemic suggests that future death rates and health care expenditures could be far worse than currently anticipated. We suggest that public policy makers adopt this more robust forecasting tool and redouble efforts to develop and implement effective obesity-related prevention programs and interventions.

Implementation of IT-based applications in the safeguards field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ekenstam, G.C. af; Sallstrom, M.

1995-12-31

For many years the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI, has used computers as a tool within nuclear material control and accountancy. Over the last five years a lot of effort has been put into projects related to the increasing possibilities of fast and reliable data transfer over large distances. The paper discusses related administrative and technical issues and presents experience gained in tasks of the Swedish Support Program to IAEA Safeguards and during the alternative Safeguards trials carried out by SKI. The following topics will be presented: (1) Main Safeguards purposes and data transfer; (2) Administrative systems and requirements; (3)more » Technical possibilities and experiences; and (4) The cost aspect.« less

Evolving Dispensers: How to Take Benefit from Heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veilleraud, Fredderic; Larcher, Virginie

2014-06-01

Thanks to its large know-how in the field of accommodation and launch of multiple payloads on civil and military programs, Airbus Defence and Space has developed since 1996 dispensers for various constellations on various launchers.Taking into account time and cost constraints of this market, Airbus D&S early based its solutions on adaptation of previous products enabling to limit engineering and manufacturing effort. Thus, Airbus D&S has developed a family of prequalified technological elements allowing adaptation of design to requirement while limiting drastically qualification need.Doing that, Airbus Defence and Space has also gathered a strong experience on various primary concepts that could be easily tuned and customized to new customer needs.

Approaches to Program Accounting for Public Schools. Presentations and Discussions of the National Conference on Program Accounting for Public Schools (University of California, Los Angeles, July 1968).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindman, Erick L., Ed.

This volume contains papers presented at The National Conference on Program Accounting for Public Schools held at The University of California at Los Angeles, in July 1968. The papers describe six public school expenditure classification systems designed to facilitate program budgeting and cost analysis. The account classification systems are…

Measuring relative work values for home care nursing services in Japan.

PubMed

Ogata, Yasuko; Kobayashi, Yasuki; Fukuda, Takashi; Mori, Katsumi; Hashimoto, Michio; Otosaka, Kayo

2004-01-01

Japan's system of Home Visit Nursing Care Stations (Station) began in 1991. To maintain the quality of services in home health nursing provided by Stations, reimbursement needs to account not only for the number of home visits, but also for the time and intensity of nursing services. This study aimed primarily to investigate the total work value and the three dimensions (time, mental effort, and physical effort) of actual visiting nursing services for the aged, and to quantify the contribution made by the three dimensions of nursing services to total work. The secondary purpose was to determine whether patient characteristics, nurse characteristics, and types of nursing services contributed to the variance in total work. Total work is defined as comprehensive work input of nursing services, with careful consideration given to both the intensity and duration of work. Self-report questionnaires about actual visiting nursing services, based on the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, were answered by 32 nurses from three Stations in urban Yokohama, Japan. Regression analysis showed that time and intensity (physical effort and mental effort) explained 96% the variance in total work. Time alone accounted for only 39% of the variance in total work. Patient characteristics, nurse characteristics, and service type accounted for less variance in total work than did time and intensity. The study findings indicate that reimbursement of nursing services should reflect not only the time required for each visit, but also the intensity of nursing services provided, including mental effort and physical effort.

Rethinking Accountability in a Knowledge Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahlberg, Pasi

2010-01-01

Competition between schools combined with test-based accountability to hold schools accountable for predetermined knowledge standards have become a common solution in educational change efforts to improve the performance of educational systems around the world. This is happening as family and community social capital declines in most parts of…

Interdisciplinary approach to hydrological hazard mitigation and disaster response and effects of climate change on the occurrence of flood severity in central Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontar, Y. Y.; Bhatt, U. S.; Lindsey, S. D.; Plumb, E. W.; Thoman, R. L.

2015-06-01

In May 2013, a massive ice jam on the Yukon River caused flooding that destroyed much of the infrastructure in the Interior Alaska village of Galena and forced the long-term evacuation of nearly 70% of its residents. This case study compares the communication efforts of the out-of-state emergency response agents with those of the Alaska River Watch program, a state-operated flood preparedness and community outreach initiative. For over 50 years, the River Watch program has been fostering long-lasting, open, and reciprocal communication with flood prone communities, as well as local emergency management and tribal officials. By taking into account cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic features of rural Alaskan communities, the River Watch program was able to establish and maintain a sense of partnership and reliable communication patterns with communities at risk. As a result, officials and residents in these communities are open to information and guidance from the River Watch during the time of a flood, and thus are poised to take prompt actions. By informing communities of existing ice conditions and flood threats on a regular basis, the River Watch provides effective mitigation efforts in terms of ice jam flood effects reduction. Although other ice jam mitigation attempts had been made throughout US and Alaskan history, the majority proved to be futile and/or cost-ineffective. Galena, along with other rural riverine Alaskan communities, has to rely primarily on disaster response and recovery strategies to withstand the shock of disasters. Significant government funds are spent on these challenging efforts and these expenses might be reduced through an improved understanding of both the physical and climatological principals behind river ice breakup and risk mitigation. This study finds that long term dialogue is critical for effective disaster response and recovery during extreme hydrological events connected to changing climate, timing of river ice breakup, and flood occurrence in rural communities of the Far North.

The Introduction of Data Processing in Middle-Level Accountancy Training Programs in Developing Countries: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Karin

1985-01-01

Examines the impact of introducing data processing in middle-level accountancy training programs in Botswana. Hardware and software considerations for the program are also examined. Since the beginning of the program, some 300 students have been trained in accounting. (JN)

Genetic Programming as Alternative for Predicting Development Effort of Individual Software Projects

PubMed Central

Chavoya, Arturo; Lopez-Martin, Cuauhtemoc; Andalon-Garcia, Irma R.; Meda-Campaña, M. E.

2012-01-01

Statistical and genetic programming techniques have been used to predict the software development effort of large software projects. In this paper, a genetic programming model was used for predicting the effort required in individually developed projects. Accuracy obtained from a genetic programming model was compared against one generated from the application of a statistical regression model. A sample of 219 projects developed by 71 practitioners was used for generating the two models, whereas another sample of 130 projects developed by 38 practitioners was used for validating them. The models used two kinds of lines of code as well as programming language experience as independent variables. Accuracy results from the model obtained with genetic programming suggest that it could be used to predict the software development effort of individual projects when these projects have been developed in a disciplined manner within a development-controlled environment. PMID:23226305

Continuous Improvement in State Funded Preschool Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Sarah L.

2012-01-01

State funded preschool programs were constantly faced with the need to change in order to address internal and external demands. As programs engaged in efforts towards change, minimal research was available on how to support continuous improvement efforts within the context unique to state funded preschool programs. Guidance available had…

Major Management Challenges and Program Risks. Department of Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

GAO United States General Accounting Office Performance and Accountability SeriesJanuary 2001 Major Management Challenges and Program Risks ...34) Title and Subtitle Major Management Challenges and Program Risks Department of Education Contract or Grant Number Program Element Number Authors...Accountability Series: Major Management Challenges and Program Risks . In that series, GAO advised the Congress that it planned to reassess the

Building a community of practice in rural medical education: growing our own together.

PubMed

Longenecker, Randall L; Schmitz, David

2017-01-01

This article chronicles the rise, decline, and recent resurgence of rural training track residency programs (RTTs) in the USA over the past 30 years and the emergence of a healthy community of practice in rural medical education. This has occurred during a time in the USA when federal and state funding of graduate medical education has been relatively stagnant and the rules around finance and accreditation of rural programs have been challenging. Many of the early family residency programs developed in the 1970s included a curricular focus on rural practice. However, by the 1980s, these programs were not yet producing the desired numbers of rural physicians. In response, in 1986, Maudlin and others at the family medicine residency in Spokane developed the first 1-2 RTT in Colville, Washington. In the 1990s, and by 2000, early news of success led to a peak of 35 active programs. However, over the next decade these programs experienced significant hardship due to a lack of funding and a general decline in student interest in family medicine. By 2010, only 25 programs remained. In 2010, in an effort to sustain the 1-2 RTT as a national strategy in training physicians for rural practice, a federally funded consortium of individuals and programs established the RTT Technical Assistance program (RTT TA). Building on the pattern of peer support and collaboration set by earlier groups, the RTT TA consortium expanded the existing community of practice in rural medical education in support of RTTs. In-person meetings, peer consultation and visitation, coordinated efforts at student recruitment, and collaborative rural medical education research were all elements of the consortium's strategy. Rather than anchoring its efforts in medical schools or hospitals, this consortium engaged as partners a wider variety of stakeholders. This included physician educators still living and practicing in rural communities ('local experts'), rural medical educator peers, program directors, professional groups, academic units, governmental entities such as state offices of rural health, and national associations with a stake in rural medical education. The consortium has succeeded in (1) supporting established and new RTTs, (2) increasing medical student interest in these programs, and (3) demonstrating the effectiveness of this strategy through a minimum dataset and registry of RTT trainees. From a low of 21 programs in 2012, the number has grown to 32, accounting for a total of 68 positions in each year of training. The RTT Collaborative, the non-profit that has emerged as the sustainable product of that federal funding, is now supported by a national cooperative of participating rural programs and continues the work. Growing a community of practice in this fashion requires the organic building of relationships over time. The RTT TA consortium, and now the RTT Collaborative as a sustainable successor, have laid a strong foundation for community-engaged rural health professions education into the future - from each growing their own, to 'growing our own … together.

A new "loyalty rewards" program in health care customer relationships.

PubMed

Macstravic, Scott

2006-01-01

"Loyalty rewards" in sponsored DM and HRM programs can apply to both providers and consumers. Physicians and hospitals can be paid to "loyally" adhere to payers' guidelines for managing diseases and risks. Many payer and their outsourced vendor programs include significant efforts to create collaborations between payer and provider, rather than relying on unilateral efforts. And growing numbers are rewarding providers for their efforts and results achieved.

Prioritizing quality improvement in general surgery.

PubMed

Schilling, Peter L; Dimick, Justin B; Birkmeyer, John D

2008-11-01

Despite growing interest in quality improvement, uncertainty remains about which procedures offer the most room for improvement in general surgery. In this context, we sought to describe the relative contribution of different procedures to overall morbidity, mortality, and excess length of stay in general surgery. Using data from the American College of Surgeons' National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP), we identified all patients undergoing a general surgery procedure in 2005 and 2006 (n=129,233). Patients were placed in 36 distinct procedure groups based on Current Procedural Terminology codes. We first examined procedure groups according to their relative contribution to overall morbidity and mortality. We then assessed procedure groups according to their contribution to overall excess length of stay. Ten procedure groups alone accounted for 62% of complications and 54% of excess hospital days. Colectomy accounted for the greatest share of adverse events, followed by small intestine resection, inpatient cholecystectomy, and ventral hernia repair. In contrast, several common procedures contributed little to overall morbidity and mortality. For example, outpatient cholecystectomy, breast procedures, thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, and outpatient inguinal hernia repair together accounted for 34% of procedures, but only 6% of complications (and only 4% of major complications). These same procedures accounted for < 1% of excess hospital days. A relatively small number of procedures account for a disproportionate share of the morbidity, mortality, and excess hospital days in general surgery. Focusing quality improvement efforts on these procedures may be an effective strategy for improving patient care and reducing cost.

Forum: Is Test-Based Accountability Dead?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polikoff, Morgan S.; Greene, Jay P.; Huffman, Kevin

2017-01-01

Since the 2001 passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), test-based accountability has been an organizing principle--perhaps "the" organizing principle--of efforts to improve American schools. But lately, accountability has been under fire from many critics, including Common Core opponents and those calling for more multifaceted…

Implications of NCLB Accountability for Comprehensive School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Floch, Kerstin Carlson; Taylor, James E.; Thomsen, Kerri

2006-01-01

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) accountability mechanisms have the potential to derail comprehensive school reform (CSR) implementation. For those pursuing CSR, the question is how to reconcile the implementation of NCLB accountability mandates with ongoing CSR efforts. Drawing from longitudinal data from a national study of CSR, this article explores…

School Centered Evidence Based Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milligan, Charles

2015-01-01

Achievement scores drive much of the effort in today's accountability system, however, there is much more that occurs in every school, every day. School Centered Evidence Based Accountability can be used from micro to macro giving School Boards and Administration a process for monitoring the results of the entire school operation effectively and…

IRS ruling makes patient power a reality for all employers.

PubMed

Scandlen, Greg

2002-01-01

In June, 2002, the Internal Revenue Service released guidance on the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) by employers. This action added another important tool to the effort to restore patient power to a financing system that has become ever more dysfunctional over the years. HRAs are far more flexible in design than earlier efforts such as Medical Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts. Ironically, because of the IRS, innovation is likely to continue in the area of employee benefits.

CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: Maria Perez, 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-09-01

Historically, American Indian Tribes have lacked sufficient numbers of trained, technical personnel from their communities to serve their communities; tribal expertise in the fields of science, business and engineering being extremely rare and programs to encourage these disciplines almost non-existent. Subsequently, Tribes have made crucial decisions about their land and other facets of Tribal existence based upon outside technical expertise, such as that provided by the United States government and/or private industries. These outside expert opinions rarely took into account the traditional and cultural values of the Tribes being advised. The purpose of this internship was twofold: Create and maintainmore » a working relationship between CERT and Colorado State University (CSU) to plan for the Summit on Tribal human resource development; and Evaluate and engage in current efforts to strengthen the Tribal Resource Institute in Business, Engineering and Science (TRIBES) program. The intern lists the following as the project results: Positive interactions and productive meetings between CERT and CSU; Gathered information from Tribes; CERT database structure modification; Experience as facilitator in participating methods; Preliminary job descriptions for staff of future TRIBES programs; and Additions for the intern`s personal database of professional contacts and resources.« less

A study of optimum cowl shapes and flow port locations for minimum drag with effective engine cooling, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, S. R.; Smetana, F. O.

1980-01-01

The listings, user's instructions, sample inputs, and sample outputs of two computer programs which are especially useful in obtaining an approximate solution of the viscous flow over an arbitrary nonlifting three dimensional body are provided. The first program performs a potential flow solution by a well known panel method and readjusts this initial solution to account for the effects of the boundary layer displacement thickness, a nonuniform but unidirectional onset flow field, and the presence of air intakes and exhausts. The second program is effectually a geometry package which allows the user to change or refine the shape of a body to satisfy particular needs without a significant amount of human intervention. An effort to reduce the cruise drag of light aircraft through an analytical study of the contributions to the drag arising from the engine cowl shape and the foward fuselage area and also that resulting from the cooling air mass flowing through intake and exhaust sites on the nacelle is presented. The programs may be effectively used to determine the appropriate body modifications or flow port locations to reduce the cruise drag as well as to provide sufficient air flow for cooling the engine.

Climate Masters of Nebraska: An Action Based Approach to Climate Change Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umphlett, N.; Bernadt, T.; Pathak, T.

2014-12-01

The Climate Masters of Nebraska pilot program started in 2010 with the goal of assisting the community in becoming more knowledgeable and making informed decisions regarding climate change issues. First, participants engage in a 10-week training course where they learn from experts how to reduce their carbon footprint in everyday life. Participants then volunteer at least 30 hours educating the community through household consultations, outreach events, or other creative efforts they want to take to actively influence the community to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first two groups of Climate Masters volunteers completed multiple household consultations, started a drip irrigation project, hosted an informational booth at local events, participated in an Adopt a Highway program, formed a Citizens Climate Lobby group, and worked with the City of Lincoln's reEnergize outreach program. All of these projects positively impacted the environment, reduced GHG emissions, or both. The program is continuing for a third year with a new and improved course in the fall. Taking into account suggestions from previous courses, this new course hopes to focus more on the climate issues that are particularly pressing in southeastern Nebraska.

Environmental management requirements/defensible costs project. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-02-01

Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company (LITCO) used a systems engineering approach to develop the first formal requirements baseline for Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Management (EM) Programs. The recently signed Settlement Agreement with the State of Idaho (Batt Agreement), along with dramatically reduced EM funding targets from Department of Energy (DOE) headquarters, drove the immediacy of this effort. Programs have linked top-level requirements to work scope to cost estimates. All EM work, grouped by decision units, was scrubbed by INEL EM programs and by an independent {open_quotes}Murder Board.{close_quotes} Direct participation of upper level management from LITCO and the DOE-Idaho Operationsmore » Office ensured best information and decisions. The result is a scrubbed down, defensible budget tied to top-level requirements for use in the upcoming DOE-Headquarters` budget workout, the Internal Review Board, the FY98 Activity Data Sheets submittal, and preparation of the FY97 control accounts and out-year plans. In addition to the remarkable accomplishments during the past eight weeks, major issues were identified and documented and follow-on tasks are underway which will lead to further improvements in INEL EM program management.« less

The promise of prison-based treatment for dually diagnosed inmates.

PubMed

Wexler, Harry K

2003-10-01

The Stay'n Out therapeutic community was created 25 years ago, the first rigorously evaluated prison program that demonstrated recidivism reduction. Since then, there has been a growing appreciation for the recidivism-reducing benefit of substance abuse treatment and the general understanding has been reached that prison treatment for substance abuse is good for the public interest. A number of replicated outcome studies have led to increases in treatment capacity in most state correctional systems, primarily utilizing the therapeutic community model. In contrast, efforts to introduce treatment for offenders with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders (COD) are only beginning. This article describes developments in prison substance abuse treatment and reentry programs and offers some guiding observations from prison substance abuse treatment history that could facilitate the development of COD treatment. Lessons learned include that: public safety (i.e., recidivism reduction) is a primary goal; personal accountability as a basic treatment value facilitates cooperation between treatment and correctional staff; self-help approaches foster more ambitious treatment goals than just symptom reduction; and well-run treatment programs often ease the burden of correctional administration.

Policy reform dilemmas in promoting employment of persons with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Noble, J H

1998-06-01

Recent evaluations by the U.S. General Accounting Office and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of reemployment efforts of the federal-state vocational rehabilitation program found that services offered by state vocational rehabilitation agencies do not produce long-term earnings for clients with emotional or physical disabilities. This paper examines reasons for these poor outcomes and the implications of recent policy reform recommendations. Congress must decide whether to take action at the federal level to upgrade programs affecting persons with severe mental illnesses or to continue to rely on state decision making. The federal-state program largely wastes an estimated $490 million annually on time-limited services to consumers with mental illnesses. Rechanneled into a variety of innovative and more appropriate integrated services models, the money could buy stable annual vocational rehabilitation funding for 62,000 to 90,000 consumers with severe mental illnesses. Larger macrosystem problems involve the dynamics of the labor market that limit job opportunities and the powerful work disincentives for consumers with severe disabilities now inherent in Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Cost effectiveness of recycling: a systems model.

PubMed

Tonjes, David J; Mallikarjun, Sreekanth

2013-11-01

Financial analytical models of waste management systems have often found that recycling costs exceed direct benefits, and in order to economically justify recycling activities, externalities such as household expenses or environmental impacts must be invoked. Certain more empirically based studies have also found that recycling is more expensive than disposal. Other work, both through models and surveys, have found differently. Here we present an empirical systems model, largely drawn from a suburban Long Island municipality. The model accounts for changes in distribution of effort as recycling tonnages displace disposal tonnages, and the seven different cases examined all show that curbside collection programs that manage up to between 31% and 37% of the waste stream should result in overall system savings. These savings accrue partially because of assumed cost differences in tip fees for recyclables and disposed wastes, and also because recycling can result in a more efficient, cost-effective collection program. These results imply that increases in recycling are justifiable due to cost-savings alone, not on more difficult to measure factors that may not impact program budgets. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students' performance in accounting: differential effect of field dependence-independence as a learning style.

PubMed

Bernardi, Richard A

2003-08-01

This study examined the differential moderating effects associated with field dependence-independence and perceptions of stress on students' performance after controlling for SAT Mathematics and Verbal scores as well as students' actual effort on homework. The average performance of 178 third-year accounting majors over three examinations was used to evaluate their understanding of financial accounting. The students also took the Group Embedded Figures Test. While the data indicate that the most significant variables were students' effort, SAT Verbal scores, and their perceptions of stress, these variables were differentially associated with students' performance depending upon whether the student was classified as a field-independent or field-dependent learner.

Bangladesh's SMP earns top marks.

PubMed

1984-01-01

A recent evaluation funded by the US Agency for International Development (AID) confirms that Bangladesh's contraceptive social marketing program has exceeded its planner's goals and demonstrated the ability of such a system to widely distribute contraceptive products at a low cost. The project, which began contraceptive sales in 1975, distributes condoms, oral contraceptives, and foaming vaginal tablets. Almost 25% of contraceptive users in Bangladesh are serviced by the social marketing program. By the end of 1983, the program was providing 1,022,000 couple years of protection; this included 84 million condoms, 1.7 million pill cycles, and 5.1 million spermicidal tablets each year. The program's cost for 1 couple year of protection is US$1.66. Social marketing sales have accounted for all increases in couple years of protection experienced by the country's national population program since 1975. Sales have been boosted by recent efforts to draw rural medical practitioners into family planning activities. Mobile film units have further increased sales. The USAID report identifies 3 elements that have spearheaded the social marketing program's achievements: 1) the existence of a committed core management team, 2) the granting of autonomy to make daily decisions to this management team, and 3) central control fo the product distribution system by management rather than by subcontractors. Overall, the social marketing program is credited with legitimizing discussion of contraception in a country formerly considered too conservative to tolerate open product promotion.

Accounting Technology Associate Degree. Louisiana Technical Education Program and Course Standards. Competency-Based Postsecondary Curriculum Outline from Bulletin 1822.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Vocational Education.

This document outlines the curriculum of Louisiana's accounting technology associate degree program, which is a 6-term (77-credit hour) competency-based program designed to prepare students for employment as accounting technicians providing technical administrative support to professional accountants and other financial management personnel.…

[Evaluating the effectiveness of child lead poisoning prevention programs].

PubMed

Ginot, L; Fontaine, A; Cheymol, J; Peyr, C

2003-09-01

A multi annual screening and prevention program against lead poisoning was implemented in a suburb of the Paris area. We attempted to assess the effectiveness of this program based on data available from children screening and follow-up. Indicators of effectiveness included the evolution of blood lead levels at screening and the frequency of secondary increases in blood lead levels. Buildings inclusion dates were used to control for the increasing selection of less exposed children. A total of 3,660 children were screened between 1992 and 2000. We observed a regular decrease in blood lead levels at screening, in the highest blood lead levels obtained for each child and in the proportion of children whose blood lead levels increased after screening: the proportion of children with initial blood lead levels >=15 micro g/dl fell from 17.4% in the 1992-1996 period to 4.1% in the 1997-2000 period. A multivariate analysis taking into account the first year that children were screened in a given building showed that less exposed children were included over time, but found also an additional independent decrease in blood lead levels that can be related to the effectiveness of prevention efforts. A "building by building" analysis of 30 buildings where more than 20 children were located over the whole study period confirmed that the incidence of lead poisoning decreased within most of these buildings. Taking into account buildings'inclusion dates makes it possible to distinguish program effectiveness from the consequences of including less exposed children The effectiveness of preventive actions is associated with several interacting factors, including the participation of families and the active involvement of local technical staff and policy makers. The finding that the decrease in blood lead levels leveled off after 1997 calls for further actions.

Healthier students are better learners: high-quality, strategically planned, and effectively coordinated school health programs must be a fundamental mission of schools to help close the achievement gap.

PubMed

Basch, Charles E

2011-10-01

To discuss implications for educational policy and practice relevant to closing the achievement gap based on the literature review and synthesis presented in 7 articles of the October 2011 special issue of the Journal of School Health. Implications for closing the achievement gap are drawn from analyses of current literature. During the past several decades, school reform efforts to close the achievement gap have focused on various strategies, yielding very limited progress. Educationally relevant health disparities influence students' motivation and ability to learn, but reducing these disparities has been largely overlooked as an element of an overall strategy for closing the achievement gap. If these health problems are not addressed, the educational benefits of other school reform efforts will be jeopardized. Healthier students are better learners. School health programs and services that are evidence based, strategically planned to influence academic achievement, and effectively coordinated warrant validation as a cohesive school improvement initiative for closing the achievement gap. National, state, and local responsibilities for supporting school health are outlined, including shared strategies; leadership from the U.S. Department of Education; policy development; guidance, technical assistance, and professional development; accountability and data and software systems; and a research agenda. To date, the U.S. Department of Education has not provided leadership for integrating evidence-based, strategically planned, and effectively coordinated school health programs and services into the fundamental mission of schools. Now is an opportune time for change. © 2011, American School Health Association.

Assessment of the Accounting and Joint Accounting/Computer Information Systems Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appiah, John; Cernigliaro, James; Davis, Jeffrey; Gordon, Millicent; Richards, Yves; Santamaria, Fernando; Siegel, Annette; Lytle, Namy; Wharton, Patrick

This document presents City University of New York LaGuardia Community College's Department of Accounting and Managerial Studies assessment of its accounting and joint accounting/computer information systems programs report, and includes the following items: (1) description of the mission and goals of the Department of Accounting and Managerial…

Automatic selection of dynamic data partitioning schemes for distributed memory multicomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palermo, Daniel J.; Banerjee, Prithviraj

1995-01-01

For distributed memory multicomputers such as the Intel Paragon, the IBM SP-2, the NCUBE/2, and the Thinking Machines CM-5, the quality of the data partitioning for a given application is crucial to obtaining high performance. This task has traditionally been the user's responsibility, but in recent years much effort has been directed to automating the selection of data partitioning schemes. Several researchers have proposed systems that are able to produce data distributions that remain in effect for the entire execution of an application. For complex programs, however, such static data distributions may be insufficient to obtain acceptable performance. The selection of distributions that dynamically change over the course of a program's execution adds another dimension to the data partitioning problem. In this paper, we present a technique that can be used to automatically determine which partitionings are most beneficial over specific sections of a program while taking into account the added overhead of performing redistribution. This system is being built as part of the PARADIGM (PARAllelizing compiler for DIstributed memory General-purpose Multicomputers) project at the University of Illinois. The complete system will provide a fully automated means to parallelize programs written in a serial programming model obtaining high performance on a wide range of distributed-memory multicomputers.

Respiratory diseases research at NIOSH: reviews of research programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2008-07-01

Respiratory diseases caused by exposures to dangerous materials in the workplace have tremendous implications for worker health and, by extension, the national economy. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that deaths from work-related respiratory diseases and cancers account for about 70% of all occupational disease deaths. NIOSH conducts research in order to detect and reduce work-related hazardous exposures, injuries, and diseases; its Respiratory Disease Research Program (RDRP) focuses on respiratory diseases. This National Research Council book reviews the RDRP to evaluate the 1) relevance of its work to improvements in occupational safety and health and 2)more » the impact of research in reducing workplace respiratory illnesses. The assessment reveals that the program has made essential contributions to preventing occupational respiratory disease. The National Research Council has rated the Program a 5 out of 5 for relevance, and a 4 out of 5 for impact. To further increase its effectiveness, the Respiratory Disease Research Program should continue and expand its current efforts, provide resources for occupational disease surveillance, and include exposure assessment scientists in its activities. There are numerous references to respiratory systems diseases caused by coal mining. 4 apps.« less

ATOD Prevention Programming in the Non-School Hours and Adolescent Substance Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alter, Randi J.; Jun, Mi Kyung; J-McKyer, E. Lisako

2007-01-01

To reduce problems associated with youth substance use, Indiana developed funding streams and infrastructure to facilitate coordination of statewide prevention efforts. These prevention efforts aimed at youth include programming in the non-school hours. To examine the relationship between these efforts and youth substance abuse, students…

Descriptive Epidemiology of Collegiate Women's Softball Injuries: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System, 1988–1989 Through 2003–2004

PubMed Central

Marshall, Stephen W; Hamstra-Wright, Karrie L; Dick, Randall; Grove, Katie A; Agel, Julie

2007-01-01

Objective: To review 16 years of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) injury surveillance data for women's softball and to identify potential areas for injury prevention initiatives. Background: The NCAA Injury Surveillance System has tracked injuries in all divisions of NCAA softball from the 1988– 1989 to the 2003–2004 seasons. This report describes what was found and why the findings are important for the safety, enhancement, and continued growth of the sport. Main Results: Across all divisions, preseason practice injury rates were more than double the regular-season practice injury rates (3.65 versus 1.68 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures, rate ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0, 2.4, P < .01). The rate of injury in a game was 1.6 times that in a practice (4.30 versus 2.67 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures, rate ratio = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.5, 1.7). A total of 51.2% of game injuries resulted from “other-contact” mechanisms, whereas 55% of practice injuries resulted from noncontact mechanisms. In games, ankle ligament sprains and knee internal derangements accounted for 19% of injuries. Twenty-three percent of all game injuries were due to sliding, most of which were ankle sprains. In practices, ankle ligament sprains, quadriceps and hamstring strains, shoulder strains and tendinitis, knee internal derangements, and lower back strains (combined) accounted for 38% of injuries. Recommendations: Ankle ligament sprains, knee internal derangements, sliding injuries, and overuse shoulder and low back injuries were among the most common conditions in NCAA women's softball. Preventive efforts should focus on sliding technique regardless of skill level, potential equipment changes, neuromuscular training programs, position-specific throwing programs, and mechanisms of low back injury. Further research is needed on the development and effects of these preventive efforts, as well as in the area of windmill-pitching biomechanics. PMID:17710178

Needs of Accurate Prompt and Delayed γ-spectrum and Multiplicity for Nuclear Reactor Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimpault, G.; Bernard, D.; Blanchet, D.; Vaglio-Gaudard, C.; Ravaux, S.; Santamarina, A.

The local energy photon deposit must be accounted accurately for Gen-IV fast reactors, advanced light-water nuclear reactors (Gen-III+) and the new experimental Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR). The γ energy accounts for about 10% of the total energy released in the core of a thermal or fast reactor. The γ-energy release is much greater in the core of the reactor than in its structural sub-assemblies (such as reflector, control rod followers, dummy sub-assemblies). However, because of the propagation of γ from the core regions to the neighboring fuel-free assemblies, the contribution of γ energy to the total heating can be dominant. For reasons related to their performance, power reactors require a 7.5% (1σ) uncertainty for the energy deposition in non-fuelled zones. For the JHR material-testing reactor, a 5% (1 s) uncertainty is required in experimental positions. In order to verify the adequacy of the calculation of γ-heating, TLD and γ-fission chambers were used to derive the experimental heating values. Experimental programs were and are still conducted in different Cadarache facilities such as MASURCA (for SFR), MINERVE and EOLE (for JHR and Gen-III+ reactors). The comparison of calculated and measured γ-heating values shows an underestimation in all experimental programs indicating that for the most γ-production data from 239Pu in current nuclear-data libraries is highly suspicious.The first evaluation priority is for prompt γ-multiplicity for U and Pu fission but similar values for otheractinides such as Pu and U are also required. The nuclear data library JEFF3.1.1 contains most of the photon production data. However, there are some nuclei for which there are missing or erroneous data which need to be completed or modified. A review of the data available shows a lack of measurements for conducting serious evaluation efforts. New measurements are needed to guide new evaluation efforts which benefit from consolidated modeling techniques.

Trends in Media Criticism and Accountability in Western Europe: Growing Pressure from Consumers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurston, Carol M.

This paper examines efforts in Western Europe to monitor and guide the performance of the mass media. The evidence indicates that consumers are increasing their efforts to let the media know their wants and needs; these efforts include complaints to national press councils and action in special-interest groups. Local and federal governments have…

Successfully using optical components and systems in novel ways during educational outreach programs for K-12 grades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silberman, Donn

2006-08-01

Much work has been done in efforts to reach students in the K-12 grades to encourage them to learn about optics and related sciences and technologies. One goal of these efforts is to develop the future optical scientists and engineers to carry on the work of this and related societies. One main obstacle is to create low costs novel and effective hands-on optical components and systems for these students to use and from which to get excited. Students at different grade levels and abilities are receptive to different kinds of components and systems and this must be taken into account when preparing for outreach programs. There are, however, some guiding principles which can be used throughout the various levels, including making sure the components and systems are good examples and not marginal. Small telescopes or microscopes that use poor quality optics which provide poor quality images do more to discourage young students from going into the sciences than if they never had the experience at all. Some examples of both poor and good quality optical components and systems that will be described and demonstrated include: lenses, telescopes, microscopes, diffraction gratings, Kaleidoscopes, Fresnel Lenses, polarization filters and liquid crystals. The figures in this paper are in color and best viewed on-line or printed with a good color printer.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lobel, R.

TRUMP is a general finite difference computer program for the solution of transient and steady state heat transfer problems. It is a very general program capable of solving heat transfer problems in one, two or three dimensions for plane, cylindrical or spherical geometry. Because of the variety of possible geometries, the effort required to describe the geometry can be large. GIFT was written to minimize this effort for one-dimensional heat flow problems. After describing the inner and outer boundaries of a region made of a single material along with the modes of heat transfer which thermally connect different regions, GIFTmore » will calculate all the geometric data (BLOCK 04) and thermal network data (BLOCK 05) required by TRUMP for one-dimensional problems. The heat transfer between layers (or shells) of a material may be by conduction or radiation; also, an interface resistance between layers can be specified. Convection between layers can be accounted for by use of an effective thermal conductivity in which the convection effect is included or by a thermal conductance coefficient. GIFT was written for the Sigma 7 computer, a small digital computer with a versatile graphic display system. This system makes it possible to input the desired data in a question and answer mode and to see both the input and the output displayed on a screen in front of the user at all times. (auth)« less

76 FR 28247 - Securities Act of 1933, Release No. 9206/May 11, 2011; Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Release...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-16

... accounting support fees to the Financial Accounting Foundation.\\4\\ \\3\\ See 15 U.S.C. 78o-4. \\4\\ See 15 U.S.C... Financial Accounting Foundation.\\5\\ Any fees or funds collected shall be used to support the efforts of the GASB to establish standards of financial accounting and reporting recognized as generally accepted...

7 CFR 761.53 - Interest bearing accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interest bearing accounts. 761.53 Section 761.53... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS GENERAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION Supervised Bank Accounts § 761.53 Interest bearing accounts. (a) A supervised bank account, if possible, will be established as an interest bearing deposit...

Lessons learned about collaborative evaluation using the Capacity for Applying Project Evaluation (CAPE) framework with school and district leaders.

PubMed

Corn, Jenifer O; Byrom, Elizabeth; Knestis, Kirk; Matzen, Nita; Thrift, Beth

2012-11-01

Schools, districts, and state-level educational organizations are experiencing a great shift in the way they do the business of education. This shift focuses on accountability, specifically through the expectation of the effective utilization of evaluative-focused efforts to guide and support decisions about educational program implementation. In as much, education leaders need specific guidance and training on how to plan, implement, and use evaluation to critically examine district and school-level initiatives. One specific effort intended to address this need is through the Capacity for Applying Project Evaluation (CAPE) framework. The CAPE framework is composed of three crucial components: a collection of evaluation resources; a professional development model; and a conceptual framework that guides the work to support evaluation planning and implementation in schools and districts. School and district teams serve as active participants in the professional development and ultimately as formative evaluators of their own school or district-level programs by working collaboratively with evaluation experts. The CAPE framework involves the school and district staff in planning and implementing their evaluation. They are the ones deciding what evaluation questions to ask, which instruments to use, what data to collect, and how and to whom results should be reported. Initially this work is done through careful scaffolding by evaluation experts, where supports are slowly pulled away as the educators gain experience and confidence in their knowledge and skills as evaluators. Since CAPE engages all stakeholders in all stages of the evaluation, the philosophical intentions of these efforts to build capacity for formative evaluation strictly aligns with the collaborative evaluation approach. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personal Values and Attitudes towards Societal and Environmental Accountability: A Study of MBA Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhattacharyya, Asit

2016-01-01

Efforts to promote corporate societal and environmental accountability (SEA) should be informed by an understanding of stakeholders' attitudes toward enhanced accountability standards. However, little is known regarding current attitudes on this subject or the determinants of these attitudes. To address this issue, this study examines the…

76 FR 42005 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security Office of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-18

... time a request is made, for the following reasons: (a) From subsection (c)(3) (Accounting for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the subject of an investigation of... of the accounting would therefore present a serious impediment to law enforcement efforts and/or...

76 FR 42003 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security Transportation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-18

... time a request is made, for the following reasons: (a) From subsection (c)(3) (Accounting for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the subject of an investigation of... of the accounting would therefore present a serious impediment to law enforcement efforts and/or...

Contributions of Academic Emergency Medicine Programs to U.S. Health Care: Summary of the AAAEM-AACEM Benchmarking Data.

PubMed

Reznek, Martin A; Scheulen, James J; Harbertson, Cathi A; Kotkowski, Kevin A; Kelen, Gabor D; Volturo, Gregory A

2018-04-01

The societal contribution of emergency care in the United States has been described. The role and impact of academic emergency departments (EDs) has been less clear. Our report summarizes the results of a benchmarking effort specifically focused on academic emergency medicine (EM) practices. From October through December 2016, the Academy of Academic Administrators of Emergency Medicine (AAAEM) and the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM) jointly administered a benchmarking survey to allopathic, academic departments and divisions of emergency medicine. Participation was voluntary and nonanonymous. The survey queried various aspects of the three components of the tripartite academic mission: clinical care, education and research, and faculty effort and compensation. Responses reflected a calendar year from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. Of 107 eligible U.S. allopathic, academic departments and divisions of emergency medicine, 79 (74%) responded to the survey overall, although individual questions were not always answered by all responding programs. The 79 responding programs reported 6,876,189 patient visits at 97 primary and affiliated academic clinical sites. A number of clinical operations metrics related to the care of these patients at these sites are reported in this study. All responding programs had active educational programs for EM residents, with a median of 37 residents per program. Nearly half of the overall respondents reported responsibility for teaching medical students in mandatory EM clerkships. Fifty-two programs reported research and publication activity, with a total of $129,494,676 of grant funding and 3,059 publications. Median faculty effort distribution was clinical effort, 66.9%; education effort, 12.7%; administrative effort, 12.0%; and research effort, 6.9%. Median faculty salary was $277,045. Academic EM programs are characterized by significant productivity in clinical operations, education, and research. The survey results reported in this investigation provide appropriate benchmarking for academic EM programs because they allow for comparison of academic programs to each other, rather than nonacademic programs that do not necessarily share the additional missions of research and education and may have dissimilar working environments. © 2017 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

"India Population Projects" in Karnataka.

PubMed

Reddy, P H; Badari, V S

1991-12-01

An overview, objectives, implementation, and research and evaluation studies of 2 India Population Projects in Karnataka are presented. The India Population Project I (IPP-I) was conducted in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. India Population Project III (IPP-III) took place between 1984-92 in 6 districts of Karnataka: Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur, and 4 districts in Kerala. The 6 districts in Karnataka accounted for 36% (13.2 million) of the total national population. The project cost was Rs. 713.1 million which was shared by the World Bank, and the Indian national and regional government. Due to poor past performance, these projects were undertaken to improve health and family welfare status. Specific project objectives are outlined. IPP-I included an urban component, and optimal Government of India program, and an intensive rural initiative. The urban program aimed to improved pre- and postnatal services and facilities, and the family planning (FP) in Bangalore city. The rural program was primarily to provide auxiliary nurse-midwives and hospitals and clinics, and also supplemental feeding program for pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to 2 years. The government program provided FP staff and facilities. IPP-I had 3 units to oversee building construction, to recruit staff and provide supplies and equipment, and to establish a Population Center. IPP-III was concerned with service delivery; information, education, and communication efforts (IEC) and population education; research and evaluation; and project management. Both projects contributed significantly to improving the infrastructure. A brief account of the types and kinds of studies undertaken is given. Studies were grouped into longitudinal studies of fertility, mortality, and FP; management information and evaluation systems for health and family welfare programs; experimental strategies; and other studies. Research and evaluation studies in IPP-III encompassed studies in gaps in knowledge, skills, and practice of health and FP personnel; baseline and endline surveys; and operational evaluation of the management information and evaluation system; factors affecting primary health care in Gulbarga district; evaluation of radio health lessons and the impact of the Kalyana Matha Program; and studies of vaccination and child survival and maternal mortality. Training programs were also undertaken.

China marks World Population Day. Address by Zhang Weiqing: (Excerpts).

PubMed

Zhang, W

1998-08-01

This is a summary of remarks by Minister Zhang Weiqing of China's State Family Planning Commission (SFPC) given on World Population Day in China. The world's population size has increased by 1 billion since 1987, and will reach 6 billion by 1999. As the most populous developing country in the world, China has a greater population pressure and bears a large responsibility regarding stabilization of the world's population and realization of sustainable development. China has a less developed economy and a high percentage of rural and illiterate persons, many of whom are below the poverty line. The interests of both present and future generations must be taken into account with regard to development. In addition, the modernization drive must include strategies for sustainable development and basic national policies of FP and environmental protection in order to achieve a balance among population growth, the economy, resources, and the environment. After 30 years of effort, China has succeeded in solving its population problem by integrating governmental guidance with voluntary public participation in FP. In 1997, the birthrate decreased to 16.57/1000, and the total fertility rate was below replacement level. Changes in attitude toward marriage and childbearing have occurred, as has awareness of voluntary participation in FP. However, some problems have emerged in the implementation of population and FP programs. China will carry out its programs strictly and effectively while developing the national economy. Goals include: 1) stressing the IEC program regarding contraception and regular FP management and services; 2) integrating the FP program with economic development; 3) helping the public to become well off; 4) protecting maternal and child health; 5) improving the status of women; 6) delivering reproductive services; and 7) improving social security measures. Efforts will be made to enable the public to have a more active part in implementing the FP program.

Accounting utility for determining individual usage of production level software systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garber, S. C.

1984-01-01

An accounting package was developed which determines the computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program and updates a file containing accumulated resource totals. The accounting package is divided into two separate programs. The first program determines the total amount of computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program. The second program uses these totals to update a file containing accumulated totals of computer resources utilized by a user for a particular program. This package is useful to those persons who have several other users continually accessing and running programs from their accounts. The package provides the ability to determine which users are accessing and running specified programs along with their total level of usage.

Safety and economic impacts of photo radar program.

PubMed

Chen, Greg

2005-12-01

Unsafe speed is one of the major traffic safety challenges facing motorized nations. In 2003, unsafe speed contributed to 31 percent of all fatal collisions, causing a loss of 13,380 lives in the United States alone. The economic impact of speeding is tremendous. According to NHTSA, the cost of unsafe speed related collisions to the American society exceeds 40 billion US dollars per year. In response, automated photo radar speed enforcement programs have been implemented in many countries. This study assesses the economic impacts of a large-scale photo radar program in British Columbia. The knowledge generated from this study could inform policy makers and project managers in making informed decisions with regard to this highly effective and efficient, yet very controversial program. This study establishes speed and safety effects of photo radar programs by summarizing two physical impact investigations in British Columbia. It then conducts a cost-benefit analysis to assess the program's economic impacts. The cost-benefit analysis takes into account both societal and funding agency's perspectives. It includes a comprehensive account of major impacts. It uses willingness to pay principle to value human lives saved and injuries avoided. It incorporates an extended sensitivity analysis to quantify the robustness of base case conclusions. The study reveals an annual net benefit of approximately 114 million in year 2001 Canadian dollars to British Columbians. The study also finds a net annual saving of over 38 million Canadian dollars for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) that funded the program. These results are robust under almost all alternative scenarios tested. The only circumstance under which the net benefit of the program turns negative is when the real safety effects were one standard deviation below the estimated values, which is possible but highly unlikely. Automated photo radar traffic safety enforcement can be an effective and efficient means to manage traffic speed, reduce collisions and injuries, and combat the huge resulting economic burden to society. The cost-effectiveness of the program takes on special meaning and urgency when considering the present and future government funding constraints. The application of the program, however, should be planned and implemented with caution. Every effort should be made to focus on and to promote the program on safety improvement grounds. The program can be easily terminated because of political considerations, if the public perceives it as a cash cow to enhance government revenue.

Goddard Technology Efforts to Improve Space Borne Laser Reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heaps, William S.

2006-01-01

In an effort to reduce the risk, perceived and actual, of employing instruments containing space borne lasers NASA initiated the Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) in 2001. This program managed jointly by NASA Langley and NASA Goddard and employing lasers researchers from government, university and industrial labs is nearing the conclusion of its planned 5 year duration. This paper will describe some of the efforts and results obtained by the Goddard half of the program.

Systematic Dissemination of Research and Development Program Improvement Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Carol S.

A systematic approach to disseminaton of vocational education research and development program improvement efforts is comprehensive, effective, and efficient. Systematic dissemination is a prerequisite link to assessing impact of research and development--for program improvement to occur, successful dissemination is crucial. A systematic approach…

50 CFR 648.54 - State waters exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the... of those states have a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing... that the state's conservation program jeopardizes the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit...

50 CFR 648.54 - State waters exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the... of those states have a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing... that the state's conservation program jeopardizes the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit...

50 CFR 648.54 - State waters exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the... of those states have a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing... that the state's conservation program jeopardizes the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit...

50 CFR 648.54 - State waters exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the... of those states have a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing... that the state's conservation program jeopardizes the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit...

Does Participation in a Computer-Based Learning Program in Introductory Financial Accounting Course Lead to Choosing Accounting as a Major?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owhoso, Vincent; Malgwi, Charles A.; Akpomi, Margaret

2014-01-01

The authors examine whether students who completed a computer-based intervention program, designed to help them develop abilities and skills in introductory accounting, later declared accounting as a major. A sample of 1,341 students participated in the study, of which 74 completed the intervention program (computer-based assisted learning [CBAL])…

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Twitter by Emergency Medicine Residency Programs.

PubMed

Diller, David; Yarris, Lalena M

2018-02-01

Twitter is increasingly recognized as an instructional tool by the emergency medicine (EM) community. In 2012, the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) recommended that EM residency programs' Twitter accounts be managed solely by faculty. To date, little has been published regarding the patterns of Twitter use by EM residency programs. We analyzed current patterns in Twitter use among EM residency programs with accounts and assessed conformance with CORD recommendations. In this mixed methods study, a 6-question, anonymous survey was distributed via e-mail using SurveyMonkey. In addition, a Twitter-based search was conducted, and the public profiles of EM residency programs' Twitter accounts were analyzed. We calculated descriptive statistics and performed a qualitative analysis on the data. Of 168 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited EM programs, 88 programs (52%) responded. Of those programs, 58% (51 of 88) reported having a program-level Twitter account. Residents served as content managers for those accounts in the majority of survey respondents (61%, 28 of 46). Most programs did not publicly disclose the identity or position of their Twitter content manager. We found a wide variety of applications for Twitter, with EM programs most frequently using Twitter for educational and promotional purposes. There is significant variability in the numbers of followers for EM programs' Twitter accounts. Applications and usage among EM residency programs are varied, and are frequently not consistent with current CORD recommendations.

76 FR 67801 - Medicare Program; Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... Community Care Network NP Nurse Practitioner NPI National Provider Identifier NQF National Quality Forum OIG...: Accountable Care Organizations; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76 , No. 212 / Wednesday, November 2... Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS...

Assessment Practices in Undergraduate Accounting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lusher, Anna L.

2010-01-01

This study examined accounting program assessment plans at 102 colleges and universities in the United States. The research focused on identifying assessment practices in undergraduate accounting programs by examining the skills and competencies assessed and determining the methods of assessment used. The study also investigated what course and/or…

Montana Certification Program Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana State Library, Helena.

The Montana Certification Program offers librarians, library staff members, and trustees a systematic and progressive method by which to track their continuing education (CE) efforts; the program also offers library boards and managers an opportunity to recognize staff efforts to improve their skills, ability, and knowledge. This first section of…

Aiming High and Falling Short: California's Eighth-Grade Algebra-for-All Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domina, Thurston; McEachin, Andrew; Penner, Andrew; Penner, Emily

2015-01-01

The United States is in the midst of an effort to intensify middle school mathematics curricula by enrolling more 8th graders in Algebra. California is at the forefront of this effort, and in 2008, the state moved to make Algebra the accountability benchmark test for 8th-grade mathematics. This article takes advantage of this unevenly implemented…

At the Edge of US Immigration’s “Halt of Folly:” Data, Information, and Research Needs in the Event of Legalization

PubMed Central

Riosmena, Fernando

2014-01-01

Executive Summary Virtually all accounts of the state of the US immigration system point to its patently broken condition, with the presence of almost 12 million people without legal status paramount to this characterization. Because of several recent developments including continued and renewed interest in regularizing the status of most unauthorized migrants in executive and legislative branch agendas, the Center for Migration Studies of New York, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, convened a group of immigration specialists, researchers, scholars, and advocates in Washington, DC in September 2013 to discuss potential data, information, and research needs in the event of the enactment of large-scale legalization programs for the unauthorized population. This paper describes the results of this one-and-a-half day discussion. It begins with a description of the contours of a legalization program if it were to follow a similar form as S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act passed by the Senate in June 2013. In addition to being the most recent effort in this area, S. 744 includes a relatively complex set of conditions for “earning” legalization. A number of data, information, and research needs would need to be met to ensure the proper implementation of such a program. First, planning for effective local outreach and service delivery efforts requires estimating the eligible population at finer-scale geographies; understanding financial and time disincentives to apply and adhere to the program and skill levels required; assessing capacity in service delivery relative to the size and service needs of the local eligible population; tracking the progress of applicants through the legalization process; and understanding effective forms of outreach and service delivery. Second, assessing the effects of legalization on immigrant integration, future immigration, and fiscal and economic life in the United States would include anticipating the effects of legalization on eligibility and use of locally- and state-provided services by the legalized and their families. Within the discussion of these issues, the paper describes recent and potential efforts to develop methodologies, partnerships, and evaluation and tracking systems by different stakeholders and organizations to ensure and assess the short- and long-term effectiveness of legalization efforts. In doing this, a highly volatile climate make a full-fledged legalization program unlikely in the near future, waiting to plan for such a possibility until after legislation passes would be ill-advised. Because such a discussion may also help shape the parameters of how legalization takes place, fora like that provided by this meeting are valuable vehicles to organize and mobilize knowledge, and should be thus continued and expanded. PMID:25411658

20 CFR 632.253 - Special operating provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... appropriate efforts to encourage educational agencies and post-secondary institutions to award academic credit... appropriate efforts are made to closely monitor the performance of the summer program and measure program...

Perspectives on medical malpractice self-insurance financial reporting.

PubMed

Frese, Richard C; Kitchen, Patrick J

2012-11-01

Financial reporting of medical malpractice self-insurance is evolving. The Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Section 954-450-25 provides guidance for accounting and financial reporting for medical malpractice. Discounting of medical malpractice liabilities has been reassessed in recent years. Malpractice litigation reform efforts continue in several states. Accountable care organizations could increase the frequency of medical malpractice claims because of patients' heightened expectations regarding quality of care.

A unit-level perspective on the long-term sustainability of a nursing best practice guidelines program: An embedded multiple case study.

PubMed

Fleiszer, Andrea R; Semenic, Sonia E; Ritchie, Judith A; Richer, Marie-Claire; Denis, Jean-Louis

2016-01-01

Best practice guidelines are a tool for narrowing research-to-practice gaps and improving care outcomes. There is some empirical understanding of guideline implementation in nursing settings, yet there has been almost no consideration of the longer-term sustainability of guideline-based practice improvements. Many healthcare innovations are not sustained, underscoring the need for knowledge about how to promote their survival. To understand how a nursing best practice guidelines program was sustained on acute healthcare center nursing units. We undertook a qualitative descriptive case study of an organization-wide nursing best practice guidelines program with four embedded nursing unit subcases. The setting was a large, tertiary/quaternary urban health center in Canada. The nursing department initiated a program to enhance patient safety through the implementation of three guidelines: falls prevention, pressure ulcer prevention, and pain management. We selected four inpatient unit subcases that had differing levels of program sustainability at an average of almost seven years post initial program implementation. Data sources included 39 key informant interviews with nursing leaders/administrators and frontline nurses; site visits; and program-related documents. Data collection and content analysis were guided by a framework for the sustainability of healthcare innovations. Program sustainability was characterized by three elements: benefits, routinization, and development. Seven key factors most accounted for the differences in the level of program sustainability between subcases. These factors were: perceptions of advantages, collaboration, accountability, staffing, linked levels of leadership, attributes of formal unit leadership, and leaders' use of sustainability activities. Some prominent relationships between characteristics and factors explained long-term program sustainability. Of primary importance was the extent to which unit leaders used sustainability-oriented activities in both regular and responsive ways to attend to the relationships between sustainability characteristics and factors. Continued efforts are required to ensure long-term program sustainability on nursing units. Persistent and adaptive orchestration of sustainability-oriented activities by formal unit leadership teams is necessary for maintaining best practice guidelines over the long term. Leaders should consider a broad conceptualization of sustainability, beyond guideline-based benefits and routinization, because the development of unit capacity in response to changing circumstances appears essential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HOST turbine heat transfer program summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladden, Herbert J.; Simoneau, Robert J.

1988-01-01

The objectives of the HOST Turbine Heat Transfer subproject were to obtain a better understanding of the physics of the aerothermodynamic phenomena and to assess and improve the analytical methods used to predict the flow and heat transfer in high temperature gas turbines. At the time the HOST project was initiated, an across-the-board improvement in turbine design technology was needed. A building-block approach was utilized and the research ranged from the study of fundamental phenomena and modeling to experiments in simulated real engine environments. Experimental research accounted for approximately 75 percent of the funding with the remainder going to analytical efforts. A healthy government/industry/university partnership, with industry providing almost half of the research, was created to advance the turbine heat transfer design technology base.

CEOs and CFOs express concern about materials management.

PubMed

Kowalski, J C

1998-05-01

In a recent survey, CEOs and CFOs expressed concern regarding the effectiveness of their materials management departments. Both groups of executives would like to see more improvement in their materials managers' supply expense reduction efforts and leadership skills. More than a third of CFOs are even considering outsourcing the materials management function. Both CEOs and CFOs did admit, however, they needed to learn more about materials management, and both groups of executives could lend their authority to materials management programs to ensure their success. CEOs and CFOs need to reach consensus regard materials management priorities, performance levels, and professional characteristics and desired skills. They also should hold materials managers accountable for operations they can and should be managing by using performance-based compensation.

An analytical and experimental investigation of resistojet plumes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zana, L. M.; Hoffman, D. J.; Breyley, L. R.; Serafini, J. S.

1987-01-01

As a part of the electrothermal propulsion plume research program at the NASA Lewis Research Center, efforts have been initiated to analytically and experimentally investigate the plumes of resistojet thrusters. The method of G.A. Simons for the prediction of rocket exhaust plumes is developed for the resistojet. Modifications are made to the source flow equations to account for the increased effects of the relatively large nozzle boundary layer. Additionally, preliminary mass flux measurements of a laboratory resistojet using CO2 propellant at 298 K have been obtained with a cryogenically cooled quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). There is qualitative agreement between analysis and experiment, at least in terms of the overall number density shape functions in the forward flux region.

Ionic cleaning after wave solder and before conformal coat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguygen, Tochau N.; Sutherland, Thomas H.

An account is given of efforts made by a military electronics manufacturer to upgrade product reliability in response to the printed writing board (PWB) ionic cleanliness requirements recently set out in MIL-P-28809 Rev. A. These requirements had to be met both after wave soldering, involving the immediate removal of ionically active RA flux, and immediately before conformal coating, in order to remove the less active RMA flux and bonding contaminants. Attention is given to the results of a test program which compared the effectiveness with which five different solvents and two (batch and conveyorized vapor degreasing) cleaning methods cleaned representative PWBs containing many components. Alcohol-containing fluorocarbon blends were adequate, but the most densely packed PWBs required a supplemental water rinse.

Approach/avoidance motives, test emotions, and emotional regulation related to testing.

PubMed

Schutz, Paul A; Benson, Jeri; Decuir-Gunby, Jessica T

2008-07-01

This research stems from our program of work that focuses on understanding how students regulated their emotions related to testing. The primary goal for this study was to incorporate the approach/ avoidance motives into a model of emotional regulation related to testing. In addition, a secondary goal was to report on efforts at construct validation of the scores obtained during the refinement of the Emotional Regulation Related to Testing (ERT) Scale. Our results suggest that underlying beliefs, such as approach/avoid motives and the cognitive-appraisal process, of the ERT had both direct and indirect effects to both pleasant and unpleasant emotions related to testing. In addition, the ERT accounted for 56% of the variance in Pleasant and 87% of Unpleasant Test Emotions.

Citations to papers from Brazilian institutions: a more effective indicator to assess productivity and the impact of research in graduate programs.

PubMed

Meneghini, R

2011-08-01

A recent assessment of 4400 postgraduate courses in Brazil by CAPES (a federal government agency dedicated to the improvement of the quality of and research at the postgraduate level) stimulated a large amount of manifestations in the press, scientific journals and scientific congresses. This gigantic effort to classify 16,400 scientific journals in order to provide indicators for assessment proved to be puzzling and methodologically erroneous in terms of gauging the institutions from a metric point of view. A simple algorithm is proposed here to weigh the scientometric indicators that should be considered in the assessment of a scientific institution. I conclude here that the simple gauge of the total number of citations accounts for both the productivity of scientists and the impact of articles. The effort spent in this exercise is relatively small, and the sources of information are fully accessible. As an exercise to estimate the value of the methodology, 12 institutions of physics (10 from Brazil, one from the USA and one from Italy) have been evaluated.

Revenue management for foodstuff production to secure domestic supply in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hisyam, Ibnu

2017-06-01

This paper describes the application of revenue management in government services to ensure sufficient domestic supply of food in Indonesia. The use of this approach means that the government runs a specific effort to radically be able to solve the core problem. The resources for domestic food production are owned by more than 26 million families of farmers and more than 4 thousands agricultural companies. To achieve the expected quantity of foodstuff supplies, a special effort needs to take into account the profit for producers in allocating the resources at an appropriate level. With revenue management, the price of foodstuff to ensure adequate domestic supply to a certain level of productivity can be known. In this context, the price may be reduced if there is an increase in productivity. For this purpose, the supply curve and the demand-supply equilibrium of foodstuff have been modeled and specific government programs to increase productivity were formulated. One important finding here is that the macroeconomic policy of the government can be integrated to a microeconomic policy of foodstuff producers for one or more certain objectives.

12 CFR 370.7 - Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Assessment for the Transaction Account... AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.7 Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program. (a) Waiver of assessment for certain initial periods. No eligible...

12 CFR 370.7 - Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Assessment for the Transaction Account... AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.7 Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program. (a) Waiver of assessment for certain initial periods. No eligible...

12 CFR 370.7 - Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Assessment for the Transaction Account... AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.7 Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program. (a) Waiver of assessment for certain initial periods. No eligible...

12 CFR 370.7 - Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Assessment for the Transaction Account... AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.7 Assessment for the Transaction Account Guarantee Program. (a) Waiver of assessment for certain initial periods. No eligible...

40 CFR 97.252 - Responsibilities of CAIR authorized account representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL NOX BUDGET TRADING PROGRAM AND CAIR NOX AND SO2 TRADING PROGRAMS CAIR SO2 Allowance Tracking System § 97.252 Responsibilities of CAIR authorized account representative. Following the establishment of a CAIR SO2 Allowance Tracking System account, all submissions to the...

On the importance of incorporating sampling weights in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Occupancy models are used extensively to assess wildlife-habitat associations and to predict species distributions across large geographic regions. Occupancy models were developed as a tool to properly account for imperfect detection of a species. Current guidelines on survey design requirements for occupancy models focus on the number of sample units and the pattern of revisits to a sample unit within a season. We focus on the sampling design or how the sample units are selected in geographic space (e.g., stratified, simple random, unequal probability, etc). In a probability design, each sample unit has a sample weight which quantifies the number of sample units it represents in the finite (oftentimes areal) sampling frame. We demonstrate the importance of including sampling weights in occupancy model estimation when the design is not a simple random sample or equal probability design. We assume a finite areal sampling frame as proposed for a national bat monitoring program. We compare several unequal and equal probability designs and varying sampling intensity within a simulation study. We found the traditional single season occupancy model produced biased estimates of occupancy and lower confidence interval coverage rates compared to occupancy models that accounted for the sampling design. We also discuss how our findings inform the analyses proposed for the nascent North American Bat Monitoring Program and other collaborative synthesis efforts that propose h

Accounting Boot Camp for College Juniors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myring, Mark; Wrege, William; Van Alst, Lucinda

2008-01-01

We describe a day-long introduction to new accounting majors, which we call a boot camp. Boot camp it is an effort to make juniors more aware of their identity, career purposes and learning resources that are now parts of their world, much of which is not covered explicitly in the accounting curriculum. This paper provides an overview of the…

The Accountability System: Defining Responsibility for Student Achievement. Children Achieving: Philadelphia's Education Reform. Progress Report Series 1996-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luhm, Theresa; Foley, Ellen; Corcoran, Tom

This report explores issues related to accountability in the context of Children Achieving, the school reform effort of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). The accountability system begins with content standards in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and the arts. The Stanford-9 Achievement Test has been designated to assess how students are…

Factor structure of essential social skills to be salespersons in retail market: implications for psychiatric rehabilitation.

PubMed

Cheung, Leo C C; Tsang, Hector W H

2005-12-01

This study continued the effort to apply social skills training to increase vocational outcomes of people with severe mental illness. We planned to identify factor structure of essential social skills necessary for mental health consumers who have a vocational preference to work as salesperson in retail market. Exploratory factor analysis of the results of a 26-item questionnaire survey suggested a five-factor solution: social skills when interacting with customers, problem-solving skills, knowledge and attitudes, flexibility, and skills for conflict prevention, which accounted for 65.1% of the total variance. With the factor solution, we developed a job-specific social skills training program (JSST) to help consumers who want to be salespersons. The structure and session design followed the basic format of a typical social skills training program. The way this JSST is to be used with the work-related social skills training model previously developed by the corresponding author to produce better vocational outcomes of consumers is suggested.

Replacement model of city bus: A dynamic programming approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arifin, Dadang; Yusuf, Edhi

2017-06-01

This paper aims to develop a replacement model of city bus vehicles operated in Bandung City. This study is driven from real cases encountered by the Damri Company in the efforts to improve services to the public. The replacement model propounds two policy alternatives: First, to maintain or keep the vehicles, and second is to replace them with new ones taking into account operating costs, revenue, salvage value, and acquisition cost of a new vehicle. A deterministic dynamic programming approach is used to solve the model. The optimization process was heuristically executed using empirical data of Perum Damri. The output of the model is to determine the replacement schedule and the best policy if the vehicle has passed the economic life. Based on the results, the technical life of the bus is approximately 20 years old, while the economic life is an average of 9 (nine) years. It means that after the bus is operated for 9 (nine) years, managers should consider the policy of rejuvenation.

University of Miami Hurricane Football Team Off-Season Strength Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganong, Ray

The off-season football strength training and conditioning program at the University of Miami was developed to emphasize commitment and continued intensity of effort on the part of the individual player. The program emphasizes the intrinsic rewards of physical conditioning, positive reinforcement for effort, and individual responsibility for…

The State and Future of the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model of Service Delivery Workforce.

PubMed

Serrano, Neftali; Cordes, Colleen; Cubic, Barbara; Daub, Suzanne

2018-06-01

The growth of the Primary Care Behavioral Health model (PCBH) nationally has highlighted and created a workforce development challenge given that most mental health professionals are not trained for primary care specialization. This work provides a review of the current efforts to retrain mental health professionals to fulfill roles as Behavioral Health Consultants (BHCs) including certificate programs, technical assistance programs, literature and on-the-job training, as well as detail the future needs of the workforce if the model is to sustainably proliferate. Eight recommendations are offered including: (1) the development of an interprofessional certification body for PCBH training criteria, (2) integration of PCBH model specific curricula in graduate studies, (3) integration of program development skill building in curricula, (4) efforts to develop faculty for PCBH model awareness, (5) intentional efforts to draw students to graduate programs for PCBH model training, (6) a national employment clearinghouse, (7) efforts to coalesce current knowledge around the provision of technical assistance to sites, and (8) workforce specific research efforts.

41 CFR 102-79.35 - What elements must Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness programs? 102-79.35 Section 102... Utilization of Space Fitness Centers § 102-79.35 What elements must Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness programs? Federal agencies must address the following elements in their...

41 CFR 102-79.35 - What elements must Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness programs? 102-79.35 Section 102... Utilization of Space Fitness Centers § 102-79.35 What elements must Federal agencies address in their planning effort for establishing fitness programs? Federal agencies must address the following elements in their...

Searching for safety: addressing search engine, website, and provider accountability for illicit online drug sales.

PubMed

Liang, Bryan A; Mackey, Tim

2009-01-01

Online sales of pharmaceuticals are a rapidly growing phenomenon. Yet despite the dangers of purchasing drugs over the Internet, sales continue to escalate. These dangers include patient harm from fake or tainted drugs, lack of clinical oversight, and financial loss. Patients, and in particular vulnerable groups such as seniors and minorities, purchase drugs online either naïvely or because they lack the ability to access medications from other sources due to price considerations. Unfortunately, high risk online drug sources dominate the Internet, and virtually no accountability exists to ensure safety of purchased products. Importantly, search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN, although purportedly requiring "verification" of Internet drug sellers using PharmacyChecker.com requirements, actually allow and profit from illicit drug sales from unverified websites. These search engines are not held accountable for facilitating clearly illegal activities. Both website drug seller anonymity and unethical physicians approving or writing prescriptions without seeing the patient contribute to rampant illegal online drug sales. Efforts in this country and around the world to stem the tide of these sales have had extremely limited effectiveness. Unfortunately, current congressional proposals are fractionated and do not address the key issues of demand by vulnerable patient populations, search engine accountability, and the ease with which financial transactions can be consummated to promote illegal online sales. To deal with the social scourge of illicit online drug sales, this article proposes a comprehensive statutory solution that creates a no-cost/low-cost national Drug Access Program to break the chain of demand from vulnerable patient populations and illicit online sellers, makes all Internet drug sales illegal unless the Internet pharmacy is licensed through a national Internet pharmacy licensing program, prohibits financial transactions for illegal online drug sales, and establishes criminal penalties for all parties -- including websites, search engines, and health care providers -- who engage in and facilitate this harmful activity.

Financing Residency Training Redesign.

PubMed

Carney, Patricia A; Waller, Elaine; Green, Larry A; Crane, Steven; Garvin, Roger D; Pugno, Perry A; Kozakowski, Stanley M; Douglass, Alan B; Jones, Samuel; Eiff, M Patrice

2014-12-01

Redesign in the health care delivery system creates a need to reorganize resident education. How residency programs fund these redesign efforts is not known. Family medicine residency program directors participating in the Preparing Personal Physicians for Practice (P(4)) project were surveyed between 2006 and 2011 on revenues and expenses associated with training redesign. A total of 6 university-based programs in the study collectively received $5,240,516 over the entire study period, compared with $4,718,943 received by 8 community-based programs. Most of the funding for both settings came from grants, which accounted for 57.8% and 86.9% of funding for each setting, respectively. Department revenue represented 3.4% of university-based support and 13.1% of community-based support. The total average revenue (all years combined) per program for university-based programs was just under $875,000, and the average was nearly $590,000 for community programs. The vast majority of funds were dedicated to salary support (64.8% in university settings versus 79.3% in community-based settings). Based on the estimated ratio of new funding relative to the annual costs of training using national data for a 3-year program with 7 residents per year, training redesign added 3% to budgets for university-based programs and about 2% to budgets for community-based programs. Residencies undergoing training redesign used a variety of approaches to fund these changes. The costs of innovations marginally increased the estimated costs of training. Federal and local funding sources were most common, and costs were primarily salary related. More research is needed on the costs of transforming residency training.

Quadratic Programming for Allocating Control Effort

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Gurkirpal

2005-01-01

A computer program calculates an optimal allocation of control effort in a system that includes redundant control actuators. The program implements an iterative (but otherwise single-stage) algorithm of the quadratic-programming type. In general, in the quadratic-programming problem, one seeks the values of a set of variables that minimize a quadratic cost function, subject to a set of linear equality and inequality constraints. In this program, the cost function combines control effort (typically quantified in terms of energy or fuel consumed) and control residuals (differences between commanded and sensed values of variables to be controlled). In comparison with prior control-allocation software, this program offers approximately equal accuracy but much greater computational efficiency. In addition, this program offers flexibility, robustness to actuation failures, and a capability for selective enforcement of control requirements. The computational efficiency of this program makes it suitable for such complex, real-time applications as controlling redundant aircraft actuators or redundant spacecraft thrusters. The program is written in the C language for execution in a UNIX operating system.

The New Jersey Medicaid ACO Demonstration Project: seeking opportunities for better care and lower costs among complex low-income patients.

PubMed

Cantor, Joel C; Chakravarty, Sujoy; Tong, Jian; Yedidia, Michael J; Lontok, Oliver; DeLia, Derek

2014-12-01

A small but growing number of states are turning to accountable care concepts to improve their Medicaid programs. In 2011 New Jersey enacted the Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Demonstration Project to offer local provider coalitions the opportunity to share any savings they generate. Impetus came from initiatives in Camden that aim to reduce costs through improved care coordination among hospital high users and that have received considerable media attention and substantial federal and private grant support. Though broadly similar to Medicare and commercial ACOs, the New Jersey demonstration addresses the unique concerns faced by Medicaid populations. Using hospital all-payer billing data, we estimate savings from care improvement efforts among inpatient and emergency department high users in thirteen communities that are candidates for participation in the New Jersey demonstration. We also examine their characteristics to inform Medicaid accountable care strategies. We find substantial variation in the share of high-user hospital patients across the study communities and high rates of avoidable use and costs among these patients. The potential savings among Medicaid enrollees are considerable, particularly if Medicaid ACOs can develop ways to successfully address the high burden of chronic illness and behavioral health conditions prevalent in the prospective demonstration communities. Copyright © 2014 by Duke University Press.

Making Training Dollars Count: Distance Education and the Certified Public Manager Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogelsang-Coombs, Vera

1999-01-01

Presents three accountability relationships for assessing the appropriateness of using distance education in the Certified Public Manager (CPM) program educational accountability, financial accountability, and organizational accountability. Identifies factors inhibiting investment in distance education, including the necessity for a major modal…

International Aviation: DOT's Efforts to Promote U.S. Air Cargo Carriers' Interest

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-10-18

International air cargo services play a vital role in facilitating U.S. trade. : As requested by Congress, the General Accounting Office (GAO) studied U.S. air : cargo airlines' reported problems in doing business abroad and examines the : efforts of...

Preparing a Programmed Review in Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Connie Remaly

1975-01-01

The programed review illustrated in this article was prepared for beginning accounting students to be used as a review of the basic accounting cycle before starting on the first practice set. (Author)

Preparing for the Profession: The Accounting Job Search and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landgraf, Ellen L.; Stanko, Brian B.; Jinkerson, Darcia

2012-01-01

This paper provides a detailed description of a unique program focused on preparing students for entry into the accounting profession. The program, Preparing for the Profession, consisted of four distinct workshops provided to accounting majors during fall semester 2010. Planning for the program began a year earlier during a meeting of Accounting…

The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-05

Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new...country in spring 2014, 1 Congress passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA, P.L. 113-146, as amended). On August 7...Veterans Choice Program (VCP) Timeline Date Action August 7, 2014 The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-146

32 CFR 310.25 - Disclosure accounting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Disclosure accounting. 310.25 Section 310.25... PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Disclosure of Personal Information to Other Agencies and Third Parties § 310.25 Disclosure accounting. (a) Disclosure accountings. (1) Keep an accurate record of all disclosures...

32 CFR 310.25 - Disclosure accounting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Disclosure accounting. 310.25 Section 310.25... PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Disclosure of Personal Information to Other Agencies and Third Parties § 310.25 Disclosure accounting. (a) Disclosure accountings. (1) Keep an accurate record of all disclosures...

32 CFR 310.25 - Disclosure accounting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Disclosure accounting. 310.25 Section 310.25... PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Disclosure of Personal Information to Other Agencies and Third Parties § 310.25 Disclosure accounting. (a) Disclosure accountings. (1) Keep an accurate record of all disclosures...

32 CFR 310.25 - Disclosure accounting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Disclosure accounting. 310.25 Section 310.25... PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Disclosure of Personal Information to Other Agencies and Third Parties § 310.25 Disclosure accounting. (a) Disclosure accountings. (1) Keep an accurate record of all disclosures...

An Accounting Writing Proficiency Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firch, Tim; Campbell, Annhenrie; Filling, Steven; Lindsay, David H.

2011-01-01

Although there has been much discussion about improving college student writing with college-level courses, little is known about how accounting programs, in particular, are addressing the writing proficiency challenge. This study surveys the 852 accounting programs in the United States to identify the frequency and types of accounting writing…

Rapid assessment procedures in environmental sanitation research: a case study from the northern border of Mexico.

PubMed

Cifuentes, Enrique; Alamo, Urinda; Kendall, Tamil; Brunkard, Joan; Scrimshaw, Susan

2006-01-01

There is a need to enhance the quality and sustainability of environmental health programs in Mexico. What socio-cultural factors influenced the adoption or rejection of Clean Water in Homes programs in this population? We applied rapid appraisal procedures (RAP) to evaluate these community-based programs. Qualitative study conducted in communities along Mexico's northern border. We conducted informal dialogues, semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations. Home visits used a checklist to observe: sources of water, handwashing, as well as human waste and garbage disposal patterns. Data analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti, which facilitated comparison and illustration of discrepancies, the elaboration of emerging issues and relationships between them. Community members perceived that the Clean Water program was a top-down intervention. Water is perceived as a political issue and a matter of corruption. Inequity also limits solidarity activities involved in environmental sanitation. Migration to the United States of America (US) contributes to community fragmentation, which in turn dilutes communal efforts to improve water and sanitation infrastructure. While targeting women as program "recipients", the Clean Water program did not take gendered spheres of decision-making into account. Community members and authorities discussed the main results in "assemblies", particularly addressing the needs of excluded groups. The oversight of not exploring community members' needs and priorities prior to program implementation resulted in interventions that did not address the structural (economic, infrastructure) and socio-cultural barriers faced by community members to undertake the health-promoting behaviour change, and provoked resentment.

Department of Defense high power laser program guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Clifford H.

1994-06-01

The DoD investment of nominally $200 million per year is focused on four high power laser (HPL) concepts: Space-Based Laser (SBL), a Ballistic Missile Defense Organization effort that addresses boost-phase intercept for Theater Missile Defense and National Missile Defense; Airborne Laser (ABL), an Air Force effort that addresses boost-phase intercept for Theater Missile Defense; Ground-Based Laser (GBL), an Air Force effort addressing space control; and Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD), a Navy effort addressing ship-based defense. Each organization is also supporting technology development with the goal of achieving less expensive, brighter, and lighter high power laser systems. These activities represent the building blocks of the DoD program to exploit the compelling characteristics of the high power laser. Even though DoD's HPL program are focused and moderately strong, additional emphasis in a few technical areas could help reduce risk in these programs. In addition, a number of options are available for continuing to use the High-Energy Laser System Test Facility (HELSTF) at White Sands Missile Range. This report provides a brief overview and guidance for the five efforts which comprise the DoD HPL program (SBL, ABL, GBL, ASMD, HELSTF).

The Moderating Effects of School Climate on Bullying Prevention Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Sabina; Van Ryzin, Mark

2014-01-01

Bullying prevention efforts have yielded mixed effects over the last 20 years. Program effectiveness is driven by a number of factors (e.g., program elements and implementation), but there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the role of school climate on the impact of bullying prevention programs. This gap is surprising, given research…

Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions in Their Program Improvement Efforts: A Responsive Technical Assistance Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bay, Mary; Lopez-Reyna, Norma A.; Guillory, Barbara L.

2012-01-01

To reform a special education teacher preparation program can be gratifying, difficult, complex, political, and urgently needed. The Monarch Center, a federally funded technical assistance center, was established to guide and support minority-serving institutions in their efforts to improve their teacher preparation programs. Four guidelines…

Adult Basic Education and Health Literacy: Program Efforts and Perceived Student Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackert, Michael; Poag, Meg

2011-01-01

Objective: This project examined health literacy efforts among adult basic education providers in Central Texas. Methods: A survey was conducted with all adult literacy providers in Central Texas (N = 58). Results: Most programs provide health-related information. Literacy programs see needs for helping students communicate with doctors, filling…

School District Program Cost Accounting: An Alternative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hentschke, Guilbert C.

1975-01-01

Discusses the value for school districts of a program cost accounting system and examines different approaches to generating program cost data, with particular emphasis on the "cost allocation to program system" (CAPS) and the traditional "transaction-based system." (JG)

NASA's PEM Fuel Cell Power Plant Development Program for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoberecht, Mark

2006-01-01

NASA embarked on a PEM fuel cell power plant development program beginning in 2001. This five-year program was conducted by a three-center NASA team of Glenn Research Center (lead), Johnson Space Center, and Kennedy Space Center. The program initially was aimed at developing hardware for a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) application, but more recently had shifted to applications supporting the NASA Exploration Program. The first phase of the development effort, to develop breadboard hardware in the 1-5 kW power range, was conducted by two competing vendors. The second phase of the effort, to develop Engineering Model hardware at the 10 kW power level, was conducted by the winning vendor from the first phase of the effort. Both breadboard units and the single engineering model power plant were delivered to NASA for independent testing. This poster presentation will present a summary of both phases of the development effort, along with a discussion of test results of the PEM fuel cell engineering model under simulated mission conditions.

Patient financial management as a community benefit.

PubMed

Shank, Corey

2007-03-01

Steps to take in documenting medical assistance advocacy include: Designating the program as a social service, not a collections effort. Detailing the program's practices. Identifying outcomes. Sharing the impact of advocacy efforts with the community.

Optimal dynamic control of invasions: applying a systematic conservation approach.

PubMed

Adams, Vanessa M; Setterfield, Samantha A

2015-06-01

The social, economic, and environmental impacts of invasive plants are well recognized. However, these variable impacts are rarely accounted for in the spatial prioritization of funding for weed management. We examine how current spatially explicit prioritization methods can be extended to identify optimal budget allocations to both eradication and control measures of invasive species to minimize the costs and likelihood of invasion. Our framework extends recent approaches to systematic prioritization of weed management to account for multiple values that are threatened by weed invasions with a multi-year dynamic prioritization approach. We apply our method to the northern portion of the Daly catchment in the Northern Territory, which has significant conservation values that are threatened by gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus), a highly invasive species recognized by the Australian government as a Weed of National Significance (WONS). We interface Marxan, a widely applied conservation planning tool, with a dynamic biophysical model of gamba grass to optimally allocate funds to eradication and control programs under two budget scenarios comparing maximizing gain (MaxGain) and minimizing loss (MinLoss) optimization approaches. The prioritizations support previous findings that a MinLoss approach is a better strategy when threats are more spatially variable than conservation values. Over a 10-year simulation period, we find that a MinLoss approach reduces future infestations by ~8% compared to MaxGain in the constrained budget scenarios and ~12% in the unlimited budget scenarios. We find that due to the extensive current invasion and rapid rate of spread, allocating the annual budget to control efforts is more efficient than funding eradication efforts when there is a constrained budget. Under a constrained budget, applying the most efficient optimization scenario (control, minloss) reduces spread by ~27% compared to no control. Conversely, if the budget is unlimited it is more efficient to fund eradication efforts and reduces spread by ~65% compared to no control.

Combating terrorism : federal agencies' efforts to implement national policy and strategy

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-01

The threat of terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and property both at home and abroad has been an issue of growing national concern. As requested, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed U.S. efforts to combat terrorism. This report discuss...

Cultivating Innovation in an Age of Accountability: Tech-Savvy Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterrett, William L.; Richardson, Jayson W.

2017-01-01

District and school leaders are uniquely poised to serve as collaborative, innovative leaders. However, the context of current challenges often detracts from implementation efforts. This case describes how district leadership works collaboratively with school administrators through targeted efforts related to professional development, articulation…

Learning by Doing: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Accounting. AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rama, D. V., Ed.

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. It is designed to (1) develop a theoretical framework for service learning in accounting consistent with the goals identified by accounting educators and the recent efforts toward curriculum reform, and (2) describe specific active learning…

Defense Business Transformation: DOD Should Improve Its Planning with and Performance Monitoring of the Military Departments

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Departments Report to Congressional Addressees December 2016 GAO-17-9 United States Government Accountability Office United States...Government Accountability Office Highlights of GAO-17-9, a report to congressional addresses December 2016 DEFENSE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION DOD Should...specific management responsibility, accountability , and control over business transformation efforts and applicable resources across its business

Realizing Universal Health Coverage in East Africa: the relevance of human rights.

PubMed

Yamin, Alicia Ely; Maleche, Allan

2017-08-03

Applying a robust human rights framework would change thinking and decision-making in efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and advance efforts to promote women's, children's, and adolescents' health in East Africa, which is a priority under the Sustainable Development Agenda. Nevertheless, there is a gap between global rhetoric of human rights and ongoing health reform efforts. This debate article seeks to fill part of that gap by setting out principles of human rights-based approaches (HRBAs), and then applying those principles to questions that countries undertaking efforts toward UHC and promoting women's, children's and adolescents' health, will need to face, focusing in particular on ensuring enabling legal and policy frameworks, establishing fair financing; priority-setting processes, and meaningful oversight and accountability mechanisms. In a region where democratic institutions are notoriously weak, we argue that the explicit application of a meaningful human rights framework could enhance equity, participation and accountability, and in turn the democratic legitimacy of health reform initiatives being undertaken in the region.

Building mindfulness bottom-up: Meditation in natural settings supports open monitoring and attention restoration.

PubMed

Lymeus, Freddie; Lindberg, Per; Hartig, Terry

2018-03-01

Mindfulness courses conventionally use effortful, focused meditation to train attention. In contrast, natural settings can effortlessly support state mindfulness and restore depleted attention resources, which could facilitate meditation. We performed two studies that compared conventional training with restoration skills training (ReST) that taught low-effort open monitoring meditation in a garden over five weeks. Assessments before and after meditation on multiple occasions showed that ReST meditation increasingly enhanced attention performance. Conventional meditation enhanced attention initially but increasingly incurred effort, reflected in performance decrements toward the course end. With both courses, attentional improvements generalized in the first weeks of training. Against established accounts, the generalized improvements thus occurred before any effort was incurred by the conventional exercises. We propose that restoration rather than attention training can account for early attentional improvements with meditation. ReST holds promise as an undemanding introduction to mindfulness and as a method to enhance restoration in nature contacts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figuratively Speaking: Analogies in the Accounting Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Basil P.

2017-01-01

One of the foundational subjects comprising most Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs is an introductory accounting course, in which students are exposed to the study of financial and management accounting at a basic level. For many students accounting is arguably the most feared subject in the MBA program. Although some students…

25 CFR 36.120 - What type of reporting is required to ensure accountability?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... accountability? 36.120 Section 36.120 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION... SITUATIONS Homeliving Programs Waivers and Accountability § 36.120 What type of reporting is required to ensure accountability? The homeliving program must provide to the appropriate local school board or...

State Assessment (Accountability): Potential for Becoming a Friend or Foe?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchmiller, Archie A.

A summary of legislation concerning educational accountability reveals that 13 States hope to find greater accountability in testing or assessment programs, 7 in planning, programming, budgeting systems, 4 in uniform accounting system, 8 in the evaluation of professional employees, 2 in management information systems, and 1 in performance…

On Developing the Writing Skills Course for Accounting Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firch, Tim; Campbell, Annhenrie; Lindsay, David H.; Garner, Don E.

2010-01-01

The CSU, Stanislaus, accounting program is providing a new course that meets the university-wide upper-division writing requirement and offers accounting students additional professional study. While a writing skills course is not unusual in a business program, few offer an alternative centered on the accounting body of knowledge. Undergraduate…

24 CFR 982.154 - ACC reserve account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false ACC reserve account. 982.154... and PHA Administration of Program § 982.154 ACC reserve account. (a) HUD may establish and maintain an unfunded reserve account for the PHA program from available budget authority under the consolidated ACC...

24 CFR 982.154 - ACC reserve account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false ACC reserve account. 982.154... and PHA Administration of Program § 982.154 ACC reserve account. (a) HUD may establish and maintain an unfunded reserve account for the PHA program from available budget authority under the consolidated ACC...

NASA's Hall Thruster Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Robert S.; Jacobson, David T.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Mason, Lee S.; Mantenieks, Maris A.; Manzella, David H.; Hofer, Richard R.; Peterson, Peter Y.

2001-01-01

NASA's Hall thruster program has base research and focused development efforts in support of the Advanced Space Transportation Program, Space-Based Program, and various other programs. The objective of the base research is to gain an improved understanding of the physical processes and engineering constraints of Hall thrusters to enable development of advanced Hall thruster designs. Specific technical questions that are current priorities of the base effort are: (1) How does thruster life vary with operating point? (2) How can thruster lifetime and wear rate be most efficiently evaluated? (3) What are the practical limitations for discharge voltage as it pertains to high specific impulse operation (high discharge voltage) and high thrust operation (low discharge voltage)? (4) What are the practical limits for extending Hall thrusters to very high input powers? and (5) What can be done during thruster design to reduce cost and integration concerns? The objective of the focused development effort is to develop a 50 kW-class Hall propulsion system, with a milestone of a 50 kW engineering model thruster/system by the end of program year 2006. Specific program wear 2001 efforts, along with the corporate and academic participation, are described.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montellano, B.O. de

This report describes later stages of a program to develop culturally relevant science and math programs for Hispanic students. Part of this effort was follow-up with 17 teachers who participated in early stages of the program. Response was not very good. Included with the report is a first draft effort for curriculum materials which could be used as is in such a teaching effort. Several of the participating teachers were invited to a writing workshop, where lesson plans were drafted, and critiqued and following rework are listed in this publication. Further work needs to be completed and is ongoing.

[Antiretroviral drug supply in Argentina: National Program to Combat Human Retroviruses, AIDS, and STDs].

PubMed

Colautti, Marisel; Luppi, Irene; Salamano, Mercedes; Traverso, María Luz; Botta, Carina; Palchik, Valeria

2009-01-01

To evaluate the supply cycle of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, overseen by the National Program to Combat Human Retroviruses, AIDS, and STDs, through its order fulfillment indicators, and to obtain input from supply chain stakeholders. A study was carried out from April-September 2005 in the pharmacies of two hospitals in Rosario, Argentina, involving both a quantitative analysis of indicators and secondary sources and a qualitative evaluation using semistructured interviews. The indicators reveal the impact that interruptions in ARV supply stream from the Program (central level) have and the overstocking that takes place at the pharmacies (local level) to manage the shortages. Changes in ARV treatment account for over 50% of the prescriptions. Fulfillments fall short of the reference value. The interviewees shared possible strategies for overcoming the communication gaps between levels, for building-up stock, for guaranteeing availability, and for shortening waiting times; reached informal agreements to deal with the lack of policies and the shortage of staff; acknowledged the challenges facing the jurisdictions (central, intermediate, and local/community); and recognized local efforts to improve management. These challenges could be the starting point for building teams to work on effectively decentralizing the entire supply chain and allowing the Program to fulfill its much-needed oversight role.

Challenges in Obtaining Property Access: The FUSRAP Maywood Site Experience - 13433

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kollar, William

2013-07-01

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) is the US government program started in 1974 to identify, investigate and clean up or control sites that became contaminated as a result of the nation's early atomic programs. Many of these sites are not owned by the federal government and therefore require owner permission to enter. The experience in pursuing such access at the FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site (the Maywood Site or the Site) in Bergen County, New Jersey, is extensive. Since the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) assumed responsibility for the Maywood Site from the US Department ofmore » Energy in 1997, at least 186 separate property access agreements (known in FUSRAP as a Real Estate Right-of- Entry or ROE) have been executed between the Corps and approximately 55 different land owners and tenant occupants at the Maywood Site (agreement renewals with the same owners over time account for the difference). Maywood's experience during the Corps' tenure, reflected here in three case studies of representative property access efforts, offers some lessons and best practices that may apply to other remedial programs. While the Site Community Relations Manager (the author of this paper) managed the property access task, multi-disciplinary support from across the project was also critical to success in this endeavor. (authors)« less

Predictors of mental illness stigma and attitudes among college students: using vignettes from a campus common reading program.

PubMed

Feeg, Veronica D; Prager, Laura S; Moylan, Lois B; Smith, Kathleen Maurer; Cullinan, Meritta

2014-09-01

Research has demonstrated that stigmatizing mentally ill individuals is prevalent and often results in lack of adherence to or avoidance of treatment. The present study sought to examine attitudes of college students regarding mental illness as part of a campus-wide "common readings" program. The book selected was a non-fiction account of a young girl with mental illness and the program was developed to initiate dialogue about young people with mental problems. Faculty from multiple disciplines collaborated on the project. A sample of 309 students completed a web-based survey after reading a vignette about an adolescent girl with mental illness. The vignette description was based on a character in the book selected in the program. The instruments measured attribution of stigma, social distance, and familiarity with people who have mental illness. Results demonstrated that younger students and those who are less familiar with mental illness were more likely to stigmatize and maintain social distance from those who are mentally ill. Awareness of the study findings can assist health professionals and mental health workers to identify interventions that can decrease stigma. Psychiatric mental health nurses are well positioned to lead the education effort aimed at reducing stigmatizing attitudes among the public.

Assessment of DDT levels in selected environmental media and biological samples from Mexico and Central America.

PubMed

Pérez-Maldonado, Iván N; Trejo, Antonio; Ruepert, Clemens; Jovel, Reyna del Carmen; Méndez, Mónica Patricia; Ferrari, Mirtha; Saballos-Sobalvarro, Emilio; Alexander, Carlos; Yáñez-Estrada, Leticia; Lopez, Dania; Henao, Samuel; Pinto, Emilio R; Díaz-Barriga, Fernando

2010-03-01

Taking into account the environmental persistence and the toxicity of DDT, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) organized a surveillance program in Mesoamerica which included the detection of residual DDT in environmental (soil) and biological samples (fish tissue and children's blood). This program was carried out in communities from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. This paper presents the first report of that program. As expected, the results show that the levels for [summation operator] DDT in soil (outdoor or indoor) and fish samples in the majority of the locations studied are below guidelines. However, in some locations, we found children with high concentrations of DDT as in Mexico (mean level 50.2 ng/mL). Furthermore, in some communities and for some matrices, the DDT/DDE quotient is higher than one and this may reflect a recent DDT exposure. Therefore, more efforts are needed to avoid exposure and to prevent the reintroduction of DDT into the region. In this regard it is important to know that under the surveillance of PAHO and with the support of UNEP, a regional program in Mesoamerica for the collection and disposal of DDT and other POPs stockpiles is in progress. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importance of well-designed monitoring programs for the conservation of endangered species: case study of the Snail Kite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, J.; Kitchens, W.M.; Hines, J.E.

2007-01-01

Monitoring natural populations is often a necessary step to establish the conservation status of species and to help improve management decisions. Nevertheless, many monitoring programs do not effectively address primary sources of variability in monitoring data, which ultimately may limit the utility of monitoring in identifying declines and improving management. To illustrate the importance of taking into account detectability and spatial variation, we used a recently proposed estimator of abundance (superpopulation estimator) to estimate population size of and number of young produced by the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida. During the last decade, primary recovery targets set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Snail Kite that were based on deficient monitoring programs (i.e., uncorrected counts) were close to being met (by simply increasing search effort during count surveys). During that same period, the Snail Kite population declined dramatically (by 55% from 1997 to 2005) and the number of young decreased by 70% between 1992?1998 and 1999?2005. Our results provide a strong practical case in favor of the argument that investing a sufficient amount of time and resources into designing and implementing monitoring programs that carefully address detectability and spatial variation is critical for the conservation of endangered species.

25 CFR 39.113 - What are the special accountability requirements for the gifted and talented program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the special accountability requirements for the gifted and talented program? 39.113 Section 39.113 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Talented Programs § 39.113 What are the special accountability requirements for the gifted and talented...

Framework for an Effective Assessment and Accountability Program: The Philadelphia Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Andrew C.; Chester, Mitchell D.; Schlesinger, Michael D.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this article is to put in the hands of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers a powerful framework for building and studying the effects of high-quality assessment and accountability programs. The framework is illustrated through a description and analysis of the assessment and accountability program in the School District of…

Towards global Guinea worm eradication in 2015: the experience of South Sudan.

PubMed

Awofeso, Niyi

2013-08-01

For centuries, the Guinea worm parasite (Dracunculus medinensis) has caused disabling misery, infecting people who drink stagnant water contaminated with the worm's larvae. In 2012, there were 542 cases of Guinea worm reported globally, of which 521 (96.1%) were reported in South Sudan. Protracted civil wars, an inadequate workforce, neglect of potable water provision programs, suboptimal Guinea worm surveillance and case containment, and fragmented health systems account for many of the structural and operational factors encumbering South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication efforts. This article reviews the impacts of six established Guinea worm control strategies in South Sudan: (1) surveillance to determine actual caseload distribution and trends in response to control measures; (2) educating community members from whom worms are emerging to avoid immersing affected parts in sources of drinking water; (3) filtering potentially contaminated drinking water using cloth filters or filtered drinking straws; (4) treating potentially contaminated surface water with the copepod larvicide temephos (Abate); (5) providing safe drinking water from boreholes or hand-dug wells; and (6) containment of transmission through voluntary isolation of each patient to prevent contamination of drinking water sources, provision of first aid, and manual extraction of the worm. Surveillance, community education, potable water provision, and case containment remain weak facets of the program. Abate pesticide is not a viable option for Guinea worm control in South Sudan. In light of current case detection and containment trends, as well as capacity building efforts for Guinea worm eradication, South Sudan is more likely to eradicate Guinea worm by 2020, rather than by 2015. The author highlights areas in which substantial improvements are required in South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication program, and suggests improvement strategies. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-Service Training and Development Programs for Accountants in Business and Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Hobart Warren

A survey was made of inservice training and development for accountants in 53 selected business firms varying in products, sales volume, and employees. Program philosophy and objectives, qualifications and selection of trainees and instructors, program content, instructional programs, and evaluation procedures were examined. Inservice programs,…

Repoliticizing Higher Education Assessment within Neoliberal Globalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hursh, David; Wall, Andrew F.

2011-01-01

This article shows how universities, like education and social services in general, are increasingly pressured to adopt neoliberal principles that encourage privatization, entrepreneurship, standardization, assessment, and accountability. The authors examine recent efforts in the United States to develop measurement and accountability systems that…

Resident assistant training program for increasing alcohol, other drug, and mental health first-aid efforts.

PubMed

Thombs, Dennis L; Gonzalez, Jennifer M Reingle; Osborn, Cynthia J; Rossheim, Matthew E; Suzuki, Sumihiro

2015-05-01

In college and university residence halls, resident assistants (RAs) are expected to serve as first-aid providers to students who may have alcohol, other drug, mental health, and academic problems. Despite this responsibility, evidence-based, first-aid programs have not been developed and tested for the RA workforce. The current study examined effects of an investigational first-aid program designed specifically for RAs. The online Peer Hero Training program is a novel approach to RA training in its use of interactive video dramatizations of incidents involving substance-using or distressed residents. A 9-month randomized trial conducted on eight US campuses compared RAs who participated in the Peer Hero Training program to RAs who received training-as-usual. Participation in the Peer Hero Training program significantly increased RA first-aid efforts for residential students who may have had alcohol, other drug, mental health, or academic problems 6 months after baseline. Compared with those in the training-as-usual condition, RAs in the Peer Hero Training program made more than 10 times as many first-aid efforts for possible alcohol problems, almost 14 times the number of first-aid efforts for possible drug use, almost 3 times the number of first-aid efforts for possible mental health problems, and 3 times the number of first-aid efforts for academic problems. There was no evidence that measured RA attitudes mediated the effects of the intervention. Results of this preliminary evaluation trial suggest that online training using interactive video dramatizations is a viable approach to strengthening RAs' ability to provide alcohol, other drugs, and mental health first-aid to undergraduates.

12 CFR 361.6 - What outreach efforts are included in this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.6 What outreach efforts... with the FDIC in minority- and women-owned media; and (5) Monitoring to assure that FDIC staff...

Capitalizing on Education and Outreach (E/O) Expertise to Broaden Impacts (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girguis, P. R.; Herren, C.; Decharon, A.

2010-12-01

Academic scientists have a number of avenues through which they can participate in education and outreach (E/O) programs to address the mandate for broader impacts. As a principal investigator (PI) at an R1 institution, I (Girguis) have both developed and participated in a variety of E/O programs that span the spectrum from ad hoc groups (e.g. informal high school internships in my laboratory) to regional efforts (e.g. Harvard’s Microbial Science Initiative) and national organizations (e.g. RIDGE 2000; Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence, COSEE). Each of these E/O efforts required varying degrees of preparation and participation by my laboratory members (e.g. graduate students and postdoctoral researchers) and I, and yielded different outcomes and products. Ad hoc programs typically require a higher degree of effort on the part of the PI and have a high, though local, impact on the audience. These programs can be personally rewarding for the PI, who likely has played a major role in developing the program. In contrast, working with regional and national groups requires PIs to understand the nature of each program to successfully integrate within the existing structure. The net time and effort invested by scientists in larger-scale E/O efforts may be equal to that of ad hoc programs. However, interaction with high-quality program facilitators ensures that the outcomes are grounded in best educational practices and that outputs are educator-vetted, well maintained (online or through publications), and broadly disseminated. In addition, program facilitators also collect and analyze evaluation data to provide constructive feedback to PIs, enabling the latter to refine their presentation styles and content levels to improve future E/O efforts. Thus involvement with larger programs can effectively broaden one’s impact. During this presentation, we will present one scientist’s perspective on the advantages and limitations of these different modes of E/O, including specific examples from the past three years of working with COSEE-Ocean Systems. We will share “lessons learned” regarding the efficacy of these various modes of E/O, and will also discuss those factors that influence a PI’s decision to participate in E/O programs.

New perspectives on the pedagogy of programming in a developing country context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apiola, Mikko; Tedre, Matti

2012-09-01

Programming education is a widely researched and intensely discussed topic. The literature proposes a broad variety of pedagogical viewpoints, practical approaches, learning theories, motivational vehicles, and other elements of the learning situation. However, little effort has been put on understanding cultural and contextual differences in pedagogy of programming. Pedagogical literature shows that educational design should account for differences in the ways of learning and teaching between industrialized and developing countries. However, the nature and implications of those differences are hitherto unclear. Using group interviews and quantitative surveys, we identified several crucial elements for contextualizing programming education. Our results reveal that students are facing many similar challenges to students in the west: they often lack deep level learning skills and problem-solving skills, which are required for learning computer programming, and, secondly, that from the students' viewpoint the standard learning environment does not offer enough support for gaining the requisite development. With inadequate support students may resort to surface learning and may adopt extrinsic sources of motivation. Learning is also hindered by many contextually unique factors, such as unfamiliar pedagogical approaches, language problems, and cultural differences. Our analysis suggests that challenges can be minimized by increasing the number of practical exercises, by carefully selecting between guided and minimally guided environments, by rigorously monitoring student progress, and by providing students timely help, repetitive exercises, clear guidelines, and emotional support.

Why men still get more promotions than women.

PubMed

Ibarra, Herminia; Carter, Nancy M; Silva, Christine

2010-09-01

Though companies now invest heavily in mentoring and developing their best female talent, all that attention doesn't translate into promotions. A Catalyst survey of over 4000 high potentials shows that more women than men have mentors-yet women are paid $4600 less in their first post-MBA jobs, hold lower-level positions, and feel less career satisfaction. To better understand why, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with 40 participants in a mentoring program at a large multinational. All mentoring is not created equal, they discovered. Only sponsorship involves advocacy for advancement. The interviews and survey alike indicate that, compared with their male peers, high-potential women are overmentored, undersponsored, and not advancing in their organizations. Without sponsorship, women not only are less likely than men to be appointed to top roles but may also be more reluctant to go for them. Organizations such as Deutsche Bank, Unilever, Sodexo, and IBM Europe have established sponsorship programs to facilitate the promotion of high-potential women. Programs that get results clarify and communicate their goals, match sponsors and mentees on the basis of those goals, coordinate corporate and regional efforts, train sponsors, and hold those sponsors accountable.

Origins of Montessori Programming for Dementia

PubMed Central

Camp, Cameron J.

2011-01-01

The focus of this article is on the evolution of the use of Montessori educational methods as the basis for creating interventions for persons with dementia. The account of this evolution is autobiographical, as the development of Montessori Programming for Dementia (MPD) initially was through the efforts of myself and my research associates. My initial exposure to Maria Montessori’s work came as a result of my involvement with my own children’s education. This exposure influenced ongoing research on development of cognitive interventions for persons with dementia. A brief description of Montessori’s work with children and the educational methods she developed is followed by a description of how this approach can be translated into development of activities for persons with dementia. Assessment tools to document effects of MPD were created, focusing on observational tools to measure engagement and affect during individual and group activities programming for persons with dementia. Examples of the use of MPD by researchers, staff members, and family members are given, as well as examples of how persons with dementia can provide MPD to other persons with dementia or to children. Finally, examples of MPD’s dissemination internationally and future directions for research are presented. PMID:23515663

Origins of Montessori Programming for Dementia.

PubMed

Camp, Cameron J

2010-01-01

The focus of this article is on the evolution of the use of Montessori educational methods as the basis for creating interventions for persons with dementia. The account of this evolution is autobiographical, as the development of Montessori Programming for Dementia (MPD) initially was through the efforts of myself and my research associates. My initial exposure to Maria Montessori's work came as a result of my involvement with my own children's education. This exposure influenced ongoing research on development of cognitive interventions for persons with dementia. A brief description of Montessori's work with children and the educational methods she developed is followed by a description of how this approach can be translated into development of activities for persons with dementia. Assessment tools to document effects of MPD were created, focusing on observational tools to measure engagement and affect during individual and group activities programming for persons with dementia. Examples of the use of MPD by researchers, staff members, and family members are given, as well as examples of how persons with dementia can provide MPD to other persons with dementia or to children. Finally, examples of MPD's dissemination internationally and future directions for research are presented.

Impact of the Garrett Lee Smith youth suicide prevention program on suicide mortality.

PubMed

Walrath, Christine; Garraza, Lucas Godoy; Reid, Hailey; Goldston, David B; McKeon, Richard

2015-05-01

We examined whether a reduction in youth suicide mortality occurred between 2007 and 2010 that could reasonably be attributed to Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) program efforts. We compared youth mortality rates across time between counties that implemented GLS-funded gatekeeper training sessions (the most frequently implemented suicide prevention strategy among grantees) and a set of matched counties in which no GLS-funded training occurred. A rich set of background characteristics, including preintervention mortality rates, was accounted for with a combination of propensity score-based techniques. We also analyzed closely related outcomes that we did not expect to be affected by GLS as control outcomes. Counties implementing GLS training had significantly lower suicide rates among the population aged 10 to 24 years the year after GLS training than similar counties that did not implement GLS training (1.33 fewer deaths per 100 000; P = .02). Simultaneously, we found no significant difference in terms of adult suicide mortality rates or nonsuicide youth mortality the year after the implementation. These results support the existence of an important reduction in youth suicide rates resulting from the implementation of GLS suicide prevention programming.

None

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Traylor, T.D.; Hicks, S.C.

1994-03-01

Transportation Energy Research announces on a monthly basis the current worldwide research and development information available on energy-efficient, environmentally sound transportation technologies. Its purpose is to enhance the technology transfer efforts of the Department of Energy. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal articles, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database during the past month. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency`s Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements. The DOE Office of Transportation Technologies (OTT) managesmore » federal R&D programs aimed at improving transportation-sector energy efficiency. OTT currently supports activities in four major program areas: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles; Advanced Propulsion Systems; and magnetic levitation technology; Advanced Materials. DOE and DOE contractors can obtain copies for $4.00 per issue by using VISA, MasterCard, or OSTI deposit accounts. Contact the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Attention: Information Services. For further information, call (615) 576-8401. Public availability is by subscription from the US Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. Order PB94-900900.« less

Perceived benefits and proposed solutions for teen pregnancy: qualitative interviews with youth care workers.

PubMed

Boustani, Maya Mroué; Frazier, Stacy L; Hartley, Chelsey; Meinzer, Michael; Hedemann, Erin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine youth care workers' perceptions of the specific and unique sexual health needs of youth at risk for foster care. Semistructured interviews were conducted with youth care workers (N = 10) at a shelter for youth in or at risk for foster care. Youth care workers perceive that youth have unique experiences and needs related to sexual health programming and pregnancy prevention. Reflecting a great deal of family dysfunction, 3 themes emerged that revealed perceived benefits of teen pregnancy: youths' effort to prove themselves as adults, opportunity to secure their relationship with a partner, and desire to create an emotional connection with a baby. Lack of knowledge and accumulation of risk factors were viewed as most problematic. Current pregnancy prevention programs assume teen pregnancies are unwanted and emphasize the costs of sexual risk taking. Current findings suggest that sexual health programming for youth in or at risk for foster care should account for 3 perceived benefits of teen pregnancy. New opportunities for improving the reach and effectiveness of intervention for youth in or at risk for foster care are discussed.

20 CFR 901.11 - Enrollment procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... Examples include economics, computer programs, pension accounting, investment and finance, risk theory... Columbia responsible for the issuance of a license in the field of actuarial science, insurance, accounting... include economics, computer programming, pension accounting, investment and finance, risk theory...

Leadership Development: An Assessment of the Aspiring Leaders Program in Seven Delaware School Districts and One Charter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brittingham, Sharon

2009-01-01

Since 2000, The Wallace Foundation, nationally recognized for its involvement in educational programs, has supported efforts to improve the training and conditions of school leaders to better enable them to improve student achievement. One of these efforts in Delaware was the development of district level aspiring leadership development programs.…

Post-Identification Support for Substance Dependent Students in School-Based Programs: The Weakest Link

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zunz, Sharyn J.; Ferguson, Nancy L.; Senter, Meredith

2005-01-01

School based efforts need to embrace a continuum of care model that moves beyond solely primary prevention to address the needs of students who are identified as substance dependent. The extent of this problem and barriers to program implementation are presented. Efforts to offer services through Student/Assistance Programs, School-based…

Quality Improvement Efforts among Early Childhood Education Programs Participating in Iowa's Quality Rating System. REL 2017-244

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkinson, Laura E.; Faria, Ann-Marie; Bouacha, Nora; Lee, Dong Hoon; Metzger, Ivan

2017-01-01

This report describes the quality improvement efforts of early childhood education programs participating in Iowa's Quality Rating System (QRS). It identifies supports and barriers to quality improvement and examines how quality improvement supports and activities relate to changes in program quality ratings across time. The study team developed…

Introduction - regional monitoring programs

Treesearch

Richard L. Hutto; C. John Ralph

2005-01-01

There is increasing interest in the initiation of regional or statewide monitoring programs that are less extensive than national efforts such as the Breeding Bird Survey. A number of regional programs have been in existence for a decade or more, so the papers in this section represented an effort to bring together the collective experience of the people who had...

Repurposing Waste Streams: Lessons on Integrating Hospital Food Waste into a Community Garden.

PubMed

Galvan, Adri M; Hanson, Ryan; George, Daniel R

2018-04-06

There have been increasing efforts in recent decades to divert institutional food waste into composting programs. As major producers of food waste who must increasingly demonstrate community benefit, hospitals have an incentive to develop such programs. In this article, we explain the emerging opportunity to link hospitals' food services to local community gardens in order to implement robust composting programs. We describe a partnership model at our hospital in central Pennsylvania, share preliminary outcomes establishing feasibility, and offer guidance for future efforts. We also demonstrate that the integration of medical students in such efforts can foster systems thinking in the development of programs to manage hospital waste streams in more ecologically-friendly ways.

Problems Resulting from the Implementation of a Pilot Program in Accountability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, David A.

The concept of accountability has become very important recently to both teachers and administrators. Despite this, very few experimental projects dealing with accountability have been attempted--especially in the field of physical education. A program of accountability was conducted at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, in the Department of…

Teaching Accounting Courses Online: One Instructor's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dusing, Gregory M.; Hosler, Jonathan C.; Ragan, Joseph M.

2012-01-01

Accounting programs at colleges and universities across the country are offering more online courses, and in some cases entire degree programs. Given increasing enrollments in online accounting education, it is important that accounting educators become aware of the things that work and the things that don't work when delivering courses over the…

Emissions and new technology programs for conventional spark-ignition aircraft engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, W. T.

1976-01-01

A long-range technology plan in support of general aviation engines was formulated and is being implemented at the Lewis Research Center. The overall program was described, and that part of the program that represents the in-house effort at Lewis was presented in detail. Three areas of government and industry effort involving conventional general-aviation piston engines were part of a coordinated overall plan: (1) FAA/NASA joint program, (2) NASA contract exhaust emissions pollution reduction program, and (3) NASA in-house emissions reduction and new technology program.

Determining the mechanical constitutive properties of metals as a function of strain rate and temperature: A combined experimental and modeling approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

I. M. Robertson; A. Beaudoin; J. Lambros

2004-01-05

OAK-135 Development and validation of constitutive models for polycrystalline materials subjected to high strain rate loading over a range of temperatures are needed to predict the response of engineering materials to in-service type conditions (foreign object damage, high-strain rate forging, high-speed sheet forming, deformation behavior during forming, response to extreme conditions, etc.). To account accurately for the complex effects that can occur during extreme and variable loading conditions, requires significant and detailed computational and modeling efforts. These efforts must be closely coupled with precise and targeted experimental measurements that not only verify the predictions of the models, but also providemore » input about the fundamental processes responsible for the macroscopic response. Achieving this coupling between modeling and experimentation is the guiding principle of this program. Specifically, this program seeks to bridge the length scale between discrete dislocation interactions with grain boundaries and continuum models for polycrystalline plasticity. Achieving this goal requires incorporating these complex dislocation-interface interactions into the well-defined behavior of single crystals. Despite the widespread study of metal plasticity, this aspect is not well understood for simple loading conditions, let alone extreme ones. Our experimental approach includes determining the high-strain rate response as a function of strain and temperature with post-mortem characterization of the microstructure, quasi-static testing of pre-deformed material, and direct observation of the dislocation behavior during reloading by using the in situ transmission electron microscope deformation technique. These experiments will provide the basis for development and validation of physically-based constitutive models, which will include dislocation-grain boundary interactions for polycrystalline systems. One aspect of the program will involve the dire ct observation of specific mechanisms of micro-plasticity, as these will indicate the boundary value problem that should be addressed. This focus on the pre-yield region in the quasi-static effort (the elasto-plastic transition) is also a tractable one from an experimental and modeling viewpoint. In addition, our approach will minimize the need to fit model parameters to experimental data to obtain convergence. These are critical steps to reach the primary objective of simulating and modeling material performance under extreme loading conditions. In this annual report, we describe the progress made in the first year of this program.« less

Agriculture-related trends in groundwater quality of the glacial deposits aquifer, central Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saad, D.A.

2008-01-01

Measuring and understanding trends in groundwater quality is necessary for determining whether changes in land-management practices have an effect on groundwater quality. This paper describes an approach that was used to measure and understand trends using data from two groundwater studies conducted in central Wisconsin as part of the USGS NAWQA program. One of the key components of this approach, determining the age of sampled groundwater, gave a temporal component to the snapshots of water quality that were obtained through synoptic-sampling efforts. This approach can be used at other locations where groundwater quality data are collected, groundwater age can be determined, and associated temporal data are available. Results of these studies indicate measured concentrations of nitrate and atrazine plus deethylatrazine were correlated to historical patterns of fertilizer and atrazine use. Concentrations of nitrate in groundwater have increased over time; concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine increased and then decreased. Concentrations of nitrate also were correlated to screen depth below the water level and concentrations of dissolved O2; concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine were correlated to dissolved O2 and annual precipitation. To measure trends in concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine, the data, collected over a near-decadal period, were adjusted to account for changes in laboratory-reporting levels and analytical recoveries. Only after accounting for these changes was it apparent that the median concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine decreased over the near-decadal interval between sampling efforts. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Will Empowerment of USAF Program Managers Mitigate the Acquisitions Crisis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-10

FAR Federal Acquisition Regulations GAO Government Accountability Office MDAP Major Defense Acquisition Program USAF United States Air Force ix...actually run the project. The Government Accountability Office (GAO),2 along with many other organizations, including Congress in their 2016 National...1 Government Accountability Office (GAO), GAO-06-110, Best Practices: Better Support of Weapons Systems Program Managers Needed to

Improved sonic-box computer program for calculating transonic aerodynamic loads on oscillating wings with thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruo, S. Y.

1978-01-01

A computer program was developed to account approximately for the effects of finite wing thickness in transonic potential flow over an oscillation wing of finite span. The program is based on the original sonic box computer program for planar wing which was extended to account for the effect of wing thickness. Computational efficiency and accuracy were improved and swept trailing edges were accounted for. Account for the nonuniform flow caused by finite thickness was made by application of the local linearization concept with appropriate coordinate transformation. A brief description of each computer routine and the applications of cubic spline and spline surface data fitting techniques used in the program are given, and the method of input was shown in detail. Sample calculations as well as a complete listing of the computer program listing are presented.

75 FR 25313 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... (Financial Statement) reviewed or audited by an independent certified public accountant; (ii) Single Audit A... financial statement that has been audited by an independent certified public accountant; (ii) an ILR... of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and...

78 FR 69289 - Privacy Act; Implementation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

... for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the subject of an... efforts to preserve national security. Disclosure of the accounting would also permit the individual who... individual will be provided access to the information exempt to the extent that disclosure would reveal the...

A labor perspective of workplace violence prevention. Identifying research needs.

PubMed

Rosen, J

2001-02-01

During the past decade, labor unions have contributed to efforts to increase awareness of the importance of workplace violence as an occupational hazard. Research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Department of Justice have bolstered these efforts. This research revealed that workplace violence is the second leading cause of traumatic-injury death on the job for men, the leading cause of traumatic-injury death on the job for women, and accounts for some 2 million nonfatal injuries each year in the United States. Ten years ago, the debate focused on whether workplace violence is an occupational hazard or strictly a police and criminal justice issue. Labor unions have joined with occupational safety and health professionals in recognizing that workplace violence is a serious occupational hazard that is often predictable and preventable. They have advocated that employers establish multidimensional violence-prevention programs. Although the nature of workplace violence varies from industry to industry, implementation of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Violence Prevention Guidelines for Health Care and Social Service Workers and for Late-Night Retail Establishments is a high priority to unions in the affected industries. Labor wants employers to invest in protecting workers from violence through voluntary programs and state legislation, and it supports the promulgation of a mandatory federal OSHA standard. To that end, intervention research can play a key role in demonstrating effective, technically and economically feasible prevention strategies

The struggle for equality in healthcare continues.

PubMed

Rutledge, E O

2001-01-01

All healthcare providers, both institutional and individual, must make every effort to ensure that every person who seeks their medical care is offered competent, sincere, and equal treatment options. Unfortunately, this ideal scenario does not take into account the lack of diversity among care providers and the lack of culturally competent policies within healthcare delivery settings. As a result, many care providers continue to follow racially biased treatment practices and many organizations continue to ignore their public trust of providing fair treatment to everyone, regardless of skin color, gender, economic capabilities, etc. Although developing and implementing a diversity plan and culturally competent policies is very complex practically, politically, and programmatically for traditional institutional care providers, it must be done. The key ingredient to this effort is the absolute commitment and support of the organization's governing bodies and executive management. Institutions can certainly volunteer and begin to develop such programs that foster recruitment, selection, and retention of culturally competent care providers to ensure that equal healthcare is received by their patient populations. However, many institutions are already besieged by too many healthcare challenges to volunteer for such an effort. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the National Council of Quality Assurance can certainly help jumpstart this effort by establishing an accreditation standard that requires all healthcare providers to establish and practice culturally competent care within their organizations. Providers must also embrace the diversity that is a part of our society and must not let race or ethnicity be a determining factor in offering treatment options.

A Contingency View of the Strategies of Sustainable Development and Disclosure: Study of ENR's Top 10 Contractors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Shih Ping; Yu, Chong Yang; Hsu, Yaowen

2017-04-01

More and more international firms in the A/E/C (Architecture/Engineering/ Construction) industries voluntarily invest in sustainable development and disclose their efforts publicly. Especially, the sustainable development efforts of the firms in Construction industry draw more attentions from the public, compared to that in A/E industries. There are various reporting systems in practice for reporting the performance of a firm's development on sustainability. The most well known reporting systems include Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and the AA1000 Accountability Principal Standards. However, most of these reporting systems are very complicated in terms of the performance indices and the categories and subcategories of these indices. It is impossible and also unnecessary for a firm to be evaluated on all the indices. However, it is also not clear on what indices are more important for a firm than other indices and why. The more fundamental questions are "what sustainable development efforts contribute more to a particular firm's competitive advantages and why?" In this research, we studied the world's top 10 contractors in ENR (Engineering News Records). We analyzed how these contractors disclose their efforts and performance in sustainable development and, most importantly, why. Lastly, based on the insights obtained from the analysis, we developed a contingency view of sustainable development and disclosure strategies. This strategic framework can be further examined from the perspective of firms' competitive advantages and give implications to how a firm's top managers should implement the firm's sustainable development program.

Would You Recommend Your Institution's Effort-Reporting Process to Others? Determining Best Practices in Effort-Reporting Compliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitaker, Ashley E.

2015-01-01

Effort-reporting compliance at higher education institutions was examined to discern best practices from those that would recommend their effort-reporting process. Data were derived from a survey of effort administrators--the research administrators responsible for the effort-reporting compliance program at their respective higher education…

Study on utilization of advanced composites in commercial aircraft wing structures, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakata, I. F.; Ostrom, R. B.

1978-01-01

A plan is defined for a composite wing development effort which will assist commercial transport manufacturers in reaching a level of technology readiness where the utilization of composite wing structure is a cost competitive option for a new aircraft production plan. The recommended development effort consists of two programs: a joint government/industry material development program and a wing structure development program. Both programs are described in detail.

Challenges and opportunities in building a sustainable rural primary care workforce in alignment with the Affordable Care Act: the WWAMI program as a case study.

PubMed

Allen, Suzanne M; Ballweg, Ruth A; Cosgrove, Ellen M; Engle, Kellie A; Robinson, Lawrence R; Rosenblatt, Roger A; Skillman, Susan M; Wenrich, Marjorie D

2013-12-01

The authors examine the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on a large medical education program in the Northwest United States that builds the primary care workforce for its largely rural region. The 42-year-old Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) program, hosted by the University of Washington School of Medicine, is one of the nation's most successful models for rural health training. The program has expanded training and retention of primary care health professionals for the region through medical school education, graduate medical education, a physician assistant training program, and support for practicing health professionals.The ACA and resulting accountable care organizations (ACOs) present potential challenges for rural settings and health training programs like WWAMI that focus on building the health workforce for rural and underserved populations. As more Americans acquire health coverage, more health professionals will be needed, especially in primary care. Rural locations may face increased competition for these professionals. Medical schools are expanding their positions to meet the need, but limits on graduate medical education expansion may result in a bottleneck, with insufficient residency positions for graduating students. The development of ACOs may further challenge building a rural workforce by limiting training opportunities for health professionals because of competing demands and concerns about cost, efficiency, and safety associated with training. Medical education programs like WWAMI will need to increase efforts to train primary care physicians and increase their advocacy for student programs and additional graduate medical education for rural constituents.

The influence of maternal health literacy and child's age on participation in social welfare programs.

PubMed

Pati, Susmita; Siewert, Elizabeth; Wong, Angie T; Bhatt, Suraj K; Calixte, Rose E; Cnaan, Avital

2014-07-01

The objective of this study is to determine the influence of maternal health literacy and child's age on participation in social welfare programs benefiting children. In a longitudinal prospective cohort study of 560 Medicaid-eligible mother-infant dyads recruited in Philadelphia, maternal health literacy was assessed using the test of functional health literacy in adults (short version). Participation in social welfare programs [Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), child care subsidy, and public housing] was self-reported at child's birth, and at the 6, 12, 18, 24 month follow-up interviews. Generalized estimating equations quantified the strength of maternal health literacy as an estimator of program participation. The mothers were primarily African-Americans (83%), single (87%), with multiple children (62%). Nearly 24% of the mothers had inadequate or marginal health literacy. Children whose mothers had inadequate health literacy were less likely to receive child care subsidy (adjusted OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.34-0.85) than children whose mothers had adequate health literacy. Health literacy was not a significant predictor for TANF, SNAP, WIC or housing assistance. The predicted probability for participation in all programs decreased from birth to 24 months. Most notably, predicted WIC participation declined rapidly after age one. During the first 24 months, mothers with inadequate health literacy could benefit from simplified or facilitated child care subsidy application processes. Targeted outreach and enrollment efforts conducted by social welfare programs need to take into account the changing needs of families as children age.

Lessons Learned from Sleep Education in Schools: A Review of Dos and Don'ts.

PubMed

Blunden, Sarah; Rigney, Gabrielle

2015-06-15

Sleep duration and quality are associated with negative neuropsychological and psychosocial outcomes in children and adolescents. However, community awareness of this is low and sleep education programs in schools are attempting to address this issue. Several studies now exist assessing the efficacy of these sleep education programs for improving sleep knowledge, sleep hygiene and sleep patterns. This paper presents these sleep education programs, most particularly, it presents the strengths and weaknesses of the current available studies in the hope that this can identify areas where future sleep education programs can improve. A systematic search of all school-based sleep education studies in adolescents was undertaken. Studies were scrutinized for author, teacher and participant comment regarding strengths and limitations of each study, which were then extracted and summarized. Two specific types of sleep education programs emerged from the review, those that sought to change sleep behavior and those that sought simply to disseminate information. Issues that dictated the strength or weakness of a particular study including who delivers the program, the theoretical basis, the tools utilized to measure sleep patterns, the content, and their capacity to engage students were assessed. Sleep education was considered important by teachers, students and parents alike. Future sleep education programs need to take into account lessons learned from previous sleep education efforts in order to maximize the potential for sleep education programs to improve the sleep health of our young people. A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 595. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

[Psychosocial factors at work and cardiovascular diseases: contribution of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model].

PubMed

Niedhammer, I; Siegrist, J

1998-11-01

The effect of psychosocial factors at work on health, especially cardiovascular health, has given rise to growing concern in occupational epidemiology over the last few years. Two theoretical models, Karasek's model and the Effort-Reward Imbalance model, have been developed to evaluate psychosocial factors at work within specific conceptual frameworks in an attempt to take into account the serious methodological difficulties inherent in the evaluation of such factors. Karasek's model, the most widely used model, measures three factors: psychological demands, decision latitude and social support at work. Many studies have shown the predictive effects of these factors on cardiovascular diseases independently of well-known cardiovascular risk factors. More recently, the Effort-Reward Imbalance model takes into account the role of individual coping characteristics which was neglected in the Karasek model. The effort-reward imbalance model focuses on the reciprocity of exchange in occupational life where high-cost/low-gain conditions are considered particularly stressful. Three dimensions of rewards are distinguished: money, esteem and gratifications in terms of promotion prospects and job security. Some studies already support that high-effort/low reward-conditions are predictive of cardiovascular diseases.

Delivering Educational Services that Meet the Needs of All Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferretti, Ralph P.; Eisenman, Laura T.

2010-01-01

Federal policies intended to promote educational equity, especially through state accountability mechanisms, have mobilized efforts to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Although these efforts have met with some success, achievement gaps remain. The authors argue that local cultures of teaching practices and decision making continue…

Fiscal Year 2007 Performance and Accountability Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This document represents the annual report card of the U.S. Department of Education's efforts and outcomes during fiscal year 2007. This year's report builds on efforts to increase transparency, and more effectively communicate goals and objectives. The report emphasizes achievements and challenges associated with implementing the Department of…

Committed to Learn: Student Engagement and Care in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnacle, Robyn; Dall'Alba, Gloria

2017-01-01

Efforts to evaluate and improve student engagement have been pervasive in higher education over recent years. Critics argue, however, that troubling affinities are evident between student engagement efforts and a neoliberal agenda which emphasises accountability through performativity. Neoliberalism manifests in policies that focus on the economic…

Online Communication Patterns of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kale, Ugur; Brush, Thomas; Bryant, Alison; Saye, John

2011-01-01

Preliminary efforts to examine teachers' online participation and depth of messages have tended to focus solely on message metrics (e.g., counting the number of messages). However, such efforts do not address online messages in relation to one another. Taking relations of messages into account is important as the messages are not individual online…

Common Core in the Real World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick M.; McShane, Michael Q.

2013-01-01

There are at least four key places where the Common Core intersects with current efforts to improve education in the United States--testing, professional development, expectations, and accountability. Understanding them can help educators, parents, and policymakers maximize the chance that the Common Core is helpful to these efforts and, perhaps…

Description and User Manual for a Web-Based Interface to a Transit-Loss Accounting Program for Monument and Fountain Creeks, El Paso and Pueblo Counties, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuhn, Gerhard; Krammes, Gary S.; Beal, Vivian J.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs Utilities, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the El Paso County Water Authority, began a study in 2004 with the following objectives: (1) Apply a stream-aquifer model to Monument Creek, (2) use the results of the modeling to develop a transit-loss accounting program for Monument Creek, (3) revise an existing accounting program for Fountain Creek to easily incorporate ongoing and future changes in management of return flows of reusable water, and (4) integrate the two accounting programs into a single program and develop a Web-based interface to the integrated program that incorporates simple and reliable data entry that is automated to the fullest extent possible. This report describes the results of completing objectives (2), (3), and (4) of that study. The accounting program for Monument Creek was developed first by (1) using the existing accounting program for Fountain Creek as a prototype, (2) incorporating the transit-loss results from a stream-aquifer modeling analysis of Monument Creek, and (3) developing new output reports. The capabilities of the existing accounting program for Fountain Creek then were incorporated into the program for Monument Creek and the output reports were expanded to include Fountain Creek. A Web-based interface to the new transit-loss accounting program then was developed that provided automated data entry. An integrated system of 34 nodes and 33 subreaches was integrated by combining the independent node and subreach systems used in the previously completed stream-aquifer modeling studies for the Monument and Fountain Creek reaches. Important operational criteria that were implemented in the new transit-loss accounting program for Monument and Fountain Creeks included the following: (1) Retain all the reusable water-management capabilities incorporated into the existing accounting program for Fountain Creek; (2) enable daily accounting and transit-loss computations for a variable number of reusable return flows discharged into Monument Creek at selected locations; (3) enable diversion of all or a part of a reusable return flow at any selected node for purposes of storage in off-stream reservoirs or other similar types of reusable water management; (4) and provide flexibility in the accounting program to change the number of return-flow entities, the locations at which the return flows discharge into Monument or Fountain Creeks, or the locations to which the return flows are delivered. The primary component of the Web-based interface is a data-entry form that displays data stored in the accounting program input file; the data-entry form allows for entry and modification of new data, which then is rewritten to the input file. When the data-entry form is displayed, up-to-date discharge data for each station are automatically computed and entered on the data-entry form. Data for native return flows, reusable return flows, reusable return flow diversions, and native diversions also are entered automatically or manually, if needed. In computing the estimated quantities of reusable return flow and the associated transit losses, the accounting program uses two sets of computations. The first set of computations is made between any two adjacent streamflow-gaging stations (termed 'stream-segment loop'); the primary purpose of the stream-segment loop is to estimate the loss or gain in native discharge between the two adjacent streamflow-gaging stations. The second set of computations is made between any two adjacent nodes (termed 'subreach loop'); the actual transit-loss computations are made in the subreach loop, using the result from the stream-segment loop. The stream-segment loop is completed for a stream segment, and then the subreach loop is completed for each subreach within the segment. When the subreach loop is completed for all subreaches within a stream segment, the stream-segment loop is initiated for the ne

New Understanding of Hubble Space Telescope Gyro Current Increase Led to a Method to Save a Failing Gyro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumenstock, Kenneth A.

2017-01-01

Throughout the history of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program, gyro current increases have been observed to occur, oftentimes leading to gyro failure. The explanation was that debris from the surfaces of the gas bearings, with only 50 millionths on an inch clearance, resulted in rotor restriction, which increased friction, torque, and current. However, the rotor restriction theory never could account for the fact that a restart of the gyro would restore the current back to nominal. An effort was made to understand this puzzling gyro behavior after two HST gyros exhibited increased current within the same week in November 2015. A review board was created to resolve these anomalies and generate operational procedures to potentially extend gyro life.

Space station WP-04 power system preliminary analysis and design document, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Rocketdyne plans to generate a system level specification for the Space Station Electric Power System (EPS) in order to facilitate the usage, accountability, and tracking of overall system level requirements. The origins and status of the verification planning effort are traced and an overview of the Space Station program interactions are provided. The work package level interfaces between the EPS and the other Space Station work packages are outlined. A trade study was performed to determine the peaking split between PV and SD, and specifically to compare the inherent total peaking capability with proportionally shared peaking. In order to determine EPS cost drivers for the previous submittal of DRO2, the life cycle cost (LCC) model was run to identify the more significant costs and the factors contributing to them.

Assessing the risk of work-related international travel.

PubMed

Druckman, Myles; Harber, Philip; Liu, Yihang; Quigley, Robert L

2014-11-01

To identify factors affecting the likelihood of requiring medical services during international business trips. Data from more than 800,000 international trips and medical assistance cases provided to 48 multinational corporations in 2009. Travel destination countries were grouped into four a priori risk-related categories. Travel to "low" medical risk countries in aggregate accounted for more hospitalizations and medical evacuations than travel to "high" medical risk countries. Nevertheless, the risk per trip was much higher for travel to higher medical risk countries. Corporations with employees on international travel should allocate sufficient resources to manage and ideally prevent medical issues during business travel. Travel medicine must focus on more than infectious diseases, and programs are necessary for both high- and low-risk regions. Improved understanding of travel-related needs determines resource allocation and risk mitigation efforts.

The militarization of space: U. S. policy, 1945-1984

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stares, P.B.

1985-01-01

This is an account of the U.S. military space program under successive administrations. Despite Sputnik and the advent of reconnaissance satellites, the development of antisatellite space weapons was resisted from the time of the Eisenhower Administration until the late 1970s. Indeed, Eisenhower wanted to keep U.S. activities in space ''peaceful'' so as to avoid a threat to reconnaissance satellites. When Soviet satellite interceptor tests became a matter of concern, the Carter Administration pursued a two-track policy of seeking to develop the technology and to ban its deployment through negotiations with the Soviet Union; thereafter, the Reagan Administration dropped arms controlmore » efforts and insisted upon testing. The author concludes that an arms race in space is now inevitable-and that a solid opportunity has been lost.« less

Apollo: A retrospective analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Launius, Roger D.

1994-01-01

Since the completion of Project Apollo more than twenty years ago there have been a plethora of books, studies, reports, and articles about its origin, execution, and meaning. At the time of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first landing, it is appropriate to reflect on the effort and its place in U.S. and NASA history. This monograph has been written as a means to this end. It presents a short narrative account of Apollo from its origin through its assessment. That is followed by a mission by mission summary of the Apollo flights and concluded by a series of key documents relative to the program reproduced in facsimile. The intent of this monograph is to provide a basic history along with primary documents that may be useful to NASA personnel and others desiring information about Apollo.

Strategic competition: the application of business planning techniques to the hospital marketplace.

PubMed

Morris, D E; Rau, S E

1985-01-01

Survival in the increasingly turbulent and uncertain health care environment should raise the application of business planning and corporate strategy to the highest levels of institutional consciousness. With hospital mergers and networking arrangements expected to account for over 60% of the hospital beds in the nation by 1990, and with government and business cost containment efforts squeezing hospital margins, the survivors are going to be those institutions able to develop and maintain a sustainable economic advantage over the competition in the programs and services that comprise the major portion of their business. The successful players will be those that allow the institution to identify and exploit new opportunities and concentrate management and financial resources in those segments of the market where competitive advantages are real and attainable.

"APEC blue"--The effects and implications of joint pollution prevention and control program.

PubMed

Wang, Hongbo; Zhao, Laijun; Xie, Yujing; Hu, Qingmi

2016-05-15

To ensure good air quality in Beijing during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) China 2014, Beijing and its neighboring five provinces and the associated cities were combined under the Joint Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution (JPCAP) program, which implemented rigorous cooperative emission reduction measures. The program was a unique and large-scale artificial experiment that showed that such measures can achieve excellent results, and it led to the popular "APEC blue" catchphrase (i.e., Beijing's skies became blue as pollution levels decreased). This artificial experiment provided the means to effectively conduct JPCAP strategies in the future. Accordingly, our research focused on the characteristics of the six primary pollutants in Beijing. We found that the JPCAP measures directly reduced concentrations of all pollutants except O3. Through correlation analysis, we found that the band distribution of the cities with strong correlations in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations was affected by wind conditions. Therefore, JPCAP measures should account for specific seasonal and climatic conditions. Based on cluster analysis using the results from the correlation analysis, we divided 13 cities within a 300-km radius of Beijing into different groups according to the similarity of their PM2.5 and PM10 correlation coefficients. For JPCAP measures relevant to PM2.5 and PM10, we found differences in the degrees of collaboration among cities. Therefore, depending upon the pollutant type, the JPCAP strategy should account for the cities involved, the scope of the core area, and the optimal cities to involve in the collaborative efforts based on cost-effectiveness and collaborative difficulty among the involved cities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EMPACT: THE LAS VEGAS INTERAGENCY PILOT PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

ENPACT: The Las Vegas Interagency Pilot Project

The Las Vegas Interagency Pilot Project of the EMPACT program has involved eleven efforts. These efforts are described in brief on the poster presentation. They include: Las Vegas Environmental Monitoring Inventory, the Qual...

The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevention Program

PubMed Central

Goldston, David B.; Walrath, Christine M.; McKeon, Richard; Puddy, Richard W.; Lubell, Keri M.; Potter, Lloyd B.; Rodi, Michael S.

2011-01-01

Responding to calls for greater efforts to reduce youth suicide, the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Act to date has provided funding for 68 state, territory, and tribal community grants, and 74 college campus grants for suicide prevention efforts. Suicide prevention activities supported by GLS grantees have included education, training programs including gatekeeper training, screening activities, infrastructure for improved linkages to services, crisis hotlines, and community partnerships. Through participation in both local- and cross-site evaluations, GLS grantees are generating data regarding the local context, proximal outcomes, and implementation of programs, as well as opportunities for improvement of suicide prevention efforts. PMID:20560746

The Garrett Lee Smith memorial suicide prevention program.

PubMed

Goldston, David B; Walrath, Christine M; McKeon, Richard; Puddy, Richard W; Lubell, Keri M; Potter, Lloyd B; Rodi, Michael S

2010-06-01

In response to calls for greater efforts to reduce youth suicide, the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Act has provided funding for 68 state, territory, and tribal community grants, and 74 college campus grants for suicide prevention efforts. Suicide prevention activities supported by GLS grantees have included education, training programs (including gatekeeper training), screening activities, infrastructure for improved linkages to services, crisis hotlines, and community partnerships. Through participation in both local- and cross-site evaluations, GLS grantees are generating data regarding the local context, proximal outcomes, and implementation of programs, as well as opportunities for improvement of suicide prevention efforts.

Recovery Act: Planned Efforts and Challenges in Evaluating Compliance with Maintenance of Effort and Similar Provisions. Report to the Republican Leader, U.S. Senate. GAO-10-247

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodaro, Gene L.

2009-01-01

To help prevent the substitution of federal funds for state, local, or private funds, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) contains maintenance of effort and similar provisions requiring that recipients maintain certain levels of spending for selected programs. This report provides information on selected programs in…

NASA University Program Management Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

As basic policy, NASA believes that colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics program to the maximum extent practicable. Indeed, universities are considered as partners with government and industry in the nation's aerospace program. NASA's objective is to have them bring their scientific, engineering, and social research competence to bear on aerospace problems and on the broader social, economic, and international implications of NASA's technical and scientific programs. It is expected that, in so doing, universities will strengthen both their research and their educational capabilities to contribute more effectively to the national well-being. NASA field codes and certain Headquarters program offices provide funds for those activities in universities which contribute to the mission needs of that particular NASA element. Although NASA has no predetermined amount of money to devote to university activities, the effort funded each year is substantial. (See the bar chart on the next page). This annual report is one means of documenting the NASA-university relationship, frequently denoted, collectively, as NASA's University Program. This report is consistent with agency accounting records, as the data is obtained from NASA's Financial and Contractual Status (FACS) System, operated by the Financial Management Division and the Procurement Office. However, in accordance with interagency agreements, the orientation differs from that required for financial or procurement purposes. Any apparent discrepancies between this report and other NASA procurement or financial reports stem from the selection criteria for the data.

Piloting relationship education for female same-sex couples: Results of a small randomized waitlist-control trial.

PubMed

Whitton, Sarah W; Scott, Shelby B; Dyar, Christina; Weitbrecht, Eliza M; Hutsell, David W; Kuryluk, Amanda D

2017-10-01

Relationship education represents a promising, nonstigmatizing approach to promoting the health and stability of same-sex couples. A new culturally sensitive adaptation of relationship education was developed specifically for female same-sex couples (The Strengthening Same-Sex Relationships Program, Female version; SSSR-F). SSSR-F includes adaptations of evidence-based strategies to build core relationship skills (e.g., communication skills training) as well as new content to address unique challenges faced by this population (e.g., discrimination; low social support). A small randomized waitlist-control trial (N = 37 couples) was conducted to evaluate program feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. Three proximal outcomes targeted by SSSR-F (communication, perceived stress, social support) and 3 distal outcomes (global relationship satisfaction, instability, and confidence) were assessed at pre- and posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. Results of multilevel models accounting for nonindependence in dyadic data indicated statistically significant program effects on positive and negative couple communication, relationship satisfaction, and relationship confidence and small, nonsignificant program effects on stress, social support, and relationship instability. Analyses of follow-up data suggest maintenance of effects on the proximal but not the distal outcomes. Ratings of program satisfaction were high. Overall, findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of SSSR-F, highlighting the potential value of culturally sensitive relationship education for same-sex couples. Continued efforts are needed to increase sustainability of program effects on global relationship quality over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

40 CFR 97.257 - Closing of general accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) FEDERAL NOX BUDGET TRADING PROGRAM AND CAIR NOX AND SO2 TRADING PROGRAMS CAIR SO2 Allowance... correctly submitted allowance transfer under §§ 97.260 and 97.261 for any CAIR SO2 allowances in the account to one or more other CAIR SO2 Allowance Tracking System accounts. (b) If a general account has no...

Analysis of 2014's Thirty Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adkins, Darlene A.; Geddie, Mary F.; Moore, Paula Hearn; Griffin, Richard B.

2016-01-01

This paper examines primarily the courses in the accounting major and a portion of the business core of the best thirty accounting programs in the United States as identified by the Accounting Degree Review. A thorough examination of each school's web site has been conducted to gather current (2014) information concerning the requirements for a…

Quantifying Collaboration Using Himmelman's Strategies for Working Together: Findings from the Tennessee Coordinated School Health Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, Megan A; Southerland, Jodi L.; Richards, Kasie; Slawson, Deborah L; Behringer, Bruce; Johns-Womack, Rebecca; Smith, Sara

2016-01-01

Purpose: Coordinated school health programs (CSHPs), a type of health promoting school (HPS) program adopted by Canada and the USA, were developed to provide a comprehensive approach to school health in the USA. Community partnerships are central to CSHP and HPS efforts, yet the quality of collaboration efforts is rarely assessed. The purpose of…

Collaborative Efforts Result in a Successful Field Based Program for the Preparation of Secondary Teachers in Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askins, Billy E.; Logan, Neal; Nelson, Jill

Collaborative efforts by Texas Tech University (TTU) and the Lubbock Independent School District (ISD) resulted in an innovative program to improve the preparation of secondary-level preservice teachers in social studies. The program is grounded in the realities of the social studies classroom. Students are organized by teaching field in a…

Addressing Drop-Out and Sustained Effort Issues with Large Practical Groups Using an Automated Delivery and Assessment System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de-la-Fuente-Valentin, Luis; Pardo, Abelardo; Kloos, Carlos Delgado

2013-01-01

The acquisition of programming skills specially in introductory programming courses poses an important challenge for freshmen students of engineering programs. These courses require students to devote a sustained effort during the whole course and a failure to do so may contribute to not passing the course. However, it is difficult for the…

The Pathways Program: A Model for Increasing the Number of Teachers of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Kam Fui; Dandy, Evelyn B.; Hoffman, Lorrie

2007-01-01

The Pathways to Teaching Careers Program was a national recruitment effort started in 1989 to bring teachers of color into the teaching profession. This effort was instrumental in forging the investment of some $50 million for a series of grants that included 26 programs in 66 colleges and universities, located in 43 cities in 26 states (the…

Schools, Families, and the Prevention of Child Maltreatment: Lessons That Can Be Learned From a Literature Review.

PubMed

Admon Livny, Karen; Katz, Carmit

2018-04-01

Child maltreatment is a worldwide social problem that receives considerable attention. However, prevention efforts remain rare, allowing the phenomenon to continue and spread. The aim of the current article is to systematically review evidence-based prevention efforts that address schools and families as key stakeholders for preventing child maltreatment. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a thorough literature review revealed that only five programs matched the inclusion criteria for the current article. These programs were analyzed for several domains, including level of prevention, target population, participants, and the programs' outcomes. The current review highlights the urgent needs to develop, modify, and further evaluate prevention programs for child maltreatment in the context of the ecological model. More specifically, it illuminates the need to create and champion programs that enhance the collaboration between families and schools, both of which are key stakeholders within the phenomenon of child maltreatment. Collaboration between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners should guide future efforts by promoting cultural adaptation to such programs and by integrating children's perceptions to improve these efforts and to benefit everyone involved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aldrich, R.; Williamson, J.

While single-family, detached homes account for 63% of households (EIA 2009); multi-family homes account for a very large portion of that remaining housing stock, and this fraction is growing. Through recent research efforts, CARB has been evaluating strategies and technologies that can make dramatic improvements in energy performance in multi-family buildings.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

While single-family, detached homes account for 63% of households (EIA 2009); multi-family homes account for a very large portion of that remaining housing stock, and this fraction is growing. Through recent research efforts, CARB has been evaluating strategies and technologies that can make dramatic improvements in energy performance in multi-family buildings

Geotail MCA plasma wave data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Roger R.

NASA Grant NAG 5-2346 supports the data analysis effort at The University of Iowa for the GEOTAIL Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA) which is a part of the GEOTAIL Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI). At the beginning of this reporting period we had just begun to receive our GEOTAIL Sirius data on CD-ROMs. Much programming effort went into adapting and refining the data analysis programs to include the CD-ROM inputs. Programs were also developed to display the high-frequency-resolution PWI Sweep Frequency Analyzer (SFA) data and to include in all the various plot products the electron cyclotron frequency derived from the magnitude of the magnetic field extracted from the GEOTAIL Magnetic Field (MGF) data included in the GEOTAIL Sirius data. We also developed programs to use the MGF data residing in the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) GEOTAIL Scientific Data Base (SDB). Our programmers also developed programs and provided technical support for the GEOTAIL data analysis efforts of Co-lnvestigator William W. L. Taylor at Nichols Research Corporation (NRC). At the end of this report we have included brief summaries of the NRC effort and the progress being made.

Geotail MCA plasma wave data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Roger R.

1994-01-01

NASA Grant NAG 5-2346 supports the data analysis effort at The University of Iowa for the GEOTAIL Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA) which is a part of the GEOTAIL Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI). At the beginning of this reporting period we had just begun to receive our GEOTAIL Sirius data on CD-ROMs. Much programming effort went into adapting and refining the data analysis programs to include the CD-ROM inputs. Programs were also developed to display the high-frequency-resolution PWI Sweep Frequency Analyzer (SFA) data and to include in all the various plot products the electron cyclotron frequency derived from the magnitude of the magnetic field extracted from the GEOTAIL Magnetic Field (MGF) data included in the GEOTAIL Sirius data. We also developed programs to use the MGF data residing in the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) GEOTAIL Scientific Data Base (SDB). Our programmers also developed programs and provided technical support for the GEOTAIL data analysis efforts of Co-lnvestigator William W. L. Taylor at Nichols Research Corporation (NRC). At the end of this report we have included brief summaries of the NRC effort and the progress being made.

Teaching and sharing about the Sun in the United States and with Spanish language resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peticolas, L. M.; Craig, N.; Hawkins, I.; Walker, C.

2007-05-01

The United States has many different scientific agencies that fund research on solar science, including the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Because there is a large population of Spanish-speaking people in the US, some of the resources developed by the education components of research projects take into account broader cultural perspectives on science and are developed in Spanish. We will describe the education and outreach programs of three solar programs funded by NASA and NSF, the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) program, the "We Are One Under the Sun" Program, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) education program. The STEREO program aims to teach about the Sun through different venues including teacher workshops and courses, teacher materials, turning solar data from STEREO into sound, working with museums, and creating solar posters, CDs, DVDs, and lenticulars. The "We are One Under the Sun" program focuses on Native Americans and Hispanics of Native heritage. It works by merging culture, ancient observatories, and the latest NASA solar science to engage children, youth, and the general public in science and technology through solar traditions in their own indigenous culture. The NOAO Educational Outreach Program was established to make the science and scientists of NOAO more accessible to the K-12 and college-level communities. We will focus on the NOAO solar projects and Spanish-Language Astronomy Materials Educational Center program, which provides multiple types of Spanish- language materials for teachers. These programs have had different levels of outreach in Spanish-speaking countries, namely Mexico (STEREO and "We are One Under the Sun") and Chile (NOAO). We will describe these efforts and give links to the Spanish and English resources available to learn and teach about the Sun.

Development Impact Assessment Highlights Co-benefits of GHG Mitigation Actions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2016-06-01

This EC-LEDS document describes the Development Impact Assessment (DIA) process that explores interactions between development goals and the low emission development strategies. DIA aims to support informed decision-making by considering how policies and programs intended to meet one goal may impact other development priorities. Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) is a flagship U.S. government-led effort that assists countries in developing and implementing LEDS. The program enhances partner country efforts by providing targeting technical assistance and building a shared global knowledge base on LEDS. is a flagship U.S. government-led effort that assists countries in developing and implementing LEDS.more » The program enhances partner country efforts by providing targeting technical assistance and building a shared global knowledge base on LEDS.« less

NASA/Drexel program. [research effort in large-scale technical programs management for application to urban problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The results are reported of the NASA/Drexel research effort which was conducted in two separate phases. The initial phase stressed exploration of the problem from the point of view of three primary research areas and the building of a multidisciplinary team. The final phase consisted of a clinical demonstration program in which the research associates consulted with the County Executive of New Castle County, Delaware, to aid in solving actual problems confronting the County Government. The three primary research areas of the initial phase are identified as technology, management science, and behavioral science. Five specific projects which made up the research effort are treated separately. A final section contains the conclusions drawn from total research effort as well as from the specific projects.

77 FR 59027 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-25

... investment advisory programs. These programs, which include ``wrap fee'' and ``mutual fund wrap'' programs... most mutual funds. Under wrap fee and similar programs, a client's account is typically managed on a... also must retain certain indicia of ownership of all securities and funds in the account. The...

Institute for Scientific and Educational Technology (ISET)-Education, Research and Training Programs in Engineering and Sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, S. N. (Principal Investigator); Massenberg, Samuel E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The 'Institute for Scientific and Educational Technology' has been established to provide a mechanism through which universities and other research organizations may cooperate with one another and with different government agencies and industrial organizations to further and promote research, education, and training programs in science, engineering, and related fields. This effort has been undertaken consistent with the national vision to 'promote excellence in America s educational system through enhancing and expanding scientific and technological competence.' The specific programs are directed in promoting and achieving excellence for individuals at all levels (elementary and secondary schools, undergraduate and graduate education, and postdoctoral and faculty research). The program is consistent with the existing activities of the Institute for Computational and Applied Mechanics (ICAM) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The efforts will be directed to embark on other research, education, and training activities in various fields of engineering, scientific, and educational technologies. The specific objectives of the present program may be outlined briefly as follows: 1) Cooperate in the various research, education, and technology programs of the Office of Education at LaRC. 2) Develop procedures for interactions between precollege, college, and graduate students, and between faculty and students at all levels. 3) Direct efforts to increase the participation by women and minorities in educational programs at all levels. 4) Enhance existing activities of ICAM and ASEE in education, research, and training of graduate students and faculty. 5) Invite distinguished scholars as appropriate and consistent with ISET goals to spend their summers and/or sabbaticals at NASA Langley andor ODU and interact with different researchers and graduate students. Perform research and administrative activities as needed to carry out the above mentioned activities. 6) The implementation of various activities of the ISET programs is carried out through cooperative efforts between Old Dominion University (ODU) and the Office of Education at LaRC. At present, major efforts are directed on the following ISET Programs: ICAM Programs, Academic Programs, Educational Research, Outreach Programs, Educational Technology and Cooperative Programs. These programs are described in the following sections.

Research and technology: 1994 annual report of the John F. Kennedy Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

As the NASA Center responsible for assembly, checkout, servicing, launch, recovery, and operational support of Space Transportation System elements and payloads, the John F. Kennedy Space Center is placing increasing emphasis on its advanced technology development program. This program encompasses the efforts of the Engineering Development Directorate laboratories, most of the KSC operations contractors, academia, and selected commercial industries - all working in a team effort within their own areas of expertise. This edition of the Kennedy Space Center Research and Technology 1994 Annual Report covers efforts of all these contributors to the KSC advanced technology development program, as well as our technology transfer activities. The Technology Programs and Commercialization Office (DE-TPO), (407) 867-3017, is responsible for publication of this report and should be contacted for any desired information regarding the advanced technology program.

Are you ready? Managing transportation resources through the Y2K weekend

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

The Clarus Initiative, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office and FHWAs Road Weather Management Program (RWMP), is a six-year effort to develop and demonstrate an integ...

Accounting Programs' Home Pages: What's Happening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peek, Lucia E.; Roxas, Maria L.

2002-01-01

Content analysis of 62 accounting programs' websites indicated the following: 53% include mission statements; 62.9% list accreditation; many faculty biographies and personal pages used inconsistent formats; provision of information on financial aid, student organizations, career services, and certified public accountant requirements varied. Many…

7 CFR 1902.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Office grant program managers. (i) Automated systems referred to in this instruction refers to the loan accounting systems; e.g., Program Loan Accounting System, Automated Multi-Housing Accounting System, and Dedicated Loan Origination System, from which loan and grant disbursements are ordered. (j) This subpart...

Nature as capital: Advancing and incorporating ecosystem services in United States federal policies and programs.

PubMed

Schaefer, Mark; Goldman, Erica; Bartuska, Ann M; Sutton-Grier, Ariana; Lubchenco, Jane

2015-06-16

The concept of nature as capital is gaining visibility in policies and practices in both the public and private sectors. This change is due to an improved ability to assess and value ecosystem services, as well as to a growing recognition of the potential of an ecosystem services approach to make tradeoffs in decision making more transparent, inform efficient use of resources, enhance resilience and sustainability, and avoid unintended negative consequences of policy actions. Globally, governments, financial institutions, and corporations have begun to incorporate natural capital accounting in their policies and practices. In the United States, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and federal agencies are actively collaborating to develop and apply ecosystem services concepts to further national environmental and economic objectives. Numerous federal agencies have begun incorporating these concepts into land use planning, water resources management, and preparations for, and responses to, climate change. Going forward, well-defined policy direction will be necessary to institutionalize ecosystem services approaches in federal agencies, as well as to guide intersector and interdisciplinary collaborative research and development efforts. In addition, a new generation of decision support tools are needed to further the practical application of ecosystem services principles in policymaking and commercial activities. Improved performance metrics are needed, as are mechanisms to monitor the status of ecosystem services and assess the environmental and economic impacts of policies and programs. A greater national and international financial commitment to advancing ecosystem services and natural capital accounting would likely have broad, long-term economic and environmental benefits.

Quality of Post-Acute Care in Skilled Nursing Facilities That Disproportionately Serve Black and Hispanic Patients.

PubMed

Rivera-Hernandez, Maricruz; Rahman, Momotazur; Mukamel, Dana B; Mor, Vincent; Trivedi, Amal N

2018-04-25

Understanding and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities is an important health policy issue, particularly as the Medicare program initiates value-based payments for these institutions. Our final cohort included 649,187 Medicare beneficiaries in either the fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage programs, who were 65 and older and were admitted to a skilled nursing facility following an acute hospital stay, from 8,375 skilled nursing facilities. We examined the quality of care in skilled nursing facilities that disproportionately serve minority patients compared to non-Hispanic whites. Three measures, all calculated at the level of the facility, were used to assess quality of care in skilled nursing facilities: 1) 30-day rehospitalization rate; 2) successful discharge from the facility to the community; and 3) Medicare five-star quality ratings. We found that African-American post-acute patients are highly concentrated in a small number of institutions, with 28% of facilities accounting for 80% of all post-acute admissions for African-American patients. Similarly, just 20% of facilities accounted for 80% of all admissions for Hispanics. Skilled nursing facilities with higher fractions of African-American patients had worse performance for three publicly-reported quality measures: rehospitalization, successful discharge to the community, and the star rating indicator. Efforts to address disparities should focus attention on institutions that disproportionately serve minority patients and monitor unintended consequences of value-based payments to skilled nursing facilities.

The development of community-based programs for autistic adolescents.

PubMed

Mesibov, G B; Schopler, E

1983-01-01

Now that its legislative mandate has been expanded to include services to autistic adolescents and adults, North Carolina's statewide program (TEACCH) has been developing the materials and programs necessary to serve these older clients in community-based settings. The development of diagnostic, assessment, and curriculum materials along with a full range of day and residential programs is described along with efforts at intensive intervention and sex education. Although TEACCH's adolescent program is only in a preliminary stage, its efforts may be of use to others pursuing similar goals.

FY 2004 Performance and Accountability Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2004

2004-01-01

The Department?s financial statements, which appear on pp. 115?119, received an unqualified audit opinion issued by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP for the third consecutive year. Preparing these statements is part of the Department?s continuing efforts to achieve financial management excellence and to provide accurate and…

76 FR 60385 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security U.S...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-29

... for Disclosures) because release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the subject of an... efforts to preserve national security. Disclosure of the accounting would also permit the individual who... ongoing law enforcement, national security or fraud investigation; to avoid disclosure of investigative...

Student Engagement in High-Stakes Accountability Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavendish, Wendy; Márquez, Adrián; Roberts, Mary; Suarez, Kristen; Lima, Wesley

2017-01-01

In a nationwide effort to create standardized performance criteria, there has been an emphasis on testing data as the strict measurement of teacher and student success or failure (Volante & Sonia, 2010). These testing accountability systems, developed under No Child Left Behind (2001), were based on assumptions that high-stakes assessments…

The National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) - Some questions and answers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ficke, John F.; Hawkinson, Richard O.

1975-01-01

One of the major new efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey is the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN). This circular is intended to answer some of the frequently asked questions concerning concepts used in establishing NASQAN, its purposes, design, value, and future plans.

Promoting Liberal Learning in a Capstone Accounting Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlawat, Sunita; Miller, Gerald; Shahid, Abdus

2012-01-01

This paper describes our efforts to integrate liberal learning principles in a capstone course within the overwhelmingly career-focused discipline of accountancy. Our approach was based on the belief that business and liberal learning courses are complementary, rather than competitive, elements of a well-rounded education. The ability to deal with…

Rethinking the Quest for School Improvement: Some Findings from the DESSI Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huberman, A. Michael; Miles, Matthew B.

1984-01-01

A review of the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement (DESSI) field study indicated a need for reorganization of the conceptual paradigms used to account for school improvement. Current paradigms do not account for the rational and conflict theories of social change. (DF)

Protocol for the evaluation of a quality-based pay for performance scheme in Liberia.

PubMed

Bawo, Luke; Leonard, Kenneth L; Mohammed, Rianna

2015-01-13

Improving the quality of care at hospitals is a key next step in rebuilding Liberia's health system. In order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of care at the secondary hospital level, the country is developing a system to upgrade health worker skills and competencies, and shifting towards improved provider accountability for results, including a Graduate Medical Residency Program (GMRP) and provider accountability for improvements in quality through performance-based financing (PBF) at the hospital level. This document outlines the protocol for the impact evaluation of the hospital improvement program. The evaluation will provide an estimate of the impact of the project and investigate the mechanism for success in a way that can provide general lessons about the quality of health care in low-income countries. The evaluation aims 1) to provide the best possible estimate of program impact and 2) to quantitatively describe the changes that took place within facilities as a result of the program. In particular, the impact evaluation focuses on the changes in human resources within the hospitals. As such, we use a three-period intensive evaluation of treated and matched comparison hospitals to see how services change in treated hospitals as well as a continuous data collection effort to track the activities of individual health workers within treated hospitals. We are particularly interested in understanding how facilities met quality targets. Did they bring in new health workers with higher qualifications? Did they improve the knowledge or competence of their existing staff? Did they improve the availability of medicines and equipment so that the capacities of existing health workers were improved? Did they address the motivation of health workers so that individuals with the same competence and capacity were able to provide higher quality? And, if they did improve quality, did patients notice?

Introducing an accountability framework for polio eradication in Ethiopia: results from the first year of implementation 2014-2015

PubMed Central

Kassahun, Aron; Braka, Fiona; Gallagher, Kathleen; Gebriel, Aregai Wolde; Nsubuga, Peter; M’pele-Kilebou, Pierre

2017-01-01

Introduction the World Health Organization (WHO), Ethiopia country office, introduced an accountability framework into its Polio Eradication Program in 2014 with the aim of improving the program's performance. Our study aims to evaluate staff performance and key program indicators following the introduction of the accountability framework. Methods the impact of the WHO accountability framework was reviewed after its first year of implementation from June 2014 to June 2015. We analyzed selected program and staff performance indicators associated with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance from a database available at WHO. Data on managerial actions taken were also reviewed. Performance of a total of 38 staff was evaluated during our review. Results our review of results for the first four quarters of implementation of the polio eradication accountability framework showed improvement both at the program and individual level when compared with the previous year. Managerial actions taken during the study period based on the results from the monitoring tool included eleven written acknowledgments, six discussions regarding performance improvement, six rotations of staff, four written first-warning letters and nine non-renewal of contracts. Conclusion the introduction of the accountability framework resulted in improvement in staff performance and overall program indicators for AFP surveillance. PMID:28890753

QuEST: Qualifying Environmentally Sustainable Technologies, Volume 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kai T.

2013-01-01

Articles in this issue inlude: (1) TEERM Partners with GSDO Program, (2) Materials Management and Substitution Efforts, (3) Recycling and Pollution Control Efforts, and (4) Alternative Energy Efforts.

7 CFR 772.13 - Delinquent account servicing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Delinquent account servicing. 772.13 Section 772.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS SERVICING MINOR PROGRAM LOANS § 772.13 Delinquent account servicing. (a) AMP...

Minority Programs and Activities of the College Entrance Examination Board: A Critical Review and a Brief Look Ahead.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanford, George H.

The College Entrance Examination Board's (CEEB) internal review of its efforts to develop and implement programs to expand educational opportunities for minorities and the poor revealed that the Board had not been as successful as it had hoped. Most of the Board's efforts to ensure equal access to higher education focused on guidance programs,…

Fiscal Year 1962-63 SNAP 10A Program Proposal (Revised August 15, 1961)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1961-08-15

The SNAPSHOT program is a joint AEC-USAF effort to flight test SNAP units. SNAPSHOT flights are intended to establish the capabilities of nuclear auxiliary power so that its future use in space systems can be programmed with confidence overcoming both technical and psychological barriers. A set of flight tests for the SNAP 10A system form a part of this effort.

The Road to Good Employment Retention: Three Successful Programs from the Job Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, David Jason

2005-01-01

The three projects examined in this paper are the Work Link/Project R.E.S.P.E.C.T. program in St. Louis and Seattle's Individualized Placement efforts and Office Occupations sector project. These are programs that have focused their efforts on the difficult goal of high retention. All have managed to place and keep between half and about…

Best Practices in Documenting Workforce Success of College Graduates: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lessne, Deborah S.

2004-01-01

This report documents the Connecticut Department of Higher Education's efforts to investigate and document best practices in assessing student achievement as measured by workforce success. That effort is part of a five-state project to Define Best Practices for Responsible Accountability Models in Higher Education funded by a U.S. Department of…

Missed, Misused, or Mismanaged: Improving Early Detection Systems to Optimize Child Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macy, Marisa; Marks, Kevin; Towle, Alexander

2014-01-01

Early detection efforts have been shown to vary greatly in practice, and there is a general lack of systematic accountability built into monitoring early detection effort impact. This article reviews current early detection practices and the drawbacks of these practices, with particular attention given to prevalent issues of mismeasurement,…

Maximizing Your Grant Development: A Guide for CEOs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Thomas

1993-01-01

Since most private and public sources of external funding generally expect increased effort and accountability, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) at two-year colleges must inform faculty and staff that if they do not expend extra effort their college will not receive significant grants. The CEO must also work with the college's professional…

School Climate and Leadership: Levers for School Improvement Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costa, Lois

2016-01-01

This qualitative study considers which aspects of school climate support or inhibit student achievement as each aspect relates to school leadership and school reform efforts. Due to the increased responsibility and accountability which schools face during these challenging times, school climate and the role of the school principal formed the basis…

Planning in Public Education: Lessons from Horace Mann and Henry Barnard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henkin, Alan B.; Ignasias, C. Dennis

1978-01-01

A handful of educational reformers from each generation effectively muster and sustain public support in efforts to advance their visions for education. Here is an account of the efforts of Horace Mann and Henry Barnard acting as educational advocates and consensus builders who evoked public responsiveness and guided their constituencies toward…

The Ebb and Flow of Social Network Ties between District Leaders under High-Stakes Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Alan J.; Finnigan, Kara S.

2011-01-01

Recent scholarship suggests the importance of school district offices in supporting reform. These studies provide strategies for building relations between central offices and sites in order to improve change efforts. However, what is frequently overlooked is that organizational reform efforts are socially constructed. Therefore, examining the…

Experiences and Perceptions of Professional Development Facilitators in a Job-Embedded School Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashariki, Kaia Mariama

2017-01-01

Recent legislation and accountability efforts in K-12 schools have increased the need to support and maintain high-quality teachers through enhanced professional development and teacher training efforts. As districts and schools seek new and innovative ways to provide professional learning opportunities that are real-time and effective,…

Characteristics of the original patient navigation programs to reduce disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

PubMed

Vargas, Roberto B; Ryan, Gery W; Jackson, Catherine A; Rodriguez, Rian; Freeman, Harold P

2008-07-15

Patient navigation is an intervention developed to reduce disparities in cancer care that is being widely replicated and receiving considerable support for demonstration projects and research to test its effectiveness. In the current study, the authors present an in-depth descriptive analysis of the original patient navigation programs to inform current and future program development. A qualitative multistakeholder case study using interviews and site visits of the first patient navigation site and 2 sites subsequently developed by the leadership of the original site were evaluated. At these sites, patient navigation is a system, as opposed to a person, comprised primarily of navigators and directors that work together to remove barriers and facilitate access in a well-defined course of care; navigators were from the community or were culturally similar to the patient population served but were also paid employees of the clinical care site with detailed knowledge of the clinical course patients must traverse to complete care plans. Directors had administrative authority over the clinical facility and social capital across institutions, and communicated regularly and openly with navigators to implement system level changes to remove barriers to care. Contextual factors such as policies supporting breast cancer care also influenced the implementation of these programs. The first patient navigation programs combined community and culturally sensitive care-coordination with aspects of disease management programs to reduce racial, ethnic, and poverty-driven disparities in care. Future efforts to replicate and evaluate patient navigation should take into account these unique aspects of the original patient navigation programs. (c) 2008 American Cancer Society.