High-resolution geophysical data collected within Red Brook Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turecek, Aaron M.; Danforth, William W.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Barnhardt, Walter A.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a high-resolution geophysical survey within Red Brook Harbor, Massachusetts, from September 28 through November 17, 2009. Red Brook Harbor is located on the eastern edge of Buzzards Bay, south of the Cape Cod Canal. The survey area was approximately 7 square kilometers, with depths ranging from 0 to approximately 10 meters. Data were collected aboard the U.S. Geological Survey Research Vessel Rafael. The research vessel was equipped with a 234-kilohertz interferometric sonar system to collect bathymetry and backscatter data, a dual frequency (3.5- and 200-kilohertz) compression high-intensity radar pulse seismic reflection profiler to collect subbottom data, a sound velocity profiler to acquire speed of sound within the water column, and a sea floor sampling device to collect sediment samples, video, and photographs. The survey was part of an ongoing cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management to map the geology of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf. In addition to inclusion within the cooperative geologic mapping effort, these data will be used to assess the shallow-water mapping capability of the geophysical systems deployed for this project, with an emphasis on identifying resolution benchmarks for the interferometric sonar system.

Analysis of patients' willingness to be mobile, taking into account individual characteristics and two exemplary indications.

PubMed

Augustin, Jobst; Schäfer, Ines; Augustin, Matthias; Zander, Nicole

2017-04-01

With respect to health care planning, it is commonly assumed that patients consult the nearest physician. In reality, however, patients frequently accept great-er efforts/expenses than necessary to see a physician. The objective of the present study was to determine under which circumstances patients were willing to accept additional efforts/expenses, and which role sociodemographic and clinical characteristics play in this regard. Data collection was carried out in the context of a multicenter cross-sectional study among office-based and hospital-affiliated (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) dermatologists. Patients (n = 309) with psoriasis and chronic wounds were surveyed about their mobility patterns and disease severity. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and multivariate methods. The willingness to accept additional efforts/expenses is primarily determined by a physician's expertise and service portfolio. Comparing both diagnoses showed that psoriasis patients usually traveled longer distances than wound patients. Among psoriasis patients, one significant predictor for accepting additional efforts/expenses was the level of education. With regard to wound patients, key factors included wound size (severity). The present study revealed complex mobility patterns among patients, which are affected by numerous personal as well as clinical factors. Depending on the diagnosis and individual preferences, additional efforts/expenses can - among other things - be explained by disease severity. Further studies are required to obtain more conclusive data. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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.

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...

Accounting for Incomplete Species Detection in Fish Community Monitoring

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

McManamay, Ryan A; Orth, Dr. Donald J; Jager, Yetta

2013-01-01

Riverine fish assemblages are heterogeneous and very difficult to characterize with a one-size-fits-all approach to sampling. Furthermore, detecting changes in fish assemblages over time requires accounting for variation in sampling designs. We present a modeling approach that permits heterogeneous sampling by accounting for site and sampling covariates (including method) in a model-based framework for estimation (versus a sampling-based framework). We snorkeled during three surveys and electrofished during a single survey in suite of delineated habitats stratified by reach types. We developed single-species occupancy models to determine covariates influencing patch occupancy and species detection probabilities whereas community occupancy models estimated speciesmore » richness in light of incomplete detections. For most species, information-theoretic criteria showed higher support for models that included patch size and reach as covariates of occupancy. In addition, models including patch size and sampling method as covariates of detection probabilities also had higher support. Detection probability estimates for snorkeling surveys were higher for larger non-benthic species whereas electrofishing was more effective at detecting smaller benthic species. The number of sites and sampling occasions required to accurately estimate occupancy varied among fish species. For rare benthic species, our results suggested that higher number of occasions, and especially the addition of electrofishing, may be required to improve detection probabilities and obtain accurate occupancy estimates. Community models suggested that richness was 41% higher than the number of species actually observed and the addition of an electrofishing survey increased estimated richness by 13%. These results can be useful to future fish assemblage monitoring efforts by informing sampling designs, such as site selection (e.g. stratifying based on patch size) and determining effort required (e.g. number of sites versus occasions).« less

VALFAST: Secure Probabilistic Validation of Hundreds of Kepler Planet Candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morton, Tim; Petigura, E.; Johnson, J. A.; Howard, A.; Marcy, G. W.; Baranec, C.; Law, N. M.; Riddle, R. L.; Ciardi, D. R.; Robo-AO Team

2014-01-01

The scope, scale, and tremendous success of the Kepler mission has necessitated the rapid development of probabilistic validation as a new conceptual framework for analyzing transiting planet candidate signals. While several planet validation methods have been independently developed and presented in the literature, none has yet come close to addressing the entire Kepler survey. I present the results of applying VALFAST---a planet validation code based on the methodology described in Morton (2012)---to every Kepler Object of Interest. VALFAST is unique in its combination of detail, completeness, and speed. Using the transit light curve shape, realistic population simulations, and (optionally) diverse follow-up observations, it calculates the probability that a transit candidate signal is the result of a true transiting planet or any of a number of astrophysical false positive scenarios, all in just a few minutes on a laptop computer. In addition to efficiently validating the planetary nature of hundreds of new KOIs, this broad application of VALFAST also demonstrates its ability to reliably identify likely false positives. This extensive validation effort is also the first to incorporate data from all of the largest Kepler follow-up observing efforts: the CKS survey of ~1000 KOIs with Keck/HIRES, the Robo-AO survey of >1700 KOIs, and high-resolution images obtained through the Kepler Follow-up Observing Program. In addition to enabling the core science that the Kepler mission was designed for, this methodology will be critical to obtain statistical results from future surveys such as TESS and PLATO.

Using resampling to assess reliability of audio-visual survey strategies for marbled murrelets at inland forest sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jodice, Patrick G.R.; Garman, S.L.; Collopy, Michael W.

2001-01-01

Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are threatened seabirds that nest in coastal old-growth coniferous forests throughout much of their breeding range. Currently, observer-based audio-visual surveys are conducted at inland forest sites during the breeding season primarily to determine nesting distribution and breeding status and are being used to estimate temporal or spatial trends in murrelet detections. Our goal was to assess the feasibility of using audio-visual survey data for such monitoring. We used an intensive field-based survey effort to record daily murrelet detections at seven survey stations in the Oregon Coast Range. We then used computer-aided resampling techniques to assess the effectiveness of twelve survey strategies with varying scheduling and a sampling intensity of 4-14 surveys per breeding season to estimate known means and SDs of murrelet detections. Most survey strategies we tested failed to provide estimates of detection means and SDs that were within A?20% of actual means and SDs. Estimates of daily detections were, however, frequently estimated to within A?50% of field data with sampling efforts of 14 days/breeding season. Additional resampling analyses with statistically generated detection data indicated that the temporal variability in detection data had a great effect on the reliability of the mean and SD estimates calculated from the twelve survey strategies, while the value of the mean had little effect. Effectiveness at estimating multi-year trends in detection data was similarly poor, indicating that audio-visual surveys might be reliably used to estimate annual declines in murrelet detections of the order of 50% per year.

Are We Underestimating Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments?

PubMed

Conkle, Jeremy L; Báez Del Valle, Christian D; Turner, Jeffrey W

2018-01-01

Plastic debris, specifically microplastic in the aquatic environment, is an escalating environmental crisis. Efforts at national scales to reduce or ban microplastics in personal care products are starting to pay off, but this will not affect those materials already in the environment or those that result from unregulated products and materials. To better inform future microplastic research and mitigation efforts this study (1) evaluates methods currently used to quantify microplastics in the environment and (2) characterizes the concentration and size distribution of microplastics in a variety of products. In this study, 50 published aquatic surveys were reviewed and they demonstrated that most (~80%) only account for plastics ≥ 300 μm in diameter. In addition, we surveyed 770 personal care products to determine the occurrence, concentration and size distribution of polyethylene microbeads. Particle concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 71.9 mg g -1 of product or 1649 to 31,266 particles g -1 of product. The large majority ( > 95%) of particles in products surveyed were less than the 300 μm minimum diameter, indicating that previous environmental surveys could be underestimating microplastic contamination. To account for smaller particles as well as microfibers from synthetic textiles, we strongly recommend that future surveys consider methods that materials < 300 μm in diameter.

Are We Underestimating Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conkle, Jeremy L.; Báez Del Valle, Christian D.; Turner, Jeffrey W.

2018-01-01

Plastic debris, specifically microplastic in the aquatic environment, is an escalating environmental crisis. Efforts at national scales to reduce or ban microplastics in personal care products are starting to pay off, but this will not affect those materials already in the environment or those that result from unregulated products and materials. To better inform future microplastic research and mitigation efforts this study (1) evaluates methods currently used to quantify microplastics in the environment and (2) characterizes the concentration and size distribution of microplastics in a variety of products. In this study, 50 published aquatic surveys were reviewed and they demonstrated that most ( 80%) only account for plastics ≥ 300 μm in diameter. In addition, we surveyed 770 personal care products to determine the occurrence, concentration and size distribution of polyethylene microbeads. Particle concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 71.9 mg g-1 of product or 1649 to 31,266 particles g-1 of product. The large majority ( > 95%) of particles in products surveyed were less than the 300 μm minimum diameter, indicating that previous environmental surveys could be underestimating microplastic contamination. To account for smaller particles as well as microfibers from synthetic textiles, we strongly recommend that future surveys consider methods that materials < 300 μm in diameter.

Lake Ontario benthic prey fish assessment, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weidel, Brian C.; Walsh, Maureen; Holden, Jeremy P.; Connerton, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Benthic prey fishes are a critical component of the Lake Ontario food web, serving as energy vectors from benthic invertebrates to native and introduced piscivores. Since the late 1970’s, Lake Ontario benthic prey fish status was primarily assessed using bottom trawl observations confined to the lake’s south shore, in waters from 8 – 150 m (26 – 492 ft). In 2015, the Benthic Prey Fish Survey was cooperatively adjusted and expanded to address resource management information needs including lake-wide benthic prey fish population dynamics. Effort increased from 55 bottom trawl sites to 135 trawl sites collected in depths from 8 - 225m (26 – 738 ft). The spatial coverage of sampling was also expanded and occurred in all major lake basins. The resulting distribution of tow depths more closely matched the available lake depth distribution. The additional effort illustrated how previous surveys were underestimating lake-wide Deepwater Sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsonii, abundance by not sampling in areas of highest density. We also found species richness was greater in the new sampling sites relative to the historic sites with 11 new fish species caught in the new sites including juvenile Round Whitefish, Prosopium cylindraceum, and Mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdii. Species-specific assessments found Slimy Sculpin, Cottus cognatus abundance increased slightly in 2015 relative to 2014, while Deepwater Sculpin and Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus, dramatically increased in 2015, relative to 2014. The cooperative, lake-wide Benthic Prey Fish Survey expanded our understanding of benthic fish population dynamics and habitat use in Lake Ontario. This survey’s data and interpretations influence international resource management decision making, such as informing the Deepwater Sculpin conservation status and assessing the balance between sport fish consumption and prey fish populations. Additionally a significant Lake Ontario event occurred in May 2015 when a single juvenile Bloater Coregonus hoyi, was captured during the spring bottom trawl survey at 95m (312 ft) near Oswego, NY. This native, deep-water prey fish, last captured in Lake Ontario survey trawls in 1983, is part of an international, collaborative coregonid restoration effort in the Great Lakes.

Modeling Late-Summer Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Western United States

PubMed Central

Gardner, Grant

2016-01-01

Increasing development across the western United States (USA) elevates concerns about effects on wildlife resources; the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is of special concern in this regard. Knowledge of golden eagle abundance and distribution across the western USA must be improved to help identify and conserve areas of major importance to the species. We used distance sampling and visual mark-recapture procedures to estimate golden eagle abundance from aerial line-transect surveys conducted across four Bird Conservation Regions in the western USA between 15 August and 15 September in 2006–2010, 2012, and 2013. To assess golden eagle-habitat relationships at this scale, we modeled counts of golden eagles seen during surveys in 2006–2010, adjusted for probability of detection, and used land cover and other environmental factors as predictor variables within 20-km2 sampling units randomly selected from survey transects. We found evidence of positive relationships between intensity of use by golden eagles and elevation, solar radiation, and mean wind speed, and of negative relationships with the proportion of landscape classified as forest or as developed. The model accurately predicted habitat use observed during surveys conducted in 2012 and 2013. We used the model to construct a map predicting intensity of use by golden eagles during late summer across our ~2 million-km2 study area. The map can be used to help prioritize landscapes for conservation efforts, identify areas where mitigation efforts may be most effective, and identify regions for additional research and monitoring. In addition, our map can be used to develop region-specific (e.g., state-level) density estimates based on the latest information on golden eagle abundance from a late-summer survey and aid designation of geographic management units for the species. PMID:27556735

Modeling Late-Summer Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Western United States.

PubMed

Nielson, Ryan M; Murphy, Robert K; Millsap, Brian A; Howe, William H; Gardner, Grant

2016-01-01

Increasing development across the western United States (USA) elevates concerns about effects on wildlife resources; the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is of special concern in this regard. Knowledge of golden eagle abundance and distribution across the western USA must be improved to help identify and conserve areas of major importance to the species. We used distance sampling and visual mark-recapture procedures to estimate golden eagle abundance from aerial line-transect surveys conducted across four Bird Conservation Regions in the western USA between 15 August and 15 September in 2006-2010, 2012, and 2013. To assess golden eagle-habitat relationships at this scale, we modeled counts of golden eagles seen during surveys in 2006-2010, adjusted for probability of detection, and used land cover and other environmental factors as predictor variables within 20-km2 sampling units randomly selected from survey transects. We found evidence of positive relationships between intensity of use by golden eagles and elevation, solar radiation, and mean wind speed, and of negative relationships with the proportion of landscape classified as forest or as developed. The model accurately predicted habitat use observed during surveys conducted in 2012 and 2013. We used the model to construct a map predicting intensity of use by golden eagles during late summer across our ~2 million-km2 study area. The map can be used to help prioritize landscapes for conservation efforts, identify areas where mitigation efforts may be most effective, and identify regions for additional research and monitoring. In addition, our map can be used to develop region-specific (e.g., state-level) density estimates based on the latest information on golden eagle abundance from a late-summer survey and aid designation of geographic management units for the species.

On the feasibility of benefit-cost analysis applied to remote sensing projects. [California water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merewitz, L.

1973-01-01

The following step-wise procedure for making a benefit-cost analysis of using remote sensing techniques could be used either in the limited context of California water resources, or a context as broad as the making of integrated resource surveys of the entire earth resource complex on a statewide, regional, national, or global basis. (1) Survey all data collection efforts which can be accomplished by remote sensing techniques. (2) Carefully inspect the State of California budget and the Budget of the United States Government to find annual cost of data collection efforts. (3) Decide the extent to which remote sensing can obviate each of the collection efforts. (4) Sum the annual costs of all data collection which can be equivalently accomplished through remote sensing. (5) Decide what additional data could and would be collected through remote sensing. (6) Estimate the value of this information. It is not harmful to do a benefit-cost analysis so long as its severe limitations are recalled and it is supplemented with socio-economic impact studies.

77 FR 42189 - Marine Recreational Fisheries of the United States; National Saltwater Angler Registry and State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-18

... improvements to the design and management of survey and estimation methods used to produce marine recreational... to these effort surveys provides for continued pilot testing of effort sampling designs that use both... NMFS determine what specific sampling design to use in MRIP effort surveys on the Atlantic and Gulf...

Physician groups' use of data from patient experience surveys.

PubMed

Friedberg, Mark W; SteelFisher, Gillian K; Karp, Melinda; Schneider, Eric C

2011-05-01

In Massachusetts, physician groups' performance on validated surveys of patient experience has been publicly reported since 2006. Groups also receive detailed reports of their own performance, but little is known about how physician groups have responded to these reports. To examine whether and how physician groups are using patient experience data to improve patient care. During 2008, we conducted semi-structured interviews with the leaders of 72 participating physician groups (out of 117 groups receiving patient experience reports). Based on leaders' responses, we identified three levels of engagement with patient experience reporting: no efforts to improve (level 1), efforts to improve only the performance of low-scoring physicians or practice sites (level 2), and efforts to improve group-wide performance (level 3). Groups' level of engagement and specific efforts to improve patient care. Forty-four group leaders (61%) reported group-wide improvement efforts (level 3), 16 (22%) reported efforts to improve only the performance of low-scoring physicians or practice sites (level 2), and 12 (17%) reported no performance improvement efforts (level 1). Level 3 groups were more likely than others to have an integrated medical group organizational model (84% vs. 31% at level 2 and 33% at level 1; P < 0.005) and to employ the majority of their physicians (69% vs. 25% and 20%; P < 0.05). Among level 3 groups, the most common targets for improvement were access, communication with patients, and customer service. The most commonly reported improvement initiatives were changing office workflow, providing additional training for nonclinical staff, and adopting or enhancing an electronic health record. Despite statewide public reporting, physician groups' use of patient experience data varied widely. Integrated organizational models were associated with greater engagement, and efforts to enhance clinicians' interpersonal skills were uncommon, with groups predominantly focusing on office workflow and support staff.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Tuzigoot National Monument

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Brian F.; Albrecht, E.W.; Halvorson, William Lee; Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Anning, P.; Docherty, K.

2005-01-01

Executive Summary From 2002 to 2004, we surveyed for plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Tuzigoot National Monument (NM) and adjacent areas in Arizona. This was the first effort of its kind in the area and was part of a larger effort to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in Arizona and New Mexico. In addition to our own surveys, we also compiled a complete list of species that have been found by previous studies. We found 330 species, including 142 that had not previously been recorded at the monument (Table 1). We found 39 species of non-native plants, 11 non-native fishes, three non-native birds, and one non-native species each of amphibian and mammal. Based on our work and that of others, there have been 597 species of plants and vertebrates found at the monument. The bird community at the monument had the highest species richness of any national park unit in central and southern Arizona. We found all other taxa to have intermediate species richness compared to other park units in the region. This extraordinary species richness observed for birds, as well as for some other taxa, is due primarily to Tavasci Marsh and the Verde River, two critical sources of perennial water, which provide habitat for many regionally rare or uncommon species. The location of the monument at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert and at the southern edge of the Mogollon Rim also plays an important role in determining the distribution and community composition of the plant and vertebrate communities. Based on our findings, we believe the high number of non-native species, especially fish and plants, should be of particular management concern. We detail other management challenges, most notably the rapid increase in housing and associated commercial development near the monument, which will continue to impact the plant and vertebrate communities. Based on our data and a review of past studies, we believe the inventory for most taxa is nearly complete, though some rare or elusive species will be added with additional survey effort. We recommend additional inventory, monitoring, and research studies and we identify components of our effort that could be improved upon, either through the application of new techniques or by extending the temporal and/or spatial scope of our work.

The Impact of Perception and Knowledge on the Treatment and Prevention of Intestinal Worms in the Manikganj District of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Bath, Jennifer L.; Eneh, Peace N.; Bakken, Amanda J.; Knox, Megan E.; Schiedt, Michael D.; Campbell, Jarryd M.

2010-01-01

Soil transmitted helminths (STHs) affect more than one billion of the world’s population and are very prevalent in regions with high poverty rates and poor sanitation. Efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals, such as combating diseases and increasing the number of people with access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, will directly help in eliminating STHs. The Plains regions of Bangladesh has one of the highest prevalence rates of STHs, and the efforts made by the World Health Organization might not be enough to eradicate these diseases in this region before the 2015 goal. This survey was conducted in the Manikganj district of Central Bangladesh to evaluate local awareness about the transmission and prevention of STHs. The results from this survey show that although a large percentage of the respondents were knowledgeable about the spread and impact of intestinal worms, the majority of individuals still do not take the necessary steps to prevent infection. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of controlling and eliminating STHs and show that concluding efforts should incorporate additional measures for vaccine development as well as improved educational efforts that are sensitive to the region’s traditions and cultures. PMID:21165336

A Survey of Clinical Faculty Calibration in Dental Hygiene Programs.

PubMed

Dicke, Nichole L; Hodges, Kathleen O; Rogo, Ellen J; Hewett, Beverly J

2015-08-01

This study investigated the calibration efforts of entry-level dental hygiene programs in the U.S. Four aspects were explored, including attitudes, characteristics, quality and satisfaction, to evaluate current calibration practices. A descriptive comparative survey design was used. Directors of accredited dental hygiene programs (n=345) were asked to forward an electronic survey invitation to clinical faculty. Eighty-five directors forwarded the survey to 847 faculty; 45.3% (n=384) participated. The 37-item survey contained multiple-choice and Likert scale questions and was available for 3 weeks. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic data and research questions. The Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to analyze hypotheses (p=0.05). The demographic profile for participants revealed that most worked for institutions awarding associate entry-level degrees, had 1 to 10 years' experience, taught clinically and didactically, and held a master's degree. Clinical instructors valued calibration, believed it reduced variation and wanted more calibration. Some were not offered quality calibration. There was a difference between the entry-level degree awarded and the program's evaluation of clinical skill faculty reliability, as analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p=0.008). Additionally, full-time versus part-time educators reported more observed student frustration with faculty variance, as evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test (p=0.001, bfp=0.004). Faculty members value calibration's potential benefits and want enhanced calibration efforts. Calibration efforts need to be improved to include standards for measuring intra- and inter-rater reliability and plans for resolving inconsistencies. More research is needed to determine effective calibration methods and their impact on student learning. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Assessing river recreation use and perceptions of environmental quality trends on Michigan's upper Manistee River

Treesearch

Charles Nelson; Brian Valentine

2003-01-01

Through vehicle counts and windshield surveys at 43 public access points and a mail questionnaire to shoreline property owners, Michigan State University researchers estimated the recreation effort on a 55-mile stretch of Michigan's upper Manistee River from April 28 - September 3, 2001. In addition, public access point user satisfaction, perceived trends in the...

Search efforts for ivory-billed woodpecker in South Carolina

Treesearch

Matthew Moskwik; Theresa Thom; Laurel M. Barnhill; Craig Watson; Jennifer Koches; John Kilgo; Bill Hulslander; Colette Degarady; Gary. Peters

2013-01-01

Following the reported rediscovery of Campephilus principalis (Ivory-billed Woodpecker) in Arkansas, we initiated searches in South Carolina in February 2006, with additional searches in the winter and spring of 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, concentrating in the Congaree, Santee, and Pee Dee river basins. We accrued a cumulative total of 8893 survey hours...

Theoretical Foundations and a Research Agenda to Validate Measures of Intercultural Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowd, Alicia C.; Sawatzky, Misty; Korn, Randi

2011-01-01

The concept of "student effort" is foundational to such commonly used assessments of institutional effectiveness as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). However, the current measure of student effort omits intercultural effort, which is particularly salient to the academic…

Intensive educational efforts combined with external quality assessment improve the preanalytical phase in general practitioner offices and nursing homes.

PubMed

Sølvik, Una Ørvim; Bjelkarøy, Wenche Iren; Berg, Kari van den; Saga, Anne Lise; Hager, Helle Borgstrøm; Sandberg, Sverre

2017-10-26

Errors in the preanalytical phase in clinical laboratories affect patient safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intensive educational efforts together with external quality assessment (EQA) of the preanalytical phase from 2013 to 2015 to improve patient identification in primary health care in Norway. In addition, routines for venous and capillary blood sampling were investigated. A preanalytical EQA was circulated in 2013 by the Norwegian Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus) to general practitioner offices and nursing homes (n=2000) to obtain information about important issues to focus on before launching an intensive educational program with courses, posters and visits in 2013-2015. Preanalytical EQA surveys were further circulated in 2014 and 2015. The response rate varied between 42% and 55%. The percentages of participants asking for the patients' name and the Norwegian identification number increased from about 8% in 2013 to about 35% in 2015. The increase was similar for those participating in only one EQA survey and for those who participated in EQA surveys both in 2013 and 2015. Guidelines for venous and capillary blood sampling were not always followed. Educational efforts more than the preanalytical EQA influenced the actions and resulted in an increase in the percentages of participants that followed the guidelines for patient identification. Some aspects of blood sampling routines need improvement.

The conservation value of degraded forests for agile gibbons Hylobates agilis.

PubMed

Lee, David C; Powell, Victoria J; Lindsell, Jeremy A

2015-01-01

All gibbon species are globally threatened with extinction yet conservation efforts are undermined by a lack of population and ecological data. Agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis) occur in Sumatra, Indonesia and adjacent mainland Southeast Asia. Population densities are known from four sites (three in Sumatra) while little is known about their ability to tolerate habitat degradation. We conducted a survey of agile gibbons in Harapan Rainforest, a lowland forest site in Sumatra. The area has been severely degraded by selective logging and encroachment but is now managed for ecosystem restoration. We used two survey methods: an established point count method for gibbons with some modifications, and straight line transects using auditory detections. Surveys were conducted in the three main forest types prevalent at the site: high, medium, and low canopy cover secondary forests. Mean group density estimates were higher from point counts than from line transects, and tended to be higher in less degraded forests within the study site. We consider points more time efficient and reliable than transects since detectability of gibbons was higher from points per unit effort. We recommend the additional use of Distance sampling methods to account for imperfect detection and provide other recommendations to improve surveys of gibbons. We estimate that the site holds at least 6,070 and as many as 11,360 gibbons. Our results demonstrate that degraded forests can be extremely important for the conservation of agile gibbons and that efforts to protect and restore such sites could contribute significantly to the conservation of the species. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Creating a movement for active living via a media campaign.

PubMed

Huberty, Jennifer; Dodge, Tammie; Peterson, Kerri R; Balluff, Mary

2012-11-01

Activate Omaha (AO), a community-wide health initiative, was awarded a grant by Active Living by Design in 2003. To establish credibility of the partners in AO and increase awareness of active living in the community by emphasizing promotions (branding, logo recognition). Media, including billboards, TV and radio ads, high-profile spokespersons, grassroots efforts, and worksite "toolkits" featuring tips and creative messaging on physical activity were combined to incentivize people to be physically active. Campaign surveys were conducted by the Market Survey Research Group each year from 2005 to 2008. Survey data based on the first campaign indicated that 86% of Omahans wanted to be part of an active community and to be active with younger generations. The second campaign focused on getting families physically active together, and this survey data showed that citizens wanted to be a part of an active community. A third campaign added practical examples of citizens being active within the community and efforts expanded to worksites with consistent messaging for employees. The final survey indicated that 78% of respondents found Omaha to be an active community compared to 63% who had that response 3 years earlier. Activate Omaha was successful in gaining credibility and leveraging additional funding to implement complementary programming and physical projects, and as a result, changing community perceptions and influencing policy decisions. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High contrast imaging at the LBT: the LEECH exoplanet imaging survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skemer, Andrew J.; Hinz, Philip; Esposito, Simone; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Defrère, Denis; Bailey, Vanessa; Leisenring, Jarron; Apai, Daniel; Biller, Beth; Bonnefoy, Mickaël.; Brandner, Wolfgang; Buenzli, Esther; Close, Laird; Crepp, Justin; De Rosa, Robert J.; Desidera, Silvano; Eisner, Josh; Fortney, Jonathan; Henning, Thomas; Hofmann, Karl-Heinz; Kopytova, Taisiya; Maire, Anne-Lise; Males, Jared R.; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Morzinski, Katie; Oza, Apurva; Patience, Jenny; Rajan, Abhijith; Rieke, George; Schertl, Dieter; Schlieder, Joshua; Su, Kate; Vaz, Amali; Ward-Duong, Kimberly; Weigelt, Gerd; Woodward, Charles E.; Zimmerman, Neil

2014-07-01

In Spring 2013, the LEECH (LBTI Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt) survey began its ~130-night campaign from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) atop Mt Graham, Arizona. This survey benefits from the many technological achievements of the LBT, including two 8.4-meter mirrors on a single fixed mount, dual adaptive secondary mirrors for high Strehl performance, and a cold beam combiner to dramatically reduce the telescope's overall background emissivity. LEECH neatly complements other high-contrast planet imaging efforts by observing stars at L' (3.8 μm), as opposed to the shorter wavelength near-infrared bands (1-2.4 μm) of other surveys. This portion of the spectrum offers deep mass sensitivity, especially around nearby adolescent (~0.1-1 Gyr) stars. LEECH's contrast is competitive with other extreme adaptive optics systems, while providing an alternative survey strategy. Additionally, LEECH is characterizing known exoplanetary systems with observations from 3-5μm in preparation for JWST.

The Need For Ongoing Surveys About Physician Practice Costs.

PubMed

Berk, Marc L

2016-09-01

Physicians continue to be the subject of many survey efforts asking them about a wide range of issues including training, retirement plans, satisfaction with practice, practice organization, and practice costs. The resources dedicated to the collection of different types of data have changed over time. Collection efforts have both expanded and contracted. Here I discuss this phenomenon for several types of physician surveys, with particular focus on the reduction in ongoing survey efforts about physician practice costs. The diminution of efforts to collect information about these costs represents an important challenge since the lack of timely, high-quality data could impair the correct calculation of reimbursement rates. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Precisely locating the Klamath Falls, Oregon, earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qamar, A.; Meagher, K.L.

1993-01-01

In this article we present preliminary results of a close-in, instrumental study of the Klamath Falls earthquake sequence, carried as a cooperative effort by scientists from the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) and universities in Washington, Orgeon, and California. In addition to obtaining much mroe accurate earthquake locations, this study has improved our understanding of the relationship between seismicity and mapped faults in the region. 

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...

On the importance of controlling for effort in analysis of count survey data: Modeling population change from Christmas Bird Count data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, W.A.; Sauer, J.R.; Helbig, Andreas J.; Flade, Martin

1999-01-01

Count survey data are commonly used for estimating temporal and spatial patterns of population change. Since count surveys are not censuses, counts can be influenced by 'nuisance factors' related to the probability of detecting animals but unrelated to the actual population size. The effects of systematic changes in these factors can be confounded with patterns of population change. Thus, valid analysis of count survey data requires the identification of nuisance factors and flexible models for their effects. We illustrate using data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), a midwinter survey of bird populations in North America. CBC survey effort has substantially increased in recent years, suggesting that unadjusted counts may overstate population growth (or understate declines). We describe a flexible family of models for the effect of effort, that includes models in which increasing effort leads to diminishing returns in terms of the number of birds counted.

Investigation of The Omaha System for dentistry.

PubMed

Jurkovich, M W; Ophaug, M; Salberg, S; Monsen, K

2014-01-01

Today, dentists and hygienists have inadequate tools to identify contributing factors to dental disease, diagnosis of disease or to document outcomes in a standardized and machine readable format. Increasing demand to find the most effective care methodologies make the development of further terminologies for dentistry more urgent. Preventive care is the focus of early efforts to define best practices. We reviewed one possibility with a history of public health documentation that might assist in these early efforts at identifying best practices. This paper examines, through a survey of dentists, the Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme. The survey requested that dentists rate the usefulness of knowing about specific signs and symptoms for each of the 42 problems within the Problem list of the Omaha System. Using a weighted scoring system, 22 of the 42 problems received over 50% of the possible maximum score and 30 of the 42 problems received at least 25% of the possible points. These findings suggests that further evaluation of The Omaha System, may be useful to dentistry. At a minimum, the survey provides additional information about non-physiological problems, signs, and symptoms that may be appropriate for documentation purposes within an electronic health record (EHR) used in dentistry.

Using Outreach and Engagement Efforts to Inform the Makah Tribe's Climate Adaptation Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, L. K.; Chang, M.; Howk, F.

2017-12-01

The Makah Tribe views climate change as one of the biggest challenges to their natural resource management, threatening their livelihoods, economy, and culture. As part of their work towards climate adaptation planning, the Makah Tribal Council and tribal natural resource managers prioritized early community outreach and engagement efforts in order to accomplish three goals: continually update and inform the tribal community about the Tribe's climate adaptation efforts; gather community input and priorities for the Makah Climate Adaptation Plan; and provide a series of targeted educational events to inform the tribal community about projected climate change impacts to our resources. Our first community climate event, the Makah Climate Change Awareness Dinner, was held on February 8, 2017. At this event, we provided an overview of the Makah Tribe's Climate Vulnerability Assessment and administered an initial climate survey that gathered information regarding community members' observed environmental changes, knowledge about climate change and impacts, and any concerns and priorities to include in the Tribe's adaptation plan. We developed a framework for incorporating community engagement into climate adaptation planning and used results of our community survey to ensure community concerns were being addressed in the plan in addition to risks identified in western science. We also used survey results to inform a series of educational events to address knowledge gaps in the community and requested topics. These are two of next steps that the Makah Tribe is pursuing towards climate adaptation planning.

LatMix 2011 and 2012 Dispersion Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

work included the airborne lidar operations as well as a substantial part of the field operations and analysis. A primary objective of our LatMix... lidar ) surveys of evolving dye experiments as a tool for studying submesoscale lateral dispersion. 2 Numerous papers by our group relating to the...drifter / lidar effort, however, there are additional aspects of the data and analysis that are beyond the scope of these already-in-progress

Gulf War Air Power Survey.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Because a Coalition frontal assault raised the likelihood of heavy Coalition losses , the President authorized the addition of more ground and air forces...although the greatest weight of effort was directed against air defenses, airfields, and command elements of the Iraqi regime. Although sortie rates remained...first week of the war, most on the first night and only sparingly after that. Not surprisingly, most Iraqi air combat sorties and air-to-air losses (14

Community-Engaged Strategies to Promote Relevance of Research Capacity-Building Efforts Targeting Community Organizations.

PubMed

Cunningham, Jennifer; Miller, Stephania T; Joosten, Yvonne; Elzey, Jared D; Israel, Tiffany; King, Christine; Luther, Patrick; Vaughn, Yolanda; Wilkins, Consuelo H

2015-10-01

The study goal is to highlight strategies for promoting relevance of research capacity-building efforts targeting community organizations (CO)s. Two community partners, representing two COs, were invited to participate in CO research development trainings, Community Research Forums (Forum)s. Their contributions were documented via Forum document review. Forum participants, representatives from other COs, completed post-Forum surveys to identify additional training needs and rate Forum impact relative to their training expectations. A content-based analysis and descriptive statistics were used to summarize needs assessment- and impact-related survey responses, respectively. Community partners were involved in eight Forum-related activities including marketing (planning), facilitation (implementation), and manuscript coauthorship (dissemination). Eighty-one individuals, representing 55 COs, attended the Forums. Needs assessment responses revealed a desire for additional assistance with existing Forum topics (e.g., defining research priorities) and a need for new ones (e.g., promoting organizational buy in for research). Ninety-one percent of participants agreed that the Forum demonstrated the value of research to COs and how to create a research agenda. Including community partners in all Forum phases ensured that CO perspectives were integrated throughout. Post-Forum needs and impact assessment results will help in tailoring, where needed, future training topics and strategies, respectively. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of reforestation in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, S.L.; Keeland, B.D.

1999-01-01

Only about 2.8 million ha of an estimated original 10 million ha of bottomland hardwood forests still exist in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV) of the United States. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and state agencies initiated reforestation efforts in the late 1980s to improve wildlife habitat. We surveyed restorationists responsible for reforestation in the LMAV to determine the magnitude of past and future efforts and to identify major limiting factors. Over the past 10 years, 77,698 ha have been reforested by the agencies represented in our survey and an additional 89,009 ha are targeted in the next 5 years. Oaks are the most commonly planted species and bare-root seedlings are the most commonly used planting stock. Problems with seedling availability may increase the diversity of plantings in the future. Reforestation in the LMAV is based upon principles of landscape ecology; however, local problems such as herbivory, drought, and flooding often limit success. Broad-scale hydrologic restoration is needed to fully restore the structural and functional attributes of these systems, but because of drastic and widespread hydrologic alterations and socioeconomic constraints, this goal is generally not realistic. Local hydrologic restoration and creation of specific habitat features needed by some wildlife and fish species warrant attention. More extensive analyses of plantings are needed to evaluate functional success. The Wetland Reserve Program is a positive development, but policies that provide additional financial incentives to landowners for reforestation efforts should be seriously considered.

Population trends of Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plentovich, S.; Morton, J.M.; Bart, J.; Camp, R.J.; Lusk, M.; Johnson, N.; VanderWerf, E.

2005-01-01

Endemic to the islands of Guam and Rota in the Mariana Islands, Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi is the only corvid in Micronesia. Currently, it survives on Guam only because of translocation of individuals from Rota (1999-2003). Island-wide surveys in 1982 and 1995 on Rota yielded population estimates of 1,348 and 592 respectively, indicating a 56% decrease in only 13 years. A sharp decline in the only viable Mariana Crow population has serious implications for conservation efforts on Rota and for efforts to re-establish the Guam population. However, the validity of the apparent decline has been debated among scientists and government management agencies. We augmented the 1982 and 1995 island-wide VCP surveys with (1) an additional island-wide survey conducted in 1998, and (2) roadside surveys conducted during 1991-1993 and again during 1999-2002. We also outline historical changes in Rota's limestone forest based on aerial photographs and historical information. Data from all surveys indicate a significant decline in the Mariana Crow population. Declines occurred especially along the north-central coast and in the area east of the airport known as As Dudo in the 1990s, but the data indicate an island-wide decline over the entire span of the surveys. introduced predators, human persecution, and habitat loss and degradation by anthropogenic and natural causes have all contributed to the decline. Long-term preservation of this species will require effective brown treesnake Boiga irregularis control, habitat protection, continued monitoring and research, and increased public education and awareness of Rota's rare and endangered species. ?? BirdLife International 2005.

Education Research: Neurology resident education

PubMed Central

Mayans, David; Schneider, Logan; Adams, Nellie; Khawaja, Ayaz M.; Engstrom, John

2016-01-01

Objective: To survey US-trained graduating neurology residents who are American Academy of Neurology members, in an effort to trend perceived quality and completeness of graduate neurology education. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to all American Academy of Neurology members graduating from US neurology residency programs in the Spring of 2014. Results: Of 805 eligible respondents, 24% completed the survey. Ninety-three percent of adult neurology residents and 56% of child neurology residents reported plans to pursue fellowship training after residency. Respondents reported a desire for additional training in neurocritical care, neuro-oncology, neuromuscular diseases, botulinum toxin injection, and nerve blocks. There remains a clear deficit in business training of neurology residents, although there was notable improvement in knowledge of coding and office management compared to previous surveys. Discussion: Although there are still areas of perceived weakness in neurology training, graduating neurology residents feel generally well prepared for their chosen careers. However, most still pursue fellowship training for reasons that are little understood. In addition to certain subspecialties and procedures, practice management remains deficient in neurology training and is a point of future insecurity for most residents. Future curriculum changes should consider resident-reported gaps in knowledge, with careful consideration of improving business training. PMID:26976522

Resource scarcity, effort, and performance in physically demanding jobs: An evolutionary explanation.

PubMed

Pitesa, Marko; Thau, Stefan

2018-03-01

Based on evolutionary theory, we predicted that cues of resource scarcity in the environment (e.g., news of droughts or food shortages) lead people to reduce their effort and performance in physically demanding work. We tested this prediction in a 2-wave field survey among employees and replicated it experimentally in the lab. In Study 1, employees who perceived resources in the environment to be scarce reported exerting less effort when their jobs involved much (but not little) physical work. In Study 2, participants who read that resources in the environment were scarce performed worse on a task demanding more (carrying books) but not less (transcribing book titles) physical work. This result was found even though better performance increased participants' chances of additional remuneration, and even though scarcity cues did not affect individuals' actual ability to meet their energy needs. We discuss implications for managing effort and performance, and the potential of evolutionary psychology to explain core organizational phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends and patterns of under-5 vaccination in Nigeria, 1990-2008: what manner of progress?

PubMed

Ushie, B A; Fayehun, O A; Ugal, D B

2014-03-01

Despite efforts towards reducing childhood morbidity and mortality, Nigeria ranks among countries with the highest rates of vaccine-preventable diseases including tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, measles, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. These efforts include regular rounds of immunization days and routine exercises. The government of Nigeria periodically undertakes National Demographic and Health (NDH) surveys, which tap information on various health indices including vaccination coverage. Limited studies have used the NDHS data to examine the trends in vaccination coverage for the assessment of successes or failures of the immunization efforts. This study used four NDH Surveys datasets between 1990 and 2008, which generated child health information including the proportion that had had any or all basic childhood vaccines. A combined total of 44,071 (weighted) children were involved in the study. The trend and pattern of vaccination over 18 years were examined while selected factors were regressed to obtain predictors of child vaccinations in Nigeria. The most recent survey (2008) reported more complete vaccination apart from 1990, which was said to be inaccurate. In all surveys, children from mothers with higher education, who were delivered in hospitals, lived in urban areas, and whose mothers work outside the home had significantly higher proportions of completed basic vaccination. A lower level of childhood vaccination is observed in the northern parts, while higher rates are observed in the southern parts. More complete vaccination coverage was reported in the 1990 survey, followed by 2008, 1999 and 2003. In addition, children from mothers with higher levels of education, who were delivered in hospitals, who lived in urban areas, and whose mothers work outside the home had significantly higher proportions of completed basic vaccination. Much more work needs to be done if more children are to be covered and thus reduce vaccine-preventable diseases. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Controlling for varying effort in count surveys --an analysis of Christmas Bird Count Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, W.A.; Sauer, J.R.

1999-01-01

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a valuable source of information about midwinter populations of birds in the continental U.S. and Canada. Analysis of CBC data is complicated by substantial variation among sites and years in effort expended in counting; this feature of the CBC is common to many other wildlife surveys. Specification of a method for adjusting counts for effort is a matter of some controversy. Here, we present models for longitudinal count surveys with varying effort; these describe the effect of effort as proportional to exp(B effortp), where B and p are parameters. For any fixed p, our models are loglinear in the transformed explanatory variable (effort)p and other covariables. Hence we fit a collection of loglinear models corresponding to a range of values of p, and select the best effort adjustment from among these on the basis of fit statistics. We apply this procedure to data for six bird species in five regions, for the period 1959-1988.

Performance of Cracked and Seated Rigid Airport Pavements.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

situ properties of the cracked PCC material and of the uncracked PCC. Additionally, a visual condition survey of the pavements under investigation was...the overall pavement evaluation effort. Results of the NDT testing program were used to determine the in-situ properties of the cracked PCC material ...combined with the NDT deflection basin slopes, led to the conclusion that the cracked and seated PCC layer is behaving as a semi-rigid material . 45 OVERLAY

Factors affecting recruitment of physical therapy personnel in Utah.

PubMed

Okerlund, V W; Jackson, P B; Parsons, R J

1994-02-01

This study assessed the current and future needs of physical therapy personnel in Utah, including both physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Three hundred twenty-two health care facilities selected from four major employer groups in Utah and a total of 590 physical therapy personnel were surveyed. Two hundred forty-four health care facilities (76%) and 198 physical therapy personnel (33.6%) responded. Two survey instruments were developed: one to assess the current and future supply and demand of physical therapy personnel in Utah, and the other to determine recruitment and retention factors. Utah health care facilities projected a need for 46 additional physical therapists and 28 additional physical therapist assistants in 1992. Surveyed physical therapy personnel reported feeling satisfied with the profession and had chosen the profession through a person of influence. Freedom on the job and development of skills were the most often mentioned determinants of job satisfaction, and pay and benefits were the major determinants of retention. Physical therapy personnel should have a role in recruitment efforts. Physical therapy personnel have many options for employment and often choose to seek a diversity of opportunities for better compensation.

77 FR 6080 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet Active Sonar Training

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-07

... area occurred from August 2, 2010 to August 1, 2011. Visual Surveys The majority of monitoring effort...) Operating Area (OPAREA), with an extension of survey effort off Cape Hatteras. These locations serve as the... of year-round multi- disciplinary monitoring through the use of shipboard and aerial visual surveys...

Interwoven support: an historical survey of US federal programs enabling immunization.

PubMed

Dalrymple, Dack W; Grabenstein, John D

2014-11-28

The US Government (USG) can date its involvement with immunization to military and civilian efforts in 1777 and 1813 to prevent smallpox. USG involvement began accelerating with federal licensing of vaccine and antibody manufacturers in 1903. In addition to ongoing regulation of manufacturing and product quality, military and civilian arms of the USG have led research efforts into new or improved vaccines. These efforts have included diseases endemic in the United States, as well as medical countermeasures targeted against biological weapons, influenza pandemics, and emerging infectious diseases. Especially since the 1950s, the USG has provided increasing levels of funding to purchase vaccines and conduct vaccination programs. These programs have focused largely on children, although vaccination programs for adults have been expanded somewhat in recent years. Multiple agencies of the USG have convened various panels of accomplished external experts who have generated widely regarded recommendations on vaccine safety and efficacy and optimal immunization practices. USG programs for safety assessment, injury compensation, liability protection, and disease surveillance have been developed to assess needs, evaluate safety questions, ensure vaccine supply, and foster confidence in vaccination efforts. Debates on the extent of government involvement date back to the 1890 s and continue today. Several pivotal expansions of government involvement followed disease outbreaks or manufacturing accidents. This historical survey describes each of the major US federal programs in these categories, including references to applicable law. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous Space Estimation: Increasing WiFi-Based Indoor Localization Resolution without Increasing the Site-Survey Effort.

PubMed

Hernández, Noelia; Ocaña, Manuel; Alonso, Jose M; Kim, Euntai

2017-01-13

Although much research has taken place in WiFi indoor localization systems, their accuracy can still be improved. When designing this kind of system, fingerprint-based methods are a common choice. The problem with fingerprint-based methods comes with the need of site surveying the environment, which is effort consuming. In this work, we propose an approach, based on support vector regression, to estimate the received signal strength at non-site-surveyed positions of the environment. Experiments, performed in a real environment, show that the proposed method could be used to improve the resolution of fingerprint-based indoor WiFi localization systems without increasing the site survey effort.

Continuous Space Estimation: Increasing WiFi-Based Indoor Localization Resolution without Increasing the Site-Survey Effort †

PubMed Central

Hernández, Noelia; Ocaña, Manuel; Alonso, Jose M.; Kim, Euntai

2017-01-01

Although much research has taken place in WiFi indoor localization systems, their accuracy can still be improved. When designing this kind of system, fingerprint-based methods are a common choice. The problem with fingerprint-based methods comes with the need of site surveying the environment, which is effort consuming. In this work, we propose an approach, based on support vector regression, to estimate the received signal strength at non-site-surveyed positions of the environment. Experiments, performed in a real environment, show that the proposed method could be used to improve the resolution of fingerprint-based indoor WiFi localization systems without increasing the site survey effort. PMID:28098773

Significant Engagement in Tanning Behaviors by Men at a U.S. University.

PubMed

Daniel, Casey L; Fernandez, Alyssa M; Gassman, Natalie R; Bae, Sejong; Blashill, Aaron J; Tan, Marcus C

2017-12-30

Adolescent and young adult men are a potentially overlooked population with respect to risky tanning behaviors. This study sought to determine the prevalence of various modes of tanning and associated variables among young men in a university setting in the southeastern United States. Undergraduate students at a public institution in Mobile, Alabama were surveyed electronically in March 2016. Of the 818 undergraduate men surveyed, over 90% reported tanning behaviors, with 37% reporting engaging in indoor tanning. Additionally, over 25% reported engaging in two or more types of tanning concurrently. These findings indicate that early intervention efforts targeting young men are needed to reduce risky tanning behaviors and associated negative health outcomes.

Summary of carpool survey data from the Katy, Northwest and Gulf Transitways. Interim report, September 1984-February 1989

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

Bullard, D.L.

1989-02-01

In an effort to provide increased mobility within the Houston metropolitan area, a major commitment has been made to implement an extensive system of transitways in the median of the city's freeway network. These lanes are reserved for high-occupancy vehicles. At present, carpools are permitted to use three of the four transitways currently in operation. This report presents the results of transitway carpool surveys performed on the Katy, Northwest and Gulf Transitways. In addition to obtaining socio-economic, demographic, and travel information, the surveys were designed to: determine perceptions of transitway utilization; identify why individuals have chosen to carpool; and assessmore » carpooler attitudes and impacts pertaining to the transitways. The report covers the time period from October 1985 through November 1988.« less

Using Satellite Imagery to Identify Tornado Damage Tracks and Recovery from the April 27, 2011 Severe Weather Outbreak

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew L.; Cole, Tony A.; Burks, Jason E.; Bell, Jordan R.

2014-01-01

Emergency response to natural disasters requires coordination between multiple local, state, and federal agencies. Single, relatively weak tornado events may require comparatively simple response efforts; but larger "outbreak" events with multiple strong, long-track tornadoes can benefit from additional tools to help expedite these efforts. Meteorologists from NOAA's National Weather Service conduct field surveys to map tornado tracks, assess damage, and determine the tornado intensity following each event. Moderate and high resolution satellite imagery can support these surveys by providing a high-level view of the affected areas. Satellite imagery could then be used to target areas for immediate survey or to corroborate the results of the survey after it is completed. In this study, the feasibility of using satellite imagery to identify tornado damage tracks was determined by comparing the characteristics of tracks observed from low-earth orbit to tracks assessed during the official NWS storm survey process. Of the 68 NWS confirmed centerlines, 24 tracks (35.3%) could be distinguished from other surface features using satellite imagery. Within each EF category, 0% of EF-0, 3% of EF-1, 50% of EF-2, 77.7% of EF-3, 87.5% of EF-4 and 100% of EF-5 tornadoes were detected. It was shown that satellite data can be used to identify tornado damage tracks in MODIS and ASTER NDVI imagery, where damage to vegetation creates a sharp drop in values though the minimum EF-category which can be detected is dependent upon the type of sensor used and underlying vegetation. Near-real time data from moderate resolution sensors compare favorably to field surveys after the event and suggest that the data can provide some value in the assessment process.

A retrospective perspective: evaluating population changes by repeating historic bird surveys

Treesearch

Lawrence D. Igl; Douglas H. Johnson

2005-01-01

Acquiring an accurate picture of the changes in bird populations often involves a trade-off between the time and effort required to complete the surveys and the number of years spent surveying the bird populations. An alternative approach to long-term monitoring efforts is to collect current data and contrast those with data collected earlier in a similar fashion on...

Comparison of two mammalian surveys made with camera traps in southeastern Brazil, focusing the abundance of wild mammals and domestic dogs.

PubMed

Carvalho, W D; Adania, C H; Esbérard, C E L

2013-02-01

Sampling allows assessing the impact of human activities on mammal communities. It is also possible to assess the accuracy of different sampling methods, especially when the sampling effort is similar. The present study aimed at comparing two mammalian surveys carried out over a three-year interval, in terms of sampling effort, capture success, abundance of domestic dogs, impact of human activities, and relative biomass using camera traps, in the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve and surroundings, located in Jundiaí, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The total richness recorded was 13 species, one domestic and 12 wild mammals. Sampling effort in both surveys was similar, but capture success and number of captures differed. The abundance of wild mammals and dogs did also differ between surveys. There was a highly significant correlation between abundance of wild mammals and capture effort for the survey performed in 2006/2007, but not for the survey performed in 2009/2010. The difference between samples may be related to human disturbance, since the number of domestic mammals photographed was higher in the second survey, three years after the first survey. Despite being a reserve, the area is still under pressure from urbanization, biological invasion, environmental degradation, and hunting, which may reduce the abundance of wild mammals.

Surface Radiation Survey at the Shepley’s Hill Remediation Site, Devens, Massachusettes

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

J. R. Giles; C. P. Oertel; L. G. Roybal

2009-09-01

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) provided technical support for ongoing environmental remediation activities at the Shepley’s Hill remediation site, near Devens, MA. The technical support included the completion of a radiation survey of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) at Shepley’s Hill, Shepley’s Hill landfill cover, and Red Cove areas. The objective of the radiation survey was to assess the ability of the INL backpack sodium iodide spectroscopy (BaSIS) system to detect elevated levels of NORM that may be associated with radon-222 emanation from near surface and subsurface fractures in the area. It is postulated that these fracture zones provide subsurfacemore » conduits for the transport of environmental contaminants. As such, location of these fracture sets will proved EPA Region 1 with the means for completing the development of an accurate site conceptual model. The results of the radiological survey show that some of the radiological anomalies correlate with currently mapped rock outcrops; however, not all of the rock outcrops in the surveyed area have been mapped. As such, it is not conclusive that all of the radiological anomalies correspond with surface rock outcrops. EPA Region 1 intends to perform a more comprehensive correlation of the radiation data collected with the BaSIS system with additional data sets such as detailed bedrock structural mapping, 2-dimensional resistivity profiling, and high-resolution topographic mapping. The results of this effort will be used in consideration of designing a potential follow-on effort for mapping of radon.« less

Present-Day Strain and Rotation in the Lebanese Restraining Bend of the Dead Sea Fault System Based on Analysis of GPS Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, F.; Jaafar, R.; Abdallah, C.; Karam, G.

2012-12-01

The Lebanese Restraining Bend (LRB) is a ~200-km-long bend in the central part of the Dead Sea Fault system (DSFS). As with other large restraining bends, this part of the transform is characterized by more complicated structure than other parts. Additionally, results from recent GPS studies have documented slower velocities north of the LRB than are observed along the southern DSFS to the south. In an effort to understand how strain is transferred through the LRB, this study analyzes improved GPS velocities within the central DSFS based on new data and additional stations. Despite relatively modest rates of seismicity, the Dead Sea Fault system (DSFS) has a historically documented record of producing large and devastating earthquakes. Hence, geodetic measurements of crustal deformation may provide key constraints on processes of strain accumulation that may not be evident in instrumentally recorded seismicity. Within the LRB, the transform splays into two prominent strike-slip faults: The through-going Yammouneh fault and the Serghaya fault. The latter appears to terminate in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Additionally, some oblique plate motion is accommodated by thrusting along the coast of Lebanon. This study used GPS observations from survey-mode GPS sites, as well as continuous GPS stations in the region. In total, 22 GPS survey sites have been measured in Lebanon between 2002 and 2010, along with GPS data from the adjacent area. Elastic models are used for initial assessment of fault slip rates. Incorporating two major strike-slip faults, as well as an offshore thrust fault, this modeling suggests left-lateral slip rates of 3.8 mm/yr and 1.1 mm/yr for the Yammouneh and Serghaya faults, respectively. The GPS survey network has sufficient density for analyzing velocity gradients in an effort to quantify tectonic strains and rotations. The velocity gradients suggest that differential rotations play a role in accommodating some plate motion.

The Current Practices in Injury Prevention and Safety Helmet Use in an Air Force Medical Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

skateboarding . Findings from the DoD survey (1995) suggest that additional effort is necessary to meet Healthy People 2000 objectives in the area of...rollerblading or skateboarding . Primary care provider A family or individual goes to a primary care provider initially for medical care and the management...related head injury was considered a head injury that occurred while the subject was riding either a bicycle, motorcycle, rollerblading or skateboarding

Environmental Assessment Addressing Privatization of Military Family Housing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

expense. Recycling materials such as paper , cardboard, glass, and plastic would be collected and recycled at an off-installation facility per Grand...available in the NRCS’s web soil survey (NRCS 2010). Most of the soils that were rated for construction limitations are considered to be somewhat to...and accepts paper , glass, plastic, cardboard, metal cans, and compost from all installation facilities (GFAFB 2008e). Additional recycling efforts

Monitoring amphibians in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodd, C. Kenneth

2003-01-01

This report provides an overview of the Park’s amphibians, the factors affecting their distribution, a review of important areas of biodiversity, and a summary of amphibian life history in the Southern Appalachians. In addition, survey techniques are described as well as examples of how the techniques are set up, a critique of what the results tell the observer, and a discussion of the limitations of the techniques and the data. The report reviews considerations for site selection, outlines steps for biosecurity and for processing diseased or dying animals, and provides resource managers with a decision tree on how to monitor the Park’s amphibians based on different levels of available resources. It concludes with an extensive list of references for inventorying and monitoring amphibians. USGS and Great Smoky Mountains National Park biologists need to establish cooperative efforts and training to ensure that congressionally mandated amphibian surveys are performed in a statistically rigorous and biologically meaningful manner, and that amphibian populations on Federal lands are monitored to ensure their long-term survival. The research detailed in this report will aid these cooperative efforts.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Rincon Mountain District

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Brian F.; Halvorson, William Lee; Schmidt, Cecilia A.

2006-01-01

Executive Summary This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive inventory of plants and vertebrates at the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) of Saguaro National Park, Arizona. From 2001 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at the district to document the presence of species within its boundaries. Park staff also surveyed for medium and large mammals using infrared-triggered cameras from 1999 to 2005. This report summarizes the methods and results of these two efforts. Our spatial sampling design was ambitious and was one of the first of its kind in the region to colocate study sites for vegetation and vertebrates using a stratified random design. We also chose the location of some study sites non-randomly in areas that we thought would have the highest species richness. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field methods, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for the district. We also provide an important overview of most previous survey efforts in the district. We use data from our inventory and other surveys to compile species lists and to assess inventory completeness. With the exception of plants, our survey effort was the most comprehensive ever undertaken in the district. We recorded a total of 801 plant and vertebrate species, including 50 species not previously found in the district (Table 1) of which five (all plants) are non-native species. Based on a review of our inventory and past research at the district, there have been a total of 1,479 species of plants and vertebrates found there. We believe inventories for all taxonomic groups are nearly complete. In particular, the plant, amphibian and reptile, and mammal species lists are the most complete of any comparably large natural area of the 'sky island' region of southern Arizona and adjacent Mexico. For each taxon-specific chapter we discuss patterns of species richness and environmental determinants of these patterns. For all groups except medium and large mammals, the low elevation stratum (<4,000 feet) contained the highest species richness, after accounting for differences in survey effort among strata. This is consistent with known patterns of species richness in the sky island mountain ranges. Using data on relative abundance for plants and birds, we were able to identify a number of distinct ecological communities, which were consistent with known patterns in the sky islands. Our review of species lists and park records reveals that the district has lost species, particularly plants and mammals, in the past few decades. Because of the district's close proximity to the rapidly growing city of Tucson, there are a number of development-related threats that could cause additional species loss or decline in abundance of some species. In particular, the increasing groundwater pumping near Rincon Creek, the most species-rich area in the park, is likely to impact the unique riparian vegetation and animals of that area. We discuss this and other demands on the ecological integrity of the district. We also recommend additional inventory, monitoring, and research studies.

Trends in College Binge Drinking during a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts. Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1933-2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wechsler, Henry; Lee, Jae Eun; Kuo, Meichun; Seibring, Mark; Nelson, Toben F.; Lee, Hang

2002-01-01

Surveyed students at colleges that had participated in college alcohol surveys between 1993-99 to examine trends in binge drinking, related problems, and prevention efforts. Binge drinking rates remained constant, with shifts in drinking behavior among subgroups. Immoderate drinking and harm among drinkers increased. More students lived in…

Comparing two remote video survey methods for spatial predictions of the distribution and environmental niche suitability of demersal fishes.

PubMed

Galaiduk, Ronen; Radford, Ben T; Wilson, Shaun K; Harvey, Euan S

2017-12-15

Information on habitat associations from survey data, combined with spatial modelling, allow the development of more refined species distribution modelling which may identify areas of high conservation/fisheries value and consequentially improve conservation efforts. Generalised additive models were used to model the probability of occurrence of six focal species after surveys that utilised two remote underwater video sampling methods (i.e. baited and towed video). Models developed for the towed video method had consistently better predictive performance for all but one study species although only three models had a good to fair fit, and the rest were poor fits, highlighting the challenges associated with modelling habitat associations of marine species in highly homogenous, low relief environments. Models based on baited video dataset regularly included large-scale measures of structural complexity, suggesting fish attraction to a single focus point by bait. Conversely, models based on the towed video data often incorporated small-scale measures of habitat complexity and were more likely to reflect true species-habitat relationships. The cost associated with use of the towed video systems for surveying low-relief seascapes was also relatively low providing additional support for considering this method for marine spatial ecological modelling.

Education Research: Neurology resident education: Trending skills, confidence, and professional preparation.

PubMed

Jordan, Justin T; Mayans, David; Schneider, Logan; Adams, Nellie; Khawaja, Ayaz M; Engstrom, John

2016-03-15

To survey US-trained graduating neurology residents who are American Academy of Neurology members, in an effort to trend perceived quality and completeness of graduate neurology education. An electronic survey was sent to all American Academy of Neurology members graduating from US neurology residency programs in the Spring of 2014. Of 805 eligible respondents, 24% completed the survey. Ninety-three percent of adult neurology residents and 56% of child neurology residents reported plans to pursue fellowship training after residency. Respondents reported a desire for additional training in neurocritical care, neuro-oncology, neuromuscular diseases, botulinum toxin injection, and nerve blocks. There remains a clear deficit in business training of neurology residents, although there was notable improvement in knowledge of coding and office management compared to previous surveys. Although there are still areas of perceived weakness in neurology training, graduating neurology residents feel generally well prepared for their chosen careers. However, most still pursue fellowship training for reasons that are little understood. In addition to certain subspecialties and procedures, practice management remains deficient in neurology training and is a point of future insecurity for most residents. Future curriculum changes should consider resident-reported gaps in knowledge, with careful consideration of improving business training. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

A survey of Existing V&V, UQ and M&S Data and Knowledge Bases in Support of the Nuclear Energy - Knowledge base for Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NE-KAMS)

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

Hyung Lee; Rich Johnson, Ph.D.; Kimberlyn C. Moussesau

2011-12-01

The Nuclear Energy - Knowledge base for Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NE-KAMS) is being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory in conjunction with Bettis Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Utah State University and others. The objective of this consortium is to establish a comprehensive knowledge base to provide Verification and Validation (V&V) and Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) and other resources for advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) in nuclear reactor design and analysis. NE-KAMS will become a valuable resource for the nuclear industry, the national laboratories, the U.S. NRC and the public to help ensure themore » safe operation of existing and future nuclear reactors. A survey and evaluation of the state-of-the-art of existing V&V and M&S databases, including the Department of Energy and commercial databases, has been performed to ensure that the NE-KAMS effort will not be duplicating existing resources and capabilities and to assess the scope of the effort required to develop and implement NE-KAMS. The survey and evaluation have indeed highlighted the unique set of value-added functionality and services that NE-KAMS will provide to its users. Additionally, the survey has helped develop a better understanding of the architecture and functionality of these data and knowledge bases that can be used to leverage the development of NE-KAMS.« less

Using online social media for recruitment of human immunodeficiency virus-positive participants: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Yuan, Patrick; Bare, Michael G; Johnson, Mallory O; Saberi, Parya

2014-05-01

There are many challenges in recruiting and engaging participants when conducting research, especially with HIV-positive individuals. Some of these challenges include geographical barriers, insufficient time and financial resources, and perceived HIV-related stigma. This paper describes the methodology of a recruitment approach that capitalized on existing online social media venues and other Internet resources in an attempt to overcome some of these barriers to research recruitment and retention. From May through August 2013, a campaign approach using a combination of online social media, non-financial incentives, and Web-based survey software was implemented to advertise, recruit, and retain participants, and collect data for a survey study with a limited budget. Approximately US $5,000 was spent with a research staff designated at 20% of full-time effort, yielding 2034 survey clicks, 1404 of which met the inclusion criteria and initiated the survey, for an average cost of US $3.56 per survey initiation. A total of 1221 individuals completed the survey, yielding 86.97% retention. These data indicate that online recruitment is a feasible and efficient tool that can be further enhanced by sophisticated online data collection software and the addition of non-financial incentives.

Great Basin paleontological database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, N.; Blodgett, R.B.; Hofstra, A.H.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has constructed a paleontological database for the Great Basin physiographic province that can be served over the World Wide Web for data entry, queries, displays, and retrievals. It is similar to the web-database solution that we constructed for Alaskan paleontological data (www.alaskafossil.org). The first phase of this effort was to compile a paleontological bibliography for Nevada and portions of adjacent states in the Great Basin that has recently been completed. In addition, we are also compiling paleontological reports (Known as E&R reports) of the U.S. Geological Survey, which are another extensive source of l,egacy data for this region. Initial population of the database benefited from a recently published conodont data set and is otherwise focused on Devonian and Mississippian localities because strata of this age host important sedimentary exhalative (sedex) Au, Zn, and barite resources and enormons Carlin-type An deposits. In addition, these strata are the most important petroleum source rocks in the region, and record the transition from extension to contraction associated with the Antler orogeny, the Alamo meteorite impact, and biotic crises associated with global oceanic anoxic events. The finished product will provide an invaluable tool for future geologic mapping, paleontological research, and mineral resource investigations in the Great Basin, making paleontological data acquired over nearly the past 150 yr readily available over the World Wide Web. A description of the structure of the database and the web interface developed for this effort are provided herein. This database is being used ws a model for a National Paleontological Database (which we am currently developing for the U.S. Geological Survey) as well as for other paleontological databases now being developed in other parts of the globe. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

Ecological Investigations of the Federally Endangered Shivwits Milk-Vetch (Astragalus ampullarioides)--2006 Annual Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Mark E.; Mann, Rebecca K.; Goldstein, Harland L.; Yount, James D.

2007-01-01

Astragalus ampullarioides (Welsh) Welsh, the Shivwits milk-vetch, is an herbaceous perennial legume that was listed as federally endangered in September 2001. Known populations of this edaphic endemic species are restricted to Washington County, Utah, with the majority of occurrences found on gently sloping outcrops of the Triassic Petrified Forest Member of the Chinle Formation at the edge of the Mojave Desert. At the time of listing in 2001, surveys estimated a total of 1000 individuals for the species. In April-May 2006, surveys estimated approximately 4205 individuals distributed among six populations. Of the total number of individuals estimated in spring 2006, over 75 percent were distributed among three subpopulations in Zion National Park and approximately 60 percent occurred at a single 0.3-ha site in the Park. In addition to small population sizes and limited geographic distributions, the species is threatened to varying degrees by urbanization, livestock grazing, off-road vehicle use, and invasive exotic plants. In April 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated ecological investigations of the Shivwits milk-vetch to support conservation management and recovery of the species by the National Park Service (NPS; Zion National Park), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Shivwits Band of the Paiute Tribe, and other cooperators such as The Nature Conservancy of Utah (TNC). To date, funding for this research has been provided by the Southwest Biological Science Center of the USGS Biological Resources Discipline, the USGS-NPS Park-Oriented Biological Support Project, and the Earth Surface Dynamics Program of the USGS Geologic Discipline. Additional logistical support has been provided by the Bureau of Land Management, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. General objectives of this research are (1) to develop a better understanding of species-environment relations to support habitat modelling, future surveys for additional recovery populations, and potential efforts to establish new recovery populations; and (2) to evaluate effects of invasive exotic plants on habitat conditions and measures of milk-vetch performance. Specific objectives are to: Describe the distribution and abundance of milk-vetch populations and associated invasive exotic plant species within and outside of Zion National Park (Zion NP) in relation to geologic / geomorphic setting, soil properties, and plant community composition. In a field setting in Zion NP, conduct experiments to evaluate effects of invasive exotic plants on reproductive output and seedling establishment of A. ampullarioides across a gradient of exotic species biomass. Conduct greenhouse studies and analyze soils to evaluate effects of invasive exotic plants on soil biological properties (including mycorrhizal inocculation potential) that affect cycling and plant uptake of essential mineral nutrients. Based on environmental characteristics of known population locations, use Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to prepare a predictive habitat model that can be used to guide future surveys and efforts to evaluate sites for reintroduction efforts. This report describes 2006 progress and future plans for achieving these four objectives.

Human Capital: Additional Actions Needed to Enhance DOD’s Efforts to Address Mental Health Care Stigma

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

the MHAT screens respondents for mental health problems, including acute stress, depression and anxiety. Page 15 GAO-16-404 Mental...counseling, therapy, or treatment on their career. The DEOC survey asks about perceptions of the effects of treatment for depression , suicidal thoughts, or...186) 80 63 40 3 Civilians (n=22) 15 6 0 1 b) Depression Servicemembers (n= 186) 44 81 55 6 Civilians (n=22) 10 10 1 1 c) Distress related to

Confirmatory/release survey of the property at 71 Pearce Avenue (Former EAD Building) in Tonawanda, New York

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

Salame-Alfie, A.; Alibozek, R.

1995-12-31

EAD Metallurgical, Inc., operated a facility in Tonawanda, New York, in which it utilized Americium 241 (Am-241) for the production of foil sources for use in smoke detectors. EAD was in operation between 1977 and 1983. By 1983, the company started losing money, and decided to relocate to Mexico. Before closing down its Tonawanda operation, however, it was required by the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) to decontaminate its facility to limits specified by DOL. No records of discharges to the sewer system were kept during this decontamination effort. Unsuccessful decontamination efforts by several EAD employees and contractorsmore » left the building contaminated, in particular the concrete floors and walls. To determine the scope of work for the decontamination project, staff from the New York State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC) conducted a Characterization Survey of the facility in 1993. This survey identified contamination levels of Am-241 in excess of release limits throughout the building, in the soil outside the facility, in pipes for sewage and interior drainage, and in an 8 x 8 x 11 foot sump pit in the building. DOH issued a request for proposals in early 1994 for the decontamination and subsequent decommissioning of the former EAD building, and NES/IES Inc. (NES) was awarded the contract to perform the remediation. DOH`s assignment was to provide an on-site presence to insure the completion of all agreed upon tasks, according to the terms of the contract and work plans submitted by NES. Additionally, the DOH staff acted as a liaison between NES, DOH, DEC and DOL central offices to review, comment and approve all changes or modifications to NES`s approach to the decontamination efforts. The assigned staff was also responsible for conducting confirmatory sampling and surveys of all areas deemed releasable to DOL and DEC criteria by NES.« less

Fiberboard humidity data for 9975 shipping packages

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

Daugherty, W. L.

2015-07-31

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis.Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humidity andmore » temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts.« less

Fiberboard Humidity Data for 9975 Shipping Packages

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

Daugherty, W.

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis. Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humiditymore » and temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts« less

Fiberboard humidity data for 9975 shipping packages

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

Daugherty, W. L.

The 9975 surveillance program is identifying a technical basis to support extending the storage period of 9975 packages in KAC beyond the currently approved 15 years. A key element of this effort is developing a better understanding of degradation of the fiberboard assembly under storage conditions. This degradation is influenced greatly by the moisture content of the fiberboard, which is not well characterized on an individual package basis.Two efforts have been undertaken to better understand the levels and behavior of moisture within the fiberboard assemblies of the 9975 shipping package. In the first effort, an initial survey of humidity andmore » temperature in the upper air space of 26 packages stored in KAC was made. The data collected within this first effort help to illustrate how the upper air space humidity varies with the local ambient temperature and package heat load. In the second effort, direct measurements of two test packages are providing a correlation between humidity and fiberboard moisture levels within the package, and variations in moisture throughout the fiberboard assembly. This effort has examined packages with cane fiberboard and internal heat levels of 5 and 10W to date. Additional testing is expected to include 15 and 19W heat levels, and then repeat the same four heat levels with softwood fiberboard assemblies. This report documents the data collected to date within these two efforts.« less

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…

Women in Trade Unions: Organizing the Unorganized.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martens, Margaret Hosmer, Ed.; Mitter, Swasti, Ed.

This book contains a comparative survey of efforts to organize female workers in trade unions in both developing and industrialized nations and 19 case studies of efforts to organize female workers in selected occupations. The following papers are included: "A Comparative Survey" (Swasti Mitter); "The Union of Women Domestic…

Turning brownfields into greenspaces: examining incentives and barriers to revitalization.

PubMed

Siikamäki, Juha; Wernstedt, Kris

2008-06-01

This study employs interviews, document review, and a national survey of local government officials to investigate the factors that influence the success of efforts to convert underutilized contaminated properties into greenspace. We find that the presence of contamination continues to be a concern despite federal and state efforts to ease liability fears but also that site and project features can overcome this hurdle. In particular, jurisdictions appear more likely to convert distressed properties into greenspace if recreational parks, rather than open space, are planned, sites are already owned rather than available only through tax foreclosure, and the state is perceived as being supportive of the conversion. In addition, mixed public-private funding and site locations in residential areas are more likely to attract community support for conversion projects.

Improving pathways to primary health care among LGBTQ populations and health care providers: key findings from Nova Scotia, Canada.

PubMed

Gahagan, Jacqueline; Subirana-Malaret, Montse

2018-06-13

This study explores the perceived barriers to primary health care as identified among a sample of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) identified individuals and health care providers in Nova Scotia, Canada. These findings, based on a province-wide anonymous online survey, suggest that additional efforts are needed to improve pathways to primary health among LGBTQ populations and in deepening our understanding of how to advance the unique primary health needs of these populations. Data were collected from the LGBTQ community through an online, closed-ended anonymous survey. Inclusion criteria for participation were self-identifying as LGBTQ, offering primary health care to LGBTQ patients, being able to understand English, being 16 years of age or older, and having lived in Nova Scotia for at least one year. A total of 283 LGBTQ respondents completed the online survey which included sociodemographic questions, perceptions of respondents' health status, and their primary health care experiences. In addition, a total of 109 health care providers completed the survey based on their experiences providing care in Nova Scotia, and in particular, their experiences and perceptions regarding LGBTQ access to primary health care and physician-patient interactions. Our results indicate that, in several key areas, the primary health care needs of LGBTQ populations in Nova Scotia are not being met and this may in turn contribute to their poor health outcomes across the life course. A framework of intersectionality and health equity was used to interpret and analyze the survey data. The key findings indicate the need to continue improving pathways to primary health care among LGBTQ populations, specifically in relation to additional training and related supports for health care providers who work with these populations.

Solar Sail Roadmap Mission GN and C Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heaton, Andrew F.

2005-01-01

The NASA In-Space Propulsion program is funding development work for solar sails to enhance future scientific opportunities. Key to this effort are scientific solar sail roadmap missions identified by peer review. The two near-term missions of interest are L1 Diamond and Solar Polar Imager. Additionally, the New Millennium Program is sponsoring the Space Technology 9 (ST9) demonstration mission. Solar sails are one of five technologies competing for the ST9 flight demonstration. Two candidate solar sail missions have been identified for a potential ST9 flight. All the roadmap missions and candidate flight demonstration missions face various GN&C challenges. A variety of efforts are underway to address these challenges. These include control actuator design and testing, low thrust optimization studies, attitude control system design and modeling, control-structure interaction studies, trajectory control design, and solar radiation pressure model development. Here we survey the various efforts underway and identify a few of specific recent interest and focus.

Biotelemetery data for golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) captured in coastal southern California, February 2016–February 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tracey, Jeff A.; Madden, Melanie C.; Sebes, Jeremy B.; Bloom, Peter H.; Katzner, Todd E.; Fisher, Robert N.

2017-05-12

Because of a lack of clarity about the status of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in coastal southern California, the USGS, in collaboration with local, State, and other Federal agencies, began a multi-year survey and tracking program of golden eagles to address questions regarding habitat use, movement behavior, nest occupancy, genetic population structure, and human impacts on eagles. Golden eagle trapping and tracking efforts began in September 2014. During trapping efforts from September 29, 2014, to February 23, 2016, 27 golden eagles were captured. During trapping efforts from February 24, 2016, to February 23, 2017, an additional 10 golden eagles (7 females and 3 males) were captured in San Diego, Orange, and western Riverside Counties. Biotelemetry data for 26 of the 37 golden eagles that were transmitting data from February 24, 2016, to February 23, 2017 are presented. These eagles ranged as far north as northern Nevada and southern Wyoming, and as far south as La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.

Does perceived teacher affective support matter for middle school students in mathematics classrooms?

PubMed

Sakiz, Gonul; Pape, Stephen J; Hoy, Anita Woolfolk

2012-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore the importance of perceived teacher affective support in relation to sense of belonging, academic enjoyment, academic hopelessness, academic self-efficacy, and academic effort in middle school mathematics classrooms. A self-report survey was administered to 317 seventh- and eighth-grade students in 5 public middle schools. Structural equation modeling indicated significant associations between perceived teacher affective support and middle school students' motivational, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. The structural model explained a significant proportion of variance in students' sense of belonging (42%), academic enjoyment (43%), self-efficacy beliefs (43%), academic hopelessness (18%), and academic effort (32%) in mathematics classrooms. In addition to providing the basis for a concise new measure of perceived teacher affective support, these findings point to the importance of students' perceptions of the affective climate within learning environments for promoting academic enjoyment, academic self-efficacy, and academic effort in mathematics. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP): a national scale natural resources and conservation needs assessment and decision support tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M.-V. V.; Norfleet, M. L.; Atwood, J. D.; Behrman, K. D.; Kiniry, J. R.; Arnold, J. G.; White, M. J.; Williams, J.

2015-07-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated to quantify the impacts of agricultural conservation practices at the watershed, regional, and national scales across the United States. Representative cropland acres in all major U.S. watersheds were surveyed in 2003-2006 as part of the seminal CEAP Cropland National Assessment. Two process-based models, the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender(APEX) and the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), were applied to the survey data to provide a quantitative assessment of current conservation practice impacts, establish a benchmark against which future conservation trends and efforts could be measured, and identify outstanding conservation concerns. The flexibility of these models and the unprecedented amount of data on current conservation practices across the country enabled Cropland CEAP to meet its Congressional mandate of quantifying the value of current conservation practices. It also enabled scientifically grounded exploration of a variety of conservation scenarios, empowering CEAP to not only inform on past successes and additional needs, but to also provide a decision support tool to help guide future policy development and conservation practice decision making. The CEAP effort will repeat the national survey in 2015-2016, enabling CEAP to provide analyses of emergent conservation trends, outstanding needs, and potential costs and benefits of pursuing various treatment scenarios for all agricultural watersheds across the United States.

Community leader support for tobacco control activities & policies on Guam.

PubMed

Ehlert, Michael B; Gumataotao, AnneMarie P; Workman, Randall L; Albright, Cheryl L; David, Annette M

2006-09-01

Guam has the highest smoking rate in the United States. This study examined Guam community leaders' attitudes toward cigarette smoking and their interest in changing local tobacco control policies. Cross-sectional survey. Guam community leaders completed surveys while attending local professional conferences or meetings. Seventy-three percent of the respondents were female; the mean age was 46 years (SD = 15), and over 86% were from ethnic minority groups (47% Filipino, 28% Chamorro, 10% Asian, 2% other Pacific Island groups). About 30% reported being native Guamanian, and of those who immigrated to Guam had lived on Guam a mean of 17 years (SD = 11). Tobacco use was rated as a serious problem for Guam by 73% of the leaders surveyed, and a majority agreed that stricter tobacco control policies were needed on Guam. When asked to rate their preferences for tobacco control efforts on Guam, most (63%) preferred to focus on cessation efforts and 55% wanted to focus on smoke-free public places. This study provided critical insight about community leader support for stronger tobacco control measures on Guam, especially with respect to smoking cessation and smoke-free environments. Such a consensus of opinions could become a catalyst to promote community-wide tobacco control policies and programs. In addition, this study may provide a platform for future research on the structure and effectiveness of community leader support in a multicultural environment.

Raising the bar: the importance of hospital library standards in the continuing medical education accreditation process*

PubMed Central

Cyr Gluck, Jeannine; Hassig, Robin Ackley

2001-01-01

The Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) reviews and accredits the continuing medical education (CME) programs offered by Connecticut's hospitals. As part of the survey process, the CSMS assesses the quality of the hospitals' libraries. In 1987, the CSMS adopted the Medical Library Association's (MLA's) “Minimum Standards for Health Sciences Libraries in Hospitals.” In 1990, professional librarians were added to the survey team and, later, to the CSMS CME Committee. Librarians participating in this effort are recruited from the membership of the Connecticut Association of Health Sciences Librarians (CAHSL). The positive results of having a qualified librarian on the survey team and the invaluable impact of adherence to the MLA standards are outlined. As a direct result of this process, hospitals throughout the state have added staffing, increased space, and added funding for resources during an era of cutbacks. Some hospital libraries have been able to maintain a healthy status quo, while others have had proposed cuts reconsidered by administrators for fear of losing valuable CME accreditation status. Creating a relationship with an accrediting agency is one method by which hospital librarians elsewhere may strengthen their efforts to ensure adequate library resources in an era of downsizing. In addition, this collaboration has provided a new and important role for librarians to play on an accreditation team. PMID:11465686

Final Report of the Mid-Atlantic Marine Wildlife Surveys, Modeling, and Data

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

Saracino-Brown, Jocelyn; Smith, Courtney; Gilman, Patrick

The Wind Program hosted a two-day workshop on July 24-25, 2012 with scientists and regulators engaged in marine ecological survey, modeling, and database efforts pertaining to the waters of the Mid-Atlantic region. The workshop was planned by Federal agency, academic, and private partners to promote collaboration between ongoing offshore ecological survey efforts, and to promote the collaborative development of complementary predictive models and compatible databases. The meeting primarily focused on efforts to establish and predict marine mammal, seabird, and sea turtle abundance, density, and distributions extending from the shoreline to the edge of the Exclusive Economic Zone between Nantucket Sound,more » Massachusetts and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.« less

Results of the survey activities and mobile gamma scanning in Monticello, Utah

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

Little, C.A.; Berven, B.A.

The town of Monticello, Utah, was once the site of an active mill which processed vanadium ore (1942 to 1948), and uranium ore (1948 to 1960). Properties in the vicinity of that mill have become contaminated with radioactive material from ore processing. The Radiological Survey Activities (RASA) group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was requested by the Division of Remedial Action Projects (DRAP) in the Department of Energy (DOE) to: (1) identify potentially contaminated properties; (2) assess natural background radiation levels; and (3) rapidly assess the magnitude, extent, and type (i.e. ore, tailings, etc.) of contamination present on thesemore » properties (if any). This survey was conducted by RASA during April 1983. In addition to the 114 properties previously identified from historical information, the ORNL mobile gamma scanning van located 36 new properties exhibiting anomalous gamma radiation levels. Onsite surveys were conducted on 145 of the 150 total properties identified either historically or with the gamma scanning van. Of these 145 properties, 122 of them appeared to have some type of contaminated material present on them; however, only 48 appeared to be contaminated to the extent where they were in excess of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria (40 CFR 192). Twenty-one other properties were recommended for additional investigation (indoor gamma scanning and radon daughter measurements); of these, only ten required further analysis. This report provides the detailed data and analyses related to the radiological survey efforts performed by ORNL in Monticello, Utah.« less

Promoting Work-Based Learning: Efforts in Connecticut and Kentucky

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2012

2012-01-01

In the summer of 2012, the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) and the Alliance for Excellent Education conducted a survey of State Directors of Career Technical Education (CTE) to gauge state efforts to better connect CTE with a larger college- and career-readiness agenda. Survey questions…

Workplace Charging Challenge Progress Update 2016: A New Sustainable Commute

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

None, None

In the 2016 Workplace Charging Challenge annual survey, partners shared for the how their efforts were making an impact in their communities and helped identify best practices for workplace charging. The Workplace Charging Challenge Progress Update highlights the findings from this survey and recognizes leading employers for their workplace charging efforts.

Wildlife studies on the Hanford Site: 1993 Highlights report

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

Cadwell, L.L.

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) Wildlife Resources Monitoring Project was initiated by DOE to track the status of wildlife populations to determine whether Hanford operations affected them. The project continues to conduct a census of wildlife populations that are highly visible, economically or aesthetically important, and rare or otherwise considered sensitive. Examples of long-term data collected and maintained through the Wildlife Resources Monitoring Project include annual goose nesting surveys conducted on islands in the Hanford Reach, wintering bald eagle surveys, and fall Chinook salmon redd (nest) surveys. The report highlights activities related to salmon and mollusks on the Hanford Reachmore » of the Columbia River; describes efforts to map vegetation on the Site and efforts to survey species of concern; provides descriptions of shrub-steppe bird surveys, including bald eagles, Canada geese, and hawks; outlines efforts to monitor mule deer and elk populations on the Site; and describes development of a biological database management system.« less

Investigating the Bright End of LSST Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojala, Elle; Pepper, Joshua; LSST Collaboration

2018-01-01

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will begin operations in 2022, conducting a wide-field, synoptic multiband survey of the southern sky. Some fraction of objects at the bright end of the magnitude regime observed by LSST will overlap with other wide-sky surveys, allowing for calibration and cross-checking between surveys. The LSST is optimized for observations of very faint objects, so much of this data overlap will be comprised of saturated images. This project provides the first in-depth analysis of saturation in LSST images. Using the PhoSim package to create simulated LSST images, we evaluate saturation properties of several types of stars to determine the brightness limitations of LSST. We also collect metadata from many wide-field photometric surveys to provide cross-survey accounting and comparison. Additionally, we evaluate the accuracy of the PhoSim modeling parameters to determine the reliability of the software. These efforts will allow us to determine the expected useable data overlap between bright-end LSST images and faint-end images in other wide-sky surveys. Our next steps are developing methods to extract photometry from saturated images.This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation through Cooperative Agreement 1258333 managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), and the Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515 with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Additional LSST funding comes from private donations, grants to universities, and in-kind support from LSSTC Institutional Members.Thanks to NSF grant PHY-135195 and the 2017 LSSTC Grant Award #2017-UG06 for making this project possible.

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Ricci, Claudio; Lamperti, Isabella; Oh, Kyuseok; Berney, Simon; Schawinski, Kevin; Balokovic, Mislav; Baronchelli, Linda; Gehrels, Neil; Stern, Daniel; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Crenshaw, D. Michael; Harrison, Fiona; Fischer, Travis C.; Treister, Ezequiel; BASS Team; Swift BAT Team

2017-01-01

We present the Swift BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) and discus the first four papers. The catalog represents an unprecedented census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe, with ~90% of sources at z<0.2. Starting from an all-sky catalog of AGN detected based on their 14-195 keV flux from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog, we analyze a total of 1279 optical spectra, taken from twelve dierent telescopes, for a total of 642 spectra of unique AGN. We present the absorption and emission line measurements as well as black hole masses and accretion rates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (473), representing more than a factor of 10 increase from past studies. Consistent with previous surveys, we find an increase in the fraction of un-obscured (type 1) AGN, as measured from broad Hbeta and Halpha, with increasing 14-195 keV and 2-10 keV luminosity. We find the FWHM of the emission lines to show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration measurements. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN in our sample with emission lines have a larger fraction of dustier galaxies suggesting these types of galaxies are missed in optical AGN surveys using emission line diagnostics. Additionally, we discuss follow-on efforts to study the variation of [OIII] to Xray measurements, a new method to measure accretion rates from using line ratios, a sample of 100 AGN observed with NIR spectroscopy, and an effort to measure the accretion rates and obscuration with merger stage in a subsample of mergers.

AAN Epilepsy Quality Measures in clinical practice: a survey of neurologists.

PubMed

Wasade, Vibhangini S; Spanaki, Marianna; Iyengar, Revathi; Barkley, Gregory L; Schultz, Lonni

2012-08-01

Epilepsy Quality Measures (EQM) were developed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) to convey standardization and eliminate gaps and variations in the delivery of epilepsy care (Fountain et al., 2011 [1]). The aim of this study was to identify adherence to these measures and other emerging practice standards in epilepsy care. A 15-item survey was mailed to neurologists in Michigan, USA, inquiring about their practice patterns in relation to EQM. One hundred thirteen of the 792 surveyed Michigan Neurologists responded (14%). The majority (83% to 94%) addressed seizure type and frequency, reviewed EEG and MRI, and provided pregnancy counseling to women of childbearing potential. Our survey identified gaps in practice patterns such as counseling about antiepileptic drug (AED) side effects and knowledge about referral for surgical therapy of intractable epilepsy. Statistical significance in the responses on the AAN EQM was noted in relation to number of years in practice, number of epilepsy patients seen, and additional fellowship training in epilepsy. Practice patterns assessment in relation to other comorbidities revealed that although bone health and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy are addressed mainly in patients at risk, depression is infrequently discussed. The findings in this study indicate that additional educational efforts are needed to increase awareness and to improve quality of epilepsy care at various points of health care delivery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Upper Clear Creek watershed aquatic chemistry and biota surveys, 2004-5, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wulff, Marissa L.; May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, performed a comprehensive aquatic biota survey of the upper Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, California, during 2004-5. Data collected in this study can provide resource managers with information regarding aquatic resources, watershed degradation, and regional biodiversity within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Surveys of water chemistry, bed-sediment chemistry, algae assemblages, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, aquatic vertebrate assemblages, in-stream habitat characteristics, and sediment heterogeneity were conducted at 17 stream sites during both 2004 and 2005, with an additional 4 sites surveyed in 2005. A total of 67 bed-sediment samples were analyzed for major and trace inorganic element concentrations. Forty-six water samples were analyzed for trace metals and nutrients. A total of 224 taxa of invertebrates were collected during these surveys. Eleven fish species, seven of which were native, and two species of larval amphibians, were collected. A total of 24 genera of soft algae and 159 taxa of diatoms were identified. To date, this survey represents the most comprehensive inventory of aquatic resources within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and this information can serve as a baseline for future monitoring efforts and to inform management decisions.

An assessment of survey measures used across key epidemiologic studies of United States Gulf War I Era Veterans

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Over the past two decades, 12 large epidemiologic studies and 2 registries have focused on U.S. veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War Era. We conducted a review of these studies’ research tools to identify existing gaps and overlaps of efforts to date, and to advance development of the next generation of Gulf War Era survey tools. Overall, we found that many of the studies used similar instruments. Questions regarding exposures were more similar across studies than other domains, while neurocognitive and psychological tools were the most variable. Many studies focused on self-reported survey results, with a range of validation practices. However, physical exams, biomedical assessments, and specimen storage were not common. This review suggests that while research may be able to pool data from past surveys, future surveys need to consider how their design can yield data comparable with previous surveys. Additionally, data that incorporate recent technologies in specimen and genetic analyses would greatly enhance such survey data. When combined with existing data on deployment-related exposures and post-deployment health conditions, longitudinal follow-up of existing studies within this collaborative framework could represent an important step toward improving the health of veterans. PMID:23302181

Using Online Social Media for Recruitment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Participants: A Cross-Sectional Survey

PubMed Central

Yuan, Patrick; Bare, Michael G; Johnson, Mallory O

2014-01-01

Background There are many challenges in recruiting and engaging participants when conducting research, especially with HIV-positive individuals. Some of these challenges include geographical barriers, insufficient time and financial resources, and perceived HIV-related stigma. Objective This paper describes the methodology of a recruitment approach that capitalized on existing online social media venues and other Internet resources in an attempt to overcome some of these barriers to research recruitment and retention. Methods From May through August 2013, a campaign approach using a combination of online social media, non-financial incentives, and Web-based survey software was implemented to advertise, recruit, and retain participants, and collect data for a survey study with a limited budget. Results Approximately US $5,000 was spent with a research staff designated at 20% of full-time effort, yielding 2034 survey clicks, 1404 of which met the inclusion criteria and initiated the survey, for an average cost of US $3.56 per survey initiation. A total of 1221 individuals completed the survey, yielding 86.97% retention. Conclusions These data indicate that online recruitment is a feasible and efficient tool that can be further enhanced by sophisticated online data collection software and the addition of non-financial incentives. PMID:24784982

Performance and determinants of routine immunization coverage within the context of intensive polio eradication activities in Uttar Pradesh, India: Social Mobilization Network (SM Net) and Core Group Polio Project (CGPP)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Studies that have looked at the effect of polio eradication efforts in India on routine immunization programs have provided mixed findings. One polio eradication project, funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out by the CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) in the state of Uttar Pradesh of India, has included the strengthening of routine immunization systems as a core part of its polio eradication strategy. This paper explores the performance of routine immunization services in the CGPP intervention areas concurrent with intensive polio eradication activities. The paper also explores determinants of routine immunization performance such as caretaker characteristics and CGPP activities to strengthen routine immunization services. Methods We conduct secondary data analysis of the latest project household immunization survey in 2011 and compare these findings to reports of past surveys in the CGPP program area and at the Uttar Pradesh state level (as measured by children’s receipt of DPT vaccinations). This is done to judge if there is any evidence that routine immunization services are being disrupted. We also model characteristics of survey respondents and respondents’ exposure to CGPP, communication activities against their children’s receipt of key vaccinations in order to identify determinants of routine immunization coverage. Results Routine immunization coverage has increased between the first survey (2005 for state level estimates, 2008 for the CGPP program) and the latest (2011 for both state level and CGPP areas), as measured by children’s receipt of DPT vaccination. This increase occurred concurrent with polio eradication efforts intensive enough to result in interruption of transmission. In addition, a mothers’ exposure to specific communication materials, her religion and education were associated with whether or not her children receive one or more doses of DPT. Conclusions A limitation of the analysis is the absence of a controlled comparison. It is possible routine immunization coverage would have increased even more in the absence of polio eradication efforts. At the same time, however, there is no evidence that routine immunization services were disrupted by polio eradication efforts. Targeted health communications are helpful in improving routine immunization performance. Strategies to address other determinants of routine immunization, such as religion and education, are also needed to maximize coverage. PMID:23680228

Malaria survey and malaria control detachments in the South-West Pacific Area in World War 2.

PubMed

Crocker, Denton W

2009-01-01

Malaria among troops in the South-West Pacific Area (SWPA) in World War 2 affected the military effort to the degree that special units were formed to combat it. These malaria survey detachments (MSDs) and malaria control detachments (MCDs) were self-contained and so could move quickly to wherever their services were needed. In SWPA by 25 September 1944 there were 32 MSDs and 65 MCDs. Tables of organization called for 11 enlisted men in MSDs and MCDs, two officers in MSDs and one in MCDs. Detachments served throughout the SWPA. Detailed records of the 31st MSD show that in addition to antimalarial efforts it worked at control of scrub typhus, dengue and venereal disease, at reduction of rat populations and in experimental work involving DDT and schistosomiasis. Specific locations of the 31st MSD were New Guinea (3 sites), Morotai, Leyte, Mindoro, Okinawa and Japan. The detachment served overseas for 21 months. Experience in combating malaria in SWPA in World War 2 points to the need for better and continuous training of both medical and line officers in malaria prevention and control.

Near-bottom Multibeam Survey Capabilities in the US National Deep Submergence Facility (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoerger, D. R.; McCue, S. J.; Jason; Sentry Operations Groups

2010-12-01

The US National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) provides near-bottom multibeam mapping capabilities from the autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry and the remotely operated vehicle Jason. These vehicles can be used to depths of 4500 and 6500m respectively. Both vehicles are equipped with Reson 7125 400khz multibeam sonars as well as compatible navigation equipment (inertial navigation systems, doppler velocity logs, and acoustic navigation systems). These vehicles have produced maps of rugged Mid-Ocean Ridge terrain in the Galapagos Rift, natural oil and gas seeps off the coast of Southern California, deep coral sites in the Gulf of Mexico, and sites for the Ocean Observing Initiative off the coast of Oregon. Multibeam surveys are conducted from heights between 20 and 80 meters, allowing the scientific user to select the tradeoff between resolution and coverage rate. In addition to conventional bathymetric mapping, the systems have used to image methane bubble plumes from natural seeps. This talk will provide summaries of these mapping efforts and describe the data processing pipeline used to produce maps shortly after each dive. Development efforts to reduce navigational errors and reconcile discrepancies between adjacent swaths will also be described.

Coastal bathymetry data collected in May 2015 from Fire Island, New York—Wilderness breach and shoreface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen T.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.

2017-05-12

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, conducted a bathymetric survey of Fire Island from May 6-20, 2015. The USGS is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the wilderness breach as a part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry data were collected with single-beam echo sounders and Global Positioning Systems, which were mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach. Additional bathymetry and elevation data were collected using backpack Global Positioning Systems on flood shoals and in shallow channels within the wilderness breach.

Mist net effort required to inventory a forest bat species assemblage.

Treesearch

Theodore J. Weller; Danny C. Lee

2007-01-01

Little quantitative information exists about the survey effort necessary to inventory temperate bat species assemblages. We used a bootstrap resampling lgorithm to estimate the number of mist net surveys required to capture individuals from 9 species at both study area and site levels using data collected in a forested watershed in northwestern California, USA, during...

Suicide Prevention: Efforts To Increase Research and Education in Palliative Care. Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

Currently, the extent of palliative care instruction varies considerably across and within the three major phases of the physician education and training process. This analysis of current educational efforts in palliative care is based on information obtained from a survey conducted of all United States medical schools, surveys conducted on United…

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Montezuma Castle National Monument

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Drost, Charles A.; Halvorson, William Lee

2006-01-01

Executive Summary We summarize past inventory efforts for vascular plants and vertebrates at Montezuma Castle National Monument (NM) in Arizona. We used data from previous research to compile complete species lists for the monument and to assess inventory completeness. There have been 784 species recorded at Montezuma Castle NM, of which 85 (11%) are non-native. In each taxon-specific chapter we highlight areas of resources that contributed to species richness or unique species for the monument. Of particular importance are Montezuma Well and Beaver and Wet Beaver creeks and the surrounding riparian vegetation, which are responsible for the monument having one of the highest numbers of bird species in the Sonoran Desert Network of park units. Beaver Creek is also home to populations of federally-listed fish species of concern. Other important resources include the cliffs along the creeks and around Montezuma Well (for cliff and cave roosting bats). Based on the review of past studies, we believe the inventory for most taxa is nearly complete, though some rare or elusive species will be added with additional survey effort. We recommend additional inventory, monitoring and research studies.

Population status and habitat associations of the King Rail in the midwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bolenbaugh, Jason R.; Cooper, Tom; Brady, Ryan S.; Willard, Karen L.; Krementz, David G.

2012-01-01

The migratory population of the King Rail (Rallus elegans) has declined dramatically during the past 50 years, emphasizing the need to document the distribution and status of this species to help guide conservation efforts. In an effort to guide King Rail breeding habitat protection and restoration, a landscape suitability index (LSI) model was developed for the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (JV). To validate this model, 264 sites were surveyed across the JV region in 2008 and 2009 using the National Marshbird Monitoring protocol. Two other similarly collected data sets from Wisconsin (250 sites) and Ohio (259 sites) as well as data from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's eBird database were added to our data set. Sampling effort was not uniform across the study area. King Rails were detected at 29 sites with the greatest concentration in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. Too few detections were made to validate the LSI model. King Rail detection sites tended to have microtopographic heterogeneity, more emergent herbaceous wetland vegetation and less woody vegetation. The migrant population of the King Rail is rare and warrants additional conservation efforts to achieve stated conservation population targets.

Tip aerodynamics and acoustics test: A report and data survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cross, Jeffrey L.; Watts, Michael E.

1988-01-01

In a continuing effort to understand helicopter rotor tip aerodynamics and acoustics, a flight test was conducted by NASA Ames Research Center. The test was performed using the NASA White Cobra and a set of highly instrumented blades. All aspects of the flight test instrumentation and test procedures are explained. Additionally, complete data sets for selected test points are presented and analyzed. Because of the high volume of data acquired, only selected data points are presented. However, access to the entire data set is available to the researcher on request.

Water-quality trends in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin using sediment cores from reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, B.J.; Callender, Edward C.

1997-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began full implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program (Leahy and others, 1990). Also in 1991, the State of Texas established the Clean Rivers Program (CRP) administered by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). The coring study reported here was a collaborative effort between the NAWQA Program and the CRP Rio Grande Border Environmental Assessment Team, with additional funding support from the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1.

Extending the Strategy Based Risk Model Using the Delphi Method: An Application to the Validation Process for Research and Developmental (R&D) Satellites

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

correctly Risk before validation step: 41-60% - Is this too high/ low ? Why? Risk 8: Operational or data latency impacts based on relationship between...too high, too low , or correct. We also asked them to comment on why they felt this way. Finally, we left additional space on the survey for any...cost of each validation effort was too high, too low , or acceptable. They then gave us rationale for their beliefs. The second cost associated with

Converting Advances in Seismology into Earthquake Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauksson, Egill; Shearer, Peter; Vidale, John

2004-01-01

Federal and state agencies and university groups all operate seismic networks in California. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates seismic networks in California in cooperation with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in southern California, and the University of California (UC) at Berkeley in northern California. The California Geological Survey (CGS) and the USGS National Strong Motion Program (NSMP) operate dial-out strong motion instruments in the state, primarily to capture data from large earthquakes for earthquake engineering and, more recently, emergency response. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) provides leadership for the most recent project, the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), to integrate all of the California efforts, and to take advantage of the emergency response capabilities of the seismic networks. The core members of the CISN are Caltech, UC Berkeley, CGS, USGS Menlo Park, and USGS Pasadena (http://www.cisn.org). New seismic instrumentation is in place across southern California, and significant progress has been made in improving instrumentation in northern California. Since 2001, these new field instrumentation efforts, data sharing, and software development for real-time reporting and archiving have been coordinated through the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN). The CISN is also the California region of the Advanced National Seismic Network (ANSS). In addition, EarthScope deployments of USArray that will begin in early 2004 in California are coordinated with the CISN. The southern and northern California earthquake data centers (SCEDC and NCEDC) have new capabilities that enable seismologists to obtain large volumes of data with only modest effort.

Discovery of Marine Datasets and Geospatial Metadata Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwehr, K. D.; Brennan, R. T.; Sellars, J.; Smith, S.

2009-12-01

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provides the deep archive of US multibeam sonar hydrographic surveys. NOAA stores the data as Bathymetric Attributed Grids (BAG; http://www.opennavsurf.org/) that are HDF5 formatted files containing gridded bathymetry, gridded uncertainty, and XML metadata. While NGDC provides the deep store and a basic ERSI ArcIMS interface to the data, additional tools need to be created to increase the frequency with which researchers discover hydrographic surveys that might be beneficial for their research. Using Open Source tools, we have created a draft of a Google Earth visualization of NOAA's complete collection of BAG files as of March 2009. Each survey is represented as a bounding box, an optional preview image of the survey data, and a pop up placemark. The placemark contains a brief summary of the metadata and links to directly download of the BAG survey files and the complete metadata file. Each survey is time tagged so that users can search both in space and time for surveys that meet their needs. By creating this visualization, we aim to make the entire process of data discovery, validation of relevance, and download much more efficient for research scientists who may not be familiar with NOAA's hydrographic survey efforts or the BAG format. In the process of creating this demonstration, we have identified a number of improvements that can be made to the hydrographic survey process in order to make the results easier to use especially with respect to metadata generation. With the combination of the NGDC deep archiving infrastructure, a Google Earth virtual globe visualization, and GeoRSS feeds of updates, we hope to increase the utilization of these high-quality gridded bathymetry. This workflow applies equally well to LIDAR topography and bathymetry. Additionally, with proper referencing and geotagging in journal publications, we hope to close the loop and help the community create a true “Geospatial Scholar” infrastructure.

Alaska's renewable energy potential.

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

Not Available

2009-02-01

This paper delivers a brief survey of renewable energy technologies applicable to Alaska's climate, latitude, geography, and geology. We first identify Alaska's natural renewable energy resources and which renewable energy technologies would be most productive. e survey the current state of renewable energy technologies and research efforts within the U.S. and, where appropriate, internationally. We also present information on the current state of Alaska's renewable energy assets, incentives, and commercial enterprises. Finally, we escribe places where research efforts at Sandia National Laboratories could assist the state of Alaska with its renewable energy technology investment efforts.

Dimensional comparability of psychosocial working conditions as covered in European monitoring questionnaires.

PubMed

Formazin, Maren; Burr, Hermann; Aagestad, Cecilie; Tynes, Tore; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Perkio-Makela, Merja; Díaz Aramburu, Clara Isabel; Pinilla García, Francisco Javier; Galiana Blanco, Luz; Vermeylen, Greet; Parent-Thirion, Agnes; Hooftman, Wendela; Houtman, Irene

2014-12-09

In most countries in the EU, national surveys are used to monitor working conditions and health. Since the development processes behind the various surveys are not necessarily theoretical, but certainly practical and political, the extent of similarity among the dimensions covered in these surveys has been unclear. Another interesting question is whether prominent models from scientific research on work and health are present in the surveys--bearing in mind that the primary focus of these surveys is on monitoring status and trends, not on mapping scientific models. Moreover, it is relevant to know which other scales and concepts not stemming from these models have been included in the surveys. The purpose of this paper is to determine (1) the similarity of dimensions covered in the surveys included and (2) the congruence of dimensions of scientific research and of dimensions present in the monitoring systems. Items from surveys representing six European countries and one European wide survey were classified into the dimensions they cover, using a taxonomy agreed upon among all involved partners from the six countries. The classification reveals that there is a large overlap of dimensions, albeit not in the formulation of items, covered in the seven surveys. Among the available items, the two prominent work-stress-models--job-demand-control-support-model (DCS) and effort-reward-imbalance-model (ERI)--are covered in most surveys even though this has not been the primary aim in the compilation of these surveys. In addition, a large variety of items included in the surveillance systems are not part of these models and are--at least partly--used in nearly all surveys. These additional items reflect concepts such as "restructuring", "meaning of work", "emotional demands" and "offensive behaviour/violence & harassment". The overlap of the dimensions being covered in the various questionnaires indicates that the interests of the parties deciding on the questionnaires in the different countries overlap. The large number of dimensions measured in the questionnaires and not being part of the DCS and ERI models is striking. These "new" dimensions could inspire the research community to further investigate their possible health and labour market effects.

Effort-reward imbalance, procedural injustice and relational injustice as psychosocial predictors of health: complementary or redundant models?

PubMed

Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Elovainio, Marko; Virtanen, Marianna; Siegrist, Johannes

2007-10-01

Effort-reward imbalance at work is an established psychosocial risk factor but there are also newer conceptualisations, such as procedural injustice (decisions at work lack consistency, openness and input from all affected parties) and relational injustice (problems in considerate and fair treatment of employees by supervisors). The authors examined whether procedural injustice and relational injustice are associated with employee health in addition to, and in combination with, effort-reward imbalance. Prospective survey data from two cohorts related to public-sector employees: the 10-Town study (n = 18 066 (78% women, age range 19-62) and the Finnish Hospital Personnel study (n = 4833, 89% women, age range 20-60). Self-rated poor health, minor psychiatric morbidity and doctor-diagnosed depression were assessed at baseline (2000-2) and at follow-up (2004). To determine incident morbidity, baseline cases were excluded. In multivariate models including age, sex, occupational status and all three psychosocial factors as predictors, high effort-reward imbalance and either high procedural injustice or high relational injustice were associated with increased morbidity at follow-up in both cohorts. After combining procedural and relational injustice into a single measure of organisational injustice, high effort-reward imbalance and high injustice were both independently associated with health. For all outcome measures, a combination of high effort-reward imbalance and high organisational injustice was related to a greater health risk than high effort-reward imbalance or injustice alone. Evidence from two independent occupational cohorts suggests that procedural and relational components of injustice, as a combined index, and effort-reward imbalance are complementary risk factors.

Searching for management approaches to reduce HAI transmission (SMART): a study protocol.

PubMed

McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Hefner, Jennifer L; Sieck, Cynthia J; Walker, Daniel M; Aldrich, Alison M; Sova, Lindsey N; Gaughan, Alice A; Slevin, Caitlin M; Hebert, Courtney; Hade, Erinn; Buck, Jacalyn; Grove, Michele; Huerta, Timothy R

2017-06-28

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) impact patients' lives through prolonged hospitalization, morbidity, and death, resulting in significant costs to both health systems and society. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are two of the most preventable HAIs. As a result, these HAIs have been the focus of significant efforts to identify evidence-based clinical strategies to reduce infection rates. The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) provides a formal model for translating CLABSI-reduction evidence into practice. Yet, a national demonstration project found organizations experienced variable levels of success using CUSP to reduce CLABSIs. In addition, in Fiscal year 2019, Medicare will expand use of CLABSI and CAUTI metrics beyond ICUs to the entire hospital for reimbursement purposes. As a result, hospitals need guidance about how to successfully translate HAI-reduction efforts such as CUSP to non-ICU settings (clinical practice), and how to shape context (management practice)-including culture and management strategies-to proactively support clinical teams. Using a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the contribution of management factors to successful HAI-reduction efforts, our study aims to: (1) Develop valid and reliable measures of structural management practices associated with the recommended CLABSI Management Strategies for use as a survey (HAI Management Practice Guideline Survey) to support HAI-reduction efforts in both medical/surgical units and ICUs; (2) Develop, validate, and then deploy the HAI Management Practice Guideline Survey, first across Ohio hospitals, then nationwide, to determine the positive predictive value of the measurement instrument as it relates to CLABSI- and CAUTI-prevention; and (3) Integrate findings into a Management Practices Toolkit for HAI reduction that includes an organization-specific data dashboard for monitoring progress and an implementation program for toolkit use, and disseminate that Toolkit nationwide. Providing hospitals with the tools they need to successfully measure management structures that support clinical care provides a powerful approach that can be leveraged to reduce the incidence of HAIs experienced by patients. This study is critical to providing the information necessary to successfully "make health care safer" by providing guidance on how contextual factors within a healthcare setting can improve patient safety across hospitals.

2002 mariner survey : principal findings

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-06-01

The 2002 Mariner Survey is a follow-up to the first survey of merchant : mariners conducted during 2001. The major focus of the 2002 : survey effort was to update and expand information on key readiness : and training issues. Of those who completed a...

Power to detect trends in abundance of secretive marsh birds: effects of species traits and sampling effort

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steidl, Robert J.; Conway, Courtney J.; Litt, Andrea R.

2013-01-01

Standardized protocols for surveying secretive marsh birds have been implemented across North America, but the efficacy of surveys to detect population trends has not been evaluated. We used survey data collected from populations of marsh birds across North America and simulations to explore how characteristics of bird populations (proportion of survey stations occupied, abundance at occupied stations, and detection probability) and aspects of sampling effort (numbers of survey routes, stations/route, and surveys/station/year) affect statistical power to detect trends in abundance of marsh bird populations. In general, the proportion of survey stations along a route occupied by a species had a greater relative effect on power to detect trends than did the number of birds detected per survey at occupied stations. Uncertainty introduced by imperfect detection during surveys reduced power to detect trends considerably, but across the range of detection probabilities for most species of marsh birds, variation in detection probability had only a minor influence on power. For species that occupy a relatively high proportion of survey stations (0.20), have relatively high abundances at occupied stations (2.0 birds/station), and have high detection probability (0.50), ≥40 routes with 10 survey stations per route surveyed 3 times per year would provide an 80% chance of detecting a 3% annual decrease in abundance after 20 years of surveys. Under the same assumptions but for species that are less common, ≥100 routes would be needed to achieve the same power. Our results can help inform the design of programs to monitor trends in abundance of marsh bird populations, especially with regards to the amount of sampling effort necessary to meet programmatic goals.

Ensemble: a web-based system for psychology survey and experiment management.

PubMed

Tomic, Stefan T; Janata, Petr

2007-08-01

We provide a description of Ensemble, a suite of Web-integrated modules for managing and analyzing data associated with psychology experiments in a small research lab. The system delivers interfaces via a Web browser for creating and presenting simple surveys without the need to author Web pages and with little or no programming effort. The surveys may be extended by selecting and presenting auditory and/or visual stimuli with MATLAB and Flash to enable a wide range of psychophysical and cognitive experiments which do not require the recording of precise reaction times. Additionally, one is provided with the ability to administer and present experiments remotely. The software technologies employed by the various modules of Ensemble are MySQL, PHP, MATLAB, and Flash. The code for Ensemble is open source and available to the public, so that its functions can be readily extended by users. We describe the architecture of the system, the functionality of each module, and provide basic examples of the interfaces.

Bathymetry data collected in October 2014 from Fire Island, New York—The wilderness breach, shoreface, and bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen T.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.

2017-03-24

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, conducted a bathymetric survey of Fire Island, New York, from October 5 to 10, 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the wilderness breach, which formed in October 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, as part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry data were collected, using single-beam echo sounders and global positioning systems mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach, Fire Island Inlet, Narrow Bay, and Great South Bay east of Nicoll Bay. Additional bathymetry and elevation data were collected using backpack and wheel-mounted global positioning systems along the subaerial beach (foreshore and backshore), flood shoals, and shallow channels within the wilderness breach and adjacent shoreface.

Different effort constructs and effort-reward imbalance: effects on employee well-being in ancillary health care workers.

PubMed

van Vegchel, N; de Jonge, J; Meijer, T; Hamers, J P

2001-04-01

The present study investigates the relationship between Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) and employee well-being, using three different concepts of efforts (i.e. psychological demands, physical demands and emotional demands). The ERI model had been used as a theoretical framework, indicating that work stress is related to high efforts (i.e. job demands) and low occupational rewards (e.g. money, esteem and security/career opportunities). The ERI model also predicts that, in overcommitted workers, effects of ERI on employee well-being are stronger compared with their less committed counterparts. A cross-sectional survey among 167 ancillary health care workers of two nursing homes was conducted. Multiple univariate logistic regression analyses were used to test the relationship between ERI and employee well-being. Results of the logistic regression analyses showed that employees with both high (psychological, physical and emotional) efforts and low rewards had higher risks of psychosomatic health complaints, physical health symptoms and job dissatisfaction (odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 5.09 to 18.55). Moreover, employees who reported both high efforts and high rewards had elevated risks of physical symptoms and exhaustion (ORs ranged from 6.17 to 9.39). No support was found for the hypothesis on the moderating effect of overcommitment. Results show some support for the ERI model; ancillary health care workers with high effort/low reward imbalance had elevated risks of poor employee well-being. In addition, results show that the combination of high efforts and high rewards is important for employee well-being. Finally, some practical implications are discussed to combat work stress in health care work.

Insurance denials for cancer clinical trial participation after the Affordable Care Act mandate.

PubMed

Mackay, Christine B; Antonelli, Kaitlyn R; Bruinooge, Suanna S; Saint Onge, Jarron M; Ellis, Shellie D

2017-08-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a mandate requiring most private health insurers to cover routine patient care costs for cancer clinical trial participation; however, the impact of this provision on cancer centers' efforts to accrue patients to clinical trials has not been well described. First, members of cancer research centers and community-based institutions (n = 252) were surveyed to assess the status of insurance denials, and then, a focused survey (n = 77) collected denial details. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine associations between the receipt of denials and site characteristics. Overall, 62.7% of the initial survey respondents reported at least 1 insurance denial during 2014. Sites using a precertification process were 3.04 times more likely to experience denials (95% confidence interval, 1.55-5.99; P ≤ .001), and similar rates of denials were reported from sites located in states with preexisting clinical trial coverage laws versus states without them (82.3% vs 85.1%; χ = 50.7; P ≤ .001). Among the focused survey sites, academic centers reported denials more often than community sites (71.4% vs 46.4%). The failure of plans to cover trial participation was cited as the most common reason provided for denials (n = 33 [80.5%]), with nearly 80% of sites (n = 61) not receiving a coverage response from the insurer within 72 hours. Despite the ACA's mandate for most insurers to cover routine care costs for cancer clinical trial participation, denials and delays continue. Denials may continue because some insurers remain exempt from the law, or they may signal an implementation failure. Delays in coverage may affect patient participation in trials. Additional efforts to eliminate this barrier will be needed to achieve federal initiatives to double the pace of cancer research over the next 5 years. Future work should assess the law's effectiveness at the patient level to inform these efforts. Cancer 2017;123:2893-900. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Hydrodynamic assessment data associated with the July 2010 line 6B spill into the Kalamazoo River, Michigan, 2012–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reneau, Paul C.; Soong, David T.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2015-12-07

Hydrodynamic-assessment data for the Kalamazoo River were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) during 2012–14 to augment other hydrodynamic data-collection efforts by Enbridge Energy L.P. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency associated with the 2010 Enbridge Line 6B oil spill. Specifically, the USGS data-collection efforts were focused on additional background data needed for 2013–14 updates to Enbridge’s 2012 hydrodynamic and sediment-transport models for simulating resuspension and deposition of submerged oil. The main data-collection activities consisted of the following along the Kalamazoo River: (1) a survey done by use of a Real-Time Network Global Navigation Satellite System, (2) water-level measurements in impounded sections, (3) velocity, discharge, and bathymetry measurements at transects and stationary points along the oil-affected reach of the river and in Morrow Delta and Lake, (4) estimates of tributary inflows, and (5) suspended-sediment concentrations and particle-size data at USGS streamgages along the Kalamazoo River. The method used to estimate bed shear stress from stationary velocity data is described. Averaged transect-based velocity data that were processed to match model grids also are included. In addition to model inputs and checks, these hydrodynamic-related data were used in submerged oil containment and recovery operations focused in impoundments and designated sediment traps. This report contains a description of the scope and methods associated with the hydrodynamic data collection and supplementary files of the USGS data that were used in modeling activities.

Aerial survey methodology for bison population estimation in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Steven C.

2002-01-01

I developed aerial survey methods for statistically rigorous bison population estimation in Yellowstone National Park to support sound resource management decisions and to understand bison ecology. Survey protocols, data recording procedures, a geographic framework, and seasonal stratifications were based on field observations from February 1998-September 2000. The reliability of this framework and strata were tested with long-term data from 1970-1997. I simulated different sample survey designs and compared them to high-effort censuses of well-defined large areas to evaluate effort, precision, and bias. Sample survey designs require much effort and extensive information on the current spatial distribution of bison and therefore do not offer any substantial reduction in time and effort over censuses. I conducted concurrent ground surveys, or 'double sampling' to estimate detection probability during aerial surveys. Group size distribution and habitat strongly affected detection probability. In winter, 75% of the groups and 92% of individual bison were detected on average from aircraft, while in summer, 79% of groups and 97% of individual bison were detected. I also used photography to quantify the bias due to counting large groups of bison accurately and found that undercounting increased with group size and could reach 15%. I compared survey conditions between seasons and identified optimal time windows for conducting surveys in both winter and summer. These windows account for the habitats and total area bison occupy, and group size distribution. Bison became increasingly scattered over the Yellowstone region in smaller groups and more occupied unfavorable habitats as winter progressed. Therefore, the best conditions for winter surveys occur early in the season (Dec-Jan). In summer, bison were most spatially aggregated and occurred in the largest groups by early August. Low variability between surveys and high detection probability provide population estimates with an overall coefficient of variation of approximately 8% and have high power for detecting trends in population change. I demonstrated how population estimates from winter and summer can be integrated into a comprehensive monitoring program to estimate annual growth rates, overall winter mortality, and an index of calf production, requiring about 30 hours of flight per year.

Occupational Survey Report on Business Data Programmers: Task Data From Workers and Supervisors Indicating Job Relevance and Training Criticalness. Research and Development Series No. 108.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammerman, Harry L.; Pratzner, Frank C.

The Center for Vocational Education is continuing its programatic research efforts to develop more effective procedures for identifying valid and necessary curriculum content. The occupational task survey report for the occupation of business data programer is a product resulting from this effort. The task inventory data summarized were collected…

Assessment of rarity of the blackmouth shiner Notropis melanostomus (Cyprinidae) based on museum and recent survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connell, M. T.; Uzee O'Connell, A.M.; Williams, J.D.

2005-01-01

Accurate knowledge of an organism's distribution is necessary for conserving species with small or isolated populations. A perceived rarity may only reflect inadequate sampling effort and suggest the need for more research. We used a recently developed method to evaluate the distribution of a rare fish species, the blackmouth shiner Notropis melanostomus Bortone 1989 (Cyprinidae), which occurs in disjunct populations in Mississippi and Florida. Until 1995, N. melanostomus had been collected from only three localities in Mississippi, but in 1995, eight new localities were discovered. We analyzed museum records of fish collections from Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama to compare sampling effort before and after 1995. Results supported our predictions that 1) pre-1995 data would indicate inadequate sampling effort in Mississippi, 2) additional post-1995 sampling improved confidence in the currently known Mississippi distribution, and 3) there has not been enough sampling to accurately represent the actual distribution of N. melanostomus in Florida and across its entire known range. This last prediction was confirmed with the recent (2003) discovery of the first N. melanostomus in Alabama.

Using standardized fishery data to inform rehabilitation efforts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spurgeon, Jonathan J.; Stewart, Nathaniel T.; Pegg, Mark A.; Pope, Kevin L.; Porath, Mark T.

2016-01-01

Lakes and reservoirs progress through an aging process often accelerated by human activities, resulting in degradation or loss of ecosystem services. Resource managers thus attempt to slow or reverse the negative effects of aging using a myriad of rehabilitation strategies. Sustained monitoring programs to assess the efficacy of rehabilitation strategies are often limited; however, long-term standardized fishery surveys may be a valuable data source from which to begin evaluation. We present 3 case studies using standardized fishery survey data to assess rehabilitation efforts stemming from the Nebraska Aquatic Habitat Plan, a large-scale program with the mission to rehabilitate waterbodies within the state. The case studies highlight that biotic responses to rehabilitation efforts can be assessed, to an extent, using standardized fishery data; however, there were specific areas where minor increases in effort would clarify the effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques. Management of lakes and reservoirs can be streamlined by maximizing the utility of such datasets to work smarter, not harder. To facilitate such efforts, we stress collecting both biotic (e.g., fish lengths and weight) and abiotic (e.g., dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity) data during standardized fishery surveys and designing rehabilitation actions with an appropriate experimental design.

Great Lakes restoration success through science: U.S. Geological Survey accomplishments 2010 through 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2014-01-01

Tracking progress and working with partners. As of August 2013, the GLRI had funded more than 1,500 projects and programs of the highest priority to meet immediate cleanup, restoration, and protection needs. These projects use scientific analyses as the basis for identifying the restoration needs and priorities for the GLRI. Results from the science, monitoring, and other on-the-ground actions by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provide the scientific information needed to help guide the Great Lakes restoration efforts. This document highlights a selection of USGS projects for each of the five focus areas through 2013, demonstrating the importance of science for restoration success. Additional information for these and other USGS projects that are important for Great Lakes restoration is available at http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/glri-catalog/.

Empirical validation of an agent-based model of wood markets in Switzerland

PubMed Central

Hilty, Lorenz M.; Lemm, Renato; Thees, Oliver

2018-01-01

We present an agent-based model of wood markets and show our efforts to validate this model using empirical data from different sources, including interviews, workshops, experiments, and official statistics. Own surveys closed gaps where data was not available. Our approach to model validation used a variety of techniques, including the replication of historical production amounts, prices, and survey results, as well as a historical case study of a large sawmill entering the market and becoming insolvent only a few years later. Validating the model using this case provided additional insights, showing how the model can be used to simulate scenarios of resource availability and resource allocation. We conclude that the outcome of the rigorous validation qualifies the model to simulate scenarios concerning resource availability and allocation in our study region. PMID:29351300

Professional profile of radiologic technology educators.

PubMed

Legg, Jeffrey S; Pollard, Debra K; Fauber, Terri L

2005-01-01

Full-time radiologic technology educators (n = 565) were surveyed to determine their demographic characteristics and professional profile. Overall, the majority of radiologic technology educators surveyed were women between the ages of 40 and 59, had a bachelor's or master's degree, were certified in radiography and reported annual incomes from 40,001 dollars to 60,000 dollars. Most educators spent between 1 hour and 8 hours per week on classroom instruction/laboratory and in the clinical setting. Additionally, hospital or community college programs employed the majority of educators. Demographic characteristics of radiologic technology educators varied according to the type of institution in which they were employed and by education level. Study findings show a potential loss of qualified educators in the near future and the need for increased efforts to prepare and recruit radiologic technologists into the education career path.

Survey of holographic security systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontnik, Lewis T.; Lancaster, Ian M.

1990-04-01

The counterfeiting of products and financial instruments is a major problem throughout the world today. The dimensions of the problem are growing, accelerated by the expanding availability of production technologies to sophisticated counterfeiters and the increasing capabilities of these technologies. Various optical techniques, including holography, are beingused in efforts to mark authentic products and to distinguish them from copies. Industry is recognizing that the effectiveness of these techniques depends on such factors as the economics of the counterfeiting process and the distribution channels for the products involved, in addition to the performance of the particular optical security technologies used. This paper surveys the nature of the growing counterfeit market place and reviews the utility of holographic optical security systems. In particular, we review the use of holograms on credit cards and other products; and outline certain steps the holography industry should take to promote these application.

Coastal bathymetry data collected in June 2014 from Fire Island, New York—The wilderness breach and shoreface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Brenner, Owen T.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Hansen, Mark E.

2016-08-02

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, collected bathymetric data along the upper shoreface and within the wilderness breach at Fire Island, New York, in June 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the shoreface along Fire Island and model the evolution of the wilderness breach as a part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry was collected with single-beam echo sounders and global positioning systems, mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach. Additional bathymetry was collected using backpack global positioning systems along the flood shoals and shallow channels within the wilderness breach.

Survey report of NOAA Ship McArthur II cruises AR-04-04, AR-05-05 and AR-06-03: habitat classification of side scan sonar imagery in support of deep-sea coral/sponge explorations at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Intelmann, Steven S.; Cochrane, Guy R.; Bowlby, C. Edward; Brancato, Mary Sue; Hyland, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

Habitat mapping and characterization has been defined as a high-priority management issue for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS), especially for poorly known deep-sea habitats that may be sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. As a result, a team of scientists from OCNMS, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and other partnering institutions initiated a series of surveys to assess the distribution of deep-sea coral/sponge assemblages within the sanctuary and to look for evidence of potential anthropogenic impacts in these critical habitats. Initial results indicated that remotely delineating areas of hard bottom substrate through acoustic sensing could be a useful tool to increase the efficiency and success of subsequent ROV-based surveys of the associated deep-sea fauna. Accordingly, side scan sonar surveys were conducted in May 2004, June 2005, and April 2006 aboard the NOAA Ship McArthur II to: (1) obtain additional imagery of the seafloor for broader habitat-mapping coverage of sanctuary waters, and (2) help delineate suitable deep-sea coral-sponge habitat, in areas of both high and low commercial-fishing activities, to serve as sites for surveying-in more detail using an ROV on subsequent cruises, Several regions of the sea floor throughout the OCNMS were surveyed and mosaicked at 1-meter pixel resolution. Imagery from the side scan sonar mapping efforts was integrated with other complementary data from a towed camera sled, ROVs, sedentary samples, and bathymetry records to describe geological and biological (where possible) aspects of habitat. Using a hierarchical deep-water marine benthic classification scheme (Greene et al. 1999), we created a preliminary map of various habitat polygon features for use in a geographical information system (GIS). This report provides a description of the mapping and groundtruthing efforts as well as results of the image classification procedure for each of the areas surveyed.

Polar bear aerial survey in the eastern Chukchi Sea: A pilot study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, Thomas J.; Fischbach, Anthony S.; Schliebe, Scott L.; Manly, Bryan; Kalxdorff, Susanne B.; York, Geoff S.

2003-01-01

Alaska has two polar bear populations: the Southern Beaufort Sea population, shared with Canada, and the Chukchi/Bering Seas population, shared with Russia. Currently a reliable population estimate for the Chukchi/Bering Seas population does not exist. Land-based aerial and mark-recapture population surveys may not be possible in the Chukchi Sea because variable ice conditions, the limited range of helicopters, extremely large polar bear home ranges, and severe weather conditions may limit access to remote areas. Thus line-transect aerial surveys from icebreakers may be the best available tool to monitor this polar bear stock. In August 2000, a line-transect survey was conducted in the eastern Chukchi Sea and western Beaufort Sea from helicopters based on a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker under the "Ship of Opportunity" program. The objectives of this pilot study were to estimate polar bear density in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas and to assess the logistical feasibility of using ship-based aerial surveys to develop polar bear population estimates. Twenty-nine polar bears in 25 groups were sighted on 94 transects (8257 km). The density of bears was estimated as 1 bear per 147 km² (CV = 38%). Additional aerial surveys in late fall, using dedicated icebreakers, would be required to achieve the number of sightings, survey effort, coverage, and precision needed for more effective monitoring of population trends in the Chukchi Sea.

Gender differences in job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and health functioning among Chinese physicians.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Yang, Wenjie; Cho, Sung-Il

2006-03-01

To examine the association between work stress measured by job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and health functioning in a sample of hospital-based Chinese physicians, a self-reported survey with a standardized questionnaire was conducted in three hospitals in China, among 256 men and 266 women. It was found that both job strain and ERI were associated with impaired health functioning in men and women, but that ERI indicated a stronger association. Men's job control was significantly higher, and was related to men's physical health; whereas women perceived relatively higher job reward which predicted women's mental health. The findings provide evidence of the adverse effects on health functioning of both job strain and ERI, but ERI appears to have more explanatory power as a model of work stress in this sample of Chinese physicians. In addition, gender differences of work stress with respect to health are present.

Collecting winter data on U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyserman, Ben O.; Woityra, William C.; Bullerjahn, George S.; Beall, Benjamin F. N.; McKay, Robert Michael L.

2012-03-01

Winter research and monitoring of icebound rivers, lakes, and coastal seas to date has usually involved seagoing civilian scientists leading survey efforts. However, because of poor weather conditions and a lack of safe research platforms, scientists collecting data during winter face some difficult and often insurmountable problems. To solve these problems and to further research and environmental monitoring goals, new partnerships can be formed through integrating efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) with citizen science initiatives. USCG and a research group at Ohio's Bowling Green State University are entering the third year of such a partnership, in which icebreaking operations in Lake Erie using USCG Cutter Neah Bay support volunteer data collection. With two additional USCG vessels joining the program this winter season, the partnership serves as a timely and useful model for worldwide environmental research and monitoring through citizen science and government collaboration.

Paying for the Medicare program.

PubMed

Munnell, A H

1985-01-01

Although the hospital insurance (HI) trust fund acted as a source of strength for the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program during its recent financial crises, projections by HCFA and CBO reveal that the Medicare program will experience financing problems of its own within the next decade. No one would argue that Medicare's financing problems should be solved simply by raising more money. However, the prospect of insolvency in the HI trust fund and the increasing strain on general revenues from the Supplementary Medical Insurance trust fund require policymakers to survey the options for increasing Medicare revenues while cost-control devices are being developed. Indeed, even if cost-control efforts are completely successful, additional revenues may be needed in the future to finance new initiatives in the Medicare program. Therefore, this paper will look briefly at current efforts to regain control of soaring hospital and physician costs and then examine some of the more feasible options for increasing Medicare revenues.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Brian F.; Albrecht, Eric W.; Halvorson, William L.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Docherty, Kathleen; Anning, Pamela

2006-01-01

Executive Summary This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive biological inventory of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (NM) in western New Mexico. This project was part of a larger effort to inventory plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in Arizona and New Mexico. Our surveys address many of the objectives that were set forth in the monument's natural resource management plan almost 20 years ago, but until this effort, those goals were never accomplished. From 2001 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Gila Cliff Dwellings NM to document presence of species within the boundaries of the monument. For all taxonomic groups that we studied, we collected 'incidental' sightings on U.S. Forest Service lands adjacent to the monument, and in a few cases we did formal surveys on those lands. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field techniques, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for Gila Cliff Dwellings NM and surrounding lands. We recorded 552 species at Gila Cliff Dwellings NM and the surrounding lands (Table 1). We found no non-native species of reptiles, birds, or mammals, one non-native amphibian (American bullfrog), and 33 non-native plants. Particularly on lands adjacent to the monument we found that the American bullfrog was very abundant, which is a cause for significant management concern. Species of non-native plants that are of management concern include red brome, bufflegrass, and cheatgrass. For a park unit of its size and geographic location, we found the plant and vertebrate communities to be fairly diverse; for each taxonomic group we found representative species from a wide range of taxonomic orders and/or families. The monument's geographic location, with influences from the Rocky Mountain, Chihuahuan Desert, and Madrean ecological provinces, plays an important role in determining the species richness at the monument. Also important is the wide range of conditions at the site. The diversity of plants results from a wide variety of soil types and aspects (from the cool, moist Cliff Dweller Canyon to dry mesa slopes) and an abundance of water from the West Fork of the Gila River. In turn, the vertebrate communities respond to this diversity of vegetation, topography, and microsites. For example, for each taxonomic group we found species that were only associated with a single community type, most often the riparian areas along the West and Middle forks of the Gila River. We found cause for significant concern with regard to loss of species in the last few decades. One species of amphibian (Chiricahua leopard frog) is certainly extirpated from the area. Three other species of amphibians (Mexican spadefoot, Woodhouse's toad, and red-spotted toad), reported as being 'common' in the area in 1971, were not found during our surveys. In addition, we did not find three species of rodents that were found in 1965: silky pocket mouse, Ord's kangaroo rat, and southern grasshopper mouse. The monument's aquatic vertebrate component, in particular, may be at a critical juncture whereby other species, such as gartersnakes, may be poised for extirpation. Declining abundance of native fish species has been demonstrated from long-term monitoring of these communities along the Middle Fork of the Gila River. This report includes lists of species recorded by us or species likely to be recorded with additional survey effort. It also includes management implications from our work - how the monument staff might better maintain or enhance the unique biological resources of the monument. This study is the first step in a long-term process of compiling information on the biological resources of the monument and its surrounding areas. We recommend additional inventory and monitoring studies and identify components of our effort that could be improved upon

The role of physical habitat and sampling effort on estimates of benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness at basin and site scales.

PubMed

Silva, Déborah R O; Ligeiro, Raphael; Hughes, Robert M; Callisto, Marcos

2016-06-01

Taxonomic richness is one of the most important measures of biological diversity in ecological studies, including those with stream macroinvertebrates. However, it is impractical to measure the true richness of any site directly by sampling. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of sampling effort on estimates of macroinvertebrate family and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) genera richness at two scales: basin and stream site. In addition, we tried to determine which environmental factors at the site scale most influenced the amount of sampling effort needed. We sampled 39 sites in the Cerrado biome (neotropical savanna). In each site, we obtained 11 equidistant samples of the benthic assemblage and multiple physical habitat measurements. The observed basin-scale richness achieved a consistent estimation from Chao 1, Jack 1, and Jack 2 richness estimators. However, at the site scale, there was a constant increase in the observed number of taxa with increased number of samples. Models that best explained the slope of site-scale sampling curves (representing the necessity of greater sampling effort) included metrics that describe habitat heterogeneity, habitat structure, anthropogenic disturbance, and water quality, for both macroinvertebrate family and EPT genera richness. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering basin- and site-scale sampling effort in ecological surveys and that taxa accumulation curves and richness estimators are good tools for assessing sampling efficiency. The physical habitat explained a significant amount of the sampling effort needed. Therefore, future studies should explore the possible implications of physical habitat characteristics when developing sampling objectives, study designs, and calculating the needed sampling effort.

Effort-Reward Imbalance for Learning Is Associated with Fatigue in School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukuda, Sanae; Yamano, Emi; Joudoi, Takako; Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Kawatani, Junko; Takano, Miyuki; Tomoda, Akemi; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Miike, Teruhisa; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2010-01-01

We examined relationships among fatigue, sleep quality, and effort-reward imbalance for learning in school children. We developed an effort-reward for learning scale in school students and examined its reliability and validity. Self-administered surveys, including the effort reward for leaning scale and fatigue scale, were completed by 1,023…

Environmental Survey Report for ORNL: Small Mammal Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2009 - 2010

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

Giffen, Neil R; Reasor, R. Scott; Campbell, Claire L.

2009-12-01

This report summarizes a 1-year small mammal biodiversity survey conducted on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The task was implemented through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Natural Resources Management Program and included researchers from the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division, interns in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Higher Education Research Experiences Program, and ORNL Environmental Protection Services staff. Eight sites were surveyed reservation wide. The survey was conducted in an effort to determine species abundance and diversity of small mammal populations throughout the reservation and to continue the historical inventory of smallmore » mammal presence for biodiversity records. This data collection effort was in support of the approved Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation, a major goal of which is to maintain and enhance wildlife biodiversity on the Reservation. Three of the sites (Poplar Creek, McNew Hollow, and Deer Check Station Field) were previously surveyed during a major natural resources inventory conducted in 1996. Five new sites were included in this study: Bearden Creek, Rainy Knob (Natural Area 21), Gum Hollow, White Oak Creek and Melton Branch. The 2009-2010 small mammal surveys were conducted from June 2009 to July 2010 on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The survey had two main goals: (1) to determine species abundance and diversity and (2) to update historical records on the OR Research Park. The park is located on the Department of Energy-owned Oak Ridge Reservation, which encompasses 13,580 ha. The primary focus of the study was riparian zones. In addition to small mammal sampling, vegetation and coarse woody debris samples were taken at certain sites to determine any correlations between habitat and species presence. During the survey all specimens were captured and released using live trapping techniques including Sherman and pitfall traps. In total 227 small mammals representing nine species were captured during the course of the study. The most common species found in the study was the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). The least common species found were the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius), woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum), and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda).« less

Baleen whale ecology and feeding habitat use in the Bay of Fundy, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, K. T. A.; Brown, M.; Taggart, C. T.

2016-02-01

The Bay of Fundy on the east coast of Canada contains a rich supply of zooplankton and fish that provide food for diverse baleen whales. Endangered North Atlantic right whales and other large baleen whales have been monitored in the Bay of Fundy at least weekly during every summer since the 1980s. Over the most recent years, significant declines in sightings and residency of the right whales have been observed in this habitat; hypothetically indicative of a substantial and multi-year reduction in food supply. Whether concurrent changes in other baleen whales and, by inference, their respective food supplies have also occurred is unknown. This study quantifies changes in baleen whale ecology in the Bay over three decades with a focus on comparing (1) recent declines in right whale sightings to long-term historical trends, and (2) variation in right whale sightings to other large baleen whale species who share similar zooplankton food sources (e.g., sei whales) or rely on different food sources (e.g., fin, humpback). First, survey effort is reconstructed as survey track-length and as time-on-effort, and the space-time variations in effort are quantified. Then, variation in whale density indices and residency among surveys and survey-years are examined through effort-corrected sightings of all baleen whale species, as well as effort-corrected sightings of photo-identified right whale individuals. Results are then interpreted within the context of the oceanographic and food supply variation in the habitat.

An Exploratory Survey of Information Requirements for Instrument Approach Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

This report documents a user centered survey and interview effort conducted to analyze the information content of : current Instrument Approach Plates (IAP). In the pilot opinion survey of approach chart information requirements, : respondents indica...

Knowledge-Based Decision Support in Department of Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

from the analysis framework developed by Miles and Huberman (1994). The framework describes the major phases of data analysis as data reduction, data... Miles and Huberman , 1994) Survey Effort For this research effort, the survey data was obtained from SAF/ACPO (Air Force Acquisition Chief...rank O-6/GS-15 or above. Data Reduction and Content Analysis Within the Miles and Huberman (1994) framework, the researcher used Microsoft

Double sampling to estimate density and population trends in birds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bart, Jonathan; Earnst, Susan L.

2002-01-01

We present a method for estimating density of nesting birds based on double sampling. The approach involves surveying a large sample of plots using a rapid method such as uncorrected point counts, variable circular plot counts, or the recently suggested double-observer method. A subsample of those plots is also surveyed using intensive methods to determine actual density. The ratio of the mean count on those plots (using the rapid method) to the mean actual density (as determined by the intensive searches) is used to adjust results from the rapid method. The approach works well when results from the rapid method are highly correlated with actual density. We illustrate the method with three years of shorebird surveys from the tundra in northern Alaska. In the rapid method, surveyors covered ~10 ha h-1 and surveyed each plot a single time. The intensive surveys involved three thorough searches, required ~3 h ha-1, and took 20% of the study effort. Surveyors using the rapid method detected an average of 79% of birds present. That detection ratio was used to convert the index obtained in the rapid method into an essentially unbiased estimate of density. Trends estimated from several years of data would also be essentially unbiased. Other advantages of double sampling are that (1) the rapid method can be changed as new methods become available, (2) domains can be compared even if detection rates differ, (3) total population size can be estimated, and (4) valuable ancillary information (e.g. nest success) can be obtained on intensive plots with little additional effort. We suggest that double sampling be used to test the assumption that rapid methods, such as variable circular plot and double-observer methods, yield density estimates that are essentially unbiased. The feasibility of implementing double sampling in a range of habitats needs to be evaluated.

Field surveying and topographic mapping in Alaska: 1947-83

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foley, Robert C.

1987-01-01

This circular retraces surveying and topographic mapping by the Geological Survey in Alaska from 1947 to 1983 and describes camp life and some of the unusual happenings involved in working in virtually uninhabited country, adverse weather, and difficult terrain. A year-by-year recap of activities documents the transition from early small-scale mapping efforts to more accurate and detailed 1:63,360-scale mapping for Alaska except the Aleutian Islands and isolated islands in the Bering Sea. Recent 1:25,000-scale metric mapping and the preparation of orthophotographs and special mapping efforts for other Government agencies also are recounted.

Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek, 2008 Annual Report : February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

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

Dasher, Rhonda; Fisher, Christopher

2009-06-09

During the 2008 season, projects completed under BPA project 2000-100-00 included installation of riparian fencing, maintenance of existing riparian fencing, monitoring of at-risk culverts and installation of riparian vegetation along impacted sections of Omak Creek. Redd and snorkel surveys were conducted in Omak Creek to determine steelhead production. Canopy closure surveys were conducted to monitor riparian vegetation recovery after exclusion of cattle since 2000 from a study area commonly known as the Moomaw property. Additional redd and fry surveys were conducted above Mission Falls and in the lower portion of Stapaloop Creek to try and determine whether there has beenmore » successful passage at Mission Falls. Monitoring adult steelhead trying to navigate the falls resulted in the discovery of shallow pool depth at an upper pool that is preventing many fish from successfully navigating the entire falls. The Omak Creek Habitat and Passage Project has worked with NRCS to obtain additional funds to implement projects in 2009 that will address passage at Mission Falls, culvert replacement, as well as additional riparian planting. The Omak Creek Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is currently revising the Omak Creek Watershed Assessment. In addition, the group is revising strategy to focus efforts in targeted areas to provide a greater positive impact within the watershed. In 2008 the NRCS Riparian Technical Team was supposed to assess areas within the watershed that have unique problems and require special treatments to successfully resolve the issues involved. The technical team will be scheduled for 2009 to assist the TAG in developing strategies for these special areas.« less

The mediating effects of burnout on the relationship between anxiety symptoms and occupational stress among community healthcare workers in China: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ding, Yanwei; Qu, Jianwei; Yu, Xiaosong; Wang, Shuang

2014-01-01

Several occupational stress studies of healthcare workers have predicted a high prevalence of anxiety symptoms, which can affect their quality of life and the care that they provide. However, few studies have been conducted among community healthcare workers in China. We attempted to explore whether burnout mediates the association between occupational stress and anxiety symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was completed in Liaoning Province, China from November to December 2012. A total of 1,752 healthcare workers from 52 Community Health Centers participated in this study, and all participants were given self-administered questionnaires. These questionnaires addressed the following aspects: the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Chinese version of the effort-reward imbalance scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. Finally, the study included 1,243 effective respondents (effective response rate, 70.95%). Hierarchical linear regression analysis, performed with SPSS 17.0, was used to estimate the effect of burnout. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms among the community healthcare workers was 38.0%. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the effort-reward ratio and overcommitment positively predicted anxiety symptoms. Meanwhile, the effort-reward ratio and overcommitment were positively related to the emotional exhaustion and cynicism subscales of burnout. In addition, the emotional exhaustion and cynicism subscales were positively related to anxiety symptoms. Thus, there is a link between burnout, occupational stress and anxiety symptoms. Burnout mediates the effect of occupational stress on anxiety symptoms. To effectively reduce the impact of occupational stress on anxiety symptoms, burnout management should be considered.

Intelligent Processing Equipment Within the Environmental Protection Agency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greathouse, Daniel G.; Nalesnik, Richard P.

1992-01-01

Protection of the environment and environmental remediation requires the cooperation, at all levels, of government and industry. Intelligent processing equipment, in addition to other artificial intelligence based tools, was used by the Environmental Protection Agency to provide personnel safety and improve the efficiency of those responsible for protection and remediation of the environment. These exploratory efforts demonstrate the feasibility and utility of expanding development and widespread use of these tools. A survey of current intelligent processing equipment applications in the Agency is presented and is followed by a brief discussion of possible uses in the future.

Primer Vector Optimization: Survey of Theory, New Analysis and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guzman, J. J.; Mailhe, L. M.; Schiff, C.; Hughes, S. P.; Folta, D. C.

2002-01-01

In this paper, a summary of primer vector theory is presented. The applicability of primer vector theory is examined in an effort to understand when and why the theory can fail. For example, since the Calculus of Variations is based on "small" variations, singularities in the linearized (variational) equations of motion along the arcs must be taken into account. These singularities are a recurring problem in analyse that employ small variations. Two examples, the initialization of an orbit and a line of apsides rotation, are presented. Recommendations, future work, and the possible addition of other optimization techniques are also discussed.

50 CFR 648.90 - NE multispecies assessment, framework procedures and specifications, and flexible area action...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...; survey results; stock status; current estimates of fishing mortality and overfishing levels; social and... survey data or, if sea sampling data are unavailable, length frequency information from trawl surveys... effort, survey results, stock status, current estimates of fishing mortality, and any other relevant...

Learning Environment and Student Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopland, Arnt O.; Nyhus, Ole Henning

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between satisfaction with learning environment and student effort, both in class and with homework assignments. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from a nationwide and compulsory survey to analyze the relationship between learning environment and student effort. The…

Membrane proteins, detergents and crystals: what is the state of the art?

PubMed Central

Loll, Patrick J.

2014-01-01

At the time when the first membrane-protein crystal structure was determined, crystallization of these molecules was widely perceived as extremely arduous. Today, that perception has changed drastically, and the process is regarded as routine (or nearly so). On the occasion of the International Year of Crystallography 2014, this review presents a snapshot of the current state of the art, with an emphasis on the role of detergents in this process. A survey of membrane-protein crystal structures published since 2012 reveals that the direct crystallization of protein–detergent complexes remains the dominant method­ology; in addition, lipidic mesophases have proven immensely useful, particularly in specific niches, and bicelles, while perhaps undervalued, have provided important contributions as well. Evolving trends include the addition of lipids to protein–detergent complexes and the gradual incorporation of new detergents into the standard repertoire. Stability has emerged as a critical parameter controlling how a membrane protein behaves in the presence of detergent, and efforts to enhance stability are discussed. Finally, although discovery-based screening approaches continue to dwarf mechanistic efforts to unravel crystallization, recent technical advances offer hope that future experiments might incorporate the rational manipulation of crystallization behaviors. PMID:25484203

Self-reported physical activity among blacks: estimates from national surveys.

PubMed

Whitt-Glover, Melicia C; Taylor, Wendell C; Heath, Gregory W; Macera, Caroline A

2007-11-01

National surveillance data provide population-level estimates of physical activity participation, but generally do not include detailed subgroup analyses, which could provide a better understanding of physical activity among subgroups. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of self-reported regular physical activity among black adults using data from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=19,189), the 2004 National Health Interview Survey (n=4263), and the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n=3407). Analyses were conducted between January and March 2006. Datasets were analyzed separately to estimate the proportion of black adults meeting national physical activity recommendations overall and stratified by gender and other demographic subgroups. The proportion of black adults reporting regular PA ranged from 24% to 36%. Regular physical activity was highest among men; younger age groups; highest education and income groups; those who were employed and married; overweight, but not obese, men; and normal-weight women. This pattern was consistent across surveys. The observed physical activity patterns were consistent with national trends. The data suggest that older black adults and those with low education and income levels are at greatest risk for inactive lifestyles and may require additional attention in efforts to increase physical activity in black adults. The variability across datasets reinforces the need for objective measures in national surveys.

Monitoring Users' Satisfactions of the NOAA NWS Climate Products and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horsfall, F. M.; Timofeyeva, M. M.; Dixon, S.; Meyers, J. C.

2011-12-01

The NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Services Division (CSD) ensures the relevance of NWS climate products and services. There are several ongoing efforts to identify the level of user satisfaction. One of these efforts includes periodical surveys conducted by Claes Fornell International (CFI) Group using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which is "the only uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States" (http://www.cfigroup.com/acsi/overview.asp). The CFI Group conducted NWS Climate Products and Services surveys in 2004 and 2009. In 2010, a prominent routine was established for a periodical assessment of the customer satisfaction. From 2010 onward, yearly surveys will cover major climate services products and services. An expanded suite of climate products will be surveyed every other year. Each survey evaluated customer satisfaction with a range of NWS climate services, data, and products, including Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlooks, drought monitoring, and ENSO monitoring and forecasts, as well as NWS local climate data and forecast products and services. The survey results provide insight into the NWS climate customer base and their requirements for climate services. They also evaluate whether we are meeting the needs of customers and the ease of their understanding for routine climate services, forecasts, and outlooks. In addition, the evaluation of specific topics, such as NWS forecast product category names, probabilistic nature of climate products, interpretation issues, etc., were addressed to assess how our users interpret prediction terminology. This paper provides an analysis of the following products: hazards, extended-range, long-lead and drought outlooks, El Nino Southern Oscillation monitoring and predictions as well as local climate data products. Two key issues make comparing the different surveys challenging, including the inconsistent suite of characteristics measured and the different number of respondent collected for each survey. Regardless of these two factors contributing to uncertainty of the results, CSD observed general improvement in customer satisfaction. Although, all NWS climate products have competitive scores, the leading ACSIs are for NWS Drought products and climate surface observation products. Overall, the survey results identify requirements for improving existing NWS climate services and introducing new ones. To date, the 2011 survey results have not been evaluated, but will be included in the conference presentation. A key point out of the initial 2011 survey results was that the climate section captured the greatest interest (as measured by number of respondents) of the customers of NWS products and services.

Collection development and outsourcing in academic health sciences libraries: a survey of current practices.

PubMed Central

Blecic, D D; Hollander, S; Lanier, D

1999-01-01

Academic health sciences libraries in the United States and Canada were surveyed regarding collection development trends, including their effect on approval plan and blanket order use, and use of outsourcing over the past four years. Results of the survey indicate that serials market forces, budgetary constraints, and growth in electronic resources purchasing have resulted in a decline in the acquisition of print items. As a result, approval plan use is being curtailed in many academic health sciences libraries. Although use of blanket orders is more stable, fewer than one-third of academic health sciences libraries report using them currently. The decline of print collections suggests that libraries should explore cooperative collection development of print materials to ensure access and preservation. The decline of approval plan use and the need for cooperative collection development may require additional effort for sound collection development. Libraries were also surveyed about their use of outsourcing. Some libraries reported outsourcing cataloging and shelf preparation of books, but none reported using outsourcing for resource selection. The reason given most often for outsourcing was that it resulted in cost savings. As expected, economic factors are driving both collection development and outsourcing practices. PMID:10219477

Data set of world phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences: Part A. geologic data; Part B. location and mineral economic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chernoff, Carlotta B.; Orris, G.J.

2002-01-01

An inventory of more than 1,600 world phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences was compiled from smaller data sets collected as part of multiple research efforts by Carlotta Chernoff, University of Arizona, and Greta Orris, U.S. Geological Survey. These data have been utilized during studies of black shale depositional environments and to construct phosphate deposit models. The compiled data have been edited for consistency and additional location information has been added where possible. The database of compiled phosphate information is being released in two sections; the geologic data in one section and the location and mineral economic data in the second. This report, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–156–A, contains the geologic data and is best used with the complimentary data contained in Open-File Report 02–156–B. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–156–B contains commodity data, location and analytical data, a variety of mineral economic data, reference information, and pointers to related records in the U.S. Geological Survey National mineral databases—MASMILS and MRDS.

Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles at Mojave National Preserve: Final Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Persons, Trevor B.; Nowak, Erika M.

2007-01-01

As part of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program in the Mojave Network, we conducted an inventory of amphibians and reptiles at Mojave National Preserve in 2004-2005. Objectives for this inventory were to use fieldwork, museum collections, and literature review to document the occurrence of reptile and amphibian species occurring at MOJA. Our goals were to document at least 90% of the species present, provide one voucher specimen for each species identified, provide GIS-referenced distribution information for sensitive species, and provide all deliverables, including NPSpecies entries, as outlined in the Mojave Network Biological Inventory Study Plan. Methods included daytime and nighttime visual encounter surveys and nighttime road driving. Survey effort was concentrated in predetermined priority sampling areas, as well as in areas with a high potential for detecting undocumented species. We recorded 31 species during our surveys. During literature review and museum specimen database searches, we found records for seven additional species from MOJA, elevating the documented species list to 38 (two amphibians and 36 reptiles). Based on our surveys, as well as literature and museum specimen review, we estimate an overall inventory completeness of 95% for Mojave National Preserve herpetofauna; 67% for amphibians and 97% for reptiles.

The Business Of Urban Animals Survey: the facts and statistics on companion animals in Canada.

PubMed

Perrin, Terri

2009-01-01

At the first Banff Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (BSUAS) in 2006, delegates clearly indicated that a lack of reliable Canadian statistics hampers municipal leaders and legislators in their efforts to develop urban animal strategies that create and sustain a healthy community for pets and people. To gain a better understanding of the situation, BSUAS municipal delegates and other industry stakeholders partnered with Ipsos Reid, one of the world's leading polling firms, to conduct a national survey on the "Business of Urban Animals." The results of the survey, summarized in this article, were presented at the BSUAS meeting in October 2008. In addition, each participating community will receive a comprehensive written analysis, as well as a customized report. The online survey was conducted from September 22 to October 1, 2008. There were 7208 participants, including 3973 pet and 3235 non-pet owners from the Ipsos-Reid's proprietary Canadian online panel. The national results were weighted to reflect the true population distribution across Canada and the panel was balanced on all major demographics to mirror Statistics Canada census information. The margin for error for the national results is 1/- 1.15%.

The Development of the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kier, Meredith W.; Blanchard, Margaret R.; Osborne, Jason W.; Albert, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Internationally, efforts to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers have been on the rise. It is often the goal of such efforts that increased interest in STEM careers should stimulate economic growth and enhance innovation. Scientific and educational organizations recommend that efforts to…

Neurosurgical Defensive Medicine in Texas and Illinois: A Tale of 2 States.

PubMed

Cote, David J; Karhade, Aditya V; Larsen, Alexandra M G; Castlen, Joseph P; Smith, Timothy R

2016-05-01

To compare the self-reported liability characteristics and defensive medicine practices of neurosurgeons in Texas with neurosurgeons in Illinois in an effort to describe the effect of medicolegal environment on defensive behavior. An online survey was sent to 3344 members of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Respondents were asked questions in 8 domains, and responses were compared between Illinois, the state with the highest reported average malpractice insurance premium, and Texas, a state with a relatively low average malpractice insurance premium. In Illinois, 85 of 146 (58.2%) neurosurgeons surveyed responded to the survey. In Texas, 65 of 265 (24.5%) neurosurgeons surveyed responded. In Illinois, neurosurgeons were more likely to rate the overall burden of liability insurance premiums to be an extreme/major burden (odds ratio [OR] = 7.398, P < 0.001) and to have >$2 million in total coverage (OR = 9.814, P < 0.001) than neurosurgeons from Texas. Annual malpractice insurance premiums in Illinois were more likely to be higher than $50,000 than in Texas (OR = 9.936, P < 0.001), and survey respondents from Illinois were more likely to believe that there is an ongoing medical liability crisis in the United States (OR = 9.505, P < 0.001). Neurosurgeons from Illinois were more likely to report that they very often/always order additional imaging (OR = 2.514, P = 0.011) or very often/always request additional consultations (OR = 2.385, P = 0.014) compared with neurosurgeons in Texas. Neurosurgeons in Illinois are more likely to believe that there is an ongoing medical liability crisis and more likely to practice defensively than neurosurgeons in Texas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mixed Picture of Readiness for Adoption of Evidence-Based Prevention Programs in Communities: Exploratory Surveys of State Program Delivery Systems

PubMed Central

Schainker, Lisa M.; Redmond, Cleve; Ralston, Ekaterina; Yeh, Hsiu-Chen; Perkins, Daniel F.

2015-01-01

An emerging literature highlights the potential for broader dissemination of evidence-based prevention programs in communities through existing state systems, such as the land grant university Extension outreach system and departments of public education and health (DOE– DPH). This exploratory study entailed surveying representatives of the national Extension system and DOE– DPH, to evaluate dissemination readiness factors, as part of a larger project on an evidence-based program delivery model called PROSPER. In addition to assessing systems’ readiness factors, differences among US regions and comparative levels of readiness between state systems were evaluated. The Extension web-based survey sample N was 958 and the DOE–DPH telephone survey N was 338, with response rates of 23 and 79 %, respectively. Extension survey results suggested only a moderate level of overall readiness nationally, with relatively higher perceived need for collaborative efforts and relatively lower perceived resource availability. There were significant regional differences on all factors, generally favoring the Northeast. Results from DOE–DPH surveys showed significantly higher levels for all readiness factors, compared with Extension systems. Overall, the findings present a mixed picture. Although there were clear challenges related to measuring readiness in complex systems, addressing currently limited dissemination resources, and devising strategies for optimizing readiness, all systems showed some readiness-related strengths. PMID:25791916

A powerful new southern hemisphere survey for near-Earth objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, E.; Lister, T.; Larson, S.; Gibbs, A.; Grauer, A.; Hill, R.; Johnson, J.; Kowalski, R.; Sanders, R.; Shelly, F.

2014-07-01

For nearly a decade, the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) operated the Siding Spring Survey (SSS) in partnership with the Australian National University. The SSS was the only professional, full-time NEO survey in the Southern Hemisphere during this period. The SSS ceased operations in July of 2013, and the lack of a full-time, state-of-the-art survey in the Southern Hemisphere leaves a significant blind spot in NASA's ongoing effort to identify and track near-Earth objects (NEOs) that may pose a hazard to the Earth, or that may be appropriate destinations for robotic or human missions. The CSS and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) are partnering to fill this gap, by rapidly building, deploying and operating a network of three dedicated 1.0-meter survey telescopes at Cerro Tololo, one of the premiere astronomical sites in the Southern Hemisphere. The partnership between CSS and LCOGT provides a fast-track, low-risk, and cost-effective survey capability that will be fully dedicated to the NEO discovery effort. The first of three survey telescopes will be operational ˜18 months after the start of funding, with the second and third telescopes coming online within an additional ˜12 months. Our joint survey will be a powerful new NEO survey capability. The telescopes are based on the field-tested LCOGT 1.0-m design, modified to feature a faster f/1.8 primary and a prime focus camera that will deliver an 8.6 deg^2 field of view (FOV), with a resolution of 1.0 arcseconds per pixel. The three co-located telescopes will offer the operational flexibility to survey together (acting as a 1.7-m telescope), or separately (effectively delivering a 25+ deg^2 FOV), and will have no competing science goals to compromise from the primary mission of NEO discovery. The telescopes will be robotically operated, and the data will be processed, validated, and reported in near real-time from the CSS headquarters in Tucson. Same-night and subsequent night astrometric follow-up observations will be carried out on the LCOGT network, which includes two 2.0-m and nine 1.0-m telescopes at 5 sites in both hemispheres. We calculate figures of merit (FOM) for this and other NEO survey systems, based on clear aperture, field of view, optical throughput, focal-plane fill factor and open-shutter efficiency. Our new survey program will be among the most powerful NEO survey systems in operation once deployed, with a FOM approximately 25 × larger than the SSS, larger than all CSS assets in Arizona combined, and larger than Pan-STARRS 1.

Prenotification, Incentives, and Survey Modality: An Experimental Test of Methods to Increase Survey Response Rates of School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Robin Tepper; Jacob, Brian

2012-01-01

Teacher and principal surveys are among the most common data collection techniques employed in education research. Yet there is remarkably little research on survey methods in education, or about the most cost-effective way to raise response rates among teachers and principals. In an effort to explore various methods for increasing survey response…

Effects of Personalization and Invitation Email Length on Web-Based Survey Response Rates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trespalacios, Jesús H.; Perkins, Ross A.

2016-01-01

Individual strategies to increase response rate and survey completion have been extensively researched. Recently, efforts have been made to investigate a combination of interventions to yield better response rates for web-based surveys. This study examined the effects of four different survey invitation conditions on response rate. From a large…

77 FR 61575 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

... surveys (1979-80), quantitative survey effort started in 1981, when nine permanent research sites in rocky..., several species of marine mammal incidental to abalone research surveys on San Nicolas Island (SNI). DATES... only, of marine mammals incidental to research surveys investigating the black abalone (Haliotis...

Continued geophysical logging near the GMH Electronics National Priorities List Superfund site near Roxboro, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Antolino, Dominick J.; Chapman, Melinda J.

2017-01-06

The U.S. Geological Survey South Atlantic Water Science Center collected borehole geophysical logs and images and continuous water-level data near the GMH Electronics National Priorities List Superfund site near Roxboro, North Carolina, during December 2012 through July 2015. Previous work by the U.S. Geological Survey South Atlantic Water Science Center at the site involved the collection of borehole geophysical log data in 15 wells, in addition to surface geologic mapping and passive diffusion bag sampling. In a continued effort to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in developing a conceptual groundwater model to assess current contaminant distribution and future migration of contaminants, more than 900 subsurface features (primarily fracture orientations) in 10 open borehole wells were delineated and continuous water-level data information from 14 monitoring wells within close proximity of the initially drilled boreholes was collected to observe any induced water-level fluctuations during drilling operations

Otolaryngology residency selection process. Medical student perspective.

PubMed

Stringer, S P; Cassisi, N J; Slattery, W H

1992-04-01

In an effort to improve the otolaryngology matching process at the University of Florida, Gainesville, we sought to obtain the medical student's perspective of the current system. All students who interviewed here over a 3-year period were surveyed regarding the application, interview, and ranking process. In addition, suggestions for improving the system were sought from the students. The application and interviewing patterns of the students surveyed were found to be similar to those of the entire otolaryngology residency applicant pool. We were unable to identify any factors that influence a student's rank list that could be prospectively used to help select applicants for interview. A variety of suggestions for improvements in the match were received, several of which could easily be instituted. A uniform interview invitation date as requested by the students could be rapidly implemented and would provide benefits for both the students and the residency programs.

What are the reasons for low use of graphene quantum dots in immunosensing of cancer biomarkers?

PubMed

Hasanzadeh, Mohammad; Shadjou, Nasrin

2017-02-01

Graphene quantum dots-based immunosensors have recently gained importance for detecting antigens and biomarkers responsible for cancer diagnosis. This paper reports a literature survey of the applications of graphene quantum dots for sensing cancer biomarkers. The survey sought to explore three questions: (1) Do graphene quantum dots improve immunosensing technology? (2) If so, can graphene quantum dots have a critical, positive impact on construction of immuno-devices? And (3) What is the reason for some troubles in the application of this technology? The number of published papers in the field seems positively answer the first two questions. However additional efforts must be made to move from the bench to the real diagnosis. Some approaches to improve the analytical performance of graphene quantum dots-based immunosensors through their figures of merit have been also discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Return of Individual Research Results and Incidental Findings in the Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Setting

PubMed Central

Ferriere, Michael; Van Ness, Brian

2013-01-01

The NCI funded cooperative group cancer clinical trial system develops experimental therapies and often collects patient samples for correlative research. The Cooperative Group Bank (CGB) system maintains biobanks with a current policy not to return research results to individuals. An online survey was created, and 10 directors of CGBs completed the surveys asking about understanding and attitudes in changing policies to consider return of Incidental Findings (IFs) and Individual Research Results (IRRs) of health significance. The potential impact of the ten consensus recommendations of Wolf et al. presented in this issue are examined. Re-identification of samples is often not problematic; however, changes to the current banking and clinical trial systems would require significant effort to fulfill an obligation of recontact of subjects. Additional resources, as well as a national advisory board would be required to standardize implementation. PMID:22382800

The status of interprofessional education and interprofessional prevention education in academic health centers: a national baseline study.

PubMed

Greer, Annette G; Clay, Maria; Blue, Amy; Evans, Clyde H; Garr, David

2014-05-01

Given the emphasis on prevention in U.S. health care reform efforts, the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) that prepares health professions students to be part of effective health care teams is greater than ever. This study examined the prevalence and nature of IPE and interprofessional (IP) prevention education in U.S. academic health centers. The authors extracted a 10-item survey from the longer published IPE Assessment and Planning Instrument. In September 2010, they sent the survey to 346 health professions leaders in health sciences schools and colleges at 100 academic health centers. These institutions were identified via the online membership list of the Association of Academic Health Centers. The authors conducted descriptive statistical analysis and cross-tabulations. Surveys were completed by 127 contacts at 68 universities in 31 states and the District of Columbia. IPE was more prevalent than IP prevention education in all categories of measurement. Respondents affirmed existence of IPE in courses (85.0%) and in clinical rotations/internships (80.3%). The majority reported personnel with responsibility for IPE (68.5%) or prevention education (59.8%) at their institutional unit, and 59.8% reported an IPE office or center. This study provides evidence that IPE and IP prevention education exist in academic health centers, but additional attention should be paid to the development of IP prevention education. Sample syllabi, job descriptions, and policies may be available to support adoption of IPE and IP prevention education. Further effort is needed to increase the integration of IP and prevention education into practice.

An International Survey of Aquaponics Practitioners

PubMed Central

Love, David C.; Fry, Jillian P.; Genello, Laura; Hill, Elizabeth S.; Frederick, J. Adam; Li, Ximin; Semmens, Ken

2014-01-01

Aquaponics, a combination of fish farming and soilless plant farming, is growing in popularity and gaining attention as an important and potentially more sustainable method of food production. The aim of this study was to document and analyze the production methods, experiences, motivations, and demographics of aquaponics practitioners in the United States (US) and internationally. The survey was distributed online using a chain sampling method that relied on referrals from initial respondents, with 809 respondents meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of respondents were from the US (80%), male (78%), and had at least a high school degree (91%). The mean age of respondents was 47±13 years old. Most respondents (52%) had three years or less of aquaponics experience. Respondents typically raised tilapia or ornamental fish and a variety of leafy green vegetables, herbs, and fruiting crops. Respondents were most often motivated to become involved in aquaponics to grow their own food, for environmental sustainability reasons, and for personal health reasons. Many respondents employed more than one method to raise crops, and used alternative or environmentally sustainable sources of energy, water, and fish feed. In general, our findings suggest that aquaponics is a dynamic and rapidly growing field with participants who are actively experimenting with and adopting new technologies. Additional research and outreach is needed to evaluate and communicate best practices within the field. This survey is the first large-scale effort to track aquaponics in the US and provides information that can better inform policy, research, and education efforts regarding aquaponics as it matures and possibly evolves into a mainstream form of agriculture. PMID:25029125

Monitoring Urban Stream Restoration Efforts in Relation to Flood Behavior Along Minebank Run, Towson, MD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, G.; Miller, A. J.

2017-12-01

Urban stream restoration efforts are commonly undertaken to combat channel degradation and restore natural stream hydrology. We examine changes in flood patterns along an approximately 1.5-mile reach of Minebank Run, located in Towson, MD, by comparing pre-restoration morphology from surveys conducted in 2001, post-restoration morphology in 2007, and current conditions in 2017 following damage to the restoration project from persistent flooding. Hydraulic modeling was conducted in HEC-RAS 2D using three alternative scenarios: 1) topographic contours from a 2001 survey of pre-restoration topography combined with 2005 LiDAR, 2) 2007 survey combined with 2005 LiDAR data representing the post-restoration channel morphology, and 3) a March 2017 DEM of current channel conditions. The 2017 DEM was created using Structure from Motion (SfM) from high resolution 4K video collected via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flights at a resolution of 0.05 meters. Flood hydrographs from a USGS stream gage located within the study reach as well as a simulated hydrograph of the 100-year storm event were routed through the pre-restoration, post-restoration, and current modeled terrain and analyzed for changes in water-surface elevation and depth, inundation extent, 2-d velocity fields, and translation vs. attenuation of the flood wave to assess the net impact on potential flood hazards. In addition, our study demonstrates that SfM is a quick and inexpensive method for collecting topographic data for hydrologic modeling, assessing stream characteristics including channel bed roughness, and for examining short term changes of channel morphology at a very fine scale.

An international survey of aquaponics practitioners.

PubMed

Love, David C; Fry, Jillian P; Genello, Laura; Hill, Elizabeth S; Frederick, J Adam; Li, Ximin; Semmens, Ken

2014-01-01

Aquaponics, a combination of fish farming and soilless plant farming, is growing in popularity and gaining attention as an important and potentially more sustainable method of food production. The aim of this study was to document and analyze the production methods, experiences, motivations, and demographics of aquaponics practitioners in the United States (US) and internationally. The survey was distributed online using a chain sampling method that relied on referrals from initial respondents, with 809 respondents meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of respondents were from the US (80%), male (78%), and had at least a high school degree (91%). The mean age of respondents was 47±13 years old. Most respondents (52%) had three years or less of aquaponics experience. Respondents typically raised tilapia or ornamental fish and a variety of leafy green vegetables, herbs, and fruiting crops. Respondents were most often motivated to become involved in aquaponics to grow their own food, for environmental sustainability reasons, and for personal health reasons. Many respondents employed more than one method to raise crops, and used alternative or environmentally sustainable sources of energy, water, and fish feed. In general, our findings suggest that aquaponics is a dynamic and rapidly growing field with participants who are actively experimenting with and adopting new technologies. Additional research and outreach is needed to evaluate and communicate best practices within the field. This survey is the first large-scale effort to track aquaponics in the US and provides information that can better inform policy, research, and education efforts regarding aquaponics as it matures and possibly evolves into a mainstream form of agriculture.

A statistical model for monitoring shell disease in inshore lobster fisheries: A case study in Long Island Sound

PubMed Central

Chen, Yong

2017-01-01

The expansion of shell disease is an emerging threat to the inshore lobster fisheries in the northeastern United States. The development of models to improve the efficiency and precision of existing monitoring programs is advocated as an important step in mitigating its harmful effects. The objective of this study is to construct a statistical model that could enhance the existing monitoring effort through (1) identification of potential disease-associated abiotic and biotic factors, and (2) estimation of spatial variation in disease prevalence in the lobster fishery. A delta-generalized additive modeling (GAM) approach was applied using bottom trawl survey data collected from 2001–2013 in Long Island Sound, a tidal estuary between New York and Connecticut states. Spatial distribution of shell disease prevalence was found to be strongly influenced by the interactive effects of latitude and longitude, possibly indicative of a geographic origin of shell disease. Bottom temperature, bottom salinity, and depth were also important factors affecting the spatial variability in shell disease prevalence. The delta-GAM projected high disease prevalence in non-surveyed locations. Additionally, a potential spatial discrepancy was found between modeled disease hotspots and survey-based gravity centers of disease prevalence. This study provides a modeling framework to enhance research, monitoring and management of emerging and continuing marine disease threats. PMID:28196150

Geostatistical modelling of soil-transmitted helminth infection in Cambodia: do socioeconomic factors improve predictions?

PubMed

Karagiannis-Voules, Dimitrios-Alexios; Odermatt, Peter; Biedermann, Patricia; Khieu, Virak; Schär, Fabian; Muth, Sinuon; Utzinger, Jürg; Vounatsou, Penelope

2015-01-01

Soil-transmitted helminth infections are intimately connected with poverty. Yet, there is a paucity of using socioeconomic proxies in spatially explicit risk profiling. We compiled household-level socioeconomic data pertaining to sanitation, drinking-water, education and nutrition from readily available Demographic and Health Surveys, Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and World Health Surveys for Cambodia and aggregated the data at village level. We conducted a systematic review to identify parasitological surveys and made every effort possible to extract, georeference and upload the data in the open source Global Neglected Tropical Diseases database. Bayesian geostatistical models were employed to spatially align the village-aggregated socioeconomic predictors with the soil-transmitted helminth infection data. The risk of soil-transmitted helminth infection was predicted at a grid of 1×1km covering Cambodia. Additionally, two separate individual-level spatial analyses were carried out, for Takeo and Preah Vihear provinces, to assess and quantify the association between soil-transmitted helminth infection and socioeconomic indicators at an individual level. Overall, we obtained socioeconomic proxies from 1624 locations across the country. Surveys focussing on soil-transmitted helminth infections were extracted from 16 sources reporting data from 238 unique locations. We found that the risk of soil-transmitted helminth infection from 2000 onwards was considerably lower than in surveys conducted earlier. Population-adjusted prevalences for school-aged children from 2000 onwards were 28.7% for hookworm, 1.5% for Ascaris lumbricoides and 0.9% for Trichuris trichiura. Surprisingly, at the country-wide analyses, we did not find any significant association between soil-transmitted helminth infection and village-aggregated socioeconomic proxies. Based also on the individual-level analyses we conclude that socioeconomic proxies might not be good predictors at an aggregated large-scale analysis due to their large between- and within-village heterogeneity. Specific information of both the infection risk and potential predictors might be needed to obtain any existing association. The presented soil-transmitted helminth infection risk estimates for Cambodia can be used for guiding and evaluating control and elimination efforts. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Colonial National Historical Park shuttle service survey.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-02-01

As part of an effort to evaluate the shuttle serice at Colonial National Historical Park, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center administered a survey to a sample of shuttle users in July 2009. The key purpose of the survey was to learn how...

Public acceptance and willingness-to-pay for a future dengue vaccine: a community-based survey in Bandung, Indonesia.

PubMed

Hadisoemarto, Panji Fortuna; Castro, Marcia C

2013-01-01

All four serotypes of dengue virus are endemic in Indonesia, where the population at risk for infection exceeds 200 million people. Despite continuous control efforts that were initiated more than four decades ago, Indonesia still suffers from multi-annual cycles of dengue outbreak and dengue remains as a major public health problem. Dengue vaccines have been viewed as a promising solution for controlling dengue in Indonesia, but thus far its potential acceptability has not been assessed. We conducted a household survey in the city of Bandung, Indonesia by administering a questionnaire to examine (i) acceptance of a hypothetical pediatric dengue vaccine; (ii) participant's willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the vaccine, had it not been provided for free; and (iii) whether people think vector control would be unnecessary if the vaccine was available. A proportional odds model and an interval regression model were employed to identify determinants of acceptance and WTP, respectively. We demonstrated that out of 500 heads of household being interviewed, 94.2% would agree to vaccinate their children with the vaccine. Of all participants, 94.6% were willing to pay for the vaccine with a median WTP of US$1.94. In addition, 7.2% stated that vector control would not be necessary had there been a dengue vaccination program. Our results suggest that future dengue vaccines can have a very high uptake even when delivered through the private market. This, however, can be influenced by vaccine characteristics and price. In addition, reduction in community vector control efforts may be observed following vaccine introduction but its potential impact in the transmission of dengue and other vector-borne diseases requires further study.

Public Acceptance and Willingness-to-Pay for a Future Dengue Vaccine: A Community-Based Survey in Bandung, Indonesia

PubMed Central

Hadisoemarto, Panji Fortuna; Castro, Marcia C.

2013-01-01

Background All four serotypes of dengue virus are endemic in Indonesia, where the population at risk for infection exceeds 200 million people. Despite continuous control efforts that were initiated more than four decades ago, Indonesia still suffers from multi-annual cycles of dengue outbreak and dengue remains as a major public health problem. Dengue vaccines have been viewed as a promising solution for controlling dengue in Indonesia, but thus far its potential acceptability has not been assessed. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted a household survey in the city of Bandung, Indonesia by administering a questionnaire to examine (i) acceptance of a hypothetical pediatric dengue vaccine; (ii) participant's willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the vaccine, had it not been provided for free; and (iii) whether people think vector control would be unnecessary if the vaccine was available. A proportional odds model and an interval regression model were employed to identify determinants of acceptance and WTP, respectively. We demonstrated that out of 500 heads of household being interviewed, 94.2% would agree to vaccinate their children with the vaccine. Of all participants, 94.6% were willing to pay for the vaccine with a median WTP of US$1.94. In addition, 7.2% stated that vector control would not be necessary had there been a dengue vaccination program. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that future dengue vaccines can have a very high uptake even when delivered through the private market. This, however, can be influenced by vaccine characteristics and price. In addition, reduction in community vector control efforts may be observed following vaccine introduction but its potential impact in the transmission of dengue and other vector-borne diseases requires further study. PMID:24069482

Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses Informal Educators' Preferences for PD and Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Nelson, Andi; Smith, Denise A.; NASA SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community

2015-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects. These teams work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to support educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and to enable youth to engage in doing STEM inside and outside of school. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO, which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise, and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. Informal educators participated in a recent nationally-distributed survey from the NASA SMD SEPOF Informal Education Working Group. The results show the preferences of staff from museums, parks, public libraries, community/afterschool centers, and others with regard to professional development and material resources. The results of the survey will be presented during this session.In addition, we present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in K-12 Formal Education, Informal Science Education, and Outreach. These efforts focus on enhancing instruction, as well as youth and public engagement, in STEM via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences. The Forums' efforts for the Formal, Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include a literature review, appraisal of informal educators' needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, plus support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K-12 Formal Education community and to reach the informal science education and outreach communities based upon mutual needs and interests.

Conservation Implications of Changes in Endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae Diversity across Land Use Gradients

PubMed Central

Leblanc, Luc; Rubinoff, Daniel; Wright, Mark G.

2013-01-01

Endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae, a radiation of nearly 1000 species including 13 federally listed as endangered, occur mostly in intact native forest, 500–1500 m above sea level. But their persistence in disturbed forest and agricultural areas has not been documented. Thus, control efforts for agricultural pests may impact endemic species if previously undocumented refugia in agricultural areas may play a role in their conservation. To quantify whether invasive plants and agriculture habitats may harbor endemic Drosophilidae, we established standardized trapping arrays, with traps typically designed to control invasive fruit flies (Tephritidae), with 81 sites across native, disturbed and agricultural land use gradients on the islands of Hawai’i and Maui. We collected and identified, to species level, over 22,000 specimens. We found 121 of the possible 292 species expected to occur in the sampled areas, and the majority (91%) of the captured specimens belonged to 24 common species. Species diversity and numbers were greatest in the native forest, but 55% of the species occurred in the invasive strawberry guava belt and plantation forest, adjacent to and almost 500 m from native forest, and 22 species were collected in orchards and nonnative forest as far as 10 km from native habitats. Their persistence outside of native forest suggests that more careful management of disturbed forest and a reassessment of its conservation value are in order. Conservation efforts and assessments of native forest integrity should include the subset of species restricted to intact native forest, since these species are highly localized and particularly sensitive. Additionally, future efforts to control invasive pest fruit flies should consider the nontarget impacts of maintaining traps in and near native forest. This survey project demonstrates the utility of thorough biotic surveys and taxonomic expertise in developing both sensitive species lists and baseline diversity indices for future conservation and monitoring efforts. PMID:23650514

A Survey of Patient and Partner Outcome and Treatment Preferences in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Smith, Glenn E; Chandler, Melanie; Fields, Julie A; Aakre, Jeremiah; Locke, Dona E C

2018-05-18

The patient-centered movement in health care is increasing efforts to design studies and interventions that address the outcomes that matter most to patients and their families. Research has not adequately addressed Alzheimer's disease patient and caregiver preferences. To survey the outcome and treatment preferences of patients and caregivers who had completed a multicomponent behavioral intervention for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Extending prior work, we conducted an online survey regarding outcome and intervention preferences. Participants were patients with MCI and partners who completed the HABIT Healthy Action to Benefit Independence & Thinking ® program. Both patient and partner respondents ranked patient quality of life as the highest priority, followed by patient self-efficacy, functional status, patient mood, and patient memory performance. Distressing behaviors and caregiver outcomes (burden, mood, and self-efficacy) had low rankings. Regarding the importance of HABIT ® program components, memory compensation training was ranked highest and wellness education lowest by all groups. Additional research should compare patient preference for patient reported outcomes, traditional neuropsychological and clinician outcomes, and modern biomarker outcomes.

Globular and Open Clusters Observed by SDSS/SEGUE: The Giant Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, Heather L.; Ma, Zhibo; Clem, James L.; An, Deokkeun; Connor, Thomas; Schechtman-Rook, Andrew; Casagrande, Luca; Rockosi, Constance; Yanny, Brian; Harding, Paul; Beers, Timothy C.; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Schneider, Donald P.

2016-01-01

We present griz observations for the clusters M92, M13 and NGC 6791 and gr photometry for M71, Be 29 and NGC 7789. In addition we present new membership identifications for all these clusters, which have been observed spectroscopically as calibrators for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)/SEGUE survey; this paper focuses in particular on the red giant branch stars in the clusters. In a number of cases, these giants were too bright to be observed in the normal SDSS survey operations, and we describe the procedure used to obtain spectra for these stars. For M71, we also present a new variable reddening map and a new fiducial for the gr giant branch. For NGC 7789, we derived a transformation from Teff to g-r for giants of near solar abundance, using IRFM Teff measures of stars with good ugriz and 2MASS photometry and SEGUE spectra. The result of our analysis is a robust list of known cluster members with correctly dereddened and (if needed) transformed gr photometry for crucial calibration efforts for SDSS and SEGUE.

Environmental engineering of navigation infrastructure: a survey of existing practices, challenges, and potential opportunities.

PubMed

Fredette, Thomas J; Foran, Christy M; Brasfield, Sandra M; Suedel, Burton C

2012-01-01

Navigation infrastructure such as channels, jetties, river training structures, and lock-and-dam facilities are primary components of a safe and efficient water transportation system. Planning for such infrastructure has until recently involved efforts to minimize impacts on the environment through a standardized environmental assessment process. More recently, consistent with environmental sustainability concepts, planners have begun to consider how such projects can also be constructed with environmental enhancements. This study examined the existing institutional conditions within the US Army Corps of Engineers and cooperating federal agencies relative to incorporating environmental enhancements into navigation infrastructure projects. The study sought to (1) investigate institutional attitudes towards the environmental enhancement of navigation infrastructure (EENI) concept, (2) identify potential impediments to implementation and solutions to such impediments, (3) identify existing navigation projects designed with the express intent of enhancing environmental benefit in addition to the primary project purpose, (4) identify innovative ideas for increasing environmental benefits for navigation projects, (5) identify needs for additional technical information or research, and (6) identify laws, regulations, and policies that both support and hinder such design features. The principal investigation tool was an Internet-based survey with 53 questions. The survey captured a wide range of perspectives on the EENI concept including ideas, concerns, research needs, and relevant laws and policies. Study recommendations included further promotion of the concept of EENI to planners and designers, documentation of existing projects, initiation of pilot studies on some of the innovative ideas provided through the survey, and development of national goals and interagency agreements to facilitate implementation. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Is the role as gatekeeper still feasible? A survey among Dutch general practitioners.

PubMed

Wammes, Joost Johan Godert; Jeurissen, Patrick Paulus Theodoor; Verhoef, Lise Maria; Assendelft, Willem J J; Westert, Gert P; Faber, Marjan J

2014-10-01

In the 2012 International Health Policy Survey by the Commonwealth Fund, 57% of Dutch GPs indicated that Dutch patients receive too much health care. This is an unexpected finding, given the clear gatekeeper role of Dutch GPs and recent efforts strengthening this role. The study aims to explore where perceived overuse of care prevails and to identify factors associated with too much care at the entry point of Dutch health care. An American survey exploring perceptions of the amount of care among primary care providers was modified for relevance to the Dutch health system. We further included additional factors possibly related to overuse based on 12 interviews with Dutch GPs. The survey was sent to a random sample of 600 GPs. Dutch GPs (N = 157; response rate 26.2%) indicated that patients receive (much) too much care in general hospitals, primary care, GP cooperatives as well as private clinics. The Dutch responding GPs showed a relatively demand-satisfying attitude, which contributed to the delivery of too much care, often leading to deviation from guidelines and professional norms. The increasing availability of diagnostic facilities was identified as an additional factor contributing to the provision of unnecessary care. Finally, funding gaps between primary care and hospitals impede cooperation and coordination, provoking unnecessary care. Our results--most notably regarding the demand-satisfying attitude of responding GPs--call into question the classical view of the guidance and gatekeeper role of GPs in the Dutch health care system. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The 50th Anniversary of the International Indian Ocean Expedition: An Update on Current Planning Efforts and Progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hood, Raleigh; D'Adamo, Nick; Burkill, Peter; Urban, Ed; Bhikajee, Mitrasen

2014-05-01

The International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) was one of the greatest international, interdisciplinary oceanographic research efforts of all time. Planning for the IIOE began in 1959 and the project officially continued through 1965, with forty-six research vessels participating under fourteen different flags. The IIOE motivated an unprecedented number of hydrographic surveys (and repeat surveys) over the course of the expedition covering the entire Indian Ocean basin. And it was an interdisciplinary endeavor that embraced physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, meteorology, marine biology, marine geology and geophysics. The end of 2015 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the completion of the IIOE. In the 50 years since the IIOE three fundamental changes have taken place in ocean science. The first is the deployment of a broad suite of oceanographic sensors on satellites that have dramatically improved the characterization of both physical and biological oceanographic variability. The second is the emergence of new components of the ocean observing system, most notably remote sensing and Argo floats. And the third is the development of ocean modeling in all its facets from short-term forecasting to seasonal prediction to climate projections. These advances have revolutionized our understanding of the global oceans, including the Indian Ocean. Compared to the IIOE era, we now have the capacity to provide a much more integrated picture of the Indian Ocean, especially if these new technologies can be combined with targeted and well-coordinated in situ measurements. In this presentation we report on current efforts to motivate an IIOE 50th Anniversary Celebration (IIOE-2). We envision this IIOE-2 as a 5-year expedition and effort beginning in 2015 and continuing through to 2020. An important objective of our planning efforts is assessing ongoing and planned research activities in the Indian Ocean in the 2015 to 2020 time frame, with the goal of embracing and helping to organize these activities as part of a larger coordinated 50th Anniversary research initiative. In addition we are working to motivate conferences, summer schools, data recovery, repeat line work and new process studies.

Optimal Allocation of Sampling Effort in Depletion Surveys

EPA Science Inventory

We consider the problem of designing a depletion or removal survey as part of estimating animal abundance for populations with imperfect capture or detection rates. In a depletion survey, animals are captured from a given area, counted, and withheld from the population. This proc...

Use of telephone surveys to determine awareness of Tennessee's child passenger protection law

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-09-01

The report provides an analysis of the telephone surveys that were made in target areas throughout Tennessee to determine the levels of public awareness of Tennessee's child passenger protection law during a two-year time frame. This survey effort pr...

White River National Forest Hanging Lake visitor transportation survey : summary of results

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The USDOT Volpe Center conducted a visitor transportation survey at Hanging Lake recreation site in the White River National Forest from July 14 to July 18, 2016. This report outlines the summary of results from that survey effort. Key findings inclu...

Water resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Afghanistan from 2004 through 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mack, Thomas J.; Chornack, Michael P.; Vining, Kevin C.; Amer, Saud A.; Zaheer, Mohammad F.; Medlin, Jack H.

2014-01-01

Safe and reliable supply of water, for irrigation and domestic consumption, is one of Afghanistan’s critical needs for the country’s growing population. Water is also needed for mining and mineral processing and the associated business and community development, all of which contribute to the country’s economic growth and stability. Beginning in 2004, U.S. Geological Survey scientists have aided efforts to rebuild Afghanistan’s capacity to monitor water resources, working largely with scientists in the Afghanistan Geological Survey of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum as well as with scientists in the Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water, the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, and nongovernmental organizations in Afghanistan. Considerable efforts were undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey to compile or recover hydrologic data on Afghanistan’s water resources. These collaborative efforts have assisted Afghan scientists in developing the data collection networks necessary for improved understanding, managing these resources, and monitoring critical changes that may affect future water supplies and conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey, together with Afghan scientists, developed a regional groundwater flow model to assist with water resource planning in the Kabul Basin. Afghan scientists are now independently developing the datasets and conducting studies needed to assess water resources in other population centers of Afghanistan.

50 CFR 300.105 - Initiating a new fishery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... comprehensive research/surveys or exploratory fishing has not been submitted to CCAMLR; (2) Catch and effort... research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock...

50 CFR 300.105 - Initiating a new fishery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... comprehensive research/surveys or exploratory fishing has not been submitted to CCAMLR; (2) Catch and effort... research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock...

50 CFR 300.105 - Initiating a new fishery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... comprehensive research/surveys or exploratory fishing has not been submitted to CCAMLR; (2) Catch and effort... research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock...

50 CFR 300.105 - Initiating a new fishery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... comprehensive research/surveys or exploratory fishing has not been submitted to CCAMLR; (2) Catch and effort... research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock...

50 CFR 300.105 - Initiating a new fishery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... comprehensive research/surveys or exploratory fishing has not been submitted to CCAMLR; (2) Catch and effort... research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock...

Relative distribution and abundance of fishes and crayfish in 2010 and 2014 prior to saltcedar (Tamarix ssp.) removal in the Amargosa River Canyon, southeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hereford, Mark E.

2016-07-22

The Amargosa River Canyon, located in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California, contains the longest perennial reach of the Amargosa River. Because of its diverse flora and fauna, it has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and a Wild and Scenic River by the Bureau of Land Management. A survey of fishes conducted in summer 2010 indicated that endemic Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) and speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus spp.) were abundant and occurred throughout the Amargosa River Canyon. The 2010 survey reported non-native red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) captures were significantly higher, whereas pupfish captures were lower, in areas dominated by non-native saltcedar (Tamarix ssp.). Based on the 2010 survey, it was hypothesized that the invasion of saltcedar could result in a decrease in native species. In an effort to maintain and enhance native fish populations, the Bureau of Land Management removed saltcedar from a 1,550 meter reach of stream on the Amargosa River in autumn 2014 and autumn 2015. Prior to the removal of saltcedar, a survey of fishes and crayfish using baited minnow traps was conducted in the treatment reach to serve as a baseline for future comparisons with post-saltcedar removal surveys. During the 2014 survey, 1,073 pupfish and 960 speckled dace were captured within the treatment reach. Catch per unit effort of pupfish and speckled dace in the treatment reach was less in 2014 than in 2010, although differences could be owing to seasonal variation in capture probability. Non-native mosquitofish catch per unit effort decreased from 2010 to 2014; however, the catch per unit effort of crayfish increased from 2010 to 2014. Future monitoring efforts of this reach should be conducted at the same time period to account for potential seasonal fluctuations of abundance and distribution of fishes and crayfish. A more robust study design that accounts for variation in capture probability could be implemented to quantify the effects of habitat modifications on abundance of fishes and crayfish.

Midcycle survey of Arkansas' forest resources

Treesearch

Roy C. Beltz; Randall Leister; Walter R. Smith

1987-01-01

This report summarizes an interim survey of Arkansas’ forest resources. Field work was completed in April 1985. The survey provides new estimates of forest area and inventory for both the State’s softwoods and hardwoods. This survey was cooperative effort with the Arkansas forestry commission, the soil conservation service, the statistical reporting service, and the...

Ground-Truth On The CSUEB Campus: Results From Integrating Geophysical, Geological And Geospatial Methods And Fault Trench Studies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abimbola, A.; Strayer, L. M.; McEvilly, A.

2015-12-01

A major (>M6) earthquake on the Hayward fault would be catastrophic, resulting in wide-ranging structural damage and potential loss of life. California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), in Hayward lies within the Hayward fault zone and is home to student residents. The campus is bound to the west by the Hayward and on the east by Chabot (CF) fault and is pervasively cut by anastomosing secondary splay faults. In June 2015 three exploratory trenches were opened on CSUEB campus to evaluate faulting within the proposed construction area of new student housing. Previous work by Dibblee found minor faulting in this area that we consider to be splays of the CF. We took the opportunity to conduct an active seismic survey, coincident with two of these three trenches. The purpose of our survey was to compare the results of these two methods, to further assess seismic hazard on campus, and to contribute to the ongoing effort to create a 3D model of the campus area. P-waves were generated by plate and 3.5kg sledgehammer, recorded on a 48-channel single component array for P-wave tomography and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). Line 1 was 141m long with 3m receiver spacing and 9m shot spacing, and Line 2 was 188m long with 4m receivers spacing and 12m spacing. Initial P-wave tomography models show two velocity structures. To a depth of 25m, velocities ranged from 750-3000 m/s. At depths below 25m, we recorded P-wave velocities up to 6500 m/s, flanked by lower velocities, suggesting a bedrock unit bound by tectonically sheared material. Trench results indicate that faults and shears are indeed present in the top 2m. Additional near-surface seismic surveys are planned for the fall of 2015 to extend the trace of these faults, as they appear to cut across the entire campus. Furthermore, additional analysis of current and future seismic surveys will provide data on strong ground motion and offer insight into seismic hazards on the CSUEB campus. These new data will be integrated into an ongoing effort to create a 3D model of the geologic and tectonic setting of the CSUEB campus.

Psychometric properties and differential explanation of a short measure of effort-reward imbalance at work: a study of industrial workers in Germany.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Loerbroks, Adrian; Jarczok, Marc N; Schöllgen, Ina; Bosch, Jos A; Mauss, Daniel; Siegrist, Johannes; Fischer, Joachim E

2012-09-01

We test the psychometric properties of a short version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire in addition to testing an interaction term of this model's main components on health functioning. A self-administered survey was conducted in a sample of 2,738 industrial workers (77% men with mean age 41.6 years) from a large manufacturing company in Southern Germany. The internal consistency reliability, structural validity, and criterion validity were analyzed. Satisfactory internal consistencies of the three scales: "Effort", "reward", and "overcommitment", were obtained (Cronbach's alpha coefficients 0.77, 0.82, and 0.83, respectively). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit of the data with the theoretical structure (AGFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.060). Evidence of criterion validity was demonstrated. Importantly, a significant synergistic interaction effect of ERI and overcommitment on poor mental health functioning was observed (odds ratio 6.74 (95% CI 5.32-8.52); synergy index 1.78 (95% CI 1.25-2.55)). This short version of the ERI questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool for epidemiological research on occupational health. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Filling the gap: Developing health economics competencies for baccalaureate nursing programs.

PubMed

Platt, Maia; Kwasky, Andrea; Spetz, Joanne

2016-01-01

The need for greater involvement of the nursing profession in cost containment efforts has been documented extensively. More thorough education of nurses in the subject of health economics (HE) is one of the factors that could contribute toward achievement of that goal. The project's main contribution is the development of the unique list of essential HE competencies for baccalaureate nursing students. The proposed competencies were developed and validated using the protocol by Lynn (1986) for two-stage content validation of psychometric instruments. An additional validation step that included a nationwide survey of nurse administrators was conducted to measure the value they place on the health economics-related skills and knowledge of their employees. A set of six HE competencies was developed. Their validity was unanimously approved by the panel of five experts and additionally supported by the survey results (with individual competencies' approval rates of 67% or higher). The incorporation of economic thinking into the nationwide standards of baccalaureate nursing education, and professional nursing competencies, will enhance the capacity of the nursing workforce to lead essential change in the delivery of high-value affordable health care nationwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 4004 - Privacy Act of 1974; Altered System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-26

..., sex, race, ethnicity, household and family characteristics, education, marital status, Tribal..., and sex in support of survey and census data collection efforts. See the COMMERCE/ CENSUS-8... economic activity. One example survey is, the Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO...

Opportunities for Cost-Sharing in Conservation: Variation in Volunteering Effort across Protected Areas

PubMed Central

Armsworth, Paul R.; Cantú-Salazar, Lisette; Parnell, Mark; Booth, Josephine E.; Stoneman, Rob; Davies, Zoe G.

2013-01-01

Efforts to expand protected area networks are limited by the costs of managing protected sites. Volunteers who donate labor to help manage protected areas can help defray these costs. However, volunteers may be willing to donate more labor to some protected areas than others. Understanding variation in volunteering effort would enable conservation organizations to account for volunteer labor in their strategic planning. We examined variation in volunteering effort across 59 small protected areas managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional conservation nonprofit in the United Kingdom. Three surveys of volunteering effort reveal consistent patterns of variation across protected areas. Using the most detailed of these sources, a survey of site managers, we estimate that volunteers provided 3200 days of labor per year across the 59 sites with a total value exceeding that of paid staff time spent managing the sites. The median percentage by which volunteer labor supplements management costs on the sites was 36%. Volunteering effort and paid management costs are positively correlated, after controlling for the effect of site area. We examined how well a range of characteristics of the protected areas and surrounding communities explain variation in volunteering effort. Protected areas that are larger have been protected for longer and that are located near to denser conurbations experience greater volunteering effort. Together these factors explain 38% of the observed variation in volunteering effort across protected areas. PMID:23383176

Opportunities for cost-sharing in conservation: variation in volunteering effort across protected areas.

PubMed

Armsworth, Paul R; Cantú-Salazar, Lisette; Parnell, Mark; Booth, Josephine E; Stoneman, Rob; Davies, Zoe G

2013-01-01

Efforts to expand protected area networks are limited by the costs of managing protected sites. Volunteers who donate labor to help manage protected areas can help defray these costs. However, volunteers may be willing to donate more labor to some protected areas than others. Understanding variation in volunteering effort would enable conservation organizations to account for volunteer labor in their strategic planning. We examined variation in volunteering effort across 59 small protected areas managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional conservation nonprofit in the United Kingdom. Three surveys of volunteering effort reveal consistent patterns of variation across protected areas. Using the most detailed of these sources, a survey of site managers, we estimate that volunteers provided 3200 days of labor per year across the 59 sites with a total value exceeding that of paid staff time spent managing the sites. The median percentage by which volunteer labor supplements management costs on the sites was 36%. Volunteering effort and paid management costs are positively correlated, after controlling for the effect of site area. We examined how well a range of characteristics of the protected areas and surrounding communities explain variation in volunteering effort. Protected areas that are larger have been protected for longer and that are located near to denser conurbations experience greater volunteering effort. Together these factors explain 38% of the observed variation in volunteering effort across protected areas.

The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Nathan; LAMBDA

2018-01-01

The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) provides CMB researchers with archival data for cosmology missions, software tools, and links to other sites of interest. LAMBDA is one-stop shopping for CMB researchers. It hosts data from WMAP along with many suborbital experiments. Over the past year, LAMBDA has acquired new data from SPTpol, SPIDER and ACTPol. In addition to the primary CMB, LAMBDA also provides foreground data.LAMBDA has several ongoing efforts to provide tools for CMB researchers. These tools include a web interface for CAMB and a web interface for a CMB survey footprint database and plotting tool. Additionally, we have recently developed a Docker container with standard CMB analysis tools and demonstrations in the form of Jupyter notebooks. These containers will be publically available through Docker's container repository and the source will be available on github.

Psychosocial influences on safety climate: evidence from community pharmacies.

PubMed

Phipps, Denham L; Ashcroft, Darren M

2011-12-01

To examine the relationship between psychosocial job characteristics and safety climate. Cross-sectional survey. Community pharmacies in Great Britain. Participants A random sample of community pharmacists registered in Great Britain (n = 860). Survey instruments Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) indicator and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Main outcome measures Pharmacy Safety Climate Questionnaire (PSCQ). The profile of scores from the ERI indicated a relatively high risk of adverse psychological effects. The profile of scores from the JCQ indicated both high demand on pharmacists and a high level of psychological and social resources to meet these demands. Path analysis confirmed a model in which the ERI and JCQ measures, as well as the type of pharmacy and pharmacist role, predicted responses to the PSCQ (χ(2)(36) = 111.38, p < 0.001; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.96; comparative fit index = 0.98; root mean square error of approximation=0.05). Two general factors (effort vs reward and control vs demand) accounted for the effect of job characteristics on safety climate ratings; each had differential effects on the PSCQ scales. The safety climate in community pharmacies is influenced by perceptions of job characteristics, such as the level of job demands and the resources available to meet these demands. Hence, any efforts to improve safety should take into consideration the effect of the psychosocial work environment on safety climate. In addition, there is a need to address the presence of work-related stressors, which have the potential to cause direct or indirect harm to staff and service users. The findings of the current study provide a basis for future research to improve the safety climate and well-being, both in the pharmacy profession and in other healthcare settings.

Access to Care and Satisfaction Among Health Center Patients With Chronic Conditions.

PubMed

Shi, Leiyu; Lee, De-Chih; Haile, Geraldine Pierre; Liang, Hailun; Chung, Michelle; Sripipatana, Alek

This study examined access to care and satisfaction among health center patients with chronic conditions. Data for this study were obtained from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey. Dependent variables of interest included 5 measures of access to and satisfaction with care, whereas the main independent variable was number of chronic conditions. Results of bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regressions showed that patients with chronic conditions had significantly higher odds of reporting access barriers than those without chronic conditions. Our results suggested that additional efforts and resources are necessary to address the needs of health center patients with chronic conditions.

A review of manufacturing metrology for improved reliability of silicon photovoltaic modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Kristopher O.; Walters, Joseph; Schneller, Eric; Seigneur, Hubert; Brooker, R. Paul; Scardera, Giuseppe; Rodgers, Marianne P.; Mohajeri, Nahid; Shiradkar, Narendra; Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Wohlgemuth, John; Rudack, Andrew C.; Schoenfeld, Winston V.

2014-10-01

In this work, the use of manufacturing metrology across the supply chain to improve crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) module reliability and durability is addressed. Additionally, an overview and summary of a recent extensive literature survey of relevant measurement techniques aimed at reducing or eliminating the probability of field failures is presented. An assessment of potential gaps is also given, wherein the PV community could benefit from new research and demonstration efforts. This review is divided into three primary areas representing different parts of the c-Si PV supply chain: (1) feedstock production, crystallization and wafering; (2) cell manufacturing; and (3) module manufacturing.

An Exploration of the Associations of Alcohol-Related Social Media Use and Message Interpretation Outcomes to Problem Drinking Among College Students.

PubMed

Hoffman, Eric W; Austin, Erica Weintraub; Pinkleton, Bruce E; Austin, Bruce W

2017-07-01

College students' use of digital communication technology has led to a rapid expansion of digital alcohol marketing efforts. Two surveys (total usable n = 637) were conducted to explore college students' experiences with alcohol-related social media, their decision making related to alcohol use, and their problematic drinking behaviors. Study results indicated that students' use of alcohol-related social media predicted their problem drinking behaviors. In addition, students' wishful identification, perceived desirability, perceived similarity, and normative beliefs predicted their expectancies for drinking alcohol. Finally, students' expectancies for drinking alcohol predicted their problematic drinking behaviors.

Landsat: A Global Land-Imaging Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Headley, Rachel

2010-01-01

Across nearly four decades since 1972, Landsat satellites continuously have acquired space-based images of the Earth's land surface, coastal shallows, and coral reefs. The Landsat Program, a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was established to routinely gather land imagery from space; consequently, NASA develops remote-sensing instruments and spacecraft, then launches and validates the satellites. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation of the satellites, in addition to managing all ground-data reception, archiving, product generation, and distribution. The result of this program is a visible, long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape.

Landsat: a global land imaging program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrnes, Raymond A.

2012-01-01

Landsat satellites have continuously acquired space-based images of the Earth's land surface, coastal shallows, and coral reefs across four decades. The Landsat Program, a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was established to routinely gather land imagery from space. In practice, NASA develops remote-sensing instruments and spacecraft, launches satellites, and validates their performance. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation of the satellites, in addition to managing all ground-data reception, archiving, product generation, and distribution. The result of this program is a visible, long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape.

State of the Art Assessment of Simulation in Advanced Materials Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wise, Kristopher E.

2008-01-01

Advances in both the underlying theory and in the practical implementation of molecular modeling techniques have increased their value in the advanced materials development process. The objective is to accelerate the maturation of emerging materials by tightly integrating modeling with the other critical processes: synthesis, processing, and characterization. The aims of this report are to summarize the state of the art of existing modeling tools and to highlight a number of areas in which additional development is required. In an effort to maintain focus and limit length, this survey is restricted to classical simulation techniques including molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations.

Suicidal and online: how do online behaviors inform us of this high-risk population?

PubMed

Harris, Keith M; McLean, John P; Sheffield, Jeanie

2014-01-01

To assist suicide prevention we need a better understanding of how suicidal individuals act in their environment, and the online world offers an ideal opportunity to examine daily behaviors. This anonymous survey (N = 1,016) provides first-of-its-kind empirical evidence demonstrating suicide-risk people (n = 290) are unique in their online behaviors. Suicidal users reported more time online, greater likelihood of developing online personal relationships, and greater use of online forums. In addition, suicide-risk women reported more time browsing/surfing and social networking. The authors conclude that suicide prevention efforts should respond to suicide-risk users' greater demands for online interpersonal communications.

The Future of Stellar Populations Studies in the Milky Way and the Local Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majewski, Steven R.

2010-04-01

The last decade has seen enormous progress in understanding the structure of the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies via the production of large-scale digital surveys of the sky like 2MASS and SDSS, as well as specialized, counterpart imaging surveys of other Local Group systems. Apart from providing snaphots of galaxy structure, these “cartographic” surveys lend insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies when supplemented with additional data (e.g., spectroscopy, astrometry) and when referenced to theoretical models and simulations of galaxy evolution. These increasingly sophisticated simulations are making ever more specific predictions about the detailed chemistry and dynamics of stellar populations in galaxies. To fully exploit, test and constrain these theoretical ventures demands similar commitments of observational effort as has been plied into the previous imaging surveys to fill out other dimensions of parameter space with statistically significant intensity. Fortunately the future of large-scale stellar population studies is bright with a number of grand projects on the horizon that collectively will contribute a breathtaking volume of information on individual stars in Local Group galaxies. These projects include: (1) additional imaging surveys, such as Pan-STARRS, SkyMapper and LSST, which, apart from providing deep, multicolor imaging, yield time series data useful for revealing variable stars (including critical standard candles, like RR Lyrae variables) and creating large-scale, deep proper motion catalogs; (2) higher accuracy, space-based astrometric missions, such as Gaia and SIM-Lite, which stand to provide critical, high precision dynamical data on stars in the Milky Way and its satellites; and (3) large-scale spectroscopic surveys provided by RAVE, APOGEE, HERMES, LAMOST, and the Gaia spectrometer, which will yield not only enormous numbers of stellar radial velocities, but extremely comprehensive views of the chemistry of stellar populations. Meanwhile, previously dust-obscured regions of the Milky Way will continue to be systematically exposed via large infrared surveys underway or on the way, such as the various GLIMPSE surveys from Spitzer's IRAC instrument, UKIDSS, APOGEE, JASMINE and WISE.

Agencies Collaborate, Develop a Cyanobacteria Assessment Network

EPA Science Inventory

This collaborative effort integrates the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide an approach for mainstrea...

Perspectives on AFVs: State and city government fleet manager survey

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

Whalen, P.

1999-02-01

In an effort to reduce national dependence on imported oil and to improve urban air quality, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is promoting the development and deployment of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). To support this activity, DOE has directed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop and conduct projects to evaluate the performance and acceptability of light-duty AFVs compared to similar gasoline vehicles. As part of this effort, NREL has undertaken a number of evaluation projects, including conducting telephone surveys with fleet managers and drivers of AFVs in the federal fleet. This report summarizes themore » results of the survey of state and city government fleet managers.« less

Association of Birthweight With Maternal Trajectories of Effort-Reward Imbalance and Demand-Control Across Pregnancy.

PubMed

Meyer, John D; O'Campo, Patricia; Warren, Nicolas; Muntaner, Carles

2017-02-01

We assessed longitudinal patterns of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and demand-control (DC) scores in pregnancy, and their association with newborn birthweight (BW). Sixty-one women were surveyed four times across pregnancy using the ERI and DC questionnaires. Trajectories of change in ERI and DC scores across pregnancy were constructed using growth mixture modeling, and their associations with BW were examined with generalized linear regression. Declining ERI (diminishing effort with stable/increasing reward) was associated with higher BW (408 g; P = 0.015), and was robust to other work factors. DC trajectory was not significantly associated with BW. Declining ERI may reflect improved work psychosocial climate across pregnancy, or a conscious reduction in effort. The ERI model may represent more flexible work characteristics, whereas job control may be less amenable to short-term alteration. Surveys in more diverse pregnant working populations could be recommended.

The status of states' policies to support evidence-based practices in children's mental health.

PubMed

Cooper, Janice L; Aratani, Yumiko

2009-12-01

This study examined the efforts of states' mental health authorities to promote the use of evidence-based practices through policy. Data were drawn from three components of a national study, including a survey of state children's mental health directors (N=53), which was developed using a three-step process that involved stakeholders. Data from the directors' survey revealed that over 90% of states are implementing strategies to support the use of evidence-based practices. The scope of these efforts varies, with 36% reporting statewide reach. Further, states' strategies for implementing evidence-based practices are often not accompanied by comparable efforts to enhance information systems, even though enhancing such systems can bolster opportunities for successful implementation. Variability in the adoption of evidence-based practices, poor attention to information systems, and inconsistent fiscal policies threaten states' efforts to improve the quality of children's mental health services.

Group of Eight Infrastructure Condition Survey 2007. Aggregated Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

The "Group of Eight Infrastructure Condition Survey 2007" represents the Go8's first effort to enhance the quality of information available about the condition of building and support infrastructure of member universities, their capital investment trends and challenges. The survey aims to support the systematic benchmarking of facilities…

A National Survey of Undergraduate Teaching in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

And Others; Stenchever, Morton A.

1979-01-01

A survey of academic departments of obstetrics and gynecology was designed to assess undergraduate educational programs and the impact of efforts made to improve teaching in the specialty. It focuses on instructional patterns, the clinical clerkship, student evaluation, and program administration and evaluation. Prior surveys are noted.…

Web-Based Surveys Facilitate Undergraduate Research and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Paul, Ed.; Steele, Scott R.

2008-01-01

The author presents Web-based surveying as a valuable tool for achieving quality undergraduate research in upper-level economics courses. Web-based surveys can be employed in efforts to integrate undergraduate research into the curriculum without overburdening students or faculty. The author discusses the value of undergraduate research, notes…

Using an internet questionnaire to characterize bat survey efforts in the United States and Canada

Treesearch

Theodore J. Weller; William J. Zielinski

2006-01-01

Standardized survey methods are important for obtaining reliable information on wildlife populations. As a precursor to creating a regional bat-survey (Chiroptera) protocol, we distributed a questionnaire via e-mail to biologists responsible for conducting bat surveys in the United States and Canada. We received 415 responses from 45 states and 7 Canadian provinces or...

Salary Surveys: How to Conduct One in Your Community and Child Care Staff Salary and Working Conditions Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellm, Dan; Whitebook, Marcy

Intended for use by child care advocates, this booklet describes ways to gather local information about existing salaries, benefits, and working conditions among child care workers for the purpose of coordinating efforts to upgrade the field. The booklet begins by presenting the rationale behind conducting salary surveys, noting that surveys can…

78 FR 48464 - Comment request for Information Collection for Quick Turnaround Surveys of All Statutes and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-08

... employment and training or related activities. Each survey will be designed on an ad hoc basis and will focus... basis. ETA will make every effort to coordinate the quick turnaround surveys with other research it is... Collection for Quick Turnaround Surveys of All Statutes and Programs for Which the Employment and Training...

The Measure of a Nation: The USDA and the Rise of Survey Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahoney, Kevin T.; Baker, David B.

2007-01-01

Survey research has played a major role in American social science. An outgrowth of efforts by the United States Department of Agriculture in the 1930s, the Division of Program Surveys (DPS) played an important role in the development of survey methodology. The DPS was headed by the ambitious and entrepreneurial Rensis Likert, populated by young…

On the need and use of models to explore the role of economic confidence:a survey.

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

Sprigg, James A.; Paez, Paul J.; Hand, Michael S.

2005-04-01

Empirical studies suggest that consumption is more sensitive to current income than suggested under the permanent income hypothesis, which raises questions regarding expectations for future income, risk aversion, and the role of economic confidence measures. This report surveys a body of fundamental economic literature as well as burgeoning computational modeling methods to support efforts to better anticipate cascading economic responses to terrorist threats and attacks. This is a three part survey to support the incorporation of models of economic confidence into agent-based microeconomic simulations. We first review broad underlying economic principles related to this topic. We then review the economicmore » principle of confidence and related empirical studies. Finally, we provide a brief survey of efforts and publications related to agent-based economic simulation.« less

The Open Cluster Chemical Abundances and Mapping (OCCAM) Survey: Optical Extension for Neutron Capture Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melendez, Matthew; O'Connell, Julia; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Donor, John; Cunha, Katia M. L.; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Majewski, Steven R.; Zasowski, Gail; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre; Stassun, Keivan G.; APOGEE Team

2017-01-01

The Open Cluster Chemical Abundance & Mapping (OCCAM) survey is a systematic survey of Galactic open clusters using data primarily from the SDSS-III/APOGEE-1 survey. However, neutron capture elements are very limited in the IR region covered by APOGEE. In an effort to fully study detailed Galactic chemical evolution, we are conducting a high resolution (R~60,000) spectroscopic abundance analysis of neutron capture elements for OCCAM clusters in the optical regime to complement the APOGEE results. As part of this effort, we present Ba II, La II, Ce II and Eu II results for a few open clusters without previous abundance measurements using data obtained at McDonald Observatory with the 2.1m Otto Struve telescope and Sandiford Echelle Spectrograph.This work is supported by an NSF AAG grant AST-1311835.

A retrospective perspective: evaluating population changes by repeating historic bird surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Igl, Lawrence D.; Johnson, Douglas H.

2005-01-01

Acquiring an accurate picture of the changes in bird populations often involves a tradeoff between the time and effort required to complete the surveys and the number of years spent surveying the bird populations. An alternative approach to long-term monitoring efforts is to collect current data and contrast those with data collected earlier in a similar fashion on the same study site(s). To evaluate changes in bird populations, we repeated two extensive surveys, one in North Dakota (1967 vs. 1992-1993) and the other in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska (1979-1980 vs. 2001), where large areas of native vegetation had been converted to agriculture. We use these examples and others from the literature to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of using historical data as a frame of reference for population changes.

Academic plastic surgery: faculty recruitment and retention.

PubMed

Chen, Jenny T; Girotto, John A; Kitzmiller, W John; Lawrence, W Thomas; Verheyden, Charles N; Vedder, Nicholas B; Coleman, John J; Bentz, Michael L

2014-03-01

A critical element of a thriving academic plastic surgery program is the quality of faculty. A decline in recruitment and retention of faculty has been attributed to the many challenges of academic medicine. Given the substantial resources required to develop faculty, academic plastic surgery has a vested interest in improving the process of faculty recruitment and retention. The American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Issues Committee and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation Academic Affairs Council surveyed the 83 existing programs in academic plastic surgery in February of 2012. The survey addressed the faculty-related issues in academic plastic surgery programs over the past decade. Recruitment and retention strategies were evaluated. This study was designed to elucidate trends, and define best strategies, on a national level. Academic plastic surgery programs have added substantially more full-time faculty over the past decade. Recruitment efforts are multifaceted and can include guaranteed salary support, moving expenses, nurse practitioner/physician's assistant hires, protected time for research, seed funds to start research programs, and more. Retention efforts can include increased compensation, designation of a leadership appointment, protected academic time, and call dilution. Significant change and growth of academic plastic surgery has occurred in the past decade. Effective faculty recruitment and retention are critical to a successful academic center. Funding sources in addition to physician professional fees (institutional program support, grants, contracts, endowment, and so on) are crucial to sustain the academic missions.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties Moderate the Association Between Heavy Episodic Drinking and Dating Violence Perpetration Among College Men

PubMed Central

Stappenbeck, Cynthia A.; Davis, Kelly Cue; Cherf, Nicholas; Gulati, Natasha K.; Kajumulo, Kelly F.

2017-01-01

Because of high rates of heavy drinking and dating violence (psychological or physical aggression toward a dating partner) among college men, we examined whether emotion regulation difficulties moderated the association between heavy drinking and dating violence perpetration. One hundred and fifty-eight men were recruited from a large northwestern US university between April 2014 and August 2014. Participants completed an online survey that assessed their emotion regulation difficulties as well as their past year history of heavy episodic drinking (HED; consuming 5+ drinks in 2 hours) and dating violence perpetration. Generalized linear models revealed that the positive association between HED and dating violence perpetration was stronger for men with greater impulse control difficulties and for those who reported limited access to emotion regulation strategies. In addition to continued efforts to reduce heavy drinking among college men, interventions targeting emotion regulation difficulties should be incorporated into standard dating violence intervention and prevention efforts to further reduce the likelihood of dating violence perpetration in this population. PMID:29147076

Emotion Regulation Difficulties Moderate the Association Between Heavy Episodic Drinking and Dating Violence Perpetration Among College Men.

PubMed

Stappenbeck, Cynthia A; Davis, Kelly Cue; Cherf, Nicholas; Gulati, Natasha K; Kajumulo, Kelly F

2016-01-01

Because of high rates of heavy drinking and dating violence (psychological or physical aggression toward a dating partner) among college men, we examined whether emotion regulation difficulties moderated the association between heavy drinking and dating violence perpetration. One hundred and fifty-eight men were recruited from a large northwestern US university between April 2014 and August 2014. Participants completed an online survey that assessed their emotion regulation difficulties as well as their past year history of heavy episodic drinking (HED; consuming 5+ drinks in 2 hours) and dating violence perpetration. Generalized linear models revealed that the positive association between HED and dating violence perpetration was stronger for men with greater impulse control difficulties and for those who reported limited access to emotion regulation strategies. In addition to continued efforts to reduce heavy drinking among college men, interventions targeting emotion regulation difficulties should be incorporated into standard dating violence intervention and prevention efforts to further reduce the likelihood of dating violence perpetration in this population.

[Case Study] CityCenter and Cosmopolitan Construction Projects, Las Vegas, Nevada: lessons learned from the use of multiple sources and mixed methods in a safety needs assessment.

PubMed

Gittleman, Janie L; Gardner, Paige C; Haile, Elizabeth; Sampson, Julie M; Cigularov, Konstantin P; Ermann, Erica D; Stafford, Pete; Chen, Peter Y

2010-06-01

The present study describes a response to eight tragic deaths over an eighteen month times span on a fast track construction project on the largest commercial development project in U.S. history. Four versions of a survey were distributed to workers, foremen, superintendents, and senior management. In addition to standard Likert-scale safety climate scale items, an open-ended item was included at the end of the survey. Safety climate perceptions differed by job level. Specifically, management perceived a more positive safety climate as compared to workers. Content analysis of the open-ended item was used to identify important safety and health concerns which might have been overlooked with the qualitative portion of the survey. The surveys were conducted to understand workforce issues of concern with the aim of improving site safety conditions. Such efforts can require minimal investment of resources and time and result in critical feedback for developing interventions affecting organizational structure, management processes, and communication. The most important lesson learned was that gauging differences in perception about site safety can provide critical feedback at all levels of a construction organization. Implementation of multi-level organizational perception surveys can identify major safety issues of concern. Feedback, if acted upon, can potentially result in fewer injuries and fatal events. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing community resilience: A CART survey application in an impoverished urban community.

PubMed

Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Zhao, Yan D; Van Horn, Richard L; McCarter, Grady S Mack; Leonard, Michael B

2016-01-01

This article describes an application of the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) Assessment Survey which has been recognized as an important community tool to assist communities in their resilience-building efforts. Developed to assist communities in assessing their resilience to disasters and other adversities, the CART survey can be used to obtain baseline information about a community, to identify relative community strengths and challenges, and to re-examine a community after a disaster or post intervention. This article, which describes an application of the survey in a community of 5 poverty neighborhoods, illustrates the use of the instrument, explicates aspects of community resilience, and provides possible explanations for the results. The paper also demonstrates how a community agency that serves many of the functions of a broker organization can enhance community resilience. Survey results suggest various dimensions of community resilience (as represented by core CART community resilience items and CART domains) and potential predictors. Correlates included homeownership, engagement with local entities/activities, prior experience with a personal emergency or crisis while living in the neighborhood, and involvement with a community organization that focuses on building safe and caring communities through personal relationships. In addition to influencing residents' perceptions of their community, it is likely that the community organization, which served as a sponsor for this application, contributes directly to community resilience through programs and initiatives that enhance social capital and resource acquisition and mobilization.

Inference about species richness and community structure using species-specific occupancy models in the National Swiss Breeding Bird Survey MUB

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kery, M.; Royle, J. Andrew; Thomson, David L.; Cooch, Evan G.; Conroy, Michael J.

2009-01-01

Species richness is the most widely used biodiversity measure. Virtually always, it cannot be observed but needs to be estimated because some species may be present but remain undetected. This fact is commonly ignored in ecology and management, although it will bias estimates of species richness and related parameters such as occupancy, turnover or extinction rates. We describe a species community modeling strategy based on species-specific models of occurrence, from which estimates of important summaries of community structure, e.g., species richness, occupancy, or measures of similarity among species or sites, are derived by aggregating indicators of occurrence for all species observed in the sample, and for the estimated complement of unobserved species. We use data augmentation for an efficient Bayesian approach to estimation and prediction under this model based on MCMC in WinBUGS. For illustration, we use the Swiss breeding bird survey (MHB) that conducts 2?3 territory-mapping surveys in a systematic sample of 267 1 km2 units on quadrat-specific routes averaging 5.1 km to obtain species-specific estimates of occupancy, and estimates of species richness of all diurnal species free of distorting effects of imperfect detectability. We introduce into our model species-specific covariates relevant to occupancy (elevation, forest cover, route length) and sampling (season, effort). From 1995 to 2004, 185 diurnal breeding bird species were known in Switzerland, and an additional 13 bred 1?3 times since 1900. 134 species were observed during MHB surveys in 254 quadrats surveyed in 2001, and our estimate of 169.9 (95% CI 151?195) therefore appeared sensible. The observed number of species ranged from 4 to 58 (mean 32.8), but with an estimated 0.7?11.2 (mean 2.6) further, unobserved species, the estimated proportion of detected species was 0.48?0.98 (mean 0.91). As is well known, species richness declined at higher elevation and fell above the timberline, and most species showed some preferred elevation. Route length had clear effects on occupancy, suggesting it is a proxy for the size of the effectively sampled area. Detection probability of most species showed clear seasonal patterns and increased with greater survey effort; these are important results for the planning of focused surveys. The main benefit of our model, and its implementation in WinBUGS for which we provide code, is its conceptual simplicity. Species richness is naturally expressed as the sum of occurrences of individual species. Information about species is combined across sites, which yields greater efficiency or may even enable estimation for sites with very few observed species in the first place. At the same time, species detections are clearly segregated into a true state process (occupancy) and an observation process (detection, given occupancy), and covariates can be readily introduced, which provides for efficient introduction of such additional information as well as sharp testing of such relationships.

Cataloging Practices in India: Efforts for Standardization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikku, Upinder Kumar

1984-01-01

Surveys current cataloging practices in Indian libraries and discusses standardization in cataloging, types of catalogs, cataloging codes (Anglo-American and Ranganathan), subject headings, descriptive cataloging, and standardization efforts (international, United States, USSR, Great Britain, India). Footnotes are included. (EJS)

The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) - Enabling Collective Impact on Climate and Energy Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledley, T. S.; Gold, A. U.; Niepold, F., III

2015-12-01

Numerous climate change education efforts exist that aim to enable citizens and society to make informed decisions addressing environmental and societal issues arising from climate change. To extend the reach and impact of these efforts, it is necessary to coordinate them in order to reach a greater collective impact. The Collective Impact model, as described by Kania & Kramer (2011), requires five elements: 1) a common agenda; 2) shared measurement systems; 3) mutually reinforcing activities; 4) continuous communication; and 5) a well-funded backbone support organization. The CLEAN Network, as an example of a rudimentary form of such an organization, engages in continuous communication through weekly teleconferences, an active listserv and other activities to share resources, activities, and ideas that is moving the network to develop common understandings that will likely lead to the development of effective collective impact on increasing climate and energy literacy. A Spring 2013 survey of the CLEAN Network provided insight as to how the CLEAN Network was addressing member needs and identified what other support was needed to increase its collective impact. In addition, community discussions identified the components needed for an effective overarching backbone support organization. A Fall 2015 survey of the CLEAN Network and the broader climate change education community is being conducted to examine 1) how the CLEAN Network make up and needs have evolved and how they compare to the broader community, and 2) to gather further input into the shaping of the elements of collective impact on climate and energy literacy. This presentation will describe the results from the 2015 survey and compare them to the 2013 survey and the community discussions. This will include describing the CLEAN Network's evolving professional make up, engagement of its members network activities, the importance of the network to members; how the findings compare with the broader climate change education community, and how the collective impact can be increased.

An innovative addition to team-based-learning pedagogy to enhance teaching and learning: Students' perceptions of team exams.

PubMed

Khansari, Parto S; Coyne, Leanne

The study investigates students' perceptions of the value of implementing a team exam to enhance learning prior to a summative assessment. Team exams are similar to midterm exams, except that answering questions is a team effort. Data was collected from second year pharmacy students at California Northstate University College of Pharmacy (CNUCOP) through a self-administered online survey. The survey questions included closed-ended questions to evaluate students' perception on preparedness for a summative assessment and to rank advantages and disadvantages of the team exams. Of the 40 students who completed the survey (38% response rate), 100% of participants agreed that having a team exam prior to a major exam made them feel more prepared for a major summative exam. Ninety-seven percent of students believed that the team exam helped them to identify gaps in their knowledge and 85% agreed that taking a team exam reinforced their knowledge by teaching other students. The survey results did not identify any major disadvantages to holding a team exam. Students perceived that taking a team exam prior to a midterm exam is an effective approach to review the course contents and identify areas of improvement. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Current distribution of North American river otters in central and eastern Oklahoma, with seven new county records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrett, Dominic A.; Leslie, David M.

2010-01-01

In 1984 and 1985, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reintroduced North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) from coastal Louisiana into eastern Oklahoma. Those reintroductions and immigration from Arkansas and possibly northeastern Texas allowed river otters to become reestablished in eastern Oklahoma. Our goals were to determine the contemporary distribution of river otters in central and eastern Oklahoma with voucher specimens, sign surveys, and mail surveys and to compare proportion of positive detections among watersheds. We report new distributional records with voucher specimens from seven counties (Adair, Bryan, Coal, Johnston, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Tulsa) in Oklahoma. We also provide locality information for specimens collected from four counties (Haskell, McCurtain, Muskogee, Wagoner) where river otters were described in published literature but no voucher specimens existed. During winter and spring 2006 and 2007, we visited 340 bridge sites in 28 watersheds in eastern and central Oklahoma and identified river otter signs in 16 counties where river otters were not previously documented in published literature or by voucher specimens. Proportion of positive sites within each watershed ranged 0–100%. Mail surveys suggested that river otters occurred in eight additional counties where they were not previously documented by published literature, voucher specimens, or sign-survey efforts.

National wildlife refuge visitor survey 2012--Individual refuge results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dietsch, Alia M.; Sexton, Natalie R.; Koontz, Lynne M.; Conk, Shannon J.

2013-01-01

The National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System), established in 1903 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), is the leading network of protected lands and waters in the world dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitats. There are 560 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts nationwide, encompassing more than 150 million acres. The Refuge System attracts nearly 45 million visitors annually, including 34.8 million people who observe and photograph wildlife, 9.6 million who hunt and fish, and nearly 675,000 teachers and students who use refuges as outdoor classrooms. Understanding visitor perceptions of refuges and characterizing their experiences on refuges are critical elements of managing these lands and meeting the goals of the Refuge System. The Service collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a national survey of visitors regarding their experiences on national wildlife refuges. The purpose of the survey was to better understand visitor experiences and trip characteristics, to gauge visitors’ levels of satisfaction with existing recreational opportunities, and to garner feedback to inform the design of programs and facilities. The survey results will inform performance, planning, budget, and communications goals. Results will also inform Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs), visitor services, and transportation planning processes. This Data Series consists of 25 separate data files. Each file describes the results of the survey for an individual refuge and contains the following information: • Introduction: An overview of the Refuge System and the goals of the national surveying effort. • Methods: The procedures for the national surveying effort, including selecting refuges, developing the survey instrument, contacting visitors, and guidance for interpreting the results.• Refuge Description: A brief description of the refuge location, acreage, purpose, recreational activities, and visitation statistics, including a map (where available) and refuge website link. • Sampling at This Refuge: The sampling periods, locations, and response rate for the refuge. • Selected Survey Results: Key findings for the refuge, including: o Visitor and trip characteristics o Visitor spending in the local communities o Visitors opinions about the refuge o Visitor opinions about National Wildlife Refuge System topics • Conclusion • References Cited • Survey Frequencies (Appendix A): The survey instrument with frequency results for the refuge. • Visitor Comments (Appendix B): The verbatim responses to the open-ended survey questions for the refuge.Individual-refuge results for the 53 participating refuges in the 2010-2011 national effort are available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/643/ as part of USGS Data Series 643. Combined results for the 53 participating refuges in the 2010-2011 national effort are available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/685/ as part of USGS Data Series 685.

Harvest patterns and effort dynamics of indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the eastern Torres Strait reef line fishery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Ashley J.; Ballagh, Aaron C.; Begg, Gavin A.; Murchie, Cameron D.; Currey, Leanne M.

2008-09-01

The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait.

Estimating benefits of past, current, and future reductions in smoking rates using a comprehensive model with competing causes of death.

PubMed

van Meijgaard, Jeroen; Fielding, Jonathan E

2012-01-01

Despite years of declining smoking prevalence, tobacco use is still the leading preventable contributor to illness and death in the United States, and the effect of past tobacco-use control efforts has not fully translated into improvements in health outcomes. The objective of this study was to use a life course model with multiple competing causes of death to elucidate the ongoing benefits of tobacco-use control efforts on US death rates. We used a continuous-time life course simulation model for the US population. We modeled smoking initiation and cessation and 20 leading causes of death as competing risks over the life span, with the risk of death for each cause dependent on past and current smoking status. Risk parameters were estimated using data from the National Health Interview Survey that were linked to follow-up mortality data. Up to 14% (9% for men, 14% for women) of the total gain in life expectancy since 1960 was due to tobacco-use control efforts. Past efforts are expected to further increase life expectancy by 0.9 years for women and 1.3 years for men. Additional reduction in smoking prevalence may eventually yield an average 3.4-year increase in life expectancy in the United States. Coronary heart disease is expected to increase as a share of total deaths. A dynamic individual-level model with multiple causes of death supports assessment of the delayed benefits of improved tobacco-use control efforts. We show that past smoking reduction efforts will translate into further increases in life expectancy in the coming years. Smoking will remain a major contributor to preventable illness and death, worthy of continued interventions.

Owl broadcast surveys in the Foothills Model Forest, Alberta, Canada

Treesearch

D. Lisa Takats; Geoffrey L. Holroyd

1997-01-01

Broadcast surveys are used to determine the presence and relative abundance of nocturnal owls, but there has been little effort to standardize such surveys. This paper examines broadcast survey data collected in 1995 and 1996 in the Foothills Model Forest, Alberta, Canada. Three hundred calls from six species of owls were recorded at 893 stops for a call rate of 0.34...

An Evaluation of Bias in the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program: Results from a Special Data Collection Effort. NCES 2009-029

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van de Kerckhove, Wendy; Montaquila, Jill M.; Carver, Priscilla R.; Brick, J. Michael

2009-01-01

The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) is a random digit dialing (RDD) survey program developed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. The surveys are designed to help NCES collect data directly from households about important education topics.…

Yavapai College Student Satisfaction Survey Conducted December 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavapai Coll., Prescott, AZ.

Yavapai College, Arizona, conducted a telephone survey of current college students in December 2002. The survey provides data for future marketing efforts, as well as providing information to be used as part of an ongoing assessment of student opinions and needs. An independent telemarketing firm called students from a random list of 1,400 credit…

Using surveys as input to comprehensive watershed management: a case study from Minnesota.

Treesearch

Tim Kelly; Ron Sushak

1996-01-01

As a compliment to direct citizen participation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources used a survey of area landowners to help inform its comprehensive watershed management initiative. Results from the survey have been useful to resource managers and area residents as they carry out this planning effort.

Methods for shorebird surveys in the Arctic

Treesearch

Jonathan Bart; Susan L. Earnst

2005-01-01

A substantial effort is being made to develop a longterm monitoring program for shorebirds in North American (Brown et al. 2000, Donaldson et al. 2001, Bart et al. this volume). The current program, PRISM (Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring), has four segments: arctic and boreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding surveys, temperate non-...

78 FR 23256 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-18

... for hospitals and one for medical offices); (2) Pretest the VE surveys in hospitals and medical...) Pretest the checklist in hospitals and medical offices and either drop or modify as necessary based on... experience with waste-reduction efforts). (2) Pretest for the VE surveys. The surveys will be pretested with...

Surveying the maize community for their diversity and pedigree visualization needs to prioritize tool development and curation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Maize Genetics and Genomics Database (MaizeGDB) team prepared a survey to identify breeders’ needs for visualizing pedigrees, diversity data, and haplotypes in order to prioritize tool development and curation efforts at MaizeGDB. The survey was distributed to the maize research community on beh...

Electronic Survey Administration: Assessment in the Twenty-First Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Danny R.; Wygant, Steven A.; Brown, Bruce L.

2004-01-01

Recent advances in electronic data collection have opened broad new possibilities for educational assessment. Potentially significant savings in time, money, and effort make Web-based and e-mail-based surveys more and more attractive as alternatives to mail surveys and face-to-face interviews. Yet, as with any major change, questions and obstacles…

Integrating biology, field logistics, and simulations to optimize parameter estimation for imperiled species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanier, Wendy E.; Bailey, Larissa L.; Muths, Erin L.

2016-01-01

Conservation of imperiled species often requires knowledge of vital rates and population dynamics. However, these can be difficult to estimate for rare species and small populations. This problem is further exacerbated when individuals are not available for detection during some surveys due to limited access, delaying surveys and creating mismatches between the breeding behavior and survey timing. Here we use simulations to explore the impacts of this issue using four hypothetical boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) populations, representing combinations of logistical access (accessible, inaccessible) and breeding behavior (synchronous, asynchronous). We examine the bias and precision of survival and breeding probability estimates generated by survey designs that differ in effort and timing for these populations. Our findings indicate that the logistical access of a site and mismatch between the breeding behavior and survey design can greatly limit the ability to yield accurate and precise estimates of survival and breeding probabilities. Simulations similar to what we have performed can help researchers determine an optimal survey design(s) for their system before initiating sampling efforts.

Attitudes toward issues affecting Sarasota Bay

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

Rayburn, J.D.; Heald, G.R.

1995-06-20

The Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program (SBNEP) contracted with the Communication Research Center (CRC) of the Florida State University to conduct a public opinion survey of residents of Sarasota and Manatee, Florida counties to ascertain residents` attitudes toward issues of interest to the SBNEP. The survey was conducted in the final year (1995) of the SBNEP planning phase to determine changes in the public`s perception of bay issues, awareness of restoration efforts, and as a comparison tool to the initial survey conducted in 1990. The survey also provided information necessary for development and implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Managementmore » Plan (CCMP). Five hundred, seventy-eight respondents, chosen at random, were interviewed by telephone during February 1995. The survey had a maximum estimated sampling error of approximately plus or minus four percent (4%) at the 95% level of confidence. Survey results include: just 41% of the respondents were aware of some type of clean up activities going on in the community. This information points to the need for continued assertive public education and outreach efforts to support Sarasota Bay restoration.« less

Preliminary Assessment of Sponge Biodiversity on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles

PubMed Central

Thacker, Robert W.; Díaz, M. Cristina; de Voogd, Nicole J.; van Soest, Rob W. M.; Freeman, Christopher J.; Mobley, Andrew S.; LaPietra, Jessica; Cope, Kevin; McKenna, Sheila

2010-01-01

Background Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles, is one of the three largest atolls on Earth and provides habitat for an extensive coral reef community. To improve our knowledge of this vast marine resource, a survey of biodiversity at Saba Bank included a multi-disciplinary team that sampled fishes, mollusks, crustaceans, macroalgae, and sponges. Methodology/Principal Findings A single member of the dive team conducted surveys of sponge biodiversity during eight dives at six locations, at depths ranging from 15 to 30 m. This preliminary assessment documented the presence of 45 species pooled across multiple locations. Rarefaction analysis estimated that only 48 to 84% of species diversity was sampled by this limited effort, clearly indicating a need for additional surveys. An analysis of historical collections from Saba and Saba Bank revealed an additional 36 species, yielding a total of 81 sponge species recorded from this area. Conclusions/Significance This observed species composition is similar to that found on widespread Caribbean reefs, indicating that the sponge fauna of Saba Bank is broadly representative of the Caribbean as a whole. A robust population of the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, appeared healthy with none of the signs of disease or bleaching reported from other Caribbean reefs; however, more recent reports of anchor chain damage to these sponges suggests that human activities can have dramatic impacts on these communities. Opportunities to protect this extremely large habitat should be pursued, as Saba Bank may serve as a significant reservoir of sponge species diversity. PMID:20502643

Long-term trends in the St. Marys River open water fish community

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaeffer, Jeffrey S.; Fielder, David G.; Godby, Neal; Bowen, Anjanette; O'Connor, Lisa; Parrish, Josh; Greenwood, Susan; Chong, Stephen; Wright, Greg

2011-01-01

We examined trends in species composition and abundance of the St. Marys River fish community. Abundance data were available approximately once every six years from 1975 through 2006, and size and age data were available from 1995 through 2006. We also compared survey data in 2006 with results of a concurrent creel survey that year, as well as data from prior surveys spanning a 69 year time frame. The St. Marys River fish community was best characterized as a coolwater fish community with apparent little variation in species composition, and only slight variation in overall fish abundance since 1975. However, we did find recent trends in abundance among target species sought by anglers: centrarchids increased, percids appeared stable, and both northern pike Esox lucius and cisco Coregonus artedii declined. Survey results suggested that walleye (Sander vitreus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) experienced moderate exploitation but benefited from recent strong recruitment and faster growth. Mechanisms underlying declines of northern pike and cisco were not clear; reduced abundance could have resulted from high exploitation, variation in recruitment, or a combination of both factors. Despite these challenges, the St. Marys River fish community appears remarkably stable. We suggest that managers insure that creel surveys occur simultaneously with assessments, but periodic gill net surveys may no longer provide adequate data in support of recent, more complex management objectives. While additional surveys would add costs, more frequent data might ensure sustainability of a unique fish community that supports a large proportion of angler effort on Lake Huron.

2017 safety belt usage survey in Kentucky.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The use of safety belts and child safety seats is a proven means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. There have been various methods used in efforts to increase safety belt and safety seat usage. Past efforts ...

2016 safety belt usage survey in Kentucky.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

The use of safety belts and child safety seats is a proven means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. There have been various methods used in efforts to increase safety belt and safety seat usage. Past efforts ...

The Influence of Mark-Recapture Sampling Effort on Estimates of Rock Lobster Survival

PubMed Central

Kordjazi, Ziya; Frusher, Stewart; Buxton, Colin; Gardner, Caleb; Bird, Tomas

2016-01-01

Five annual capture-mark-recapture surveys on Jasus edwardsii were used to evaluate the effect of sample size and fishing effort on the precision of estimated survival probability. Datasets of different numbers of individual lobsters (ranging from 200 to 1,000 lobsters) were created by random subsampling from each annual survey. This process of random subsampling was also used to create 12 datasets of different levels of effort based on three levels of the number of traps (15, 30 and 50 traps per day) and four levels of the number of sampling-days (2, 4, 6 and 7 days). The most parsimonious Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model for estimating survival probability shifted from a constant model towards sex-dependent models with increasing sample size and effort. A sample of 500 lobsters or 50 traps used on four consecutive sampling-days was required for obtaining precise survival estimations for males and females, separately. Reduced sampling effort of 30 traps over four sampling days was sufficient if a survival estimate for both sexes combined was sufficient for management of the fishery. PMID:26990561

The impact of effort-reward imbalance on quality of life among Japanese working men.

PubMed

Watanabe, Mayumi; Tanaka, Katsutoshi; Aratake, Yutaka; Kato, Noritada; Sakata, Yumi

2008-07-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important measure of health outcome in working and healthy populations. Here, we investigated the impact of effort-reward imbalance (ERI), a representative work-stress model, on HRQL of Japanese working men. The study targeted 1,096 employees from a manufacturing plant in Japan. To assess HRQL and ERI, participants were surveyed using the Japanese version of the Short-Form 8 Health Survey (SF-8) and effort-reward imbalance model. Of the 1,096 employees, 1,057 provided valid responses to the questionnaire. For physical summary scores, the adjusted effort-reward imbalance odds ratios of middle vs. bottom and top vs. bottom tertiles were 0.24 (95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.70) and 0.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.28), respectively. For mental summary scores, ratios were 0.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.63) and 0.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.25), respectively. These findings demonstrate that effort-reward imbalance is independently associated with HRQL among Japanese employees.

U.S. Geological Survey archived data recovery in Texas, 2008-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wehmeyer, Loren L.; Reece, Brian D.

2011-01-01

The 2008–11 data rescue and recovery efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Texas Water Science Center resulted in an efficient workflow process, database, and Web user interface for scientists and citizens to access archived environmental information with practical applications. Much of this information is unique and has never been readily available to the public. The methods developed and lessons learned during this effort are now being applied to facilitate recovering archived information requested by USGS scientists, cooperators, and the general public.

Projected Near-Earth Object Discovery Performance of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chesley, Steven R.; Veres, Peter

2017-01-01

This report describes the methodology and results of an assessment study of the performance of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in its planned efforts to detect and catalog near-Earth objects (NEOs).

Alternative methods for developing external travel survey data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-10-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has a comprehensive on-going travel survey : program that supports the travel demand models being developed for transportation planning efforts in urban : areas throughout Texas. One component of the sur...

Wintering habitat model for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in the southeastern United States.

PubMed

Gowan, Timothy A; Ortega-Ortiz, Joel G

2014-01-01

The coastal waters off the southeastern United States (SEUS) are a primary wintering ground for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), used by calving females along with other adult and juvenile whales. Management actions implemented in this area for the recovery of the right whale population rely on accurate habitat characterization and the ability to predict whale distribution over time. We developed a temporally dynamic habitat model to predict wintering right whale distribution in the SEUS using a generalized additive model framework and aerial survey data from 2003/2004 through 2012/2013. We built upon previous habitat models for right whales in the SEUS and include data from new aerial surveys that extend the spatial coverage of the analysis, particularly in the northern portion of this wintering ground. We summarized whale sightings, survey effort corrected for probability of whale detection, and environmental data at a semimonthly resolution. Consistent with previous studies, sea surface temperature (SST), water depth, and survey year were significant predictors of right whale relative abundance. Additionally, distance to shore, distance to the 22°C SST isotherm, and an interaction between time of year and latitude (to account for the latitudinal migration of whales) were also selected in the analysis presented here. Predictions from the model revealed that the location of preferred habitat differs within and between years in correspondence with variation in environmental conditions. Although cow-calf pairs were rarely sighted in the company of other whales, there was minimal evidence that the preferred habitat of cow-calf pairs was different than that of whale groups without calves at the scale of this study. The results of this updated habitat model can be used to inform management decisions for a migratory species in a dynamic oceanic environment.

Physics graduate students' perceptions of the value of teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verley, Jim D.

An exploratory study was undertaken to examine the perceptions of physics graduate students regarding teaching and their institutional and departmental support for their teaching efforts. A Likert survey was developed and distributed to 249 physics graduate students at four Rocky Mountain institutions of higher education. The survey was distributed through individual physics department email lists to prevent spam and virus blockers from removing the survey email. Of those 249 receiving the survey 132 students responded (53%) and of those responding 50% gave written comments about their perceptions of the value of teaching. Two of the institutions surveyed have some level of formal teaching development and assistance programming available to the graduate students and two had no formal programs in place either departmentally or institutionally. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis was utilized to examine the survey questions, demographic information and an open-ended question regarding the students' personal perceptions of teaching. Results of the survey analysis indicate that this group of physics graduate students perceive and place a high value on the importance of teaching. The results of the study also indicate that while there was high awareness by the student population of formal programs to aid in their teaching efforts, it did not translate into a high value placed on teaching by the institutions or departments from the student perspective. Students at those institutions that maintain formal programs for teaching development and support, while aware of those programs, often perceive departmental support for their teaching efforts to be lacking and feel unable to accommodate a personal interest in teaching because of a departmental focus on research. The students attending the institution with no formal institutional or departmental programs for teaching had the highest perceived value on its departmental teaching and support for teaching compared to those institutions with formal programs in place.

77 FR 41166 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

.... Marine recreational anglers are surveyed to collect catch and effort data, fish biology data, and angler...: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: Marine Recreational Information Program. OMB... fishery resources. Marine recreational fishing catch and effort data are collected through a combination...

Dry eye disease as an inflammatory disorder.

PubMed

Calonge, Margarita; Enríquez-de-Salamanca, Amalia; Diebold, Yolanda; González-García, María J; Reinoso, Roberto; Herreras, José M; Corell, Alfredo

2010-08-01

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent inflammatory disorder of the lacrimal functional unit of multifactorial origin leading to chronic ocular surface disease, impaired quality of vision, and a wide range of complications, eventually causing a reduction in quality of life. It still is a frustrating disease because of the present scarcity of therapies that can reverse, or at least stop, its progression. A comprehensive literature survey of English-written scientific publications on the role of inflammation in DED. New investigations have demonstrated that a chronic inflammatory response plays a key role in the pathogenesis of human DED. Additionally, correlations between inflammatory molecules and clinical data suggest that inflammation can be responsible for some of the clinical symptoms and signs. Research efforts to clarify its pathophysiology are leading to a better understanding of DED, demonstrating that inflammation, in addition to many other factors, plays a relevant role.

An Evaluation of the Data from the Teacher Compensation Survey: School Year 2007-08 through 2009-10. Research and Development Report. NCES 2018-120

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glander, Mark; Cornman, Stephen Q.; Zhou, Lei; Noel, Amber M.; Nakamoto, Nanae

2018-01-01

The Teacher Compensation Survey (TCS) was a research and development effort by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to explore the possibility of developing an administrative records survey that would compile compensation and demographic data on all public school teachers in the nation. A pilot survey in 2007 collected data from…

2001 mariner survey : principal findings

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-01

The 2001 Mariner Survey was a concentrated effort to get feedback on key readiness issues using a sample of 10,000 : merchant mariners from a population of approximately 104,000 qualified to serve on large ocean-going vessels. One : hundred and forty...

Transportation research synthesis : developing a culture of innovation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-02-01

Eight states responded to our survey. (Survey results begin on page 5 of this report.) Five of these states had initiated : efforts to facilitate innovation, four track innovative ideas, and all reward champions in some way. Standout : agencies inclu...

National Traffic Speeds Survey II : 2009

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

A field survey was conducted during spring and summer 2009 as a longitudinal repetition to a similar effort undertaken : in 2007. The goal was to measure travel speeds and prepare nationally representative speed estimates for all types of : motor veh...

National Traffic Speeds Survey III: 2015

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-03-01

A field survey was conducted during the summer of 2015 as a longitudinal repetition to similar efforts undertaken in 2007 and 2009. The goal was to measure travel speeds and prepare nationally representative speed estimates for all types of motor veh...

Results of the 2008-09 Campus Travel Survey

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-24

The campus travel survey is a joint effort by the Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS) on campus and the Sustainable Transportation Center, part of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, meant to be administered annually each fall b...

Quality-Based Analysis Capability for National Youth Surveys: Development, Application, and Implications for Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orvis, Bruce R.; Gahart, Martin T.

As part of the military recruiting effort, the Department of Defense sponsors surveys of the national youth population to help design recruiting and advertising strategies. This report develops and applies a method of using the information contained in national youth surveys to estimate the probability that respondents taking the Armed Forces…

Y2K Survey Results: Counties, Cities, School Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petro, Jim

Survey data obtained in recent audits updated Ohio's local government units' assessment of Year 2000 (Y2K) readiness. The survey was developed with three intended objectives: (1) to provide an accurate assessment of the efforts to remediate the Y2K problem in Ohio's school districts, cities and counties; (2) to identify issues that could affect…

Rethinking multifamily resets and cutouts

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

Jablonski, F.

In multifamily applications, where heating bills often run into thousands of dollars, reset-cutout combinations appear to be very attractive retrofits because, when properly operated, they meet owners' needs for very quick returns on energy saving investments. Unfortunately, the author's observation of resets and cutouts operating under conditions the author typically found in residential multifamily buildings indicates that adjustable controls, such as most resets and cutouts, will often be defeated through poor installation and maladjustment. This appears to be true even when programs incorporate mechanisms aimed at training building operators to manage the controls correctly, and reinforce that training with writtenmore » instructions and periodic reminders. Despite the massive and frequently reinforced education effort for control operators, his post-installation site visits revealed that resets and cutouts were still routinely defeated. Out of curiosity, he conducted a survey of cutout controls in spring 1990. The author has found that 19 of 19 cutout controls surveyed, all of which had been installed under the enhanced program, were rendered functionally inoperable because they were turned off or set far too high. Because this preliminary survey showed such poor results, additional research is now underway to assess the maintenance or disablement of these adjustable resets and cutouts.« less

A decade of aquatic invasive species (AIS) early detection ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As an invasion prone location, the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) has been a case study for ongoing research to develop the framework for a practical Great Lakes monitoring network for early detection of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Early detection, however, necessitates finding new invaders before they are common. Here we outline our research (2005 present) approach and findings, including strategies to increase detection efficiency by optimizing specimen collection and identification methods. Initial surveys were designed to over-sample to amass data as the basis for numerical experiments to investigate to the effort required for a given detection probability. Later surveys tested the outcome of implementing these strategies, examined the potential benefits of sampling larval fish instead of adults and explored the prospect of using advanced DNA based methods as an alternative to traditional taxonomy. To date we have identified several previously undetected invertebrate invaders, developed survey design and gear recommendations and have refined the search strategy for systems beyond the SLRE. In addition, because we’ve accumulated such a large body of data we now have the basis to show spatial-temporal trends for native and non-native species in the SLRE. not applicable

An Admittance Survey of Large Volcanoes on Venus: Implications for Volcano Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brian, A. W.; Smrekar, S. E.; Stofan, E. R.

2004-01-01

Estimates of the thickness of the venusian crust and elastic lithosphere are important in determining the rheological and thermal properties of Venus. These estimates offer insights into what conditions are needed for certain features, such as large volcanoes and coronae, to form. Lithospheric properties for much of the large volcano population on Venus are not well known. Previous studies of elastic thickness (Te) have concentrated on individual or small groups of edifices, or have used volcano models and fixed values of Te to match with observations of volcano morphologies. In addition, previous studies use different methods to estimate lithospheric parameters meaning it is difficult to compare their results. Following recent global studies of the admittance signatures exhibited by the venusian corona population, we performed a similar survey into large volcanoes in an effort to determine the range of lithospheric parameters shown by these features. This survey of the entire large volcano population used the same method throughout so that all estimates could be directly compared. By analysing a large number of edifices and comparing our results to observations of their morphology and models of volcano formation, we can help determine the controlling parameters that govern volcano growth on Venus.

GLOBULAR AND OPEN CLUSTERS OBSERVED BY SDSS/SEGUE: THE GIANT STARS

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

Morrison, Heather L.; Ma, Zhibo; Connor, Thomas

We present griz observations for the clusters M92, M13 and NGC 6791 and gr photometry for M71, Be 29 and NGC 7789. In addition we present new membership identifications for all these clusters, which have been observed spectroscopically as calibrators for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)/SEGUE survey; this paper focuses in particular on the red giant branch stars in the clusters. In a number of cases, these giants were too bright to be observed in the normal SDSS survey operations, and we describe the procedure used to obtain spectra for these stars. For M71, we also present a newmore » variable reddening map and a new fiducial for the gr giant branch. For NGC 7789, we derived a transformation from T{sub eff} to g–r for giants of near solar abundance, using IRFM T{sub eff} measures of stars with good ugriz  and 2MASS photometry and SEGUE spectra. The result of our analysis is a robust list of known cluster members with correctly dereddened and (if needed) transformed gr photometry for crucial calibration efforts for SDSS and SEGUE.« less

Information technology for sustainable supply chain management: a literature survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thöni, Andreas; Tjoa, A. Min

2017-07-01

In supply chain management (SCM), two topics have gained importance over the last years. On the one hand, sustainable SCM (SSCM) has become increasingly relevant and many publications have contributed to the topic. On the other hand, information technology (IT) is being progressively considered as a key enabler for efficiency in supply chains. Several research efforts have contributed to the field of IT for SSCM. However, this paper is the first recent attempt to summarise the current state of the art of how IT can affect SSCM in any structured way and to compare it with IT for 'general' SCM to give guidance for future research. This paper surveys 55 peer-reviewed articles that were retrieved through keyword searches (until May 2014). The analysis identifies research deficits as well as a lack of scientific discourse employing empirical techniques and a lack of investigations on the social sustainability. Additionally, possible topics for further research were derived by comparing the survey's results with the current research on IT for 'general' SCM following the analysis of 631 articles. Six fields could be identified, namely output/effects of IT, machine communication and multiagents, inputs and IT-supported processing, IT-enabled interorganisational exchange, quantitative IT approaches and a sector focus.

Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moriarty, Katie; Howell, Betsy; Morozumi, Connor; Happe, Patti; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Aubry, Keith B.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported studies of carnivore distribution and presence on the Olympic Peninsula and conducted new surveys in previously undersampled areas of the Peninsula. We documented five highly reliable records of marten observations on the Pensula since 1988. Further, we established 197 camera stations in search of martens, amassing a total of 17,897 camera-nights of survey efforts in previously undersampled regions. We documented presence of one additional marten during summer 2016. This marten, however, was close to a marten detected in 2015, so it was not clear if it represented a different marten. We concluded that five to six martens have been verified present on the Olympic Peninsula since 1988. Pacific martens appear to be very limited in distribution and at critically low numbers throughout much of their former range on the Olympic Peninsula.

Depopulation of rural landscapes exacerbates fire activity in the western Amazon.

PubMed

Uriarte, María; Pinedo-Vasquez, Miquel; DeFries, Ruth S; Fernandes, Katia; Gutierrez-Velez, Victor; Baethgen, Walter E; Padoch, Christine

2012-12-26

Destructive fires in Amazonia have occurred in the past decade, leading to forest degradation, carbon emissions, impaired air quality, and property damage. Here, we couple climate, geospatial, and province-level census data, with farmer surveys to examine the climatic, demographic, and land use factors associated with fire frequency in the Peruvian Amazon from 2000 to 2010. Although our results corroborate previous findings elsewhere that drought and proximity to roads increase fire frequency, the province-scale analysis further identifies decreases in rural populations as an additional factor. Farmer survey data suggest that increased burn scar frequency and size reflect increased flammability of emptying rural landscapes and reduced capacity to control fire. With rural populations projected to decline, more frequent drought, and expansion of road infrastructure, fire risk is likely to increase in western Amazonia. Damage from fire can be reduced through warning systems that target high-risk locations, coordinated fire fighting efforts, and initiatives that provide options for people to remain in rural landscapes.

The Montara Oil Spill: A 2009 Well Blowout in the Timor Sea.

PubMed

Spies, R B; Mukhtasor, M; Burns, K A

2017-07-01

A well on the Montara platform on the Australian continental shelf blew out in August 2009 and spilled oil into the Timor Sea for 74 days. The oil, estimated at as much as 23.5 million L in total volume, spread over a large area of the shelf and eventually into Indonesian waters. This paper documents, through published literature, reports of both Australian and Indonesian governments and observations of coastal residents and fishermen the spread of the oil and attempts to estimate its impact. The lack of observers on the ocean and baseline, pre-spill data on populations of marine organisms, and delays in deploying scientific surveys after the spill severely limited efforts by the Australian government to determine damage in its territorial waters. Biological survey work was not done in Indonesian waters, but coastal residents attested to relatively severe impacts to algal farms. In addition fish landings declined in one port in southwest Timor Island.

Long-term effects on nursing alumni: Assessing a course in public and global health.

PubMed

Palmer, Sheri P; Lundberg, Karen; de la Cruz, Karen; Corbett, Cheryl; Heaston, Sondra; Reed, Shelly; Williams, Mary

The impact of a cultural awareness course among nursing students may affect the particular person for years to come. Cultural awareness can be taught via many methods, often requiring study abroad and/or extreme investment of time, money and effort. There is little research on sustained effects on nursing alumni from such a course. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the long term outcomes of a cultural awareness course and 2) compare the long term effects between alumni who went abroad and those who chose to complete the course locally. One hundred and twenty-one nursing alumni completed the International Education Survey (IES) (Zorn, 1996) with additional open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative results concluded: 1) nursing alumni were influenced long term by a course dedicated to public and global health and 2) all alumni had statistically significant IES scores but alumni who studied abroad had the greatest increase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A global digital elevation model - GTOP030

USGS Publications Warehouse

1999-01-01

GTOP030, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth, provides the flrst global coverage of moderate resolution elevation data.  The original GTOP30 data set, which was developed over a 3-year period through a collaborative effort led by the USGS, was completed in 1996 at the USGS EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The collaboration involved contributions of staffing, funding, or source data from cooperators including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United Nations Environment Programme Global Resource Information Database (UNEP/GRID), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografia e Informatica (INEGI) of Mexico, the Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) of Japan, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research of New Zealand, and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). In 1999, work was begun on an update to the GTOP030 data set. Additional data sources are being incorporated into GTOP030 with an enhanced and improved data set planned for release in 2000.

Experimental research on crossing shock wave boundary layer interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Settles, G. S.; Garrison, T. J.

1994-10-01

An experimental research effort of the Penn State Gas Dynamics Laboratory on the subject of crossing shock wave boundary layer interactions is reported. This three year study was supported by AFOSR Grant 89-0315. A variety of experimental techniques were employed to study the above phenomena including planar laser scattering flowfield visualization, kerosene lampblack surface flow visualization, laser-interferometer skin friction surveys, wall static pressure measurements, and flowfield five-hole probe surveys. For a model configuration producing two intersecting shock waves, measurements were made for a range of oblique shock strengths at freestream Mach numbers of 3.0 and 3.85. Additionally, measurements were made at Mach 3.85 for a configuration producing three intersecting waves. The combined experimental dataset was used to formulate the first detailed flowfield models of the crossing-shock and triple-shock wave/boundary layer interactions. The structure of these interactions was found to be similar over a broad range of interaction strengths and is dominated by a large, separated, viscous flow region.

MS-Based Analytical Techniques: Advances in Spray-Based Methods and EI-LC-MS Applications

PubMed Central

Medina, Isabel; Cappiello, Achille; Careri, Maria

2018-01-01

Mass spectrometry is the most powerful technique for the detection and identification of organic compounds. It can provide molecular weight information and a wealth of structural details that give a unique fingerprint for each analyte. Due to these characteristics, mass spectrometry-based analytical methods are showing an increasing interest in the scientific community, especially in food safety, environmental, and forensic investigation areas where the simultaneous detection of targeted and nontargeted compounds represents a key factor. In addition, safety risks can be identified at the early stage through online and real-time analytical methodologies. In this context, several efforts have been made to achieve analytical instrumentation able to perform real-time analysis in the native environment of samples and to generate highly informative spectra. This review article provides a survey of some instrumental innovations and their applications with particular attention to spray-based MS methods and food analysis issues. The survey will attempt to cover the state of the art from 2012 up to 2017. PMID:29850370

Depopulation of rural landscapes exacerbates fire activity in the western Amazon

PubMed Central

Uriarte, María; Pinedo-Vasquez, Miquel; DeFries, Ruth S.; Fernandes, Katia; Gutierrez-Velez, Victor; Baethgen, Walter E.; Padoch, Christine

2012-01-01

Destructive fires in Amazonia have occurred in the past decade, leading to forest degradation, carbon emissions, impaired air quality, and property damage. Here, we couple climate, geospatial, and province-level census data, with farmer surveys to examine the climatic, demographic, and land use factors associated with fire frequency in the Peruvian Amazon from 2000 to 2010. Although our results corroborate previous findings elsewhere that drought and proximity to roads increase fire frequency, the province-scale analysis further identifies decreases in rural populations as an additional factor. Farmer survey data suggest that increased burn scar frequency and size reflect increased flammability of emptying rural landscapes and reduced capacity to control fire. With rural populations projected to decline, more frequent drought, and expansion of road infrastructure, fire risk is likely to increase in western Amazonia. Damage from fire can be reduced through warning systems that target high-risk locations, coordinated fire fighting efforts, and initiatives that provide options for people to remain in rural landscapes. PMID:23236144

77 FR 6820 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: Creating Stewardship Through Biodiversity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-09

... Information Collection; Comment Request: Creating Stewardship Through Biodiversity Discovery in National Parks... collection (IC) described below. This collection will survey participants of Biodiversity Discovery efforts... Biodiversity Discovery refers to a variety of efforts to discover living organisms through public involvement...

Landsat: A global land-imaging mission

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

Across four decades since 1972, Landsat satellites have continuously acquired space-based images of the Earth's land surface, coastal shallows, and coral reefs. The Landsat Program, a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was established to routinely gather land imagery from space. NASA develops remote-sensing instruments and spacecraft, then launches and validates the performance of the instruments and satellites. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation of the satellites, in addition to managing all ground reception, data archiving, product generation, and distribution. The result of this program is a long-term record of natural and human induced changes on the global landscape.

Multinomial N-mixture models improve the applicability of electrofishing for developing population estimates of stream-dwelling Smallmouth Bass

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mollenhauer, Robert; Brewer, Shannon K.

2017-01-01

Failure to account for variable detection across survey conditions constrains progressive stream ecology and can lead to erroneous stream fish management and conservation decisions. In addition to variable detection’s confounding long-term stream fish population trends, reliable abundance estimates across a wide range of survey conditions are fundamental to establishing species–environment relationships. Despite major advancements in accounting for variable detection when surveying animal populations, these approaches remain largely ignored by stream fish scientists, and CPUE remains the most common metric used by researchers and managers. One notable advancement for addressing the challenges of variable detection is the multinomial N-mixture model. Multinomial N-mixture models use a flexible hierarchical framework to model the detection process across sites as a function of covariates; they also accommodate common fisheries survey methods, such as removal and capture–recapture. Effective monitoring of stream-dwelling Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu populations has long been challenging; therefore, our objective was to examine the use of multinomial N-mixture models to improve the applicability of electrofishing for estimating absolute abundance. We sampled Smallmouth Bass populations by using tow-barge electrofishing across a range of environmental conditions in streams of the Ozark Highlands ecoregion. Using an information-theoretic approach, we identified effort, water clarity, wetted channel width, and water depth as covariates that were related to variable Smallmouth Bass electrofishing detection. Smallmouth Bass abundance estimates derived from our top model consistently agreed with baseline estimates obtained via snorkel surveys. Additionally, confidence intervals from the multinomial N-mixture models were consistently more precise than those of unbiased Petersen capture–recapture estimates due to the dependency among data sets in the hierarchical framework. We demonstrate the application of this contemporary population estimation method to address a longstanding stream fish management issue. We also detail the advantages and trade-offs of hierarchical population estimation methods relative to CPUE and estimation methods that model each site separately.

Employment discrimination and HIV stigma: survey results from civil society organisations and people living with HIV in Africa.

PubMed

Sprague, Laurel; Simon, Sara; Sprague, Courtenay

2011-01-01

The article presents findings from three surveys of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and civil society organisations about the experience of employment discrimination and stigma in the workplace. The work seeks to contribute to efforts by businesses and other organisations to effectively respond to the HIV epidemic within the world of work, and to deepen our understanding of the ways in which HIV stigma and employment discrimination persist in the workplace. The findings of global and regional surveys indicate the existence of high levels of employment discrimination based on HIV status worldwide, including forced disclosure of HIV status, exclusion in the workplace, refusals to hire or promote, and terminations of people known to be living with HIV. The survey findings show that employment discrimination based on HIV status is experienced in all African subregions. Country-level surveys conducted in Kenya and Zambia indicated that PLHIV face marked barriers to employment, including discrimination in hiring, loss of promotions, and termination because of HIV status. Additionally, large variances were found in the degree of support versus discrimination that employees living with HIV in those two countries received following their disclosure. The discussion emphasises the importance of the workplace as a site for intervention and behaviour change. To address this, we introduce a conceptual framework - the employment continuum - that maps multiple points of entry within the workplace to address HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Additional recommendations include: actions to ensure equal opportunity in hiring for PLHIV; ensuring that HIV testing is voluntary, never mandatory, and that disclosure is not necessary for employment; ensuring confidentiality of HIV status; communicating and enforcing HIV-related antidiscrimination policies; establishing support groups in the workplace; providing safe and confidential processes for resolving complaints of employment discrimination; and taking affirmative responsibility to verify that any job terminations are not the result of mistreatment or bias.

NOAA's efforts to map extent, health and condition of deep sea corals and sponges and their habitat on the banks and island slopes of Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etnoyer, P. J.; Salgado, E.; Stierhoff, K.; Wickes, L.; Nehasil, S.; Kracker, L.; Lauermann, A.; Rosen, D.; Caldow, C.

2015-12-01

Southern California's deep-sea corals are diverse and abundant, but subject to multiple stressors, including corallivory, ocean acidification, and commercial bottom fishing. NOAA has surveyed these habitats using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) since 2003. The ROV was equipped with high-resolution cameras to document deep-water groundfish and their habitat in a series of research expeditions from 2003 - 2011. Recent surveys 2011-2015 focused on in-situ measures of aragonite saturation and habitat mapping in notable habitats identified in previous years. Surveys mapped abundance and diversity of fishes and corals, as well as commercial fisheries landings and frequency of fishing gear. A novel priority setting algorithm was developed to identify hotspots of diversity and fishing intensity, and to determine where future conservation efforts may be warranted. High density coral aggregations identified in these analyses were also used to guide recent multibeam mapping efforts. The maps suggest a large extent of unexplored and unprotected hard-bottom habitat in the mesophotic zone and deep-sea reaches of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Dissemination of Health-Related Research among Scientists in Three Countries: Access to Resources and Current Practices

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objectives. In public health and clinical settings insufficient dissemination of evidence-based practices limits the reach of new discoveries to broad populations. This study aimed to describe characteristics of the dissemination process by researchers across three countries (Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States), explore how designing for dissemination practices has been used, and analyze factors associated with dissemination. Methods. A similar online survey was used to query researchers across the three countries; data were pooled to draw cross-country conclusions. Findings. This study identified similarities and differences between countries. Importance of dissemination to nonresearcher audiences was widely recognized as important; however, traditional academic venues were the main dissemination method. Several factors were associated with self-rated dissemination effort in the pooled sample, but these predictive factors (e.g., support and resources for dissemination) had low prevalence. Less than one-third of researchers rated their level of effort for dissemination as excellent. Respondents reported limited support and resources to make it easier for researchers who might want to disseminate their findings. Conclusion. Though intentions show the importance of dissemination, researchers across countries lack supports to increase dissemination efforts. Additional resources and training in designing for dissemination along with improved partnerships could help bridge the research-practice gap. PMID:26495287

Strengthening the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Public Policy Advocate Network: Identifying Advocacy Efforts and Recommendations.

PubMed

Curtis, Benjamin D; Orynich, C Ashley; Casamassimo, Paul S; Seale, N Sue; Reggiardo, Paul; Wright, Robin; Litch, C Scott

2017-09-15

The purposes of this study were to collect information on involvement, training, and barriers to participation in advocacy efforts for Public Policy Advocates (PPAs) of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and make recommendations to the AAPD. Preliminary data were collected from the PPAs during structured AAPD program meetings, conference calls, and individual interviews. Based on these data, a survey was created, piloted, and sent electronically to all PPAs. Data were analyzed and collated by frequencies. Responses from 38 PPAs (100 percent) revealed they were involved with state legislatures and state chapters of the AAPD and American Dental Association. Eighty-two percent of the PPAs requested additional public policy training and clearer communication channels within the network. PPAs are funding their own advocacy efforts, and the time and resources spent away from patient care is a financial barrier. The Public Policy Advocate network holds a broad policy skill set and voluntarily commits time and resource to advocate for the support of the pediatric dental patient at state and federal government levels. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry can strengthen the PPA's self-directed leadership role at state and federal levels through formalized training, restructuring of the network, and increased resources.

Dissemination of health-related research among scientists in three countries: access to resources and current practices.

PubMed

Tabak, Rachel G; Reis, Rodrigo S; Wilson, Paul; Brownson, Ross C

2015-01-01

In public health and clinical settings insufficient dissemination of evidence-based practices limits the reach of new discoveries to broad populations. This study aimed to describe characteristics of the dissemination process by researchers across three countries (Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States), explore how designing for dissemination practices has been used, and analyze factors associated with dissemination. A similar online survey was used to query researchers across the three countries; data were pooled to draw cross-country conclusions. This study identified similarities and differences between countries. Importance of dissemination to nonresearcher audiences was widely recognized as important; however, traditional academic venues were the main dissemination method. Several factors were associated with self-rated dissemination effort in the pooled sample, but these predictive factors (e.g., support and resources for dissemination) had low prevalence. Less than one-third of researchers rated their level of effort for dissemination as excellent. Respondents reported limited support and resources to make it easier for researchers who might want to disseminate their findings. Though intentions show the importance of dissemination, researchers across countries lack supports to increase dissemination efforts. Additional resources and training in designing for dissemination along with improved partnerships could help bridge the research-practice gap.

Accessing the inaccessible: making (successful) field observations at tidewater glacier termini

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kienholz, C.; Amundson, J. M.; Jackson, R. H.; Motyka, R. J.; Nash, J. D.; Sutherland, D.

2017-12-01

Glaciers terminating in ocean water (tidewater glaciers) show complex dynamic behavior driven predominantly by processes at the ice-ocean interface (sedimentation, erosion, iceberg calving, submarine melting). A quantitative understanding of these processes is required, for example, to better assess tidewater glaciers' fate in our rapidly warming environment. Lacking observations close to glacier termini, due to unpredictable risks from calving, hamper this understanding. In an effort to remedy this lack of knowledge, we initiated a large field-based effort at LeConte Glacier, southeast Alaska, in 2016. LeConte Glacier is a regional analog for many tidewater glaciers, but better accessible and observable and thus an ideal target for our multi-disciplinary effort. Our ongoing campaigns comprise measurements from novel autonomous vessels (temperature, salinity and current) in the immediate proximity of the glacier terminus and additional surveys (including multibeam bathymetry) from boats and moorings in the proglacial fjord. These measurements are complemented by iceberg and glacier velocity measurements from time lapse cameras and a portable radar interferometer situated above LeConte Bay. GPS-based velocity observations and melt measurements are conducted on the glacier. These measurements provide necessary input for process-based understanding and numerical modeling of the glacier and fjord systems. In the presentation, we discuss promising initial results and lessons learned from the campaign.

Student ERI: Psychometric properties of a new brief measure of effort-reward imbalance among university students.

PubMed

Wege, Natalia; Li, Jian; Muth, Thomas; Angerer, Peter; Siegrist, Johannes

2017-03-01

Psychosocial stress among university students, particularly medical students, is considered a widely prevalent problem. There is a need for valid measurement of an adverse psychosocial stress environment in university settings. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed short student version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire in a sample of medical students. A cross-sectional survey with a self-administrated questionnaire containing three scales was conducted among 406 medical students. Item-total correlations and Cronbach's alpha were calculated to assess the internal consistency of the scales. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test factorial validity of the questionnaire structure. The student version of the ERI questionnaire provides acceptable psychometric properties. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for effort, reward, and over-commitment were 0.67, 0.65, and 0.79, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis displayed a satisfactory fit of the data structure with the theoretical concept (GFI>0.94). This student version of the ERI questionnaire provides a psychometrically tested tool for studies focussing on psychosocial environment in university settings. Further applications of this approach in other student groups are needed, in addition to prospective studies assessing associations with health outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling level, trend and geographical variations in stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

PubMed

Adebayo, Samson B; Fakolade, Richard; Anyanti, Jennifer; Ekweremadu, Bright; Ladipo, Olaronke; Ankomah, Augustine

2011-01-01

People living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) often face stigma and discrimination. Stigma is a powerful tool for social control and PLHA are to varying degrees stigmatised against. Consequences of stigma and discrimination against PLHA may result in low turn-out for HIV counselling and testing, identity crises, isolation, loneliness, low self-esteem and lack of interest in containing the disease. To achieve the millennium development goal on HIV reduction, efforts should be targeted at measuring impact of HIV preventive interventions. In this paper, effort was made to explore geographical variations in addition to level and trend of accepting attitude towards PLHA using 2003 - 2007 population-based household survey data. Inferences are based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques, while model selection was based on Deviance Information Criteria. Findings revealed significant positive trend and spatial variations on level of accepting attitude towards PLHA. Level of exposure to HIV prevention interventions and perceptions about social support received on HIV are significantly associated with accepting attitude towards PLHA. Findings provide policy makers with tools to discern states where prevention efforts on HIV-related stigma and discrimination should be intensified. This in turn, can enhance an effective utilization of scarce resources that is paramount in developing countries.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI's) usage and adoption in U.S Geological Survey (USGS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frame, M. T.; Palanisamy, G.

2013-12-01

Addressing grand environmental science challenges requires unprecedented access to easily understood data that cross the breadth of temporal, spatial, and thematic scales. From a scientist's perspective, the big challenges lie in discovering the relevant data, dealing with extreme data heterogeneity, large data volumes, and converting data to information and knowledge. Historical linkages between derived products, i.e. Publications, and associated datasets has not existed in the earth science community. The USGS Core Science Analytics and Synthesis, in collaboration with DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Mercury Consortium (funded by NASA, USGS and DOE), established a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) service for USGS data, metadata, and other media. This service is offered in partnership through the University of California Digital Library EZID service. USGS scientists, data managers, and other professionals can generate globally unique, persistent and resolvable identifiers for any kind of digital objects. Additional efforts to assign DOIs to historical data and publications have also been underway. These DOI identifiers are being used to cite data in journal articles, web-accessible datasets, and other media for distribution, integration, and in support of improved data management practices. The session will discuss the current DOI efforts within USGS, including a discussion on adoption, challenges, and future efforts necessary to improve access, reuse, sharing, and discoverability of USGS data and information.

Are Adult Crambid Snout Moths (Crambinae) and Larval Stages of Lepidoptera Suitable Tools for an Environmental Monitoring of Transgenic Crops? — Implications of a Field Test

PubMed Central

Lang, Andreas; Dolek, Matthias; Theißen, Bernhard; Zapp, Andreas

2011-01-01

Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) have been suggested for the environmental monitoring of genetically modified (GM) crops due to their suitability as ecological indicators, and because of the possible adverse impact of the cultivation of current transgenic crops. The German Association of Engineers (VDI) has developed guidelines for the standardized monitoring of Lepidoptera describing the use of light traps for adult moths, transect counts for adult butterflies, and visual search for larvae. The guidelines suggest recording adults of Crambid Snout Moths during transect counts in addition to butterflies, and present detailed protocols for the visual search of larvae. In a field survey in three regions of Germany, we tested the practicability and effort-benefit ratio of the latter two VDI approaches. Crambid Snout Moths turned out to be suitable and practical indicators, which can easily be recorded during transect counts. They were present in 57% of the studied field margins, contributing a substantial part to the overall Lepidoptera count, thus providing valuable additional information to the monitoring results. Visual search of larvae generated results in an adequate effort-benefit ratio when searching for lepidopteran larvae of common species feeding on nettles. Visual search for larvae living on host plants other than nettles was time-consuming and yielded much lower numbers of recorded larvae. Beating samples of bushes and trees yielded a higher number of species and individuals. This method is especially appropriate when hedgerows are sampled, and was judged to perform intermediate concerning the relationship between invested sampling effort and obtained results for lepidopteran larvae. In conclusion, transect counts of adult Crambid Moths and recording of lepidopteran larvae feeding on nettles are feasible additional modules for an environmental monitoring of GM crops. Monitoring larvae living on host plants other than nettles and beating samples of bushes and trees can be used as a supplementary tool if necessary or desired. PMID:26467735

Assessing angler effort, catch, and harvest and the efficacy of a use-estimation system on a multi-lake fishery in middle Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roop, Hunter J.; Poudyal, Neelam C.; Jennings, Cecil A.

2018-01-01

Creel surveys are valuable tools in recreational fisheries management. However, multiple‐impoundment fisheries of complex spatial structure can complicate survey designs and pose logistical challenges for management agencies. Marben Public Fishing Area in Mansfield, GA is a multi‐impoundment fishery with many access points, and these features prevent or complicate use of traditional on‐site contact methods such as standard roving‐ or access‐point designs because many anglers may be missed during the survey process. Therefore, adaptation of a traditional survey method is often required for sampling this special case of multi‐lake fisheries to develop an accurate fishery profile. Accordingly, a modified non‐uniform probability roving creel survey was conducted at the Marben PFA during 2013 to estimate fishery characteristics relating to fishing effort, catch, and fish harvest. Monthly fishing effort averaged 7,523 angler‐hours (h) (SD = 5,956) and ranged from 1,301 h (SD = 562) in December to 21,856 h (SD = 5909) in May. A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine that angler catch and harvest rates were significantly higher in the spring and summer (all p < 0.05) than in the other seasons, but did not vary by fishing location. Our results demonstrate the utility of modifying existing creel methodology for monitoring small, spatially complex, intensely managed impoundments that support quality recreational fisheries and provide a template for the assessment and management of similar regional fisheries.

77 FR 76077 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-26

... studies is to use the latest and most appropriate methodology to improve NCSES surveys and evaluate new data collection efforts. Methodological findings may be presented externally in technical papers at... individual survey may represent several methodological improvement projects. [[Page 76078

77 FR 1060 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of the Need for the Improvement of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-09

... ). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract This is a request for a new information collection. The Sensor Science... ongoing effort, and in response to many inquiries and requests in recent years, NIST plans to survey...

Survey of Fire Modeling Efforts with Application to Transportation Vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-07-01

This report presents the results of a survey of analytical fire models with applications pertinent to fires in the compartments of transportation vehicles; a brief discussion of the background of fire phenomena and an overview of various fire modelin...

Educational audiologists: their access, benefit, and collaborative assistance to speech-language pathologists in schools.

PubMed

Richburg, Cynthia McCormick; Knickelbein, Becky A

2011-10-01

The main goals of this study were to determine if school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have access to the services of an audiologist and if those SLPs felt they obtained benefit from the audiologist's services. Additional goals included gathering information about SLPs' (a) understanding of basic audiological concepts typical for a school setting, (b) added job responsibilities brought about by lack of access to an audiologist, and (c) collaboration with audiologists. A 36-item survey was e-mailed to 1,000 SLPs listed with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as being employed in schools. Two-hundred and nine respondents from 42 states returned the survey. Seventy-six percent of the responding SLPs had access at some time to an audiologist, with 88% of them believing they received benefit from the services provided by that audiologist, primarily in the areas of hearing screenings and in-services. Thirty-eight SLPs (58%) who did not have access to an audiologist reported having additional job responsibilities. Many school-based SLPs believed they received benefit from an audiologist when they had access to one. Collaboration between these professionals was strong, yet findings indicate that audiologists could improve their collaborative efforts with SLPs and assist them in working within their scope of practice and maintaining their ethical standards.

Research participation among state and local public health emergency preparedness and response programs.

PubMed

Yusuf, H; Ekperi, L; Groseclose, S; Siegfried, A; Meit, M; Carbone, E

2018-06-01

The objective of our study was to assess whether state and local health staff participated in public health emergency preparedness research activities and what partner organizations they collaborated with on research. This is a cross-sectional study. Data were derived from a 2014 web-based survey of state, territorial, and local health departments conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NORC at the University of Chicago as part of a larger project to assess the public health emergency preparedness and response research priorities of state and local health departments. Overall, 30% of survey respondents indicated that health department staff were involved in public health preparedness and response research-related activities. Thirty-four percent indicated that they were extremely or moderately familiar with emergency preparedness research and literature. Approximately 67% of respondents reported interest in receiving additional information and/or training related to the preparedness research and literature. The most frequently reported partners for collaboration in preparedness research-related activities were schools of public health (34%). Our findings suggest that there is health department interest in learning more about preparedness and response science and that additional efforts are needed to increase health department participation in public health emergency preparedness and response research-related activities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Skin-sparing mastectomy: a survey based approach to defining standard of care.

PubMed

Shen, Jeannie; Ellenhorn, Joshua; Qian, Dajun; Kulber, David; Aronowitz, Joel

2008-10-01

Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) followed by immediate reconstruction has been advocated as an effective treatment option for patients with early-stage breast carcinoma. It markedly improves the quality of breast reconstruction through preservation of the natural skin envelope and a smaller incision. The purpose of this study was to investigate general surgeons' attitudes towards SSM. A postal questionnaire survey of California general surgeons was conducted regarding SSM. Of 370 respondents who stated they performed breast cancer surgery, 331 perform mastectomy for cancer with planned immediate reconstruction. Ninety per cent of respondents did not feel that SSM resulted in higher rates of local recurrence. In addition, 70 per cent felt that the cosmetic results of immediate breast reconstruction after SSM were better than those after a standard mastectomy. Despite this, only 61 per cent perform SSM in most cases when immediate breast reconstruction is planned. The majority of general surgeons perform SSM and therefore it should be considered standard of care. Despite a growing body of literature demonstrating high rates of patient satisfaction and long-term oncologic safety with SSM, there remains significant variation in practice patterns among general surgeons. Additional effort in general surgery education regarding the feasibility and safety of SSM is needed.

Digital geologic map data for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and adjacent areas along the Current River and Jacks Fork, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weary, David J.; Orndorff, Randall C.; Harrison, Richard W.; Weems, Robert E.

2016-09-23

The geology of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) in southern Missouri has been mapped at 1:24,000 scale. This endeavor was achieved through the combined efforts of U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Geological Survey individual quadrangle mapping and additional fieldwork by the authors of this report. Geologic data covering the area of the ONSR and a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) buffer zone surrounding the park, as well as geologic data from a few key adjoining areas, have been compiled into a single, seamless geographic information system database. The intent is to provide base geologic information for natural science research and land management in the park and surrounding areas. The data are served online at ScienceBase (https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/), where they are provided in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) file geodatabase format, and are accompanied by metadata files. These data can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7CJ8BKB. Additional detailed geologic information about the ONSR and surrounding areas is available in the separate 1:24,000-scale quadrangle maps and in a 1:100,000-scale map and report on the regional geology.

Mainstreaming nutrition metrics in household surveys--toward a multidisciplinary convergence of data systems.

PubMed

Pingali, Prabhu L; Ricketts, Katie D

2014-12-01

Since the 2008 food price crisis, food and nutrition security are back on the global development agenda, with particular emphasis on agricultural pathways toward improved nutrition. Parallel efforts are being promoted to improve the data and metrics for monitoring progress toward positive nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children. Despite the increased investment in tracking nutritional outcomes, these efforts are often made in silos, which create challenges for integrating nutritional data with other sectoral data, such as those related to agriculture. This paper proposes a minimum set of nutrition indicators to be included in nationally representative agricultural (and multitopic) household surveys. Building multisectoral convergence across existing surveys will allow us to better identify priority interventions and to monitor progress toward improved nutrition targets. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Longitudinal Study Evaluating the Association Between Physician Burnout and Changes in Professional Work Effort.

PubMed

Shanafelt, Tait D; Mungo, Michelle; Schmitgen, Jaime; Storz, Kristin A; Reeves, David; Hayes, Sharonne N; Sloan, Jeff A; Swensen, Stephen J; Buskirk, Steven J

2016-04-01

To longitudinally evaluate the relationship between burnout and professional satisfaction with changes in physicians' professional effort. Administrative/payroll records were used to longitudinally evaluate the professional work effort of faculty physicians working for Mayo Clinic from October 1, 2008, to October 1, 2014. Professional effort was measured in full-time equivalent (FTE) units. Physicians were longitudinally surveyed in October 2011 and October 2013 with standardized tools to assess burnout and satisfaction. Between 2008 and 2014, the proportion of physicians working less than full-time at our organization increased from 13.5% to 16.0% (P=.05). Of the 2663 physicians surveyed in 2011 and 2776 physicians surveyed in 2013, 1856 (69.7%) and 2132 (76.9%), respectively, returned surveys. Burnout and satisfaction scores in 2011 correlated with actual reductions in FTE over the following 24 months as independently measured by administrative/payroll records. After controlling for age, sex, site, and specialty, each 1-point increase in the 7-point emotional exhaustion scale was associated with a greater likelihood of reducing FTE (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.23-1.67; P<.001) over the following 24 months, and each 1-point decrease in the 5-point satisfaction score was associated with greater likelihood of reducing FTE (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.03-1.74; P=.03). On longitudinal analysis at the individual physician level, each 1-point increase in emotional exhaustion (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.05-1.55; P=.01) or 1-point decrease in satisfaction (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.19-2.35; P=.003) between 2011 and 2013 was associated with a greater likelihood of reducing FTE over the following 12 months. Among physicians in a large health care organization, burnout and declining satisfaction were strongly associated with actual reductions in professional work effort over the following 24 months. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investing in Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.

During 1996-97 the Education Commission of the States explored three policy areas in which state efforts to improve student achievement have been increasingly concentrated: early childhood education, teacher quality and stronger connections between the K-12 and postsecondary systems. The study surveyed the scope and intensity of state efforts in…

Learning To Be Modern. Japanese Political Discourse on Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Byron K.

This broad historical survey assesses Japan's efforts to overcome dilemmas endemic to all modern school systems in industrialized societies. The book describes efforts to strike a balance between equality and excellence, individual creativity and team cooperation, standardization and innovation, and internationalism and cultural identity in the…

The Complete Calibration of the Color–Redshift Relation (C3R2) Survey: Survey Overview and Data Release 1

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

Masters, Daniel C.; Stern, Daniel K.; Rhodes, Jason D.

A key goal of the Stage IV dark energy experiments Euclid , LSST, and WFIRST is to measure the growth of structure with cosmic time from weak lensing analysis over large regions of the sky. Weak lensing cosmology will be challenging: in addition to highly accurate galaxy shape measurements, statistically robust and accurate photometric redshift (photo- z ) estimates for billions of faint galaxies will be needed in order to reconstruct the three-dimensional matter distribution. Here we present an overview of and initial results from the Complete Calibration of the Color–Redshift Relation (C3R2) survey, which is designed specifically to calibratemore » the empirical galaxy color–redshift relation to the Euclid depth. These redshifts will also be important for the calibrations of LSST and WFIRST . The C3R2 survey is obtaining multiplexed observations with Keck (DEIMOS, LRIS, and MOSFIRE), the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC; OSIRIS), and the Very Large Telescope (VLT; FORS2 and KMOS) of a targeted sample of galaxies that are most important for the redshift calibration. We focus spectroscopic efforts on undersampled regions of galaxy color space identified in previous work in order to minimize the number of spectroscopic redshifts needed to map the color–redshift relation to the required accuracy. We present the C3R2 survey strategy and initial results, including the 1283 high-confidence redshifts obtained in the 2016A semester and released as Data Release 1.« less

Assessing community resilience: A CART survey application in an impoverished urban community

PubMed Central

Pfefferbaum, Rose L.; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Zhao, Yan D.; Van Horn, Richard L.; McCarter, Grady S. “Mack”; Leonard, Michael B.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This article describes an application of the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) Assessment Survey which has been recognized as an important community tool to assist communities in their resilience-building efforts. Developed to assist communities in assessing their resilience to disasters and other adversities, the CART survey can be used to obtain baseline information about a community, to identify relative community strengths and challenges, and to re-examine a community after a disaster or post intervention. This article, which describes an application of the survey in a community of 5 poverty neighborhoods, illustrates the use of the instrument, explicates aspects of community resilience, and provides possible explanations for the results. The paper also demonstrates how a community agency that serves many of the functions of a broker organization can enhance community resilience. Survey results suggest various dimensions of community resilience (as represented by core CART community resilience items and CART domains) and potential predictors. Correlates included homeownership, engagement with local entities/activities, prior experience with a personal emergency or crisis while living in the neighborhood, and involvement with a community organization that focuses on building safe and caring communities through personal relationships. In addition to influencing residents' perceptions of their community, it is likely that the community organization, which served as a sponsor for this application, contributes directly to community resilience through programs and initiatives that enhance social capital and resource acquisition and mobilization. PMID:28229014

The current state of Bayesian methods in medical product development: survey results and recommendations from the DIA Bayesian Scientific Working Group.

PubMed

Natanegara, Fanni; Neuenschwander, Beat; Seaman, John W; Kinnersley, Nelson; Heilmann, Cory R; Ohlssen, David; Rochester, George

2014-01-01

Bayesian applications in medical product development have recently gained popularity. Despite many advances in Bayesian methodology and computations, increase in application across the various areas of medical product development has been modest. The DIA Bayesian Scientific Working Group (BSWG), which includes representatives from industry, regulatory agencies, and academia, has adopted the vision to ensure Bayesian methods are well understood, accepted more broadly, and appropriately utilized to improve decision making and enhance patient outcomes. As Bayesian applications in medical product development are wide ranging, several sub-teams were formed to focus on various topics such as patient safety, non-inferiority, prior specification, comparative effectiveness, joint modeling, program-wide decision making, analytical tools, and education. The focus of this paper is on the recent effort of the BSWG Education sub-team to administer a Bayesian survey to statisticians across 17 organizations involved in medical product development. We summarize results of this survey, from which we provide recommendations on how to accelerate progress in Bayesian applications throughout medical product development. The survey results support findings from the literature and provide additional insight on regulatory acceptance of Bayesian methods and information on the need for a Bayesian infrastructure within an organization. The survey findings support the claim that only modest progress in areas of education and implementation has been made recently, despite substantial progress in Bayesian statistical research and software availability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Regional Collaboration Among Urban Area Security Initiative Regions: Results of the Johns Hopkins Urban Area Survey

PubMed Central

Bowman, Calvin; Barnett, Daniel J.; Resnick, Beth A.; Frattaroli, Shannon; Rutkow, Lainie

2014-01-01

Regional collaboration has been identified as a potential facilitator of public health preparedness efforts. The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 2003, has provided 64 high-risk metropolitan areas funding to enhance their regional preparedness capabilities. This study describes informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure, as well as regional collaboration–related activities and assessment methods, in FFY2010 UASI regions. A cross-sectional online survey was administered via Survey Monkey from September through December 2013. Points of contact from FFY2010 funded UASI metropolitan areas completed the survey, with a response rate of 77.8% (n=49). Summary statistics were calculated to describe the current informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure. Additionally, the cross-sectional survey collected rates of agreement with 8 collaborative preparedness statements at 3 time points. The survey found that UASI regions are engaging in collaborative activities and investments to build capabilities, with most collaboration occurring in the prevention, protection, and response mission areas. Collaborative relationships in preparedness among emergency managers and municipal chief executive officers improved during the FFY2010 UASI performance period compared to the pre-UASI award period, with lasting effects. The majority of UASI regions reported conducting independent assessments of capabilities and their measurement at the UASI region level. Urban areas that received a FFY2010 UASI grant award are engaging in collaborative activities and have established interjurisdictional relationships in preparedness. The use of grant funds to encourage collaboration in preparedness has the potential to leverage limited resources and promote informed investments. PMID:25398073

New Multibeam Bathymetry Mosaic at NOAA/NCEI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varner, J. D.; Cartwright, J.; Rosenberg, A. M.; Amante, C.; Sutherland, M.; Jencks, J. H.

2017-12-01

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) maintains an ever-growing archive of multibeam bathymetric data acquired from U.S. and international government and academic sources. The data are partitioned in the individual survey files in which they were originally received, and are stored in various formats not directly accessible by popular analysis and visualization tools. In order to improve the discoverability and accessibility of the data, NCEI created a new Multibeam Bathymetry Mosaic. Each survey was gridded at 3 arcsecond cell size and organized in an ArcGIS mosaic dataset, which was published as a set of standards-based web services usable in desktop GIS and web clients. In addition to providing a "seamless" grid of all surveys, a filter can be applied to isolate individual surveys. Both depth values in meters and shaded relief visualizations are available. The product represents the current state of the archive; no QA/QC was performed on the data before being incorporated, and the mosaic will be updated incrementally as new surveys are added to the archive. We expect the mosaic will address customer needs for visualization/extraction that existing tools (e.g. NCEI's AutoGrid) are unable to meet, and also assist data managers in identifying problem surveys, missing data, quality control issues, etc. This project complements existing efforts such as the Global Multi-Resolution Topography Data Synthesis (GMRT) at LDEO. Comprehensive visual displays of bathymetric data holdings are invaluable tools for seafloor mapping initiatives, such as Seabed 2030, that will aid in minimizing data collection redundancies and ensuring that valuable data are made available to the broadest community.

Regional collaboration among Urban Area Security Initiative regions: results of the Johns Hopkins urban area survey.

PubMed

Errett, Nicole A; Bowman, Calvin; Barnett, Daniel J; Resnick, Beth A; Frattaroli, Shannon; Rutkow, Lainie

2014-01-01

Regional collaboration has been identified as a potential facilitator of public health preparedness efforts. The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 2003, has provided 64 high-risk metropolitan areas funding to enhance their regional preparedness capabilities. This study describes informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure, as well as regional collaboration-related activities and assessment methods, in FFY2010 UASI regions. A cross-sectional online survey was administered via Survey Monkey from September through December 2013. Points of contact from FFY2010 funded UASI metropolitan areas completed the survey, with a response rate of 77.8% (n=49). Summary statistics were calculated to describe the current informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure. Additionally, the cross-sectional survey collected rates of agreement with 8 collaborative preparedness statements at 3 time points. The survey found that UASI regions are engaging in collaborative activities and investments to build capabilities, with most collaboration occurring in the prevention, protection, and response mission areas. Collaborative relationships in preparedness among emergency managers and municipal chief executive officers improved during the FFY2010 UASI performance period compared to the pre-UASI award period, with lasting effects. The majority of UASI regions reported conducting independent assessments of capabilities and their measurement at the UASI region level. Urban areas that received a FFY2010 UASI grant award are engaging in collaborative activities and have established interjurisdictional relationships in preparedness. The use of grant funds to encourage collaboration in preparedness has the potential to leverage limited resources and promote informed investments.

The Interviewer in the Respondent's Shoes: What Can We Learn from the Way Interviewers Answer Survey Questions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuyts, Celine; Loosveldt, Geert

2017-01-01

Previous research shows that interviewers to some extent fail to expend the effort that is needed to collect high-quality survey data. We extend the idea of interviewer satisficing to a related task, in which the interviewers themselves answer survey questions. We hypothesize that interviewers who self-administer the questionnaire in a careless…

Statewide Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use among California Students in Grades 7, 9, and 11. Winter 1995-96. Sixth Biennial.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Gregory; Skager, Rodney

The California Student Substance Use Survey marks a milestone in the state's efforts to monitor, understand, and prevent adolescent substance use and abuse. Chapter 1 presents the methodology. This survey follows a shift in California policy to a written parental consent requirement. Sample characteristics, consent procedures, and methods of data…

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XV: Teens and Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2010

2010-01-01

This 15th annual "back-to-school survey" continues the unique effort of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University to track attitudes of teens and those, like parents, who influence them. Over a decade and a half, through this survey the researchers have identified factors that increase or decrease the…

Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Executive Summary and Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Matt

The 1999 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was conducted as part of a national survey effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A stratified random sample of classrooms in all public schools with ninth through twelfth grades was taken. The YRBS was administered to 1,336 students in 46 public schools in Wisconsin in…

Connections between Teacher Perceptions of School Effectiveness and Student Outcomes in Idaho's Low-Achieving Schools. REL 2014-012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; Parsley, Danette

2014-01-01

Policymakers and practitioners frequently use teacher surveys to inform decisions on school improvement efforts in low-achieving schools. There is little empirical evidence on how the results of these surveys relate to student outcomes. This study provides information on how perception data from a teacher survey in Idaho is correlated with three…

2009 National Survey of First-Year Seminars: Ongoing Efforts to Support Students in Transition. Research Reports on College Transitions No. 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padgett, Ryan D.; Keup, Jennifer R.

2011-01-01

Findings from the ninth triennial administration of the National Survey of First-Year Seminars, describing the nature and extent of first-year seminars on American college campuses. Drawn from a broad sample of colleges and universities from every institutional type, control, and size, the survey addresses topics including seminar characteristics…

Abuse-Deterrent Formulations and the Prescription Opioid Abuse Epidemic in the United States: Lessons Learned From OxyContin.

PubMed

Cicero, Theodore J; Ellis, Matthew S

2015-05-01

In an effort to reduce wide-scale abuse of the proprietary oxycodone hydrochloride formulation OxyContin, an abuse-deterrent formulation (ADF) was introduced in 2010. Although the reformulation produced an immediate drop in abuse rates, a definite ceiling effect appeared over time, beyond which no further decrease was seen. To examine the factors that led to the initial steep decline in OxyContin abuse and the substantial levels of residual abuse that have remained relatively stable since 2012. We used data from the ongoing Survey of Key Informants' Patients program, part of the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance system that collects and analyzes postmarketing data on misuse and diversion of prescription opioid analgesics and heroin. For our survey study, patients with a DSM-V diagnosis of opioid use disorder and primary drug of abuse consisting of a prescription opioid or heroin (N = 10,784) at entry to 1 of 150 drug treatment programs in 48 states completed an anonymous structured survey of opioid abuse patterns (surveys completed from January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2014). A subset of these patients (n = 244) was interviewed to add context and expand on the structured survey. In addition to key demographic measures, past-month abuse of opioids was the primary measure in the structured surveys. In the interviews, the effect of the introduction of the ADF on drug-seeking behavior was examined. Reformulated OxyContin was associated with a significant reduction of past-month abuse after its introduction (45.1% [95% CI, 41.2%-49.1%] in January to June 2009 to 26.0% [95% CI, 23.6%-28.4%] in July to December 2012; P < .001; χ(2) = 230.83), apparently owing to a migration to other opioids, particularly heroin. However, this reduction leveled off, such that 25% to 30% of the sample persisted in endorsing past-month abuse from 2012 to 2014 (at study end [January to June 2014], 26.7% [95% CI, 23.7%-29.6%]). Among the 88 participants who indicated experience using pre-ADF and ADF OxyContin, this residual level of abuse reflects the following 3 phenomena: (1) a transition from nonoral routes of administration to oral use (38 participants [43%]); (2) successful efforts to defeat the ADF mechanism leading to a continuation of inhaled or injected use (30 participants [34%]); and (3) exclusive use of the oral route independent of formulation type (20 participants [23%]). Abuse-deterrent formulations can have the intended purpose of curtailing abuse, but the extent of their effectiveness has clear limits, resulting in a significant level of residual abuse. Consequently, although drug abuse policy should focus on limiting supplies of prescription analgesics for abuse, including ADF technology, efforts to reduce supply alone will not mitigate the opioid abuse problem in this country.

Autumn monitoring of resident avifauna on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boal, Clint W.; Wunderle, Joseph M.; Arendt, Wayne J.

2013-01-01

Although the Caribbean region is considered a biodiversity hotspot and a priority for ecological conservation efforts, little information exists on population trends of West Indian landbirds. We combined avian survey data collected from three studies spanning a 16-year period on a small island with a minimal human presence in the British Virgin Islands. Although abundances varied among surveys, the same species were detected with rare exceptions. Despite stability in species composition, the resident landbirds were variable in their individual detectabilities. Survey detections relatively mirrored net captures for some species, but are quite different for others. We suspect that this is likely due to differences in detectability due to species-specific behaviors mediated by environmental conditions, such as rainfall, during the month or months prior to our surveys. It is difficult to assess the influence of timing or amount of precipitation on bird detections rates among our surveys due to a lack of consistent collection of location-specific weather data in the British Virgin Islands. Our study suggests monitoring efforts conducted in concert with collection of site-specific climate data would facilitate improved interpretation of survey data and a better understanding of avian species response to climate mediated changes.

Influence of lifestyle patterns on perceptions of obesity and overweight among expatriates in Abha city of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Zaman, Gaffar Sarwar

2015-01-01

Background: We evaluated the influence of lifestyle patterns such as watching TV, working with computer and idle sitting time on perceptions of obesity and beliefs about overweight are associated with obesity and overweight amongst Expatriates in Abha. Materials and Methods: The method used in this study was a cross-sectional survey with a self-administered paper-based questionnaire. The survey collected information on lifestyle choices and the risk factors that contribute to obesity. In addition, height and weight were measured. Results: Greater number of our study subjects spent over 2 h/day without any physical activity, specifically accounting for over 2 h/day each in viewing TV, computer, and spending idle time. This increased lack of physical activities was significantly associated with overweight. While the overweight subjects were aware of very wide options for treating their condition, a significant number believed in self-effort in managing their diet and exercise regimen as the best efforts to reduce their overweight. Interestingly very few overweight subjects considered medication or surgery as a potential therapeutic option and 75% of the overweight subjects considered overweight to be of no or only slight concern on wellbeing. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity among expatriates within Saudi Arabia poses an important public health problem. The lack of awareness about the potential impact of obesity on health and optimal treatment options is a serious concern, which needs to be addressed by appropriate public health programs at national level. PMID:26283823

Assessing the satisfaction and burden within an academic animal care and use program.

PubMed

Norton, John N; Reynolds, Randall P; Chan, Cliburn; Valdivia, Raphael H; Staats, Herman F

2017-09-01

Although animal research requires adherence to various regulations and standards, the manner in which compliance is maintained and the degree of additional constraints varies between institutions. Regulatory burden, particularly if institutionally imposed, has become a concern for institutions as increased regulatory expectations result in decreased resources available for research efforts. Faculty, research staff, and support staff engaged in animal research were surveyed to determine what institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) processes were considered burdensome, the perceived value of some suggested modifications, and satisfaction with the IACUC administrative office and the animal resource unit. Although the results revealed overwhelming satisfaction with the IACUC administrative office and the animal resource unit, several IACUC processes were deemed burdensome, and therefore there would be value in modifying IACUC processes. When comparing the value of modifying IACUC processes, different groups within the animal care and use program (ACUP) tended to have different responses on many of the topics. This survey identified several perceived burdensome IACUC processes that would likely benefit individuals if modified. In today's environment of shrinking budgets for biomedical research, minimizing regulatory burden-particularly unnecessary, self-imposed burden-in the ACUP is particularly important to ensure that costs, time, and effort are appropriate to achieve animal welfare and quality of research endeavors.-Norton, J. N., Reynolds, R. P., Chan, C., Valdivia, R. H., Staats, H. F. Assessing the satisfaction and burden within an academic animal care and use program. © FASEB.

Final Report Phase I Study to Characterize the Market Potential for Non-Motorized Travel

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

Hwang, Ho-Ling; Reuscher, Tim; Wilson, Daniel W

The idea of livable communities suggests that people should have the option to utilize non-motorized travel (NMT), specifically walking and bicycling, to conduct their daily tasks. Forecasting personal travel by walk and bike is necessary as part of regional transportation planning, and requires fine detail not only about individual travel, but also on transportation and neighborhood infrastructure. In an attempt to characterize the 'market' potential for NMT, the Office of Planning, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded the Center for Transportation Analysis (CTA) of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to conduct a study. The objectives of this effort were tomore » identify factors that influence communities to walk and bike and to examine why, or why not, travelers walk and bike in their communities. This study relied on information collected under the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) as the major source of data, and was supplemented with data from the American Community Survey (ACS), educational survey, health, employment, and others. Initial statistical screening methods were applied to sort through over 400 potential predictor variables, and examined with various measures (e.g., walk trip per person, walk mileage per person, bike trip per person, bike mileage per person) as the dependent variables. The best geographic level of detail used in the modeling for this study was determined to be the Census block group level for walking and Census tract level for biking. The need for additional supplemental private data (i.e., Walk Scores and Nielsen employment data), and geospatial information that reflects land use and physical environments, became evident after an examination of findings from the initial screening models. To be feasible, in terms of costs and time, the geographic scale of the study region was scaled down to nine selected NHTS add-on regions. These regions were chosen based on various criteria including transit availability, population size, and a mix of geographic locations across the nation. Given the similarities in modeling results from walk trips and walk mileages, additional modeling efforts conducted under the later part of this study were focused on walk trips per person. Bike models were limited only with the stepwise logistic models using Census tracts in the selected regions. Due to NHTS sampling limitations, only about 12% of these tracts have bike trips recorded from NHTS sampled households. The modeling with NHTS bike data proved to be more challenging and time consuming than what was anticipated. Along with the late arrival of Nielsen employment data, the project team had to limit the modeling effort to focus on walking. Therefore, the final modeling and discriminant analysis was conducted only for walking trips.« less

Using variance components to estimate power in a hierarchically nested sampling design improving monitoring of larval Devils Hole pupfish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzul, Maria C.; Dixon, Philip M.; Quist, Michael C.; Dinsomore, Stephen J.; Bower, Michael R.; Wilson, Kevin P.; Gaines, D. Bailey

2013-01-01

We used variance components to assess allocation of sampling effort in a hierarchically nested sampling design for ongoing monitoring of early life history stages of the federally endangered Devils Hole pupfish (DHP) (Cyprinodon diabolis). Sampling design for larval DHP included surveys (5 days each spring 2007–2009), events, and plots. Each survey was comprised of three counting events, where DHP larvae on nine plots were counted plot by plot. Statistical analysis of larval abundance included three components: (1) evaluation of power from various sample size combinations, (2) comparison of power in fixed and random plot designs, and (3) assessment of yearly differences in the power of the survey. Results indicated that increasing the sample size at the lowest level of sampling represented the most realistic option to increase the survey's power, fixed plot designs had greater power than random plot designs, and the power of the larval survey varied by year. This study provides an example of how monitoring efforts may benefit from coupling variance components estimation with power analysis to assess sampling design.

Safety belt and motorcycle helmet use in Virginia : the Summer 2008 update.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

This survey was conducted at the request of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to track the effectiveness of programmatic efforts carried out to increase safety belt usage in Virginia. The official Virginia safety belt use survey is conducted ...

ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTS FROM NHEXAS -- NATIONAL HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT SURVEY

EPA Science Inventory

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) was developed as a federal interagency research effort to examine the full range of environmental pollutants and chemicals (volatile organic chemicals, metals, and pesticides) that humans are exposed to in daily life. The pu...

Drug Abuse, U.S.A.: How Serious? How Soluble?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollin, William

1987-01-01

Discusses the findings of the 1986 National Institute on Drug Abuse household survey. Points out the limitations of the survey and identifies trends associated with drug use. Reviews current efforts in dealing with the drug problem and recommends specific policy changes. (ML)

Image Guided Cervical Brachytherapy: 2014 Survey of the American Brachytherapy Society

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

Grover, Surbhi, E-mail: Surbhi.grover@uphs.upenn.edu; Harkenrider, Matthew M.; Cho, Linda P.

Purpose: To provide an update of the 2007 American brachytherapy survey on image-based brachytherapy, which showed that in the setting of treatment planning for gynecologic brachytherapy, although computed tomography (CT) was often used for treatment planning, most brachytherapists used point A for dose specification. Methods and Materials: A 45-question electronic survey on cervical cancer brachytherapy practice patterns was sent to all American Brachytherapy Society members and additional radiation oncologists and physicists based in the United States between January and September 2014. Responses from the 2007 survey and the present survey were compared using the χ{sup 2} test. Results: There weremore » 370 respondents. Of those, only respondents, not in training, who treat more than 1 cervical cancer patient per year and practice in the United States, were included in the analysis (219). For dose specification to the target (cervix and tumor), 95% always use CT, and 34% always use MRI. However, 46% use point A only for dose specification to the target. There was a lot of variation in parameters used for dose evaluation of target volume and normal tissues. Compared with the 2007 survey, use of MRI has increased from 2% to 34% (P<.0001) for dose specification to the target. Use of volume-based dose delineation to the target has increased from 14% to 52% (P<.0001). Conclusion: Although use of image-based brachytherapy has increased in the United States since the 2007 survey, there is room for further growth, particularly with the use of MRI. This increase may be in part due to educational initiatives. However, there is still significant heterogeneity in brachytherapy practice in the United States, and future efforts should be geared toward standardizing treatment.« less

Factors affecting the use of patient survey data for quality improvement in the Veterans Health Administration

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Little is known about how to use patient feedback to improve experiences of health care. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) conducts regular patient surveys that have indicated improved care experiences over the past decade. The goal of this study was to assess factors that were barriers to, or promoters of, efforts to improve care experiences in VA facilities. Methods We conducted case studies at two VA facilities, one with stable high scores on inpatient reports of emotional support between 2002 and 2006, and one with stable low scores over the same period. A semi-structured interview was used to gather information from staff who worked with patient survey data at the study facilities. Data were analyzed using a previously developed qualitative framework describing organizational, professional and data-related barriers and promoters to data use. Results Respondents reported more promoters than barriers to using survey data, and particularly support for improvement efforts. Themes included developing patient-centered cultures, quality improvement structures such as regular data review, and training staff in patient-centered behaviors. The influence of incentives, the role of nursing leadership, and triangulating survey data with other data on patients' views also emerged as important. It was easier to collect data on current organization and practice than those in the past and this made it difficult to deduce which factors might influence differing facility performance. Conclusions Interviews with VA staff provided promising examples of how systematic processes for using survey data can be implemented as part of wider quality improvement efforts. However, prospective studies are needed to identify the most effective strategies for using patient feedback to improve specific aspects of patient-centered care. PMID:22151714

Benefits of extensive recruitment effort persist during follow-ups and are consistent across age group and survey method. The TRAILS study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Extensive recruitment effort at baseline increases representativeness of study populations by decreasing non-response and associated bias. First, it is not known to what extent increased attrition occurs during subsequent measurement waves among subjects who were hard-to-recruit at baseline and what characteristics the hard-to-recruit dropouts have compared to the hard-to-recruit retainers. Second, it is unknown whether characteristics of hard-to-recruit responders in a prospective population based cohort study are similar across age group and survey method. Methods First, we compared first wave (T1) easy-to-recruit with hard-to-recruit responders of the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a prospective population based cohort study of Dutch (pre)adolescents (at first wave: n = 2230, mean age = 11.09 (SD 0.56), 50.8% girls), with regard to response rates at subsequent measurement waves. Second, easy-to-recruit and hard-to-recruit participants at the fourth TRAILS measurement wave (n = 1881, mean age = 19.1 (SD 0.60), 52.3% girls) were compared with fourth wave non-responders and earlier stage drop-outs on family composition, socioeconomic position (SEP), intelligence (IQ), education, sociometric status, substance use, and psychopathology. Results First, over 60% of the hard-to-recruit responders at the first wave were retained in the sample eight years later at the fourth measurement wave. Hard-to-recruit dropouts did not differ from hard-to-recruit retainers. Second, extensive recruitment efforts for the web based survey convinced a population of nineteen year olds with similar characteristics as the hard-to-recruit eleven year olds that were persuaded to participate in a school-based survey. Some characteristics associated with being hard-to-recruit (as compared to being easy-to-recruit) were more pronounced among non-responders, resembling the baseline situation (De Winter et al.2005). Conclusions First, extensive recruitment effort at the first assessment wave of a prospective population based cohort study has long lasting positive effects. Second, characteristics of hard-to-recruit responders are largely consistent across age groups and survey methods. PMID:22747967

77 FR 38277 - Wind and Water Power Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

..., modeling, and database efforts. This meeting will be a technical discussion to provide those involved in... ecological survey, modeling, and database efforts in the waters off the Mid-Atlantic. The workshop aims to... models and compatible Federal and regional databases. It is not the object of this session to obtain any...

Marketing and Library Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Kurt R.

1991-01-01

Examines the role of marketing in the management of libraries. The role of public relations (PR) in the total marketing concept is discussed, surveys that have explored PR efforts in academic and public libraries are described, and changes affecting libraries that marketing efforts could help to manage are discussed. (seven references) (LRW)

Youth: Criminal Involvement and Problems of Resocialization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lelekov, V. A.; Prokhorov, Iu. N.

1995-01-01

Reports on a survey of youth crime, youthful criminals, and efforts at resocialization in contemporary Russia. Asserts that political and social change have resulted in social stratification and criminal behavior. Maintains that the high level of recidivism is caused by a lack of coordinated efforts by public institutions. (CFR)

Career Development in the Work Place. Overview: ERIC Fact Sheet No. 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eabon, Michelle F.

Changes in the composition and attitudes of the work force have resulted in increased interest by employers in formulating and implementing career development efforts for their employees. Surveys have revealed: companies believe that career development efforts enhance employee performance and improve utilization of talents; most organizations have…

Examining One High School's Restructuring Efforts within "Garbage Can" Decision Making Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shindler, John V.

A study examined decision making within one large urban high school's restructuring efforts, using an emergent qualitative case-study design. Data, collected over a 2-year period, included formal and informal interviews, participant and nonparticipant observations, surveys, and documents. Results of data analysis supported matching the…

School-based survey participation: oral health and BMI survey of Ohio third graders.

PubMed

Detty, Amber M R

2013-09-01

During the 2009-2010 school year, the Ohio Department of Health conducted a statewide oral health and body mass index (BMI) screening survey among 3rd grade children. This marked the fifth school-based survey regarding the oral health of Ohio children since 1987. At 50 %, the participation rate of the 2009-2010 oral health and BMI survey was at the lowest level ever experienced. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with participation rates in a school-based survey. A stratified, random sample of 377 schools was drawn from the list of 1,742 Ohio public elementary schools with third grade students. All third grade children in the sampled schools with parent or guardian consent received an oral health screening and height/weight measurement by trained health professionals. Participation rates at the school level were then combined with data on school characteristics and survey implementation. Predictors of school form return, participation, and refusal rates were assessed by generalized linear modeling (GLM). High student mobility and larger school size were associated with lower form return (p = 0.000 and p = 0.001, respectively) and lower participation rates (p = 0.000 and p = 0.005, respectively). Surveying in the fall or spring (as opposed to winter) significantly decreased form return (p = 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively) and participation rates (p = 0.008 and p = 0.002, respectively), while being surveyed by internal staff (versus external screeners) significantly increased form return (p = 0.003) and participation rates (p = 0.001). Efforts to increase participation should focus more on schools with higher student mobility and larger size. Additionally, participation could be improved by using internal staff and surveying during winter.

An overview of the BioCreative 2012 Workshop Track III: interactive text mining task

PubMed Central

Arighi, Cecilia N.; Carterette, Ben; Cohen, K. Bretonnel; Krallinger, Martin; Wilbur, W. John; Fey, Petra; Dodson, Robert; Cooper, Laurel; Van Slyke, Ceri E.; Dahdul, Wasila; Mabee, Paula; Li, Donghui; Harris, Bethany; Gillespie, Marc; Jimenez, Silvia; Roberts, Phoebe; Matthews, Lisa; Becker, Kevin; Drabkin, Harold; Bello, Susan; Licata, Luana; Chatr-aryamontri, Andrew; Schaeffer, Mary L.; Park, Julie; Haendel, Melissa; Van Auken, Kimberly; Li, Yuling; Chan, Juancarlos; Muller, Hans-Michael; Cui, Hong; Balhoff, James P.; Chi-Yang Wu, Johnny; Lu, Zhiyong; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Tudor, Catalina O.; Raja, Kalpana; Subramani, Suresh; Natarajan, Jeyakumar; Cejuela, Juan Miguel; Dubey, Pratibha; Wu, Cathy

2013-01-01

In many databases, biocuration primarily involves literature curation, which usually involves retrieving relevant articles, extracting information that will translate into annotations and identifying new incoming literature. As the volume of biological literature increases, the use of text mining to assist in biocuration becomes increasingly relevant. A number of groups have developed tools for text mining from a computer science/linguistics perspective, and there are many initiatives to curate some aspect of biology from the literature. Some biocuration efforts already make use of a text mining tool, but there have not been many broad-based systematic efforts to study which aspects of a text mining tool contribute to its usefulness for a curation task. Here, we report on an effort to bring together text mining tool developers and database biocurators to test the utility and usability of tools. Six text mining systems presenting diverse biocuration tasks participated in a formal evaluation, and appropriate biocurators were recruited for testing. The performance results from this evaluation indicate that some of the systems were able to improve efficiency of curation by speeding up the curation task significantly (∼1.7- to 2.5-fold) over manual curation. In addition, some of the systems were able to improve annotation accuracy when compared with the performance on the manually curated set. In terms of inter-annotator agreement, the factors that contributed to significant differences for some of the systems included the expertise of the biocurator on the given curation task, the inherent difficulty of the curation and attention to annotation guidelines. After the task, annotators were asked to complete a survey to help identify strengths and weaknesses of the various systems. The analysis of this survey highlights how important task completion is to the biocurators’ overall experience of a system, regardless of the system’s high score on design, learnability and usability. In addition, strategies to refine the annotation guidelines and systems documentation, to adapt the tools to the needs and query types the end user might have and to evaluate performance in terms of efficiency, user interface, result export and traditional evaluation metrics have been analyzed during this task. This analysis will help to plan for a more intense study in BioCreative IV. PMID:23327936

An overview of the BioCreative 2012 Workshop Track III: interactive text mining task.

PubMed

Arighi, Cecilia N; Carterette, Ben; Cohen, K Bretonnel; Krallinger, Martin; Wilbur, W John; Fey, Petra; Dodson, Robert; Cooper, Laurel; Van Slyke, Ceri E; Dahdul, Wasila; Mabee, Paula; Li, Donghui; Harris, Bethany; Gillespie, Marc; Jimenez, Silvia; Roberts, Phoebe; Matthews, Lisa; Becker, Kevin; Drabkin, Harold; Bello, Susan; Licata, Luana; Chatr-aryamontri, Andrew; Schaeffer, Mary L; Park, Julie; Haendel, Melissa; Van Auken, Kimberly; Li, Yuling; Chan, Juancarlos; Muller, Hans-Michael; Cui, Hong; Balhoff, James P; Chi-Yang Wu, Johnny; Lu, Zhiyong; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Tudor, Catalina O; Raja, Kalpana; Subramani, Suresh; Natarajan, Jeyakumar; Cejuela, Juan Miguel; Dubey, Pratibha; Wu, Cathy

2013-01-01

In many databases, biocuration primarily involves literature curation, which usually involves retrieving relevant articles, extracting information that will translate into annotations and identifying new incoming literature. As the volume of biological literature increases, the use of text mining to assist in biocuration becomes increasingly relevant. A number of groups have developed tools for text mining from a computer science/linguistics perspective, and there are many initiatives to curate some aspect of biology from the literature. Some biocuration efforts already make use of a text mining tool, but there have not been many broad-based systematic efforts to study which aspects of a text mining tool contribute to its usefulness for a curation task. Here, we report on an effort to bring together text mining tool developers and database biocurators to test the utility and usability of tools. Six text mining systems presenting diverse biocuration tasks participated in a formal evaluation, and appropriate biocurators were recruited for testing. The performance results from this evaluation indicate that some of the systems were able to improve efficiency of curation by speeding up the curation task significantly (∼1.7- to 2.5-fold) over manual curation. In addition, some of the systems were able to improve annotation accuracy when compared with the performance on the manually curated set. In terms of inter-annotator agreement, the factors that contributed to significant differences for some of the systems included the expertise of the biocurator on the given curation task, the inherent difficulty of the curation and attention to annotation guidelines. After the task, annotators were asked to complete a survey to help identify strengths and weaknesses of the various systems. The analysis of this survey highlights how important task completion is to the biocurators' overall experience of a system, regardless of the system's high score on design, learnability and usability. In addition, strategies to refine the annotation guidelines and systems documentation, to adapt the tools to the needs and query types the end user might have and to evaluate performance in terms of efficiency, user interface, result export and traditional evaluation metrics have been analyzed during this task. This analysis will help to plan for a more intense study in BioCreative IV.

Exploring the Outer Solar System with the ESSENCE Supernova Survey

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

Becker, A.C.; /Washington U., Seattle, Astron. Dept.; Arraki, K.

We report the discovery and orbital determination of 14 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) from the ESSENCE Supernova Survey difference imaging data set. Two additional objects discovered in a similar search of the SDSS-II Supernova Survey database were recovered in this effort. ESSENCE repeatedly observed fields far from the solar system ecliptic (-21{sup o} < {beta} < -5{sup o}), reaching limiting magnitudes per observation of I {approx} 23.1 and R {approx} 23.7. We examine several of the newly detected objects in detail, including 2003 UC{sub 414}, which orbits entirely between Uranus and Neptune and lies very close to a dynamical region thatmore » would make it stable for the lifetime of the solar system. 2003 SS{sub 422} and 2007 TA{sub 418} have high eccentricities and large perihelia, making them candidate members of an outer class of TNOs. We also report a new member of the 'extended' or 'detached' scattered disk, 2004 VN{sub 112}, and verify the stability of its orbit using numerical simulations. This object would have been visible to ESSENCE for only {approx}2% of its orbit, suggesting a vast number of similar objects across the sky. We emphasize that off-ecliptic surveys are optimal for uncovering the diversity of such objects, which in turn will constrain the history of gravitational influences that shaped our early solar system.« less

Evolution of Data Management Tools for Managing Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Results: A Survey of iPhone Applications

PubMed Central

Rao, Anoop; Hou, Philip; Golnik, Timothy; Flaherty, Joseph; Vu, Sonny

2010-01-01

Background Studies have indicated that sharing of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) data and subsequent feedback from the health care provider (HCP) can help achieve glycemic goals such as a reduction in glycated hemoglobin. Electronic SMBG data management and sharing tools for the PC and smartphones may help in reducing the effort to manage SMBG data. Methods We reviewed software and top-ranking applications (Apps) for the iPhone platform to document the variety of useful features. Additionally, in an attempt to assess metrics such as task analysis and user friendliness of diabetes Apps, we observed and surveyed patients with diabetes as they recorded and relayed sample SMBG results to their hypothetical HCP using three Apps. Results Observation and survey demonstrated that the WaveSense Diabetes Manager allowed the participants to complete preselected SMBG data entry and relay tasks faster than other Apps. The survey revealed patient behavior patterns that would be useful in future App development. Conclusion Being able to record, analyze, seamlessly share, and obtain feedback on the SMBG data using an iPhone/iTouch App might potentially benefit patients. Trends in SMBG data management and the possibility of having interoperability of blood glucose monitors and smartphones may open up new avenues of diabetes management for the technologically savvy patient. PMID:20663461

Source segregation and food waste prevention activities in high-density households in a deprived urban area

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

Rispo, A.; Williams, I.D., E-mail: idw@soton.ac.uk; Shaw, P.J.

Highlights: • Study of waste management in economically and socially deprived high-density housing. • Food waste segregation, prevention and recycling activities investigated. • Study involved a waste audit and household survey of 1034 households. • Populations in such areas are “hard-to-reach”. • Exceptional efforts and additional resources are required to improve performance. - Abstract: A waste audit and a household questionnaire survey were conducted in high-density housing estates in one of the most economically and socially deprived areas of England (Haringey, London). Such areas are under-represented in published research. The study examined source segregation, potential participation in a food wastemore » segregation scheme, and food waste prevention activities in five estates (1034 households). The results showed that: contamination of recyclables containers was low; ca. 28% of the mixed residual waste’s weight was recyclable; food waste comprised a small proportion of the waste from these residents, probably because of their relatively disadvantaged economic circumstances; and the recycling profile reflected an intermittent pattern of behaviour. Although the majority of respondents reported that they would participate in a food waste separation scheme, the response rate was low and many responses of “don’t know” were recorded. Municipalities committed to foster improved diversion from landfill need to recognise that there is no “quick and easy fix”, regardless of local or national aspirations. Lasting and sustained behaviour change requires time and the quality of service provision and associated infrastructure play a fundamental role in facilitating residents to participate effectively in waste management activities that maximise capture of source-segregated materials. Populations in deprived areas that reside in high-rise, high-density dwellings are “hard-to-reach” in terms of participation in recycling schemes and exceptional efforts and additional resources are usually required to improve performance.« less

Quality Management: Survey of Federal Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-01

Deming, Armand Feigenbaum, Kaoru Ishikawa , and J. M. Juran. For purposes of our survey, quality improvement efforts which have the same basic goals and...Feigenbaum, Kaoru Ishikawa , and J.M. Juran. Even though this approach may have different names, it most often includes the following five concepts

78 FR 6070 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Information Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-29

... Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Information Program Longitudinal Survey of Recreational... information collection. Marine recreational anglers are surveyed to collect catch and effort data, fish biology data, and angler socioeconomic characteristics. These data are required to carry out provisions of...

Response to ERIS 2014 States' Research Needs Survey

EPA Science Inventory

This document is ORD’s response to the states’ needs and priorities, as identified in the 2014 survey. ORD identified existing methods, models, tools and databases on these topics, as well as near-term research and development efforts, that could assist states in thei...

Technology Integration through Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cifuentes, Lauren; Maxwell, Gerri; Bulu, Sanser

2011-01-01

We describe efforts to build a learning community to support technology integration in three rural school districts and the contributions of various program strategies toward teacher growth. The Stages of Adoption Inventory, classroom observations, the Questionnaire for Technology Integration, interviews, STAR evaluation surveys, a survey of…

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey Utilization of Aerial Sensors for Emergency Response Efforts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Stephen

2007-01-01

Remote Sensing Division has a Coastal Mapping program and a Airport Survey program and research and development that support both programs. NOAA/NGS/RSD plans to acquire remotely sensed data to support the agency's homeland security and emergency response requirements.

78 FR 46594 - Extension of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Aviation Security Customer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-01

... Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Aviation Security Customer Satisfaction Performance... surveying travelers to measure customer satisfaction of aviation security in an effort to more efficiently... Title: Aviation Security Customer Satisfaction Performance Measurement Passenger Survey. Type of Request...

Lessons Learned in the Integration of Earth Remote Sensing Data within the NOAA/NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molthan, A.; Schultz, L. A.; McGrath, K.; Bell, J. R.; Cole, T.; Meyer, P. J.; Burks, J.; Camp, P.; Angle, K.

2016-12-01

Following the occurrence of a suspected or known tornado, meteorologists with NOAA's National Weather Service are tasked with performing a detailed ground survey to map the impacts of the tornado, identify specific damage indicators, and link those damage indicators to the Enhanced Fujita scale as an estimate of the intensity of the tornado at various points along the damage path. Over the past few years, NOAA/NWS meteorologists have developed the NOAA/NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT), a smartphone and web based application to support the collection of damage information, editing of the damage survey, and final publication. This allows meteorologists in the field to sample the damage track, collect geotagged photos with notations of damage areas, and aggregation of the information to provide a more detailed survey whereas previous efforts may have been limited to start and end locations, maximum width, and maximum intensity. To support these damage assessment efforts, various Earth remote sensing data sets were incorporated into the DAT to support survey efforts, following preliminary activities using remote sensing to support select NOAA/NWS field offices following the widespread outbreak of tornadoes that occurred in the southeastern United States on April 27, 2011. These efforts included the collection of various products in collaboration with multiple federal agencies and commercial providers, with particular emphasis upon the USGS Hazards Data Distribution System, hosting and sharing of these products through geospatial platforms, partnerships with forecasters to better understand their needs, and the development and delivery of training materials. This presentation will provide an overview of the project along with strengths and weaknesses, opportunities for future work and improvements, and best practices learned during the "research to applications" process supported by the NASA Applied Sciences: Disasters program.

Results of Needs Assessments Related to Citizen Science Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Glushko, Anna; Bakerman, Maya; Gay, Pamela L.; CosmoQuest Team

2017-01-01

The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility invites the public and classrooms to participate in NASA Science Mission Directorate related research that leads to publishable results and data catalogues. One of the main goals of the project is to support professional scientists in doing science and the general public--including parents, children, teachers, and students--in learning and doing science. Through the effort, the CosmoQuest team is developing a variety of supports and opportunities to support the doing and teaching of science. To inform our efforts, we have implemented a set of needs surveys to assess the needs of our different audiences. These surveys are being used to understand the interests, motivations, resources, challenges and demographics of our growing CosmoQuest community and others interested in engaging in citizen science projects. The surveys include those for teachers, parents, adult learners, planetarium professionals, subject matter experts (SMEs), and the general public. We will share the results of these surveys and discuss the implications of the results for broader education and outreach programs.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Brian F.; Halvorson, William L.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.

2007-01-01

This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive inventory of plants and vertebrates at the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) of Saguaro National Park, Arizona. From 2001 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at the district to document the presence of species within its boundaries. Park staff also carried out extensive infrared-triggered camera work for medium and large mammals from 2002-2005 and results from that effort are reported here. Our spatial sampling design for all taxa employed a combination of random and nonrandom survey sites. Survey effort was greatest for medium and large mammals and herpetofauna. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field methods, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for the district. We also provide an overview of previous survey efforts in the district. We use data from our inventory and other surveys to compile species lists and to assess inventory completeness. The survey effort for herpetofauna, birds, and medium and large mammals was the most comprehensive ever undertaken in the district. We recorded a total of 320 plant and vertebrate species, including 21 species not previously found in the district (Table 1). Based on a review of our inventory and past research at the district, there have been a total of 723 species of plants and vertebrates found there. We believe inventories for most taxonomic groups are nearly complete. Based on our surveys, we believe the native plant and vertebrate community compositions of the district are relatively intact, though some species loss has occurred and threats are increasing, particularly to herpetofauna and larger mammals. Of particular note is the relatively small number of non-native species and their low abundance in the district, which is in contrast to many nearby natural areas. Rapidly expanding development on the west, north, and east sides of the district is cause for concern that the park continue its commitment to environmental restoration, which is largely responsible for reducing the threats posed by non-native plants. With continued maintenance of natural processes and the ecological structure of the park's biodiversity, the park will become an increasingly important place to both the general public and the scientific community. This report supersedes results reported in Powell et al. (2002, 2003).

Automated Work Package: Conceptual Design and Data Architecture

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

Al Rashdan, Ahmad; Oxstrand, Johanna; Agarwal, Vivek

The automated work package (AWP) is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program efforts to enhance the safety and economics of the nuclear power industry. An AWP is an adaptive and interactive work package that intelligently drives the work process according to the plant condition, resources status, and users progress. The AWP aims to automate several manual tasks of the work process to enhance human performance and reduce human errors. Electronic work packages (eWPs), studied by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), are work packages that rely to various extent on electronic data processingmore » and presentation. AWPs are the future of eWPs. They are envisioned to incorporate the advanced technologies of the future, and thus address the unresolved deficiencies associated with the eWPs in a nuclear power plant. In order to define the AWP, it is necessary to develop an ideal envisioned scenario of the future work process without any current technology restriction. The approach followed to develop this scenario is specific to every stage of the work process execution. The scenario development resulted in fifty advanced functionalities that can be part of the AWP. To rank the importance of these functionalities, a survey was conducted involving several U.S. nuclear utilities. The survey aimed at determining the current need of the nuclear industry with respect to the current work process, i.e. what the industry is satisfied with, and where the industry envisions potential for improvement. The survey evaluated the most promising functionalities resulting from the scenario development. The results demonstrated a significant desire to adopt the majority of these functionalities. The results of the survey are expected to drive the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) AWP research and development (R&D). In order to facilitate this mission, a prototype AWP is needed. Since the vast majority of earlier efforts focused on the frontend aspects of the AWP, the backend data architecture was researched and developed in this effort. The backend design involved data architecture aspects. It was realized through this effort that the key aspects of this design are hierarchy, data configuration and live information, data templates and instances, the flow of work package execution, the introduction of properties, and the means to interface the backend to the frontend. After the backend design was developed, a data structure was built to reflect the developed data architecture. The data structure was developed to accommodate the fifty functionalities identified by the envisioned scenario development. The data structure was evaluated by incorporating an example work order from the nuclear power industry. The implementation resulted in several optimization iterations of the data structure. In addition, the rearrangement of the work order information to fit the data structure highlighted several possibilities for improvement in the current work order design, and significantly reduced the size of the work order.« less

Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Tracking Progress in Health for Women and Children Using DHS and MICS Household Surveys

PubMed Central

Hancioglu, Attila; Arnold, Fred

2013-01-01

Household surveys are the primary data source of coverage indicators for children and women for most developing countries. Most of this information is generated by two global household survey programmes—the USAID-supported Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). In this review, we provide an overview of these two programmes, which cover a wide range of child and maternal health topics and provide estimates of many Millennium Development Goal indicators, as well as estimates of the indicators for the Countdown to 2015 initiative and the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health. MICS and DHS collaborate closely and work through interagency processes to ensure that survey tools are harmonized and comparable as far as possible, but we highlight differences between DHS and MICS in the population covered and the reference periods used to measure coverage. These differences need to be considered when comparing estimates of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators across countries and over time and we discuss the implications of these differences for coverage measurement. Finally, we discuss the need for survey planners and consumers of survey results to understand the strengths, limitations, and constraints of coverage measurements generated through household surveys, and address some technical issues surrounding sampling and quality control. We conclude that, although much effort has been made to improve coverage measurement in household surveys, continuing efforts are needed, including further research to improve and refine survey methods and analytical techniques. PMID:23667333

The Development of the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kier, Meredith W.; Blanchard, Margaret R.; Osborne, Jason W.; Albert, Jennifer L.

2014-06-01

Internationally, efforts to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers have been on the rise. It is often the goal of such efforts that increased interest in STEM careers should stimulate economic growth and enhance innovation. Scientific and educational organizations recommend that efforts to interest students in STEM majors and careers begin at the middle school level, a time when students are developing their own interests and recognizing their academic strengths. These factors have led scholars to call for instruments that effectively measure interest in STEM classes and careers, particularly for middle school students. In response, we leveraged the social cognitive career theory to develop a survey with subscales in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In this manuscript, we detail the six stages of development of the STEM Career Interest Survey. To investigate the instrument's reliability and psychometric properties, we administered this 44-item survey to over 1,000 middle school students (grades 6-8) who primarily were in rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern USA. Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the STEM-CIS is a strong, single factor instrument and also has four strong, discipline-specific subscales, which allow for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subscales to be administered separately or in combination. This instrument should prove helpful in research, evaluation, and professional development to measure STEM career interest in secondary level students.

The nature and extent of college student hazing.

PubMed

Allan, Elizabeth J; Madden, Mary

2012-01-01

This study explored the nature and extent of college student hazing in the USA. Hazing, a form of interpersonal violence, can jeopardize the health and safety of students. Using a web-based survey, data were collected from 11,482 undergraduate students, aged 18-25 years, who attended one of 53 colleges and universities. Additionally, researchers interviewed 300 students and staff at 18 of the campuses. Results reveal hazing among USA college students is widespread and involves a range of student organizations and athletic teams. Alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep-deprivation and sex acts are hazing practices common across student groups. Furthermore, there is a large gap between the number of students who report experience with hazing behaviors and those that label their experience as hazing. To date, hazing prevention efforts in post-secondary education have focused largely on students in fraternities/sororities and intercollegiate athletes. Findings from this study can inform development of more comprehensive and research-based hazing prevention efforts that target a wider range of student groups. Further, data can serve as a baseline from which to measure changes in college student hazing over time.

Clinical applications of the functional connectome

PubMed Central

Castellanos, F. Xavier; Di Martino, Adriana; Craddock, R. Cameron; Mehta, Ashesh D.; Milham, Michael P.

2013-01-01

Central to the development of clinical applications of functional connectomics for neurology and psychiatry is the discovery and validation of biomarkers. Resting state fMRI (R-fMRI) is emerging as a mainstream approach for imaging-based biomarker identification, detecting variations in the functional connectome that can be attributed to clinical variables (e.g., diagnostic status). Despite growing enthusiasm, many challenges remain. Here, we assess evidence of the readiness of R-fMRI based functional connectomics to lead to clinically meaningful biomarker identification through the lens of the criteria used to evaluate clinical tests (i.e., validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and applicability). We focus on current R-fMRI-based prediction efforts, and survey R-fMRI used for neurosurgical planning. We identify gaps and needs for R-fMRI-based biomarker identification, highlighting the potential of emerging conceptual, analytical and cultural innovations (e.g., the Research Domain Criteria Project (RDoC), open science initiatives, and Big Data) to address them. Additionally, we note the need to expand future efforts beyond identification of biomarkers for disease status alone to include clinical variables related to risk, expected treatment response and prognosis. PMID:23631991

Attack-Related Life Disruption and Child Psychopathology in New York City Public Schoolchildren 6-Months Post-9/11

PubMed Central

Comer, Jonathan S.; Fan, Bin; Duarte, Cristiane S.; Wu, Ping; Musa, George J.; Mandell, Donald J.; Albano, Anne Marie; Hoven, Christina W.

2014-01-01

In the aftermath of disasters, understanding relationships between disaster-related life disruption and children’s functioning is key to informing future postdisaster intervention efforts. The present study examined attack-related life disruptions and psychopathology in a representative sample (N = 8,236) of New York City public schoolchildren (Grades 4–12) surveyed 6 months after September 11, 2001. One in 5 youth reported a family member lost their job because of the attacks, and 1 in 3 reported their parents restricted their postattack travel. These forms of disruption were, in turn, associated with elevated rates of probable posttraumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders (and major depressive disorder in the case of restricted travel). Results indicate that adverse disaster-related experiences extend beyond traumatic exposure and include the prolonged ripple of postdisaster life disruption and economic hardship. Future postdisaster efforts must, in addition to ensuring the availability of mental health services for proximally exposed youth, maintain a focus on youth burdened by disaster-related life disruption. PMID:20589558

Climate Change Community Outreach Initiative (CCCOI)--A Gulf of Mexico Education Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, S. H.; Stone, D.; Schultz, T.; LeBlanc, T.; Miller-Way, T.; Estrada, P.

2012-12-01

This five-year, Gulf of Mexico regional collaborative is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-Office of Education and represents a successful grant submitted by the FL Aquarium as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This climate change effort focuses on enhanced content knowledge and the manner in which personal actions and behaviors contribute to sustainability and stewardship. Diverse audiences—represented by visitors at the informal centers listed above—have been and are involved in the following activities: social networking via responses to climate change surveys; an "ocean and climate change defender" computer game, specifically designed for this project; an average of 10 annual outreach events implemented by these facilities at community festivals; climate change lectures provided to family audiences; and professional development workshops for informal and formal educators. This presentation will provide opportunities and challenges encountered during the first two years of implementation. This regional effort is also aligned with both the Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles and the Climate Literacy: Essential Principles. Additional partners include: Normandeau Associates, Conservation Enterprises, Unlimited, and Mindclay Creative.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Heavy Drinking and Physical Dating Violence in Men and Women

PubMed Central

Stappenbeck, Cynthia A.; Fromme, Kim

2010-01-01

Examinations of heavy drinking and dating violence have typically focused on either female victimization or male perpetration; yet recent findings indicate that mutual aggression is the most common pattern of dating violence. The current study investigated the relation between heavy drinking and dating violence for both men and women. Participants (N = 2,247) completed surveys that assessed their heavy drinking and dating violence frequency across the first three years of college. Findings indicated that heavy drinking and dating violence were both relatively stable across time for men and women, but the relation between heavy drinking and dating violence differed by gender. For men, heavy drinking and dating violence were concurrently associated during their freshman year (Year 1), whereas for women heavy drinking during sophomore year (Year 2) predicted dating violence in their junior year (Year 3). In addition to providing educational material on healthy relationships and conflict resolution techniques, intervention efforts should target both heavy drinking and dating violence for men during or prior to their freshman year of college, whereas women may primarily benefit from efforts to reduce their heavy drinking. PMID:20079971

Chemical Informatics and the Drug Discovery Knowledge Pyramid

PubMed Central

Lushington, Gerald H.; Dong, Yinghua; Theertham, Bhargav

2012-01-01

The magnitude of the challenges in preclinical drug discovery is evident in the large amount of capital invested in such efforts in pursuit of a small static number of eventually successful marketable therapeutics. An explosion in the availability of potentially drug-like compounds and chemical biology data on these molecules can provide us with the means to improve the eventual success rates for compounds being considered at the preclinical level, but only if the community is able to access available information in an efficient and meaningful way. Thus, chemical database resources are critical to any serious drug discovery effort. This paper explores the basic principles underlying the development and implementation of chemical databases, and examines key issues of how molecular information may be encoded within these databases so as to enhance the likelihood that users will be able to extract meaningful information from data queries. In addition to a broad survey of conventional data representation and query strategies, key enabling technologies such as new context-sensitive chemical similarity measures and chemical cartridges are examined, with recommendations on how such resources may be integrated into a practical database environment. PMID:23782037

Localizing Climate Information for Municipal Planning in the Central U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulski, M.; Umphlett, N.; Abdel-Monem, T.; Tang, Z.; Uhlarik, F.

2017-12-01

The impacts of projected climate change are an ongoing concern for municipalities. Planning at the local level often involves investigations of multiple hazards on decadal timescales. Of particular interest to cities are implications of too much or too little water, snow storms, heat waves, and freeze/thaw cycles on infrastructure, health, energy demands and water quality and availability. A two-year project led by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln has brought together scientist and stakeholder for the purpose of informing municipal planning and climate adaptation for 12 cities in the lower Missouri River Basin states (IA, NE, KS, MO). City-specific climate reports have been developed with municipal input to aid local planning efforts. Surveys to assess municipal climate data usage were distributed to all cities with a population greater than 5,000 in the four-state region. In addition, planning efforts for 18 municipalities have been evaluated for nearly 20 cities in the region to investigate local hazard mitigation, emergency, and comprehensive plans. This presentation will outline key outcomes of the project and discuss decision support tools developed in co-production with city planners.

Confronting health disparities: Latin American social medicine in Venezuela.

PubMed

Briggs, Charles L; Mantini-Briggs, Clara

2009-03-01

We explored the emergence and effectiveness of Venezuela's Misión Barrio Adentro, "Inside the Neighborhood Mission," a program designed to improve access to health care among underserved residents of the country, hoping to draw lessons to apply to future attempts to address acute health disparities. We conducted our study in 3 capital-region neighborhoods, 2 small cities, and 2 rural areas, combining systematic observations with interviews of 221 residents, 41 health professionals, and 28 government officials. We surveyed 177 female and 91 male heads of household. Interviews suggested that Misión Barrio Adentro emerged from creative interactions between policymakers, clinicians, community workers, and residents, adopting flexible, problem-solving strategies. In addition, data indicated that egalitarian physician-patient relationships and the direct involvement of local health committees overcame distrust and generated popular support for the program. Media and opposition antagonism complicated physicians' lives and clinical practices but heightened the program's visibility. Top-down and bottom-up efforts are less effective than "horizontal" collaborations between professionals and residents in underserved communities. Direct, local involvement can generate creative and dynamic efforts to address acute health disparities in these areas.

Persons with Mental Retardation and Related Conditions in Mental Retardation Facilities: Selected Findings from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey. Project Report 29.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakin, K. Charlie; And Others

This report presents statistics on residential facilities for the mentally retarded and on the residents themselves, derived from the Institutional Population Component of the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES). Part 1 presents an overview of the NMES and discusses previous efforts to survey persons residing in mental retardation…

Residential fuelwood assessment, state of Minnesota, 2007-2008 heating season

Treesearch

Mimi Barzen; Ronald Piva; Chun Yi Wy; Rich Dahlman

2009-01-01

During the spring and summer of 2008, the cooperating partners conducted a survey to determine the volume of residential fuelwood burned during the 2007-2008 heating season. Similar surveys were conducted for the 1960, 1969-1970, 1979-1980, 1984-1985, 1988-1989, 1995-1996, and 2002-2003 heating seasons. These surveys are part of a long-term effort to monitor trends in...

University Commission on Human Relations: Focusing on Racism & Other Forms of Discrimination. Final Report. Volume V: Student Survey and Frequencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Olive C. R., Ed.; Matson, Hollis N., Ed.

As part of the data collection efforts of the San Francisco State University (SFSU) Commission on Human Relations, a survey was conducted of 400 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at SFSU in the fall 1989 semester. Frequency distributions for each of the 41 items on the survey questionnaire are provided. The questionnaire covered:…

40 CFR 33.302 - Are there any additional contract administration requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.302 Are there any additional contract... faith efforts described in § 33.301 if soliciting a replacement subcontractor. (d) A recipient must require its prime contractor to employ the six good faith efforts described in § 33.301 even if the prime...

40 CFR 33.302 - Are there any additional contract administration requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.302 Are there any additional contract... faith efforts described in § 33.301 if soliciting a replacement subcontractor. (d) A recipient must require its prime contractor to employ the six good faith efforts described in § 33.301 even if the prime...

40 CFR 33.302 - Are there any additional contract administration requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.302 Are there any additional contract... faith efforts described in § 33.301 if soliciting a replacement subcontractor. (d) A recipient must require its prime contractor to employ the six good faith efforts described in § 33.301 even if the prime...

40 CFR 33.302 - Are there any additional contract administration requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.302 Are there any additional contract... faith efforts described in § 33.301 if soliciting a replacement subcontractor. (d) A recipient must require its prime contractor to employ the six good faith efforts described in § 33.301 even if the prime...

Mountain goat abundance and population trends in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Kurt; Happe, Patricia; Griffin, Paul C.; Beirne, Katherine; Hoffman, Roger; Baccus, William

2011-01-01

We conducted an aerial helicopter survey between July 18 and July 25, 2011, to estimate abundance and trends of introduced mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in the Olympic Mountains. The survey was the first since we developed a sightability correction model in 2008, which provided the means to estimate the number of mountain goats present in the surveyed areas and not seen during the aerial surveys, and to adjust for undercounting biases. Additionally, the count was the first since recent telemetry studies revealed that the previously defined survey zone, which was delineated at lower elevations by the 1,520-meter elevation contour, did not encompass all lands used by mountain goats during summer. We redefined the lower elevation boundary of survey units before conducting the 2011 surveys in an effort to more accurately estimate the entire mountain goat population. We surveyed 39 survey units, comprising 39 percent of the 59,615-hectare survey area. We estimated a mountain goat population of 344±44 (standard error, SE) in the expanded survey area. Based on this level of estimation uncertainty, the 95-percent confidence interval ranged from 258 to 430 mountain goats at the time of the survey. To permit comparisons of mountain goat populations between the 2004 and 2011 surveys, we recomputed population estimates derived from the 2004 survey using the newly developed bias correction methods, and we computed the 2004 and 2011 surveys based on comparable survey zone definitions (for example, using the boundaries of the 2004 survey). The recomputed estimates of mountain goat populations were 217±19 (SE) in 2004 and 303±41(SE) in 2011. The difference between the current 2011 population estimate (344±44[SE]) and the recomputed 2011 estimate (303±41[SE]) reflects the number of mountain goats counted in the expanded lower elevation portions of the survey zone added in 2011. We conclude that the population of mountain goats has increased in the Olympic Mountains at an average rate of 4.9±2.2(SE) percent annually since 2004. We caution that the estimated rate of population growth may be conservative if severe spring weather deterred some mountain goats from reaching the high-elevation survey areas during the 2011 surveys. If the estimated average rate of population growth were to remain constant in the future, then the population would double in approximately 14-15 years.

5 CFR 532.315 - Additional survey jobs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Additional survey jobs. 532.315 Section... RATE SYSTEMS Determining Rates for Principal Types of Positions § 532.315 Additional survey jobs. (a) For appropriated fund surveys, when the lead agency adds to the industries to be surveyed, it shall...

5 CFR 532.315 - Additional survey jobs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Additional survey jobs. 532.315 Section... RATE SYSTEMS Determining Rates for Principal Types of Positions § 532.315 Additional survey jobs. (a) For appropriated fund surveys, when the lead agency adds to the industries to be surveyed, it shall...

5 CFR 532.315 - Additional survey jobs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional survey jobs. 532.315 Section... RATE SYSTEMS Determining Rates for Principal Types of Positions § 532.315 Additional survey jobs. (a) For appropriated fund surveys, when the lead agency adds to the industries to be surveyed, it shall...

5 CFR 532.315 - Additional survey jobs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Additional survey jobs. 532.315 Section... RATE SYSTEMS Determining Rates for Principal Types of Positions § 532.315 Additional survey jobs. (a) For appropriated fund surveys, when the lead agency adds to the industries to be surveyed, it shall...

Zoogeography, taxonomy, and conservation of West Virginia’s Ohio River floodplain crayfishes (Decapoda, Cambaridae)

PubMed Central

Loughman, Zachary J.; Simon, Thomas P.

2011-01-01

Abstract The crayfish fauna of West Virginia consists of 23 species and several undescribed taxa. Most survey efforts documenting this fauna have been conducted in lotic waterways throughout the Appalachian plateau, Allegheny Mountains, and Ridge and Valley physiographic provinces. Bottomland forests, swamps, and marshes associated with large river floodplain such as the Ohio River floodplain historically have been under-surveyed in the state. These habitats harbor the richest primary burrowing crayfish fauna in West Virginia, and are worthy of survey efforts. In an effort to fill this void, the crayfish fauna of West Virginia’s Ohio River floodplain was surveyed from 2004 through 2009. From this survey, nine species from four genera were documented inhabiting the floodplain. Zoogeography, biology, and conservation status is provided for all nine crayfishes. The dominant genus along the floodplain is Cambarus, which includes Cambarus (Cambarus) carinirostris, Cambarus (Cambarus) bartonii cavatus, Cambarus (Procambarus) robustus and Cambarus (Tubericambarus) thomai. Cambarus (Tubericambarus) thomai is the most prevalent burrowing species occurring along the floodplain. The genus Orconectes consists of two native species, Orconectes (Cambarus) obscurus and Orconectes (Cambarus) sanbornii; and two invasive taxa, Orconectes (Gremicambarus) virilis and Orconectes (Procambarus) rusticus. Orconectes (Cambarus) obscurus has experienced a range extension to the south and occupies streams formerly occupied by Orconectes (Cambarus) sanbornii. Both invasive taxa were allied with anthropogenic habitats and disturbance gradients. The genera Fallicambarus and Procambarus are represented by a single species. Both Fallicambarus (Cambarus) fodiens and Procambarus (Orconectes) acutus are limited to the historic preglacial Marietta River Valley. PMID:21594135

50 CFR 216.254 - Mitigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... whenever darkness or weather conditions will preclude completion of the post-test survey effort described in § 216.255. (5) If post-detonation surveys determine that a serious injury or lethal take of a... adequate daylight for pre- and post-detonation monitoring, mission launches may not take place earlier than...

2008 Microarray Research Group (MARG Survey): Sensing the State of Microarray Technology

EPA Science Inventory

Over the past several years, the field of microarrays has grown and evolved drastically. In its continued efforts to track this evolution and transformation, the ABRF-MARG has once again conducted a survey of international microarray facilities and individual microarray users. Th...

An assessment of traffic safety culture related to engagement efforts to improve traffic safety : research programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

The Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University developed a survey to investigate the traffic safety culture related to engagement in traffic safety citizenship behaviors. The development of the survey was based on an augmented f...

2009 Collegiate Athletic Department Sustainability Survey Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McSherry, Mark

2009-01-01

This report shows that while sustainability efforts appear to be growing within collegiate athletics, commitment to sustainability is lower among athletic departments than compared to their institutions as a whole and to professional sports teams. The survey was distributed to the 119 athletic departments at National Collegiate Athletic…

Survey and hydrogeology of Carroll Cave

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Carroll Cave, located in Camden County, Missouri, is the largest known cave formed in the Gasconade Dolomite of the Salem Plateau. Despite extensive visitation over the last 50 years and multiple survey efforts, a comprehensive map of the cave has never been produced. In 2002, the Carroll Cave Conse...

The Education of Serials Catalogers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soper, Mary Ellen

1987-01-01

Reviews surveys of accredited library schools' efforts to prepare students to work with serials and practitioners' attitudes toward their formal serials education, and presents results of a 1986 survey of serials cataloging courses offered by library schools. Continuing education and the importance of special instruction for serials work are…

Asset Analysis and Operational Concepts for Separation Assurance Flight Testing at Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costa, Guillermo J.; Arteaga, Ricardo A.

2011-01-01

A preliminary survey of existing separation assurance and collision avoidance advancements, technologies, and efforts has been conducted in order to develop a concept of operations for flight testing autonomous separation assurance at Dryden Flight Research Center. This effort was part of the Unmanned Aerial Systems in the National Airspace System project. The survey focused primarily on separation assurance projects validated through flight testing (including lessons learned), however current forays into the field were also examined. Comparisons between current Dryden flight and range assets were conducted using House of Quality matrices in order to allow project management to make determinations regarding asset utilization for future flight tests. This was conducted in order to establish a body of knowledge of the current collision avoidance landscape, and thus focus Dryden s efforts more effectively towards the providing of assets and test ranges for future flight testing within this research field.

An adaptive two-stage sequential design for sampling rare and clustered populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, J.A.; Salehi, M.M.; Moradi, M.; Bell, G.; Smith, D.R.

2008-01-01

How to design an efficient large-area survey continues to be an interesting question for ecologists. In sampling large areas, as is common in environmental studies, adaptive sampling can be efficient because it ensures survey effort is targeted to subareas of high interest. In two-stage sampling, higher density primary sample units are usually of more interest than lower density primary units when populations are rare and clustered. Two-stage sequential sampling has been suggested as a method for allocating second stage sample effort among primary units. Here, we suggest a modification: adaptive two-stage sequential sampling. In this method, the adaptive part of the allocation process means the design is more flexible in how much extra effort can be directed to higher-abundance primary units. We discuss how best to design an adaptive two-stage sequential sample. ?? 2008 The Society of Population Ecology and Springer.

PLANNED INTEGRATION OF MEASUREMENT AND SURVEY DATA FROM THE DEARS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESEARCH EFFORTS: PRELIMINARY DATA FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The Canadian-US Border Air Quality Studies represent collaborative research being performed by both parties. This abstract details the efforts of the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) to work collaboratively in this regards. A discussion of the collaborations ...

State Practices in the Assessment of Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shriner, James G.; And Others

This technical report describes the methodology, results, and conclusions of a 1991 survey, which was conducted to determine state efforts to develop systems to assess educational outcomes, states' needs for solutions to technical/implementation problems, existing databases, and efforts of states to design a comprehensive system of indicators in…

Computational Modeling of River Flow, Sediment Transport, and Bed Evolution Using Remotely Sensed Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

mile reach from Lewiston Lake to the North Fork of the Trinity, which includes the sites above. As of this writing, all data has been analyzed and...collection effort, probably a bathymetric LiDAR effort on the Kootenai River near Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho . Detailed multibeam acoustic surveys already

A survey to determine the impact of changes in specifications and construction practices on the performance of concrete in bridge decks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

In response to its own research and observations in the early 1960's the Virginia Department of Highways mounted an intensive and extensive effort to improve the performance of concrete in bridge decks. Major elements of this effort included (1) a tr...

The Influence of Parenthood on the Work Effort of Married Men and Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Gayle; Uhlenberg, Peter

2000-01-01

Data from the 1992-93 National Survey of Families and Households were used to examine the effect of parenthood on married men's and women's employment and work hours. Parenthood decreased women's work effort as expected. Findings for men support two competing models--"good provider" and "involved father"--reflecting traditional…

Playing Exergames in the Classroom: Pre-Service Teachers' Motivation, Passion, Effort, and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Lin; Zhang, Tao

2011-01-01

This study investigated pre-service teachers' experience, motivation, passion, effort, and perspectives in playing exergames in the classroom using the self-determination theory as the main theoretical framework. One hundred forty preservice teachers participated in the study. A mixed method was used. Data included pre-survey and post-survey…

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…

Employer Needs Assessment Results for Pima County Employers, 1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pima Community Coll., Tucson, AZ. Office of Research and Planning.

In an effort to inform the program and services review, develop new instructional programs, and assist marketing efforts at Pima Community College (PCC), in Arizona, a survey was conducted in fall 1992 of Pima County employers' training needs, employment needs, and opinions about PCC. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 759 local…

INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION SURVEY REPORT FOR ZONE 1 OF THE EAST TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGY PARK IN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

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

King, David A.

2012-08-16

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) conducted in-process inspections and independent verification (IV) surveys in support of DOE's remedial efforts in Zone 1 of East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Inspections concluded that the remediation contractor's soil removal and survey objectives were satisfied and the dynamic verification strategy (DVS) was implemented as designed. Independent verification (IV) activities included gamma walkover surveys and soil sample collection/analysis over multiple exposure units (EUs).

Stellar Variability in the VVV Survey: An Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catelan, M.; Dekany, I.; Hempel, M.; Minniti, D.

The Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) ESO Public Survey consists in a near-infrared time-series survey of the Galactic bulge and inner disk; covering 562 square degrees of the sky; over a total timespan of more than 5 years. In this paper; we provide an updated account of the current status of the survey; especially in the context of stellar variability studies. In this sense; we give a first description of our efforts towards the construction of the VVV Variable Star Catalog (VVV-VSC).

Combining inferences from models of capture efficiency, detectability, and suitable habitat to classify landscapes for conservation of threatened bull trout

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, J.; Dunham, J.B.

2003-01-01

Effective conservation efforts for at-risk species require knowledge of the locations of existing populations. Species presence can be estimated directly by conducting field-sampling surveys or alternatively by developing predictive models. Direct surveys can be expensive and inefficient, particularly for rare and difficult-to-sample species, and models of species presence may produce biased predictions. We present a Bayesian approach that combines sampling and model-based inferences for estimating species presence. The accuracy and cost-effectiveness of this approach were compared to those of sampling surveys and predictive models for estimating the presence of the threatened bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ) via simulation with existing models and empirical sampling data. Simulations indicated that a sampling-only approach would be the most effective and would result in the lowest presence and absence misclassification error rates for three thresholds of detection probability. When sampling effort was considered, however, the combined approach resulted in the lowest error rates per unit of sampling effort. Hence, lower probability-of-detection thresholds can be specified with the combined approach, resulting in lower misclassification error rates and improved cost-effectiveness.

Diffusion of Energy Efficient Technology in Commercial Buildings: An Analysis of the Commercial Building Partnerships Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonopoulos, Chrissi Argyro

This study presents findings from survey and interview data investigating replication of green building measures by Commercial Building Partnership (CBP) partners that worked directly with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL partnered directly with 12 organizations on new and retrofit construction projects, which represented approximately 28 percent of the entire U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CBP program. Through a feedback survey mechanism, along with personal interviews, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered relating to replication efforts by each organization. These data were analyzed to provide insight into two primary research areas: 1) CBP partners' replication efforts of green building approaches used in the CBP project to the rest of the organization's building portfolio, and, 2) the market potential for technology diffusion into the total U.S. commercial building stock, as a direct result of the CBP program. The first area of this research focused specifically on replication efforts underway or planned by each CBP program participant. The second area of this research develops a diffusion of innovations model to analyze potential broad market impacts of the CBP program on the commercial building industry in the United States. Findings from this study provided insight into motivations and objectives CBP partners had for program participation. Factors that impact replication include motivation, organizational structure and objectives firms have for implementation of energy efficient technologies. Comparing these factors between different CBP partners revealed patterns in motivation for constructing energy efficient buildings, along with better insight into market trends for green building practices. The optimized approach to the CBP program allows partners to develop green building parameters that fit the specific uses of their building, resulting in greater motivation for replication. In addition, the diffusion model developed for this analysis indicates that this method of market prediction may be used to adequately capture cumulative construction metrics for a whole-building analysis as opposed to individual energy efficiency measures used in green building.

A Critical Review of Surveys Emphasizing on Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks—An Anatomization under General Survey Design Framework

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A large number of routing-related surveys are published so far for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) that exhibit either complete or partial emphasis on routing in WSNs. These surveys classify and discuss the relevant routing protocols published mainly in the fields of classical, energy efficient, secure, hierarchical, geographic, intelligent, Quality of Service (QoS)-based and multipath WSNs. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study is presented so far which may clearly categorize the routing-related survey literature for WSNs.To fill this gap, an effort is made in this paper for presenting an in-depth review of already published routing-related survey literature in WSNs. Our review initially proposes a generalized survey design model and afterwards analyzes the routing-related survey literature in the light of the devised General Survey Design Framework (GSDF). Such an analysis describes the design soundness of the published routing-related surveys. Therefore, our review puts forth an original classification based on the frequency-of-survey-publication and taxonomizes the corresponding routing-related fields into high, medium and low focused areas of survey publication in WSNs. Furthermore, the surveys belonging to each main category are sub-categorized into various sub-classes and briefly discussed according to their design characteristics. On the one hand, this review is useful for beginners who may easily explore the already published routing-related survey literature in WSNs in a single document and investigate it by spending less effort. On the other hand, it is useful for expert researchers who may explore the trends and frequency of writing surveys in different areas of routing in WSNs. The experts may explore those areas of routing which are either neglected or least focused or lack in design soundness as per general survey design framework. In the end, insights and future research directions are outlined and a reasonable conclusion is put forth which may outline guiding principles for routing-related survey research in future. PMID:28933763

A Critical Review of Surveys Emphasizing on Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks-An Anatomization under General Survey Design Framework.

PubMed

Rehan, Waqas; Fischer, Stefan; Rehan, Maaz

2017-07-26

A large number of routing-related surveys are published so far for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) that exhibit either complete or partial emphasis on routing in WSNs. These surveys classify and discuss the relevant routing protocols published mainly in the fields of classical, energy efficient, secure, hierarchical, geographic, intelligent, Quality of Service (QoS)-based and multipath WSNs. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study is presented so far which may clearly categorize the routing-related survey literature for WSNs.To fill this gap, an effort is made in this paper for presenting an in-depth review of already published routing-related survey literature in WSNs. Our review initially proposes a generalized survey design model and afterwards analyzes the routing-related survey literature in the light of the devised General Survey Design Framework (GSDF) . Such an analysis describes the design soundness of the published routing-related surveys. Therefore, our review puts forth an original classification based on the frequency-of-survey-publication and taxonomizes the corresponding routing-related fields into high, medium and low focused areas of survey publication in WSNs. Furthermore, the surveys belonging to each main category are sub-categorized into various sub-classes and briefly discussed according to their design characteristics. On the one hand, this review is useful for beginners who may easily explore the already published routing-related survey literature in WSNs in a single document and investigate it by spending less effort. On the other hand, it is useful for expert researchers who may explore the trends and frequency of writing surveys in different areas of routing in WSNs. The experts may explore those areas of routing which are either neglected or least focused or lack in design soundness as per general survey design framework. In the end, insights and future research directions are outlined and a reasonable conclusion is put forth which may outline guiding principles for routing-related survey research in future.

Measuring Workplace Climate in Community Clinics and Health Centers.

PubMed

Friedberg, Mark W; Rodriguez, Hector P; Martsolf, Grant R; Edelen, Maria O; Vargas Bustamante, Arturo

2016-10-01

The effectiveness of community clinics and health centers' efforts to improve the quality of care might be modified by clinics' workplace climates. Several surveys to measure workplace climate exist, but their relationships to each other and to distinguishable dimensions of workplace climate are unknown. To assess the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and to generate a shorter instrument for future use. We fielded a 106-item survey, which included items from 9 existing instruments, to all clinicians and staff members (n=781) working in 30 California community clinics and health centers, receiving 628 responses (80% response rate). We performed exploratory factor analysis of survey responses, followed by confirmatory factor analysis of 200 reserved survey responses. We generated a new, shorter survey instrument of items with strong factor loadings. Six factors, including 44 survey items, emerged from the exploratory analysis. Two factors (Clinic Workload and Teamwork) were independent from the others. The remaining 4 factors (staff relationships, quality improvement orientation, managerial readiness for change, and staff readiness for change) were highly correlated, indicating that these represented dimensions of a higher-order factor we called "Clinic Functionality." This 2-level, 6-factor model fit the data well in the exploratory and confirmatory samples. For all but 1 factor, fewer than 20 survey responses were needed to achieve clinic-level reliability >0.7. Survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap. The relatively parsimonious item set we identified might help target and tailor clinics' quality improvement efforts.

Presence-nonpresence surveys of golden-cheeked warblers: detection, occupancy and survey effort

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, C.A.; Weckerly, F.W.; Hatfield, J.S.; Farquhar, C.C.; Williamson, P.S.

2008-01-01

Surveys to detect the presence or absence of endangered species may not consistently cover an area, account for imperfect detection or consider that detection and species presence at sample units may change within a survey season. We evaluated a detection?nondetection survey method for the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler (GCWA) Dendroica chrysoparia. Three study areas were selected across the breeding range of GCWA in central Texas. Within each area, 28-36 detection stations were placed 200 m apart. Each detection station was surveyed nine times during the breeding season in 2 consecutive years. Surveyors remained up to 8 min at each detection station recording GCWA detected by sight or sound. To assess the potential influence of environmental covariates (e.g. slope, aspect, canopy cover, study area) on detection and occupancy and possible changes in occupancy and detection probabilities within breeding seasons, 30 models were analyzed. Using information-theoretic model selection procedures, we found that detection probabilities and occupancy varied among study areas and within breeding seasons. Detection probabilities ranged from 0.20 to 0.80 and occupancy ranged from 0.56 to 0.95. Because study areas with high detection probabilities had high occupancy, a conservative survey effort (erred towards too much surveying) was estimated using the lowest detection probability. We determined that nine surveys of 35 stations were needed to have estimates of occupancy with coefficients of variation <20%. Our survey evaluation evidently captured the key environmental variable that influenced bird detection (GCWA density) and accommodated the changes in GCWA distribution throughout the breeding season.

Measuring Workplace Climate in Community Clinics and Health Centers

PubMed Central

Friedberg, Mark W.; Rodriguez, Hector P.; Martsolf, Grant; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Vargas-Bustamante, Arturo

2018-01-01

Background The effectiveness of community clinics and health centers’ efforts to improve the quality of care might be modified by clinics’ workplace climates. Several surveys to measure workplace climate exist, but their relationships to each other and to distinguishable dimensions of workplace climate are unknown. Objective To assess the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and to generate a shorter instrument for future use. Methods We fielded a 106-item survey, which included items from 9 existing instruments, to all clinicians and staff members (n=781) working in 30 California community clinics and health centers, receiving 628 responses (80% response rate). We performed exploratory factor analysis of survey responses, followed by confirmatory factor analysis of 200 reserved survey responses. We generated a new, shorter survey instrument of items with strong factor loadings. Results Six factors, including 44 survey items, emerged from the exploratory analysis. Two factors (Clinic Workload and Teamwork) were independent from the others. The remaining 4 factors (Staff Relationships, Quality Improvement Orientation, Managerial Readiness for Change, and Staff Readiness for Change) were highly correlated, indicating that these represented dimensions of a higher-order factor we called “Clinic Functionality.” This two-level, six-factor model fit the data well in the exploratory and confirmatory samples. For all but one factor, fewer than 20 survey responses were needed to achieve clinic-level reliability >0.7. Conclusion Survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap. The relatively parsimonious item set we identified might help target and tailor clinics’ quality improvement efforts. PMID:27326549

Program to develop sprayed, plastically deformable compressor shroud seal materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schell, J. D.; Schell, J. D.

1980-01-01

A study of fundamental rub behavior for 10 dense, sprayed materials and eight current compressor clearance materials was conducted. A literature survey of a wide variety of metallurgical and thermophysical properties was conducted and correlated to rub behavior. Based on the results, the most promising dense rub material was Cu-9A1. Additional studies on the effects of porosity, incursion rate, blade solidity, and ambient temperature were carried out on aluminum bronze (Cu-9Al-1Fe) with and without a 515B Feltmetal underlayer. A further development effort was conducted to assess the property requirements of a porous, aluminum bronze, seal material. Strength, thermal cycle capabilities, erosion and oxidation resistance, machinability, and abradability at several porosity levels were examined.

Investigation related to multispectral imaging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalepka, R. F.; Erickson, J. D.

1974-01-01

A summary of technical progress made during a five year research program directed toward the development of operational information systems based on multispectral sensing and the use of these systems in earth-resource survey applications is presented. Efforts were undertaken during this program to: (1) improve the basic understanding of the many facets of multispectral remote sensing, (2) develop methods for improving the accuracy of information generated by remote sensing systems, (3) improve the efficiency of data processing and information extraction techniques to enhance the cost-effectiveness of remote sensing systems, (4) investigate additional problems having potential remote sensing solutions, and (5) apply the existing and developing technology for specific users and document and transfer that technology to the remote sensing community.

Landsat—Earth observation satellites

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2015-11-25

Since 1972, Landsat satellites have continuously acquired space-based images of the Earth’s land surface, providing data that serve as valuable resources for land use/land change research. The data are useful to a number of applications including forestry, agriculture, geology, regional planning, and education. Landsat is a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA develops remote sensing instruments and the spacecraft, then launches and validates the performance of the instruments and satellites. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation of the satellites, in addition to managing all ground reception, data archiving, product generation, and data distribution. The result of this program is an unprecedented continuing record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape.

BLUE RANGE WILDERNESS, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratte, James C.; Raabe, R.G.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey of the area was completed and it was determined that a probable resource potential for molybdenum, copper, and silver is present in volcanic rocks of middle Tertiary age in the southern and southwestern parts of the area. There is also a likelihood for the occurrence of base-metal resources (including porphyry copper deposits) of Laramide age beneath the middle Tertiary volcanic rocks that cover the area, but data are insufficient to assess the resource potential. Improved techniques for interpreting geophysical data collected over complex volcanic terranes should be applied in an effort to identify Laramide intrusives beneath the middle Tertiary rocks. Additional geologic studies of the major faults and volcanic centers might enhance mineral-deposit target definition in the middle Tertiary rocks.

Proper Exercise and Nutrition kit: use of obesity screening and assessment tools with underserved populations.

PubMed

Kopp, Mary K; Hornberger, Cynthia

2008-02-01

Additional efforts are needed to assist public health, school, and clinic-based pediatric nurses in identifying the prevalence of obesity among Kansas Medicaid-eligible children, 21 years or younger. A Proper Exercise and Nutrition (PEN) tool kit was mailed to 500 public health nurses who performed KAN Be Healthy (KBH) assessments. KBH nurses were provided an expanded training curriculum on growth, nutrition, and obesity along with appropriate screening tools. Nurses were surveyed about their current assessment practices and general knowledge of obese clients. After the PEN tool kit distribution, nurses reported an increased use of screening tools and standardized referral parameters. This program intervention was successful in changing nursing practice, resulting in evidence-based understanding of obesity screening and assessment.

Effectiveness of an ethics course delivered in traditional and non-traditional formats.

PubMed

Feldhaus, Charles R; Fox, Patricia L

2004-04-01

This paper details a three-credit-hour undergraduate ethics course that was delivered using traditional, distance, and compressed formats. OLS 263: Ethical Decisions in Leadership is a 200-level course offered by the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Students in engineering, technology, business, nursing, and other majors take the course. In an effort to determine student perceptions of course and instructor effectiveness, end-of-course student survey data were compared using data from traditional, distance, and compressed sections of the course. In addition, learning outcomes from the final course project were evaluated using a standardized assessment rubric and scores on the course project.

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

PubMed

Mohamed, L F; Ebrahim, S A; Al-Thukair, A A

2009-08-01

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this study along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.

Penetrating radiation: applications at Los Alamos National Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Scott; Hunter, James; Morris, Christopher

2013-09-01

Los Alamos has used penetrating radiography extensively throughout its history dating back to the Manhattan Project where imaging dense, imploding objects was the subject of intense interest. This interest continues today as major facilities like DARHT1 have become the mainstay of the US Stockpile Stewardship Program2 and the cornerstone of nuclear weapons certification. Meanwhile, emerging threats to national security from cargo containers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have invigorated inspection efforts using muon tomography, and compact x-ray radiography. Additionally, unusual environmental threats, like those from underwater oil spills and nuclear power plant accidents, have caused renewed interest in fielding radiography in severe operating conditions. We review the history of penetrating radiography at Los Alamos and survey technologies as presently applied to these important problems.

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

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

Mohamed, L.F.; Ebrahim, S.A.; Al-Thukair, A.A.

2009-08-15

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this studymore » along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.« less

National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys (NAMSS): A USGS-Boem Partnership to Provide Free and Easy Access to Previously Proprietary Seismic Reflection Data on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triezenberg, P. J.; Hart, P. E.; Childs, J. R.

2014-12-01

The National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys (NAMSS) was established by the USGS in 2004 in an effort to rescue marine seismic reflection profile data acquired largely by the oil exploration industry throughout the US outer continental shelf (OCS). It features a Web interface for easy on-line geographic search and download. The commercial value of these data had decreased significantly because of drilling moratoria and newer acquisition technology, and large quantities were at risk of disposal. But, the data still had tremendous value for scientific research and education purposes, and an effort was undertaken to ensure that the data were preserved and publicly available. More recently, the USGS and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have developed a partnership to make similarly available a much larger quantity of 2D and 3D seismic data acquired by the U.S. government for assessment of resources in the OCS. Under Federal regulation, BOEM is required to publicly release all processed geophysical data, including seismic profiles, acquired under an exploration permit, purchased and retained by BOEM, no sooner than 25 years after issuance of the permit. Data acquired prior to 1989 are now eligible for release. Currently these data are distributed on CD or DVD, but data discovery can be tedious. Inclusion of these data within NAMSS vastly increases the amount of seismic data available for research purposes. A new NAMSS geographical interface provides easy and intuitive access to the data library. The interface utilizes OpenLayers, Mapnik, and the Django web framework. In addition, metadata capabilities have been greatly increased using a PostgresSQL/PostGIS database incorporating a community-developed ISO-compliant XML template. The NAMSS database currently contains 452 2D seismic surveys comprising 1,645,956 line km and nine 3D seismic surveys covering 9,385 square km. The 2D data holdings consist of stack, migrated and depth sections, most in SEG-Y format.

Self-advocacy training for cancer survivors. The Cancer Survival Toolbox.

PubMed

Walsh-Burke, K; Marcusen, C

1999-01-01

With the advent of managed healthcare, self-advocacy has been identified as an essential skill for cancer survivors. This article describes a self-advocacy training program, the Cancer Survival Toolbox, developed through a unique collaborative effort by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Association of Oncology Social Work, and the Oncology Nursing Society. Self-advocacy training is provided in audiotape format, as well as through the Internet and in interactive groups. The need for this training was established through surveys completed by 569 cancer survivors and 833 oncology professionals. Essential skills were identified through a literature review, and the content of the training was pilot tested with bicoastal groups of cancer survivors and with feedback from representatives of 15 national cancer organizations. While the majority of the 569 respondents to the survivor survey were highly educated and between the ages of 31 and 60 years, fewer than half reported that when they first received a diagnosis of cancer they were able to communicate their needs effectively, had the skills necessary to make decisions, or were able to negotiate with healthcare providers, insurers, and employers. Results of the survey of professional oncology nurses and social workers also supported the need for self-advocacy training. Fewer than one third of the 833 respondents to the professional survey reported that their patients who had received new diagnoses of cancer had essential self-advocacy skills. This self-advocacy training program is currently available on audiotape in English and Spanish. It is available in print in Chinese on the Internet. Data from the pilot groups indicate the program effectively addresses the self-advocacy skills of communication, information seeking, problem solving, decision making, and negotiating. Data are currently being collected to assess the efficacy of the audiotape format and the impact of the training on survivors and professionals. Future plans include training oncology professionals to teach these skills and to work collaboratively with survivors in advocacy efforts. Additional programs designed to address the needs of the uninsured as well as older adult and pediatric survivor populations are in development.

Cooperative Efforts: Voluntary Resettlement Agencies and Mutual Assistance Associations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Committee on Migration and Refugee Affairs, New York, NY. Refugee Center.

In 1983, the Refugee Resource Center conducted a survey of Mutual Assistance Associations (MAA's) and local voluntary resettlement agency affiliates to find out how the two types of organizations worked together to carry out refugee resettlement. According to the survey, the relations between agency affiliates and MAA's generally revolved around…

50 CFR 217.114 - Mitigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... of the post-test survey effort described in § 217.115. (vi) If post-detonation surveys determine that...-Surface Gunnery Missions at Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range (EGTTR) in the Gulf of Mexico § 217.114... m (1,000 ft) or greater. (v) To ensure adequate daylight for pre- and post-detonation monitoring...

A Survey of Instructional Support for Undergraduate Research Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Merinda Kaye

2015-01-01

Undergraduate research and other high-impact educational practices simulate real-world learning environments and present an opportunity for high-level information literacy teaching to be better incorporated into the curriculum. The purpose of this survey is to examine efforts of libraries currently offering IL instruction to undergraduate research…

Literacy, Economy and Society. Results of the First International Adult Literacy Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Statistics Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was a collaborative effort by seven governments and three intergovernmental organizations to describe and compare the literacy skills of people from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Each country drew a probability sample from which results…

A Guide to NSF Science/Engineering Resources Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Scientific, Technological and International Affairs.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Science Resources Services designs and conducts surveys related to, and supports other data collection activities dealing with, science resources. The data from these surveys and data collection efforts are used by NSF and others to analyze various research and development (R&D) funding and…

Forest health assessment for eastern hardwood forests

Treesearch

Daniel B. Twardus

1995-01-01

Information presented here, was obtained generally from 3 sources: the Cooperative Forest Health Protection Program, the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program and the National Forest Health Monitoring Program. The Cooperative Forest Health Protection Program is a joint State-Federal effort responsible for forest-wide surveys of forest damage. From these surveys, we...

KPI Graduate Executive Summary Report, Summer 2000-Winter 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan Coll. (Ontario).

Summarizes findings from the Key Performance Indicator Satisfaction Survey administered by Sheridan College in the summer 2000, fall 2000, and winter 2001 terms. This survey was administered in compliance with the Ontario government's efforts to increase the accountability of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology through the measurement of…

Seat belt and shoulder strap use among urban travelers : a comparison of survey results from 1974, 1975, and 1976.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

During nine days in late January 1974, four major metropolitan areas of the state of Virginia were surveyed in an effort to determine seat belt use by urban travelers. Observer-data collectors were stationed at selected signalized intersections. Moto...

Seat belt and shoulder strap use among urban travelers : a comparison of results from 1974 and 1975 surveys : a report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

During nine consecutive days in late January 1974, four major metropolitan areas of the state of Virginia were surveyed in an effort to determine seat belt use by urban travelers. Observer data collectors were stationed at selected signalized interse...

Ethical Issues in School Health: A Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Glenn E.; Jose, Nancy

1983-01-01

The need for a code of ethics for health educators is discussed, and results of a survey of school health educators' opinions on curriculum-related ethical issses are reported. Ethical issues of concern include use of scare tactics, efforts to change behavior and attitudes, and appropriate subject matter. (PP)

Nursing Services in Southwest Minnesota Schools (Results of a Survey).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holm, Joyce; Lytwyn, Pat

In an effort to gather and share accurate information about health services provided to children in school districts throughout 18 rural counties of southwest Minnesota, a survey was developed and mailed to 200 public health nursing directors, elementary school principals, and superintendents (122 were returned). Questions sought information about…

THE ABRF-MARG MICROARRAY SURVEY 2004: TAKING THE PULSE OF THE MICROARRAY FIELD

EPA Science Inventory

Over the past several years, the field of microarrays has grown and evolved drastically. In its continued efforts to track this evolution, the ABRF-MARG has once again conducted a survey of international microarray facilities and individual microarray users. The goal of the surve...

Deans' Perceptions of Published Rankings of Business Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athavale, Manoj; Bott, Jennifer; Myring, Mark; Richardson, Lynne

2017-01-01

Using a survey of college of business deans, the authors investigate perceptions of published rankings of academic programs. Published rankings have become quite prominent, and anecdotal evidence suggests great efforts are being undertaken to be included in rankings or enhance rankings. The authors conducted a survey of business school deans to…

Learning Lean: A Survey of Industry Lean Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fliedner, Gene; Mathieson, Kieran

2009-01-01

The authors examined business practitioners' preferences for higher education curricula design in general and for what graduates should know about Lean, or waste-reduction efforts. The authors conducted a Web-based survey and found that practitioners are not as concerned about graduates' possessing specific technical skills as they are about them…

A survey and photographic inventory of metal truss bridges in Virginia, 1865-1932 : VI. The Lynchburg Construction District.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

In 1974 the Research Council initiated a statewide survey of metal truss bridges to identify any with historic significance. This pioneering effort was financed with state research funds as it was intended to aid the Virginia Department of Highways a...

Living with wildfire in Colorado

Treesearch

Patricia A. Champ; Nicholas Flores; Hannah Brenkert-Smith

2010-01-01

In this presentation, we describe results of a survey to homeowners living in wildfire-prone areas of two counties along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The survey was designed to elicit information on homeowners' experience with wildfire, perceptions of wildfire risk on their property and neighboring properties, mitigation efforts undertaken...

A survey and photographic inventory of metal truss bridges in Virginia, 1865-1932 : VII : the Salem construction district.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-01-01

In 1974 the Research Council initiated a statewide survey of metal truss bridges to identify any with historic significance. This pioneering effort was financed with state research funds as it was intended to aid the Virginia Department of Highways a...

A survey and photographic inventory of metal truss bridges in Virginia, 1865-1932 : VIII : the Suffolk construction district.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-01-01

In 1974 the Research Council initiated a statewide survey of metal truss bridges to identify any with historic significance. This pioneering effort was financed with state research funds as it was intended to aid the Virginia Department of Highways a...

A survey and photographic inventory of metal truss bridges in Virginia, 1865-1932 : IX, the Bristol Construction District.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-01-01

In 1974 the Research Council initiated a statewide survey of metal truss bridges to identify any with historic significance. This pioneering effort was financed with state research funds as it was intended to aid the Virginia Department of Highways a...

Proper survey methods for research of aquatic plant ecology and management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Proper survey methods are essential for objective, quantitative assessment of the distribution and abundance of aquatic plants as part of research and demonstration efforts. For research, the use of the appropriate method is an essential part of the scientific method, to ensure that the experimenta...

50 CFR 18.118 - What are the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... monitoring and research efforts will employ rigorous study designs and sampling protocols in order to provide... mitigation measures for offshore seismic surveys. Any offshore exploration activity expected to include the... 1 µPa. (ii) Ramp-up procedures. For all seismic surveys, including airgun testing, use the following...

50 CFR 18.118 - What are the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... monitoring and research efforts will employ rigorous study designs and sampling protocols in order to provide... mitigation measures for offshore seismic surveys. Any offshore exploration activity expected to include the... 1 µPa. (ii) Ramp-up procedures. For all seismic surveys, including airgun testing, use the following...

78 FR 27388 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection Renewal; Comment Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies.... Estimated response time per survey: 1 hour. Estimated number of respondents per survey: 850 hours. Total Annual Burden: 12,500 hours. General Description of Collection: The information collected in these...

Lake Superior Phytoplankton Characterization from the 2006 Probability Based Survey

EPA Science Inventory

We conducted a late summer probability based survey of Lake Superior in 2006 which consisted of 52 sites stratified across 3 depth zones. As part of this effort, we collected composite phytoplankton samples from the epilimnion and the fluorescence maxima (Fmax) at 29 of the site...

78 FR 51133 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-20

... a currently valid OMB control number. National Agricultural Statistics Service Title: Wheat and... surveys. This project is conducted as a cooperative effort with the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative... of the Information: The survey will use a sampling universe defined as producers that harvest wheat...

78 FR 32416 - Intent To Request Renewal From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Aviation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-30

... From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Aviation Security Customer Satisfaction... collection involves surveying travelers to measure customer satisfaction of aviation security in an effort to...; Aviation Security Customer Satisfaction Performance Measurement Passenger Survey. TSA, with OMB's approval...

Final Report Bald and Golden Eagle Territory Surveys for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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

Fratanduono, M. L.

2014-11-25

Garcia and Associates (GANDA) was contracted by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to conduct surveys for bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) at Site 300 and in the surrounding area out to 10-miles. The survey effort was intended to document the boundaries of eagle territories by careful observation of eagle behavior from selected viewing locations throughout the study area.

Killer whale depredation and associated costs to Alaskan sablefish, Pacific halibut and Greenland turbot longliners.

PubMed

Peterson, Megan J; Mueter, Franz; Criddle, Keith; Haynie, Alan C

2014-01-01

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) depredation (whales stealing or damaging fish caught on fishing gear) adversely impacts demersal longline fisheries for sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and Greenland turbot (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Western Gulf of Alaska. These interactions increase direct costs and opportunity costs associated with catching fish and reduce the profitability of longline fishing in western Alaska. This study synthesizes National Marine Fisheries Service observer data, National Marine Fisheries Service sablefish longline survey and fishermen-collected depredation data to: 1) estimate the frequency of killer whale depredation on longline fisheries in Alaska; 2) estimate depredation-related catch per unit effort reductions; and 3) assess direct costs and opportunity costs incurred by longliners in western Alaska as a result of killer whale interactions. The percentage of commercial fishery sets affected by killer whales was highest in the Bering Sea fisheries for: sablefish (21.4%), Greenland turbot (9.9%), and Pacific halibut (6.9%). Average catch per unit effort reductions on depredated sets ranged from 35.1-69.3% for the observed longline fleet in all three management areas from 1998-2012 (p<0.001). To compensate for depredation, fishermen set additional gear to catch the same amount of fish, and this increased fuel costs by an additional 82% per depredated set (average $433 additional fuel per depredated set). In a separate analysis with six longline vessels in 2011 and 2012, killer whale depredation avoidance measures resulted in an average additional cost of $494 per depredated vessel-day for fuel and crew food. Opportunity costs of time lost by fishermen averaged $522 per additional vessel-day on the grounds. This assessment of killer whale depredation costs represents the most extensive economic evaluation of this issue in Alaska to date and will help longline fishermen and managers consider the costs and benefits of depredation avoidance and alternative policy solutions.

Killer Whale Depredation and Associated Costs to Alaskan Sablefish, Pacific Halibut and Greenland Turbot Longliners

PubMed Central

Peterson, Megan J.; Mueter, Franz; Criddle, Keith; Haynie, Alan C.

2014-01-01

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) depredation (whales stealing or damaging fish caught on fishing gear) adversely impacts demersal longline fisheries for sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and Greenland turbot (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Western Gulf of Alaska. These interactions increase direct costs and opportunity costs associated with catching fish and reduce the profitability of longline fishing in western Alaska. This study synthesizes National Marine Fisheries Service observer data, National Marine Fisheries Service sablefish longline survey and fishermen-collected depredation data to: 1) estimate the frequency of killer whale depredation on longline fisheries in Alaska; 2) estimate depredation-related catch per unit effort reductions; and 3) assess direct costs and opportunity costs incurred by longliners in western Alaska as a result of killer whale interactions. The percentage of commercial fishery sets affected by killer whales was highest in the Bering Sea fisheries for: sablefish (21.4%), Greenland turbot (9.9%), and Pacific halibut (6.9%). Average catch per unit effort reductions on depredated sets ranged from 35.1–69.3% for the observed longline fleet in all three management areas from 1998–2012 (p<0.001). To compensate for depredation, fishermen set additional gear to catch the same amount of fish, and this increased fuel costs by an additional 82% per depredated set (average $433 additional fuel per depredated set). In a separate analysis with six longline vessels in 2011and 2012, killer whale depredation avoidance measures resulted in an average additional cost of $494 per depredated vessel-day for fuel and crew food. Opportunity costs of time lost by fishermen averaged $522 per additional vessel-day on the grounds. This assessment of killer whale depredation costs represents the most extensive economic evaluation of this issue in Alaska to date and will help longline fishermen and managers consider the costs and benefits of depredation avoidance and alternative policy solutions. PMID:24558446

Flathead Lake Angler Survey; Monitoring Activities for the Hungry Horse Fisheries Mitigation Plan, 1992-1993 Final Report.

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

Evarts, Les; Hansen, Barry; DosSantos, Joe

1994-02-01

A roving creel survey was conducted on Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana from May 17, 1992 to May 19, 1993. The primary objective of the survey was to quantify the baseline fishery and exploitation rates existing prior to Hungry Horse Dam mitigation efforts. Anglers were counted on 308 occasions, comprising 5,618 fishing boats, 515 shore anglers, and 2,191 ice anglers. The party interviews represented 4,410 anglers, made up of 2,613 boat anglers, 787 shore anglers, and 1,010 ice anglers. A total of 47,883 angler days (190,108 angler hours) of pressure and a harvest of 42,979 fish (including lake trout, lakemore » whitefish, yellow perch, bull trout, and westslope cutthroat trout) were estimated. Pressure was distributed between shore, boat, and ice anglers as 4%, 87%, and 9%, respectively. Seventynine percent of the total effort was directed at lake trout during the study period. Limited comparisons were made to previous creel surveys on Flathead Lake due to differences in methods and radical changes in the fishery. Potential sources of bias are explained in detail. Future creel surveys must employ methods consistent with this survey to obtain estimates that are statistically distinguishable.« less

New Inversion and Interpretation of Public-Domain Electromagnetic Survey Data from Selected Areas in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, B. D.; Kass, A.; Saltus, R. W.; Minsley, B. J.; Deszcz-Pan, M.; Bloss, B. R.; Burns, L. E.

2013-12-01

Public-domain airborne geophysical surveys (combined electromagnetics and magnetics), mostly collected for and released by the State of Alaska, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS), are a unique and valuable resource for both geologic interpretation and geophysical methods development. A new joint effort by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the DGGS aims to add value to these data through the application of novel advanced inversion methods and through innovative and intuitive display of data: maps, profiles, voxel-based models, and displays of estimated inversion quality and confidence. Our goal is to make these data even more valuable for interpretation of geologic frameworks, geotechnical studies, and cryosphere studies, by producing robust estimates of subsurface resistivity that can be used by non-geophysicists. The available datasets, which are available in the public domain, include 39 frequency-domain electromagnetic datasets collected since 1993, and continue to grow with 5 more data releases pending in 2013. The majority of these datasets were flown for mineral resource purposes, with one survey designed for infrastructure analysis. In addition, several USGS datasets are included in this study. The USGS has recently developed new inversion methodologies for airborne EM data and have begun to apply these and other new techniques to the available datasets. These include a trans-dimensional Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique, laterally-constrained regularized inversions, and deterministic inversions which include calibration factors as a free parameter. Incorporation of the magnetic data as an additional constraining dataset has also improved the inversion results. Processing has been completed in several areas, including Fortymile and the Alaska Highway surveys, and continues in others such as the Styx River and Nome surveys. Utilizing these new techniques, we provide models beyond the apparent resistivity maps supplied by the original contractors, allowing us to produce a variety of products, such as maps of resistivity as a function of depth or elevation, cross section maps, and 3D voxel models, which have been treated consistently both in terms of processing and error analysis throughout the state. These products facilitate a more fruitful exchange between geologists and geophysicists and a better understanding of uncertainty, and the process results in iterative development and improvement of geologic models, both on small and large scales.

Implementing standardized performance indicators to improve hypertension control at both the population and healthcare organization levels

PubMed Central

Campbell, Norm; Ordunez, Pedro; Jafe, Marc G.; Orias, Marcelo; DiPete, Donald J.; Patel, Pragna; Khan, Nadia; Onuma, Oyere; Lackland, Daniel T.

2017-01-01

The ability to reliably evaluate the impact of interventions and changes in hypertension prevalence and control is critical if the burden of hypertension-related disease is to be reduced. Previously, a World Hypertension League Expert Committee made recommendations to standardize the reporting of population blood pressure surveys. We have added to those recommendations and also provide modified recommendations from a Pan American Health Organization expert meeting for “performance indicators” to be used to evaluate clinical practices. Core indicators for population surveys are recommended to include: (1) mean systolic blood pressure and (2) mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalences of: (3) hypertension, (4) awareness of hypertension, (5) drug-treated hypertension, and (6) drug-treated and controlled hypertension. Core indicators for clinical registries are recommended to include: (1) the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension and (2) the ratio of diagnosed hypertension to that expected by population surveys, and the prevalences of: (3) controlled hypertension, (4) lack of blood pressure measurement within a year in people diagnosed with hypertension, and (5) missed visits by people with hypertension. Definitions and additional indicators are provided. Widespread adoption of standardized population and clinical hypertension performance indicators could represent a major step forward in the effort to control hypertension. PMID:28191704

Methods of instruction of the incident command system and related topics at US veterinary schools.

PubMed

Smith, Joe S; Kuldau, Gretchen A

2014-12-01

The Incident Command System (ICS) is an adaptable construct designed to streamline response efforts to a disaster or other incident. We aimed to examine the methods used to teach the ICS at US veterinary schools and to explore alternative and novel methods for instruction of this material. A total of 29 US accredited veterinary schools (as of February 2012) were surveyed, and 18 of the 29 schools responded. The ICS and related topics were taught by both classroom methods and online instruction by most of the surveyed schools. Several of the schools used readily available Federal Emergency Management Agency and US Department of Agriculture resources to aid in instruction. Most schools used one course to teach the ICS, and some schools also used unique methods such as field exercises, drills, side-by-side training with disaster response teams, elective courses, extracurricular clubs, and externships to reinforce the ICS and related topics. Some of the surveyed institutions also utilized fourth-year clinical rotations and field deployments during actual disasters as a component of their ICS and emergency response curriculum. The ICS is being taught at some form at a significant number of US veterinary schools. Additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the teaching methods of the ICS in US veterinary schools.

Public Health Insurance and Health Care Utilization for Children in Immigrant Families.

PubMed

Percheski, Christine; Bzostek, Sharon

2017-12-01

Objectives To estimate the impacts of public health insurance coverage on health care utilization and unmet health care needs for children in immigrant families. Methods We use survey data from National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (2001-2005) linked to data from Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) (2003-2007) for children with siblings in families headed by at least one immigrant parent. We use logit models with family fixed effects. Results Compared to their siblings with public insurance, uninsured children in immigrant families have higher odds of having no usual source of care, having no health care visits in a 2 year period, having high Emergency Department reliance, and having unmet health care needs. We find no statistically significant difference in the odds of having annual well-child visits. Conclusions for practice Previous research may have underestimated the impact of public health insurance for children in immigrant families. Children in immigrant families would likely benefit considerably from expansions of public health insurance eligibility to cover all children, including children without citizenship. Immigrant families that include both insured and uninsured children may benefit from additional referral and outreach efforts from health care providers to ensure that uninsured children have the same access to health care as their publicly-insured siblings.

Active choice but not too active: Public perspectives on biobank consent models

PubMed Central

Simon, Christian M.; L’Heureux, Jamie; Murray, Jeffrey C.; Winokur, Patricia; Weiner, George; Newbury, Elizabeth; Shinkunas, Laura; Zimmerman, Bridget

2013-01-01

Purpose Despite important recent work, US public attitudes toward specific biobank consent models are not well understood. Public opinion data can help shape efforts to develop ethically sound and publicly trusted mechanisms for informing and consenting prospective biobank donors. The purpose of this study was to explore public perspectives toward a range of consent models currently being used or considered for use among comprehensive US biobanks. Methods The study used an exploratory mixed-methods design, using focus groups and telephone surveys. Eligible participants were English-speaking residents in the catchment area of a comprehensive biobank being developed at the University of Iowa. Results Forty-eight participants in seven focus groups and 751 survey participants were recruited. Biobanks were unfamiliar to almost all study participants but were seen as valuable resources. Most focus group (63%) and survey (67%) participants preferred a prospective opt-in over an opt-out consent approach. Broad, research-unspecific consent was preferred over categorical and study-specific consent models for purposes of approving future research use. Conclusion Many individuals may want to make an active and informed choice at the point of being approached for biobank participation but are prepared to consent broadly to future research use and to forego additional choices as a result. PMID:21555942

Epilepsy Care in the World: results of an ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy survey.

PubMed

Dua, Tarun; de Boer, Hanneke M; Prilipko, Leonid L; Saxena, Shekhar

2006-07-01

Information about existing resources available within the countries to tackle the huge medical, social, and economic burden caused by epilepsy is lacking. To fill this information gap, a survey of country resources available for epilepsy care was conducted within the framework of the ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy. The study represents a major collaborative effort involving the World Health Organization (WHO), the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Data were collected from 160 countries representing 97.5% of the world population. The information included availability, role, and involvement of professional and patient associations for epilepsy, epilepsy treatment and services including antiepileptic drugs, human resources involved in epilepsy care, teaching in epileptology, disability benefits, and problems encountered by people with epilepsy and health professionals involved in epilepsy care. The data confirm that epilepsy care is grossly inadequate compared with the needs in most countries. In addition, large inequities exist across regions and income groups of countries, with low-income countries having extremely meager resources. Complete results of this survey can be found in the Atlas: Epilepsy Care in the World. The data reinforce the need for urgent, substantial, and systematic action to enhance resources for epilepsy care, especially in low-income countries.

Integrative tobacco cessation: A survey assessing past quit strategies and future interest.

PubMed

Howerter, Amy; Floden, Lysbeth; Matthews, Eva; Muramoto, Myra L

2016-04-01

Tobacco cessation remains a public health priority. Unassisted quits are most common despite evidence for a combination of guideline-recommended strategies. This paper reports findings from a pilot study designed to assess past quit strategies and tobacco users' receptiveness to using an integrative clinic that offers both conventional and alternative treatments for future cessation attempts. Participants were recruited from a pool of individuals reporting for jury duty. Paper-pencil surveys assessed smoking, past cessation behaviors, and interest in use of the integrative clinic which offers both conventional and alternative treatments. Current and former smokers (n=304) returned surveys. Using multivariate logistic regression, past physiological quit strategies, past behavioral quit strategies, and use of multiple quit strategies increased agreement with interest in future use of an integrative clinic option. Additionally, there is support for the notion that if such a clinic were offered, smokers may be inclined to use this resource for a future quit attempt. An integrative clinic option for tobacco cessation may encourage smokers to try to quit, especially for those who have used varied cessation strategies in the past. Motivating smokers to use a combined approach for tobacco cessation is a potential future direction for tobacco cessation treatment. Developing and testing an integrative approach may support this effort.

The role of clinical toxicologists and poison control centers in public health.

PubMed

Sutter, Mark E; Bronstein, Alvin C; Heard, Stuart E; Barthold, Claudia L; Lando, James; Lewis, Lauren S; Schier, Joshua G

2010-06-01

Poison control centers and clinical toxicologists serve many roles within public health; however, the degree to which these entities collaborate is unknown. The objective of this survey was to identify successful collaborations of public health agencies with clinical toxicologists and poison control centers. Four areas including outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources were assessed. An online survey was sent to the directors of poison control centers, state epidemiologists, and the most senior public health official in each state and selected major metropolitan areas. This survey focused on three areas: service, structure within the local or state public health system, and remuneration. Questions regarding remuneration and poison control center location within the public health structure were asked to assess if these were critical factors of successful collaborations. Senior state and local public health officials were excluded because of a low response rate. The survey was completed in October 2007. A total of 111 respondents, 61 poison control centers and 50 state epidemiologists, were eligible for the survey. Sixty-nine (62%) of the 111 respondents, completed and returned the survey. Thirty-three (54%) of the 61 poison control centers responded, and 36 of the 50 state epidemiologists (72%) responded. The most frequent collaborations were terrorism preparedness and epidemic illness reporting. Additional collaborations also exist. Important collaborations exist outside of remuneration or poison control centers being a formal part of the public health structure. Poison control centers have expanded their efforts to include outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources. Collaboration in these areas and others should be expanded. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Examining Progress and Equity in Information Received by Women Using a Modern Method in 25 Developing Countries.

PubMed

Jain, Anrudh K

2016-09-01

The information exchanged during a contraceptive visit is important because providers need to understand clients' reproductive intentions and clients need to receive adequate information about methods and possible method-related side effects and problems. Little is known about how information exchange has changed over time and how it might vary across countries or subgroups within a country. Demographic and Health Survey data from 25 developing countries were used to calculate the Method Information Index (MII), a Family Planning 2020 indicator that reflects some aspects of contraceptive information exchanged between providers and clients. For each country, the MII was calculated from each of two surveys about five years apart to examine change in the indicator over time. In addition, the MII was examined for all countries combined and by region. The average MII for all 25 countries increased from 34% at the earlier survey time to 39% at the later survey time; the index values of individual countries ranged from 19% to 64% at survey time 1 and from 13% to 65% at survey time 2. The MII increased over time in 15 countries and declined in 10. In analyses by contraceptive method type, the MII tended to be highest among implant users and lowest among women relying on sterilization. The index was generally higher among women living in urban areas than among those in rural areas, and tended to rise with increases in women's education and household wealth. On the basis of the MII, developing countries have room to improve information exchange between providers and clients. Such improvements would require concerted efforts by programs and donors.

Monitoring fine-sediment volume in the Colorado River ecosystem, Arizona: construction and analysis of digital elevation models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaplinski, Matt; Hazel, Joseph E.; Grams, Paul E.; Davis, Philip A.

2014-01-01

Digital elevation models (DEMs) of eleven 2–5 kilometer reaches of the Colorado River ecosystem (CRE) in Grand Canyon were constructed from repeat bathymetric and topographic surveys collected between August 2000 and December 2004. The DEMs will be used by researchers to study the effects of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) operations on the sediment resources of the CRE in Grand Canyon by quantifying morphological changes and sediment transfer within and among the study reaches. Airborne surveys collected light detection and ranging (lidar) and photogrammetric data, whereas ground topographic and bathymetric data were collected simultaneously on river trips. Surveys were conducted in August 2000, September 2000, May 2002, May 2004, November 2004, and December 2004. The aerial lidar and photogrammetric data were merged with the ground topographic and bathymetric data to create DEMs of the study areas with a grid resolution of 1 meter. For each survey period, the vertical component of uncertainty (specifically, reproducibility or precision) was estimated for each data type (lidar/photogrammetry, ground surveys, bathymetry) and for two different types of bed-surface texture (smooth and rough). The resulting DEMs from this study are a valuable contribution to ongoing efforts in assessing the effects of GCD operations on the CRE. The DEMs can be used to map the spatial characteristics of geomorphic change within the study reaches and to estimate sediment budgets for different time periods by calculating the difference in sediment volume between surveys. In addition, the DEMs provide essential boundary conditions for numerical models of sediment transport and deposition, as well as help define the spatial distribution of habitat for fisheries investigations.

Additive Manufacturing in Finland: Recommendations for a Renewed Innovation Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ituarte, Iñigo Flores; Salmi, Mika; Ballardini, Rosa Maria; Tuomi, Jukka; Partanen, Jouni

The objective of this research is to define an optimal innovation policy and funding strategy to improve Additive Manufacturing (AM) capabilities in Finnish companies. To do so, we present an international review of innovation programs in the area of AM. In addition, the study replied upon a survey prepared to evaluate factors for AM implementation. The ultimate goal is to help in the definition of a national policy strategy in the area of AM based on the characteristics of the Finnish industrial ecosystem. The methodology and data collection method involved defining the taxonomy of Finnish AM industry. The target group of the survey was a population of AM experts, and individuals with knowledge on AM and industrial processes. Overall, the survey revealed that research and innovation activities are well positioned in Finland. In order for future innovation policies to further support developments in the field, we estimated that policy strategies need to generate about 6-8 M€/year in national and EU- funding instruments for AM technology transfer, development, and innovation activities. Efforts should be targeted towards strengthening uses of AM in final production. In fact, only 36% of Finnish respondents declared to use AM for final production, while leading countries in AM use it in average more than 50%. Another area in need of development in Finland is the use of AM high performance materials. Moreover, outsourcing of AM services in Finland is 23 percentage point higher in national and 13 percentage point higher in international outsourcing to service bureaus and suppliers. In this regard, future policies and funding strategies should maintain the created momentum. However, there is a need to acquire high-end research and industrial equipment to stimulate AM integration to the existing production systems. This in the end can trigger the creation of new products, processes and intellectual property, enabling innovation and competitive advantage.

Mapping telemedicine efforts: surveying regional initiatives in Denmark.

PubMed

Kierkegaard, Patrick

2015-05-01

The aim of this study is to survey telemedicine services currently in operation across Denmark. The study specifically seeks to answer the following questions: What initiatives are deployed within the different regions? What are the motivations behind the projects? What technologies are being utilized? What medical disciplines are being supported using telemedicine systems? All data were surveyed from the Telemedicinsk Landkort, a newly created database designed to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of all telemedicine technologies in Denmark. The results of this study suggest that a growing numbers of telemedicine initiatives are currently in operation across Denmark but that considerable variations exist in terms of regional efforts as the number of operational telemedicine projects varied from region to region. The results of this study provide a timely picture of the factors that are shaping the telemedicine landscape of Denmark and suggest potential strategies to help policymakers increase and improve national telemedicine deployment.

High-resolution geophysical data from the sea floor surrounding the Western Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Twichell, David C.; Foster, David S.; Worley, Charles R.; Irwin, Barry J.; Danforth, William W.

2011-01-01

Geophysical and geospatial data were collected in the nearshore area surrounding the western Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts on the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael during September 2010 in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts, Office of Coastal Zone Management. This report describes the results of the short-term goals of this collaborative effort, which were to map the geology of the inner shelf zone of the western Elizabeth Islands and study the geologic processes that have contributed to its evolution. Data collected during the survey include: Bathymetric and sidescan-sonar data, chirp seismic-reflection data , sound velocity profiles, and navigation data. The long-term goals of this project are to provide high-resolution geophysical data that will support research on the influence of sea-level change and sediment supply on coastal evolution and inventory subtidal marine habitat type and distribution within the coastal zone of Massachusetts.

Report on Wind Turbine Subsystem Reliability - A Survey of Various Databases (Presentation)

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

Sheng, S.

2013-07-01

Wind industry has been challenged by premature subsystem/component failures. Various reliability data collection efforts have demonstrated their values in supporting wind turbine reliability and availability research & development and industrial activities. However, most information on these data collection efforts are scattered and not in a centralized place. With the objective of getting updated reliability statistics of wind turbines and/or subsystems so as to benefit future wind reliability and availability activities, this report is put together based on a survey of various reliability databases that are accessible directly or indirectly by NREL. For each database, whenever feasible, a brief description summarizingmore » database population, life span, and data collected is given along with its features & status. Then selective results deemed beneficial to the industry and generated based on the database are highlighted. This report concludes with several observations obtained throughout the survey and several reliability data collection opportunities in the future.« less

The planet crossing asteroid survey: Progress in the analysis of populations and terrestrial-planet cratering rates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helin, E. F.; Dunbar, R. S.

1984-01-01

The Planet-Crossing Asteroid Survey (PCAS) is making steady progress toward the accumulation of the data required to make improved estimates of the populations and cratering rates which can be compared with the existing record of impact events. The PCAS is the chief source of new objects on which to base these calculations over the past decade, and is an integral part of the continuing refinement of the estimates used in planetological applications. An adjunct effort to determine albedo statistics from photometry of UCAS plates is being pursued as well, to better define the magnitude frequency distributions of asteroids. This will improve the quality of the population and collision probability calculations. The survey effort continues to discover new asteroids whose orbital characteristics may reveal the origin and evolution mechanisms reponsible for the transport of the planet-crossing asteroids to the inner solar system.

Development and psychometric testing of the childhood obesity perceptions (COP) survey among African American caregivers: A tool for obesity prevention program planning.

PubMed

Alexander, Dayna S; Alfonso, Moya L; Cao, Chunhua

2016-12-01

Currently, public health practitioners are analyzing the role that caregivers play in childhood obesity efforts. Assessing African American caregiver's perceptions of childhood obesity in rural communities is an important prevention effort. This article's objective is to describe the development and psychometric testing of a survey tool to assess childhood obesity perceptions among African American caregivers in a rural setting, which can be used for obesity prevention program development or evaluation. The Childhood Obesity Perceptions (COP) survey was developed to reflect the multidimensional nature of childhood obesity including risk factors, health complications, weight status, built environment, and obesity prevention strategies. A 97-item survey was pretested and piloted with the priority population. After pretesting and piloting, the survey was reduced to 59-items and administered to 135 African American caregivers. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test how well the survey items represented the number of Social Cognitive Theory constructs. Twenty items were removed from the original 59-item survey and acceptable internal consistency of the six factors (α=0.70-0.85) was documented for all scales in the final COP instrument. CFA resulted in a less than adequate fit; however, a multivariate Lagrange multiplier test identified modifications to improve the model fit. The COP survey represents a promising approach as a potentially comprehensive assessment for implementation or evaluation of childhood obesity programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How long is enough to detect terrestrial animals? Estimating the minimum trapping effort on camera traps

PubMed Central

Si, Xingfeng; Kays, Roland

2014-01-01

Camera traps is an important wildlife inventory tool for estimating species diversity at a site. Knowing what minimum trapping effort is needed to detect target species is also important to designing efficient studies, considering both the number of camera locations, and survey length. Here, we take advantage of a two-year camera trapping dataset from a small (24-ha) study plot in Gutianshan National Nature Reserve, eastern China to estimate the minimum trapping effort actually needed to sample the wildlife community. We also evaluated the relative value of adding new camera sites or running cameras for a longer period at one site. The full dataset includes 1727 independent photographs captured during 13,824 camera days, documenting 10 resident terrestrial species of birds and mammals. Our rarefaction analysis shows that a minimum of 931 camera days would be needed to detect the resident species sufficiently in the plot, and c. 8700 camera days to detect all 10 resident species. In terms of detecting a diversity of species, the optimal sampling period for one camera site was c. 40, or long enough to record about 20 independent photographs. Our analysis of evaluating the increasing number of additional camera sites shows that rotating cameras to new sites would be more efficient for measuring species richness than leaving cameras at fewer sites for a longer period. PMID:24868493

Resolving Complex Research Data Management Issues in Biomedical Laboratories: Qualitative Study of an Industry-Academia Collaboration

PubMed Central

Myneni, Sahiti; Patel, Vimla L.; Bova, G. Steven; Wang, Jian; Ackerman, Christopher F.; Berlinicke, Cynthia A.; Chen, Steve H.; Lindvall, Mikael; Zack, Donald J.

2016-01-01

This paper describes a distributed collaborative effort between industry and academia to systematize data management in an academic biomedical laboratory. Heterogeneous and voluminous nature of research data created in biomedical laboratories make information management difficult and research unproductive. One such collaborative effort was evaluated over a period of four years using data collection methods including ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, web-based surveys, progress reports, conference call summaries, and face-to-face group discussions. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods of data analysis to 1) characterize specific problems faced by biomedical researchers with traditional information management practices, 2) identify intervention areas to introduce a new research information management system called Labmatrix, and finally to 3) evaluate and delineate important general collaboration (intervention) characteristics that can optimize outcomes of an implementation process in biomedical laboratories. Results emphasize the importance of end user perseverance, human-centric interoperability evaluation, and demonstration of return on investment of effort and time of laboratory members and industry personnel for success of implementation process. In addition, there is an intrinsic learning component associated with the implementation process of an information management system. Technology transfer experience in a complex environment such as the biomedical laboratory can be eased with use of information systems that support human and cognitive interoperability. Such informatics features can also contribute to successful collaboration and hopefully to scientific productivity. PMID:26652980

Factors influencing detection of the federally endangered Diamond Darter Crystallaria cincotta: Implications for long-term monitoring strategies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rizzo, Austin A.; Brown, Donald J.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Thompson, Patricia A.

2017-01-01

Population monitoring is an essential component of endangered species recovery programs. The federally endangered Diamond Darter Crystallaria cincotta is in need of an effective monitoring design to improve our understanding of its distribution and track population trends. Because of their small size, cryptic coloration, and nocturnal behavior, along with limitations associated with current sampling methods, individuals are difficult to detect at known occupied sites. Therefore, research is needed to determine if survey efforts can be improved by increasing probability of individual detection. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there are seasonal and diel patterns in Diamond Darter detectability during population surveys. In addition to temporal factors, we also assessed five habitat variables that might influence individual detection. We used N-mixture models to estimate site abundances and relationships between covariates and individual detectability and ranked models using Akaike's information criteria. During 2015 three known occupied sites were sampled 15 times each between May and Oct. The best supported model included water temperature as a quadratic function influencing individual detectability, with temperatures around 22 C resulting in the highest detection probability. Detection probability when surveying at the optimal temperature was approximately 6% and 7.5% greater than when surveying at 16 C and 29 C, respectively. Time of Night and day of year were not strong predictors of Diamond Darter detectability. The results of this study will allow researchers and agencies to maximize detection probability when surveying populations, resulting in greater monitoring efficiency and likely more precise abundance estimates.

Illinois department of public health H1N1/A pandemic communications evaluation survey.

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

Walsh, D.; Decision and Information Sciences

Because of heightened media coverage, a 24-hour news cycle and the potential miscommunication of health messages across all levels of government during the onset of the H1N1 influenza outbreak in spring 2009, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) decided to evaluate its H1N1 influenza A communications system. IDPH wanted to confirm its disease information and instructions were helping stakeholders prepare for and respond to a novel influenza outbreak. In addition, the time commitment involved in preparing, issuing, monitoring, updating, and responding to H1N1 federal guidelines/updates and media stories became a heavy burden for IDPH staff. The process and resultsmore » of the H1N1 messaging survey represent a best practice that other health departments and emergency management agencies can replicate to improve coordination efforts with stakeholder groups during both emergency preparedness and response phases. Importantly, the H1N1 survey confirmed IDPH's messages were influencing stakeholders decisions to activate their pandemic plans and initiate response operations. While there was some dissatisfaction with IDPH's delivery of information and communication tools, such as the fax system, this report should demonstrate to IDPH that its core partners believe it has the ability and expertise to issue timely and accurate instructions that can help them respond to a large-scale disease outbreak in Illinois. The conclusion will focus on three main areas: (1) the survey development process, (2) survey results: best practices and areas for improvement and (3) recommendations: next steps.« less

Monitoring bird populations in small geographic areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunn, Erica H.; Bart, J.; Collins, B.T.; Craig, B.; Dale, B.; Downes, C.M.; Francis, C.M.; Woodley, S.; Zorn, P.

2006-01-01

Numerous methods exist for monitoring bird populations, and there is a large literature describing them. There are few resources, however, that provide comprehensive advice on every step of organizing and carrying out a survey, from the early stages of planning to final use of the data. Even fewer resources are designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of potential users, from amateurs interested in change of bird life in a local study preserve to professionals testing hypotheses on the response of birds to habitat management, although much of the advice should be the same for every monitoring program. Whether survey objectives are very modest or rigorously scientific, samples must be sufficiently numerous and well distributed to provide meaningful results, and the survey should be well designed to ensure that the money and effort going into it are not wasted. This document is intended to be a complete resource for anyone planning to organize monitoring of noncolonial landbirds within a relatively small geographic area (e.g., from the size of a woodlot to a large park). The first of its two parts provides background explaining the importance of good study design and gives specific advice on all aspects of project planning and execution of high-quality data collection for the purpose of hypothesis testing. The second part is self-contained and nontechnical and describes complete plans for a site-specific checklist survey, suitable for addressing monitoring questions frequently asked by amateurs and for involvement of volunteers in data collection. Throughout are references to additional resources, from background literature to sources of existing survey protocols, analysis software, and tools for archiving data.

Leadership Development in Dental Education: Report on the ADEA Leadership Institute, 2000-14.

PubMed

Haden, N Karl; Ditmyer, Marcia M; Mobley, Connie; Rodriguez, Tobias; Brallier, Lynn Beck; Valachovic, Richard W

2016-04-01

The American Dental Education Association’s Leadership Institute (ADEA LI) is the association’s flagship development program for those aspiring to leadership in dental and higher education. As with previous studies of the ADEA LI, ADEA will use information from the survey described in this report to improve the ADEA LI curriculum and to guide other leadership development efforts. In 2014-15, ADEA distributed a 50-item online survey via email to all ADEA LI alumni from the classes of 2000 through 2014. The survey included selected-response questions, closed-ended questions, and open-response questions. The survey had an overall response rate of 47% (133/285); response rates to individual items varied. The mean age of the respondents when they participated in the Institute was 48.5 years. Men and women were almost equally represented among the respondents. Nearly half reported their ultimate career goal as department chair, associate dean, or assistant dean, while 20 (15.8%) indicated a goal of becoming dean and 15 (11.8%) aspired to administrative roles higher than dean. Areas the respondents recommended for improvement included more programming in budgeting and financial management, fundraising, and personnel management. Almost 100% of the respondents indicated they would recommend the ADEA LI to others. Overall, the survey respondents confirmed the value of the ADEA LI in their assessment of their fellowship and its subsequent application to their careers. Comparison of elements from this study to previous studies of ADEA LI alumni demonstrates the effectiveness of past changes made to the Institute and the creation of additional ADEA leadership initiatives.

Indicators of Middle School Implementation: How Do Kentucky's Schools to Watch Measure Up?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Christopher M.; Faulkner, Shawn A.; Kinne, Lenore J.

2009-01-01

High-performing middle schools are a critical link in the educational continuum. In an effort to stimulate the sluggish reform efforts of middle schools, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform established the Schools to Watch recognition program. Using responses of school personnel to a statewide survey, this study examined the…

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...

Reducing Check-in Errors at Brigham Young University through Statistical Process Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spackman, N. Andrew

2005-01-01

The relationship between the library and its patrons is damaged and the library's reputation suffers when returned items are not checked in. An informal survey reveals librarians' concern for this problem and their efforts to combat it, although few libraries collect objective measurements of errors or the effects of improvement efforts. Brigham…

CHARACTERIZATION AND PREDICTION OF NUTRIENTS AND PESTICIDES IN BASE FLOW CONDITIONS OF FIRST ORDER STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN-A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

EPA Science Inventory

The Landscape Indicators for Pesticides Study in Mid-Atlantic Coastal Streams (LIPS-MACS) is a collaborative research effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development and the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Pr...

From the Grassroots: Case Studies of Eight Rural Self-Development Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flora, Jan L.; And Others

Grassroots efforts were examined through a survey of 103 self-development projects across the United States, enriched by an indepth study of 8 successful and unsuccessful cases. They were as follows: Revolving Loan Fund, Mankato, Kansas; Orofino Unlimited, Orofino, Idaho; Center for Industry, Rome, Georgia; Windmill Market Farm and Craft Co-op,…

Development Status for the Stennis Space Center LIDAR Product Characterization Range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zanoni, Vicki; Berglund, Judith; Ross, Kenton

2004-01-01

The presentation describes efforts to develop a LIDAR in-flight product characterization range at Stennis Space Center as the next phase of the NASA Verification and Validation activities. It describes the status of surveying efforts on targets of interest to LIDAR vendors as well as the potential guidelines that will be used for product characterization.

Repeat mapping surveys capture changes in seafloor morphology after a well-documented sediment gravity flow event in Monterey Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundsten, E. M.; Caress, D. W.; Thomas, H. J.; Anderson, K.; Paull, C. K.; Maier, K. L.; Gwiazda, R.

2016-12-01

Monitoring the passage of sediment gravity flows as they move through the axis of a submarine canyon, and documenting turbidite deposits as well as the associated changes in seafloor morphology are goals of an on-going multi-institution effort called the Coordinated Canyon Experiment (CCE). The CCE consists of an array of moorings and sensors deployed on the Monterey Canyon floor, offshore California, to monitor the passage of sediment-laden flows. In addition, as part of the CCE, detailed multibeam bathymetric surveys of the floor of Monterey Canyon were repeatedly conducted with a mapping AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) at two sites. The AUV carried a high-resolution multibeam echosounder head (vertical precision of 0.15 m and horizontal resolution of 1.0 m). An inertial navigation system combined with a Doppler Velocity Logger allowed the AUV to fly pre-programmed grids at 3 knots while maintaining an altitude of 50 m above the seafloor to obtain a nominal line spacing of 130 m. The shallower site covered the axial channel between 250 and 550 m water depth and the deeper site between 1300 and 1850 m water depth. Recurring crescent-shaped bedforms, the origin of which is a topic of considerable debate, are present in both areas. Both areas were surveyed five times between October 2015 and March 2016. A particularly large gravity flow passed along more than 50 km of Monterey Canyon on January 15, 2016 and was sufficiently energetic to displace 9 of 13 moorings. One large instrument frame weighing 800 kgs moved 4.5 km down canyon and a mooring anchored with a railroad wheel moved 7.8 km down canyon. AUV mapping efforts successfully captured the seafloor morphology in detail before and after this large event. This poster is intended to show the effect of this event on the seafloor morphology and how features such as crescent-shape bedforms change in response to an event of known magnitude and duration.

Predictors of Current and Longer-Term Patterns of Abundance of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) across a Leading-Edge Protected Area.

PubMed

Moyer-Horner, Lucas; Beever, Erik A; Johnson, Douglas H; Biel, Mark; Belt, Jami

2016-01-01

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) have been heralded as indicators of montane-mammal response to contemporary climate change. Pikas no longer occupy the driest and lowest-elevation sites in numerous parts of their geographic range. Conversely, pikas have exhibited higher rates of occupancy and persistence in Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada montane 'mainlands'. Research and monitoring efforts on pikas across the western USA have collectively shown the nuance and complexity with which climate will often act on species in diverse topographic and climatic contexts. However, to date no studies have investigated habitat, distribution, and abundance of pikas across hundreds of sites within a remote wilderness area. Additionally, relatively little is known about whether climate acts most strongly on pikas through direct or indirect (e.g., vegetation-mediated) mechanisms. During 2007-2009, we collectively hiked >16,000 km throughout the 410,077-ha Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, in an effort to identify topographic, microrefugial, and vegetative characteristics predictive of pika abundance. We identified 411 apparently pika-suitable habitat patches with binoculars (in situ), and surveyed 314 of them for pika signs. Ranking of alternative logistic-regression models based on AICc scores revealed that short-term pika abundances were positively associated with intermediate elevations, greater cover of mosses, and taller forbs, and decreased each year, for a total decline of 68% during the three-year study; whereas longer-term abundances were associated only with static variables (longitude, elevation, gradient) and were lower on north-facing slopes. Earlier Julian date and time of day of the survey (i.e., midday vs. not) were associated with lower observed pika abundance. We recommend that wildlife monitoring account for this seasonal and diel variation when surveying pikas. Broad-scale information on status and abundance determinants of montane mammals, especially for remote protected areas, is crucial for land and wildlife-resource managers trying to anticipate mammalian responses to climate change.

Predictors of current and longer-term patterns of abundance of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) across a leading-edge protected area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moyer-Horner, Lucas; Beever, Erik A.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Beil, Mark; Belt, Jami

2016-01-01

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) have been heralded as indicators of montane-mammal response to contemporary climate change. Pikas no longer occupy the driest and lowest-elevation sites in numerous parts of their geographic range. Conversely, pikas have exhibited higher rates of occupancy and persistence in Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada montane ‘mainlands’. Research and monitoring efforts on pikas across the western USA have collectively shown the nuance and complexity with which climate will often act on species in diverse topographic and climatic contexts. However, to date no studies have investigated habitat, distribution, and abundance of pikas across hundreds of sites within a remote wilderness area. Additionally, relatively little is known about whether climate acts most strongly on pikas through direct or indirect (e.g., vegetation-mediated) mechanisms. During 2007–2009, we collectively hiked >16,000 km throughout the 410,077-ha Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, in an effort to identify topographic, microrefugial, and vegetative characteristics predictive of pika abundance. We identified 411 apparently pika-suitable habitat patches with binoculars (in situ), and surveyed 314 of them for pika signs. Ranking of alternative logistic-regression models based on AICc scores revealed that short-term pika abundances were positively associated with intermediate elevations, greater cover of mosses, and taller forbs, and decreased each year, for a total decline of 68% during the three-year study; whereas longer-term abundances were associated only with static variables (longitude, elevation, gradient) and were lower on north-facing slopes. Earlier Julian date and time of day of the survey (i.e., midday vs. not) were associated with lower observed pika abundance. We recommend that wildlife monitoring account for this seasonal and diel variation when surveying pikas. Broad-scale information on status and abundance determinants of montane mammals, especially for remote protected areas, is crucial for land and wildlife-resource managers trying to anticipate mammalian responses to climate change.

Predictors of Current and Longer-Term Patterns of Abundance of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) across a Leading-Edge Protected Area

PubMed Central

Moyer-Horner, Lucas; Beever, Erik A.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Biel, Mark; Belt, Jami

2016-01-01

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) have been heralded as indicators of montane-mammal response to contemporary climate change. Pikas no longer occupy the driest and lowest-elevation sites in numerous parts of their geographic range. Conversely, pikas have exhibited higher rates of occupancy and persistence in Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada montane ‘mainlands’. Research and monitoring efforts on pikas across the western USA have collectively shown the nuance and complexity with which climate will often act on species in diverse topographic and climatic contexts. However, to date no studies have investigated habitat, distribution, and abundance of pikas across hundreds of sites within a remote wilderness area. Additionally, relatively little is known about whether climate acts most strongly on pikas through direct or indirect (e.g., vegetation-mediated) mechanisms. During 2007–2009, we collectively hiked >16,000 km throughout the 410,077-ha Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, in an effort to identify topographic, microrefugial, and vegetative characteristics predictive of pika abundance. We identified 411 apparently pika-suitable habitat patches with binoculars (in situ), and surveyed 314 of them for pika signs. Ranking of alternative logistic-regression models based on AICc scores revealed that short-term pika abundances were positively associated with intermediate elevations, greater cover of mosses, and taller forbs, and decreased each year, for a total decline of 68% during the three-year study; whereas longer-term abundances were associated only with static variables (longitude, elevation, gradient) and were lower on north-facing slopes. Earlier Julian date and time of day of the survey (i.e., midday vs. not) were associated with lower observed pika abundance. We recommend that wildlife monitoring account for this seasonal and diel variation when surveying pikas. Broad-scale information on status and abundance determinants of montane mammals, especially for remote protected areas, is crucial for land and wildlife-resource managers trying to anticipate mammalian responses to climate change. PMID:27902732

The effect of technology on student science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, June Kraft

2003-10-01

Prior research indicates that technology has had little effect on raising student achievement. Little empirical research exists, however, studying the effects of technology as a tool to improve student achievement through development of higher order thinking skills. Also, prior studies have not focused on the manner in which technology is being used in the classroom and at home to enhance teaching and learning. Empirical data from a secondary school representative of those in California were analyzed to determine the effects of technology on student science achievement. The quantitative analysis methods for the school data study included a multiple linear path analysis, using final course grade as the ultimate exogenous variable. In addition, empirical data from a nationwide survey on how Americans use the Internet were disaggregated by age and analyzed to determine the relationships between computer and Internet experience and (a) Internet use at home for school assignments and (b) more general computer use at home for school assignments for school age children. Analysis of data collected from the a "A Nation Online" Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau assessed these relationships via correlations and cross-tabulations. Finally, results from these data analyses were assessed in conjunction with systemic reform efforts from 12 states designed to address improvements in science and mathematics education in light of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS). Examination of the technology efforts in those states provided a more nuanced understanding of the impact technology has on student achievement. Key findings included evidence that technology training for teachers increased their use of the computer for instruction but students' final science course grade did not improve; school age children across the country did not use the computer at home for such higher-order cognitive activities as graphics and design or spreadsheets/databases; and states whose systemic reform initiatives included a mix of capacity building and alignment to state standards realized improved student achievement on the 2000 NAEP Science Assessment.

Accounting for spatially heterogeneous conditions in local-scale surveillance strategies: case study of the biosecurity insect pest, grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch)).

PubMed

Triska, Maggie D; Powell, Kevin S; Collins, Cassandra; Pearce, Inca; Renton, Michael

2018-04-29

Surveillance strategies are often standardized and completed on grid patterns to detect pest incursions quickly; however, it may be possible to improve surveillance through more targeted surveillance that accounts for landscape heterogeneity, dispersal and the habitat requirements of the invading organism. We simulated pest spread at a local-scale, using grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch)) as a case study, and assessed the influence of incorporating spatial heterogeneity into surveillance strategies compared to current, standard surveillance strategies. Time to detection, spread within and spread beyond the vineyard were reduced by conducting surveys that target sampling effort in soil that is highly suitable to the invading pest in comparison to standard surveillance strategies. However, these outcomes were dependent on the virulence level of phylloxera as phylloxera is a complex pest with multiple genotypes that influence spread and detectability. Targeting surveillance strategies based on local-scale spatial heterogeneity can decrease the time to detection without increasing the survey cost and surveillance that targets highly suitable soil is the most efficient strategy for detecting new incursions. Additionally, combining targeted surveillance strategies with buffer zones and hygiene procedures, and updating surveillance strategies as additional species information becomes available, will further decrease the risk of pest spread. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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

Adams, Wade C.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) personnel visited the United Nuclear Corporation (UNC) Naval Products site on three separate occasions during the months of October and November 2011. The purpose of these visits was to conduct confirmatory surveys of soils associated with the Argyle Street sewer line that was being removed. Soil samples were collected from six different, judgmentally determined locations in the Argyle Street sewer trench. In addition to the six soil samples collected by ORISE, four replicate soil samples were collected by Cabrera Services, Inc. (CSI) for analysis by the ORISE laboratory. Replicate samples S0010 andmore » S0011 were final status survey (FSS) bias samples; S0012 was an FSS systematic sample; and S0015 was a waste characterization sample. Six soil samples were also collected for background determination. Uranium-235 and uranium-238 concentrations were determined via gamma spectroscopy; the spectra were also reviewed for other identifiable photopeaks. Radionuclide concentrations for these soil samples are provided. In addition to the replicate samples and the samples collected by ORISE, CSI submitted three soil samples for inter-laboratory comparison analyses. One sample was from the background reference area, one was from waste characterization efforts (material inside the sewer line), and one was a FSS sample. The inter-laboratory comparison analyses results between ORISE and CSI were in agreement, except for one sample collected in the reference area. Smear results For Argyle Street sewer pipes are tabulated.« less

Additional and revised thermochemical data and computer code for WATEQ2: a computerized chemical model for trace and major element speciation and mineral equilibria of natural waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ball, James W.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Jenne, Everett A.

1980-01-01

A computerized chemical model, WATEQ2, has resulted from extensive additions to and revision of the WATEQ model of Truesdell and Jones (Truesdell, A. H., and Jones, B. F., 1974, WATEQ, a computer program for calculating chemical equilibria of natural waters: J. Res. U. S. Geol, Survey, v. 2, p. 233-274). The model building effort has necessitated searching the literature and selecting thermochemical data pertinent to the reactions added to the model. This supplementary report manes available the details of the reactions added to the model together with the selected thermochemical data and their sources. Also listed are details of program operation and a brief description of the output of the model. Appendices-contain a glossary of identifiers used in the PL/1 computer code, the complete PL/1 listing, and sample output from three water analyses used as test cases.

Experimental gas-fired pulse-combustion studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blomquist, C. A.

1982-01-01

Experimental studies conducted at Argonne National Laboratory on a gas-fired, water-cooled, Helmholtz-type pulse combustion burner are discussed. In addition to the experimental work, information is presented on the evolution of pulse combustion, the types of pulse combustion burners and their applications, and the types of fuels used. Also included is a survey of other pertinent studies of gas-fired pulse combustion. The burner used in the Argonne research effort was equipped with adjustable air and gas flapper valves and was operated stably over a heat-input range of 30,000 to 200,000 Btu/h. The burner's overall heat transfer in the pulsating mode was 22 to 31% higher than when the unit was operated in the steady mode. Important phenomena discussed include (1) effects on performance produced by inserting a corebustor to change tailpipe diameter, (2) effects observed following addition of an air-inlet decoupling chamber to the unit, and (3) occurrence of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas.

Infrared near-Earth-object survey modeling for observatories interior to the Earth's orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buie, M.

2014-07-01

The search for and dynamical characterization of the near-Earth population of objects (NEOs) has been a busy topic for surveys for many years. Most of the work thus far has been from ground-based optical surveys such as the Catalina Sky Survey and LINEAR. These surveys have essentially reached a complete inventory of objects down to 1 km diameter and have shown that the known objects do not pose any significant impact threat. Smaller objects are correspondingly smaller threats but there are more of them and fewer of them have so far been discovered. The next generation of surveys is looking to extend their reach down to much smaller sizes. From an impact risk perspective, those objects as small as 30--40 m are still of interest (similar in size to the Tunguska bolide). Smaller objects than this are largely of interest from a space resource or in-situ analysis efforts. A recent mission concept promoted by the B612 Foundation and Ball Aerospace calls for an infrared survey telescope in a Venus-like orbit, known as the Sentinel Mission. This wide-field facility has been designed to complete the inventory down to a 140 m diameter while also providing substantial constraints on the NEO population down to a Tunguska-sized object. I have been working to develop a suite of tools to provide survey modeling for this class of survey telescope. The purpose of the tool is to uncover hidden complexities that govern mission design and operation while also working to quantitatively understand the orbit quality provided on its catalog of objects without additional followup assets. The baseline mission design calls for a 6.5 year survey lifetime. This survey model is a statistically based tool for establishing completeness as a function of object size and survey duration. Effects modeled include the ability to adjust the field-of-regard (includes all pointing restrictions), field-of-view, focal plane array fill factor, and the observatory orbit. Consequences tracked include time-tagged detection times from which orbit quality can be derived and efficiency by dynamical class. The dominant noise term in the simulations comes from the noise in the background flux caused by thermal emission from zodiacal dust. The model used is sufficient for the study of reasonably low-inclination spacecraft orbits such as are being considered. Results to date are based on the 2002 Bottke NEA orbit-distribution model. The system can work with any orbit-distribution model and with any size-frequency distribution. This tool also serves to quantify the amount of data that will also be collected on main-belt objects by simply testing against the known catalog of bodies. The orbit quality work clearly shows the benefit of a self-followup survey such as Sentinel. Most objects discovered will be seen in multiple observing epochs and the resulting orbits will preclude losing track of them for decades to come (or longer). All of the ephemeris calculations, including investigation of orbit determination quality, are done with the OpenOrb software package. The presentation for this meeting will be based on results of modeling the Sentinel Mission and other similar variants. The focus will be on evaluating the survey completion for different dynamical classes as well as for different sized objects. Within the fidelity of such statistically-based models, the planned Sentinel observatory is well capable of a huge step forward in the efforts to build a complete catalog of all objects that could pose future harm to planet Earth.

Cle Elum Lake Sockeye Salmon Restoration Feasibility Study, 1987-1989 Progress Report.

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

Flagg, Thomas A.

1990-02-01

This report summarizes research activities conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from July 1988 through March 1989 relating to the Cle Elum Lake sockeye salmon restoration feasibility study. During this period, efforts focused on collection and spawning of adult sockeye salmon from the Wenatchee River, incubation of eggs from the 1988-brood, and the rearing of juveniles from the 1987-brood. In late July and early August 1988, 520 adult sockeye salmon were captured at fishways on the Wenatchee River and transferred to net-pens in Lake Wenatchee. Fish were held to maturity in late September and early October, spawned, andmore » eggs incubated at a quarantine hatchery in Seattle, WA. The 336 sockeye salmon successfully spawned from the net-pens at Lake Wenatchee were surveyed for the presence of infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) and other replicating viruses. In addition, 13 and 5 sockeye salmon spawners were surveyed from spawning grounds on the White and Little Wenatchee Rivers, respectively, from within the Lake Wenatchee system. 12 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Trends in Volunteer Mentoring in the United States: Analysis of a Decade of Census Survey Data.

PubMed

Raposa, Elizabeth B; Dietz, Nathan; Rhodes, Jean E

2017-03-01

Over the past decade, considerable resources have been devoted to recruiting volunteer mentors and expanding mentoring programs. It is unclear whether these efforts have helped to counter the broader national trends of declining volunteer rates. The current study uses data from the Volunteering Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to explore population-level trends in mentoring over the past decade. Results suggest that mentoring rates have remained relatively stable over the past decade, but that the population of mentors has changed somewhat in terms of age, ethnicity, educational background, and region of the United States. In addition, certain sectors of the mentor population show higher rates of attrition from 1 year to the next. Findings have important implications for the development of recruitment, training, and mentor support practices within mentoring organizations, as well as policies designed to meet the needs of at-risk youth in the U.S. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

The association of food insecurity with health outcomes for adults with disabilities.

PubMed

Brucker, Debra L

2017-04-01

Adults with disabilities are more likely to live in households that are food insecure and are more likely to experience health disparities than adults without disabilities. Research examining the intersection of food insecurity and health outcomes for adults with disabilities has so far been lacking, however. The research presented here tests whether living in a food insecure household is associated with poorer self-reported health and mental health and different health care utilization, controlling for disability status and other sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariate regression analyses are conducted using linked data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey and the 2012 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. Adults with and without disabilities who live in food insecure households have higher odds of reporting fair or poor health or mental health in either the current year or the subsequent year. Health care utilization patterns differ for adults who are food insecure as well, both within and across years. Efforts to address health disparities among adults with disabilities should consider the possible additional impact of food insecurity on health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The State of Disability Awareness in American Medical Schools.

PubMed

Seidel, Erica; Crowe, Scott

2017-09-01

This study was designed to: (1) determine how many American medical schools include disability awareness in their curriculum, (2) explore the format of disability awareness programs in existence, and (3) understand why some schools do not include disability awareness in their curriculum. An online survey was sent to deans of medical education (or equivalent positions) at accredited allopathic and osteopathic American medical schools (N = 167) in 2015. Seventy-five schools (45%) completed surveys. Fifty-two percent (39/75) reported having a disability awareness program. The most common format was people with disabilities or caregivers speaking in a large group setting. Programs were most likely to focus on adults with physical disabilities. Among schools without a program, the top barriers were no one advocating for inclusion in the curriculum and time constraints. Nearly half of schools without a program expressed interest in adopting an awareness curriculum if one was made available. Such results indicate that efforts should be made to increase the number of schools that provide disability awareness education through increased advocacy and providing additional resources to schools without a curriculum.

Biotelemetry data for golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) captured in coastal southern California, November 2014–February 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tracey, Jeff A.; Madden, Melanie C.; Sebes, Jeremy B.; Bloom, Peter H.; Katzner, Todd E.; Fisher, Robert N.

2016-04-21

The status of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in coastal southern California is unclear. To address this knowledge gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with local, State, and other Federal agencies began a multi-year survey and tracking program of golden eagles to address questions regarding habitat use, movement behavior, nest occupancy, genetic population structure, and human impacts on eagles. Golden eagle trapping and tracking efforts began in October 2014 and continued until early March 2015. During the first trapping season that focused on San Diego County, we captured 13 golden eagles (8 females and 5 males). During the second trapping season that began in November 2015, we focused on trapping sites in San Diego, Orange, and western Riverside Counties. By February 23, 2016, we captured an additional 14 golden eagles (7 females and 7 males). In this report, biotelemetry data were collected between November 22, 2014, and February 23, 2016. The location data for eagles ranged as far north as San Luis Obispo, California, and as far south as La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.

Public health preparedness of health providers: meeting the needs of diverse, rural communities.

PubMed

Hsu, Chiehwen Ed; Mas, Francisco Soto; Jacobson, Holly E; Harris, Ann Marie; Hunt, Victoria I; Nkhoma, Ella T

2006-11-01

Meeting the needs of public health emergency and response presents a unique challenge for health practitioners with primary responsibilities for rural communities that are often very diverse. The present study assessed the language capabilities, confidence and training needs of Texas rural physicians in responding to public health emergencies. In the first half of year 2004, a cross-sectional, semistructured survey questionnaire was administered in northern, rural Texas. The study population consisted of 841 practicing or retired physicians in the targeted area. One-hundred-sixty-six physicians (30%) responded to the survey. The responses were geographically referenced in maps. Respondents reported seeing patients with diverse cultural backgrounds. They communicated in 16 different languages other than English in clinical practice or at home, with 40% speaking Spanish at work. Most were not confident in the diagnosis or treatment of public health emergency cases. Geographic information systems were found useful in identifying those jurisdictions with expressed training and cultural needs. Additional efforts should be extended to involve African-American/Hispanic physicians in preparedness plans for providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care in emergencies.

Globular and Open Clusters Observed by SDSS/SEGUE: the Giant Stars

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

Morrison, Heather L.; Ma, Zhibo; Clem, James L.

We present griz observations for the clusters M92, M13 and NGC 6791 and gr photometry for M71, Be 29 and NGC 7789. In addition we present new membership identifications for all these clusters, which have been observed spectroscopically as calibrators for the SDSS/SEGUE survey; this paper focuses in particular on the red giant branch stars in the clusters. In a number of cases, these giants were too bright to be observed in the normal SDSS survey operations, and we describe the procedure used to obtain spectra for these stars. For M71, also present a new variable reddening map and amore » new fiducial for the gr giant branch. For NGC 7789, we derived a transformation from Teff to g-r for giants of near solar abundance, using IRFM Teff measures of stars with good ugriz and 2MASS photometry and SEGUE spectra. The result of our analysis is a robust list of known cluster members with correctly dereddened and (if needed) transformed gr photometry for crucial calibration efforts for SDSS and SEGUE.« less

Tilt networks of Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Johnson, Daniel J.; Murray, T.L.; Myers, Barbara

1982-01-01

In response to recent eruptions at Mount St. Helens and with support from the USGS Volcanic Hazards Program, the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) has initiated a program to monitor all potentially-active volcanoes of the Cascade Range. As part of that effort, we installed tilt networks and obtained baseline measurements at Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, California during July 1981. At the same time, baseline electronic distance measurements (EDM) were made and fumarole surveys were conducted by other crews from CVO. Annual surveys are planned initially, with subsequent visits as conditions warrant. These geodetic and geochemical measurements supplement a program of continuous seismic monitoring of Cascade volcanoes by the USGS Office of Earthquake Studies in cooperation with local universities. Other tilt networks were established at Mount Baker in 1975 and at Mount St. Helens in 1981. EDM networks were established at Mount Baker in 1975, Mount St. Helens in 1980, and Crater Lake in 1981. Additional tilt and/or EDM networks are planned for Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Glacier Peak, Three Sisters, and Crater Lake as funds permit.