Sample records for agency reference method

  1. 40 CFR 53.8 - Designation of reference and equivalent methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Designation of reference and equivalent methods. 53.8 Section 53.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS General Provisions § 53.8...

  2. 40 CFR 53.14 - Modification of a reference or equivalent method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Modification of a reference or equivalent method. 53.14 Section 53.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS General Provisions...

  3. 40 CFR 53.11 - Cancellation of reference or equivalent method designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cancellation of reference or equivalent method designation. 53.11 Section 53.11 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS General...

  4. An Overview of the Smart Sensor Inter-Agency Reference Testbench (SSIART)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wagner, Raymond S.; Braham, Stephen P.; Dufour, Jean-Francois; Barton, Richard J.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we present an overview of a proposed collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), which is designed to facilitate the introduction of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radios for smart-sensing applications into international spaceflight programs and projects. The proposed work will produce test hardware reference designs, test software reference architectures and example implementations, test plans in reference test environments, and test results, all of which will be shared between the agencies and documented for future use by mission planners. The proposed collaborative structure together with all of the anticipated tools and results produced under the effort is collectively referred to as the Smart Sensor Inter-agency Reference Testbench or SSIART. It is intended to provide guidance in technology selection and in increasing the related readiness levels of projects and missions as well as the space industry.

  5. 40 CFR 60.396 - Reference methods and procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Reference methods and procedures. 60.396 Section 60.396 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Automobile and...

  6. 40 CFR 60.396 - Reference methods and procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Reference methods and procedures. 60.396 Section 60.396 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Automobile and...

  7. 40 CFR 60.396 - Reference methods and procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Reference methods and procedures. 60.396 Section 60.396 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Automobile and...

  8. 75 FR 45627 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of One New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of one new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR part 53, one new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of lead (Pb) in total...

  9. 75 FR 51039 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-18

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Two New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of two new equivalent methods for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, two new equivalent methods for measuring concentrations of PM 10 and sulfur...

  10. 75 FR 30022 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-28

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of One New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of one new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, one new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of lead (Pb) in total...

  11. 75 FR 9894 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-04

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of One New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of one new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR part 53, one new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of lead (Pb) in total...

  12. 76 FR 62402 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-07

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods; Designation of One New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of one new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, one new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of ozone (O 3 ) in the...

  13. 75 FR 22126 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-27

    ... Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of One New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of one new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air... accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, one new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of ozone (O 3 ) in the...

  14. Telepsychiatry with child welfare families referred to a family service agency.

    PubMed

    Keilman, Peggy

    2005-02-01

    A telepsychology and telepsychiatry service, using ISDN interactive video H.320, providing psychological consultations for the Family Resource Center in Farmington, New Mexico, was evaluated. During the first year of service, 56 individuals participated including University of New Mexico staff, Family Resource Center staff and clients. Consultations involved children from families referred by the Children, Youth and Family Department (CYFD) in New Mexico. Telemedicine was used in some child abuse cases. This study investigated whether the quality and acceptance of telemedicine consultations were comparable to face-to-face interactions in a group referred by a state child welfare agency. Participants received formal written consultation reports after the video conferencing sessions, which included a number of recommendations. Participants were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire to rate various aspects of videoconferencing. The participants rated the university staff as involved, enjoyed the Family Resource Center staff's presence, felt the procedure was useful for evaluation purposes, found the format allowed for discussions of problems, and felt that the format was useful when compared to face-to-face consultations. The participants also said they had followed up on many of the recommendations. Videoconferencing appears to be a viable approach for providing consultation for families referred by a state child welfare agency. Several participants rated the session as both educational and consultative compared to simply therapeutic.

  15. 20 CFR 411.400 - Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency for services? 411.400 Section 411.400 Employees... Rehabilitation Agencies' Participation Referrals by Employment Networks to State Vr Agencies § 411.400 Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency for services...

  16. 20 CFR 411.400 - Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency for services? 411.400 Section 411.400 Employees... Rehabilitation Agencies' Participation Referrals by Employment Networks to State Vr Agencies § 411.400 Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency for services...

  17. 48 CFR 204.7107 - Contract accounting classification reference number (ACRN) and agency accounting identifier (AAI).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contract accounting classification reference number (ACRN) and agency accounting identifier (AAI). 204.7107 Section 204.7107 Federal... ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Uniform Contract Line Item Numbering System 204.7107 Contract accounting classification...

  18. 48 CFR 204.7107 - Contract accounting classification reference number (ACRN) and agency accounting identifier (AAI).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contract accounting classification reference number (ACRN) and agency accounting identifier (AAI). 204.7107 Section 204.7107 Federal... ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Uniform Contract Line Item Numbering System 204.7107 Contract accounting classification...

  19. 1 CFR 21.21 - General requirements: References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 1 General Provisions 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General requirements: References. 21.21 Section... to test methods or consensus standards produced by a Federal agency that have replaced or preempted private or voluntary test methods or consensus standards in a subject matter area. (5) The reference is to...

  20. 40 CFR 53.16 - Supersession of reference methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Supersession of reference methods. 53... (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS General Provisions § 53.16 Supersession of reference methods. (a) This section prescribes procedures and criteria applicable to requests that...

  1. 15 CFR 19.15 - How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies? 19.15 Section 19.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce COMMERCE DEBT COLLECTION Procedures To Collect Commerce Debts § 19.15 How will...

  2. 15 CFR 19.15 - How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies? 19.15 Section 19.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce COMMERCE DEBT COLLECTION Procedures To Collect Commerce Debts § 19.15 How will...

  3. 15 CFR 19.15 - How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies? 19.15 Section 19.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce COMMERCE DEBT COLLECTION Procedures To Collect Commerce Debts § 19.15 How will...

  4. 15 CFR 19.15 - How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies? 19.15 Section 19.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce COMMERCE DEBT COLLECTION Procedures To Collect Commerce Debts § 19.15 How will...

  5. 15 CFR 19.15 - How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false How will Commerce entities refer Commerce debts to private collection agencies? 19.15 Section 19.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce COMMERCE DEBT COLLECTION Procedures To Collect Commerce Debts § 19.15 How will...

  6. 40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Reference test methods. 75.22 Section...) CONTINUOUS EMISSION MONITORING Operation and Maintenance Requirements § 75.22 Reference test methods. (a) The owner or operator shall use the following methods, which are found in appendices A-1 through A-4 to part...

  7. 10 CFR 434.505 - Reference building method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Reference building method. 434.505 Section 434.505 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CODE FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Cost Compliance Alternative § 434.505 Reference building method. 505...

  8. 10 CFR 434.505 - Reference building method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Reference building method. 434.505 Section 434.505 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CODE FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Cost Compliance Alternative § 434.505 Reference building method. 505...

  9. 10 CFR 434.505 - Reference building method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Reference building method. 434.505 Section 434.505 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CODE FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Cost Compliance Alternative § 434.505 Reference building method. 505...

  10. 10 CFR 434.505 - Reference building method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reference building method. 434.505 Section 434.505 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CODE FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Cost Compliance Alternative § 434.505 Reference building method. 505...

  11. 10 CFR 434.505 - Reference building method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Reference building method. 434.505 Section 434.505 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CODE FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Cost Compliance Alternative § 434.505 Reference building method. 505.1...

  12. 77 FR 60985 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-05

    ... Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of three new equivalent methods for monitoring ambient air quality. SUMMARY... equivalent methods, one for measuring concentrations of PM 2.5 , one for measuring concentrations of PM 10...

  13. 78 FR 67360 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-12

    ... Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Office of Research and Development; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of the designation of five new equivalent methods for...) has designated, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, five new equivalent methods, one for measuring...

  14. 77 FR 55832 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of a New Equivalent Method

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-11

    ... Methods: Designation of a New Equivalent Method AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of a new equivalent method for monitoring ambient air quality. SUMMARY: Notice is... part 53, a new equivalent method for measuring concentrations of PM 2.5 in the ambient air. FOR FURTHER...

  15. Indirect methods for reference interval determination - review and recommendations.

    PubMed

    Jones, Graham R D; Haeckel, Rainer; Loh, Tze Ping; Sikaris, Ken; Streichert, Thomas; Katayev, Alex; Barth, Julian H; Ozarda, Yesim

    2018-04-19

    Reference intervals are a vital part of the information supplied by clinical laboratories to support interpretation of numerical pathology results such as are produced in clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories. The traditional method for establishing reference intervals, known as the direct approach, is based on collecting samples from members of a preselected reference population, making the measurements and then determining the intervals. An alternative approach is to perform analysis of results generated as part of routine pathology testing and using appropriate statistical techniques to determine reference intervals. This is known as the indirect approach. This paper from a working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) aims to summarize current thinking on indirect approaches to reference intervals. The indirect approach has some major potential advantages compared with direct methods. The processes are faster, cheaper and do not involve patient inconvenience, discomfort or the risks associated with generating new patient health information. Indirect methods also use the same preanalytical and analytical techniques used for patient management and can provide very large numbers for assessment. Limitations to the indirect methods include possible effects of diseased subpopulations on the derived interval. The IFCC C-RIDL aims to encourage the use of indirect methods to establish and verify reference intervals, to promote publication of such intervals with clear explanation of the process used and also to support the development of improved statistical techniques for these studies.

  16. Resampling methods in Microsoft Excel® for estimating reference intervals

    PubMed Central

    Theodorsson, Elvar

    2015-01-01

    Computer- intensive resampling/bootstrap methods are feasible when calculating reference intervals from non-Gaussian or small reference samples. Microsoft Excel® in version 2010 or later includes natural functions, which lend themselves well to this purpose including recommended interpolation procedures for estimating 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to resampling estimation techniques in general and in using Microsoft Excel® 2010 for the purpose of estimating reference intervals in particular.
Parametric methods are preferable to resampling methods when the distributions of observations in the reference samples is Gaussian or can transformed to that distribution even when the number of reference samples is less than 120. Resampling methods are appropriate when the distribution of data from the reference samples is non-Gaussian and in case the number of reference individuals and corresponding samples are in the order of 40. At least 500-1000 random samples with replacement should be taken from the results of measurement of the reference samples. PMID:26527366

  17. Resampling methods in Microsoft Excel® for estimating reference intervals.

    PubMed

    Theodorsson, Elvar

    2015-01-01

    Computer-intensive resampling/bootstrap methods are feasible when calculating reference intervals from non-Gaussian or small reference samples. Microsoft Excel® in version 2010 or later includes natural functions, which lend themselves well to this purpose including recommended interpolation procedures for estimating 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. 
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to resampling estimation techniques in general and in using Microsoft Excel® 2010 for the purpose of estimating reference intervals in particular.
 Parametric methods are preferable to resampling methods when the distributions of observations in the reference samples is Gaussian or can transformed to that distribution even when the number of reference samples is less than 120. Resampling methods are appropriate when the distribution of data from the reference samples is non-Gaussian and in case the number of reference individuals and corresponding samples are in the order of 40. At least 500-1000 random samples with replacement should be taken from the results of measurement of the reference samples.

  18. 40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, are the reference methods for... provided in appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, for determining volumetric...

  19. 40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, are the reference methods for... provided in appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, for determining volumetric...

  20. 76 FR 44583 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-26

    ... confidential business information may be necessary to make a reference or equivalent method determination. The... Equivalent Method Determination (Renewal) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). [[Page 44584... http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected] , or by mail to: EPA...

  1. Reference interval computation: which method (not) to choose?

    PubMed

    Pavlov, Igor Y; Wilson, Andrew R; Delgado, Julio C

    2012-07-11

    When different methods are applied to reference interval (RI) calculation the results can sometimes be substantially different, especially for small reference groups. If there are no reliable RI data available, there is no way to confirm which method generates results closest to the true RI. We randomly drawn samples obtained from a public database for 33 markers. For each sample, RIs were calculated by bootstrapping, parametric, and Box-Cox transformed parametric methods. Results were compared to the values of the population RI. For approximately half of the 33 markers, results of all 3 methods were within 3% of the true reference value. For other markers, parametric results were either unavailable or deviated considerably from the true values. The transformed parametric method was more accurate than bootstrapping for sample size of 60, very close to bootstrapping for sample size 120, but in some cases unavailable. We recommend against using parametric calculations to determine RIs. The transformed parametric method utilizing Box-Cox transformation would be preferable way of RI calculation, if it satisfies normality test. If not, the bootstrapping is always available, and is almost as accurate and precise as the transformed parametric method. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Child Geopolitical Agency: A Mixed Methods Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Habashi, Janette; Worley, Jody

    2009-01-01

    This study examines the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Mixed methodology was used to identify the etiologies contributing to processes of political socialization. Both qualitative and qualitative methods are equally distributed throughout this research. Focus groups and interviews with 12 Palestinian children, aged 10 to 13 years,…

  3. A concept analysis of children's agency within the health literature.

    PubMed

    Montreuil, Marjorie; Carnevale, Franco A

    2015-12-14

    The capacity of children to act as agents is being increasingly recognized and has important implications for health research and practice. However, there are various discrepancies in how children's agency is defined in the literature. The aim of this analysis was to examine the concept of children's agency within the health-related literature, using Rodgers evolutionary method. The following questions were addressed: How did the concept of agency become associated with children in the health-related literature? What are the sociocultural and legal contexts that surround the concept of children's agency? What is the meaning of children's agency? Forty-five articles were included in the analysis. An inductive approach was used to identify the attributes of children's agency as well as the temporal, disciplinary, and paradigmatic trends in its conceptualization. The concept of children's agency first appeared in the health literature in the 1980s and was defined as an ability children could gradually develop. Later on, children's agency was used to refer to the capacity of all children to influence their own and others' health-care needs and is now increasingly used to refer to children as active agents who reflect on and construct their social worlds. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. 40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart F of... - References

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Indoor Air Sampling: Design and Calibration., JAPCA, 37: 1303-1307 (1987). (2) Vanderpool, R.W. and K.L... Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Performance Characteristics...

  5. 40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart F of... - References

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Indoor Air Sampling: Design and Calibration., JAPCA, 37: 1303-1307 (1987). (2) Vanderpool, R.W. and K.L... Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Performance Characteristics...

  6. DNA-Based Methods in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory

    PubMed Central

    Denomme, Gregory A

    2010-01-01

    Although hemagglutination serves the immunohematology reference laboratory well, when used alone, it has limited capability to resolve complex problems. This overview discusses how molecular approaches can be used in the immunohematology reference laboratory. In order to apply molecular approaches to immunohematology, knowledge of genes, DNA-based methods, and the molecular bases of blood groups are required. When applied correctly, DNA-based methods can predict blood groups to resolve ABO/Rh discrepancies, identify variant alleles, and screen donors for antigen-negative units. DNA-based testing in immunohematology is a valuable tool used to resolve blood group incompatibilities and to support patients in their transfusion needs. PMID:21257350

  7. A self-reference PRF-shift MR thermometry method utilizing the phase gradient

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langley, Jason; Potter, William; Phipps, Corey; Huang, Feng; Zhao, Qun

    2011-12-01

    In magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the most widely used and accurate method for measuring temperature is based on the shift in proton resonance frequency (PRF). However, inter-scan motion and bulk magnetic field shifts can lead to inaccurate temperature measurements in the PRF-shift MR thermometry method. The self-reference PRF-shift MR thermometry method was introduced to overcome such problems by deriving a reference image from the heated or treated image, and approximates the reference phase map with low-order polynomial functions. In this note, a new approach is presented to calculate the baseline phase map in self-reference PRF-shift MR thermometry. The proposed method utilizes the phase gradient to remove the phase unwrapping step inherent to other self-reference PRF-shift MR thermometry methods. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using numerical simulations with temperature distributions following a two-dimensional Gaussian function as well as phantom and in vivo experimental data sets. The results from both the numerical simulations and experimental data show that the proposed method is a promising technique for measuring temperature.

  8. Certified reference materials and reference methods for nuclear safeguards and security.

    PubMed

    Jakopič, R; Sturm, M; Kraiem, M; Richter, S; Aregbe, Y

    2013-11-01

    Confidence in comparability and reliability of measurement results in nuclear material and environmental sample analysis are established via certified reference materials (CRMs), reference measurements, and inter-laboratory comparisons (ILCs). Increased needs for quality control tools in proliferation resistance, environmental sample analysis, development of measurement capabilities over the years and progress in modern analytical techniques are the main reasons for the development of new reference materials and reference methods for nuclear safeguards and security. The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) prepares and certifices large quantities of the so-called "large-sized dried" (LSD) spikes for accurate measurement of the uranium and plutonium content in dissolved nuclear fuel solutions by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and also develops particle reference materials applied for the detection of nuclear signatures in environmental samples. IRMM is currently replacing some of its exhausted stocks of CRMs with new ones whose specifications are up-to-date and tailored for the demands of modern analytical techniques. Some of the existing materials will be re-measured to improve the uncertainties associated with their certified values, and to enable laboratories to reduce their combined measurement uncertainty. Safeguards involve the quantitative verification by independent measurements so that no nuclear material is diverted from its intended peaceful use. Safeguards authorities pay particular attention to plutonium and the uranium isotope (235)U, indicating the so-called 'enrichment', in nuclear material and in environmental samples. In addition to the verification of the major ratios, n((235)U)/n((238)U) and n((240)Pu)/n((239)Pu), the minor ratios of the less abundant uranium and plutonium isotopes contain valuable information about the origin and the 'history' of material used for commercial or possibly clandestine purposes, and

  9. Selection of reference standard during method development using the analytical hierarchy process.

    PubMed

    Sun, Wan-yang; Tong, Ling; Li, Dong-xiang; Huang, Jing-yi; Zhou, Shui-ping; Sun, Henry; Bi, Kai-shun

    2015-03-25

    Reference standard is critical for ensuring reliable and accurate method performance. One important issue is how to select the ideal one from the alternatives. Unlike the optimization of parameters, the criteria of the reference standard are always immeasurable. The aim of this paper is to recommend a quantitative approach for the selection of reference standard during method development based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) as a decision-making tool. Six alternative single reference standards were assessed in quantitative analysis of six phenolic acids from Salvia Miltiorrhiza and its preparations by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The AHP model simultaneously considered six criteria related to reference standard characteristics and method performance, containing feasibility to obtain, abundance in samples, chemical stability, accuracy, precision and robustness. The priority of each alternative was calculated using standard AHP analysis method. The results showed that protocatechuic aldehyde is the ideal reference standard, and rosmarinic acid is about 79.8% ability as the second choice. The determination results successfully verified the evaluation ability of this model. The AHP allowed us comprehensive considering the benefits and risks of the alternatives. It was an effective and practical tool for optimization of reference standards during method development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. A quasiparticle-based multi-reference coupled-cluster method.

    PubMed

    Rolik, Zoltán; Kállay, Mihály

    2014-10-07

    The purpose of this paper is to introduce a quasiparticle-based multi-reference coupled-cluster (MRCC) approach. The quasiparticles are introduced via a unitary transformation which allows us to represent a complete active space reference function and other elements of an orthonormal multi-reference (MR) basis in a determinant-like form. The quasiparticle creation and annihilation operators satisfy the fermion anti-commutation relations. On the basis of these quasiparticles, a generalization of the normal-ordered operator products for the MR case can be introduced as an alternative to the approach of Mukherjee and Kutzelnigg [Recent Prog. Many-Body Theor. 4, 127 (1995); Mukherjee and Kutzelnigg, J. Chem. Phys. 107, 432 (1997)]. Based on the new normal ordering any quasiparticle-based theory can be formulated using the well-known diagram techniques. Beyond the general quasiparticle framework we also present a possible realization of the unitary transformation. The suggested transformation has an exponential form where the parameters, holding exclusively active indices, are defined in a form similar to the wave operator of the unitary coupled-cluster approach. The definition of our quasiparticle-based MRCC approach strictly follows the form of the single-reference coupled-cluster method and retains several of its beneficial properties. Test results for small systems are presented using a pilot implementation of the new approach and compared to those obtained by other MR methods.

  11. Methods of international health technology assessment agencies for economic evaluations--a comparative analysis.

    PubMed

    Mathes, Tim; Jacobs, Esther; Morfeld, Jana-Carina; Pieper, Dawid

    2013-09-30

    The number of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies increases. One component of HTAs are economic aspects. To incorporate economic aspects commonly economic evaluations are performed. A convergence of recommendations for methods of health economic evaluations between international HTA agencies would facilitate the adaption of results to different settings and avoid unnecessary expense. A first step in this direction is a detailed analysis of existing similarities and differences in recommendations to identify potential for harmonization. The objective is to provide an overview and comparison of the methodological recommendations of international HTA agencies for economic evaluations. The webpages of 127 international HTA agencies were searched for guidelines containing recommendations on methods for the preparation of economic evaluations. Additionally, the HTA agencies were requested information on methods for economic evaluations. Recommendations of the included guidelines were extracted in standardized tables according to 13 methodological aspects. All process steps were performed independently by two reviewers. Finally 25 publications of 14 HTA agencies were included in the analysis. Methods for economic evaluations vary widely. The greatest accordance could be found for the type of analysis and comparator. Cost-utility-analyses or cost-effectiveness-analyses are recommended. The comparator should continuously be usual care. Again the greatest differences were shown in the recommendations on the measurement/sources of effects, discounting and in the analysis of sensitivity. The main difference regarding effects is the focus either on efficacy or effectiveness. Recommended discounting rates range from 1.5%-5% for effects and 3%-5% for costs whereby it is mostly recommended to use the same rate for costs and effects. With respect to the analysis of sensitivity the main difference is that oftentimes the probabilistic or deterministic approach is recommended

  12. Negotiating with Subscription Agencies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McQueen, Judy; Basch, N. Bernard

    1991-01-01

    This first in a two-part series on how librarians can negotiate services and prices with subscription agencies focuses on how vendors operate. Factors that influence agency costs, revenues, and service charges are described, including economies of scale, discounts from publishers, and prepayment and cash flow. (seven references) (LRW)

  13. 76 FR 9777 - Recent Postings of Broadly Applicable Alternative Test Methods

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-22

    ... Applicable Alternative Test Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: This notice announces the broadly applicable alternative test method approval decisions... technical questions about individual alternative test method decisions, refer to the contact person...

  14. [Study on the experimental application of floating-reference method to noninvasive blood glucose sensing].

    PubMed

    Yu, Hui; Qi, Dan; Li, Heng-da; Xu, Ke-xin; Yuan, Wei-jie

    2012-03-01

    Weak signal, low instrument signal-to-noise ratio, continuous variation of human physiological environment and the interferences from other components in blood make it difficult to extract the blood glucose information from near infrared spectrum in noninvasive blood glucose measurement. The floating-reference method, which analyses the effect of glucose concentration variation on absorption coefficient and scattering coefficient, gets spectrum at the reference point and the measurement point where the light intensity variations from absorption and scattering are counteractive and biggest respectively. By using the spectrum from reference point as reference, floating-reference method can reduce the interferences from variation of physiological environment and experiment circumstance. In the present paper, the effectiveness of floating-reference method working on improving prediction precision and stability was assessed through application experiments. The comparison was made between models whose data were processed with and without floating-reference method. The results showed that the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) decreased by 34.7% maximally. The floating-reference method could reduce the influences of changes of samples' state, instrument noises and drift, and improve the models' prediction precision and stability effectively.

  15. A global multicenter study on reference values: 1. Assessment of methods for derivation and comparison of reference intervals.

    PubMed

    Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Ozarda, Yesim; Barth, Julian H; Klee, George; Qiu, Ling; Erasmus, Rajiv; Borai, Anwar; Evgina, Svetlana; Ashavaid, Tester; Khan, Dilshad; Schreier, Laura; Rolle, Reynan; Shimizu, Yoshihisa; Kimura, Shogo; Kawano, Reo; Armbruster, David; Mori, Kazuo; Yadav, Binod K

    2017-04-01

    The IFCC Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits coordinated a global multicenter study on reference values (RVs) to explore rational and harmonizable procedures for derivation of reference intervals (RIs) and investigate the feasibility of sharing RIs through evaluation of sources of variation of RVs on a global scale. For the common protocol, rather lenient criteria for reference individuals were adopted to facilitate harmonized recruitment with planned use of the latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method. As of July 2015, 12 countries had completed their study with total recruitment of 13,386 healthy adults. 25 analytes were measured chemically and 25 immunologically. A serum panel with assigned values was measured by all laboratories. RIs were derived by parametric and nonparametric methods. The effect of LAVE methods is prominent in analytes which reflect nutritional status, inflammation and muscular exertion, indicating that inappropriate results are frequent in any country. The validity of the parametric method was confirmed by the presence of analyte-specific distribution patterns and successful Gaussian transformation using the modified Box-Cox formula in all countries. After successful alignment of RVs based on the panel test results, nearly half the analytes showed variable degrees of between-country differences. This finding, however, requires confirmation after adjusting for BMI and other sources of variation. The results are reported in the second part of this paper. The collaborative study enabled us to evaluate rational methods for deriving RIs and comparing the RVs based on real-world datasets obtained in a harmonized manner. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Reference Values for Spirometry Derived Using Lambda, Mu, Sigma (LMS) Method in Korean Adults: in Comparison with Previous References.

    PubMed

    Jo, Bum Seak; Myong, Jun Pyo; Rhee, Chin Kook; Yoon, Hyoung Kyu; Koo, Jung Wan; Kim, Hyoung Ryoul

    2018-01-15

    The present study aimed to update the prediction equations for spirometry and their lower limits of normal (LLN) by using the lambda, mu, sigma (LMS) method and to compare the outcomes with the values of previous spirometric reference equations. Spirometric data of 10,249 healthy non-smokers (8,776 females) were extracted from the fourth and fifth versions of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV, 2007-2009; V, 2010-2012). Reference equations were derived using the LMS method which allows modeling skewness (lambda [L]), mean (mu [M]), and coefficient of variation (sigma [S]). The outcome equations were compared with previous reference values. Prediction equations were presented in the following form: predicted value = e{a + b × ln(height) + c × ln(age) + M - spline}. The new predicted values for spirometry and their LLN derived using the LMS method were shown to more accurately reflect transitions in pulmonary function in young adults than previous prediction equations derived using conventional regression analysis in 2013. There were partial discrepancies between the new reference values and the reference values from the Global Lung Function Initiative in 2012. The results should be interpreted with caution for young adults and elderly males, particularly in terms of the LLN for forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity in elderly males. Serial spirometry follow-up, together with correlations with other clinical findings, should be emphasized in evaluating the pulmonary function of individuals. Future studies are needed to improve the accuracy of reference data and to develop continuous reference values for spirometry across all ages. © 2018 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

  17. The Kjeldahl method as a primary reference procedure for total protein in certified reference materials used in clinical chemistry. I. A review of Kjeldahl methods adopted by laboratory medicine.

    PubMed

    Chromý, Vratislav; Vinklárková, Bára; Šprongl, Luděk; Bittová, Miroslava

    2015-01-01

    We found previously that albumin-calibrated total protein in certified reference materials causes unacceptable positive bias in analysis of human sera. The simplest way to cure this defect is the use of human-based serum/plasma standards calibrated by the Kjeldahl method. Such standards, commutative with serum samples, will compensate for bias caused by lipids and bilirubin in most human sera. To find a suitable primary reference procedure for total protein in reference materials, we reviewed Kjeldahl methods adopted by laboratory medicine. We found two methods recommended for total protein in human samples: an indirect analysis based on total Kjeldahl nitrogen corrected for its nonprotein nitrogen and a direct analysis made on isolated protein precipitates. The methods found will be assessed in a subsequent article.

  18. A Large-Scale, Multiagency Approach to Defining a Reference Network for Pacific Northwest Streams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Stephanie; Eldred, Peter; Muldoon, Ariel; Anlauf-Dunn, Kara; Stein, Charlie; Hubler, Shannon; Merrick, Lesley; Haxton, Nick; Larson, Chad; Rehn, Andrew; Ode, Peter; Vander Laan, Jake

    2016-12-01

    Aquatic monitoring programs vary widely in objectives and design. However, each program faces the unifying challenge of assessing conditions and quantifying reasonable expectations for measured indicators. A common approach for setting resource expectations is to define reference conditions that represent areas of least human disturbance or most natural state of a resource characterized by the range of natural variability across a region of interest. Identification of reference sites often relies heavily on professional judgment, resulting in varying and unrepeatable methods. Standardized methods for data collection, site characterization, and reference site selection facilitate greater cooperation among assessment programs and development of assessment tools that are readily shareable and comparable. We illustrate an example that can serve the broader global monitoring community on how to create a consistent and transparent reference network for multiple stream resource agencies. We provide a case study that offers a simple example of how reference sites can be used, at the landscape level, to link upslope management practices to a specific in-channel response. We found management practices, particularly areas with high road densities, have more fine sediments than areas with fewer roads. While this example uses data from only one of the partner agencies, if data were collected in a similar manner they can be combined and create a larger, more robust dataset. We hope that this starts a dialog regarding more standardized ways through inter-agency collaborations to evaluate data. Creating more consistency in physical and biological field protocols will increase the ability to share data.

  19. Reference-based source separation method for identification of brain regions involved in a reference state from intracerebral EEG

    PubMed Central

    Samadi, Samareh; Amini, Ladan; Cosandier-Rimélé, Delphine; Soltanian-Zadeh, Hamid; Jutten, Christian

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we present a fast method to extract the sources related to interictal epileptiform state. The method is based on general eigenvalue decomposition using two correlation matrices during: 1) periods including interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) as a reference activation model and 2) periods excluding IEDs or abnormal physiological signals as background activity. After extracting the most similar sources to the reference or IED state, IED regions are estimated by using multiobjective optimization. The method is evaluated using both realistic simulated data and actual intracerebral electroencephalography recordings of patients suffering from focal epilepsy. These patients are seizure-free after the resective surgery. Quantitative comparisons of the proposed IED regions with the visually inspected ictal onset zones by the epileptologist and another method of identification of IED regions reveal good performance. PMID:23428609

  20. 32 CFR 1290.1 - References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false References. 1290.1 Section 1290.1 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY MISCELLANEOUS PREPARING AND PROCESSING MINOR OFFENSES AND VIOLATION NOTICES REFERRED TO U.S. DISTRICT COURTS § 1290.1...

  1. 32 CFR 1290.1 - References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false References. 1290.1 Section 1290.1 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY MISCELLANEOUS PREPARING AND PROCESSING MINOR OFFENSES AND VIOLATION NOTICES REFERRED TO U.S. DISTRICT COURTS § 1290.1...

  2. 32 CFR 1290.1 - References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false References. 1290.1 Section 1290.1 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY MISCELLANEOUS PREPARING AND PROCESSING MINOR OFFENSES AND VIOLATION NOTICES REFERRED TO U.S. DISTRICT COURTS § 1290.1...

  3. 32 CFR 1290.1 - References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false References. 1290.1 Section 1290.1 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY MISCELLANEOUS PREPARING AND PROCESSING MINOR OFFENSES AND VIOLATION NOTICES REFERRED TO U.S. DISTRICT COURTS § 1290.1...

  4. 32 CFR 1290.1 - References.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false References. 1290.1 Section 1290.1 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY MISCELLANEOUS PREPARING AND PROCESSING MINOR OFFENSES AND VIOLATION NOTICES REFERRED TO U.S. DISTRICT COURTS § 1290.1...

  5. 28 CFR 42.610 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    .... (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 42.609(b)(2) of this regulation, the referring agency shall determine, within thirty days... responsibility to enforce. The referring agency shall give due weight to EEOC's determination that reasonable...

  6. 28 CFR 42.610 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 42.609(b)(2) of this regulation, the referring agency shall determine, within thirty days... responsibility to enforce. The referring agency shall give due weight to EEOC's determination that reasonable...

  7. 28 CFR 42.610 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    .... (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 42.609(b)(2) of this regulation, the referring agency shall determine, within thirty days... responsibility to enforce. The referring agency shall give due weight to EEOC's determination that reasonable...

  8. 28 CFR 42.610 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 42.609(b)(2) of this regulation, the referring agency shall determine, within thirty days... responsibility to enforce. The referring agency shall give due weight to EEOC's determination that reasonable...

  9. The importance of reference materials in doping-control analysis.

    PubMed

    Mackay, Lindsey G; Kazlauskas, Rymantas

    2011-08-01

    Currently a large range of pure substance reference materials are available for calibration of doping-control methods. These materials enable traceability to the International System of Units (SI) for the results generated by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratories. Only a small number of prohibited substances have threshold limits for which quantification is highly important. For these analytes only the highest quality reference materials that are available should be used. Many prohibited substances have no threshold limits and reference materials provide essential identity confirmation. For these reference materials the correct identity is critical and the methods used to assess identity in these cases should be critically evaluated. There is still a lack of certified matrix reference materials to support many aspects of doping analysis. However, in key areas a range of urine matrix materials have been produced for substances with threshold limits, for example 19-norandrosterone and testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio. These matrix-certified reference materials (CRMs) are an excellent independent means of checking method recovery and bias and will typically be used in method validation and then regularly as quality-control checks. They can be particularly important in the analysis of samples close to threshold limits, in which measurement accuracy becomes critical. Some reference materials for isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) analysis are available and a matrix material certified for steroid delta values is currently under production. In other new areas, for example the Athlete Biological Passport, peptide hormone testing, designer steroids, and gene doping, reference material needs still need to be thoroughly assessed and prioritised.

  10. Three methods of interfacing with the private sector by mental health agencies.

    PubMed

    McRae, J A

    1989-01-01

    This article outlines three methods of mental health marketing--formal, intermediary, and interactive. It discusses advantages and disadvantages of each method. These approaches are particularly good for public, non-profit agencies and individuals in contacting the private sector. The need for flexibility and marketing mix is emphasized.

  11. Comparison of two reference methods for detemining cotton fiber moisture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Moisture is an important quality and processing property for the cotton industry. The standard reference method for determining the moisture content in cotton fiber is the ASTM oven method (gravimetric weight loss). Several concerns have expressed on its ability to measure the actual moisture cont...

  12. The agencies method for coalition formation in experimental games

    PubMed Central

    Nash, John F.; Nagel, Rosemarie; Ockenfels, Axel; Selten, Reinhard

    2012-01-01

    In society, power is often transferred to another person or group. A previous work studied the evolution of cooperation among robot players through a coalition formation game with a non-cooperative procedure of acceptance of an agency of another player. Motivated by this previous work, we conduct a laboratory experiment on finitely repeated three-person coalition formation games. Human players with different strength according to the coalition payoffs can accept a transfer of power to another player, the agent, who then distributes the coalition payoffs. We find that the agencies method for coalition formation is quite successful in promoting efficiency. However, the agent faces a tension between short-term incentives of not equally distributing the coalition payoff and the long-term concern to keep cooperation going. In a given round, the strong player in our experiment often resolves this tension approximately in line with the Shapley value and the nucleolus. Yet aggregated over all rounds, the payoff differences between players are rather small, and the equal division of payoffs predicts about 80% of all groups best. One reason is that the voting procedure appears to induce a balance of power, independent of the individual player's strength: Selfish subjects tend to be voted out of their agency and are further disciplined by reciprocal behaviors. PMID:23175792

  13. The agencies method for coalition formation in experimental games.

    PubMed

    Nash, John F; Nagel, Rosemarie; Ockenfels, Axel; Selten, Reinhard

    2012-12-11

    In society, power is often transferred to another person or group. A previous work studied the evolution of cooperation among robot players through a coalition formation game with a non-cooperative procedure of acceptance of an agency of another player. Motivated by this previous work, we conduct a laboratory experiment on finitely repeated three-person coalition formation games. Human players with different strength according to the coalition payoffs can accept a transfer of power to another player, the agent, who then distributes the coalition payoffs. We find that the agencies method for coalition formation is quite successful in promoting efficiency. However, the agent faces a tension between short-term incentives of not equally distributing the coalition payoff and the long-term concern to keep cooperation going. In a given round, the strong player in our experiment often resolves this tension approximately in line with the Shapley value and the nucleolus. Yet aggregated over all rounds, the payoff differences between players are rather small, and the equal division of payoffs predicts about 80% of all groups best. One reason is that the voting procedure appears to induce a balance of power, independent of the individual player's strength: Selfish subjects tend to be voted out of their agency and are further disciplined by reciprocal behaviors.

  14. Solving multi-objective optimization problems in conservation with the reference point method

    PubMed Central

    Dujardin, Yann; Chadès, Iadine

    2018-01-01

    Managing the biodiversity extinction crisis requires wise decision-making processes able to account for the limited resources available. In most decision problems in conservation biology, several conflicting objectives have to be taken into account. Most methods used in conservation either provide suboptimal solutions or use strong assumptions about the decision-maker’s preferences. Our paper reviews some of the existing approaches to solve multi-objective decision problems and presents new multi-objective linear programming formulations of two multi-objective optimization problems in conservation, allowing the use of a reference point approach. Reference point approaches solve multi-objective optimization problems by interactively representing the preferences of the decision-maker with a point in the criteria (objectives) space, called the reference point. We modelled and solved the following two problems in conservation: a dynamic multi-species management problem under uncertainty and a spatial allocation resource management problem. Results show that the reference point method outperforms classic methods while illustrating the use of an interactive methodology for solving combinatorial problems with multiple objectives. The method is general and can be adapted to a wide range of ecological combinatorial problems. PMID:29293650

  15. A simple method for HPLC retention time prediction: linear calibration using two reference substances.

    PubMed

    Sun, Lei; Jin, Hong-Yu; Tian, Run-Tao; Wang, Ming-Juan; Liu, Li-Na; Ye, Liu-Ping; Zuo, Tian-Tian; Ma, Shuang-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    Analysis of related substances in pharmaceutical chemicals and multi-components in traditional Chinese medicines needs bulk of reference substances to identify the chromatographic peaks accurately. But the reference substances are costly. Thus, the relative retention (RR) method has been widely adopted in pharmacopoeias and literatures for characterizing HPLC behaviors of those reference substances unavailable. The problem is it is difficult to reproduce the RR on different columns due to the error between measured retention time (t R ) and predicted t R in some cases. Therefore, it is useful to develop an alternative and simple method for prediction of t R accurately. In the present study, based on the thermodynamic theory of HPLC, a method named linear calibration using two reference substances (LCTRS) was proposed. The method includes three steps, procedure of two points prediction, procedure of validation by multiple points regression and sequential matching. The t R of compounds on a HPLC column can be calculated by standard retention time and linear relationship. The method was validated in two medicines on 30 columns. It was demonstrated that, LCTRS method is simple, but more accurate and more robust on different HPLC columns than RR method. Hence quality standards using LCTRS method are easy to reproduce in different laboratories with lower cost of reference substances.

  16. The NIH analytical methods and reference materials program for dietary supplements.

    PubMed

    Betz, Joseph M; Fisher, Kenneth D; Saldanha, Leila G; Coates, Paul M

    2007-09-01

    Quality of botanical products is a great uncertainty that consumers, clinicians, regulators, and researchers face. Definitions of quality abound, and include specifications for sanitation, adventitious agents (pesticides, metals, weeds), and content of natural chemicals. Because dietary supplements (DS) are often complex mixtures, they pose analytical challenges and method validation may be difficult. In response to product quality concerns and the need for validated and publicly available methods for DS analysis, the US Congress directed the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to accelerate an ongoing methods validation process, and the Dietary Supplements Methods and Reference Materials Program was created. The program was constructed from stakeholder input and incorporates several federal procurement and granting mechanisms in a coordinated and interlocking framework. The framework facilitates validation of analytical methods, analytical standards, and reference materials.

  17. 10 CFR 431.223 - Materials incorporated by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... procedures incorporated by reference. (1) Environmental Protection Agency, “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements... Agency “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Traffic Signals,” Version 1.1, may be obtained from the...

  18. 10 CFR 431.223 - Materials incorporated by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... procedures incorporated by reference. (1) Environmental Protection Agency, “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements... Agency “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Traffic Signals,” Version 1.1, may be obtained from the...

  19. 10 CFR 431.223 - Materials incorporated by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... procedures incorporated by reference. (1) Environmental Protection Agency, “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements... Agency “ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Traffic Signals,” Version 1.1, may be obtained from the...

  20. 7 CFR 801.7 - Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. 801.7 Section 801.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. (a) Reference methods. (1) The...

  1. Validation studies of Karl Fisher reference method for moisture in cotton

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    With current international standard oven drying (SOD) techniques lacking precision and accuracy statements, a new standard reference method is needed. Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) is a widely used measure of moisture content. The method is used in many ASTM methods, 14 NIST SRMs, and te...

  2. Different equation-of-motion coupled cluster methods with different reference functions: The formyl radical

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuś, Tomasz; Bartlett, Rodney J.

    2008-09-01

    The doublet and quartet excited states of the formyl radical have been studied by the equation-of-motion (EOM) coupled cluster (CC) method. The Sz spin-conserving singles and doubles (EOM-EE-CCSD) and singles, doubles, and triples (EOM-EE-CCSDT) approaches, as well as the spin-flipped singles and doubles (EOM-SF-CCSD) method have been applied, subject to unrestricted Hartree-Fock (HF), restricted open-shell HF, and quasirestricted HF references. The structural parameters, vertical and adiabatic excitation energies, and harmonic vibrational frequencies have been calculated. The issue of the reference function choice for the spin-flipped (SF) method and its impact on the results has been discussed using the experimental data and theoretical results available. The results show that if the appropriate reference function is chosen so that target states differ from the reference by only single excitations, then EOM-EE-CCSD and EOM-SF-CCSD methods give a very good description of the excited states. For the states that have a non-negligible contribution of the doubly excited configurations one is able to use the SF method with such a reference function, that in most cases the performance of the EOM-SF-CCSD method is better than that of the EOM-EE-CCSD approach.

  3. Glossary of reference terms for alternative test methods and their validation.

    PubMed

    Ferrario, Daniele; Brustio, Roberta; Hartung, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    This glossary was developed to provide technical references to support work in the field of the alternatives to animal testing. It was compiled from various existing reference documents coming from different sources and is meant to be a point of reference on alternatives to animal testing. Giving the ever-increasing number of alternative test methods and approaches being developed over the last decades, a combination, revision, and harmonization of earlier published collections of terms used in the validation of such methods is required. The need to update previous glossary efforts came from the acknowledgement that new words have emerged with the development of new approaches, while others have become obsolete, and the meaning of some terms has partially changed over time. With this glossary we intend to provide guidance on issues related to the validation of new or updated testing methods consistent with current approaches. Moreover, because of new developments and technologies, a glossary needs to be a living, constantly updated document. An Internet-based version based on this compilation may be found at http://altweb.jhsph.edu/, allowing the addition of new material.

  4. Isotope reference materials

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coplen, Tyler B.

    2010-01-01

    Measurement of the same isotopically homogeneous sample by any laboratory worldwide should yield the same isotopic composition within analytical uncertainty. International distribution of light element isotopic reference materials by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology enable laboratories to achieve this goal.

  5. Improving Reference Service: The Case for Using a Continuous Quality Improvement Method.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aluri, Rao

    1993-01-01

    Discusses the evaluation of library reference service; examines problems with past evaluations, including the lack of long-term planning and a systems perspective; and suggests a method for continuously monitoring and improving reference service using quality improvement tools such as checklists, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and…

  6. Space, agency, and withdrawal: birth control choices of women in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Sirkeci, Ibrahim; Cindoglu, Dilek

    2012-01-01

    Withdrawal (WD) is not a reliable method for preventing unwanted pregnancies, yet it is still a very popular form of birth control in many societies, including Turkey. We look at the relationship between women's agency and physical space in relation to birth control choices of women in Turkey. Agency in our context refers to a woman's ability to resist domination and subordination to the patriarchal beliefs valuing her reproductivity over her pleasure. Our analysis of the Turkish Demographic Health Survey (TDHS) suggests that (a) the available space in the household for possible private encounters between husband and wife, and (b) the women's capacity to insert her agency into her life choices are closely correlated with WD choices. Women with better social and physical resources prefer WD less.

  7. A candidate reference method for serum potassium measurement by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Yan, Ying; Han, Bingqing; Zeng, Jie; Zhou, Weiyan; Zhang, Tianjiao; Zhang, Jiangtao; Chen, Wenxiang; Zhang, Chuanbao

    2017-08-28

    Potassium is an important serum ion that is frequently assayed in clinical laboratories. Quality assurance requires reference methods; thus, the establishment of a candidate reference method for serum potassium measurements is important. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was developed. Serum samples were gravimetrically spiked with an aluminum internal standard, digested with 69% ultrapure nitric acid, and diluted to the required concentration. The 39K/27Al ratios were measured by ICP-MS in hydrogen mode. The method was calibrated using 5% nitric acid matrix calibrators, and the calibration function was established using the bracketing method. The correlation coefficients between the measured 39K/27Al ratios and the analyte concentration ratios were >0.9999. The coefficients of variation were 0.40%, 0.68%, and 0.22% for the three serum samples, and the analytical recovery was 99.8%. The accuracy of the measurement was also verified by measuring certified reference materials, SRM909b and SRM956b. Comparison with the ion selective electrode routine method and international inter-laboratory comparisons gave satisfied results. The new ICP-MS method is specific, precise, simple, and low-cost, and it may be used as a candidate reference method for standardizing serum potassium measurements.

  8. Evaluation of reference evapotranspiration methods in arid, semiarid, and humid regions

    Treesearch

    Fei Gao; Gary Feng; Ying Ouyang; Huixiao Wang; Daniel Fisher; Ardeshir Adeli; Johnie Jenkins

    2017-01-01

    It is often necessary to find a simpler method in different climatic regions to calculate reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) since the application of the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method is often restricted due to the unavailability of a comprehensive weather dataset. Seven ETo methods, namely the standard FAO-56 Penman-Monteith, the FAO-24 Radiation, FAO-24 Blaney...

  9. Adaptive optimization of reference intensity for optical coherence imaging using galvanometric mirror tilting method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Ji-hyun; Han, Jae-Ho; Jeong, Jichai

    2015-09-01

    Integration time and reference intensity are important factors for achieving high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sensitivity in optical coherence tomography (OCT). In this context, we present an adaptive optimization method of reference intensity for OCT setup. The reference intensity is automatically controlled by tilting a beam position using a Galvanometric scanning mirror system. Before sample scanning, the OCT system acquires two dimensional intensity map with normalized intensity and variables in color spaces using false-color mapping. Then, the system increases or decreases reference intensity following the map data for optimization with a given algorithm. In our experiments, the proposed method successfully corrected the reference intensity with maintaining spectral shape, enabled to change integration time without manual calibration of the reference intensity, and prevented image degradation due to over-saturation and insufficient reference intensity. Also, SNR and sensitivity could be improved by increasing integration time with automatic adjustment of the reference intensity. We believe that our findings can significantly aid in the optimization of SNR and sensitivity for optical coherence tomography systems.

  10. Deviation of landmarks in accordance with methods of establishing reference planes in three-dimensional facial CT evaluation.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Kaeng Won; Yoon, Suk-Ja; Kang, Byung-Cheol; Kim, Young-Hee; Kook, Min Suk; Lee, Jae-Seo; Palomo, Juan Martin

    2014-09-01

    This study aimed to investigate the deviation of landmarks from horizontal or midsagittal reference planes according to the methods of establishing reference planes. Computed tomography (CT) scans of 18 patients who received orthodontic and orthognathic surgical treatment were reviewed. Each CT scan was reconstructed by three methods for establishing three orthogonal reference planes (namely, the horizontal, midsagittal, and coronal reference planes). The horizontal (bilateral porions and bilateral orbitales) and midsagittal (crista galli, nasion, prechiasmatic point, opisthion, and anterior nasal spine) landmarks were identified on each CT scan. Vertical deviation of the horizontal landmarks and horizontal deviation of the midsagittal landmarks were measured. The porion and orbitale, which were not involved in establishing the horizontal reference plane, were found to deviate vertically from the horizontal reference plane in the three methods. The midsagittal landmarks, which were not used for the midsagittal reference plane, deviated horizontally from the midsagittal reference plane in the three methods. In a three-dimensional facial analysis, the vertical and horizontal deviations of the landmarks from the horizontal and midsagittal reference planes could vary depending on the methods of establishing reference planes.

  11. GMOMETHODS: the European Union database of reference methods for GMO analysis.

    PubMed

    Bonfini, Laura; Van den Bulcke, Marc H; Mazzara, Marco; Ben, Enrico; Patak, Alexandre

    2012-01-01

    In order to provide reliable and harmonized information on methods for GMO (genetically modified organism) analysis we have published a database called "GMOMETHODS" that supplies information on PCR assays validated according to the principles and requirements of ISO 5725 and/or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry protocol. In addition, the database contains methods that have been verified by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed in the context of compliance with an European Union legislative act. The web application provides search capabilities to retrieve primers and probes sequence information on the available methods. It further supplies core data required by analytical labs to carry out GM tests and comprises information on the applied reference material and plasmid standards. The GMOMETHODS database currently contains 118 different PCR methods allowing identification of 51 single GM events and 18 taxon-specific genes in a sample. It also provides screening assays for detection of eight different genetic elements commonly used for the development of GMOs. The application is referred to by the Biosafety Clearing House, a global mechanism set up by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to facilitate the exchange of information on Living Modified Organisms. The publication of the GMOMETHODS database can be considered an important step toward worldwide standardization and harmonization in GMO analysis.

  12. Which method should be the reference method to evaluate the severity of rheumatic mitral stenosis? Gorlin's method versus 3D-echo.

    PubMed

    Pérez de Isla, Leopoldo; Casanova, Carlos; Almería, Carlos; Rodrigo, José Luis; Cordeiro, Pedro; Mataix, Luis; Aubele, Ada Lia; Lang, Roberto; Zamorano, José Luis

    2007-12-01

    Several studies have shown a wide variability among different methods to determine the valve area in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Our aim was to evaluate if 3D-echo planimetry is more accurate than the Gorlin method to measure the valve area. Twenty-six patients with mitral stenosis underwent 2D and 3D-echo echocardiographic examinations and catheterization. Valve area was estimated by different methods. A median value of the mitral valve area, obtained from the measurements of three classical non-invasive methods (2D planimetry, pressure half-time and PISA method), was used as the reference method and it was compared with 3D-echo planimetry and Gorlin's method. Our results showed that the accuracy of 3D-echo planimetry is superior to the accuracy of the Gorlin method for the assessment of mitral valve area. We should keep in mind the fact that 3D-echo planimetry may be a better reference method than the Gorlin method to assess the severity of rheumatic mitral stenosis.

  13. Determination of Reference Catalogs for Meridian Observations Using Statistical Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Z. Y.

    2014-09-01

    The meridian observational data are useful for developing high-precision planetary ephemerides of the solar system. These historical data are provided by the jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) or the Institut De Mecanique Celeste Et De Calcul Des Ephemerides (IMCCE). However, we find that the reference systems (realized by the fundamental catalogs FK3 (Third Fundamental Catalogue), FK4 (Fourth Fundamental Catalogue), and FK5 (Fifth Fundamental Catalogue), or Hipparcos), to which the observations are referred, are not given explicitly for some sets of data. The incompleteness of information prevents us from eliminating the systematic effects due to the different fundamental catalogs. The purpose of this paper is to specify clearly the reference catalogs of these observations with the problems in their records by using the JPL DE421 ephemeris. The data for the corresponding planets in the geocentric celestial reference system (GCRS) obtained from the DE421 are transformed to the apparent places with different hypothesis regarding the reference catalogs. Then the validations of the hypothesis are tested by two kinds of statistical quantities which are used to indicate the significance of difference between the original and transformed data series. As a result, this method is proved to be effective for specifying the reference catalogs, and the missed information is determined unambiguously. Finally these meridian data are transformed to the GCRS for further applications in the development of planetary ephemerides.

  14. Evaluation of Gas-filled Ionization Chamber Method for Radon Measurement at Two Reference Facilities

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

    Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Tokonami, Shinji; Kobayashi, Yosuke

    2008-08-07

    For quality assurance, gas-filled ionization chamber method was tested at two reference facilities for radon calibration: EML (USA) and PTB (Germany). Consequently, the radon concentrations estimated by the ionization chamber method were in good agreement with the reference radon concentrations provided by EML as well as PTB.

  15. A Reference Method for Measuring Emissions of SVOCs in ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are indoor air pollutants that may may have significant adverse effects on human health, and emission of SVOCs from building materials and consumer products is of growing concern. Few chamber studies have been conducted due to the challenges associated with SVOC analysis and the lack of validation procedures. Thus there is an urgent need for a reliable and accurate chamber test method to verify the performance of these measurements. A reference method employing a specially-designed chamber and experimental protocol has been developed and is undergoing extensive evaluation. A pilot interlaboratory study (ILS) has been conducted with five laboratories performing chamber tests under identical conditions. Results showed inter-laboratory variations at 25% for SVOC emission rates, with greater agreement observed between intra-laboratory measurements for most of the participating laboratories. The measured concentration profiles also compared reasonably well to the mechanistic model, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed reference method to independently assess laboratory performance and validate SVOC emission tests. There is an urgent need for improved understanding of the measurement uncertainties associated with SVOC emissions testing. The creation of specially-designed chambers and well-characterized materials serves as a critical prerequisite for improving the procedure used to measure SVOCs emitted from indoor

  16. 77 FR 32632 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-01

    ... Hydrogen Peroxide Filter Extraction'' In this method, total suspended particulate matter (TSP) is collected on glass fiber filters according to 40 CFR Appendix G to part 50, EPA Reference Method for the Determination of Lead in Suspended Particulate Matter Collected From Ambient Air. The filter samples are...

  17. 40 CFR 76.4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 76.4 Section 76.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.4 Incorporation by reference. (a) The...

  18. 40 CFR 76.4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 76.4 Section 76.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.4 Incorporation by reference. (a) The...

  19. 40 CFR 76.4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 76.4 Section 76.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.4 Incorporation by reference. (a) The...

  20. 40 CFR 76.4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 76.4 Section 76.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.4 Incorporation by reference. (a) The...

  1. 40 CFR 76.4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 76.4 Section 76.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.4 Incorporation by reference. (a) The...

  2. Generating method-specific Reference Ranges - A harmonious outcome?

    PubMed

    Lee, Graham R; Griffin, Alison; Halton, Kieran; Fitzgibbon, Maria C

    2017-12-01

    When laboratory Reference Ranges (RR) do not reflect analytical methodology, result interpretation can cause misclassification of patients and inappropriate management. This can be mitigated by determining and implementing method-specific RRs, which was the main objective of this study. Serum was obtained from healthy volunteers (Male + Female, n > 120) attending hospital health-check sessions during June and July 2011. Pseudo-anonymised aliquots were stored (at - 70 °C) prior t° analysis on Abbott ARCHITECT c16000 chemistry and i 2000SR immunoassay analysers. Data were stratified by gender where appropriate. Outliers were excluded statistically (Tukey method) to generate non-parametric RRs (2.5th + 97.5th percentiles). RRs were compared to those quoted by Abbott and UK Pathology Harmony (PH) where possible. For 7 selected tests, RRs were verified using a data mining approach. For chemistry tests (n = 23), Upper or Lower Reference Limits (LRL or URL) were > 20% different from Abbott ranges in 25% of tests (11% from PH ranges) but in 38% for immunoassay tests (n = 13). RRs (mmol/L) for sodium (138-144), potassium (3.8-4.9) and chloride (102-110) were considerably narrower than PH ranges (133-146, 3.5-5.0 and 95-108, respectively). The gender difference for ferritin (M: 29-441, F: 8-193 ng/mL) was more pronounced than reported by Abbott (M: 22-275, F: 5-204 ng/mL). Verification studies showed good agreement for chemistry tests (mean [SD] difference = 0.4% [1.2%]) but less so for immunoassay tests (27% [29%]), particularly for TSH (LRL). Where resource permits, we advocate using method-specific RRs in preference to other sources, particularly where method bias and lack of standardisation limits RR transferability and harmonisation.

  3. EVALUATION OF A CRYPTOSPORIDIUM INTERNAL STANDARD FOR DETERMINING RECOVERY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY METHOD 1623

    EPA Science Inventory

    The current benchmark method for detecting Cryptosporidium oocysts in water is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Method 1623. Studies evaluating this method report that recoveries are highly variable and dependent upon laboratory, water sample, and analyst. Ther...

  4. Design of two-dimensional zero reference codes with cross-entropy method.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jung-Chieh; Wen, Chao-Kai

    2010-06-20

    We present a cross-entropy (CE)-based method for the design of optimum two-dimensional (2D) zero reference codes (ZRCs) in order to generate a zero reference signal for a grating measurement system and achieve absolute position, a coordinate origin, or a machine home position. In the absence of diffraction effects, the 2D ZRC design problem is known as the autocorrelation approximation. Based on the properties of the autocorrelation function, the design of the 2D ZRC is first formulated as a particular combination optimization problem. The CE method is then applied to search for an optimal 2D ZRC and thus obtain the desirable zero reference signal. Computer simulation results indicate that there are 15.38% and 14.29% reductions in the second maxima value for the 16x16 grating system with n(1)=64 and the 100x100 grating system with n(1)=300, respectively, where n(1) is the number of transparent pixels, compared with those of the conventional genetic algorithm.

  5. Advertising Agency Libraries: 30 Years of Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christianson, Elin B.; Waldron, Anne M.

    1988-01-01

    Reports on a survey of advertising agency libraries and compares results of the current study with similar surveys from 1954 and 1969. Characteristics of the parent agency, organizational status and location, budgets, users, staff, collections, indexes and databases, reference books, and library services are the areas addressed. Data are presented…

  6. MOISTURE IN COTTON BY THE KARL FISCHER TITRATION REFERENCE METHOD

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Moisture is a critical parameter that influences many aspects of cotton fiber from harvesting and ginning to various fiber properties. Because of their importance, reference moisture methods that are more accurate than the existing oven-drying techniques and relatively easy to generate results are ...

  7. [The validation of the effect of correcting spectral background changes based on floating reference method by simulation].

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhu-lou; Zhang, Wan-jie; Li, Chen-xi; Chen, Wen-liang; Xu, Ke-xin

    2015-02-01

    There are some challenges in near-infrared non-invasive blood glucose measurement, such as the low signal to noise ratio of instrument, the unstable measurement conditions, the unpredictable and irregular changes of the measured object, and etc. Therefore, it is difficult to extract the information of blood glucose concentrations from the complicated signals accurately. Reference measurement method is usually considered to be used to eliminate the effect of background changes. But there is no reference substance which changes synchronously with the anylate. After many years of research, our research group has proposed the floating reference method, which is succeeded in eliminating the spectral effects induced by the instrument drifts and the measured object's background variations. But our studies indicate that the reference-point will changes following the changing of measurement location and wavelength. Therefore, the effects of floating reference method should be verified comprehensively. In this paper, keeping things simple, the Monte Carlo simulation employing Intralipid solution with the concentrations of 5% and 10% is performed to verify the effect of floating reference method used into eliminating the consequences of the light source drift. And the light source drift is introduced through varying the incident photon number. The effectiveness of the floating reference method with corresponding reference-points at different wavelengths in eliminating the variations of the light source drift is estimated. The comparison of the prediction abilities of the calibration models with and without using this method shows that the RMSEPs of the method are decreased by about 98.57% (5%Intralipid)and 99.36% (10% Intralipid)for different Intralipid. The results indicate that the floating reference method has obvious effect in eliminating the background changes.

  8. A frequency domain global parameter estimation method for multiple reference frequency response measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shih, C. Y.; Tsuei, Y. G.; Allemang, R. J.; Brown, D. L.

    1988-10-01

    A method of using the matrix Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model in the Laplace domain for multiple-reference global parameter identification is presented. This method is particularly applicable to the area of modal analysis where high modal density exists. The method is also applicable when multiple reference frequency response functions are used to characterise linear systems. In order to facilitate the mathematical solution, the Forsythe orthogonal polynomial is used to reduce the ill-conditioning of the formulated equations and to decouple the normal matrix into two reduced matrix blocks. A Complex Mode Indicator Function (CMIF) is introduced, which can be used to determine the proper order of the rational polynomials.

  9. Characterisation of a reference site for quantifying uncertainties related to soil sampling.

    PubMed

    Barbizzi, Sabrina; de Zorzi, Paolo; Belli, Maria; Pati, Alessandra; Sansone, Umberto; Stellato, Luisa; Barbina, Maria; Deluisa, Andrea; Menegon, Sandro; Coletti, Valter

    2004-01-01

    The paper reports a methodology adopted to face problems related to quality assurance in soil sampling. The SOILSAMP project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency of Italy (APAT), is aimed at (i) establishing protocols for soil sampling in different environments; (ii) assessing uncertainties associated with different soil sampling methods in order to select the "fit-for-purpose" method; (iii) qualifying, in term of trace elements spatial variability, a reference site for national and international inter-comparison exercises. Preliminary results and considerations are illustrated.

  10. Methods to estimate irrigated reference crop evapotranspiration - a review.

    PubMed

    Kumar, R; Jat, M K; Shankar, V

    2012-01-01

    Efficient water management of crops requires accurate irrigation scheduling which, in turn, requires the accurate measurement of crop water requirement. Irrigation is applied to replenish depleted moisture for optimum plant growth. Reference evapotranspiration plays an important role for the determination of water requirements for crops and irrigation scheduling. Various models/approaches varying from empirical to physically base distributed are available for the estimation of reference evapotranspiration. Mathematical models are useful tools to estimate the evapotranspiration and water requirement of crops, which is essential information required to design or choose best water management practices. In this paper the most commonly used models/approaches, which are suitable for the estimation of daily water requirement for agricultural crops grown in different agro-climatic regions, are reviewed. Further, an effort has been made to compare the accuracy of various widely used methods under different climatic conditions.

  11. A soil sampling reference site: the challenge in defining reference material for sampling.

    PubMed

    de Zorzi, Paolo; Barbizzi, Sabrina; Belli, Maria; Fajgelj, Ales; Jacimovic, Radojko; Jeran, Zvonka; Sansone, Umberto; van der Perk, Marcel

    2008-11-01

    In the frame of the international SOILSAMP project, funded and coordinated by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency, an agricultural area was established as a reference site suitable for performing soil sampling inter-comparison exercises. The reference site was characterized for trace element content in soil, in terms of the spatial and temporal variability of their mass fraction. Considering that the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in soil can be expected to be similar to that of some stable trace elements and that the distribution of these trace elements in soil can simulate the distribution of radionuclides, the reference site characterised in term of trace elements, can be also used to compare the soil sampling strategies developed for radionuclide investigations.

  12. 40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

  13. 40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

  14. 40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

  15. 40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

  16. 40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

  17. Finding Freedom: Exploring the Relationship Between Agency, Motility, and Aggression.

    PubMed

    Wooldridge, Tom

    2018-02-01

    After an overview of the opposed concepts of freedom and psychic determinism, and of the compatibilist reconciliation between the two that is most appropriate for psychoanalysis, the importance of agency as a psychoanalytic idea is considered. In particular, two ways in which the term agency may be used are examined: agency as fact and agency as experience. The former refers to the degree of relative freedom an individual possesses from "inner" constraints, whereas the latter refers to the experience of oneself as having an active impact on the self, other people, and/or the world. Importantly, these two senses are not coextensive. With this distinction in place, it is argued that agency as experience is rooted in the infant's earliest experiences of motility. As an extension of Winnicott's reflections (1950) on the relation between motility and aggression, it is argued that inasmuch as it involves the overcoming of opposition, aggression is integral to the developmental unfolding of the experience of agency. Further developmental conditions needed for a full experience of agency are noted. Ultimately, it is suggested, agency is central to the psychoanalytic project itself.

  18. Reference-free error estimation for multiple measurement methods.

    PubMed

    Madan, Hennadii; Pernuš, Franjo; Špiclin, Žiga

    2018-01-01

    We present a computational framework to select the most accurate and precise method of measurement of a certain quantity, when there is no access to the true value of the measurand. A typical use case is when several image analysis methods are applied to measure the value of a particular quantitative imaging biomarker from the same images. The accuracy of each measurement method is characterized by systematic error (bias), which is modeled as a polynomial in true values of measurand, and the precision as random error modeled with a Gaussian random variable. In contrast to previous works, the random errors are modeled jointly across all methods, thereby enabling the framework to analyze measurement methods based on similar principles, which may have correlated random errors. Furthermore, the posterior distribution of the error model parameters is estimated from samples obtained by Markov chain Monte-Carlo and analyzed to estimate the parameter values and the unknown true values of the measurand. The framework was validated on six synthetic and one clinical dataset containing measurements of total lesion load, a biomarker of neurodegenerative diseases, which was obtained with four automatic methods by analyzing brain magnetic resonance images. The estimates of bias and random error were in a good agreement with the corresponding least squares regression estimates against a reference.

  19. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) programs and the regulation of carcinogens: Methods and philosophies. Technical report

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

    Jackson, M.; Johnson, L.; Kelly, J.

    1988-01-01

    This paper discusses the manner in which the EPA identifies, assesses risk for, and regulates substances determined to cause cancer in humans. The report provides an overall perspective of the carcinogen standard-setting process as it is affected by scientific, legal, and political influences. Discussed are: history and methods of carcinogen regulation; toxicological methods for determining carcinogenicity; the use of human-exposure data to regulate carcinogens; an overview of the agency's system for classifying chemical agents suspected or known to cause cancer; significant Federal court cases and decisions that have influenced attempts by Federal agencies to regulate carcinogens; and factors affecting EPAsmore » regulation of carcinogens.« less

  20. 75 FR 45583 - New York: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ... authorized and that EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended and commonly referred to...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... authorized hazardous waste program which is set forth in the regulations entitled ``Approved State Hazardous...

  1. 20 CFR 367.4 - Notification to another agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... RECOVERY OF DEBTS OWED TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFSET § 367.4 Notification to another agency. When the Board refers a debt under this part to another agency forcollection by means of... debtor owes the debt (including the amount) and that the provisions of this part have been fully complied...

  2. Interagency comparison of iodometric methods for ozone determination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Demore, W. B.; Romanovsky, J. C.; Feldstein, M.; Mueller, P. K.; Hamming, W. J.

    1976-01-01

    The California Air Resources Board appointed an Oxidant Calibration Committee for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of the different agency calibration procedures. The committee chose UV absorption photometry as the reference method for ozone measurement. Interagency comparisons of the various iodometric methods were conducted relative to the ultraviolet standard. The tests included versions of the iodometric methods as employed by the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District, and the EPA. An alternative candidate reference method for ozone measurement, gas phase titration, was also included in the test series.

  3. Verification of chemistry reference ranges using a simple method in sub-Saharan Africa

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, Douglas; Mandala, Justin; Nanda, Kavita; Van Campenhout, Christel; Agingu, Walter; Madurai, Lorna; Barsch, Eva-Maria; Deese, Jennifer; Van Damme, Lut; Crucitti, Tania

    2016-01-01

    Background Chemistry safety assessments are interpreted by using chemistry reference ranges (CRRs). Verification of CRRs is time consuming and often requires a statistical background. Objectives We report on an easy and cost-saving method to verify CRRs. Methods Using a former method introduced by Sigma Diagnostics, three study sites in sub-Saharan Africa, Bondo, Kenya, and Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, verified the CRRs for hepatic and renal biochemistry assays performed during a clinical trial of HIV antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis. The aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase, creatinine and phosphorus results from 10 clinically-healthy participants at the screening visit were used. In the event the CRRs did not pass the verification, new CRRs had to be calculated based on 40 clinically-healthy participants. Results Within a few weeks, the study sites accomplished verification of the CRRs without additional costs. The aspartate aminotransferase reference ranges for the Bondo, Kenya site and the alanine aminotransferase reference ranges for the Pretoria, South Africa site required adjustment. The phosphorus CRR passed verification and the creatinine CRR required adjustment at every site. The newly-established CRR intervals were narrower than the CRRs used previously at these study sites due to decreases in the upper limits of the reference ranges. As a result, more toxicities were detected. Conclusion To ensure the safety of clinical trial participants, verification of CRRs should be standard practice in clinical trials conducted in settings where the CRR has not been validated for the local population. This verification method is simple, inexpensive, and can be performed by any medical laboratory. PMID:28879112

  4. Evaluation of reference crop evapotranspiration methods in arid, semi-arid and humid regions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    It is necessary to find a simpler method in different climatic regions to calculate reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) since the application of the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method is often restricted due to unavailability of a full weather data set. Seven ETo methods, the de facto standard FAO-56...

  5. 29 CFR 102.113 - Methods of service of process and papers by the Agency; proof of service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Methods of service of process and papers by the Agency; proof of service. 102.113 Section 102.113 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS... process and papers by the Agency; proof of service. (a) Service of complaints and compliance...

  6. 24 CFR 50.24 - HUD review of another agency's EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false HUD review of another agency's EIS... Review Procedures § 50.24 HUD review of another agency's EIS. Where another agency's EIS is referred to... Officer shall determine whether HUD has an interest in the EIS and, if so, will review and comment. Any...

  7. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF EPA'S PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF FEDERAL REFERENCE METHODS AND FEDERAL EQUIVALENT METHODS FOR COARSE PARTICULATE MATTER

    EPA Science Inventory

    The main objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of sampling methods for potential use as a Federal Reference Method (FRM) capable of providing an estimate of coarse particle (PMc: particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 µm and 10 µm) ...

  8. Woodstove smoke and CO emissions: comparison of reference methods with the VIP sampler.

    PubMed

    Jaasma, D R; Champion, M C; Shelton, J W

    1990-06-01

    A new field sampler has been developed for measuring the particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide emissions of woodburning stoves. Particulate matter is determined by carbon balance and the workup of a sample train which is similar to a room-temperature EPA Method 5G train. A steel tank, initially evacuated, serves as the motive force for sampling and also accumulates a gas sample for post-test analysis of time-averaged stack CO and CO2 concentrations. Workup procedures can be completed within 72 hours of sampler retrieval. The system has been compared to reference methods in two laboratory test series involving six different woodburning appliances and two independent laboratories. The correlation of field sampler emission rates and reference method rates is strong.

  9. BiliChek transcutaneous bilirubin meter overestimates serum bilirubin as measured by the Doumas reference method.

    PubMed

    Karon, Brad S; Wickremasinghe, Andrea C; Lo, Stanley F; Saenger, Amy K; Cook, Walter J

    2010-08-01

    To determine the relationship between BiliChek TcB (Respironics, Marietta GA) and Doumas reference serum or plasma total bilirubin (TSB). Pooled samples with values assigned by the Doumas reference method were used to establish the relationship between a local laboratory and reference Doumas TSB. We then established the relationship between TcB and TSB in the 3 months before and after reassignment of calibrator setpoints undertaken to match the local laboratory to Doumas reference bilirubin values. Before calibrator setpoint reassignment TSB as measured in our laboratory overestimated Doumas reference bilirubin. After calibrator adjustment laboratory TSB was within 1.7-6.8 micromol/L (0.1-0.4 mg/dL) of Doumas reference values. Mean bias between BiliChek TcB and TSB was 42.8+/-22.2 micromol/L (2.5+/-1.3mg/dL) (n=94) before and 49.6+/-22.2 micromol/L (2.9+/-1.3mg/dL) (n=115) after calibration adjustment. BiliChek TcB significantly overestimates TSB as measured by the Doumas reference method. 2010 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Exploring the characteristics of nursing agencies in South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Olojede, Omolola I.; Rispel, Laetitia C.

    2015-01-01

    Background Nursing agencies are temporary employment service providers or labour brokers that supply nurses to health establishments. Objective This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of nursing agencies and their relationship with clients in the health sector. Methods During 2011, a cross-sectional national survey of 106 nursing agencies was conducted. After obtaining informed consent, telephone interviews were conducted with a representative of the selected nursing agency using a pretested structured questionnaire. Questions focused on the following: ownership, date of establishment, province of operation, distribution of clients across private and public health facilities; existence of a code of conduct; nature of the contractual relationship between nursing agencies and their clients, and numbers and cadres of nurses contracted. The survey data were analysed using STATA® 12. Results Fifty-two nursing agencies participated in the survey, representing a 49% response rate. The study found that 32 nursing agencies (62%) served private-sector clients only, which included private hospitals, homes for elderly people, patients in private homes, and private industry/company clinics, and only four (8%) of the agencies served the public sector only. Twenty-seven percent of nursing agencies provided services to homes for elderly individuals. Nursing agencies were more likely to have contracts with private-sector clients (84%) than with public-sector clients (16%) (p = 0.04). Although 98% of nursing agencies reported that they had a code of conduct, the proportion was higher for private-sector clients (73%) compared to public-sector clients (27%). In terms of quality checks and monitoring, 81% of agencies agreed with a statement that they checked the nursing council registration of nurses, 82% agreed with a statement that they requested certified copies of a nurse's qualifications. Only 21% indicated that they conducted reference checks of nurses with

  11. 40 CFR 53.4 - Applications for reference or equivalent method determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... using information such as service reports and customer complaints to eliminate potential causes of... standards of good practice and by qualified personnel. Test anomalies or irregularities shall be documented... designated as a reference or equivalent method, to ensure that all analyzers or samplers offered for sale...

  12. Budget- and Priority-Setting Criteria at State Health Agencies in Times of Austerity: A Mixed-Methods Study

    PubMed Central

    Resnick, Beth; Kass, Nancy; Sellers, Katie; Young, Jessica; Bernet, Patrick; Jarris, Paul

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We examined critical budget and priority criteria for state health agencies to identify likely decision-making factors, pressures, and opportunities in times of austerity. Methods. We have presented findings from a 2-stage, mixed-methods study with state public health leaders regarding public health budget- and priority-setting processes. In stage 1, we conducted hour-long interviews in 2011 with 45 health agency executive and division or bureau leaders from 6 states. Stage 2 was an online survey of 207 executive and division or bureau leaders from all state health agencies (66% response rate). Results. Respondents identified 5 key criteria: whether a program was viewed as “mission critical,” the seriousness of the consequences of not funding the program, financing considerations, external directives and mandates, and the magnitude of the problem the program addressed. Conclusions. We have presented empirical findings on criteria used in state health agency budgetary decision-making. These criteria suggested a focus and interest on core public health and the largest public health problems with the most serious ramifications. PMID:24825212

  13. A New Dual-purpose Quality Control Dosimetry Protocol for Diagnostic Reference-level Determination in Computed Tomography.

    PubMed

    Sohrabi, Mehdi; Parsi, Masoumeh; Sina, Sedigheh

    2018-05-17

    A diagnostic reference level is an advisory dose level set by a regulatory authority in a country as an efficient criterion for protection of patients from unwanted medical exposure. In computed tomography, the direct dose measurement and data collection methods are commonly applied for determination of diagnostic reference levels. Recently, a new quality-control-based dose survey method was proposed by the authors to simplify the diagnostic reference-level determination using a retrospective quality control database usually available at a regulatory authority in a country. In line with such a development, a prospective dual-purpose quality control dosimetry protocol is proposed for determination of diagnostic reference levels in a country, which can be simply applied by quality control service providers. This new proposed method was applied to five computed tomography scanners in Shiraz, Iran, and diagnostic reference levels for head, abdomen/pelvis, sinus, chest, and lumbar spine examinations were determined. The results were compared to those obtained by the data collection and quality-control-based dose survey methods, carried out in parallel in this study, and were found to agree well within approximately 6%. This is highly acceptable for quality-control-based methods according to International Atomic Energy Agency tolerance levels (±20%).

  14. Perturbative universal state-selective correction for state-specific multi-reference coupled cluster methods

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

    Brabec, Jiri; Banik, Subrata; Kowalski, Karol

    2016-10-28

    The implementation details of the universal state-selective (USS) multi-reference coupled cluster (MRCC) formalism with singles and doubles (USS(2)) are discussed on the example of several benchmark systems. We demonstrate that the USS(2) formalism is capable of improving accuracies of state specific multi-reference coupled-cluster (MRCC) methods based on the Brillouin-Wigner and Mukherjee’s sufficiency conditions. Additionally, it is shown that the USS(2) approach significantly alleviates problems associated with the lack of invariance of MRCC theories upon the rotation of active orbitals. We also discuss the perturbative USS(2) formulations that significantly reduce numerical overhead of the full USS(2) method.

  15. Woodstove smoke and CO emissions: Comparison of reference methods with the VIP sampler

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

    Jaasma, D.R.; Champion, M.C.; Shelton, J.W.

    1990-06-01

    A new field sampler has been developed for measuring the particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide emissions of woodburning stoves. Particulate matter is determined by carbon balance and the workup of a sample train which is similar to a room-temperature EPA Method 5G train. A steel tank, initially evacuated, serves as the motive force for sampling and also accumulates a gas sample for post-test analysis of time-averaged stack CO and CO{sub 2} concentrations. Workup procedures can be completed within 72 hours of sampler retrieval. The system has been compared to reference methods in two laboratory test series involving six differentmore » woodburning appliances and two independent laboratories. The correlation of field sampler emission rates and reference method rates is strong.« less

  16. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010 Performance Rating Method Reference Manual

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

    Goel, Supriya; Rosenberg, Michael I.

    This document is intended to be a reference manual for the Appendix G Performance Rating Method (PRM) of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1- 2010 (Standard 90.1-2010).The PRM is used for rating the energy efficiency of commercial and high-rise residential buildings with designs that exceed the requirements of Standard 90.1. The procedures and processes described in this manual are designed to provide consistency and accuracy by filling in gaps and providing additional details needed by users of the PRM. It should be noted that this document is created independently from ASHRAE and SSPC 90.1 and is not sanctioned nor approved by either ofmore » those entities . Potential users of this manual include energy modelers, software developers and implementers of “beyond code” energy programs. Energy modelers using ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 for beyond code programs can use this document as a reference manual for interpreting requirements of the Performance Rating method. Software developers, developing tools for automated creation of the baseline model can use this reference manual as a guideline for developing the rules for the baseline model.« less

  17. Comparative assessment of bioanalytical method validation guidelines for pharmaceutical industry.

    PubMed

    Kadian, Naveen; Raju, Kanumuri Siva Rama; Rashid, Mamunur; Malik, Mohd Yaseen; Taneja, Isha; Wahajuddin, Muhammad

    2016-07-15

    The concepts, importance, and application of bioanalytical method validation have been discussed for a long time and validation of bioanalytical methods is widely accepted as pivotal before they are taken into routine use. United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) guidelines issued in 2001 have been referred for every guideline released ever since; may it be European Medical Agency (EMA) Europe, National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) Brazil, Ministry of Health and Labour Welfare (MHLW) Japan or any other guideline in reference to bioanalytical method validation. After 12 years, USFDA released its new draft guideline for comments in 2013, which covers the latest parameters or topics encountered in bioanalytical method validation and approached towards the harmonization of bioanalytical method validation across the globe. Even though the regulatory agencies have general agreement, significant variations exist in acceptance criteria and methodology. The present review highlights the variations, similarities and comparison between bioanalytical method validation guidelines issued by major regulatory authorities worldwide. Additionally, other evaluation parameters such as matrix effect, incurred sample reanalysis including other stability aspects have been discussed to provide an ease of access for designing a bioanalytical method and its validation complying with the majority of drug authority guidelines. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. A candidate reference method using ICP-MS for sweat chloride quantification.

    PubMed

    Collie, Jake T; Massie, R John; Jones, Oliver A H; Morrison, Paul D; Greaves, Ronda F

    2016-04-01

    The aim of the study was to develop a method for sweat chloride (Cl) quantification using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to present to the Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM) as a candidate reference method for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). Calibration standards were prepared from sodium chloride (NaCl) to cover the expected range of sweat Cl values. Germanium (Ge) and scandium (Sc) were selected as on-line (instrument based) internal standards (IS) and gallium (Ga) as the off-line (sample based) IS. The method was validated through linearity, accuracy and imprecision studies as well as enrolment into the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program (RCPAQAP) for sweat electrolyte testing. Two variations of the ICP-MS method were developed, an on-line and off-line IS, and compared. Linearity was determined up to 225 mmol/L with a limit of quantitation of 7.4 mmol/L. The off-line IS demonstrated increased accuracy through the RCPAQAP performance assessment (CV of 1.9%, bias of 1.5 mmol/L) in comparison to the on-line IS (CV of 8.0%, bias of 3.8 mmol/L). Paired t-tests confirmed no significant differences between sample means of the two IS methods (p=0.53) or from each method against the RCPAQAP target values (p=0.08 and p=0.29). Both on and off-line IS methods generated highly reproducible results and excellent linear comparison to the RCPAQAP target results. ICP-MS is a highly accurate method with a low limit of quantitation for sweat Cl analysis and should be recognised as a candidate reference method for the monitoring and diagnosis of CF. Laboratories that currently practice sweat Cl analysis using ICP-MS should include an off-line IS to help negate any pre-analytical errors.

  19. 29 CFR 1640.10 - Section 504 agency review of deferred complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Section 1640.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... a section 504 agency refers a complaint to the EEOC pursuant to § 1640.6(c)(2) or when it is determined that, as between the EEOC and a section 504 agency, the EEOC is the agency that shall process a...

  20. 29 CFR 1640.10 - Section 504 agency review of deferred complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Section 1640.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... a section 504 agency refers a complaint to the EEOC pursuant to § 1640.6(c)(2) or when it is determined that, as between the EEOC and a section 504 agency, the EEOC is the agency that shall process a...

  1. 29 CFR 1640.10 - Section 504 agency review of deferred complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Section 1640.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... a section 504 agency refers a complaint to the EEOC pursuant to § 1640.6(c)(2) or when it is determined that, as between the EEOC and a section 504 agency, the EEOC is the agency that shall process a...

  2. 29 CFR 1640.10 - Section 504 agency review of deferred complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Section 1640.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... a section 504 agency refers a complaint to the EEOC pursuant to § 1640.6(c)(2) or when it is determined that, as between the EEOC and a section 504 agency, the EEOC is the agency that shall process a...

  3. 7 CFR 801.7 - Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..._of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (b) Tolerances—(1) NIRS wheat protein analyzers. The... Method 992.23. (3) NIRS corn oil, protein, and starch analyzers. The maintenance tolerances for the NIRS... methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. (a) Reference methods. (1) The...

  4. 7 CFR 801.7 - Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..._of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (b) Tolerances—(1) NIRS wheat protein analyzers. The... Method 992.23. (3) NIRS corn oil, protein, and starch analyzers. The maintenance tolerances for the NIRS... methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. (a) Reference methods. (1) The...

  5. 7 CFR 801.7 - Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..._of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (b) Tolerances—(1) NIRS wheat protein analyzers. The... Method 992.23. (3) NIRS corn oil, protein, and starch analyzers. The maintenance tolerances for the NIRS... methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. (a) Reference methods. (1) The...

  6. 7 CFR 801.7 - Reference methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..._of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (b) Tolerances—(1) NIRS wheat protein analyzers. The... Method 992.23. (3) NIRS corn oil, protein, and starch analyzers. The maintenance tolerances for the NIRS... methods and tolerances for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analyzers. (a) Reference methods. (1) The...

  7. Teacher Activist Organizations and the Development of Professional Agency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinn, Rand; Carl, Nicole Mittenfelner

    2015-01-01

    Teacher professional agency refers to the ability of teachers to control their work within structural constraints. In this paper, we show how teacher activist organizations can assist in the development of professional agency. We focus on a teacher activist organization in a large urban district in the United States and identify three…

  8. Are human service agencies ready for disasters? Findings from a mixed-methods needs assessment and planning project.

    PubMed

    Hipper, Thomas J; Orr, Ashley; Chernak, Esther

    2015-01-01

    A mixed-methods design was used to assess the current capacity of human service agencies to provide services in a major disaster, identify challenges and successful strategies for providing those services, and formulate specific recommendations for government planners and the nonprofit sector to promote the integration of human service agencies into emergency preparedness and response. A web-based survey was completed by 188 unique human service agencies, 31 semistructured interviews were conducted with human service agency and government leaders from southeastern Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region, and a collaborative planning meeting was held to review the findings and develop systems-based recommendations. Survey results indicated that human service agencies serve the most vulnerable communities during disasters and would welcome integration into preparedness and response plans, but they currently face challenges that include a lack of real-time communication and opportunities for collaborative planning with government partners. Interview findings were grouped according to 5 themes that emerged: capacity, coordination, communication, training, and leadership. This study identified recommendations to assist human service agencies, local health departments, and emergency management agencies as they work to ensure that needed human services are available during disasters, despite the resource challenges that most agencies face.

  9. Examination of a Method to Determine the Reference Region for Calculating the Specific Binding Ratio in Dopamine Transporter Imaging.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Ayumi; Inoue, Yusuke; Asano, Yuji; Kikuchi, Kei; Miyatake, Hiroki; Tokushige, Takanobu

    2017-01-01

    The specific binding ratio (SBR) was first reported by Tossici-Bolt et al. for quantitative indicators for dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging. It is defined as the ratio of the specific binding concentration of the striatum to the non-specific binding concentration of the whole brain other than the striatum. The non-specific binding concentration is calculated based on the region of interest (ROI), which is set 20 mm inside the outer contour, defined by a threshold technique. Tossici-Bolt et al. used a 50% threshold, but sometimes we couldn't define the ROI of non-specific binding concentration (reference region) and calculate SBR appropriately with a 50% threshold. Therefore, we sought a new method for determining the reference region when calculating SBR. We used data from 20 patients who had undergone DAT imaging in our hospital, to calculate the non-specific binding concentration by the following methods, the threshold to define a reference region was fixed at some specific values (the fixing method) and reference region was visually optimized by an examiner at every examination (the visual optimization method). First, we assessed the reference region of each method visually, and afterward, we quantitatively compared SBR calculated based on each method. In the visual assessment, the scores of the fixing method at 30% and visual optimization method were higher than the scores of the fixing method at other values, with or without scatter correction. In the quantitative assessment, the SBR obtained by visual optimization of the reference region, based on consensus of three radiological technologists, was used as a baseline (the standard method). The values of SBR showed good agreement between the standard method and both the fixing method at 30% and the visual optimization method, with or without scatter correction. Therefore, the fixing method at 30% and the visual optimization method were equally suitable for determining the reference region.

  10. 40 CFR 792.107 - Test, control, and reference substance handling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Test, control, and reference substance handling. 792.107 Section 792.107 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Test, Control, and Reference...

  11. Theoretical studies of floating-reference method for NIR blood glucose sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Zhenzhi; Yang, Yue; Zhao, Huijuan; Chen, Wenliang; Liu, Rong; Xu, Kexin

    2011-03-01

    Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring using NIR light has been suffered from the variety of optical background that is mainly caused by the change of human body, such as the change of temperature, water concentration, and so on. In order to eliminate these internal influence and external interference a so called floating-reference method has been proposed to provide an internal reference. From the analysis of the diffuse reflectance spectrum, a position has been found where diffuse reflection of light is not sensitive to the glucose concentrations. Our previous work has proved the existence of reference position using diffusion equation. However, since glucose monitoring generally use the NIR light in region of 1000-2000nm, diffusion equation is not valid because of the high absorption coefficient and small source-detector separations. In this paper, steady-state high-order approximate model is used to further investigate the existence of the floating reference position in semi-infinite medium. Based on the analysis of different optical parameters on the impact of spatially resolved reflectance of light, we find that the existence of the floating-reference position is the result of the interaction of optical parameters. Comparing to the results of Monte Carlo simulation, the applicable region of diffusion approximation and higher-order approximation for the calculation of floating-reference position is discussed at the wavelength of 1000nm-1800nm, using the intralipid solution of different concentrations. The results indicate that when the reduced albedo is greater than 0.93, diffusion approximation results are more close to simulation results, otherwise the high order approximation is more applicable.

  12. Verification of chemistry reference ranges using a simple method in sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    De Baetselier, Irith; Taylor, Douglas; Mandala, Justin; Nanda, Kavita; Van Campenhout, Christel; Agingu, Walter; Madurai, Lorna; Barsch, Eva-Maria; Deese, Jennifer; Van Damme, Lut; Crucitti, Tania

    2016-01-01

    Chemistry safety assessments are interpreted by using chemistry reference ranges (CRRs). Verification of CRRs is time consuming and often requires a statistical background. We report on an easy and cost-saving method to verify CRRs. Using a former method introduced by Sigma Diagnostics, three study sites in sub-Saharan Africa, Bondo, Kenya, and Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, verified the CRRs for hepatic and renal biochemistry assays performed during a clinical trial of HIV antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis. The aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase, creatinine and phosphorus results from 10 clinically-healthy participants at the screening visit were used. In the event the CRRs did not pass the verification, new CRRs had to be calculated based on 40 clinically-healthy participants. Within a few weeks, the study sites accomplished verification of the CRRs without additional costs. The aspartate aminotransferase reference ranges for the Bondo, Kenya site and the alanine aminotransferase reference ranges for the Pretoria, South Africa site required adjustment. The phosphorus CRR passed verification and the creatinine CRR required adjustment at every site. The newly-established CRR intervals were narrower than the CRRs used previously at these study sites due to decreases in the upper limits of the reference ranges. As a result, more toxicities were detected. To ensure the safety of clinical trial participants, verification of CRRs should be standard practice in clinical trials conducted in settings where the CRR has not been validated for the local population. This verification method is simple, inexpensive, and can be performed by any medical laboratory.

  13. A novel method for the activity measurement of large-area beta reference sources.

    PubMed

    Stanga, D; De Felice, P; Keightley, J; Capogni, M; Ioan, M R

    2016-03-01

    A novel method has been developed for the activity measurement of large-area beta reference sources. It makes use of two emission rate measurements and is based on the weak dependence between the source activity and the activity distribution for a given value of transmission coefficient. The method was checked experimentally by measuring the activity of two ((60)Co and (137)Cs) large-area reference sources constructed from anodized aluminum foils. Measurement results were compared with the activity values measured by gamma spectrometry. For each source, they agree within one standard uncertainty and also agree within the same limits with the certified values of the source activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 40 CFR 160.107 - Test, control, and reference substance handling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test, control, and reference substance handling. 160.107 Section 160.107 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Test, Control, and Reference Substances § 160.107 Test...

  15. 40 CFR 63.119 - Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology. 63.119 Section 63.119 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.119 Storage vessel provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each storage vessel to which...

  16. 40 CFR 63.119 - Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology. 63.119 Section 63.119 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.119 Storage vessel provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each storage vessel to which...

  17. 40 CFR 63.119 - Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology. 63.119 Section 63.119 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.119 Storage vessel provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each storage vessel to which...

  18. 40 CFR 63.119 - Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology. 63.119 Section 63.119 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.119 Storage vessel provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each storage vessel to which...

  19. 40 CFR 63.119 - Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Storage vessel provisions-reference control technology. 63.119 Section 63.119 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.119 Storage vessel provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each storage vessel to which...

  20. The Customer Metaphor and the Defense Intelligence Agency

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-05-26

    the foregoing statement.) Fair use determination or copyright permission has been obtained for the inclusion of pictures, maps, graphics, and any...agencies to refer to the policymakers and war fighters who use intelligence as their customers. The Defense Intelligence Agency, which was founded in...highly inappropriate for the profession of intelligence. The profit motive inherent in the term customer means that intelligence leaders who use it

  1. An automated and objective method for age partitioning of reference intervals based on continuous centile curves.

    PubMed

    Yang, Qian; Lew, Hwee Yeong; Peh, Raymond Hock Huat; Metz, Michael Patrick; Loh, Tze Ping

    2016-10-01

    Reference intervals are the most commonly used decision support tool when interpreting quantitative laboratory results. They may require partitioning to better describe subpopulations that display significantly different reference values. Partitioning by age is particularly important for the paediatric population since there are marked physiological changes associated with growth and maturation. However, most partitioning methods are either technically complex or require prior knowledge of the underlying physiology/biological variation of the population. There is growing interest in the use of continuous centile curves, which provides seamless laboratory reference values as a child grows, as an alternative to rigidly described fixed reference intervals. However, the mathematical functions that describe these curves can be complex and may not be easily implemented in laboratory information systems. Hence, the use of fixed reference intervals is expected to continue for a foreseeable time. We developed a method that objectively proposes optimised age partitions and reference intervals for quantitative laboratory data (http://research.sph.nus.edu.sg/pp/ppResult.aspx), based on the sum of gradient that best describes the underlying distribution of the continuous centile curves. It is hoped that this method may improve the selection of age intervals for partitioning, which is receiving increasing attention in paediatric laboratory medicine. Copyright © 2016 Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Understanding a reference-free impedance method using collocated piezoelectric transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Min Koo; Sohn, Hoon; Park, Hyun Woo

    2010-03-01

    A new concept of a reference-free impedance method, which does not require direct comparison with a baseline impedance signal, is proposed for damage detection in a plate-like structure. A single pair of piezoelectric (PZT) wafers collocated on both surfaces of a plate are utilized for extracting electro-mechanical signatures (EMS) associated with mode conversion due to damage. A numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the EMS of collocated PZT wafers in the frequency domain at the presence of damage through spectral element analysis. Then, the EMS due to mode conversion induced by damage are extracted using the signal decomposition technique based on the polarization characteristics of the collocated PZT wafers. The effects of the size and the location of damage on the decomposed EMS are investigated as well. Finally, the applicability of the decomposed EMS to the reference-free damage diagnosis is discussed.

  3. 40 CFR Appendix IV to Part 266 - Reference Air Concentrations*

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Reference Air Concentrations* IV Appendix IV to Part 266 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES... MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Pt. 266, App. IV Appendix IV to Part 266—Reference Air Concentrations* Constituent CAS...

  4. 40 CFR Appendix IV to Part 266 - Reference Air Concentrations*

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Reference Air Concentrations* IV Appendix IV to Part 266 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES... MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Pt. 266, App. IV Appendix IV to Part 266—Reference Air Concentrations* Constituent CAS...

  5. 40 CFR Appendix IV to Part 266 - Reference Air Concentrations*

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reference Air Concentrations* IV Appendix IV to Part 266 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES... MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Pt. 266, App. IV Appendix IV to Part 266—Reference Air Concentrations* Constituent CAS...

  6. 40 CFR Appendix IV to Part 266 - Reference Air Concentrations*

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reference Air Concentrations* IV Appendix IV to Part 266 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES... MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Pt. 266, App. IV Appendix IV to Part 266—Reference Air Concentrations* Constituent CAS...

  7. 40 CFR 63.1322 - Batch process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Batch process vents-reference control technology. 63.1322 Section 63.1322 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Batch process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch process vents. The owner or operator of a...

  8. 40 CFR 63.113 - Process vent provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Process vent provisions-reference control technology. 63.113 Section 63.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.113 Process vent provisions—reference control technology. (a) The owner or operator of a Group 1...

  9. 40 CFR 63.113 - Process vent provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Process vent provisions-reference control technology. 63.113 Section 63.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.113 Process vent provisions—reference control technology. (a) The owner or operator of a Group 1...

  10. 40 CFR 63.113 - Process vent provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Process vent provisions-reference control technology. 63.113 Section 63.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.113 Process vent provisions—reference control technology. (a) The owner or operator of a Group 1...

  11. 40 CFR 63.113 - Process vent provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Process vent provisions-reference control technology. 63.113 Section 63.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.113 Process vent provisions—reference control technology. (a) The owner or operator of a Group 1...

  12. 40 CFR 63.113 - Process vent provisions-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Process vent provisions-reference control technology. 63.113 Section 63.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 63.113 Process vent provisions—reference control technology. (a) The owner or operator of a Group 1...

  13. 40 CFR 63.1322 - Batch process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Batch process vents-reference control technology. 63.1322 Section 63.1322 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Batch process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch process vents. The owner or operator of a...

  14. 40 CFR 63.1322 - Batch process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Batch process vents-reference control technology. 63.1322 Section 63.1322 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... § 63.1322 Batch process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch process vents. The owner or...

  15. 40 CFR 63.1322 - Batch process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Batch process vents-reference control technology. 63.1322 Section 63.1322 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Batch process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch process vents. The owner or operator of a...

  16. Transmit-reference methods in software defined radio platforms for communication in harsh propagation environments and systems thereof

    DOEpatents

    Dowla, Farid U; Nekoogar, Faranak

    2015-03-03

    A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) jamming according to one embodiment includes dynamically monitoring a RF spectrum; detecting any undesired signals in real time from the RF spectrum; and sending a directional countermeasure signal to jam the undesired signals. A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) communications according to another embodiment includes transmitting a data pulse in a RF spectrum; and transmitting a reference pulse separated by a predetermined period of time from the data pulse; wherein the data pulse is modulated with data, wherein the reference pulse is unmodulated. A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) communications according to yet another embodiment includes receiving a data pulse in a RF spectrum; and receiving a reference pulse separated in time from the data pulse, wherein the data pulse is modulated with data, wherein the reference pulse is unmodulated; and demodulating the pulses.

  17. Improving Collaborative School-Agency Transition Planning: A Statewide DBMS Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Randolph L.; Roessler, Richard T.

    1997-01-01

    Describes the development and components of a referral database management system developed by the Arkansas Transition Project. The system enables individualized-education-plan team members to refer students with disabilities directly to adult agencies and to receive a monitoring report describing the agency response to the referral. The system is…

  18. Transmit-reference methods in software defined radio platforms for communication in harsh propagation environments and systems thereof

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

    Dowla, Farid; Nekoogar, Faranak

    A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) jamming according to one embodiment includes dynamically monitoring a RF spectrum; detecting any undesired signals in real time from the RF spectrum; and sending a directional countermeasure signal to jam the undesired signals. A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) communications according to another embodiment includes transmitting a data pulse in a RF spectrum; and transmitting a reference pulse separated by a predetermined period of time from the data pulse; wherein the data pulse is modulated with data, wherein the reference pulse is unmodulated. A method for adaptive Radio Frequency (RF) communications accordingmore » to yet another embodiment includes receiving a data pulse in a RF spectrum; and receiving a reference pulse separated in time from the data pulse, wherein the data pulse is modulated with data, wherein the reference pulse is unmodulated; and demodulating the pulses.« less

  19. 2 CFR 2245.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2245.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... of the award, to comply with the requirements in subpart B (or subpart C, if the recipient is an... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  20. 2 CFR 3373.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Officials § 3373.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  1. 2 CFR 3373.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Officials § 3373.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  2. 2 CFR 382.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Officials § 382.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 382.400 Section 382.400 Grants...

  3. 2 CFR 782.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Officials § 782.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 782.400 Section 782.400 Grants...

  4. 2 CFR 902.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 902.400 Section 902.400 Grants...

  5. 2 CFR 421.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 421.400 Section 421.400 Grants...

  6. 2 CFR 421.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 421.400 Section 421.400 Grants...

  7. 2 CFR 3186.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 3186.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  8. 2 CFR 382.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Officials § 382.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 382.400 Section 382.400 Grants...

  9. 2 CFR 1536.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Officials § 1536.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  10. 2 CFR 3186.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 3186.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  11. 2 CFR 782.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Officials § 782.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 782.400 Section 782.400 Grants...

  12. 2 CFR 3186.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 3186.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  13. 2 CFR 2339.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... § 2339.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 2339.400 Section 2339.400...

  14. 2 CFR 2339.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... § 2339.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 2339.400 Section 2339.400...

  15. 2 CFR 902.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 902.400 Section 902.400 Grants...

  16. 2 CFR 2245.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2245.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... of the award, to comply with the requirements in subpart B (or subpart C, if the recipient is an... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  17. 2 CFR 782.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Officials § 782.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 782.400 Section 782.400 Grants...

  18. 2 CFR 2429.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2429.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  19. 2 CFR 3001.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Officials § 3001.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  20. 2 CFR 2339.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... § 2339.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 2339.400 Section 2339.400...

  1. 2 CFR 1536.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Officials § 1536.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  2. 2 CFR 1536.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Officials § 1536.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  3. 2 CFR 3186.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 3186.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  4. 2 CFR 902.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 902.400 Section 902.400 Grants...

  5. 2 CFR 421.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 421.400 Section 421.400 Grants...

  6. 2 CFR 2339.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... § 2339.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 2339.400 Section 2339.400...

  7. 2 CFR 2429.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2429.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  8. 2 CFR 3001.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Officials § 3001.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  9. 2 CFR 382.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Officials § 382.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 382.400 Section 382.400 Grants...

  10. 2 CFR 1536.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Officials § 1536.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  11. 2 CFR 3373.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Officials § 3373.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  12. 2 CFR 3373.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Officials § 3373.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  13. 2 CFR 902.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ....400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 902.400 Section 902.400 Grants...

  14. 2 CFR 2429.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2429.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  15. 2 CFR 2245.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2245.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... of the award, to comply with the requirements in subpart B (or subpart C, if the recipient is an... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  16. 2 CFR 3001.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Officials § 3001.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement... award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  17. Identification of reliable gridded reference data for statistical downscaling methods in Alberta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eum, H. I.; Gupta, A.

    2017-12-01

    Climate models provide essential information to assess impacts of climate change at regional and global scales. However, statistical downscaling methods have been applied to prepare climate model data for various applications such as hydrologic and ecologic modelling at a watershed scale. As the reliability and (spatial and temporal) resolution of statistically downscaled climate data mainly depend on a reference data, identifying the most reliable reference data is crucial for statistical downscaling. A growing number of gridded climate products are available for key climate variables which are main input data to regional modelling systems. However, inconsistencies in these climate products, for example, different combinations of climate variables, varying data domains and data lengths and data accuracy varying with physiographic characteristics of the landscape, have caused significant challenges in selecting the most suitable reference climate data for various environmental studies and modelling. Employing various observation-based daily gridded climate products available in public domain, i.e. thin plate spline regression products (ANUSPLIN and TPS), inverse distance method (Alberta Townships), and numerical climate model (North American Regional Reanalysis) and an optimum interpolation technique (Canadian Precipitation Analysis), this study evaluates the accuracy of the climate products at each grid point by comparing with the Adjusted and Homogenized Canadian Climate Data (AHCCD) observations for precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature over the province of Alberta. Based on the performance of climate products at AHCCD stations, we ranked the reliability of these publically available climate products corresponding to the elevations of stations discretized into several classes. According to the rank of climate products for each elevation class, we identified the most reliable climate products based on the elevation of target points. A web-based system

  18. 76 FR 46805 - Notice of Utah Adoption by Reference of the Pesticide Container Containment Rule

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-03

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9447-8] Notice of Utah Adoption by Reference of the Pesticide Container Containment Rule AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This... Pesticide Container Containment (PCC) Rule regulations. In accordance with State of Utah Agricultural Code...

  19. Association of Reference Pricing with Drug Selection and Spending

    PubMed Central

    Robinson, James C.; Whaley, Christopher M.; Brown, Timothy T.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND In the United States, prices for therapeutically similar drugs vary widely, which has prompted efforts by public and private insurers to steer patients toward the lower-priced options. Under reference pricing, the insurer or employer establishes a maximum contribution it will make toward the price of a drug or procedure, and the patient pays the remainder. METHODS We used difference-in-differences multivariable regression methods to analyze changes in prescriptions and pricing for 1302 drugs in 78 therapeutic classes in the United States, before and after implementation of reference pricing by an alliance of private employers. We assessed trends for the study group relative to those for an employee group that was not subject to reference pricing. The study included 1,122,741 prescriptions that were reimbursed during the period from 2010 through 2014. RESULTS Implementation of reference pricing was associated with a higher percentage of prescriptions that were filled for the lowest-priced reference drug within its therapeutic class (difference in probability, 7.0 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0 to 9.9), a lower average price paid per prescription (−13.9%; 95% CI, −23.8 to −2.7), and a higher rate of copayment by patients (5.2%; 95% CI, 0.2 to 10.4) than in the comparison group. During the first 18 months after implementation, spending for employers was $1.34 million lower and the amount of copayments for employees was $0.12 million higher than in the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of reference pricing was associated with significant changes in drug selection and spending for a population of patients covered by employment-based insurance in the United States. (Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Genentech Foundation.) PMID:28813219

  20. The Kjeldahl method as a primary reference procedure for total protein in certified reference materials used in clinical chemistry. II. Selection of direct Kjeldahl analysis and its preliminary performance parameters.

    PubMed

    Vinklárková, Bára; Chromý, Vratislav; Šprongl, Luděk; Bittová, Miroslava; Rikanová, Milena; Ohnútková, Ivana; Žaludová, Lenka

    2015-01-01

    To select a Kjeldahl procedure suitable for the determination of total protein in reference materials used in laboratory medicine, we reviewed in our previous article Kjeldahl methods adopted by clinical chemistry and found an indirect two-step analysis by total Kjeldahl nitrogen corrected for its nonprotein nitrogen and a direct analysis made on isolated protein precipitates. In this article, we compare both procedures on various reference materials. An indirect Kjeldahl method gave falsely lower results than a direct analysis. Preliminary performance parameters qualify the direct Kjeldahl analysis as a suitable primary reference procedure for the certification of total protein in reference laboratories.

  1. 28 CFR 42.608 - Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Against Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance § 42.608 Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC. Upon EEOC's transmittal of a dismissal under § 42.607 of this regulation, the referring agency shall... EEOC. 42.608 Section 42.608 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL...

  2. 28 CFR 42.608 - Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Against Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance § 42.608 Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC. Upon EEOC's transmittal of a dismissal under § 42.607 of this regulation, the referring agency shall... EEOC. 42.608 Section 42.608 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL...

  3. 28 CFR 42.608 - Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Against Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance § 42.608 Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC. Upon EEOC's transmittal of a dismissal under § 42.607 of this regulation, the referring agency shall... EEOC. 42.608 Section 42.608 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL...

  4. 28 CFR 42.608 - Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Against Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance § 42.608 Agency action on complaints dismissed by EEOC. Upon EEOC's transmittal of a dismissal under § 42.607 of this regulation, the referring agency shall... EEOC. 42.608 Section 42.608 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL...

  5. Environmental Protection Agency Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-20

    ... Protection Agency (EPA) publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda online (the e-Agenda) at www.reginfo.gov... agenda'' all refer to the same comprehensive collection of information that until 2007 was published in... significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. It continues to be published in the Federal...

  6. Comparison of analytical methods for the determination of histamine in reference canned fish samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jakšić, S.; Baloš, M. Ž.; Mihaljev, Ž.; Prodanov Radulović, J.; Nešić, K.

    2017-09-01

    Two screening methods for histamine in canned fish, an enzymatic test and a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA), were compared with the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) standard method. For enzymatic and CD-ELISA methods, determination was conducted according to producers’ manuals. For RP-HPLC, histamine was derivatized with dansyl-chloride, followed by RP-HPLC and diode array detection. Results of analysis of canned fish, supplied as reference samples for proficiency testing, showed good agreement when histamine was present at higher concentrations (above 100 mg kg-1). At a lower level (16.95 mg kg-1), the enzymatic test produced some higher results. Generally, analysis of four reference samples according to CD-ELISA and RP-HPLC showed good agreement for histamine determination (r=0.977 in concentration range 16.95-216 mg kg-1) The results show that the applied enzymatic test and CD-ELISA appeared to be suitable screening methods for the determination of histamine in canned fish.

  7. 2 CFR 2245.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Awarding Officials § 2245.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's... of the award, to comply with the requirements in subpart B (or subpart C, if the recipient is an... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding...

  8. 2 CFR 382.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Officials § 382.400 What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 382.400 Section 382.400 Grants...

  9. 40 CFR 600.011 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Incorporation by reference. 600.011 Section 600.011 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES General Provisions § 600.011 Incorporation...

  10. Environmental Protection Agency Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-26

    ... Protection Agency (EPA) publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda online (the e-Agenda) at www.reginfo.gov... agenda'' all refer to the same comprehensive collection of information that used to be published in the... impact on a substantial number of small entities. This continues to be published in the Federal Register...

  11. A method of camera calibration in the measurement process with reference mark for approaching observation space target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hua; Zeng, Luan

    2017-11-01

    Binocular stereoscopic vision can be used for space-based space targets near observation. In order to solve the problem that the traditional binocular vision system cannot work normally after interference, an online calibration method of binocular stereo measuring camera with self-reference is proposed. The method uses an auxiliary optical imaging device to insert the image of the standard reference object into the edge of the main optical path and image with the target on the same focal plane, which is equivalent to a standard reference in the binocular imaging optical system; When the position of the system and the imaging device parameters are disturbed, the image of the standard reference will change accordingly in the imaging plane, and the position of the standard reference object does not change. The camera's external parameters can be re-calibrated by the visual relationship of the standard reference object. The experimental results show that the maximum mean square error of the same object can be reduced from the original 72.88mm to 1.65mm when the right camera is deflected by 0.4 degrees and the left camera is high and low with 0.2° rotation. This method can realize the online calibration of binocular stereoscopic vision measurement system, which can effectively improve the anti - jamming ability of the system.

  12. Micro methods and micro apparatus for chemical pathology with special reference to paediatrics

    PubMed Central

    Clayton, Barbara E.; Jenkins, P.

    1966-01-01

    This article describes methods and apparatus which permit the estimation of a particular substance without requiring more blood than can conveniently and safely be removed from a child by capillary puncture. No reference will be made to the use of methods on the Technicon Auto-Analyzer as that machine is not yet generally geared to paediatric work, although a few centres have made their own modifications to permit certain methods to be performed on capillary samples of blood. PMID:5937614

  13. Striking against bioterrorism with advanced proteomics and reference methods.

    PubMed

    Armengaud, Jean

    2017-01-01

    The intentional use by terrorists of biological toxins as weapons has been of great concern for many years. Among the numerous toxins produced by plants, animals, algae, fungi, and bacteria, ricin is one of the most scrutinized by the media because it has already been used in biocrimes and acts of bioterrorism. Improving the analytical toolbox of national authorities to monitor these potential bioweapons all at once is of the utmost interest. MS/MS allows their absolute quantitation and exhibits advantageous sensitivity, discriminative power, multiplexing possibilities, and speed. In this issue of Proteomics, Gilquin et al. (Proteomics 2017, 17, 1600357) present a robust multiplex assay to quantify a set of eight toxins in the presence of a complex food matrix. This MS/MS reference method is based on scheduled SRM and high-quality standards consisting of isotopically labeled versions of these toxins. Their results demonstrate robust reliability based on rather loose scheduling of SRM transitions and good sensitivity for the eight toxins, lower than their oral median lethal doses. In the face of an increased threat from terrorism, relevant reference assays based on advanced proteomics and high-quality companion toxin standards are reliable and firm answers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. The effects of user factors and symbol referents on public symbol design using the stereotype production method.

    PubMed

    Ng, Annie W Y; Siu, Kin Wai Michael; Chan, Chetwyn C H

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the influence of user factors and symbol referents on public symbol design among older people, using the stereotype production method for collecting user ideas during the symbol design process. Thirty-one older adults were asked to draw images based on 28 public symbol referents and to indicate their familiarity with and ease with which they visualised each referent. Differences were found between the pictorial solutions generated by males and females. However, symbol design was not influenced by participants' education level, vividness of visual imagery, object imagery preference or spatial imagery preference. Both familiar and unfamiliar referents were illustrated pictorially without much difficulty by users. The more visual the referent, the less difficulty the users had in illustrating it. The findings of this study should aid the optimisation of the stereotype production method for user-involved symbol design. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  15. Flate-plate photovoltaic power systems handbook for Federal agencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cochrane, E. H.; Lawson, A. C.; Savage, C. H.

    1984-01-01

    The primary purpose is to provide a tool for personnel in Federal agencies to evaluate the viability of potential photovoltaic applications. A second objective is to provide descriptions of various photovoltaic systems installed by different Federal agencies under the Federal Photovoltaic Utilization Program so that other agencies may consider similar applications. A third objective is to share lessons learned to enable more effective procurement, design, installation, and operation of future photovoltaic systems. The intent is not to provide a complete handbook, but rather to provide a guide for Federal agency personnel with additional information incorporated by references. The steps to be followed in selecting, procuring, and installing a photovoltaic application are given.

  16. Reference values assessment in a Mediterranean population for small dense low-density lipoprotein concentration isolated by an optimized precipitation method.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Cidón, Bárbara; Padró-Miquel, Ariadna; Alía-Ramos, Pedro; Castro-Castro, María José; Fanlo-Maresma, Marta; Dot-Bach, Dolors; Valero-Politi, José; Pintó-Sala, Xavier; Candás-Estébanez, Beatriz

    2017-01-01

    High serum concentrations of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sd-LDL-c) particles are associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Their clinical application has been hindered as a consequence of the laborious current method used for their quantification. Optimize a simple and fast precipitation method to isolate sd-LDL particles and establish a reference interval in a Mediterranean population. Forty-five serum samples were collected, and sd-LDL particles were isolated using a modified heparin-Mg 2+ precipitation method. sd-LDL-c concentration was calculated by subtracting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) from the total cholesterol measured in the supernatant. This method was compared with the reference method (ultracentrifugation). Reference values were estimated according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine recommendations. sd-LDL-c concentration was measured in serums from 79 subjects with no lipid metabolism abnormalities. The Passing-Bablok regression equation is y = 1.52 (0.72 to 1.73) + 0.07 x (-0.1 to 0.13), demonstrating no significant statistical differences between the modified precipitation method and the ultracentrifugation reference method. Similarly, no differences were detected when considering only sd-LDL-c from dyslipidemic patients, since the modifications added to the precipitation method facilitated the proper sedimentation of triglycerides and other lipoproteins. The reference interval for sd-LDL-c concentration estimated in a Mediterranean population was 0.04-0.47 mmol/L. An optimization of the heparin-Mg 2+ precipitation method for sd-LDL particle isolation was performed, and reference intervals were established in a Spanish Mediterranean population. Measured values were equivalent to those obtained with the reference method, assuring its clinical application when tested in both normolipidemic and dyslipidemic

  17. 75 FR 26346 - Agency Information Collection (Marital Status Questionnaire) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0495] Agency Information Collection (Marital Status Questionnaire) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of... refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0495.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Marital Status Questionnaire...

  18. Job Search Methods: Consequences for Gender-based Earnings Inequality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huffman, Matt L.; Torres, Lisa

    2001-01-01

    Data from adults in Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles (n=1,942) who searched for work using formal (ads, agencies) or informal (networks) methods indicated that type of method used did not contribute to the gender gap in earnings. Results do not support formal job search as a way to reduce gender inequality. (Contains 55 references.) (SK)

  19. Circuit Riding: A Method for Providing Reference Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plunket, Linda; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Discussion of the design and implementation of the Circuit Rider Librarian Program, a shared services project for delivering reference services to eight hospitals in Maine, includes a cost analysis of services and description of user evaluation survey. Five references, composite results of the survey, and postgrant options proposal are appended.…

  20. 76 FR 8989 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Updated Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting References

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-16

    ... Acquisition Regulation; Updated Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting References AGENCIES... Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to update references to authoritative accounting standards owing to the Financial... Accounting Principles (GAAP) (``Codification of GAAP''). DATES: Interested parties should submit written...

  1. 77 FR 46994 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-07

    ... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

  2. 77 FR 29275 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-17

    ... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

  3. 75 FR 36609 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-28

    ...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...

  4. 40 CFR 192.31 - Definitions and cross-references.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Definitions and cross-references. 192.31 Section 192.31 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION... as practicable considering technological feasibility means as quickly as possible considering: the...

  5. 40 CFR 192.31 - Definitions and cross-references.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Definitions and cross-references. 192.31 Section 192.31 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION... as practicable considering technological feasibility means as quickly as possible considering: the...

  6. 40 CFR 192.31 - Definitions and cross-references.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Definitions and cross-references. 192.31 Section 192.31 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION... as practicable considering technological feasibility means as quickly as possible considering: the...

  7. IMPROVED TEMPERATURE STABILITY OF SULFUR DIOXIDE SAMPLES COLLECTED BY THE FEDERAL REFERENCE METHOD

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report describes an examination of the reagents present in the SO2 Federal Reference Method (FRM) to determine if any change in reagent concentration or condition could bring about substantial, if not complete, retardation of the effect of temperature on the stability of col...

  8. Calibration test of the temperature and strain sensitivity coefficient in regional reference grating method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jing; Huang, Junbing; Wu, Hanping; Gu, Hongcan; Tang, Bo

    2014-12-01

    In order to verify the validity of the regional reference grating method in solve the strain/temperature cross sensitive problem in the actual ship structural health monitoring system, and to meet the requirements of engineering, for the sensitivity coefficients of regional reference grating method, national standard measurement equipment is used to calibrate the temperature sensitivity coefficient of selected FBG temperature sensor and strain sensitivity coefficient of FBG strain sensor in this modal. And the thermal expansion sensitivity coefficient of the steel for ships is calibrated with water bath method. The calibration results show that the temperature sensitivity coefficient of FBG temperature sensor is 28.16pm/°C within -10~30°C, and its linearity is greater than 0.999, the strain sensitivity coefficient of FBG strain sensor is 1.32pm/μɛ within -2900~2900μɛ whose linearity is almost to 1, the thermal expansion sensitivity coefficient of the steel for ships is 23.438pm/°C within 30~90°C, and its linearity is greater than 0.998. Finally, the calibration parameters are used in the actual ship structure health monitoring system for temperature compensation. The results show that the effect of temperature compensation is good, and the calibration parameters meet the engineering requirements, which provide an important reference for fiber Bragg grating sensor is widely used in engineering.

  9. Effect of reference genome selection on the performance of computational methods for genome-wide protein-protein interaction prediction.

    PubMed

    Muley, Vijaykumar Yogesh; Ranjan, Akash

    2012-01-01

    Recent progress in computational methods for predicting physical and functional protein-protein interactions has provided new insights into the complexity of biological processes. Most of these methods assume that functionally interacting proteins are likely to have a shared evolutionary history. This history can be traced out for the protein pairs of a query genome by correlating different evolutionary aspects of their homologs in multiple genomes known as the reference genomes. These methods include phylogenetic profiling, gene neighborhood and co-occurrence of the orthologous protein coding genes in the same cluster or operon. These are collectively known as genomic context methods. On the other hand a method called mirrortree is based on the similarity of phylogenetic trees between two interacting proteins. Comprehensive performance analyses of these methods have been frequently reported in literature. However, very few studies provide insight into the effect of reference genome selection on detection of meaningful protein interactions. We analyzed the performance of four methods and their variants to understand the effect of reference genome selection on prediction efficacy. We used six sets of reference genomes, sampled in accordance with phylogenetic diversity and relationship between organisms from 565 bacteria. We used Escherichia coli as a model organism and the gold standard datasets of interacting proteins reported in DIP, EcoCyc and KEGG databases to compare the performance of the prediction methods. Higher performance for predicting protein-protein interactions was achievable even with 100-150 bacterial genomes out of 565 genomes. Inclusion of archaeal genomes in the reference genome set improves performance. We find that in order to obtain a good performance, it is better to sample few genomes of related genera of prokaryotes from the large number of available genomes. Moreover, such a sampling allows for selecting 50-100 genomes for comparable

  10. Between School and Working Life: Vocational Teachers' Agency in Boundary-Crossing Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vahasantanen, Katja; Saarinen, Jaana; Etelapelto, Anneli

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates agency among vocational teachers with reference to boundary-crossing between school and working life. Our study utilised interviews with sixteen Finnish vocational teachers. Adopting a narrative analysis approach, we found that the teachers had a variety of forms of exercising agency in terms of decisions deliberately…

  11. Correlative multiple porosimetries for reservoir sandstones with adoption of a new reference-sample-guided computed-tomographic method.

    PubMed

    Jin, Jae Hwa; Kim, Junho; Lee, Jeong-Yil; Oh, Young Min

    2016-07-22

    One of the main interests in petroleum geology and reservoir engineering is to quantify the porosity of reservoir beds as accurately as possible. A variety of direct measurements, including methods of mercury intrusion, helium injection and petrographic image analysis, have been developed; however, their application frequently yields equivocal results because these methods are different in theoretical bases, means of measurement, and causes of measurement errors. Here, we present a set of porosities measured in Berea Sandstone samples by the multiple methods, in particular with adoption of a new method using computed tomography and reference samples. The multiple porosimetric data show a marked correlativeness among different methods, suggesting that these methods are compatible with each other. The new method of reference-sample-guided computed tomography is more effective than the previous methods when the accompanied merits such as experimental conveniences are taken into account.

  12. Reference set for performance testing of pediatric vaccine safety signal detection methods and systems.

    PubMed

    Brauchli Pernus, Yolanda; Nan, Cassandra; Verstraeten, Thomas; Pedenko, Mariia; Osokogu, Osemeke U; Weibel, Daniel; Sturkenboom, Miriam; Bonhoeffer, Jan

    2016-12-12

    Safety signal detection in spontaneous reporting system databases and electronic healthcare records is key to detection of previously unknown adverse events following immunization. Various statistical methods for signal detection in these different datasources have been developed, however none are geared to the pediatric population and none specifically to vaccines. A reference set comprising pediatric vaccine-adverse event pairs is required for reliable performance testing of statistical methods within and across data sources. The study was conducted within the context of the Global Research in Paediatrics (GRiP) project, as part of the seventh framework programme (FP7) of the European Commission. Criteria for the selection of vaccines considered in the reference set were routine and global use in the pediatric population. Adverse events were primarily selected based on importance. Outcome based systematic literature searches were performed for all identified vaccine-adverse event pairs and complemented by expert committee reports, evidence based decision support systems (e.g. Micromedex), and summaries of product characteristics. Classification into positive (PC) and negative control (NC) pairs was performed by two independent reviewers according to a pre-defined algorithm and discussed for consensus in case of disagreement. We selected 13 vaccines and 14 adverse events to be included in the reference set. From a total of 182 vaccine-adverse event pairs, we classified 18 as PC, 113 as NC and 51 as unclassifiable. Most classifications (91) were based on literature review, 45 were based on expert committee reports, and for 46 vaccine-adverse event pairs, an underlying pathomechanism was not plausible classifying the association as NC. A reference set of vaccine-adverse event pairs was developed. We propose its use for comparing signal detection methods and systems in the pediatric population. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. User Education in the Academic Library: Media Methods for Reference Work. An Annotated Bibliography. Updated.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wharton, Sika

    This annotated bibliography focuses on academic library usage of audiovisual (AV) methods of instruction, particularly for the enhancement of the reference teaching function. The bibliography's objectives are as follows: to identify current trends with regard to AV methods in library orientation and bibliographic instruction; to isolate instances…

  14. What Is the Sense of Agency and Why Does it Matter?

    PubMed Central

    Moore, James W.

    2016-01-01

    Sense of agency refers to the feeling of control over actions and their consequences. In this article I summarize what we currently know about sense of agency; looking at how it is measured and what theories there are to explain it. I then explore some of the potential applications of this research, something that the sense of agency research field has been slow to identify and implement. This is a pressing concern given the increasing importance of ‘research impact.’ PMID:27621713

  15. Budget- and priority-setting criteria at state health agencies in times of austerity: a mixed-methods study.

    PubMed

    Leider, Jonathon P; Resnick, Beth; Kass, Nancy; Sellers, Katie; Young, Jessica; Bernet, Patrick; Jarris, Paul

    2014-06-01

    We examined critical budget and priority criteria for state health agencies to identify likely decision-making factors, pressures, and opportunities in times of austerity. We have presented findings from a 2-stage, mixed-methods study with state public health leaders regarding public health budget- and priority-setting processes. In stage 1, we conducted hour-long interviews in 2011 with 45 health agency executive and division or bureau leaders from 6 states. Stage 2 was an online survey of 207 executive and division or bureau leaders from all state health agencies (66% response rate). Respondents identified 5 key criteria: whether a program was viewed as "mission critical," the seriousness of the consequences of not funding the program, financing considerations, external directives and mandates, and the magnitude of the problem the program addressed. We have presented empirical findings on criteria used in state health agency budgetary decision-making. These criteria suggested a focus and interest on core public health and the largest public health problems with the most serious ramifications.

  16. A novel no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method based on visual saliency analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xinyan; Zhao, Wei; Ye, Long; Zhang, Qin

    2017-07-01

    This paper proposes a no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method with the motivation that making the effect of objective experiments close to that of subjective way. We believe that the image regions with different visual salient degree should not have the same weights when designing an assessment metric. Therefore, we firstly use GBVS algorithm to each frame pairs and separate both the left and right viewing images into the regions with strong, general and week saliency. Besides, local feature information like blockiness, zero-crossing and depth are extracted and combined with a mathematical model to calculate a quality assessment score. Regions with different salient degree are assigned with different weights in the mathematical model. Experiment results demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with the existed state-of-the-art no-reference objective Stereoscopic video quality assessment methods.

  17. 41 CFR 302-7.15 - Must I use the method selected by my agency for transporting my HHG, PBP&E and temporary storage?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) General Rules § 302-7.15 Must I use the method selected by my agency for transporting my HHG, PBP&E and temporary storage? No, you do not have to use the method... selected by my agency for transporting my HHG, PBP&E and temporary storage? 302-7.15 Section 302-7.15...

  18. MEASUREMENT OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BY THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY COMPENDIUM METHOD TO-17 - EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

    EPA Science Inventory

    An evaluation of performance criteria for US Environmental Protection Agency Compendium Method TO-17 for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air has been accomplished. The method is a solid adsorbent-based sampling and analytical procedure including performance crit...

  19. Critical Analysis of Existing Recyclability Assessment Methods for New Products in Order to Define a Reference Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maris, E.; Froelich, D.

    The designers of products subject to the European regulations on waste have an obligation to improve the recyclability of their products from the very first design stages. The statutory texts refer to ISO standard 22 628, which proposes a method to calculate vehicle recyclability. There are several scientific studies that propose other calculation methods as well. Yet the feedback from the CREER club, a group of manufacturers and suppliers expert in ecodesign and recycling, is that the product recyclability calculation method proposed in this standard is not satisfactory, since only a mass indicator is used, the calculation scope is not clearly defined, and common data on the recycling industry does not exist to allow comparable calculations to be made for different products. For these reasons, it is difficult for manufacturers to have access to a method and common data for calculation purposes.

  20. Draft reference grid cells for emergency response reconnaissance developed for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency [ER.QUADS6K_EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Draft reference grid cells for emergency response reconnaissance developed for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Grid cells are based on densification of the USGS Quarterquad (1:12,000 scale or 12K) grids for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico and are roughly equivalent to 1:6000 scale (6K) quadrangles approximately 2 miles long on each side. Note: This file is >80MB in size. Regional subsets have been created from this national file that include a 20 mile buffer of tiles around each EPA Region. To access the regional subsets, go to http://geodata.epa.gov/OSWER/6kquads_epa.zip and select the name of the file that corresponds to your region of interest (e.g. 6kquadr1.zip is the name of the file created for EPA Region 1).

  1. 40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process vents... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

  2. Agency and the construction of social preference: between inequality aversion and prosocial behavior.

    PubMed

    Choshen-Hillel, Shoham; Yaniv, Ilan

    2011-12-01

    The term social preference refers to decision makers' satisfaction with their own outcomes and those attained by comparable others. The present research was inspired by what appears to be a discrepancy in the literature on social preferences--specifically, between a class of studies demonstrating people's concern with inequality and others documenting their motivation to increase social welfare. The authors propose a theoretical framework to account for this puzzling difference. In particular, they argue that a characteristic of the decision setting--an individual's role in creating the outcomes, referred to as agency--critically affects decision makers' weighting of opposing social motives. Namely, in settings in which people can merely judge the outcomes, but cannot affect them ("low agency"), their concern with inequality figures prominently. In contrast, in settings in which people determine the outcomes for themselves and others ("high agency"), their concern with the welfare of others is prominent. Three studies using a new salary-allocation paradigm document a robust effect of agency. In the high-agency condition, participants had to assign salaries, whereas in the low-agency condition, they indicated their satisfaction with equivalent predetermined salaries. It was found that, compared with low-agency participants, high-agency participants were less concerned with disadvantageous salary allocations and were even willing to sacrifice a portion of their pay to better others' outcomes. The effects of agency are discussed in connection to inequality aversion, social comparison, prosocial behavior, and preference construction.

  3. Reference-free, high-resolution measurement method of timing jitter spectra of optical frequency combs

    PubMed Central

    Kwon, Dohyeon; Jeon, Chan-Gi; Shin, Junho; Heo, Myoung-Sun; Park, Sang Eon; Song, Youjian; Kim, Jungwon

    2017-01-01

    Timing jitter is one of the most important properties of femtosecond mode-locked lasers and optical frequency combs. Accurate measurement of timing jitter power spectral density (PSD) is a critical prerequisite for optimizing overall noise performance and further advancing comb applications both in the time and frequency domains. Commonly used jitter measurement methods require a reference mode-locked laser with timing jitter similar to or lower than that of the laser-under-test, which is a demanding requirement for many laser laboratories, and/or have limited measurement resolution. Here we show a high-resolution and reference-source-free measurement method of timing jitter spectra of optical frequency combs using an optical fibre delay line and optical carrier interference. The demonstrated method works well for both mode-locked oscillators and supercontinua, with 2 × 10−9 fs2/Hz (equivalent to −174 dBc/Hz at 10-GHz carrier frequency) measurement noise floor. The demonstrated method can serve as a simple and powerful characterization tool for timing jitter PSDs of various comb sources including mode-locked oscillators, supercontinua and recently emerging Kerr-frequency combs; the jitter measurement results enabled by our method will provide new insights for understanding and optimizing timing noise in such comb sources. PMID:28102352

  4. Correlative multiple porosimetries for reservoir sandstones with adoption of a new reference-sample-guided computed-tomographic method

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Jae Hwa; Kim, Junho; Lee, Jeong-Yil; Oh, Young Min

    2016-01-01

    One of the main interests in petroleum geology and reservoir engineering is to quantify the porosity of reservoir beds as accurately as possible. A variety of direct measurements, including methods of mercury intrusion, helium injection and petrographic image analysis, have been developed; however, their application frequently yields equivocal results because these methods are different in theoretical bases, means of measurement, and causes of measurement errors. Here, we present a set of porosities measured in Berea Sandstone samples by the multiple methods, in particular with adoption of a new method using computed tomography and reference samples. The multiple porosimetric data show a marked correlativeness among different methods, suggesting that these methods are compatible with each other. The new method of reference-sample-guided computed tomography is more effective than the previous methods when the accompanied merits such as experimental conveniences are taken into account. PMID:27445105

  5. 5 CFR 302.105 - Special agency plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... preference or priority consideration referred to in sections 1302(c) or 8151 of title 5, United States Code, but which does not conform to all the procedural requirements set forth in this part. The agency establishing such a system must ensure that all eligible applicants entitled to veteran preference or priority...

  6. Bayesian methods for uncertainty factor application for derivation of reference values.

    PubMed

    Simon, Ted W; Zhu, Yiliang; Dourson, Michael L; Beck, Nancy B

    2016-10-01

    In 2014, the National Research Council (NRC) published Review of EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Process that considers methods EPA uses for developing toxicity criteria for non-carcinogens. These criteria are the Reference Dose (RfD) for oral exposure and Reference Concentration (RfC) for inhalation exposure. The NRC Review suggested using Bayesian methods for application of uncertainty factors (UFs) to adjust the point of departure dose or concentration to a level considered to be without adverse effects for the human population. The NRC foresaw Bayesian methods would be potentially useful for combining toxicity data from disparate sources-high throughput assays, animal testing, and observational epidemiology. UFs represent five distinct areas for which both adjustment and consideration of uncertainty may be needed. NRC suggested UFs could be represented as Bayesian prior distributions, illustrated the use of a log-normal distribution to represent the composite UF, and combined this distribution with a log-normal distribution representing uncertainty in the point of departure (POD) to reflect the overall uncertainty. Here, we explore these suggestions and present a refinement of the methodology suggested by NRC that considers each individual UF as a distribution. From an examination of 24 evaluations from EPA's IRIS program, when individual UFs were represented using this approach, the geometric mean fold change in the value of the RfD or RfC increased from 3 to over 30, depending on the number of individual UFs used and the sophistication of the assessment. We present example calculations and recommendations for implementing the refined NRC methodology. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 20 CFR 416.1720 - Whom we refer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Whom we refer. 416.1720 Section 416.1720 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Referral of Persons Eligible for Supplemental Security Income to Other Agencies Referral for Treatment of Alcoholism Or Drug Addiction § 41...

  8. MONTE CARLO METHODS. A Bibliography covering the Period 1949 to June 1961

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

    Kraft, R.; Wensrich, C.J.

    1961-09-11

    A partially annotated bibliography is presented containing 508 references to Monte Carlo methods, covering the period from 1947 to June 1961. The references are arranged alphabetically by author. The sources consulted include: Abstracts of Classified Reports; Applied Science and Technology Index; Armed Services Technical Information Agency; Bibliographic Index; Bibliographie der Fremsprachigen Zeitschrifften Literatur; Mathematical Reviews; Nuclear Science Abstracts; and Operations Research, an Annotated Bibliography. (T.F.H.)

  9. Investigation of the Preservation Method within Environmental Protection Agency Method 200.8

    EPA Science Inventory

    Lead (Pb) is a trace metal that is closely regulated in drinking water systems because of its harmful toxicity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), which defines the action level for Lead as 0.015 mg/L. Researchers and drinking ...

  10. Reference voltage calculation method based on zero-sequence component optimisation for a regional compensation DVR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jian, Le; Cao, Wang; Jintao, Yang; Yinge, Wang

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes the design of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) that can simultaneously protect several sensitive loads from voltage sags in a region of an MV distribution network. A novel reference voltage calculation method based on zero-sequence voltage optimisation is proposed for this DVR to optimise cost-effectiveness in compensation of voltage sags with different characteristics in an ungrounded neutral system. Based on a detailed analysis of the characteristics of voltage sags caused by different types of faults and the effect of the wiring mode of the transformer on these characteristics, the optimisation target of the reference voltage calculation is presented with several constraints. The reference voltages under all types of voltage sags are calculated by optimising the zero-sequence component, which can reduce the degree of swell in the phase-to-ground voltage after compensation to the maximum extent and can improve the symmetry degree of the output voltages of the DVR, thereby effectively increasing the compensation ability. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by simulation and experimental results.

  11. Reference Value Advisor: a new freeware set of macroinstructions to calculate reference intervals with Microsoft Excel.

    PubMed

    Geffré, Anne; Concordet, Didier; Braun, Jean-Pierre; Trumel, Catherine

    2011-03-01

    International recommendations for determination of reference intervals have been recently updated, especially for small reference sample groups, and use of the robust method and Box-Cox transformation is now recommended. Unfortunately, these methods are not included in most software programs used for data analysis by clinical laboratories. We have created a set of macroinstructions, named Reference Value Advisor, for use in Microsoft Excel to calculate reference limits applying different methods. For any series of data, Reference Value Advisor calculates reference limits (with 90% confidence intervals [CI]) using a nonparametric method when n≥40 and by parametric and robust methods from native and Box-Cox transformed values; tests normality of distributions using the Anderson-Darling test and outliers using Tukey and Dixon-Reed tests; displays the distribution of values in dot plots and histograms and constructs Q-Q plots for visual inspection of normality; and provides minimal guidelines in the form of comments based on international recommendations. The critical steps in determination of reference intervals are correct selection of as many reference individuals as possible and analysis of specimens in controlled preanalytical and analytical conditions. Computing tools cannot compensate for flaws in selection and size of the reference sample group and handling and analysis of samples. However, if those steps are performed properly, Reference Value Advisor, available as freeware at http://www.biostat.envt.fr/spip/spip.php?article63, permits rapid assessment and comparison of results calculated using different methods, including currently unavailable methods. This allows for selection of the most appropriate method, especially as the program provides the CI of limits. It should be useful in veterinary clinical pathology when only small reference sample groups are available. ©2011 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

  12. The establishment of tocopherol reference intervals for Hungarian adult population using a validated HPLC method.

    PubMed

    Veres, Gábor; Szpisjak, László; Bajtai, Attila; Siska, Andrea; Klivényi, Péter; Ilisz, István; Földesi, Imre; Vécsei, László; Zádori, Dénes

    2017-09-01

    Evidence suggests that decreased α-tocopherol (the most biologically active substance in the vitamin E group) level can cause neurological symptoms, most likely ataxia. The aim of the current study was to first provide reference intervals for serum tocopherols in the adult Hungarian population with appropriate sample size, recruiting healthy control subjects and neurological patients suffering from conditions without symptoms of ataxia, myopathy or cognitive deficiency. A validated HPLC method applying a diode array detector and rac-tocol as internal standard was utilized for that purpose. Furthermore, serum cholesterol levels were determined as well for data normalization. The calculated 2.5-97.5% reference intervals for α-, β/γ- and δ-tocopherols were 24.62-54.67, 0.81-3.69 and 0.29-1.07 μm, respectively, whereas the tocopherol/cholesterol ratios were 5.11-11.27, 0.14-0.72 and 0.06-0.22 μmol/mmol, respectively. The establishment of these reference intervals may improve the diagnostic accuracy of tocopherol measurements in certain neurological conditions with decreased tocopherol levels. Moreover, the current study draws special attention to the possible pitfalls in the complex process of the determination of reference intervals as well, including the selection of study population, the application of internal standard and method validation and the calculation of tocopherol/cholesterol ratios. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Lightsats and their attraction to budget oriented Federal agencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bonsall, Charles A.

    1988-01-01

    The term Lightsats refers to low volume, low mass, low Earth orbit, satellites suitable for launch from Get Away Special canisters, or as secondary payloads on expendable launch vehicles. New or existing technology that offers potential to improve the safety, capacity and efficiency of the National Airspace System is discussed. The discussion is presented from the point of view of an individual within a government agency who wants to see a new technology to enhance the mission of that agency.

  14. 77 FR 59879 - Idaho: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-01

    ...: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' Idaho's authorized hazardous waste program. The EPA... Federal Register, the EPA is codifying and incorporating by reference the State's hazardous waste program...

  15. Agency problems of global budget system in Taiwan's National Health Insurance.

    PubMed

    Yan, Yu-Hua; Yang, Chen-Wei; Fang, Shih-Chieh

    2014-05-01

    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the agency problem presented by the global budget system followed by hospitals in Taiwan. In this study, we examine empirically the interaction between the principal: Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) and agency: medical service providers (hospitals); we also describe actual medical service provider and hospital governance conditions from a agency theory perspective. This study identified a positive correlation between aversion to agency hazard (self-interest behavior, asymmetric information, and risk hedging) and agency problem risks (disregard of medical ethics, pursuit of extra-contract profit, disregard of professionalism, and cost orientation). Agency costs refer to BNHI auditing and monitoring expenditures used to prevent hospitals from deviating from NHI policy goals. This study also found agency costs negatively moderate the relationship between agency hazards and agency problems The main contribution of this study is its use of agency theory to clarify agency problems and several potential factors caused by the NHI system. This study also contributes to the field of health policy study by clarifying the nature and importance of agency problems in the health care sector. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The use of memoranda of understanding in fostering inter-agency collaboration: a qualitative study of health services agencies serving vulnerable populations in Baltimore, USA.

    PubMed

    Khosla, Nidhi; Marsteller, Jill A; Holtgrave, David R

    2013-11-01

    We examined whether mandated collaboration reflected in memoranda of understanding (MOUs) developed by health agencies to meet funder expectations is effective in fostering inter-agency collaboration. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews from late 2010 to early 2012 in Baltimore, USA, with representatives of 17 HIV service agencies, three local health department units, and one agency that closed in 2008 (two interviews). While there was no consensus, most respondents perceived MOUs negatively, mainly because the process of obtaining signed MOUs was time consuming; frontline staff was mostly unaware of MOUs, agencies did not necessarily work with agencies they signed MOUs with and MOUs were rarely evaluated after being signed. A few agencies reported that MOUs could keep agencies focused and set mutual expectations. The local health department acknowledged shortcomings in MOUs but emphasized that MOUs could help agencies plan for referring clients when their own capacity was full. Although many agencies acknowledged the importance of collaboration, most respondents found that MOUs lacked practical utility. Grant-makers should consult sub-grantees to develop alternative means of fostering collaboration that would be perceived as relevant by both parties. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  17. 76 FR 33031 - Agency Information Collection (Request for Contact Information) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-07

    ... for Contact Information) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration.... Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0660'' in any correspondence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0660.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Request for Contact...

  18. Towards a broader understanding of agency in biomedical ethics.

    PubMed

    López Barreda, Rodrigo; Trachsel, Manuel; Biller-Andorno, Nikola

    2016-09-01

    With advances in medical science, the concept of agency has received increasing attention in biomedical ethics. However, most of the ethical discussion around definitions of agency has focused either on patients suffering from mental disorders or on patients receiving cutting-edge medical treatments in developed countries. Very little of the discussion around concepts of agency has focused on the situation of patients suffering from common diseases that affect populations worldwide. Therefore, the most widely-used definitions of agency may be not appropriate to analyse common diseases among large populations. The branch of social sciences known as development studies draw on their own definitions of the term agency that may provide a more applicable and accurate way of referring to common and general cases than the definitions currently used in bioethics. Moreover, the psychological Self-Determination Theory may improve the usefulness of these definitions in common situations. This article explains the characteristics and the shortcomings of current bioethical definitions of agency when they are applied to common medical conditions worldwide. A new, value-based concept of agency, informed by development studies, is proposed as more accurate and useful for biomedical ethics.

  19. 76 FR 26681 - Wisconsin: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-09

    ... that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, commonly referred...: This action is issued under the authority of sections 2002(a), 3006 and 7004(b) of the Solid Waste and... of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA...

  20. Exploring implicit and explicit aspects of sense of agency

    PubMed Central

    Moore, J.W.; Middleton, D.; Haggard, P.; Fletcher, P.C.

    2012-01-01

    Sense of agency refers to the sense of initiating and controlling actions in order to influence events in the outside world. Recently, a distinction between implicit and explicit aspects of sense of agency has been proposed, analogous to distinctions found in other areas of cognition, notably learning. However, there is yet no strong evidence supporting separable implicit and explicit components of sense of agency. The so-called ‘Perruchet paradigm’ offers one of the few convincing demonstrations of separable implicit and explicit learning systems. We adopted this approach to evaluate the implicit–explicit distinction in the context of a simple task in which outcomes were probabilistically caused by actions. In line with our initial predictions, we found evidence of a dissociation. We discuss the implications of this result for theories of sense of agency. PMID:23143153

  1. A comparative uncertainty study of the calibration of macrolide antibiotic reference standards using quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance and mass balance methods.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shu-Yu; Hu, Chang-Qin

    2007-10-17

    This study introduces the general method of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) for the calibration of reference standards of macrolide antibiotics. Several qNMR experimental conditions were optimized including delay, which is an important parameter of quantification. Three kinds of macrolide antibiotics were used to validate the accuracy of the qNMR method by comparison with the results obtained by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The purities of five common reference standards of macrolide antibiotics were measured by the 1H qNMR method and the mass balance method, respectively. The analysis results of the two methods were compared. The qNMR is quick and simple to use. In a new medicine research and development process, qNMR provides a new and reliable method for purity analysis of the reference standard.

  2. 40 CFR 60.1300 - What test methods must I use to stack test?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to the Administrator for approval under § 60.8(b) to use a reference method with minor changes in... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What test methods must I use to stack test? 60.1300 Section 60.1300 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR...

  3. 5 CFR 1201.144 - Hearing procedures; referring the record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... the record to the Special Counsel, the Office of Personnel Management, and the employing agency for... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing procedures; referring the record... PROCEDURES PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Original Jurisdiction Cases Removal from the Senior...

  4. 5 CFR 1201.144 - Hearing procedures; referring the record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... the record to the Special Counsel, the Office of Personnel Management, and the employing agency for... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Hearing procedures; referring the record... PROCEDURES PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Original Jurisdiction Cases Removal from the Senior...

  5. 5 CFR 1201.144 - Hearing procedures; referring the record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... the record to the Special Counsel, the Office of Personnel Management, and the employing agency for... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Hearing procedures; referring the record... PROCEDURES PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Original Jurisdiction Cases Removal from the Senior...

  6. 75 FR 34017 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-16

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) and its..., (202) 268-3789. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Issue 36 of the International Mail Manual was issued on May...

  7. Harmonizing multiple methods for reconstructing historical potential and reference evapotranspiration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Belaineh, Getachew; Sumner, David; Carter, Edward; Clapp, David

    2013-01-01

    Potential evapotranspiration (PET) and reference evapotranspiration (RET) data are usually critical components of hydrologic analysis. Many different equations are available to estimate PET and RET. Most of these equations, such as the Priestley-Taylor and Penman- Monteith methods, rely on detailed meteorological data collected at ground-based weather stations. Few weather stations collect enough data to estimate PET or RET using one of the more complex evapotranspiration equations. Currently, satellite data integrated with ground meteorological data are used with one of these evapotranspiration equations to accurately estimate PET and RET. However, earlier than the last few decades, historical reconstructions of PET and RET needed for many hydrologic analyses are limited by the paucity of satellite data and of some types of ground data. Air temperature stands out as the most generally available meteorological ground data type over the last century. Temperature-based approaches used with readily available historical temperature data offer the potential for long period-of-record PET and RET historical reconstructions. A challenge is the inconsistency between the more accurate, but more data intensive, methods appropriate for more recent periods and the less accurate, but less data intensive, methods appropriate to the more distant past. In this study, multiple methods are harmonized in a seamless reconstruction of historical PET and RET by quantifying and eliminating the biases of the simple Hargreaves-Samani method relative to the more complex and accurate Priestley-Taylor and Penman-Monteith methods. This harmonization process is used to generate long-term, internally consistent, spatiotemporal databases of PET and RET.

  8. Rethinking Reference: Consistent Values, New Methods, and Different Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendrick, Kaetrena Davis

    2011-01-01

    The core duties of the reference librarian inherently mandate that the work environment is not unlike a kaleidoscope: Students and faculty revolve within and around the library, and reference and public services workers do the same; every move temporarily redesigning the library, its collections, and even its very role on campus into something…

  9. 78 FR 30784 - Removal of References to Credit Ratings in Certain Regulations Governing the Federal Home Loan Banks

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY 12 CFR Parts 1267, 1269, and 1270 RIN 2590-AA40 Removal of... Housing Finance Agency. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comment. SUMMARY: Section 939A... references or requirements. To implement this provision, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is...

  10. 77 FR 20885 - Agency Information Collection (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Longitudinal Study Survey...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-New (VR&E Longitudinal Study Survey)] Agency... Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-New (VR&E....gov . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-New (VR&E Longitudinal Study Survey)''. SUPPLEMENTARY...

  11. Development of High-purity Certified Reference Materials for 17 Proteinogenic Amino Acids by Traceable Titration Methods.

    PubMed

    Kato, Megumi; Yamazaki, Taichi; Kato, Hisashi; Eyama, Sakae; Goto, Mari; Yoshioka, Mariko; Takatsu, Akiko

    2015-01-01

    To ensure the reliability of amino acid analyses, the National Metrology Institute of Japan of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (NMIJ/AIST) has developed high-purity certified reference materials (CRMs) for 17 proteinogenic amino acids. These CRMs are intended for use as primary reference materials to enable the traceable quantification of amino acids. The purity of the present CRMs was determined based on two traceable methods: nonaqueous acidimetric titration and nitrogen determination by the Kjeldahl method. Since neither method could distinguish compounds with similar structures, such as amino acid-related impurities, impurities were thoroughly quantified by combining several HPLC methods, and subtracted from the obtained purity of each method. The property value of each amino acid was calculated as a weighted mean of the corrected purities by the two methods. The uncertainty of the property value was obtained by combining measurement uncertainties of the two methods, a difference between the two methods, the uncertainty from the contribution of impurities, and the uncertainty derived from inhomogeneity. The uncertainty derived from instability was considered to be negligible based on stability monitoring of some CRMs. The certified value of each amino acid, property value with uncertainty, was given for both with or without enantiomeric separation.

  12. Experience of agency and sense of responsibility.

    PubMed

    Moretto, Giovanna; Walsh, Eamonn; Haggard, Patrick

    2011-12-01

    The experience of agency refers to the feeling that we control our own actions, and through them the outside world. In many contexts, sense of agency has strong implications for moral responsibility. For example, a sense of agency may allow people to choose between right and wrong actions, either immediately, or on subsequent occasions through learning about the moral consequences of their actions. In this study we investigate the relation between the experience of operant action, and responsibility for action outcomes using the intentional binding effect (Haggard, Clark, & Kalogeras, 2002) as an implicit, quantitative measure related to sense of agency. We studied the time at which people perceived simple manual actions and their effects, when these actions were embedded in scenarios where their actions had unpredictable consequences that could be either moral or merely economic. We found an enhanced binding of effects back towards the actions that caused them, implying an enhanced sense of agency, in moral compared to non-moral contexts. We also found stronger binding for effects with severely negative, compared to moderately negative, values. A tight temporal association between action and effect may be a low-level phenomenal marker of the sense of responsibility. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. 76 FR 50414 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-15

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) dated April 17, 2011.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Mail Manual was issued on April 17, 2011, and was updated with...

  14. 77 FR 45246 - Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-31

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) dated June 24, 2012, and...) 268-3789. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The most recent issue of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) is dated...

  15. 77 FR 64724 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-23

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) dated June 24, 2012... International Mail Manual was issued on June 24, 2012, and was updated with postal bulletin revisions through...

  16. 76 FR 50810 - Seventh Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference System

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-16

    ... Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference System AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special Committee 219 meeting: Attitude and Heading Reference System. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude...

  17. 77 FR 31724 - Production Measurement Documents Incorporated by Reference; Correction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement 30 CFR Part 250 [Docket ID: BSEE-2012-0003] RIN 1014-AA01 Production Measurement Documents Incorporated by Reference; Correction AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Interior. ACTION: Correcting...

  18. Desk Reference to the Toolkit for Assessing Potential Allegations of Environmental Injustice

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides an overview of tools and other reference materials to assist U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel in assessing and addressing potential allegations of environmental injustice.

  19. RBS as a new primary direct reference method for measuring quantity of material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeynes, C.

    2017-09-01

    The quantity of material in thin films can be measured reliably, non-destructively, and at an absolute traceable accuracy with a combined standard uncertainty of 1% by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). We have demonstrated a measurement protocol for the determination of quantity of material by RBS that has been accredited at this accuracy to the ISO 17025 standard by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The method is entirely traceable to SI units relying on no artefacts, and thus qualifies as a primary direct reference method as defined by the ISO Guide 35:1985 (paragraph 9.4.1).

  20. A second-order multi-reference perturbation method for molecular vibrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mizukami, Wataru; Tew, David P.

    2013-11-01

    We present a general multi-reference framework for treating strong correlation in vibrational structure theory, which we denote the vibrational active space self-consistent field (VASSCF) approach. Active configurations can be selected according to excitation level or the degrees of freedom involved, or both. We introduce a novel state-specific second-order multi-configurational perturbation correction that accounts for the remaining weak correlation between the vibrational modes. The resulting VASPT2 method is capable of accurately and efficiently treating strong correlation in the form of large anharmonic couplings, at the same time as correctly resolving resonances between states. These methods have been implemented in our new dynamics package DYNAMOL, which can currently treat up to four-body Hamiltonian coupling terms. We present a pilot application of the VASPT2 method to the trans isomer of formic acid. We have constructed a new analytic potential that reproduces frozen core CCSD(T)(F12*)/cc-pVDZ-F12 energies to within 0.25% RMSD over the energy range 0-15 000 cm-1. The computed VASPT2 fundamental transition energies are accurate to within 9 cm-1 RMSD from experimental values, which is close to the accuracy one can expect from a CCSD(T) potential energy surface.

  1. 76 FR 80447 - Eighth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-23

    ... Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and... eighth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS). DATES: The...

  2. 76 FR 48722 - Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-09

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR PART 111 Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... 5, 2011, of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM... the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) was issued on July 5, 2011. This Issue of the DMM contains all Postal...

  3. Feedback about action performed can alter the sense of self-agency

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Neeraj; Manjaly, Jaison A.; Miyapuram, Krishna P.

    2014-01-01

    Sense of agency refers to the sense of authorship of an action and its outcome. Sense of agency is often explained through computational models of motor control (e.g., the comparator model). Previous studies using the comparator model have manipulated action-outcome contingency to understand its effect on the sense of agency. More recent studies have shown that cues related to outcome, priming outcome and priming action have an effect on agency attribution. However, relatively few studies have focused on the effect of recalibrating internal predictions on the sense of agency. This study aims to investigate how feedback about action can recalibrate prediction and modulates the sense of agency. While participants performed a Flanker task, we manipulated the feedback about the validity of the action performed, independent of their responses. When true feedback is given, the sense of agency would reflect congruency between the sensory outcome and the action performed. The results show an opposite effect on the sense of agency when false feedback was given. We propose that feedback about action performed can recalibrate the prediction of sensory outcome and thus alter the sense of agency. PMID:24611059

  4. A survey of methods for implementing and documenting water conservation in New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Linsey, Kristin S.; Reynolds, Richard J.

    2013-01-01

    Water conservation methods and best management practices (BMPs) for water conservation are described for major categories of non-drinking-water users, including—but not limited to—industrial, commercial, power-generation, agricultural, and institutional categories. The BMPs were drawn from a literature search of reports published by state agencies, Federal agencies, the U.S. military, colleges and universities, and water-related organizations that have studied and evaluated various water conservation methods in the municipal supply, industrial, commercial, institutional, and agricultural water-use sectors. An annotated bibliography of references pertinent to water conservation and (or) best management practices in water conservation is included.

  5. An analytic-numerical method for the construction of the reference law of operation for a class of mechanical controlled systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mizhidon, A. D.; Mizhidon, K. A.

    2017-04-01

    An analytic-numerical method for the construction of a reference law of operation for a class of dynamic systems describing vibrations in controlled mechanical systems is proposed. By the reference law of operation of a system, we mean a law of the system motion that satisfies all the requirements for the quality and design features of the system under permanent external disturbances. As disturbances, we consider polyharmonic functions with known amplitudes and frequencies of the harmonics but unknown initial phases. For constructing the reference law of motion, an auxiliary optimal control problem is solved in which the cost function depends on a weighting coefficient. The choice of the weighting coefficient ensures the design of the reference law. Theoretical foundations of the proposed method are given.

  6. 48 CFR 15.604 - Agency points of contact.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... agency: upcoming solicitations; Broad Agency Announcements; Small Business Innovation Research programs; Small Business Technology Transfer Research programs; Program Research and Development Announcements; or... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Unsolicited Proposals 15.604 Agency points...

  7. 36 CFR § 1237.16 - How do agencies store audiovisual records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... textual series (e.g., store poster series separately from other kinds of agency publications, or... reference, see § 1237.3); (e) Store posters and similar graphic works in oversize formats, in map cases...

  8. Perturbational treatment of spin-orbit coupling for generally applicable high-level multi-reference methods

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

    Mai, Sebastian; Marquetand, Philipp; González, Leticia

    2014-08-21

    An efficient perturbational treatment of spin-orbit coupling within the framework of high-level multi-reference techniques has been implemented in the most recent version of the COLUMBUS quantum chemistry package, extending the existing fully variational two-component (2c) multi-reference configuration interaction singles and doubles (MRCISD) method. The proposed scheme follows related implementations of quasi-degenerate perturbation theory (QDPT) model space techniques. Our model space is built either from uncontracted, large-scale scalar relativistic MRCISD wavefunctions or based on the scalar-relativistic solutions of the linear-response-theory-based multi-configurational averaged quadratic coupled cluster method (LRT-MRAQCC). The latter approach allows for a consistent, approximatively size-consistent and size-extensive treatment of spin-orbitmore » coupling. The approach is described in detail and compared to a number of related techniques. The inherent accuracy of the QDPT approach is validated by comparing cuts of the potential energy surfaces of acrolein and its S, Se, and Te analoga with the corresponding data obtained from matching fully variational spin-orbit MRCISD calculations. The conceptual availability of approximate analytic gradients with respect to geometrical displacements is an attractive feature of the 2c-QDPT-MRCISD and 2c-QDPT-LRT-MRAQCC methods for structure optimization and ab inito molecular dynamics simulations.« less

  9. Review of Federal Reference Method for Ozone: Nitric Oxide-Chemiluminescence:Supplemental Material for CASAC AMMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    ApproachPer suggestion made by CASAC AMMS members during the April 3, 2014 conference call on the Review of Federal Reference Method for Ozone: Nitric Oxide-Chemiluminescence, ORD has performed additional data analysis activities to explain and mitigate scatter observed in the co...

  10. Combining Epidemiologic Information Across Space Agencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Minard, Charles G.; Clark, April L.; Wear, Mary L.; Mason, Sara; Van Baalen, Mary

    2010-01-01

    Space flight is a very unique occupational exposure with potential hazards that are not fully understood. A limited number of individuals have experienced the exposures incurred during space flight, and epidemiologic research would benefit from shared information across space agencies. However, data sharing can be problematic due to agency protection policies for personally identifiable information as well as medical records. Compliance with these protocols in the astronaut population is particularly difficult given the small, high-profile population under study. Creativity in combining data is necessary in order to overcome these difficulties and improve statistical power in research. This study presents methods in meta-analysis that may be used to combine non-attributable data across space agencies so that meaningful conclusions may be drawn about study interests. Methods for combining epidemiologic data across space agencies are presented, and the processes are demonstrated using life-time mortality data in U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. This proof of concept was found to be an acceptable way of sharing data across agencies, and will be used in the future as more relevant research interests are identified.

  11. 20 CFR 411.400 - Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ...' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies' Participation Referrals by Employment Networks to State Vr Agencies § 411.400 Can an EN... beneficiary to the State VR agency for services. Agreements Between Employment Networks and State VR Agencies ...

  12. 20 CFR 411.400 - Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ...' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies' Participation Referrals by Employment Networks to State Vr Agencies § 411.400 Can an EN... beneficiary to the State VR agency for services. Agreements Between Employment Networks and State VR Agencies ...

  13. 20 CFR 411.400 - Can an EN to which a beneficiary's ticket is assigned refer the beneficiary to a State VR agency...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies' Participation Referrals by Employment Networks to State Vr Agencies § 411.400 Can an EN... beneficiary to the State VR agency for services. Agreements Between Employment Networks and State VR Agencies ...

  14. 77 FR 56712 - Agency Information Collection (Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program) Activities Under...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0554] Agency Information Collection (Homeless...-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0554'' in any correspondence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0554.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Titles: a. Homeless Providers...

  15. Agencies Need Better Guidance for Choosing among Contracts, Grants, and Cooperative Agreements.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-09-04

    given case may require reference to a range of materials . By en- acting specific authorizing language and providing various sources to help an agency...to: --Inventory recipients’ training materials , get them well-edited, and ready for the agency’s approval, production and distribution. [service... materials to those that do. REA indicated in its Federal Register announcement that under Section 11 of the Rural Electrification Act and under the

  16. Recommendations for reference method for haemoglobinometry in human blood (ICSH standard 1986) and specifications for international haemiglobincyanide reference preparation (3rd edition). International Committee for Standardization in Haematology; Expert Panel on Haemoglobinometry.

    PubMed

    1987-01-01

    Scientific symposia on haemoglobinometry were held at the 9th Congress of the European Society of Haematology, Lisbon, 1963 (ESH 1964) and the 10th Congress of the International Society of Haematology (ISH), Stockholm, 1964 (ISH 1965). The International Committee for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) made recommendations endorsed by the General Assembly of ICSH in Sydney on 23 August 1966 (ICSH 1967), for a reference method for haemoglobinometry and for the manufacture and distribution of an international reference preparation. Further symposia were held at the 12th Congress of the ISH, New York, 1968 (Astaldi, Sirtori & Vanzetti 1979) and at the 13th Congress of ISH, Munich, 1970 (Izak & Lewis 1972). The recommendations were reissued in 1978 (ISH 1978). On the basis of continuing experimental studies, the reference method and the specifications for the international reference preparation have been modified. The revised recommendations are described in this document.

  17. The influence of action-outcome delay and arousal on sense of agency and the intentional binding effect.

    PubMed

    Wen, Wen; Yamashita, Atsushi; Asama, Hajime

    2015-11-01

    The sense of agency refers to the feeling of being able to initiate and control events through one's actions. The "intentional binding" effect (Haggard, Clark, & Kalogeras, 2002), refers to a subjective compression of the temporal interval between actions and their effects. The present study examined the influence of action-outcome delays and arousal on both the subjective judgment of agency and the intentional binding effect. In the experiment, participants pressed a key to trigger a central square to jump after various delays. A red central square was used in the high-arousal condition. Results showed that a longer interval between actions and their effects was associated with a lower sense of agency but a stronger intentional binding effect. Furthermore, although arousal enhanced the intentional binding effect, it did not influence the judgment of agency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Divided Attention and Processes Underlying Sense of Agency

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Wen; Yamashita, Atsushi; Asama, Hajime

    2016-01-01

    Sense of agency refers to the subjective feeling of controlling events through one’s behavior or will. Sense of agency results from matching predictions of one’s own actions with actual feedback regarding the action. Furthermore, when an action involves a cued goal, performance-based inference contributes to sense of agency. That is, if people achieve their goal, they would believe themselves to be in control. Previous studies have shown that both action-effect comparison and performance-based inference contribute to sense of agency; however, the dominance of one process over the other may shift based on task conditions such as the presence or absence of specific goals. In this study, we examined the influence of divided attention on these two processes underlying sense of agency in two conditions. In the experimental task, participants continuously controlled a moving dot for 10 s while maintaining a string of three or seven digits in working memory. We found that when there was no cued goal (no-cued-goal condition), sense of agency was impaired by high cognitive load. Contrastingly, when participants controlled the dot based on a cued goal (cued-goal-directed condition), their sense of agency was lower than in the no-cued-goal condition and was not affected by cognitive load. The results suggest that the action-effect comparison process underlying sense of agency requires attention. On the other hand, the weaker influence of divided attention in the cued-goal-directed condition could be attributed to the dominance of performance-based inference, which is probably automatic. PMID:26858680

  19. Standardization of glycohemoglobin results and reference values in whole blood studied in 103 laboratories using 20 methods.

    PubMed

    Weykamp, C W; Penders, T J; Miedema, K; Muskiet, F A; van der Slik, W

    1995-01-01

    We investigated the effect of calibration with lyophilized calibrators on whole-blood glycohemoglobin (glyHb) results. One hundred three laboratories, using 20 different methods, determined glyHb in two lyophilized calibrators and two whole-blood samples. For whole-blood samples with low (5%) and high (9%) glyHb percentages, respectively, calibration decreased overall interlaboratory variation (CV) from 16% to 9% and from 11% to 6% and decreased intermethod variation from 14% to 6% and from 12% to 5%. Forty-seven laboratories, using 14 different methods, determined mean glyHb percentages in self-selected groups of 10 nondiabetic volunteers each. With calibration their overall mean (2SD) was 5.0% (0.5%), very close to the 5.0% (0.3%) derived from the reference method used in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. In both experiments the Abbott IMx and Vision showed deviating results. We conclude that, irrespective of the analytical method used, calibration enables standardization of glyHb results, reference values, and interpretation criteria.

  20. Nonlinear Performance Seeking Control using Fuzzy Model Reference Learning Control and the Method of Steepest Descent

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kopasakis, George

    1997-01-01

    Performance Seeking Control (PSC) attempts to find and control the process at the operating condition that will generate maximum performance. In this paper a nonlinear multivariable PSC methodology will be developed, utilizing the Fuzzy Model Reference Learning Control (FMRLC) and the method of Steepest Descent or Gradient (SDG). This PSC control methodology employs the SDG method to find the operating condition that will generate maximum performance. This operating condition is in turn passed to the FMRLC controller as a set point for the control of the process. The conventional SDG algorithm is modified in this paper in order for convergence to occur monotonically. For the FMRLC control, the conventional fuzzy model reference learning control methodology is utilized, with guidelines generated here for effective tuning of the FMRLC controller.

  1. 5 CFR 451.103 - Agency award program(s).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... for employees covered by this subpart. (b) Agencies are encouraged to involve employees in developing such programs. When agencies involve employees, the method of involvement shall be in accordance with... agency financial management controls and delegations of authority; and (2) Documenting justification for...

  2. 48 CFR 715.604 - Agency points of contact.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    .... 715.604 Section 715.604 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Unsolicited Proposals 715.604 Agency points... the U.S. Agency for International Development, Evaluation Division, Room 7.08-005, 1300 Pennsylvania...

  3. 20 CFR 416.1710 - Whom we refer and when.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Whom we refer and when. 416.1710 Section 416.1710 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Referral of Persons Eligible for Supplemental Security Income to Other Agencies Referral for Vocational Rehabilitation Services §...

  4. Six-week follow-up after HIV-1 exposure: a position statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy.

    PubMed

    Gaines, Hans; Albert, Jan; Axelsson, Maria; Berglund, Torsten; Gisslén, Magnus; Sönnerborg, Anders; Blaxhult, Anders; Bogdanovic, Gordana; Brytting, Maria; Carlander, Christina; Flamholc, Leo; Follin, Per; Haggar, Axana; Hagstam, Per; Johansson, Marcus; Navér, Lars; Persson Blom, Jenny; Samuelson, Agneta; Ström, Helena; Sundqvist, Martin; Svedhem Johansson, Veronica; Tegmark Wisell, Karin; Tegnell, Anders; Thorstensson, Rigmor

    2016-02-01

    In 2014 the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy (RAV) conducted a review and analysis of the state of knowledge on the duration of follow-up after exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Up until then a follow-up of 12 weeks after exposure had been recommended, but improved tests and new information on early diagnosis motivated a re-evaluation of the national recommendations by experts representing infectious diseases and microbiology, county medical officers, the RAV, the Public Health Agency, and other national authorities. Based on the current state of knowledge the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the RAV recommend, starting in April 2015, a follow-up period of 6 weeks after possible HIV-1 exposure, if HIV testing is performed using laboratory-based combination tests detecting both HIV antibody and antigen. If point-of-care rapid HIV tests are used, a follow-up period of 8 weeks is recommended, because currently available rapid tests have insufficient sensitivity for detection of HIV-1 antigen. A follow-up period of 12 weeks is recommended after a possible exposure for HIV-2, since presently used assays do not include HIV-2 antigens and only limited information is available on the development of HIV antibodies during early HIV-2 infection. If pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis is administered, the follow-up period is recommended to begin after completion of prophylaxis. Even if infection cannot be reliably excluded before the end of the recommended follow-up period, HIV testing should be performed at first contact for persons who seek such testing.

  5. Reference layer artefact subtraction (RLAS): a novel method of minimizing EEG artefacts during simultaneous fMRI.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, Muhammad E H; Mullinger, Karen J; Glover, Paul; Bowtell, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Large artefacts compromise EEG data quality during simultaneous fMRI. These artefact voltages pose heavy demands on the bandwidth and dynamic range of EEG amplifiers and mean that even small fractional variations in the artefact voltages give rise to significant residual artefacts after average artefact subtraction. Any intrinsic reduction in the magnitude of the artefacts would be highly advantageous, allowing data with a higher bandwidth to be acquired without amplifier saturation, as well as reducing the residual artefacts that can easily swamp signals from brain activity measured using current methods. Since these problems currently limit the utility of simultaneous EEG-fMRI, new approaches for reducing the magnitude and variability of the artefacts are required. One such approach is the use of an EEG cap that incorporates electrodes embedded in a reference layer that has similar conductivity to tissue and is electrically isolated from the scalp. With this arrangement, the artefact voltages produced on the reference layer leads by time-varying field gradients, cardiac pulsation and subject movement are similar to those induced in the scalp leads, but neuronal signals are not detected in the reference layer. Taking the difference of the voltages in the reference and scalp channels will therefore reduce the artefacts, without affecting sensitivity to neuronal signals. Here, we test this approach by using a simple experimental realisation of the reference layer to investigate the artefacts induced on the leads attached to the reference layer and scalp and to evaluate the degree of artefact attenuation that can be achieved via reference layer artefact subtraction (RLAS). Through a series of experiments on phantoms and human subjects, we show that RLAS significantly reduces the gradient (GA), pulse (PA) and motion (MA) artefacts, while allowing accurate recording of neuronal signals. The results indicate that RLAS generally outperforms AAS when motion is present in

  6. 76 FR 16531 - Technical Correction for Neurological Listing Cross-Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-24

    ... 1-800-325-0778, or visit our Internet site, Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 404 [Docket No. SSA-2011-0019] RIN 0960-AH33 Technical Correction for Neurological Listing Cross-Reference AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final...

  7. PILOT STUDY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF COASTAL REFERENCE SITES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have joined in partnership for a pilot study for the establishment of a network of reference sites, the Coastal Int...

  8. 22 CFR 1509.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Federal agency or agency. 1509.645 Section 1509.645 Foreign Relations AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 1509.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency...

  9. 20 CFR 439.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Federal agency or agency. 439.645 Section 439.645 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 439.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency...

  10. Evaluation of the methods for enumerating coliform bacteria from water samples using precise reference standards.

    PubMed

    Wohlsen, T; Bates, J; Vesey, G; Robinson, W A; Katouli, M

    2006-04-01

    To use BioBall cultures as a precise reference standard to evaluate methods for enumeration of Escherichia coli and other coliform bacteria in water samples. Eight methods were evaluated including membrane filtration, standard plate count (pour and spread plate methods), defined substrate technology methods (Colilert and Colisure), the most probable number method and the Petrifilm disposable plate method. Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes BioBall cultures containing 30 organisms each were used. All tests were performed using 10 replicates. The mean recovery of both bacteria varied with the different methods employed. The best and most consistent results were obtained with Petrifilm and the pour plate method. Other methods either yielded a low recovery or showed significantly high variability between replicates. The BioBall is a very suitable quality control tool for evaluating the efficiency of methods for bacterial enumeration in water samples.

  11. 76 FR 15974 - Office of Research and Development; Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-22

    ... on a particle filter. Because this new measurement approach is being approved for NAAQS compliance... Lead (Pb) on TSP High-Volume Filters.'' A sample of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) is collected on a glass fiber filter, using the sampler and procedure of the EPA Reference Method for the...

  12. Performance of the Proposed New Federal Reference Methods for Measuring Ozone Concentrations in Ambient Air

    EPA Science Inventory

    The current Federal Reference Method (FRM) for measuring concentrations of ozone in ambient air, described in EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 50, Appendix D, is based on the dry, gas-phase, chemiluminescence reaction between ethylene (C2H4) and any ozone (O

  13. Serum prolactin revisited: parametric reference intervals and cross platform evaluation of polyethylene glycol precipitation-based methods for discrimination between hyperprolactinemia and macroprolactinemia.

    PubMed

    Overgaard, Martin; Pedersen, Susanne Møller

    2017-10-26

    Hyperprolactinemia diagnosis and treatment is often compromised by the presence of biologically inactive and clinically irrelevant higher-molecular-weight complexes of prolactin, macroprolactin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of two macroprolactin screening regimes across commonly used automated immunoassay platforms. Parametric total and monomeric gender-specific reference intervals were determined for six immunoassay methods using female (n=96) and male sera (n=127) from healthy donors. The reference intervals were validated using 27 hyperprolactinemic and macroprolactinemic sera, whose presence of monomeric and macroforms of prolactin were determined using gel filtration chromatography (GFC). Normative data for six prolactin assays included the range of values (2.5th-97.5th percentiles). Validation sera (hyperprolactinemic and macroprolactinemic; n=27) showed higher discordant classification [mean=2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-4.4] for the monomer reference interval method compared to the post-polyethylene glycol (PEG) recovery cutoff method (mean=1.8; 95% CI 0.8-2.8). The two monomer/macroprolactin discrimination methods did not differ significantly (p=0.089). Among macroprolactinemic sera evaluated by both discrimination methods, the Cobas and Architect/Kryptor prolactin assays showed the lowest and the highest number of misclassifications, respectively. Current automated immunoassays for prolactin testing require macroprolactin screening methods based on PEG precipitation in order to discriminate truly from falsely elevated serum prolactin. While the recovery cutoff and monomeric reference interval macroprolactin screening methods demonstrate similar discriminative ability, the latter method also provides the clinician with an easy interpretable monomeric prolactin concentration along with a monomeric reference interval.

  14. COMPARISON OF MENTEROCOCCUS AGAR AND THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY-RECOMENDED ENTEROCOCCI METHODS, ME AND MEI AGAR

    EPA Science Inventory

    To maintain waters that are "fishable and swimmable", mandated by the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a list of approved methods for use in enumerating enterococci and E. coli in ambient waters. As part of this effort, we compared mEn...

  15. 28 CFR 83.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 83.645 Section 83.645 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) GOVERNMENT-WIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (GRANTS) Definitions § 83.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency...

  16. 34 CFR 84.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 84.645 Section 84.645 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 84.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency...

  17. 22 CFR 1008.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Federal agency or agency. 1008.645 Section 1008.645 Foreign Relations INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 1008.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency means any...

  18. A preliminary verification of the floating reference measurement method for non-invasive blood glucose sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Min, Xiaolin; Liu, Rong; Fu, Bo; Xu, Kexin

    2017-06-01

    In the non-invasive sensing of blood glucose by near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the spectrum is highly susceptible to the unstable and complicated background variations from the human body and the environment. In in vitro analyses, background variations are usually corrected by the spectrum of a standard reference sample that has similar optical properties to the analyte of interest. However, it is hard to find a standard sample for the in vivo measurement. Therefore, the floating reference measurement method is proposed to enable relative measurements in vivo, where the spectra under some special source-detector distance, defined as the floating reference position, are insensitive to the changes in glucose concentration due to the absorption effect and scattering effect. Because the diffuse reflectance signals at the floating reference positions only reflect the information on background variations during the measurement, they can be used as the internal reference. In this paper, the theoretical basis of the floating reference positions in a semi-infinite turbid medium was discussed based on the steady-state diffusion equation and its analytical solutions in a semi-infinite turbid medium (under the extrapolated boundary conditions). Then, Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations and in vitro experiments based on a custom-built continuous-moving spatially resolving double-fiber NIR measurement system, configured with two types of light source, a super luminescent diode (SLD) and a super-continuum laser, were carried out to verify the existence of the floating reference position in 5%, 10% and 20% Intralipid solutions. The results showed that the simulation values of the floating reference positions are close to the theoretical results, with a maximum deviation of approximately 0.3 mm in 1100-1320 nm. Great differences can be observed in 1340-1400 nm because the optical properties of Intralipid in this region don not satisfy the conditions of the steady

  19. A NEW APPROACH FOR CULTURING LEMNA MINOR (DUCKWEED) AND STANDARDIZED METHOD FOR USING ATRAZINE AS A REFERENCE TOXICANT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Lemna minor (Duckweed) is commonly used in aquatic toxicity investigations. Methods for culturing and testing with reference toxicants, such as atrazine, are somewhat variable among researchers. Our goal was to develop standardized methods of culturing and testing for use with L....

  20. 45 CFR 1155.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Federal agency or agency. 1155.645 Section 1155.645 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS... (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 1155.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency means any...

  1. 22 CFR 312.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Federal agency or agency. 312.645 Section 312.645 Foreign Relations PEACE CORPS GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 312.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency means any United States...

  2. 21 CFR 1405.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Federal agency or agency. 1405.645 Section 1405.645 Food and Drugs OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 1405.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal agency or agency...

  3. A Rapid Identification Method for Calamine Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Based on Multi-Reference Correlation Coefficient Method and Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network.

    PubMed

    Sun, Yangbo; Chen, Long; Huang, Bisheng; Chen, Keli

    2017-07-01

    As a mineral, the traditional Chinese medicine calamine has a similar shape to many other minerals. Investigations of commercially available calamine samples have shown that there are many fake and inferior calamine goods sold on the market. The conventional identification method for calamine is complicated, therefore as a result of the large scale of calamine samples, a rapid identification method is needed. To establish a qualitative model using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for rapid identification of various calamine samples, large quantities of calamine samples including crude products, counterfeits and processed products were collected and correctly identified using the physicochemical and powder X-ray diffraction method. The NIR spectroscopy method was used to analyze these samples by combining the multi-reference correlation coefficient (MRCC) method and the error back propagation artificial neural network algorithm (BP-ANN), so as to realize the qualitative identification of calamine samples. The accuracy rate of the model based on NIR and MRCC methods was 85%; in addition, the model, which took comprehensive multiple factors into consideration, can be used to identify crude calamine products, its counterfeits and processed products. Furthermore, by in-putting the correlation coefficients of multiple references as the spectral feature data of samples into BP-ANN, a BP-ANN model of qualitative identification was established, of which the accuracy rate was increased to 95%. The MRCC method can be used as a NIR-based method in the process of BP-ANN modeling.

  4. Reference surfaces for bridge scour depths

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Landers, Mark N.; Mueller, David S.; ,

    1993-01-01

    Depth of scour is measured as the vertical distance between scoured channel geometry and a measurement reference surface. A scour depth measurement can have a wide range depending on the method used to establish the reference surface. A consistent method to establish reference surfaces for bridge scour measurements is needed to facilitate transferability of scour data an scour analyses. This paper describes and evaluates techniques for establishing reference surfaces from which local and contraction scour are measured.

  5. Kernel reconstruction methods for Doppler broadening - Temperature interpolation by linear combination of reference cross sections at optimally chosen temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ducru, Pablo; Josey, Colin; Dibert, Karia; Sobes, Vladimir; Forget, Benoit; Smith, Kord

    2017-04-01

    This article establishes a new family of methods to perform temperature interpolation of nuclear interactions cross sections, reaction rates, or cross sections times the energy. One of these quantities at temperature T is approximated as a linear combination of quantities at reference temperatures (Tj). The problem is formalized in a cross section independent fashion by considering the kernels of the different operators that convert cross section related quantities from a temperature T0 to a higher temperature T - namely the Doppler broadening operation. Doppler broadening interpolation of nuclear cross sections is thus here performed by reconstructing the kernel of the operation at a given temperature T by means of linear combination of kernels at reference temperatures (Tj). The choice of the L2 metric yields optimal linear interpolation coefficients in the form of the solutions of a linear algebraic system inversion. The optimization of the choice of reference temperatures (Tj) is then undertaken so as to best reconstruct, in the L∞ sense, the kernels over a given temperature range [Tmin ,Tmax ]. The performance of these kernel reconstruction methods is then assessed in light of previous temperature interpolation methods by testing them upon isotope 238U. Temperature-optimized free Doppler kernel reconstruction significantly outperforms all previous interpolation-based methods, achieving 0.1% relative error on temperature interpolation of 238U total cross section over the temperature range [ 300 K , 3000 K ] with only 9 reference temperatures.

  6. A Method for Evaluating Outcomes of Restoration When No Reference Sites Exist

    Treesearch

    J. Stephen Brewer; Timothy Menzel

    2009-01-01

    Ecological restoration typically seeks to shift species composition toward that of existing reference sites. Yet, comparing the assemblages in restored and reference habitats assumes that similarity to the reference habitat is the optimal outcome of restoration and does not provide a perspective on regionally rare off-site species. When no such reference assemblages of...

  7. FEDERAL REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS FOR MEASURING FINE PARTICULATE MATTER

    EPA Science Inventory

    In the national ambient air quality standards specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Code of Federal Regulations, new standards were established for particulate matter on July 18, 1997. The new particulate matter standards specify mass concentration as the...

  8. Exploring the characteristics of nursing agencies in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Olojede, Omolola I; Rispel, Laetitia C

    2015-01-01

    Nursing agencies are temporary employment service providers or labour brokers that supply nurses to health establishments. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of nursing agencies and their relationship with clients in the health sector. During 2011, a cross-sectional national survey of 106 nursing agencies was conducted. After obtaining informed consent, telephone interviews were conducted with a representative of the selected nursing agency using a pretested structured questionnaire. Questions focused on the following: ownership, date of establishment, province of operation, distribution of clients across private and public health facilities; existence of a code of conduct; nature of the contractual relationship between nursing agencies and their clients, and numbers and cadres of nurses contracted. The survey data were analysed using STATA(®) 12. Fifty-two nursing agencies participated in the survey, representing a 49% response rate. The study found that 32 nursing agencies (62%) served private-sector clients only, which included private hospitals, homes for elderly people, patients in private homes, and private industry/company clinics, and only four (8%) of the agencies served the public sector only. Twenty-seven percent of nursing agencies provided services to homes for elderly individuals. Nursing agencies were more likely to have contracts with private-sector clients (84%) than with public-sector clients (16%) (p = 0.04). Although 98% of nursing agencies reported that they had a code of conduct, the proportion was higher for private-sector clients (73%) compared to public-sector clients (27%). In terms of quality checks and monitoring, 81% of agencies agreed with a statement that they checked the nursing council registration of nurses, 82% agreed with a statement that they requested certified copies of a nurse's qualifications. Only 21% indicated that they conducted reference checks of nurses with their past employers. Nursing agencies

  9. 78 FR 54762 - List of Fair Employment Practice Agencies

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-06

    ... weight to the findings of such agencies. 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5. The EEOC regulations refer to the state or... pursuant to Law 17, even though EEOC had not updated its regulation. The revision will simply provide... rule amends our regulations to include a footnote stating that the designations of Fair Employment...

  10. Testing the causal theory of reference.

    PubMed

    Domaneschi, Filippo; Vignolo, Massimiliano; Di Paola, Simona

    2017-04-01

    Theories of reference are a crucial research topic in analytic philosophy. Since the publication of Kripke's Naming and Necessity, most philosophers have endorsed the causal/historical theory of reference. The goal of this paper is twofold: (i) to discuss a method for testing experimentally the causal theory of reference for proper names by investigating linguistic usage and (ii) to present the results from two experiments conducted with that method. Data collected in our experiments confirm the causal theory of reference for people proper names and for geographical proper names. A secondary but interesting result is that the semantic domain affects reference assignment: while with people proper names speakers tend to assign the semantic reference, with geographical proper names they are prompted to assign the speaker's reference. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. 77 FR 71369 - Updates to Voluntary Consensus Standards Incorporated by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Chapter I 46 CFR Chapter I [Docket No. USCG-2012-0866] Updates to Voluntary Consensus Standards Incorporated by Reference AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Request for comments. SUMMARY: Many of the Coast Guard's regulations incorporate industry...

  12. 75 FR 17857 - Removal of Obsolete References to Herbicides Containing Dioxin

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-08

    ... Herbicides Containing Dioxin AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The... health effects of exposure to herbicides containing dioxin and radiation to remove the obsolete references to herbicides containing dioxin. This final rule reflects changes made by the Agent Orange Act of...

  13. Reference and Equivalent Methods Used to Measure National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Criteria Air Pollutants - Volume I

    EPA Science Inventory

    There are a number of Federal Reference Method (FRM) and Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) systems used to monitor the six criteria air pollutants (Lead [Pb], Carbon Monoxide [CO], Sulfur Dioxide [SO2], Nitrogen Dioxide [NO2], Ozone [O3], Particulate Matter [PM]) to determine if an...

  14. An aggregate method to calibrate the reference point of cumulative prospect theory-based route choice model for urban transit network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yufeng; Long, Man; Luo, Sida; Bao, Yu; Shen, Hanxia

    2015-12-01

    Transit route choice model is the key technology of public transit systems planning and management. Traditional route choice models are mostly based on expected utility theory which has an evident shortcoming that it cannot accurately portray travelers' subjective route choice behavior for their risk preferences are not taken into consideration. Cumulative prospect theory (CPT), a brand new theory, can be used to describe travelers' decision-making process under the condition of uncertainty of transit supply and risk preferences of multi-type travelers. The method to calibrate the reference point, a key parameter to CPT-based transit route choice model, determines the precision of the model to a great extent. In this paper, a new method is put forward to obtain the value of reference point which combines theoretical calculation and field investigation results. Comparing the proposed method with traditional method, it shows that the new method can promote the quality of CPT-based model by improving the accuracy in simulating travelers' route choice behaviors based on transit trip investigation from Nanjing City, China. The proposed method is of great significance to logical transit planning and management, and to some extent makes up the defect that obtaining the reference point is solely based on qualitative analysis.

  15. 77 FR 47437 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested; Employment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE [OMB Number 1103-NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested; Employment Reference Questionnaire ACTION: 30-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Management Division, Human Resources...

  16. Cross-reference identification within a PDF document

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Sida; Gao, Liangcai; Tang, Zhi; Yu, Yinyan

    2015-01-01

    Cross-references, such like footnotes, endnotes, figure/table captions, references, are a common and useful type of page elements to further explain their corresponding entities in the target document. In this paper, we focus on cross-reference identification in a PDF document, and present a robust method as a case study of identifying footnotes and figure references. The proposed method first extracts footnotes and figure captions, and then matches them with their corresponding references within a document. A number of novel features within a PDF document, i.e., page layout, font information, lexical and linguistic features of cross-references, are utilized for the task. Clustering is adopted to handle the features that are stable in one document but varied in different kinds of documents so that the process of identification is adaptive with document types. In addition, this method leverages results from the matching process to provide feedback to the identification process and further improve the algorithm accuracy. The primary experiments in real document sets show that the proposed method is promising to identify cross-reference in a PDF document.

  17. Evaluation of different methods to estimate daily reference evapotranspiration in ungauged basins in Southern Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribeiro Fontoura, Jessica; Allasia, Daniel; Herbstrith Froemming, Gabriel; Freitas Ferreira, Pedro; Tassi, Rutineia

    2016-04-01

    Evapotranspiration is a key process of hydrological cycle and a sole term that links land surface water balance and land surface energy balance. Due to the higher information requirements of the Penman-Monteith method and the existing data uncertainty, simplified empirical methods for calculating potential and actual evapotranspiration are widely used in hydrological models. This is especially important in Brazil, where the monitoring of meteorological data is precarious. In this study were compared different methods for estimating evapotranspiration for Rio Grande do Sul, the Southernmost State of Brazil, aiming to suggest alternatives to the recommended method (Penman-Monteith-FAO 56) for estimate daily reference evapotranspiration (ETo) when meteorological data is missing or not available. The input dataset included daily and hourly-observed data from conventional and automatic weather stations respectively maintained by the National Weather Institute of Brazil (INMET) from the period of 1 January 2007 to 31 January 2010. Dataset included maximum temperature (Tmax, °C), minimum temperature (Tmin, °C), mean relative humidity (%), wind speed at 2 m height (u2, m s-1), daily solar radiation (Rs, MJ m- 2) and atmospheric pressure (kPa) that were grouped at daily time-step. Was tested the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Penman-Monteith method (PM) at its full form, against PM assuming missing several variables not normally available in Brazil in order to calculate daily reference ETo. Missing variables were estimated as suggested in FAO56 publication or from climatological means. Furthermore, PM was also compared against the following simplified empirical methods: Hargreaves-Samani, Priestley-Taylor, Mccloud, McGuiness-Bordne, Romanenko, Radiation-Temperature, Tanner-Pelton. The statistical analysis indicates that even if just Tmin and Tmax are available, it is better to use PM estimating missing variables from syntetic data than

  18. Physical Disabilities: National Organizations and Resources. Reference Circular No. 94-01.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nussbaum, Ruth, Comp.

    This reference document lists national organizations that serve as information clearinghouses, referral agencies, or legislative advocates for children, youths, and adults with physical disabilities. Many provide services directly to the individual and include peer and family support, education, and counseling. Some also support research on the…

  19. 78 FR 57293 - Distribution of Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 7 [Docket No. CDC-2013-0013] RIN 0920-AA52 Distribution of Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Confirmation of...

  20. A method for the development of disease-specific reference standards vocabularies from textual biomedical literature resources

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Liqin; Bray, Bruce E.; Shi, Jianlin; Fiol, Guilherme Del; Haug, Peter J.

    2017-01-01

    Objective Disease-specific vocabularies are fundamental to many knowledge-based intelligent systems and applications like text annotation, cohort selection, disease diagnostic modeling, and therapy recommendation. Reference standards are critical in the development and validation of automated methods for disease-specific vocabularies. The goal of the present study is to design and test a generalizable method for the development of vocabulary reference standards from expert-curated, disease-specific biomedical literature resources. Methods We formed disease-specific corpora from literature resources like textbooks, evidence-based synthesized online sources, clinical practice guidelines, and journal articles. Medical experts annotated and adjudicated disease-specific terms in four classes (i.e., causes or risk factors, signs or symptoms, diagnostic tests or results, and treatment). Annotations were mapped to UMLS concepts. We assessed source variation, the contribution of each source to build disease-specific vocabularies, the saturation of the vocabularies with respect to the number of used sources, and the generalizability of the method with different diseases. Results The study resulted in 2588 string-unique annotations for heart failure in four classes, and 193 and 425 respectively for pulmonary embolism and rheumatoid arthritis in treatment class. Approximately 80% of the annotations were mapped to UMLS concepts. The agreement among heart failure sources ranged between 0.28 and 0.46. The contribution of these sources to the final vocabulary ranged between 18% and 49%. With the sources explored, the heart failure vocabulary reached near saturation in all four classes with the inclusion of minimal six sources (or between four to seven sources if only counting terms occurred in two or more sources). It took fewer sources to reach near saturation for the other two diseases in terms of the treatment class. Conclusions We developed a method for the development of

  1. 77 FR 25749 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested: Employment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE [OMB Number 1103-NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested: Employment Reference Questionnaire ACTION: 60-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Management Division (JMD), will be...

  2. Reference-free direct digital lock-in method and apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henry, James E. (Inventor); Leonard, John A. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A reference-free direct digital lock-in system (RDDL 10) has a first input coupled to a periodic electrical signal and an output for outputting an indication of a magnitude of a desired periodic signal component. The RDDL also has a second input for receiving a signal (9) that specifies a reference period value, and operates to autonomously generate a lock-in reference signal having a specified period and a phase that is adjusted to maximize a magnitude of the outputted desired periodic signal component. In an embodiment of a measurement system that includes the RDDL 10 an optical source provides a chopped light beam having wavelengths within a predetermined range of wavelengths, and the periodic electrical signal is generated by at least one photodetector that is illuminated by the chopped light beam. In this embodiment the measurement system characterizes, for at least one wavelength of light that is generated by the optical source, a spectral response of the at least one photodetector. The RDDL can operate in nonreal-time upon previously generated and stored digital equivalent values of the periodic electrical signal or signals.

  3. The Effect of Violations of the Constant Demand Assumption on the Defense Logistic Agency Requirements Model

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-09-01

    Pipeline stock is calculated by forecasting the projected requirements due to transportation time and counting out the amount of stock needed to cover...the "lead time" delay. Time needed for the transportation of an order is referred to as the lead time. "Lead time is the amount of time between the...Defenae Logistica Agency The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is an agency of the Department of Defense. "The National Security Act (NSA) established

  4. 75 FR 49550 - Fifth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-13

    ... 219: Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special Committee 219: Attitude and Heading... 49551

  5. Evaluation of Methods for Analysis of Lead in Air Particulates: An Intra-Laboratory and Inter-Laboratory Comparison

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) set a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead (Pb) in total suspended particulate matter (Pb-TSP) which called for significant decreases in the allowable limits. The Federal Reference Method (FR...

  6. 40 CFR 160.47 - Facilities for handling test, control, and reference substances.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Facilities for handling test, control, and reference substances. 160.47 Section 160.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Facilities § 160.47 Facilities...

  7. 40 CFR 792.47 - Facilities for handling test, control, and reference substances.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Facilities for handling test, control, and reference substances. 792.47 Section 792.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Facilities...

  8. 78 FR 47319 - Fee Schedule for Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fee Schedule for Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: General notice. SUMMARY: The Centers...

  9. Water Quality in Small Community Distribution Systems. A Reference Guide for Operators

    EPA Science Inventory

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed this reference guide to assist the operators and managers of small- and medium-sized public water systems. This compilation provides a comprehensive picture of the impact of the water distribution system network on dist...

  10. 78 FR 53507 - Agency Information Collection (Beneficiary Travel Mileage Reimbursement Application Form...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-29

    ... (Beneficiary Travel Mileage Reimbursement Application Form) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Health... Control No. 2900- NEW (Beneficiary Travel Mileage Reimbursement Application Form)'' in any correspondence....gov . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-NEW (Beneficiary Travel Mileage Reimbursement Application...

  11. 76 FR 27381 - Agency Information Collection (Financial Statement) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-11

    ... (Financial Statement) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0047.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Financial Statement, VA.../assumers meet the creditworthiness requirements. The data is also used to determine a borrower's financial...

  12. Evaluating the construct of triage acuity against a set of reference vignettes developed via modified Delphi method.

    PubMed

    Twomey, Michèle; Wallis, Lee A; Myers, Jonathan E

    2014-07-01

    To evaluate the construct of triage acuity as measured by the South African Triage Scale (SATS) against a set of reference vignettes. A modified Delphi method was used to develop a set of reference vignettes. Delphi participants completed a 2-round consensus-building process, and independently assigned triage acuity ratings to 100 written vignettes unaware of the ratings given by others. Triage acuity ratings were summarised for all vignettes, and only those that reached 80% consensus during round 2 were included in the reference set. Triage ratings for the reference vignettes given by two independent experts using the SATS were compared with the ratings given by the international Delphi panel. Measures of sensitivity, specificity, associated percentages for over-triage/under-triage were used to evaluate the construct of triage acuity (as measured by the SATS) by examining the association between the ratings by the two experts and the international panel. On completion of the Delphi process, 42 of the 100 vignettes reached 80% consensus on their acuity rating and made up the reference set. On average, over all acuity levels, sensitivity was 74% (CI 64% to 82%), specificity 92% (CI 87% to 94%), under-triage occurred 14% (CI 8% to 23%) and over-triage 12% (CI 8% to 23%) of the time. The results of this study provide an alternative to evaluating triage scales against the construct of acuity as measured with the SATS. This method of using 80% consensus vignettes may, however, systematically bias the validity estimate towards better performance. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  13. Kernel reconstruction methods for Doppler broadening — Temperature interpolation by linear combination of reference cross sections at optimally chosen temperatures

    DOE PAGES

    Ducru, Pablo; Josey, Colin; Dibert, Karia; ...

    2017-01-25

    This paper establishes a new family of methods to perform temperature interpolation of nuclear interactions cross sections, reaction rates, or cross sections times the energy. One of these quantities at temperature T is approximated as a linear combination of quantities at reference temperatures (T j). The problem is formalized in a cross section independent fashion by considering the kernels of the different operators that convert cross section related quantities from a temperature T 0 to a higher temperature T — namely the Doppler broadening operation. Doppler broadening interpolation of nuclear cross sections is thus here performed by reconstructing the kernelmore » of the operation at a given temperature T by means of linear combination of kernels at reference temperatures (T j). The choice of the L 2 metric yields optimal linear interpolation coefficients in the form of the solutions of a linear algebraic system inversion. The optimization of the choice of reference temperatures (T j) is then undertaken so as to best reconstruct, in the L∞ sense, the kernels over a given temperature range [T min,T max]. The performance of these kernel reconstruction methods is then assessed in light of previous temperature interpolation methods by testing them upon isotope 238U. Temperature-optimized free Doppler kernel reconstruction significantly outperforms all previous interpolation-based methods, achieving 0.1% relative error on temperature interpolation of 238U total cross section over the temperature range [300 K,3000 K] with only 9 reference temperatures.« less

  14. Numerical methods for the weakly compressible Generalized Langevin Model in Eulerian reference frame

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

    Azarnykh, Dmitrii, E-mail: d.azarnykh@tum.de; Litvinov, Sergey; Adams, Nikolaus A.

    2016-06-01

    A well established approach for the computation of turbulent flow without resolving all turbulent flow scales is to solve a filtered or averaged set of equations, and to model non-resolved scales by closures derived from transported probability density functions (PDF) for velocity fluctuations. Effective numerical methods for PDF transport employ the equivalence between the Fokker–Planck equation for the PDF and a Generalized Langevin Model (GLM), and compute the PDF by transporting a set of sampling particles by GLM (Pope (1985) [1]). The natural representation of GLM is a system of stochastic differential equations in a Lagrangian reference frame, typically solvedmore » by particle methods. A representation in a Eulerian reference frame, however, has the potential to significantly reduce computational effort and to allow for the seamless integration into a Eulerian-frame numerical flow solver. GLM in a Eulerian frame (GLMEF) formally corresponds to the nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamic equations derived by Nakamura and Yoshimori (2009) [12]. Unlike the more common Landau–Lifshitz Navier–Stokes (LLNS) equations these equations are derived from the underdamped Langevin equation and are not based on a local equilibrium assumption. Similarly to LLNS equations the numerical solution of GLMEF requires special considerations. In this paper we investigate different numerical approaches to solving GLMEF with respect to the correct representation of stochastic properties of the solution. We find that a discretely conservative staggered finite-difference scheme, adapted from a scheme originally proposed for turbulent incompressible flow, in conjunction with a strongly stable (for non-stochastic PDE) Runge–Kutta method performs better for GLMEF than schemes adopted from those proposed previously for the LLNS. We show that equilibrium stochastic fluctuations are correctly reproduced.« less

  15. 78 FR 5807 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-28

    ... employ the complementary quantitative and qualitative methods of previous research. The combination of... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research...

  16. A reference model for scientific information interchange

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reich, Lou; Sawyer, Don; Davis, Randy

    1993-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of an Information Interchange Reference Model (IIRM) currently being developed by individuals participating in the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Panel 2, the Planetary Data Systems (PDS), and the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS). This is an ongoing research activity and is not an official position by these bodies. This reference model provides a framework for describing and assessing current and proposed methodologies for information interchange within and among the space agencies. It is hoped that this model will improve interoperability between the various methodologies. As such, this model attempts to address key information interchange issues as seen by the producers and users of space-related data and to put them into a coherent framework. Information is understood as the knowledge (e.g., the scientific content) represented by data. Therefore, concern is not primarily on mechanisms for transferring data from user to user (e.g., compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), wide-area networks, optical tape, and so forth) but on how information is encoded as data and how the information content is maintained with minimal loss or distortion during transmittal. The model assumes open systems, which means that the protocols or methods used should be fully described and the descriptions publicly available. Ideally these protocols are promoted by recognized standards organizations using processes that permit involvement by those most likely to be affected, thereby enhancing the protocol's stability and the likelihood of wide support.

  17. Assessing Self-Awareness through Gaze Agency

    PubMed Central

    Crespi, Sofia Allegra; de’Sperati, Claudio

    2016-01-01

    We define gaze agency as the awareness of the causal effect of one’s own eye movements in gaze-contingent environments, which might soon become a widespread reality with the diffusion of gaze-operated devices. Here we propose a method for measuring gaze agency based on self-monitoring propensity and sensitivity. In one task, naïf observers watched bouncing balls on a computer monitor with the goal of discovering the cause of concurrently presented beeps, which were generated in real-time by their saccades or by other events (Discovery Task). We manipulated observers’ self-awareness by pre-exposing them to a condition in which beeps depended on gaze direction or by focusing their attention to their own eyes. These manipulations increased propensity to agency discovery. In a second task, which served to monitor agency sensitivity at the sensori-motor level, observers were explicitly asked to detect gaze agency (Detection Task). Both tasks turned out to be well suited to measure both increases and decreases of gaze agency. We did not find evident oculomotor correlates of agency discovery or detection. A strength of our approach is that it probes self-monitoring propensity–difficult to evaluate with traditional tasks based on bodily agency. In addition to putting a lens on this novel cognitive function, measuring gaze agency could reveal subtle self-awareness deficits in pathological conditions and during development. PMID:27812138

  18. 13 CFR 147.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Federal agency or agency. 147.645 Section 147.645 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.645 Federal agency or agency. Federal...

  19. Methods, procedures, and contextual characteristics of health technology assessment and health policy decision making: comparison of health technology assessment agencies in Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Sweden.

    PubMed

    Schwarzer, Ruth; Siebert, Uwe

    2009-07-01

    The objectives of this study were (i) to develop a systematic framework for describing and comparing different features of health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, (ii) to identify and describe similarities and differences between the agencies, and (iii) to draw conclusions both for producers and users of HTA in research, policy, and practice. We performed a systematic literature search, added information from HTA agencies, and developed a conceptual framework comprising eight main domains: organization, scope, processes, methods, dissemination, decision, implementation, and impact. We grouped relevant items of these domains in an evidence table and chose five HTA agencies to test our framework: DAHTA@DIMDI, HAS, IQWiG, NICE, and SBU. Item and domain similarity was assessed using the percentage of identical characteristics in pairwise comparisons across agencies. RESULTS were interpreted across agencies by demonstrating similarities and differences. Based on 306 included documents, we identified 90 characteristics of eight main domains appropriate for our framework. After applying the framework to the five agencies, we were able to show 40 percent similarities in "dissemination," 38 percent in "scope," 35 percent in "organization," 29 percent in "methods," 26 percent in "processes," 23 percent in "impact," 19 percent in "decision," and 17 percent in "implementation." We found considerably more differences than similarities of HTA features across agencies and countries. Our framework and comparison provides insights and clarification into the need for harmonization. Our findings could serve as descriptive database facilitating communication between producers and users.

  20. Fecal electrolyte testing for evaluation of unexplained diarrhea: Validation of body fluid test accuracy in the absence of a reference method.

    PubMed

    Voskoboev, Nikolay V; Cambern, Sarah J; Hanley, Matthew M; Giesen, Callen D; Schilling, Jason J; Jannetto, Paul J; Lieske, John C; Block, Darci R

    2015-11-01

    Validation of tests performed on body fluids other than blood or urine can be challenging due to the lack of a reference method to confirm accuracy. The aim of this study was to evaluate alternate assessments of accuracy that laboratories can rely on to validate body fluid tests in the absence of a reference method using the example of sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)), and magnesium (Mg(2+)) testing in stool fluid. Validations of fecal Na(+), K(+), and Mg(2+) were performed on the Roche cobas 6000 c501 (Roche Diagnostics) using residual stool specimens submitted for clinical testing. Spiked recovery, mixing studies, and serial dilutions were performed and % recovery of each analyte was calculated to assess accuracy. Results were confirmed by comparison to a reference method (ICP-OES, PerkinElmer). Mean recoveries for fecal electrolytes were Na(+) upon spiking=92%, mixing=104%, and dilution=105%; K(+) upon spiking=94%, mixing=96%, and dilution=100%; and Mg(2+) upon spiking=93%, mixing=98%, and dilution=100%. When autoanalyzer results were compared to reference ICP-OES results, Na(+) had a slope=0.94, intercept=4.1, and R(2)=0.99; K(+) had a slope=0.99, intercept=0.7, and R(2)=0.99; and Mg(2+) had a slope=0.91, intercept=-4.6, and R(2)=0.91. Calculated osmotic gap using both methods were highly correlated with slope=0.95, intercept=4.5, and R(2)=0.97. Acid pretreatment increased magnesium recovery from a subset of clinical specimens. A combination of mixing, spiking, and dilution recovery experiments are an acceptable surrogate for assessing accuracy in body fluid validations in the absence of a reference method. Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. 40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process vents...

  2. A Novel Real-Time Reference Key Frame Scan Matching Method

    PubMed Central

    Mohamed, Haytham; Moussa, Adel; Elhabiby, Mohamed; El-Sheimy, Naser; Sesay, Abu

    2017-01-01

    Unmanned aerial vehicles represent an effective technology for indoor search and rescue operations. Typically, most indoor missions’ environments would be unknown, unstructured, and/or dynamic. Navigation of UAVs in such environments is addressed by simultaneous localization and mapping approach using either local or global approaches. Both approaches suffer from accumulated errors and high processing time due to the iterative nature of the scan matching method. Moreover, point-to-point scan matching is prone to outlier association processes. This paper proposes a low-cost novel method for 2D real-time scan matching based on a reference key frame (RKF). RKF is a hybrid scan matching technique comprised of feature-to-feature and point-to-point approaches. This algorithm aims at mitigating errors accumulation using the key frame technique, which is inspired from video streaming broadcast process. The algorithm depends on the iterative closest point algorithm during the lack of linear features which is typically exhibited in unstructured environments. The algorithm switches back to the RKF once linear features are detected. To validate and evaluate the algorithm, the mapping performance and time consumption are compared with various algorithms in static and dynamic environments. The performance of the algorithm exhibits promising navigational, mapping results and very short computational time, that indicates the potential use of the new algorithm with real-time systems. PMID:28481285

  3. A Novel Real-Time Reference Key Frame Scan Matching Method.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Haytham; Moussa, Adel; Elhabiby, Mohamed; El-Sheimy, Naser; Sesay, Abu

    2017-05-07

    Unmanned aerial vehicles represent an effective technology for indoor search and rescue operations. Typically, most indoor missions' environments would be unknown, unstructured, and/or dynamic. Navigation of UAVs in such environments is addressed by simultaneous localization and mapping approach using either local or global approaches. Both approaches suffer from accumulated errors and high processing time due to the iterative nature of the scan matching method. Moreover, point-to-point scan matching is prone to outlier association processes. This paper proposes a low-cost novel method for 2D real-time scan matching based on a reference key frame (RKF). RKF is a hybrid scan matching technique comprised of feature-to-feature and point-to-point approaches. This algorithm aims at mitigating errors accumulation using the key frame technique, which is inspired from video streaming broadcast process. The algorithm depends on the iterative closest point algorithm during the lack of linear features which is typically exhibited in unstructured environments. The algorithm switches back to the RKF once linear features are detected. To validate and evaluate the algorithm, the mapping performance and time consumption are compared with various algorithms in static and dynamic environments. The performance of the algorithm exhibits promising navigational, mapping results and very short computational time, that indicates the potential use of the new algorithm with real-time systems.

  4. Comparing the wilderness message of U.S. land management agencies

    Treesearch

    C. Griffin; S. Januchowski; J. Hooker; E. Isely; E. Daniels; C. Lucas; R. Feuerstein; M. Bosma

    2007-01-01

    Websites from three U.S. agencies that manage wilderness were examined to determine what type of message is being communicated to the public about wilderness. Some websites contain almost no information about wilderness while others discuss it extensively. Most of the references to wilderness are in administrative documents. The second most common audience is...

  5. 10 CFR 607.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Federal agency or agency. 607.645 Section 607.645 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 607.645 Federal agency or agency. Department of Energy means the U.S...

  6. 31 CFR 20.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 20.645 Section 20.645 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 20.645 Federal agency or agency...

  7. 31 CFR 20.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 20.645 Section 20.645 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 20.645 Federal agency or agency...

  8. 31 CFR 20.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 20.645 Section 20.645 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 20.645 Federal agency or agency...

  9. 31 CFR 20.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 20.645 Section 20.645 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 20.645 Federal agency or agency...

  10. 31 CFR 20.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Federal agency or agency. 20.645 Section 20.645 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 20.645 Federal agency or agency...

  11. 78 FR 54660 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Public Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-05

    ... reference. Information Collection Request Title: HRSA Telehealth Outcome Measures. OMB No.: 0915-0311...) created a set of performance measures that grantees can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their...), all federal agencies must develop strategic plans describing their overall goal and objectives. The...

  12. Sex- and Method-Specific Reference Values for Right Ventricular Strain by 2-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography.

    PubMed

    Muraru, Denisa; Onciul, Sebastian; Peluso, Diletta; Soriani, Nicola; Cucchini, Umberto; Aruta, Patrizia; Romeo, Gabriella; Cavalli, Giacomo; Iliceto, Sabino; Badano, Luigi P

    2016-02-01

    Despite the fact that assessment of right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) carries important implications for patient diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, its implementation in clinical settings has been hampered by the limited reference values and the lack of uniformity in software, method, and definition used for measuring RVLS. Accordingly, this study was designed to establish (1) the reference values for RVLS by 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography; and (2) their relationship with demographic, hemodynamic, and cardiac factors. In 276 healthy volunteers (55% women; age, 18-76 years), free wall and septum RVLS (6 segments) and free wall RVLS (3 segments) using both 6- and 3-segment regions of interest were obtained. Feasibility of 6-segment RVLS was 92%. Free wall RVLS from 3- versus 6-segment regions of interest had similar values, yet 6-segment region of interest was more feasible (86% versus 73%; P<0.001) and reproducible. Reference values (lower limits of normality) were as follows: 6-segment RVLS, -24.7±2.6% (-20.0%) for men and -26.7±3.1% (-20.3%) for women; 3-segment RVLS, -29.3±3.4% (-22.5%) for men and -31.6±4.0% (-23.3%) for women (P<0.001). Free wall RVLS was 5±2 strain units (%) larger in magnitude than 6-segment RVLS, 10±4% larger than septal RVLS, and 2±4% larger in women than in men (P<0.001). At multivariable analysis, age, sex, pulmonary systolic pressure, right atrial minimal volume, as well as right atrial and left ventricular longitudinal strain resulted as correlates of RVLS values. This is the largest study providing sex- and method-specific reference values for RVLS. Our data may foster the implementation of 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived RV analysis in clinical practice. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  13. Nuclear Science References Database

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

    Pritychenko, B., E-mail: pritychenko@bnl.gov; Běták, E.; Singh, B.

    2014-06-15

    The Nuclear Science References (NSR) database together with its associated Web interface, is the world's only comprehensive source of easily accessible low- and intermediate-energy nuclear physics bibliographic information for more than 210,000 articles since the beginning of nuclear science. The weekly-updated NSR database provides essential support for nuclear data evaluation, compilation and research activities. The principles of the database and Web application development and maintenance are described. Examples of nuclear structure, reaction and decay applications are specifically included. The complete NSR database is freely available at the websites of the National Nuclear Data Center (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nsr) and the International Atomic Energymore » Agency (http://www-nds.iaea.org/nsr)« less

  14. COMPARISON OF THE RECOVERIES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AND TOTAL COLIFORMS FROM DRINKING WATER BY THE MI AGAR METHOD AND THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY-APPROVED MEMBRANE FILTER METHOD

    EPA Science Inventory

    Drinking water regulations under the Final Coliform Rule require that total coliform-positive drinking water samples be examined for the presence of Escherichia coli or fecal coliforms. The current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved membrane filter (MF) method for E. c...

  15. Negotiating Collective and Individual Agency

    PubMed Central

    Paul, Mandira; Essén, Birgitta; Sariola, Salla; Iyengar, Sharad; Soni, Sunita; Klingberg Allvin, Marie

    2016-01-01

    The societal changes in India and the available variety of reproductive health services call for evidence to inform health systems how to satisfy young women’s reproductive health needs. Inspired by Foucault’s power idiom and Bandura’s agency framework, we explore young women’s opportunities to practice reproductive agency in the context of collective social expectations. We carried out in-depth interviews with 19 young women in rural Rajasthan. Our findings highlight how changes in notions of agency across generations enable young women’s reproductive intentions and desires, and call for effective means of reproductive control. However, the taboo around sex without the intention to reproduce made contraceptive use unfeasible. Instead, abortions were the preferred method for reproductive control. In conclusion, safe abortion is key, along with the need to address the taboo around sex to enable use of “modern” contraception. This approach could prevent unintended pregnancies and expand young women’s agency. PMID:26531879

  16. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2016 Performance Rating Method Reference Manual

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

    Goel, Supriya; Rosenberg, Michael I.; Eley, Charles

    This document is intended to be a reference manual for the Appendix G Performance Rating Method (PRM) of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2016 (Standard 90.1-2016). The PRM can be used to demonstrate compliance with the standard and to rate the energy efficiency of commercial and high-rise residential buildings with designs that exceed the requirements of Standard 90.1. Use of the PRM for demonstrating compliance with Standard 90.1 is a new feature of the 2016 edition. The procedures and processes described in this manual are designed to provide consistency and accuracy by filling in gaps and providing additional details needed by users ofmore » the PRM.« less

  17. TANK OPERATIONS CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY UTILIZING THE AGENCY METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

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

    LESKO KF; BERRIOCHOA MV

    2010-02-26

    Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) has faced significant project management challenges in managing Davis-Bacon construction work that meets contractually required small business goals. The unique challenge is to provide contracting opportunities to multiple small business constructioin subcontractors while performing high hazard work in a safe and productive manner. Previous to the WRPS contract, construction work at the Hanford Tank Farms was contracted to large companies, while current Department of Energy (DOE) Contracts typically emphasize small business awards. As an integral part of Nuclear Project Management at Hanford Tank Farms, construction involves removal of old equipment and structures and installationmore » of new infrastructure to support waste retrieval and waste feed delivery to the Waste Treatment Plant. Utilizing the optimum construction approach ensures that the contractors responsible for this work are successful in meeting safety, quality, cost and schedule objectives while working in a very hazardous environment. This paper descirbes the successful transition from a traditional project delivery method that utilized a large business general contractor and subcontractors to a new project construction management model that is more oriented to small businesses. Construction has selected the Agency Construction Management Method (John E Schaufelberger, Len Holm, "Management of Construction Projects, A Constructor's Perspective", University of Washington, Prentice Hall 2002). This method was implemented in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2009 (FY2009), where Construction Management is performed by substantially home office resources from the URS Northwest Office in Richland, Washington. The Agency Method has allowed WRPS to provide proven Construction Managers and Field Leads to mentor and direct small business contractors, thus providing expertise and assurance of a successful project. Construction execution contracts are

  18. 46 CFR 160.176-4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... and Elongation, Breaking of Woven Cloth; Grab Method, incorporation by reference approved for § 160.176-13. (ii) Method 5132, Strength of Cloth, Tearing; Falling-Pendulum Method, incorporation by reference approved for § 160.176-13. (iii) Method 5134, Strength of Cloth, Tearing; Tongue Method...

  19. 46 CFR 160.176-4 - Incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... and Elongation, Breaking of Woven Cloth; Grab Method, incorporation by reference approved for § 160.176-13. (ii) Method 5132, Strength of Cloth, Tearing; Falling-Pendulum Method, incorporation by reference approved for § 160.176-13. (iii) Method 5134, Strength of Cloth, Tearing; Tongue Method...

  20. Capillary reference half-cell

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Stephen H.

    1996-01-01

    The present invention is a reference half-cell electrode wherein intermingling of test fluid with reference fluid does not affect the performance of the reference half-cell over a long time. This intermingling reference half-cell may be used as a single or double junction submersible or surface reference electrode. The intermingling reference half-cell relies on a capillary tube having a first end open to reference fluid and a second end open to test fluid wherein the small diameter of the capillary tube limits free motion of fluid within the capillary to diffusion. The electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary in contact with the reference fluid. The method of operation of the present invention begins with filling the capillary tube with a reference solution. After closing the first end of the capillary, the capillary tube may be fully submerged or partially submerged with the second open end inserted into test fluid. Since the electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary, and since the test fluid may intermingle with the reference fluid through the second open end only by diffusion, this intermingling capillary reference half-cell provides a stable voltage potential for long time periods.

  1. Capillary reference half-cell

    DOEpatents

    Hall, S.H.

    1996-02-13

    The present invention is a reference half-cell electrode wherein intermingling of test fluid with reference fluid does not affect the performance of the reference half-cell over a long time. This intermingling reference half-cell may be used as a single or double junction submersible or surface reference electrode. The intermingling reference half-cell relies on a capillary tube having a first end open to reference fluid and a second end open to test fluid wherein the small diameter of the capillary tube limits free motion of fluid within the capillary to diffusion. The electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary in contact with the reference fluid. The method of operation of the present invention begins with filling the capillary tube with a reference solution. After closing the first end of the capillary, the capillary tube may be fully submerged or partially submerged with the second open end inserted into test fluid. Since the electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary, and since the test fluid may intermingle with the reference fluid through the second open end only by diffusion, this intermingling capillary reference half-cell provides a stable voltage potential for long time periods. 11 figs.

  2. Advancing Collaboration between School- and Agency-Employed School-Based Social Workers: A Mixed-Methods Comparison of Competencies and Preparedness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bronstein, Laura R.; Ball, Annahita; Mellin, Elizabeth A.; Wade-Mdivanian, Rebecca; Anderson-Butcher, Dawn

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to share results of a mixed-methods research study designed to shed light on similarities and differences between school-employed and agency-employed school-based social workers' preparation and practice as a precursor for collaboration in expanded school mental health. Online survey data from a national sample of…

  3. 45 CFR 90.43 - What specific responsibilities do agencies and recipients have to ensure compliance with the Act?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... the mediator at the same time. (ii) If the complainant and recipient reach a mutually satisfactory... mediator shall send a copy of the settlement to the referring agency. No further action shall be taken... with the agreement. (iii) Not more than 60 days after the agency receives the complaint, the mediator...

  4. 31 CFR 215.10 - Agency withholding procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., STATE, CITY AND COUNTY INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT TAXES BY FEDERAL AGENCIES Withholding Agreement § 215.10... compensation, each agency shall use the method prescribed by the State income tax statute or city or county... income tax, or (2) By the city or county ordinance from the compensation of each employee subject to such...

  5. 31 CFR 215.10 - Agency withholding procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., STATE, CITY AND COUNTY INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT TAXES BY FEDERAL AGENCIES Withholding Agreement § 215.10... compensation, each agency shall use the method prescribed by the State income tax statute or city or county... income tax, or (2) By the city or county ordinance from the compensation of each employee subject to such...

  6. Uncovering effects of self-control and stimulus-driven action selection on the sense of agency.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yuru; Damen, Tom G E; Aarts, Henk

    2017-10-01

    The sense of agency refers to feelings of causing one's own action and resulting effect. Previous research indicates that voluntary action selection is an important factor in shaping the sense of agency. Whereas the volitional nature of the sense of agency is well documented, the present study examined whether agency is modulated when action selection shifts from self-control to a more automatic stimulus-driven process. Seventy-two participants performed an auditory Simon task including congruent and incongruent trials to generate automatic stimulus-driven vs. more self-control driven action, respectively. Responses in the Simon task produced a tone and agency was assessed with the intentional binding task - an implicit measure of agency. Results showed a Simon effect and temporal binding effect. However, temporal binding was independent of congruency. These findings suggest that temporal binding, a window to the sense of agency, emerges for both automatic stimulus-driven actions and self-controlled actions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

  8. 40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

  9. 40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

  10. Reference method for detection of Pgp mediated multidrug resistance in human hematological malignancies: a method validated by the laboratories of the French Drug Resistance Network.

    PubMed

    Huet, S; Marie, J P; Gualde, N; Robert, J

    1998-12-15

    Multidrug resistance (MDR) associated with overexpression of the MDR1 gene and of its product, P-glycoprotein (Pgp), plays an important role in limiting cancer treatment efficacy. Many studies have investigated Pgp expression in clinical samples of hematological malignancies but failed to give definitive conclusion on its usefulness. One convenient method for fluorescent detection of Pgp in malignant cells is flow cytometry which however gives variable results from a laboratory to another one, partly due to the lack of a reference method rigorously tested. The purpose of this technical note is to describe each step of a reference flow cytometric method. The guidelines for sample handling, staining and analysis have been established both for Pgp detection with monoclonal antibodies directed against extracellular epitopes (MRK16, UIC2 and 4E3), and for Pgp functional activity measurement with Rhodamine 123 as a fluorescent probe. Both methods have been validated on cultured cell lines and clinical samples by 12 laboratories of the French Drug Resistance Network. This cross-validated multicentric study points out crucial steps for the accuracy and reproducibility of the results, like cell viability, data analysis and expression.

  11. Learner Agency and the Use of Affordances in Language-Exchange Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahn, Tae youn

    2016-01-01

    Language exchange refers to a learning partnership between two learners with different native languages who collaborate to help each other improve their proficiency in the other's language. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which language-exchange participants activate learner agency to construct opportunities for learning in…

  12. Health technology assessment of medical devices: a survey of non-European union agencies.

    PubMed

    Ciani, Oriana; Wilcher, Britni; Blankart, Carl Rudolf; Hatz, Maximilian; Rupel, Valentina Prevolnik; Erker, Renata Slabe; Varabyova, Yauheniya; Taylor, Rod S

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to review and compare current health technology assessment (HTA) activities for medical devices across non-European Union HTA agencies. HTA activities for medical devices were evaluated from three perspectives: organizational structure, processes, and methods. Agencies were primarily selected upon membership of existing HTA networks. The data collection was performed in two stages: stage 1-agency Web-site assessment using a standardized questionnaire, followed by review and validation of the collected data by a representative of the agency; and stage 2-semi-structured telephone interviews with key informants of a sub-sample of agencies. In total, thirty-six HTA agencies across twenty non-EU countries assessing medical devices were included. Twenty-seven of thirty-six (75 percent) agencies were judged at stage 1 to have adopted HTA-specific approaches for medical devices (MD-specific agencies) that were largely organizational or procedural. There appeared to be few differences in the organization, process and methods between MD-specific and non-MD-specific agencies. Although the majority (69 percent) of both categories of agency had specific methods guidance or policy for evidence submission, only one MD-specific agency had developed methodological guidelines specific to medical devices. In stage 2, many MD-specific agencies cited insufficient resources (budget, skilled employees), lack of coordination (between regulator and reimbursement bodies), and the inability to generalize findings from evidence synthesis to be key challenges in the HTA of medical devices. The lack of evidence for differentiation in scientific methods for HTA of devices raises the question of whether HTA needs to develop new methods for medical devices but rather adapt existing methodological approaches. In contrast, organizational and/or procedural adaptation of existing HTA agency frameworks to accommodate medical devices appear relatively commonplace.

  13. Comparison between the triglycerides standardization of routine methods used in Japan and the chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the CDC Lipid Standardization Programme

    PubMed Central

    Nakamura, Masakazu; Iso, Hiroyasu; Kitamura, Akihiko; Imano, Hironori; Noda, Hiroyuki; Kiyama, Masahiko; Sato, Shinichi; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Nakai, Michikazu; Vesper, Hubert W; Teramoto, Tamio; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro

    2017-01-01

    Background The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ensured adequate performance of the routine triglycerides methods used in Japan by a chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme as a reference point. We examined standardized data to clarify the performance of routine triglycerides methods. Methods The two routine triglycerides methods were the fluorometric method of Kessler and Lederer and the enzymatic method. The methods were standardized using 495 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference pools with 98 different concentrations ranging between 0.37 and 5.15 mmol/L in 141 survey runs. The triglycerides criteria for laboratories which perform triglycerides analyses are used: accuracy, as bias ≤5% from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value and precision, as measured by CV, ≤5%. Results The correlation of the bias of both methods to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference method was: y (%bias) = 0.516 × (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value) −1.292 (n = 495, R2 = 0.018). Triglycerides bias at medical decision points of 1.13, 1.69 and 2.26 mmol/L was −0.71%, −0.42% and −0.13%, respectively. For the combined precision, the equation y (CV) = −0.398 × (triglycerides value) + 1.797 (n = 495, R2 = 0.081) was used. Precision was 1.35%, 1.12% and 0.90%, respectively. It was shown that triglycerides measurements at Osaka were stable for 36 years. Conclusions The epidemiologic laboratory in Japan met acceptable accuracy goals for 88.7% of all samples, and met acceptable precision goals for 97.8% of all samples measured through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme and demonstrated stable results for an extended period of time. PMID:26680645

  14. An International Strategy for Human Exploration of the Moon: The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) Reference Architecture for Human Lunar Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laurini, Kathleen C.; Hufenbach, Bernhard; Junichiro, Kawaguchi; Piedboeuf, Jean-Claude; Schade, Britta; Lorenzoni, Andrea; Curtis, Jeremy; Hae-Dong, Kim

    2010-01-01

    The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) was established in response to The Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination developed by fourteen space agencies and released in May 2007. Several ISECG participating space agencies have been studying concepts for human exploration of the moon that allow individual and collective goals and objectives to be met. This 18 month study activity culminated with the development of the ISECG Reference Architecture for Human Lunar Exploration. The reference architecture is a series of elements delivered over time in a flexible and evolvable campaign. This paper will describe the reference architecture and how it will inform near-term and long-term programmatic planning within interested agencies. The reference architecture is intended to serve as a global point of departure conceptual architecture that enables individual agency investments in technology development and demonstration, International Space Station research and technology demonstration, terrestrial analog studies, and robotic precursor missions to contribute towards the eventual implementation of a human lunar exploration scenario which reflects the concepts and priorities established to date. It also serves to create opportunities for partnerships that will support evolution of this concept and its eventual realization. The ISECG Reference Architecture for Human Lunar Exploration (commonly referred to as the lunar gPoD) reflects the agency commitments to finding an effective balance between conducting important scientific investigations of and from the moon, as well as demonstrating and mastering the technologies and capabilities to send humans farther into the Solar System. The lunar gPoD begins with a robust robotic precursor phase that demonstrates technologies and capabilities considered important for the success of the campaign. Robotic missions will inform the human missions and buy down risks. Human exploration will start

  15. Home Health Agency Work Environments and Hospitalizations

    PubMed Central

    Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T.; Aiken, Linda H.

    2014-01-01

    Background: An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. Objectives: To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Methods and Design: Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Results: Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Conclusion: Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care. PMID:25215647

  16. Analysis of 70 Environmental Protection Agency priority pharmaceuticals in water by EPA Method 1694.

    PubMed

    Ferrer, Imma; Zweigenbaum, Jerry A; Thurman, E Michael

    2010-09-03

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1694 for the determination of pharmaceuticals in water recently brought a new challenge for treatment utilities, where pharmaceuticals have been reported in the drinking water of 41-million Americans. This proposed methodology, designed to address this important issue, consists of solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) using triple quadrupole. Under the guidelines of Method 1694, a multi-residue method was developed, validated, and applied to wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples for the analysis of 70 pharmaceuticals. Four distinct chromatographic gradients and LC conditions were used according to the polarity and extraction of the different pharmaceuticals. Positive and negative ion electrospray were used with two MRM transitions (a quantifier and a qualifier ion for each compound), which adds extra confirmation not included in the original Method 1694. Finally, we verify, for the first time, EPA Method 1694 on water samples collected in several locations in Colorado, where positive identifications for several pharmaceuticals were found. This study is a valuable indicator of the potential of LC/MS-MS for routine quantitative multi-residue analysis of pharmaceuticals in drinking water and wastewater samples and will make monitoring studies much easier to develop for water utilities across the US, who are currently seeking guidance on analytical methods for pharmaceuticals in their water supplies. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. SSIART: Opening the Way to Wireless Sensor Networks On-Board Spacecraft with an Inter-Agency Research Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunes-Lasnet, Sev; Dufour, Jean-Francois

    2012-08-01

    The potential uses and benefits of wireless technologies in space are very broad. Since many years the CCSDS SOIS wireless working group has worked at the identification of key applications for which wireless would bring benefits, and at supporting the deployment of wireless in space thanks to documents, in particular a Green informative book and magenta books presenting recommended practices.The Smart Sensor Inter-Agency Research Test bench (SSIART) is being designed to provide the space Agencies and the Industry with a reference smart sensor platform to test wireless sensor technologies in reference representative applications and RF propagation environments, while promoting these technologies at the same time.

  18. Extending The Calibration In The Underwater Sound Reference Division (USRD) Reciprocity Coupler To Incorporate Phase

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS EXTENDING THE CALIBRATION IN THE UNDERWATER SOUND REFERENCE DIVISION (USRD) RECIPROCITY COUPLER...AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 08-01-2014 to 08-21-2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE EXTENDING THE CALIBRATION IN THE UNDERWATER SOUND REFERENCE DIVISION...SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this document are those of the author and do not reflect

  19. 40 CFR Appendix 8 to Subpart A of... - Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Drilling Fluid Formulation 8 Appendix 8 to Subpart A of Part 435 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION POINT...—Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation The reference C16-C18 internal olefin drilling...

  20. 40 CFR Appendix 8 to Subpart A of... - Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Drilling Fluid Formulation 8 Appendix 8 to Subpart A of Part 435 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION POINT...—Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation The reference C16-C18 internal olefin drilling...

  1. 40 CFR Appendix 8 to Subpart A of... - Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Drilling Fluid Formulation 8 Appendix 8 to Subpart A of Part 435 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION POINT...—Reference C16-C18 Internal Olefin Drilling Fluid Formulation The reference C16-C18 internal olefin drilling...

  2. Comparison of methods for the prediction of human clearance from hepatocyte intrinsic clearance for a set of reference compounds and an external evaluation set.

    PubMed

    Yamagata, Tetsuo; Zanelli, Ugo; Gallemann, Dieter; Perrin, Dominique; Dolgos, Hugues; Petersson, Carl

    2017-09-01

    1. We compared direct scaling, regression model equation and the so-called "Poulin et al." methods to scale clearance (CL) from in vitro intrinsic clearance (CL int ) measured in human hepatocytes using two sets of compounds. One reference set comprised of 20 compounds with known elimination pathways and one external evaluation set based on 17 compounds development in Merck (MS). 2. A 90% prospective confidence interval was calculated using the reference set. This interval was found relevant for the regression equation method. The three outliers identified were justified on the basis of their elimination mechanism. 3. The direct scaling method showed a systematic underestimation of clearance in both the reference and evaluation sets. The "Poulin et al." and the regression equation methods showed no obvious bias in either the reference or evaluation sets. 4. The regression model equation was slightly superior to the "Poulin et al." method in the reference set and showed a better absolute average fold error (AAFE) of value 1.3 compared to 1.6. A larger difference was observed in the evaluation set were the regression method and "Poulin et al." resulted in an AAFE of 1.7 and 2.6, respectively (removing the three compounds with known issues mentioned above). A similar pattern was observed for the correlation coefficient. Based on these data we suggest the regression equation method combined with a prospective confidence interval as the first choice for the extrapolation of human in vivo hepatic metabolic clearance from in vitro systems.

  3. An observational study showed that explaining randomization using gambling-related metaphors and computer-agency descriptions impeded randomized clinical trial recruitment.

    PubMed

    Jepson, Marcus; Elliott, Daisy; Conefrey, Carmel; Wade, Julia; Rooshenas, Leila; Wilson, Caroline; Beard, David; Blazeby, Jane M; Birtle, Alison; Halliday, Alison; Stein, Rob; Donovan, Jenny L

    2018-07-01

    To explore how the concept of randomization is described by clinicians and understood by patients in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and how it contributes to patient understanding and recruitment. Qualitative analysis of 73 audio recordings of recruitment consultations from five, multicenter, UK-based RCTs with identified or anticipated recruitment difficulties. One in 10 appointments did not include any mention of randomization. Most included a description of the method or process of allocation. Descriptions often made reference to gambling-related metaphors or similes, or referred to allocation by a computer. Where reference was made to a computer, some patients assumed that they would receive the treatment that was "best for them". Descriptions of the rationale for randomization were rarely present and often only came about as a consequence of patients questioning the reason for a random allocation. The methods and processes of randomization were usually described by recruiters, but often without clarity, which could lead to patient misunderstanding. The rationale for randomization was rarely mentioned. Recruiters should avoid problematic gambling metaphors and illusions of agency in their explanations and instead focus on clearer descriptions of the rationale and method of randomization to ensure patients are better informed about randomization and RCT participation. Copyright © 2018 University of Bristol. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Strength of Intentional Effort Enhances the Sense of Agency

    PubMed Central

    Minohara, Rin; Wen, Wen; Hamasaki, Shunsuke; Maeda, Takaki; Kato, Motoichiro; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Atsushi; Asama, Hajime

    2016-01-01

    Sense of agency (SoA) refers to the feeling of controlling one’s own actions, and the experience of controlling external events with one’s actions. The present study examined the effect of strength of intentional effort on SoA. We manipulated the strength of intentional effort using three types of buttons that differed in the amount of force required to depress them. We used a self-attribution task as an explicit measure of SoA. The results indicate that strength of intentional effort enhanced self-attribution when action-effect congruency was unreliable. We concluded that intentional effort importantly affects the integration of multiple cues affecting explicit judgments of agency when the causal relationship action and effect was unreliable. PMID:27536267

  5. Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

  6. Federal Recruiting 1976-1977: A Summary of Federal Agency Recruiting Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Recruiting and Examining.

    The publication, a catalog describing Federal agency recruiting and career information activities, is intended as a desk reference for college counselors and placement advisors working in the area of government placement. To be most helpful, it should be used as a companion piece to other Federal career literature such as the Federal Career…

  7. Assessment of air quality microsensors versus reference methods: The EuNetAir joint exercise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borrego, C.; Costa, A. M.; Ginja, J.; Amorim, M.; Coutinho, M.; Karatzas, K.; Sioumis, Th.; Katsifarakis, N.; Konstantinidis, K.; De Vito, S.; Esposito, E.; Smith, P.; André, N.; Gérard, P.; Francis, L. A.; Castell, N.; Schneider, P.; Viana, M.; Minguillón, M. C.; Reimringer, W.; Otjes, R. P.; von Sicard, O.; Pohle, R.; Elen, B.; Suriano, D.; Pfister, V.; Prato, M.; Dipinto, S.; Penza, M.

    2016-12-01

    The 1st EuNetAir Air Quality Joint Intercomparison Exercise organized in Aveiro (Portugal) from 13th-27th October 2014, focused on the evaluation and assessment of environmental gas, particulate matter (PM) and meteorological microsensors, versus standard air quality reference methods through an experimental urban air quality monitoring campaign. The IDAD-Institute of Environment and Development Air Quality Mobile Laboratory was placed at an urban traffic location in the city centre of Aveiro to conduct continuous measurements with standard equipment and reference analysers for CO, NOx, O3, SO2, PM10, PM2.5, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and precipitation. The comparison of the sensor data generated by different microsensor-systems installed side-by-side with reference analysers, contributes to the assessment of the performance and the accuracy of microsensor-systems in a real-world context, and supports their calibration and further development. The overall performance of the sensors in terms of their statistical metrics and measurement profile indicates significant differences in the results depending on the platform and on the sensors considered. In terms of pollutants, some promising results were observed for O3 (r2: 0.12-0.77), CO (r2: 0.53-0.87), and NO2 (r2: 0.02-0.89). For PM (r2: 0.07-0.36) and SO2 (r2: 0.09-0.20) the results show a poor performance with low correlation coefficients between the reference and microsensor measurements. These field observations under specific environmental conditions suggest that the relevant microsensor platforms, if supported by the proper post processing and data modelling tools, have enormous potential for new strategies in air quality control.

  8. Reference scenarios for deforestation and forest degradation in support of REDD: a review of data and methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olander, Lydia P.; Gibbs, Holly K.; Steininger, Marc; Swenson, Jennifer J.; Murray, Brian C.

    2008-04-01

    Global climate policy initiatives are now being proposed to compensate tropical forest nations for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). These proposals have the potential to include developing countries more actively in international greenhouse gas mitigation and to address a substantial share of the world's emissions which come from tropical deforestation. For such a policy to be viable it must have a credible benchmark against which emissions reduction can be calculated. This benchmark, sometimes termed a baseline or reference emissions scenario, can be based directly on historical emissions or can use historical emissions as input for business as usual projections. Here, we review existing data and methods that could be used to measure historical deforestation and forest degradation reference scenarios including FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) national statistics and various remote sensing sources. The freely available and corrected global Landsat imagery for 1990, 2000 and soon to come for 2005 may be the best primary data source for most developing countries with other coarser resolution high frequency or radar data as a valuable complement for addressing problems with cloud cover and for distinguishing larger scale degradation. While sampling of imagery has been effectively useful for pan-tropical and continental estimates of deforestation, wall-to-wall (or full coverage) allows more detailed assessments for measuring national-level reference emissions. It is possible to measure historical deforestation with sufficient certainty for determining reference emissions, but there must be continued calls at the international level for making high-resolution imagery available, and for financial and technical assistance to help countries determine credible reference scenarios. The data available for past years may not be sufficient for assessing all forms of forest degradation, but new data sources

  9. SPM analysis of parametric (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding images: plasma input versus reference tissue parametric methods.

    PubMed

    Schuitemaker, Alie; van Berckel, Bart N M; Kropholler, Marc A; Veltman, Dick J; Scheltens, Philip; Jonker, Cees; Lammertsma, Adriaan A; Boellaard, Ronald

    2007-05-01

    (R)-[11C]PK11195 has been used for quantifying cerebral microglial activation in vivo. In previous studies, both plasma input and reference tissue methods have been used, usually in combination with a region of interest (ROI) approach. Definition of ROIs, however, can be labourious and prone to interobserver variation. In addition, results are only obtained for predefined areas and (unexpected) signals in undefined areas may be missed. On the other hand, standard pharmacokinetic models are too sensitive to noise to calculate (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Linearised versions of both plasma input and reference tissue models have been described, and these are more suitable for parametric imaging. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of these plasma input and reference tissue parametric methods on the outcome of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding. Dynamic (R)-[11C]PK11195 PET scans with arterial blood sampling were performed in 7 younger and 11 elderly healthy subjects. Parametric images of volume of distribution (Vd) and binding potential (BP) were generated using linearised versions of plasma input (Logan) and reference tissue (Reference Parametric Mapping) models. Images were compared at the group level using SPM with a two-sample t-test per voxel, both with and without proportional scaling. Parametric BP images without scaling provided the most sensitive framework for determining differences in (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding between younger and elderly subjects. Vd images could only demonstrate differences in (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding when analysed with proportional scaling due to intersubject variation in K1/k2 (blood-brain barrier transport and non-specific binding).

  10. Determination of reference ranges for elements in human scalp hair.

    PubMed

    Druyan, M E; Bass, D; Puchyr, R; Urek, K; Quig, D; Harmon, E; Marquardt, W

    1998-06-01

    Expected values, reference ranges, or reference limits are necessary to enable clinicians to apply analytical chemical data in the delivery of health care. Determination of references ranges is not straightforward in terms of either selecting a reference population or performing statistical analysis. In light of logistical, scientific, and economic obstacles, it is understandable that clinical laboratories often combine approaches in developing health associated reference values. A laboratory may choose to: 1. Validate either reference ranges of other laboratories or published data from clinical research or both, through comparison of patients test data. 2. Base the laboratory's reference values on statistical analysis of results from specimens assayed by the clinical reference laboratory itself. 3. Adopt standards or recommendations of regulatory agencies and governmental bodies. 4. Initiate population studies to validate transferred reference ranges or to determine them anew. Effects of external contamination and anecdotal information from clinicians may be considered. The clinical utility of hair analysis is well accepted for some elements. For others, it remains in the realm of clinical investigation. This article elucidates an approach for establishment of reference ranges for elements in human scalp hair. Observed levels of analytes from hair specimens from both our laboratory's total patient population and from a physician-defined healthy American population have been evaluated. Examination of levels of elements often associated with toxicity serves to exemplify the process of determining reference ranges in hair. In addition the approach serves as a model for setting reference ranges for analytes in a variety of matrices.

  11. Proposed Oral Reference Dose (RfD) for Barium and Compounds (Final Report, 2004)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document is the final report from the 2004 external peer review of the Proposed Oral Reference Dose (RfD) for Barium and Compounds, prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), for the Integrated Risk...

  12. 40 CFR Table E-1 to Subpart E of... - Summary of Test Requirements for Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 E Table E-1 to Subpart E of Part 53... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 or PM10â2.5 Pt. 53...

  13. System and method for tuning adjusting the central frequency of a laser while maintaining frequency stabilization to an external reference

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Livas, Jeffrey (Inventor); Thorpe, James I. (Inventor); Numata, Kenji (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    A method and system for stabilizing a laser to a frequency reference with an adjustable offset. The method locks a sideband signal generated by passing an incoming laser beam through the phase modulator to a frequency reference, and adjusts a carrier frequency relative to the locked sideband signal by changing a phase modulation frequency input to the phase modulator. The sideband signal can be a single sideband (SSB), dual sideband (DSB), or an electronic sideband (ESB) signal. Two separate electro-optic modulators can produce the DSB signal. The two electro-optic modulators can be a broadband modulator and a resonant modulator. With a DSB signal, the method can introduce two sinusoidal phase modulations at the phase modulator. With ESB signals, the method can further drive the optical phase modulator with an electrical signal with nominal frequency OMEGA(sub 1) that is phase modulated at a frequency OMEGA(sub 2)

  14. 76 FR 35949 - Agency Information Collection Activity (Servicer's Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Application...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-20

    ... (Servicer's Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Application) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork... 20503, (202) 395-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0715'' in any correspondence. FOR FURTHER...

  15. How health technology assessment agencies address the issue of unpublished data.

    PubMed

    Kreis, Julia; Panteli, Dimitra; Busse, Reinhard

    2014-01-01

    Reporting bias potentially threatens the validity of results in health technology assessment (HTA) reports. Our study aimed to explore policies and practices of HTA agencies regarding strategies to include previously unpublished data in their assessments, focusing on requests to industry for unpublished data. We included international HTA agencies with publicly available methods papers as well as HTA reports. From the methods papers and recent reports we extracted information on requests to industry and on searches in trial registries, regulatory authority Web sites and for conference abstracts. Eighteen HTA agencies and seventy-three reports were included. Agencies' methods papers showed variability regarding requests to industry (requests are routinely carried out in seven cases, not mentioned in six, at the discretion of HTA authors in three, and based on manufacturer applications in two), which were reflected in the reports investigated. As reporting of requests was limited, it often remained unclear whether unpublished data had been received. Searches in trial registries, at regulatory authorities or for conference abstracts are described as a routine or optional part of the search strategy in the methods papers of 9, 11, and 8 included agencies, respectively. A total of 52 percent, 39 percent, and 16 percent of reports described searches in trial registries, at regulatory agencies, and hand searching of conference proceedings. International HTA agencies currently differ considerably in their efforts to address the issue of unpublished data. Requests to industry may constitute one strategy to access and include unpublished data, while agencies can learn from each other concerning successful practice.

  16. Optimal Interpolation scheme to generate reference crop evapotranspiration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomas-Burguera, Miquel; Beguería, Santiago; Vicente-Serrano, Sergio; Maneta, Marco

    2018-05-01

    We used an Optimal Interpolation (OI) scheme to generate a reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) grid, forcing meteorological variables, and their respective error variance in the Iberian Peninsula for the period 1989-2011. To perform the OI we used observational data from the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and outputs from a physically-based climate model. To compute ETo we used five OI schemes to generate grids for the five observed climate variables necessary to compute ETo using the FAO-recommended form of the Penman-Monteith equation (FAO-PM). The granularity of the resulting grids are less sensitive to variations in the density and distribution of the observational network than those generated by other interpolation methods. This is because our implementation of the OI method uses a physically-based climate model as prior background information about the spatial distribution of the climatic variables, which is critical for under-observed regions. This provides temporal consistency in the spatial variability of the climatic fields. We also show that increases in the density and improvements in the distribution of the observational network reduces substantially the uncertainty of the climatic and ETo estimates. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of observational uncertainties and network densification suggests the existence of a trade-off between quantity and quality of observations.

  17. Validating fatty acid intake as estimated by an FFQ: how does the 24 h recall perform as reference method compared with the duplicate portion?

    PubMed

    Trijsburg, Laura; de Vries, Jeanne Hm; Hollman, Peter Ch; Hulshof, Paul Jm; van 't Veer, Pieter; Boshuizen, Hendriek C; Geelen, Anouk

    2018-05-08

    To compare the performance of the commonly used 24 h recall (24hR) with the more distinct duplicate portion (DP) as reference method for validation of fatty acid intake estimated with an FFQ. Intakes of SFA, MUFA, n-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid (LA) were estimated by chemical analysis of two DP and by on average five 24hR and two FFQ. Plasma n-3 fatty acids and LA were used to objectively compare ranking of individuals based on DP and 24hR. Multivariate measurement error models were used to estimate validity coefficients and attenuation factors for the FFQ with the DP and 24hR as reference methods. Wageningen, the Netherlands. Ninety-two men and 106 women (aged 20-70 years). Validity coefficients for the fatty acid estimates by the FFQ tended to be lower when using the DP as reference method compared with the 24hR. Attenuation factors for the FFQ tended to be slightly higher based on the DP than those based on the 24hR as reference method. Furthermore, when using plasma fatty acids as reference, the DP showed comparable to slightly better ranking of participants according to their intake of n-3 fatty acids (0·33) and n-3:LA (0·34) than the 24hR (0·22 and 0·24, respectively). The 24hR gives only slightly different results compared with the distinctive but less feasible DP, therefore use of the 24hR seems appropriate as the reference method for FFQ validation of fatty acid intake.

  18. Planning for the Future: The Leadership Role of the State Library Agencies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fletcher, Patricia T.

    1990-01-01

    Discusses the strategic planning role of state library agencies for information resources management (IRM) and presents data from a study on IRM in the 50 state governments. Trends in state plans are identified, the strategic planning process is examined, and challenges for the future are discussed. (20 references) (LRW)

  19. 77 FR 3224 - New Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-23

    ... Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste... of the State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste...

  20. WAIS differences between murderers and attackers referred for evaluation.

    PubMed

    Wagner, E E; Klein, I

    1977-02-01

    12 first and second degree murderers were matched on sex and age with subjects who had perpetrated aggressive interpersonal attacks short of homicide. Both groups had been referred for psychological testing by courts and social agencies. A substantial and significant difference in IQ was found in favor of the attackers over the murderers. Results were interpreted as lending credence to the hypothesis that differences in IQ exist among important sub-populations of murderers.

  1. Synthesized view comparison method for no-reference 3D image quality assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Fangzhou; Lin, Chaoyi; Gu, Xiaodong; Ma, Xiaojun

    2018-04-01

    We develop a no-reference image quality assessment metric to evaluate the quality of synthesized view rendered from the Multi-view Video plus Depth (MVD) format. Our metric is named Synthesized View Comparison (SVC), which is designed for real-time quality monitoring at the receiver side in a 3D-TV system. The metric utilizes the virtual views in the middle which are warped from left and right views by Depth-image-based rendering algorithm (DIBR), and compares the difference between the virtual views rendered from different cameras by Structural SIMilarity (SSIM), a popular 2D full-reference image quality assessment metric. The experimental results indicate that our no-reference quality assessment metric for the synthesized images has competitive prediction performance compared with some classic full-reference image quality assessment metrics.

  2. Developing patient reference groups within general practice: a mixed-methods study.

    PubMed

    Smiddy, Jane; Reay, Joanne; Peckham, Stephen; Williams, Lorraine; Wilson, Patricia

    2015-03-01

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to demonstrate meaningful patient and public engagement and involvement (PPEI). Recent health service reforms have included financial incentives for general practices to develop patient reference groups (PRGs). To explore the impact of the patient participation direct enhanced service (DES) on development of PRGs, the influence of PRGs on decision making within general practice, and their interface with CCGs. A mixed-methods approach within three case study sites in England. Three case study sites were tracked for 18 months as part of an evaluation of PPEI in commissioning. A sub-study focused on PRGs utilising documentary and web-based analysis; results were mapped against findings of the main study. Evidence highlighted variations in the establishment of PRGs, with the number of active PRGs via practice websites ranging from 27% to 93%. Such groups were given a number of descriptions such as patient reference groups, patient participation groups, and patient forums. Data analysis highlighted that the mode of operation varied between virtual and tangible groups and whether they were GP- or patient-led, such analysis enabled the construction of a typology of PRGs. Evidence reviewed suggested that groups functioned within parameters of the DES with activities limited to practice level. Data analysis highlighted a lack of strategic vision in relation to such groups, particularly their role within an overall patient and PPEI framework). Findings identified diversity in the operationalisation of PRGs. Their development does not appear linked to a strategic vision or overall PPEI framework. Although local pragmatic issues are important to patients, GPs must ensure that PRGs develop strategic direction if health reforms are to be addressed. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

  3. NBS/EPA (NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS/ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY) CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIAL PERFORMANCE AUDIT PROGRAM: STATUS REPORT 1

    EPA Science Inventory

    A traceability procedure has been established which allows specialty gas producers to prepare gaseous pollutant Certified Reference Materials (CRMs). The accuracy, stability and homogeneity of the CRMs approach those of NBS Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). Part of this proced...

  4. NBS/EPA (NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS/ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY) CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIAL PERFORMANCE AUDIT PROGRAM: STATUS REPORT 2

    EPA Science Inventory

    A traceability procedure has been established which allows specialty gas producers to prepare gaseous pollutant Certified Reference Materials (CRM's). The accuracy, stability and homogeneity of the CRM's approach those of NBS Standard Reference Materials (SRM's). As of October 19...

  5. 45 CFR 630.645 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Federal agency or agency. 630.645 Section 630.645 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 630.645 Federal agency...

  6. An ethnically relevant consensus Korean reference genome is a step towards personal reference genomes

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Yun Sung; Kim, Hyunho; Kim, Hak-Min; Jho, Sungwoong; Jun, JeHoon; Lee, Yong Joo; Chae, Kyun Shik; Kim, Chang Geun; Kim, Sangsoo; Eriksson, Anders; Edwards, Jeremy S.; Lee, Semin; Kim, Byung Chul; Manica, Andrea; Oh, Tae-Kwang; Church, George M.; Bhak, Jong

    2016-01-01

    Human genomes are routinely compared against a universal reference. However, this strategy could miss population-specific and personal genomic variations, which may be detected more efficiently using an ethnically relevant or personal reference. Here we report a hybrid assembly of a Korean reference genome (KOREF) for constructing personal and ethnic references by combining sequencing and mapping methods. We also build its consensus variome reference, providing information on millions of variants from 40 additional ethnically homogeneous genomes from the Korean Personal Genome Project. We find that the ethnically relevant consensus reference can be beneficial for efficient variant detection. Systematic comparison of human assemblies shows the importance of assembly quality, suggesting the necessity of new technologies to comprehensively map ethnic and personal genomic structure variations. In the era of large-scale population genome projects, the leveraging of ethnicity-specific genome assemblies as well as the human reference genome will accelerate mapping all human genome diversity. PMID:27882922

  7. Comparison between the triglycerides standardization of routine methods used in Japan and the chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the CDC Lipid Standardization Programme.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Masakazu; Iso, Hiroyasu; Kitamura, Akihiko; Imano, Hironori; Noda, Hiroyuki; Kiyama, Masahiko; Sato, Shinichi; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Nakai, Michikazu; Vesper, Hubert W; Teramoto, Tamio; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro

    2016-11-01

    Background The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ensured adequate performance of the routine triglycerides methods used in Japan by a chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme as a reference point. We examined standardized data to clarify the performance of routine triglycerides methods. Methods The two routine triglycerides methods were the fluorometric method of Kessler and Lederer and the enzymatic method. The methods were standardized using 495 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference pools with 98 different concentrations ranging between 0.37 and 5.15 mmol/L in 141 survey runs. The triglycerides criteria for laboratories which perform triglycerides analyses are used: accuracy, as bias ≤5% from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value and precision, as measured by CV, ≤5%. Results The correlation of the bias of both methods to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference method was: y (%bias) = 0.516 × (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value) -1.292 ( n = 495, R 2  = 0.018). Triglycerides bias at medical decision points of 1.13, 1.69 and 2.26 mmol/L was -0.71%, -0.42% and -0.13%, respectively. For the combined precision, the equation y (CV) = -0.398 × (triglycerides value) + 1.797 ( n = 495, R 2  = 0.081) was used. Precision was 1.35%, 1.12% and 0.90%, respectively. It was shown that triglycerides measurements at Osaka were stable for 36 years. Conclusions The epidemiologic laboratory in Japan met acceptable accuracy goals for 88.7% of all samples, and met acceptable precision goals for 97.8% of all samples measured through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme and demonstrated stable results for an extended period of time.

  8. 76 FR 60134 - Agency Information Collection (Child Care Subsidy) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-28

    ... Care Subsidy) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Human Resources and Administration, Department of....gov . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0717.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Titles a. Child Care Subsidy Application Form, VA Form 0730a. b. Child Care Provider Information (For the Child Care Subsidy...

  9. Reduction of streamflow monitoring networks by a reference point approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cetinkaya, Cem P.; Harmancioglu, Nilgun B.

    2014-05-01

    Adoption of an integrated approach to water management strongly forces policy and decision-makers to focus on hydrometric monitoring systems as well. Existing hydrometric networks need to be assessed and revised against the requirements on water quantity data to support integrated management. One of the questions that a network assessment study should resolve is whether a current monitoring system can be consolidated in view of the increased expenditures in time, money and effort imposed on the monitoring activity. Within the last decade, governmental monitoring agencies in Turkey have foreseen an audit on all their basin networks in view of prevailing economic pressures. In particular, they question how they can decide whether monitoring should be continued or terminated at a particular site in a network. The presented study is initiated to address this question by examining the applicability of a method called “reference point approach” (RPA) for network assessment and reduction purposes. The main objective of the study is to develop an easily applicable and flexible network reduction methodology, focusing mainly on the assessment of the “performance” of existing streamflow monitoring networks in view of variable operational purposes. The methodology is applied to 13 hydrometric stations in the Gediz Basin, along the Aegean coast of Turkey. The results have shown that the simplicity of the method, in contrast to more complicated computational techniques, is an asset that facilitates the involvement of decision makers in application of the methodology for a more interactive assessment procedure between the monitoring agency and the network designer. The method permits ranking of hydrometric stations with regard to multiple objectives of monitoring and the desired attributes of the basin network. Another distinctive feature of the approach is that it also assists decision making in cases with limited data and metadata. These features of the RPA approach

  10. 77 FR 50546 - Agency Information Collection: (PACT Patient Experiences Survey); Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-New (VA Form 10-0536)] Agency Information... 20420, (202) 632-7479, Fax (202) 632-7583 or email: [email protected] . Please refer to ``OMB Control... Form 10-0536. OMB Control Number: 2900--New. Type of Review: New data collection. Abstract: The data...

  11. 76 FR 26616 - Wisconsin: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-09

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 272 [FRL-9293-9 ] Wisconsin: Incorporation by... enforcement. This rule codifies in the regulations the prior approval of Wisconsin's hazardous waste... rule will not take effect. The incorporation by reference of authorized provisions in the Wisconsin...

  12. 76 FR 35949 - Agency Information Collection (Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-20

    ... Rights Discrimination Complaint) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration... refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0662.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Civil Rights Discrimination... collection. Abstract: Veterans and other VHA customers who believe that their civil rights were violated by...

  13. 78 FR 6851 - Agency Information Collection (Dental Record Authorization and Invoice for Outpatient Services...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-31

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0335] Agency Information Collection (Dental....gov . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0335.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Dental Record... proper administration of VA outpatient fee dental program. The associated instructions make it possible...

  14. LA-ICP-MS of magnetite: Methods and reference materials

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nadoll, P.; Koenig, A.E.

    2011-01-01

    Magnetite (Fe3O4) is a common accessory mineral in many geologic settings. Its variable geochemistry makes it a powerful petrogenetic indicator. Electron microprobe (EMPA) analyses are commonly used to examine major and minor element contents in magnetite. Laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) is applicable to trace element analyses of magnetite but has not been widely employed to examine compositional variations. We tested the applicability of the NIST SRM 610, the USGS GSE-1G, and the NIST SRM 2782 reference materials (RMs) as external standards and developed a reliable method for LA-ICP-MS analysis of magnetite. LA-ICP-MS analyses were carried out on well characterized magnetite samples with a 193 nm, Excimer, ArF LA system. Although matrix-matched RMs are sometimes important for calibration and normalization of LA-ICP-MS data, we demonstrate that glass RMs can produce accurate results for LA-ICP-MS analyses of magnetite. Cross-comparison between the NIST SRM 610 and USGS GSE-1G indicates good agreement for magnetite minor and trace element data calibrated with either of these RMs. Many elements show a sufficiently good match between the LA-ICP-MS and the EMPA data; for example, Ti and V show a close to linear relationship with correlation coefficients, R2 of 0.79 and 0.85 respectively. ?? 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  15. 2 CFR 1401.245 - Federal agency or agency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Federal agency or agency. 1401.245 Section 1401.245 Grants and Agreements Federal Agency Regulations for Grants and Agreements DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) (Eff. 1-21-2011) Definitions § 1401...

  16. Enterprise Reference Library

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bickham, Grandin; Saile, Lynn; Havelka, Jacque; Fitts, Mary

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Johnson Space Center (JSC) offers two extensive libraries that contain journals, research literature and electronic resources. Searching capabilities are available to those individuals residing onsite or through a librarian s search. Many individuals have rich collections of references, but no mechanisms to share reference libraries across researchers, projects, or directorates exist. Likewise, information regarding which references are provided to which individuals is not available, resulting in duplicate requests, redundant labor costs and associated copying fees. In addition, this tends to limit collaboration between colleagues and promotes the establishment of individual, unshared silos of information The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) team has utilized a centralized reference management tool during the development, test, and operational phases of this project. The Enterprise Reference Library project expands the capabilities developed for IMM to address the above issues and enhance collaboration across JSC. Method: After significant market analysis for a multi-user reference management tool, no available commercial tool was found to meet this need, so a software program was built around a commercial tool, Reference Manager 12 by The Thomson Corporation. A use case approach guided the requirements development phase. The premise of the design is that individuals use their own reference management software and export to SharePoint when their library is incorporated into the Enterprise Reference Library. This results in a searchable user-specific library application. An accompanying share folder will warehouse the electronic full-text articles, which allows the global user community to access full -text articles. Discussion: An enterprise reference library solution can provide a multidisciplinary collection of full text articles. This approach improves efficiency in obtaining and storing reference material while greatly reducing labor, purchasing and

  17. Evaluating new HbA1c methods for adoption by the IFCC and NGSP reference networks using international quality targets.

    PubMed

    Lenters-Westra, Erna; English, Emma

    2017-08-28

    As a reference laboratory for HbA1c, it is essential to have accurate and precise HbA1c methods covering a range of measurement principles. We report an evaluation of the Abbott Enzymatic (Architect c4000), Roche Gen.3 HbA1c (Cobas c513) and Tosoh G11 using different quality targets. The effect of hemoglobin variants, other potential interferences and the performance in comparison to both the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) reference systems was assessed using certified evaluation protocols. Each of the evaluated HbA1c methods had CVs <3% in SI units and <2% in NGSP units at 46 mmol/mol (6.4%) and 72 mmol/mol (8.7%) and passed the NGSP criteria when compared with six secondary reference measurement procedures (SRMPs). Sigma was 8.6 for Abbott Enzymatic, 3.3 for Roche Cobas c513 and 6.9 for Tosoh G11. No clinically significant interference was detected for the common Hb variants for the three methods. All three methods performed well and are suitable for clinical application in the analysis of HbA1c. Partly based on the result of this study, the Abbott Enzymatic method on the Architect c4000 and the Roche Gen.3 HbA1c on the Cobas c513 are now official, certified IFCC and NGSP SRMPs in the IFCC and NGSP networks. Sigma metrics quality criteria presented in a graph distinguish between good and excellent performance.

  18. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's inhalation RFD methodology: Risk assessment for air toxics

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

    Jarabek, A.M.; Menache, M.G.; Overton, J.H.

    1989-01-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has advocated the establishment of general and scientific guidelines for the evaluation of toxicological data and their use in deriving benchmark values to protect exposed populations from adverse health effects. The Agency's reference dose (RfD) methodology for deriving benchmark values for noncancer toxicity originally addressed risk assessment of oral exposures. The paper presents a brief background on the development of the inhalation reference dose (RFDi) methodology, including concepts and issues related to addressing the dynamics of the respiratory system as the portal of entry. Different dosimetric adjustments are described that were incorporated intomore » the methodology to account for the nature of the inhaled agent (particle or gas) and the site of the observed toxic effects (respiratory or extrarespiratory). Impacts of these adjustments on the extrapolation of toxicity data of inhaled agents for human health risk assessment and future research directions are also discussed.« less

  19. No-Reference Image Quality Assessment by Wide-Perceptual-Domain Scorer Ensemble Method.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tsung-Jung; Liu, Kuan-Hsien

    2018-03-01

    A no-reference (NR) learning-based approach to assess image quality is presented in this paper. The devised features are extracted from wide perceptual domains, including brightness, contrast, color, distortion, and texture. These features are used to train a model (scorer) which can predict scores. The scorer selection algorithms are utilized to help simplify the proposed system. In the final stage, the ensemble method is used to combine the prediction results from selected scorers. Two multiple-scale versions of the proposed approach are also presented along with the single-scale one. They turn out to have better performances than the original single-scale method. Because of having features from five different domains at multiple image scales and using the outputs (scores) from selected score prediction models as features for multi-scale or cross-scale fusion (i.e., ensemble), the proposed NR image quality assessment models are robust with respect to more than 24 image distortion types. They also can be used on the evaluation of images with authentic distortions. The extensive experiments on three well-known and representative databases confirm the performance robustness of our proposed model.

  20. Graphical Arrays of Chemical-Specific Health Effect Reference Values for Inhalation Exposures (2009 Final Report)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document provides graphical arrays and tables of key information on the derivation of human inhalation health effect reference values for specific chemicals, allowing comparisons across durations, populations, and intended use. A number of program offices within the Agency, ...

  1. The "U.S. Monthly Catalog" and the "Publications Reference File" as Collection Development Tools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reno, Ramona L.

    1994-01-01

    Reports on an analysis of the availability of publications contained in the 1991 "Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications" through depository libraries, the Government Printing Office (GPO) Sales Program and its Publications Reference File (PRF), and federal agency distribution centers. Implications for collection…

  2. 41 CFR 102-38.30 - How does an executive agency request a deviation from the provisions of this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... which are distinct from the standard deviation process and specific to the requirements of the Federal... agency request a deviation from the provisions of this part? 102-38.30 Section 102-38.30 Public Contracts... executive agency request a deviation from the provisions of this part? Refer to §§ 102-2.60 through 102-2...

  3. Sex-specific reference intervals of hematologic and biochemical analytes in Sprague-Dawley rats using the nonparametric rank percentile method.

    PubMed

    He, Qili; Su, Guoming; Liu, Keliang; Zhang, Fangcheng; Jiang, Yong; Gao, Jun; Liu, Lida; Jiang, Zhongren; Jin, Minwu; Xie, Huiping

    2017-01-01

    Hematologic and biochemical analytes of Sprague-Dawley rats are commonly used to determine effects that were induced by treatment and to evaluate organ dysfunction in toxicological safety assessments, but reference intervals have not been well established for these analytes. Reference intervals as presently defined for these analytes in Sprague-Dawley rats have not used internationally recommended statistical method nor stratified by sex. Thus, we aimed to establish sex-specific reference intervals for hematologic and biochemical parameters in Sprague-Dawley rats according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A3 and American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guideline. Hematology and biochemistry blood samples were collected from 500 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (250 males and 250 females) in the control groups. We measured 24 hematologic analytes with the Sysmex XT-2100i analyzer, 9 biochemical analytes with the Olympus AU400 analyzer. We then determined statistically relevant sex partitions and calculated reference intervals, including corresponding 90% confidence intervals, using nonparametric rank percentile method. We observed that most hematologic and biochemical analytes of Sprague-Dawley rats were significantly influenced by sex. Males had higher hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, red cell distribution width, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, white blood cell count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, percentage of neutrophils, percentage of monocytes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and triglycerides compared to females. Females had higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, plateletcrit, platelet count, eosinophils, percentage of lymphocytes, percentage of eosinophils, creatinine, glucose, total cholesterol and urea compared to males. Sex partition was required for most hematologic and biochemical analytes in Sprague-Dawley rats. We established sex-specific reference

  4. 76 FR 27387 - Agency Information Collection Activity (Lenders Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Application) Under...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-11

    ... (Lenders Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Application) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork... 20503, (202) 395-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0658'' in any correspondence. FOR FURTHER...

  5. Current Use of Underage Alcohol Compliance Checks by Enforcement Agencies in the U.S.

    PubMed Central

    Erickson, Darin J.; Lenk, Kathleen M.; Sanem, Julia R.; Nelson, Toben F.; Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Toomey, Traci L.

    2014-01-01

    Background Compliance checks conducted by law enforcement agents can significantly reduce the likelihood of illegal alcohol sales to underage individuals, but these checks need to be conducted using optimal methods to maintain effectiveness. Materials and Methods We conducted a national survey of local and state enforcement agencies in 2010–2011 to assess: (1) how many agencies are currently conducting underage alcohol compliance checks, (2) how many agencies that conduct compliance checks use optimal methods—including checking all establishments in the jurisdiction, conducting checks at least 3–4 times per year, conducting follow-up checks within 3 months, and penalizing the licensee (not only the server/clerk) for failing a compliance check, and (3) characteristics of the agencies that conduct compliance checks. Results Just over one third of local law enforcement agencies and over two thirds of state agencies reported conducting compliance checks. However, only a small percentage of the agencies (4–6%) reported using all of the optimal methods to maximize effectiveness of these compliance checks. Local law enforcement agencies with an alcohol-related division, those with at least one full-time officer assigned to work on alcohol, and those in larger communities were significantly more likely to conduct compliance checks. State agencies with more full-time agents and those located in states where the state agency or both state and local enforcement agencies have primary responsibility (vs. only the local law agency) for enforcing alcohol retail laws were also more likely to conduct compliance checks; however, these agency characteristics did not remain statistically significant in the multivariate analyses. Conclusions Continued effort is needed to increase the number of local and state agencies conducting compliance checks using optimal methods to reduce youth access to alcohol. PMID:24716443

  6. Current use of underage alcohol compliance checks by enforcement agencies in the United States.

    PubMed

    Erickson, Darin J; Lenk, Kathleen M; Sanem, Julia R; Nelson, Toben F; Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Toomey, Traci L

    2014-06-01

    Compliance checks conducted by law enforcement agents can significantly reduce the likelihood of illegal alcohol sales to underage individuals, but these checks need to be conducted using optimal methods to maintain effectiveness. We conducted a national survey of local and state enforcement agencies from 2010 to 2011 to assess: (i) how many agencies are currently conducting underage alcohol compliance checks, (ii) how many agencies that conduct compliance checks use optimal methods-including checking all establishments in the jurisdiction, conducting checks at least 3 to 4 times per year, conducting follow-up checks within 3 months, and penalizing the licensee (not only the server/clerk) for failing a compliance check, and (iii) characteristics of the agencies that conduct compliance checks. Just over one-third of local law enforcement agencies and over two-thirds of state agencies reported conducting compliance checks. However, only a small percentage of the agencies (4 to 6%) reported using all of the optimal methods to maximize effectiveness of these compliance checks. Local law enforcement agencies with an alcohol-related division, those with at least 1 full-time officer assigned to work on alcohol, and those in larger communities were significantly more likely to conduct compliance checks. State agencies with more full-time agents and those located in states where the state agency or both state and local enforcement agencies have primary responsibility (vs. only the local law agency) for enforcing alcohol retail laws were also more likely to conduct compliance checks; however, these agency characteristics did not remain statistically significant in the multivariate analyses. Continued effort is needed to increase the number of local and state agencies conducting compliance checks using optimal methods to reduce youth access to alcohol. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  7. 76 FR 40455 - Agency Information Collection (Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance Inquiry) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-08

    ... Mortgage Life Insurance Inquiry) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration... refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0501.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Veterans Mortgage Life... approved collection. Abstract: Veterans whose mortgage is insured under Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance...

  8. 76 FR 51988 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-19

    ... Medicines Agency (EMA) European Community Herbal Monographs, and World Health Organization (WHO) Monographs... that several authoritative labeling standards monographs for herbal products specify traditional use... the major scientific reference databases, such as the National Library of Medicine's literature...

  9. Automation Technology and Sense of Control: A Window on Human Agency

    PubMed Central

    Berberian, Bruno; Sarrazin, Jean-Christophe; Le Blaye, Patrick; Haggard, Patrick

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that the perceived times of voluntary actions and their effects are perceived as shifted towards each other, so that the interval between action and outcome seems shortened. This has been referred to as ‘intentional binding’ (IB). However, the generality of this effect remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that Intentional Binding also occurs in complex control situations. Using an aircraft supervision task with different autopilot settings, our results first indicated a strong relation between measures of IB and different levels of system automation. Second, measures of IB were related to explicit agency judgement in this applied setting. We discuss the implications for the underlying mechanisms, and for sense of agency in automated environments. PMID:22479528

  10. Automation technology and sense of control: a window on human agency.

    PubMed

    Berberian, Bruno; Sarrazin, Jean-Christophe; Le Blaye, Patrick; Haggard, Patrick

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that the perceived times of voluntary actions and their effects are perceived as shifted towards each other, so that the interval between action and outcome seems shortened. This has been referred to as 'intentional binding' (IB). However, the generality of this effect remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that Intentional Binding also occurs in complex control situations. Using an aircraft supervision task with different autopilot settings, our results first indicated a strong relation between measures of IB and different levels of system automation. Second, measures of IB were related to explicit agency judgement in this applied setting. We discuss the implications for the underlying mechanisms, and for sense of agency in automated environments.

  11. Clever and crude but not kind: narcissism, self-esteem, and the self-reference effect.

    PubMed

    Jones, Lara L; Brunell, Amy B

    2014-01-01

    According to the agency model of narcissism (Campbell, Brunell, & Finkel, 2006) narcissists view themselves as high on agentic traits but low on communal traits. To test if this self-view extends to recall, two experiments examined the extent to which narcissism was associated with self-ratings and recall of agentic and communal traits that varied in valence. Across both experiments a trait description task was followed by a surprise recall task for the trait words and then completion of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988). Within the self-reference condition narcissism was related to higher selection in the trait description task and to higher recall of positive-agentic (e.g., clever) traits. This general pattern of results occurred for narcissism even while controlling for the related personality variables of self-esteem, agency, and communion. In contrast to narcissism, within the self-referent group self-esteem predicted higher recall for positive-communal traits (e.g., kind) but lower recall for negative-communal traits, a finding consistent with mnemic neglect. Overall, results supported the agency model of narcissism and extended this model to suggest that narcissists rate themselves more highly not only on positive-agentic traits but also on negative-communal traits.

  12. 40 CFR Table A-1 to Subpart A of... - Summary of Applicable Requirements for Reference and Equivalent Methods for Air Monitoring of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Methods for Air Monitoring of Criteria Pollutants Pollutant Ref. or equivalent Manual or automated Applicable part 50 appendix Applicable subparts of part 53 A B C D E F SO2 Reference Manual A Equivalent Manual ✓ ✓ Automated ✓ ✓ ✓ CO Reference Automated C ✓ ✓ Equivalent Manual ✓ ✓ Automated ✓ ✓ ✓ O3...

  13. Calibration of BCR-ABL1 mRNA quantification methods using genetic reference materials is a valid strategy to report results on the international scale.

    PubMed

    Mauté, Carole; Nibourel, Olivier; Réa, Delphine; Coiteux, Valérie; Grardel, Nathalie; Preudhomme, Claude; Cayuela, Jean-Michel

    2014-09-01

    Until recently, diagnostic laboratories that wanted to report on the international scale had limited options: they had to align their BCR-ABL1 quantification methods through a sample exchange with a reference laboratory to derive a conversion factor. However, commercial methods calibrated on the World Health Organization genetic reference panel are now available. We report results from a study designed to assess the comparability of the two alignment strategies. Sixty follow-up samples from chronic myeloid leukemia patients were included. Two commercial methods calibrated on the genetic reference panel were compared to two conversion factor methods routinely used at Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, and at Lille University Hospital. Results were matched against concordance criteria (i.e., obtaining at least two of the three following landmarks: 50, 75 and 90% of the patient samples within a 2-fold, 3-fold and 5-fold range, respectively). Out of the 60 samples, more than 32 were available for comparison. Compared to the conversion factor method, the two commercial methods were within a 2-fold, 3-fold and 5-fold range for 53 and 59%, 89 and 88%, 100 and 97%, respectively of the samples analyzed at Saint-Louis. At Lille, results were 45 and 85%, 76 and 97%, 100 and 100%, respectively. Agreements between methods were observed in the four comparisons performed. Our data show that the two commercial methods selected are concordant with the conversion factor methods. This study brings the proof of principle that alignment on the international scale using the genetic reference panel is compatible with the patient sample exchange procedure. We believe that these results are particularly important for diagnostic laboratories wishing to adopt commercial methods. Copyright © 2014 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The development and certification of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) to assess and ensure accurate measurement of Pb in the environment.

    PubMed

    Fassett, J D; MacDonald, B S

    2001-08-01

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has had a major quality-assurance role in the federal effort to reduce lead poisoning of children in the United States through its mission of ensuring the accuracy of chemical measurements. NIST certifies reference materials (standard reference materials--SRMs) that are used to benchmark measurements by secondary and field methods of analysis--to ensure that decisions of great health and economic impact are soundly based on good measurement science. Over the past 10 years, in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), NIST has prepared and certified SRMs for lead content in soil, indoor dust, and paint. The role of these materials in meeting regulatory and abatement needs is described and their certified values are summarized.

  15. 77 FR 59249 - Agency Information Collection (Access to Financial Records) Activities Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0739] Agency Information Collection (Access...) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0739.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Access to Financial...

  16. Bibliography of selected references on the hydrogeologic and chemical properties of the Galena-Platteville bedrock unit in Illinois and Wisconsin, 1877-1997

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, Timothy A.; Dunning, Charles P.; Batten, William G.

    1997-01-01

    This report presents selected references concerning the Galena-Platteville deposits in Illinois and Wisconsin published from 1877 to 1997. Sources of the bibliographic information are the Universities of Illinois and Wisconsin Library Computer Systems; Illinet Online; the Illinois and Wisconsin District Libraries of the U.S. Geological Survey; U.S. Geological Survey Selected Water Resources Abstracts; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports; and Federal, State, and local agencies, corporations, and consultants. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically, by county, in Illinois and Wisconsin. The references available for each county are arranged alphabetically by author. In addition, one or more selected hydrogeologic key words describing the content of the reference follow each listing. These key words are geophysical properties, hydraulic properties, inorganic geochemistry, lithology, organic geochemistry, physical properties, and water use. Included in the bibliography are 186 references obtained for 15 counties in Illinois and 21 counties in Wisconsin.

  17. Organizational supports used by private child and family serving agencies to facilitate evidence use: a mixed methods study protocol.

    PubMed

    Chuang, Emmeline; Collins-Camargo, Crystal; McBeath, Bowen

    2017-04-08

    Challenges to evidence use are well documented. Less well understood are the formal supports-e.g., technical infrastructure, inter-organizational relationships-organizations may put in place to help overcome these challenges. This study will identify supports for evidence use currently used by private child and family serving agencies delivering publicly funded behavioral health and/or human services; examine contextual, organizational, and managerial factors associated with use of such supports; and determine how identified supports affect evidence use by staff at multiple levels of the organization. We will use a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, with study activities occurring in two sequential phases: In phase 1, quantitative survey data collected from managers of private child and family serving agencies in six states (CA, IN, KY, MO, PA, and WI) and analyzed using both regression and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) will identify organizational supports currently being used to facilitate evidence use and examine the contextual, organizational, and managerial factors associated with the use of such supports. In phase 2, data from phase 1 will be used to select a purposive sample of 12 agencies for in-depth case studies. In those 12 agencies, semi-structured interviews with key informants and managers, focus groups with frontline staff, and document analysis will provide further insight into agencies' motivation for investing in organizational supports for evidence use and the facilitators and barriers encountered in doing so. Semi-structured interviews with managers and focus groups with frontline staff will also assess whether and how identified supports affect evidence use at different levels of the organization (senior executives, middle managers, frontline supervisors, and frontline staff). Within- and between-case analyses supplemented by QCA will identify combinations of factors associated with the highest and lowest levels of staff

  18. Development of internal forest soil reference samples and testing of digestion methods

    Treesearch

    J.E. Hislop; J.W. Hornbeck; S.W. Bailey; R.A. Hallett

    1998-01-01

    Our research requires determinations of total elemental concentrations of forest soils. The lack of certified forest soil reference materials led us to develop internal reference samples. Samples were collected from three soil horizons (Oa, B, and C) at three locations having forested, acidic soils similar to those we commonly analyze. A shatterbox was used to...

  19. 75 FR 68038 - Agency Information Collection (Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance Statement) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-04

    ... Mortgage Life Insurance Statement) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900- 0212.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Veterans Mortgage Life... currently approved collection. Abstract: Veterans complete VA Form 29-8636 to decline Veterans Mortgage Life...

  20. 77 FR 7242 - Agency Information Collection (Contract for Training and Employment): Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-10

    ... Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 (202... for Training and Employment): Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0677.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Contract for Training...

  1. Analytical characterization of recombinant hCG and comparative studies with reference product

    PubMed Central

    Thennati, Rajamannar; Singh, Sanjay Kumar; Nage, Nitin; Patel, Yena; Bose, Sandip Kumar; Burade, Vinod

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Regulatory agencies recommend a stepwise approach for demonstrating biosimilarity between a proposed biosimilar and reference biological product emphasizing for functional and structural characterization to trace if there is any difference which may impact safety and efficacy. We studied the comparative structural and biological attributes of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (rhCG), SB005, with reference product, Ovidrel® and Ovitrelle®. Recombiant hCG was approved in 2000 by the US Food and Drug Administration for the induction of final follicular maturation, early luteinization in infertile women as part of assisted reproductive technology program. It is also indicated for the induction of ovulation and pregnancy in ovulatory infertile patients whose cause of infertility is not due to ovarian failure. Materials and methods Primary structure was studied by intact mass analysis, peptide fingerprinting, peptide mass fingerprinting and sequence coverage analysis. Higher order structure was studied by circular dichroism, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and disulfide bridge analysis. Different isoforms of reference product and SB005 were identified using capillary isoelectric focusing and capillary zone electrophoresis. Glycosylation was studied by N-glycan mapping using LC-ESI-MS, point of glycosylation, released glycan analysis using ultra performance liquid chromatography and sialic acid analysis. Product related impurities such as oligomer content analysis and oxidized impurities were studied using size exclusion chromatography and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Biological activity in term of potency of reference product and SB005 was studied by in vivo analysis. Results and Conclusion In this study we have compared analytical similarity of recombinant rhCG (SB005) produced at Sun Pharmaceuticals with the reference product with respect to its primary, higher order structure

  2. Coordinates and intervals in graph-based reference genomes.

    PubMed

    Rand, Knut D; Grytten, Ivar; Nederbragt, Alexander J; Storvik, Geir O; Glad, Ingrid K; Sandve, Geir K

    2017-05-18

    It has been proposed that future reference genomes should be graph structures in order to better represent the sequence diversity present in a species. However, there is currently no standard method to represent genomic intervals, such as the positions of genes or transcription factor binding sites, on graph-based reference genomes. We formalize offset-based coordinate systems on graph-based reference genomes and introduce methods for representing intervals on these reference structures. We show the advantage of our methods by representing genes on a graph-based representation of the newest assembly of the human genome (GRCh38) and its alternative loci for regions that are highly variable. More complex reference genomes, containing alternative loci, require methods to represent genomic data on these structures. Our proposed notation for genomic intervals makes it possible to fully utilize the alternative loci of the GRCh38 assembly and potential future graph-based reference genomes. We have made a Python package for representing such intervals on offset-based coordinate systems, available at https://github.com/uio-cels/offsetbasedgraph . An interactive web-tool using this Python package to visualize genes on a graph created from GRCh38 is available at https://github.com/uio-cels/genomicgraphcoords .

  3. Nuclear reference materials to meet the changing needs of the global nuclear community

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

    Martin, H.R.; Gradle, C.G.; Narayanan, U.I.

    New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) serves as the US Government`s Certifying Authority for nuclear reference materials and measurement calibration standards. In this role, NBL provides nuclear reference materials certified for chemical and/or isotopic compositions traceable to a nationally accepted, internationally compatible reference base. Emphasis is now changing as to the types of traceable nuclear reference materials needed as operations change within the Department of Energy (DOE) complex and at nuclear facilities around the world. Environmental and waste minimization issues, facilities and materials transitioning from processing to storage modes with corresponding changes in the types of measurements being performed, emphasis on requirementsmore » for characterization of waste materials, difficulties in transporting nuclear materials, and International factors, including International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection of excess US nuclear materials, are all contributing influences. During these changing times, ft is critical that traceable reference materials be provided for calibration or validation of the performance of measurement systems. This paper will describe actions taken and planned to meet the changing reference material needs of the global nuclear community.« less

  4. Doorways III: Teacher Reference Materials. On School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Agency for International Development, 2009

    2009-01-01

    The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). This booklet, "Doorways III: Teacher Reference Materials on School-Related…

  5. Identification of Job Coach Competencies, Staff Roles and Agency Administrative Patterns. Summary Report from the Community-Based Supported Employment Symposium (St. Cloud, Minnesota, June 10-11, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minnesota Association for Rehabilitation, Education, and Training.

    A symposium on community-based supported employment for developmentally disabled adults in Minnesota was attended by agency direct service staff who provide job training, executive directors and administrators of agencies, and personnel who refer clients to agencies providing supported work and other types of community-based training and…

  6. From action intentions to action effects: how does the sense of agency come about?

    PubMed Central

    Chambon, Valérian; Sidarus, Nura; Haggard, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    Sense of agency refers to the feeling of controlling an external event through one’s own action. On one influential view, agency depends on how predictable the consequences of one’s action are, getting stronger as the match between predicted and actual effect of an action gets closer. Thus, sense of agency arises when external events that follow our action are consistent with predictions of action effects made by the motor system while we perform or simply intend to perform an action. According to this view, agency is inferred retrospectively, after an action has been performed and its consequences are known. In contrast, little is known about whether and how internal processes involved in the selection of actions may influence subjective sense of control, in advance of the action itself, and irrespective of effect predictability. In this article, we review several classes of behavioral and neuroimaging data suggesting that earlier processes, linked to fluency of action selection, prospectively contribute to sense of agency. These findings have important implications for better understanding human volition and abnormalities of action experience. PMID:24860486

  7. Evaluation of Method-Specific Extraction Variability for the Measurement of Fatty Acids in a Candidate Infant/Adult Nutritional Formula Reference Material.

    PubMed

    Place, Benjamin J

    2017-05-01

    To address community needs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed a candidate Standard Reference Material (SRM) for infant/adult nutritional formula based on milk and whey protein concentrates with isolated soy protein called SRM 1869 Infant/Adult Nutritional Formula. One major component of this candidate SRM is the fatty acid content. In this study, multiple extraction techniques were evaluated to quantify the fatty acids in this new material. Extraction methods that were based on lipid extraction followed by transesterification resulted in lower mass fraction values for all fatty acids than the values measured by methods utilizing in situ transesterification followed by fatty acid methyl ester extraction (ISTE). An ISTE method, based on the identified optimal parameters, was used to determine the fatty acid content of the new infant/adult nutritional formula reference material.

  8. 24 CFR 103.100 - Notification and referral to substantially equivalent State or local agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... personal service, of the notification and referral under paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will... Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY... practice, the Assistant Secretary will notify the agency of the filing of the complaint and refer the...

  9. 24 CFR 103.100 - Notification and referral to substantially equivalent State or local agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... personal service, of the notification and referral under paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will... Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY... practice, the Assistant Secretary will notify the agency of the filing of the complaint and refer the...

  10. 24 CFR 103.100 - Notification and referral to substantially equivalent State or local agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... personal service, of the notification and referral under paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will... Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY... practice, the Assistant Secretary will notify the agency of the filing of the complaint and refer the...

  11. 24 CFR 103.100 - Notification and referral to substantially equivalent State or local agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... personal service, of the notification and referral under paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will... Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY... practice, the Assistant Secretary will notify the agency of the filing of the complaint and refer the...

  12. 24 CFR 103.100 - Notification and referral to substantially equivalent State or local agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... personal service, of the notification and referral under paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will... Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY... practice, the Assistant Secretary will notify the agency of the filing of the complaint and refer the...

  13. Japanese Society for Laboratory Hematology flow cytometric reference method of determining the differential leukocyte count: external quality assurance using fresh blood samples.

    PubMed

    Kawai, Y; Nagai, Y; Ogawa, E; Kondo, H

    2017-04-01

    To provide target values for the manufacturers' survey of the Japanese Society for Laboratory Hematology (JSLH), accurate standard data from healthy volunteers were needed for the five-part differential leukocyte count. To obtain such data, JSLH required an antibody panel that achieved high specificity (particularly for mononuclear cells) using simple gating procedures. We developed a flow cytometric method for determining the differential leukocyte count (JSLH-Diff) and validated it by comparison with the flow cytometric differential leukocyte count of the International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH-Diff) and the manual differential count obtained by microscopy (Manual-Diff). First, the reference laboratory performed an imprecision study of JSLH-Diff and ICSH-Diff, as well as performing comparison among JSLH-Diff, Manual-Diff, and ICSH-Diff. Then two reference laboratories and seven participating laboratories performed imprecision and accuracy studies of JSLH-Diff, Manual-Diff, and ICSH-Diff. Simultaneously, six manufacturers' laboratories provided their own representative values by using automated hematology analyzers. The precision of both JSLH-Diff and ICSH-Diff methods was adequate. Comparison by the reference laboratory showed that all correlation coefficients, slopes and intercepts obtained by the JSLH-Diff, ICSH-Diff, and Manual-Diff methods conformed to the criteria. When the imprecision and accuracy of JSLH-Diff were assessed at seven laboratories, the CV% for lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils was 0.5~0.9%, 0.3~0.7%, 1.7~2.6%, 3.0~7.9%, and 3.8~10.4%, respectively. More than 99% of CD45 positive leukocytes were identified as normal leukocytes by JSLH-Diff. When JSLH-Diff method were validated by comparison with Manual-Diff and ICSH-Diff, JSLH-Diff showed good performance as a reference method. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. 2 CFR 382.400 - What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... condition in the award: Drug-free workplace. You as the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What method do I use as an agency awarding official to obtain a recipient's agreement to comply with the OMB guidance? 382.400 Section 382.400 Grants...

  15. GTX Reference Vehicle Structural Verification Methods and Weight Summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunter, J. E.; McCurdy, D. R.; Dunn, P. W.

    2002-01-01

    The design of a single-stage-to-orbit air breathing propulsion system requires the simultaneous development of a reference launch vehicle in order to achieve the optimal mission performance. Accordingly, for the GTX study a 300-lb payload reference vehicle was preliminary sized to a gross liftoff weight (GLOW) of 238,000 lb. A finite element model of the integrated vehicle/propulsion system was subjected to the trajectory environment and subsequently optimized for structural efficiency. This study involved the development of aerodynamic loads mapped to finite element models of the integrated system in order to assess vehicle margins of safety. Commercially available analysis codes were used in the process along with some internally developed spread-sheets and FORTRAN codes specific to the GTX geometry for mapping of thermal and pressure loads. A mass fraction of 0.20 for the integrated system dry weight has been the driver for a vehicle design consisting of state-of-the-art composite materials in order to meet the rigid weight requirements. This paper summarizes the methodology used for preliminary analyses and presents the current status of the weight optimization for the structural components of the integrated system.

  16. GTX Reference Vehicle Structural Verification Methods and Weight Summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunter, J. E.; McCurdy, D. R.; Dunn, P. W.

    2002-01-01

    The design of a single-stage-to-orbit air breathing propulsion system requires the simultaneous development of a reference launch vehicle in order to achieve the optimal mission performance. Accordingly, for the GTX study a 300-lb payload reference vehicle was preliminarily sized to a gross liftoff weight (GLOW) of 238,000 lb. A finite element model of the integrated vehicle/propulsion system was subjected to the trajectory environment and subsequently optimized for structural efficiency. This study involved the development of aerodynamic loads mapped to finite element models of the integrated system in order to assess vehicle margins of safety. Commercially available analysis codes were used in the process along with some internally developed spreadsheets and FORTRAN codes specific to the GTX geometry for mapping of thermal and pressure loads. A mass fraction of 0.20 for the integrated system dry weight has been the driver for a vehicle design consisting of state-of-the-art composite materials in order to meet the rigid weight requirements. This paper summarizes the methodology used for preliminary analyses and presents the current status of the weight optimization for the structural components of the integrated system.

  17. Reliability of Different Mark-Recapture Methods for Population Size Estimation Tested against Reference Population Sizes Constructed from Field Data

    PubMed Central

    Grimm, Annegret; Gruber, Bernd; Henle, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    Reliable estimates of population size are fundamental in many ecological studies and biodiversity conservation. Selecting appropriate methods to estimate abundance is often very difficult, especially if data are scarce. Most studies concerning the reliability of different estimators used simulation data based on assumptions about capture variability that do not necessarily reflect conditions in natural populations. Here, we used data from an intensively studied closed population of the arboreal gecko Gehyra variegata to construct reference population sizes for assessing twelve different population size estimators in terms of bias, precision, accuracy, and their 95%-confidence intervals. Two of the reference populations reflect natural biological entities, whereas the other reference populations reflect artificial subsets of the population. Since individual heterogeneity was assumed, we tested modifications of the Lincoln-Petersen estimator, a set of models in programs MARK and CARE-2, and a truncated geometric distribution. Ranking of methods was similar across criteria. Models accounting for individual heterogeneity performed best in all assessment criteria. For populations from heterogeneous habitats without obvious covariates explaining individual heterogeneity, we recommend using the moment estimator or the interpolated jackknife estimator (both implemented in CAPTURE/MARK). If data for capture frequencies are substantial, we recommend the sample coverage or the estimating equation (both models implemented in CARE-2). Depending on the distribution of catchabilities, our proposed multiple Lincoln-Petersen and a truncated geometric distribution obtained comparably good results. The former usually resulted in a minimum population size and the latter can be recommended when there is a long tail of low capture probabilities. Models with covariates and mixture models performed poorly. Our approach identified suitable methods and extended options to evaluate the

  18. Investigation on the Reference Evapotranspiration Distribution at Regional Scale By Alternative Methods to Compute the FAO Penman-Monteith Equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Snyder, R. L.; Mancosu, N.; Spano, D.

    2014-12-01

    This study derived the summer (June-August) reference evapotranspiration distribution map for Sardinia (Italy) based on weather station data and use of the geographic information system (GIS). A modified daily Penman-Monteith equation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO) and the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI) was used to calculate the Standardized Reference Evapotranspiration (ETos) for all weather stations having a "full" set of required data for the calculations. For stations having only temperature data (partial stations), the Hargreaves-Samani equation was used to estimate the reference evapotranspiration for a grass surface (ETo). The ETos and ETo results were different depending on the local climate, so two methods to estimate ETos from the ETo were tested. Substitution of missing solar radiation, wind speed, and humidity data from a nearby station within a similar microclimate was found to give better results than using a calibration factor that related ETos and ETo. Therefore, the substitution method was used to estimate ETos at "partial" stations having only temperature data. The combination of 63 full and partial stations was sufficient to use GIS to map ETos for Sardinia. Three interpolation methods were studied, and the ordinary kriging model fitted the observed data better than a radial basis function or the inverse distance weighting method. Using station data points to create a regional map simplified the zonation of ETos when large scale computations were needed. Making a distinction based on ETos classes allows the simulation of crop water requirements for large areas and it can potentially lead to improved irrigation management and water savings. It also provides a baseline to investigate possible impact of climate change.

  19. 76 FR 44090 - Agency Information Collection (Application for Extended Care Services); Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-22

    ... (Application for Extended Care Services); Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration... . Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0629.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Application for Extended... from nonservice-connected veterans and their spouse when applying for extended care services and to...

  20. 76 FR 31682 - Agency Information Collection (Time Record (Work-Study Program)) Activity Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-01

    ... Record (Work-Study Program)) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration... refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0379.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Time Record (Work-Study... work-study hours a claimant has completed. When a claimant elects to receive an advance payment, VA...