Supercomputer Issues from a University Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beering, Steven C.

1984-01-01

Discusses issues related to the access of and training of university researchers in using supercomputers, considering National Science Foundation's (NSF) role in this area, microcomputers on campuses, and the limited use of existing telecommunication networks. Includes examples of potential scientific projects (by subject area) utilizing…

77 FR 53868 - New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public meeting. SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Committee will meet to consider actions... modifications to groundfish closed areas (including habitat areas). The Committee will further review a motion...

12 CFR 195.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... activities by considering a savings association's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and community... business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the savings association's assessment area(s..., small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, based on the loan location, including: (i...

12 CFR 195.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... activities by considering a savings association's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and community... business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the savings association's assessment area(s..., small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, based on the loan location, including: (i...

Phase IV: Deploying ESE Pilot Information Programs for State and Local Government in the Northeast, the Education Community and the Commercial Sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brower, Robert N.

2004-01-01

This Summary of Research report is a final report which summarizes significant accomplishments achieved during NASA grant NAG 13-00044 entitled Phase IV: Deploying ESE Pilot Information Programs for State and Local Government in the Northeast, the Education Community and the Commercial Sector , for the period of September 27,2000 through September 26,2004. All activities under this grant have been successfully completed. It has been requested by NASA reviewers that the material contained herein also be considered in $iew of NASA s twelve national priority areas. During the grant period, the nature of the Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) Application Program has been significantly amended (two major restructurings). These amendments have been reviewed at several meetings, including a national gathering held in Washington DC. Additional meetings have occurred with NASA officials at headquarters and at IAGT offices as the newly emerging programs have become defined. The work described herein is considered "cross-cutting", meaning that it has relevancy to several of the national priority areas. The time period covered requires that the twelve national priority areas initially articulated by NASA be considered. (Subsequent NASA revision has eliminated "community growth" as a focus area. It is not clear how this area might be treated in the future NASA organizational structure, but it is noted that the work reported herein includes clear potential for application to the previously defined community growth area, as well as most of the other application areas.) As indicated in the accompanying figure, activity reports throughout this report can be "mapped" to the priority areas.

Consider Creating a Channel Management Strategy with Both Colleagues and Patients

PubMed Central

Felkey, Bill G.; Fox, Brent I.

2013-01-01

Patient engagement is poised to provide considerable opportunities for reaching patients. The range of connectivity options should be considered to include the best option for each specific patient. In this article, we address this area of growing importance, telecommunication channel management. PMID:24421455

The Concept of Energy Without Heat or Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemp, H. R.

1984-01-01

Develops the concept of energy without using the terms heat and work. Topic areas considered include mechanical energy, internal energy, total energy, energy conservation, applications of energy conservation, kinds of internal energy, and restrictions on energy changes. Implications for teaching the energy concept are also considered. (JN)

Conference Abstracts: AEDS '84.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baird, William E.

1985-01-01

The Association of Educational Data Systems (AEDS) conference included 102 presentations. Abstracts of seven of these presentations are provided. Topic areas considered include LOGO, teaching probability through a computer game, writing effective computer assisted instructional materials, computer literacy, research on instructional…

Local Area Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Kenneth E.; Nielsen, Steven

1991-01-01

Discusses cabling that is needed in local area networks (LANs). Types of cables that may be selected are described, including twisted pair, coaxial cables (or ethernet), and fiber optics; network topologies, the manner in which the cables are laid out, are considered; and cable installation issues are discussed. (LRW)

Anaerobic Digestion. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnegie, John W., Ed.

This student manual contains the textual material for a four-lesson unit on anaerobic digestion control. Areas addressed include: (1) anaerobic sludge digestion (considering the nature of raw sludge, purposes of anaerobic digestion, the results of digestion, types of equipment, and other topics); (2) digester process control (considering feeding…

32 CFR 245.15 - Appropriate military authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PLAN FOR THE EMERGENCY SECURITY CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC (ESCAT) Procedures for... restrictions to be considered include: (1) Defining the affected area. (2) Defining the type of aircraft... appropriate portions of the affected area. (4) Defining restrictions for the volume of air traffic within the...

Analyzing risks to protected areas using the human modification framework: a Colorado case study

Treesearch

David M. Theobald; Alisa Wade; Grant Wilcox; Nate Peterson

2010-01-01

A framework that organizes natural and protected areas is often used to help understand the potential risks to natural areas and aspects of their ecological and human dimensions. The spatial (or landscape) context of these dynamics is also a critical, but, rarely considered, factor. Common classification systems include the U.S. Geological (USGS) Gap Analysis Program...

CD-ROM and Local Area Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Kenneth E.; And Others

1993-01-01

This special section on local area networks includes three articles: (1) a description of migration at Joyner Library, East Carolina University (North Carolina) to a new network server; (2) a discussion of factors to consider for network planning in school libraries; and (3) a directory of companies supplying cable, hardware, software, and…

ON THE NATURE OF SPEECH SCIENCE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PETERSON, GORDON E.

IN THIS ARTICLE THE NATURE OF THE DISCIPLINE OF SPEECH SCIENCE IS CONSIDERED AND THE VARIOUS BASIC AND APPLIED AREAS OF THE DISCIPLINE ARE DISCUSSED. THE BASIC AREAS ENCOMPASS THE VARIOUS PROCESSES OF THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SPEECH PRODUCTION, THE ACOUSTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SPEECH, INCLUDING THE SPEECH WAVE TYPES AND THE INFORMATION-BEARING ACOUSTIC…

Terrestrial animal species in the Hoosier-Shawnee ecological assessment area

Treesearch

Clark D. McCreedy; Kelly A. Reynolds; Cynthia M. Basile; Matthew C. Nicholson; Katie M. Dugger; Megan E. Gross; Gary M., Jr. Mohr

2004-01-01

We reviewed the current status of amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and selected invertebrates within the Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological Assessment Area. Species selected for this evaluation included those most commonly considered with respect to land management, namely threatened and endangered species, those species with viability concerns, the unique community of...

The Chemical Oceanographer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel, Robert B.

1983-01-01

Discusses career opportunities in oceanography for chemists. These include opportunities related to food, physical oceanography, mining, drugs, and other areas. Educational background needed and degree program are considered. (JN)

Literature Review on the Use of Action Research in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Paul; Cartney, Patricia; Wilkinson, Kate; Parkinson, John; Cunningham, Sheila; James-Reynolds, Carl; Zoubir, Tarek; Brown, Venetia; Barter, Phil; Sumner, Pauline; MacDonald, Angus; Dayananda, Asanka; Pitt, Alexandra

2017-01-01

This literature review considers the use of action research in higher education. The review specifically looks at two areas of higher education activity. The first concerns academic teaching practice and includes a discussion of research and pedagogy practice, and staff development. The second considers student engagement. In both of these core…

Space Station: Key to the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

The possible applications, advantages and features of an advanced space station to be developed are considered in a non-technical manner in this booklet. Some of the areas of application considered include the following: the detection of large scale dynamic earth processes such as changes in snow pack, crops, and air pollution levels; the…

Expanding the FIA inventory to understand plant diversity in Palau’s conservation areas

Treesearch

Matthew O’Driscoll; Ashley Lehman; Mikhail Yatskov

2015-01-01

Palau is well known as an area of high plant diversity; indeed, it is considered the most species rich island group within Micronesia (Kitalong et al., 2008). The Palauan archipelago covers only about 535 km² of land area and yet contains an estimated 730 native plants, including 151 endemic species (Kitalong et al., 2008). Broader scientific interest in Palauan forest...

Information Architecture: Notes toward a New Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latham, Don

2002-01-01

Considers the evolution of information architectures as a field of professional education. Topics include the need for an interdisciplinary approach; balancing practical skills with theoretical concepts; and key content areas, including information organization, graphic design, computer science, user and usability studies, and communication.…

Materials processing in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The feasibility and possible advantages of processing materials in a nongravitational field are considered. Areas of investigation include biomedical applications, the processing of inorganic materials, and flight programs and funding.

Estimating an area-level socioeconomic status index and its association with colonoscopy screening adherence.

PubMed

Wheeler, David C; Czarnota, Jenna; Jones, Resa M

2017-01-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) is often considered a risk factor for health outcomes. SES is typically measured using individual variables of educational attainment, income, housing, and employment variables or a composite of these variables. Approaches to building the composite variable include using equal weights for each variable or estimating the weights with principal components analysis or factor analysis. However, these methods do not consider the relationship between the outcome and the SES variables when constructing the index. In this project, we used weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to estimate an area-level SES index and its effect in a model of colonoscopy screening adherence in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. We considered several specifications of the SES index including using different spatial scales (e.g., census block group-level, tract-level) for the SES variables. We found a significant positive association (odds ratio = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.19) between the SES index and colonoscopy adherence in the best fitting model. The model with the best goodness-of-fit included a multi-scale SES index with 10 variables at the block group-level and one at the tract-level, with home ownership, race, and income among the most important variables. Contrary to previous index construction, our results were not consistent with an assumption of equal importance of variables in the SES index when explaining colonoscopy screening adherence. Our approach is applicable in any study where an SES index is considered as a variable in a regression model and the weights for the SES variables are not known in advance.

College and University Facilities Guide for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Washington, DC.

This guide presents information concerned with the planning of areas and facilities for athletics, recreation, outdoor education, and physical and health education. Swimming pools, service areas, ice skating, field houses, arenas, and stadiums are among the many facilities which are considered. Included are many diagrams and sketches giving…

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart K of... - Criteria for evaluating a State's proposed NEPA-Like process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A...) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including recreation and open... (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart K of... - Criteria for evaluating a State's proposed NEPA-Like process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A...) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including recreation and open... (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart L - Criteria for Evaluating a State's Proposed NEPA-Like Process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A range of feasible... conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including relevant recreation and open-space..., institutional, and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other anticipated public works projects...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart L - Criteria for Evaluating a State's Proposed NEPA-Like Process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A range of feasible... conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including relevant recreation and open-space..., institutional, and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other anticipated public works projects...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart L of... - Criteria for Evaluating a State's Proposed NEPA-Like Process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2... impacts; (4) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including relevant... (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart K of... - Criteria for evaluating a State's proposed NEPA-Like process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A...) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including recreation and open... (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart K of... - Criteria for evaluating a State's proposed NEPA-Like process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A...) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including recreation and open... (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart K of... - Criteria for evaluating a State's proposed NEPA-Like process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A...) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including recreation and open... (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart L of... - Criteria for Evaluating a State's Proposed NEPA-Like Process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the SERP will adequately consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2... impacts; (4) Present and future conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including relevant... (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart L - Criteria for Evaluating a State's Proposed NEPA-Like Process

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... consider: (1) Designation of a study area comparable to the final system; (2) A range of feasible... conditions; (5) Land use and other social parameters including relevant recreation and open-space..., institutional, and industrial) within the project study area; and (8) Other anticipated public works projects...

The Carter Administration and Civil Rights; An Assessment of the First Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, William; And Others

In this paper the first year accomplishments and failings of the Carter Administration in civil rights enforcement are assessed. Areas considered include the following: leadership and management, employment, education, housing, health and social services, and veterans affairs. Enforcement in some areas has improved but progress has been slow and…

43 CFR 11.31 - What does the Assessment Plan include?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

....31 Section 11.31 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior NATURAL RESOURCE.... The Assessment Plan shall include descriptions of the natural resources and the geographical areas... co-trusteeship, for those natural resources considered within the Assessment Plan. The authorized...

From Metaphorically Speaking to Acting Boldly: A Commentary on the Special Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rock, Marcia L.; Billingsley, Bonnie

2014-01-01

Casting special education teacher development as an avatar living in a virtual and changing landscape is a creative way to consider the current state of the field and project possible futures. In this commentary, the authors consider areas that may help strengthen the Avatar, including conceptualizing and identifying the outcomes of teacher…

Geomorphic changes in Ras Al-Subiyah area, Kuwait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Hurban, A.; El-Gamily, H.; El-Sammak, A.

2008-06-01

The Ras Al-Subiyah area is considered one of the most promising areas in Kuwait for future development. This development will include a new town called Subiyah and its associated infrastructure. This area is also being considered as the location for connection between Boubyan Island, which is now undergoing major development and the Kuwait mainland. The present study investigates the geomorphology of the Ras Al-Sabiyah area in the northern sector of Kuwait. The study area is generally flat, and it is located west of the Jal Az-Zor escarpment. It is bordered on the east by the Khor Al-Sabiyah tidal channel and on the south by Kuwait Bay. The area receives sediments from several sources; currently the most important are aeolian sediments and the deposition of mud delivered through the Khor Al-Sabiyah from the Iraqi marshes. The study area has been subjected to severe environmental changes due to the Gulf wars and the drainage of Iraqi marshes and the associated artificial changes in fluvial system. Twenty-two surface sediments were collected from the Ras Al-Subiyah area. Samples were collected to include the main geomorphologic characteristic features of the study area. Field observations and remote sensing images from 1990 and 2001 were used to produce an updated geomorphologic map for the Ras Al-Subiyah and a map showing geomorphic changes between 1990 and 2001. Grain size of the surface sediment ranges from gravel to medium sand. In general, grain size statistical analysis indicates that most of the areas are composed of two or more classes of sands transported and deposited from different sources including aeolian, sabkhas, river and the bays. The variability in the grain size statistical parameters may be attributed to the complexity of surface morphology as well as the diversity in the type of depositional environment in the Ras Al-Subiyah area. The total area subjected to change during the 12-year period (1990 2001) is about 32 km2 as calculated using GIS techniques.

Proceedings of the Goddard Space Flight Center Workshop on Robotics for Commercial Microelectronic Processes in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Potential applications of robots for cost effective commercial microelectronic processes in space were studied and the associated robotic requirements were defined. Potential space application areas include advanced materials processing, bulk crystal growth, and epitaxial thin film growth and related processes. All possible automation of these processes was considered, along with energy and environmental requirements. Aspects of robot capabilities considered include system intelligence, ROM requirements, kinematic and dynamic specifications, sensor design and configuration, flexibility and maintainability. Support elements discussed included facilities, logistics, ground support, launch and recovery, and management systems.

Virtual Reality: Directions in Research and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Rory

1992-01-01

Discussion of virtual reality (VR) focuses on research and development being carried out at NYNEX to solve business problems. Component technologies are described; design decisions are considered, including interactivity, connectivity, and locus of control; potential perils of VR are discussed, including user dissociation; and areas of promise are…

BREAD LOAF ROADLESS AREA, VERMONT.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slack, John F.; Bitar, Richard F.

1984-01-01

On the basis of mineral-resource survey the Bread Loaf Roadless Area, Vermont, is considered to have probable resource potential for the occurrence of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits of copper, zinc, and lead, particularly in the north and northeastern section of the roadless area. Nonmetallic commodities include minor deposits of sand and gravel, and abundant rock suitable for crushing. However, large amounts of these materials in more accessible locations are available outside the roadless area. A possibility exists that oil or natural gas resources may be present at great depth.

Considering Research Outcomes as Essential Tools for Medical Education Decision Making.

PubMed

Miller, Karen Hughes; Miller, Bonnie M; Karani, Reena

2015-11-01

As medical educators face the challenge of incorporating new content, learning methods, and assessment techniques into the curriculum, the need for rigorous medical education research to guide efficient and effective instructional planning increases. When done properly, well-designed education research can provide guidance for complex education decision making. In this Commentary, the authors consider the 2015 Research in Medical Education (RIME) research and review articles in terms of the critical areas in teaching and learning that they address. The broad categories include (1) assessment (the largest collection of RIME articles, including both feedback from learners and instructors and the reliability of learner assessment), (2) the institution's impact on the learning environment, (3) what can be learned from program evaluation, and (4) emerging issues in faculty development. While the articles in this issue are broad in scope and potential impact, the RIME committee noted few studies of sufficient rigor focusing on areas of diversity and diverse learners. Although challenging to investigate, the authors encourage continuing innovation in research focused on these important areas.

Multi-criteria decision analysis in conservation planning: Designing conservation area networks in San Diego County

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, Garrick Richard

To limit biodiversity loss caused by human activity, conservation planning must protect biodiversity while considering socio-economic cost criteria. This research aimed to determine the effects of socio-economic criteria and spatial configurations on the development of CANs for three species with different distribution patterns, while simultaneously attempting to address the uncertainty and sensitivity of CANs produced by ConsNet. The socio-economic factors and spatial criteria included the cost of land, population density, agricultural output value, area, average cluster area, number of clusters, shape, and perimeter. Three sensitive mammal species with different distribution patterns were selected and included the Bobcat, Ringtail, and a custom created mammal distribution. Forty problems and the corresponding number of CANs were formulated and computed by running each predicted presence species model with and without the four different socioeconomic threshold groups at two different resolutions. Thirty-two percent less area was conserved after considering multiple socio-economic constraints and spatial configurations in comparison to CANs that did not consider multiple socio-economic constraints and spatial configurations. Without including socio-economic costs, ConsNet's ALL_CELLS heuristic solution was the highest ranking CAN. After considering multiple socio-economic costs, the number one ranking CAN was no longer the ALL_CELLS heuristic solution, but a spatially different meta-heuristic solution. The effects of multiple constraints and objectives on the design of CANs with different distribution patterns did not vary significantly across the criteria. The CANs produced by ConsNet appeared to demonstrate some uncertainty surrounding particular criteria, but did not demonstrate substantial uncertainty across all criteria used to rank the CANs. Similarly, the range of socio-economic criteria thresholds did not have a substantial impact. ConsNet was very applicable to the research project, however, it did exhibit a few limitations. Both the advantages and disadvantages of ConsNet should be considered before using ConsNet for future conservation planning projects. The research project is an example of a large data scenario undertaken with a multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach.

Some calculable contributions to entanglement entropy.

PubMed

Hertzberg, Mark P; Wilczek, Frank

2011-02-04

Entanglement entropy appears as a central property of quantum systems in broad areas of physics. However, its precise value is often sensitive to unknown microphysics, rendering it incalculable. By considering parametric dependence on correlation length, we extract finite, calculable contributions to the entanglement entropy for a scalar field between the interior and exterior of a spatial domain of arbitrary shape. The leading term is proportional to the area of the dividing boundary; we also extract finite subleading contributions for a field defined in the bulk interior of a waveguide in 3+1 dimensions, including terms proportional to the waveguide's cross-sectional geometry: its area, perimeter length, and integrated curvature. We also consider related quantities at criticality and suggest a class of systems for which these contributions might be measurable.

Advanced missile technology. A review of technology improvement areas for cruise missiles. [including missile design, missile configurations, and aerodynamic characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cronvich, L. L.; Liepman, H. P.

1979-01-01

Technology assessments in the areas of aerodynamics, propulsion, and structures and materials for cruise missile systems are discussed. The cruise missiles considered cover the full speed, altitude, and target range. The penetrativity, range, and maneuverability of the cruise missiles are examined and evaluated for performance improvements.

A Model Policy Statement and Guidelines for Implementation: Equal Treatment of Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.

This booklet offers a model policy statement that schools shall provide equal educational opportunities to all students regardless of sex. It includes stipulations and guidelines to achieve equal access in all areas of education. The following areas are considered: (1) Course offerings: every course shall be open to all students and schools should…

Management Requirements of the 3COM Ethernet Local Area Network

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

Management Information System . With the introduction of new technology comes the requirement to administer the network. This paper describes LAN services available on the network, management philosophies for the LAN services, and areas of LAN administration considered important to the successful operation and maintenance of a LAN. LAN administration problems identified by users are also addressed. Keywords included; Local area network (LAN); Lan management; Lan administration; 3COM ETHERNET LAN.

Computer Network Security: Best Practices for Alberta School Jurisdictions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton.

This paper provides a snapshot of the computer network security industry and addresses specific issues related to network security in public education. The following topics are covered: (1) security policy, including reasons for establishing a policy, risk assessment, areas to consider, audit tools; (2) workstations, including physical security,…

Electronics 7-12 [Instructional Objectives Exchange].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for the Study of Evaluation.

Included are instructional objectives which can be considered for use in a classroom or laboratory. The objectives are followed by measurement items meant to test if a certain objective is accomplished. Means for judging the adequacy of student responses are given. The areas of electronics included in this publication are: Fundamentals, Block…

Why and how might genetic and phylogenetic diversity be reflected in the identification of key biodiversity areas?

PubMed

Brooks, T M; Cuttelod, A; Faith, D P; Garcia-Moreno, J; Langhammer, P; Pérez-Espona, S

2015-02-19

'Key biodiversity areas' are defined as sites contributing significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. The identification of these sites builds from existing approaches based on measures of species and ecosystem diversity and process. Here, we therefore build from the work of Sgró et al. (2011 Evol. Appl. 4, 326-337. (doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00157.x)) to extend a framework for how components of genetic diversity might be considered in the identification of key biodiversity areas. We make three recommendations to inform the ongoing process of consolidating a key biodiversity areas standard: (i) thresholds for the threatened species criterion currently consider a site's share of a threatened species' population; expand these to include the proportion of the species' genetic diversity unique to a site; (ii) expand criterion for 'threatened species' to consider 'threatened taxa' and (iii) expand the centre of endemism criterion to identify as key biodiversity areas those sites holding a threshold proportion of the compositional or phylogenetic diversity of species (within a taxonomic group) whose restricted ranges collectively define a centre of endemism. We also recommend consideration of occurrence of EDGE species (i.e. threatened phylogenetic diversity) in key biodiversity areas to prioritize species-specific conservation actions among sites.

Why and how might genetic and phylogenetic diversity be reflected in the identification of key biodiversity areas?

PubMed Central

Brooks, T. M.; Cuttelod, A.; Faith, D. P.; Garcia-Moreno, J.; Langhammer, P.; Pérez-Espona, S.

2015-01-01

‘Key biodiversity areas' are defined as sites contributing significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. The identification of these sites builds from existing approaches based on measures of species and ecosystem diversity and process. Here, we therefore build from the work of Sgró et al. (2011 Evol. Appl. 4, 326–337. (doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00157.x)) to extend a framework for how components of genetic diversity might be considered in the identification of key biodiversity areas. We make three recommendations to inform the ongoing process of consolidating a key biodiversity areas standard: (i) thresholds for the threatened species criterion currently consider a site's share of a threatened species' population; expand these to include the proportion of the species' genetic diversity unique to a site; (ii) expand criterion for ‘threatened species' to consider ‘threatened taxa’ and (iii) expand the centre of endemism criterion to identify as key biodiversity areas those sites holding a threshold proportion of the compositional or phylogenetic diversity of species (within a taxonomic group) whose restricted ranges collectively define a centre of endemism. We also recommend consideration of occurrence of EDGE species (i.e. threatened phylogenetic diversity) in key biodiversity areas to prioritize species-specific conservation actions among sites. PMID:25561678

Genetic technology: Promises and problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frankel, M. S.

1975-01-01

Issues concerning the use of genetic technology are discussed. Some areas discussed include treating genetic disease, prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion, screening for genetic disease, and genetic counseling. Policy issues stemming from these capabilities are considered.

Climate modeling. [for use in understanding earth's radiation budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The requirements for radiation measurements suitable for the understanding, improvement, and verification of models used in performing climate research are considered. Both zonal energy balance models and three dimensional general circulation models are considered, and certain problems are identified as common to all models. Areas of emphasis include regional energy balance observations, spectral band observations, cloud-radiation interaction, and the radiative properties of the earth's surface.

[Theme: Horticulture Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Jan; And Others

1982-01-01

A series of articles discusses requirements for optimum growth of horticulture education programs. Includes beginning a program, simulating working conditions, the need for mechanical skills, starting a business, and other areas to be considered for a successful horticultural program. (JOW)

Space-Time Smoothing of Complex Survey Data: Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality.

PubMed

Mercer, Laina D; Wakefield, Jon; Pantazis, Athena; Lutambi, Angelina M; Masanja, Honorati; Clark, Samuel

2015-12-01

Many people living in low and middle-income countries are not covered by civil registration and vital statistics systems. Consequently, a wide variety of other types of data including many household sample surveys are used to estimate health and population indicators. In this paper we combine data from sample surveys and demographic surveillance systems to produce small area estimates of child mortality through time. Small area estimates are necessary to understand geographical heterogeneity in health indicators when full-coverage vital statistics are not available. For this endeavor spatio-temporal smoothing is beneficial to alleviate problems of data sparsity. The use of conventional hierarchical models requires careful thought since the survey weights may need to be considered to alleviate bias due to non-random sampling and non-response. The application that motivated this work is estimation of child mortality rates in five-year time intervals in regions of Tanzania. Data come from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted over the period 1991-2010 and two demographic surveillance system sites. We derive a variance estimator of under five years child mortality that accounts for the complex survey weighting. For our application, the hierarchical models we consider include random effects for area, time and survey and we compare models using a variety of measures including the conditional predictive ordinate (CPO). The method we propose is implemented via the fast and accurate integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA).

CubeSat mechanical design: creating low mass and durable structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiedler, Gilbert; Straub, Jeremy

2017-05-01

This paper considers the mechanical design of a low-mass, low-cost spacecraft for use in a multi-satellite sensing constellation. For a multi-spacecraft mission, aggregated small mass and cost reductions can have significant impact. One approach to mass reduction is to make cuts into the structure, removing material. Stress analysis is used to determine the level of material reduction possible. Focus areas for this paper include determining areas to make cuts to ensure that a strong shape remains, while considering the comparative cost and skill level of each type of cut. Real-world results for a CubeSat and universally applicable analysis are presented.

78 FR 43005 - Endangered and Threatened Species: Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northwest Atlantic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-18

...We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose critical habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean loggerhead sea turtle Distinct Population Segment (DPS) (Caretta caretta) within the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Specific areas proposed for designation include 36 occupied marine areas within the range of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS. These areas contain one or a combination of nearshore reproductive habitat, winter area, breeding areas, and migratory corridors. We are also asking for comment on whether to include as critical habitat in the final rule some areas that contain foraging habitat and two large areas that contain Sargassum habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressed terrestrial areas (nesting beaches) in a separate document. No marine areas meeting the definition of critical habitat were identified within the jurisdiction of the United States for the North Pacific Ocean DPS, and therefore we are not proposing to designate critical habitat for that DPS. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including information on the economic, national security, and other relevant impacts. We will consider additional information received prior to making a final designation.

The 11th Space Simulation Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, A. C. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Subject areas range from specialized issues dealing with the space and entry environments to the environmental testing of systems and complete spacecraft of present-day vintage. Various papers consider: the test and development of several key systems of the orbiter vehicle; integrated tests of complete satellites; new and unique test facilities developed to meet the demanding requirements of high fidelity simulation of test environments; and contamination species, including the instrumentation for detection and measurement of such. Special topics include improved thermal protection methodologies and approaches, sophisticated sensor developments, and other related testing and development areas.

Large-scale conservation planning in a multinational marine environment: cost matters.

PubMed

Mazor, Tessa; Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Kark, Salit; Possingham, Hugh P

2014-07-01

Explicitly including cost in marine conservation planning is essential for achieving feasible and efficient conservation outcomes. Yet, spatial priorities for marine conservation are still often based solely on biodiversity hotspots, species richness, and/or cumulative threat maps. This study aims to provide an approach for including cost when planning large-scale Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks that span multiple countries. Here, we explore the incorporation of cost in the complex setting of the Mediterranean Sea. In order to include cost in conservation prioritization, we developed surrogates that account for revenue from multiple marine sectors: commercial fishing, noncommercial fishing, and aquaculture. Such revenue can translate into an opportunity cost for the implementation of an MPA network. Using the software Marxan, we set conservation targets to protect 10% of the distribution of 77 threatened marine species in the Mediterranean Sea. We compared nine scenarios of opportunity cost by calculating the area and cost required to meet our targets. We further compared our spatial priorities with those that are considered consensus areas by several proposed prioritization schemes in the Mediterranean Sea, none of which explicitly considers cost. We found that for less than 10% of the Sea's area, our conservation targets can be achieved while incurring opportunity costs of less than 1%. In marine systems, we reveal that area is a poor cost surrogate and that the most effective surrogates are those that account for multiple sectors or stakeholders. Furthermore, our results indicate that including cost can greatly influence the selection of spatial priorities for marine conservation of threatened species. Although there are known limitations in multinational large-scale planning, attempting to devise more systematic and rigorous planning methods is especially critical given that collaborative conservation action is on the rise and global financial crisis restricts conservation investments.

Column Liquid Chromatography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majors, Ronald E.; And Others

1984-01-01

Reviews literature covering developments of column liquid chromatography during 1982-83. Areas considered include: books and reviews; general theory; columns; instrumentation; detectors; automation and data handling; multidimensional chromatographic and column switching techniques; liquid-solid chromatography; normal bonded-phase, reversed-phase,…

The Dynamic Earth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siever, Raymond

1983-01-01

Discusses how the earth is a dynamic system that maintains itself in a steady state. Areas considered include large/small-scale earth motions, geologic time, rock and hydrologic cycles, and other aspects dealing with the changing face of the earth. (JN)

Liberating the potential: the role of non-nurses in adding value to nurse education.

PubMed

Dickinson, Julie

2006-01-01

In this paper, I have attempted to explore the role of non-nurse lecturers in adding value to nurse education programmes. In measuring "added-value" in higher education, I have embraced a more comprehensive approach including investigating the views of "Experts"; including the nurse and non-nurse lecturers themselves, and various United Kingdom stakeholders such as the Government, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Quality Assurance Agency. The students' views are also taken into account, when considering both the content of the programmes and how they are delivered. The complexity of "objective measurement" is considered, and the requirements of a "good" teaching experience. The potential areas for adding value include: health and social care policy priorities which encourage partnership working, the blurring of professional boundaries, and inter-professional working. Professional-specific changes embracing extended and enhanced roles and the concepts of specialist and assistant practitioners. Other areas include the Higher Education agendas including transferable skills and adult and student-centred learning. I conclude by discussing the latest policy changes and suggest that the role of the non-nurse lecturer needs more exploration to provide the best value for all.

Vascular flora of the Fernow Experimental Forest and adjacent portions of the Otter Creek Wilderness Area

Treesearch

Robert B. Coxe; Steven L. Stephenson; Darlene M. Madarish; Gary W. Miller

2006-01-01

The vascular flora of the region we considered include 94 families representing at least 461 species. Fifty-four of these or nearly 12 percent are species known to have been introduced. Asteraceae (46 species) is the single largest family; Cyperaceae (31), Liliaceae (29), Poaceae and Rosaceae (20 each) also are important families in the general study area. The 461...

Spatial Analysis of Thaw Depth

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

considerable amounts of organic matter and the water table is at or above the surface (Everett 1980). Everett classified the soils as Pergelic Cryaquepts...covers most of the area), Pergelic Cryohemists and Cryosapriest, Pergelic Cryopsamments, and Pergelic Cryofluents. The Atquasuk area is considered fairly...materials, and is classi- fied as Euic Pergelic Cryosapriest (Ping et al. 1994). The vegetation includes sedge, shrub, lichens, and mosses. Happy Valley is on

Implementing Advanced Technologies in the Republic of China Air Force Officer Training System

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-01

Strategy Political Radar Systems Emergency Education Medicine Maneuvers Entertainment & Systems Design Primary Care Welfare Telegraph Systems I1 The...Planning area includes the career fields of Organization, Aircraft, Weapons, Air Strategy , and Maneuvers. In the Political area of occupational...materials to be considered. The current strategy is to maintain massive inventories of written testing materials for use in officer evaluations

Leaf area dynamics of conifer forests

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

Margolis, H.; Oren, R.; Whitehead, D.

1995-07-01

Estimating the surface area of foliage supported by a coniferous forest canopy is critical for modeling its biological properties. Leaf area represents the surface area available for the interception of energy, the absorption of carbon dioxide, and the diffusion of water from the leaf to the atmosphere. The concept of leaf area is pertinent to the physiological and ecological dynamics of conifers at a wide range of spatial scales, from individual leaves to entire biomes. In fact, the leaf area of vegetation at a global level can be thought of as a carbon-absorbing, water-emitting membrane of variable thickness, which canmore » have an important influence on the dynamics and chemistry of the Earth`s atmosphere over both the short and the long term. Unless otherwise specified, references to leaf area herein refer to projected leaf area, i.e., the vertical projection of needles placed on a flat plane. Total leaf surface area is generally from 2.0 to 3.14 times that of projected leaf area for conifers. It has recently been suggested that hemisurface leaf area, i.e., one-half of the total surface area of a leaf, a more useful basis for expressing leaf area than is projected area. This chapter is concerned with the dynamics of coniferous forest leaf area at different spatial and temporal scales. In the first part, we consider various hypotheses related to the control of leaf area development, ranging from simple allometric relations with tree size to more complex mechanistic models that consider the movement of water and nutrients to tree canopies. In the second part, we consider various aspects of leaf area dynamics at varying spatial and temporal scales, including responses to perturbation, seasonal dynamics, genetic variation in crown architecture, the responses to silvicultural treatments, the causes and consequences of senescence, and the direct measurement of coniferous leaf area at large spatial scales using remote sensing.« less

Planting and care of fine hardwood seedlings: Regenerating hardwoods in the Central Hardwoods Region: Soils

Treesearch

Felix Ponder, Jr.; Phillip E. Pope

2003-01-01

A large number of factors determine the successful establishment of trees. The site for a tree refers to where it grows, and includes living and nonliving factors that may have an impact on the tree's survival and growth. Site factors may be similar enough over a large area so as to be considered one site or different enough to be considered different sites....

Considerations for acoustic emission monitoring of spherical Kevlar/epoxy composite pressure vessels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamstad, M. A.; Patterson, R. G.

1977-01-01

We are continuing to research the applications of acoustic emission testing for predicting burst pressure of filament-wound Kevlar 49/epoxy pressure vessels. This study has focused on three specific areas. The first area involves development of an experimental technique and the proper instrumentation to measure the energy given off by the acoustic emission transducer per acoustic emission burst. The second area concerns the design of a test fixture in which to mount the composite vessel so that the acoustic emission transducers are held against the outer surface of the composite. Included in this study area is the calibration of the entire test setup including couplant, transducer, electronics, and the instrument measuring the energy per burst. In the third and final area of this study, we consider the number, location, and sensitivity of the acoustic emission transducers used for proof testing composite pressure vessels.

Under-reporting of violent incidents against nursing staff.

PubMed

Ferns, Terry

This article examines factors that contribute to nurses failing to report incidents of violence and aggression in the clinical area and it develops the information published in a previous article (Ferns and Chojnacka 2005). Broader social factors are considered, including gender, violence experienced by women, the status of the nursing profession and bureaucratic structures that contribute to under-reporting. The life experiences of individual nursing staff play a significant role in how they react to violence in the clinical area. Strategies to minimise violence against nurses should consider the social, political and personal issues that limit the reporting of violent incidents. Only by reporting such incidents can the extent of violence towards nurses be determined and minimised.

A Policy Alternative Analysis and Simplified Scoring Method to Assess Policy Options for Marine Conservation Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharuga, S. M.; Reams, M.

2016-02-01

Traditional approaches to marine conservation and management are increasingly being found as inadequate; and, consequently, more complex ecosystem-based approaches to protecting marine ecosystems are growing in popularity. Ecosystem-based approaches, however, can be particularly challenging at a local level where resources and knowledge of specific marine conservation components may be limited. Marine conservation areas are known by a variety of names globally, but can be divided into four general types: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Reserves, Fishery Reserves, and Ecological Reserves (i.e. "no take zones"). Each type of conservation area involves specific objectives, program elements and likely socioeconomic consequences. As an aid to community stakeholders and decision makers considering establishment of a marine conservation area, a simple method to compare and score the objectives and attributes of these four approaches is presented. A range of evaluation criteria are considered, including conservation of biodiversity and habitat, effective fishery management, overall cost-effectiveness, fairness to current users, enhancement of recreational activities, fairness to taxpayers, and conservation of genetic diversity. Environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of each type of conservation area are also considered. When exploring options for managing the marine environment, particular resource conservation needs must be evaluated individually on a case-by-case basis and the type of conservation area established must be tailored accordingly. However, MPAs are often more successful than other conservation areas because they offer a compromise between the needs of society and the environment, and therefore represent a viable option for ecosystem-based management.

A Policy Alternative Analysis and Simplified Scoring Method to Assess Policy Options for Marine Conservation Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharuga, S. M.; Reams, M.

2016-12-01

Traditional approaches to marine conservation and management are increasingly being found as inadequate; and, consequently, more complex ecosystem-based approaches to protecting marine ecosystems are growing in popularity. Ecosystem-based approaches, however, can be particularly challenging at a local level where resources and knowledge of specific marine conservation components may be limited. Marine conservation areas are known by a variety of names globally, but can be divided into four general types: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Reserves, Fishery Reserves, and Ecological Reserves (i.e. "no take zones"). Each type of conservation area involves specific objectives, program elements and likely socioeconomic consequences. As an aid to community stakeholders and decision makers considering establishment of a marine conservation area, a simple method to compare and score the objectives and attributes of these four approaches is presented. A range of evaluation criteria are considered, including conservation of biodiversity and habitat, effective fishery management, overall cost-effectiveness, fairness to current users, enhancement of recreational activities, fairness to taxpayers, and conservation of genetic diversity. Environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of each type of conservation area are also considered. When exploring options for managing the marine environment, particular resource conservation needs must be evaluated individually on a case-by-case basis and the type of conservation area established must be tailored accordingly. However, MPAs are often more successful than other conservation areas because they offer a compromise between the needs of society and the environment, and therefore represent a viable option for ecosystem-based management.

Bone Area Histomorphometry.

PubMed

Andronowski, Janna M; Crowder, Christian

2018-05-21

Quantifying the amount of cortical bone loss is one variable used in histological methods of adult age estimation. Measurements of cortical area tend to be subjective and additional information regarding bone loss is not captured considering cancellous bone is disregarded. We describe whether measuring bone area (cancellous + cortical area) rather than cortical area may improve histological age estimation for the sixth rib. Mid-shaft rib cross-sections (n = 114) with a skewed sex distribution were analyzed. Ages range from 16 to 87 years. Variables included: total cross-sectional area, cortical area, bone area, relative bone area, relative cortical area, and endosteal area. Males have larger mean total cross-sectional area, bone area, and cortical area than females. Females display a larger mean endosteal area and greater mean relative measure values. Relative bone area significantly correlates with age. The relative bone area variable will provide researchers with a less subjective and more accurate measure than cortical area. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

CENTENNIAL MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, MONTANA AND IDAHO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Witkind, Irving J.; Ridenour, James

1984-01-01

A mineral survey conducted within the Centennial Mountains Wilderness study area in Montana and Idaho showed large areas of probable and substantiated resource potential for phosphate. Byproducts that may be derived from processing the phosphate include vanadium, chromium, uranium, silver, fluorine, and the rare earths, lanthanum and yttrium. Results of a geochemical sampling program suggest that there is little promise for the occurrence of base and precious metals in the area. Although the area contains other nonmetallic deposits, such as coal, building stone, and pumiceous ash they are not considered as mineral resources. There is a probable resource potential for oil and gas and significant amounts may underlie the area around the Peet Creek and Odell Creek anticlines.

Electrical/electronics working group summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfeld, A. D.

1984-01-01

The electrical/electronics, technology area was considered. It was found that there are no foreseeable circuit or component problems to hinder the implementation of the flywheel energy storage concept. The definition of the major component or technology developments required to permit a technology ready date of 1987 was addressed. Recommendations: motor/generators, suspension electronics, power transfer, power conditioning and distribution, and modeling. An introduction to the area of system engineering is also included.

Man-machine interface requirements - advanced technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Remington, R. W.; Wiener, E. L.

1984-01-01

Research issues and areas are identified where increased understanding of the human operator and the interaction between the operator and the avionics could lead to improvements in the performance of current and proposed helicopters. Both current and advanced helicopter systems and avionics are considered. Areas critical to man-machine interface requirements include: (1) artificial intelligence; (2) visual displays; (3) voice technology; (4) cockpit integration; and (5) pilot work loads and performance.

Lesson Development for English Learners in Content Area Settings: Key Considerations. Q&A with Sarah Catherine K. Moore, Ph.D. 2016 Educator Effectiveness Webinar Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Sarah Catherine K.

2016-01-01

In this webinar, Dr. Sarah Catherine K. Moore, Program Director at the Center for Applied Linguistics, outlined factors for content area teachers to consider as they design and deliver lessons for mainstream classrooms that include English learner (EL) students. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Moore following the…

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

Sullivan, Kevin; Anasti, William; Fang, Yichuan

The main purpose of this project is to look at technologies and philosophies that would help reduce the costs of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant, increase its availability or do both. GE’s approach to this problem is to consider options in three different areas: 1) technology evaluations and development; 2) constructability approaches; and 3) design and operation methodologies. Five separate tasks were identified that fall under the three areas: Task 2 – Integrated Operations Philosophy; Task 3 – Slip Forming of IGCC Components; Task 4 – Modularization of IGCC Components; Task 5 – Fouling Removal; and Task 6more » – Improved Slag Handling. Overall, this project produced results on many fronts. Some of the ideas could be utilized immediately by those seeking to build an IGCC plant in the near future. These include the considerations from the Integrated Operations Philosophy task and the different construction techniques of Slip Forming and Modularization (especially if the proposed site is in a remote location or has a lack of a skilled workforce). Other results include ideas for promising technologies that require further development and testing to realize their full potential and be available for commercial operation. In both areas GE considers this project to be a success in identifying areas outside the core IGCC plant systems that are ripe for cost reduction and ity improvement opportunities.« less

Space-Time Smoothing of Complex Survey Data: Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality

PubMed Central

Mercer, Laina D; Wakefield, Jon; Pantazis, Athena; Lutambi, Angelina M; Masanja, Honorati; Clark, Samuel

2016-01-01

Many people living in low and middle-income countries are not covered by civil registration and vital statistics systems. Consequently, a wide variety of other types of data including many household sample surveys are used to estimate health and population indicators. In this paper we combine data from sample surveys and demographic surveillance systems to produce small area estimates of child mortality through time. Small area estimates are necessary to understand geographical heterogeneity in health indicators when full-coverage vital statistics are not available. For this endeavor spatio-temporal smoothing is beneficial to alleviate problems of data sparsity. The use of conventional hierarchical models requires careful thought since the survey weights may need to be considered to alleviate bias due to non-random sampling and non-response. The application that motivated this work is estimation of child mortality rates in five-year time intervals in regions of Tanzania. Data come from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted over the period 1991–2010 and two demographic surveillance system sites. We derive a variance estimator of under five years child mortality that accounts for the complex survey weighting. For our application, the hierarchical models we consider include random effects for area, time and survey and we compare models using a variety of measures including the conditional predictive ordinate (CPO). The method we propose is implemented via the fast and accurate integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). PMID:27468328

Integrating economic costs and biological traits into global conservation priorities for carnivores.

PubMed

Loyola, Rafael Dias; Oliveira-Santos, Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues; Almeida-Neto, Mário; Nogueira, Denise Martins; Kubota, Umberto; Diniz-Filho, José Alexandre Felizola; Lewinsohn, Thomas Michael

2009-08-27

Prioritization schemes usually highlight species-rich areas, where many species are at imminent risk of extinction. To be ecologically relevant these schemes should also include species biological traits into area-setting methods. Furthermore, in a world of limited funds for conservation, conservation action is constrained by land acquisition costs. Hence, including economic costs into conservation priorities can substantially improve their conservation cost-effectiveness. We examined four global conservation scenarios for carnivores based on the joint mapping of economic costs and species biological traits. These scenarios identify the most cost-effective priority sets of ecoregions, indicating best investment opportunities for safeguarding every carnivore species, and also establish priority sets that can maximize species representation in areas harboring highly vulnerable species. We compared these results with a scenario that minimizes the total number of ecoregions required for conserving all species, irrespective of other factors. We found that cost-effective conservation investments should focus on 41 ecoregions highlighted in the scenario that consider simultaneously both ecoregion vulnerability and economic costs of land acquisition. Ecoregions included in priority sets under these criteria should yield best returns of investments since they harbor species with high extinction risk and have lower mean land cost. Our study highlights ecoregions of particular importance for the conservation of the world's carnivores defining global conservation priorities in analyses that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors. We consider the identification of a comprehensive priority-set of areas as a first step towards an in-situ biodiversity maintenance strategy.

Mobility Monitoring System and Vehicle Performance Recorder. Revision.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

Activity AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS ATTN: STECS-DA-I None Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5059 II. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE...included vehicle parameters that indicated the effects of non-vehicle variables (i.e., driver, course, weather). Parameters from the first two categories...category, driver and course were the two considered to have the greatest effect on the conduct of the test. Vehicle parameters were considered which would

Dirt Cheap and All Around Us.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Donald J.

1985-01-01

Presents a variety of outdoor and classroom activities in which soil is used to teach environmental concepts and to provide students with science process skills practice. Areas considered include: site selection and description; compaction; infiltration rate; temperature; components; water content; and microorganisms. (DH)

Cognitive Theory. Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castellan, N. John, Jr., Ed.; And Others

The conference papers in this collection emphasize the theoretical significance of their authors' work in the areas of mathematical and cognitive psychology. Major topics considered include facilitation of problem solving; psychological differences among problem isomorphs; the process of understanding in problem solving; processing information for…

Vocabulary Instruction in the Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Fenice B.; Sullivan, Mary Pat; Popp, Jacquelynn S.; Hughes, Megan

2012-01-01

This column explores how literacy practices similarly enacted across disciplines served as a platform for considering collaborative professional development contexts. With current educational policy, content area teachers are expected to include relevant literacy practices within their disciplinary instruction. Based on research across science and…

State Labor Legislation Enacted in 1973

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, David A.

1974-01-01

The primary areas considered by State legislatures in 1973 included higher minimum wage rates and broader coverage of minimum wage laws, improved occupational safety, collective bargaining procedures for public employees, elimination of discrimination in employment, and updating of child labor standards. (Author)

The Importance of Training for Environmental Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furtado, Jose I.

1984-01-01

Discusses an appropriate framework for sustainable development in the Third World that concurrently addresses the efficient utilization and management of natural resources. Areas considered include: human dimension; sustainable development; complexity of inputs; kinds of training; indigenous scientific capability; transnational issues;…

Micros for the 1990's: An Update.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grosch, Audrey N.

1991-01-01

Discusses new hardware and software developments for microcomputers and considers strategies for future library microcomputing. Topics discussed include developments with Macintosh computers; the importance of local area networks (LANs); upgrading options for hardware; operating system upgrades; dynamic data exchange (DDE); microcomputer…

Evaluation of airborne lidar elevation surfaces for propagation of coastal inundation: the importance of hydrologic connectivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppenga, Sandra K.; Worstell, Bruce B.

2015-01-01

Detailed information about coastal inundation is vital to understanding dynamic and populated areas that are impacted by storm surge and flooding. To understand these natural hazard risks, lidar elevation surfaces are frequently used to model inundation in coastal areas. A single-value surface method is sometimes used to inundate areas in lidar elevation surfaces that are below a specified elevation value. However, such an approach does not take into consideration hydrologic connectivity between elevation grids cells resulting in inland areas that should be hydrologically connected to the ocean, but are not. Because inland areas that should drain to the ocean are hydrologically disconnected by raised features in a lidar elevation surface, simply raising the water level to propagate coastal inundation will lead to inundation uncertainties. We took advantage of this problem to identify hydrologically disconnected inland areas to point out that they should be considered for coastal inundation, and that a lidar-based hydrologic surface should be developed with hydrologic connectivity prior to inundation analysis. The process of achieving hydrologic connectivity with hydrologic-enforcement is not new, however, the application of hydrologically-enforced lidar elevation surfaces for improved coastal inundation mapping as approached in this research is innovative. In this article, we propagated a high-resolution lidar elevation surface in coastal Staten Island, New York to demonstrate that inland areas lacking hydrologic connectivity to the ocean could potentially be included in inundation delineations. For inland areas that were hydrologically disconnected, we evaluated if drainage to the ocean was evident, and calculated an area exceeding 11 ha (~0.11 km2) that could be considered in inundation delineations. We also assessed land cover for each inland area to determine the type of physical surfaces that would be potentially impacted if the inland areas were considered as part of a coastal inundation. A visual analysis indicated that developed, medium intensity and palustrine forested wetland land cover types would be impacted for those locations. This article demonstrates that hydrologic connectivity is an important factor to consider when inundating a lidar elevation surface. This information is needed for inundation monitoring and management in sensitive coastal regions.

40 CFR 93.119 - Criteria and procedures: Interim emissions in areas without motor vehicle emissions budgets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... emissions analysis as listed in § 93.127 need not be explicitly considered): (1) All in-place regionally... must include the project with its original design concept and scope, and the ‘Action’ scenario must include the project with its new design concept and scope. [62 FR 43801, Aug. 15, 1997, as amended at 69...

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, Archuleta County

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled "warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, San Miguel County, Colorado

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled "warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, Fremont County, Colorado

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled "warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, Routt County, Colorado

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled"warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, Alamosa and Saguache Counties, Colorado

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled "warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

Surface Temperature Anomalies Derived from Night Time ASTER Data Corrected for Solar and Topographic Effects, Dolores County

DOE Data Explorer

Khalid Hussein

2012-02-01

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature in Alamosa and Saguache Counties identified from ASTER thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature is calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas that had temperature greater than 2o were considered ASTER modeled "very warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in red on the map. Areas that had temperatures between 1o and 2o were considered ASTER modeled "warm modeled surface temperature" are shown in yellow on the map. This map also includes the locations of shallow temperature survey points, locations of springs or wells with favorable geochemistry, faults, transmission lines, and areas of modeled basement weakness "fairways." Note: 'o' is used in this description to represent lowercase sigma.

A dynamic approach for the impact of a toxic gas dispersion hazard considering human behaviour and dispersion modelling.

PubMed

Lovreglio, Ruggiero; Ronchi, Enrico; Maragkos, Georgios; Beji, Tarek; Merci, Bart

2016-11-15

The release of toxic gases due to natural/industrial accidents or terrorist attacks in populated areas can have tragic consequences. To prevent and evaluate the effects of these disasters different approaches and modelling tools have been introduced in the literature. These instruments are valuable tools for risk managers doing risk assessment of threatened areas. Despite the significant improvements in hazard assessment in case of toxic gas dispersion, these analyses do not generally include the impact of human behaviour and people movement during emergencies. This work aims at providing an approach which considers both modelling of gas dispersion and evacuation movement in order to improve the accuracy of risk assessment for disasters involving toxic gases. The approach is applied to a hypothetical scenario including a ship releasing Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on a crowd attending a music festival. The difference between the results obtained with existing static methods (people do not move) and a dynamic approach (people move away from the danger) which considers people movement with different degrees of sophistication (either a simple linear path or more complex behavioural modelling) is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The rationale for attempting to define salt marsh mosquito-breeding areas in Galveston County by remote sensing the associated vegetation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arp, G. K.

1975-01-01

The rationale for attempting to define salt marsh mosquito breeding areas in Galveston County was discussed, including a botanical survey of the marsh plant communities, their relationship to flooding, and their exposure to salt water. Particular emphasis is given to Distichlis spicata, a widespread marsh grass. Evidence suggests that breeding areas of Aedes sollicitans are associated with Distichlis and that both species respond to similar ecological conditions in the salt marsh. Aspects of the remote sensing of the Distichlis are considered.

Supersonic market and economic analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rochte, L. S.

1980-01-01

Advanced supersonic transport markets of the free world were projected for the period 1985 to 2004. Passenger traffic volume and airplane range and seat capacity requirements were estimated for Mach 2.2 service by international regional area market areas and by city pairs within and between these areas. Market factors and traffic factors examined include variable loads, growth rates, supersonic transport market shares, and schedule frequencies considering the different makeup of passenger traffic and individual city pairs. Direct, indirect, and total operating costs and yield levels were economically analyzed for first class and full fare economy class traffic.

The spatial pattern of suicide in the US in relation to deprivation, fragmentation and rurality.

PubMed

Congdon, Peter

2011-01-01

Analysis of geographical patterns of suicide and psychiatric morbidity has demonstrated the impact of latent ecological variables (such as deprivation, rurality). Such latent variables may be derived by conventional multivariate techniques from sets of observed indices (for example, by principal components), by composite variable methods or by methods which explicitly consider the spatial framework of areas and, in particular, the spatial clustering of latent risks and outcomes. This article considers a latent random variable approach to explaining geographical contrasts in suicide in the US; and it develops a spatial structural equation model incorporating deprivation, social fragmentation and rurality. The approach allows for such latent spatial constructs to be correlated both within and between areas. Potential effects of area ethnic mix are also included. The model is applied to male and female suicide deaths over 2002–06 in 3142 US counties.

Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis on beaches, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PubMed Central

Bechara, André H.; Simões, Raquel O.; Faro, Marta Júlia; Garcia, Juberlan S.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Angiostrongylus cantonensis is considered the main etiological agent of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. At present, this zoonosis is considered an emerging disease mainly in the Americas. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in restinga areas along beaches in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. The study areas included the following beaches: Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Reserva, Prainha and Grumari. Ninety specimens of Achatina fulica were collected. Positive molluscs were found only in Barra da Tijuca. Infection prevalence was 5.5%. The presence of this parasite in the beachfront areas, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city demonstrates the potential risk of infection for visitors and the expansion of this helminth in the State of Rio de Janeiro. PMID:29451597

Thunder Energy Inc. applications to modify an existing sweet gas processing facility to a sour gas processing facility and increase the hydrogen sulfide concentration of existing pipelines, Kelsey area: Examiner report 98-2, application numbers 1007719 and 1013399

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

NONE

Thunder Energy Inc. received approval from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board for modification of an existing gas plant to process sour gas, and also applied for permission to increase the hydrogen sulfide content of its existing pipelines in the Kelsey area. This report presents the views of Thunder Energy, the Board, and various intervenors at a hearing held to consider objections to the plant approval and matters related to the application. Issues considered include the need for sour gas processing, the need for the plant modification as opposed to the feasibility of using existing sour gas processing facilities, environmentalmore » impacts, and the requirements for notification of industry in the area. The report concludes with the Board`s decision.« less

Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis on beaches, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PubMed

Bechara, André H; Simões, Raquel O; Faro, Marta Júlia; Garcia, Juberlan S

2018-01-01

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is considered the main etiological agent of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. At present, this zoonosis is considered an emerging disease mainly in the Americas. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in restinga areas along beaches in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. The study areas included the following beaches: Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Reserva, Prainha and Grumari. Ninety specimens of Achatina fulica were collected. Positive molluscs were found only in Barra da Tijuca. Infection prevalence was 5.5%. The presence of this parasite in the beachfront areas, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city demonstrates the potential risk of infection for visitors and the expansion of this helminth in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Linking Changes in Management and Riparian Physical Functionality to Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat

EPA Science Inventory

Wildlife and aquatic habitats are dependent on the development of riparian area management strategies. Land management strategies consider certain basic ecological and economic relationships. These relationships are functions of riparian and te rrestrial ecosystems, which include...

LD in AD 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Bert Kruger

The author discusses potential problems and benefits for learning disabled (LD) students in the year 2000. Considered are developments in three areas: human engineering (such as the role of amniocentesis in prevention of disabilities), education (including new audiovisual technology and a restructuring of secondary education), and human…

Analysis of routine traffic count stations to optimize locations and frequency : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-06-01

This report describes a grouping of statewide permanent and key traffic counters on the basis of their geographic variations in traffic flow. Several factors were considered including the distance between clusters and urban versus rural areas. : Traf...

Upgrading a CD-ROM Network for Multimedia Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sylvia, Margaret

1995-01-01

Addresses issues to consider when upgrading library CD-ROM networks for multimedia applications. Topics includes security issues; workstation requirements such as soundboards and monitors; local area network configurations that avoid bottlenecks: Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Ethernet, and Integrated Services Digital Network; server performance…

Culture Shock!! "Lesson" the Blow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffin, Ken

1996-01-01

Designing, developing, and implementing an electronic document management system involves preparation. Areas to consider when facilitating technological change include staff input and business and customer needs and wants. Further discussion addresses value assessment of document type, providing a pilot system for staff experiment and practice,…

42 CFR 410.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...— Community mental health center (CMHC) means an entity that— (1) Provides outpatient services, including... residents of its mental health service area who have been discharged from inpatient treatment at a mental... patients being considered for admission to State mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness...

Global Status of Mangrove Ecosystems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saenger, P., Ed.; And Others

1983-01-01

Mangroves are the characteristic littoral plant formations of tropical/subtropical sheltered coastlines. Presented is a detailed report which discusses uses made of mangrove ecosystems and attempts to resolve conflicts arising from these uses. Areas considered include cause/consequence of mangrove destruction, legislative/administrative aspects,…

A Description of the Hawthorn Center Early Intervention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glovinsky, Ira; Keller, Jackie

An early intervention project for preschool handicapped children is described. Specific program goals (including improved functioning in social, emotional, communication, and preacademic areas) are listed, and roles of the interdisciplinary staff members are considered. Among evaluation approaches discussed are psychological measures, family…

42 CFR 410.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...— Community mental health center (CMHC) means an entity that— (1) Provides outpatient services, including... residents of its mental health service area who have been discharged from inpatient treatment at a mental... patients being considered for admission to State mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness...

42 CFR 410.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...— Community mental health center (CMHC) means an entity that— (1) Provides outpatient services, including... residents of its mental health service area who have been discharged from inpatient treatment at a mental... patients being considered for admission to State mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness...

42 CFR 410.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...— Community mental health center (CMHC) means an entity that— (1) Provides outpatient services, including... residents of its mental health service area who have been discharged from inpatient treatment at a mental... patients being considered for admission to State mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness...

Computer Center: It's Time to Take Inventory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spain, James D.

1984-01-01

Describes typical instructional applications of computers. Areas considered include: (1) instructional simulations and animations; (2) data analysis; (3) drill and practice; (4) student evaluation; (5) development of computer models and simulations; (6) biometrics or biostatistics; and (7) direct data acquisition and analysis. (JN)

Perceptions, experiences and preferences of patients receiving a clinician's touch during intimate care and procedures: a qualitative systematic review.

PubMed

O'Lynn, Chad; Cooper, Adam; Blackwell, Lisa

2017-11-01

Clinical practice frequently involves the practitioner touching patients' bodies in areas that are highly personal. If inappropriately performed, such intimate touch may result in much anxiety, confusion and misinterpretation. Examination of evidence is necessary to guide practice in this area to mitigate risks and foster optimal clinician-patient relations and care. The objective of this qualitative systematic review was to identify and synthesize findings on the perceptions, experiences and preferences of patients receiving a clinician's touch during intimate care and procedures INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: The current review considered studies that included patients who had received a clinician's touch during intimate care and procedures. The current review considered qualitative studies that evaluated patients' perceptions, experiences and preferences of a clinician's touch during intimate care and procedures. The current review considered studies that collected qualitative data and included studies using designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, qualitative description, focus group methodology and feminist research. In the absence of research studies, other text such as opinion papers and reports were considered. The current review considered studies that included patients' perceptions, experiences and preferences of a clinician's touch during intimate care and procedures. Intimate care is likely to occur in any clinical setting where patients need assistance with personal care, where physical examinations occur, or in settings were gynecologic, genitourinary, lower intestinal, dermatologic, cardiac or other procedures involving highly personal areas of the body are performed. A three-step search strategy was used to find published and unpublished studies in English from 1970 to 2016, searching various databases which included searches of reference lists of studies selected for appraisal. Included studies were assessed for methodological quality independently by two reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) prior to inclusion. Of the two studies included in the review, one did not discuss ontological and epistemological assumptions, and the other did not include the personal assumptions and role of the researcher. Data were extracted using the data extraction tool from the JBI-QARI. The data extracted included details about the phenomenon of interest, populations and study methods. Qualitative findings were synthesized using JBI-QARI. Two studies were included in this review. Seven findings were organized into three categories and one synthesized finding, "clinician respect". The finding suggests that clients prefer engaged and meaningful communication prior to and during an intimate touch encounter, expect autonomy over their bodies and desire shared decision making relative to how and by whom intimate touch is provided. The synthesized finding from this review suggests that:More research is needed to explore the perceptions and preferences for intimate touch among diverse populations, generations, cultures and contexts. Particular exploration is needed for populations with additional vulnerabilities to misunderstandings, anxiety and abuse, such as pediatric and geriatric patients, and patients with physical, mental and cognitive impairments.

Intentional intra-arterial injection of midazolam in a patient with status epilepticus in the Intensive Care Unit

PubMed Central

Ali, Muhammad Asghar; Yahya, Muhammad

2017-01-01

Fundamental medical care includes intravenous (IV) access which provides prompt resuscitation and reliable delivery of analgesics, antibiotics, and vasoactive medication. Difficult access populations, especially in critical area, continue to challenge providers to consider and utilize alternative means to provide IV access. Potential options under such circumstances include intramuscular, intraosseous, and intratracheal drug administration, but in extreme cases where no other options are available, intra-arterial route might be considered. We present a case where midazolam was intentionally injected intra-arterially to abort seizure activity in a patient with status epilepticus in the Intensive Care Unit. PMID:29033730

Combining control measures for more effective management of fisheries under uncertainty: quotas, effort limitation and protected areas.

PubMed

Stefansson, Gunnar; Rosenberg, Andrew A

2005-01-29

We consider combinations of three types of control measures for the management of fisheries when the input information for policy decisions is uncertain. The methods considered include effort controls, catch quotas and area closures. We simulated a hypothetical fishery loosely based on the Icelandic cod fishery, using a simple spatially explicit dynamic model. We compared the performance with respect to conserving the resource and economic return for each type of control measure alone and in combination. In general, combining more than one type of primary direct control on fishing provides a greater buffer to uncertainty than any single form of fishery control alone. Combining catch quota control with a large closed area is a most effective system for reducing the risk of stock collapse and maintaining both short and long-term economic performance. Effort controls can also be improved by adding closed areas to the management scheme. We recommend that multiple control methods be used wherever possible and that closed areas should be used to buffer uncertainty. To be effective, these closed areas must be large and exclude all principal gears to provide real protection from fishing mortality.

Combining control measures for more effective management of fisheries under uncertainty: quotas, effort limitation and protected areas

PubMed Central

Stefansson, Gunnar; Rosenberg, Andrew A.

2005-01-01

We consider combinations of three types of control measures for the management of fisheries when the input information for policy decisions is uncertain. The methods considered include effort controls, catch quotas and area closures. We simulated a hypothetical fishery loosely based on the Icelandic cod fishery, using a simple spatially explicit dynamic model. We compared the performance with respect to conserving the resource and economic return for each type of control measure alone and in combination. In general, combining more than one type of primary direct control on fishing provides a greater buffer to uncertainty than any single form of fishery control alone. Combining catch quota control with a large closed area is a most effective system for reducing the risk of stock collapse and maintaining both short and long-term economic performance. Effort controls can also be improved by adding closed areas to the management scheme. We recommend that multiple control methods be used wherever possible and that closed areas should be used to buffer uncertainty. To be effective, these closed areas must be large and exclude all principal gears to provide real protection from fishing mortality. PMID:15713593

Incorporation of Socio-Economic Features' Ranking in Multicriteria Analysis Based on Ecosystem Services for Marine Protected Area Planning

PubMed Central

Portman, Michelle E.; Shabtay-Yanai, Ateret; Zanzuri, Asaf

2016-01-01

Developed decades ago for spatial choice problems related to zoning in the urban planning field, multicriteria analysis (MCA) has more recently been applied to environmental conflicts and presented in several documented cases for the creation of protected area management plans. Its application is considered here for the development of zoning as part of a proposed marine protected area management plan. The case study incorporates specially-explicit conservation features while considering stakeholder preferences, expert opinion and characteristics of data quality. It involves the weighting of criteria using a modified analytical hierarchy process. Experts ranked physical attributes which include socio-economically valued physical features. The parameters used for the ranking of (physical) attributes important for socio-economic reasons are derived from the field of ecosystem services assessment. Inclusion of these feature values results in protection that emphasizes those areas closest to shore, most likely because of accessibility and familiarity parameters and because of data biases. Therefore, other spatial conservation prioritization methods should be considered to supplement the MCA and efforts should be made to improve data about ecosystem service values farther from shore. Otherwise, the MCA method allows incorporation of expert and stakeholder preferences and ecosystem services values while maintaining the advantages of simplicity and clarity. PMID:27183224

Incorporation of Socio-Economic Features' Ranking in Multicriteria Analysis Based on Ecosystem Services for Marine Protected Area Planning.

PubMed

Portman, Michelle E; Shabtay-Yanai, Ateret; Zanzuri, Asaf

2016-01-01

Developed decades ago for spatial choice problems related to zoning in the urban planning field, multicriteria analysis (MCA) has more recently been applied to environmental conflicts and presented in several documented cases for the creation of protected area management plans. Its application is considered here for the development of zoning as part of a proposed marine protected area management plan. The case study incorporates specially-explicit conservation features while considering stakeholder preferences, expert opinion and characteristics of data quality. It involves the weighting of criteria using a modified analytical hierarchy process. Experts ranked physical attributes which include socio-economically valued physical features. The parameters used for the ranking of (physical) attributes important for socio-economic reasons are derived from the field of ecosystem services assessment. Inclusion of these feature values results in protection that emphasizes those areas closest to shore, most likely because of accessibility and familiarity parameters and because of data biases. Therefore, other spatial conservation prioritization methods should be considered to supplement the MCA and efforts should be made to improve data about ecosystem service values farther from shore. Otherwise, the MCA method allows incorporation of expert and stakeholder preferences and ecosystem services values while maintaining the advantages of simplicity and clarity.

A conceptual framework for the sustainable management of wastewater in Harare, Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Nhapi, I; Gijzen, H J; Siebel, M A

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to formulate an integrated wastewater management model for Harare, Zimbabwe, based on current thinking. This implies that wastewater is treated/disposed of as close to the source of generation as possible. Resource recovery and reuse in a local thriving urban agriculture are integrated into this model. Intervention strategies were considered for controlling water, nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the lake. In the formulation of strategies, Harare was divided into five major operational areas of high-, medium-, and low-density residential areas, and also commercial and industrial areas. Specific options were then considered to suit landuse, development constraints and socio-economic status for each area, within the overall criteria of limiting nutrient inflows into the downstream Lake Chivero. Flexible and differential solutions were developed in relation to built environment, population density, composition of users, ownership, future environmental demands, and technical, environmental, hygienic, social and organisational factors. Options considered include source control by the users (residents, industries, etc.), using various strategies like implementation of toilets with source separation, and natural methods of wastewater treatment. Other possible strategies are invoking better behaviour through fees and information, incentives for cleaner production, and user responsibility through education, legislative changes and stricter controls over industry.

Regional scale prioritisation for key ecosystem services, renewable energy production and urban development.

PubMed

Casalegno, Stefano; Bennie, Jonathan J; Inger, Richard; Gaston, Kevin J

2014-01-01

Although the importance of addressing ecosystem service benefits in regional land use planning and decision-making is evident, substantial practical challenges remain. In particular, methods to identify priority areas for the provision of key ecosystem services and other environmental services (benefits from the environment not directly linked to the function of ecosystems) need to be developed. Priority areas are locations which provide disproportionally high benefits from one or more service. Here we map a set of ecosystem and environmental services and delineate priority areas according to different scenarios. Each scenario is produced by a set of weightings allocated to different services and corresponds to different landscape management strategies which decision makers could undertake. Using the county of Cornwall, U.K., as a case study, we processed gridded maps of key ecosystem services and environmental services, including renewable energy production and urban development. We explored their spatial distribution patterns and their spatial covariance and spatial stationarity within the region. Finally we applied a complementarity-based priority ranking algorithm (zonation) using different weighting schemes. Our conclusions are that (i) there are two main patterns of service distribution in this region, clustered services (including agriculture, carbon stocks, urban development and plant production) and dispersed services (including cultural services, energy production and floods mitigation); (ii) more than half of the services are spatially correlated and there is high non-stationarity in the spatial covariance between services; and (iii) it is important to consider both ecosystem services and other environmental services in identifying priority areas. Different weighting schemes provoke drastic changes in the delineation of priority areas and therefore decision making processes need to carefully consider the relative values attributed to different services.

Regional Scale Prioritisation for Key Ecosystem Services, Renewable Energy Production and Urban Development

PubMed Central

Casalegno, Stefano; Bennie, Jonathan J.; Inger, Richard; Gaston, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

Although the importance of addressing ecosystem service benefits in regional land use planning and decision-making is evident, substantial practical challenges remain. In particular, methods to identify priority areas for the provision of key ecosystem services and other environmental services (benefits from the environment not directly linked to the function of ecosystems) need to be developed. Priority areas are locations which provide disproportionally high benefits from one or more service. Here we map a set of ecosystem and environmental services and delineate priority areas according to different scenarios. Each scenario is produced by a set of weightings allocated to different services and corresponds to different landscape management strategies which decision makers could undertake. Using the county of Cornwall, U.K., as a case study, we processed gridded maps of key ecosystem services and environmental services, including renewable energy production and urban development. We explored their spatial distribution patterns and their spatial covariance and spatial stationarity within the region. Finally we applied a complementarity-based priority ranking algorithm (zonation) using different weighting schemes. Our conclusions are that (i) there are two main patterns of service distribution in this region, clustered services (including agriculture, carbon stocks, urban development and plant production) and dispersed services (including cultural services, energy production and floods mitigation); (ii) more than half of the services are spatially correlated and there is high non-stationarity in the spatial covariance between services; and (iii) it is important to consider both ecosystem services and other environmental services in identifying priority areas. Different weighting schemes provoke drastic changes in the delineation of priority areas and therefore decision making processes need to carefully consider the relative values attributed to different services. PMID:25250775

Optimal Design of Biomass Utilization System for Rural Area Includes Technical and Economic Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morioka, Yasuki; Nakata, Toshihiko

In order to design optimal biomass utilization system for rural area, OMNIBUS (The Optimization Model for Neo-Integrated Biomass Utilization System) has been developed. OMNIBUS can derive the optimal system configuration to meet different objective function, such as current account balance, amount of biomass energy supply, and CO2 emission. Most of biomass resources in a focused region e.g. wood biomass, livestock biomass, and crop residues are considered in the model. Conversion technologies considered are energy utilization technologies e.g. direct combustion and methane fermentation, and material utilization technologies e.g. composting and carbonization. Case study in Miyakojima, Okinawa prefecture, has been carried out for several objective functions and constraint conditions. Considering economics of the utilization system as a priority requirement, composting and combustion heat utilization are mainly chosen in the optimal system configuration. However gasification power plant and methane fermentation are included in optimal solutions, only when both biomass energy utilization and CO2 reduction have been set as higher priorities. External benefit of CO2 reduction has large impacts on the system configuration. Provided marginal external benefit of more than 50,000 JPY/t-C, external benefit becomes greater than the revenue from electricity and compost etc. Considering technological learning in the future, expensive technologies such as gasification power plant and methane fermentation will have economic feasibility as well as market competitiveness.

Lessons for pediatric anesthesia from audit and incident reporting.

PubMed

Bell, Graham

2011-07-01

This review will attempt to put the various systems that allow clinicians to assess errors, omissions, or avoidable incidents into context and where possible, look for areas that deserve more or less attention and resource specifically for those of us who practice pediatric anesthesia. Different approaches will be contrasted with respect to their outputs in terms of positive impact on the practice of anesthesia. These approaches include audits by governmental organizations, national representative bodies, specialist societies, commissioned boards of inquiry, medicolegal sources, and police force investigations. Implementation strategies are considered alongside the reports as the reports cannot be considered end points themselves. Specific areas where pediatric anesthetics has failed to address recurring risk through any currently available tools will be highlighted. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Radiation Blocking Lenses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Biomedical Optical Company of America's Eagle 475 lens absorbs 100 percent of all photowavelengths considered hazardous to eye tissue, including ultraviolet and blue light, which are considered contributors to cataract and age-related macular degeneration. The lens absorbs hazardous wavelengths, but allows a higher percentage of visually useful areas of the spectrum to pass through. Polarization blocks out irritating glint and glare and heightens visual acuity. The Eagle 475 sunglasses are the latest in a series of spinoffs that originated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where two scientists developed a protective, welding curtain that filtered out harmful irradiance. The result was a commercial curtain that absorbs filters and scatters light, providing protection for personnel in welding areas. Further research focused on protective industrial glasses and later on consumer products.

The problems and perspectives for the introduction of high-rise construction in Russian cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pershina, Anna; Radzhabov, Mehman; Dormidontova, Tatyana

2018-03-01

The propose of academic affairs is discovery the principal areas of concern high-rise construction in Russia. Examples of modern Russian and foreign high-rise construction are considered in the work. The most important problems and their solutions for Russia are identified on their basis. The everyone area of concern is considered separately. Ecology problems and influence of high-rise construction for the healthy and psychological effect of people are considered special. High-rise constructions influence negative and positive for urban environment in Moscow and Samara cities. The experience lack, defects in requirements document, which don't include all high-rise constructions specific, system problem of construction and often non-availability of proper control at the existing requirements document result for complexity of designing, construction and operation. At this moment, high-rise constructions temp is increasing in Moscow. Feasibility of high-rise buildings come up in regions of Russia. The reasons include high material inputs, irregularities of requirements network and utility lines and maintenance problems. The researching follow up of conclusions and recommendations for high-rise constructions development in Russia. The reasons of high-rise buildings are urbanization of people and necessary of concentration labor supply. The important tasks for organization are creating compact urban environment, decrease urban area for development, using an innovative technology for construction and properly maintenance. The balance between the preference of high-rise construction, inputs for construction and influence for ecology are resolve for this task.

Prospects for Health Care Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastner, Theodore

1992-01-01

This editorial reviews areas of health care reform including managed health care, diagnosis-related groups, and the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale for physician services. Relevance of such reforms to people with developmental disabilities is considered. Much needed insurance reform is not thought to be likely, however. (DB)

75 FR 82396 - Sunshine Act Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-30

..., NW., Washington, DC. STATUS: Open. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The Commission will hear oral argument... include whether a non-production operator may be strictly liable for a violation occurring in an area which the operator allegedly controls or supervises.) Any person attending this oral argument who...

Help Is on the WAIS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lukanuski, Mary

1992-01-01

Describes the development of the WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers) protocol, a system that allows users access to personal, corporate, and commercial electronic information from one interface. The availability of WAIS on the Internet and the reactions of users are addressed. Several problems are considered, including funding, hardware…

Physics News in 1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schewe, Phillip F., Ed.

Information is provided on some of the interesting and newsworthy developments in physics and its related fields during 1983. Areas considered include: (1) acoustics; (2) astrophysics; (3) condensed matter physics; (4) crystallography; (5) physics education; (6) electron and atomic physics; (7) elementary particle physics; (8) fluid dynamics; (9)…

Picture Books Peek behind Cultural Curtains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marantz, Sylvia; Marantz, Kenneth

2000-01-01

Discusses culture in picture books in three general categories: legends and histories; current life in particular areas; and the immigrant experience. Considers the translation of visual images, discusses authentic interpretations, and presents an annotated bibliography of picture books showing cultural diversity including African, Asian, Mexican,…

Two More Tests to Consider.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe, Andrew G.

1985-01-01

Presents the case for taking the Engineer in Training examination (EIT), also called the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination, and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), indicating that they can affect future employment opportunities, career advancement, and post-graduate studies. Includes subject areas tested, test format, and how to prepare…

Evaluation of coal feed systems being developed by the Energy Research and Development administration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phen, R. L.; Luckow, W. K.; Mattson, L.; Otth, D.; Tsou, P.

1977-01-01

Development criteria and recommendations for coal feed system selections that include supporting data are presented. Considered are the areas of coal feed coasts, coal feed system reliability, and the interaction of the feed system with the conversion process.

Job Hunting in Tougher Times.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Steven S.

1985-01-01

Several resources to consider are offered to ease the squeeze created by the computer market downturn. Areas addressed include: job-shop option; other-industries option; overseas option; graduate school option; entrepreneurial option; military option; job fairs; and weighing locations. Notes that colleges are looking for engineering teachers,…

The Montessori Farm School: Erdkinder Beginnings 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, David

2001-01-01

Discusses the development of the Montessori Farm School in Huntsburg, Ohio, summarizing prototype activities of the Erdkinder project and discussing psychological and pedagogical outcomes. Considers areas of struggle in how the school opened and includes diagrams for linking pedagogical and work experiences. Describes community transformations…

The Second Discovery of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Richard S.

1973-01-01

Summarizes the major areas of concern considered at the first international conference on Science and Man in the Americas. Topics emphasized include: natural resources of the oceans, movements of the earth's crust, volcanology, energy resources, and food production as it relates to the world population problem. (JR)

Financing marine protected areas through visitor fees: insights from tourists willingness to pay in Chile.

PubMed

Gelcich, Stefan; Amar, Francisca; Valdebenito, Abel; Castilla, Juan Carlos; Fernandez, Miriam; Godoy, Cecilia; Biggs, Duan

2013-12-01

Tourism is a financing mechanism considered by many donor-funded marine conservation initiatives. Here we assess the potential role of visitor entry fees, in generating the necessary revenue to manage a marine protected area (MPA), established through a Global Environmental Facility Grant, in a temperate region of Chile. We assess tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) for an entry fee associated to management and protection of the MPA. Results show 97 % of respondents were willing to pay an entrance fee. WTP predictors included the type of tourist, tourists' sensitivity to crowding, education, and understanding of ecological benefits of the MPA. Nature-based tourists state median WTP values of US$ 4.38 and Sun-sea-sand tourists US$ 3.77. Overall, entry fees could account for 10-13 % of MPA running costs. In Chile, where funding for conservation runs among the weakest in the world, visitor entry fees are no panacea in the short term and other mechanisms, including direct state/government support, should be considered.

MOUNT HOOD WILDERNESS AND ADJACENT AREAS, OREGON.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keith, T.E.C.; Causey, J.D.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey of the Mount Hood Wilderness, Oregon, was conducted. Geochemical data indicate two areas of substantiated mineral-resource potential containing weak epithermal mineralization: an area of the north side of Zigzag Mountain where vein-type lead-zinc-silver deposits occur and an area of the south side of Zigzag Mountain, where the upper part of a quartz diorite pluton has propylitic alteration associated with mineralization of copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc in discontinuous veins. Geothermal-resource potential for low- to intermediate-temperature (less than 248 degree F) hot-water systems in the wilderness is probable in these areas. Part of the wilderness is classified as a Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA), which is considered to have probable geothermal-resource potential, and two parts of the wilderness have been included in geothermal lease areas.

300 Area waste acid treatment system closure plan

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

LUKE, S.N.

1999-05-17

The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOERL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion includes closure plan documentation submitted for individual, treatment, storage, and/or disposal units undergoing closure, such as the 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System. Documentation contained in the General Information Portion is broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units (e.g., the glossary provided in the General Information Portion). Whenever appropriate, 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System documentation makes cross-reference to themore » General Information Portion, rather than duplicating text. This 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System Closure Plan (Revision 2) includes a Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application, Part A, Form 3. Information provided in this closure plan is current as of April 1999.« less

Clinically advancing and promising polymer-based therapeutics.

PubMed

Souery, Whitney N; Bishop, Corey J

2018-02-01

In this review article, we will examine the history of polymers and their evolution from provisional World War II materials to medical therapeutics. To provide a comprehensive look at the current state of polymer-based therapeutics, we will classify technologies according to targeted areas of interest, including central nervous system-based and intraocular-, gastrointestinal-, cardiovascular-, dermal-, reproductive-, skeletal-, and neoplastic-based systems. Within each of these areas, we will consider several examples of novel, clinically available polymer-based therapeutics; in addition, this review will also include a discussion of developing therapies, ranging from the in vivo to clinical trial stage, for each targeted area of treatment. Finally, we will emphasize areas of patient care in need of more effective, accessible, and targeted treatment approaches where polymer-based therapeutics may offer potential solutions. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nano- to Formation-Scale Estimates of Mineral-Specific Reactive Surface Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, D. R.; Swift, A.; Sheets, J.; Anovitz, L. M.

2017-12-01

Predictions of changes in fluid composition, coupled with the evolution of the solid matrix, include the generation and testing of reactive transport models. However, translating a heterogeneous natural system into physical and chemical model parameters, including the critical but poorly-constrained metric of fluid-accessible surface area, continues to challenge Earth scientists. Studies of carbon storage capacity, permeability, rock strain due to mineral dissolution and precipitation, or the prediction of rock evolution through diagenesis and weathering each consider macroscale outcomes of processes that often are critically impacted by rock surface geometry at the nanoscale. The approach taken here is to consider the whole vertical extent of a saline reservoir and then to address two questions. First, what is the accessible surface area for each major mineral, and for all adjacent pore sizes from <2 nm on up, within each major lithofacies in that formation? Second, with the formation thus divided into units of analysis, parameterized, and placed into geologic context, what constraints can be placed on reactive surface area as a function of mineral composition? A complex sandstone covering a substantial fraction of the quartz-K-feldspar-illite ternary is selected and mineral-specific surface area quantified using neutron scattering, nitrogen and mercury porosimetry, multi-signal high-resolution mineral mapping, and other techniques. For neutron scattering, scale-specific pore geometries enable more accurate translation of volume into surface area. By applying this workflow to all end-member lithologies of this reservoir formation, equations and maps of surface area as a function of position on a quartz-feldspar-clay ternary plot are developed for each major mineral. Results from this work therefore advance our ability to parameterize models not just for the particular formation studied, but for similar geologic units as well.

Integrating Economic Costs and Biological Traits into Global Conservation Priorities for Carnivores

PubMed Central

Loyola, Rafael Dias; Oliveira-Santos, Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues; Almeida-Neto, Mário; Nogueira, Denise Martins; Kubota, Umberto; Diniz-Filho, José Alexandre Felizola; Lewinsohn, Thomas Michael

2009-01-01

Background Prioritization schemes usually highlight species-rich areas, where many species are at imminent risk of extinction. To be ecologically relevant these schemes should also include species biological traits into area-setting methods. Furthermore, in a world of limited funds for conservation, conservation action is constrained by land acquisition costs. Hence, including economic costs into conservation priorities can substantially improve their conservation cost-effectiveness. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined four global conservation scenarios for carnivores based on the joint mapping of economic costs and species biological traits. These scenarios identify the most cost-effective priority sets of ecoregions, indicating best investment opportunities for safeguarding every carnivore species, and also establish priority sets that can maximize species representation in areas harboring highly vulnerable species. We compared these results with a scenario that minimizes the total number of ecoregions required for conserving all species, irrespective of other factors. We found that cost-effective conservation investments should focus on 41 ecoregions highlighted in the scenario that consider simultaneously both ecoregion vulnerability and economic costs of land acquisition. Ecoregions included in priority sets under these criteria should yield best returns of investments since they harbor species with high extinction risk and have lower mean land cost. Conclusions/Significance Our study highlights ecoregions of particular importance for the conservation of the world's carnivores defining global conservation priorities in analyses that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors. We consider the identification of a comprehensive priority-set of areas as a first step towards an in-situ biodiversity maintenance strategy. PMID:19710911

Development of a global conservation strategy for citrus genetic resources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrus is an economically important world tree fruit crop with production in more than 146 countries. The center of origin for citrus is considered to be Southeastern Asia including southern China, northeastern India, and Malaysia, with secondary centers in surrounding areas. Novel and commercially ...

49 CFR 582.5 - Information form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... mainly consider driver characteristics (such as age, gender, marital status, and driving record), the geographic area in which the vehicle is driven, how many miles are traveled, and how the vehicle is used... INSERTED], and it does not include information about models without enough claim experience. Although many...

49 CFR 582.5 - Information form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... mainly consider driver characteristics (such as age, gender, marital status, and driving record), the geographic area in which the vehicle is driven, how many miles are traveled, and how the vehicle is used... INSERTED], and it does not include information about models without enough claim experience. Although many...

49 CFR 582.5 - Information form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... mainly consider driver characteristics (such as age, gender, marital status, and driving record), the geographic area in which the vehicle is driven, how many miles are traveled, and how the vehicle is used... INSERTED], and it does not include information about models without enough claim experience. Although many...

A Review of Peer Social Development in Early Childhood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goin, Robin P.

1998-01-01

Reviews the literature on young children's peer social development. Addresses implications of social learning theory and empirical research. Discusses recurring themes, including child/peer versus child/adult interactions, incorporation of toys and games, influence of mothers, and gender peer preferences. Considers areas lacking empirical support…

U.S. Food and Fiber - Abundance or Austerity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resources for the Future, 1984

1984-01-01

Examines the future of United States agriculture, with primary reference to the next two decades and a more general assessment to the year 2020. Major areas considered include population and economic growth, food and agricultural policies, and the long-term productive capacity of U.S. agriculture. (JN)

Planning for the Introduction of the Metric System into Occupational Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, A. W.

1974-01-01

A three-dimensional planning model for introducting the International System of Metric Units into Canadian occupational education curricula includes employment level, career area, and metric topics. A fourth dimension, time, is considered in four separate phases: familiarization, adoption, conversion, and compulsory usage.

Deep Water, Shallow Water: Marine Animal Homes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soltow, Willow

1984-01-01

Examines the diversity of life in the oceans and ways in which teachers can explore ocean habitats with their students without leaving the classroom. Topic areas considered include: restricted habitats, people and marine habitats, pollution, incidental kills, and the commercial and recreational uses of marine waters. (JN)

Issues in Language Testing Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oller, John W., Jr., Ed.

Practical and technical aspects of language testing research are considered in 23 articles. Topical areas include: testing of general proficiency; the hypothesis of a single unitary factor accounting for reliable variance in tests; the structure of language proficiency; pros and cons of cloze testing; a new functional testing approach; and…

Safety in Science. Curriculum Support Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lulashnyk, Lorne; Boonov, Janet

Since the major causes of accidents are carelessness and a negative or apathetic attitude towards safety, this guide was developed to facilitate safe, stimulating science laboratory activities by providing both general and specific safety information presented in 12 sections. Subject areas considered in these sections include: 1)…

Dynamics of riparian plant communities, a new integrative ecohydrological modelling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Arias, Alicia; Francés, Félix

2015-04-01

The Riparian Vegetation Dynamic Model (RVDM) integrates the impacts of the hydrological extremes on the vegetation, the vegetation evolution and the competition between different vegetation classes. Considering a daily time step and a detailed spatial resolution, RVDM allows the analysis of the dynamic vegetation distribution in riverine areas during a simulated period. The riparian vegetation wellbeing and distribution are considered to be conditioned by the river hydrodynamics in RVDM. Using biomass loss functions, the stress caused by hydrological extreme events is translated into changes on the distribution of the vegetation. These extreme events are considered as removal and asphyxia associated to floods, and wilt related to droughts. The variables considered to determine the impacts are water shear stress, water table elevation and the soil moisture, respectively. RVDM includes the modelling of the natural evolution of the vegetation. The potential recruitment in bared areas, the plant growth and the succession/retrogression between plant categories are included in the model conceptualization. The recruitment takes place when seeds presence, germination and seedlings establishment overcome, so it depends on the plant reproductive period and the environmental conditions. Light use efficiency determines the vegetation growth in terms of biomass production while the soil moisture limits this biomass production and the successional evolution. Finally, the competition modelling considers the advantages between successional patterns under the specific soil moisture conditions of each unit area. Several meteorological, morphological, hydrological and hydraulic inputs are required. In addition, an initial vegetation condition is required for RVDM to start the simulation period. The model results on new vegetation maps that are considered as new inputs in the next model step. Following this approach the model simulates iteratively al the processes day by day. This model represents an improvement respect to previous models in the way of understanding the riparian dynamics. Currently, RVDM has been already implemented in a Mediterranean semi-arid river reach and a sensitivity analysis to analyze the influence of the different vegetation parameters has been performed. The good results obtained indicate that the model is suitable for scenarios analysis and for environmental flows establishment.

Technique for predicting ground-water discharge to surface coal mines and resulting changes in head

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weiss, L.S.; Galloway, D.L.; Ishii, Audrey L.

1986-01-01

Changes in seepage flux and head (groundwater level) from groundwater drainage into a surface coal mine can be predicted by a technique that considers drainage from the unsaturated zone. The user applies site-specific data to precalculated head and seepage-flux profiles. Groundwater flow through hypothetical aquifer cross sections was simulated using the U.S. Geological Survey finite-difference model, VS2D, which considers variably saturated two-dimensional flow. Conceptual models considered were (1) drainage to a first cut, and (2) drainage to multiple cuts, which includes drainage effects of an area surface mine. Dimensionless head and seepage flux profiles from 246 simulations are presented. Step-by-step instructions and examples are presented. Users are required to know aquifer characteristics and to estimate size and timing of the mine operation at a proposed site. Calculated groundwater drainage to the mine is from one excavated face only. First cut considers confined and unconfined aquifers of a wide range of permeabilities; multiple cuts considers unconfined aquifers of higher permeabilities only. The technique, developed for Illinois coal-mining regions that use area surface mining and evaluated with an actual field example, will be useful in assessing potential hydrologic impacts of mining. Application is limited to hydrogeologic settings and mine operations similar to those considered. Fracture flow, recharge, and leakage are nor considered. (USGS)

Psychological and neural contributions to appetite self-regulation.

PubMed

Stoeckel, Luke E; Birch, Leann L; Heatherton, Todd; Mann, Traci; Hunter, Christine; Czajkowski, Susan; Onken, Lisa; Berger, Paige K; Savage, Cary R

2017-03-01

This paper reviews the state of the science on psychological and neural contributions to appetite self-regulation in the context of obesity. Three content areas (neural systems and cognitive functions; parenting and early childhood development; and goal setting and goal striving) served to illustrate different perspectives on the psychological and neural factors that contribute to appetite dysregulation in the context of obesity. Talks were initially delivered at an NIH workshop consisting of experts in these three content areas, and then content areas were further developed through a review of the literature. Self-regulation of appetite involves a complex interaction between multiple domains, including cognitive, neural, social, and goal-directed behaviors and decision-making. Self-regulation failures can arise from any of these factors, and the resulting implications for obesity should be considered in light of each domain. In some cases, self-regulation is amenable to intervention; however, this does not appear to be universally true, which has implications for both prevention and intervention efforts. Appetite regulation is a complex, multifactorial construct. When considering its role in the obesity epidemic, it is advisable to consider its various dimensions together to best inform prevention and treatment efforts. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

Modelling of groundwater quality using bicarbonate chemical parameter in Netravathi and Gurpur river confluence, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylus, K. J.; H., Ramesh

2018-04-01

In the coastal aquifer, seawater intrusion considered the major problem which contaminates freshwater and reduces its quality for domestic use. In order to find seawater intrusion, the groundwater quality analysis for the different chemical parameter was considered as the basic method to find out contamination. This analysis was carried out as per Bureau of Indian standards (2012) and World Health Organisations (1996). In this study, Bicarbonate parameter was considered for groundwater quality analysis which ranges the permissible limit in between 200-600 mg/l. The groundwater system was modelled using Groundwater modelling software (GMS) in which the FEMWATER package used for flow and transport. The FEMWATER package works in the principle of finite element method. The base input data of model include elevation, Groundwater head, First bottom and second bottom of the study area. The modelling results show the spatial occurrence of contamination in the study area of Netravathi and Gurpur river confluence at the various time period. Further, the results of the modelling also show that the contamination occurs up to a distance of 519m towards the freshwater zone of the study area.

Psychological and Neural Contributions to Appetite Self-Regulation

PubMed Central

Stoeckel, Luke E.; Birch, Leann L.; Heatherton, Todd; Mann, Traci; Hunter, Christine; Czajkowski, Susan; Onken, Lisa; Berger, Paige K.; Savage, Cary R.

2017-01-01

Objective Review the state-of-the-science on psychological and neural contributions to appetite self-regulation in the context of obesity. Methods Three content areas (neural systems and cognitive functions; parenting and early childhood development; and goal setting and goal striving) served as examples of different perspectives on the psychological and neural factors that contribute to appetite dysregulation in the context of obesity. Talks were initially delivered at a workshop consisting of experts in these three content areas and then content areas were further developed through a review of the literature. Results Self-regulation of appetite involves a complex interaction between multiple domains, including cognitive, neural, social, and goal-directed behaviors and decision-making. Self-regulation failures can results from any of these factors, and the resulting implications for obesity should be considered in light of each domain. In some cases, self-regulation appears to be amenable to intervention; however, this does not appear to be universally true, which has implications for both prevention and intervention efforts. Conclusions Appetite regulation is a complex, multi-factorial construct. When considering its role in the obesity epidemic, it is advisable to consider these various contributions together to best inform prevention and treatment efforts. PMID:28229541

Remote sensing in agriculture. [using Earth Resources Technology Satellite photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downs, S. W., Jr.

1974-01-01

Some examples are presented of the use of remote sensing in cultivated crops, forestry, and range management. Areas of concern include: the determination of crop areas and types, prediction of yield, and detection of disease; the determination of forest areas and types, timber volume estimation, detection of insect and disease attack, and forest fires; and the determination of range conditions and inventory, and livestock inventory. Articles in the literature are summarized and specific examples of work being performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center are given. Primarily, aerial photographs and photo-like ERTS images are considered.

Effect of on-site wastewater disposal on quality of ground water and base flow: A pilot study in Chester County, Southeastern Pennsylvania, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Cinotto, Peter J.

2007-01-01

On-site wastewater disposal has the potential to introduce contaminants into ground water and subsequently, by ground-water discharge, to streams. A pilot study was conducted during 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Chester County Health Department and the Chester County Water Resources Authority to determine if wastewater components, including inorganic constituents and selected organic wastewater compounds, such as detergents, considered to be emerging contaminants, were present in ground water and stream base flow in areas with on-site wastewater disposal. The study area was a small watershed (about 7.1 square miles) of mixed land use drained by Broad Run in central Chester County, Pa. The area is underlain by fractured metamorphic rocks that form aquifers recharged by precipitation. Surface- and ground-water sampling was done in areas with and without on-site wastewater disposal for comparison, including a relatively densely populated village with cesspools and septic systems, a residential area with septic systems, a residential area served by sewers, and agricultural land. Samples were collected in May-June and September 2005 from eight headwater stream sites under base-flow conditions and in June 2005 from eight wells and two springs. Samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, boron, bacteria, and a suite of organic wastewater compounds. Several emerging contaminant wastewater compounds, including detergent components, insect repellents, and flame retardants, were detected in base-flow and ground-water samples. Stream base-flow samples generally contained more compounds and higher concentrations of those compounds than did ground-water samples, and of the ground-water samples, samples from springs contained more compounds and higher concentrations than samples from wells. Concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and boron (inorganic constituents associated with wastewater) generally were all elevated in base-flow and ground-water samples in areas with relatively high densities of on-site wastewater disposal (septic systems or cesspools) compared to other areas sampled. Results of this pilot study should be considered preliminary because of limited data.

In the right place at the right time: habitat representation in protected areas of South American Nothofagus-dominated plants after a dispersal constrained climate change scenario.

PubMed

Alarcón, Diego; Cavieres, Lohengrin A

2015-01-01

In order to assess the effects of climate change in temperate rainforest plants in southern South America in terms of habitat size, representation in protected areas, considering also if the expected impacts are similar for dominant trees and understory plant species, we used niche modeling constrained by species migration on 118 plant species, considering two groups of dominant trees and two groups of understory ferns. Representation in protected areas included Chilean national protected areas, private protected areas, and priority areas planned for future reserves, with two thresholds for minimum representation at the country level: 10% and 17%. With a 10% representation threshold, national protected areas currently represent only 50% of the assessed species. Private reserves are important since they increase up to 66% the species representation level. Besides, 97% of the evaluated species may achieve the minimum representation target only if the proposed priority areas were included. With the climate change scenario representation levels slightly increase to 53%, 69%, and 99%, respectively, to the categories previously mentioned. Thus, the current location of all the representation categories is useful for overcoming climate change by 2050. Climate change impacts on habitat size and representation of dominant trees in protected areas are not applicable to understory plants, highlighting the importance of assessing these effects with a larger number of species. Although climate change will modify the habitat size of plant species in South American temperate rainforests, it will have no significant impact in terms of the number of species adequately represented in Chile, where the implementation of the proposed reserves is vital to accomplish the present and future minimum representation. Our results also show the importance of using migration dispersal constraints to develop more realistic future habitat maps from climate change predictions.

In the Right Place at the Right Time: Habitat Representation in Protected Areas of South American Nothofagus-Dominated Plants after a Dispersal Constrained Climate Change Scenario

PubMed Central

Alarcón, Diego; Cavieres, Lohengrin A.

2015-01-01

In order to assess the effects of climate change in temperate rainforest plants in southern South America in terms of habitat size, representation in protected areas, considering also if the expected impacts are similar for dominant trees and understory plant species, we used niche modeling constrained by species migration on 118 plant species, considering two groups of dominant trees and two groups of understory ferns. Representation in protected areas included Chilean national protected areas, private protected areas, and priority areas planned for future reserves, with two thresholds for minimum representation at the country level: 10% and 17%. With a 10% representation threshold, national protected areas currently represent only 50% of the assessed species. Private reserves are important since they increase up to 66% the species representation level. Besides, 97% of the evaluated species may achieve the minimum representation target only if the proposed priority areas were included. With the climate change scenario representation levels slightly increase to 53%, 69%, and 99%, respectively, to the categories previously mentioned. Thus, the current location of all the representation categories is useful for overcoming climate change by 2050. Climate change impacts on habitat size and representation of dominant trees in protected areas are not applicable to understory plants, highlighting the importance of assessing these effects with a larger number of species. Although climate change will modify the habitat size of plant species in South American temperate rainforests, it will have no significant impact in terms of the number of species adequately represented in Chile, where the implementation of the proposed reserves is vital to accomplish the present and future minimum representation. Our results also show the importance of using migration dispersal constraints to develop more realistic future habitat maps from climate change predictions. PMID:25786226

National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Aztec quadrangle, New Mexico and Colorado

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

Green, M.W.

1982-09-01

Areas and formations within the Aztec 1/sup 0/ x 2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, New Mexico and Colorado considered favorable for uranium endowment of specified minimum grade and tonnage include, in decreasing order of favorability: (1) the Early Cretaceous Burro Canyon Formation in the southeastern part of the Chama Basin; (2) the Tertiary Ojo Alamo Sandstone in the east-central part of the San Juan Basin; and (3) the Jurassic Westwater Canyon and Brushy Basin Members of the Morrison Formation in the southwestern part of the quadrangle. Favorability of the Burro Canyon is based on the presence of favorable host-rock facies, carbonaceous materialmore » and pyrite to act as a reductant for uranium, and the presence of mineralized ground in the subsurface of the Chama Basin. The Ojo Alamo Sandstone is considered favorable because of favorable host-rock facies, the presence of carbonaceous material and pyrite to act as a reductant for uranium, and the presence of a relatively large subsurface area in which low-grade mineralization has been encountered in exploration activity. The Morrison Formation, located within the San Juan Basin adjacent to the northern edge of the Grants mineral belt, is considered favorable because of mineralization in several drill holes at depths near 1500 m (5000 ft) and because of favorable facies relationships extending into the Aztec Quadrangle from the Grants mineral belt which lies in the adjacent Albuquerque and Gallup Quadrangles. Formations considered unfavorable for uranium deposits of specified tonnage and grade include the remainder of sedimentary and igneous formations ranging from Precambrian to Quaternary in age. Included under the unfavorable category are the Cutler Formation of Permian age, and Dakota Sandstone of Late Cretaceous age, and the Nacimiento and San Jose Formations of Tertiary age.« less

Revolting Developments in Our Understanding of the Organization of the Eukaryotic Genome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krider, Hallie M.

1984-01-01

Various typs of DNA are discussed. Areas considered include highly repetitive and satellite sequences, genes encoding, ribosomal RNA, histone protein genes, and dispersed repeated genes that jump. Regulated genetic misbehavior, structure and use of unique genes, and higher order complexities of chromosomes are also discussed. (JN)

This Administrator Assessment Center Aims for Excellence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Larry W.; And Others

1986-01-01

Describes the assessment center of the Leadership Academy in the Houston (Texas) schools system. It is used to evaluate the management capability of current principals and potential administrator candidates. The center uses simulation exercises as part of the evaluation process. Includes outline of areas to be considered when developing a program.…

76 FR 31866 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of the Tulotoma Snail From...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

... at the Ohatchee shoal, including excessive sedimentation and algal growth, have been observed..., in the downstream areas, the tulotoma has extended its range laterally within the channel in habitats... tulotoma were considered to be extremely localized, vulnerable to water quality or channel degradation, and...

Social Change and a Sustainable Environment for the 1980s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Bunyan

1984-01-01

Discusses the inherent strength of American democracy manifested in the large number of groups capable of organizing to compete for power and self-interests. Topic areas considered include the need for more organizations, building coalitions, going where the action is, social/environmental change via electoral politics, personal change, and…

Excellence in Teacher Education: Options for a Federal Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio, David H.

An overview of options available for Federal cooperation in the improvement of teacher education considers possible areas in which government support may be effective. These include: (1) recruitment of talented students; (2) financial support for prospective teachers; (3) improvement grants to schools of education; (4) grants supporting…

Teacher-to-Teacher: An Annotated Bibliography on DNA and Genetic Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertens, Thomas R., Comp.

1984-01-01

Presented is an annotated bibliography of 24 books on DNA and genetic engineering. Areas considered in these books include: basic biological concepts to help understand advances in genetic engineering; applications of genetic engineering; social, legal, and moral issues of genetic engineering; and historical aspects leading to advances in…

Bi-Regional Educational Improvement Forum (Atlanta, Georgia, November 19-20, 1979).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appalachia Educational Lab., Charleston, WV.

The Bi-Regional Educational Improvement Forum in Atlanta, Georgia (November 1979) considered three areas of school improvement, including State Department of Education (SEA) delivery systems and the use of technology to improve schooling. The three forum articles concerned with delivery systems treat the transformation of policies emanating from…

1985 Cancer Facts and Figures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Cancer Society, Inc., New York, NY.

Information and statistical data about cancer are provided in seven categories. They include: (1) basic cancer data (considering how cancer works, trends in diagnosis and treatment, new cancer cases and deaths for 1985, and other areas); (2) major cancer sites (discussing lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, 5-year survival rates/trends…

The Lesson of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Part II: The Present and Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kauffman, George B.

1985-01-01

Part I (SE 537 587) briefly reviewed the scientific discoveries underlying the atomic bomb and its technological development. This part examines the implications of these events for science education. Areas considered include the nuclear arms race, nuclear winter, the Strategic Defense Initiative, and others. (DH)

Beta-Blockers and the Kidney: Implications for Renal Function and Renin Release.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Murray; And Others

1985-01-01

Reviews and discusses current information on the human renal response as related to beta-blockers (antihypertension agents). Topic areas considered include cardioselectivity, renal hemodynamics, systemic hemodynamics, changes with acute and chronic administration, influence of dose, and others. Implications and an 11-item multiple-choice self-quiz…

Confidentiality Revisited: A Response to Manhal-Baugus (1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Kevin

1998-01-01

Reviews the issues relating to confidentiality raised by Manhal-Baugus (1996), identifies problem areas from the 1996 article, and offers additional information about confidentiality not included in the article. Chemical dependency counselors are urged to consider the federal law covering confidentiality of alcohol- and drug-abuse patient records…

YRE: Understanding the Basics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glines, Don

Prior to the 1940s, several communities in the United States had adopted year-round education (YRE). This paper presents an overview of YRE, including history, patterns of implementation, various calendars, intersession arrangements, pros and cons, and a list of areas to be addressed when considering YRE. Proponents of YRE argue that it enhances…

Multilevel and Latent Variable Modeling with Composite Links and Exploded Likelihoods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabe-Hesketh, Sophia; Skrondal, Anders

2007-01-01

Composite links and exploded likelihoods are powerful yet simple tools for specifying a wide range of latent variable models. Applications considered include survival or duration models, models for rankings, small area estimation with census information, models for ordinal responses, item response models with guessing, randomized response models,…

Introduction to This Special Issue on Context-Aware Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Thomas P.; Dourish, Paul

2001-01-01

Discusses pervasive, or ubiquitous, computing; explains the notion of context; and defines context-aware computing as the key to disperse and enmesh computation into our lives. Considers context awareness in human-computer interaction and describes the broad topic areas of the essays included in this special issue. (LRW)

Developmental Planning: An Introduction for Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noland, Jim

2009-01-01

"Developmental Planning" is the thinking process of using developmental milestones as a general basis for planning and predicting needs for the child within the early years. It considers the time frames associated with normal development across all facets of the child's development. The areas include bone and joint development, movement, sensory…

Transition Literature Review on Educational, Employment, and Independent Living Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnisch, Delwyn L.; And Others

The report, which is part of a series, provides an analysis of approximately 100 documents focusing on education, employment, and independent living outcomes across 10 handicapping conditions, including those students considered to be disadvantaged. Document summaries are organized by the 3 outcome areas and 11 conditions (learning disabled,…

Perceptions of Quality in an Online Learning Environment: A Faculty Outlook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, April Michele

2017-01-01

The study investigated the faculty perception of quality in online courses. The areas considered were media richness, interaction, synchronism, self-efficacy, online teaching experience, and education level. Participants included members of three online Yahoo groups that were designed for online faculty members. There were 510 total members…

Physics Teachers' Views on Their Initial Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buabeng, Isaac; Conner, Lindsey; Winter, David

2016-01-01

This paper explores New Zealand (NZ) physics teachers' and physics educators' views about Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Perspectives of physics teachers nationally indicated that in general, teachers considered themselves not well-prepared in some content areas including electronics, modern physics, and atomic and nuclear physics. This may be…

Facultative Lagoons. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Lorri

The textual material for a unit on facultative lagoons is presented in this student manual. Topic areas discussed include: (1) loading; (2) microbial theory; (3) structure and design; (4) process control; (5) lagoon start-up; (6) data handling and analysis; (7) lagoon maintenance (considering visual observations, pond structure, safety, odor,…

Science through Children's Literature: An Integrated Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butzow, Carol M.; Butzow, John W.

1990-01-01

Discussed is a way to develop an integrated unit based on a fictional book. An example for constructing a unit is included as well as activities from units that consider birds, volcanoes, and measurement. Each unit contains a summary, topic areas, content-related words, activities, related books and references. (KR)

An area-level model of vehicle-pedestrian injury collisions with implications for land use and transportation planning.

PubMed

Wier, Megan; Weintraub, June; Humphreys, Elizabeth H; Seto, Edmund; Bhatia, Rajiv

2009-01-01

There is growing awareness among urban planning, public health, and transportation professionals that design decisions and investments that promote walking can be beneficial for human and ecological health. Planners need practical tools to consider the impact of development on pedestrian safety, a key requirement for the promotion of walking. Simple bivariate models have been used to predict changes in vehicle-pedestrian injury collisions based on changes in traffic volume. We describe the development of a multivariate, area-level regression model of vehicle-pedestrian injury collisions based on environmental and population data in 176 San Francisco, California census tracts. Predictor variables examined included street, land use, and population characteristics, including commute behaviors. The final model explained approximately 72% of the systematic variation in census-tract vehicle-pedestrian injury collisions and included measures of traffic volume, arterial streets without transit, land area, proportion of land area zoned for neighborhood commercial and residential-neighborhood commercial uses, employee and resident populations, proportion of people living in poverty and proportion aged 65 and older. We have begun to apply this model to predict area-level change in vehicle-pedestrian injury collisions associated with land use development and transportation planning decisions.

The first record of American visceral leishmaniasis in domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PubMed

da Silva, Alba Valéria Machado; de Souza Cândido, Claudia Dias; de Pita Pereira, Daniela; Brazil, Reginaldo Peçanha; Carreira, João Carlos Araujo

2008-01-01

This paper is the first to report visceral leishmaniasis in domestic cats (Felis catus domesticus) from an endemic area in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A relatively high seroprevalence of 25% was observed although none of them have presented any symptom. Our results support the observation of previous authors, suggesting that cats may be considered as alternative domestic hosts of visceral leishmaniasis and should be included in serological investigations performed in endemic areas.

Study of alternate methods of disposal of propellants and gases at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, W. I.

1970-01-01

A comprehensive study was conducted at KSC launch support facilities to determine the nature and extent of potential hazards from propellant and gas releases to the environment. The results of the study, alternate methods for reducing or eliminating the hazards, and recommendations pertaining to these alternatives are presented. The operational modes of the propellant or hazardous gas systems considered include: system charging, system standby, system operation, and post-test operations. The results are outlined on an area-by-area basis.

Measuring potential access to food stores and food-service places in rural areas in the U.S.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R

2009-04-01

Geographic access to healthy food resources remains a major focus of research that examines the contribution of the built environment to healthful eating. Methods used to define and measure spatial accessibility can significantly affect the results. Considering the implications for marketing, policy, and programs, adequate measurement of the food environment is important. Little of the published work on food access has focused on rural areas, where the burden of nutrition-related disease is greater. This article seeks to expand our understanding of the challenges to measurement of potential spatial access to food resources in rural areas in the U.S. Key challenges to the accurate measurement of the food environment in rural areas include: (1) defining the rural food environment while recognizing that market factors may be changing; (2) describing characteristics that may differentiate similar types of food stores and food-service places; and (3) determining location coordinates for food stores and food-service places. In order to enhance measurements in rural areas, "ground-truthed" methodology, which includes on-site observation and collection of GPS data, should become the standard for rural areas. Measurement must also recognize the emergence of new and changing store formats. Efforts should be made to determine accessibility, in terms of both proximity to a single location and variety of multiple locations within a specified buffer, from origins other than the home, and consider multipurpose trips and trip chaining. The measurement of food access will be critical for community-based approaches to meet dietary needs. Researchers must be willing to take the steps necessary for rigorous measurement of a dynamic food environment.

Photomatrix LED therapy of extensive cutaneous pathology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zharov, Vladimir P.; Menyaev, Yulian A.; Zharova, I. Z.; Leviev, Dmitry O.; Tsarev, V. N.; Sarantsev, V. P.; Krusic, Joze

2000-05-01

Standard sources of radiation have not sufficient efficiency at treating spatially extended pathology, especially when pathologic areas involve opposite sides of the human being's body or when they are uneven in shape. The typical examples of such pathology are extensive burns, oedema, inflammatory processes, infectious wounds, actinic keratosis, psoriasis, arthritis and neurological diseases. Superbright LEDs gathered in a matrix and grasping the area of irradiation are the most suitable sources of radiation. This article presents the result of investigation of the effectiveness of various types of the blue-to-infrared spectrum range LED array that allow irradiating a surface with an area from several cm2 to several thousand cm2 including the whole human being's body with the intensity varying from 1 to 100 mW/cm2. Besides the matrixes, composed of separate light diodes, modular systems with separate monolithic hybrid chips with a high density of positioning the sources of radiation are considered. The peculiarities and results of applying such systems to treat oedema, cancer, weight regulation, neurological diseases, different infections diseases in combination with PDT, stomatitis and paradontosis are analyzed. The parameters of the photomatrix LED for different spectral regions and different geometry from flat shape to semispherical and cylindrical are presented. The perspective combination photomatrix LED with another therapeutical devices including photovacuum and photomagnetic therapy are considered.

Results of efforts by the Convention on Biological Diversity to describe ecologically or biologically significant marine areas.

PubMed

Bax, Nicholas J; Cleary, Jesse; Donnelly, Ben; Dunn, Daniel C; Dunstan, Piers K; Fuller, Mike; Halpin, Patrick N

2016-06-01

In 2004, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) addressed a United Nations (UN) call for area-based planning, including for marine-protected areas that resulted in a global effort to describe ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). We summarized the results, assessed their consistency, and evaluated the process developed by the Secretariat of the CBD to engage countries and experts in 9 regional workshops held from 2011 to 2014. Experts from 92 countries and 79 regional or international bodies participated. They considered 250 million km(2) of the world's ocean area (two-thirds of the total). The 204 areas they examined in detail differed widely in area (from 5.5 km(2) to 11.1 million km(2) ). Despite the initial focus of the CBD process on areas outside national jurisdiction, only 31 of the areas examined were solely outside national jurisdiction. Thirty-five extended into national jurisdictions, 137 were solely within national jurisdictions, and 28 included the jurisdictions of more than 1 country (1 area lacked precise boundaries). Data were sufficient to rank 88-99% of the areas relative to each of the 7 criteria for EBSAs agreed to previously by Parties to the CBD. The naturalness criterion ranked high for a smaller percentage of the EBSAs (31%) than other criteria (51-70%), indicating the difficulty in finding relatively undisturbed areas in the ocean. The highly participatory nature of the workshops, including easy and consistent access to the relevant information facilitated by 2 technical teams, contributed to the workshop participants success in identifying areas that could be ranked relative to most criteria and areas that extend across jurisdictional boundaries. The formal recognition of workshop results by the Conference of Parties to the CBD resulted in these 204 areas being identified as EBSAs by the 196 Parties. They represent the only suite of marine areas recognized by the international community for their greater importance for biodiversity it is their importance for biodiversity itself not conservation as process explicitly excluded management issues than their surroundings. This comes at a critical juncture in negotiations at the UN that will consider developing a new implementation agreement under UN Convention of the Law of the Sea to support the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. The EBSA description process is a good example of how to bring the international community together to build a shared understanding of which ocean areas are particularly valuable to biodiversity. © 2015 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Correlation of the Features of the Lumbar Multifidus Muscle With Facet Joint Osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Yu, Bo; Jiang, Kaibiao; Li, Xinfeng; Zhang, Jidong; Liu, Zude

2017-09-01

Facet joint osteoarthritis is considered a consequence of the aging process; however, there is evidence that it may be associated with degenerative changes of other structures. The goal of this study was to investigate the correlation between lumbar multifidus muscle features and facet joint osteoarthritis. This retrospective study included 160 patients who had acute or chronic low back pain and were diagnosed with facet joint osteoarthritis on computed tomography scan. Morphometric parameters, including cross-sectional area, muscle-fat index, and percentage of bilateral multifidus asymmetry at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1, were evaluated with T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with facet joint osteoarthritis had a smaller cross-sectional area and a higher muscle-fat index than those without facet joint osteoarthritis (P<.001). In multivariate regression analysis, older age and higher muscle-fat index were independently associated with facet joint osteoarthritis at all 3 spinal levels (P<.001). Smaller cross-sectional area was independently associated with facet joint osteoarthritis only at L4-L5 (P=.005). Asymmetry of the bilateral multifidus cross-sectional area was independently associated with facet joint osteoarthritis at L5-S1 (P=.009), but did not seem to be responsible for asymmetric degeneration of the bilateral facet joints. A higher multifidus muscle-fat index was independently associated with facet joint osteoarthritis, and bilateral multifidus size asymmetry was associated with the development of facet joint osteoarthritis at L5-S1. It seems more accurate to consider facet joint osteoarthritis a failure of the whole joint structure, including the paraspinal musculature, rather than simply a failure of the facet joint cartilage. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(5):e793-e800.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Multistate matrix population model to assess the contributions and impacts on population abundance of domestic cats in urban areas including owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in shelters.

PubMed

Flockhart, D T Tyler; Coe, Jason B

2018-01-01

Concerns over cat homelessness, over-taxed animal shelters, public health risks, and environmental impacts has raised attention on urban-cat populations. To truly understand cat population dynamics, the collective population of owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in the shelter system must be considered simultaneously because each subpopulation contributes differently to the overall population of cats in a community (e.g., differences in neuter rates, differences in impacts on wildlife) and cats move among categories through human interventions (e.g., adoption, abandonment). To assess this complex socio-ecological system, we developed a multistate matrix model of cats in urban areas that include owned cats, unowned cats (free-roaming and feral), and cats that move through the shelter system. Our model requires three inputs-location, number of human dwellings, and urban area-to provide testable predictions of cat abundance for any city in North America. Model-predicted population size of unowned cats in seven Canadian cities were not significantly different than published estimates (p = 0.23). Model-predicted proportions of sterile feral cats did not match observed sterile cat proportions for six USA cities (p = 0.001). Using a case study from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, we compared model-predicted to empirical estimates of cat abundance in each subpopulation and used perturbation analysis to calculate relative sensitivity of vital rates to cat abundance to demonstrate how management or mismanagement in one portion of the population could have repercussions across all portions of the network. Our study provides a general framework to consider cat population abundance in urban areas and, with refinement that includes city-specific parameter estimates and modeling, could provide a better understanding of population dynamics of cats in our communities.

Rewilding the world's large carnivores

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Earth's terrestrial large carnivores form a highly endangered group of species with unique conservation challenges. The majority of these species have experienced major geographical range contractions, which puts many of them at high risk of extinction or of becoming ecologically ineffective. As a result of these range contractions and the associated loss of intact predator guilds, the ecological effects of these species are now far less widespread and common, with inevitable consequences for ecosystem function. Rewilding—which includes reintroducing species into portions of their former ranges—is an important carnivore conservation tool and means for restoring top-down ecological regulation. We conducted a global analysis of potential reintroduction areas. We first considered protected areas where one or more large carnivore species have been extirpated, identifying a total of 130 protected areas that may be most suitable for carnivore reintroduction. These protected areas include sites in every major world region, and are most commonly found in Mongolia (n = 13), Canada (n = 11), Thailand (n = 9), Namibia (n = 6), Indonesia (n = 6) and Australia (n = 6). We considered the sizes of protected areas, their levels of protection, the extent of human impacts within and around the protected areas, and the status of prey species in the protected areas. Finally, we used the ‘last of the wild’ approach to identify contiguous low human footprint regions within the former ranges of each species, identifying an additional 150 areas which could be the focus of conservation efforts to create conditions conducive to reintroductions. These low footprint regions were most commonly found in the USA (n = 14), Russia (n = 14), Canada (n = 10), China (n = 9) and Mauritania (n = 8). Together, our results show the global-scale potential for carnivore rewilding projects to both conserve these species and provide critical ecological and social benefits. PMID:29657815

A extract method of mountainous area settlement place information from GF-1 high resolution optical remote sensing image under semantic constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, H., II

2016-12-01

Spatial distribution information of mountainous area settlement place is of great significance to the earthquake emergency work because most of the key earthquake hazardous areas of china are located in the mountainous area. Remote sensing has the advantages of large coverage and low cost, it is an important way to obtain the spatial distribution information of mountainous area settlement place. At present, fully considering the geometric information, spectral information and texture information, most studies have applied object-oriented methods to extract settlement place information, In this article, semantic constraints is to be added on the basis of object-oriented methods. The experimental data is one scene remote sensing image of domestic high resolution satellite (simply as GF-1), with a resolution of 2 meters. The main processing consists of 3 steps, the first is pretreatment, including ortho rectification and image fusion, the second is Object oriented information extraction, including Image segmentation and information extraction, the last step is removing the error elements under semantic constraints, in order to formulate these semantic constraints, the distribution characteristics of mountainous area settlement place must be analyzed and the spatial logic relation between settlement place and other objects must be considered. The extraction accuracy calculation result shows that the extraction accuracy of object oriented method is 49% and rise up to 86% after the use of semantic constraints. As can be seen from the extraction accuracy, the extract method under semantic constraints can effectively improve the accuracy of mountainous area settlement place information extraction. The result shows that it is feasible to extract mountainous area settlement place information form GF-1 image, so the article proves that it has a certain practicality to use domestic high resolution optical remote sensing image in earthquake emergency preparedness.

Rewilding the world's large carnivores.

PubMed

Wolf, Christopher; Ripple, William J

2018-03-01

Earth's terrestrial large carnivores form a highly endangered group of species with unique conservation challenges. The majority of these species have experienced major geographical range contractions, which puts many of them at high risk of extinction or of becoming ecologically ineffective. As a result of these range contractions and the associated loss of intact predator guilds, the ecological effects of these species are now far less widespread and common, with inevitable consequences for ecosystem function. Rewilding-which includes reintroducing species into portions of their former ranges-is an important carnivore conservation tool and means for restoring top-down ecological regulation. We conducted a global analysis of potential reintroduction areas. We first considered protected areas where one or more large carnivore species have been extirpated, identifying a total of 130 protected areas that may be most suitable for carnivore reintroduction. These protected areas include sites in every major world region, and are most commonly found in Mongolia ( n  = 13), Canada ( n  = 11), Thailand ( n  = 9), Namibia ( n  = 6), Indonesia ( n  = 6) and Australia ( n  = 6). We considered the sizes of protected areas, their levels of protection, the extent of human impacts within and around the protected areas, and the status of prey species in the protected areas. Finally, we used the 'last of the wild' approach to identify contiguous low human footprint regions within the former ranges of each species, identifying an additional 150 areas which could be the focus of conservation efforts to create conditions conducive to reintroductions. These low footprint regions were most commonly found in the USA ( n  = 14), Russia ( n  = 14), Canada ( n  = 10), China ( n  = 9) and Mauritania ( n  = 8). Together, our results show the global-scale potential for carnivore rewilding projects to both conserve these species and provide critical ecological and social benefits.

Influence of children pedestrian behaviour on pedestrian space usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makalew, F. P.; Adisasmita, S. A.; Wunas, S.; Hamid, S.

2017-11-01

School children pedestrian behaviour can be seen along their journey to and from school. Pedestrian spaces used by children are places available in urban and rural areas including streets with and without pedestrian pathways. Samples data are collected from 23 elementary schools in urban and rural areas in North Sulawesi, Indonesia in the form of video records and photos taken. The aim of this research is to analyse children pedestrian behaviour and its influence on the space usage on pedestrian areas. Method of analysis is a comparative study on urban and rural areas. Results of this research are types of behaviour, factors that influence the behaviour, physical condition of pedestrian areas and space usage by children. The behaviours are duck-line walking, running, playing, walking backward and walking with bare foot in which running is the main behaviour. These behaviours are influenced by factors including following friends and responding to acts. There are similarities and differences between pedestrian space usage in urban and rural areas. Space use by children pedestrian demonstrates the way pedestrian areas should be planned. Space usage by children pedestrian indicates that there is a need of evaluation of the space available considering pedestrian children behaviour.

Global ballast water management and the "same location" concept: a clear term or a clear issue?

PubMed

David, Matej; Gollasch, Stephan; Pavliha, Marko

2013-03-01

The United Nations recognized the transfer of harmful organisms and pathogens across natural barriers as one of the four greatest pressures to the world's oceans and seas, causing global environmental changes, while also posing a threat to human health, property, and resources. Ballast water transferred by vessels was recognized as a prominent vector of such species and was regulated by the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments (2004). Permanent exceptions from ballast water management requirements may apply when the uptake and discharge of ballast water occur at the "same location." However, the "same location" concept may be interpreted differently, e.g., a port basin, a port, an anchorage, or a larger area even with more ports inside. Considering that the Convention is nearing the beginning of enforcement, national authorities all around the world will soon be exposed to applications for exceptions. Here we consider possible effects of different interpretations of the "same location" concept. We have considered different possible extensions of the same location through environmental, shipping, and legal aspects. The extension of such areas, and the inclusion of more ports, may compromise the Convention's main purpose. We recommend that "same location" mean the smallest practicable unit, i.e., the same harbor, mooring, or anchorage. An entire smaller port, possibly also including the anchorage, could be considered as same location. For larger ports with a gradient of environmental conditions, "same location" should mean a terminal or a port basin. We further recommend that IMO consider the preparation of a guidance document to include concepts, criteria, and processes outlining how to identify "same location," which limits should be clearly identified.

The impact of mining activities on Mongolia's protected areas: a status report with policy recommendations.

PubMed

Farrington, John D

2005-07-01

Mongolia's protected areas cover 20.5 million ha or 13.1% of its national territory. Existing and proposed protected areas, however, are threatened by mining. Mining impacts on Mongolia's protected areas are diverse and include licensed and unlicensed mineral activities in protected areas, buffer zone disturbance, and prevention of the establishment of proposed protected areas. Review of United States, Canadian, and Australian policies revealed 9 basic approaches to resolving conflicts between protected areas and mining. Four approaches suitable for Mongolia are granting land trades and special dispensations in exchange for mineral licenses in protected areas; granting protected status to all lapsed mineral licenses in protected areas; voluntary forfeiting of mineral licenses in protected areas in exchange for positive corporate publicity; and prohibiting all new mineral activities in existing and proposed protected areas. Mining is Mongolia's most important industry, however, and the long-term benefits of preserving Mongolia's natural heritage must be considered and weighed against the economic benefits and costs of mining activities.

Metropolitan Boston air quality control region: transportation control plan

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

Not Available

1975-02-28

The EPA is considering a number of amendments to the transportation control plan which it promulgated Nov. 8, 1973 for the Metropolitan Boston Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. Included in the proposed amendments is a revised regulation for reduction of commuter travel which would include students and employees. This program would be implemented in conjunction with the carpool matching program being developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the employee pass program offered by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. A new provision for limiting overall hydrocarbon emissions from major users of organic compounds is included. Also published are a proposalmore » for encouraging bicycle use, new proposals for controlling carbon monoxide levels outside the Boston core area, and a new procedure for periodic monitoring and updating of the plan. Other features of the original plan are retained with modifications in areas including the ceiling on the level of commercial parking spaces in the so-called ''freeze'' area, limitations of on-street commuter parking, a semiannual inspection and maintenance program, a retrofit program, and incentives for carpool and transit use.« less

Estimating home-range size: when to include a third dimension?

PubMed Central

Monterroso, Pedro; Sillero, Neftalí; Rosalino, Luís Miguel; Loureiro, Filipa; Alves, Paulo Célio

2013-01-01

Most studies dealing with home ranges consider the study areas as if they were totally flat, working only in two dimensions, when in reality they are irregular surfaces displayed in three dimensions. By disregarding the third dimension (i.e., topography), the size of home ranges underestimates the surface actually occupied by the animal, potentially leading to misinterpretations of the animals' ecological needs. We explored the influence of considering the third dimension in the estimation of home-range size by modeling the variation between the planimetric and topographic estimates at several spatial scales. Our results revealed that planimetric approaches underestimate home-range size estimations, which range from nearly zero up to 22%. The difference between planimetric and topographic estimates of home-ranges sizes produced highly robust models using the average slope as the sole independent factor. Moreover, our models suggest that planimetric estimates in areas with an average slope of 16.3° (±0.4) or more will incur in errors ≥5%. Alternatively, the altitudinal range can be used as an indicator of the need to include topography in home-range estimates. Our results confirmed that home-range estimates could be significantly biased when topography is disregarded. We suggest that study areas where home-range studies will be performed should firstly be scoped for its altitudinal range, which can serve as an indicator for the need for posterior use of average slope values to model the surface area used and/or available for the studied animals. PMID:23919170

Small satellites and space debris issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, M.; Kulik, S.; Agapov, V.

2001-10-01

The objective of this report is the analysis of the tendencies in designing of small satellites (SS) and the effect of small satellites on space debris population. It is shown that SS to include nano- and pico-satellites should be considered as a particularly dangerous source of space debris when elaborating international standards and legal documents concerning the space debris problem, in particular "International Space Debris Mitigation Standard". These issues are in accordance with the IADC goals in its main activity areas and should be carefully considered within the IADC framework.

Monoceros

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

(the Unicorn; abbrev. Mon, gen. Monocerotis; area 482 sq. deg.) An equatorial constellation which lies between Orion and Hydra, and culminates at midnight in early January. It is usually considered to have been introduced by the Dutch theologian and geographer Petrus Plancius, who included it on a celestial globe in 1613, though some authorities regard it as older than this....

Birth Pains: Emerging School Leadership Policies in Eight School Systems of Latin America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, José; Hernández, Macarena

2016-01-01

School leadership has a core position within education policy worldwide. Comparative research in this area has been mainly focused on developed countries and has tended to neglect the situation of developing nations, including Latin American countries. Considering the above, this article presents the current status of school leadership policies in…

California State Waters Map Series: offshore of Salt Point, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chinn, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-01-01

Potential marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Salt Point map area include unconsolidated continental shelf sediments, mixed continental shelf substrate, and hard continental shelf substrate. Rocky-shelf outcrops and rubble are considered to be promising potential habitats for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Fort Ross, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chin, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-12-03

Potential marine benthic habitat types in the Offshore of Fort Ross map area include unconsolidated continental-shelf sediments, mixed continental-shelf substrate, and hard continental-shelf substrate. Rocky shelf outcrops and rubble are considered the primary habitat type for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

Secondary School Teachers' Approaches to Teaching Composition Using Digital Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wise, Stuart

2016-01-01

The music industry in the 21 century uses digital technology in a wide range of applications including in performance, in composition and in recording and publishing. In this article, I consider how the impact of digital technologies may be affecting pedagogical processes adopted by secondary music teachers, particularly in the area of…

32 CFR 536.15 - Claims policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Command Claims Service or an ACO, including those which occur in the area of responsibility of a CPO. On... promptly with maximum use of small claims procedures. (2) Consideration under all subparts. Prior to denial... claim is presented. A claim presented as a personnel claim will be considered as a tort prior to denial...

32 CFR 536.15 - Claims policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Command Claims Service or an ACO, including those which occur in the area of responsibility of a CPO. On... promptly with maximum use of small claims procedures. (2) Consideration under all subparts. Prior to denial... claim is presented. A claim presented as a personnel claim will be considered as a tort prior to denial...

Requirement definition of passenger motor transport enterprises for spare parts by method of short-term combined forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulatov, S. V.

2018-05-01

The article considers the method of short-term combined forecasting, which includes theoretical and experimental estimates of the need for details of units and assemblies, which allows obtaining the optimum number of spare parts necessary for rolling stock operation without downtime in repair areas.

The Communicative Arts: An Introduction to Mass Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Charles S.

All areas of mass communication are surveyed. Man's earliest efforts as a communicator are considered, and what is known about the development of speech and writing is explored. Various theories (including mathematical ones) are reviewed which attempt to explain the processes of both personal and mass communication. Separate chapters focus on the…

California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Bodega Head, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chin, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-08-06

Potential marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Bodega Head map area include unconsolidated continental-shelf sediments, mixed continental-shelf substrate, and hard continental-shelf substrate. Rocky-shelf outcrops and rubble are considered to be promising potential habitats for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

Chem I Supplement: Bee Sting: The Chemistry of an Insect Venom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Rod; Peck, Larry

1980-01-01

Considers various aspects of bee stings including the physical mechanism of the venom apparatus in the bee, categorization of physiological responses of nonprotected individuals to bee sting, chemical composition of bee venom and the mechanisms of venom action, and areas of interest in the synthesis of bee venom. (CS)

75 FR 52969 - Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, CA; Notice...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-30

... government entities or private or non-profit organizations. The NPS will also consider: Alternative strategies for management, protection and use of significant resources within the overall study area, including management by other public agencies or the private sector; technical or financial assistance...

Storm Surges. Teacher Guide and Activity Book. OEAGLS Investigation No. 25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keir, John; Mayer, Victor J.

This investigation is designed to help students understand storm surges on Lake Erie. Activity A includes experiments and discussions intended to help students understand what causes storm surges on Lake Erie. Activity B considers how storm surges affect water levels and, in turn, coastal areas. The student booklet contains questions, experiments,…

Strategies for Selecting Vendors and Evaluating Their Performance--From the Vendor's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Born, Kathleen

1992-01-01

Presents the vendor's perspective on how libraries choose and evaluate a vendor's performance. Characteristics of vendors are described, including being profit-oriented, market-driven, and highly competitive; issues in the three basic areas of service, price, and automation are discussed; and the influence of personality is considered. (LRW)

Vocational Exploration and Skill Building in Marine and Related Occupations. Final Report, 1979-1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Larry; And Others

The first year of a project to train high school aged handicapped and/or disadvantaged youth for employment in marine and related trades was considered successful. Specific areas of training included motor mechanics, electrical, woodworking, refinishing, restoration, fiberglass work, and blueprint reading under the direction of skilled…

76 FR 6496 - Special Flight Rules Area in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park, Draft Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

... being considered include: Alternative A Current Condition: Key elements are corridors open year round, annual allocation cap of 93,971, and no quiet technology incentive. Current tours for helicopters and... to quiet technology aircraft. Alternative F Modified Current Condition: Key elements are similar to...

The Economic Impact of Dickinson College on Carlisle and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellinger, William; McCann, Danielle

Economic impact is defined as the added income created within a given geographical area by a particular institution or resulting from a specific policy action. This analysis, which used data from many sources, including surveys completed by 174 Dickinson employees, considered the economic impact of Dickinson College on Carlisle and Cumberland…

Documenting Student Learning in Music Performance: A Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wesolowski, Brian

2014-01-01

A fundamental aim of the Race to the Top agenda is to assess the effectiveness of teachers based on value-added growth measurement models of student achievement. However, in nontested grades and subject areas, such as music, alternative assessment types are being considered, including district-, school-, or teacher-developed measures. This article…

Preventing Substance Use among High School Athletes: The ATLAS and ATHENA Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Linn; Eliot, Diane

2005-01-01

This article will provide information about two worthwhile programs that deal with education of high school athletes about use and abuse of steroids and other areas. Based on rationale and expressed need, program descriptions will be provided including summaries of relevant program results. Guidelines for what practitioners need to consider when…

76 FR 44039 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment, Draft Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-22

... proposal includes 1,000 wind turbine generators (WTG) and associated infrastructure, each capable of..., operation, maintenance, and reclamation of a wind farm on public lands. The No Action Alternative would deny...) considers authorizing wind development in PCW's application area to accommodate 1,000 turbines. This...

Mathematics, Grade 5, Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY.

This curriculum bulletin is designed to help teachers meet the diverse needs in mathematics of the children in fifth grade classes. In addition to the emphasis that is placed on arithmetic computational skills, the bulletin shows how to include other areas considered important, such as concepts, skills, and ideas from algebra and geometry. The 80…

America's Soil and Water: Condition and Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1981

A review of conditions and trends regarding soil and water resources of rural nonfederal lands of the United States is presented in this publication. Maps, charts, and graphs illustrate the data collected on various aspects of soil and water use and practice. Topic areas considered include: (1) land use patterns; (2) classes of land; (3)…

Decentralization of Education: Community Financing. Directions in Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bray, Mark

This book focuses on the financing of formal primary and secondary education in developing nations. The study does not consider the areas of pre-primary, post-secondary, or nonformal education. Financing includes not only monetary inputs to education, but also material, labor, expertise, and land. The study examines the volume, nature, and…

Adolescence in New Zealand. Volume Two: Wider Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Robert A. C., Ed.

This is the second of a two-volume collection of research-based readings dealing with the New Zealand adolescent. This volume considers the areas of drugs and delinquency, as well as the world of work and Maori-pakeha differences. The following topics are included: marihuana use; vocational aspiration; alcohol and tobacco use; Maori-pakeha…

A Multicultural Discussion About Personality Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Jon; Kurato, Yoshiya; Ruiz, Elizabeth; Ng, Kok-Mun; Yang, Julia

2004-01-01

The use of knife and fork common in Western cultures has influenced Japanese people not only in terms of eating habits but also Japanese personality characteristics. This influence fosters the notion of segmentation - that all areas of life, including people, can be sectioned into parts and so analyzed. Mind and body are considered two discrete…

The Budget Process in Parks and Recreation. A Case Study Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelsey, Craig; Gray, Howard

This case study manual, designed for undergraduate or graduate students studying the area of parks and recreation fiscal management, considers the practical, critical skills of budgeting techniques. The manual deals with the most common budgeting styles in a step-by-step approach with case study exercises. Each chapter includes an introduction to…

Linear Classification of Dairy Cattle. Slide Script.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sipiorski, James; Spike, Peter

This slide script, part of a series of slide scripts designed for use in vocational agriculture classes, deals with principles of the linear classification of dairy cattle. Included in the guide are narrations for use with 63 slides, which illustrate the following areas that are considered in the linear classification system: stature, strength,…

Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC's). Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zickefoose, Charles S.

This student manual provides the textual material for a unit on rotating biological contactors (RBC's). Topic areas considered include: (1) flow patterns of water through RBC installations; (2) basic concepts (shaft and stage); (3) characteristics of biomass; (4) mechanical features (bearings, mechanical drive systems, and air drive systems); (5)…

Leveraging Human Assets: Interpersonal Skill Development Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

workforce. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Vroom , V . (1964). Work and motivation . New York: John Wiley. ...considering the impact of motivation on interpersonal skills. Expectancy theory ( Vroom , 1964) includes expectancy and instrumentality. Expectancy is...important for success in special operations areas such as Civil Affairs (CA) or Special Forces (SF) that work closely with indigenous populations

The Role of Elaboration in the Comprehension and Retention of Prose: A Critical Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reder, Lynne M.

1980-01-01

Recent research in the area of prose comprehension is reviewed, including factors that affect amount of recall, representations of text structures, and use of world knowledge to aid comprehension. The need for more information processing models of comprehension is emphasized. Elaboration is considered important for comprehension and retention.…

40 CFR 146.34 - Information to be considered by the Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... injected; (ii) Average and maximum injection pressure; and (iii) Qualitative analysis and ranges in..., cross sections, tabulations of wells within the area of review, and other data may be included in the... this map. (3) A tabulation of data reasonably available from public records or otherwise known to the...

Cell Based Associations: A procedure for considering scarce and mixed mineral occurrences in predictive mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tourlière, Bruno; Pakyuz-Charrier, Evren; Cassard, Daniel; Barbanson, Luc; Gumiaux, Charles

2015-05-01

Cell Based Association is an innovative mineral favorability procedure designed to answer special needs of the mining industry in data wise critical situations where usual favorability methods may not yield satisfactory results. Those situations relate to input data quality (e.g. clustered points, mixed and scarce data, approximate location) or some assumptions that are considered unreasonable (e.g. map areas relevance, conditional independence). The principle of CBA consists in replacing polygons of geological units with a square cell grid (hence the 'cell-based'). Each cell contains a range of units ('association') that are binary coded in terms of their presence (1) or absence (0) within study area. The loss of resolution inherent to this procedure is compensated by the enriched information contained in each cell owing to the notion of (lithological) association. Lithological associations are considered as binary spectra and as such are classified using Ascendant Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) thus obtaining a synthetic map of lithological associations. The prospectivity map shows as favourable the cells of the same AHC classes that the ones including mineral occurrences. It was observed that CBA can distinguish between different ore deposit varieties from a blended mineral occurrences data set. CBA can theoretically include any spatialized data (e.g. geophysics, structural data) as an extra variable to specify classification and narrow favourable areas. Doing so would make it an independent favorability mapping procedure and is still under development. Cell size in a grid is a critical parameter of the procedure; it must be compatible with the looked-for phenomena and should have a sufficient lithological variability. In addition to its use for producing favorability maps, a CBA-derived map could help in understanding the background information contained in geological maps. CBA can also be applied to other fields, such as agriculture and urban planning. Modelling of mineral prospectivity is a regional- or district scale mapping activity, whether field based or GIS based, which aims to delineate prospective areas for further exploration at the next higher scales of mapping. Notwithstanding the scale of mapping, mineral prospectivity is related to the degrees of presence and degrees of importance of individual pieces of spatial evidence of occurrence of mineral deposits of the type sought. That is, in a region or district under investigation, if there are more important pieces of spatial evidence in an area than in another area, then the former is considered to have higher prospectivity than the latter".

Developing core outcome sets for clinical trials: issues to consider

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The selection of appropriate outcomes or domains is crucial when designing clinical trials in order to compare directly the effects of different interventions in ways that minimize bias. If the findings are to influence policy and practice then the chosen outcomes need to be relevant and important to key stakeholders including patients and the public, health care professionals and others making decisions about health care. There is a growing recognition that insufficient attention has been paid to the outcomes measured in clinical trials. These issues could be addressed through the development and use of an agreed standardized collection of outcomes, known as a core outcome set, which should be measured and reported, as a minimum, in all trials for a specific clinical area. Accumulating work in this area has identified the need for general guidance on the development of core outcome sets. Key issues to consider in the development of a core outcome set include its scope, the stakeholder groups to involve, choice of consensus method and the achievement of a consensus. PMID:22867278

Measuring the extent and effectiveness of protected areas as an indicator for meeting global biodiversity targets

PubMed Central

Chape, S; Harrison, J; Spalding, M; Lysenko, I

2005-01-01

There are now over 100 000 protected areas worldwide, covering over 12% of the Earth's land surface. These areas represent one of the most significant human resource use allocations on the planet. The importance of protected areas is reflected in their widely accepted role as an indicator for global targets and environmental assessments. However, measuring the number and extent of protected areas only provides a unidimensional indicator of political commitment to biodiversity conservation. Data on the geographic location and spatial extent of protected areas will not provide information on a key determinant for meeting global biodiversity targets: ‘effectiveness’ in conserving biodiversity. Although tools are being devised to assess management effectiveness, there is no globally accepted metric. Nevertheless, the numerical, spatial and geographic attributes of protected areas can be further enhanced by investigation of the biodiversity coverage of these protected areas, using species, habitats or biogeographic classifications. This paper reviews the current global extent of protected areas in terms of geopolitical and habitat coverage, and considers their value as a global indicator of conservation action or response. The paper discusses the role of the World Database on Protected Areas and collection and quality control issues, and identifies areas for improvement, including how conservation effectiveness indicators may be included in the database to improve the value of protected areas data as an indicator for meeting global biodiversity targets. PMID:15814356

Assessment of flying-quality criteria for air-breathing aerospacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcruer, Duane T.; Myers, Thomas T.; Hoh, Roger H.; Ashkenas, Irving L.; Johnston, Donald E.

1992-01-01

A study of flying quality requirements for air breathing aerospacecraft gives special emphasis to the unusual operational requirements and characteristics of these aircraft, including operation at hypersonic speed. The report considers distinguishing characteristics of these vehicles, including dynamic deficiencies and their implications for control. Particular emphasis is given to the interaction of the airframe and propulsion system, and the requirements for dynamic systems integration. Past operational missions are reviewed to define tasks and maneuvers to be considered for this class of aircraft. Areas of special concern with respect to vehicle dynamics and control are identified. Experience with the space shuttle orbiter is reviewed with respect to flight control system mechanization and flight experience in approach and landing flying qualities for the National Aerospace Plane (NASP).

Immune deficiency in chronic rhinosinusitis: screening and treatment

PubMed Central

Chiarella, Sergio E.; Grammer, Leslie C.

2017-01-01

Introduction Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent disease with a high annual cost of treatment. Immune deficiencies are more common in individuals with CRS and should be especially considered in those patients who are refractory to medical and surgical therapy. Areas covered We performed a literature search in PubMed of the terms “immunodeficiency” and “sinusitis” or “rhinosinusitis” from 2006 through March 2016. All abstracts were reviewed to determine if they pertained to human disease; relevant articles were evaluated in their entirety and included in this review. Expert commentary CRS is a common disease; in those patients with frequent exacerbations or who are refractory to treatment, an immunodeficiency evaluation should be considered. Treatment includes vaccination, antibiotic therapy, immunoglobulin replacement and surgery. PMID:27500811

Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment.

PubMed

Tedrus, Glória Maria A S; Fonseca, Lineu Corrêa; Vieira, Ana Lídia da Câmara

2007-12-01

It is known that there is a lack of knowledge about epilepsy amongst the population in general, with consequent prejudice and discrimination towards epileptic patients. Considering the importance of health professionals in the diffusion of knowledge about this neurological condition, the objective of the present study was to evaluate modifications in the knowledge and attitudes of students in the health area with respect to epilepsy, after an intervention including the presentation of specific audio-visual material and a discussion on the basic aspects of epilepsy. Simple self-administered questionnaires were applied to one hundred and sixteen health area students before and after the session of enlightenment. After the session there was significant (p<0.05) improvement in answers to different questions about etiology, epidemiology, education, work, and attitude during the seizure. The results suggest the need to include a routine low complexity educational activity in the curriculum of various courses in the health area.

Rankine engine solar power generation. I - Performance and economic analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gossler, A. A.; Orrock, J. E.

1981-01-01

Results of a computer simulation of the performance of a solar flat plate collector powered electrical generation system are presented. The simulation was configured to include locations in New Mexico, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, and considered a water-based heat-transfer fluid collector system with storage. The collectors also powered a Rankine-cycle boiler filled with a low temperature working fluid. The generator was considered to be run only when excess solar heat and full storage would otherwise require heat purging through the collectors. All power was directed into the utility grid. The solar powered generator unit addition was found to be dependent on site location and collector area, and reduced the effective solar cost with collector areas greater than 400-670 sq m. The sites were economically ranked, best to worst: New Mexico, North Dakota, Massachusetts, and Tennessee.

Career Paths for Geosciences Students (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowers, T. S.; Flewelling, S. A.

2013-12-01

Current and future drivers of hiring in the geosciences include climate, environment, energy, georisk and litigation areas. Although climate is closely linked to the atmospheric sciences, hiring needs in the geosciences exist as well, in understanding potential impacts of climate change on coastal erosion and water resources. Where and how to consider carbon sequestration as a climate mitigation policy will also require geosciences expertise. The environmental sciences have long been a source of geosciences hiring, and have ongoing needs in the areas of investigation of contamination, and in fluid and chemical transport. The recent expansion of the energy sector in the U.S. is providing opportunities for the geosciences in oil and gas production, hydraulic fracturing, and in geothermal development. In georisk, expertise in earthquake and volcanic hazard prediction are increasingly important, particularly in population centers. Induced seismicity is a relatively new area of georisk that will also require geosciences skills. The skills needed in the future geosciences workforce are increasingly interdisciplinary, and include those that are both observational and quantitative. Field observations and their interpretation must be focused forward as well as backwards and include the ability to recognize change as it occurs. Areas of demand for quantitative skills include hydrological, geophysical, and geochemical modeling, math and statistics, with specialties such as rock mechanics becoming an increasingly important area. Characteristics that students should have to become successful employees in these sectors include strong communication skills, both oral and written, the ability to know when to stop "studying" and identify next steps, and the ability to turn research areas into solutions to problems.

Abundance and Survival of Pacific Humpback Whales in a Proposed Critical Habitat Area

PubMed Central

Ashe, Erin; Wray, Janie; Picard, Christopher R.; Williams, Rob

2013-01-01

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were hunted commercially in Canada's Pacific region until 1966. Depleted to an estimated 1,400 individuals throughout the North Pacific, humpback whales are listed as Threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. We conducted an 8-year photo-identification study to monitor humpback whale usage of a coastal fjord system in British Columbia (BC), Canada that was recently proposed as candidate critical habitat for the species under SARA. This participatory research program built collaborations among First Nations, environmental non-governmental organizations and academics. The study site, including the territorial waters of Gitga'at First Nation, is an important summertime feeding destination for migratory humpback whales, but is small relative to the population's range. We estimated abundance and survivorship using mark-recapture methods using photographs of naturally marked individuals. Abundance of humpback whales in the region was large, relative to the site's size, and generally increased throughout the study period. The resulting estimate of adult survivorship (0.979, 95% CI: 0.914, 0.995) is at the high end of previously reported estimates. A high rate of resights provides new evidence for inter-annual site fidelity to these local waters. Habitat characteristics of our study area are considered ecologically significant and unique, and this should be considered as regulatory agencies consider proposals for high-volume crude oil and liquefied natural gas tanker traffic through the area. Monitoring population recovery of a highly mobile, migratory species is daunting for low-cost, community-led science. Focusing on a small, important subset of the animals' range can make this challenge more tractable. Given low statistical power and high variability, our community is considering simpler ecological indicators of population health, such as the number of individuals harmed or killed each year by human activities, including ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. PMID:24058666

Abundance and survival of Pacific humpback whales in a proposed critical habitat area.

PubMed

Ashe, Erin; Wray, Janie; Picard, Christopher R; Williams, Rob

2013-01-01

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were hunted commercially in Canada's Pacific region until 1966. Depleted to an estimated 1,400 individuals throughout the North Pacific, humpback whales are listed as Threatened under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. We conducted an 8-year photo-identification study to monitor humpback whale usage of a coastal fjord system in British Columbia (BC), Canada that was recently proposed as candidate critical habitat for the species under SARA. This participatory research program built collaborations among First Nations, environmental non-governmental organizations and academics. The study site, including the territorial waters of Gitga'at First Nation, is an important summertime feeding destination for migratory humpback whales, but is small relative to the population's range. We estimated abundance and survivorship using mark-recapture methods using photographs of naturally marked individuals. Abundance of humpback whales in the region was large, relative to the site's size, and generally increased throughout the study period. The resulting estimate of adult survivorship (0.979, 95% CI: 0.914, 0.995) is at the high end of previously reported estimates. A high rate of resights provides new evidence for inter-annual site fidelity to these local waters. Habitat characteristics of our study area are considered ecologically significant and unique, and this should be considered as regulatory agencies consider proposals for high-volume crude oil and liquefied natural gas tanker traffic through the area. Monitoring population recovery of a highly mobile, migratory species is daunting for low-cost, community-led science. Focusing on a small, important subset of the animals' range can make this challenge more tractable. Given low statistical power and high variability, our community is considering simpler ecological indicators of population health, such as the number of individuals harmed or killed each year by human activities, including ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

Study on the path selection of sustainable development in the mountainous area of Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Malin; Zhou, Zhujun; Zhang, Huizhi; Chen, Ci; Chen, Junhong; Zhou, Zhongren

2018-02-01

The mountainous area of Beijing is the broad region with weak economic features, ecologically fragile and special ecological functions. The ecological conditions, sustainability and regional economic development are intercorrelated in the region. It is arduous to enhance the regional competitive advantage and improve the economic development level through the environmental protection and ecological conservation. This study elaborates the relationship between ecology and economic development from the perspectives of ecology, productivity and life style in mountainous areas of Beijing. Then this paper discusses how to increase sustainable development of mountain areas from several aspects, including key regional developments, industrial development, and ecological compensation mechanism, considering the strategic goals of accelerating economic transformation, coordinating urban and rural development, and promoting new-type urbanization.

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Hardware Commonality for Exploration Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carrasquillo, Robyn; Anderson, Molly

2012-01-01

In August 2011, the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) technical community, along with associated stakeholders, held a workshop to review NASA s plans for Exploration missions and vehicles with two objectives: revisit the Exploration Atmospheres Working Group (EAWG) findings from 2006, and discuss preliminary ECLSS architecture concepts and technology choices for Exploration vehicles, identifying areas for potential common hardware or technologies to be utilized. Key considerations for selection of vehicle design total pressure and percent oxygen include operational concepts for extravehicular activity (EVA) and prebreathe protocols, materials flammability, and controllability within pressure and oxygen ranges. New data for these areas since the 2006 study were presented and discussed, and the community reached consensus on conclusions and recommendations for target design pressures for each Exploration vehicle concept. For the commonality study, the workshop identified many areas of potential commonality across the Exploration vehicles as well as with heritage International Space Station (ISS) and Shuttle hardware. Of the 36 ECLSS functions reviewed, 16 were considered to have strong potential for commonality, 13 were considered to have some potential commonality, and 7 were considered to have limited potential for commonality due to unique requirements or lack of sufficient heritage hardware. These findings, which will be utilized in architecture studies and budget exercises going forward, are presented in detail.

An Investigation of the Essential Qualities, Characteristics, and Background Requirements for a Professional Senior Civilian Logistician.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

walhases. For the purposes of this thesis, the followang areas are Included: Supply System, Item, or Program Management Transportation Engineering...easy. This de - I I1 11 I pends on the person for higher level Jobs. I I1 11 I A technician Is needed for lower level Jobu.I...included: Supply System, Item, or Program Management Transportation Engineering Maintenance Logistics Planning Procurement Considering the second list on

Direct conversion of nuclear radiation energy

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

Miley, George H.

1970-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive study of methods for converting nuclear radiationi directly without resorting to a heat cycle. The concepts discussed primarily involve direct collection of charged particles released by radioisotopes and by nuclear and thermonuclear reactors. Areas considered include basic energy conversion, charged-particle transport theory, secondary-electron emission, and leakage currents and associated problems. Applications to both nuclear instrumentaion and power sources are discussed. Problems are also included as an aid to the reader or for classroom use.

EMP Threats to US National Security: Congressional Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huessy, Peter

2011-04-01

The US Congress is considering how best to respond to concerns that EMP is a real and present danger to US security. The threats come from a variety of areas: solar storms, non-nuclear EMP from man-made machines and devices; and nuclear EMP from a nuclear device exploded above CONUS or other critical areas important to the United States and its allies. Responses have to date included passage in the House of legislation to protect the electrical grid in the United States from such threats and hearings before the Homeland Security Committee. Additional efforts include examining missile defense responses, protection of the maritime domain, and hardening of US military and related civilian infrastructure. The House of Representatives has also examined what Europe, the European Union and NATO, both government and private industry, have done in these areas. Complicating matters are related issues of cyber-security and overall homeland security priorities.

Glacial lake inventory and lake outburst potential in Uzbekistan.

PubMed

Petrov, Maxim A; Sabitov, Timur Y; Tomashevskaya, Irina G; Glazirin, Gleb E; Chernomorets, Sergey S; Savernyuk, Elena A; Tutubalina, Olga V; Petrakov, Dmitriy A; Sokolov, Leonid S; Dokukin, Mikhail D; Mountrakis, Giorgos; Ruiz-Villanueva, Virginia; Stoffel, Markus

2017-08-15

Climate change has been shown to increase the number of mountain lakes across various mountain ranges in the World. In Central Asia, and in particular on the territory of Uzbekistan, a detailed assessment of glacier lakes and their evolution over time is, however lacking. For this reason we created the first detailed inventory of mountain lakes of Uzbekistan based on recent (2002-2014) satellite observations using WorldView-2, SPOT5, and IKONOS imagery with a spatial resolution from 2 to 10m. This record was complemented with data from field studies of the last 50years. The previous data were mostly in the form of inventories of lakes, available in Soviet archives, and primarily included localized in-situ data. The inventory of mountain lakes presented here, by contrast, includes an overview of all lakes of the territory of Uzbekistan. Lakes were considered if they were located at altitudes above 1500m and if lakes had an area exceeding 100m 2 . As in other mountain regions of the World, the ongoing increase of air temperatures has led to an increase in lake number and area. Moreover, the frequency and overall number of lake outburst events have been on the rise as well. Therefore, we also present the first outburst assessment with an updated version of well-known approaches considering local climate features and event histories. As a result, out of the 242 lakes identified on the territory of Uzbekistan, 15% are considered prone to outburst, 10% of these lakes have been assigned low outburst potential and the remainder of the lakes have an average level of outburst potential. We conclude that the distribution of lakes by elevation shows a significant influence on lake area and hazard potential. No significant differences, by contrast, exist between the distribution of lake area, outburst potential, and lake location with respect to glaciers by regions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient and phytoplankton analysis of a Mediterranean coastal area.

PubMed

Sebastiá, M T; Rodilla, M

2013-01-01

Identifying and quantifying the key anthropogenic nutrient input sources are essential to adopting management measures that can target input for maximum effect in controlling the phytoplankton biomass. In this study, three systems characterized by distinctive main nutrient sources were sampled along a Mediterranean coast transect. These sources were groundwater discharge in the Ahuir area, the Serpis river discharge in the Venecia area, and a submarine wastewater outfall 1,900 m from the coast. The study area includes factors considered important in determining a coastal area as a sensitive area: it has significant nutrient sources, tourism is a major source of income in the region, and it includes an area of high water residence time (Venecia area) which is affected by the harbor facilities and by wastewater discharges. We found that in the Ahuir and the submarine wastewater outfall areas, the effects of freshwater inputs were reduced because of a greater water exchange with the oligotrophic Mediterranean waters. On the other hand, in the Venecia area, the highest levels of nutrient concentration and phytoplankton biomass were attributed to the greatest water residence time. In this enclosed area, harmful dinoflagellates were detected (Alexandrium sp. and Dinophysis caudata). If the planned enlargement of the Gandia Harbor proceeds, it may increase the vulnerability of this system and provide the proper conditions of confinement for the dinoflagellate blooms' development. Management measures should first target phosphorus inputs as this is the most potential-limiting nutrient in the Venecia area and comes from a point source that is easier to control. Finally, we recommend that harbor environmental management plans include regular monitoring of water quality in adjacent waters to identify adverse phytoplankton community changes.

Spatial-temporal Trends and Factors Associated with the Bluetongue Virus Seropositivity in Large Game Hunting Areas from Southern Spain.

PubMed

Arenas-Montes, A; Paniagua, J; Arenas, A; Lorca-Oró, C; Carbonero, A; Cano-Terriza, D; García-Bocanegra, I

2016-10-01

An epidemiological study was carried out to determine the spatial-temporal trends and risk factors potentially involved in the seropositivity to bluetongue virus (BTV) in hunting areas with presence of red deer (Cervus elaphus). A total of 60 of 98 (61.2%; CI95% : 51.6-70.9) hunting areas sampled presented at least one seropositive red deer. Antibodies against BTV were detected in juvenile animals during the hunting seasons 2007/2008 to 2013/2014 in 15 of 98 (15.3%) hunting areas, which indicates an uninterrupted circulation of BTV in this period. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that the red deer density at hunting area level (>22 individuals/km(2) ), the annual abundance of Culicoides imicola (>1.4 mosquitoes/sampling) and the goat density at municipality level (>24.1 individuals/km(2) ) were factors significantly associated with BTV seropositivity in hunting areas. Control measures against BTV in the studied area include vaccination programmes in wild and domestic ruminants, movement control in areas with high densities and abundance of red deer and C. imicola, respectively. Considering the potential risk of BTV re-emergence, red deer should be included in the BT surveillance programmes in regions where these species share habitats with livestock. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

RSVP: An experimental organization.

PubMed

Oram, P G

1967-09-01

RSVP is a volunteer organization of psychologists formed to facilitate participation in community activities. Its first venture was in working with 10 tutoring programs in the Boston area. Emphasis in the first year was on discovering areas in which psychologists could be helpful. Projects included group discussion leadership, workshops, and recruitment of tutors and professionals. At present the organization is attempting to broaden the number and kind of activities in which it is engaged and is facing a number of questions relative to future programs. The members consider that RSVP has been a successful experiment.

Neural models on temperature regulation for cold-stressed animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, J. M.

1975-01-01

The present review evaluates several assumptions common to a variety of current models for thermoregulation in cold-stressed animals. Three areas covered by the models are discussed: signals to and from the central nervous system (CNS), portions of the CNS involved, and the arrangement of neurons within networks. Assumptions in each of these categories are considered. The evaluation of the models is based on the experimental foundations of the assumptions. Regions of the nervous system concerned here include the hypothalamus, the skin, the spinal cord, the hippocampus, and the septal area of the brain.

Space station/base food system study. Volume 1: Systems design handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

A description is given of the approach used in a study to identify and define engineering data for a spectrum of possible items and equipment comprising potential food systems. In addition, the material presented includes: (1) the study results containing the candidate concepts considered and technical data, performance characteristics, and sketches for each of the concepts by functional area; (2) human factors considerations for crew tasks; (3) shuttle supply interface requirements; (4) special food system study areas; and (5) recommendations and conclusions based on the study results.

[Nuclear energy and environment: review of the IAEA environmental projects].

PubMed

Fesenko, S; Fogt, G

2012-01-01

The review of the environmental projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency is presented. Basic IAEA documents intended to protect humans and the Environment are considered and their main features are discussed. Some challenging issues in the area of protection of the Environment and man, including the impact of nuclear facilities on the environment, radioactive waste management, and remediation of the areas affected by radiological accidents, nuclear testing and sites of nuclear facilities are also discussed. The need to maintain the existing knowledge in radioecology and protection of the environment is emphasised.

[Multicriteria evaluation of environmental risk exposure using a geographic information system in Argentina].

PubMed

Pietri, Diana De; Dietrich, Patricia; Mayo, Patricia; Carcagno, Alejandro

2011-10-01

Develop a spatial model that includes environmental factors posing a health hazard, for application in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin (MRB) in Argentina. Multicriteria evaluation procedures were used with geographic information systems to obtain territorial zoning based on the degree of suitability for residence. Variables that characterize the habitability of housing and potential sources of basin pollution were geographically referenced. Health information was taken from the Risk Factor Survey (RFS) to measure the relative risk of living in unsuitable areas (exposed population) compared with suitable areas (unexposed population). Sixty percent of the MRB area is in suitable condition, a situation that affects 40% of residents. The rest of the population lives in unsuitable territory, and 6% live in the basin's most unsuitable conditions. Environmental conditions that are detrimental to health in the unsuitable areas became evident during the interviews through three of the pathologies considered: diarrheal diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancer. A regional analysis that provides valid information to support decisionmaking was obtained. Considering the basin as a unit of analysis allowed the use of a single protocol to undertake comprehensive measurement of the magnitude of risk and, thus, set priorities.

New Madrid Seismotectonic Program. Final report

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

Buschbach, T.C.

1986-06-01

The New Madrid Seismotectonic Program was a large-scale multidisciplinary effort that was designed to define the structural setting and tectonic history of the New Madrid area in order to realistically evaluate earthquake risks in the siting of nuclear facilities. The tectonic model proposed to explain the New Madrid seismicity is the ''zone of weakness'' model, which suggests that an ancient rift complex formed a zone of weakness in the earth's crust along which regional stresses are relieved. The Reelfoot Rift portion of the proposed rift complex is currently seismically active, and it must be considered capable and likely to bemore » exposed to large-magnitude earthquakes in the future. Earthquakes that occur in the Wabash Valley area are less abundant and generally have deeper hypocenters than earthquakes in the New Madrid area. The area of the Southern Indiana Arm must be considered to have seismic risk, although a lesser extent than the Reelfoot Rift. The east-west trending Rough Creek Graben is practically aseismic, probably in large part due to its orientation in the current stress field. The northwest-trending St. Louis Arm of the proposed rift complex includes a pattern of seismicity that extends from southern Illinois along the Mississippi River. This arm must be considered to have seismic risk, but because of the lack of development of a graben associated with the arm and the orientation of the arm in the current stress field, the risk appears to be less than in the Reelfoot Rift portion of the rift complex.« less

Consideration of the use of origami-style solar panels for use on a terrestrial/orbital wireless power generation and transmission spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, Alexander F.; Pearson, Jens; Lysford, Wilson; Straub, Jeremy

2016-05-01

This paper presents work on the development of Origami-style solar panels and their adaption and efficacy for use in Earth orbit. It focuses on the enabling capability of this technology for the generation and transmission of power. The proposed approach provides increased collection (solar panel) and transmission (microwave radiation) surface area, as compared to other systems with similar mass and volume. An overview of the system is presented, including its pre-deployment configuration, the deployment process and its final configuration. Its utility for wireless power transmission mission is then considered. An economic discussion is then presented to consider how the mass and volume efficiencies provided enable the system to approach target willingness-to-pay values that were presented and considered in prior work. A key consideration regarding the use of wireless power transfer in Earth orbit is the reliability of the technology. This has several different areas of consideration. It must reliably supply power to its customers (or they would have to have local generation capabilities sufficient for their needs, defeating the benefit of this system). It must also be shown to reliably supply power only to designated locations (and not inadvertently or otherwise beam power at other locations). The effect of the system design (including the Origami structure and deployment / rigidity mechanisms) is considered to assess whether the use of this technology may impair either of these key mission/safety-critical goals. This analysis is presented and a discussion of mitigation techniques to several prospective problems is presented, before concluding with a discussion of future work.

Core components of the rural nurse specialist role in New Zealand.

PubMed

Bell, Jennie; Crawford, Ruth; Holloway, Kathy

2018-06-01

New Zealand has a rural population with unique healthcare needs. Traditionally, rural health care has been provided by medical general practitioners (GPs); however, as the number of GPs declines, the rural nurse specialist (RNS) role has emerged. The RNS is a registered nurse with advanced nursing skills that enable independent, autonomous practice within rural areas. The health needs of each rural community are specific to that area and the RNS role has been developed according to local healthcare needs. The purpose of this research was to provide a description of the RNS role in New Zealand. A descriptive exploratory approach was used in this qualitative study. The study was conducted in two parts. Phase 1 consisted of document content analysis of RNS position descriptions and phase 2 comprised four semi-structured interviews with RNSs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The Modified Strong Model of Advanced Practice was utilised as a framework for thematic analysis during both phases. Rural nurse specialists demonstrated a wide variance in the understanding of the term 'RNS'. The RNS role was found to include provision of care across a wide range of settings according to local needs. Advanced assessment skills were expected by employers and considered a major component of the role by RNSs. Advanced assessments skills were utilised to enhance communication and thus increase collaboration with other health professionals. The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with other health professionals was found to be a high priority. However, RNSs perceived that collaboration and thus patient care was affected by a lack of role clarity. The nurse practitioner (NP) role in New Zealand was considered more effective, with greater role recognition for the NP. Education was considered essential to maintain advanced assessment skills. RNSs identified providing education in the form of health promotion relevant to local needs as important. There was a lack of information regarding publication and professional leadership, highlighting this as an area for development. Another issue was the importance of stress management in an isolated area. The RNS role requires advanced knowledge to provide independent patient care. Advanced skills utilised include assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. RNSs must have postgraduate education to develop the advanced skills required in this role. RNSs perceive the NP role as having better role clarity; therefore, all participants were considering becoming an NP. There are barriers to becoming an NP, thus an expansion of the current RNS role is recommended. Further recommendations from this study include increased professional leadership to improve RNS visibility and further continued interprofessional education to enhance collaboration.

Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers: Design, Fabrication and Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geels, Randall Scott

The theory, design, fabrication, and testing of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is explored in depth. The design of the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors is thoroughly treated and both analytic and numerical approaches for computing the reflectivity are covered. The electrical properties of the DBR mirrors are also considered and graded interfaces are found to be critical in reducing the series voltage drop in the mirrors. Thickness variations due to growth rate uncertainties are considered and the permissible thickness inaccuracies are discussed. Layer thickness variations of several percent can be tolerated without large changes in the threshold current. The growth of VCSELs by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is described in detail as is the device processing technology for broad area as well as small area devices. Results from numerous devices are reported. Broad area in-plane lasers were used to characterize the material and determine the internal parameters. Broad area VCSELs were fabricated to determine the characteristics of the VCSEL cavity. Small area VCSELs were fabricated and extensively tested. Measured and derived parameters from small area devices include: threshold current (~0.7 mA), peak output power (>3 mW), maximum operation temperature (>110^ circC), output power at 100^ circC (~0.4 mW), and linewidth (85 MHz). The near field, far field, and polarization characteristics were also measured.

National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Wells Quadrangle, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah

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

Proffitt, J.L.; Mayerson, D.L.; Parker, D.P.

1982-08-01

The Wells 2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah, was evaluated using National Uranium Resource Evaluation criteria to delineate areas favorable for uranium deposits. Our investigation has resulted in the delineation of areas that contain Tertiary sedimentary rocks favorable for hydroallogenic deposits in the Mountain City area (Favorable Area A) and in the Oxley Peak area north of Wells (Favorable Area B). Environments considered to be unfavorable for uranium deposits include Tertiary felsic volcanic, felsic plutonic, intermediate to mafic volcanic, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Precambrian rocks, and most Tertiary sedimentary rocks located outside the favorable areas. Present-day basins aremore » unevaluated environments because of a paucity of adequate outcrop and subsurface data. However, the scarce data indicate that some characteristics favorable for uranium deposits are present in the Susie Creek-Tule Valley-Wild Horse basin, the Contact-Granite Range-Tijuana John stocks area, the Charleston Reservoir area, and the Wells-Marys River basin.« less

An area model for on-chip memories and its application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulder, Johannes M.; Quach, Nhon T.; Flynn, Michael J.

1991-01-01

An area model suitable for comparing data buffers of different organizations and arbitrary sizes is described. The area model considers the supplied bandwidth of a memory cell and includes such buffer overhead as control logic, driver logic, and tag storage. The model gave less than 10 percent error when verified against real caches and register files. It is shown that, comparing caches and register files in terms of area for the same storage capacity, caches generally occupy more area per bit than register files for small caches because the overhead dominates the cache area at these sizes. For larger caches, the smaller storage cells in the cache provide a smaller total cache area per bit than the register set. Studying cache performance (traffic ratio) as a function of area, it is shown that, for small caches, direct-mapped caches perform significantly better than four-way set-associative caches and, for caches of medium areas, both direct-mapped and set-associative caches perform better than fully associative caches.

Materials Compatibility Testing in RSRM ODC: Free Cleaner Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keen, Jill M.; Sagers, Neil W.; McCool, Alex (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Government regulations have mandated production phase-outs of a number of solvents, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, an ozone-depleting chemical (ODC). This solvent was used extensively in the production of the Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) for the Space Shuttle. Many tests have been performed to identify replacement cleaners. One major area of concern in the selection of a new cleaner has been compatibility. Some specific areas considered included cleaner compatibility with non-metallic surfaces, painted surfaces, support materials such as gloves and wipers as well as corrosive properties of the cleaners on the alloys used on these motors. The intent of this paper is to summarize the test logic, methodology, and results acquired from testing the many cleaner and material combinations.

Environmental geochemical studies of selected mineral deposits in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eppinger, Robert G.; Briggs, Paul H.; Rosenkrans, Danny; Ballestrazze, Vanessa

2000-01-01

Environmental geochemical investigations at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, between 1994 and 1997 included studies of the Kennecott stratabound copper mines and mill area; historic mines and mill in the Bremner District, gold placer mines at Gold Hill; the undisturbed porphyry, Cu-Mo deposits at Orange Hill and Bond Creek, and the historic mines and mill at Nabesna, The study was in cooperation with the National Park Service and focused on sample media including surface water, bedload sediment, rock, mine waste, and mill tailings samples. Results demonstrate that bedrock geology and mineral deposit type must be considered when environmental geochemical effects of historic or active mine areas are evaluated.

FOOTPRINT: A COMPUTER APPLICATION FOR ESTIMATING PLUME AREAS OF BTEX COMPOUNDS IN GROUND WATER IMPACTED BY A SPILL OF GASOLINE CONTAINING ETHANOL

EPA Science Inventory

Ethanol has a potential negative impact on the natural biodegradation of other gasoline constituents, including BTEX compounds, in ground water. The impact of ethanol on the size of the BTEX plume should be considered in the risk evaluation of spills of gasoline containing ethan...

Improvements in magnetic bearing performance for flywheel energy storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plant, David P.; Anand, Davinder K.; Kirk, James A.; Calomeris, Anthony J.; Romero, Robert L.

1988-01-01

The paper considers the development of a 500-Watt-hour magnetically suspended flywheel stack energy storage system. The work includes hardware testing results from a stack flywheel energy storage system, improvements in the area of noncontacting displacement transducers, and performance enhancements of magnetic bearings. Experimental results show that a stack flywheel energy storage system is feasible technology.

Environmental Assessment for Construction of the Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS) at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

located in the north-central part of the base and includes the areas occupied by the golf course clubhouse , maintenance building, and the driving range...foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency or person undertakes such other actions” (40 CFR 1508.7). Recent CEQ guidance in Considering

The 1980 Aircraft Safety and Operating Problems, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stickle, J. W. (Compiler)

1981-01-01

It is difficult to categorize aircraft operating problems, human factors and safety. Much of NASA's research involves all three and considers the important inter-relationships between man, the machine and the environment, whether the environment be man-made or natural. Topics covered in 20 papers include terminal-area operations; avionics and human factors; and the atmospheric environment.

Massage Therapy Training in South Carolina: What You Should Know before You Enroll

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This brochure provides a checklist of information for individuals considering massage therapy training in South Carolina. Areas covered include: (1) Oversight; (2) Requirements to Become a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT); (3) Evaluating a School; (4) How to Decide; (5) While You're Enrolled; (6) After You Graduate; (7) Continuing Education; (8)…

North and Latin American Business Negotiations: An Assessment of Differences in Interpersonal Perception.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rankis, Olaf E.; Biggers, J. Thompson

Both North American and Latin American business professionals were investigated in a study that focused on the perceived communication problems between the two groups. A number of major areas of interest were considered, including the following: (1) source of credibility (what dimensions of personality were seen as most desirable in the…

The importance of considering shifts in seasonal changes in discharges when prediciting future phosphorus loads in streams

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this work, we hypothesize that phosphorus (P) concentrations in streams vary seasonally and with streamflow and that it is important to incorporate this variation when predicting changes in P loading associated with climate change. Our study area includes 14 watersheds with a range of land uses t...

Understanding the transformative aspects of the Wilderness and Protected Lands experience upon human health

Treesearch

Alan Ewert; Jillisa Overholt; Alison Voight; Chun Chieh Wang

2011-01-01

Wilderness and Protected Landscapes (WPLs) have long been considered special areas for a variety of reasons including baseline data, impact analyses, protected zones, and other tangible and intangible values. Another salient, and some would argue, a more important value offered through WPLs is that of human transformation. Accordingly, three theories have provided the...

National Information Policy Developments Worldwide II: Universal Access-Addressing the Digital Divide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muir, Adrienne; Oppenheim, Charles

2002-01-01

Describes the results of a literature survey on recent developments in national information policies in the area of universal access that tries to ensure equal access to information, and considers the digital divide. Highlights include policies in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Hong Kong, the United States, and Okinawa. (Contains 64…

A distributed data base management facility for the CAD/CAM environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balza, R. M.; Beaudet, R. W.; Johnson, H. R.

1984-01-01

Current/PAD research in the area of distributed data base management considers facilities for supporting CAD/CAM data management in a heterogeneous network of computers encompassing multiple data base managers supporting a variety of data models. These facilities include coordinated execution of multiple DBMSs to provide for administration of and access to data distributed across them.

76 FR 38676 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central Planning Area (CPA), Oil and Gas...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-01

... September 2008. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEMRE developed the Draft SEIS for CPA Lease Sale 216/222 to consider new information made available since completion of the Multisale EIS and 2009-2012 SEIS, including information concerning the Deepwater Horizon event and spill and new regulatory requirements. This Draft SEIS...

Junior High Basals: Effective Hi/Lo Materials for Remedial High School Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvermann, Donna E.

1981-01-01

Discusses the results of an analysis of the appropriateness of eighth-grade basal reading materials for remedial instruction of ninth- and tenth-grade students who read two to three years below grade level. Readability, interest appeal, and representation of content areas are considered. Three data tables and a 14-item reference list are included.…

Incorporating English Learner Progress into State Accountability Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldschmidt, Pete; Hakuta, Kenji

2017-01-01

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) proposes changes in how states include the nation's growing population of English Learners (ELs) into the accountability system. The purpose of this paper is to identify key issues and questions that might be considered and explored by state decision makers in this area. Our primary audience is anyone in a…

The Population Challenge...What It Means to America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.

This yearbook reviews the work being done by the various bureaus and offices of the Department of the Interior. The coverage is very broad, relating to many aspects of conservation in the United States in a descriptive, non-technical style. Some of the areas considered include the quality of living, population growth, consumption of resources,…

78 FR 52148 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-22

... (Richardson et al., 1995): Wind and waves: The complex interactions between wind and water surface, including... interaction with these species is likely to be within the narrow sliver of ensonified area expected to extend... greater potential for interaction during the calving season we considered available density information...

Campus Activities and the First Amendment: Defining the Boundaries of Freedom of Expression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smaldone, Karen

1991-01-01

Four situations involving freedom of speech that could occur on college campuses are offered to help campus activities administrators consider in advance the implications of controversial events and possible techniques for managing them. The situations include a controversial pro-choice speaker, an X-rated movie, heckling in a public area, and…

Plastic, Fantastic? What We Make. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Inst. for Science and Mathematics Education Development.

This module provides information about plastics, focusing on the uses of plastic bags in particular. Topic areas considered include: (1) making plastic bags; (2) transparency of plastic bags; (3) plastic bags and food odors; (4) food containers (before and since plastics); and (5) disposing of plastic bags and other plastic products. The text is…

Hierarchical den selection of Canada lynx in western Montana

Treesearch

John R. Squires; Nicholas J. Decesare; Jay A. Kolbe; Leonard F. Ruggiero

2008-01-01

We studied den selection of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis; hereafter lynx) at multiple ecological scales based on 57 dens from 19 females located in western Montana, USA, between 1999 and 2006. We considered 3 spatial scales in this analysis, including den site (11-m-radius circle surrounding dens), den area (100-m-radius circle), and den environ (1-...

Better Off with or without Your CMS? 5 Kinds of Assessment That Can Really Help.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrmann, Stephen C.; Gilbert, Steven W.

2003-01-01

Presents five areas to consider to help establish the value and improve the effectiveness of a course management system (CMS). Highlights include faculty use to improve teaching effectiveness; changes in support strategies to improve the value of a CMS; increasing enrollment or retention; controlling costs; and identifying barriers to desired…

How Rural America Sees Its Future. The Main Street Economist: Commentary on the Rural Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkema, Alan D.; Drabenstott, Mark

To gain a perspective on rural America's future, seven roundtables consisting of seven rural stakeholder groups were convened. Four groups of challenges facing rural areas emerged. The rural business environment was considered the source of greatest challenge. Agriculture concerns included low profits and access to world markets. The effects of…

Mortality of populations residing in geothermal areas of Tuscany during the period 2003-2012.

PubMed

Bustaffa, Elisa; Minichilli, Fabrizio; Nuvolone, Daniela; Voller, Fabio; Cipriani, Francesco; Bianchi, Fabrizio

2017-01-01

The limited scientific knowledge on the relationship between exposure and health effects in relation to geothermal activity motivated an epidemiologic investigation of Tuscan geothermal area. This study aims at describing mortality of populations living in Tuscan municipalities in the period 2003-2012. Sixteen municipalities were included in the study area: eight in the northern and eight in the southern area. Mortality data come from the Regional Mortality Registry of Tuscany. Fifty-four causes of death, considered of interest for population health status or consistent with "Project SENTIERI" criteria, are analyzed. Results show a worse mortality profile in the southern area, especially in males, for whom excesses of all cancers and some causes of cancer emerge, while in the northern area an excess of cerebrovascular diseases among females merits attention. Further and more appropriate studies are needed to clarify the etiology of some diseases and to better assess a potential cause-effect relationship.

[Environmental characterization of the National Contaminated Sites in SENTIERI project].

PubMed

Musmeci, L; Bellino, M; Falleni, F; Piccardi, A

2011-01-01

The concept of "polluted site" was firstly introduced in Italy with the definition of "environmental high risk areas" (Rule 349/86). Later, the decree 471/99 stated that a site is considered polluted if the concentration of even just one index pollutant in anyone of the matrices (soil or subsoil, surface or ground waters) exceeds the allowable threshold limit concentration. The boundaries of Italian polluted sites (IPS) were defined (Decree 152/06) on the basis of health, environmental and social criteria. SENTIERI Project includes 44 out of the 57 sites comprised in the "National environmental remediation program"; they correspond to the largest national industrial agglomerates. For each site, characterization data were collected, classified and arranged in tables. A great part of collected data came also from the environmental remediation programmes planned for the sites. These plans show that characterization and risk assessment activities were mainly undertaken for private industrial areas, as they were considered source of pollution. On the other hand, municipal and/or green and agricultural areas included in IPSs were poorly studied. Therefore, it is difficult to assess the exposure of the populations living inside and/or near the IPSs. The most probable population exposure come from the contamination of ground waters utilized for irrigation, or industrial emissions. For a description of SENTIERI, refer to the 2010 Supplement of Epidemiology & Prevention devoted to SENTIERI Project.

ICRP Publication 111 - Application of the Commission's recommendations to the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident or a radiation emergency.

PubMed

Lochard, J; Bogdevitch, I; Gallego, E; Hedemann-Jensen, P; McEwan, A; Nisbet, A; Oudiz, A; Oudiz, T; Strand, P; Janssens, A; Lazo, T; Carr, Z; Sugier, A; Burns, P; Carboneras, P; Cool, D; Cooper, J; Kai, M; Lecomte, J-F; Liu, H; Massera, G; McGarry, A; Mrabit, K; Mrabit, M; Sjöblom, K-L; Tsela, A; Weiss, W

2009-06-01

In this report, the Commission provides guidance for the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas resulting from either a nuclear accident or a radiation emergency. The report considers the effects of such events on the affected population. This includes the pathways of human exposure, the types of exposed populations, and the characteristics of exposures. Although the focus is on radiation protection considerations, the report also recognises the complexity of post-accident situations, which cannot be managed without addressing all the affected domains of daily life, i.e. environmental, health, economic, social, psychological, cultural, ethical, political, etc. The report explains how the 2007 Recommendations apply to this type of existing exposure situation, including consideration of the justification and optimisation of protection strategies, and the introduction and application of a reference level to drive the optimisation process. The report also considers practical aspects of the implementation of protection strategies, both by authorities and the affected population. It emphasises the effectiveness of directly involving the affected population and local professionals in the management of the situation, and the responsibility of authorities at both national and local levels to create the conditions and provide the means favouring the involvement and empowerment of the population. The role of radiation monitoring, health surveillance, and the management of contaminated foodstuffs and other commodities is described in this perspective. The Annex summarises past experience of longterm contaminated areas resulting from radiation emergencies and nuclear accidents, including radiological criteria followed in carrying out remediation measures.

Evaluation of methods for delineating areas that contribute water to wells completed in valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.; Madden, Thomas M.

1994-01-01

Valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania are the source of drinking water for many wells in the glaciated parts of the State and along major river valleys. These aquifers area subject to contamination because of their shallow water-table depth and highly transmissive sediments. The possibility for contamination of water-supply wells in valley-fill aquifers can be minimized by excluding activities that could contaminate areas that contribute water to supply wells. An area that contributes water to a well is identified in this report as either an area of diversion, time-of-travel area, or contributing area. The area of diversion is a projection to land surface of the valley-fill aquifer volume through which water is diverted to a well and the time-of travel area is that fraction of the area of diversion through which water moves to the well in a specified time. The contributing area, the largest of three areas, includes the area of diversion but also incorporates bedrock uplands and other area that contribute water. Methods for delineating areas of diversion and contributing areas in valley-fill aquifers, described and compared in order of increasing complexity, include fixed radius, uniform flow, analytical, semianalytical, and numerical modeling. Delineated areas are considered approximations because the hydraulic properties and boundary conditions of the real ground-water system are simplified even in the most complex numerical methods. Successful application of any of these methods depends on the investigator's understanding of the hydrologic system in and near the well field, and the limitations of the method. The hydrologic system includes not only the valley-fill aquifer but also the regional surface-water and ground-water flow systems within which the valley is situated. As shown by numerical flow simulations of a well field in the valley-fill aquifer along Marsh Creek Valley near Asaph, Pa., water from upland bedrock sources can provide nearly all the water contributed to the well.

Project FIRES. Volume 4: Prototype Protective Ensemble Qualification Test Report, Phase 1B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abeles, F. J.

1980-01-01

The qualification testing of a prototype firefighter's protective ensemble is documented. Included are descriptions of the design requirements, the testing methods, and the test apparatus. The tests include measurements of individual subsystem characteristics in areas relating to both physical testing, such as heat, flame, impact penetration and human factors testing, such as dexterity, grip, and mobility. Also, measurements related to both physical and human factors testing of the complete ensemble, such as water protection, metabolic expenditures, and compatibility are considered.

Yellow Fever outbreaks in unvaccinated populations, Brazil, 2008-2009.

PubMed

Romano, Alessandro Pecego Martins; Costa, Zouraide Guerra Antunes; Ramos, Daniel Garkauskas; Andrade, Maria Auxiliadora; Jayme, Valéria de Sá; Almeida, Marco Antônio Barreto de; Vettorello, Kátia Campomar; Mascheretti, Melissa; Flannery, Brendan

2014-03-01

Due to the risk of severe vaccine-associated adverse events, yellow fever vaccination in Brazil is only recommended in areas considered at risk for disease. From September 2008 through June 2009, two outbreaks of yellow fever in previously unvaccinated populations resulted in 21 confirmed cases with 9 deaths (case-fatality, 43%) in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and 28 cases with 11 deaths (39%) in Sao Paulo state. Epizootic deaths of non-human primates were reported before and during the outbreak. Over 5.5 million doses of yellow fever vaccine were administered in the two most affected states. Vaccine-associated adverse events were associated with six deaths due to acute viscerotropic disease (0.8 deaths per million doses administered) and 45 cases of acute neurotropic disease (5.6 per million doses administered). Yellow fever vaccine recommendations were revised to include areas in Brazil previously not considered at risk for yellow fever.

Yellow Fever Outbreaks in Unvaccinated Populations, Brazil, 2008–2009

PubMed Central

Romano, Alessandro Pecego Martins; Costa, Zouraide Guerra Antunes; Ramos, Daniel Garkauskas; Andrade, Maria Auxiliadora; Jayme, Valéria de Sá; de Almeida, Marco Antônio Barreto; Vettorello, Kátia Campomar; Mascheretti, Melissa; Flannery, Brendan

2014-01-01

Due to the risk of severe vaccine-associated adverse events, yellow fever vaccination in Brazil is only recommended in areas considered at risk for disease. From September 2008 through June 2009, two outbreaks of yellow fever in previously unvaccinated populations resulted in 21 confirmed cases with 9 deaths (case-fatality, 43%) in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and 28 cases with 11 deaths (39%) in Sao Paulo state. Epizootic deaths of non-human primates were reported before and during the outbreak. Over 5.5 million doses of yellow fever vaccine were administered in the two most affected states. Vaccine-associated adverse events were associated with six deaths due to acute viscerotropic disease (0.8 deaths per million doses administered) and 45 cases of acute neurotropic disease (5.6 per million doses administered). Yellow fever vaccine recommendations were revised to include areas in Brazil previously not considered at risk for yellow fever. PMID:24625634

Place attachment and disasters: Knowns and unknowns.

PubMed

Jamali, Mehdi; Nejat, Ali

When considering the factors important for disaster recovery, one must consider the attachment individuals have toward their living area. This article reviews and synthesizes the current literature on the determinants of place attachment in the context of postdisaster recovery. Although the majority of the reviewed articles focused on disaster recovery, there were some which had a broader scope and were included due to their importance. This research categorizes the determinants of place attachment into four categories: demographic, socioeconomic, spatial, and psychosocial. Age, ethnicity, and religion were grouped under the category of demographics. Job status, education, and property ownership were categorized under the socioeconomic category. Attachment to home, neighborhood, and city, together with attachment to rural and urban areas, were grouped under the spatial category. Finally, mental health status and community attachment were classified under the psychosocial heading. Based on the outcome of the aforementioned synthesis, this article develops a conceptual framework to guide future research.

Infection control: beyond the horizon.

PubMed

Gray, J

2015-04-01

This article will consider possible future directions for innovation and research in infection prevention and control, and will make the case for the importance of including clinical and cost-effectiveness evaluation in such research. Opportunities for studies in a number of broad subject areas will be considered, including prevention and control of existing and emerging infection hazards, the challenges posed by changes in the way that medical care is being delivered, technological developments that could be harnessed for infection prevention and control, how new laboratory diagnostic technologies might benefit infection prevention and control, cleaning and decontamination, and the infection control aspects of hospital design. The need for robust economic data to support the wide and timely implementation of evidence-based practice is emphasized. Copyright © 2014 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of aircraft electrical power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The formulation of a philosophy for devising a reliable, efficient, lightweight, and cost effective electrical power system for advanced, large transport aircraft in the 1980 to 1985 time period is discussed. The determination and recommendation for improvements in subsystems and components are also considered. All aspects of the aircraft electrical power system including generation, conversion, distribution, and utilization equipment were considered. Significant research and technology problem areas associated with the development of future power systems are identified. The design categories involved are: (1) safety-reliability, (2) power type, voltage, frequency, quality, and efficiency, (3) power control, and (4) selection of utilization equipment.

HealthPartners adopts community business model to deepen focus on nonclinical factors of health outcomes.

PubMed

Isham, George J; Zimmerman, Donna J; Kindig, David A; Hornseth, Gary W

2013-08-01

Clinical care contributes only 20 percent to overall health outcomes, according to a population health model developed at the University of Wisconsin. Factors contributing to the remainder include lifestyle behaviors, the physical environment, and social and economic forces--all generally considered outside the realm of care. In 2010 Minnesota-based HealthPartners decided to target nonclinical community health factors as a formal part of its strategic business plan to improve public health in the Twin Cities area. The strategy included creating partnerships with businesses and institutions that are generally unaccustomed to working together or considering how their actions could help improve community health. This article describes efforts to promote healthy eating in schools, reduce the stigma of mental illness, improve end-of-life decision making, and strengthen an inner-city neighborhood. Although still in their early stages, the partnerships can serve as encouragement for organizations inside and outside health care that are considering undertaking similar efforts in their markets.

Determining priorities of a remediation plan at urban scale by assessing the risk of metals and POPs for local population: The Acerra-Pomigliano-Marigliano conurbation case study in Italy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albanese, Stefano; Lima, Annamaria; Rezza, Carmela; Qi, Shihua; Qu, Chengkai; Chen, Wei; De Vivo, Benedetto

2015-04-01

In the framework of the URGE (Urban Geochemistry) project aiming at depicting the environmental conditions of several cities in Europe, the north-eastern sector of the Naples metropolitan area (Italy), namely the Acerra-Pomigliano-Marigliano area (with ~160.000 inhabitants), has undergone a geochemical characterization based on topsoil sampling (145 samples over an area of 90 sqkm). The conurbation includes 6 municipalities (Acerra, Pomigliano D'Arco, Castello di Cisterna, Brusciano, Mariglianella and Marigliano) and considering the total extension of the urbanized areas (18-20 sqkm) the average population density could be corrected to 6-7000 inhabitants/sqkm. Soils of the area are mostly originated by the pedogenenesis of the original pyroclastics produced by the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius volcano on the south-western side of the study area. The area has been selected because of both the presence of an historical industrial settlement on it (mainly devoted to plastic materials and synthetic fibers production) and of an incinerator which came into operation in March 2009. The main objective of the study was 1) to define the local geochemical baselines both for 53 elements (among which the toxic ones) and for some organic compounds, including PAHs, PCBs and OCPs and 2) to assess the environmental risk generated by polluted soils. Furthermore, the study aimed at supporting epidemiological researches and at establishing a record of the environmental status quo ante to evaluate in the future the impact of the incinerator on life quality and on health of local population. Obtained results showed that most of the urbanized areas of the Acerra-Pomigliano-Marigliano conurbations are characterized by concentrations of Pb, Zn and V exceeding the intervention limits established by the Italian Environmental law (D.Lgs. 152/2006). Agricultural soils, in the surroundings of the urbanized areas, are enriched in Cu, Co, Cd, Be and Ni, and the probable presence of illegal waste disposals in the area should be considered as a source for them. In the area where the incinerator has been built Se, Hg, Cu, Cd and Sb baselines are generally higher than in the rest of the territory. Benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and indeno(123-cd)pyrene are the most concentrated PAHs in urbanized areas and they are characterized by concentrations exceeding the Italian guidelines.

Global Geomorphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglas, I.

1985-01-01

Any global view of landforms must include an evaluation of the link between plate tectonics and geomorphology. To explain the broad features of the continents and ocean floors, a basic distinction between the tectogene and cratogene part of the Earth's surface must be made. The tectogene areas are those that are dominated by crustal movements, earthquakes and volcanicity at the present time and are essentially those of the great mountain belts and mid ocean ridges. Cratogene areas comprise the plate interiors, especially the old lands of Gondwanaland and Laurasia. Fundamental as this division between plate margin areas and plate interiors is, it cannot be said to be a simple case of a distinction between tectonically active and stable areas. Indeed, in terms of megageomorphology, former plate margins and tectonic activity up to 600 million years ago have to be considered.

America COMPETES Act: Programs, Funding, and Selected Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-17

semiconductor industry, was created.7 Additional congressional actions also focused on increasing corporate spending on research and development in...Federal Policy, and Legislative Action , by Jeffrey J. Kuenzi. 44 Bureau of Economic Analysis/National Science Foundation, “2007 Research and Development...government consider a civilian technology corporation or a civilian technology agency, in limited areas, including energy research .80 A similar action

WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO ABOUT RURAL CIVIL DEFENSE, NOTES FOR SPEAKERS AND WRITERS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

CIVIL DEFENSE PREPAREDNESS IS A FACTOR RURAL PEOPLE NEED TO CONSIDER IN ALL THEIR FARM, HOME, AND BUSINESS PLANNING. NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR ATTACK ARE FACTS THAT AMERICANS CANNOT IGNORE. THIS DOCUMENT PRESENTS THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF A CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS WHICH INCLUDE--(1) THE DANGERS OF FALLOUT,…

World Oil: Coping With the Dangers of Success. Worldwatch Paper 66.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flavin, Christopher

This publication examines various topics and issues related to the world oil situation. Major areas considered are: (1) the nature and consequences of the current oil glut; (2) a historical overview of the petroleum era (with analyses of the three time periods of 1900-1973, 1973-1979, and 1979-1981); (3) the geopolitics of oil (including data on…

Post LANDSAT D Advanced Concept Evaluation (PLACE). [with emphasis on mission planning, technological forecasting, and user requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

An outline is given of the mission objectives and requirements, system elements, system concepts, technology requirements and forecasting, and priority analysis for LANDSAT D. User requirements and mission analysis and technological forecasting are emphasized. Mission areas considered include agriculture, range management, forestry, geology, land use, water resources, environmental quality, and disaster assessment.

Quality Indicators: Developing "MOOCs" in the European Higher Education Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yepes-Baldó, Montserrat; Romeo, Marina; Martín, Carolina; García, María Ángeles; Monzó, Gemma; Besolí, Andrés

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to design an integrated system of evaluation of the quality of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) taking into account the features of this type of courses. The criteria included in the evaluation of the quality of e-learning training in a broad sense are considered, and specifically those developed for the…

Antidotes and treatments for chemical warfare/terrorism agents: an evidence-based review.

PubMed

Rodgers, G C; Condurache, C T

2010-09-01

This article reviews the evidence supporting the efficacy of antidotes used or recommended for the potential chemical warfare agents of most concern. Chemical warfare agents considered include cyanide, vesicants, pulmonary irritants such as chlorine and phosgene, and nerve agents. The strength of evidence for most antidotes is weak, highlighting the need for additional research in this area.

Characteristic parameters of superconductor-coolant interaction including high Tc current density limits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederking, T. H. K.

1989-01-01

In the area of basic mechanisms of helium heat transfer and related influence on super-conducting magnet stability, thermal boundary conditions are important constraints. Characteristic lengths are considered along with other parameters of the superconducting composite-coolant system. Based on helium temperature range developments, limiting critical current densities are assessed at low fields for high transition temperature superconductors.

NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology Summer Workshop. Volume 1: Data processing and transfer panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The data processing and transfer technology areas that need to be developed and that could benefit from space flight experiments are identified. Factors considered include: user requirements, concepts in 'Outlook for Space', and cost reduction. Major program thrusts formulated are an increase in end-to-end information handling and a reduction in life cycle costs.

Proceedings of Symposium on Utilization of Waste Glass in Secondary Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Papers are reported which were presented at the conference on waste glass recovery and re-use in secondary products. The uses considered include: road surfacing, asphaltic concretes, road construction, terrazzo, cement concrete, pozzolan, glass wool, glass-polymer composites, and tiles. Problems of recycling glass in remote areas, and the economics and markets for secondary glass products are discussed.

44 CFR 60.4 - Flood plain management criteria for mudslide (i.e., mudflow)-prone areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... improvements will be reasonably safe from mudslides (i.e., mudflows). Factors to be considered in making such a determination should include but not be limited to (i) the type and quality of soils, (ii) any evidence of... a proposed site and improvements are in a location that may have mudslide (i.e., mudflow) hazards...

College Readiness as a Graduation Requirement: An Assessment of San Diego's Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betts, Julian R.; Zau, Andrew C.; Bachofer, Karen Volz

2013-01-01

To be considered for admission to the University of California (UC) or the California State University (CSU) system, high school students must complete all a-g courses with grades of C or higher. The a-g course sequence includes 30 semesters of UC-approved college preparatory coursework in seven subject areas, and completion indicates a high level…

Effects of climate change on rangeland vegetation in the Northern Rockies Region [Chapter 7

Treesearch

Matt C. Reeves; Mary E. Manning; Jeff P. DiBenedetto; Kyle A. Palmquist; William K. Lauenroth; John B. Bradford; Daniel R. Schlaepfer

2018-01-01

Rangelands are dominated by grass, forb, or shrub species, but are usually not modified by using agronomic improvements such as fertilization or irrigation (Lund 2007; Reeves and Mitchell 2011) as these lands would normally be considered pastures. Rangeland includes grassland, shrubland, and desert ecosystems, alpine areas, and some woodlands (box 7.1). This chapter...

Technology Needs Assessment of an Atmospheric Observation System for Multidisciplinary Air Quality/Meteorology Missions, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarado, U. R.; Bortner, M. H.; Grenda, R. N.; Brehm, W. F.; Frippel, G. G.; Alyea, F.; Kraiman, H.; Folder, P.; Krowitz, L.

1982-01-01

The technology advancements that will be necessary to implement the atmospheric observation systems are considered. Upper and lower atmospheric air quality and meteorological parameters necessary to support the air quality investigations were included. The technology needs were found predominantly in areas related to sensors and measurements of air quality and meteorological measurements.

Discussion about decision support systems using continuous multi-criteria methods for planning in areas with hydro-basins, agriculture and forests, from examples in Argentine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, J. M.; Grau, J. B.; Tarquis, A. M.; Andina, D.; Cisneros, J. M.; Sanchez, E.

2012-04-01

The authors were involved last years in projects considering diverse decision problems on the use of some regions in Argentine, and also related to rivers or rural services in them. They used sets of multi-criteria decision methods, first discrete when the problem included few distinct alternatives, such as e.g. forestry, traditional or intensive agriculture. For attributes they were different effects, classified then in environmental, economic and social criteria. Extending to other gentler areas, such as at South of the Province of Córdoba, Arg., they have balanced more delicately effects of continuous levels of actions, with a combination of Goal Programming linked methods, and they adopted compromises to have precise solutions. That has shown, and in part open, a line of research, as the setting of such models require various kinds of definitions and valuations, including optimizations, goals with penalties in deviations and restrictions. That can be in diverse detail level and horizon, in presence of various technical and human horizons, and that can influence politics of use of terrain and production that will require public and private agents. The research will consider consideration of use and conservation of soils, human systems and agro productions, and hence models for optimization, preferably in such Goal Programming ways. That will require considering various systems of models, first in theory to be reliable, and then in different areas to evaluate the quality of conclusions, and maybe that successively if results are found advantageous. The Bayesian ways will be considered, but they would require a prospective of sets of precise future states of nature or markets with elicited probabilities, which are neither evident nor decisive for the moment, as changes may occur in years but will be very unexpected or uncertain. The results will be lines of models to aid to establish policies of use of territories, by public agencies setting frames for private agents of different size and kinds, with different horizons of climatic and human changes. The usable models will depend somehow on the type of areas, which have different climates and soils, population, markets and maybe civilizations, starting with Argentine examples, if possible compared in cases with Spain.

Classification of Rotor Induced Shearing Events in the Near Wake of a Wind Turbine Array Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Sarah; Viggiano, Bianca; Ali, Naseem; Cal, Raul Bayoan

2017-11-01

Flow perturbation induced by a turbine rotor imposes considerable turbulence and shearing effects in the near wake of a turbine, altering the efficiency of subsequent units within a wind farm array. Previous methods have characterized near wake vorticity of a turbine and recovery distance of various turbine array configurations. This study aims to build on previous analysis with respect to a turbine rotor within an array and develop a model to examine stress events and energy contribution in the near wake due to rotational effects. Hot wire anemometry was employed downstream of a turbine centrally located in the third row of a 3x3 array. Data considered points planar to the rotor and included simultaneous streamwise and wall-normal velocities as well as concurrent streamwise and transverse velocities. Conditional analysis of Reynolds stresses induced by the rotor agree with former near wake research, and examination of stresses in terms of streamwise and transverse velocity components depicts areas of significant rotational effects. Continued analysis includes spectral decomposition and conditional statistics to further characterize shearing events at various points considering the swept area of the rotor.

Transition support for new graduate and novice nurses in critical care settings: An integrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Innes, Tiana; Calleja, Pauline

2018-05-01

Transition into critical care areas for new graduate nurses may be more difficult than transitioning into other areas due to the specialised knowledge needed. It is unknown which aspects of transition programs best support new graduate nurses improve competence and confidence to transition into critical care nursing specialties. Identifying these aspects would assist to design and implement best practice transition programs for new graduates in critical care areas. Themes identified in the literature include; having a designated resource person, workplace culture, socialisation, knowledge and skill acquisition, orientation, and rotation. Allocation of a quality resource person/s, supportive workplace culture, positive socialisation experiences, knowledge and skill acquisition and structured orientation based on new graduates' learning needs all positively supported increased confidence, competence and transition into nursing practice. Rotations between areas within graduate programs can potentially have both positive and negative impacts on the transition process. Negative impacts of including a rotation component in a transition program should be carefully considered alongside perceived benefits when designing new graduate nurse transition programs. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A review of micro-contact physics for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) metal contact switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toler, Benjamin F.; Coutu, Ronald A., Jr.; McBride, John W.

2013-10-01

Innovations in relevant micro-contact areas are highlighted, these include, design, contact resistance modeling, contact materials, performance and reliability. For each area the basic theory and relevant innovations are explored. A brief comparison of actuation methods is provided to show why electrostatic actuation is most commonly used by radio frequency microelectromechanical systems designers. An examination of the important characteristics of the contact interface such as modeling and material choice is discussed. Micro-contact resistance models based on plastic, elastic-plastic and elastic deformations are reviewed. Much of the modeling for metal contact micro-switches centers around contact area and surface roughness. Surface roughness and its effect on contact area is stressed when considering micro-contact resistance modeling. Finite element models and various approaches for describing surface roughness are compared. Different contact materials to include gold, gold alloys, carbon nanotubes, composite gold-carbon nanotubes, ruthenium, ruthenium oxide, as well as tungsten have been shown to enhance contact performance and reliability with distinct trade offs for each. Finally, a review of physical and electrical failure modes witnessed by researchers are detailed and examined.

Mathematical model of parking space unit for triangular parking area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syahrini, Intan; Sundari, Teti; Iskandar, Taufiq; Halfiani, Vera; Munzir, Said; Ramli, Marwan

2018-01-01

Parking space unit (PSU) is an effective measure for the area size of a vehicle, including the free space and the width of the door opening of the vehicle (car). This article discusses a mathematical model for parking space of vehicles in triangular shape area. An optimization model for triangular parking lot is developed. Integer Linear Programming (ILP) method is used to determine the maximum number of the PSU. The triangular parking lot is in isosceles and equilateral triangles shape and implements four possible rows and five possible angles for each field. The vehicles which are considered are cars and motorcycles. The results show that the isosceles triangular parking area has 218 units of optimal PSU, which are 84 units of PSU for cars and 134 units of PSU for motorcycles. Equilateral triangular parking area has 688 units of optimal PSU, which are 175 units of PSU for cars and 513 units of PSU for motorcycles.

77 FR 30087 - Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

...This rule establishes initial air quality designations for most areas in the United States, including areas of Indian country, for the 2008 primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. The designations for several counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin that the EPA is considering for inclusion in the Chicago nonattainment area will be designated in a subsequent action, no later than May 31, 2012. Areas designated as nonattainment are also being classified by operation of law according to the severity of their air quality problems. The classification categories are Marginal, Moderate, Serious, Severe, and Extreme. The EPA is establishing the air quality thresholds that define the classifications in a separate rule that the EPA is signing and publishing in the Federal Register on the same schedule as these designations. In accordance with that separate rule, six nonattainment areas in California are being reclassified to a higher classification.

Factors associated with persons with disability employment in India: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Naraharisetti, Ramya; Castro, Marcia C

2016-10-07

Over twenty million persons with disability in India are increasingly being offered poverty alleviation strategies, including employment programs. This study employs a spatial analytic approach to identify correlates of employment among persons with disability in India, considering sight, speech, hearing, movement, and mental disabilities. Based on 2001 Census data, this study utilizes linear regression and spatial autoregressive models to identify factors associated with the proportion employed among persons with disability at the district level. Models stratified by rural and urban areas were also considered. Spatial autoregressive models revealed that different factors contribute to employment of persons with disability in rural and urban areas. In rural areas, having mental disability decreased the likelihood of employment, while being female and having movement, or sight impairment (compared to other disabilities) increased the likelihood of employment. In urban areas, being female and illiterate decreased the likelihood of employment but having sight, mental and movement impairment (compared to other disabilities) increased the likelihood of employment. Poverty alleviation programs designed for persons with disability in India should account for differences in employment by disability types and should be spatially targeted. Since persons with disability in rural and urban areas have different factors contributing to their employment, it is vital that government and service-planning organizations account for these differences when creating programs aimed at livelihood development.

[Seasonal and regional distribution of tularemia cases in Amasya, Turkey].

PubMed

Yanık, Keramettin; Sarıaydın, Muzaffer; Uzun, M Önder; Çoban, Ahmet Yılmaz; Seçilmiş, Halil

2015-01-01

Tularemia have attracted attention due to increased number of cases since 2009 in Amasya region which is located at Central Blacksea Region of Turkey. The aims of this letter were to provide information about the disease, to emphasize the importance of early treatment due to the outbreak peak in our province between 2009-2012 and water chlorination in epidemic areas. A total of 250 tularemia-suspected patients (117 female, 133 male; mean age: 42 yrs) who were admitted to our hospital with the symptoms of sore throat, fever, malaise and/or presence of neck mass, from 20 different locations within last four years were included in the study. Serum samples of 73 (29.2%) patients yielded ≥ 1/160 titers with F.tularensis microagglutination test which were considered as positive. All positive cases presented with the oropharyngeal form of the disease. The year with the highest number of tularemia cases was 2010. When the regional distribution was evaluated, it was detected that positive cases have precipitated especially in the southeastern (highland area) and northeastern (lowland area) parts of Amasya (34/73; 46.6%). Majority of the tularemia cases (53/73; 72.6%) were identified in colder seasons. The number of cases in rural and urban centers have decreased after 2010. In conclusion, it is considered that the emergence of new cases is likely to persist due to the geographical characteristics of Amasya and occupational properties (livestock breeding) of the population. Therefore, the clinicians should consider tularemia in differential diagnosis of the cases originated from risky rural areas.

Post-parturition habitat selection by elk calves and adult female elk in New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitman, James W.; Cain, James W.; Liley, Stewart; Gould, William R.; Quintana, Nichole T.; Ballard, Warren

2014-01-01

Neonatal survival and juvenile recruitment are crucial to maintaining viable elk (Cervus elaphus) populations. Neonate survival is known to be influenced by many factors, including bed-site selection. Although neonates select the actual bed-site location, they must do so within the larger calf-rearing area selected by the mother. As calves age, habitat selection should change to meet the changing needs of the growing calf. Our main objectives were to characterize habitat selection at 2 spatial scales and in areas with different predator assemblages in New Mexico. We evaluated bed-site selection by calves and calf-rearing area selection by adult females. We captured 108 elk calves by hand and fitted them with ear tag transmitters in two areas in New Mexico: the Valle Vidal and Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. In both study areas, we found that concealing cover structure and distance to that cover influenced bed-site selection of young calves (i.e., <2 weeks of age). Older calves (i.e., 3–10 weeks of age) still selected areas in relation to distance to cover, but also preferred areas with higher visibility. At the larger spatial scale of calf-rearing habitat selection by the adult female, concealing cover (e.g., rocks, shrubs, and logs) and other variables important to the hiding calves were still in the most supported models, but selection was also influenced by forage availability and indices of forage quality. Studies that seek to obtain insight into microhabitat selection of ungulate neonates should consider selection by the neonate and selection by the adult female, changes in selection as neonates age, and potential selection differences in areas of differing predation risk. By considering these influences together and at multiple scales, studies can achieve a broader understanding of neonatal ungulate habitat requirements. 

Cryogenic Vacuum Insulation for Vessels and Piping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogan, A.; Fesmire, J.; Johnson, W.; Minnick, J.

2010-01-01

Cryogenic vacuum insulation systems, with proper materials selection and execution, can offer the highest levels of thermal performance. Three areas of consideration are vital to achieve the optimum result: materials, representative test conditions, and engineering approach for the particular application. Deficiency in one of these three areas can prevent optimum performance and lead to severe inefficiency. Materials of interest include micro-fiberglass, multilayer insulation, and composite arrangements. Cylindrical liquid nitrogen boil-off calorimetry methods were used. The need for standard thermal conductivity data is addressed through baseline testing. Engineering analysis and design factors such as layer thickness, density, and practicality are also considered.

Understanding Observational Learning: An Interbehavioral Approach

PubMed Central

Fryling, Mitch J; Johnston, Cristin; Hayes, Linda J

2011-01-01

Observational learning is an important area in the field of psychology and behavior science more generally. Given this, it is essential that behavior analysts articulate a sound theory of how behavior change occurs through observation. This paper begins with an overview of seminal research in the area of observational learning, followed by a consideration of common behavior analytic conceptualizations of these findings. The interbehavioral perspective is then outlined, shedding light on some difficulties with the existing behavior analytic approaches. The implications of embracing the interbehavioral perspective for understanding the most complex sorts of behavior, including those involved in observational learning are considered. PMID:22532764

Research relative to high energy astrophysics. [large area modular array of reflectors, X-ray spectroscopy, and thermal control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorenstein, P.

1984-01-01

Various parameters which affect the design of the proposed large area modular array of reflectors (LAMAR) are considered, including thermal control, high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, pointing control, and mirror performance. The LAMAR instrument is to be a shuttle-launched X-ray observatory to carry out cosmic X-ray investigations. The capabilities of LAMAR are enumerated. Angular resolution performance of the mirror module prototype was measured to be 30 sec of ARC for 50% of the power. The LAMAR thermal pre-collimator design concepts and test configurations are discussed in detail.

Application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict the impact of best management practices in Jatigede Catchment Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridwansyah, Iwan; Fakhrudin, M.; Wibowo, Hendro; Yulianti, Meti

2018-02-01

Cimanuk watershed is one of the national priority watersheds for rehabilitation considering its critical condition. In this area, Jatigede Reservoir operates, which is the second largest reservoir in Indonesia, after Jatiluhur Reservoir. The reservoir performs several functions, including flood control, irrigation for 90.000 ha of rice fields, water supply of 3.500 litres per second, and power generation of 110 MW. In 2004 the Jatigede Reservoir catchment area had a critical land area of 40.875 ha (28% of the catchment area). The sedimentation rate in Cimanuk River at Eretan station shows a high rate (5.32 mm/year), which potentially decreases the function of Jatigede Reservoir. Therefore, a strategy of Best Management Practice’s (BMP’s) is required to mitigate the problem by using SWAT hydrology modelling. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of BMP’s on surface runoff and sediment yield in Jatigede Reservoir Catchment Area. Simulations were conducted using land use in 2011. The results of this study suggest that SWAT model is considered as a reasonable modelling of BMP’s simulation concerning Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficients (0.71). The simulation is using terraces, silt pit, and dam trenches as BMP’s techniques. The BMP’s application can reduce surface runoff from 99.7 mm to 75.8 mm, and decrease sediment yield from 61.9 ton/ha/year to 40.8 ton/ha/year.

Nonlinear predictive control for durability enhancement and efficiency improvement in a fuel cell power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luna, Julio; Jemei, Samir; Yousfi-Steiner, Nadia; Husar, Attila; Serra, Maria; Hissel, Daniel

2016-10-01

In this work, a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) strategy is proposed to improve the efficiency and enhance the durability of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power system. The PEMFC controller is based on a distributed parameters model that describes the nonlinear dynamics of the system, considering spatial variations along the gas channels. Parasitic power from different system auxiliaries is considered, including the main parasitic losses which are those of the compressor. A nonlinear observer is implemented, based on the discretised model of the PEMFC, to estimate the internal states. This information is included in the cost function of the controller to enhance the durability of the system by means of avoiding local starvation and inappropriate water vapour concentrations. Simulation results are presented to show the performance of the proposed controller over a given case study in an automotive application (New European Driving Cycle). With the aim of representing the most relevant phenomena that affects the PEMFC voltage, the simulation model includes a two-phase water model and the effects of liquid water on the catalyst active area. The control model is a simplified version that does not consider two-phase water dynamics.

Methodology of functionality selection for water management software and examples of its application.

PubMed

Vasilyev, K N

2013-01-01

When developing new software products and adapting existing software, project leaders have to decide which functionalities to keep, adapt or develop. They have to consider that the cost of making errors during the specification phase is extremely high. In this paper a formalised approach is proposed that considers the main criteria for selecting new software functions. The application of this approach minimises the chances of making errors in selecting the functions to apply. Based on the work on software development and support projects in the area of water resources and flood damage evaluation in economic terms at CH2M HILL (the developers of the flood modelling package ISIS), the author has defined seven criteria for selecting functions to be included in a software product. The approach is based on the evaluation of the relative significance of the functions to be included into the software product. Evaluation is achieved by considering each criterion and the weighting coefficients of each criterion in turn and applying the method of normalisation. This paper includes a description of this new approach and examples of its application in the development of new software products in the are of the water resources management.

A Comparative Study on Physical Vulnerability of Urban Area against Natural Hazards: Importance of Health Promoting Approach in Civil Engineering.

PubMed

Ahadnezhad Reveshty, Mohsen; Kamelifar, Mohammad Javad; Ranjbarnia, Behzad; Pashaiifar, Alireza

2014-01-01

Estimation of urban vulnerability to earthquakes can be consid-ered as an Ill-structured problem in urban in both unplanned and planned areas. Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) provides a way to integrate different spatial data layers in a geographic information system to create composite maps representing risk. We utilized MCE in a raster Geographic Information System (GIS) to evaluate risk in vulnerable tissues of Tabriz, Iran zone. In this MCE physical risk factors and sub-factors were included and were weighted by experts. Afterward data entered to GIS and then the layers of the criteria were exported. The obtained results were entered to IDRISI and fuzzified. Ultimately the final map of physical vulnerability was outputted by overlaying order. Vulnerable tissues are highly consistent to non-official areas. However, the planned area which is called Valiasr is in low risky condition and this condition is desirable in crisis times. Here, we observe the preference of physical pre-planning operations. The links between urban planning and health are many and varied. Environmental, social and economic conditions in cities can have both positive and negative influences on human health and centre. Urban planning and related professions play an important role in shaping those conditions.

Awareness of HIV and AIDS among fishermen in coastal areas of Balochistan.

PubMed

Sheikh, Nadeem S; Sheikh, Azeem S; Rafi-u-Shan; Sheikh, Aqleem A

2003-04-01

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among the fishermen community in the coastal areas of Balochistan. A cross-sectional survey. This study was conducted between September-October 2000 at Gidani, a coastal area of Balochistan. About 1000 fishermen were interviewed to assess the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices regarding HIV/AIDS. It was a community based survey involving the key informants, interviews and focused group discussions. There was little awareness regarding causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the community. While healthcare providers believe that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, the community did not consider themselves at risk. Adolescents with any sexual health problems visit hakims and quacks. The community was aware of the etiology and some of the risk factors associated with AIDS, most probably due to the recent public health campaigns against the disease. Considering the suspected high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the relative lack of knowledge, it is imperative that a public health intervention program be initiated in these areas. This must include educating not only the community but also the health workers. The Government's initiative to train community workers in reproductive health is a step in the right direction.

Subsurface structure around Omi basin using borehole database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, N.; Ito, H.; Takemura, K.; Mitamura, M.

2015-12-01

Kansai Geo-informatics Network (KG-NET) is organized as a new system of management of GI-base in 2005. This organization collects the geotechnical and geological information of borehole data more than 60,000 data. GI-base is the database system of the KG-NET and platform to use these borehole data. Kansai Geo-informatics Research Committee (KG-R) is tried to explain the geotechnical properties and geological environment using borehole database in Kansai area. In 2014, KG-R established the 'Shin-Kansai Jiban Omi plain', and explain the subsurface geology and characteristics of geotechnical properties. In this study we introduce this result and consider the sedimental environment and characteristics in this area. Omi Basin is located in the central part of Shiga Prefecture which includes the largest lake in Japan called Lake Biwa. About 15,000 borehole data are corrected to consider the subsurface properties. The outline of topographical and geological characteristics of the basin is divided into west side and east side. The west side area is typical reverse fault called Biwako-Seigan fault zone along the lakefront. From Biwako-Seigan fault, the Omi basin is tilting down from east to west. Otherwise, the east areas distribute lowland and hilly area comparatively. The sedimentary facies are also complicate and difficult to be generally evaluated. So the discussion has been focused about mainly the eastern and western part of Lake Biwa. The widely dispersed volcanic ash named Aira-Tn (AT) deposited before 26,000-29,000 years ago (Machida and Arai, 2003), is sometimes interbedded the humic layers in the low level ground area. However, because most of the sediments are comprised by thick sand and gravels whose deposit age could not be investigated, it is difficult to widely identify the boundary of strata. Three types of basement rocks are distributed mainly (granite, sediment rock, rhyolite), and characteristics of deposit are difference of each backland basement rock. Therefore, we considered the characteristics of area deposit as each riverine system. Otherwise, lakeside area are distributes many humic layers and sandy beach ridge. The results of each distinctive trend are useful to estimate of seismic properties and zonation.

Prevention and suppression of metal packing fires.

PubMed

Roberts, Mark; Rogers, William J; Sam Mannan, M; Ostrowski, Scott W

2003-11-14

Structured packing has been widely used because of large surface area that makes possible columns with high capacity and efficiency. The large surface area also contributes to fire hazards because of hydrocarbon deposits that can easily combust and promote combustion of the thin metal packing materials. Materials of high surface area that can fuel fires include reactive metals, such as titanium, and materials that are not considered combustible, such as stainless steel. Column design and material selection for packing construction is discussed together with employee training and practices for safe column maintenance and operations. Presented also are methods and agents for suppression of metal fires. Guidance for prevention and suppression of metal fires is related to incidents involving packing fires in columns.

The integrated manual and automatic control of complex flight systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, David K.

1991-01-01

Research dealt with the general area of optimal flight control synthesis for manned flight vehicles. The work was generic; no specific vehicle was the focus of study. However, the class of vehicles generally considered were those for which high authority, multivariable control systems might be considered, for the purpose of stabilization and the achievement of optimal handling characteristics. Within this scope, the topics of study included several optimal control synthesis techniques, control-theoretic modeling of the human operator in flight control tasks, and the development of possible handling qualities metrics and/or measures of merit. Basic contributions were made in all these topics, including human operator (pilot) models for multi-loop tasks, optimal output feedback flight control synthesis techniques; experimental validations of the methods developed, and fundamental modeling studies of the air-to-air tracking and flared landing tasks.

Design sensitivity analysis with Applicon IFAD using the adjoint variable method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, Marjorie C.; Choi, Kyung K.

1984-01-01

A numerical method is presented to implement structural design sensitivity analysis using the versatility and convenience of existing finite element structural analysis program and the theoretical foundation in structural design sensitivity analysis. Conventional design variables, such as thickness and cross-sectional areas, are considered. Structural performance functionals considered include compliance, displacement, and stress. It is shown that calculations can be carried out outside existing finite element codes, using postprocessing data only. That is, design sensitivity analysis software does not have to be imbedded in an existing finite element code. The finite element structural analysis program used in the implementation presented is IFAD. Feasibility of the method is shown through analysis of several problems, including built-up structures. Accurate design sensitivity results are obtained without the uncertainty of numerical accuracy associated with selection of a finite difference perturbation.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 area, petroleum assessment, 1998, including economic analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bird, K.J.; Houseknecht, D.W.

2001-01-01

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (1980) established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In section 1002 of that act, Congress deferred a decision regarding future management of the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain ("1002 area") in recognition of the area’s potentially enormous oil and gas resources and its importance as wildlife habitat. A report on the resources (including petroleum) of the 1002 area was submitted in 1987 to Congress by the Department of the Interior (DOI). Since completion of that report, numerous wells have been drilled and oil fields discovered near ANWR, new geologic and geophysical data have become available, seismic processing and interpretation capabilities have improved, and the economics of North Slope oil development have changed significantly.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) commonly is asked to provide the Federal Government with timely scientific information in support of decisions regarding land management, environmental quality, and economic and strategic policy. To do so, the USGS must anticipate issues most likely to be the focus of policymakers in the future. Anticipating the need for scientific information and considering the decade-old perspective of the petroleum resource estimates included in the 1987 Report to Congress, the USGS has reexamined the geology of the ANWR 1002 area and has prepared a new petroleum resource assessment.

Multistate matrix population model to assess the contributions and impacts on population abundance of domestic cats in urban areas including owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in shelters

PubMed Central

Coe, Jason B.

2018-01-01

Concerns over cat homelessness, over-taxed animal shelters, public health risks, and environmental impacts has raised attention on urban-cat populations. To truly understand cat population dynamics, the collective population of owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in the shelter system must be considered simultaneously because each subpopulation contributes differently to the overall population of cats in a community (e.g., differences in neuter rates, differences in impacts on wildlife) and cats move among categories through human interventions (e.g., adoption, abandonment). To assess this complex socio-ecological system, we developed a multistate matrix model of cats in urban areas that include owned cats, unowned cats (free-roaming and feral), and cats that move through the shelter system. Our model requires three inputs—location, number of human dwellings, and urban area—to provide testable predictions of cat abundance for any city in North America. Model-predicted population size of unowned cats in seven Canadian cities were not significantly different than published estimates (p = 0.23). Model-predicted proportions of sterile feral cats did not match observed sterile cat proportions for six USA cities (p = 0.001). Using a case study from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, we compared model-predicted to empirical estimates of cat abundance in each subpopulation and used perturbation analysis to calculate relative sensitivity of vital rates to cat abundance to demonstrate how management or mismanagement in one portion of the population could have repercussions across all portions of the network. Our study provides a general framework to consider cat population abundance in urban areas and, with refinement that includes city-specific parameter estimates and modeling, could provide a better understanding of population dynamics of cats in our communities. PMID:29489854

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ulysses Mission (Tier 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) addresses the environmental impacts which may be caused by the preparation and operation of the Ulysses spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The launch configuration will use the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)/Payload Assist Module-Special(PAM-S) combination. The Tier 1 EIS included a delay alternative which considered the Titan 4 launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in 1991 or later. However, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan 4 for NASA, could not provide a Titan 4 vehicle for the 1991 launch opportunity because of high priority Department of Defense requirements. The only expected environmental effects of the proposed action are associated with normal Shuttle launch operations. These impacts are limited largely to the near-field at the launch pad, except for temporary stratospheric ozone effects during launch and occasional sonic boom effects near the landing site. These effects have been judged insufficient to preclude Shuttle launches. In the event of (1) an accident during launch, or (2) reentry of the spacecraft from earth orbit, there are potential adverse health and environmental effects associated with the possible release of plutonium dioxide from the spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG). The potential effects considered in this EIS include risks of air and water quality impacts, local land area contamination, adverse health and safety impacts, the disturbance of biotic resources, impacts on wetland areas or areas containing historical sites, and socioeconomic impacts. Intensive analysis of the possible accidents associated with the proposed action are underway and preliminary results indicate small health or environmental risks. The results of a Final Safety Analysis Report will be available for inclusion into the final EIS.

The 2018 and 2020 Updates of the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, M. D.

2017-12-01

During 2018 the USGS will update the 2014 National Seismic Hazard Models by incorporating new seismicity models, ground motion models, site factors, fault inputs, and by improving weights to ground motion models using empirical and other data. We will update the earthquake catalog for the U.S. and introduce new rate models. Additional fault data will be used to improve rate estimates on active faults. New ground motion models (GMMs) and site factors for Vs30 have been released by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) and we will consider these in assessing ground motions in craton and extended margin regions of the central and eastern U.S. The USGS will also include basin-depth terms for selected urban areas of the western United States to improve long-period shaking assessments using published depth estimates to 1.0 and 2.5 km/s shear wave velocities. We will produce hazard maps for input into the building codes that span a broad range of periods (0.1 to 5 s) and site classes (shear wave velocity from 2000 m/s to 200 m/s in the upper 30 m of the crust, Vs30). In the 2020 update we plan on including: a new national crustal model that defines basin depths required in the latest GMMs, new 3-D ground motion simulations for several urban areas, new magnitude-area equations, and new fault geodetic and geologic strain rate models. The USGS will also consider including new 3-D ground motion simulations for inclusion in these long-period maps. These new models are being evaluated and will be discussed at one or more regional and topical workshops held at the beginning of 2018.

Statistical Analysis on the Performance of Molecular Mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann Surface Area versus Absolute Binding Free Energy Calculations: Bromodomains as a Case Study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Binding free energy calculations that make use of alchemical pathways are becoming increasingly feasible thanks to advances in hardware and algorithms. Although relative binding free energy (RBFE) calculations are starting to find widespread use, absolute binding free energy (ABFE) calculations are still being explored mainly in academic settings due to the high computational requirements and still uncertain predictive value. However, in some drug design scenarios, RBFE calculations are not applicable and ABFE calculations could provide an alternative. Computationally cheaper end-point calculations in implicit solvent, such as molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) calculations, could too be used if one is primarily interested in a relative ranking of affinities. Here, we compare MMPBSA calculations to previously performed absolute alchemical free energy calculations in their ability to correlate with experimental binding free energies for three sets of bromodomain–inhibitor pairs. Different MMPBSA approaches have been considered, including a standard single-trajectory protocol, a protocol that includes a binding entropy estimate, and protocols that take into account the ligand hydration shell. Despite the improvements observed with the latter two MMPBSA approaches, ABFE calculations were found to be overall superior in obtaining correlation with experimental affinities for the test cases considered. A difference in weighted average Pearson () and Spearman () correlations of 0.25 and 0.31 was observed when using a standard single-trajectory MMPBSA setup ( = 0.64 and = 0.66 for ABFE; = 0.39 and = 0.35 for MMPBSA). The best performing MMPBSA protocols returned weighted average Pearson and Spearman correlations that were about 0.1 inferior to ABFE calculations: = 0.55 and = 0.56 when including an entropy estimate, and = 0.53 and = 0.55 when including explicit water molecules. Overall, the study suggests that ABFE calculations are indeed the more accurate approach, yet there is also value in MMPBSA calculations considering the lower compute requirements, and if agreement to experimental affinities in absolute terms is not of interest. Moreover, for the specific protein–ligand systems considered in this study, we find that including an explicit ligand hydration shell or a binding entropy estimate in the MMPBSA calculations resulted in significant performance improvements at a negligible computational cost. PMID:28786670

Birthplace choices: what are the information needs of women when choosing where to give birth in England? A qualitative study using online and face to face focus groups.

PubMed

Hinton, Lisa; Dumelow, Carol; Rowe, Rachel; Hollowell, Jennifer

2018-01-08

Current clinical guidelines and national policy in England support offering 'low risk' women a choice of birth setting. Options include: home, free-standing midwifery unit (FMU), alongside midwifery unit (AMU) or obstetric unit (OU). This study, which is part of a broader project designed to inform policy on 'choice' in relation to childbirth, aimed to provide evidence on UK women's experiences of choice and decision-making in the period since the publication of the Birthplace findings (2011) and new NICE guidelines (2014). This paper reports on findings relating to women's information needs when making decisions about where to give birth. A qualitative focus group study including 69 women in the last trimester of pregnancy in England in 2015-16. Seven focus groups were conducted online via a bespoke web portal, and one was face-to-face. To explore different aspects of women's experience, each group included women with specific characteristics or options; planning a home birth, living in areas with lots of choice, living in areas with limited choice, first time mothers, living close to a FMU, living in opt-out AMU areas, living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and planning to give birth in an OU. Focus group transcripts were analysed thematically. Women drew on multiple sources when making choices about where to give birth. Sources included; the Internet, friends' recommendations and experiences, antenatal classes and their own personal experiences. Their midwife was not the main source of information. Women wanted the option to discuss and consider their birth preferences throughout their pregnancy, not at a fixed point. Birthplace choice is informed by many factors. Women may encounter fewer overt obstacles to exercising choice than in the past, but women do not consistently receive information about birthplace options from their midwife at a time and in a manner that they find helpful. Introducing options early in pregnancy, but deferring decision-making about birthplace until a woman has had time to consider and explore options and discuss these with her midwife, might facilitate choice.

Safe system approach to reducing serious injury risk in motorcyclist collisions with fixed hazards.

PubMed

Bambach, M R; Mitchell, R J

2015-01-01

Collisions with fixed objects in the roadway environment account for a substantial proportion of motorcyclist fatalities. Many studies have identified individual roadway environment and/or motorcyclist characteristics that are associated with the severity of the injury outcome, including the presence of roadside barriers, helmet use, alcohol use and speeding. However, no studies have reported the cumulative benefit of such characteristics on motorcycling safety. The safe system approach recognises that the system must work as a whole to reduce the net injury risk to road users to an acceptable level, including the four system cornerstone areas of roadways, speeds, vehicles and people. The aim of the present paper is to consider these cornerstone areas concomitantly, and quantitatively assess the serious injury risk of motorcyclists in fixed object collisions using this holistic approach. A total of 1006 Australian and 15,727 (weighted) United States motorcyclist-fixed object collisions were collected retrospectively, and the serious injury risks associated with roadside barriers, helmet use, alcohol use and speeding were assessed both individually and concomitantly. The results indicate that if safety efforts are made in each of the safe system cornerstone areas, the combined effect is to substantially reduce the serious injury risk of fixed hazards to motorcyclists. The holistic approach is shown to reduce the serious injury risk considerably more than each of the safety efforts considered individually. These results promote the use of a safe system approach to motorcycling safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data Compression Techniques for Advanced Space Transportation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, William G.

1998-01-01

Advanced space transportation systems, including vehicle state of health systems, will produce large amounts of data which must be stored on board the vehicle and or transmitted to the ground and stored. The cost of storage or transmission of the data could be reduced if the number of bits required to represent the data is reduced by the use of data compression techniques. Most of the work done in this study was rather generic and could apply to many data compression systems, but the first application area to be considered was launch vehicle state of health telemetry systems. Both lossless and lossy compression techniques were considered in this study.

Crystallization processes in pharmaceutical technology and drug delivery design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekunov, B. Yu; York, P.

2000-04-01

Crystallization is a major technological process for particle formation in pharmaceutical industry and, in addition, plays an important role in defining the stability and drug release properties of the final dosage forms. Industrial and regulatory aspects of crystallization are briefly reviewed with reference to solid-state properties of pharmaceuticals. Crystallization, incorporating wider definition to include precipitation and solid-state transitions, is considered in terms of preparation of materials for direct compression, formation of amorphous, solvated and polymorphic forms, chiral separation of drugs, production of materials for inhalation drug delivery and injections. Finally, recent developments in supercritical fluid particle technology is considered in relationship to the areas discussed.

Applications of the Electrodynamic Tether to Interstellar Travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matloff, Gregory L.; Johnson, Les

2005-01-01

After considering relevant properties of the local interstellar medium and defining a sample interstellar mission, this paper considers possible interstellar applications of the electrodynamic tether, or EDT. These include use of the EDT to provide on-board power and affect trajectory modifications and direct application of the EDT to starship acceleration. It is demonstrated that comparatively modest EDTs can provide substantial quantities of on-board power, if combined with a large-area electron-collection device such as the Cassenti toroidal-field ramscoop. More substantial tethers can be used to accomplish large-radius thrustless turns. Direct application of the EDT to starship acceleration is apparently infeasible.

Opportunities and problems in introducing or expanding the teaching of remote sensing in universities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, E. L.

1980-01-01

The need for degree programs in remote sensing is considered. Any education program which claims to train remote sensing specialists must include expertise in the physical principles upon which remote sensing is based. These principles dictate the limits of engineering and design, computer analysis, photogrammetry, and photointerpretation. Faculty members must be hired to provide emphasis in those five areas.

Symposium on Research and Utilization of Educational Media for Teaching the Deaf: The Educational Media Complex (Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, Lincoln, Nebraska, April 10-12, 1967).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nebraska Univ., Lincoln. Dept. of Educational Administration.

Papers consider the problems of combining library science and audiovisual education into educational media complexes, or instructional materials centers (IMC's), in schools for the deaf. Areas covered include the concept of such centers, their relationship with the school library, and the personnel, equipment, materials, and production facilities…

Emerging Designs for Education: Program, Organization, Operation and Finance. Reports Prepared for an Area Conference (Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 21-22, 1968).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morphet, Edgar L., Ed.; Jesser, David L., Ed.

The fifth in a series of reports related to long-range educational planning includes five papers presented at a conference in Albuquerque March 21-22, 1968. The first paper outlines the primary goals of an educational program and considers implications of the program for the curriculum, instructional practices, supporting services, evaluation,…

Research in Network Management Techniques for Tactical Data Communications Network.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

the control period. Research areas include Packet Network modelling, adaptive network routing, network design algorithms, network design techniques...contro!lers are designed to perform their limited tasks optimally. For the dynamic routing problem considered here, the local controllers are node...feedback to finding in optimum stead-o-state routing (static strategies) under non - control which can be easily implemented in real time. congested

A general review of concepts for reducing skin friction, including recommendations for future studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fischer, M. C.; Ash, R. L.

1974-01-01

Four main concepts which have significantly reduced skin friction in experimental studies are discussed; suction, gaseous injection, particle additives, and compliant wall. It is considered possible that each of these concepts could be developed and applied in viable skin friction reduction systems for aircraft application. Problem areas with each concept are discussed, and recommendations for future studies are made.

Table Salt from Seawater (Solar Evaporation). What We Take from Our Environment. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Science Education Center.

This module discusses methods of obtaining table salt from seawater. Topic areas considered include: (1) obtaining salt by solar evaporation of seawater in holes; (2) obtaining salt by boiling seawater in pots; (3) how table salt is obtained from seawater in the Philippines; and (4) methods of making salt by solar evaporation of seawater in the…

The Reality of National Computer Networking for Higher Education. Proceedings of the 1978 EDUCOM Fall Conference. EDUCOM Series in Computing and Telecommunications in Higher Education 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, James C., Ed.

A comprehensive review of the current status, prospects, and problems of computer networking in higher education is presented from the perspectives of both computer users and network suppliers. Several areas of computer use are considered including applications for instruction, research, and administration in colleges and universities. In the…

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION OF PROSPECTIVE CHANGES IN SOCIETY, REPORTS PREPARED FOR THE AREA CONFERENCE (2D, SALT LAKE CITY, OCTOBER 24-26, 1966).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MORPHET, EDGAR L.; RYAN, CHARLES O.

AT A CONFERENCE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, OCTOBER 24-26, 1966, SPONSORED BY EIGHT ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES, SIXTEEN PAPERS AND FOUR SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENTS WERE GIVEN BY EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES TO DEFINE PROSPECTIVE CHANGES IN SOCIETY BY 1980 AND TO CONSIDER THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION. FACTORS INFLUENCING EDUCATIONAL CHANGE INCLUDE POPULATION…

The Climate Potentials and Side-Effects of Large-Scale terrestrial CO2 Removal - Insights from Quantitative Model Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boysen, L.; Heck, V.; Lucht, W.; Gerten, D.

2015-12-01

Terrestrial carbon dioxide removal (tCDR) through dedicated biomass plantations is considered as one climate engineering (CE) option if implemented at large-scale. While the risks and costs are supposed to be small, the effectiveness depends strongly on spatial and temporal scales of implementation. Based on simulations with a dynamic global vegetation model (LPJmL) we comprehensively assess the effectiveness, biogeochemical side-effects and tradeoffs from an earth system-analytic perspective. We analyzed systematic land-use scenarios in which all, 25%, or 10% of natural and/or agricultural areas are converted to tCDR plantations including the assumption that biomass plantations are established once the 2°C target is crossed in a business-as-usual climate change trajectory. The resulting tCDR potentials in year 2100 include the net accumulated annual biomass harvests and changes in all land carbon pools. We find that only the most spatially excessive, and thus undesirable, scenario would be capable to restore the 2° target by 2100 under continuing high emissions (with a cooling of 3.02°C). Large-scale biomass plantations covering areas between 1.1 - 4.2 Gha would produce a climate reduction potential of 0.8 - 1.4°C. tCDR plantations at smaller scales do not build up enough biomass over this considered period and the potentials to achieve global warming reductions are substantially lowered to no more than 0.5-0.6°C. Finally, we demonstrate that the (non-economic) costs for the Earth system include negative impacts on the water cycle and on ecosystems, which are already under pressure due to both land use change and climate change. Overall, tCDR may lead to a further transgression of land- and water-related planetary boundaries while not being able to set back the crossing of the planetary boundary for climate change. tCDR could still be considered in the near-future mitigation portfolio if implemented on small scales on wisely chosen areas.

Population status of North American green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adams, P.B.; Grimes, C.; Hightower, J.E.; Lindley, S.T.; Moser, M.L.; Parsley, M.J.

2007-01-01

North American green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The two questions that need to be answered when considering an ESA listing are; (1) Is the entity a species under the ESA and if so (2) is the "species" in danger of extinction or likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range? Green sturgeon genetic analyses showed strong differentiation between northern and southern populations, and therefore, the species was divided into Northern and Southern Distinct Population Segments (DPSs). The Northern DPS includes populations in the Rogue, Klamath-Trinity, and Eel rivers, while the Southern DPS only includes a single population in the Sacramento River. The principal risk factors for green sturgeon include loss of spawning habitat, harvest, and entrainment. The Northern DPS is not considered to be in danger of extinction or likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future. The loss of spawning habitat is not large enough to threaten this DPS, although the Eel River has been severely impacted by sedimentation due to poor land use practices and floods. The two main spawning populations in the Rogue and Klamath-Trinity rivers occupy separate basins reducing the potential for loss of the DPS through catastrophic events. Harvest has been substantially reduced and green sturgeon in this DPS do not face substantial entrainment loss. However there are significant concerns due to lack of information, flow and temperature issues, and habitat degradation. The Southern DPS is considered likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future. Green sturgeon in this DPS are concentrated into one spawning area outside of their natural habitat in the Sacramento River, making them vulnerable to catastrophic extinction. Green sturgeon spawning areas have been lost from the area above Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River and Oroville Dam on the Feather River. Entrainment of individuals into water diversion projects is an additional source of risk, and the large decline in numbers of green sturgeon entrained since 1986 causes additional concern. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Midwifery: "at the edge of history".

PubMed

Dahlen, H

2006-03-01

The paper focuses on possible future pathways in maternity care for midwives and nations to consider. The paper blends personal and professional experiences to outline priority areas facing midwives in the future. It begins by examining maternal mortality and morbidity in the developing world and considering the potential of the ten high priority action messages (1997) in helping to improve the plight of women and children in the future. The paper then examines major issues facing midwives in the developed world including: the way birth is viewed; the medical-midwifery divide; marketing midwifery; and finally the challenge of dealing with fear around birth. The third part of the paper examines a part of society where the two worlds meet and there are issues from both the developed and developing world to consider. The paper focuses on women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and women birthing in remote and rural areas. By looking at these three worlds separately the paper examines different concerns facing midwives in the future but also draws on common issues that face us all as citizens of this planet and particularly as predominantly women. The paper challenges midwives to be politically active and dare to change the world.

Exclusion of agricultural lands in spatial conservation prioritization strategies: consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem service representation

PubMed Central

Durán, América P.; Duffy, James P.; Gaston, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

Agroecosystems have traditionally been considered incompatible with biological conservation goals, and often been excluded from spatial conservation prioritization strategies. The consequences for the representativeness of identified priority areas have been little explored. Here, we evaluate these for biodiversity and carbon storage representation when agricultural land areas are excluded from a spatial prioritization strategy for South America. Comparing different prioritization approaches, we also assess how the spatial overlap of priority areas changes. The exclusion of agricultural lands was detrimental to biodiversity representation, indicating that priority areas for agricultural production overlap with areas of relatively high occurrence of species. By contrast, exclusion of agricultural lands benefits representation of carbon storage within priority areas, as lands of high value for agriculture and carbon storage overlap little. When agricultural lands were included and equally weighted with biodiversity and carbon storage, a balanced representation resulted. Our findings suggest that with appropriate management, South American agroecosystems can significantly contribute to biodiversity conservation. PMID:25143040

Areas of disadvantage: a systematic review of effects of area-level socioeconomic status on substance use outcomes.

PubMed

Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J

2011-01-01

This review examines whether area-level disadvantage is associated with increased substance use and whether study results are impacted by the size of the area examined, definition of socioeconomic status (SES), age or ethnicity of participants, outcome variables or analytic techniques. Five electronic databases and the reference sections of identified papers were searched to locate studies of the effects of area-level SES on substance use published through the end of 2007 in English-language, peer-reviewed journals or books. The 41 studies that met inclusion criteria included 238 effects, with a subsample of 34 studies (180 effects) used for the main analyses. Study findings were stratified by methodological characteristics and synthesised using generalised estimating equations to account for clustering of effects within studies. There was strong evidence that substance use outcomes cluster by geographic area, but there was limited and conflicting support for the hypothesis that area-level disadvantage is associated with increased substance use. Support for the disadvantage hypothesis appeared to vary by sample age and ethnicity, size of area examined, type of SES measure, specific outcome considered and analysis techniques. Future studies should use rigorous methods to yield more definitive conclusions about the effects of area-level SES on alcohol and drug outcomes, including composite measures of SES and both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Further research is needed to identify confounds of the relationship between area-level SES and substance use and to explain why the effects of area-level SES vary by outcome and residents' age. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

A consensus-established set of important indicators of pediatric emergency department performance.

PubMed

Hung, Geoffrey R; Chalut, Dominic

2008-01-01

Quality assurance is a new and important area of research in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM). There are few studies that describe which performance indicators best represent the PEM practice. The primary study objective is to construct a set of performance indicators that have been selected by current and former pediatric emergency department (PED) medical directors as most useful in assessing PED performance. The secondary objective is to assess which indicators are currently measured to assess performance in PEDs. Current and former directors of accredited Canadian PEM programs were considered as eligible participants. A list of indicators was generated by a survey (item pool generation); this list was refined by clarifying unclear terms or eliminating redundant and unquantifiable performance indicators (item scaling); PED directors were asked to rate each item of this refined list to indicate which indicators were more useful in assessing PED performance (item prioritization). A novel ranking formula was used to prioritize those items considered most useful by a larger proportion of respondents, using the provided rating scores. Fourteen current and former medical directors were considered eligible participants. Indicators related to patient morbidity and mortality, adverse outcomes, return visits, patient length of stay (LOS), and waiting times were considered to be more useful. Less useful indicators included the number of deaths, daily census, number of incident reports, and individual physicians' admission rates. The most commonly measured PED performance indicators included the rate of patients who left without being seen, patient LOS, and the waiting time until being seen by a physician by triage category. The top quartile of performance indicators considered most useful by participants included indicators that reflected clinical outcomes, LOS, and waiting times. A dichotomy may exist between those performance indicators that PED directors considered more useful and those indicators that are currently measured.

Hydro-geomorphological characterization and classification of Chilean river networks using horizontal, vertical and climatological properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, A. A.; Gironas, J. A.; Passalacqua, P.; Mejia, A.; Niemann, J. D.

2017-12-01

Previous work has shown that lithological, tectonic and climatic processes have a major influence in shaping the geomorphology of river networks. Accordingly, quantitative classification methods have been developed to identify and characterize network types (dendritic, parallel, pinnate, rectangular and trellis) based solely on the self-affinity of their planform properties, computed from available Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data. In contrast, this research aim is to include both horizontal and vertical properties to evaluate a quantitative classification method for river networks. We include vertical properties to consider the unique surficial conditions (e.g., large and steep height drops, volcanic activity, and complexity of stream networks) of the Andes Mountains. Furthermore, the goal of the research is also to explain the implications and possible relations between the hydro-geomorphological properties and climatic conditions. The classification method is applied to 42 basins in the southern Andes in Chile, ranging in size from 208 Km2 to 8,000 Km2. The planform metrics include the incremental drainage area, stream course irregularity and junction angles, while the vertical metrics include the hypsometric curve and the slope-area relationship. We introduce new network structures (Brush, Funnel and Low Sinuosity Rectangular), possibly unique to the Andes, that can be quantitatively differentiated from previous networks identified in other geographic regions. Then, this research evaluates the effect that excluding different Strahler order streams has on the horizontal properties and therefore in the classification. We found that climatic conditions are not only linked to horizontal parameters, but also to vertical ones, finding significant correlation between climatic variables (average near-surface temperature and rainfall) and vertical measures (parameters associated with the hypsometric curve and slope-area relation). The proposed classification shows differences among basins previously classified as the same type, which are not noticeable in their horizontal properties and helps reduce misclassifications within the old clusters. Additional hydro-geomorphological metrics are to be considered in the classification method to improve the effectiveness of it.

Estimation of nonlinear pilot model parameters including time delay.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiess, J. R.; Roland, V. R.; Wells, W. R.

1972-01-01

Investigation of the feasibility of using a Kalman filter estimator for the identification of unknown parameters in nonlinear dynamic systems with a time delay. The problem considered is the application of estimation theory to determine the parameters of a family of pilot models containing delayed states. In particular, the pilot-plant dynamics are described by differential-difference equations of the retarded type. The pilot delay, included as one of the unknown parameters to be determined, is kept in pure form as opposed to the Pade approximations generally used for these systems. Problem areas associated with processing real pilot response data are included in the discussion.

Geology and water resources of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, C.A.

1906-01-01

A general account of the surface waters is given, including a statement of their present and proposed uses for irrigation, and the economic products of a geologic nature are also described. The region considered comprises the Bighorn basin, a part of the Clark Fork basin, and the slopes of the adjoining mountain ranges, the entire area comprising 8,500 square miles. As shown on fig. 1, it is situated mainly in Bighorn County, in the northwestern part of Wyoming, and includes the greater portion of the area lying between meridians 107° 15' and 109° 15' and parallels 43° 40' and 45°. It is bounded on the north by Montana, on the east by the Bighorn Mountains, on the south by Bighorn and Owl Creek mountains, and on the west by Shoshone, Absaroka, and Beartooth mountains.

Archaic lineages broaden our view on the history of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Fulgione, Andrea; Hancock, Angela M

2018-06-04

Contents I. II. III. IV. V. References SUMMARY: Natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana has contributed to discoveries in diverse areas of plant biology. While A. thaliana has typically been considered a weed associated primarily with human-mediated environments, including agricultural and urban sites and railways, it has recently been shown that it is also native in remote natural areas, including high altitude sites in Eurasia and Africa, from the Atlas mountains in Morocco to the afro-alpine regions in Eastern and South Africa to Yunnan in China, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. This finding suggests that while A. thaliana has been extensively studied in Europe and Western Asia there are still many open questions about its population history, genotype-phenotype relationships and mechanisms of adaptation. © 2018 European Union New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Technology Directions for the 21st Century. Vol. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crimi, Giles F.; Verheggen, Henry; Malinowski, John; Malinowski, Robert; Botta, Robert

1996-01-01

The Office of Space Communications (OSC) is tasked by NASA to conduct a planning process to meet NASA's science mission and other communications and data processing requirements. A set of technology trend studies was undertaken by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for OSC to identify quantitative data that can be used to predict performance of electronic equipment in the future to assist in the planning process. Only commercially available, off-the-shelf technology was included. For each technology area considered, the current state of the technology is discussed, future applications that could benefit from use of the technology are identified, and likely future developments of the technology are described. The impact of each technology area on NASA operations is presented together with a discussion of the feasibility and risk associated with its development. An approximate timeline is given for the next 15 to 25 years to indicate the anticipated evolution of capabilities within each of the technology areas considered. This volume contains four chapters: one each on technology trends for database systems, computer software, neural and fuzzy systems, and artificial intelligence. The principal study results are summarized at the beginning of each chapter.

Use of enzyme-linked immunoassays for antibody to types C and D botulinum toxins for investigations of botulism in cattle.

PubMed

Gregory, A R; Ellis, T M; Jubb, T F; Nickels, R J; Cousins, D V

1996-02-01

The development of specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for antibody to types C and D Clostridium botulinum toxins for investigation of botulism in cattle is described. Partially purified type C and D toxins were used as antigens to develop these ELISAs. Specificity of the ELISAs was evaluated on sera from 333 adult beef and dairy cattle from areas with no history or evidence of botulism in animals or water birds. The test was also evaluated on sera from 41 herds that included herds vaccinated against botulism, confirmed botulism cases and herds from areas where the disease is considered endemic. The ELISAs detected the presence of antibody to botulinum toxins in samples from vaccinated cattle and both convalescent and clinically normal animals from unvaccinated herds with outbreaks of botulism. Antibody was also found in unvaccinated animals from herds in which there had been no diagnosed botulism cases in areas where botulism was considered endemic. Sera from some unvaccinated cattle with high ELISA reactivity was shown to be protective for mice in botulinum toxin neutralisation tests. The use of these tests in investigations of botulism in cattle is discussed.

Seasonal distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection of common carp in Clear Lake, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penne, C.R.; Pierce, C.L.

2008-01-01

The common carp Cyprinus carpio is widely distributed and frequently considered a nuisance species outside its native range. Common carp are abundant in Clear Lake, Iowa, where their presence is both a symptom of degradation and an impediment to improving water quality and the sport fishery. We used radiotelemetry to quantify seasonal distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection of adult and subadult common carp in Clear Lake during 2005-2006 in an effort to guide future control strategies. Over a 22-month period, we recorded 1,951 locations of 54 adults and 60 subadults implanted with radio transmitters. Adults demonstrated a clear tendency to aggregate in an offshore area during the late fall and winter and in shallow, vegetated areas before and during spring spawning. Late-fall and winter aggregations were estimated to include a larger percentage of the tracked adults than spring aggregations. Subadults aggregated in shallow, vegetated areas during the spring and early summer. Our study, when considered in combination with previous research, suggests repeatable patterns of distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection that should facilitate common carp reduction programs in Clear Lake and similar systems. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

Specific phobia: a review of DSM-IV specific phobia and preliminary recommendations for DSM-V.

PubMed

LeBeau, Richard T; Glenn, Daniel; Liao, Betty; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Beesdo-Baum, Katja; Ollendick, Thomas; Craske, Michelle G

2010-02-01

The present review was conducted in order to evaluate the current diagnostic criteria for specific phobia (SP) in light of the empirical evidence gathered since DSM-IV and to propose changes to DSM-V where change is clearly and reliably indicated by the evidence. In response to questions put forth by the DSM-V Anxiety, OC Spectrum, Posttraumatic, and Dissociative Disorder Work Group, four primary areas were determined for this review: the accuracy and utility of the current SP type classification system, the validity of test anxiety as a type of SP, the boundary between agoraphobia and SP, and the reliability and utility of the diagnostic criteria for SP. Developmental issues are addressed within each area. Literature reviews examining academic findings published between 1994 and 2009 were carried out and the results are included herein. The review presents a number of options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-V. All of these recommendations should be considered tentative as they await the field trials and expert consensus necessary prior to their inclusion in the DSM-V. The present review also reveals a great need for future research in the area of SP and directions for such research is provided.

Acoustic fatigue: Overview of activities at NASA Langley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mixson, John S.; Roussos, Louis A.

1987-01-01

A number of aircraft and spacecraft configurations are being considered for future development. These include high-speed turboprop aircraft, advanced vertical take-off and landing fighter aircraft, and aerospace planes for hypersonic intercontinental cruise or flight to orbit and return. Review of the acoustic environment expected for these vehicles indicates levels high enough that acoustic fatigue must be considered. Unfortunately, the sonic fatique design technology used for current aircraft may not be adequate for these future vehicles. This has resulted in renewed emphasis on acoustic fatigue research at the NASA Langley Research Center. The overall objective of the Langley program is to develop methods and information for design of aerospace vehicles that will resist acoustic fatigue. The program includes definition of the acoustic loads acting on structures due to exhaust jets of boundary layers, and subsequent determination of the stresses within the structure due to these acoustic loads. Material fatigue associated with the high frequency structural stress reversal patterns resulting from acoustic loadings is considered to be an area requiring study, but no activity is currently underway.

Environmental Resources of Selected Areas of Hawaii: Ecological Resources (DRAFT)

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

Trettin, C.C.; Tolbert, V.R.; Jones, A.T.

1994-06-01

This report has been prepared to make available and archive the background scientific data and related information collected on ecological resources during the preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for Phases 3 and 4 of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) as defined by the state of Hawaii in its April 1989 proposal to Congress. The U.S. Department of Energy (COE) published a notice in the Federal Register on May 17, 1994 (Fed. Regist. 5925638) withdrawing its Notice of Intent (Fed. Regst. 575433) of February 14, 1992, to prepare the HGP-EIS. Since the state of Hawaii is no longer pursuingmore » or planning to pursue the HGP, DOE considers the project to be terminated. The background scientific data and related information presented in this report focus on several areas of Hawaii County, including the southeastern coast, a potential development corridor along the Saddle Road between Hilo and the North Kohala District on the northwestern coast, and on the southeastern coast of Maui. In this report, reference is made to these areas as study areas rather than as areas where proposed or alternative facilities of the HGP would be located. The resource areas addressed herein include terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, and marine ecology. The scientific background data and related information is being made available for future research in these areas. This report describes the environmental resources present in the areas studied (i.e., the affected environment) and does not represent an assessment of environmental impacts.« less

Eradicating the grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis from urban areas: an innovative decision-making approach based on lessons learnt in Italy.

PubMed

La Morgia, Valentina; Paoloni, Daniele; Genovesi, Piero

2017-02-01

Eradication of invasive alien species supports the recovery of native biodiversity. A new European Union Regulation introduces obligations to eradicate the most harmful invasive species. However, eradications of charismatic mammals may encounter strong opposition. Considering the case study of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788) in central Italy, we developed a structured decision-making technique based on a Bayesian decision network model and explicitly considering the plurality of environmental values of invasive species management to reduce potential social conflicts. The model identified priority areas for management activities. These areas corresponded to the core of the grey squirrel range, but they also included peripheral zones, where rapid eradication is fundamental to prevent the spread of squirrels. However, when the model was expanded to integrate the attitude of citizens towards the project, the intervention strategy slightly changed. In some areas, the citizens' support was limited, and this resulted in a reduced overall utility of intervention. The suggested approach extends the scientific basis for management decisions, evaluated in terms of technical efficiency, feasibility and social impact. Here, the Bayesian decision network model analysed the potential technical and social consequences of management actions, and it responded to the need for transparency in the decision-making process, but it can easily be extended to consider further issues that are common in many mammal eradication programmes. Owing to its flexibility and comprehensiveness, it provides an innovative example of how to plan rapid eradication or control activities, as required by the new EU Regulation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Defining the questions: a research agenda for nontraditional authentication in arms control

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

Hauck, Danielle K; Mac Arthur, Duncan W; Smith, Morag K

Many traditional authentication techniques have been based on hardware solutions. Thus authentication of measurement system hardware has been considered in terms of physical inspection and destructive analysis. Software authentication has implied hash function analysis or authentication tools such as Rose. Continuity of knowledge is maintained through TIDs and cameras. Although there is ongoing progress improving all of these authentication methods, there has been little discussion of the human factors involved in authentication. Issues of non-traditional authentication include sleight-of-hand substitutions, monitor perception vs. reality, and visual diversions. Since monitor confidence in a measurement system depends on the product of their confidencesmore » in each authentication element, it is important to investigate all authentication techniques, including the human factors. This paper will present an initial effort to identify the most important problems that traditional authentication approaches in safeguards have not addressed and are especially relevant to arms control verification. This will include a survey of the literature and direct engagement with nontraditional experts in areas like psychology and human factors. Based on the identification of problem areas, potential research areas will be identified and a possible research agenda will be developed.« less

Parkinson's disease as a system-level disorder.

PubMed

Caligiore, Daniele; Helmich, Rick C; Hallett, Mark; Moustafa, Ahmed A; Timmermann, Lars; Toni, Ivan; Baldassarre, Gianluca

2016-01-01

Traditionally, the basal ganglia have been considered the main brain region implicated in Parkinson's disease. This single area perspective gives a restricted clinical picture and limits therapeutic approaches because it ignores the influence of altered interactions between the basal ganglia and other cerebral components on Parkinsonian symptoms. In particular, the basal ganglia work closely in concert with cortex and cerebellum to support motor and cognitive functions. This article proposes a theoretical framework for understanding Parkinson's disease as caused by the dysfunction of the entire basal ganglia-cortex-cerebellum system rather than by the basal ganglia in isolation. In particular, building on recent evidence, we propose that the three key symptoms of tremor, freezing, and impairments in action sequencing may be explained by considering partially overlapping neural circuits including basal ganglia, cortical and cerebellar areas. Studying the involvement of this system in Parkinson's disease is a crucial step for devising innovative therapeutic approaches targeting it rather than only the basal ganglia. Possible future therapies based on this different view of the disease are discussed.

Conceptual Design Report Cask Loadout Sys and Cask Drop Redesign for the Immersion Pail Support Structure and Operator Interface Platform at 105 K West

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

LANGEVIN, A.S.

1999-07-12

This conceptual design report documents the redesign of the IPSS and the OIP in the 105 KW Basin south loadout pit due to a postulated cask drop accident, as part of Project A.5/A.6, Canister Transfer Facility Modifications. Project A.5/A.6 involves facility modifications needed to transfer fuel from the basin into the cask-MCO. The function of the IPSS is to suspend, guide, and position the immersion pail. The immersion pail protects the cask-MCO from contamination by basin water and acts as a lifting device for the cask-MCO. The OIP provides operator access to the south loadout pit. Previous analyses studied themore » effects of a cask-MCO drop on the south loadout pit concrete structure and on the IPSS. The most recent analysis considered the resulting loads at the pit slab/wall joint (Kanjilal, 1999). This area had not been modeled previously, and the analysis results indicate that the demand capacity exceeds the allowable at the slab/wall joint. The energy induced on the south loadout pit must be limited such that the safety class function of the basin is maintained. The solution presented in this CDR redesigns the IPSS and the OIP to include impact-absorbing features that will reduce the induced energy. The impact absorbing features of the new design include: Impact-absorbing material at the IPSS base and at the upper portion of the IPSS legs. A sleeve which provides a hydraulic means of absorbing energy. Designing the OIP to act as an impact absorber. The existing IPSS structure in 105 KW will be removed. This conceptual design considers only loads resulting from drops directly over the IPSS and south loadout pit area. Drops in other areas of the basin are not considered, and will be covered as part of a future revision to this CDR.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION Heat transfer between graphene and amorphous SiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, B. N. J.; Ueba, H.

2010-11-01

We study the heat transfer between graphene and amorphous SiO2. We include both the heat transfer from the area of real contact, and between the surfaces in the non-contact region. We consider the radiative heat transfer associated with the evanescent electromagnetic waves which exist outside of all bodies, and the heat transfer by the gas in the non-contact region. We find that the dominant contribution to the heat transfer results from the area of real contact, and the calculated value of the heat transfer coefficient is in good agreement with the value deduced from experimental data.

Tillandsia usneoides L, a biomonitor in the determination of Ce, La and Sm by neutron activation analysis in an industrial corridor in Central Mexico.

PubMed

Isaac-Olivé, K; Solís, C; Martínez-Carrillo, M A; Andrade, E; López, C; Longoria, L C; Lucho-Constantino, C A; Beltrán-Hernández, R I

2012-04-01

The atmosphere of the Tula Industrial Corridor in Central Mexico is contaminated due to several industries including oil refining while station monitoring in this area are limited. Lanthanides are considered fingerprint of oil refinery activities, and La, Ce and Sm have been previously detected in this area using filters. The suitability of T. usneoides as a biomonitor assessing the La, Ce and Sm concentrations in Particulate Matter is evaluated by NAA. Results of both biomonitor and filters are highly correlated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The possibility of low-budget GNSS equipment using for cadastral work for the Unified State Real Estate Cadastre purposes and transport link

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosarev, Nikolai; Terentyev, Dmitry; Solnyshkova, Olga; Makarikhina, Inna

2017-10-01

The article considers geodetic methods for determining land plots location during cadastral work. The analysis of technological solutions in coordinates determining of the land plots’ characteristic points and their areas was carried out. The accuracy of geodetic methods in the cadastral work implementation was assessed. The priority technology was identified, including the use of low-budget GNSS equipment for this very task. The areas values were obtained and root-mean-squares of boundary marks position calculated by means of chosen technology are presented. The estimation and justification of the selected technology for cadastral work is given.

An evaluation of Orbital Workshop passive thermal control surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, D. J.; Kawano, P. I.; Sieker, W. D.; Walters, D. E.; Witherspoon, G. F.; Grunditz, D. W.

1974-01-01

The optical properties of selected Orbital Workshop thermal control surfaces are discussed from the time of their installation through the end of the Skylab missions. The surfaces considered are the goldized Kapton tape on the habitation area sidewall, the S-13G white paint on the Workshop aft skirt, and the multilayer insulation system on the forward dome of the habitation area. A quantitative assessment of the effects of exposure to the ascent and orbital environments is made including the effects of rocket exhaust plume contamination. Although optical property degradation of the external surfaces was noted, satisfactory thermal performance was maintained throughout the Skylab missions.

Behavioral Modeling of Adversaries with Multiple Objectives in Counterterrorism.

PubMed

Mazicioglu, Dogucan; Merrick, Jason R W

2018-05-01

Attacker/defender models have primarily assumed that each decisionmaker optimizes the cost of the damage inflicted and its economic repercussions from their own perspective. Two streams of recent research have sought to extend such models. One stream suggests that it is more realistic to consider attackers with multiple objectives, but this research has not included the adaption of the terrorist with multiple objectives to defender actions. The other stream builds off experimental studies that show that decisionmakers deviate from optimal rational behavior. In this article, we extend attacker/defender models to incorporate multiple objectives that a terrorist might consider in planning an attack. This includes the tradeoffs that a terrorist might consider and their adaption to defender actions. However, we must also consider experimental evidence of deviations from the rationality assumed in the commonly used expected utility model in determining such adaption. Thus, we model the attacker's behavior using multiattribute prospect theory to account for the attacker's multiple objectives and deviations from rationality. We evaluate our approach by considering an attacker with multiple objectives who wishes to smuggle radioactive material into the United States and a defender who has the option to implement a screening process to hinder the attacker. We discuss the problems with implementing such an approach, but argue that research in this area must continue to avoid misrepresenting terrorist behavior in determining optimal defensive actions. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Memristive Mixed-Signal Neuromorphic Systems: Energy-Efficient Learning at the Circuit-Level

DOE PAGES

Chakma, Gangotree; Adnan, Md Musabbir; Wyer, Austin R.; ...

2017-11-23

Neuromorphic computing is non-von Neumann computer architecture for the post Moore’s law era of computing. Since a main focus of the post Moore’s law era is energy-efficient computing with fewer resources and less area, neuromorphic computing contributes effectively in this research. Here in this paper, we present a memristive neuromorphic system for improved power and area efficiency. Our particular mixed-signal approach implements neural networks with spiking events in a synchronous way. Moreover, the use of nano-scale memristive devices saves both area and power in the system. We also provide device-level considerations that make the system more energy-efficient. The proposed systemmore » additionally includes synchronous digital long term plasticity, an online learning methodology that helps the system train the neural networks during the operation phase and improves the efficiency in learning considering the power consumption and area overhead.« less

Memristive Mixed-Signal Neuromorphic Systems: Energy-Efficient Learning at the Circuit-Level

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

Chakma, Gangotree; Adnan, Md Musabbir; Wyer, Austin R.

Neuromorphic computing is non-von Neumann computer architecture for the post Moore’s law era of computing. Since a main focus of the post Moore’s law era is energy-efficient computing with fewer resources and less area, neuromorphic computing contributes effectively in this research. Here in this paper, we present a memristive neuromorphic system for improved power and area efficiency. Our particular mixed-signal approach implements neural networks with spiking events in a synchronous way. Moreover, the use of nano-scale memristive devices saves both area and power in the system. We also provide device-level considerations that make the system more energy-efficient. The proposed systemmore » additionally includes synchronous digital long term plasticity, an online learning methodology that helps the system train the neural networks during the operation phase and improves the efficiency in learning considering the power consumption and area overhead.« less

Determination of carbonyls and their sources in three sites of the metropolitan area of Costa Rica, Central America.

PubMed

Murillo, Jorge Herrera; Marín, José Félix Rojas; Román, Susana Rodríguez

2012-01-01

Ambient levels of carbonyl compounds and their possible sources were studied at three places in the metropolitan area of Costa Rica, including a residential, an industrial, and a commercial downtown area with high vehicular flow, during the periods of April-May and September-December 2009. Fifteen carbonyl compounds were identified in the ambient air, of which acetone was the most abundant carbonyl, followed by formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Concentrations were highest in rainy season at all sites and lower in dry season. These decreases in concentration are explained by the influences of both photochemical reactions and local meteorological conditions. The strong correlation between C1-C2 and C3 indicated a common origin for these carbonyls. The C1/C2 ratios varied between 0.49 to 1.05, values which can be considered typical of an urban area.

Lunar base agriculture: Soils for plant growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ming, Douglas W. (Editor); Henninger, Donald L. (Editor)

1989-01-01

This work provides information on research and experimentation concerning various aspects of food production in space and particularly on the moon. Options for human settlement of the moon and Mars and strategies for a lunar base are discussed. The lunar environment, including the mineralogical and chemical properties of lunar regolith are investigated and chemical and physical considerations for a lunar-derived soil are considered. It is noted that biological considerations for such a soil include controlled-environment crop production, both hydroponic and lunar regolith-based; microorganisms and the growth of higher plants in lunar-derived soils; and the role of microbes to condition lunar regolith for plant cultivation. Current research in the controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) project is presented in detail and future research areas, such as the growth of higher research plants in CELSS are considered. Optimum plant and microbiological considerations for lunar derived soils are examined.

Review: Malaria Chemoprophylaxis for Travelers to Latin America

PubMed Central

Steinhardt, Laura C.; Magill, Alan J.; Arguin, Paul M.

2011-01-01

Because of recent declining malaria transmission in Latin America, some authorities have recommended against chemoprophylaxis for most travelers to this region. However, the predominant parasite species in Latin America, Plasmodium vivax, can form hypnozoites sequestered in the liver, causing malaria relapses. Additionally, new evidence shows the potential severity of vivax infections, warranting continued consideration of prophylaxis for travel to Latin America. Individualized travel risk assessments are recommended and should consider travel locations, type, length, and season, as well as probability of itinerary changes. Travel recommendations might include no precautions, mosquito avoidance only, or mosquito avoidance and chemoprophylaxis. There are a range of good options for chemoprophylaxis in Latin America, including atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, and—in selected areas—chloroquine. Primaquine should be strongly considered for nonpregnant, G6PD-nondeficient patients traveling to vivax-endemic areas of Latin America, and it has the added benefit of being the only drug to protect against malaria relapses. PMID:22144437

Bioprocess Forces and Their Impact on Cell Behavior: Implications for Bone Regeneration Therapy

PubMed Central

Brindley, David; Moorthy, Kishaani; Lee, Jae-Ho; Mason, Chris; Kim, Hae-Won; Wall, Ivan

2011-01-01

Bioprocess forces such as shear stress experienced during routine cell culture are considered to be harmful to cells. However, the impact of physical forces on cell behavior is an area of growing interest within the tissue engineering community, and it is widely acknowledged that mechanical stimulation including shear stress can enhance osteogenic differentiation. This paper considers the effects of bioprocess shear stress on cell responses such as survival and proliferation in several contexts, including suspension-adapted cells used for recombinant protein and monoclonal antibody manufacture, adherent cells for therapy in suspension, and adherent cells attached to their growth substrates. The enhanced osteogenic differentiation that fluid flow shear stress is widely found to induce is discussed, along with the tissue engineering of mineralized tissue using perfusion bioreactors. Recent evidence that bioprocess forces produced during capillary transfer or pipetting of cell suspensions can enhance osteogenic responses is also discussed. PMID:21904661

Satellite Power System (SPS) concept definition study (Exhibit D). Volume 2: Systems/subsystems analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanley, G. M.

1981-01-01

Modifications to the reference concept were studied and the best approaches defined. The impact of the high efficiency multibandgap solar array on the reference concept design is considered. System trade studies for several solid state concepts, including the sandwich concept and a separate antenna/solar concept, are described. Two solid state concepts were selected and a design definition is presented for each. Magnetrons as an alternative to the reference klystrons for dc/RF conversion are evaluated. System definitions are presented for the preferred klystron and solid state concepts. Supporting systems are analyzed, with major analysis in the microwave, structures, and power distribution areas. Results of studies for thermal control, attitude control, stationkeeping, and details of a multibandgap solar cell study are included. Advanced laser concepts and the meteorological effects of a laser beam power transmission concept are considered.

A study of industrial hydrogen and syngas supply systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amos, W. J.; Solomon, J.; Eliezer, K. F.

1979-01-01

The potential and incentives required for supplying hydrogen and syngas feedstocks to the U.S. chemical industry from coal gasification systems were evaluated. Future hydrogen and syngas demand for chemical manufacture was estimated by geographic area and projected economics for hydrogen and syngas manufacture was estimated with geographic area of manufacture and plant size as parameters. Natural gas, oil and coal feedstocks were considered. Problem areas presently affecting the commercial feasibility of coal gasification discussed include the impact of potential process improvements, factors involved in financing coal gasification plants, regulatory barriers affecting coal gasification, coal mining/transportation, air quality regulations, and competitive feedstock pricing barriers. The potential for making coal gasification the least costly H2 and syngas supply option. Options to stimulate coal gasification system development are discussed.

Plasma Sterilization Technology for Spacecraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraser, S. J.; Olson, R. L.; Leavens, W. M.

1975-01-01

The application of plasma gas technology to sterilization and decontamination of spacecraft components is considered. Areas investigated include: effective sterilizing ranges of four separate gases; lethal constituents of a plasma environment; effectiveness of plasma against a diverse group of microorganisms; penetrating efficiency of plasmas for sterilization; and compatibility of spacecraft materials with plasma environments. Results demonstrated that plasma gas, specifically helium plasma, is a highly effective sterilant and is compatible with spacecraft materials.

What's Law Got to Do with It? The Relationship of Law to Environmental Systems Management and Sustainability Research

Treesearch

N. Theresa Hoagland

2006-01-01

Legal concepts cannot be described as the area under the curve or in terms of equilibrium equations; however, law is one of several dimensions of a complex system that must be included in an interdisciplinary study of sustainability. It is one of the initial conditions to be considered in projecting the systems trajectory and it is also a constraint on implementation...

Cognitive CDMA Channelization

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

proposed scheme for power and code allocation for the secondary user is outlined in Fig. 2. V. SIMULATION STUDIES We consider a primary DS - CDMA system...DATES COVERED (From - To) January 2008 – June 2009 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE COGNITIVE CDMA CHANNELIZATION 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER In-House 5b. GRANT...TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area code) N/A Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Cognitive CDMA Channelization Kanke

System Development and Evaluation Technology: State of the Art of Manned System Measurement

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-01

considered " applicable to the assessment of training effectiveness. They include the classic *-: Solomon four - group design; iterative adaptation to...evaluate the performance of infantrymen using small arms weapons (Klein, 1969) were grouped into four areas for purposes of thisevauaton:accuracy...developed for i four naval ratings. This checklist was a detailed comprehensive checklist of the * tasks performed in that rating. For this study

Marketing recommendations for wood products from Alaska birch, red alder, and Alaska yellow-cedar.

Treesearch

Geoffrey H. Donovan; David L. Nicholls; Joseph. Roos

2003-01-01

Several factors have contributed to a recent decline in Alaska’s wood products industry, including reduced exports to Japan and the closure of two pulp mills in southeast Alaska. However, higher value niche markets are a potential growth area for the industry. In this paper, we consider niche markets for three species that have historically been harvested in low...

Recognition of Indian Sign Language in Live Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singha, Joyeeta; Das, Karen

2013-05-01

Sign Language Recognition has emerged as one of the important area of research in Computer Vision. The difficulty faced by the researchers is that the instances of signs vary with both motion and appearance. Thus, in this paper a novel approach for recognizing various alphabets of Indian Sign Language is proposed where continuous video sequences of the signs have been considered. The proposed system comprises of three stages: Preprocessing stage, Feature Extraction and Classification. Preprocessing stage includes skin filtering, histogram matching. Eigen values and Eigen Vectors were considered for feature extraction stage and finally Eigen value weighted Euclidean distance is used to recognize the sign. It deals with bare hands, thus allowing the user to interact with the system in natural way. We have considered 24 different alphabets in the video sequences and attained a success rate of 96.25%.

Recharge Data Package for Hanford Single-Shell Tank Waste Management Areas

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

Fayer, Michael J.; Keller, Jason M.

2007-09-24

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) assists CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., in its preparation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation report. One of the PNNL tasks is to use existing information to estimate recharge rates for past and current conditions as well as future scenarios involving cleanup and closure of tank farms. The existing information includes recharge-relevant data collected during activities associated with a host of projects, including those of RCRA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the CH2M HILL Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, and the PNNL Remediation and Closure Science Project.more » As new information is published, the report contents can be updated. The objective of this data package was to use published data to provide recharge estimates for the scenarios being considered in the RCRA Facility Investigation. Recharge rates were estimated for areas that remain natural and undisturbed, areas where the vegetation has been disturbed, areas where both the vegetation and the soil have been disturbed, and areas that are engineered (e.g., surface barrier). The recharge estimates supplement the estimates provided by PNNL researchers in 2006 for the Hanford Site using additional field measurements and model analysis using weather data through 2006.« less

Genetic population structure of muskellunge in the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kapuscinski, Kevin L.; Sloss, Brian L.; Farrell, John M.

2013-01-01

We quantified genetic relationships among Muskellunge Esox masquinongy from 15 locations in the Great Lakes to determine the extent and distribution of measurable population structure and to identify appropriate spatial scales for fishery management and genetic conservation. We hypothesized that Muskellunge from each area represented genetically distinct populations, which would be evident from analyses of genotype data. A total of 691 Muskellunge were sampled (n = 10–127/site) and genetic data were collected at 13 microsatellite loci. Results from a suite of analyses (including pairwise genetic differentiation, Bayesian admixture prediction, analysis of molecular variance, and tests of isolation by distance) indicated the presence of nine distinct genetic groups, including two that were approximately 50 km apart. Geographic proximity and low habitat complexity seemed to facilitate genetic similarity among areas, whereas Muskellunge from areas of greater habitat heterogeneity exhibited high differentiation. Muskellunge from most areas contained private alleles, and mean within-area genetic variation was similar to that reported for other freshwater fishes. Management programs aimed at conserving the broader diversity and long-term sustainability of Muskellunge could benefit by considering the genetically distinct groups as independent fisheries, and individual spawning and nursery habitats could subsequently be protected to conserve the evolutionary potential of Muskellunge.

The association between ambient temperature and childhood asthma: a systematic review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiwei; Crooks, James Lewis; Davies, Janet Mary; Khan, Al Fazal; Hu, Wenbiao; Tong, Shilu

2018-03-01

The objectives of this study are to review available information on the association between ambient temperature and childhood asthma, and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms of this relationship. A systematic review was conducted based on the papers retrieved from four databases, including PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Papers examining the association of absolute temperature or temperature variation with childhood asthma published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016 were included. Thirteen papers have quantified the effect of absolute temperature on childhood asthma, and six papers have examined the effect of intra- or inter-day temperature variation on childhood asthma. All studies were conducted in urban areas. Aeroallergen sensitizations were only considered in the analyses of one study. Discrepancy existed in the significance of the relationship between absolute temperature and childhood asthma, and also in the shape of this relationship (i.e. linear or non-linear) and whether temperature effects were lagged. Increasing evidence is suggesting non-linear relationship between absolute temperature and childhood asthma. Future research should investigate the burden of childhood asthma specifically attributable to extreme temperatures and temperature variation using advanced statistical approach, particularly in rural areas, after properly considering aeroallergens and air pollution. Projecting future burden of childhood asthma under climate change scenarios is also warranted.

Population estimates of Nearctic shorebirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, R.I.G.; Gill, Robert E.; Harrington, B.A.; Skagen, S.K.; Page, G.W.; Gratto-Trevor, C. L.; Haig, S.M.

2000-01-01

Estimates are presented for the population sizes of 53 species of Nearctic shorebirds occurring regularly in North America, plus four species that breed occasionally. Shorebird population sizes were derived from data obtained by a variety of methods from breeding, migration and wintering areas, and formal assessments of accuracy of counts or estimates are rarely available. Accurate estimates exist only for a few species that have been the subject of detailed investigation, and the likely accuracy of most estimates is considered poor or low. Population estimates range from a few tens to several millions. Overall, population estimates most commonly fell in the range of hundreds of thousands, particularly the low hundreds of thousands; estimated population sizes for large shorebird species currently all fall below 500,000. Population size was inversely related to size (mass) of the species, with a statistically significant negative regression between log (population size) and log (mass). Two outlying groups were evident on the regression graph: one, with populations lower than predicted, included species considered either to be "at risk" or particularly hard to count, and a second, with populations higher than predicted, included two species that are hunted. Population estimates are an integral part of conservation plans being developed for shorebirds in the United States and Canada, and may be used to identify areas of key international and regional importance.

Estimates of shorebird populations in North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, R.I.G.; Gill, Robert E.; Harrington, B.A.; Skagen, S.K.; Page, G.W.; Gratto-Trevor, C. L.; Haig, S.M.

2001-01-01

Estimates are presented for the population sizes of 53 species of Nearctic shorebirds occurring regularly in North America, plus four species that breed occasionally. Population estimates range from a few tens to several millions. Overall, population estimates most commonly fall in the range of hundreds of thousands, particularly the low hundreds of thousands; estimated population sizes for large shorebird species currently all fall below 500 000. Population size is inversely related to size (mass) of the species, with a statistically significant negative regression between log(population size) and log(mass). Two outlying groups are evident on the regression graph: one, with populations lower than predicted, includes species considered to be either “at risk” or particularly hard to count, and a second, with populations higher than predicted, includes two species that are hunted. Shorebird population sizes were derived from data obtained by a variety of methods from breeding, migration, and wintering areas, and formal assessments of accuracy of counts or estimates are rarely available. Accurate estimates exist only for a few species that have been the subject of detailed investigation, and the likely accuracy of most estimates is considered poor or low. Population estimates are an integral part of conservation plans being developed for shorebirds in the United States and Canada and may be used to identify areas of key international and regional importance.

The association between ambient temperature and childhood asthma: a systematic review.

PubMed

Xu, Zhiwei; Crooks, James Lewis; Davies, Janet Mary; Khan, Al Fazal; Hu, Wenbiao; Tong, Shilu

2018-03-01

The objectives of this study are to review available information on the association between ambient temperature and childhood asthma, and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms of this relationship. A systematic review was conducted based on the papers retrieved from four databases, including PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Papers examining the association of absolute temperature or temperature variation with childhood asthma published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016 were included. Thirteen papers have quantified the effect of absolute temperature on childhood asthma, and six papers have examined the effect of intra- or inter-day temperature variation on childhood asthma. All studies were conducted in urban areas. Aeroallergen sensitizations were only considered in the analyses of one study. Discrepancy existed in the significance of the relationship between absolute temperature and childhood asthma, and also in the shape of this relationship (i.e. linear or non-linear) and whether temperature effects were lagged. Increasing evidence is suggesting non-linear relationship between absolute temperature and childhood asthma. Future research should investigate the burden of childhood asthma specifically attributable to extreme temperatures and temperature variation using advanced statistical approach, particularly in rural areas, after properly considering aeroallergens and air pollution. Projecting future burden of childhood asthma under climate change scenarios is also warranted.

Potential ‘Ecological Traps’ of Restored Landscapes: Koalas Phascolarctos cinereus Re-Occupy a Rehabilitated Mine Site

PubMed Central

Cristescu, Romane H.; Banks, Peter B.; Carrick, Frank N.; Frère, Céline

2013-01-01

With progressively increasing anthropogenic habitat disturbances, restoration of impacted landscapes is becoming a critical element of biodiversity conservation. Evaluation of success in restoration ecology rarely includes faunal components, usually only encompassing abiotic and floral components of the ecosystems. Even when fauna is explicitly included, it is usually only species presence/absence criteria that are considered. If restoration is to have a positive outcome, however, populations in restored habitats should exhibit comparable survival and reproductive rates to populations found in undisturbed surroundings. If a species recolonises restored areas but later experiences decreased fitness, restored areas could become ecological sinks or traps. We investigated this possibility in a case study of koalas Phascolarctos cinereus occupying rehabilitated mining areas on North Stradbroke Island, Australia. Our holistic approach compared rehabilitated and undisturbed areas on the basis of their vegetation characteristics, of koalas' body condition, roosting trees, diet, as well as predator index. Koalas using rehabilitated areas appeared to be able to access an adequate supply of roosting and fodder trees, were in good condition and had high reproductive output. We did not find any significant differences in predator density between rehabilitated areas and undisturbed surroundings. The results presented in this study showed there was no evidence that the post-mining rehabilitated areas constitute ecological sinks or traps. However, to reach a definitive conclusion as to whether areas rehabilitated post-mining provide at least equivalent habitat to undisturbed locations, additional research could be undertaken to assess foliar nutrient/water/toxin differences and predation risk in rehabilitated areas compared with undisturbed areas. More generally, the evaluation of whether restoration successfully produces a functional ecological community should include criteria on the fitness of faunal populations reoccupying such sites, so as to ensure functioning ecosystems, rather than ecological sinks or traps, are the outcome. PMID:24282544

48 CFR 52.226-3 - Disaster or Emergency Area Representation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... offeror represents that it ___does ____ does not reside or primarily do business in the set-aside area. (c) An offeror is considered to be residing or primarily doing business in the set-aside area if, during..., factors to be considered in determining whether an offeror resides or primarily does business in the set...

Critical Protection Item classification for a waste processing facility at Savannah River Site

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

Ades, M.J.; Garrett, R.J.

1993-10-01

This paper describes the methodology for Critical Protection Item (CPI) classification and its application to the Structures, Systems and Components (SSC) of a waste processing facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The WSRC methodology for CPI classification includes the evaluation of the radiological and non-radiological consequences resulting from postulated accidents at the waste processing facility and comparison of these consequences with allowable limits. The types of accidents considered include explosions and fire in the facility and postulated accidents due to natural phenomena, including earthquakes, tornadoes, and high velocity straight winds. The radiological analysis results indicate that CPIs are notmore » required at the waste processing facility to mitigate the consequences of radiological release. The non-radiological analysis, however, shows that the Waste Storage Tank (WST) and the dike spill containment structures around the formic acid tanks in the cold chemical feed area and waste treatment area of the facility should be identified as CPIs. Accident mitigation options are provided and discussed.« less

Assessing Disease and Mortality among Small Cetaceans Stranded at a World Heritage Site in Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Domiciano, Isabela G.; Domit, Camila; Broadhurst, Matt K.; Koch, Mariana S.; Bracarense, Ana Paula F. R. L.

2016-01-01

Cetaceans are considered environmental sentinels and their health often reflects either anthropogenic or natural spatio-temporal disturbances. This study investigated the pathological findings and mortality of small cetaceans with the aim of detecting hazards and monitoring health trends in a high-biodiversity area. Between 2007 and 2012, 218 stranded cetaceans were recorded on the Paraná coast, southern Brazil. Fifty-seven (26.1%) of these animals, including 50 Sotalia guianensis, 2 Pontoporia blainvillei, 2 Stenella frontalis, 1 Stenella longirostris, 1 Tursiops truncatus and 1 Globicephala melas were necropsied and samples were collected for histopathology. Causes of death were determined in 46 of the 57 (80.7%) animals and most (30 or 65.2%) were ascribed to anthropogenic activities, including fisheries bycatch (28/30) and trauma (2/30). The remaining 16 fatalities were considered natural, and attributed to pneumonia (10/16), emaciation (3/16), septicemia (1/16), neonatal pathology (1/16) and choking via food obstruction (1/16). Irrespective of the cause, bronchointerstitial pneumonia, associated with parasitism, lymphadenitis and membranous glomerulonephritis were common findings among all fatalities. These results suggest, that while anthropogenic activities are a leading cause of cetacean strandings in Paraná, underlying pre-existing diseases may contribute towards deaths. Although the studied area is considered a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, complex anthropogenic and natural interactions might be occurring, increasing cetacean susceptibility to hazards. This study may help facilitate developing an effective conservation plan for coastal cetaceans focusing on reducing fisheries interactions, habitat degradation and pollution as mechanisms for ultimately increasing species resilience. PMID:26871703

Major methodological constraints to the assessment of environmental status based on the condition of benthic communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medeiros, João Paulo; Pinto, Vanessa; Sá, Erica; Silva, Gilda; Azeda, Carla; Pereira, Tadeu; Quintella, Bernardo; Raposo de Almeida, Pedro; Lino Costa, José; José Costa, Maria; Chainho, Paula

2014-05-01

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) was published in 2008 and requires Member States to take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status in aquatic ecosystems by the year of 2020. The MSFD indicates 11 qualitative descriptors for environmental status assessment, including seafloor integrity, using the condition of the benthic community as an assessment indicator. Member States will have to define monitoring programs for each of the MSFD descriptors based on those indicators in order to understand which areas are in a Good Environmental Status and what measures need to be implemented to improve the status of areas that fail to achieve that major objective. Coastal and offshore marine waters are not frequently monitored in Portugal and assessment tools have only been developed very recently with the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The lack of historical data and knowledge on the constraints of benthic indicators in coastal areas requires the development of specific studies addressing this issue. The major objective of the current study was to develop and test and experimental design to assess impacts of offshore projects. The experimental design consisted on the seasonal and interannual assessment of benthic invertebrate communities in the area of future implementation of the structures (impact) and two potential control areas 2 km from the impact area. Seasonal benthic samples were collected at nine random locations within the impact and control areas in two consecutive years. Metrics included in the Portuguese benthic assessment tool (P-BAT) were calculated since this multimetric tool was proposed for the assessment of the ecological status in Portuguese coastal areas under the WFD. Results indicated a high taxonomic richness in this coastal area and no significant differences were found between impact and control areas, indicating the feasibility of establishing adequate control areas in marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, significant differences were found between different seasons and different years, showing that the coastal benthic communities important temporal variations. Although those variations did not affect the status assessment based on metrics that considered the ratio between sensitive and tolerant taxa, diversity indices showed different classifications between seasons and years. These results indicate the need for a temporal stratification of the monitoring programs. That might be achieved by setting different thresholds for specific seasons or selecting specific monitoring seasons. It might also require a regular assessment of the environmental conditions that support the identification of outlier years, which monitoring results should be carefully considered.

The utilization characteristics of social facilities in the border area of Semarang city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setioko, Bambang; Olivia, Deasy; Pandelaki, Edward E.; Murtini, Titien Woro

2017-06-01

The rapid growth of settlement in border areas is often considered as a problem of big cities in Indonesia, where people from rural areas prefer to move out and settle in the border areas of big cities due to the provision of better social facilities. Border areas generally do not receive adequate attention and are often overlooked by the local government. It is a common phenomenon in Indonesian cities, including in Semarang City. Increased number of settlements in the border areas in Semarang City is in linear with spontaneous urbanization processes which indicate the heterogeneity emerging of settlement areas. In the early stages of Semarang City spatial planning, the need for social facilities in border areas is included based on the regular standard which is commonly applied to the urban core. In a very short period, the numbers and types of existing social facilities are insufficient to fulfill the needs of the community. Nowadays, in the context of rapid urbanization, the growth of social facilities in border areas is very high. The intense growth of settlements in border areas is very high due to the low price of land in Demak Regency in compared to those of other areas in Semarang City. However, only a few developers involved social facilities as a part of housing estate construction. Consequently, most of the occupants utilize a limited number of social facilities provided by the municipal government, which are actually intended to serve the citizens of Semarang City. This research was conducted at Sendang Mulyo Village which is located in the border of Semarang municipal administrative area and included in Demak Regency. This paper discusses the utilization characteristics of social facilities in the border area of Semarang City, with the aim to get the trigger factors. The method analysis consisted of a statistical test and descriptive analysis. The utilization characteristics were formulated based on the relationship between neighborhood and human behavior. The settlements in the border area of Semarang City have different characteristics. The differences led to a gap of the utilization of facilities between people who live in the planned and unplanned settlement. Therefore, the social spatial concept is required to address the issue.

Characterization of ASTER GDEM Elevation Data over Vegetated Area Compared with Lidar Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ni, Wenjian; Sun, Guoqing; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2013-01-01

Current researches based on areal or spaceborne stereo images with very high resolutions (less than 1 meter) have demonstrated that it is possible to derive vegetation height from stereo images. The second version of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) is a state-of-the-art global elevation data-set developed by stereo images. However, the resolution of ASTER stereo images (15 meters) is much coarser than areal stereo images, and the ASTER GDEM is compiled products from stereo images acquired over 10 years. The forest disturbances as well as forest growth are inevitable in 10 years time span. In this study, the features of ASTER GDEM over vegetated areas under both flat and mountainous conditions were investigated by comparisons with lidar data. The factors possibly affecting the extraction of vegetation canopy height considered include (1) co-registration of DEMs; (2) spatial resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs); (3) spatial vegetation structure; and (4) terrain slope. The results show that accurate co-registration between ASTER GDEM and the National Elevation Dataset (NED) is necessary over mountainous areas. The correlation between ASTER GDEM minus NED and vegetation canopy height is improved from 0.328 to 0.43 by degrading resolutions from 1 arc-second to 5 arc-seconds and further improved to 0.6 if only homogenous vegetated areas were considered.

Managing protected areas under climate change: challenges and priorities.

PubMed

Rannow, Sven; Macgregor, Nicholas A; Albrecht, Juliane; Crick, Humphrey Q P; Förster, Michael; Heiland, Stefan; Janauer, Georg; Morecroft, Mike D; Neubert, Marco; Sarbu, Anca; Sienkiewicz, Jadwiga

2014-10-01

The implementation of adaptation actions in local conservation management is a new and complex task with multiple facets, influenced by factors differing from site to site. A transdisciplinary perspective is therefore required to identify and implement effective solutions. To address this, the International Conference on Managing Protected Areas under Climate Change brought together international scientists, conservation managers, and decision-makers to discuss current experiences with local adaptation of conservation management. This paper summarizes the main issues for implementing adaptation that emerged from the conference. These include a series of conclusions and recommendations on monitoring, sensitivity assessment, current and future management practices, and legal and policy aspects. A range of spatial and temporal scales must be considered in the implementation of climate-adapted management. The adaptation process must be area-specific and consider the ecosystem and the social and economic conditions within and beyond protected area boundaries. However, a strategic overview is also needed: management at each site should be informed by conservation priorities and likely impacts of climate change at regional or even wider scales. Acting across these levels will be a long and continuous process, requiring coordination with actors outside the "traditional" conservation sector. To achieve this, a range of research, communication, and policy/legal actions is required. We identify a series of important actions that need to be taken at different scales to enable managers of protected sites to adapt successfully to a changing climate.

The role of integrated scientific approach facing the changing ocean policy. The case of the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallega, Adalberto

1999-08-01

In the mid-1980s the debate about the role of oceanography vis-à-vis the evolving demand for ocean research was initiated in the framework of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. That discussion was basically triggered by the need to meet the demand for research generated by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972). More recently, also as a consequence of the inputs from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, 1992), the discussion of the role of oceanography in the framework of the co-operation between physical and social disciplines was initiated focusing on the prospect of building up the ocean science. The prospect of the ocean science as designed by IOC (1984) was finalised only to integrate the branches of oceanography. To discuss how that design could be implemented on the basis of progress in epistemology and ocean policy, the subject is focused on considering three levels: i) the epistemological level, where the option between positivism- and constructivism- based epistemologies has arisen; ii) the logical level, where the option is concerned with disjunctive and conjunctive logic; and iii) the methodological level, where the option regards the analytical-deductive and the inductive-axiomatic methods. The thesis is sustained that, to meet the demand for management-oriented research, the pathway including constructivist epistemology, conjunctive logic and inductive-axiomatic methods could be usefully adopted as the cement of inter-disciplinarity. The second part of the paper is concerned with the Mediterranean, and how holism-referred and management-aimed investigations might be conducted by applying the above conceptual approach is considered: i) presenting the individual emerging subject areas on which the demand for management patterns is expected to focus in the mid- and long-run; ii) illustrating the major aspects of the individual subject areas to be investigated; iii) deducing what leading role might be assigned to oceanography in building up inter-disciplinary approaches; iv) which disciplines might be stimulated to co-operate. The subject areas considered with reference to the Mediterranean include: i) integrated coastal management; ii) the deep-ocean coastal uses with special consideration of living resources management; iii) the protection of biodiversity. Ocean Geographical Information Systems (OGIS), data management, and education and training are presented as intersecting research areas calling for inter-disciplinary approaches. As a conclusion, a breakdown of questions on which discussion might be concentrated is considered.

Experience on healthcare utilization in seven administrative regions of Tanzania

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Health care utilization in many developing countries, Tanzania included, is mainly through the use of traditional medicine (TRM) and its practitioners despite the presence of the conventional medicine. This article presents findings on the study that aimed to get an experience of health care utilization from both urban and rural areas of seven administrative regions in Tanzania. A total of 33 health facility managers were interviewed on health care provision and availability of supplies including drugs, in their respective areas. The findings revealed that the health facilities were overburden with higher population to serve than it was planned. Consequently essential drugs and other health supplies were available only in the first two weeks of the month. Conventional health practitioners considered traditional health practitioners to be more competent in mental health management, and overall, they were considered to handle more HIV/AIDS cases knowingly or unknowingly due to shear need of healthcare by this group. In general conventional health practitioners were positive towards traditional medicine utilization; and some of them admitted using traditional medicines. Traditional medicines like other medical health systems worldwide have side effects and some contentious ethical issues that need serious consideration and policy direction. Since many people will continue using traditional/alternative medicine, there is an urgent need to collaborate with traditional/alternative health practitioners through the institutionalization of basic training including hygiene in order to improved healthcare in the community and attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. PMID:22284539

Objective speech quality assessment and the RPE-LTP coding algorithm in different noise and language conditions.

PubMed

Hansen, J H; Nandkumar, S

1995-01-01

The formulation of reliable signal processing algorithms for speech coding and synthesis require the selection of a prior criterion of performance. Though coding efficiency (bits/second) or computational requirements can be used, a final performance measure must always include speech quality. In this paper, three objective speech quality measures are considered with respect to quality assessment for American English, noisy American English, and noise-free versions of seven languages. The purpose is to determine whether objective quality measures can be used to quantify changes in quality for a given voice coding method, with a known subjective performance level, as background noise or language conditions are changed. The speech coding algorithm chosen is regular-pulse excitation with long-term prediction (RPE-LTP), which has been chosen as the standard voice compression algorithm for the European Digital Mobile Radio system. Three areas are considered for objective quality assessment which include: (i) vocoder performance for American English in a noise-free environment, (ii) speech quality variation for three additive background noise sources, and (iii) noise-free performance for seven languages which include English, Japanese, Finnish, German, Hindi, Spanish, and French. It is suggested that although existing objective quality measures will never replace subjective testing, they can be a useful means of assessing changes in performance, identifying areas for improvement in algorithm design, and augmenting subjective quality tests for voice coding/compression algorithms in noise-free, noisy, and/or non-English applications.

Growth in conventional fields in high-cost areas: a case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.

2000-01-01

Exploration managers commonly base future drilling decisions on past experience in an area. To do this well, they should consider both discovered and undiscovered resources to characterize total future potential. Discovery-size estimates should be adjusted to account for future field growth; otherwise, the relative efficiency of recent exploration will be undervalued. This study models and projects field growth for pre-1997 discoveries in the U.S. Federal Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Projected additions to reserves for these fields from field growth through 2020 are 5.2 billion bbl of oil and 46 Tcfg. Projections include growth associated with sizable new oil discoveries in deepwater areas and initial reserve additions from new subsalt plays discovered through 1996. This article focuses on the U.S. GOM because it has produced longer than other worldwide offshore areas. Its field-growth profile may be prototypical of other offshore provinces such as the North Sea, Scotian Shelf and deepwater Angola, as well as high-cost onshore areas.

Risk assessment of metals in road-deposited sediment along an urban-rural gradient.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongtao; Li, Xuyong

2013-03-01

We applied the traditional risk assessment methods originally designed for soils and river sediments to evaluation of risk associated with metals in road-deposited sediment (RDS) along an urban-rural gradient that included central urban (UCA), urban village (UVA), central suburban county (CSA), rural town (RTA), and rural village (RVA) areas in the Beijing metropolitan region. A new indicator RI(RDS) was developed which integrated the RDS characteristics of mobility, grain size and amount with the potential ecological risk index. The risk associated with metals in RDS in urban areas was generally higher than that in rural areas based on the assessment using traditional methods, but the risk was higher in urban and rural village areas than the areas with higher administration units based on the indicator RI(RDS). These findings implied that RDS characteristics variation with the urban-rural gradient must be considered in metal risk assessment and RDS washoff pollution control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protection of mammal diversity in Central America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Clinton N.; Giri, Chandra

2008-01-01

Central America is exceptionally rich in biodiversity, but varies widely in the attention its countries devote to conservation. Protected areas, widely considered the cornerstone of conservation, were not always created with the intent of conserving that biodiversity. We assessed how well the protected-area system of Central America includes the region's mammal diversity. This first required a refinement of existing range maps to reduce their extensive errors of commission (i.e., predicted presences in places where species do not occur). For this refinement, we used the ecological limits of each species to identify and remove unsuitable areas from the range. We then compared these maps with the locations of protected areas to measure the habitat protected for each of the region's 250 endemic mammals. The species most vulnerable to extinction—those with small ranges—were largely outside protected areas. Nevertheless, the most strictly protected areas tended toward areas with many small-ranged species. To improve the protection coverage of mammal diversity in the region, we identified a set of priority sites that would best complement the existing protected areas. Protecting these new sites would require a relatively small increase in the total area protected, but could greatly enhance mammal conservation.

A putative model of overeating and obesity based on brain-derived neurotrophic factor: direct and indirect effects.

PubMed

Ooi, Cara L; Kennedy, James L; Levitan, Robert D

2012-08-01

Increased food intake is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic in all age groups. Elucidating brain systems that drive overeating and that might serve as targets for novel prevention and treatment interventions is thus a high priority for obesity research. The authors consider 2 major pathways by which decreased activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may confer vulnerability to overeating and weight gain in an obesogenic environment. The first "direct" pathway focuses on the specific role of BDNF as a mediator of food intake control at brain areas rich in BDNF receptors, including the hypothalamus and hindbrain. It is proposed that low BDNF activity limited to this direct pathway may best explain overeating and obesity outside the context of major neuropsychiatric disturbance. A second "indirect" pathway considers the broad neurotrophic effects of BDNF on key monoamine systems that mediate mood dysregulation, impulsivity, and executive dysfunction as well as feeding behavior per se. Disruption in this pathway may best explain overeating and obesity in the context of various neuropsychiatric disturbances including mood disorders, attention-deficit disorder, and/or binge eating disorders. An integrative model that considers these potential roles of BDNF in promoting obesity is presented. The implications of this model for the early prevention and treatment of obesity are also considered.

“She’s a dog at the end of the day”: Guide dog owners’ perspectives on the behaviour of their guide dog

PubMed Central

Craigon, Peter J.; Hobson- West, Pru; England, Gary C. W.; Whelan, Chantelle; Lethbridge, Emma; Asher, Lucy

2017-01-01

A guide dog is a domestic dog (Canis familiaris) that is specifically educated to provide mobility support to a blind or visually impaired owner. Current dog suitability assessments focus on behavioural traits, including: trainability, reactivity or attention to environmental stimuli, low aggressiveness, fearfulness and stress behaviour, energy levels, and attachment behaviour. The aim of this study was to find out which aspects of guide dog behaviour are of key importance to guide dog owners themselves. Sixty-three semi-structured interview surveys were carried out with guide dog owners. Topics included the behaviour of their guide dog both within and outside their working role, and also focused on examples of behaviour which might be considered outside a guide dog owner’s typical expectations. Both positive and negative examples and situations were covered. This allowed for the discovery of new perspectives and emerging themes on living and working with a guide dog. Thematic analysis of the results reveals that a dog’s safe behaviour in the face of traffic was the most important positive aspect of a guide dog’s behaviour and pulling or high tension on the lead and /or harness was the most discussed negative aspect. Other aspects of guide dog behaviour were highlighted as particularly pleasing or disappointing by owners including attentiveness to the task, work, environment and owner; confidence in work and decision making (with confident dogs resulting in confident owners) obedience and control; calmness and locating objectives. The results reveal important areas of behaviour that are not currently considered priorities in guide dog assessments; these key areas were consistency of behaviour, the dog’s maturity and the dog’s behaviour in relation to children. The survey revealed a large range in what owners considered problematic or pleasing behaviours and this highlights the heterogeneity in guide dog owners and the potential multifarious roles of the guide dog. This study contributes to the literature on which behaviour is considered appropriate or inappropriate in dogs and on the nature of human-animal interactions. PMID:28423053

Skin integrity and silicone: Appeel 'no-sting' medical adhesive remover.

PubMed

Stephen-Haynes, Jackie

This article offers an overview of skin and the importance of maintaining intact skin in relation to wound and stoma care. Various patients and their conditions are considered in relation to their potential for skin damage with the removal of adhesive products, including paediatrics, those with epidermolysis bullosa, haemangioma, fragile skin, elderly skin and ostomates. The importance of protecting fragile skin and protecting the peri-wound and peri-stoma area is discussed and the impact of such damage on quality of life is considered. The evidence relating to the impact that silicone-based adhesive removers can have is reviewed with a conclusion that an evidence-based approach can significantly affect patient outcomes.

Method for making carbon super capacitor electrode materials

DOEpatents

Firsich, D.W.; Ingersoll, D.; Delnick, F.M.

1998-07-07

A method is described for making near-net-shape, monolithic carbon electrodes for energy storage devices. The method includes the controlled pyrolysis and activation of a pressed shape of methyl cellulose powder with pyrolysis being carried out in two stages; pre-oxidation, preferably in air at a temperature between 200--250 C, followed by carbonization under an inert atmosphere. An activation step to adjust the surface area of the carbon shape to a value desirable for the application being considered, including heating the carbon shape in an oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature of at least 300 C, follows carbonization. 1 fig.

The Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions: Past, present, and future operational challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ochs, William R.; Barbehenn, George M.; Crabb, William G.

1996-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to be serviced by the Space Shuttle to upgrade systems, replace failed components and boost the telescope into higher orbits. There exists many operational challenges that must be addressed in preparation for the execution of a servicing mission, including technical and managerial issues. The operational challenges faced by the Hubble operations and ground system project for the support of the first servicing mission and future servicing missions, are considered. The emphasis is on those areas that helped ensure the success of the mission, including training, testing and contingency planning.

Method for making carbon super capacitor electrode materials

DOEpatents

Firsich, David W.; Ingersoll, David; Delnick, Frank M.

1998-01-01

A method for making near-net-shape, monolithic carbon electrodes for energy storage devices. The method includes the controlled pyrolysis and activation of a pressed shape of methyl cellulose powder with pyrolysis being carried out in two stages; pre-oxidation, preferably in air at a temperature between 200.degree.-250.degree. C., followed by carbonization under an inert atmosphere. An activation step to adjust the surface area of the carbon shape to a value desirable for the application being considered, including heating the carbon shape in an oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature of at least 300.degree. C., follows carbonization.

Developing physician pay arrangements: the cash and care equation.

PubMed

Levitch, J H

1998-11-01

Developing physician compensation packages that help a healthcare organization meet its business objectives while satisfying physician pay expectations requires new ways of linking pay to physician performance. Such compensation arrangements specifically should include pay tied to defined performance standards, compensation linked to group performance, performance incentives based on realistic, achievable goals, work performance measured by common criteria, and similar pay ensured for similar work. Final pay arrangements also should include items that are sometimes overlooked, such as fully delineated job responsibilities, performance measures aligned correctly with performance areas, and the value of benefits considered in the cash compensation levels.

Spatially Characterizing Effective Timber Supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, J. K.; Sailor, J.

1982-01-01

The structure of a computer-oriented cartographic model for assessing roundwood supply for generation of base load electricity is discussed. The model provides an analytical procedure for coupling spatial information of harvesting economics and owner willingness to sell stumpages. Supply is characterized in terms of standing timber; of accessibility considering various harvesting and hauling factors; and of availability as affected by ownership and residential patterns. Factors governing accessibility to timber include effective harvesting distance to haulic roads as modified by barriers and slopes. Haul distance is expressed in units that take into account the relative ease of travel along various road types to a central processing facility. Areas of accessible timber are grouped into spatial units, termed 'timbersheds', of common access to particular haul road segments that belong to unique 'transport zones'. Timber availability considerations include size of ownership parcels, housing density and excluded areas. The analysis techniques are demonstrated for a cartographic data base in western Massachusetts.

Labeling wood: How timber certification may reduce deforestation

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

Sugal, C.

1996-09-01

A series of landmark developments, including satellite photography revealing massive burning of the Amazon and scientific findings confirming a link between deforestation and climate change, has greatly heightened public awareness about the loss of tropical forests in the past decade. As a result, the international tropical timber trade has become a target of public campaigns to curb deforestation, the argument being that consumers can {open_quotes}save{close_quotes} the rainforest if they refuse to buy tropical timber products. However, there are other sides to this, and certification is not the complete answer. For example, logging constitutes only a small portion of deforestation inmore » the tropics, most of which is done for agricultural purposes. Fuel wood resources are not included, and other areas of the world are being deforested, so emphasis only on tropical areas creates concerns. This article considers the concerns of certification in depth.« less

Vascular flora of the Rocky Flats area, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA

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

Nelson, Jody K.

The Rocky Flats Site (Site) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility near Golden, Colorado that produced nuclear weapons components during the Cold War. Like many federal properties that have been off-limits to public access for decades, it has become a refugia for biodiversity as surrounding landscapes have been lost to agriculture and urbanization. A floristic study of the area was conducted on approximately 2,505 ha (6,189 ac) and includes the parcels currently managed and operated by DOE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge). A flora of 630 species of vascular plants inmore » 84 families and 340 genera was documented, including 12 species endemic to the southern Rocky Mountains and seven species considered rare or imperiled by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The flora of the Site is characterized by a predominantly Western North American floristic element, however, an Adventive floristic element contributes the greatest number of species. The vegetation is dominated by xeric tallgrass prairie and mixed grass prairie, with areas of wetland, shrubland, and riparian woodland.« less

Vascular flora of the Rocky Flats area, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA

DOE PAGES

Nelson, Jody K.

2010-08-01

The Rocky Flats Site (Site) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility near Golden, Colorado that produced nuclear weapons components during the Cold War. Like many federal properties that have been off-limits to public access for decades, it has become a refugia for biodiversity as surrounding landscapes have been lost to agriculture and urbanization. A floristic study of the area was conducted on approximately 2,505 ha (6,189 ac) and includes the parcels currently managed and operated by DOE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge). A flora of 630 species of vascular plants inmore » 84 families and 340 genera was documented, including 12 species endemic to the southern Rocky Mountains and seven species considered rare or imperiled by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The flora of the Site is characterized by a predominantly Western North American floristic element, however, an Adventive floristic element contributes the greatest number of species. The vegetation is dominated by xeric tallgrass prairie and mixed grass prairie, with areas of wetland, shrubland, and riparian woodland.« less

Comprehensive helicopter analysis: A state of the art review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W.

1978-01-01

An assessment of the status of helicopter theory and analysis is presented. The technology level embodied in available design tools (computer programs) is examined, considering the problem areas of performance, loads and vibration, handling qualities and simulation, and aeroelastic stability. The effectiveness of the present analyses is discussed. The characteristics of the technology in the analyses are reviewed, including the aerodynamics technology, induced velocity and wake geometry, dynamics technology, and machine limitations.

Strategies GeoCape Intelligent Observation Studies @ GSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cappelaere, Pat; Frye, Stu; Moe, Karen; Mandl, Dan; LeMoigne, Jacqueline; Flatley, Tom; Geist, Alessandro

2015-01-01

This presentation provides information a summary of the tradeoff studies conducted for GeoCape by the GSFC team in terms of how to optimize GeoCape observation efficiency. Tradeoffs include total ground scheduling with simple priorities, ground scheduling with cloud forecast, ground scheduling with sub-area forecast, onboard scheduling with onboard cloud detection and smart onboard scheduling and onboard image processing. The tradeoffs considered optimzing cost, downlink bandwidth and total number of images acquired.

Investigation on Constrained Matrix Factorization for Hyperspectral Image Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-07-25

analysis. Keywords: matrix factorization; nonnegative matrix factorization; linear mixture model ; unsupervised linear unmixing; hyperspectral imagery...spatial resolution permits different materials present in the area covered by a single pixel. The linear mixture model says that a pixel reflectance in...in r. In the linear mixture model , r is considered as the linear mixture of m1, m2, …, mP as nMαr += (1) where n is included to account for

Antiaccess / Area-Denial: Old Concepts, New Frontiers

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

Vulcan’s Anvil: The American Civil War and the Foundation of the Operational Art (Fort Leavenworth, KS: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 2004...all elements of operational design and operational art , as well as all possible methods to exploit the operational environment considered to some...considerations in future military campaigns. Case Studies The Maginot Line Romantically dubbed the “Shield of France,” the Maginot Line included eighty-seven

GIS analysis of the siting criteria for the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility

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

Hoskinson, R.L.

1994-01-01

This report summarizes a study conducted using the Arc/Info{reg_sign} geographic information system (GIS) to analyze the criteria used for site selection for the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility (MLLWTF) and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility (IWPF). The purpose of the analyses was to determine, based on predefined criteria, the areas on the INEL that best satisfied the criteria. The coverages used in this study were produced by importing the AutoCAD files that produced the maps for a pre site selection draft report into the GIS. The files were then converted to Arc/Info{reg_sign} GIS format. The initial analysis was mademore » by considering all of the criteria as having equal importance in determining the areas of the INEL that would best satisfy the requirements. Another analysis emphasized four of the criteria as ``must`` criteria which had to be satisfied. Additional analyses considered other criteria that were considered for, but not included in the predefined criteria. This GIS analysis of the siting criteria for the IWPF and MLLWTF provides a logical, repeatable, and defensible approach to the determination of candidate locations for the facilities. The results of the analyses support the location of the Candidate Locations.« less

Extra-Territorial Siting of Nuclear Installations

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

Shea, Thomas E.; Morris, Frederic A.

2009-10-07

Arrangements might be created for siting nuclear installations on land ceded by a host State for administration by an international or multinational organization. Such arrangements might prove useful in terms of resolving suspicions of proliferation in troubled areas of the world, or as a means to introduce nuclear activities into areas where political, financial or technical capabilities might otherwise make such activities unsound, or as a means to enable global solutions to be instituted for major nuclear concerns (e.g., spent fuel management). The paper examines practical matters associated with the legal and programmatic aspects of siting nuclear installations, including diplomatic/politicalmore » frameworks, engaging competent industrial bodies, protection against seizure, regulation to ensure safety and security, waste management, and conditions related to the dissolution of the extra-territorial provisions as may be agreed as the host State(s) achieve the capabilities to own and operate the installations. The paper considers the potential for using such a mechanism across the spectrum of nuclear power activities, from mining to geological repositories for nuclear waste. The paper considers the non-proliferation dimensions associated with such arrangements, and the pros and cons affecting potential host States, technology vendor States, regional neighbors and the international community. It considers in brief potential applications in several locations today.« less

The auditory and non-auditory brain areas involved in tinnitus. An emergent property of multiple parallel overlapping subnetworks

PubMed Central

Vanneste, Sven; De Ridder, Dirk

2012-01-01

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of an external sound source. It is characterized by sensory components such as the perceived loudness, the lateralization, the tinnitus type (pure tone, noise-like) and associated emotional components, such as distress and mood changes. Source localization of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) data demonstrate the involvement of auditory brain areas as well as several non-auditory brain areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex (dorsal and subgenual), auditory cortex (primary and secondary), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, insula, supplementary motor area, orbitofrontal cortex (including the inferior frontal gyrus), parahippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus, in different aspects of tinnitus. Explaining these non-auditory brain areas as constituents of separable subnetworks, each reflecting a specific aspect of the tinnitus percept increases the explanatory power of the non-auditory brain areas involvement in tinnitus. Thus, the unified percept of tinnitus can be considered an emergent property of multiple parallel dynamically changing and partially overlapping subnetworks, each with a specific spontaneous oscillatory pattern and functional connectivity signature. PMID:22586375

Exclusion of agricultural lands in spatial conservation prioritization strategies: consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem service representation.

PubMed

Durán, América P; Duffy, James P; Gaston, Kevin J

2014-10-07

Agroecosystems have traditionally been considered incompatible with biological conservation goals, and often been excluded from spatial conservation prioritization strategies. The consequences for the representativeness of identified priority areas have been little explored. Here, we evaluate these for biodiversity and carbon storage representation when agricultural land areas are excluded from a spatial prioritization strategy for South America. Comparing different prioritization approaches, we also assess how the spatial overlap of priority areas changes. The exclusion of agricultural lands was detrimental to biodiversity representation, indicating that priority areas for agricultural production overlap with areas of relatively high occurrence of species. By contrast, exclusion of agricultural lands benefits representation of carbon storage within priority areas, as lands of high value for agriculture and carbon storage overlap little. When agricultural lands were included and equally weighted with biodiversity and carbon storage, a balanced representation resulted. Our findings suggest that with appropriate management, South American agroecosystems can significantly contribute to biodiversity conservation. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Characterising reef fish populations and habitats within and outside the US Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument: A lesson in marine protected area design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Monaco, Mark E.; Friedlander, A.M.; Caldow, Chris; Christensen, J.D.; Rogers, C.; Beets, J.; Miller, J.; Boulon, Rafe

2007-01-01

Marine protected areas are an important tool for management of marine ecosystems. Despite their utility, ecological design criteria are often not considered or feasible to implement when establishing protected areas. In 2001, the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICRNM) in St John, US Virgin Islands was established by Executive Order. The VICRNM prohibits almost all extractive uses. Surveys of habitat and fishes inside and outside of the VICRNM were conducted in 2002-2004. Areas outside the VICRNM had significantly more hard corals, greater habitat complexity, and greater richness, abundance and biomass of reef fishes than areas within the VICRNM. The administrative process used to delineate the boundaries of the VICRNM did not include a robust ecological characterisation of the area. Because of reduced habitat complexity within the VICRNM, the enhancement of the marine ecosystem may not be fully realised or increases in economically important reef fishes may take longer to detect. ?? 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation ?? 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Statistical Analysis on the Performance of Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area versus Absolute Binding Free Energy Calculations: Bromodomains as a Case Study.

PubMed

Aldeghi, Matteo; Bodkin, Michael J; Knapp, Stefan; Biggin, Philip C

2017-09-25

Binding free energy calculations that make use of alchemical pathways are becoming increasingly feasible thanks to advances in hardware and algorithms. Although relative binding free energy (RBFE) calculations are starting to find widespread use, absolute binding free energy (ABFE) calculations are still being explored mainly in academic settings due to the high computational requirements and still uncertain predictive value. However, in some drug design scenarios, RBFE calculations are not applicable and ABFE calculations could provide an alternative. Computationally cheaper end-point calculations in implicit solvent, such as molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) calculations, could too be used if one is primarily interested in a relative ranking of affinities. Here, we compare MMPBSA calculations to previously performed absolute alchemical free energy calculations in their ability to correlate with experimental binding free energies for three sets of bromodomain-inhibitor pairs. Different MMPBSA approaches have been considered, including a standard single-trajectory protocol, a protocol that includes a binding entropy estimate, and protocols that take into account the ligand hydration shell. Despite the improvements observed with the latter two MMPBSA approaches, ABFE calculations were found to be overall superior in obtaining correlation with experimental affinities for the test cases considered. A difference in weighted average Pearson ([Formula: see text]) and Spearman ([Formula: see text]) correlations of 0.25 and 0.31 was observed when using a standard single-trajectory MMPBSA setup ([Formula: see text] = 0.64 and [Formula: see text] = 0.66 for ABFE; [Formula: see text] = 0.39 and [Formula: see text] = 0.35 for MMPBSA). The best performing MMPBSA protocols returned weighted average Pearson and Spearman correlations that were about 0.1 inferior to ABFE calculations: [Formula: see text] = 0.55 and [Formula: see text] = 0.56 when including an entropy estimate, and [Formula: see text] = 0.53 and [Formula: see text] = 0.55 when including explicit water molecules. Overall, the study suggests that ABFE calculations are indeed the more accurate approach, yet there is also value in MMPBSA calculations considering the lower compute requirements, and if agreement to experimental affinities in absolute terms is not of interest. Moreover, for the specific protein-ligand systems considered in this study, we find that including an explicit ligand hydration shell or a binding entropy estimate in the MMPBSA calculations resulted in significant performance improvements at a negligible computational cost.

Simulation and analysis of differential GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denaro, R. P.

NASA is conducting a research program to evaluate differential Global Positioning System (GPS) concepts for civil helicopter navigation. It is pointed out that the civil helicopter community will probably be an early user of GPS because of the unique mission operations in areas where precise navigation aids are not available. However, many of these applications involve accuracy requirements which cannot be satisfied by conventional GPS. Such applications include remote area search and rescue, offshore oil platform approach, remote area precision landing, and other precise navigation operations. Differential GPS provides a promising approach for meeting very demanding accuracy requirements. The considered procedure eliminates some of the common bias errors experienced by conventional GPS. This is done by making use of a second GPS receiver. A simulation process is developed as a tool for analyzing various scenarios of GPS-referenced civil aircraft navigation.

Y-12 Industrial Landfill V. Permit application modifications

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

NONE

1995-09-01

This report contains the modifications in operations and design to meet the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conversation (TDEC) July 10, 1993, amendments to the regulations for Class 2 landfills. These modifications, though extensive in design and construction cost, are considered minor revisions and should not require a processing fee. Area 1 of ILF V, comprising approximately 20% of the ILF V footprint, was designed and submitted to TDEC prior to the implementation of current regulations. This initial area was constructed with a compacted clay liner and leachate collection system, and became operational in April 1994. The current regulations requiremore » landfills to have a composite liner with leachate collection system and closure cap. Modifications to upgrade Areas 2 and 3 of ILF V to meet the current TDEC requirements are included.« less

A Novel Human Body Area Network for Brain Diseases Analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Kai; Xu, Tianlang

2016-10-01

Development of wireless sensor and mobile communication technology provide an unprecedented opportunity for realizing smart and interactive healthcare systems. Designing such systems aims to remotely monitor the health and diagnose the diseases for users. In this paper, we design a novel human body area network for brain diseases analysis, which is named BABDA. Considering the brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body, the BABDA system provides four function modules to ensure the high quality of the analysis result, which includes initial data collection, data correction, data transmission and comprehensive data analysis. The performance evaluation conducted in a realistic environment with several criteria shows the availability and practicability of the BABDA system.

Summary of Tiger Team Assessment and Technical Safety Appraisal recurring concerns in the Maintenance Area

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

Not Available

1993-01-01

Tiger Team Assessments and Technical Safety Appraisals (TSA) were reviewed and evaluated for concerns in the Maintenance Area (MA). Two hundred and thirty one (231) maintenance concerns were identified by the Tiger Team Assessments and TSA reports. These recurring concerns appear below. A summary of the Noteworthy Practices that were identified and a compilation of the maintenance concerns for each performance objective that were not considered as recurring are also included. Where the Tiger Team Assessment and TSA identified the operating contractor or facility by name, the concern has been modified to remove the name while retaining the intent ofmore » the comment.« less

A general study of techniques for ultraviolet astrophysical studies on space vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moos, H. W.; Fastie, W. G.; Davidsen, A. F.

1977-01-01

Recent accomplishments in three areas of UV instrumentation for space astronomy are discussed. These areas include reliable UV photometry, sensitive photon-detection techniques, and precise telescope pointing. Calibration facilities for spectrometers designed to operate in the spectral regions above 1200 A and down to 400 A are described which employ a series of diodes calibrated against electron synchrotron radiation as well as other radiometric standards. Improvements in photon-detection sensitivity achieved with the aid of pulse-counting electronics and multispectral detectors are reported, and the technique of precise subarcsecond telescope pointing is briefly noted. Some observational results are presented which demonstrate the advantages and precision of the instruments and techniques considered.

"3D Depositional Model in a Complex Incised Valley Fill: An example from the late Messinian Abu Madi Formation, Nile Delta Basin, Egypt"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasr El-Deen Badawy, A. M. E. S.; Abu El-Ata, A. S. A.

2016-12-01

The study area lies in the Central Marine Delta, which is located in the Baltim offshore concession, about 25 kms from the shoreline and 40 kms North Abu Madi-El Qara fields. The current study is aiming to give a comprehensive combined and conjugated study between well data and seismic survey interpretations. The former includes well logging data, acquired results of actual drilling and biostratigraphic study, to give an integrated picture for the considered area in a true attempt to visualize the geological and geophysical data given from both wells and seismic reflection surveys, and hence introduce an updated sequence stratigraphic framework for the Messinian sequence at the offshore Nile Delta area. The 3D geological model, based on all the available well data (faunal contents, litho-facies, log signatures…...etc.) and the seismic expressions (facies and geometry), has been constructed for the study area. This model shows that, the study area was changed from shelf (considered as erosional), to delta channels and then directed to the north. It changed to delta front mouth bars on the shoreface and affected by the main Rosetta fault to collect deposits as sand bars in the southern part on the downthrown side of the fault. Most deposits on this face were highstand system tracts. This deduced from the sequence stratigraphy study. The area was then sloped to the north, as shelf slope with the deposition of slumps, which was formed during erosions and mass flows. Some mud diapers also formed upon this slope. After dropping the sea level with the activity of some syn-sedimentary faults, some channels with sediment supply started their activities to dig their ways to the north.

3D Depositional Model in a Complex Incised Valley Fill: An Example from the Late Messinian Abu Madi Formation, Nile Delta Basin, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasr El-Deen Badawy, A. M. E. S.

2015-12-01

The study area lies in the Central Marine Delta, which is located in the Baltim offshore concession, about 25 kms from the shoreline and 40 kms North Abu Madi-El Qara fields. The current study is aiming to give a comprehensive combined and conjugated study between well data and seismic survey interpretations. The former includes well logging data, acquired results of actual drilling and biostratigraphic study, to give an integrated picture for the considered area in a true attempt to visualize the geological and geophysical data given from both wells and seismic reflection surveys, and hence introduce an updated sequence stratigraphic framework for the Messinian sequence at the offshore Nile Delta area. The 3D geological model, based on all the available well data (faunal contents, litho-facies, log signatures…...etc.) and the seismic expressions (facies and geometry), has been constructed for the study area. This model shows that, the study area was changed from shelf (considered as erosional), to delta channels and then directed to the north. It changed to delta front mouth bars on the shoreface and affected by the main Rosetta fault to collect deposits as sand bars in the southern part on the downthrown side of the fault. Most deposits on this face were highstand system tracts. This deduced from the sequence stratigraphy study. The area was then sloped to the north, as shelf slope with the deposition of slumps, which was formed during erosions and mass flows. Some mud diapers also formed upon this slope. After dropping the sea level with the activity of some syn-sedimentary faults, some channels with sediment supply started their activities to dig their ways to the north.

3D Depositional Model in a Complex Incised Valley Fill: An Example from the Late Messinian Abu Madi Formation, Nile Delta Basin, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasr El-Deen Badawy, A. M. E. S.

2016-02-01

The study area lies in the Central Marine Delta, which is located in the Baltim offshore concession, about 25 kms from the shoreline and 40 kms North Abu Madi-El Qara fields. The current study is aiming to give a comprehensive combined and conjugated study between well data and seismic survey interpretations. The former includes well logging data, acquired results of actual drilling and biostratigraphic study, to give an integrated picture for the considered area in a true attempt to visualize the geological and geophysical data given from both wells and seismic reflection surveys, and hence introduce an updated sequence stratigraphic framework for the Messinian sequence at the offshore Nile Delta area. The 3D geological model, based on all the available well data (faunal contents, litho-facies, log signatures…...etc.) and the seismic expressions (facies and geometry), has been constructed for the study area. This model shows that, the study area was changed from shelf (considered as erosional), to delta channels and then directed to the north. It changed to delta front mouth bars on the shoreface and affected by the main Rosetta fault to collect deposits as sand bars in the southern part on the downthrown side of the fault. Most deposits on this face were highstand system tracts. This deduced from the sequence stratigraphy study. The area was then sloped to the north, as shelf slope with the deposition of slumps, which was formed during erosions and mass flows. Some mud diapers also formed upon this slope. After dropping the sea level with the activity of some syn-sedimentary faults, some channels with sediment supply started their activities to dig their ways to the north.

Hydrogeology of the Old Faithful area, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and its relevance to natural resources and infrastructure

USGS Publications Warehouse

,; Foley, Duncan; Fournier, Robert O.; Heasler, Henry P.; Hinckley, Bern; Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Susong, David D.

2014-01-01

There are many documented examples at YNP and elsewhere where human infrastructure and natural thermal features have negatively affected each other. Unless action is taken, human conflicts with the Old Faithful hydrothermal system are likely to increase over the coming years. This is partly because of the increase in park visitation over the past decades, but also because the interval between eruptions of Old Faithful has increased, lengthening the time spent (and services needed) for each visitor at Old Faithful. To avoid an increase in visitor impacts, the National Park Service should consider 2 alternate strategies to accommodate people, vehicles, and services in the Upper Geyser Basin, such as shuttle services from staging (parking and dining) areas with little or no recent hydrothermal activity. We further suggest that YNP consider a zone system to guide maintenance and development of infrastructure in the immediate Old Faithful area. A “red” zone includes hydrothermally active land where new development is discouraged and existing infrastructure is modified with great care. An outer “green” zone represents areas where cooler temperatures and less hydrothermal flow are thought to exist, and where development and maintenance could proceed as occurs elsewhere in the park. An intermediate “yellow” zone would require preliminary assessment of subsurface temperatures and gas concentrations to assess suitability for infrastructure development. The panel recommends that YNP management follow the lead of the National Park System Advisory Board Science Committee (2012) by applying the “precautionary principle” when making decisions regarding the interaction of hydrothermal phenomena and park infrastructure in the Old Faithful area and other thermal areas within YNP.

More than jobs and houses: mental health, quality of life and the perceptions of locality in an area undergoing urban regeneration.

PubMed

Rogers, Anne; Huxley, Peter; Evans, Sherrill; Gately, Claire

2008-05-01

Urban regeneration initiatives are considered to be one means of making a contribution to improving people's quality of life and mental health. This paper considers the relationship between lay perceptions of locality adversity, mental health and social capital in an area undergoing urban regeneration. Using qualitative methods as part of a larger multi-method study, perceptions of material, and non-material aspects of the locality and the way in which people vulnerable to mental health problems coped with living in adversity were identified as being more highly valued than intended or actual changes to structural elements such as the provision of housing or employment. Themes derived from narrative accounts included concerns about the absence of social control in the locality, the reputation of the area, a lack of faith in local agencies to make changes considered important to local residents, a reliance on personal coping strategies to manage adversity and perceived threats to mental health which reinforced a sense of social isolation. We suggest these elements are implicated in restricting opportunities and enhancing feelings of 'entrapment' contributing to low levels of local collective efficacy. The gap between social capital capacity at an individual level and links with collective community resources may in part have accounted for the absence of improvements in mental health during the early life of the urban regeneration initiative. In order to enhance quality of life or mental health, agencies involved in urban initiatives need as a basic minimum to promote security, increase leisure opportunities, and improve the image of the locality.

Wave ensemble forecast in the Western Mediterranean Sea, application to an early warning system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallares, Elena; Hernandez, Hector; Moré, Jordi; Espino, Manuel; Sairouni, Abdel

2015-04-01

The Western Mediterranean Sea is a highly heterogeneous and variable area, as is reflected on the wind field, the current field, and the waves, mainly in the first kilometers offshore. As a result of this variability, the wave forecast in these regions is quite complicated to perform, usually with some accuracy problems during energetic storm events. Moreover, is in these areas where most of the economic activities take part, including fisheries, sailing, tourism, coastal management and offshore renewal energy platforms. In order to introduce an indicator of the probability of occurrence of the different sea states and give more detailed information of the forecast to the end users, an ensemble wave forecast system is considered. The ensemble prediction systems have already been used in the last decades for the meteorological forecast; to deal with the uncertainties of the initial conditions and the different parametrizations used in the models, which may introduce some errors in the forecast, a bunch of different perturbed meteorological simulations are considered as possible future scenarios and compared with the deterministic forecast. In the present work, the SWAN wave model (v41.01) has been implemented for the Western Mediterranean sea, forced with wind fields produced by the deterministic Global Forecast System (GFS) and Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS). The wind fields includes a deterministic forecast (also named control), between 11 and 21 ensemble members, and some intelligent member obtained from the ensemble, as the mean of all the members. Four buoys located in the study area, moored in coastal waters, have been used to validate the results. The outputs include all the time series, with a forecast horizon of 8 days and represented in spaghetti diagrams, the spread of the system and the probability at different thresholds. The main goal of this exercise is to be able to determine the degree of the uncertainty of the wave forecast, meaningful between the 5th and the 8th day of the prediction. The information obtained is then included in an early warning system, designed in the framework of the European project iCoast (ECHO/SUB/2013/661009) with the aim of set alarms in coastal areas depending on the wave conditions, the sea level, the flooding and the run up in the coast.

Defining indicators and standards for tourism impacts in protected areas: Cape Range National Park, Australia.

PubMed

Moore, Susan A; Polley, Amanda

2007-03-01

Visitors' perceptions of impacts and acceptable standards for environmental conditions can provide essential information for the sustainable management of tourist destinations, especially protected areas. To this end, visitor surveys were administered during the peak visitor season in Cape Range National Park, on the northwest coast of Western Australia and adjacent to the iconic Ningaloo Reef. The central focus was visitors' perceptions regarding environmental conditions and standards for potential indicators. Conditions considered of greatest importance in determining visitors' quality of experience included litter, inadequate disposal of human waste, presence of wildlife, levels of noise, and access to beach and ocean. Standards were determined, based on visitors' perceptions, for a range of site-specific and non-site-specific indicators, with standards for facilities (e.g., acceptable number of parking bays, signs) and for negative environmental impacts (e.g., levels of littering, erosion) sought. The proposed standards varied significantly between sites for the facilities indicators; however, there was no significant difference between sites for environmental impacts. For the facilities, the standards proposed by visitors were closely related to the existing situation, suggesting that they were satisfied with the status quo. These results are considered in the context of current research interest in the efficacy of visitor-derived standards as a basis for protected area management.

Flow in a planar convergent-divergent nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotteda, V. M. K.; Mittal, S.

2017-05-01

Flow in a convergent-divergent nozzle is studied for pressure ratios (NPR) of 1-11 and exit-to-throat area ratios of 1.2 to 2.0. The unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations along with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model are solved using a stabilized finite element method in two dimensions. Asymmetric flow is observed at moderate NPR. The side loads due to the flow asymmetry increase with increases in NPR and area ratio. Various flow regimes that are possible in the entire parameter space are identified. The introduction of boundary layer bleed results in steady and symmetric flow conditions at all NPR. Consequently, the nozzle does not experience a lateral force for any NPR. Application of bleed leads to a significant downstream shift in the shock location at low to moderate NPR. Compared to no-bleed, the nozzle experiences a loss of thrust in this regime. The thrust performance for {NPR} > 6 is, however, unaffected by bleed. The effect of nozzle geometry on the flow at various NPR is studied. Four different geometries with the same area ratio and nozzle length are considered. These geometries differ from each other in terms of the nozzle surface profile, including the discontinuity in slope of the surface. Barring some minor differences at low to moderate NPR, the flow is similar for all the geometries considered.

Negative effects of pesticides on wild bee communities can be buffered by landscape context

PubMed Central

Park, Mia G.; Blitzer, E. J.; Gibbs, Jason; Losey, John E.; Danforth, Bryan N.

2015-01-01

Wild bee communities provide underappreciated but critical agricultural pollination services. Given predicted global shortages in pollination services, managing agroecosystems to support thriving wild bee communities is, therefore, central to ensuring sustainable food production. Benefits of natural (including semi-natural) habitat for wild bee abundance and diversity on farms are well documented. By contrast, few studies have examined toxicity of pesticides on wild bees, let alone effects of farm-level pesticide exposure on entire bee communities. Whether beneficial natural areas could mediate effects of harmful pesticides on wild bees is also unknown. Here, we assess the effect of conventional pesticide use on the wild bee community visiting apple (Malus domestica) within a gradient of percentage natural area in the landscape. Wild bee community abundance and species richness decreased linearly with increasing pesticide use in orchards one year after application; however, pesticide effects on wild bees were buffered by increasing proportion of natural habitat in the surrounding landscape. A significant contribution of fungicides to observed pesticide effects suggests deleterious properties of a class of pesticides that was, until recently, considered benign to bees. Our results demonstrate extended benefits of natural areas for wild pollinators and highlight the importance of considering the landscape context when weighing up the costs of pest management on crop pollination services. PMID:26041355

[Patient safety culture in Family practice residents of Galicia].

PubMed

Portela Romero, Manuel; Bugarín González, Rosendo; Rodríguez Calvo, María Sol

To determine the views held by Family practice (FP) residents on the different dimensions of patient safety, in order to identify potential areas for improvement. A cross-sectional study. Seven FP of Galicia teaching units. 182 FP residents who completed the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire. The Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire was chosen because it is translated, validated, and adapted to the Spanish model of Primary Care. The results were grouped into 12 composites assessed by the mentioned questionnaire. The study variables were the socio-demographic dimensions of the questionnaire, as well as occupational/professional variables: age, gender, year of residence, and teaching unit of FP of Galicia. The "Organisational learning" and "Teamwork" items were considered strong areas. However, the "Patient safety and quality issues", "Information exchange with other settings", and "Work pressure and pace" items were considered areas with significant potential for improvement. First-year residents obtained the best results and the fourth-year ones the worst. The results may indicate the need to include basic knowledge on patient safety in the teaching process of FP residents in order to increase and consolidate the fragile patient safety culture described in this study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Spatial-temporal travel pattern mining using massive taxi trajectory data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Linjiang; Xia, Dong; Zhao, Xin; Tan, Longyou; Li, Hang; Chen, Li; Liu, Weining

2018-07-01

Deep understanding of residents' travel patterns would provide helpful insights into the mechanisms of many socioeconomic phenomena. With the rapid development of location-aware computing technologies, researchers have easy access to large quantities of travel data. As an important data source, taxi trajectory data are featured by their high quality, good continuity and wide distribution, making it suitable for travel pattern mining. In this paper, we use taxi trajectory data to study spatial-temporal characterization of urban residents' travel patterns from two aspects: attractive areas and hot paths. Firstly, a framework of trajectory preprocessing, including data cleaning and extracting the taxi passenger pick-up/drop-off points, is presented to reduce the noise and redundancy in raw trajectory data. Then, a grid density based clustering algorithm is proposed to discover travel attractive areas in different periods of a day. On this basis, we put forward a spatial-temporal trajectory clustering method to discover hot paths among travel attractive areas. Compared with previous algorithms, which only consider the spatial constraint between trajectories, temporal constraint is also considered in our method. Through the experiments, we discuss how to determine the optimal parameters of the two clustering algorithms and verify the effectiveness of the algorithms using real data. Furthermore, we analyze spatial-temporal characterization of Chongqing residents' travel pattern.

Mobile robotics application in the nuclear industry

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

Jones, S.L.; White, J.R.

1995-03-01

Mobile robots have been developed to perform hazardous operations in place of human workers. Applications include nuclear plant inspection/maintenance, decontamination and decommissioning police/military explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), hostage/terrorist negotiations and fire fighting. Nuclear facilities have proven that robotic applications can be cost-effective solutions to reducing personnel exposure and plant downtime. The first applications of mobile robots in the nuclear industry began in the early 1980`s, with the first vehicles being one of a kind machines or adaptations of commercial EOD robots. These activities included efforts by numerous commercial companies, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, EPRI, and several national laboratories. Somemore » of these efforts were driven by the recovery and cleanup activities at TMI which demonstrated the potential and need for a remote means of performing surveillance and maintenance tasks in nuclear plants. The use of these machines is now becoming commonplace in nuclear facilities throughout the world. The hardware maturity and the confidence of the users has progressed to the point where the applications of mobile robots is not longer considered a novelty. These machines are being used in applications where the result is to help achieve more aggressive goals for personnel radiation exposure and plant availability, perform tasks more efficiently, and allow plant operators to retrieve information from areas previously considered inaccessible. Typical examples include surveillance in high radiation areas (during operation and outage activities), radiation surveys, waste handling, and decontamination evolutions. This paper will discuss this evolution including specific applications experiences, examples of currently available technology, and the benefits derived from the use of mobile robotic vehicles in commercial nuclear power facilities.« less

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Mammography-Specific Self-Efficacy Scale.

PubMed

Jerome-D'Emilia, Bonnie; Suplee, Patricia; Akincigil, Ayse

2015-05-01

To consider psychometric estimates of the validity and reliability of the Spanish translation of a mammography-specific self-efficacy scale. A cross-sectional study. Three primarily Hispanic churches and a Hispanic community center in a low-income urban area of New Jersey. 153 low-income Hispanic women aged 40-85 years. The translated scale was administered to participants during a six-month period. Internal consistency, reliability, and construct and predictive validity were assessed. Demographic variables included income and insurance status. Outcome variables included total mammography-specific self-efficacy and having had a mammogram within the past two years. Preliminary evidence of reliability and validity were found, and predictive validity was demonstrated. The health needs of specific populations can be addressed only when research instruments have been appropriately validated and all relevant factors are considered. Diverse groups of low-income women face similar challenges and barriers in their efforts to get screened. Nurses are in an ideal position to help women with preventive care decision making (e.g., screening for breast cancer). Understanding how a woman's level of self-efficacy affects her decision making should be considered when counseling a client.

Individual and contextual determinants of regional variation in prescription drug use: an analysis of administrative data from British Columbia.

PubMed

Morgan, Steven G; Cunningham, Colleen M; Hanley, Gillian E

2010-12-29

Increasing attention is being paid to variations in the use of prescription drugs because their role in health care has grown to the point where their use can be considered a proxy for health system performance. Studies have shown that prescription drug use varies across regions in the US, UK, and Canada by more than would be predicted based on age and health status alone. In this paper, we explore the determinants of variations in the use of prescription drugs, drawing on health services theories of access to care. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using population-based administrative health care data for British Columbia (BC), Canada. We used logistic and hierarchical regressions to analyze the effects of individual- and area-level determinants of use of prescriptions overall and rates of purchase of prescriptions from five therapeutic categories representing a range of indications: antihypertensives, statins, acid reducing drugs, opioid drugs, and antidepressants. To indicate the relative scale of regional variations and the importance of individual- and area-level variables in explaining them, we computed standardized rates of utilization for 49 local health areas in BC. We found that characteristics of individuals and the areas in which they live affect likelihood of prescription drug purchase. Individual-level factors influenced prescription drug purchases in ways generally consistent with behavioral models of health services use. Contextual variables exerted influences that differed by type of drug studied. Population health, education levels, and ethnic composition of local areas were associated with significant differences in the likelihood of purchasing medications. Relatively modest regional variations remained after both individual-level and area-level determinants were taken into account. The results of this study suggest that individual- and area-level factors should be considered when studying variations in the use of prescription drugs. Some sources of such variations, including individual- and area-level socioeconomic status, warrant further investigation and possible intervention to address inequities.

Individual and Contextual Determinants of Regional Variation in Prescription Drug Use: An Analysis of Administrative Data from British Columbia

PubMed Central

Morgan, Steven G.; Cunningham, Colleen M.; Hanley, Gillian E.

2010-01-01

Background Increasing attention is being paid to variations in the use of prescription drugs because their role in health care has grown to the point where their use can be considered a proxy for health system performance. Studies have shown that prescription drug use varies across regions in the US, UK, and Canada by more than would be predicted based on age and health status alone. In this paper, we explore the determinants of variations in the use of prescription drugs, drawing on health services theories of access to care. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using population-based administrative health care data for British Columbia (BC), Canada. We used logistic and hierarchical regressions to analyze the effects of individual- and area-level determinants of use of prescriptions overall and rates of purchase of prescriptions from five therapeutic categories representing a range of indications: antihypertensives, statins, acid reducing drugs, opioid drugs, and antidepressants. To indicate the relative scale of regional variations and the importance of individual- and area-level variables in explaining them, we computed standardized rates of utilization for 49 local health areas in BC. Results We found that characteristics of individuals and the areas in which they live affect likelihood of prescription drug purchase. Individual-level factors influenced prescription drug purchases in ways generally consistent with behavioral models of health services use. Contextual variables exerted influences that differed by type of drug studied. Population health, education levels, and ethnic composition of local areas were associated with significant differences in the likelihood of purchasing medications. Relatively modest regional variations remained after both individual-level and area-level determinants were taken into account. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that individual- and area-level factors should be considered when studying variations in the use of prescription drugs. Some sources of such variations, including individual- and area-level socioeconomic status, warrant further investigation and possible intervention to address inequities. PMID:21209960

High-resolution atmospheric emission inventory of the argentine energy sector. Comparison with edgar global emission database.

PubMed

Puliafito, S Enrique; Allende, David G; Castesana, Paula S; Ruggeri, Maria F

2017-12-01

This study presents a 2014 high-resolution spatially disaggregated emission inventory (0.025° × 0.025° horizontal resolution), of the main activities in the energy sector in Argentina. The sub-sectors considered are public generation of electricity, oil refineries, cement production, transport (maritime, air, rail and road), residential and commercial. The following pollutants were included: greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O), ozone precursors (CO, NOx, VOC) and other specific air quality indicators such as SO 2 , PM10, and PM2.5. This work could contribute to a better geographical allocation of the pollutant sources through census based population maps. Considering the sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the total amount is 144 Tg CO2eq, from which the transportation sector emits 57.8 Tg (40%); followed by electricity generation, with 40.9 Tg (28%); residential + commercial, with 31.24 Tg (22%); and cement and refinery production, with 14.3 Tg (10%). This inventory shows that 49% of the total emissions occur in rural areas: 31% in rural areas of medium population density, 13% in intermediate urban areas and 7% in densely populated urban areas. However, if emissions are analyzed by extension (per square km), the largest impact is observed in medium and densely populated urban areas, reaching more than 20.3 Gg per square km of greenhouse gases, 297 Mg/km 2 of ozone precursors gases and 11.5 Mg/km 2 of other air quality emissions. A comparison with the EDGAR global emission database shows that, although the total country emissions are similar for several sub sectors and pollutants, its spatial distribution is not applicable to Argentina. The road and residential transport emissions represented by EDGAR result in an overestimation of emissions in rural areas and an underestimation in urban areas, especially in more densely populated areas. EDGAR underestimates 60 Gg of methane emissions from road transport sector and fugitive emissions from refining activities.

Megabenthic Community Structure Within and Surrounding the DISCOL Experimental Area 26 Years After Simulated Manganese Nodule Mining Disturbance.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purser, A.; Marcon, Y.; Boetius, A.

2016-02-01

The current supplies of many high technology elements from land-based sources are at capacity, such as copper, nickel and yttrium. Potential future sources of some of these elements include the deep sea manganese nodule fields of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Large swathes of deep-sea seafloor are covered with high densities of 5 - 25 cm diameter nodules - agglomerations of manganese, iron and trace metals. In the 1980's these manganese fields were first seriously considered as mining targets, and the ''DISturbance and reCOLonization (DISCOL) experiment was started in the South Pacific, to simulate the likely environmental impacts of mining. In September 1989, 'RV Sonne', deploying a custom-built plough device, removed manganese nodules from the seafloor surface by ploughing them down into the sediment. This removal of nodules (and therefore hard substrate) was considered to likely be the most significant environmental impact of any future mining efforts. 78 plough tracks of 8 - 16m width were made across a 10.8 km diameter circular area centered on 7°04.4´S 88°27.6´W. Megafauna abundances were assessed prior and post ploughing, both within the disturbed area and at reference stations 6 km from the disturbed area. Research cruises in the 1990s investigated the short-term temporal impact ploughing had on the faunal community in the DISCOL area. Cruises conducted 3 and 7 years after disturbance showed that megafaunal communities within ploughed areas remained quite distinct from those observed pre-disturbance or in the reference areas. In 2016 the 'RV Sonne' revisited the DISCOL site with two research cruises, as part of the 'JPI-Oceans' programme. Here we report the current megafaunal community structures observed by SO242-2 within the DISCOL area, and the slow recovery rates of many taxa 26 years after the initial experimental disturbance, and provide images of the long term impact of experimental disturbances at the seafloor.

Frequency of CDH1 germline mutations in gastric carcinoma coming from high- and low-risk areas: metanalysis and systematic review of the literature

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The frequency of E-cadherin germline mutations in countries with different incidence rates for gastric carcinoma has not been well established. The goal of this study was to assess the worldwide frequency of CDH1 germline mutations in gastric cancers coming from low- and high-risk areas. Methods English articles using MEDLINE access (from 1998 to 2011). Search terms included CDH1, E-cadherin, germline mutation, gastric cancer, hereditary, familial and diffuse histotype. The study included all E-cadherin germline mutations identified in gastric cancer patients; somatic mutations and germline mutations reported in other tumors were excluded. The method of this study was scheduled in accordance with the "PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses". Countries were classified as low- or middle/high risk-areas for gastric carcinoma incidence. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate the CDH1 mutation frequency with gastric cancer incidence areas. Results A total of 122 E-cadherin germline mutations have been identified; the majority (87.5%) occurred in gastric cancers coming from low-risk areas. In high-risk areas, we identified 16 mutations in which missense mutations were predominant. (68.8%). We verified a significant association between the mutation frequency and the gastric cancer risk area (p < 0.001: overall identified mutations in low- vs. middle/high-risk areas). Conclusions E-cadherin genetic screenings performed in low-risk areas for gastric cancer identified a higher frequency of CDH1 germline mutations. This data could open new approaches in the gastric cancer prevention test; before proposing a proband candidate for the CDH1 genetic screening, geographic variability, alongside the family history should be considered. PMID:22225527

Impact of Well-being Interventions for Siblings of Children and Young People with a Chronic Physical or Mental Health Condition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

McKenzie Smith, Mhairi; Pinto Pereira, Snehal; Chan, Lynette; Rose, Charlotte; Shafran, Roz

2018-06-01

Siblings of children and young people with a chronic illness are at increased risk of poor psychological functioning. A number of studies have attempted to implement and evaluate interventions targeting the psychological well-being of this at-risk group. This systematic review summarises the evidence regarding psychological functioning of siblings following an intervention targeting their well-being. The meta-analysis considered behaviour and knowledge, two of the most frequently studied outcomes. The following databases were used: PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Seventeen studies were eligible to be included in the systematic review and eight in the meta-analysis. Results from the systematic review reflected the inconsistency of intervention evaluations in this area with a high level of heterogeneity and a total of 23 outcomes considered across the 17 included studies. The meta-analysis estimated effect sizes using a standardised mean difference (SMD) approach. Pre-post analysis suggested significant improvement in behavioural outcomes and knowledge of their sibling's health conditions with a SMD of - 0.44 [95% CI (- 0.6, - 0.29); p = 0.000] and 0.69 [(95% CI = 0.42, 0.96); p = 0.000], respectively. The SMD was not significant for behavioural outcomes when considering treatment-control studies. In conclusion, the findings suggest interventions for well-being have a positive effect on the psychological functioning of siblings of children and young people with a chronic illness, but their specificity needs to be established. There is a need for further, more methodologically robust research in this area.

A systematic review of nursing administration of medication via enteral tubes in adults.

PubMed

Phillips, Nicole M; Nay, Rhonda

2008-09-01

This systematic review aimed to determine the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of nursing interventions in minimising the complications associated with administering medication via enteral tubes in adults. Giving enteral medication is a fairly common nursing intervention entailing several skills: verifying tube position, preparing medication, flushing the tube and assessing for potential complications. If not carried out effectively harmful consequences may result leading to increased morbidity and even mortality. Until now, what was considered to be best practice in this area was unknown. Systematic review. CINAHL, MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Current Contents/All Editions, EMBASE, Australasian Medical Index and PsychINFO databases were searched up to September 2005. Reference lists of included studies were appraised. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility for inclusion. There were no comparable randomised-controlled trials; data were presented in a narrative summary. Identified evidence included using 30 ml of water for irrigation when giving medication or flushing small-diameter nasoenteral tubes may reduce tube occlusion. Using liquid medication should be considered as there may be less tube occlusions than with solid forms in nasoenteral tubes and silicone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes. In addition, nurses may need to consider the sorbitol content of some liquid medications, for example elixirs, as diarrhoea has been attributed to the sorbitol content of the elixir, not the drug itself. The evidence was limited. There was a lack of high-quality research on many important issues relating to giving enteral medication. Nurses have the primary responsibility for giving medication through enteral tubes and need knowledge of the best available evidence. Some of the nursing considerations and interventions relating to this skill have been researched in the clinical area and have implications for practice. There is a need for further studies to strengthen these findings.

Integrating socio-economic and biophysical data to enhance watershed management and planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirani, Farshad Jalili; Mousavi, Seyed Alireza

2016-09-01

Sustainability has always been considered as one of the main aspects of watershed management plans. In many developing countries, watershed management practices and planning are usually performed by integrating biophysical layers, and other existing layers which cannot be identified as geographic layers are ignored. We introduce an approach to consider some socioeconomic parameters which are important for watershed management decisions. Ganj basin in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province was selected as the case study area, which includes three traditional sanctums: Ganj, Shiremard and Gerdabe Olya. Socioeconomic data including net agricultural income, net ranching income, population and household number, literacy rate, unemployment rate, population growth rate and active population were mapped within traditional sanctums and then were integrated into other biophysical layers. After overlaying and processing these data to determine management units, different quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted to achieve a practical framework for watershed management planning and relevant plans for homogeneous units were afterwards proposed. Comparing the results with current plans, the area of allocated lands to different proposed operations considering both qualitative and quantitative approaches were the same in many cases and there was a meaningful difference with current plans; e.g., 3820 ha of lands are currently managed under an enclosure plan, while qualitative and quantitative approaches in this study suggest 1388 and 1428 ha to be allocated to this operation type, respectively. Findings show that despite the ambiguities and complexities, different techniques could be adopted to incorporate socioeconomic conditions in watershed management plans. This introductory approach will help to enhance watershed management decisions with more attention to societal background and economic conditions, which will presumably motivate local communities to participate in watershed management plans.

Canadian recommendations on the prevention and treatment of Zika virus: Update

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently emerged as a disease of significant public health concern. Currently, a large outbreak is occurring predominantly located in the Americas. ZIKV infection is a cause of microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities and can cause post-infectious neurologic complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. Objective To review current knowledge of ZIKV infection and to provide guidance to health care professionals who provide advice to Canadians who may be impacted by ZIKV infection. Methods This Statement was developed by a working group of the Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT). Recommendations are based on a literature review and clinical judgment. Results All travellers should use personal protective measures against mosquito bites including insect repellents and protection of living areas against mosquito entry. Pregnant women should avoid travel to areas designated by the Public Health Agency of Canada as being of concern because of ongoing ZIKV transmission. Women planning a pregnancy should consult with their health care provider and consider postponing travel to these areas. All other travellers may wish to consider deferring travel to designated areas based on risk tolerance, values, and preferences. ​ Sexual transmission of ZIKV from male partners has been documented and couples should practise abstinence or use condoms for the duration of a pregnancy, while in a risk area, or until viral shedding has likely ceased. In the absence of clear data, we make the assumption that viral shedding is unlikely to persist beyond 6 months for men and two months for non-pregnant women. ​ Health care providers should take a travel history from their pregnant patients including relevant information related to the travel history of their partner(s). Screening and management recommendations are provided for all travellers including potentially contagious male partners, pregnant women (symptomatic and asymptomatic), and the fetus or infant of potentially infected women. There is no specific antiviral therapy for the treatment of ZIKV infection. Conclusion Robust quantitative assessments for the full spectrum of ZIKV-associated risks are not possible. This reflects, among other things, uncertainties related to the likelihood of infection among travellers to ZIKV-affected areas, vertical transmission from mother to fetus, sexual transmission (from symptomatic or asymptomatic partners), and serious ZIKV-associated sequelae among travellers. Given this uncertainty, as well as the potentially severe effects of ZIKV infection on the fetus, recommendations are conservative. CATMAT will update its recommendations as new information becomes available. PMID:29770012

Volcanic Supersites as cross-disciplinary laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provenzale, Antonello; Beierkuhnlein, Carl; Giamberini, Mariasilvia; Pennisi, Maddalena; Puglisi, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Volcanic Supersites, defined in the frame of the GEO-GSNL Initiative, are usually considered mainly for their geohazard and geological characteristics. However, volcanoes are extremely challenging areas from many other points of view, including environmental and climatic properties, ecosystems, hydrology, soil properties and biogeochemical cycling. Possibly, volcanoes are closer to early Earth conditions than most other types of environment. During FP7, EC effectively fostered the implementation of the European volcano Supersites (Mt. Etna, Campi Flegrei/Vesuvius and Iceland) through the MED-SUV and FUTUREVOLC projects. Currently, the large H2020 project ECOPOTENTIAL (2015-2019, 47 partners, http://www.ecopotential-project.eu/) contributes to GEO/GEOSS and to the GEO ECO Initiative, and it is devoted to making best use of remote sensing and in situ data to improve future ecosystem benefits, focusing on a network of Protected Areas of international relevance. In ECOPOTENTIAL, remote sensing and in situ data are collected, processed and used for a better understanding of the ecosystem dynamics, analysing and modelling the effects of global changes on ecosystem functions and services, over an array of different ecosystem types, including mountain, marine, coastal, arid and semi-arid ecosystems, and also areas of volcanic origin such as the Canary and La Reunion Islands. Here, we propose to extend the network of the ECOPOTENTIAL project to include active Volcanic Supersites, such as Mount Etna and other volcanic Protected Areas, and we discuss how they can be included in the framework of the ECOPOTENTIAL workflow. A coordinated and cross-disciplinary set of studies at these sites should include geological, biological, ecological, biogeochemical, climatic and biogeographical aspects, as well as their relationship with the antropogenic impact on the environment, and aim at the global analysis of the volcanic Earth Critical Zone - namely, the upper layer of the Earth surface between the top of the vegetation and the rock matrix in active volcanic areas and Volcanic Supersites.

Next Steps in the Evolution of Human Spaceflight Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balmain, Clint; Niemann, Chris; McGregor, Darrell

2011-01-01

Train before you fly has always been a watchword at NASA, and consequently, NASA has been conducting training for human spaceflight missions for longer than it has been involved in the actual conduct of human spaceflight missions. Throughout that time, NASA s approach to human spaceflight training has continuously evolved to keep pace with the technology of the modern world, but the approach to training itself has not changed significantly. Today, there are more tools and technologies that enable learning than ever before. This paper intends to review the challenges of human spaceflight training and how modern technology and an updated approach could improve that training. The Spaceflight Training Management Office (DA7) within the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) has been investigating the current training of instructors, flight controllers and astronauts in order to identify where a new approach to training and training management may be necessary to improve the efficacy of the training provided. Through this investigation, the DA7 team has identified potential areas of improvement within International Space Station (ISS) training in a wide range of areas, including the delivery of training, the structure of the training program, the concept of what is considered training, and the management of that training. The ISS is an operational program with an established training paradigm. As such, the implementation of these concepts will be met with several challenges that may prevent or preclude them from being adopted. These challenges include demonstrating return-on-investment (ROI) and overcoming cultural or technological obstacles. This report will delve into the possible improvement areas for training, the future training concepts that are being considered, and the challenges associated with implementation. The paper will include concepts for utilization of Web 2.0 technologies, electronic learning, digital media, and other technologies in the development, management, and conduct of human spaceflight training.

Data to support statistical modeling of instream nutrient load based on watershed attributes, southeastern United States, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, Anne B.; Terziotti, Silvia; McMahon, Gerard; Savvas, Katerina; Tighe, Kirsten C.; Alkons-Wolinsky, Ruth

2008-01-01

This report presents and describes the digital datasets that characterize nutrient source inputs, environmental characteristics, and instream nutrient loads for the purpose of calibrating and applying a nutrient water-quality model for the southeastern United States for 2002. The model area includes all of the river basins draining to the south Atlantic and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Tennessee River basin (referred to collectively as the SAGT area). The water-quality model SPARROW (SPAtially-Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes), developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, uses a regression equation to describe the relation between watershed attributes (predictors) and measured instream loads (response). Watershed attributes that are considered to describe nutrient input conditions and are tested in the SPARROW model for the SAGT area as source variables include atmospheric deposition, fertilizer application to farmland, manure from livestock production, permitted wastewater discharge, and land cover. Watershed and channel attributes that are considered to affect rates of nutrient transport from land to water and are tested in the SAGT SPARROW model as nutrient-transport variables include characteristics of soil, landform, climate, reach time of travel, and reservoir hydraulic loading. Datasets with estimates of each of these attributes for each individual reach or catchment in the reach-catchment network are presented in this report, along with descriptions of methods used to produce them. Measurements of nutrient water quality at stream monitoring sites from a combination of monitoring programs were used to develop observations of the response variable - mean annual nitrogen or phosphorus load - in the SPARROW regression equation. Instream load of nitrogen and phosphorus was estimated using bias-corrected log-linear regression models using the program Fluxmaster, which provides temporally detrended estimates of long-term mean load well-suited for spatial comparisons. The detrended, or normalized, estimates of load are useful for regional-scale assessments but should be used with caution for local-scale interpretations, for which use of loads estimated for actual time periods and employing more detailed regression analysis is suggested. The mean value of the nitrogen yield estimates, normalized to 2002, for 637 stations in the SAGT area is 4.7 kilograms per hectare; the mean value of nitrogen flow-weighted mean concentration is 1.2 milligrams per liter. The mean value of the phosphorus yield estimates, normalized to 2002, for the 747 stations in the SAGT area is 0.66 kilogram per hectare; the mean value of phosphorus flow-weighted mean concentration is 0.17 milligram per liter. Nutrient conditions measured in streams affected by substantial influx or outflux of water and nutrient mass across surface-water basin divides do not reflect nutrient source and transport conditions in the topographic watershed; therefore, inclusion of such streams in the SPARROW modeling approach is considered inappropriate. River basins identified with this concern include south Florida (where surface-water flow paths have been extensively altered) and the Oklawaha, Crystal, Lower Sante Fe, Lower Suwanee, St. Marks, and Chipola River basins in central and northern Florida (where flow exchange with the underlying regional aquifer may represent substantial nitrogen influx to and outflux from the surface-water basins).

Probabilistic Hazard Estimation at a Densely Urbanised Area: the Neaples Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Natale, G.; Mastrolorenzo, G.; Panizza, A.; Pappalardo, L.; Claudia, T.

2005-12-01

The Neaples volcanic area (Southern Italy), including Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei caldera and Ischia island, is the highest risk one in the World, where more than 2 million people live within about 10 km from an active volcanic vent. Such an extreme risk calls for accurate methodologies aimed to quantify it, in a probabilistic way, considering all the available volcanological information as well as modelling results. In fact, simple hazard maps based on the observation of deposits from past eruptions have the major problem that eruptive history generally samples a very limited number of possible outcomes, thus resulting almost meaningless to get the event probability in the area. This work describes a methodology making the best use (from a Bayesian point of view) of volcanological data and modelling results, to compute probabilistic hazard maps from multi-vent explosive eruptions. The method, which follows an approach recently developed by the same authors for pyroclastic flows hazard, has been here improved and extended to compute also fall-out hazard. The application of the method to the Neapolitan volcanic area, including the densely populated city of Naples, allows, for the first time, to get a global picture of the areal distribution for the main hazards from multi-vent explosive eruptions. From a joint consideration of the hazard contributions from all the three volcanic areas, new insight on the volcanic hazard distribution emerges, which will have strong implications for urban and emergency planning in the area.

A review of conservation legislation in Nepal: Past progress and future needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinen, Joel T.; Kattel, Bijaya

1992-11-01

Nepal is considered a leader among developing nations with regard to conservation legislation and programs; it was among the first Asian nations to develop national conservation legislation, sign CITES, and develop a national conservation strategy. We review the history of modern conservation law in Nepal from the Rana period (early 1950s) to the present. The early legislation focused mainly on strict preservation of areas and species; this phase culminated in the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1973. Subsequent legislation has evolved more in the direction of an integrated, holistic approach to conservation and is beginning to incorporate the participation of local people; subsequent amendments to the 1973 act allowed greater rights to rural villagers, and the designation of conservation areas in addition to the more strictly defined protected areas (national parks, wildlife reserves, etc.). Our review of conservation legislation suggests that Nepal has had many successes to date; the country has a protected area system covering over 10% of its land area, and many target species are recovering in parks and reserves. There are also some causes of concern, including staff shortages, financial constraints within the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the fact that there is little legal infrastructure outside of protected areas to enforce conservation laws; further, some aspects of hunting regulations are in need of revision. Primary needs include a comprehensive review of these policies and a nationalized strategy to ameliorate the shortcomings.

Environmental resources of selected areas of Hawaii: Ecological resources

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

Trettin, C.C.; Tolbert, V.R.; Jones, A.T.

1995-03-01

This report has been prepared to make available and archive the background scientific data and related information collected on ecological resources during the preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for Phases 3 and 4 of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) as defined by the state of Hawaii in its April 1989 proposal to Congress. Since the state of Hawaii is no longer pursuing or planning to pursue the HGP, DOE considers the project to be terminated. The background scientific data and related information presented in this report focus on several areas of Hawaii County. In this report, reference ismore » made to these areas as study areas rather than as areas where proposed or alternative facilities of the HGP would be located. The resource areas addressed herein include terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, and marine ecology. The scientific background data and related information that were obtained from review of the (1) scientific literature, (2) government and private sector reports, (3) studies done under DOE interagency agreements with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and with the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE), and (4) observations made during site visits are being made available for future research in these areas.« less

Intramuscular injection technique: an evidence-based approach.

PubMed

Ogston-Tuck, Sherri

2014-09-30

Intramuscular injections require a thorough and meticulous approach to patient assessment and injection technique. This article, the second in a series of two, reviews the evidence base to inform safer practice and to consider the evidence for nursing practice in this area. A framework for safe practice is included, identifying important points for safe technique, patient care and clinical decision making. It also highlights the ongoing debate in selection of intramuscular injection sites, predominately the ventrogluteal and dorsogluteal muscles.

On the Use of Literary Texts in the Daf Lesson with the Example of Heinrich Boell's Short Story "Die Blasse Anna" with a Focus on Writing on a B2 Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghorabi, Yassamin Ostad A.; Haddadi, Mohammad Hossein

2017-01-01

For the promotion and optimization of teaching foreign languages, new methods and strategies are always considered that include literary texts. The aim of the present paper is to provide arguments for the use of literature in the classroom. Learning target areas and selection criteria for the use of literary texts in the classroom are presented. A…

Water Resources Investigation. Cape Girardeau - Jackson Metropolitan Area, Missouri. Volume 4. Appendix C. Public Views and Responses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

reconsider the pooling device proposed for the Independence Street reach of Cape La Croix Creek. 3. The environmental corridor along the Cape La Croix Creek...hiking and biking trail should be restored to the recommended project. As discussed earlier, such a corridor would improve the quality of outdoor...was considered useful. The present recommended plan does not include channelization between miles 3.8 and 5.1. *Comment: The environmental corridor

Quality of surface water in the Bear River basin, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, K.M.; Price, Don

1972-01-01

The United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, began a reconnaissance in 1967 to obtain essential water-quality information for the Bear River basin. The reconnaissance was directed toward defining the chemical quality of the basin’s surface waters, including suitability for specific uses, geology, and general basin hydrology. Emphasis was given to those areas where water-development projects are proposed or being considered.

STOL Traffic environment and operational procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlundt, R. W.; Dewolf, R. W.; Ausrotas, R. A.; Curry, R. E.; Demaio, D.; Keene, D. W.; Speyer, J. L.; Weinreich, M.; Zeldin, S.

1972-01-01

The expected traffic environment for an intercity STOL transportation system is examined, and operational procedures are discussed in order to identify problem areas which impact STOL avionics requirements. Factors considered include: traffic densities, STOL/CTOL/VTOL traffic mix, the expect ATC environment, aircraft noise models and community noise models and community noise impact, flight paths for noise abatement, wind considerations affecting landing, approach and landing considerations, STOLport site selection, runway capacity, and STOL operations at jetports, suburban airports, and separate STOLports.

Point Judith, Rhode Island, Breakwater Risk Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

output stations. Beach zones considered included the sandy beach to the west side of the HoR, which had significant dune features and was fronting...time dependency for crest height and wave parameters is assumed, hc = total damaged crest height of structure from toe , Lp is the local wave length...computed using linear wave theory and Tp, h is the toe depth, hc’ = total undamaged crest height of structure from toe , At = area of structure enclosed

Pathophysiology of Trigger Points in Myofascial Pain Syndrome.

PubMed

Money, Sarah

2017-06-01

Questions from patients about pain conditions and analgesic pharmacotherapy and responses from authors are presented to help educate patients and make them more effective self-advocates. Trigger point pathophysiology in myofascial pain syndrome, which involves muscle stiffness, tenderness, and pain that radiates to other areas of the body, is considered. The causes of trigger points and several theories about how they develop are reviewed, and treatment approaches, including stretching, physical therapy, dry needling, and injections, are offered.

The Top 10 Challenges in Extreme-Scale Visual Analytics

PubMed Central

Wong, Pak Chung; Shen, Han-Wei; Johnson, Christopher R.; Chen, Chaomei; Ross, Robert B.

2013-01-01

In this issue of CG&A, researchers share their R&D findings and results on applying visual analytics (VA) to extreme-scale data. Having surveyed these articles and other R&D in this field, we’ve identified what we consider the top challenges of extreme-scale VA. To cater to the magazine’s diverse readership, our discussion evaluates challenges in all areas of the field, including algorithms, hardware, software, engineering, and social issues. PMID:24489426

The Paradox of Power: Sino-American Strategic Restraint in an Age of Vulnerability

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Policymakers on both sides of the Pacific will find much to consider in this timely and important book . —Henry Kissinger In this book , David Gompert and...interests between the two countries, strategic mistrust is growing and has the potential to overwhelm areas of cooperation. This seminal book ...Portions of this book may be quoted or reprinted without permission, provided that a standard source credit line is included. NDU Press would

Airborne Chemical Sensing with Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Lilienthal, Achim J.; Loutfi, Amy; Duckett, Tom

2006-01-01

Airborne chemical sensing with mobile robots has been an active research area since the beginning of the 1990s. This article presents a review of research work in this field, including gas distribution mapping, trail guidance, and the different subtasks of gas source localisation. Due to the difficulty of modelling gas distribution in a real world environment with currently available simulation techniques, we focus largely on experimental work and do not consider publications that are purely based on simulations.

Projection-based circular constrained state estimation and fusion over long-haul links

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

Liu, Qiang; Rao, Nageswara S.

In this paper, we consider a scenario where sensors are deployed over a large geographical area for tracking a target with circular nonlinear constraints on its motion dynamics. The sensor state estimates are sent over long-haul networks to a remote fusion center for fusion. We are interested in different ways to incorporate the constraints into the estimation and fusion process in the presence of communication loss. In particular, we consider closed-form projection-based solutions, including rules for fusing the estimates and for incorporating the constraints, which jointly can guarantee timely fusion often required in realtime systems. We test the performance ofmore » these methods in the long-haul tracking environment using a simple example.« less

Investigation of electrodynamic stabilization and control of long orbiting tethers. [space shuttle payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, D. A.; Dobrowolny, M.

1981-01-01

An algorithm for using electric currents to control pendular oscillations induced by various perturbing forces on the Skyhook wire is considered. Transverse and vertical forces on the tether; tether instability modes and causes during retrieval by space shuttle; simple and spherical pendulum motion and vector damping; and current generation and control are discussed. A computer program for numerical integration of the in-plane and out-of-plane displacements of the tether vs time was developed for heuristic study. Some techniques for controlling instabilities during payload retrieval and methods for employing the tether for launching satellites from the space shuttle are considered. Derivations and analyses of a general nature used in all of the areas studied are included.

[On risk-oriented model of sanitary epidemiologic surveillance in occupational hygiene].

PubMed

Zaitseval, N V; Mai, I V; Kostarev, V G; Bashketova, N S

2015-01-01

In 2015, Federal Service on surveillance in consumers rights protection and public well-being set a task to organize planned work of regional agencies on basis of risk-oriented model of control and supervision. Based on results of pilot project in Rospotrebnadzor Department of Perm area and St-Petersburg, the article covers methodic approaches to classification of objects liable to surveillance in occupational hygiene. The classification considers possibility of sanitary law violation, severity of this violation consequences and number of workers exposed to risk factors including hazardous work conditions. The authors specified recommendations on periodicity and forms of planned inspections considering evaluation of potential risk for human health, determined problems that require solution in implementation of risk-oriented model of surveillance.

[Evaluation of electronic health programs in Peru: multidisciplinary approach and current perspectives].

PubMed

Henríquez-Suarez, Milagro; Becerra-Vera, Charito E; Laos-Fernández, Elena L; Espinoza-Portilla, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Electronic health (eHealth) requires a multidisciplinary approach and involves different areas of knowledge, including medicine, computer science, engineering, sociology, anthropology, social work, administration, law, and communication sciences. The assessment of eHealth should consider that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are only part of the information system of an organization. Understanding the human factors involved in health systems, the environment, and the contexts in which ICTs are used in health is essential. The objectives of this study were to describe the status of the assessment of eHealth in Peru and to discuss the strategies for multidisciplinary evaluation that should be considered to achieve the success and sustainability of these initiatives based on national and international experience.

Slope, Scarp and Sea Cliff Instability Susceptibility Mapping for Planning Regulations in Almada County, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques, Fernando; Queiroz, Sónia; Gouveia, Luís; Vasconcelos, Manuel

2017-12-01

In Portugal, the modifications introduced in 2008 and 2012 in the National Ecological Reserve law (REN) included the mandatory study of slope instability, including slopes, natural scarps, and sea cliffs, at municipal or regional scale, with the purpose of avoiding the use of hazardous zones with buildings and other structures. The law also indicates specific methods to perform these studies, with different approaches for slope instability, natural scarps and sea cliffs. The methods used to produce the maps required by REN law, with modifications and improvements to the law specified methods, were applied to the 71 km2 territory of Almada County, and included: 1) Slope instability mapping using the statistically based Information Value method validated with the landslide inventory using ROC curves, which provided an AAC=0.964, with the higher susceptibility zones which cover at least 80% of the landslides of the inventory to be included in REN map. The map was object of a generalization process to overcome the inconveniences of the use of a pixel based approach. 2) Natural scarp mapping including setback areas near the top, defined according to the law and setback areas near the toe defined by the application of the shadow angle calibrated with the major rockfalls which occurred in the study area; 3) Sea cliffs mapping including two levels of setback zones near the top, and one setback zone at the cliffs toe, which were based on systematic inventories of cliff failures occurred between 1947 and 2010 in a large scale regional littoral monitoring project. In the paper are described the methods used and the results obtained in this study, which correspond to the final maps of areas to include in REN. The results obtained in this study may be considered as an example of good practice of the municipal authorities in terms of solid, technical and scientifically supported regulation definitions, hazard prevention and safe and sustainable land use management.

Development of Extended Period Pressure-Dependent Demand Water Distribution Models

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

Judi, David R.; Mcpherson, Timothy N.

2015-03-20

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has used modeling and simulation of water distribution systems for N-1 contingency analyses to assess criticality of water system assets. Critical components considered in these analyses include pumps, tanks, and supply sources, in addition to critical pipes or aqueducts. A contingency represents the complete removal of the asset from system operation. For each contingency, an extended period simulation (EPS) is run using EPANET. An EPS simulates water system behavior over a time period, typically at least 24 hours. It assesses the ability of a system to respond and recover from asset disruption through distributed storagemore » in tanks throughout the system. Contingencies of concern are identified as those in which some portion of the water system has unmet delivery requirements. A delivery requirement is defined as an aggregation of water demands within a service area, similar to an electric power demand. The metric used to identify areas of unmet delivery requirement in these studies is a pressure threshold of 15 pounds per square inch (psi). This pressure threshold is used because it is below the required pressure for fire protection. Any location in the model with pressure that drops below this threshold at any time during an EPS is considered to have unmet service requirements and is used to determine cascading consequences. The outage area for a contingency is the aggregation of all service areas with a pressure below the threshold at any time during the EPS.« less

Courthouse Prototype Building

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

Malhotra, Mini; New, Joshua Ryan; Im, Piljae

As part of DOE's support of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and IECC, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) apply a suite of prototype buildings covering 80% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S. for new construction. Efforts have started on expanding the prototype building suite to cover 90% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S., by developing prototype models for additional building types including place of worship, public order and safety, public assembly. Courthouse is courthouse is a sub-category under the “Public Order and Safety" building type category; other sub-categories include police station, fire station, andmore » jail, reformatory or penitentiary.ORNL used building design guides, databases, and documented courthouse projects, supplemented by personal communication with courthouse facility planning and design experts, to systematically conduct research on the courthouse building and system characteristics. This report documents the research conducted for the courthouse building type and proposes building and system characteristics for developing a prototype building energy model to be included in the Commercial Building Prototype Model suite. According to the 2012 CBECS, courthouses occupy a total of 436 million sqft of floor space or 0.5% of the total floor space in all commercial buildings in the US, next to fast food (0.35%), grocery store or food market (0.88%), and restaurant or cafeteria (1.2%) building types currently included in the Commercial Prototype Building Model suite. Considering aggregated average, courthouse falls among the larger with a mean floor area of 69,400 sqft smaller fuel consumption intensity building types and an average of 94.7 kBtu/sqft compared to 77.8 kBtu/sqft for office and 80 kBtu/sqft for all commercial buildings.Courthouses range in size from 1000 sqft to over a million square foot building gross square feet and 1 courtroom to over 100 courtrooms. Small courthouses represent a majority of courthouse buildings. However, collectively they comprise a small fraction of total courthouse floor area in the US. Spaces and operation of courthouse also varies depending on the court type (federal court vs state court; district, appellate, versus Supreme Court) and jurisdiction (general jurisdiction, general jurisdiction trial, or special courts). Based on the statistics on courthouses, general jurisdiction trial court is considered for the prototype model. The model is assumed to be a 4-courtroom, small, 72,000 sqft three-story building including a ground level/ basement.« less

Parkinson’s disease as a system-level disorder

PubMed Central

Caligiore, Daniele; Helmich, Rick C; Hallett, Mark; Moustafa, Ahmed A; Timmermann, Lars; Toni, Ivan; Baldassarre, Gianluca

2016-01-01

Traditionally, the basal ganglia have been considered the main brain region implicated in Parkinson’s disease. This single area perspective gives a restricted clinical picture and limits therapeutic approaches because it ignores the influence of altered interactions between the basal ganglia and other cerebral components on Parkinsonian symptoms. In particular, the basal ganglia work closely in concert with cortex and cerebellum to support motor and cognitive functions. This article proposes a theoretical framework for understanding Parkinson’s disease as caused by the dysfunction of the entire basal ganglia–cortex–cerebellum system rather than by the basal ganglia in isolation. In particular, building on recent evidence, we propose that the three key symptoms of tremor, freezing, and impairments in action sequencing may be explained by considering partially overlapping neural circuits including basal ganglia, cortical and cerebellar areas. Studying the involvement of this system in Parkinson’s disease is a crucial step for devising innovative therapeutic approaches targeting it rather than only the basal ganglia. Possible future therapies based on this different view of the disease are discussed. PMID:28725705

Dynamically linking economic models to ecological condition for coastal zone management: Application to sustainable tourism planning.

PubMed

Dvarskas, Anthony

2017-03-01

While the development of the tourism industry can bring economic benefits to an area, it is important to consider the long-run impact of the industry on a given location. Particularly when the tourism industry relies upon a certain ecological state, those weighing different development options need to consider the long-run impacts of increased tourist numbers upon measures of ecological condition. This paper presents one approach for linking a model of recreational visitor behavior with an ecological model that estimates the impact of the increased visitors upon the environment. Two simulations were run for the model using initial parameters available from survey data and water quality data for beach locations in Croatia. Results suggest that the resilience of a given tourist location to the changes brought by increasing tourism numbers is important in determining its long-run sustainability. Further work should investigate additional model components, including the tourism industry, refinement of the relationships assumed by the model, and application of the proposed model in additional areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevention of spread of communicable disease by air travel.

PubMed

Evans, Anthony D; Thibeault, Claude

2009-07-01

Mathematical modeling suggests that travel restrictions are likely to have only a limited effect on minimizing the spread of disease. Nevertheless, medical screening of travelers remains an option to be considered in a risk-reduction strategy. Screening of departing and/or arriving travelers are possibilities, although the World Health Organization (WHO) favors the former as it is normally easier to geographically contain a disease prior to its transmission outside the outbreak area. Apart from airport screening, several other related issues require consideration, including: transmission of disease on board aircraft; transmission of disease in airport terminal buildings; and contact tracing. A major challenge is to ensure adequate resources are devoted to pandemic preparedness planning in the aviation sector, which may not be fully considered in a national preparedness plan. This is because the prevention of accidents occupies most of the attention of regulatory aviation authorities, and public health authorities do not always see aviation as a priority area. Chief medical officers of regulatory authorities may be in a position to facilitate collaboration between the many stakeholders involved in preparedness planning for aviation.

What can medical educators learn from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games?

PubMed

Church, Helen; Murdoch-Eaton, Deborah; Patel, Rakesh; Sandars, John

2017-06-01

Medical Educators face an ongoing challenge in optimizing preparedness for practice for newly qualified doctors. Junior doctors have highlighted specific areas in which they do not feel adequately equipped to undertake their duties, including managing the acutely unwell patient. In these highly stressful, time-critical scenarios it might be assumed that a lack of knowledge underpins these feelings of apprehension from junior medics; however, having studied, trained and passed examinations to demonstrate such knowledge, perhaps other factors should be considered. The recent Olympic Games in Rio demonstrated the impact of sport psychology techniques in allowing athletes to achieve their optimum performance in the face of adversity. The use of mental and behavioral strategies to control feelings of anxiety and low self-efficacy are pivotal for athletes to deliver their best performance under extreme pressure. We consider whether such techniques could improve the preparedness of the newest recruits to the healthcare system, and the impact this could have on patient care. Finally, suggestions for potential research directions within this area are offered to stimulate interest amongst the research community.

A fluid-solid coupling simulation method for convection heat transfer coefficient considering the under-vehicle condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, C.; Weng, J.; Liu, Y.

2017-11-01

The convection heat transfer coefficient is one of the evaluation indexes of the brake disc performance. The method used in this paper to calculate the convection heat transfer coefficient is a fluid-solid coupling simulation method, because the calculation results through the empirical formula method have great differences. The model, including a brake disc, a car body, a bogie and flow field, was built, meshed and simulated in the software FLUENT. The calculation models were K-epsilon Standard model and Energy model. The working condition of the brake disc was considered. The coefficient of various parts can be obtained through the method in this paper. The simulation result shows that, under 160 km/h speed, the radiating ribs have the maximum convection heat transfer coefficient and the value is 129.6W/(m2·K), the average coefficient of the whole disc is 100.4W/(m2·K), the windward of ribs is positive-pressure area and the leeward of ribs is negative-pressure area, the maximum pressure is 2663.53Pa.