The Impact of the ACA on Premiums: Evidence from the Self-Employed.

PubMed

Heim, Bradley T; Hunter, Gillian; Lurie, Ithai Z; Ramnath, Shanthi P

2015-10-01

This article examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act on premiums by studying a segment of the nongroup market, the self-employed. Because self-employed health insurance premiums are deductible, tax data contain comprehensive individual-level information on the premiums paid by this group prior to the establishment of health insurance exchanges. We compare these prior premiums to reference silver premiums available on the exchanges and find that exchange premiums are 4.2 percent higher on average among the entire sample but 42.3 percent lower on average after taxes and subsidies. We also examine which type of exchange coverage would cost less than the individual's prior health insurance premiums and find that almost 60 percent of families could purchase bronze plans for less than their prior premiums, though only about a quarter could purchase platinum plans. After taxes and subsidies, the fractions increase to over 85 percent for bronze plans and over half for platinum plans. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

In September 2005, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) initiated periodic sampling of groundwater in the vicinity of a grain storage facility formerly operated by the CCC/USDA at Morrill, Kansas. The sampling at Morrill is being performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with a monitoring program approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE 2005), to monitor levels of carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at this site (Argonne 2004, 2005a). This report provides results for monitoring events in April and September 2009. Under the KDHE-approvedmore » monitoring plan (Argonne 2005b), groundwater was initially sampled twice yearly for a period of two years (in fall 2005, in spring and fall 2006, and in spring and fall 2007). The samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as for selected geochemical parameters to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. The analytical results for groundwater sampling events at Morrill from September 2005 to October 2008 were documented previously (Argonne 2006a,b, 2007, 2008a,b, 2009). Those results consistently demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination, at levels exceeding the KDHE Tier 2 risk-based screening level of 5.0 {micro}g/L for this compound, in a groundwater plume extending generally south-southeastward from the former CCC/USDA facility, toward Terrapin Creek at the south edge of the town. Low levels ({le} 1.3 {micro}g/L) of carbon tetrachloride were persistently detected at monitoring well MW8S, on the bank of an intermittent tributary to Terrapin Creek. This observation suggested a possible risk of contamination of the surface waters of the creek. That concern is the regulatory driver for ongoing monitoring. In light of the early findings, in 2006 the CCC/USDA recommended expansion of the approved monitoring program to include the collection and analysis of surface water samples along Terrapin Creek (Argonne 2006a). At the request of the KDHE (2007a), locations for both surface water and shallow sediment sampling were discussed with the KDHE in January 2007. An addendum to the existing monitoring plan (Appendix A) and a standard operating procedure (SOP AGEM-15; Appendix B) for sediment sampling were submitted to the KDHE on the basis of these discussions and were subsequently approved (KDHE 2008b). Results of sediment sampling prior to 2009 were reported previously (Argonne 2008a,b; 2009). To supplement the original scope of the monitoring, Argonne also sampled natural vegetation along Terrapin Creek in October 2006, April 2007, and July 2007 for analyses for VOCs. The results of these plant tissue analyses were reported previously (Argonne 2008a, 2009). The April and September 2009 sampling events reported here represent a continuation of the two-year monitoring program, as requested by the KDHE (2007b). The groundwater sampling is presently conducted, in accord with the monitoring plan (Argonne 2005b) and the addendum to that plan (Appendix A in this report), in a network of 12 monitoring wells and 3 private wells (Figure 1.1), at locations approved by the KDHE (2008b). The findings of the April and September 2009 monitoring events at Morrill support the following conclusions: (1) Groundwater flow during the early spring and the later part of this review period was predominantly to the south-southeast, from the vicinity of the former CCC/USDA facility toward Terrapin Creek. In late spring, a slight shift occurred toward more southerly groundwater flow (possibly southwesterly in the immediate vicinity of the intermittent tributary that flows into Terrapin Creek). This shift in the late spring reflected transient seasonal precipitation and recharge that resulted in higher groundwater levels at this time. (2) No significant changes were observed in the levels or distribution of carbon tetrachloride in the groundwater at Morrill during the current review period, or in comparison to the results of the spring and fall 2008 monitoring events. A maximum carbon tetrachloride concentration of 28-30 {micro}g/L was identified in groundwater - at well MW3S - during both the April and September 2009 sampling events. (3) No carbon tetrachloride contamination was detected in surface waters or shallow streambed sediments sampled at five locations along Terrapin Creek, downgradient from the former CCC/USDA facility. (4) Sampling of tree branch tissues from existing trees for VOCs analyses can be an indicator of shallow subsurface groundwater contamination. Detections of carbon tetrachloride in vegetation at the Morrill site to date have been generally consistent with the documented location of the groundwater plume.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

In September 2005, periodic sampling of groundwater was initiated by the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) in the vicinity of a grain storage facility formerly operated by the CCC/USDA at Centralia, Kansas. The sampling at Centralia is being performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with a monitoring program approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The objective is to monitor levels of carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Centralia (Argonne 2003, 2004, 2005a). Under the KDHE-approved monitoring plan (Argonne 2005b), the groundwater was sampledmore » twice yearly from September 2005 until September 2007 for analyses for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as measurement of selected geochemical parameters to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. The results from the two-year sampling program demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination at levels exceeding the KDHE Tier 2 risk-based screening level (RBSL) of 5 {micro}g/L for this compound in a localized groundwater plume that has shown little movement. The relative concentrations of chloroform, the primary degradation product of carbon tetrachloride, suggested that some degree of reductive dechlorination or natural biodegradation was taking place in situ at the former CCC/USDA facility on a localized scale. The CCC/USDA subsequently developed an Interim Measure Conceptual Design (Argonne 2007b), proposing a pilot test of the Adventus EHC technology for in situ chemical reduction (ISCR). The proposed interim measure (IM) was approved by the KDHE in November 2007 (KDHE 2007). Implementation of the pilot test occurred in November-December 2007. The objective was to create highly reducing conditions that would enhance both chemical and biological reductive dechlorination in the injection test area (Argonne 2009a). The KDHE (2008a) has requested that sitewide monitoring continue at Centralia until a final remedy has been selected (as part of a Corrective Action Study [CAS] evaluation) and implemented for this site. In response to this request, twice-yearly sampling of 10 monitoring wells and 6 piezometers (Figure 1.1) previously approved by the KDHE for monitoring of the groundwater at Centralia (KDHE 2005a,b) was continued in 2008. The sampling events under this extension of the two-year (2005-2007) monitoring program occurred in March and September 2008 (Argonne 2008b, 2009b). Additional piezometers specifically installed to evaluate the progress of the IM pilot test (PMP1-PMP9; Figure 1.2) were also sampled in 2008; the results of these analyses were reported and discussed separately (Argonne 2009a). On the basis of results of the 2005-2008 sitewide monitoring and the 2008 IM pilot test monitoring, the CCC/USDA recommended a revised sampling program to address both of the continuing monitoring objectives until a CAS for Centralia is developed (Section 4.2 in Argonne 2009b). The elements of this interim monitoring plan are as follows: (1) Annual sampling of twelve previously established (before the pilot test) monitoring points (locations identified in Figure 1.3) and the five outlying pilot test monitoring points (PMP4, PMP5, PMP6, PMP7, PMP9; Figure 1.4); and (2) Sampling twice yearly at the five pilot test monitoring points inside the injection area (PMP1-PMP3, PMP8, MW02; Figure 1.4). With the approval of the KDHE (2009), groundwater sampling for analyses of VOCs and selected other geochemical parameters was conducted at Centralia under the interim monitoring program outlined above in April and October 2009. This report documents the findings of the 2009 monitoring events.« less

Computational Science at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, Nichols

2014-03-01

The goal of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) is to extend the frontiers of science by solving problems that require innovative approaches and the largest-scale computing systems. ALCF's most powerful computer - Mira, an IBM Blue Gene/Q system - has nearly one million cores. How does one program such systems? What software tools are available? Which scientific and engineering applications are able to utilize such levels of parallelism? This talk will address these questions and describe a sampling of projects that are using ALCF systems in their research, including ones in nanoscience, materials science, and chemistry. Finally, the ways to gain access to ALCF resources will be presented. This research used resources of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory, which is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Medigap premiums and Medicare HMO enrollment.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Catherine G; Chernew, Michael; Taylor, Erin Fries

2002-12-01

Markets for Medicare HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and supplemental Medicare coverage are often treated separately in existing literature. Yet because managed care plans and Medigap plans both cover services not covered by basic Medicare, these markets are clearly interrelated. We examine the extent to which Medigap premiums affect the likelihood of the elderly joining managed care plans. The analysis is based on a sample of Medicare beneficiaries drawn from the 1996-1997 Community Tracking Study (CTS) Household Survey by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Respondents span 56 different CTS sites from 30 different states. Measures of premiums for privately-purchased Medigap policies were collected from a survey of large insurers serving this market. Data for individual, market, and HMO characteristics were collected from the CTS, InterStudy, and HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration). Our analysis uses a reduced-form logit model to estimate the probability of Medicare HMO participation as a function of Medigap premiums controlling for other market- and individual-level characteristics. The logit coefficients were then used to simulate changes in Medicare participation in response to changes in Medigap premiums. We found that Medigap premiums vary considerably among the geographic markets included in our sample. Measures of premiums from different insurers and for different types of Medigap policies were generally highly correlated across markets. Our models consistently indicate a strong positive relationship between Medigap premiums and HMO participation. This result is robust across several specifications. Simulations suggest that a one standard deviation increase in Medigap premiums would increase HMO participation by more than 8 percentage points. This research provides strong evidence that Medigap premiums have a significant effect on seniors' participation in Medicare HMOs. Policy initiatives aimed at lowering Medigap premiums will likely discourage enrollment in Medicare HMOs, holding other factors constant. Although the Medigap premiums are just one factor affecting the future penetration rate of Medicare HMOs, they are an important driver of HMO enrollment and should be considered carefully when creating policy related to seniors' supplemental coverage. Similarly, our results imply that reforms to the Medicare HMO market would influence the demand for Medigap policies.

Medigap Premiums and Medicare HMO Enrollment

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Catherine G; Chernew, Michael; Taylor, Erin Fries

2002-01-01

Objective Markets for Medicare HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and supplemental Medicare coverage are often treated separately in existing literature. Yet because managed care plans and Medigap plans both cover services not covered by basic Medicare, these markets are clearly interrelated. We examine the extent to which Medigap premiums affect the likelihood of the elderly joining managed care plans. Data Sources The analysis is based on a sample of Medicare beneficiaries drawn from the 1996–1997 Community Tracking Study (CTS) Household Survey by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Respondents span 56 different CTS sites from 30 different states. Measures of premiums for privately-purchased Medigap policies were collected from a survey of large insurers serving this market. Data for individual, market, and HMO characteristics were collected from the CTS, InterStudy, and HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration). Study Design Our analysis uses a reduced-form logit model to estimate the probability of Medicare HMO participation as a function of Medigap premiums controlling for other market- and individual-level characteristics. The logit coefficients were then used to simulate changes in Medicare participation in response to changes in Medigap premiums. Principal Findings We found that Medigap premiums vary considerably among the geographic markets included in our sample. Measures of premiums from different insurers and for different types of Medigap policies were generally highly correlated across markets. Our models consistently indicate a strong positive relationship between Medigap premiums and HMO participation. This result is robust across several specifications. Simulations suggest that a one standard deviation increase in Medigap premiums would increase HMO participation by more than 8 percentage points. Conclusions This research provides strong evidence that Medigap premiums have a significant effect on seniors' participation in Medicare HMOs. Policy initiatives aimed at lowering Medigap premiums will likely discourage enrollment in Medicare HMOs, holding other factors constant. Although the Medigap premiums are just one factor affecting the future penetration rate of Medicare HMOs, they are an important driver of HMO enrollment and should be considered carefully when creating policy related to seniors' supplemental coverage. Similarly, our results imply that reforms to the Medicare HMO market would influence the demand for Medigap policies. PMID:12546281

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at the western edge of Everest, Kansas, from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. Sampling by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in 1997 resulted in the detection of carbon tetrachloride in one domestic well (the Nigh well) northwest of the former facility. On behalf of the CCC/USDA, Argonne National Laboratory subsequently conducted a series of investigations to characterize the contamination (Argonne 2003, 2006a,b,c). Automatic, continuous monitoring of groundwater levels began in 2002 and is ongoing at six locations. The resultsmore » have consistently indicated groundwater flow toward the north-northwest from the former CCC/USDA property to the Nigh property, then west-southwest from the Nigh property to the intermittent creek. Sitewide periodic groundwater and surface water sampling with analysis for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) began in 2008. Argonne's combined data indicate no significant downgradient extension of contamination since 2000. At present, the sampling is annual, as approved by the KDHE (2009) in response to a plan developed for the CCC/USDA (Argonne 2009). This document presents a plan for collecting indoor air samples in homes located along and adjacent to the defined extent of the carbon tetrachloride contamination. The plan was requested by the KDHE. Ambient air samples to represent the conditions along this pathway will also be taken. The purpose of the proposed work is to satisfy KDHE requirements and to collect additional data for assessing the risk to human health due to the potential upward migration of carbon tetrachloride and its primary degradation product (chloroform) into homes located in close proximity to the former grain storage facility, as well as along and within 100 ft laterally from the currently defined plume emanating from the former Everest facility. Investigation of the indoor air environment was not a defined objective during the previous investigations of the Everest site (Argonne 2003, 2006a,b,c) as they predated the more recent regulatory concern regarding potential health risks associated with the vapor contaminant pathway.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at Barnes, Kansas, during most of the interval 1949-1974. Carbon tetrachloride contamination was initially detected in 1986 in the town's public water supply wells. In 2006-2007, the CCC/USDA conducted a comprehensive targeted investigation at and near its former property in Barnes to characterize this contamination. Those results were reported previously (Argonne 2008a). In November 2007, the CCC/USDA began quarterly groundwater monitoring at Barnes. The monitoring is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with the recommendations made inmore » the report for the 2006-2007 targeted investigation (Argonne 2008a). The objective is to monitor the carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Barnes. The sampling is presently conducted in a network of 28 individual monitoring wells (at 19 distinct locations), 2 public water supply wells, and 1 private well (Figure 1.1). The results of the 2006-2007 targeted investigation and the subsequent monitoring events (Argonne 2008a-d, 2009a,b) demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at levels exceeding the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Tier 2 risk-based screening level (RBSL) of 5.0 {micro}g/L for this compound. The contaminant plume appears to extend from the former CCC/USDA property northwestward, toward the Barnes public water supply wells. Information obtained during the 2006-2007 investigation indicates that at least one other potential source might have contributed to the groundwater contaminant plume (Argonne 2008a). The former agriculture building owned by the local school district, located immediately east of well PWS3, is also a potential source of the contamination. This current report presents the results of the seventh quarterly monitoring event, conducted in September-October, and also sampling of only the public wells in December 2009. During the September-October quarterly event, low-flow sampling methods were used to purge and sample all wells. This was the seventh event at Barnes during which the low-flow sampling method was used. After the September-October 2009 quarterly sampling event, the KDHE (2009) approved a change in the sampling frequency for the monitoring wells from quarterly to twice yearly. Quarterly sampling is to continue for the public water supply wells. Accordingly, in December 2009, only the public wells were sampled. All results for the six-month period July-December 2009 are reported here.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

In 1992-1993, Argonne National Laboratory investigated potential carbon tetrachloride contamination that might be linked to the former grain storage facility operated by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at Utica, Nebraska. These initial studies identified carbon tetrachloride in a plume of contaminated groundwater, extending approximately 3,500 ft southeastward from the former CCC/USDA facility, within a shallow upper aquifer that had been used previously as a municipal water source by the town (Figure 1.1). A deeper aquifer used as the current municipal water source was found to be free of carbon tetrachloride contamination. Although themore » shallow aquifer was no longer being used as a source of drinking water at Utica, additional studies indicated that the carbon tetrachloride could pose an unacceptable health threat to potential future residents who might install private wells along the expected downgradient migration pathway of the plume. On the basis of these findings, corrective action was recommended to decrease the carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the upper aquifer to acceptable levels (Argonne 1993a,b, 1995). Initial discussions with the Utica village board indicated that any restoration strategies involving nonbeneficial discharge of treated groundwater in the immediate vicinity of Utica would be unacceptable to the town. To address this concern, the CCC/USDA and Argonne, in cooperation with multiple federal and state regulatory and environmental agencies (Table 1.1) proposed a treatment strategy for the Utica groundwater employing groundwater extraction coupled with the seasonal use of agricultural spray irrigation equipment to simultaneously (1) remove carbon tetrachloride from the groundwater (by volatilization to the atmosphere) and (2) discharge the treated groundwater to enhance the development of wetlands in the North Lake Basin Wildlife Management Area, just north of the town (Argonne 2000). To develop this treatment approach, additional groundwater sampling was conducted to update the distribution of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater identified in the preliminary studies in 1992-1993. In March 1998, detailed mapping of the carbon tetrachloride plume was performed by using the Argonne cone penetrometer (CPT) vehicle to collect groundwater samples for analyses for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at 13 locations (PS01-PS09, PS12, PS16, PS17, PS19; Figure 1.2). The samples were collected in vertical profiles through the aquifer, at 10-ft intervals. The results of this 1998 study (Table 1.2) demonstrated that the three-dimensional distribution of carbon tetrachloride in the aquifer is complex, with multiple 'hot spots' occurring in the plume at various depths and distances along its length (Argonne 2000). In October 2002, the CCC/USDA requested that Argonne perform targeted groundwater sampling at Utica to document the migration of the carbon tetrachloride plume since the 1998 sampling event. In February 2003, vertical-profile groundwater sampling for VOCs analyses was conducted at 8 selected locations (PS01, PS04-PS07, PS12, PS19, PS20; Figure 1.2 and Table 1.3). The lateral and vertical configuration of the carbon tetrachloride plume, as identified in the 2003 study (Argonne 2003), is illustrated in Figures 1.3-1.7. On the basis of the 2003 groundwater sampling results, a remedial system employing four extraction wells (GWEX 1-GWEX 4), with groundwater treatment by spray irrigation and conventional air stripping, was implemented at Utica, with the concurrence of the CCC/USDA and the agencies identified in Table 1.1. The principal components of the Utica system (shown in Figure 1.8) are described briefly in Section 1.2. Operation of well GWEX4 and the associated air stripper began on October 29, 2004, and routine operation of wells GWEX1-GWEX3 and the spray irrigation treatment units began on November 22, 2004.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at Barnes, Kansas, during most of the interval 1949-1974. Carbon tetrachloride contamination was initially detected in 1986 in the town's public water supply wells. In 2006-2007, the CCC/USDA conducted a comprehensive targeted investigation at and near its former property in Barnes to characterize this contamination. Those results were reported previously (Argonne 2008a). In November 2007, the CCC/USDA began quarterly groundwater monitoring at Barnes. The monitoring is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with the recommendations made inmore » the report for the 2006-2007 targeted investigation (Argonne 2008a). The objective is to monitor the carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Barnes. The sampling is presently conducted in a network of 28 individual monitoring wells (at 19 distinct locations), 2 public water supply wells, and 1 private well (Figure 1.1). The results of the 2006-2007 targeted investigation and the subsequent monitoring events (Argonne 2008a-d, 2009) demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at levels exceeding the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Tier 2 risk-based screening level (RBSL) of 5.0 {micro}g/L for this compound. The contaminant plume appears to extend from the former CCC/USDA property northwestward, toward the Barnes public water supply wells. Information obtained during the 2006-2007 investigation indicates that at least one other potential source might have contributed to the groundwater contaminant plume (Argonne 2008a). The former agriculture building owned by the local school district, located immediately east of well PWS3, is also a potential source of the contamination. This current report presents the results of the fifth and sixth quarterly monitoring events, conducted in March and June 2009. During these two monitoring events, low-flow sampling methods were used to purge and sample all wells. These were the fourth and fifth events at Barnes during which the low-flow sampling method was used.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) began its environmental investigations at Everest, Kansas, in 2000. The work at Everest is implemented on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, under the oversight of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The results of the environmental investigations have been reported in detail (Argonne 2001, 2003, 2006a,b). The lateral extent of the carbon tetrachloride in groundwater over the years of investigation has been interpreted as shown in Figure 1.1 (2001-2002 data), Figure 1.2 (2006 data), Figure 1.3 (2008 data), and Figure 1.4 (2009 data). Themore » pattern of groundwater flow and inferred contaminant migration has consistently been to the north-northwest from the former CCC/USDA facility toward the Nigh property, and then west-southwest from the Nigh property (e.g., Figure 1.5 [2008 data] and Figure 1.6 [2009 data]). Both the monitoring data for carbon tetrachloride and the low groundwater flow rates estimated for the Everest aquifer unit (Argonne 2003, 2006a,b, 2008) indicate slow contaminant migration. On the basis of the accumulated findings, in March 2009 the CCC/USDA developed a plan for annual monitoring of the groundwater and surface water. This current monitoring plan (Appendix A in the report of monitoring in 2009 [Argonne 2010]) was approved by the KDHE (2009a). Under this plan, the monitoring wells are sampled by the low-flow procedure, and sample preservation, shipping, and analysis activities are consistent with previous work at Everest. The annual sampling will continue until identified conditions at the site indicate a technical justification for a change. The first annual sampling event under the new monitoring plan took place in April 2009. The results of analyses for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and water level measurements were consistent with previous observations (Figures 1.1-1.4). No carbon tetrachloride was detected in surface water of the intermittent creek or in tree branch samples collected at 18 locations along the creek banks. The complete results were reported previously (Argonne 2010). This report presents the results of the second annual sampling events, conducted in 2010. Included in the 2010 monitoring were the following: (1) Continued automatic and manual monitoring of groundwater levels. (2) Groundwater sampling on April 8-9, 2010. (3) Surface water sampling on April 8, 2010. (4) Vegetation sampling on July 28, 2010. (5) Indoor air sampling at selected residences on August 11-12, 2010. The activities are described in Section 2, and the results are discussed in Section 3. Conclusions and recommendations are presented in Section 4.« less

Annual Report of Monitoring at Barnes, Kansas, in 2016

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

In 2006, the CCC/USDA assumed responsibility for the site investigation relating to potential carbon tetrachloride contamination. Initially, the CCC/USDA developed and implemented a work plan for targeted groundwater sampling and monitoring well installation (KDHE 2009). The investigation and subsequent monitoring (Argonne 2008a-d, 2009a,b, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015a,b, 2016) were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The reports of environmental investigations at Barnes are summarized.

Final work plan : supplemental upward vapor intrusion investigation at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility in Hanover, Kansas.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of the city of Hanover, Kansas, from 1950 until the early 1970s. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In February 1998, trace to low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contaminant level [MCL] of 5.0 {micro}g/L) were detected in two private wells near the former grain storage facility at Hanover, as part of a statewide USDA private wellmore » sampling program that was implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. In 2007, the CCC/USDA conducted near-surface soil sampling at 61 locations and also sampled indoor air at nine residences on or adjacent to its former Hanover facility to address the residents concerns regarding vapor intrusion. Low levels of carbon tetrachloride were detected at four of the nine homes. The results were submitted to the KDHE in October 2007 (Argonne 2007). On the basis of the results, the KDHE requested sub-slab sampling and/or indoor air sampling (KDHE 2007). This Work Plan describes, in detail, the proposed additional scope of work requested by the KDHE and has been developed as a supplement to the comprehensive site investigation work plan that is pending (Argonne 2008). Indoor air samples collected previously from four homes at Hanover were shown to contain the carbon tetrachloride at low concentrations (Table 2.1). It cannot be concluded from these previous data that the source of the detected carbon tetrachloride is vapor intrusion attributable to former grain storage operations of the CCC/USDA at Hanover. The technical objective of the vapor intrusion investigation described here is to assess the risk to human health due to the potential for upward migration of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform into four homes located on or adjacent to the former CCC/USDA facility. The technical objective will be accomplished by collecting sub-slab vapor samples. The preliminary data collected during the July 2007 investigation did not fully address the source of or migration pathway for the carbon tetrachloride detected in the four homes. The scope of work proposed here will generate additional data needed to help evaluate whether the source of the detected carbon tetrachloride is vapor intrusion attributable to activities of the CCC/USDA. The additional vapor sampling at Hanover will be performed, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory and H&P Mobile Geochemistry of San Diego (http://www.handpmg.com). Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The professional staff members of H&P Mobile Geochemistry are nationally leading experts in soil gas sampling and vapor intrusion investigations.« less

Analysis of private health insurance premium growth rates: 1985-1992.

PubMed

Feldstein, P J; Wickizer, T M

1995-10-01

The rate of increase in health care expenditures has been a central policy concern for well over a decade, yet little empirical research has been conducted to examine expenditure growth rates. This study analyzed health insurance premium growth rates for a selected sample of 95 insured groups over the period 1985 to 1992. During this time, premiums increased by approximately 150% in nominal terms and by 45% in real terms. The observed rate of growth was not constant over time, however. The most rapid growth occurred during the years 1986 to 1989; thereafter, the rate of increase in premiums declined. Multivariate analysis was conducted to assess the effects on premium growth rates of selected variables representing insurance benefit design features, market competitive factors, insurance system factors, and group-specific factors. In addition to the percentage increase in benefit payments, other factors found to affect premium growth rates were health maintenance organization market penetration, deductible level, the coinsurance rate, and state insurance mandates. Further, this analysis suggests that the insurance underwriting cycle may play an important role in influencing insurance premium growth rates. These results support the belief that health maintenance organization induced competition has potential to control the rate of increase in health care costs.

Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sale Analysis

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

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Although residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have proliferated, PV systems on some U.S. homes still receive no value during an appraisal because comparable home sales are lacking. To value residential PV, some previous studies have employed paired-sales appraisal methods to analyze small PV home samples in depth, while others have used statistical methods to analyze large samples. Our first-of-its-kind study connects the two approaches. It uses appraisal methods to evaluate sales price premiums for owned PV systems on single-unit detached houses that were also evaluated in a large statistical study. Independent appraisers evaluated 43 recent home sales pairs in sixmore » states: California, Oregon, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. We compare these results with contributory-value estimates—based on income (using the PV Value® tool), gross cost, and net cost—as well as hedonic modeling results from the recent statistical study. The results provide strong, appraisal-based evidence of PV premiums in all states. More importantly, the results support the use of cost- and incomebased PV premium estimates when paired-sales analysis is impossible. PV premiums from the paired-sales analysis are most similar to net PV cost estimates. PV Value® income results generally track the appraised premiums, although conservatively. The appraised premiums are in agreement with the hedonic modeling results as well, which bolsters the suitability of both approaches for estimating PV home premiums. Therefore, these results will benefit valuation professionals and mortgage lenders who increasingly are encountering homes equipped with PV and need to understand the factors that can both contribute to and detract from market value.« less

Women in Energy: Rinku Gupta - Argonne Today

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Argonne Today

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Low severity coal liquefaction promoted by cyclic olefins. Quarterly report, January--March 1994

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

Curtis, C.W.

Previous research has suggested that using a more effective hydrogen donor solvent in the low severity coal liquefaction reaction improves coal conversion. In order to understand the results of these methods, both independently and combined, a factorial experiment was designed. Pretreating coal with hydrochloric and sulfurous acid solutions in both water and methanol is compared with pretreating coal using only methanol and with no pretreatment. The effects of these pretreatments on coal liquefaction behavior are contrasted with the ammonium acetate pretreatment. Within each of these, individual reactions are performed with the hydroaromatic 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (tetralin, TET) and the cyclic olefin 1,4,5,8-tetrahydronaphthalenemore » (isotetralin, ISO). The final aspect of the factorial experiment is the comparison of Wyodak subbituminous coal (WY) from the Argonne Premium Sample Bank and Black Thunder subbituminous coal (BT) provided by Amoco. Half of the reactions in the matrix have now been completed. In all but one case, Black Thunder-HCl/H{sub 2}O, the ISO proved to be more reactive than TET. After the other four reactions using this combination are complete, the average conversion may be greater with the cyclic olefin. The second part of this paper describes the current and future work with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The objective of this work is to determine the kinetics of reaction of isotetralin at high temperatures and pressures. This quarter combinations of three products typically produced from isotetralin were used in spectral subtraction.« less

Lydia Finney appointed WIST program initiator - Argonne Today

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Home Mission People Work/Life Connections Focal Point Inside Argonne Argonne Public Website Argonne Today Argonne Today Mission People Work/Life Connections Focal Point Lydia Finney appointed WIST program initiator Home People Lydia Finney appointed WIST program initiator Lydia Finney appointed WIST

Argonne's 2012 Earth Day Event

ScienceCinema

Roberts, Jeff; Luck, Bill; Lynch, Peter; Lambiase,

2018-05-30

Argonne's 2012 Earth Day event drew crowds from across the laboratory. Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees toured booths and interactive displays set up by Argonne programs and clubs. Several of Argonne's partners participated, including U.S. Department of Energy, University of Chicago, Abri Credit Union, DuPage County Forest Preserve, DuPage Water Commission, PACE and Morton Arboretum. Argonne scientists and engineers also participated in a poster session, discussing their clean energy research.

Cognitive antecedents of consumers' willingness to purchase fish rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

PubMed

Foxall, G; Leek, S; Maddock, S

1998-12-01

A sample of UK consumers (N = 311) was interviewed in order to identify the attitudinal, cognitive and involvement characteristics of probable early adopters of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) fed fish. Attitude to fish significantly influenced PUFA fish, premium price PUFA fish, PUFA salmon, PUFA eel and PUFA sturgeon purchase. Involvement in healthy eating influenced PUFA fish, premium price PUFA fish and PUFA salmon purchase. Cognitive style did not influence PUFA fish and premium price PUFA fish purchase; nor, contrary to earlier research, did cognitive style and involvement interact to influence intended PUFA fish purchases.

Anual Report of Groundwater Monitoring at Centralia, Kansas, in 2015

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

2016-10-01

The KDHE (2012) agreed to annual sampling at all locations, beginning with the 2013 monitoring documented previously (Argonne 2014a). This present report documents the results of the annual sampling of the approved monitoring well network on September 27-30, 2015.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at Barnes, Kansas, in 1949-1974. Carbon tetrachloride contamination was initially detected in 1986 in the town's public water supply wells. In 2006-2007, the CCC/USDA conducted a comprehensive targeted investigation at and near its former property in Barnes to characterize this contamination. Those results were reported previously (Argonne 2008a). The results of that investigation indicated that carbon tetrachloride contamination is present in groundwater at low to moderate levels in the vicinity of the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility. Information obtained during the 2006-2007 investigation alsomore » indicated that at least one other potential source might have contributed to the groundwater contaminant plume (Argonne 2008a). The former agriculture building owned by the local school district, located immediately east of well PWS3, is also a potential source of the contamination. In November 2007, the CCC/USDA began periodic groundwater monitoring at Barnes. The monitoring is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, under the direction of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The objective is to monitor the carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Barnes. Through 2010, sampling was conducted in a network of 28 individual monitoring wells (at 19 distinct locations), 2 public water supply wells, and 1 private well (Figure 1.1). The results of the 2006-2007 targeted investigation and the subsequent monitoring events (Argonne 2008a-d, 2009a,b, 2010) demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at levels exceeding the KDHE Tier 2 risk-based screening level (RBSL) of 5.0 {micro}g/L for this compound. The contaminant plume appears to extend from the former CCC/USDA property northwestward, toward the Barnes public water supply wells. Long-term monitoring of the groundwater levels and the contaminant distribution has confirmed that pumping of the public water supply wells affects the direction of groundwater flow. When these wells are not pumping, the direction of groundwater flow is to the northeast. However, when they are pumping, groundwater flow is directed to the northwest, toward the public wells. A contingency interim measure (Argonne 2009c) has been approved by the KDHE (2009) and will be implemented if the two operating public water supply wells become contaminated at levels above the RBSL of 5.0 {micro}g/L for carbon tetrachloride. This current report presents the results of monitoring conducted in 2010. Sampling of the monitoring well network was conducted in March-April 2010 and September 2010. In addition, the two operating public water supply wells were sampled in June 2010 and December 2010. On the basis of an evaluation of the data collected in 2006-2009 (Argonne 2010), including a trend analysis of the site contamination and its migration, the KDHE (2010) concurred that future monitoring will occur on an annual basis, with twice-yearly sampling of the two public water supply wells in service (conducted in cooperation with the city). The KDHE (2010) also agreed to decrease the number wells to be sampled in the future, as discussed in Section 5.« less

Trends in the Use of Premium and Discount Cigarette Brands: Findings from the ITC US Surveys (2002–2011)

PubMed Central

Cornelius, Monica E.; Driezen, Pete; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Chaloupka, Frank J.; Hyland, Andrew; Bansal-Travers, Maansi; Carpenter, Matthew J.; Cummings, K. Michael

2014-01-01

Objective The purpose of this paper was to examine trends in the use of premium and discount cigarette brands and determine correlates of type of brand used and brand switching. Methods Data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) US adult smoker cohort survey were analyzed. The total study sample included 6669 adult cigarette smokers recruited and followed from 2002 to 2011 over eight different survey waves. Each survey wave included an average of 1700 smokers per survey with replenishment of those lost to follow-up. Results Over the eight survey waves, a total of 260 different cigarette brands were reported by smokers, of which 17% were classified as premium and 83% as discount brands. Marlboro, Newport, and Camel were the most popular premium brands reported by smokers in our sample over all eight survey waves. The percentage of smokers using discount brands increased between 2002 and 2011, with a marked increase in brand switching from premium to discount cigarettes observed after 2009 corresponding to the $0.61 increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes. Cigarette brand preferences varied by age group and income levels with younger, higher income smokers more likely to report smoking premium brand cigarettes, while older, middle and lower income, heavier smokers were more likely to report using discount brands. Conclusions Our data suggest that demographic and smoking trends favor the continued growth of low priced cigarette brands. From a tobacco control perspective, the findings from this study suggest that governments should consider enacting stronger minimum pricing laws in order to keep the base price of cigarettes high, since aggressive price marketing will likely continue to be used by manufacturers to compete for the shrinking pool of remaining smokers in the population. PMID:24092600

Trends in the use of premium and discount cigarette brands: findings from the ITC US Surveys (2002-2011).

PubMed

Cornelius, Monica E; Driezen, Pete; Fong, Geoffrey T; Chaloupka, Frank J; Hyland, Andrew; Bansal-Travers, Maansi; Carpenter, Matthew J; Cummings, K Michael

2014-03-01

The purpose of this paper was to examine trends in the use of premium and discount cigarette brands and determine correlates of type of brand used and brand switching. Data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) US adult smoker cohort survey were analysed. The total study sample included 6669 adult cigarette smokers recruited and followed from 2002 to 2011 over eight different survey waves. Each survey wave included an average of 1700 smokers per survey with replenishment of those lost to follow-up. Over the eight survey waves, a total of 260 different cigarette brands were reported by smokers, of which 17% were classified as premium and 83% as discount brands. Marlboro, Newport, and Camel were the most popular premium brands reported by smokers in our sample over all eight survey waves. The percentage of smokers using discount brands increased between 2002 and 2011, with a marked increase in brand switching from premium to discount cigarettes observed after 2009 corresponding to the $0.61 increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes. Cigarette brand preferences varied by age group and income levels with younger, higher income smokers more likely to report smoking premium brand cigarettes, while older, middle and lower income, heavier smokers were more likely to report using discount brands. Our data suggest that demographic and smoking trends favour the continued growth of low priced cigarette brands. From a tobacco control perspective, the findings from this study suggest that governments should consider enacting stronger minimum pricing laws in order to keep the base price of cigarettes high, since aggressive price marketing will likely continue to be used by manufacturers to compete for the shrinking pool of remaining smokers in the population.

Argonne OutLoud Public Lecture Series: Nuclear Energy

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

Blomquist, Roger

2012-12-10

On November 15, 2012, Argonne National Laboratory opened its doors to the public for a presentation/discussion titled "Getting to Know Nuclear: Past, Present and Future." The speaker was Argonne researcher Roger Blomquist. The event was the latest in the Argonne OutLoud Public Lecture Series. For more information, visit the Argonne Nuclear Engineering Division website (http://www.ne.anl.gov/About/headlines...).

Final work plan : phase I investigation of potential contamination at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility in Montgomery City, Missouri.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

From September 1949 until September 1966, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) leased property at the southeastern end of Montgomery City, Missouri, for the operation of a grain storage facility. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In January 2000, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a soil sample (220 {micro}g/kg) and two soil gas samples (58 {micro}g/m{sup 3} and 550 {micro}g/m{sup 3}) collected at the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of a pre-CERCLIS sitemore » screening investigation (SSI) performed by TN & Associates, Inc., on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region VII (MoDNR 2001). In June 2001, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) conducted further sampling of the soils and groundwater at the former CCC/USDA facility as part of a preliminary assessment/site inspection (PA/SI). The MoDNR confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride (at a maximum identified concentration of 2,810 {micro}g/kg) and chloroform (maximum 82 {micro}g/kg) in the soils and also detected carbon tetrachloride and chloroform (42.2 {micro}g/L and 58.4 {micro}g/L, respectively) in a groundwater sample collected at the former facility (MoDNR 2001). The carbon tetrachloride levels identified in the soils and groundwater are above the default target level (DTL) values established by the MoDNR for this contaminant in soils of all types (79.6 {micro}g/kg) and in groundwater (5.0 {micro}g/L), as outlined in Missouri Risk-Based Corrective Action (MRBCA): Departmental Technical Guidance (MoDNR 2006a). The corresponding MRBCA DTL values for chloroform are 76.6 {micro}g/kg in soils of all types and 80 {micro}g/L in groundwater. Because the observed contamination at Montgomery City might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA will conduct investigations to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the possible subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at the Montgomery City site and (2) evaluate the health and environmental threats potentially represented by the contamination. This work will be performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and the MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The investigations at Montgomery City will be conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The site characterization at Montgomery City will take place in phases. This approach is recommended by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the investigation can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. This site-specific Work Plan outlines the specific technical objectives and scope of work proposed for Phase I of the Montgomery City investigation. This Work Plan also includes the community relations plan to be followed throughout the CCC/USDA program at the Montgomery City site. Argonne is developing a Master Work Plan specific to operations in the state of Missouri. In the meantime, Argonne has issued a Provisional Master Work Plan (PMWP; Argonne 2007) that has been reviewed and approved by the MoDNR for current use. The PMWP (Argonne 2007) provides detailed information and guidance on the investigative technologies, analytical methodologies, quality assurance-quality control measures, and general health and safety policies to be employed by Argonne for all investigations at former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. Both the PMWP and this site-specific Work Plan must therefore be consulted for a complete description of the planned Phase I work at the former CCC/USDA facility at Montgomery City.« less

Argonne Chemical Sciences & Engineering - Awards Home

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Argonne National Laboratory Chemical Sciences & Engineering DOE Logo CSE Home About CSE Argonne Home > Chemical Sciences & Engineering > Fundamental Interactions Catalysis & Energy Computational Postdoctoral Fellowships Contact Us CSE Intranet Awards Argonne's Chemical Sciences and

Institutional plan. Fiscal year, 1997--2002

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

NONE

1996-10-01

The Institutional Plan is the culmination of Argonne`s annual planning cycle. The document outlines what Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) regards as the optimal development of programs and resources in the context of national research and development needs, the missions of the Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory, and pertinent resource constraints. It is the product of ANL`s internal planning process and extensive discussions with DOE managers. Strategic planning is important for all of Argonne`s programs, and coordination of planning for the entire institution is crucial. This Institutional Plan will increasingly reflect the planning initiatives that have recently been implemented.

Annual Reporting of Monitoring at Morrill, Kansas in 2015

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

In September 2005, the CCC/USDA initiated periodic sampling of groundwater, in accord with a program (Argonne 2005b) approved by the KDHE (2005), to monitor carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the groundwater. Under the KDHE-approved monitoring plan (Argonne 2005b), groundwater was sampled twice yearly for VOCs analyses through 2011. During the initial two years of monitoring, analysis for selected geochemical parameters was also conducted to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. Consistently low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) at monitoring well MW1D (in the deepest portion of themore » contaminated aquifer) and the presence of chloroform (the primary degradation product of carbon tetrachloride) suggested that some degree of reductive dechlorination was occurring.« less

Green Supercomputing at Argonne

ScienceCinema

Beckman, Pete

2018-02-07

Pete Beckman, head of Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) talks about Argonne National Laboratory's green supercomputing—everything from designing algorithms to use fewer kilowatts per operation to using cold Chicago winter air to cool the machine more efficiently. Argonne was recognized for green computing in the 2009 HPCwire Readers Choice Awards. More at http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news091117.html Read more about the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at http://www.alcf.anl.gov/

Analysis of hydrocarbons generated in coalbeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butala, Steven John M.

This dissertation describes kinetic calculations using literature data to predict formation rates and product yields of oil and gas at typical low-temperature conditions in coalbeds. These data indicate that gas formation rates from hydrocarbon thermolysis are too low to have generated commercial quantities of natural gas, assuming bulk first-order kinetics. Acid-mineral-catalyzed cracking, transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of liquid hydrocarbons, and catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation form gas at high rates. The gaseous product compositions for these reactions are nearly the same as those for typical natural coalbed gases, while those from thermal and catalytic cracking are more representative of atypical coalbed gases. Three Argonne Premium Coals (Upper-Freeport, Pittsburgh #8 and Lewiston-Stockton) were extracted with benzene in both Soxhlet and elevated pressure extraction (EPE) systems. The extracts were compared on the basis of dry mass yield and hydrocarbon profiles obtained by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The dry mass yields for the Upper-Freeport coal gave consistent results by both methods, while the yields from the Pittsburgh #8 and Lewiston-Stockton coals were greater by the EPE method. EPE required ˜90 vol. % less solvent compared to Soxhlet extraction. Single-ion-chromatograms of the Soxhlet extracts all exhibited bimodal distributions, while those of the EPE extracts did not. Hydrocarbons analyzed from Greater Green River Basin samples indicate that the natural oils in the basin originated from the coal seams. Analysis of artificially produced oil indicates that hydrous pyrolysis mimics generation of C15+ n-alkanes, but significant variations were found in the branched alkane, low-molecular-weight n-alkanes, and high-molecular-weight aromatic hydrocarbon distributions.

24 CFR Appendix A to Part 3500 - Instructions for Completing HUD-1 and HUD-1a Settlement Statements; Sample HUD-1 and HUD-1a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... premium, but not including any reserves collected by the Lender and recorded in the 1000-series. If a lump... at settlement. For example, the balance in the Seller's reserve account held in connection with an... insurance premiums, if the Borrower is being substituted as an insured under the same policy; mortgage...

Graduates | Argonne National Laboratory

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Staff Directory Argonne National Laboratory Educational Programs Connecting today's world-class research , Argonne is the place to be if you are a graduate student. With access to world-class facilities and world -reknowned researchers, graduate students at Argonne can taste the best of the research and development world

Final construction and testing of an experimental sprinkler/groundwater treatment system for proposed use by the village of Utica, Nebraska.

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

NONE

2005-06-17

The testing described above demonstrates that the experimental sprinkler designed by Argonne could be successfully, and safely, used by the Village of Utica for irrigation of the town's playing fields, using contaminated (by carbon tetrachloride) groundwater from the shallow aquifer beneath the town. Routine operation of the sprinkler within the range of parameters identified by the testing program would effectively reduce carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the discharged spray reaching the ground to levels below the MCL (5 {micro}g/l). CCC/USDA and Argonne propose to test use of the experimental sprinkler by the Village of Utica during the next (Summer 2001) growingmore » season, under Argonne supervision. Water will be supplied from the well to the sprinkler drive unit using a temporary, flexible (high-pressure hose) connection. Argonne will provide training to Village staff in the setup and use of the sprinkler, and will conduct periodic monitoring (proposed biweekly, initially) of the watering operations and sampling and analysis of the spray discharge from the unit, to ensure that the specified groundwater cleanup performance of the sprinkler system (to carbon tetrachloride values <5 {micro}g/L) is maintained. If testing of the sprinkler in this manner proves successful during 2001, CCC/USDA will seek to permanently transfer ownership and operation responsibilities for the sprinkler to the Utica Village Board.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

In April 2008, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) conducted groundwater sampling for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the existing network of monitoring points at Everest, Kansas (Argonne 2008). The objective of the 2008 investigation was to monitor the distribution of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater previously identified in CCC/USDA site characterization and groundwater sampling studies at Everest in 2000-2006 (Argonne 2001, 2003, 2006a,b). The work at Everest is being undertaken on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, under the oversight of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).more » The findings of the 2008 investigation were as follows: (1) Measurements of groundwater levels obtained manually and through the use of automatic recorders demonstrated a consistent pattern of groundwater flow - and inferred contaminant migration - to the north-northwest from the former CCC/USDA facility toward the Nigh property, and then west-southwest from the Nigh property toward the intermittent creek that lies west of the former CCC/USDA facility and the Nigh property. (2) The range of concentrations and the areal distribution of carbon tetrachloride identified in the groundwater at Everest in April 2008 were generally consistent with previous results. The results of the 2008 sampling (reflecting the period from 2006 to 2008) and the earlier investigations at Everest (representing the period from 2000 to 2006) show that no significant downgradient extension of the carbon tetrachloride plume occurred from 2000 to 2008. (3) The slow contaminant migration indicated by the monitoring data is qualitatively consistent with the low groundwater flow rates in the Everest aquifer unit estimated previously on the basis of site-specific hydraulic testing (Argonne 2006a,b). (4) The April 2008 and earlier sampling results demonstrate that the limits of the plume have been effectively, identified by the existing network of monitoring points and have not changed significantly during the CCC/USDA investigation program. The carbon tetrachloride distribution within the plume has continued to evolve, however, with relatively constant or apparently decreasing contaminant levels at most sampling locations. In response to these findings, the KDHE requested that the CCC/USDA develop a plan for annual monitoring of the groundwater and surface water at Everest, to facilitate continued tracking of the carbon tetrachloride plume at this site (KDHE 2009a). A recommendation for annual sampling (for analyses of VOCs) of 16 existing groundwater monitoring points within and near the identified contaminant migration pathway and surface water sampling at 5 locations along the intermittent creek west (downgradient) of the identified plume was presented by the CCC/USDA (Appendix A) and approved by the KDHE (2009b) for implementation. The monitoring wells will be sampled according to the low-flow procedure, and sample preservation, shipping, and analysis activities will be consistent with previous work at Everest. The annual sampling will continue until identified conditions at the site indicate a technical justification for a change. This report summarizes the results of sampling and monitoring activities conducted at the Everest site since completion of the April 2008 groundwater sampling event (Argonne 2008). The investigations performed during the current review period (May 2008 to October 2009) were as follows: (1) With one exception, the KDHE-approved groundwater and surface water monitoring points were sampled on April 24-27, 2009. In this event, well PT1 was inadvertently sampled instead of the adjacent well MW04. This investigation represents the first groundwater and surface water sampling event performed under the current plan for annual monitoring approved by the KDHE. (2) Ongoing monitoring of the groundwater levels at Everest is performed with KDHE approval. The levels in selected monitoring wells are recorded continuously, by using downhole pressure sensors equipped with automatic data loggers, and periodically are also measured manually. Groundwater level data were recovered during the current review period on September 19, 2008, and on March 25, April 25-27, and October 20, 2009. (3) Argonne experience has demonstrated that the sampling and analysis (for VOCs) of native vegetation, and particularly tree tissues, often provides a sensitive indicator of possible carbon tetrachloride contamination in the surface water or shallow groundwater within the plant rooting zone. With the approval of the CCC/USDA, on August 28, 2009, samples of tree branch tissues were therefore collected for analyses at 18 locations along the intermittent creek west (downgradient) of the former CCC/USDA facility and the Nigh property.« less

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs talks about ARRA funding at Argonne

ScienceCinema

Isaacs, Eric

2018-01-01

Argonne is set to receive over $150 million in stimulus funds. Director Eric Isaacs describes how these funds will be put to good use—hiring employees and contractors, cleaning up the nuclear footprint, and investing in technologies for America's future. More info on Argonne and ARRA here: http://www.anl.gov/recovery/index.html

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs talks about ARRA funding at Argonne

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

Isaacs, Eric

2009-01-01

Argonne is set to receive over $150 million in stimulus funds. Director Eric Isaacs describes how these funds will be put to good use—hiring employees and contractors, cleaning up the nuclear footprint, and investing in technologies for America's future. More info on Argonne and ARRA here: http://www.anl.gov/recovery/index.html

Final Report: Results of Environmental Site Investigation at Sylvan Grove, Kansas

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M

Sylvan Grove is located in western Lincoln County, approximately 60 mi west of Salina, Kansas (Figure 1.1). From 1954 to 1966, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of Sylvan Grove. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use to preserve grain in storage. In 1998, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) found carbon tetrachloride above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 μg/L in groundwater from one private well used for livestock and lawn and gardenmore » watering. The 1998 KDHE sampling at Sylvan Grove was conducted under the USDA private well sampling program. To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA proposed to conduct an environmental site investigation, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. Argonne National Laboratory, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, developed a work plan (Argonne 2012) for the site investigation and a supplemental work plan for indoor and ambient air sampling (Appendix A). The proposed work was approved by the KDHE (2012a, 2013). The investigations were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, on behalf of the CCC/USDA. The main activities for the site investigation were conducted in June 2012, and indoor and ambient air sampling was performed in February 2013. This report presents the findings of the investigations at Sylvan Grove.« less

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

On September 7, 2005, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) presented a Scoping Memo (Argonne 2005) for preliminary consideration by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), suggesting possible remedial options for the carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at Everest, Kansas. The suggested approaches were discussed by representatives of the KDHE, the CCC/USDA, and Argonne at the KDHE office in Topeka on September 8-9, 2005, along with other technical and logistic issues related to the Everest site. In response to these discussions, the KDHE recommended (KDHE 2005) evaluation of several remedial processes, either alonemore » or in combination, as part of a Corrective Action Study (CAS) for Everest. The primary remedial processes suggested by the KDHE were the following: Hydraulic control by groundwater extraction with aboveground treatment; Air sparging (AS) coupled with soil vapor extraction (SVE) in large-diameter boreholes (LDBs); and Phytoremediation. As a further outcome of the 2005 meeting and as a precursor to development of a possible CAS, the CCC/USDA completed the following supplemental investigations at Everest to address several specific technical concerns discussed with the KDHE: (1) Construction of interpretive cross sections at strategic locations selected by the KDHE along the main plume migration pathway, to depict the hydrogeologic characteristics affecting groundwater flow and contaminant movement (Argonne 2006a). (2) A field investigation in early 2006 (Argonne 2006b), as follows: (a) Installation and testing of a production well and associated observation points, at locations approved by the KDHE, to determine the response of the Everest aquifer to groundwater extraction near the Nigh property. (b) Groundwater sampling for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the installation of additional permanent monitoring points at locations selected by the KDHE, to further constrain the existing contaminant plume. (c) Resampling of all existing permanent monitoring points for VOCs and biodegradation parameter analyses, at the request of the KDHE. On the basis of these studies (Argonne 2006a,b) and the CCC/USDA's past investigations at Everest (Argonne 2006c), the CCC/USDA concluded that groundwater extraction is not an effective remedial option for the main body of the groundwater plume, and the KDHE concurred (KDHE 2006); the KDHE later noted, however (KDHE 2007a), that this and other technologies might represent viable remedial options in the event of further downgradient migration of the plume toward the intermittent creek. In February 2007, the CCC/USDA presented preliminary analyses of (1) the AS-SVE remedial alternative, incorporating the use of LDBs, and (2) the risks to human health and the environment posed by the observed carbon tetrachloride plume in groundwater (Argonne 2007a). The results of these analyses demonstrated the following: (1) Neither groundwater extraction nor AS-SVE in LDBs represents a practical approach for effective remediation of the groundwater contamination at Everest (near the Nigh property). (2) Periodic sampling and analyses for VOCs conducted by the CCC/USDA documented that the areal extent and range of carbon tetrachloride concentrations detected in the groundwater plume at Everest had changed relatively little from 2000 to 2006. (3) Estimates of groundwater flow and contaminant migration times, based on the hydrogeologic properties of the groundwater flow system identified at Everest (Argonne 2003, 2006b,c), indicated that, at minimum, approximately 4 years would be required for the carbon tetrachloride plume (in the subsurface) to reach the vicinity of the intermittent creek directly west of the Nigh property, and more than 20 years would be required for the contamination to reach the identified groundwater discharge area southwest of the Nigh property. (4) The existing (January-March 2006) plume posed no immediate danger of contamination to the surface waters of the intermittent creek. In light of these observations, the CCC/USDA proposed a phased program--over approximately 2-3 years--of groundwater sampling, surface water sampling, and related monitoring activities at Everest to (1) identify locations where a phytoremediation system would be effective and determine that area's extent and (2) support the potential development of a phytoremediation treatment alternative for the site. The recommended elements of the monitoring program are summarized in Table 1.1. In conjunction with this program, both the CCC/USDA and the KDHE recommended the construction of several new monitoring wells, at locations along and near the intermittent creek west of the Nigh property (Argonne 2007b; KDHE 2007b).« less

Employer choices of family premium sharing.

PubMed

Vistnes, Jessica Primoff; Morrisey, Michael A; Jensen, Gail A

2006-03-01

In 1997, nearly two-thirds of married couples with children under age 18 were dual-earner couples. Such families may have a variety of insurance options available to them. If so, declining a high employee premium contribution may be a mechanism for one spouse to take money wages in lieu of coverage while the other spouse takes coverage rather than high wages. Employers may use these preferences and the size of premium contributions to encourage workers to obtain family coverage through their spouse. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of labor force composition, particularly the proportion of dual-earner couples in the labor market, on the marginal employee premium contribution (marginal EPC) for family coverage. We analyze data from the 1997-2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) List Sample of private establishments. We find strong evidence that the marginal EPC for family coverage is higher when there is a larger concentration of women in the workforce, but only in markets with a higher proportion of dual-earner households.

UChicago Argonne, LLC.

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Argonne National Laboratory - Energy Sciences Building dedication Argonne OutLoud: "Climate Change : Chicago in the 21st Century and Beyond "Invisible Influence: A Bacterial Guide to Your Health"

Argonne ARPA-E Battery Research

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

Amine, Khalil; Sinkula, Michael

Argonne National Laboratory and Envia Systems annouced a licensing agreement for Argonne's patented electrode material technology. Envia plans to commercialize these materials for use in energy storage devices for the next generation of electric, plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles. General Motors Company, LG Chem, BASF and Toda Kyoga have also licensed this suite of Argonne's technologies. For more information visit us at http://www.anl.gov

Argonne ARPA-E Battery Research

ScienceCinema

Amine, Khalil; Sinkula, Michael

2018-04-16

Argonne National Laboratory and Envia Systems annouced a licensing agreement for Argonne's patented electrode material technology. Envia plans to commercialize these materials for use in energy storage devices for the next generation of electric, plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles. General Motors Company, LG Chem, BASF and Toda Kyoga have also licensed this suite of Argonne's technologies. For more information visit us at http://www.anl.gov

Argonne National Laboratory |

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for next-gen lithium batteries. Spotlight New ion source dramatically improves radioactive beams for Argonne's CARIBU facility A new Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder operated with Argonne's CARIBU and

The demand for health insurance coverage by low-income workers: can reduced premiums achieve full coverage?

PubMed

Chernew, M; Frick, K; McLaughlin, C G

1997-10-01

To assess the degree to which premium reductions will increase the participation in employer-sponsored health plans by low-income workers who are employed in small businesses. Sample of workers in small business (25 or fewer employees) in seven metropolitan areas. The data were gathered as part of the Small Business Benefits Survey, a telephone survey of small business conducted between October 1992 and February 1993. Probit regressions were used to estimate the demand for health insurance coverage by low-income workers. Predictions based on these findings were made to assess the extent to which premium reductions might increase coverage rates. Workers included in the sample were selected, at random, from a randomly generated set of firms drawn from Dun and Bradstreet's DMI (Dun's Market Inclusion). The response rate was 81 percent. Participation in employer-sponsored plans is high when coverage is offered. However, even when coverage is offered to employees who have no other source of insurance, participation is not universal. Although premium reductions will increase participation in employer-sponsored plans, even large subsidies will not induce all workers to participate in employer-sponsored plans. For workers eligible to participate, subsidies as high as 75 percent of premiums are estimated to increase participation rates from 89.0 percent to 92.6 percent. For workers in firms that do not sponsor plans, similar subsidies are projected to achieve only modest increases in coverage above that which would be observed if the workers had access to plans at unsubsidized, group market rates. Policies that rely on voluntary purchase of coverage to reduce the number of uninsured will have only modest success.

Comparison of Biomarkers of Tobacco Exposure between Premium and Discount Brand Cigarette Smokers in the NHANES 2011-2012 Special Sample.

PubMed

Wasserman, Emily J; Reilly, Samantha M; Goel, Reema; Foulds, Jonathan; Richie, John P; Muscat, Joshua E

2018-05-01

Background: Increased cigarette costs have inadvertently strengthened the appeal of discounted brands to price-sensitive smokers. Although smokers perceive discounted brands as having poorer quality, little is known about their delivery of toxic tobacco smoke constituents compared with premium-branded tobacco products. Methods: We investigated the differences between discount and premium brand smokers using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 Special Smoker Sample. Our analyses focused on demographic differences and 27 biomarkers of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHC) listed by the FDA, including volatile organic compounds, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol and its glucuronide [4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol glucuronide; reported as total NNAL (tNNAL)], metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Data were analyzed using linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 976 non-tobacco users and 578 recent cigarette smokers were eligible for analysis, of which 141 (26.0% weighted) smoked discount brand cigarettes and 437 (74.0% weighted) smoked premium. Discount brand smokers were older, predominantly non-Hispanic white, and had higher serum cotinine. Discount brand smokers had significantly higher levels of 13 smoking-related biomarkers, including tNNAL, uranium, styrene, xylene, and biomarkers of exposure to PAHs (naphthalene, fluorene, and phenanthrene), compared with premium brand smokers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that discount cigarette use is associated with higher exposure to several carcinogenic and toxic HPHCs. Impact: These results may have important regulatory implications for product standards, as higher exposures could lead to a greater degree of harm. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(5); 601-9. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Covering bariatric surgery has minimal effect on insurance premium costs within the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

English, Wayne; Williams, Brandon; Scott, John; Morton, John

2016-06-01

Currently, of the 51 state health exchanges operating under the Affordable Care Act, only 23 include benchmark plans that cover bariatric surgery coverage. Bariatric surgery coverage is not considered an essential health benefit in 28 state exchanges, and this lack of coverage has a discriminatory and detrimental impact on millions of Americans participating in state exchanges that do not provide bariatric surgery coverage. We examined 3 state exchanges in which a portion of their plans provided coverage for bariatric surgery to determine if bariatric surgery coverage is correlated with premium costs. State health exchanges; United States. Data from the 2015 state exchange plans were analyzed using information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Individual Market Landscape file and Benefits and Cost Sharing public use files. Only 3 states (Oklahoma, Oregon, and Virginia) in the analysis have 1 or more rating regions in which a portion of the plans cover bariatric surgery. In Oklahoma and Oregon, the average monthly premiums for all bronze, silver, and gold coverage levels are higher for plans covering bariatric surgery. Only 1 of these states included platinum plans that cover bariatric surgery. The average difference in premiums was between $1 to $45 higher in Oklahoma, and $18 to $32 higher in Oregon. Conversely, in Virginia, the average monthly premiums are between $2 and $21 lower for each level for plans covering bariatric surgery. Monthly premiums for plans covering versus not covering bariatric surgery ranged from 6% lower to 15% higher in the same geographic rating region. Across all 3 states in the sample, the average monthly premiums do not differ consistently on the basis of whether the state exchange plans cover bariatric surgery. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of premium changes on ALL Kids, Alabama's CHIP program.

PubMed

Morrisey, Michael A; Blackburn, Justin; Sen, Bisakha; Becker, David; Kilgore, Meredith L; Caldwell, Cathy; Menachemi, Nir

2012-01-01

Describe the trends in enrollment and renewal in the Alabama Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), ALL Kids, since its creation in 1998, and to estimate the effect that an annual premium increase, along with coincident increases in service copays, had on the decision to renew participation. Unlike many other CHIP programs, ALL Kids is a standalone program that provides year long enrollment and contracts with the state's Blue Cross and Blue Shield program for its network of providers and its provider fee structure. In October 2003 premiums for individual coverage were increased by $50 per year and copays by $1 to $3 per visit. This study is based upon a sample of 569,650 person-year observations of 230,255 children enrolled in the ALL Kids program between 1999 and 2009. The study models enrollment as a time series of cross section renewal decisions and specifies a series of linear probability regression models to estimate the effect of changes in the premium shift on the decision to renew. A second analysis includes interaction effects of the premiums shift with demographics, health status, income and previous enrollment to estimate differential response across subgroups. The increases in premiums and copays are estimated to have reduced program renewals by 6.1 to 8.3 percent depending upon how much time one allows for families to renew. Families with a child who has a chronic condition were more likely to renew coverage. However, those with chronic conditions, African-Americans and those with lower family incomes were more price-sensitive. An increase in annual premiums and visit copays had a modest impact on program reenrollment with effects comparable to those found in Florida, New Hampshire, Kansas and Arizona, but smaller than those in Kentucky and Georgia.

High Technology School-to-Work Program at Argonne

ScienceCinema

None

2018-02-14

Argonne's High Technology School-to-Work Program for Chicago Public School Students. Supported by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Chicago Public Schools, Argonne National Laboratory and the City of Chicago.

Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program: Argonne facilities

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

Stephens, S. V.

1976-09-01

The objective of the document is to present in one volume an overview of the Argonne National Laboratory test facilities involved in the conduct of the national LMFBR research and development program. Existing facilities and those under construction or authorized as of September 1976 are described. Each profile presents brief descriptions of the overall facility and its test area and data relating to its experimental and testing capability. The volume is divided into two sections: Argonne-East and Argonne-West. Introductory material for each section includes site and facility maps. The profiles are arranged alphabetically by title according to their respective locationsmore » at Argonne-East or Argonne-West. A glossary of acronyms and letter designations in common usage to describe organizations, reactor and test facilities, components, etc., involved in the LMFBR program is appended.« less

Argonne National Laboratory technology transfer report, FY 1987

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

Not Available

1987-11-01

In 1985 Argonne established the Technology Transfer Center (TTC). As of the end of FY 1987, the TTC has a staff equivalent to four full-time professionals, two secretaries, and two student aides; FY 1987 ORTA funding was $220K. A network of technology transfer representatives provides windows into and out of Argonne's technical divisions on technology transfer matters. The TTC works very closely with the ARCH Develoment Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation set up to commercialize selected Argonne and University of Chicago patents. The goal of the Technology Transfer Center at Argonne is to transfer technology developed at Argonne to the domesticmore » private sector by whatever means is most effective. The strategies by which this is accomplished are numerous and the TTC is, in effect, conducting a number of experiments to determine the most effective strategies. These include cooperative RandD agreements, work-for-others contracts, subcontracting to industry, formation of joint ventures via ARCH, residencies by industry staff at Argonne and vice versa, patent licensing and, of course, conferences, workshops and visits by industry and to industry.« less

Green Supercomputing at Argonne

ScienceCinema

Pete Beckman

2017-12-09

Pete Beckman, head of Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) talks about Argonne National Laboratory's green supercomputing—everything from designing algorithms to use fewer kilowatts per operation to using cold Chicago winter air to cool the machine more efficiently.

Electricity from Coal Combustion: Improving the hydrophobicity of oxidized coals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seehra, Mohindar; Singh, Vivek

2011-03-01

To reduce pollution and improve efficiency, undesirable mineral impurities in coals are usually removed in coal preparation plants prior to combustion first by crushing and grinding coals followed by gravity separation using surfactant aided water flotation. However certain coals in the US are not amendable to this process because of their poor flotation characteristics resulting in a major loss of an energy resource. This problem has been linked to surface oxidation of mined coals which make these coals hydrophilic. In this project, we are investigating the surface and water flotation properties of the eight Argonne Premium (AP) coals using x-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. The role of the surface functional groups, (phenolic -OH and carboxylic -COOH), produced as a result of chemisorptions of O2 on coals in determining their flotation behavior is being explored. The isoelectric point (IEP) in zeta potential measurements of good vs. poor floaters is being examined in order to improved the hydrophobicity of poor floating coals (e.g. Illinois #6). Results from XRD and IR will be presented along with recent findings from zeta potential measurements, and use of additives to improve hydrophobicity. Supported by USDOE/CAST, Contract #DE-FC26-05NT42457.

Secretary Chu visits Argonne—Groundbreaking ceremony for new Energy Sciences building

ScienceCinema

Isaacs, Eric; Zimmer, Robert; Durbin, Dick; Chu, S

2018-06-06

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, joined Senator Richard Durbin, University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer and Argonne Director Eric Isaacs to break ground for Argonne's new Energy and Sciences building.

HEP Division Argonne National Laboratory

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Argonne National Laboratory Environmental Safety & Health DOE Logo Home Division ES&H ... Search Argonne Home >High Energy Physics> Environmental Safety & Health Environmental Safety & Health New Employee Training */ ?> Office Safety: Checklist (Submitted Checklists) Submitted

Studies on Physical and Sensory Properties of Premium Vanilla Ice Cream Distributed in Korean Market.

PubMed

Choi, Mi-Jung; Shin, Kwang-Soon

2014-01-01

The object of this study was to investigate the difference in physical and sensory properties of various premium ice creams. The physical properties of the various ice creams were compared by manufacturing brand. The water contents of the samples differed, with BR having the highest value at 60.5%, followed by NT and CS at 57.8% and 56.9%, respectively. The higher the water content, the lower Brix and milk fat contents in all samples. The density of the samples showed almost similar values in all samples (p>0.05). The viscosity of each ice cream had no effect on the water content in any of the brands. Before melting of the ice cream, the total color difference was dependent on the lightness, especially in the vanilla ice cream, owing to the reflection of light on the surface of the ice crystals. The CS product melted the fastest. In the sensory test, CS obtained a significantly higher sweetness intensity score but a lower score for color intensity, probably due to the smaller difference in total color, by which consumers might consider the color of CS as less intense. From this study, the cold chain system for ice cream distribution might be important to decide the physical properties although the concentration of milk fat is key factor in premium ice cream.

Studies on Physical and Sensory Properties of Premium Vanilla Ice Cream Distributed in Korean Market

PubMed Central

Choi, Mi-Jung

2014-01-01

The object of this study was to investigate the difference in physical and sensory properties of various premium ice creams. The physical properties of the various ice creams were compared by manufacturing brand. The water contents of the samples differed, with BR having the highest value at 60.5%, followed by NT and CS at 57.8% and 56.9%, respectively. The higher the water content, the lower Brix and milk fat contents in all samples. The density of the samples showed almost similar values in all samples (p>0.05). The viscosity of each ice cream had no effect on the water content in any of the brands. Before melting of the ice cream, the total color difference was dependent on the lightness, especially in the vanilla ice cream, owing to the reflection of light on the surface of the ice crystals. The CS product melted the fastest. In the sensory test, CS obtained a significantly higher sweetness intensity score but a lower score for color intensity, probably due to the smaller difference in total color, by which consumers might consider the color of CS as less intense. From this study, the cold chain system for ice cream distribution might be important to decide the physical properties although the concentration of milk fat is key factor in premium ice cream. PMID:26761671

Post-test analysis of lithium-ion battery materials at Argonne National Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bareno, Javier; Dietz-Rago, Nancy; Bloom, Ira

2014-03-01

Electrochemical performance is often limited by surface and interfacial reactions at the electrodes. However, routine handling of samples can alter the very surfaces that are the object of study. Our approach combines standardized testing of batteries with sample harvesting under inert atmosphere conditions. Cells of different formats are disassembled inside an Argon glove box with controlled water and oxygen concentrations below 2 ppm. Cell components are characterized in situ, guaranteeing that observed changes in physicochemical state are due to electrochemical operation, rather than sample manipulation. We employ a complementary set of spectroscopic, microscopic, electrochemical and metallographic characterization to obtain a complete picture of cell degradation mechanisms. The resulting information about observed degradation mechanisms is provided to materials developers, both academic and industrial, to suggest new strategies and speed up the Research & Development cycle of Li-ion and related technologies. This talk will describe Argonne's post-test analysis laboratory, with an emphasis on capabilities and opportunities for collaboration. Cell disassembly, sample harvesting procedures and recent results will be discussed. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies, Hybrid and Electric Systems, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

A non-destructive internal nuclear forensic investigation at Argonne: discovery of a Pu planchet from 1948

DOE PAGES

Savina, Joseph A.; Steeb, Jennifer L.; Savina, Michael R.; ...

2016-06-02

A plutonium alpha standard dating from 1948 was discovered at Argonne National Laboratory and characterized using a number of non-destructive analytical techniques. The principle radioactive isotope was found to be 239Pu and unique ring structures were found across the surface of the deposition area. Due to chronological constraints on possible sources and its high isotopic purity, the plutonium in the sample was likely produced by the Oak Ridge National Lab X-10 Reactor. As a result, it is proposed that the rings are resultant through a combination of polishing and electrodeposition, though the hypothesis fails to address a few key featuresmore » of the ring structures.« less

Argonne Research Library | Argonne National Laboratory

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Publications Researchers Postdocs Exascale Computing Institute for Molecular Engineering at Argonne Work with Scientific Publications Researchers Postdocs Exascale Computing Institute for Molecular Engineering at IMEInstitute for Molecular Engineering JCESRJoint Center for Energy Storage Research MCSGMidwest Center for

News | Argonne National Laboratory

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Skip to main content Argonne National Laboratory Toggle Navigation Toggle Search Home Learning solvers Home Learning Center Undergraduates Graduates Faculty Partners News & Events News & Events -4114 Contact Us Argonne Educational Programs is committed to providing a learning environment that

Hydrothermal pretreatment of coal

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

Ross, D.S.

1989-12-21

We have examined changes in Argonne Premium samples of Wyodak coal following 30 min treatment in liquid water at autogenous pressures at 150{degrees}, 250{degrees}, and 350{degrees}C. In most runs the coal was initially dried at 60{degrees}C/1 torr/20 hr. The changes were monitored by pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry (py-FIMS) operating at 2.5{degrees}C/min from ambient to 500{degrees}C. We recorded the volatility patterns of the coal tars evolved over that temperature range, and in all cases the tar yields were 25%--30% of the starting coal on mass basis. There was essentially no change after the 150{degrees}C treatment. Small increases in volatility weremore » seen following the 250{degrees}C treatment, but major effects were seen in the 350{degrees} work. The tar quantity remained unchanged; however, the volatility increased so the temperature of half volatility for the as-received coal of 400{degrees}C was reduced to 340{degrees}C. Control runs with no water showed some thermal effect, but the net effect from the presence of liquid water was clearly evident. The composition was unchanged after the 150{degrees} and 250{degrees}C treatments, but the 350{degrees} treatment brought about a 30% loss of oxygen. The change corresponded to loss of the elements of water, although loss of OH'' seemed to fit the analysis data somewhat better. The water loss takes place both in the presence and in the absence of added water, but it is noteworthy that the loss in the hydrothermal runs occurs at p(H{sub 2}O) = 160 atm. We conclude that the process must involve the dehydration solely of chemically bound elements of water, the dehydration of catechol is a specific, likely candidate.« less

Increase Workshop | Argonne National Laboratory

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Skip to main content Argonne National Laboratory Toggle Navigation Toggle Search Home Learning solvers Home Learning Center Undergraduates Graduates Faculty Partners News & Events Faculty Visiting Us Argonne Educational Programs is committed to providing a learning environment that emphasizes the

Final work plan : Phase I investigation of potential contamination at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility in Savannah, Missouri.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

From approximately 1949 until 1970, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility on federally owned property approximately 0.25 mi northwest of Savannah, Missouri. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In November 1998, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a private well (Morgan) roughly 50 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of state-wide screening of private wells near former CCC/USDA facilities, conducted in Missouri by the U.S. Environmentalmore » Protection Agency (EPA 1999). The 1998 and subsequent investigations by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride in the Morgan well, as well as in a second well (on property currently occupied by the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT]), approximately 400 ft east of the former CCC/USDA facility. Carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the Morgan well have ranged from the initial value of 29 {micro}g/L in 1998, up to a maximum of 61 {micro}g/L in 1999, and back down to 22 {micro}g/L in 2005. The carbon tetrachloride concentration in the MoDOT well in 2000 (the only time it was sampled) was 321 {micro}g/L. The concentrations for the two wells are above the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 {micro}g/L for carbon tetrachloride (EPA 1999; MoDNR 2000a,b). Because the observed contamination in the Morgan and MoDOT wells might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based grain fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA will conduct investigations to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at Savannah and (2) evaluate the health and environmental threats potentially posed by the contamination. This work will be performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The investigative activities at Savannah will be conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an agreement with the DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The site characterization at Savannah will take place in phases. This approach is recommended by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the investigation can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. This site-specific Work Plan outlines the specific technical objectives and scope of work proposed for Phase I of the Savannah investigation. This Work Plan also includes the community relations plan to be followed throughout the CCC/USDA program at the Savannah site. Argonne is developing a Master Work Plan specific to operations in the state of Missouri. In the meantime, Argonne will issue a Provisional Master Work Plan (PMWP; Argonne 2007) that will be submitted to the MoDNR for review and approval. The agency has already reviewed and approved (with minor changes) the present Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002) under which Argonne currently operates in Kansas. The PMWP (Argonne 2007) will provide detailed information and guidance on the investigative technologies, analytical methodologies, quality assurance-quality control measures, and general health and safety policies to be employed by Argonne for all investigations at former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. Both the PMWP and this site-specific Work Plan must therefore be consulted for a complete description of the planned Phase I work at the former CCC/USDA facility at Savannah.« less

Transitions from private to public health coverage among children: estimating effects on out-of-pocket medical costs and health insurance premium costs.

PubMed

Shaefer, H Luke; Grogan, Colleen M; Pollack, Harold A

2011-06-01

To assess the effects of transitions from private to public health insurance by children on out-of-pocket medical expenditures and health insurance premium costs. Data are drawn from the 1996 and 2001 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation. We construct a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of children, ages 0-18, and their families for the period 1998-2003, a period in which states raised public health insurance eligibility rates for children. We exploit the Survey of Income and Program Participation's longitudinal design to identify children in our sample who transition from private to public health insurance. We then use a bootstrapped instrumental variable approach to estimate the effects of these transitions on out-of-pocket expenditures and health insurance premium costs. Children who transition from private to public coverage are relatively low-income, are disproportionately likely to live in single-mother households, and are more likely to be Black or of Hispanic origin. Child health status is highly predictive of transitions. We estimate that these transitions provide a cash-equivalent transfer of nearly U.S.$1,500 annually for families in the form of reduced out-of-pocket and health insurance premium costs. Transitions from private to public health coverage by children can bring important social benefits to vulnerable families. This suggests that instead of being a net societal cost, such transitions may provide an important social benefit. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS)

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Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory (EADL) Post- Test Facility Access Proven Capabilities Argonne has Analysis, Modeling and Prototyping (CAMP) Electrochemical Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory (EADL) Post -Test Facility Argonne User Facilities Industries Transportation Consumer Electronics Defense Electric

Bureau of Indian Education Many Farms Training Program at Argonne

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-23

Bureau of Indian Education Many Farms Training Program for Renewable Energy at Argonne National Laboratory. Principal Contacts; Harold Myron (ANL), Anthony Dvorak (ANL), Freddie Cardenas (BIA). Supported by; United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education, and Argonne National Laboratory.

Internship Opportunities | Argonne National Laboratory

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Skip to main content Argonne National Laboratory Toggle Navigation Toggle Search Home Learning -class research to tomorrow's STEM problem solvers Home Learning Center Undergraduates Graduates Faculty ) 252-4114 Contact Us Argonne Educational Programs is committed to providing a learning environment that

24 CFR 232.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 232.805 Section... FACILITIES Contract Rights and Obligations Premiums § 232.805 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The...

24 CFR 232.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 232.805 Section... FACILITIES Contract Rights and Obligations Premiums § 232.805 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The...

Characterization of contaminant removal by an optical strip material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, James P.; Frigo, S. P.; Caroll, Brenden J.; Assoufidyen, L.; Lewis, Matthew S.; Cook, Russell E.; de Carlo, F.

2001-03-01

Department of Chemistry and Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI 53818 Advanced Photon Source, X-Ray Facilities Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Advanced Photon Source, User Program Division, Argonne National Laboratory, *Electron Microscopy Center, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Argonne IL 60439-4856 USA A novel optical strip coating material, Opticlean, has been shown to safely remove fingerprints, particles and contamination from a variety of optical surfaces including coated glass, Si and first surface mirrors. Contaminant removal was monitored by Nomarski, Atomic Force and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Sub-micron features on diffraction gratings and silicon wafers were also cleaned without leaving light scattering particles on the surface. **This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences-Materials Sciences, under contract no. W-31-109-ENG-38. The authors acknowledge the support and facilities provided by the Advanced Photon Source and the Electron Microscopy Center at Argonne National Laboratory.

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

In March 2009, the CCC/USDA developed a plan for annual monitoring of the groundwater and surface water (Argonne 2009). Under this plan, approved by the KDHE (2009), monitoring wells are sampled by using the low-flow procedure (Puls and Barcelona 1996; Yeskis and Zavala 2002), and surface water samples are collected at five locations along the intermittent creek. Vegetation sampling is conducted as a secondary indicator of plume migration. As of 2015, the frequency of surface water sampling has been decreased to once yearly, per the approval of the KDHE (2015).

29 CFR 4006.4 - Determination of unfunded vested benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... target under § 4006.5(g) is in effect, its alternative premium funding target under § 4006.5(g). (2... the premium payment year is the excess (if any) of the plan's premium funding target for the premium...) Premium funding target—(1) In general. A plan's premium funding target is its standard premium funding...

29 CFR 4006.4 - Determination of unfunded vested benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... target under § 4006.5(g) is in effect, its alternative premium funding target under § 4006.5(g). (2... the premium payment year is the excess (if any) of the plan's premium funding target for the premium...) Premium funding target—(1) In general. A plan's premium funding target is its standard premium funding...

29 CFR 4006.4 - Determination of unfunded vested benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... target under § 4006.5(g) is in effect, its alternative premium funding target under § 4006.5(g). (2... the premium payment year is the excess (if any) of the plan's premium funding target for the premium...) Premium funding target—(1) In general. A plan's premium funding target is its standard premium funding...

14 CFR 198.13 - Premium insurance-payment of premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Premium insurance-payment of premiums. 198... (CONTINUED) WAR RISK INSURANCE AVIATION INSURANCE § 198.13 Premium insurance—payment of premiums. The insured must pay the premium for insurance issued under this part within the stated period after receipt of...

24 CFR 241.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 241.805 Section... Without a HUD-Insured or HUD-Held Mortgage Premiums § 241.805 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The...

14 CFR 198.13 - Premium insurance-payment of premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Premium insurance-payment of premiums. 198... (CONTINUED) WAR RISK INSURANCE AVIATION INSURANCE § 198.13 Premium insurance—payment of premiums. The insured must pay the premium for insurance issued under this part within the stated period after receipt of...

24 CFR 241.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 241.805 Section... Without a HUD-Insured or HUD-Held Mortgage Premiums § 241.805 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The...

42 CFR 403.254 - Calculation of premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... rate credits. (4) Unearned premium reserve means the portion of gross premiums due that provide for...) Written premiums for the period; plus— (ii) The total premium reserve at the beginning of the period; less— (iii) The total premium reserve at the end of the period. (2) Written premiums in a period means— (i...

VERIFI | Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative

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VERIFI Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative Argonne National Laboratory Skip to Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative (VERIFI) at Argonne National Laboratory is the Argonne National Laboratory in which to answer your complex engine questions, verify the uncertainties

Frontiers: Research highlights 1946-1996 [50th Anniversary Edition. Argonne National Laboratory

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

NONE

1996-12-31

This special edition of 'Frontiers' commemorates Argonne National Laboratory's 50th anniversary of service to science and society. America's first national laboratory, Argonne has been in the forefront of U.S. scientific and technological research from its beginning. Past accomplishments, current research, and future plans are highlighted.

Argonne National Laboratory's Recycling Pilot Plant

ScienceCinema

Spangenberger, Jeff; Jody, Sam

2018-05-30

Argonne has a Recycling Pilot Plant designed to save the non-metal portions of junked cars. Here, program managers demonstrate how plastic shredder residue can be recycled. (Currently these automotive leftovers are sent to landfills. For more information, visit Argonne's Transportation Technology R&D Center Web site at http://www.transportation.anl.gov.

Argonne to lead 8 DOE Grid Modernization Projects | Argonne National

Science.gov Websites

Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Internship Careers Education Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Internship Argonne to lead 8 DOE Performance and Reliability of Combined Transmission-Distribution with High Solar Penetration Develop a

Frontiers: Research Highlights 1946-1996 [50th Anniversary Edition. Argonne National Laboratory

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

1996-01-01

This special edition of 'Frontiers' commemorates Argonne National Laboratory's 50th anniversary of service to science and society. America's first national laboratory, Argonne has been in the forefront of U.S. scientific and technological research from its beginning. Past accomplishments, current research, and future plans are highlighted.

Batteries and Energy Storage | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

-energy density lithium-ion batteries, while using our fundamental science capabilities to develop storage ), headquartered at Argonne National Laboratory, seeks to develop new technologies that move beyond lithium-ion Transportation SPOTLIGHT Batteries and Energy Storage Argonne's all- encompassing battery research program spans

Undergraduates | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Directory Argonne National Laboratory Educational Programs Connecting today's world-class research to which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela Undergrads are just beginning their journey into the world of science and engineering. Here at Argonne, we work to make the world a better place

The Effects of Premium Changes on ALL Kids, Alabama's CHIP Program

PubMed Central

Morrisey, Michael A.; Blackburn, Justin; Sen, Bisakha; Becker, David; Kilgore, Meredith L.; Caldwell, Cathy; Menachemi, Nir

2012-01-01

Objective Describe the trends in enrollment and renewal in the Alabama Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), ALL Kids, since its creation in 1998, and to estimate the effect that an annual premium increase, along with coincident increases in service copays, had on the decision to renew participation. Background: Unlike many other CHIP programs, ALL Kids is a standalone program that provides year long enrollment and contracts with the state's Blue Cross and Blue Shield program for its network of providers and its provider fee structure. In October 2003 premiums for individual coverage were increased by $50 per year and copays by $1 to $3 per visit. Population Studied This study is based upon a sample of 569,650 person-year observations of 230,255 children enrolled in the ALL Kids program between 1999 and 2009. Study Design The study models enrollment as a time series of cross section renewal decisions and specifies a series of linear probability regression models to estimate the effect of changes in the premium shift on the decision to renew. A second analysis includes interaction effects of the premiums shift with demographics, health status, income and previous enrollment to estimate differential response across subgroups. Principal Findings The increases in premiums and copays are estimated to have reduced program renewals by 6.1 to 8.3 percent depending upon how much time one allows for families to renew. Families with a child who has a chronic condition were more likely to renew coverage. However, those with chronic conditions, African-Americans and those with lower family incomes were more price-sensitive. Conclusions An increase in annual premiums and visit copays had a modest impact on program reenrollment with effects comparable to those found in Florida, New Hampshire, Kansas and Arizona, but smaller than those in Kentucky and Georgia. PMID:24800149

76 FR 57082 - Premium Penalty Relief; Alternative Premium Funding Target Election Relief

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

... PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION Premium Penalty Relief; Alternative Premium Funding Target... situations involving alternative premium funding target elections. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine...; Alternative Premium Funding Target Elections; Box 5 Relief).\\1\\ \\1\\ http://www.pbgc.gov/res/other-guidance/tu...

Effect of Frozen Storage Temperature on the Quality of Premium Ice Cream.

PubMed

Park, Sung Hee; Jo, Yeon-Ji; Chun, Ji-Yeon; Hong, Geun-Pyo; Davaatseren, Munkhtugs; Choi, Mi-Jung

2015-01-01

The market sales of premium ice cream have paralleled the growth in consumer desire for rich flavor and taste. Storage temperature is a major consideration in preserving the quality attributes of premium ice cream products for both the manufacturer and retailers during prolonged storage. We investigated the effect of storage temperature (-18℃, -30℃, -50℃, and -70℃) and storage times, up to 52 wk, on the quality attributes of premium ice cream. Quality attributes tested included ice crystal size, air cell size, melting resistance, and color. Ice crystal size increased from 40.3 μm to 100.1 μm after 52 wk of storage at -18℃. When ice cream samples were stored at -50℃ or -70℃, ice crystal size slightly increased from 40.3 μm to 57-58 μm. Initial air cell size increased from 37.1 μm to 87.7 μm after storage at -18℃ for 52 wk. However, for storage temperatures of -50℃ and -70℃, air cell size increased only slightly from 37.1 μm to 46-47 μm. Low storage temperature (-50℃ and -70℃) resulted in better melt resistance and minimized color changes in comparison to high temperature storage (-18℃ and -30℃). In our study, quality changes in premium ice cream were gradually minimized according to decrease in storage temperature up to-50℃. No significant beneficial effect of -70℃ storage was found in quality attributes. In the scope of our experiment, we recommend a storage temperature of -50℃ to preserve the quality attributes of premium ice cream.

Effect of Frozen Storage Temperature on the Quality of Premium Ice Cream

PubMed Central

Park, Sung Hee; Jo, Yeon-Ji; Chun, Ji-Yeon; Hong, Geun-Pyo

2015-01-01

The market sales of premium ice cream have paralleled the growth in consumer desire for rich flavor and taste. Storage temperature is a major consideration in preserving the quality attributes of premium ice cream products for both the manufacturer and retailers during prolonged storage. We investigated the effect of storage temperature (−18℃, −30℃, −50℃, and −70℃) and storage times, up to 52 wk, on the quality attributes of premium ice cream. Quality attributes tested included ice crystal size, air cell size, melting resistance, and color. Ice crystal size increased from 40.3 μm to 100.1 μm after 52 wk of storage at −18℃. When ice cream samples were stored at −50℃ or −70℃, ice crystal size slightly increased from 40.3 μm to 57-58 μm. Initial air cell size increased from 37.1 μm to 87.7 μm after storage at −18℃ for 52 wk. However, for storage temperatures of −50℃ and −70℃, air cell size increased only slightly from 37.1 μm to 46-47 μm. Low storage temperature (−50℃ and −70℃) resulted in better melt resistance and minimized color changes in comparison to high temperature storage (−18℃ and −30℃). In our study, quality changes in premium ice cream were gradually minimized according to decrease in storage temperature up to−50℃. No significant beneficial effect of −70℃ storage was found in quality attributes. In the scope of our experiment, we recommend a storage temperature of −50℃ to preserve the quality attributes of premium ice cream. PMID:26877639

Argonne works with marine industry on new fuel | Argonne National

Science.gov Websites

Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Internship Careers Education Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Internship Argonne works with October 2, 2017 After-school energy rush September 28, 2017 Trash to treasure: The benefits of waste-to

Gary Drake at ANL

Science.gov Websites

Gary Drake Electrical Engineer Group Leader Electronic Support Group Room E-117 Bldg. 362 High Pages: ATLAS Home Page CDF Home Page Argonne CDF Group Page New MINOS Home page Old MINOS Home page Argonne MINOS Group Page ZEUS Home Page Argonne ZEUS Group Page Soudan 2 Homepage

Argonne News Brief: Making Sense of Noise

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

None

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory helped Joe Nichols, of the University of Minnesota, to create high fidelity simulations of jet turbulence to determine how and where noise is produced. The results may lead to novel engineering designs that reduce noise over commercial flight paths and on aircraft carrier decks.

How to find Argonne High Energy Physics Theory

Science.gov Websites

occupies 1,500 wooded acres about 23 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, and a comparable distance University of Chicago. Directions: To reach Argonne by car, on I-55, the Stevenson Expressway: southwest . Argonne Weather | More Weather | Yet more weather | Chicago Expressway Status | Chicago Yahoo Links

Argonne research expanding from injectors to inhalers | Argonne National

Science.gov Websites

could lead to better medical sprays that are more effective and deliver more types of drugs There is a , Argonne's scientists are using decades of experience analyzing vehicle fuel injectors to study medical & Combustion were working with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney and Chiesi

Telecommunications Handbook: Connecting to NEWTON. Version 1.4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Christopher; And Others

This handbook was written for use with the Argonne National Laboratory's electronic bulletin board system (BBS) called NEWTON, which is designed to create an electronic network that will link scientists, teachers, and students with the many diversified resources of the Argonne National Laboratory. The link to Argonne will include such resources as…

Argonne Out Loud: Computation, Big Data, and the Future of Cities

ScienceCinema

Catlett, Charlie

2018-01-16

Charlie Catlett, a Senior Computer Scientist at Argonne and Director of the Urban Center for Computation and Data at the Computation Institute of the University of Chicago and Argonne, talks about how he and his colleagues are using high-performance computing, data analytics, and embedded systems to better understand and design cities.

Argonne Chemical Sciences & Engineering - Center for Electrical Energy

Science.gov Websites

electrodes at the SEI interface, Li-ion batteries show limited calendar and cycle life--less than 2 years energy storage requirements. The CEES will focus on lithium batteries, as they offer the best opportunity of Argonne's Applied Battery Research and Development Program. EFRCs at Argonne The Center for

About Argonne | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

any one institution to do by itself. Through collaborations here and around the world, we strive to highest concentration of top-tier research organizations in the world, Argonne leverages its Chicago-area explore the world together in order to build a better one. Visionary science We pursue big, ambitious

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), formerly operated a grain storage facility approximately 1,100 ft north of Centralia (Figure 1.2). The CCC/USDA operated this facility from 1949 until 1971. None of the CCC/USDA structures remain. Two additional grain storage facilities currently exist in and near Centralia: the Nemaha County Co-op, approximately 4,000 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, and a private grain storage facility near the Don Morris residence, 3,500 ft north of the former CCC/USDA facility. Prior to 1986, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by themore » CCC/USDA and the grain storage industry to preserve grain. In April 1998, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) sampled the domestic well at the Don Morris residence near Centralia (Figure 1.2) as part of the CCC/USDA Private Well Sampling Program, which was initiated to determine whether carbon tetrachloride was present in domestic wells located near former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Kansas. Carbon tetrachloride was detected in the Morris well at 19.3 mg/L and confirmed at 25.4 mg/L, both concentrations above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 mg/L for carbon tetrachloride in drinking water. On the basis of the detection of carbon tetrachloride in the Morris well, the KDHE in August-September 1998 conducted preliminary investigations at the former CCC/USDA facility. For the details of previous investigations in the area and a summary of their findings, see the QuickSite{reg_sign} Phase I Work Plan for Centralia (Argonne 2002a). Because the KDHE found carbon tetrachloride at the former CCC/USDA facility at Centralia that might, in part, be linked to historical use of carbon tetrachloride-based grain fumigants at the facility, the CCC/USDA is conducting an environmental site investigation at Centralia. However, the KDHE established in 1998 that the probable groundwater flow direction at the former CCC/USDA facility is not toward the Morris well, and thus the former facility is not responsible for the carbon tetrachloride measured in that well. The town of Centralia and all residents near the former CCC/USDA facility currently obtain their water from Rural Water District No.3 (RWD 3). Therefore, these local residents are not drinking and using contaminated groundwater. The investigation at Centralia is being performed by the Environmental Research Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. At these facilities, Argonne is applying its QuickSite environmental site characterization methodology. QuickSite is Argonne's proprietary implementation system for the expedited site characterization (ESC) process. Argonne's Environmental Research Division developed the ESC process to optimize preremedial site characterization work at hazardous waste sites by obtaining and then applying a thorough understanding of a site's geology, hydrogeology, and hydrogeochemistry (e.g., Burton 1994). This approach is fundamental to successful site characterization because the geology and hydrogeology of a site largely govern the mobility and fate of contaminants there. Argonne's ESC process has been used successfully at a number of former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and Nebraska and has been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM 1998) as standard practice for environmental site characterization. This report documents the findings of the Phase I activities at Centralia. Section 1 provides a brief history of the area and the QuickSite process, a summary of the geologic/hydrogeologic model, objectives of the Phase I investigation, and a brief description of the sections contained in this report. Section 2 describes the investigative methods used during the Phase I investigation. Section 3 presents all of the data obtained during the investigation. Section 4 describes the interpretation of the pertinent data used to meet the technical objectives of the investigation, including the contaminant migration pathways in soil and groundwater. A summary of the findings is also provided in Section 4. Section 5 presents the conclusions of the investigation relative to the technical objectives and outlines recommendations for Phase II. To streamline the reporting process, materials from the Work Plan (Argonne 2002a) and relevant sections of the Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002b) are not repeated in detail in this report. Consequently, these documents must also be consulted to obtain the complete details of the Phase I investigative program.« less

Pricing strategies, the strength of bidding intentions, and online auction performance: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Peng, Yu-Shu; Jan, Lih-Tsyr

2009-10-01

Over the past decade, electronic markets based on the Internet, particularly online auctions, have become popular venues for conducting business. Previous studies often focused on the construction of the best bidding model, while few studies have tried to integrate multiple pricing strategies to predict the probability of closing an auction and the price premium. This study constructs a mediated model to examine the relationship among pricing strategies, the strength of bidding intentions, and online auction performance. The sample consists of 1,055 auctions of iPod MP3 players from eBay Web sites in Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium, and France. Empirical results show that the pricing strategies directly influence both the probability of closing an auction and the level of price premium. The pricing strategies also indirectly influence the price premium through the mediating effect of the strength of bidding intentions.

14 CFR 198.13 - Premium insurance-payment of premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Premium insurance-payment of premiums. 198.13 Section 198.13 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) WAR RISK INSURANCE AVIATION INSURANCE § 198.13 Premium insurance—payment of premiums. The insured...

Factors influencing the decision to drop out of health insurance enrolment among urban slum dwellers in Ghana.

PubMed

Atinga, Roger A; Abiiro, Gilbert Abotisem; Kuganab-Lem, Robert Bella

2015-03-01

To identify the factors influencing dropout from Ghana's health insurance scheme among populations living in slum communities. Cross-sectional data were collected from residents of 22 slums in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Cluster and systematic random sampling techniques were used to select and interview 600 individuals who had dropped out from the scheme 6 months prior to the study. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models were computed to account for sample characteristics and reasons associated with the decision to dropout. The proportion of dropouts in the sample increased from the range of 6.8% in 2008 to 34.8% in 2012. Non-affordability of premium was the predominant reason followed by rare illness episodes, limited benefits of the scheme and poor service quality. Low-income earners and those with low education were significantly more likely to report premium non-affordability. Rare illness was a common reason among younger respondents, informal sector workers and respondents with higher education. All subgroups of age, education, occupation and income reported nominal benefits of the scheme as a reason for dropout. Interventions targeted at removing bottlenecks to health insurance enrolment are salient to maximising the size of the insurance pool. Strengthening service quality and extending the premium exemption to cover low-income families in slum communities is a valuable strategy to achieve universal health coverage. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

317/319 Phytoremediation site monitoring report - 2009 growing season : final report.

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

Negri, C .N.; Benda, P. L.; Gopalakrishnan, G.

2010-02-10

In 1999, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) designed and installed a series of engineered plantings consisting of a vegetative cover system and approximately 800 hybrid poplars and willows rooting at various predetermined depths. The plants were installed using various methods including Applied Natural Science's TreeWell{reg_sign} system. The goal of the installation was to protect downgradient surface and groundwater by intercepting the contaminated groundwater with the tree roots, removing moisture from the upgradient soil area, reducing water infiltration, preventing soil erosion, degrading and/or transpiring the residual volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and removing tritium from the subsoil and groundwater. This report presents themore » results of the monitoring activities conducted by Argonne's Energy Systems (ES) Division in the growing season of 2009. Monitoring of the planted trees began soon after the trees were installed in 1999 and has been conducted every summer since then. As the trees grew and consolidated their growth into the contaminated soil and groundwater, their exposure to the contaminants was progressively shown through tissue sampling. During the 2009 sampling campaign, VOC concentrations found in the French Drain area were in general consistent with or slightly lower than the 2008 results. Additionally, closely repeated, stand wide analyses showed contaminant fluctuations that may indicate short-term contaminant depletion in the area of interest of roots. This data will be useful to determine short-term removal rate by the trees. As in previous years, levels in the Hydraulic Control Area were close to background levels except for a few exceptions.« less

Argonne researchers to study Chicago emergency evacuation system | Argonne

Science.gov Websites

transportation network as a research site, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory will use this federal simulation of the movement of people via mass transportation during an emergency. The new system will allow moving people in a disaster, whether natural or man-made. The tools will also provide real-time

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

Youker, Amanda J.; Krebs, John F.; Quigley, Kevin J.

With funding from the National Nuclear Security Administrations Material Management and Minimization Office, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) is providing technical assistance to help accelerate the U.S. production of Mo-99 using a non-highly enriched uranium (non-HEU) source. A potential Mo-99 production pathway is by accelerator-initiated fissioning in a subcritical uranyl sulfate solution containing low enriched uranium (LEU). As part of the Argonne development effort, we are undertaking the AMORE (Argonne Molybdenum Research Experiment) project, which is essentially a pilot facility for all phases of Mo-99 production, recovery, and purification. Production of Mo-99 and other fission products in the subcritical target solutionmore » is initiated by putting an electron beam on a depleted uranium (DU) target; the fast neutrons produced in the DU target are thermalized and lead to fissioning of U-235. At the end of irradiation, Mo is recovered from the target solution and separated from uranium and most of the fission products by using a titania column. The Mo is stripped from the column with an alkaline solution. After acidification of the Mo product solution from the recovery column, the Mo is concentrated (and further purified) in a second titania column. The strip solution from the concentration column is then purified with the LEU Modified Cintichem process. A full description of the process can be found elsewhere [1–3]. The initial commissioning steps for the AMORE project include performing a Mo-99 spike test with pH 1 sulfuric acid in the target vessel without a beam on the target to demonstrate the initial Mo separation-and-recovery process, followed by the concentration column process. All glovebox operations were tested with cold solutions prior to performing the Mo-99 spike tests. Two Mo-99 spike tests with pH 1 sulfuric acid have been performed to date. Figure 1 shows the flow diagram for the remotely operated Mo-recovery system for the AMORE project. There are two separate pumps and flow paths for the acid and base operations. The system contains three sample ladders with eight sample loops per ladder for target mixing; column loading, including acid and water washes; and column stripping, including the final water wash.« less

Argonne National Laboratory summary site environmental report for calendar year 2006.

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

Golchert, N. W.; ESH /QA Oversight

This booklet is designed to inform the public about what Argonne National Laboratory is doing to monitor its environment and to protect its employees and neighbors from any adverse environmental impacts from Argonne research. The Downers Grove South Biology II class was selected to write this booklet, which summarizes Argonne's environmental monitoring programs for 2006. Writing this booklet also satisfies the Illinois State Education Standard, which requires that students need to know and apply scientific concepts to graduate from high school. This project not only provides information to the public, it will help students become better learners. The Biology IImore » class was assigned to condense Argonne's 300-page, highly technical Site Environmental Report into a 16-page plain-English booklet. The site assessment relates to the class because the primary focus of the Biology II class is ecology and the environment. Students developed better learning skills by working together cooperatively, writing and researching more effectively. Students used the Argonne Site Environmental Report, the Internet, text books and information from Argonne scientists to help with their research on their topics. The topics covered in this booklet are the history of Argonne, groundwater, habitat management, air quality, Argonne research, Argonne's environmental non-radiological program, radiation, and compliance. The students first had to read and discuss the Site Environmental Report and then assign topics to focus on. Dr. Norbert Golchert and Mr. David Baurac, both from Argonne, came into the class to help teach the topics more in depth. The class then prepared drafts and wrote a final copy. Ashley Vizek, a student in the Biology class stated, 'I reviewed my material and read it over and over. I then took time to plan my paper out and think about what I wanted to write about, put it into foundation questions and started to write my paper. I rewrote and revised so I think the amount of time that I put into the project will be worth it in the end because it is a cool thing to be a published writer'. While most students agree that putting the final paper together was the toughest part, the final result was worth the hard work. Christine Beuhler states, 'The time and effort was worth it because I learned a lot about the Argonne facility. This project also improved my analyzing, reading, and writing skills'. Emily Schimick and Kaitlin Hernandez agreed that the feeling of accomplishment when they finished the paper was their favorite part, while the reading of the Argonne Site Environmental Report was their least favorite because it was difficult to understand. The Downers Grove South Biology II class would like to thank our teacher Mr. Scott Howard, as well as Dr. Golchert and Mr. Baurac for their investment in time and energy in helping with the project. Dr. Golchert and Mr. Baurac gave us valuable assistance in the preparation of this project, and we owe them our deepest gratitude. Their real-life experience at Argonne was inspirational. Mr. Howard set the goals and made the commitment to our class to complete this project. Without their kind support, this project would not have been possible.« less

Final work plan : environmental site investigation at Sylvan Grove, Kansas.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

In 1998, carbon tetrachloride was found above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 {micro}g/L in groundwater from one private livestock well at Sylvan Grove, Kansas, by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The 1998 KDHE sampling was conducted under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) private well sampling program. The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a USDA agency, operated a grain storage facility in Sylvan Grove from 1954 to1966. Carbon tetrachloride is the contaminant of primary concern at sites associated with former CCC/USDA grain storage operations. Sylvan Grove is located in western Lincoln County, approximately 60 mi westmore » of Salina (Figure 1.1). To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA has agreed to conduct an investigation, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. This Work Plan presents historical data related to previous investigations, grain storage operations, local private wells and public water supply (PWS) wells, and local geologic and hydrogeologic conditions at Sylvan Grove. The findings from a review of all available documents are discussed in Section 2. On the basis of the analyses of historical data, the following specific technical objectives are proposed for the site investigation at Sylvan Grove: (1) Evaluate the potential source of carbon tetrachloride at the former CCC/USDA facility; (2) Determine the relationship of potential contamination (if present) at the former CCC/USDA facility to contamination identified in 1998 in groundwater samples from one private well to the west; and (3) Delineate the extent of potential contamination associated with the former CCC/USDA facility. The detailed scope of work is outlined in Section 3. The results of the proposed work will provide the basis for determining what future CCC/USDA actions may be necessary, with the ultimate goal of achieving classification of the Sylvan Grove site at no further action status. The proposed activities are to be performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy. Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA concerning environmental site characterization and remediation at former grain storage facilities. Argonne issued a Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002) that has been approved by the KDHE. The Master Work Plan describes the general scope of all investigations at former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and provides guidance for these investigations. That document should be consulted for the complete details of plans for work associated with the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove.« less

The demand for health insurance coverage for tobacco dependence treatments: support for a benefit mandate and willingness to pay.

PubMed

Halpin, Helen Ann; McMenamin, Sara B; Shade, Starley B

2007-12-01

One solution for reducing tobacco use is to expand health insurance coverage for tobacco dependence treatments (TDTs), but the public demand for a coverage mandate is unknown. This study finds that demand for coverage of TDTs among a random sample of adult Californians with employer-sponsored health insurance is strong, with 62% indicating that health insurers should be required to offer coverage as part of their standard plans and a majority (56%) indicating a willingness to pay $3 more for their annual health insurance premium to finance cessation coverage. Compared to never smokers, current and former smokers are no more likely to support a benefit mandate to require coverage of cessation treatments, but the adjusted odds are approximately three times greater that current and former smokers are willing to pay $3 more toward their annual premium to finance cessation coverage. Liberals had higher adjusted odds of supporting a benefit mandate and of being willing to pay a higher premium compared to conservatives. Non-whites had higher adjusted odds of supporting a mandate compared to whites, with no differences by race/ethnicity in willingness to pay a higher premium. There were no differences in preferences for a benefit mandate or willingness to pay a higher premium as a function of age, gender or income. These findings have important policy implications for a state health insurance mandate to cover tobacco dependence treatments.

Technical Improvements to an Absorbing Supergel for Radiological Decontamination in Tropical Environments

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

Kaminski, Michael D.; Mertz, Carol J.; Kivenas, Nadia

Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) developed a superabsorbing gel-based process (SuperGel) for the decontamination of cesium from concrete and other porous building materials. Here, we report on results that tested the gel decontamination technology on specific concrete and ceramic formulations from a coastal city in Southeast Asia, which may differ significantly from some U.S. sources. Results are given for the evaluation of americium and cesium sequestering agents that are commercially available at a reasonable cost; the evaluation of a new SuperGel formulation that combines the decontamination properties of cesium and americium; the variation of the contamination concentration to determine the effectsmore » on the decontamination factors with concrete, tile, and brick samples; and pilot-scale testing (0.02–0.09 m2 or 6–12 in. square coupons).« less

42 CFR 408.210 - Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium Surcharge Agreements § 408.210 Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement. (a... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement. 408...

42 CFR 408.210 - Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium Surcharge Agreements § 408.210 Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement. (a... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Termination of SMI premium surcharge agreement. 408...

24 CFR 266.600 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium... MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.600 Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion. (a) Initial premium. For projects insured upon completion, on...

24 CFR 266.600 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium... MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.600 Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion. (a) Initial premium. For projects insured upon completion, on...

7 CFR 400.170 - General qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Have and meet the ratio requirements of the Gross Premium to Surplus and Net Premium to Surplus...) Gross Premium to Surplus Less than 900%. (ii) Net Premium to Surplus Less than 300%. (2) Analytical: (i... estimated retained premium proposed to be reinsured, multiplied by the appropriate Minimum Surplus Factor...

Assessing potential enrollment and budgetary effects of SCHIP premiums: findings from Arizona and Kentucky.

PubMed

Kenney, Genevieve; Marton, James; McFeeters, Joshua; Costich, Julia

2007-12-01

To assess whether new premiums in SCHIP affect rates of disenrollment and reenrollment in SCHIP and whether they have spillover enrollment effects on Medicaid. We used SCHIP administrative enrollment data from Arizona and Kentucky. The enrollment data covered July 2001 to December 2005 in Arizona and November 2001 to August 2004 in Kentucky. We used administrative data from two states, Arizona and Kentucky, which introduced new premiums for certain income categories in their SCHIP programs in 2004 and 2003, respectively. We used multivariate hazard models to study rates of disenrollment and re-enrollment for the recipients who had been enrolled in the categories of SCHIP in which the new premiums were implemented. Competing hazard models were used to determine if recipients leaving SCHIP following the introduction of the premium were obtaining other public coverage or exiting public insurance entirely at higher rates. We also used time-series models to measure the effect of premiums on changes in caseloads in premium-paying SCHIP and other categories of public coverage and we assessed the budgetary implications of imposing premiums. In both states, the new premiums increased the rate of disenrollment and decreased the rate of re-enrollment in premium-paying SCHIP among the children who were enrolled in those categories before the premiums were implemented. The competing hazard models indicated that almost all of the increased disenrollment is caused by recipients leaving public insurance entirely. The time-series models indicated that the new premium reduced caseloads in premium-paying SCHIP, but that it might have increased caseloads for other types of public coverage. The amount of premiums collected net of the costs associated with administering premiums is small in both states. Estimating the full budgetary effects with certainty was not possible given the imprecision of the key time-series estimates. These results suggest that the new premium reduced enrollment in the premium-paying group by 18 percent (over 3,000 children) in Kentucky and by 5 percent (over 1,000 children) in Arizona, with some of these children apparently leaving public coverage altogether. While most children enrolled in these categories did not appear to be directly affected by the imposition of $10-$20 monthly premiums, the premiums may have caused some children to go without health insurance coverage, which in turn could have adverse effects on their access to care. Imposing nominal premiums may reduce state spending, but projected savings appear to be small relative to total state SCHIP spending and resulting increases in enrollment in other public programs and in uninsurance rates could offset those savings.

75 FR 62184 - Notification of United States Mint Silver Eagle Bullion Coin Premium Increase

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... Bullion Coin Premium Increase ACTION: Notification of United States Mint Silver Eagle Bullion Coin Premium Increase. SUMMARY: The United States Mint is increasing the premium charged to Authorized Purchasers for... will increase the premium charged to Authorized Purchasers for American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins...

29 CFR 4006.3 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Premium rate. 4006.3 Section 4006.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION PREMIUMS PREMIUM RATES § 4006.3 Premium rate. Subject to the provisions of § 4006.5 (dealing with exemptions and special rules) and § 4006.7...

29 CFR 4006.3 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Premium rate. 4006.3 Section 4006.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION PREMIUMS PREMIUM RATES § 4006.3 Premium rate. Subject to the provisions of § 4006.5 (dealing with exemptions and special rules) and § 4006.7...

29 CFR 4006.3 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Premium rate. 4006.3 Section 4006.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION PREMIUMS PREMIUM RATES § 4006.3 Premium rate. Subject to the provisions of § 4006.5 (dealing with exemptions and special rules) and § 4006.7...

29 CFR 4006.3 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Premium rate. 4006.3 Section 4006.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION PREMIUMS PREMIUM RATES § 4006.3 Premium rate. Subject to the provisions of § 4006.5 (dealing with exemptions and special rules) and § 4006.7...

29 CFR 4006.3 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Premium rate. 4006.3 Section 4006.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION PREMIUMS PREMIUM RATES § 4006.3 Premium rate. Subject to the provisions of § 4006.5 (dealing with exemptions and special rules) and § 4006.7...

24 CFR 266.604 - Mortgage insurance premium: Other requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Other... Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.604 Mortgage insurance premium: Other..., based upon the respective share of risk, that is to be used in calculating mortgage insurance premiums...

24 CFR 266.602 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insured advances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Insured... Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.602 Mortgage insurance premium: Insured.... On each anniversary of the initial closing, the HFA shall pay an interim mortgage insurance premium...

38 CFR 6.2 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 6.2 Premium rate. Effective January 1, 1983, United States Government Life Insurance policies, and total disability income provisions, on a premium paying status are paid-up and no... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Premium rate. 6.2 Section...

31 CFR 337.13 - Payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Payment of mortgage insurance premiums... premiums. When book-entry debentures are being purchased prior to maturity to pay for mortgage insurance premiums, the difference between the amount of the debentures purchased and the mortgage insurance premiums...

38 CFR 6.2 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 6.2 Premium rate. Effective January 1, 1983, United States Government Life Insurance policies, and total disability income provisions, on a premium paying status are paid-up and no... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Premium rate. 6.2 Section...

24 CFR 266.602 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insured advances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Insured... Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.602 Mortgage insurance premium: Insured.... On each anniversary of the initial closing, the HFA shall pay an interim mortgage insurance premium...

24 CFR 266.604 - Mortgage insurance premium: Other requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Other... Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.604 Mortgage insurance premium: Other..., based upon the respective share of risk, that is to be used in calculating mortgage insurance premiums...

34 CFR 682.505 - Insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Insurance premium. 682.505 Section 682.505 Education... Loan Programs § 682.505 Insurance premium. (a) General. The Secretary charges the lender an insurance premium for each Federal GSL Program loan that is guaranteed, except that no insurance premium is charged...

The Pupil Premium: Next Steps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton Trust, 2015

2015-01-01

The pupil premium was introduced by the Coalition government in April 2011 to provide additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. The main difference between the premium and previous funding for disadvantaged pupils is that the premium is linked to individual pupils. On July 1, 2015, The Pupil Premium Summit organized by the Education Endowment…

28 CFR 345.52 - Premium pay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Premium pay. 345.52 Section 345.52... (FPI) INMATE WORK PROGRAMS Inmate Pay and Benefits § 345.52 Premium pay. Payment of premium pay to... inmates at a location. (a) Eligibility. Inmates in first grade pay status may be considered for premium...

Plan choice, health insurance cost and premium sharing.

PubMed

Kosteas, Vasilios D; Renna, Francesco

2014-05-01

We develop a model of premium sharing for firms that offer multiple insurance plans. We assume that firms offer one low quality plan and one high quality plan. Under the assumption of wage rigidities we found that the employee's contribution to each plan is an increasing function of that plan's premium. The effect of the other plan's premium is ambiguous. We test our hypothesis using data from the Employer Health Benefit Survey. Restricting the analysis to firms that offer both HMO and PPO plans, we measure the amount of the premium passed on to employees in response to a change in both premiums. We find evidence of large and positive effects of the increase in the plan's premium on the amount of the premium passed on to employees. The effect of the alternative plan's premium is negative but statistically significant only for the PPO plans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of label information on dark chocolate acceptability.

PubMed

Torres-Moreno, M; Tarrega, A; Torrescasana, E; Blanch, C

2012-04-01

The aim of the present work was to study how the information on product labels influences consumer expectations and their acceptance and purchase intention of dark chocolate. Six samples of dark chocolate, varying in brand (premium and store brand) and in type of product (regular dark chocolate, single cocoa origin dark chocolate and high percentage of cocoa dark chocolate), were evaluated by 109 consumers who scored their liking and purchase intention under three conditions: blind (only tasting the products), expected (observing product label information) and informed (tasting the products together with provision of the label information). In the expected condition, consumer liking was mainly affected by the brand. In the blind condition, differences in liking were due to the type of product; the samples with a high percentage of cocoa were those less preferred by consumers. Under the informed condition, liking of dark chocolates varied depending on both brand and type of product. Premium brand chocolates generated high consumer expectations of chocolate acceptability, which were fulfilled by the sensory characteristics of the products. Store brand chocolates created lower expectations, but when they were tasted they were as acceptable as premium chocolates. Claims of a high percentage of cocoa and single cocoa origin on labels did not generate higher expectations than regular dark chocolates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the source of stochastic volatility: Evidence from CAC40 index options during the subprime crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slim, Skander

2016-12-01

This paper investigates the performance of time-changed Lévy processes with distinct sources of return volatility variation for modeling cross-sectional option prices on the CAC40 index during the subprime crisis. Specifically, we propose a multi-factor stochastic volatility model: one factor captures the diffusion component dynamics and two factors capture positive and negative jump variations. In-sample and out-of-sample tests show that our full-fledged model significantly outperforms nested lower-dimensional specifications. We find that all three sources of return volatility variation, with different persistence, are needed to properly account for market pricing dynamics across moneyness, maturity and volatility level. Besides, the model estimation reveals negative risk premium for both diffusive volatility and downward jump intensity whereas a positive risk premium is found to be attributed to upward jump intensity.

Argonne OutLoud presents: The Solar Energy Challenge

ScienceCinema

Darling, Seth

2018-02-19

To better understand the current and future role of solar energy, Argonne's Seth Darling framed the global energy supply and demand outlook over the next 40 years while examining potential energy sources from a feasibility and sustainability perspective. He also discussed the promise and challenges of solar energy while providing a broad overview of related research taking place at Argonne as well as his group's work on organic solar cells.

Argonne OutLoud presents: The Solar Energy Challenge

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

Darling, Seth

To better understand the current and future role of solar energy, Argonne's Seth Darling framed the global energy supply and demand outlook over the next 40 years while examining potential energy sources from a feasibility and sustainability perspective. He also discussed the promise and challenges of solar energy while providing a broad overview of related research taking place at Argonne as well as his group's work on organic solar cells.

Comparative analysis of discharges into Lake Michigan, Phase I - Southern Lake Michigan.

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

Veil, J. A.; Elcock, D.; Gasper, J. R.

2008-06-30

BP Products North America Inc. (BP) owns and operates a petroleum refinery located on approximately 1,700 acres in Whiting, East Chicago, and Hammond, Indiana, near the southern tip of Lake Michigan. BP provided funding to Purdue University-Calumet Water Institute (Purdue) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) to conduct studies related to wastewater treatment and discharges. Purdue and Argonne are working jointly to identify and characterize technologies that BP could use to meet the previous discharge permit limits for total suspended solids (TSS) and ammonia after refinery modernization. In addition to the technology characterization work, Argonne conducted a separate project task, whichmore » is the subject of this report. In Phase I of a two-part study, Argonne estimated the current levels of discharge to southern Lake Michigan from significant point and nonpoint sources in Illinois, Indiana, and portions of Michigan. The study does not consider all of the chemicals that are discharged. Rather, it is narrowly focused on a selected group of pollutants, referred to as the 'target pollutants'. These include: TSS, ammonia, total and hexavalent chromium, mercury, vanadium, and selenium. In Phase II of the study, Argonne will expand the analysis to cover the entire Lake Michigan drainage basin.« less

Perceived affordability of health insurance and medical financial burdens five years in to Massachusetts health reform.

PubMed

Zallman, Leah; Nardin, Rachel; Sayah, Assaad; McCormick, Danny

2015-10-29

Under the Massachusetts health reform, low income residents (those with incomes below 150 % of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]) were eligible for Medicaid and health insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums. Those with slightly higher incomes (150 %-300 % FPL) were eligible for exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments. We conducted face to face surveys in four languages with a convenience sample of 976 patients seeking care at three hospital emergency departments five years after Massachusetts reform. We compared perceived affordability of insurance, financial burden, and satisfaction among low cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of Medicaid and insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums), high cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments) and the commercially insured. We found that despite having higher incomes, higher cost-sharing plan recipients were less satisfied with their insurance plans and perceived more difficulty affording their insurance than those with low cost-sharing plans. Higher cost-sharing plan recipients also reported more difficulty affording medical and non-medical health care as well as insurance premiums than those with commercial insurance. In contrast, patients with low cost-sharing public plans reported higher plan satisfaction and less financial concern than the commercially insured. Policy makers with responsibility for the benefit design of public insurance available under health care reforms in the U.S. should calibrate cost-sharing to income level so as to minimize difficulty affording care and financial burdens.

5 CFR 892.303 - Can I pay my premiums directly by check under the premium conversion plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... under the premium conversion plan? 892.303 Section 892.303 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Contributions and Withholdings § 892.303 Can I pay my premiums directly...

24 CFR 207.252e - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums. 207.252e Section 207.252e Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... Premiums § 207.252e Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the Commissioner... mortgagees, that mortgage insurance premiums be remitted electronically. [63 FR 1303, Jan. 8, 1998] ...

24 CFR 207.252e - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums. 207.252e Section 207.252e Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... Premiums § 207.252e Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the Commissioner... mortgagees, that mortgage insurance premiums be remitted electronically. [63 FR 1303, Jan. 8, 1998] ...

26 CFR 1.848-2 - Determination of net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... contracts. With respect to any category of contracts, net premiums means— (i) The gross amount of premiums... subject to the rules of paragraph (h) of this section. (b) Gross amount of premiums and other consideration—(1) General rule. The term “gross amount of premiums and other consideration” means the sum of— (i...

44 CFR 62.23 - WYO Companies authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... premium and net premium deposits to a Letter of Credit bank account authorized by the Federal Insurance... plans can be offered by the WYO Company so long as the net premium depository requirements specified...-payment of premium will not produce a pro rata return of the net premium deposit to the WYO Company. (8...

Employer contribution and premium growth in health insurance.

PubMed

Liu, Yiyan; Jin, Ginger Zhe

2015-01-01

We study whether employer premium contribution schemes could impact the pricing behavior of health plans and contribute to rising premiums. Using 1991-2011 data before and after a 1999 premium subsidy policy change in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), we find that the employer premium contribution scheme has a differential impact on health plan pricing based on two market incentives: 1) consumers are less price sensitive when they only need to pay part of the premium increase, and 2) each health plan has an incentive to increase the employer's premium contribution to that plan. Both incentives are found to contribute to premium growth. Counterfactual simulation shows that average premium would have been 10% less than observed and the federal government would have saved 15% per year on its premium contribution had the subsidy policy change not occurred in the FEHBP. We discuss the potential of similar incentives in other government-subsidized insurance systems such as the Medicare Part D and the Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The malpractice premium costs of obstetrics.

PubMed

Norton, S A

1997-01-01

This study examined, in 1992, the variation in the level of malpractice premiums, and the incremental malpractice premium costs associated with the practice of obstetrics for family practitioners and obstetricians. On average, in 1992 obstetricians and family practitioners providing obstetric services paid malpractice premiums of roughly $44,000 and $16,000, respectively. The incremental increase in malpractice premium costs represented roughly 70% of the premium the physicians would have paid had they not provided obstetric services. These results suggest that for both family practitioners and obstetricians, there is a considerable premium penalty associated with providing obstetric services which may have implications for women's access to obstetric services. Moreover, the results make it clear that physicians practicing in different states, and different specialists within a state, may face very different malpractice premium costs.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated grain storage facilities at two different locations at Everest, Kansas (Figure 1.1). One facility (referred to in this report as the Everest facility) was at the western edge of the city of Everest. The CCC/USDA operated this facility from 1950 until the early 1970s. The second facility (referred to in this report as Everest East) was about 0.5 mi northeast of the town. The CCC/USDA operated this facility from 1954 until the early 1970s. While these two former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities were in operation,more » commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain. In 1997, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) sampled several domestic drinking water and nondrinking water wells in the Everest area. The KDHE sampling was part of the CCC/USDA Private Well Sampling Program, which was initiated to determine whether carbon tetrachloride was present in domestic wells near former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Kansas. All of the sampled domestic drinking water wells were located outside the Everest city boundaries. As a result of this sampling, carbon tetrachloride contamination was identified at a single domestic drinking water well (the Nigh well; DW06) approximately 3/8 mi northwest of the former Everest CCC/USDA grain storage facility. The CCC/USDA subsequently connected the Nigh residence to the Everest municipal water system. As a result of the detection of carbon tetrachloride in this well, the KDHE conducted preliminary investigations to further evaluate the existence of contamination and its potential effect on public health and the environment. The KDHE concluded that carbon tetrachloride in groundwater at Everest might, in part, be linked to historical use of carbon tetrachloride-based grain fumigants at the former CCC/USDA facilities. For this reason, the CCC/USDA is conducting an environmental site investigation to determine the source(s) and extent of the carbon tetrachloride contamination at Everest and to assess whether the contamination requires remedial action. The investigation at Everest is being performed by the Environmental Research Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. At these facilities, Argonne is applying its QuickSite{reg_sign} environmental site characterization methodology. This methodology has been applied successfully at a number of former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and Nebraska and has been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM 1998) as standard practice for environmental site characterization. Phase I of the QuickSite{reg_sign} investigation examined the key geologic, hydrogeologic, and hydrogeochemical relationships that define potential contaminant migration pathways at Everest (Argonne 2001). Phase II of the QuickSite{reg_sign} investigation at Everest was undertaken with the primary goal of delineating and improving understanding of the distribution of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at this site and the potential source area(s) that might have contributed to this contamination. To address this goal, four specific technical objectives were developed to guide the Phase II field studies. Sampling of near-surface soils at the former Everest CCC/USDA facility that was originally planned for Phase I had to be postponed until October 2000 because of access restrictions. Viable vegetation was not available for sampling then. This period is termed the first session of Phase II field work at Everest. The main session of field work for the Phase II QuickSite{reg_sign} investigation of the Everest site began on March 6, 2001. Work was suspended at the site on April 6, 2001, (1) because of access limitations to key properties, located north and west of the former CCC/USDA facility, imposed by the private owners at the onset of the spring planting season and (2) to permit further documentation by Argonne, at the request of the CCC/USDA, of the land use and ownership history of the Nigh property as a precursor to completion of the field work. This period is termed the second session of Phase II field work at Everest. Investigation of the Nigh property history was prompted by groundwater contamination evidence obtained during the second session of Phase II field activities (discussed in Section 3.7).« less

Triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in rats exposed to premium motor spirit fumes.

PubMed

Aberare, Ogbevire L; Okuonghae, Patrick; Mukoro, Nathaniel; Dirisu, John O; Osazuwa, Favour; Odigie, Elvis; Omoregie, Richard

2011-06-01

Deliberate and regular exposure to premium motor spirit fumes is common and could be a risk factor for liver disease in those who are occupationally exposed. A possible association between premium motor spirit fumes and plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol using a rodent model could provide new insights in the pathology of diseases where cellular dysfunction is an established risk factor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of premium motor spirit fumes on lipids and lipoproteins in workers occupationally exposed to premium motor spirit fumes using rodent model. Twenty-five Wister albino rats (of both sexes) were used for this study between the 4(th) of August and 7(th) of September, 2010. The rats were divided into five groups of five rats each. Group 1 rats were not exposed to premium motor spirit fumes (control group), group 2 rats were exposed for 1 hour daily, group 3 for 3 hours daily, group 4 for 5 hours daily and group 5 for 7 hours daily. The experiment lasted for a period of 4 weeks. Blood samples obtained from all the groups after 4 weeks of exposure were used for the estimation of plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein- cholesterol and low density lipoprotein- cholesterol. Results showed significant increase in means of plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels (P<0.05). The mean triglyceride and total body weight were significantly lower (P<0.05) in the exposed group when compared with the unexposed. The plasma level of high density lipoprotein, the ratio of low density lipoprotein to high density lipoprotein and the ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein did not differ significantly in exposed subjects when compared with the control group. These results showed that frequent exposure to petrol fumes may be highly deleterious to the liver cells.

A toy story: Association between young children's knowledge of fast food toy premiums and their fast food consumption.

PubMed

Longacre, Meghan R; Drake, Keith M; Titus, Linda J; Cleveland, Lauren P; Langeloh, Gail; Hendricks, Kristy; Dalton, Madeline A

2016-01-01

Fast food restaurants spend millions of dollars annually on child-targeted marketing, a substantial portion of which is allocated to toy premiums for kids' meals. The objectives of this study were to describe fast food toy premiums, and examine whether young children's knowledge of fast food toy premiums was associated with their fast food consumption. Parents of 3- to 5-year old children were recruited from pediatric and WIC clinics in Southern New Hampshire, and completed a cross-sectional survey between April 2013-March 2014. Parents reported whether their children usually knew what toys were being offered at fast food restaurants, and whether children had eaten at any of four restaurants that offer toy premiums with kids' meals (McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's) during the 7 days preceding the survey. Seventy-one percent of eligible parents participated (N = 583); 48.4% did not receive any education beyond high school, and 27.1% of children were non-white. Half (49.7%) the children had eaten at one or more of the four fast food restaurants in the past week; one-third (33.9%) had eaten at McDonald's. The four restaurants released 49 unique toy premiums during the survey period; McDonald's released half of these. Even after controlling for parent fast food consumption and sociodemographics, children were 1.38 (95% CI = 1.04, 1.82) times more likely to have consumed McDonald's if they usually knew what toys were offered by fast food restaurants. We did not detect a relationship between children's toy knowledge and their intake of fast food from the other restaurants. In this community-based sample, young children's knowledge of fast food toys was associated with a greater frequency of eating at McDonald's, providing evidence in support of regulating child-directed marketing of unhealthy foods using toys. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Toy Story: Association between Young Children’s Knowledge of Fast Food Toy Premiums and their Fast Food Consumption

PubMed Central

Longacre, Meghan R.; Drake, Keith M.; Titus, Linda J.; Cleveland, Lauren P.; Langeloh, Gail; Hendricks, Kristy; Dalton, Madeline A.

2015-01-01

Fast food restaurants spend millions of dollars annually on child-targeted marketing, a substantial portion of which is allocated to toy premiums for kids’ meals. The objectives of this study were to describe fast food toy premiums, and examine whether young children’s knowledge of fast food toy premiums was associated with their fast food consumption. Parents of 3- to 5-year old children were recruited from pediatric and WIC clinics in Southern New Hampshire, and completed a cross-sectional survey between April 2013–March 2014. Parents reported whether their children usually knew what toys were being offered at fast food restaurants, and whether children had eaten at any of four restaurants that offer toy premiums with kids’ meals (McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Wendy’s) during the 7 days preceding the survey. Seventy-one percent of eligible parents participated (N=583); 48.4% did not receive any education beyond high school, and 27.1% of children were non-white. Half (49.7%) the children had eaten at one or more of the four fast food restaurants in the past week; one-third (33.9%) had eaten at McDonald’s. The four restaurants released 49 unique toy premiums during the survey period; McDonald’s released half of these. Even after controlling for parent fast food consumption and sociodemographics, children were 1.38 (95% CI=1.04, 1.82) times more likely to have consumed McDonald’s if they usually knew what toys were offered by fast food restaurants. We did not detect a relationship between children’s toy knowledge and their intake of fast food from the other restaurants. In this community-based sample, young children’s knowledge of fast food toys was associated with a greater frequency of eating at McDonald’s, providing evidence in support of regulating child-directed marketing of unhealthy foods using toys. PMID:26471803

Assessing Potential Enrollment and Budgetary Effects of SCHIP Premiums: Findings from Arizona and Kentucky

PubMed Central

Kenney, Genevieve; Marton, James; McFeeters, Joshua; Costich, Julia

2007-01-01

Objective To assess whether new premiums in SCHIP affect rates of disenrollment and reenrollment in SCHIP and whether they have spillover enrollment effects on Medicaid. Data Source We used SCHIP administrative enrollment data from Arizona and Kentucky. The enrollment data covered July 2001 to December 2005 in Arizona and November 2001 to August 2004 in Kentucky. Study Design We used administrative data from two states, Arizona and Kentucky, which introduced new premiums for certain income categories in their SCHIP programs in 2004 and 2003, respectively. We used multivariate hazard models to study rates of disenrollment and re-enrollment for the recipients who had been enrolled in the categories of SCHIP in which the new premiums were implemented. Competing hazard models were used to determine if recipients leaving SCHIP following the introduction of the premium were obtaining other public coverage or exiting public insurance entirely at higher rates. We also used time-series models to measure the effect of premiums on changes in caseloads in premium-paying SCHIP and other categories of public coverage and we assessed the budgetary implications of imposing premiums. Principal Findings In both states, the new premiums increased the rate of disenrollment and decreased the rate of re-enrollment in premium-paying SCHIP among the children who were enrolled in those categories before the premiums were implemented. The competing hazard models indicated that almost all of the increased disenrollment is caused by recipients leaving public insurance entirely. The time-series models indicated that the new premium reduced caseloads in premium-paying SCHIP, but that it might have increased caseloads for other types of public coverage. The amount of premiums collected net of the costs associated with administering premiums is small in both states. Estimating the full budgetary effects with certainty was not possible given the imprecision of the key time-series estimates. Conclusion These results suggest that the new premium reduced enrollment in the premium-paying group by 18 percent (over 3,000 children) in Kentucky and by 5 percent (over 1,000 children) in Arizona, with some of these children apparently leaving public coverage altogether. While most children enrolled in these categories did not appear to be directly affected by the imposition of $10–$20 monthly premiums, the premiums may have caused some children to go without health insurance coverage, which in turn could have adverse effects on their access to care. Imposing nominal premiums may reduce state spending, but projected savings appear to be small relative to total state SCHIP spending and resulting increases in enrollment in other public programs and in uninsurance rates could offset those savings. PMID:17995547

Niche and neutral processes both shape community structure in parallelized, aerobic, single carbon-source enrichments

DOE Data Explorer

Flynn, Theodore M.; Koval, Jason C.; Greenwald, Stephanie M.; Owens, Sarah M.; Kemner, Kenneth M.; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A.

2017-01-01

We present DNA sequence data in FASTA-formatted files from aerobic environmental microcosms inoculated with a sole carbon source. DNA sequences are of 16S rRNA genes present in DNA extracted from each microcosm along with the environmental samples (soil, water) used to inoculate them. These samples were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform at the Environmental Sample Preparation and Sequencing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. This data is compatible with standard microbiome analysis pipelines (e.g., QIIME, mothur, etc.).

Tort law and medical malpractice insurance premiums.

PubMed

Kilgore, Meredith L; Morrisey, Michael A; Nelson, Leonard J

2006-01-01

This paper estimated the effects of tort law and insurer investment returns on physician malpractice insurance premiums. Data were collected on tort law from 1991 through 2004, and multivariate regression models, including fixed effects for state and year, were used to estimate the effect of changes in tort law on medical malpractice premiums. The premium consequences of national policy changes were simulated. The analysis found that the introduction of a new damage cap lowered malpractice premiums for internal medicine, general surgery, and obstetrics/gynecology by 17.3%, 20.7%, and 25.5%, respectively. Lowering damage caps by dollar 100,000 reduced premiums by 4%. Statutes of repose also resulted in lower premiums. No other tort law changes had the effect of lowering premiums. Simulation results indicate that a national cap of dollar 250,000 on awards for noneconomic damages in all states would imply premium savings of dollar 16.9 billion. Extending a dollar 250,000 cap to all states that do not currently have them would save dollar 1.4 billion annually, or about 8% of the total. A negative effect on malpractice premiums was found for the Dow Jones industrial average, but not for bond prices; effects of the Nasdaq index were not significant for internal medicine, but were marginally significant for surgery and obstetrics premiums.

Estimation of a Hedonic Pricing Model for Medigap Insurance

PubMed Central

Robst, John

2006-01-01

Objective This paper uses a unique database to examine premiums paid by beneficiaries for Medigap supplemental coverage. Average premiums charged by insurers are reported, as well as premiums by enrollee age and gender, and additional policy characteristics. Marginal prices for Medigap benefits are estimated using hedonic price regressions. In addition, the paper considers how additional policy characteristics and geographic differences in the use and cost of medical care affect premiums. Data Sources/Study Setting A comprehensive database on premiums paid by beneficiaries for newly issued Medigap policies in the year 2000 along with state-level characteristics. Study Design Hedonic pricing equations are used to estimate implicit prices for Medigap benefits. Data Collection/Extraction Methods The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contracted for the creation of a detailed database on Medigap premiums. Data were collected in three stages. First, letters were sent directly to insurers requesting premium data. Second, letters were directly to state insurance commissioner's offices requesting premium data. Last, each state insurance commissioner's office was visited to collect missing data. Principal Findings With the exceptions of the part B deductible and drug benefit, Medigap supplemental insurance is priced consistent with the actuarial value of benefits offered under the standardized plans. Premiums vary substantially based on rating method, whether the policy is guaranteed issue, Medigap Select, or explicitly for smokers. Premiums increase with enrollee age, but do not vary between men and women. The relationship between premiums and enrollee age varies across rating methods. Attained-age policies show the strongest relationship between age and premiums, while community-rated premiums, by definition, do not vary with age. Medigap supplemental insurance premiums are higher in states with poorer health, greater utilization, and greater managed care penetration. Conclusions Despite the high cost, Medigap plans are generally priced in accordance with the actuarial value of benefits. The primary exception is the drug benefit, which appears to be subject to substantial adverse selection. Benefits such as the part B deductible and at-home recovery benefit offer little value to consumers. Several states require insurers to community rate premiums. Such regulation has important implications for premiums, and research needs to consider the impact of such regulation on the Medigap market. PMID:17116111

Estimation of a hedonic pricing model for Medigap insurance.

PubMed

Robst, John

2006-12-01

This paper uses a unique database to examine premiums paid by beneficiaries for Medigap supplemental coverage. Average premiums charged by insurers are reported, as well as premiums by enrollee age and gender, and additional policy characteristics. Marginal prices for Medigap benefits are estimated using hedonic price regressions. In addition, the paper considers how additional policy characteristics and geographic differences in the use and cost of medical care affect premiums. A comprehensive database on premiums paid by beneficiaries for newly issued Medigap policies in the year 2000 along with state-level characteristics. Hedonic pricing equations are used to estimate implicit prices for Medigap benefits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contracted for the creation of a detailed database on Medigap premiums. Data were collected in three stages. First, letters were sent directly to insurers requesting premium data. Second, letters were directly to state insurance commissioner's offices requesting premium data. Last, each state insurance commissioner's office was visited to collect missing data. With the exceptions of the part B deductible and drug benefit, Medigap supplemental insurance is priced consistent with the actuarial value of benefits offered under the standardized plans. Premiums vary substantially based on rating method, whether the policy is guaranteed issue, Medigap Select, or explicitly for smokers. Premiums increase with enrollee age, but do not vary between men and women. The relationship between premiums and enrollee age varies across rating methods. Attained-age policies show the strongest relationship between age and premiums, while community-rated premiums, by definition, do not vary with age. Medigap supplemental insurance premiums are higher in states with poorer health, greater utilization, and greater managed care penetration. Despite the high cost, Medigap plans are generally priced in accordance with the actuarial value of benefits. The primary exception is the drug benefit, which appears to be subject to substantial adverse selection. Benefits such as the part B deductible and at-home recovery benefit offer little value to consumers. Several states require insurers to community rate premiums. Such regulation has important implications for premiums, and research needs to consider the impact of such regulation on the Medigap market.

26 CFR 1.163-11T - Allocation of certain prepaid qualified mortgage insurance premiums (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums (temporary). 1.163-11T Section 1.163-11T Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... insurance premiums (temporary). (a) Allocation—(1) In general. As provided in section 163(h)(3)(E), premiums... section applies whether the qualified mortgage insurance premiums are paid in cash or are financed...

26 CFR 1.163-11T - Allocation of certain prepaid qualified mortgage insurance premiums (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums (temporary). 1.163-11T Section 1.163-11T Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... insurance premiums (temporary). (a) Allocation—(1) In general. As provided in section 163(h)(3)(E), premiums... section applies whether the qualified mortgage insurance premiums are paid in cash or are financed...

29 CFR Appendix to Part 4007 - Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Appendix to Part... PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS Pt. 4007, App. Appendix to Part 4007—Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Sec...? 3What is the purpose of a premium penalty? 4What information is in this Appendix and how is it organized...

29 CFR Appendix to Part 4007 - Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Appendix to Part... PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS Pt. 4007, App. Appendix to Part 4007—Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Sec...? 3What is the purpose of a premium penalty? 4What information is in this Appendix and how is it organized...

29 CFR Appendix to Part 4007 - Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Appendix to Part... PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS Pt. 4007, App. Appendix to Part 4007—Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Sec...? 3What is the purpose of a premium penalty? 4What information is in this Appendix and how is it organized...

29 CFR Appendix to Part 4007 - Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Appendix to Part... PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS Pt. 4007, App. Appendix to Part 4007—Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Sec...? 3What is the purpose of a premium penalty? 4What information is in this Appendix and how is it organized...

29 CFR Appendix to Part 4007 - Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Appendix to Part... PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS Pt. 4007, App. Appendix to Part 4007—Policy Guidelines On Premium Penalties Sec...? 3What is the purpose of a premium penalty? 4What information is in this Appendix and how is it organized...

Characterization of the Tribological Behavior of Oxide-Based NanoMaterials: Final CRADA Report

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

Fenske, George

2017-01-04

Under the Argonne/Pixelligent cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA – C1200801), Argonne performed labscale tribological tests on proprietary nano-sized ZrO 2 material developed by Pixelligent. Pixelligent utilized their proprietary process to prepare variants with different surfactants at different loadings in different carrier fluids for testing and evaluation at Argonne. Argonne applied a range of benchtop tribological test rigs to evaluate friction and wear under a range of conditions (contact geometry, loads, speeds, and temperature) that simulated a broad range of conditions experienced in engines and driveline components. Post-test analysis of worn surfaces provided information on the structure and chemistry ofmore » the tribofilms produced during the tests.« less

2014 Annual Report - Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

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

Collins, James R.; Papka, Michael E.; Cerny, Beth A.

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility provides supercomputing capabilities to the scientific and engineering community to advance fundamental discovery and understanding in a broad range of disciplines.

2015 Annual Report - Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

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

Collins, James R.; Papka, Michael E.; Cerny, Beth A.

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility provides supercomputing capabilities to the scientific and engineering community to advance fundamental discovery and understanding in a broad range of disciplines.

Mathematics and Computer Science | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Genomics and Systems Biology LCRCLaboratory Computing Resource Center MCSGMidwest Center for Structural Genomics NAISENorthwestern-Argonne Institute of Science & Engineering SBCStructural Biology Center

Sitewide monitoring at Agra, Kansas, June 2009.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

In 1985, carbon tetrachloride was discovered in the groundwater at Agra, Kansas, during routine sampling of public water supply wells. Two of Agra's four public water supply wells contained low but detectable levels of carbon tetrachloride; the concentrations in wells PWS-3 and PWS-4 exceeded the maximum contaminant level. These wells were removed from service in 1986, although they remain available for uses other than drinking water. Other public wells, outside the area of contamination, supply drinking water for the city of Agra. In 1987-2005, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S.more » Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) conducted investigations to delineate the contaminant plume and to identify source areas for the contamination - which results from the past use of grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride. Source areas were identified on the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility property and on the Producers Agricultural Marketing Association, Inc., property located to the south (Argonne 2006). The contaminant plume extends to the southeast, toward well PWS-3, from the identified source areas. Both the CCC/USDA and Pro-Ag Marketing are currently implementing KDHE-approved interim measures (IMs). To address the contamination identified on its former property, the CCC/USDA is implementing a source control IM consisting of large-diameter boreholes (LDBs) coupled with soil vapor extraction (SVE) and air sparging (AS). Pro-Ag Marketing plans to use groundwater extraction to address the downgradient plume. The CCC/USDA and Pro-Ag completed installation of the two interim measures in May 2009 and August 2009, respectively. The performance and assessments of the effectiveness of the IMs are being reported separately by the responsible entities. As part of the IM process, the KDHE (2008) requested the development of a joint sitewide groundwater monitoring plan to allow periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the separate IMs being implemented by the CCC/USDA and Pro-Ag, through monitoring of the level of contamination and the resulting change in both the extent and internal configuration of the downgradient plume. A Joint Work Plan for Sitewide Monitoring was developed by the CCC/USDA through its technical consultant, Argonne National Laboratory, and was reviewed, approved, and signed by Pro-Ag Marketing and subsequently submitted to the KDHE on May 12, 2009. The KDHE (2009a) provided comments on the Joint Work Plan on May 27, 2009, requesting submission of a revised version. To minimize delays, the KDHE allowed the CCC/USDA to proceed with the scheduled annual sampling proposed in the Joint Work Plan. The sampling was to be conducted according to the previously approved low-flow sampling methodology (Argonne 2009). Argonne conducted the first annual sampling event for the CCC/USDA on June 15-16, 2009. The finalized, signed version of the Joint Work Plan provided to the KDHE on November 9, 2009, is in Appendix A. Table 1.1 lists the monitoring and public water supply wells to be sampled under the Joint Work Plan, plus the wells being sampled to monitor the respective IMs. The entity responsible for each monitoring element is indicated, along with well completion dates and well registration numbers. The subject of this report is the initial sitewide groundwater sampling event that occurred on June 15-16, 2009, under the Joint Work Plan.« less

5 CFR 550.154 - Rates of premium pay payable under § 550.151.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Rates of premium pay payable under § 550... REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Administratively Uncontrollable Work § 550.154 Rates of premium pay payable under § 550.151. (a) An agency may pay the premium pay on an annual basis referred to...

Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations Energy Frontier

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Search Argonne ... Search Argonne Home > Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations Synthesis Characterization Computational Studies Evaluation and Mechanisms/Catalytic Experimentation Using

The Association of State Rate Review Authority with Health Insurance Premiums.

PubMed

Ticse, Caroline

2015-10-01

Key findings. (1) Adjusted premiums in the individual market in states with prior approval authority combined with loss ratio requirements were lower in 2010-2013 than premiums in states with no rate review authority or file-and-use regulations only. (2) Adjusted premiums declined modestly in prior approval states while premiums increased in states with no rate review authority or with file-and-use regulations only. (3) The findings suggest that states with prior approval authority and loss ratio requirements constrained increases in health insurance premiums.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

Carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at Morrill, Kansas, was initially identified in 1985 during statewide testing of public water supply wells for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). High levels of nitrate were also present in the wells. The city of Morrill is located in Brown County in the northeastern corner of the state, about 7 mi east of Sabetha. The population of Morrill as of the 2000 census was approximately 277. All residents of Morrill now obtain their drinking water from the Sabetha municipal water system via a pipeline constructed in 1991. Starting in 1922, eight different public wells formerly servedmore » the Morrill municipal system at some time. Because of poor water quality, including high nitrate levels attributed to numerous animal feeding operations in the vicinity and application of fertilizer on agricultural lands, use of the local groundwater from any public well for municipal supply purposes was terminated in 1991 in favor of obtaining water from the Sabetha municipal water system. Investigations of the carbon tetrachloride and nitrate contamination by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in 1989, 1994, and 1996 (KDHE 1989; GeoCore 1994a-e, 1996) identified a localized plume of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater extending downgradient from a grain storage facility located in the northwestern section of Morrill. The facility was formerly operated by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), from 1950 to 1971. Since termination of the CCC/USDA grain storage operations in 1971, the property and existing grain bins have been used for private grain storage up to the present time. Prior to 1986, commercial grain fumigants were commonly used by the CCC/USDA, as well as private and commercial grain storage operations, to preserve grain. Because the identified carbon tetrachloride contamination could in part be linked to historical use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former facility, in 2003 the CCC/USDA assumed responsibility for the site investigation of the carbon tetrachloride contamination. The CCC/USDA involvement began with development and implementation of a work plan for a Phase I expedited site characterization (Argonne 2003). That investigation and subsequent investigations (Argonne 2004, 2005a) were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne continues to provide technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The initial investigation by the CCC/USDA in 2003 determined that soils at the former facility have not been impacted by grain fumigation activities. Neither carbon tetrachloride nor chloroform was detected in near-surface soils or in subsurface soils collected to bedrock or to a depth of 15 ft below ground level (BGL). Therefore, no identifiable human health risk is associated with either carbon tetrachloride or chloroform in shallow soils, which additionally pose no further threat of contamination to groundwater. High carbon tetrachloride concentrations in groundwater (maximum 390 {micro}g/L in a sample collected from monitoring well MW3S - located on the former CCC/USDA property - in 1995) have declined significantly during long-term monitoring by the KDHE and currently by the CCC/USDA. Maximum levels within the plume of < 50 {micro}g/L at present confirm that no continuing soil source remains at the former CCC/USDA facility. Nevertheless, carbon tetrachloride concentrations exceeding the KDHE Tier 2 risk-based screening level of 5.0 {micro}g/L remain. In September 2005, the CCC/USDA initiated periodic sampling of groundwater at Morrill, in accord with a monitoring program approved by the state (KDHE 2005), to monitor carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the groundwater. Under the KDHE-approved monitoring plan (Argonne 2005b), groundwater was initially sampled twice yearly for a period of two years. The samples were analyzed for VOCs, as well as for selected geochemical parameters to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. The data have been inconclusive overall, possibly because of the relatively low contaminant concentrations in the plume. Nevertheless, consistently low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) at monitoring well MW1D (in the deepest portion of the contaminated aquifer) and the presence of chloroform (the primary degradation product of carbon tetrachloride) suggest that some degree of reductive dechlorination is occurring.« less

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

Grabaskas, David; Brunett, Acacia J.; Passerini, Stefano

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) participated in a two year collaboration to modernize and update the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) for the PRISM sodium fast reactor. At a high level, the primary outcome of the project was the development of a next-generation PRA that is intended to enable risk-informed prioritization of safety- and reliability-focused research and development. A central Argonne task during this project was a reliability assessment of passive safety systems, which included the Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Cooling System (RVACS) and the inherent reactivity feedbacks of the metal fuel core. Both systems were examinedmore » utilizing a methodology derived from the Reliability Method for Passive Safety Functions (RMPS), with an emphasis on developing success criteria based on mechanistic system modeling while also maintaining consistency with the Fuel Damage Categories (FDCs) of the mechanistic source term assessment. This paper provides an overview of the reliability analyses of both systems, including highlights of the FMEAs, the construction of best-estimate models, uncertain parameter screening and propagation, and the quantification of system failure probability. In particular, special focus is given to the methodologies to perform the analysis of uncertainty propagation and the determination of the likelihood of violating FDC limits. Additionally, important lessons learned are also reviewed, such as optimal sampling methodologies for the discovery of low likelihood failure events and strategies for the combined treatment of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties.« less

The Role of Congress in the Strategic Posture of the United States, 1942-1960, Manhattan Project to the New Look

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

infrastructure at Los Alamos, Argonne, Oak Ridge, Hanford and elsewhere. But of equal or greater significance for the future strategic posture was the role...nuclear laboratories and defense industrial infrastructure at Los Alamos, Argonne, Oak Ridge, Hanford and elsewhere would design, test, and build...conferences which I attended at Washington, Los Alamos, Argonne, Hanford , and elsewhere, is written in sincere hopes of being helpful to you.... Those

Scientific support of SciTech museum exhibits and outreach programs

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

Peshkin, M.

SciTech (Science and Technology Interactive Center) is a small hands-on science museum located in Aurora, Illinois, not far from Argonne National Laboratory. Its constituency includes prosperous suburbs and economically disadvantaged minority communities in Aurora and Chicago. Its mission is to contribute to the country`s scientific literacy initiative by offering hands-on experiences on the museum floor and through outreach programs extended to school children, their teachers, and other groups. Argonne`s participation is focused mainly on the development of exhibits to carry the ideas of modern science and technology to the public. This is an area in which traditional museums are weak,more » but in which SciTech has become a nationally recognized leader with the assistance of Argonne, Fermilab, nearby technological companies, and many volunteer scientists and engineers. We also participate in development and improvement of the museum`s general exhibits and outreach programs. Argonne`s Director, Alan Schriesheim, serves as a member of the museum`s Board of Directors. Murray Peshkin serves part-time as the museum`s Senior Scientist. Dale Henderson serves part-time as an exhibit developer. That work is supported by the Laboratory Director`s discretionary funds. In addition, several members of the Physics Division voluntarily assist with exhibit development and the Division makes facilities available for that effort.« less

The impact of CHIP premium increases on insurance outcomes among CHIP eligible children

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Within the United States, public insurance premiums are used both to discourage private health policy holders from dropping coverage and to reduce state budget costs. Prior research suggests that the odds of having private coverage and being uninsured increase with increases in public insurance premiums. The aim of this paper is to test effects of Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) premium increases on public insurance, private insurance, and uninsurance rates. Methods The fact that families just below and above a state-specific income cut-off are likely very similar in terms of observable and unobservable characteristics except the premium contribution provides a natural experiment for estimating the effect of premium increases. Using 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) merged with CHIP premiums, we compare health insurance outcomes for CHIP eligible children as of January 2003 in states with a two-tier premium structure using a cross-sectional regression discontinuity methodology. We use difference-in-differences analysis to compare longitudinal insurance outcomes by December 2003. Results Higher CHIP premiums are associated with higher likelihood of private insurance. Disenrollment from CHIP in response to premium increases over time does not increase the uninsurance rate. Conclusions When faced with higher CHIP premiums, private health insurance may be a preferable alternative for CHIP eligible families with higher incomes. Therefore, competition in the insurance exchanges being formed under the Affordable Care Act could enhance choice. PMID:24589197

The impact of CHIP premium increases on insurance outcomes among CHIP eligible children.

PubMed

Nikolova, Silviya; Stearns, Sally

2014-03-03

Within the United States, public insurance premiums are used both to discourage private health policy holders from dropping coverage and to reduce state budget costs. Prior research suggests that the odds of having private coverage and being uninsured increase with increases in public insurance premiums. The aim of this paper is to test effects of Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) premium increases on public insurance, private insurance, and uninsurance rates. The fact that families just below and above a state-specific income cut-off are likely very similar in terms of observable and unobservable characteristics except the premium contribution provides a natural experiment for estimating the effect of premium increases. Using 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) merged with CHIP premiums, we compare health insurance outcomes for CHIP eligible children as of January 2003 in states with a two-tier premium structure using a cross-sectional regression discontinuity methodology. We use difference-in-differences analysis to compare longitudinal insurance outcomes by December 2003. Higher CHIP premiums are associated with higher likelihood of private insurance. Disenrollment from CHIP in response to premium increases over time does not increase the uninsurance rate. When faced with higher CHIP premiums, private health insurance may be a preferable alternative for CHIP eligible families with higher incomes. Therefore, competition in the insurance exchanges being formed under the Affordable Care Act could enhance choice.

Growth and variability in health plan premiums in the individual insurance market before the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Gruber, Jonathan

2014-06-01

Before we can evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act on health insurance premiums in the individual market, it is critical to understand the pricing trends of these premiums before the implementation of the law. Using rates of increase in the individual insurance market collected from state regulators, this issue brief documents trends in premium growth in the pre-ACA period. From 2008 to 2010, premiums grew by 10 percent or more per year. This growth was also highly variable across states, and even more variable across insurance plans within states. The study suggests that evaluating trends in premiums requires looking across a broad array of states and plans, and that policymakers must examine how present and future changes in premium rates compare with the more than 10 percent per year premium increases in the years preceding health reform.

Education Highlights: Forest Biomass

ScienceCinema

Barone, Rachel; Canter, Christina

2018-06-25

Argonne intern Rachel Barone from Ithaca College worked with Argonne mentor Christina Canter in studying forest biomass. This research will help scientists develop large scale use of biofuels from forest biomass.

Education Highlights: Forest Biomass

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

Barone, Rachel; Canter, Christina

2016-01-27

Argonne intern Rachel Barone from Ithaca College worked with Argonne mentor Christina Canter in studying forest biomass. This research will help scientists develop large scale use of biofuels from forest biomass.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's provisions regarding medical loss ratios and quality: evidence from Texas.

PubMed

Quast, Troy

2013-01-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) includes a provision that penalizes insurance companies if their Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) falls below a specified threshold. The MLR is roughly measured as the ratio of health care expenses to premiums paid by enrollees. I investigate whether there is a relationship between MLRs and the quality of care provided by insurance companies. I employ a ten-year sample of market-level financial data and quality variables for Texas insurers, as well as relevant control variables, in regression analyses that utilize insurer and market fixed effects. Of the 15 quality measures, only one has a statistically significant relationship with the MLR. For this measure, the relationship is negative. Although the MLR provision may provide incentives for insurance companies to lower premiums, this sample does not suggest that there is likely to be a beneficial effect on quality.

Premium assistance in Medicaid and SCHIP: ace in the hole or house of cards?

PubMed

Shirk, Cynthia; Ryan, Jennifer

2006-07-17

This issue brief explores the use of premium assistance in publicly financed health insurance coverage programs. In the context of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), premium assistance entails using federal and state funds to subsidize the premiums for the purchase of private insurance coverage for eligible individuals. This paper considers the evolution of premium assistance and some of the statutory and administrative limitations, as well as private market factors, that have prevented widespread enrollment in Medicaid or SCHIP premium assistance programs. Finally, this issue brief offers some ideas for potential legislative and/or programmatic changes that could facilitate the use of premium assistance as a mechanism for health coverage expansion.

Education Highlights: Plant Health

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

Michaels, Michelle; Cook, David

2016-01-27

Argonne intern Michelle Michaels from Oakland Community College worked with Argonne mentor David Cook in studying trends in plant health. This research will help farmers determine crop yield during the growing season.

Education Highlights: Plant Health

ScienceCinema

Michaels, Michelle; Cook, David

2018-06-25

Argonne intern Michelle Michaels from Oakland Community College worked with Argonne mentor David Cook in studying trends in plant health. This research will help farmers determine crop yield during the growing season.

5 CFR 892.303 - Can I pay my premiums directly by check under the premium conversion plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Contributions and Withholdings § 892.303 Can I pay my premiums directly...

5 CFR 892.303 - Can I pay my premiums directly by check under the premium conversion plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Contributions and Withholdings § 892.303 Can I pay my premiums directly...

5 CFR 892.303 - Can I pay my premiums directly by check under the premium conversion plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Contributions and Withholdings § 892.303 Can I pay my premiums directly...

5 CFR 581.105 - Exclusions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... insurance premiums, including, but not limited to, amounts deducted from civil service annuities for... life insurance premiums from salary or other remuneration for employment, not including amounts... Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums are considered to be normal life insurance premiums; all optional...

Insurer Competition In Federally Run Marketplaces Is Associated With Lower Premiums.

PubMed

Jacobs, Paul D; Banthin, Jessica S; Trachtman, Samuel

2015-12-01

Federal subsidies for health insurance premiums sold through the Marketplaces are tied to the cost of the benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost silver plan. According to economic theory, the presence of more competitors should lead to lower premiums, implying smaller federal outlays for premium subsidies. The long-term impact of the Affordable Care Act on government spending will depend on the cost of these premium subsidies over time, with insurer participation and the level of competition likely to influence those costs. We studied insurer participation and premiums during the first two years of the Marketplaces. We found that the addition of a single insurer in a county was associated with a 1.2 percent lower premium for the average silver plan and a 3.5 percent lower premium for the benchmark plan in the federally run Marketplaces. We found that the effect of insurer entry was muted after two or three additional entrants. These findings suggest that increased insurer participation in the federally run Marketplaces reduces federal payments for premium subsidies. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Integrating self-determined needs into the relationship among product design, willingness-to-pay a premium, and word-of-mouth: a cross-cultural gender-specific study.

PubMed

Gilal, Faheem Gul; Zhang, Jian; Gilal, Naeem Gul; Gilal, Rukhsana Gul

2018-01-01

The present study integrates self-determined needs satisfaction into a relationship between product design (eg, aesthetic, functional, and symbolic design) and consumer behavior (eg, willingness-to-pay [WTP] a premium and negative word-of-mouth [WOM]) and to explore whether gender can differentiate the effects of aesthetic, functional, and symbolic product designs on self-determined needs satisfaction. To this end, participants from Pakistan and China were recruited, and the hypotheses for this study were tested using structural equation modeling and SPSS-PROCESS. The effects of three product designs on self-determined needs satisfaction were significantly positive across samples. The results further show that self-determined needs satisfaction had the strongest positive effect on WTP a premium and the strongest negative effect on vindictive WOM for Pakistanis. Self-determined needs frustration had the strongest negative effect on the WTP a premium for Chinese participants and an equivalent magnitude effect on vindictive WOM for Pakistani and Chinese participants. The cross-cultural gender-specific findings revealed that Pakistani men are more aesthetic and hedonic than women in Pakistan. Surprisingly, Chinese women resemble Pakistani men in the sense that they prefer aesthetically pleasing products. Chinese men resemble Pakistani women in terms of little interest in symbolic products, whereas Chinese women and Pakistani men respond similarly regarding their decisions to choose symbolic products. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the present study is one of the initial attempts to integrate self-determined needs into the relationship between product design and consumer WTP a premium and WOM, and further explore cross-cultural gender-specific differences across Pakistan and China. The findings of the present study may help international marketers in terms of segmenting, targeting, and positioning their markets.

42 CFR 408.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium Surcharge Agreements § 408.201 Definitions. For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions apply: SMI premium surcharge means the amount that the standard monthly SMI premium is increased for late enrollment or for...

42 CFR 408.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium Surcharge Agreements § 408.201 Definitions. For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions apply: SMI premium surcharge means the amount that the standard monthly SMI premium is increased for late enrollment or for...

Do "premium" joint implants add value?: analysis of high cost joint implants in a community registry.

PubMed

Gioe, Terence J; Sharma, Amit; Tatman, Penny; Mehle, Susan

2011-01-01

Numerous joint implant options of varying cost are available to the surgeon, but it is unclear whether more costly implants add value in terms of function or longevity. We evaluated registry survival of higher-cost "premium" knee and hip components compared to lower-priced standard components. Premium TKA components were defined as mobile-bearing designs, high-flexion designs, oxidized-zirconium designs, those including moderately crosslinked polyethylene inserts, or some combination. Premium THAs included ceramic-on-ceramic, metal-on-metal, and ceramic-on-highly crosslinked polyethylene designs. We compared 3462 standard TKAs to 2806 premium TKAs and 868 standard THAs to 1311 premium THAs using standard statistical methods. The cost of the premium implants was on average approximately $1000 higher than the standard implants. There was no difference in the cumulative revision rate at 7-8 years between premium and standard TKAs or THAs. In this time frame, premium implants did not demonstrate better survival than standard implants. Revision indications for TKA did not differ, and infection and instability remained contributors. Longer followup is necessary to demonstrate whether premium implants add value in younger patient groups. Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Trends in malpractice premiums for dermatologists: results of a national survey.

PubMed

Resneck, Jack S

2006-03-01

To analyze professional liability premiums in dermatology and factors associated with premium variation. This study examines data from a survey of dermatologists conducted in 2004. Survey respondents (n = 1095) reported mean medical liability premiums of $10,898 in 2004 (95% confidence interval, $10,295-$11,501). Premiums increased by 24.4% in 2003 and 16.7% in 2004. There was substantial variation by state, and mean premiums were higher in American Medical Association (AMA)-declared "crisis states" than in those states listed as "currently OK" ($11,669 vs $9527; P = .03). Premium growth from 2002 through 2004 was higher in AMA crisis states and in states without $250 000 caps in place for noneconomic damages. Even when excluding payment for cosmetic riders, premium levels were higher for dermatologists spending more than 10% of their time in cosmetic practice ($13,816 vs $10,185; P<.001) or more than 30% of their time in noncosmetic surgery ($12,551 vs $10,453; P = .01). While premiums paid by dermatologists for professional liability insurance in 2004 were well below those experienced by higher-risk specialties, geographic factors and state tort law variation seem to be affecting dermatology premiums in much the same way they affect the field of medicine as a whole.

Mira: Argonne's 10-petaflops supercomputer

ScienceCinema

Papka, Michael; Coghlan, Susan; Isaacs, Eric; Peters, Mark; Messina, Paul

2018-02-13

Mira, Argonne's petascale IBM Blue Gene/Q system, ushers in a new era of scientific supercomputing at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. An engineering marvel, the 10-petaflops supercomputer is capable of carrying out 10 quadrillion calculations per second. As a machine for open science, any researcher with a question that requires large-scale computing resources can submit a proposal for time on Mira, typically in allocations of millions of core-hours, to run programs for their experiments. This adds up to billions of hours of computing time per year.

Mira: Argonne's 10-petaflops supercomputer

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

Papka, Michael; Coghlan, Susan; Isaacs, Eric

2013-07-03

Mira, Argonne's petascale IBM Blue Gene/Q system, ushers in a new era of scientific supercomputing at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. An engineering marvel, the 10-petaflops supercomputer is capable of carrying out 10 quadrillion calculations per second. As a machine for open science, any researcher with a question that requires large-scale computing resources can submit a proposal for time on Mira, typically in allocations of millions of core-hours, to run programs for their experiments. This adds up to billions of hours of computing time per year.

ACA Marketplace premiums and competition among hospitals and physician practices.

PubMed

Polyakova, Maria; Bundorf, M Kate; Kessler, Daniel P; Baker, Laurence C

2018-02-01

To examine the association between annual premiums for health plans available in Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) and the extent of competition and integration among physicians and hospitals, as well as the number of insurers. We used observational data from the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight on the annual premiums and other characteristics of plans, matched to measures of physician, hospital, and insurer market competitiveness and other characteristics of 411 rating areas in the 37 FFMs. We estimated multivariate models of the relationship between annual premiums and Herfindahl-Hirschman indices of hospitals and physician practices, controlling for the number of insurers, the extent of physician-hospital integration, and other plan and rating area characteristics. Premiums for Marketplace plans were higher in rating areas in which physician, hospital, and insurance markets were less competitive. An increase from the 10th to the 90th percentile of physician concentration and hospital concentration was associated with increases of $393 and $189, respectively, in annual premiums for the Silver plan with the second lowest cost. A similar increase in the number of insurers was associated with a $421 decrease in premiums. Physician-hospital integration was not significantly associated with premiums. Premiums for FFM plans were higher in markets with greater concentrations of hospitals and physicians but fewer insurers. Higher premiums make health insurance less affordable for people purchasing unsubsidized coverage and raise the cost of Marketplace premium tax credits to the government.

Medicaid and CHIP Premiums and Access to Care: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Saloner, Brendan; Hochhalter, Stephanie; Sabik, Lindsay

2016-03-01

Premiums are required in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program in many states. Effects of premiums are raised in policy debates. Our objective was to review effects of premiums on children's coverage and access. PubMed was used to search academic literature from 1995 to 2014. Two reviewers initially screened studies by using abstracts and titles, and 1 additional reviewer screened proposed studies. Included studies focused on publicly insured children, evaluated premium changes in at least 1 state/local program, and used longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional data with pre/postchange measures. We identified 263 studies of which 17 met inclusion criteria. Four studies examined population-level coverage effects by using national survey data, 11 studies examined trends in disenrollment and reenrollment by using administrative data, and 2 studies measured additional outcomes. No eligible studies evaluated health status effects. Increases in premiums were associated with increased disenrollment rates in 7 studies that permitted comparison. Larger premium increases and stringent enforcement tended to have larger effects on disenrollment. At a population level, premiums reduce public insurance enrollment and may increase the uninsured rate for lower-income children. Little is known about effects of premiums on spending or access to care, but 1 study reveals premiums are unlikely to yield substantial revenue. Effect sizes were difficult to compare across studies with administrative data. Public insurance premiums often increase disenrollment from public insurance and may have unintended consequences on overall coverage for low-income children. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Argonne partners with industry on nuclear reactor work | Argonne National

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October 18, 2017 Next article: Researchers create successful predictions of combustion reaction rates  CRIChain Reaction Innovations CIComputation Institute IACTInstitute for Atom-Efficient Chemical

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Highlights In the News Photos Videos News News Transforming transportation with machine learning Full Story  » From individual vehicle components to entire metropolitan areas, Argonne uses machine learning to

24 CFR 232.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... amortization provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

24 CFR 232.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... amortization provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

24 CFR 241.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

24 CFR 241.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

24 CFR 241.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

24 CFR 232.805 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... insurance premium equal to one percent of the original face amount of the note. (b) Second premium. The... the first principal payment. (c) Annual insurance premium. Until the note is paid in full, or until... amortization provisions without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. ...

5 CFR 582.103 - Exclusions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... retirement benefits are considered to be supplementary; (f) Are deducted as normal life insurance premiums... coverage. Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums for “Basic Life” coverage are considered to be normal life insurance premiums; all optional Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums and any...

78 FR 70856 - Information Reporting of Mortgage Insurance Premiums

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-27

... Information Reporting of Mortgage Insurance Premiums AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION... regulations that require information reporting by persons who receive mortgage insurance premiums, including... reporting requirements that result from the extension of the treatment of mortgage insurance premiums made...

42 CFR 408.202 - Conditions for participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium... apply to CMS to enter into an SMI premium surcharge agreement if the following conditions are met: (1) Each individual designated for coverage under the premium surcharge agreement must be enrolled in...

42 CFR 408.202 - Conditions for participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium... apply to CMS to enter into an SMI premium surcharge agreement if the following conditions are met: (1) Each individual designated for coverage under the premium surcharge agreement must be enrolled in...

5 CFR 582.103 - Exclusions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... retirement benefits are considered to be supplementary; (f) Are deducted as normal life insurance premiums... coverage. Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums for “Basic Life” coverage are considered to be normal life insurance premiums; all optional Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums and any...

5 CFR 581.105 - Exclusions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums are considered to be normal life insurance premiums; all optional Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance premiums and life insurance premiums paid for by allotment, such... presents evidence of a tax obligation which supports the additional withholding; (d) Are deducted as health...

Learning Experiences | Argonne National Laboratory

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for Genomics and Systems Biology IMEInstitute for Molecular Engineering JCESRJoint Center for Energy SBCStructural Biology Center Energy.gov U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science UChicago Argonne LLC Privacy

48 CFR 2132.770 - Insurance premium payments and special contingency reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Insurance premium payments... GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FINANCING Contract Funding 2132.770 Insurance premium payments and special contingency reserve. Insurance premium payments and a special contingency reserve are made...

48 CFR 2132.770 - Insurance premium payments and special contingency reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Insurance premium payments... GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FINANCING Contract Funding 2132.770 Insurance premium payments and special contingency reserve. Insurance premium payments and a special contingency reserve are made...

46 CFR 308.514 - Return premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Return premium. 308.514 Section 308.514 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Open Policy War Risk Cargo Insurance § 308.514 Return premium. No premium will be...

State trends in premiums and deductibles, 2003-2010: the need for action to address rising costs.

PubMed

Schoen, Cathy; Fryer, Ashley-Kay; Collins, Sara R; Radley, David C

2011-11-01

Rapidly rising health insurance costs continue to strain the budgets of U.S. families and employers. This issue brief analyzes changes in private employer-based health premiums and deductibles for all states from 2003 to 2010, and finds total premiums for family coverage increased 50 percent across states and employee annual share of premiums increased by 63 percent over these seven years. At the same time, per-person deductibles doubled in large, as well as small, firms. If premium trends continue at the rate prior to enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the average premium for family coverage will rise 72 percent by 2020, to nearly $24,000. Health reform offers the potential to reduce insurance cost growth while improving financial protections. If efforts succeed in slowing annual premium growth by 1 percentage point, by 2020 employers and families together would save $2,161 annually for family coverage, compared with projected premiums at historical rates of increase.

Lessons Learned From the Affordable Care Act: The Premium Subsidy Design May Promote Adverse Selection.

PubMed

Graetz, Ilana; McKillop, Caitlin N; Kaplan, Cameron M; Waters, Teresa M

2017-05-01

Since 2014, average premiums for health plans available in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces have increased. We examine how premium price changes affected the amount consumers pay after subsidies for the lowest-cost bronze and silver plans available by age in the federally facilitated exchanges. Between 2015 and 2016, benchmark plan premiums increased in 83.3% of counties. Overall, rising benchmark premiums were associated with lower average after-subsidy premiums for the lowest-cost bronze and silver plans for older subsidy-eligible adults, but with higher after-subsidy premiums for younger adults purchasing the same plans, regardless of income. With recent discussions to replace or overhaul the Affordable Care Act, it is critical that we learn from the successes and failures of the current policy. Our findings suggest that the subsidy design, which makes rising premiums costlier for younger adults looking to purchase an entry-level plan, may be contributing to adverse selection and instability in the marketplace.

Argonne OutLoud: "Climate Change: Fact, Fiction and What You Can Do"

ScienceCinema

Sisterson, Douglas

2018-06-07

Research meteorologist Doug Sisterson discusses climate change and the cutting-edge research taking place at Argonne as well as collaborative research with other institutions, including the University of Chicago.

Argonne's Vilas Pol on NOVA!

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-18

Can innovations in materials science help clean up our world? Argonne's material scientist Vilas Pol guest starred on NOVA's "Making Stuff: Cleaner," where David Pogue explored the rapidly-developing science and business of clean energy.

Argonne Physics Division - Theory Group

Science.gov Websites

Spectroscopic overlaps Nuclear density Nucleon momenta Workshops 2017 1) VI International Workshop on Non experimental groups at Argonne and at other facilities around the world. A brief overview of our program is

Community | Argonne National Laboratory

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occupies 1,500 wooded acres 25 miles southwest of Chicago in DuPage County, Ill. Our highly collaborative Experience at Argonne National Laboratory Chicago Tribune New UChicago Program Teaches Data Science for

Cosmic Gamma-Rays

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[Argonne Logo] [DOE Logo] Cosmic Gamma-Rays Home Publications Talks People Students Argonne > ; HEP > Cosmic Gamma-Rays Projects VERITAS Past Projects TrICE What's New CTA Cosmic Gamma-Rays The

Health Insurance Marketplaces: Premium Trends in Rural Areas.

PubMed

Barker, Abigail R; Kemper, Leah M; McBride, Timothy D; Meuller, Keith J

2016-05-01

Since 2014, when the Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) were implemented, considerable premium changes have been observed in the marketplaces across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in average HIM plan premiums from 2014 to 2016, before accounting for subsidies, with an emphasis on the widening variation across rural and urban places. Since this brief focuses on premiums without accounting for subsidies, this is not intended to be an analysis of the "affordability" of ACA premiums, as that would require assessment of premiums, cost-sharing adjustments, and other factors.

Is there evidence that recent consolidation in the health insurance industry has adversely affected premiums?

PubMed

Kopit, William G

2004-01-01

James Robinson suggests that recent consolidation in the insurance market has been a cause of higher health insurance prices (premiums). Although the recent consolidation among health insurers and rising premiums are indisputable, it is unlikely that consolidation has had any adverse effect on premiums nationwide, and Robinson provides no data that suggest otherwise. Specifically, he does not present data showing an increase in concentration in any relevant market during the past few years, let alone any resulting increase in premiums. Health insurance consolidation in certain local markets could adversely affect premiums, but it seems clear that it is not a major national antitrust issue.

Cost of Ownership and Well-to-Wheels Carbon Emissions/Oil Use of Alternative Fuels and Advanced Light-Duty Vehicle Technologies

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

Elgowainy, Mr. Amgad; Rousseau, Mr. Aymeric; Wang, Mr. Michael

2013-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated their analysis of the well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, petroleum use, and the cost of ownership (excluding insurance, maintenance, and miscellaneous fees) of vehicle technologies that have the potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions and petroleum consumption. The analyses focused on advanced light-duty vehicle (LDV) technologies such as plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles. Besides gasoline and diesel, alternative fuels considered include natural gas, advanced biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen. The Argonne Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Usemore » in Transportation (GREET) and Autonomie models were used along with the Argonne and NREL H2A models.« less

Workers on the margin: who drops health coverage when prices rise?

PubMed

Okeke, Edward N; Hirth, Richard A; Grazier, Kyle

2010-01-01

We revisit the question of price elasticity of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) take-up by directly examining changes in the take-up of ESI at a large firm in response to exogenous changes in employee premium contributions. We find that, on average, a 10% increase in the employee's out-of-pocket premium increases the probability of dropping coverage by approximately 1%. More importantly, we find heterogeneous impacts: married workers are much more price-sensitive than single employees, and lower-paid workers are disproportionately more likely to drop coverage than higher-paid workers. Elasticity estimates for employees below the 25th percentile of salary distribution in our sample are nearly twice the average.

MARRIAGE AND MEN’S WEALTH ACCUMULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1860-1870

PubMed Central

HONG, SOK CHUL

2013-01-01

This paper explores how changes in marital status affected men’s wealth accumulation in mid-nineteenth-century America, using a longitudinal sample of Union Army veterans linked to the 1860 and 1870 census manuscript schedules. Controlling for the endogeneity of wealth and marital selection, this paper provides strong evidence that marriage had positive effects on men’s wealth accumulation, whereas ending a marriage had negative effects. The estimated wealth premium on married men is about 60 percent per marital year. This substantial wealth premium is closely related to wives’ specializing in household production, and farmers and craftsmen economically benefited from the unpaid labor of their wives. PMID:24058226

Hydrothermal pretreatment of coal. Quarterly report No. 1, September 21--December 15, 1989

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

Ross, D.S.

1989-12-21

We have examined changes in Argonne Premium samples of Wyodak coal following 30 min treatment in liquid water at autogenous pressures at 150{degrees}, 250{degrees}, and 350{degrees}C. In most runs the coal was initially dried at 60{degrees}C/1 torr/20 hr. The changes were monitored by pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry (py-FIMS) operating at 2.5{degrees}C/min from ambient to 500{degrees}C. We recorded the volatility patterns of the coal tars evolved over that temperature range, and in all cases the tar yields were 25%--30% of the starting coal on mass basis. There was essentially no change after the 150{degrees}C treatment. Small increases in volatility weremore » seen following the 250{degrees}C treatment, but major effects were seen in the 350{degrees} work. The tar quantity remained unchanged; however, the volatility increased so the temperature of half volatility for the as-received coal of 400{degrees}C was reduced to 340{degrees}C. Control runs with no water showed some thermal effect, but the net effect from the presence of liquid water was clearly evident. The composition was unchanged after the 150{degrees} and 250{degrees}C treatments, but the 350{degrees} treatment brought about a 30% loss of oxygen. The change corresponded to loss of the elements of water, although loss of ``OH`` seemed to fit the analysis data somewhat better. The water loss takes place both in the presence and in the absence of added water, but it is noteworthy that the loss in the hydrothermal runs occurs at p(H{sub 2}O) = 160 atm. We conclude that the process must involve the dehydration solely of chemically bound elements of water, the dehydration of catechol is a specific, likely candidate.« less

38 CFR 6.2 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Premium rate. 6.2 Section 6.2 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 6.2 Premium rate. Effective January 1, 1983, United States Government Life...

38 CFR 6.2 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Premium rate. 6.2 Section 6.2 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 6.2 Premium rate. Effective January 1, 1983, United States Government Life...

38 CFR 6.2 - Premium rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Premium rate. 6.2 Section 6.2 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 6.2 Premium rate. Effective January 1, 1983, United States Government Life...

24 CFR 266.610 - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums. 266.610 Section 266.610 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.610 Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the Commissioner deems appropriate, the...

24 CFR 220.804 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 220.804 Section... and Obligations-Projects Insured Project Improvement Loans § 220.804 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The lender, upon the initial endorsement of the loan for insurance, shall pay to the Commissioner...

31 CFR 337.8 - Payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... insurance premiums. When certificated debentures are tendered for purchase prior to maturity in order that the proceeds thereof be applied to pay for mortgage insurance premiums, any difference between the amount of the debentures purchased and the amount of the mortgage insurance premium will generally be...

24 CFR 266.610 - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums. 266.610 Section 266.610 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.610 Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the Commissioner deems appropriate, the...

24 CFR 220.804 - Insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance premiums. 220.804 Section... and Obligations-Projects Insured Project Improvement Loans § 220.804 Insurance premiums. (a) First premium. The lender, upon the initial endorsement of the loan for insurance, shall pay to the Commissioner...

76 FR 40741 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mortgage Insurance Premiums for Multifamily Housing Programs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-11

... Administration (FHA) Mortgage Insurance Premiums for Multifamily Housing Programs, Health Care Facilities and... mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) for FHA Multifamily Housing, Health Care Facilities, and Hospital... implement any premium changes for FY 2011 for the multifamily mortgage insurance programs, health care...

46 CFR 308.514 - Return premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Return premium. 308.514 Section 308.514 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo Insurance § 308.514 Return premium. No premium will be...

46 CFR 308.514 - Return premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Return premium. 308.514 Section 308.514 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo Insurance § 308.514 Return premium. No premium will be...

46 CFR 308.514 - Return premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Return premium. 308.514 Section 308.514 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo Insurance § 308.514 Return premium. No premium will be...

46 CFR 308.514 - Return premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Return premium. 308.514 Section 308.514 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo Insurance § 308.514 Return premium. No premium will be...

In Second Year Of Marketplaces, New Entrants, ACA 'Co-Ops,' And Medicaid Plans Restrain Average Premium Growth Rates.

PubMed

Gabel, Jon R; Whitmore, Heidi; Green, Matthew; Stromberg, Sam T; Weinstein, Daniel S; Oran, Rebecca

2015-12-01

Premiums for health insurance plans offered through the federally facilitated and state-based Marketplaces remained steady or increased only modestly from 2014 to 2015. We used data from the Marketplaces, state insurance departments, and insurer websites to examine patterns of premium pricing and the factors behind these patterns. Our data came from 2,964 unique plans offered in 2014 and 4,153 unique plans offered in 2015 in forty-nine states and the District of Columbia. Using descriptive and multivariate analysis, we found that the addition of a carrier in a rating area lowered average premiums for the two lowest-cost silver plans and the lowest-cost bronze plan by 2.2 percent. When all plans in a rating area were included, an additional carrier was associated with an average decline in premiums of 1.4 percent. Plans in the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program and Medicaid managed care plans had lower premiums and average premium increases than national commercial and Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. On average, premiums fell by an appreciably larger amount for catastrophic and bronze plans than for gold plans, and premiums for platinum plans increased. This trend of low premium increases overall is unlikely to continue, however, as insurers are faced with mounting medical claims. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Physical Premium Principle: A New Way for Insurance Pricing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darooneh, Amir H.

2005-03-01

In our previous work we suggested a way for computing the non-life insurance premium. The probable surplus of the insurer company assumed to be distributed according to the canonical ensemble theory. The Esscher premium principle appeared as its special case. The difference between our method and traditional principles for premium calculation was shown by simulation. Here we construct a theoretical foundation for the main assumption in our method, in this respect we present a new (physical) definition for the economic equilibrium. This approach let us to apply the maximum entropy principle in the economic systems. We also extend our method to deal with the problem of premium calculation for correlated risk categories. Like the Buhlman economic premium principle our method considers the effect of the market on the premium but in a different way.

42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost-Sharing Subsidies for Low... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Premium subsidy. 423.780 Section 423.780 Public...-service plans or 1876 cost plans) in a PDP region in the reference month. (ii) Premium amounts. The...

42 CFR 422.262 - Beneficiary premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and Plan Approval § 422.262 Beneficiary premiums. (a) Determination of MA monthly basic beneficiary premium. (1) For an MA plan with an unadjusted statutory non-drug bid amount that is less than the relevant unadjusted non-drug benchmark amount, the basic beneficiary premium is zero. (2) For an MA plan...

42 CFR 422.262 - Beneficiary premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Information and Plan Approval § 422.262 Beneficiary premiums. (a) Determination of MA monthly basic beneficiary premium. (1) For an MA plan with an unadjusted statutory non-drug bid amount that is less than the relevant unadjusted non-drug benchmark amount, the basic beneficiary premium is zero. (2) For an MA plan...

42 CFR 422.262 - Beneficiary premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Information and Plan Approval § 422.262 Beneficiary premiums. (a) Determination of MA monthly basic beneficiary premium. (1) For an MA plan with an unadjusted statutory non-drug bid amount that is less than the relevant unadjusted non-drug benchmark amount, the basic beneficiary premium is zero. (2) For an MA plan...

42 CFR 422.262 - Beneficiary premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... and Plan Approval § 422.262 Beneficiary premiums. (a) Determination of MA monthly basic beneficiary premium. (1) For an MA plan with an unadjusted statutory non-drug bid amount that is less than the relevant unadjusted non-drug benchmark amount, the basic beneficiary premium is zero. (2) For an MA plan...

42 CFR 422.262 - Beneficiary premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Information and Plan Approval § 422.262 Beneficiary premiums. (a) Determination of MA monthly basic beneficiary premium. (1) For an MA plan with an unadjusted statutory non-drug bid amount that is less than the relevant unadjusted non-drug benchmark amount, the basic beneficiary premium is zero. (2) For an MA plan...

29 CFR 4006.4 - Determination of unfunded vested benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... effect, its alternative premium funding target under § 4006.5(g). (2) Standard premium funding target. A... the UVB valuation year is the excess (if any) of the plan's premium funding target for the UVB... consistent with generally accepted actuarial principles and practices. (b) Premium funding target—(1) In...

49 CFR 260.17 - Credit risk premium analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Credit risk premium analysis. 260.17 Section 260... Financial Assistance § 260.17 Credit risk premium analysis. (a) When Federal appropriations are not available to cover the total subsidy cost, the Administrator will determine the Credit Risk Premium...

49 CFR 260.15 - Credit risk premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Credit risk premium. 260.15 Section 260.15... REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT FINANCING PROGRAM Overview § 260.15 Credit risk premium. (a) Where available... pay to the Administrator a Credit Risk Premium adequate to cover that portion of the subsidy cost not...

5 CFR 892.203 - When will my premium conversion begin?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false When will my premium conversion begin? 892.203 Section 892.203 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL... PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.203 When will my premium conversion begin? If you are newly...

5 CFR 892.203 - When will my premium conversion begin?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false When will my premium conversion begin? 892.203 Section 892.203 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL... PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.203 When will my premium conversion begin? If you are newly...

24 CFR 266.608 - Mortgage insurance premium: Pro rata refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Pro... PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.608 Mortgage insurance premium: Pro rata refund. If the Contract of Insurance is terminated by payment in full or is terminated...

7 CFR 1962.29 - Payment of fees and insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Payment of fees and insurance premiums. 1962.29... Security § 1962.29 Payment of fees and insurance premiums. (a) Fees. (1) Security instruments. Borrowers... the service cannot be obtained without cost. (b) Insurance premiums. County Supervisors are authorized...

24 CFR 236.252 - First, second, and third mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums. 236.252 Section 236.252 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... insurance premiums. All of the provisions of § 207.252 of this chapter governing the first, second, and third mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to mortgages insured under this subpart, except: (a) Where...

24 CFR 206.107 - Mortgagee election of assignment or shared premium option.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 206.107 Mortgagee election of assignment or shared premium option... shared premium option. 206.107 Section 206.107 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL...

26 CFR 1.6050H-3T - Information reporting of mortgage insurance premiums (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Information reporting of mortgage insurance premiums (temporary). (a) Information reporting requirements. Any... section applies to the receipt of all payments of mortgage insurance premiums, by cash or financing... premiums is determined on a mortgage-by-mortgage basis. A recipient need not aggregate mortgage insurance...

24 CFR 251.6 - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums. 251.6 Section 251.6 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and... HOUSING PROJECTS § 251.6 Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the... affected lenders, that mortgage insurance premiums be remitted electronically. [63 FR 1303, Jan. 8, 1998] ...

24 CFR 241.1030 - Mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premiums. 241... Loans-Eligibility Requirements § 241.1030 Mortgage insurance premiums. The lender, upon endorsement of the note, shall pay the Commissioner a first mortgage insurance premium equal to 0.5 percent of the...

24 CFR 203.260 - Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Mortgage Insurance Premiums-Periodic Payment § 203.260 Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP). 203.260 Section 203.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to...

24 CFR 221.254 - Mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premiums. 221... Cost Homes § 221.254 Mortgage insurance premiums. (a) All of the provisions of §§ 203.260 through 203.295 of this chapter relating to mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to mortgages insured under...

24 CFR 266.606 - Mortgage insurance premium: Duration and method of paying.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium... AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.606 Mortgage insurance premium: Duration and method of paying. (a) Duration of payments. Mortgage insurance...

38 CFR 8.4 - Deduction of insurance premiums from compensation, retirement pay, or pension.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS NATIONAL SERVICE LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 8.4 Deduction of insurance premiums from compensation, retirement pay, or pension. The insured under a National Service life insurance policy which is not lapsed may authorize the monthly deduction of premiums from disability...

24 CFR 203.443 - Insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance premium. 203.443 Section... premium. All of the provisions of §§ 203.260 through 203.269 1 concerning mortgage insurance premiums... DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES SINGLE...

24 CFR 2700.315 - Insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance premium. 2700.315 Section... HOMEOWNERS' LOAN PROGRAM Mortgage Insurance § 2700.315 Insurance premium. (a) At such times as may be prescribed by HUD, the participating lender shall pay to HUD a mortgage insurance premium equal to one-half...

24 CFR 236.252 - First, second, and third mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums. 236.252 Section 236.252 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... insurance premiums. All of the provisions of § 207.252 of this chapter governing the first, second, and third mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to mortgages insured under this subpart, except: (a) Where...

24 CFR 241.1030 - Mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premiums. 241... Loans-Eligibility Requirements § 241.1030 Mortgage insurance premiums. The lender, upon endorsement of the note, shall pay the Commissioner a first mortgage insurance premium equal to 0.5 percent of the...

24 CFR 203.443 - Insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance premium. 203.443 Section... premium. All of the provisions of §§ 203.260 through 203.269 1 concerning mortgage insurance premiums... DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES SINGLE...

38 CFR 8.4 - Deduction of insurance premiums from compensation, retirement pay, or pension.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS NATIONAL SERVICE LIFE INSURANCE Premiums § 8.4 Deduction of insurance premiums from compensation, retirement pay, or pension. The insured under a National Service life insurance policy which is not lapsed may authorize the monthly deduction of premiums from disability...

7 CFR 1962.29 - Payment of fees and insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Payment of fees and insurance premiums. 1962.29... Security § 1962.29 Payment of fees and insurance premiums. (a) Fees. (1) Security instruments. Borrowers... the service cannot be obtained without cost. (b) Insurance premiums. County Supervisors are authorized...

12 CFR 741.4 - Insurance premium and one percent deposit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Insurance premium and one percent deposit. 741... Insurance premium and one percent deposit. (a) Scope. This section implements the requirements of Section... payment of an insurance premium. (b) Definitions. For purposes of this section: Available assets ratio...

24 CFR 251.6 - Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums. 251.6 Section 251.6 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and... HOUSING PROJECTS § 251.6 Method of payment of mortgage insurance premiums. In the cases that the... affected lenders, that mortgage insurance premiums be remitted electronically. [63 FR 1303, Jan. 8, 1998] ...

24 CFR 203.260 - Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Mortgage Insurance Premiums-Periodic Payment § 203.260 Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP). 203.260 Section 203.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to...

24 CFR 221.254 - Mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premiums. 221... Cost Homes § 221.254 Mortgage insurance premiums. (a) All of the provisions of §§ 203.260 through 203.295 of this chapter relating to mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to mortgages insured under...

24 CFR 266.606 - Mortgage insurance premium: Duration and method of paying.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium... AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.606 Mortgage insurance premium: Duration and method of paying. (a) Duration of payments. Mortgage insurance...

24 CFR 266.608 - Mortgage insurance premium: Pro rata refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Pro... PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.608 Mortgage insurance premium: Pro rata refund. If the Contract of Insurance is terminated by payment in full or is terminated...

24 CFR 206.107 - Mortgagee election of assignment or shared premium option.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 206.107 Mortgagee election of assignment or shared premium option... shared premium option. 206.107 Section 206.107 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL...

31 CFR 337.8 - Payment of mortgage insurance premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Payment of mortgage insurance premiums... proceeds thereof be applied to pay for mortgage insurance premiums, any difference between the amount of the debentures purchased and the amount of the mortgage insurance premium will generally be issued to...

5 CFR 894.505 - Are retroactive premiums paid with pre-tax dollars (premium conversion)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Are retroactive premiums paid with pre-tax dollars (premium conversion)? 894.505 Section 894.505 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE...

5 CFR 894.505 - Are retroactive premiums paid with pre-tax dollars (premium conversion)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Are retroactive premiums paid with pre-tax dollars (premium conversion)? 894.505 Section 894.505 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE...

44 CFR 61.8 - Applicability of risk premium rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Applicability of risk premium rates. 61.8 Section 61.8 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY... COVERAGE AND RATES § 61.8 Applicability of risk premium rates. Risk premium rates are applicable to all...

44 CFR 61.7 - Risk premium rate determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Risk premium rate... COVERAGE AND RATES § 61.7 Risk premium rate determinations. (a) Pursuant to section 1307 of the Act, the... estimate the risk premium rates necessary to provide flood insurance in accordance with accepted actuarial...

26 CFR 1.848-0 - Outline of regulations under section 848.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... certain reinsurance agreements. (b) Gross amount of premiums and other consideration. (1) General rule. (2... the payment of premiums. (iii) Retired lives reserves. (4) Deferred and uncollected premiums. (c... excluded from the gross amount of premiums and other consideration. (1) In general. (2) Amounts received or...

26 CFR 1.848-1 - Definitions and special provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... to January 1, 1985, if the premiums on the contract are reported as life insurance premiums on the insurance company's annual statement (or could be reported as life insurance premiums if the company were... noncancellable or guaranteed renewable accident and health insurance contract. (2) Treatment of premiums on a...

48 CFR 1632.170 - Recurring premium payments to carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... multiplied by the carrier's total net-to-carrier premium dollars paid for the preceding contract period. The... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Recurring premium payments... FINANCING General 1632.170 Recurring premium payments to carriers. (a)(1) Recurring payments to carriers of...

Progress Report on the ISCR Pilot Test Conducted at the Former CCC/USDA Grain Storage Facility in Montgomery City, Missouri, as of April 2013

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) is conducting an environmental investigation at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility on the county fairgrounds in Montgomery City, Missouri, to evaluate contamination associated with the former use of grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride at the site. The CCC/USDA studies have identified carbon tetrachloride in the soils (primarily unconsolidated glacial tills) at concentrations that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional screening level (RSL) values for this compound in residential soils (610 μg/kg) but are below the corresponding RSL for industrial soils (3,000 μg/kg). Concentrations of carbon tetrachloridemore » greater than the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL; 5.0 μg/L) for this contaminant in drinking water were also identified in the shallow groundwater (Argonne 2012). On the basis of these findings, remedial actions are considered necessary to mitigate the present and potential future impacts of the contamination. In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the CCC/USDA has initiated a field-scale pilot test to evaluate an in situ technology for treatment of the carbon tetrachloride contamination. In this approach, a chemical amendment consisting primarily of slow-release organic matter and zero-valent iron is employed to induce oxygen-depleted, chemically reducing conditions in the subsurface. These conditions foster the in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) of carbon tetrachloride and its degradation products (chloroform, methylene chloride, and chloromethane) via both inorganic and biologically mediated processes. The chemical amendment being used, EHC™, was developed by the Adventus Group, Freeport, Illinois, and is now manufactured and distributed by FMC Environmental Solutions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the approval of the MDNR (2012), the ISCR technology is being tested in two target areas interpreted to represent contaminant source areas. The pilot test is being implemented on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory. Approximately 80,000 lb of the EHC material was injected by using direct-push techniques at 99 locations in the target areas, from November 9 to December 15, 2012 (Argonne 2012). To determine the geochemical effects of the pilot injections and their impact on the levels of contamination in the test areas, an extended monitoring program (Argonne 2012) is being implemented. The program includes an initial “baseline” sampling event to document pre-treatment conditions and periodic post-injection monitoring events, approximately 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months after the completion of the injection program (Argonne 2012). This report provides a brief summary of the specific activities conducted, with a compilation of the monitoring data obtained, during the baseline sampling event (October 2012) and the first, second, and third post-injection monitoring events (in January, February, and April 2013).« less

Argonne model analyzes water footprint of biofuels | Argonne National

Science.gov Websites

more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Different types of biofuels have different researchers analyze those differences. Different types of biofuels have different environmental and water

Argonne's SpEC Module

ScienceCinema

Harper, Jason

2018-03-02

Jason Harper, an electrical engineer in Argonne National Laboratory's EV-Smart Grid Interoperability Center, discusses his SpEC Module invention that will enable fast charging of electric vehicles in under 15 minutes. The module has been licensed to BTCPower.

Testosterone and Cortisol Jointly Predict the Ambiguity Premium in an Ellsberg-Urns Experiment.

PubMed

Danese, Giuseppe; Fernandes, Eugénia; Watson, Neil V; Zilioli, Samuele

2017-01-01

Previous literature has tried to establish whether and how steroid hormones are related to economic risk-taking. In this study, we investigate the relationship between testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) on one side and attitudes toward risk and ambiguity on the other. We asked 78 male undergraduate students to complete several tasks and provide two saliva samples. In the task "Reveal the Bag," participants expressed their beliefs on an ambiguous situation in an incentivized framework. In the task "Ellsberg Bags," we elicited from the participants through an incentive-compatible mechanism the reservation prices for a risky bet and an ambiguous bet. We used the difference between the two prices to calculate each participant's ambiguity premium. We found that participants' salivary T and C levels jointly predicted the ambiguity premium. Participants featuring comparatively lower levels of T and C showed the highest levels of ambiguity aversion. The beliefs expressed by a subset of participants in the "Reveal the Bag" task rationalize (in a revealed preference sense) their choices in the "Ellsberg Bags" task.

Testosterone and Cortisol Jointly Predict the Ambiguity Premium in an Ellsberg-Urns Experiment

PubMed Central

Danese, Giuseppe; Fernandes, Eugénia; Watson, Neil V.; Zilioli, Samuele

2017-01-01

Previous literature has tried to establish whether and how steroid hormones are related to economic risk-taking. In this study, we investigate the relationship between testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) on one side and attitudes toward risk and ambiguity on the other. We asked 78 male undergraduate students to complete several tasks and provide two saliva samples. In the task “Reveal the Bag,” participants expressed their beliefs on an ambiguous situation in an incentivized framework. In the task “Ellsberg Bags,” we elicited from the participants through an incentive-compatible mechanism the reservation prices for a risky bet and an ambiguous bet. We used the difference between the two prices to calculate each participant's ambiguity premium. We found that participants' salivary T and C levels jointly predicted the ambiguity premium. Participants featuring comparatively lower levels of T and C showed the highest levels of ambiguity aversion. The beliefs expressed by a subset of participants in the “Reveal the Bag” task rationalize (in a revealed preference sense) their choices in the “Ellsberg Bags” task. PMID:28484379

Education Highlights: Synthetic Nanoparticles

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

Gambacorta, Francesca; Michalska, Martyna

Argonne intern Francesca Gambacorta from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign worked with Argonne mentor Phil Laible and Postdoctoral mentor Martyna Michalska to study how black silicon, a synthetic nanomaterial, kills bacteria. This research will help scientists predict other applications of this material in the biomedical field. Argonne aims to develop the next generation of scientists, researchers, and engineers by mentoring over 300 undergraduate and graduate students a year from over 40 STEM majors in over 15 different career development programs. Students come from over 160 colleges and universities in 41 states and 15 countries.

Optical properties of Argonne/KICP TES bolometers for CMB polarimetry.

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

Crites, A. T.; Bleem, L. E.; Carlstrom, J. E.

2009-01-01

We present optical data on prototype polarization sensitive Argonne/KICP detectors fabricated at Argonne National Labs which are designed to be installed on the South Pole Telescope and used to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation. The detectors are Mo/Au transition edge sensors (TES) suspended on silicon nitride, with radiation coupled to the TES using a gold bar absorber. Two stacked detectors with bars in orthogonal directions will be used to measure both polarizations. We discuss measurements of the optical bandpass, time constants and cross-polarization of the detectors.

Spent fuel treatment and mineral waste form development at Argonne National Laboratory-West

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

Goff, K.M.; Benedict, R.W.; Bateman, K.

1996-07-01

At Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-West) there are several thousand kilograms of metallic spent nuclear fuel containing bond sodium. This fuel will be treated in the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) at ANL-West to produce stable waste forms for storage and disposal. Both mineral and metal high-level waste forms will be produced. The mineral waste form will contain the active metal fission products and the transuranics. Cold small-scale waste form testing has been on-going at Argonne in Illinois. Large-scale testing is commencing at ANL-West.

Optical Properties of Argonne/KICP TES Bolometers for CMB Polarimetry

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

Crites, A. T.; Bleem, L. E.; Carlstrom, J. E.

2009-12-16

We present optical data on prototype polarization sensitive Argonne/KICP detectors fabricated at Argonne National Labs which are designed to be installed on the South Pole Telescope and used to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation. The detectors are Mo/Au transition edge sensors (TES) suspended on silicon nitride, with radiation coupled to the TES using a gold bar absorber. Two stacked detectors with bars in orthogonal directions will be used to measure both polarizations. We discuss measurements of the optical bandpass, time constants and cross-polarization of the detectors.

Premium increases in state health insurance programs: lessons from a case study of the Massachusetts Medicaid buy-in program.

PubMed

Livermore, Gina A; Goodman, Nanette; Hooven, Fred; Hashemi, Lobat

In March 2003, Massachusetts increased the premiums it charges to most enrollees in its CommonHealth-Working (CH-W) program. This study evaluates the impact of the premium change on disenrollment using a comparison group methodology. The findings indicate that the premium change had only a small, but statistically significant impact on program exits. The CH-W experience differs from other state programs that saw substantial enrollment declines in response to new or increased premiums. This is likely due to factors that make CH-W different from other programs, key of which are administrative procedures intended to minimize disenrollment due to premium nonpayment.

Argonne National Laboratory summary site environmental report for calendar year 2007.

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

Golchert, N. W.

2009-05-22

This summary of Argonne National Laboratory's Site Environmental Report for calendar year 2007 was written by 20 students at Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Ill. The student authors are classmates in Mr. Howard's Bio II course. Biology II is a research-based class that teaches students the process of research by showing them how the sciences apply to daily life. For the past seven years, Argonne has worked with Biology II students to create a short document summarizing the Site Environmental Report to provide the public with an easy-to-read summary of the annual 300-page technical report on themore » results of Argonne's on-site environmental monitoring program. The summary is made available online and given to visitors to Argonne, researchers interested in collaborating with Argonne, future employees, and many others. In addition to providing Argonne and the public with an easily understandable short summary of a large technical document, the participating students learn about professional environmental monitoring procedures, achieve a better understanding of the time and effort put forth into summarizing and publishing research, and gain confidence in their own abilities to express themselves in writing. The Argonne Summary Site Environmental Report fits into the educational needs for 12th grade students. Illinois State Educational Goal 12 states that a student should understand the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences. To create this summary booklet, the students had to read and understand the larger technical report, which discusses in-depth many activities and programs that have been established by Argonne to maintain a safe local environment. Creating this Summary Site Environmental Report also helps students fulfill Illinois State Learning Standard 12B5a, which requires that students be able to analyze and explain biodiversity issues, and the causes and effects of extinction. The same standard requires that Illinois students examine the impact of diminishing biodiversity due to human activity. An example of this would be the Argonne Restoration Prairie, which is discussed within the report. Because humans had to destroy part of a natural prairie in order to build, they must also plant an equivalent amount of prairie to make up for what was destroyed. The summary project perfectly meets Illinois State Learning Standard 13B section 5b, which requires students to be able to design and conduct an environmental impact study, analyze findings, and justify recommendations. Students volunteered for the project for two main reasons: We would become published authors, and could include that fact on important documents, like college applications, and we felt we were doing a good deed for the public, considering that without our summary the public may have no real idea how Argonne complies with various environmental protection acts and programs within the state. The summarization process was not easy, considering that we had never seen much of this kind of information before, especially in such detail. The project required a high level of commitment from all involved. This commitment ensured that the summary would be done on time and would be available to the public in the shortest time possible. Argonne representatives Norbert Golchert and Dave Baurac met with students and gave background information on Argonne and explained the importance of the research being done. In addition, they explained in-depth how the public benefits from the summarization. At the end of the presentation, students asked some questions, which were answered in specifics. The Report was divided into 10 sections, with groups of two students covering each section. The groups were eager to begin work on their assigned sections. After reading the complete report each group focused on a particular section. After much careful reading and analysis, we produced an outline. From the outline, partners divided work equally and began to carefully summarize. Groups summaries were edited, not only within groups, but also by other groups, in order to acquire a different perspective. Finally, Mr. Howard, our Biology II instructor, took a final look at the products before sending them off for the final review by Argonne. The final project was a 16-page pamphlet. The students reacted positively to the project. Asked if she was glad that she chose to work on the Argonne project, Katie Hanson said, 'Yes. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to become a published author. Also, it is an honor to be able to work with a prestigious, nationally recognized laboratory such as Argonne'. There were difficult aspects as well. Student Olga Zagariya said the hardest part of the project was 'trying to choose which information to put in the summary and which information to leave out, because it all seemed to be important'. It seems that everyone was satisfied with his or her section.« less

Impact of terrorism and political instability on equity premium: Evidence from Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MengYun, Wu; Imran, Muhammad; Zakaria, Muhammad; Linrong, Zhang; Farooq, Muhammad Umer; Muhammad, Shah Khalid

2018-02-01

The study quantifies the impact of terrorism and political instability on firm equity premium in Pakistan using panel data for 306 non-financial firms for the period 2001 to 2014. Other variables included are law & order, government regime change and financial crisis of 2007/08. The estimated results reveal that terrorism has statistically significant negative impact on firm equity premium in Pakistan. This result is robust with alternative equation specifications. The result also remains same when terrorism variable is replaced with external and internal conflict variables. Law & order variable has significant positive effect on firm equity premium, which implies that equity premium increases with the improvement in law & order situation in the country. Equity premium also increases with government stability and when there is democratic system in the country. The result also reveals that global financial crisis of 2007/08 negatively influenced the firm equity premium. The study suggests some policy implications.

Willingness to pay for health insurance in the informal sector of Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Jofre-Bonet, Mireia; Kamara, Joseph

2018-01-01

The objective of this project is to study the willingness to pay (WTP) for health insurance (HI) of individuals working in the informal sector in Sierra Leone, using a purposely-designed survey of a representative sample of this sector. We elicit the WTP using the Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice with Follow Up method. We also examine the factors that are positively and negatively associated with the likelihood of the respondents to answer affirmatively to joining a HI scheme and to paying three different possible premiums, to join the HI scheme. We additionally analyze the individual and household characteristics associated with the maximum amount the household is willing to pay to join the HI scheme. The results indicate that the average WTP for the HI is 20,237.16 SLL (3.6 USD) per adult but it ranges from about 14,000 SLL (2.5 USD) to about 35,000 SLL (6.2 USD) depending on region, occupation, household and respondent characteristics. The analysis of the maximum WTP indicates that living outside the Western region and working in farming instead of petty trade are associated with a decrease in the maximum premium respondents are WTP for the HI scheme. Instead, the maximum WTP is positively associated to being a driver or a biker; having secondary or tertiary education (as opposed to not having any); the number of pregnant women in the household; having a TV; and, having paid for the last medical requirement. In summary, the various analyses show that a premium for the HI package could be set at approximately 20,000 SLL (3.54 USD) but also that establishing a single premium for all individuals in the informal sector could be risky. The efficient functioning of a HI scheme relies on covering as much of the population as possible, in order to spread risks and make the scheme viable. The impact of the various population characteristics raises the issue of how to rate premiums. In other words, setting a premium that may be too high for a big proportion of the population could mean losing many potential enrollees and might have viability consequences for the operation of the scheme.

24 CFR 213.260 - Allowable methods of premium payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Allowable methods of premium payment. 213.260 Section 213.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Allowable methods of premium payment. Premiums shall be payable in cash or in debentures at par plus accrued...

24 CFR 213.260 - Allowable methods of premium payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Allowable methods of premium payment. 213.260 Section 213.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Allowable methods of premium payment. Premiums shall be payable in cash or in debentures at par plus accrued...

24 CFR 213.260 - Allowable methods of premium payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Allowable methods of premium payment. 213.260 Section 213.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Allowable methods of premium payment. Premiums shall be payable in cash or in debentures at par plus accrued...

24 CFR 213.260 - Allowable methods of premium payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Allowable methods of premium payment. 213.260 Section 213.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Allowable methods of premium payment. Premiums shall be payable in cash or in debentures at par plus accrued...

24 CFR 213.260 - Allowable methods of premium payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Allowable methods of premium payment. 213.260 Section 213.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Allowable methods of premium payment. Premiums shall be payable in cash or in debentures at par plus accrued...

24 CFR 203.22 - Payment of insurance premiums or charges; prepayment privilege.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Payment of insurance premiums or... Underwriting Procedures Eligible Mortgages § 203.22 Payment of insurance premiums or charges; prepayment privilege. (a) Payment of periodic insurance premiums or charges. Except with respect to mortgages for which...

24 CFR 232.825 - Pro rata refund of insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES Contract Rights and Obligations Premiums § 232.825 Pro rata refund of insurance premium. Upon termination of a loan insurance contract by a payment in full or by a voluntary termination... rata portion of the current annual loan insurance premium theretofore paid which is applicable to the...

24 CFR 203.462 - Pro rata payment of premium before termination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Pro rata payment of premium before termination. No contract of insurance shall be terminated until the lender has paid to the Commissioner the pro rata portion of the current annual insurance premium. ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pro rata payment of premium before...

24 CFR 203.22 - Payment of insurance premiums or charges; prepayment privilege.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Payment of insurance premiums or... Underwriting Procedures Eligible Mortgages § 203.22 Payment of insurance premiums or charges; prepayment privilege. (a) Payment of periodic insurance premiums or charges. Except with respect to mortgages for which...

24 CFR 232.825 - Pro rata refund of insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES Contract Rights and Obligations Premiums § 232.825 Pro rata refund of insurance premium. Upon termination of a loan insurance contract by a payment in full or by a voluntary termination... rata portion of the current annual loan insurance premium theretofore paid which is applicable to the...

24 CFR 241.825 - Pro rata refund of insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Projects Without a HUD-Insured or HUD-Held Mortgage Premiums § 241.825 Pro rata refund of insurance premium... of the current annual loan insurance premium theretofore paid which is applicable to the portion of... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pro rata refund of insurance...

26 CFR 1.6050H-3T - Information reporting of mortgage insurance premiums (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

....6050H-3T Information reporting of mortgage insurance premiums (temporary). (a) Information reporting... premiums, for mortgage insurance (as described in paragraph (b) of this section) from any individual... paragraph (a) of this section applies to the receipt of all payments of mortgage insurance premiums, by cash...

24 CFR 203.462 - Pro rata payment of premium before termination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Pro rata payment of premium before termination. No contract of insurance shall be terminated until the lender has paid to the Commissioner the pro rata portion of the current annual insurance premium. ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pro rata payment of premium before...

42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under the... premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii) The... for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the number of Part D...

42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

5 CFR 875.302 - What are the options for making premium payments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What are the options for making premium payments? 875.302 Section 875.302 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL... options for making premium payments? (a) Premium payments may be made by Federal payroll or annuity...

29 CFR 4007.8 - Late payment penalty charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... administrator reports— (i) The fair market value of the plan's assets for the premium payment year, and (ii) An estimate of the plan's premium funding target for the premium payment year that is certified by an enrolled... determined from the value of assets and estimated premium funding target so reported. [64 FR 66385, Nov. 26...

7 CFR 400.710 - Preemption and premium taxation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Preemption and premium taxation. 400.710 Section 400... of Policies and Rates of Premium § 400.710 Preemption and premium taxation. A policy or plan of insurance that is approved by the Board for FCIC reinsurance is preempted from state and local taxation. ...

45 CFR 162.1702 - Standards for health plan premium payments transaction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Standards for health plan premium payments transaction. 162.1702 Section 162.1702 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Health Plan Premium Payments § 162.1702 Standards for health plan premium...

45 CFR 162.1702 - Standards for health plan premium payments transaction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standards for health plan premium payments transaction. 162.1702 Section 162.1702 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Health Plan Premium Payments § 162.1702 Standards for health plan premium...

45 CFR 162.1702 - Standards for health plan premium payments transaction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Standards for health plan premium payments transaction. 162.1702 Section 162.1702 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Health Plan Premium Payments § 162.1702 Standards for health plan premium...

45 CFR 162.1702 - Standards for health plan premium payments transaction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Standards for health plan premium payments transaction. 162.1702 Section 162.1702 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Health Plan Premium Payments § 162.1702 Standards for health plan premium...

26 CFR 1.809-4 - Gross amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... categories of items taken into account are: (1) Premiums. (i) The gross amount of all premiums and other... premiums and premiums and other consideration arising out of reinsurance ceded. The term gross amount of... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Gross amount. 1.809-4 Section 1.809-4 Internal...

12 CFR 741.4 - Insurance premium and one percent deposit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Insurance premium and one percent deposit. 741... Insurance premium and one percent deposit. (a) Scope. This section implements the requirements of Section... payment of an insurance premium. (b) Definitions. For purposes of this section: (1) Available assets ratio...

7 CFR 400.710 - Preemption and premium taxation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Preemption and premium taxation. 400.710 Section 400... of Policies and Rates of Premium § 400.710 Preemption and premium taxation. A policy or plan of insurance that is approved by the Board for FCIC reinsurance is preempted from state and local taxation. ...

12 CFR 217.101 - Premiums on deposits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGAINST THE PAYMENT OF INTEREST ON DEMAND DEPOSITS (REGULATION Q) Interpretations § 217.101 Premiums on... from paying interest on a demand deposit. Premiums, whether in the form of merchandise, credit, or cash... exceed $10 for deposits of less than $5,000 or $20 for deposits of $5,000 or more. The costs of premiums...

Insurance premiums and insurance coverage of near-poor children.

PubMed

Hadley, Jack; Reschovsky, James D; Cunningham, Peter; Kenney, Genevieve; Dubay, Lisa

States increasingly are using premiums for near-poor children in their public insurance programs (Medicaid/SCHIP) to limit private insurance crowd-out and constrain program costs. Using national data from four rounds of the Community Tracking Study Household Surveys spanning the seven years from 1996 to 2003, this study estimates a multinomial logistic regression model examining how public and private insurance premiums affect insurance coverage outcomes (Medicaid/SCHIP coverage, private coverage, and no coverage). Higher public premiums are significantly associated with a lower probability of public coverage and higher probabilities of private coverage and uninsurance; higher private premiums are significantly related to a lower probability of private coverage and higher probabilities of public coverage and uninsurance. The results imply that uninsurance rates will rise if both public and private premiums increase, and suggest that states that impose or increase public insurance premiums for near-poor children will succeed in discouraging crowd-out of private insurance, but at the expense of higher rates of uninsurance. Sustained increases in private insurance premiums will continue to create enrollment pressures on state insurance programs for children.

Secretary Chu visits Argonne—Groundbreaking ceremony for new Energy Sciences building

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

Isaacs, Eric; Zimmer, Robert; Durbin, Dick

2011-01-01

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, joined Senator Richard Durbin, University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer and Argonne Director Eric Isaacs to break ground for Argonne's new Energy and Sciences building.

Dark Energy Survey Group

Science.gov Websites

Supernova Argonne/HEP Dark Energy Survey Group Ravi Gupta, Eve Kovacs, Steve Kuhlmann, Hal Spinka, Kasia Pomian The Argonne/HEP Dark Energy Survey (DES) group worked to build and test the Dark Energy Camera

Evaluation of the new rural cooperative medical system in China: is it working or not?

PubMed Central

Dib, Hassan H; Pan, Xilong; Zhang, Hong

2008-01-01

Background To prove the possibility of implementing the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) at different levels with a premium funding according to their economic level in developed and less developed areas in Guangdong province, and study the insurable inpatients in different types of regions, taking into account limitations of indemnities and loss ratios. Method All data samples were randomly collected from the NRCMS Department, Guangdong Province. Gross domestic product (GDP) at 10000 Yuan per capita was employed to divide Guangdong into two economic levels: (1) economically developed & (2) less economically developed regions. A descriptive analysis about tendency of raising premium and reimbursement ratios of common fund was performed with independent samples and t-test as well as implementing a model to evaluate the differences in premium contribution differences in co-payments, thresholds, and rebates. Also, a qualitative study measured several economic factors to evaluate farmers' financial and social potency in contributing to the NRCMS. Result A higher GDP per capita were found within economically developed regions (p < 0.05) than in less developed areas, with higher tendency for funding capacity and average funding capability in villages and towns within economically developed regions (p < 0.05) than in economically less developed. Maximum benefits between two regions in medical insurance coverage showed significant difference (p < 0.05); differences between basic medical insurance coverage between two regions was insignificant (p > 0.05); nevertheless, economically developed regions showed higher threshold and rebates with less co-payments in the economically developed than less developed. Conclusion Despite some loop holes in the NRCMS, the system is workable, but needs more strengthening by encouraging farmers' participation into NRCMS with a necessity to implement a new reimbursement payment system by health care providers. In addition it is proposed that for maximum benefits another premium funding should be secured. PMID:18590574

Influence of variable milk quality premiums on observed milk quality.

PubMed

Nightingale, C; Dhuyvetter, K; Mitchell, R; Schukken, Y

2008-03-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate a premium program for very high quality milk in a US cooperative. Data were available on a monthly basis from a large US milk cooperative from April 1998 through December 2005. The data set consisted of 36,930 observations representing producer-months. The actual amount of the low bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC) premium varied from $0.15 per hundred pounds (cwt.) of milk to $1.00/cwt. with steps in between of $0.50 and $0.60 per cwt. of milk during the data collection period. Data analysis was done to evaluate the impact of the premium program on average BTSCC and on the probability of a producer to ship milk with <100,000 cells/mL in a given month. The results showed a strong effect of the premium program on both the average BTSCC and the probability of producing milk with very low BTSCC. On average, the BTSCC of all the milk in the cooperative was reduced by 22,000 cells during the high premium period. The probability of producing milk with BTSCC <100,000 doubled during some months of the high premium period from 4 to 8%, and an associated 10% increase in probability to produce milk below 200,000 cells/mL was observed. The data clearly indicate that premium offerings for very high quality milk affect the overall milk quality in the population affected by the premium. Producers responded to the high premiums and the overall impact on milk quality was substantial. We argue that the combination of a penalty program for high BTSCC milk with a premium program for very high quality milk (low BTSCC) provides a strong incentive for improvement of milk quality.

“You're made to feel like a dirty filthy smoker when you're not, cigar smoking is another thing all together.” Responses of Australian cigar and cigarillo smokers to plain packaging

PubMed Central

Miller, Caroline L; Ettridge, Kerry A; Wakefield, Melanie A

2015-01-01

Objective To explore experiences of cigar and cigarillo smokers under Australian laws requiring plain packaging (PP) and strengthened graphic health warnings (GHWs). Methods In February/March 2014, we conducted: in-depth interviews with 10 regular premium cigar smokers; two focus groups with occasional premium cigar and premium cigarillo smokers (n=14); four focus groups with non-premium cigarillo smokers (n=28); and a national online survey of cigar and/or cigarillo smokers (n=268). Results Premium cigar smokers had limited exposure to PP, with many purchasing fully branded cigars in boxes duty free or online and singles in non-compliant packaging. Those who were exposed noticed and were concerned by the warnings, tried to avoid them and felt more like ‘dirty smokers’. Changes in perceived taste, harm and value were minimal for experienced premium cigar smokers. Occasional premium cigar and premium cigarillo smokers with higher PP exposure (gained by purchasing boxes rather than singles) perceived cigar/package appeal and value had declined and noticed the GHWs. Non-premium cigarillo smokers reported high PP exposure, reduced perceived appeal, quality, taste, enjoyment and value, somewhat increased perceived harm, greater noticeability of GHWs and concealment of packs and more contemplation of quitting. Online survey participants reported increased noticeability of GHWs (33%), decreased appeal of packaging (53%) and reduced consumption of cigars (42%) and cigarillos (44%) since PP implementation. Conclusions Non-premium cigarillo smokers appear to have been most exposed and influenced by PP, with cigar smokers less so, especially regular premium cigar smokers who have maintained access to fully branded products. PMID:28407613

5 CFR 890.1208 - Premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 599C(e) of Public Law 101-513. (b) If the individual is not covered under this subpart for the full pay period, premiums are paid only for the days he or she is actually covered. The daily premium rate is an amount equal to the monthly premium rate multiplied by 12 and divided by 365. (c) The payments required...

Clearwood quality and softwood lumber prices: what's the real premium?

Treesearch

Thomas R. Waggener; Roger D. Fight

1999-01-01

Diminishing quantities of appearance grade lumber and rising price premiums for it have accompanied the transition from old-growth to young-growth timber. The price premiums for better grades are an incentive for producers to undertake investments to increase the yield of those higher valued products. Price premiums, however, are also an incentive for users to...

76 FR 67570 - Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2012 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

... 0938-AQ15 Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2012 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...'') and by certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. The monthly Part A premium... monthly premium for certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. These are...

77 FR 69859 - Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2013 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... 0938-AR15 Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2013 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...'') and by certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. The monthly Part A premium... monthly premium for certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. These are...

24 CFR 257.203 - Calculation of up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. 257.203 Section 257.203 Housing and Urban... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. (a) Applicable premiums. Any mortgage presented for... LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM...

25 CFR 103.19 - When must the lender pay BIA the loan guaranty or insurance premium?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premium? 103.19 Section 103.19 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES LOAN GUARANTY, INSURANCE, AND INTEREST SUBSIDY How a Lender Obtains a Loan Guaranty or Insurance Coverage § 103.19 When must the lender pay BIA the loan guaranty or insurance premium? The premium...

25 CFR 103.19 - When must the lender pay BIA the loan guaranty or insurance premium?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premium? 103.19 Section 103.19 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES LOAN GUARANTY, INSURANCE, AND INTEREST SUBSIDY How a Lender Obtains a Loan Guaranty or Insurance Coverage § 103.19 When must the lender pay BIA the loan guaranty or insurance premium? The premium...

24 CFR 257.203 - Calculation of up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. 257.203 Section 257.203 Housing and Urban... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. (a) Applicable premiums. Any mortgage presented for... LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM...

5 CFR 550.143 - Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized. 550.143 Section 550.143 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Regularly Scheduled Standby Duty Pay § 550.143 Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is...

5 CFR 550.143 - Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized. 550.143 Section 550.143 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Regularly Scheduled Standby Duty Pay § 550.143 Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is...

5 CFR 550.143 - Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized. 550.143 Section 550.143 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Premium Pay Regularly Scheduled Standby Duty Pay § 550.143 Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is...

A Large Scale, High Resolution Agent-Based Insurgency Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

CUDA) is NVIDIA Corporation’s software development model for General Purpose Programming on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) ( NVIDIA Corporation ...Conference. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, October, 2005. NVIDIA Corporation . NVIDIA CUDA Programming Guide 2.0 [Online]. NVIDIA Corporation

Education Highlights: Energy Storage

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

Santillan, Jose; Bareno, Javier

Argonne intern Jose Santillan from University of Minnesota worked with Argonne mentor Javier Bareno in studying lithium-ion battery separators using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. This research will help scientists make lithium-ion batteries for energy storage last longer for less cost.

Leidos Biomed Teams with NCI, DOE, and Argonne National Lab to Support National X-Ray Resource | Poster

Cancer.gov

Scientists are making progress in understanding a bleeding disorder caused by prescription drug interactions, thanks to a high-tech research facility involving two federal national laboratories, Argonne and Frederick.

Willingness to pay for the social health insurance in Iran.

PubMed

Nosratnejad, Shirin; Rashidian, Arash; Mehrara, Mohsen; Akbari Sari, Ali; Mahdavi, Ghadir; Moeini, Maryam

2014-05-30

The substantial level of out-of-pocket expenditure for health care by the population causes policy makers to draw particular attention to the proposal of a social health insurance for uninsured members of the community. Hence, it is essential to gather reliable information about the amount of Willingness To Pay (WTP) for health insurance. We assessed the WTP for health insurance in Iran in order to suggest an affordable social health insurance. The study sample included 300 household heads in all Iranian provinces. The double bounded dichotomous choice approach was used to elicit the WTP. The average WTP for social health insurance per person per month was 137 000 Rial (5.5 $US). Household heads with higher levels of education, income and those who worked had more WTP for the health insurance. Besides, the WTP increased in direct proportion to the number of insured members of each household and in inverse proportion to the family size. From a policy point of view, the WTP value can be used as a premium in a society. An important finding of this study is that although households' Willingness To Pay is not more than the total insurance premium, households are willing to pay more than the premium they ought to pay for health insurance coverage. That is, total insurance premium is 150 000 Rials and households ought to pay approximately half of this sum. This can afford policy makers the ideal opportunity to provide good insurance coverage for medical services according to the need of society.

Changes in the Vegetation Cover in a Constructed Wetland at Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois

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

Bergman, C.L.; LaGory, K.

2004-01-01

Wetlands are valuable resources that are disappearing at an alarming rate. Land development has resulted in the destruction of wetlands for approximately 200 years. To combat this destruction, the federal government passed legislation that requires no net loss of wetlands. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for regulating wetland disturbances. In 1991, the USACE determined that the construction of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory would damage three wetlands that had a total area of one acre. Argonne was required to create a wetland of equal acreage to replace the damaged wetlands. For themore » first five years after this wetland was created (1992-1996), the frequency of plant species, relative cover, and water depth was closely monitored. The wetland was not monitored again until 2002. In 2003, the vegetation cover data were again collected with a similar methodology to previous years. The plant species were sampled using quadrats at randomly selected locations along transects throughout the wetland. The fifty sampling locations were monitored once in June and percent cover of each of the plant species was determined for each plot. Furthermore, the extent of standing water in the wetland was measured. In 2003, 21 species of plants were found and identified. Eleven species dominated the wetland, among which were reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), crown vetch (Coronilla varia), and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). These species are all non-native, invasive species. In the previous year, 30 species were found in the same wetland. The common species varied from the 2002 study but still had these non-native species in common. Reed canary grass and Canada thistle both increased by more than 100% from 2002. Unfortunately, the non-native species may be contributing to the loss of biodiversity in the wetland. In the future, control measures should be taken to ensure the establishment of more desired native species.« less

Estimated value of insurance premium due to Citarum River flood by using Bayesian method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukono; Aisah, I.; Tampubolon, Y. R. H.; Napitupulu, H.; Supian, S.; Subiyanto; Sidi, P.

2018-03-01

Citarum river flood in South Bandung, West Java Indonesia, often happens every year. It causes property damage, producing economic loss. The risk of loss can be mitigated by following the flood insurance program. In this paper, we discussed about the estimated value of insurance premiums due to Citarum river flood by Bayesian method. It is assumed that the risk data for flood losses follows the Pareto distribution with the right fat-tail. The estimation of distribution model parameters is done by using Bayesian method. First, parameter estimation is done with assumption that prior comes from Gamma distribution family, while observation data follow Pareto distribution. Second, flood loss data is simulated based on the probability of damage in each flood affected area. The result of the analysis shows that the estimated premium value of insurance based on pure premium principle is as follows: for the loss value of IDR 629.65 million of premium IDR 338.63 million; for a loss of IDR 584.30 million of its premium IDR 314.24 million; and the loss value of IDR 574.53 million of its premium IDR 308.95 million. The premium value estimator can be used as neither a reference in the decision of reasonable premium determination, so as not to incriminate the insured, nor it result in loss of the insurer.

Enabling fast charging – Introduction and overview

DOE PAGES

Michelbacher, Christopher; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; ...

2017-10-23

Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with guidance from VTO, initiated this study to understand the technical, cost, infrastructure, and implementation barriers associated with high rate charging up to 350 kW.

Science | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Publications Researchers Postdocs Exascale Computing Institute for Molecular Engineering at Argonne Work with Scientific Publications Researchers Postdocs Exascale Computing Institute for Molecular Engineering at understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the electronic, atomic, and molecular levels

Argonne News Brief: Cutting-Edge Science Makes 3D Printing More Efficient and Reliable

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

None

Argonne National Laboratory researchers are gaining a deeper understanding of the 3D printing process, and as a result, they are helping industries quickly and economically manufacture 3D-printed products that are truly reliable.

42 CFR 408.207 - Billing and payment procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium... premium surcharge for each eligible enrollee who is included in the agreement for the time period...

42 CFR 408.207 - Billing and payment procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... MEDICARE PROGRAM PREMIUMS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MEDICAL INSURANCE Supplementary Medical Insurance Premium... premium surcharge for each eligible enrollee who is included in the agreement for the time period...

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

Nashold, B.; Rosenblatt, D.; Hau, J.

This summary describes a Supplemental Site Inspection (SSI) conducted by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) at Air Force Plant 59 (AFP 59) in Johnson City, New York. All required data pertaining to this project were entered by ANL into the Air Force-wide Installation Restoration Program Information System (IRPIMS) computer format and submitted to an appropriate authority. The work was sponsored by the United States Air Force as part of its Installation Restoration Program (IRP). Previous studies had revealed the presence of contaminants at the site and identified several potential contaminant sources. Argonne`s study was conducted to answer questions raised by earliermore » investigations.« less

"Ask Argonne" - Edwin Campos, Research Meteorologist, Part 2

ScienceCinema

Edwin Campos

2017-12-09

Argonne's Edwin Campos has for the last two decades studied weather, and in particular, clouds. His research can help make solar power a more viable option for the U.S. and the world. In this video, Dr. Campos answers questions that were submitted by the public in response to his introductory video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfdoHz.... We will be posting a new "Ask Argonne" video every other month, on various topics. Keep an eye out for your next opportunity to submit a question and see if it gets answered - and if you get a shout-out on camera.

"Ask Argonne" - Edwin Campos, Research Meteorologist, Part 2

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

Edwin Campos

2013-05-23

Argonne's Edwin Campos has for the last two decades studied weather, and in particular, clouds. His research can help make solar power a more viable option for the U.S. and the world. In this video, Dr. Campos answers questions that were submitted by the public in response to his introductory video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfdoHz.... We will be posting a new "Ask Argonne" video every other month, on various topics. Keep an eye out for your next opportunity to submit a question and see if it gets answered - and if you get a shout-out on camera.

78 FR 64951 - Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2014 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-30

... 0938-AR57 Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2014 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled...'') and by certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. The monthly Part A premium... payment of a monthly premium for certain disabled individuals who have exhausted other entitlement. These...

24 CFR 221.755 - Premiums first, second, third and operating loss loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums, apply to mortgages insured under this subpart that provide for interest at the market... section 238(c) of the Act all mortgage insurance premiums due in accordance with §§ 207.252 and 207.252a... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Premiums first, second, third and...

24 CFR 213.259a - Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant to section 238(c) of the Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... All of the provisions of §§ 213.253 through 213.259 governing mortgage insurance premiums shall apply... mortgage insurance premiums due on such mortgages in accordance with §§ 213.253 through 213.259 shall be... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant...

24 CFR 213.259a - Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant to section 238(c) of the Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... All of the provisions of §§ 213.253 through 213.259 governing mortgage insurance premiums shall apply... mortgage insurance premiums due on such mortgages in accordance with §§ 213.253 through 213.259 shall be... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant...

24 CFR 221.755 - Premiums first, second, third and operating loss loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums, apply to mortgages insured under this subpart that provide for interest at the market... section 238(c) of the Act all mortgage insurance premiums due in accordance with §§ 207.252 and 207.252a... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Premiums first, second, third and...

Plan-provider integration, premiums, and quality in the Medicare Advantage market.

PubMed

Frakt, Austin B; Pizer, Steven D; Feldman, Roger

2013-12-01

To investigate how integration between Medicare Advantage plans and health care providers is related to plan premiums and quality ratings. We used public data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Area Resource File and private data from one large insurer. Premiums and quality ratings are from 2009 CMS administrative files and some control variables are historical. We estimated ordinary least-squares models for premiums and plan quality ratings, with state fixed effects and firm random effects. The key independent variable was an indicator of plan-provider integration. With the exception of Medigap premium data, all data were publicly available. We ascertained plan-provider integration through examination of plans' websites and governance documents. We found that integrated plan-providers charge higher premiums, controlling for quality. Such plans also have higher quality ratings. We found no evidence that integration is associated with more generous benefits. Current policy encourages plan-provider integration, although potential effects on health insurance products and markets are uncertain. Policy makers and regulators may want to closely monitor changes in premiums and quality after integration and consider whether quality improvement (if any) justifies premium increases (if they occur). © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The impact of HMO competition on private health insurance premiums, 1985-1992.

PubMed

Wickizer, T M; Feldstein, P J

1995-01-01

A critical unresolved health policy question is whether competition stimulated by managed care organizations can slow the rate of growth in health care expenditures. We analyzed the competitive effects of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) on the growth in fee-for-service indemnity insurance premiums over the period 1985-1992 using premium data on 95 groups that had policies with a single, large, private insurance carrier. We used multiple regressions to estimate the effect of HMO market penetration on insurance premium growth rates. HMO penetration had a statistically significant (p < .015) negative effect on the rate of growth in indemnity insurance premiums. For an average group located in a market whose HMO penetration rate increased by 25% (e.g., from 10% to 12.5%), the real rate of growth in premiums would be approximately 5.9% instead of 7.0%. Our findings indicate that competitive strategies, relying on managed care, have significant potential to reduce health insurance premium growth rates, thereby resulting in substantial cost savings over time.

The effect of Medicaid premiums on enrollment: a regression discontinuity approach.

PubMed

Dague, Laura

2014-09-01

This paper estimates the effect that premiums in Medicaid have on the length of enrollment of program beneficiaries. Whether and how low income-families will participate in the exchanges and in states' Medicaid programs depends crucially on the structure and amounts of the premiums they will face. I take advantage of discontinuities in the structure of Wisconsin's Medicaid program to identify the effects of premiums on enrollment for low-income families. I use a 3-year administrative panel of enrollment data to estimate these effects. I find an increase in the premium from 0 to 10 dollars per month results in 1.4 fewer months enrolled and reduces the probability of remaining enrolled for a full year by 12 percentage points, but other discrete changes in premium amounts do not affect enrollment or have a much smaller effect. I find no evidence of program enrollees intentionally decreasing labor supply in order to avoid the premiums. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accurate determination of genetic identity for a single cacao bean, using molecular markers with a nanofluidic system, ensures cocoa authentication.

PubMed

Fang, Wanping; Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Mischke, Sue; Bellato, Cláudia M; Motilal, Lambert; Zhang, Dapeng

2014-01-15

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), the source of cocoa, is an economically important tropical crop. One problem with the premium cacao market is contamination with off-types adulterating raw premium material. Accurate determination of the genetic identity of single cacao beans is essential for ensuring cocoa authentication. Using nanofluidic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping with 48 SNP markers, we generated SNP fingerprints for small quantities of DNA extracted from the seed coat of single cacao beans. On the basis of the SNP profiles, we identified an assumed adulterant variety, which was unambiguously distinguished from the authentic beans by multilocus matching. Assignment tests based on both Bayesian clustering analysis and allele frequency clearly separated all 30 authentic samples from the non-authentic samples. Distance-based principle coordinate analysis further supported these results. The nanofluidic SNP protocol, together with forensic statistical tools, is sufficiently robust to establish authentication and to verify gourmet cacao varieties. This method shows significant potential for practical application.

Market niche analysis in the casino gaming industry.

PubMed

Dandurand, L

1990-03-01

This article discusses the nature of market niche analysis in the casino gaming industry. It presents four approaches for conducting market niche analysis. An an example of one approach, the Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study is used to identify a premium niche in the Las Vegas Slot Target Market. A detailed examination of the premium niche profile provides a description of the typical premium slot player. The description of the typical premium player leads to hypotheses regarding needs (the unique preference set) of the premium player. An analysis of the unique preference set suggests an appropriate enhanced marketing program.

CHIP premiums, health status, and the insurance coverage of children.

PubMed

Marton, James; Talbert, Jeffery C

2010-01-01

This study uses the introduction of premiums into Kentucky's Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) to examine whether the enrollment impact of new premiums varies by child health type. We also examine the extent to which children find alternative coverage after premium nonpayment. Public insurance claims data suggest that those with chronic health conditions are less likely to leave public coverage. We find little evidence of a differential impact of premiums on enrollment among the chronically ill. Our survey of nonpayers shows that 56% of responding families found alternative private or public health coverage for their children after losing CHIP.

Argonne Geothermal Geochemical Database v2.0

DOE Data Explorer

Harto, Christopher

2013-05-22

A database of geochemical data from potential geothermal sources aggregated from multiple sources as of March 2010. The database contains fields for the location, depth, temperature, pH, total dissolved solids concentration, chemical composition, and date of sampling. A separate tab contains data on non-condensible gas compositions. The database contains records for over 50,000 wells, although many entries are incomplete. Current versions of source documentation are listed in the dataset.

Doing the impossible: Recycling nuclear waste

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

None

2009-01-01

A Science Channel feature explores how Argonne techniques could be used to safely reduce the amount of radioactive waste generated by nuclear power—the most plentiful carbon-neutral energy source. Read more at http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/ArgonneNow/Fall_2009/nuclear.html

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

None

Since its creation in 1946, Argonne National Laboratory has addressed the nation’s most pressing challenges in science, energy, the environment, and national security. United by a common goal – to improve the world – Argonne continues to drive the scientific and technological breakthroughs needed to ensure a sustainable future.

Education Highlights: Food-Energy-Water Nexus

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

Redd, Shanterell; Zvolanek, Emily

Argonne intern Shanterell Redd from Tougaloo College worked with Argonne mentor Emily Zvolanek in studying the food-energy-water-women nexus in Egypt and Jordan. This research will help scientists determine sustainable ways in which women in developing countries gather and use non-renewable resources.

Facilities | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Skip to main content Argonne National Laboratory Toggle Navigation Toggle Search Research Facilities Advanced Powertrain Research Facility Center for Transportation Research Distributed Energy Research Center Engine Research Facility Heat Transfer Laboratory Materials Engineering Research Facility

Safety | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

laboratory's ongoing effort to provide a safe and productive environment for employees, users, other site Skip to main content Argonne National Laboratory Toggle Navigation Toggle Search Energy Environment Careers Education Community Diversity Directory Energy Environment National Security User Facilities

Argonne National Laboratory-East site environmental report for calendar year 1998.

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

Golchert, N.W.; Kolzow, R.G.

1999-08-26

This report discusses the results of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) for 1998. To evaluate the effects of ANL-E operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the ANL-E site were analyzed and compared with applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides were measured in air, surface water, on-site groundwater, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and ANL-E effluent water were analyzed. External penetrating radiation doses were measured, and the potential for radiation exposure to off-site population groups wasmore » estimated. Results are interpreted in terms of the origin of the radioactive and chemical substances (i.e., natural, fallout, ANL-E, and other) and are compared with applicable environmental quality standards. A US Department of Energy dose calculation methodology, based on International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations and the US Environmental Protection Agency's CAP-88 (Clean Air Act Assessment Package-1988) computer code, was used in preparing this report. The status of ANL-E environmental protection activities with respect to the various laws and regulations that govern waste handling and disposal is discussed, along with the progress of environmental corrective actions and restoration projects.« less

42 CFR 422.404 - State premium taxes prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Organization Compliance With State Law and Preemption by Federal Law § 422.404 State premium taxes prohibited. (a) Basic rule. No premium tax...

Mating motives are neither necessary nor sufficient to create the beauty premium.

PubMed

Hafenbrädl, Sebastian; Dana, Jason

2017-01-01

Mating motives lead decision makers to favor attractive people, but this favoritism is not sufficient to create a beauty premium in competitive settings. Further, economic approaches to discrimination, when correctly characterized, could neatly accommodate the experimental and field evidence of a beauty premium. Connecting labor economics and evolutionary psychology is laudable, but mating motives do not explain the beauty premium.

24 CFR 207.252c - Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant to section 238(c) of the Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... All of the provisions of §§ 207.252 and 207.252a governing mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to... insurance premiums due on such mortgages in accordance with §§ 207.252 and 207.252a shall be calculated on... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant...

24 CFR 207.252c - Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant to section 238(c) of the Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... All of the provisions of §§ 207.252 and 207.252a governing mortgage insurance premiums shall apply to... insurance premiums due on such mortgages in accordance with §§ 207.252 and 207.252a shall be calculated on... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Premiums-mortgages insured pursuant...

Simultaneously Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence and Ptychographic Imaging of Frozen Biological Single Cells

DOE PAGES

Chen, S.; Deng, J.; Nashed, Y. S. G.; ...

2016-07-25

Bionanoprobe (BNP), a hard x-ray fluorescence sample-scanning nanoprobe at the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Laboratory, has been used to quantitatively study elemental distributions in biological cells with sub-100 nm spatial resolution and high sensitivity. Cryogenic conditions enable biological samples to be studied in their frozen-hydrated state with both ultrastructure and elemental distributions more faithfully preserved compared to conventional chemical fixation or dehydration methods. Furthermore, radiation damage is reduced in two ways: the diffusion rate of free radicals is decreased at low temperatures; and the sample is embedded in vitrified ice, which reduces mass loss.

Changes in premiums of cancelled nongroup plans under the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Maeda, Jared Lane L K; Chen, Jersey; Plemons, Brent R

2016-07-01

To examine the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on changes in premiums for subscribers of nongrandfathered, nongroup insurance plans that were "cancelled." Retrospective multivariate analyses. Changes in annual premiums post ACA were evaluated across subgroups of subscriber and health plan characteristics. Data was derived from databases containing information on premiums, plan benefit, and demographics for subscribers aged 18 to 64 years within Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. A linear regression model was used to examine the independent association between subscriber and health plan characteristics on the relative change in premiums. In 2013, 4169 nongroup subscribers were enrolled in plans that were cancelled as a result of the ACA. The median pre-ACA premium was $3240 (range = $780-$39,492), which increased by a median of 21.3% (range = -77.4% to 193.6%), or $685 (range = -$27,464 to $8676), post ACA in 2014. Premiums increased more for high-deductible plans (median = 63.7%) than standard-deductible plans (median = 8.4%). Due to shifts in the age curve, premiums decreased for more than half of women aged 18 to 44 years, but increased by 35.2% for women aged 55 to 64 years. Premiums fell by 15.5% for subscribers who did not pass standard medical underwriting due to preexisting conditions. Changes in premiums in the nongroup market post ACA, varied substantially across subgroups, primarily due to differences in the amount of coverage, changes in rating criteria, shifts in the age curve, and anticipated differences in risk selection and composition of the risk pool. Given the extent of this variation, it would be incorrect to conclude the ACA as being uniformly beneficial or detrimental to subscribers of these cancelled plans.

Integrating self-determined needs into the relationship among product design, willingness-to-pay a premium, and word-of-mouth: a cross-cultural gender-specific study

PubMed Central

Gilal, Faheem Gul; Zhang, Jian; Gilal, Naeem Gul; Gilal, Rukhsana Gul

2018-01-01

Background The present study integrates self-determined needs satisfaction into a relationship between product design (eg, aesthetic, functional, and symbolic design) and consumer behavior (eg, willingness-to-pay [WTP] a premium and negative word-of-mouth [WOM]) and to explore whether gender can differentiate the effects of aesthetic, functional, and symbolic product designs on self-determined needs satisfaction. Methods To this end, participants from Pakistan and China were recruited, and the hypotheses for this study were tested using structural equation modeling and SPSS-PROCESS. Results The effects of three product designs on self-determined needs satisfaction were significantly positive across samples. The results further show that self-determined needs satisfaction had the strongest positive effect on WTP a premium and the strongest negative effect on vindictive WOM for Pakistanis. Self-determined needs frustration had the strongest negative effect on the WTP a premium for Chinese participants and an equivalent magnitude effect on vindictive WOM for Pakistani and Chinese participants. The cross-cultural gender-specific findings revealed that Pakistani men are more aesthetic and hedonic than women in Pakistan. Surprisingly, Chinese women resemble Pakistani men in the sense that they prefer aesthetically pleasing products. Chinese men resemble Pakistani women in terms of little interest in symbolic products, whereas Chinese women and Pakistani men respond similarly regarding their decisions to choose symbolic products. Conclusion To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study is one of the initial attempts to integrate self-determined needs into the relationship between product design and consumer WTP a premium and WOM, and further explore cross-cultural gender-specific differences across Pakistan and China. The findings of the present study may help international marketers in terms of segmenting, targeting, and positioning their markets. PMID:29922102

24 CFR 241.825 - Pro rata refund of insurance premium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AUTHORITIES SUPPLEMENTARY FINANCING FOR INSURED PROJECT MORTGAGES Contract Rights and Obligations-Multifamily Projects Without a HUD-Insured or HUD-Held Mortgage Premiums § 241.825 Pro rata refund of insurance premium...

Argonne's Magellan Cloud Computing Research Project

ScienceCinema

Beckman, Pete

2017-12-11

Pete Beckman, head of Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), discusses the Department of Energy's new $32-million Magellan project, which designed to test how cloud computing can be used for scientific research. More information: http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news091014a.html

Argonne's Magellan Cloud Computing Research Project

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

Beckman, Pete

Pete Beckman, head of Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), discusses the Department of Energy's new $32-million Magellan project, which designed to test how cloud computing can be used for scientific research. More information: http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news091014a.html

ARSENIC PARTITIONING TO IRON OXIDES AND SULFIDES: LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND OXIDATION STATE

EPA Science Inventory

his document summarizes research activities conducted at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL during FY2003. The analytical data collected using X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to evaluated the chemical speciation of arsenic associated wi...

GROUNDWATER PLUME CONTROL WITH PHYTOTECHNOLOGIES AT THE ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY-EAST

EPA Science Inventory

In 1999 Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) designed and installed a series of engineered plantings consisting of a vegetative cover system and approximately 800 hybrid poplars and willows rooting at various predetermined depths. The plants were installed using various meth...

User Facilities | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

, including biology and medicine. More than 7,000 scientists conduct experiments at Argonne user facilities Transformations IGSBInstitute for Genomics and Systems Biology IMEInstitute for Molecular Engineering JCESRJoint Science Center SBCStructural Biology Center Energy.gov U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs addresses the National Press Club

ScienceCinema

Eric Isaccs

2017-12-09

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs addresses the National Press Club on 9/15/2009. To build a national economy based on sustainable energy, the nation must first "reignite its innovation ecology," he said. Issacs makes the case for investing in science to secure America's future.

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs addresses the National Press Club

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

Eric Isaccs

2009-09-17

Argonne Director Eric Isaacs addresses the National Press Club on 9/15/2009. To build a national economy based on sustainable energy, the nation must first "reignite its innovation ecology," he said. Issacs makes the case for investing in science to secure America's future.

Leidos Biomed Teams with NCI, DOE, and Argonne National Lab to Support National X-Ray Resource | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

Scientists are making progress in understanding a bleeding disorder caused by prescription drug interactions, thanks to a high-tech research facility involving two federal national laboratories, Argonne and Frederick. Miroslawa Dauter is a Senior Res

Final report : site reclassification investigation for Courtland, Kansas.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Dennis, C. B.; Environmental Science Division

2006-01-31

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), formerly operated a grain storage facility in Courtland, Kansas. Prior to 1986, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the grain industry to preserve stored grain. In 1999, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) identified the former CCC/USDA operation as the likely source of carbon tetrachloride found in groundwater east of the former CCC/USDA facility in Courtland. Sampling by the KDHE in April 1998 had found carbon tetrachloride in the Garman residence lawn and garden well at amore » concentration of 2.1 {micro}g/L and in the Hoard residence lawn and garden well at a concentration of 0.5 {micro}g/L. Subsequent soil and groundwater sampling by the KDHE at the former CCC/USDA facility found no indication of a continuing source, and subsequent sampling of the affected wells showed generally declining contaminant levels. At the request of the KDHE and the CCC/USDA, Argonne National Laboratory prepared a Work Plan for Groundwater Sampling for Potential Site Reclassification, Courtland, Kansas (Argonne 2004). The objective of the proposed work was to conduct a single groundwater monitoring event and collect information necessary to update the status of the previously detected groundwater contamination, in support of an evaluation of appropriate actions for reclassification of the status of this site from active to resolved, under the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). The reclassification would be in accordance with the KDHE's Reclassification Plan (Policy No. BERRS-024, online at http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/ber/scp/reclass.pdf). The KDHE approved the Work Plan on August 8, 2005. Sampling was conducted on September 7, 2005.« less

24 CFR 221.256 - Interest rate increase and payment of mortgage insurance premiums on mortgages under § 221.60 and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... of mortgage insurance premiums on mortgages under § 221.60 and § 221.65. 221.256 Section 221.256... Interest rate increase and payment of mortgage insurance premiums on mortgages under § 221.60 and § 221.65.... (c) The liability for payment of mortgage insurance premiums shall begin on and be computed from the...

Gasoline Marketing: Premium Gasoline Overbuying May Be Occurring, but Extent Unknown.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) Mobil Oil Company Shell Oil Company Sun Refining and Marketing Company Consumer Groups American Automobile Association...Chairman: Consumers have the option of purchasing several different grades of unleaded gasoline-regular, mid-grade, and premium-which are classi...determine: (1) whether consumers were buying premium gasoline that they may not need, (2) whether the I .higher retail price of premium gasoline includes

Plan–Provider Integration, Premiums, and Quality in the Medicare Advantage Market

PubMed Central

Frakt, Austin B; Pizer, Steven D; Feldman, Roger

2013-01-01

Objective. To investigate how integration between Medicare Advantage plans and health care providers is related to plan premiums and quality ratings. Data Source. We used public data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Area Resource File and private data from one large insurer. Premiums and quality ratings are from 2009 CMS administrative files and some control variables are historical. Study Design. We estimated ordinary least-squares models for premiums and plan quality ratings, with state fixed effects and firm random effects. The key independent variable was an indicator of plan–provider integration. Data Collection. With the exception of Medigap premium data, all data were publicly available. We ascertained plan–provider integration through examination of plans’ websites and governance documents. Principal Findings. We found that integrated plan–providers charge higher premiums, controlling for quality. Such plans also have higher quality ratings. We found no evidence that integration is associated with more generous benefits. Conclusions. Current policy encourages plan–provider integration, although potential effects on health insurance products and markets are uncertain. Policy makers and regulators may want to closely monitor changes in premiums and quality after integration and consider whether quality improvement (if any) justifies premium increases (if they occur). PMID:23800017

Estimating Premium Sensitivity for Children's Public Health Insurance Coverage: Selection but No Death Spiral

PubMed Central

Marton, James; Ketsche, Patricia G; Snyder, Angela; Adams, E Kathleen; Zhou, Mei

2015-01-01

Objective To estimate the effect of premium increases on the probability that near-poor and moderate-income children disenroll from public coverage. Data Sources Enrollment, eligibility, and claims data for Georgia's PeachCare for Kids™ (CHIP) program for multiple years. Study Design We exploited policy-induced variation in premiums generated by cross-sectional differences and changes over time in enrollee age, family size, and income to estimate the duration of enrollment as a function of the effective (per child) premium. We classify children as being of low, medium, or high illness severity. Principal Findings A dollar increase in the per-child premium is associated with a slight increase in a typical child's monthly probability of exiting coverage from 7.70 to 7.83 percent. Children with low illness severity have a significantly higher monthly baseline probability of exiting than children with medium or high illness severity, but the enrollment response to premium increases is similar across all three groups. Conclusions Success in achieving coverage gains through public programs is tempered by persistent problems in maintaining enrollment, which is modestly affected by premium increases. Retention is subject to adverse selection problems, but premium increases do not appear to significantly magnify the selection problem in this case. PMID:25130764

Is premium support the right medicine for Medicare?

PubMed

Oberlander, J

2000-01-01

This paper assesses the desirability of transforming Medicare into a premium-support system. I focus on three areas crucial to the future of Medicare: cost savings, beneficiary choice, and the stability of traditional Medicare. Based on my analysis of the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare plan, I find substantial problems with adopting premium support for Medicare. In particular, projections of premium-support savings are based on questionable assumptions that the slowdown in health spending during 1993-1997 can be sustained and extrapolated to future Medicare performance. Consequently, premium support may inadvertently destabilize public Medicare and erode beneficiary choice without achieving substantial savings.

Effect of Mergers on Health Maintenance Organization Premiums

PubMed Central

Feldman, Roger; Wholey, Douglas; Christianson, Jon

1996-01-01

This study estimated the effect of mergers on health maintenance organization (HMO) premiums, using data on all operational non-Medicaid HMOs in the United States from 1985 to 1993. Two critical issues were examined: whether HMO mergers increase or decrease premiums; and whether the effects of mergers differ according to the degree of competition among HMOs in local markets. The only significant merger effect was found in the most competitive markets, where premiums increased, but only for 1 year after the merger. Our research does not support the argument that consolidation of HMOs in local markets will benefit consumers through lower premiums. PMID:10158729

Effects of public premiums on children's health insurance coverage: evidence from 1999 to 2003.

PubMed

Kenney, Genevieve; Hadley, Jack; Blavin, Fredric

This study uses 2000 to 2004 Current Population Survey data to examine the effects of public premiums on the insurance coverage of children whose family incomes are between 100% and 300% of the federal poverty level. The analysis employs multinomial logistic models that control for factors other than premium costs. While the magnitude of the estimated effects varies across models, the results consistently indicate that raising public premiums reduces enrollment in public programs, with some children who forgo public coverage having private coverage instead and others being uninsured. The results indicate that public premiums have larger effects when applied to lower-income families.

24 CFR 207.252a - Premiums-operating loss loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AUTHORITIES MULTIFAMILY HOUSING MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Premiums § 207.252a... insurance premium of not less than one-fourth of one percent nor more than one percent as the Secretary...

Argonne scientist Cristina Negri talks about phytoremediation

ScienceCinema

Negri, Cristina

2018-01-08

Phytoremediation is the use of plants and trees to remove or neutralize contaminants in polluted soil or water. Argonne scientist M. Cristina Negri leads the phytotechnologies R&D activities at Argonne. Phytotechnologies encompass the treatment of environmental problems through the use of plants. She was the scientific lead in the deployment and monitoring of multi-acre field scale phytoremediation installations and for the development of a phyto- and bio-remediation researcha nd development project in Russia. Her interests also focus on input-efficient approaches to growing energy crops, water efficiency in growing biofuel crops, and on the advanced treatment and reuse of wastewater and other impaired water.

Argonne scientist Cristina Negri talks about phytoremediation

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

Negri, Cristina

Phytoremediation is the use of plants and trees to remove or neutralize contaminants in polluted soil or water. Argonne scientist M. Cristina Negri leads the phytotechnologies R&D activities at Argonne. Phytotechnologies encompass the treatment of environmental problems through the use of plants. She was the scientific lead in the deployment and monitoring of multi-acre field scale phytoremediation installations and for the development of a phyto- and bio-remediation researcha nd development project in Russia. Her interests also focus on input-efficient approaches to growing energy crops, water efficiency in growing biofuel crops, and on the advanced treatment and reuse of wastewater andmore » other impaired water.« less

Differing Impacts Of Market Concentration On Affordable Care Act Marketplace Premiums.

PubMed

Scheffler, Richard M; Arnold, Daniel R; Fulton, Brent D; Glied, Sherry A

2016-05-01

Recent increases in market concentration among health plans, hospitals, and medical groups raise questions about what impact such mergers are having on costs to consumers. We examined the impact of market concentration on the growth of health insurance premiums between 2014 and 2015 in two Affordable Care Act state-based Marketplaces: Covered California and NY State of Health. We measured health plan, hospital, and medical group market concentration using the well-known Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and used a multivariate regression model to relate these measures to premium growth. Both states exhibited a positive association between hospital concentration and premium growth and a positive (but not statistically significant) association between medical group concentration and premium growth. Our results for health plan concentration differed between the two states: It was positively associated with premium growth in New York but negatively associated with premium growth in California. The health plan concentration finding in Covered California may be the result of its selectively contracting with health plans. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.

The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility in Waverly, Nebraska, from 1952 to 1974. During this time, the grain fumigant '80/20' (carbon tetrachloride/carbon disulfide) was used to preserve stored grain. In 1982, sampling by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found carbon tetrachloride contamination in the town's groundwater. After an investigation of the contaminant distribution, the site was placed on the National Priority List (NPL) in 1986, and the CCC/USDA accepted responsibility for the contamination. An Interagency Compliance Agreement between the EPA and the CCC/USDA was finalized in May 1988 (EPAmore » 1990). The EPA (Woodward-Clyde Consultants, contractor) started immediate cleanup efforts in 1987 with the installation of an air stripper, a soil vapor extraction system, a groundwater extraction well, and groundwater and soil gas monitoring wells (Woodward-Clyde 1986, 1988a,b). After the EPA issued its Record of Decision (ROD; EPA 1990), the CCC/USDA (Argonne National Laboratory, contractor) took over operation of the treatment systems. The CCC/USDA conducted a site investigation (Argonne 1991, 1992a,b), during which a carbon tetrachloride plume in groundwater was discovered northeast of the former facility. This plume was not being captured by the existing groundwater extraction system. The remediation system was modified in 1994 (Argonne 1993) with the installation of a second groundwater extraction well to contain the contamination further. Subsequently, a detailed evaluation of the system resulted in a recommendation to pump only the second well to conserve water in the aquifer (Argonne 1995). Sampling and analysis after implementation of this recommendation showed continued decreases in the extent and concentrations of the contamination with only one well pumping (Argonne 1999). The CCC/USDA issued quarterly monitoring reports from 1988 to 2009. Complete documentation of the CCC/USDA characterization and remediation efforts, including the quarterly monitoring reports, is on the compact disc inside the back cover of this report. The EPA reported on the progress of the remediation systems in a series of five-year reviews (EPA 1993, 1999, 2004, 2009). These reports and other EPA documentation are also on the compact disc inside the back cover of this report, along with the Woodward-Clyde (1986, 1988a,b) documentation cited. Starting in 2006, the analytical results for groundwater (the only medium still being monitored) showed no carbon tetrachloride concentrations above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5.0 g/L. Because the cleanup goals specified in the ROD (EPA 1990) had been met, the EPA removed the site from the NPL in November 2006 (Appendix A). In 2008 the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the remediation system was deactivated, and a year later the EPA released its fourth and final five-year report (EPA 2009), indicating that no further action was required for the site and that the site was ready for unlimited use. In 2011-2012, the CCC/USDA decommissioned the remediation systems at Waverly. This report documents the decommission process and closure of the site.« less

Final work plan : investigation of potential contamination at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility in Hanover, Kansas.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of the city of Hanover, Kansas, from 1950 until the early 1970s. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In February 1998, trace to low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contaminant level [MCL] of 5.0 {micro}g/L) were detected in two private wells near the former grain storage facility at Hanover, as part of a statewide USDA private wellmore » sampling program that was implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. In April 2007, the CCC/USDA collected near-surface soil samples at 1.8-2 ft BGL (below ground level) at 61 locations across the former CCC/USDA facility. All soil samples were analyzed by the rigorous gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer analytical method (purge-and-trap method). No contamination was found in soil samples above the reporting limit of 10 {micro}g/kg. In July 2007, the CCC/USDA sampled indoor air at nine residences on or adjacent to its former facility to address the residents concerns regarding vapor intrusion. Low levels of carbon tetrachloride were detected at four of the nine homes. Because carbon tetrachloride found in private wells and indoor air at the site might be linked to historical use of fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA is proposing to conduct an investigation to determine the source and extent of the carbon tetrachloride contamination associated with the former facility. This investigation will be conducted in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. The investigation at Hanover will be performed, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. Seven technical objectives have been proposed for the Hanover investigation. They are as follows: (1) Identify the sources and extent of soil contamination beneath the former CCC/USDA facility; (2) Characterize groundwater contamination beneath the former CCC/USDA facility; (3) Determine groundwater flow patterns; (4) Define the vertical and lateral extent of the groundwater plume outside the former CCC/USDA facility; (5) Evaluate the aquifer and monitor the groundwater system; (6) Identify any other potential sources of contamination that are not related to activities of the CCC/USDA; and (7) Determine whether there is a vapor intrusion problem at the site attributable to the former CCC/USDA facility. The technical objectives will be accomplished in a phased approached. Data collected during each phase will be evaluated to determine whether the subsequent phase is necessary. The KDHE project manager and the CCC/USDA will be contacted during each phase and kept apprised of the results. Whether implementation of each phase of work is necessary will be discussed and mutually agreed upon by the CCC/USDA and KDHE project managers.« less

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

None

The Mira supercomputer at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility helped Argonne researchers model what happens inside an engine when you use gasoline in a diesel engine. Engineers are exploring this type of combustion as a sustainable transportation option because it may be more efficient than traditional gasoline combustion engines but produce less soot than diesel.

Doing the impossible: Recycling nuclear waste

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-07

A Science Channel feature explores how Argonne techniques could be used to safely reduce the amount of radioactive waste generated by nuclear power—the most plentiful carbon-neutral energy source. Read more at http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/ArgonneNow/Fall_2009/nuclear.html

Argonne wins four R&D 100 Awards | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

. High-Energy Concentration-Gradient Cathode Material for Plug-in Hybrids and All-Electric Vehicles converting discovery science into innovative, high-impact products, processes and systems." Globus scientific facilities (such as supercomputing centers and high energy physics experiments), cloud storage

Argonne HEP Lunch Seminars

Science.gov Websites

Argonne HEP Lunch Seminar Schedule ANL home | HEP Division | Theory group | HEP Division seminars | HEP Theory seminars | Chicago seminars The ANL HEP Lunchtime Seminar is held regularly on Tuesdays at Phenomena in Astrophysics and Cosmology November 15, 2005 Harry Lipkin Update on Pentaquark theory and

Press Releases | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Electrochemical Energy Science --Center for Transportation Research --Chain Reaction Innovations --Computation renewable energy such as wind and solar power. April 25, 2018 John Carlisle, director of Chain Reaction across nation to grow startups Argonne announces second cohort of Chain Reaction Innovations. April 18

Two Argonne scientists named 2012 AAAS fellows | Argonne National

Science.gov Websites

"contributions to understanding structural dynamics of molecular excited states with special . "I'm really interested in how molecules respond to light and how light could influence molecular is being honored for her "contributions to understanding structural dynamics of molecular

CP-1 70th Anniversary Symposium

ScienceCinema

Len Koch; Harold Agnew

2017-12-09

Dr. Harold Agnew, retired director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and one of 49 people present on December 2, 1942 when the world’s first man-made controlled nuclear chain reaction was achieved with the CP-1 reactor, and Dr. Len Koch, one of Argonne’s earliest staff members and a designer of EBR-I, the first liquid metal-cooled fast reactor, spoke about their early work during “The Dawn of the Nuclear Age”, a Director’s Special Symposium held as one of the events to commemorate the 70th anniversary year of CP-1 achieving criticality. The symposium was moderated by Dr. Charles Till, a retired Argonne associate laboratory director who led Argonne’s nuclear engineering programs throughout the 1980’s and ‘90’s. Dr. Agnew painted a vivid picture of the challenges and rewards of working in Enrico Fermi’s group under strict security conditions and the complete faith all in the group had in Fermi’s analyses. He stated that no one ever doubted that CP-1 would achieve criticality, and when the moment came, those present acknowledged the accomplishment with little more than a subdued toast of chianti from a bottle provided by reactor physicist Eugene Wigner. This experimental work on nuclear reactors was continued in the Chicago area and led first by Fermi and then Walter Zinn, another member of Fermi’s CP-1 group, resulting in the formal establishment of Argonne National Laboratory on July 1, 1946. Dr. Koch described how much he enjoyed working at Argonne through the 1950’s and ‘60’s and contributing to many of the research “firsts” that Argonne achieved in the nuclear energy field and led to the foundation of the commercial nuclear power generation industry. His reminiscences about all that was achieved with EBR-I and how that work then led into Argonne’s design, building, and operation of EBR-II as a full demonstration of a fast reactor power plant brought Argonne’s nuclear energy legacy to life for everyone in the auditorium. These engaging presentations prompted a number of questions from the audience, which showed its appreciation for both speakers by ending the symposium with a standing ovation.

Argonne National Laboratory annual report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities FY 2009.

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

Office of the Director

2010-04-09

I am pleased to submit Argonne National Laboratory's Annual Report on its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) activities for fiscal year 2009. Fiscal year 2009 saw a heightened focus by DOE and the nation on the need to develop new sources of energy. Argonne scientists are investigating many different sources of energy, including nuclear, solar, and biofuels, as well as ways to store, use, and transmit energy more safely, cleanly, and efficiently. DOE selected Argonne as the site for two new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) - the Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations and the Center for Electrical Energymore » Storage - and funded two other EFRCs to which Argonne is a major partner. The award of at least two of the EFRCs can be directly linked to early LDRD-funded efforts. LDRD has historically seeded important programs and facilities at the lab. Two of these facilities, the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials, are now vital contributors to today's LDRD Program. New and enhanced capabilities, many of which relied on LDRD in their early stages, now help the laboratory pursue its evolving strategic goals. LDRD has, since its inception, been an invaluable resource for positioning the Laboratory to anticipate, and thus be prepared to contribute to, the future science and technology needs of DOE and the nation. During times of change, LDRD becomes all the more vital for facilitating the necessary adjustments while maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of our staff and facilities. Although I am new to the role of Laboratory Director, my immediate prior service as Deputy Laboratory Director for Programs afforded me continuous involvement in the LDRD program and its management. Therefore, I can attest that Argonne's program adhered closely to the requirements of DOE Order 413.2b and associated guidelines governing LDRD. Our LDRD program management continually strives to be more efficient. In addition to meeting all reporting requirements during fiscal year 2009, our LDRD Office continues to enhance its electronic systems to streamline the LDRD management process. You will see from the following individual project reports that Argonne's researchers have once again done a superb job pursuing projects at the forefront of their respective fields and have contributed significantly to the advancement of Argonne's strategic thrusts. This work has not only attracted follow-on sponsorship in many cases, but is also proving to be a valuable basis upon which to continue realignment of our strategic portfolio to better match the Laboratory's Strategic Plan.« less

5 CFR 892.206 - Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium conversion?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.206 Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium...

5 CFR 892.206 - Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium conversion?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.206 Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium...

5 CFR 892.206 - Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium conversion?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.206 Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium...

5 CFR 892.206 - Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium conversion?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.206 Can I cancel my waiver and participate in premium...

5 CFR 892.102 - What is premium conversion and how does it work?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS... FEHB insurance premium. If you are a participant in the premium conversion plan, Section 125 of the...

38 CFR 8.14 - Provision for extended term insurance-other than 5-year level premium term or limited convertible...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... under 38 U.S.C. 1925, will purchase when applied as a net single premium at the attained age of the... indebtedness for such time from the due date of the premium in default as the reserve of the policy less any indebtedness will purchase when applied as a net single premium at the attained age of the insured. For this...

The Effect of Massachusetts' Health Reform on Employer-Sponsored Insurance Premiums.

PubMed

Cogan, John F; Hubbard, R Glenn; Kessler, Daniel

2010-01-01

In this paper, we use publicly available data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) to investigate the effect of Massachusetts' health reform plan on employer-sponsored insurance premiums. We tabulate premium growth for private-sector employers in Massachusetts and the United States as a whole for 2004 - 2008. We estimate the effect of the plan as the difference in premium growth between Massachusetts and the United States between 2006 and 2008-that is, before versus after the plan-over and above the difference in premium growth for 2004 to 2006. We find that health reform in Massachusetts increased single-coverage employer-sponsored insurance premiums by about 6 percent, or $262. Although our research design has important limitations, it does suggest that policy makers should be concerned about the consequences of health reform for the cost of private insurance.

A New Framework for Adaptive Sampling and Analysis During Long-Term Monitoring and Remedial Action Management

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

Minsker, Barbara

2004-12-01

The Argonne team has gathered available data on monitoring wells and measured hydraulic heads from the Argonne 317/319 site and sent it to UIUC. Xiaodong Li, a research assistant supported by the project, has reviewed the data and has fit initial spatiotemporal statistical models to it. Another research assistant, Yonas Demissie, has completed generation of the artificial data that will be used for model development and testing. In order to generate the artificial data a detailed groundwater flow and contaminant transport model was developed based upon characteristics of the 317/319 site. The model covers a multi-year time horizon that includesmore » both before and after planting of the trees. As described in the proposal, the artificial data is created by adding ''measurement'' error to the ''true'' value from the numerical model. To date, only simple white noise error models have been considered. He is now reviewing the literature and beginning to develop a hierarchical modeling approach for the artificial data. Abhishek Singh, a third research assistant supported by the project, is implementing learning models for learning users preferences in an interactive genetic algorithm for solving the inverse problem. Meghna Babbar, the fourth research assistant supported by the project, has been improving the user interface for the interactive genetic algorithm and preparing a long-term monitoring design problem for testing the approach. Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, the last research assistant who is partially supported by the project, has collected substantial data from the 317/319 phytoremediation site at Argonne and has begun learning approaches for modeling these data.« less

12 CFR 226.35 - Prohibited acts or practices in connection with higher-priced mortgage loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., and other loan pricing terms currently offered to consumers by a representative sample of creditors for mortgage transactions that have low-risk pricing characteristics. The Board publishes average... and premiums for mortgage-related insurance required by the creditor, such as insurance against loss...

Evaluation of hard red spring wheat quality using four different roller mills

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Domestic and overseas buyers pay premium price for hard red spring (HRS) wheat due to high protein content and excellent milling and baking performances. For efficient quality identification of wheat samples, a wheat quality laboratory needs an objective and simple experimental milling procedure and...

40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

Native, discount, or premium brand cigarettes: what types of cigarettes are Canadian youth currently smoking?

PubMed

Elton-Marshall, Tara; Leatherdale, Scott T; Burkhalter, Robin

2013-02-01

The objective of the study was to determine the brand distribution of premium, discount, and native cigarette brands and to identify the factors associated with smoking these brands among a nationally representative sample of Canadian youth smokers. Data from 3,137 current smokers in Grades 9-12 participating in the 2008-2009 Youth Smoking Survey (YSS) were used to examine the prevalence and factors associated with different cigarette brand preferences. The most prevalent brand of cigarette smoked was premium cigarettes (44.7%), followed by discount cigarettes (33.7%), and to be native cigarettes (7.3%). There was significant variability in brand preference by province with the majority of youth in Atlantic Canada and Quebec smoking a discount brand of cigarettes and higher prevalence rates of native cigarette use in Ontario and Quebec. Respondents were more likely to smoke discount cigarettes if they were female, daily smokers, or if they only had $1-20 a week in spending money. Respondents were more likely to smoke native cigarettes if they were Aboriginal, heavier smokers, or if they reported having no weekly spending money. A significant proportion of students from Grade 9 to 12 in Canada smoke cigarettes that are more affordable than premium brands and it appears that the market share for these more affordable cigarette options has increased in recent years. Given that the price of cigarettes is an important determinant in youth smoking behavior, it is critical to develop and continue to enforce tobacco control strategies designed to eliminate access to cheaper sources of cigarettes among youth populations.

Willingness To Pay for Social Health Insurance in Iran

PubMed Central

Nosratnejad, Shirin; Rashidian, Arash; Mehrara, Mohsen; Sari, Ali Akbari; Mahdavi, Ghadir; Moeini, Maryam

2014-01-01

Objective: The substantial level of out-of-pocket expenditure for health care by the population causes policy makers to draw particular attention to the proposal of a social health insurance for uninsured members of the community. Hence, it is essential to gather reliable information about the amount of Willingness To Pay (WTP) for health insurance. We assessed the WTP for health insurance in Iran in order to suggest an affordable social health insurance. Method: The study sample included 300 household heads in all Iranian provinces. The double bounded dichotomous choice approach was used to elicit the WTP. Result: The average WTP for social health insurance per person per month was 137 000 Rial (5.5 $US). Household heads with higher levels of education, income and those who worked had more WTP for the health insurance. Besides, the WTP increased in direct proportion to the number of insured members of each household and in inverse proportion to the family size. Conclusions: From a policy point of view, the WTP value can be used as a premium in a society. An important finding of this study is that although households’ Willingness To Pay is not more than the total insurance premium, households are willing to pay more than the premium they ought to pay for health insurance coverage. That is, total insurance premium is 150 000 Rials and households ought to pay approximately half of this sum. This can afford policy makers the ideal opportunity to provide good insurance coverage for medical services according to the need of society. PMID:25168979

A comparison of mycotoxin contamination of premium and grocery brands of pelleted cat food in South Africa.

PubMed

Singh, Sanil D; Baijnath, Sooraj; Chuturgoon, Anil A

2017-11-22

Contamination with mycotoxins is of concern to pet owners and veterinary practitioners owing to their ability to cause disease and exacerbate the pathological changes associated with other diseases. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the mycotoxin content of common premium brand (PB) and grocery brand (GB) cat feeds. Therefore, we undertook to determine the mycobiota content of feed samples, from both categories (n = 6 each), and measured the levels of aflatoxin (AF), fumonisin (FB), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) by high performance liquid chromatographic analysis. There were high concentrations of mycotoxins in both categories of feed, regardless of the notion that PBs are of a higher quality. The concentration of these toxins may contribute to the development of related pathologies in felines.

What drives insurer participation and premiums in the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace?

PubMed

Abraham, Jean Marie; Drake, Coleman; McCullough, Jeffrey S; Simon, Kosali

2017-12-01

We investigate determinants of market entry and premiums within the context of the Affordable Care Act's Marketplaces for individual insurance. Using Bresnahan and Reiss (1991) as the conceptual framework, we study how competition and firm heterogeneity relate to premiums in 36 states using Federally Facilitated or Supported Marketplaces in 2016. Our primary data source is the Qualified Health Plan Landscape File, augmented with market characteristics from the American Community Survey and Area Health Resource File as well as insurer-level information from federal Medical Loss Ratio annual reports. We first estimate a model of insurer entry and then investigate the relationship between a market's predicted number of entrants and insurer-level premiums. Our entry model results suggest that competition is increasing with the number of insurers, most notably as the market size increases from 3 to 4 entrants. Results from the premium regression suggest that each additional entrant is associated with approximately 4% lower premiums, controlling for other factors. An alternative explanation for the relationship between entrants and premiums is that more efficient insurers (who can price lower) are the ones that enter markets with many entrants, and this is reflected in lower premiums. An exploratory analysis of insurers' non-claims costs (a proxy for insurer efficiency) reveals that average costs among entrants are rising slightly with the number of insurers in the market. This pattern does not support the hypothesis that premiums decrease with more entrants because those entrants are more efficient, suggesting instead that the results are being driven mostly by price competition.

Employee responses to health insurance premium increases.

PubMed

Goldman, Dana P; Leibowitz, Arleen A; Robalino, David A

2004-01-01

To determine the sensitivity of employees' health insurance decisions--including the decision to not choose health maintenance organization or fee-for-service coverage--during periods of rapidly escalating healthcare costs. A retrospective cohort study of employee plan choices at a single large firm with a "cafeteria-style" benefits plan wherein employees paid all the additional cost of purchasing more generous insurance. We modeled the probability that an employee would drop coverage or switch plans in response to employee premium increases using data from a single large US company with employees across 47 states during the 3-year period of 1989 through 1991, a time of large premium increases within and across plans. Premium increases induced substantial plan switching. Single employees were more likely to respond to premium increases by dropping coverage, whereas families tended to switch to another plan. Premium increases of 10% induced 7% of single employees to drop or severely cut back on coverage; 13% to switch to another plan; and 80% to remain in their existing plan. Similar figures for those with family coverage were 11%, 12%, and 77%, respectively. Simulation results that control for known covariates show similar increases. When faced with a dramatic increase in premiums--on the order of 20%--nearly one fifth of the single employees dropped coverage compared with 10% of those with family coverage. Employee coverage decisions are sensitive to rapidly increasing premiums, and single employees may be likely to drop coverage. This finding suggests that sustained premium increases could induce substantial increases in the number of uninsured individuals.

Willingness to pay for health insurance in the informal sector of Sierra Leone

PubMed Central

Jofre-Bonet, Mireia; Kamara, Joseph

2018-01-01

Purpose The objective of this project is to study the willingness to pay (WTP) for health insurance (HI) of individuals working in the informal sector in Sierra Leone, using a purposely-designed survey of a representative sample of this sector. Methods We elicit the WTP using the Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice with Follow Up method. We also examine the factors that are positively and negatively associated with the likelihood of the respondents to answer affirmatively to joining a HI scheme and to paying three different possible premiums, to join the HI scheme. We additionally analyze the individual and household characteristics associated with the maximum amount the household is willing to pay to join the HI scheme. Results The results indicate that the average WTP for the HI is 20,237.16 SLL (3.6 USD) per adult but it ranges from about 14,000 SLL (2.5 USD) to about 35,000 SLL (6.2 USD) depending on region, occupation, household and respondent characteristics. The analysis of the maximum WTP indicates that living outside the Western region and working in farming instead of petty trade are associated with a decrease in the maximum premium respondents are WTP for the HI scheme. Instead, the maximum WTP is positively associated to being a driver or a biker; having secondary or tertiary education (as opposed to not having any); the number of pregnant women in the household; having a TV; and, having paid for the last medical requirement. Conclusions In summary, the various analyses show that a premium for the HI package could be set at approximately 20,000 SLL (3.54 USD) but also that establishing a single premium for all individuals in the informal sector could be risky. The efficient functioning of a HI scheme relies on covering as much of the population as possible, in order to spread risks and make the scheme viable. The impact of the various population characteristics raises the issue of how to rate premiums. In other words, setting a premium that may be too high for a big proportion of the population could mean losing many potential enrollees and might have viability consequences for the operation of the scheme. PMID:29768409

Argonne News Brief: Self-Healing Diamond-Like Carbon Coating Could Revolutionize Lubrication

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

None

Argonne scientists discovered a technique to create a layer of diamond-like carbon on the surfaces between moving parts. This could change the future of lubrication—potentially making engines more efficient, more reliable, and even greener (by reducing heavy metal additives needed in engine oils.)

Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Study of Bond Constraints in Ge-Sb-Te Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-07

Ray Absorption Spectroscopy, or EXAFS. Using the spectroscopic capabilities provided by the MCAT line at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne...Absorption Spectroscopy, or EXAFS. Using the spectroscopic capabilities provided by the MCAT line at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National

Unraveling the Higgs Boson Discovery

ScienceCinema

Yoshida, Rik

2018-04-16

Argonne physicist Rik Yoshida explains what the Higgs boson is and what its discovery means for physics, the universe, and life. The third of Argonne's "OutLoud" public lecture series, held at the lab on September 27, 2012. Find out when the next one is at http://www.anl.gov/community/outloud

"Ask Argonne" - Robert Jacob, Climate Scientist, Part 2

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

Jacob, Robert

Previously, climate scientist Robert Jacob talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1aK6WDv). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted.

Weerts to lead Physical Sciences and Engineering directorate | Argonne

Science.gov Websites

Electrochemical Energy Science CTRCenter for Transportation Research CRIChain Reaction Innovations CIComputation Search Energy Environment National Security User Facilities Science Work with Us About Safety News Press Releases Feature Stories Science Highlights In the News Argonne Now Magazine Media Contacts Social Media

The Argonne Braille Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunwald, Arnold

A project summary and 20 related papers are presented on the Argonne Braille Machine, a device which produces braille-equivalent information on magnetic tape rather than embossing dots on paper. The summary traces the machine's development while 10 papers cover such issues as user reactions, evaluation proposals, use and care of the machine, the…

2016 Annual Report - Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

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

Collins, Jim; Papka, Michael E.; Cerny, Beth A.

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) helps researchers solve some of the world’s largest and most complex problems, while also advancing the nation’s efforts to develop future exascale computing systems. This report presents some of the ALCF’s notable achievements in key strategic areas over the past year.

Four Argonne National Laboratory scientists receive Early Career Research

Science.gov Websites

Media Contacts Social Media Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Writing Internship Four Argonne National Laboratory scientists receive Early Career Research Program economic impact of cascading shortages. He will also seek to enable scaling on high-performance computing

"Ask Argonne" - Charlie Catlett, Computer Scientist, Part 2

ScienceCinema

Catlett, Charlie

2018-02-14

A few weeks back, computer scientist Charlie Catlett talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1joBtzk). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted. Enjoy!

DOE to establish two Energy Frontier Research Centers at Argonne | Argonne

Science.gov Websites

. Catalysis in chemistry is the acceleration of a chemical reaction caused by the introduction of a substance or material that remains unchanged by the reaction. "Catalysts found in nature demonstrate how Electrochemical Energy Science CTRCenter for Transportation Research CRIChain Reaction Innovations CIComputation

"Ask Argonne" - Charlie Catlett, Computer Scientist, Part 2

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

Catlett, Charlie

2014-06-17

A few weeks back, computer scientist Charlie Catlett talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1joBtzk). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted. Enjoy!

"Ask Argonne" - Robert Jacob, Climate Scientist, Part 2

ScienceCinema

Jacob, Robert

2018-02-07

Previously, climate scientist Robert Jacob talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1aK6WDv). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted.

5 CFR 890.1306 - Government premium contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....1306 Section 890.1306 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE... Health Benefits Program Demonstration Project § 890.1306 Government premium contributions. The Secretary... family members. The government contribution toward demonstration project premium rates will be determined...

17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... contracts, including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance... discrete cash values that may vary in amount in accordance with the investment experience of the separate...

17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... contracts, including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance... discrete cash values that may vary in amount in accordance with the investment experience of the separate...

17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... contracts, including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance... discrete cash values that may vary in amount in accordance with the investment experience of the separate...

17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... contracts, including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance... discrete cash values that may vary in amount in accordance with the investment experience of the separate...

17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... contracts, including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance... discrete cash values that may vary in amount in accordance with the investment experience of the separate...

17 CFR 256.924 - Property insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... insurance premiums to protect the service company against losses and damages to owned or leased property... covered, and the applicable premiums. Any dividends distributed by mutual insurance companies shall be credited to the accounts to which the insurance premiums were charged. ...

17 CFR 256.924 - Property insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... insurance premiums to protect the service company against losses and damages to owned or leased property... covered, and the applicable premiums. Any dividends distributed by mutual insurance companies shall be credited to the accounts to which the insurance premiums were charged. ...

A comparative analysis of mycotoxin contamination of supermarket and premium brand pelleted dog food in Durban, South Africa.

PubMed

Singh, Sanil D; Chuturgoon, Anil A

2017-10-06

Dry pelleted dog food in the South African market is available via supermarkets, pet stores (standard brands [SBs]) and veterinary channels (premium brands [PBs]). For the purpose of this study, the supermarket channel included the cheaper quality foods and PBs were sold via the veterinary channel (n = 20). These feeds were analysed for four main mycotoxins (aflatoxins [AF], fumonisin [FB], ochratoxin A [OTA] and zearalenone [ZEA]) using standard welldescribed extraction, characterisation and quantitation processes. Irrespective of the brand or marketing channel, all foods were contaminated with fungi (mainly Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus parasiticus) and mycotoxins (most prevalent being aflatoxins and fumonisins). This was observed in all 20 samples irrespective of the marketing channel or perceived quality. Also, many samples within each marketing channel failed the 10 ppb limit for aflatoxin set by regulations in South Africa. Although fumonisin was detected in all samples, a single sample failed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit of 100 ppb. Both OTA and ZEA were found at low concentrations and were absent in some samples. This study suggested that higher priced dog food does not ensure superior quality or that it is free from contamination with fungi or mycotoxins. However, analysis of the more expensive PBs did reveal contamination concentrations lower than those of the SBs.

Premium Rebates and the Quiet Consensus on Market Reform for Medicare

PubMed Central

Feldman, Roger; Dowd, Bryan E.; Coulam, Robert; Nichols, Len; Mutti, Anne

2001-01-01

Premium rebates allow beneficiaries who choose more efficient Medicare options to receive cash rebates, rather than extra benefits. That simple idea has been controversial. Without fanfare, however, premium rebates have become a key area of agreement in the debate on Medicare reform. Moreover, in legislation in late 2000, it became official policy: Medicare+Choice (M+C) plans will be allowed to offer rebates beginning in 2003. This article explores the economic rationale for premium rebates, provides a historical perspective on the rebate debate, discusses some of the implementation issues that need to be addressed before 2003, and reviews the implications of premium rebates for current legislative proposals for Medicare reform. PMID:12500336

5 CFR 890.1306 - Government premium contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Government premium contributions. 890... Health Benefits Program Demonstration Project § 890.1306 Government premium contributions. The Secretary of Defense is responsible for the government contribution for enrolled eligible beneficiaries and...

5 CFR 890.1306 - Government premium contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Government premium contributions. 890... Health Benefits Program Demonstration Project § 890.1306 Government premium contributions. The Secretary of Defense is responsible for the government contribution for enrolled eligible beneficiaries and...

Health Insurance Marketplaces: Early Findings on Changes in Plan Availability and Premiums in Rural Places, 2014-2015.

PubMed

Barker, Abigail; McBride, Timothy D; Kemper, Leah M; Mueller, Keith

2015-05-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in HIMs from 2014 to 2015 in terms of choices offered and premiums charged, with emphasis on how these measures vary across rural and urban places. Key Findings. (1) In 74 percent of HIM rating areas, the number of firms operating increased by at least one, while the number of firms decreased in only about 6 percent of rating areas. Further, 64 percent of rating areas with fewer than 50 persons per square mile gained at least one firm. (2) There was no consistent pattern of premium increases with respect to rating area population density (used as a proxy here for the degree of "ruralness" of the rating areas). Nationally, rural areas are not experiencing higher premium increases than their urban counterparts. In fact, the lowest increases in second-lowest cost silver plan premiums occurred in the medium-density population rating areas of 51 to 300 persons per square mile. (3) Average adjusted premiums increased from 2014 to 2015 by 6.7 percent in Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) compared to just 1.4 percent in State-Based Marketplaces (SBMs). Regardless of SBM or FFM status, premium increases across the United States were negatively correlated with the number of firms entering the market. (4) Analysis of the most rural states, in terms of percentage of the population classified as nonmetropolitan, shows that, in general, premiums fell significantly in rural places where they had been rather high, and they increased in rural places where they had been rather low. The five rural states with the lowest premium increases had an average of 0.17 firms entering the market, while the five with the highest premium increases had an average of 0.50 firms exiting the market.

Without the individual mandate, the Affordable Care Act would still cover 23 million; premiums would rise less than predicted.

PubMed

Sheils, John F; Haught, Randall

2011-11-01

Many policy analysts fear that eliminating the individual health insurance mandate and penalty from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 would lead to a "premium spiral," in which healthy people would drop coverage, premiums would soar, and the number of people with coverage would plummet. However, there are other provisions of the law that would greatly mitigate this effect. For example, the subsidies provided in the law to help people purchase coverage through health insurance exchanges would restrain a premium spiral by absorbing much of the impact of premium increases. We estimate that if the mandate were lifted, premiums in the individual market would increase by 12.6 percent-somewhat less than other estimates-with 7.8 million people losing coverage, versus other estimates for coverage loss of 16-24 million people. In sum, the Affordable Care Act would still cover 23 million people who would have been uninsured without the law. Our study suggests that although the mandate would have important effects on premiums and coverage, it might not be essential to the act's successful implementation.

Covered California: The Impact of Provider and Health Plan Market Power on Premiums.

PubMed

Scheffler, Richard M; Kessell, Eric; Brandt, Margareta

2015-12-01

We explain the establishment of Covered California, California's health insurance marketplace. The marketplace uses an active purchaser model, which means that Covered California can selectively contract with some health plans and exclude others. During the 2014 open-enrollment period, it enrolled 1.3 million people, who are covered by eleven health plans. We describe the market shares of health plans in California and in each of the nineteen rating regions. We examine the empirical relationship between measures of provider market concentration--spanning health plans, hospitals, and medical groups--and rating region premiums. To do this, we analyze premiums for silver and bronze plans for specific age groups. We find both medical group concentration and hospital concentration to be positively associated with premiums, while health plan concentration is not statistically significant. We simulate the impact of reducing hospital concentration to levels that would exist in moderately competitive markets. This produces a predicted overall premium reduction of more than 2 percent. However, in three of the nineteen rating regions, the predicted premium reduction was more than 10 percent. These results suggest the importance of provider market concentration on premiums. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.

Greenhouse Gas Reductions: SF6

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

Anderson, Diana

2012-04-20

Argonne National Laboratory is leading the way in greenhouse gas reductions, particularly with the recapture and recycling of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). SF6 is a gas used in industry as an anti-arcing agent. It is an extremely potent greenhouse gas — one pound of SF6 is equivalent to 12 tons of carbon dioxide. While the U.S. does not currently regulate SF6 emissions, Argonne is proactively and voluntarily recovering and recycling to reduce SF6 emissions. Argonne saves over 16,000 tons of SF6 from being emitted into the atmosphere each year, and by recycling the gas rather than purchasing it new, we savemore » taxpayers over $208,000 each year.« less

Greenhouse Gas Reductions: SF6

ScienceCinema

Anderson, Diana

2018-05-18

Argonne National Laboratory is leading the way in greenhouse gas reductions, particularly with the recapture and recycling of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). SF6 is a gas used in industry as an anti-arcing agent. It is an extremely potent greenhouse gas — one pound of SF6 is equivalent to 12 tons of carbon dioxide. While the U.S. does not currently regulate SF6 emissions, Argonne is proactively and voluntarily recovering and recycling to reduce SF6 emissions. Argonne saves over 16,000 tons of SF6 from being emitted into the atmosphere each year, and by recycling the gas rather than purchasing it new, we save taxpayers over $208,000 each year.

77 FR 30377 - Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-23

... Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final regulations. SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations relating to the health insurance premium tax credit enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education...

75 FR 16645 - Increase in the Primary Nuclear Liability Insurance Premium

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Primary Nuclear Liability Insurance Premium AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Final rule... impractical. The NRC is amending its regulations to increase the primary premium for liability insurance... protection requirements and indemnity agreements to increase the primary nuclear liability insurance layer...

77 FR 69850 - Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual Deductible...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... percent reserve has been the normal target used to calculate the Part B premium. In view of the strong... 0938-AR16 Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in some grounded coffee brands.

PubMed

Grover, Inderpreet Singh; Sharma, Rashmi; Singh, Satnam; Pal, Bonamali

2013-08-01

Potentially toxic 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in four brands of grounded coffee. Four to 13 PAHs were detected. Concentrations of total PAHs in different brands of coffee samples were in the range of 831.7-1,589.7 μg/kg. Benzo[a]pyrene (2A: probable human carcinogen) was found in Nescafe Premium whereas naphthalene (2B: possible human carcinogen) was found in all the samples of coffee.

Premium variation in the individual health insurance market.

PubMed

Herring, B; Pauly, M V

2001-03-01

Recent proposals to decrease the number of uninsured in the U.S. indicate that the individual health insurance market's role may increase. Amid fears of possible risk-segmentation in individual insurance, there exists limited information of the functioning of such markets. This paper examines the relationship between expected medical expense and actual paid premiums for households with individual insurance in the 1996-1997 Community Tracking Study's Household Survey. We find that premiums vary less than proportionately with expected expense and vary only with certain risk characteristics. We also explore how the relationship between risk and premiums is affected by local regulations and market characteristics. We find that premiums vary significantly less strongly with risk for persons insured by HMOs and in markets dominated by managed care insurers.

Integrating Risk Adjustment and Enrollee Premiums in Health Plan Payment

PubMed Central

McGuire, Thomas G.; Glazer, Jacob; Newhouse, Joseph P.; Normand, Sharon-Lise; Shi, Julie; Sinaiko, Anna D.; Zuvekas, Samuel

2013-01-01

In two important health policy contexts – private plans in Medicare and the new state-run “Exchanges” created as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – plan payments come from two sources: risk-adjusted payments from a Regulator and premiums charged to individual enrollees. This paper derives principles for integrating risk-adjusted payments and premium policy in individual health insurance markets based on fitting total plan payments to health plan costs per person as closely as possible. A least squares regression including both health status and variables used in premiums reveals the weights a Regulator should put on risk adjusters when markets determine premiums. We apply the methods to an Exchange-eligible population drawn from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). PMID:24308878

Announcing Workshop on High Gradient RF

Science.gov Websites

Cavities at Argonne National Laboratory Workshop on High Gradient RF October 7-9, 2003 Agenda Accommodation Argonne Guest House SLAC Workshop August 2000 Attendees ANL Map High energy physics and other the gradient limits of these devices. Although the limits on high fields in rf cavities have been

Education Highlights: Non-Traditional Water Resources

ScienceCinema

Maldonado, Nicole; MacDonell, Margaret

2018-06-25

Argonne intern Nicole Virella Maldonado from the University of Puerto Rico-San Juan, Río Piedras campus, worked with Argonne mentor Margaret MacDonell in studying the use of nontraditional waters for energy and agriculture, including impaired and reclaimed waters. This research will help communities preserve their limited fresh water resources for other uses.

Chemical Sciences and Engineering - US China Electric Vehicle and Battery

Science.gov Websites

Technology Workshop Argonne National Laboratory Chemical Sciences & Engineering DOE Logo Photo Gallery Hotels Maps Bus Schedule Contact Us TCS Building and Conference Center, Argonne National Lab TCS Building and Conference Center United States Flag China flag 2011 U.S.-China Electric Vehicle

Deployment of Phytotechnology in the 317/319 Area at Argonne National Laboratory-East, Innovative Technology Evaluation Report

EPA Science Inventory

Hybrid poplar and hybrid willow trees were planted for several environmental objectives at the Argonne National Laboratory - East, near Chicago, IL. Some trees were planted to clean TCE and other solvents from soil, some were planted to control surface water flow on a landfill, a...

Education Highlights: Non-Traditional Water Resources

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

Maldonado, Nicole; MacDonell, Margaret

Argonne intern Nicole Virella Maldonado from the University of Puerto Rico-San Juan, Río Piedras campus, worked with Argonne mentor Margaret MacDonell in studying the use of nontraditional waters for energy and agriculture, including impaired and reclaimed waters. This research will help communities preserve their limited fresh water resources for other uses.

Careers | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

YouTube Google+ More Social Media » Jason Carter Mechanical Engineer Read more » Look at the world differently. At Argonne, we view the world from a different perspective. Our scientists and engineers conduct world-class research in clean energy, the environment, technology, national security and more. We're

Argonne Physics Division - ATLAS

Science.gov Websites

Strategic Plan (2014) ATLAS Gus Savard Guy Savard, Director of ATLAS Welcome to ATLAS, the Argonne Tandem users. ATLAS mission statement and strategic plan guide the operation of the facility. The strategic plan defines the facilities main goals and is aligned with the US Nuclear Physics long-range plan

Argonne National Laboratory Annual Report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development program activities FY 2011.

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

Office of The Director)

As a national laboratory Argonne concentrates on scientific and technological challenges that can only be addressed through a sustained, interdisciplinary focus at a national scale. Argonne's eight major initiatives, as enumerated in its strategic plan, are Hard X-ray Sciences, Leadership Computing, Materials and Molecular Design and Discovery, Energy Storage, Alternative Energy and Efficiency, Nuclear Energy, Biological and Environmental Systems, and National Security. The purposes of Argonne's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program are to encourage the development of novel technical concepts, enhance the Laboratory's research and development (R and D) capabilities, and pursue its strategic goals. projects are selectedmore » from proposals for creative and innovative R and D studies that require advance exploration before they are considered to be sufficiently developed to obtain support through normal programmatic channels. Among the aims of the projects supported by the LDRD Program are the following: establishment of engineering proof of principle, assessment of design feasibility for prospective facilities, development of instrumentation or computational methods or systems, and discoveries in fundamental science and exploratory development.« less