Influence of methane emissions and vehicle efficiency on the climate implications of heavy-duty natural gas trucks.

PubMed

Camuzeaux, Jonathan R; Alvarez, Ramón A; Brooks, Susanne A; Browne, Joshua B; Sterner, Thomas

2015-06-02

While natural gas produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than diesel during combustion, if enough methane is emitted across the fuel cycle, then switching a heavy-duty truck fleet from diesel to natural gas can produce net climate damages (more radiative forcing) for decades. Using the Technology Warming Potential methodology, we assess the climate implications of a diesel to natural gas switch in heavy-duty trucks. We consider spark ignition (SI) and high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) natural gas engines and compressed and liquefied natural gas. Given uncertainty surrounding several key assumptions and the potential for technology to evolve, results are evaluated for a range of inputs for well-to-pump natural gas loss rates, vehicle efficiency, and pump-to-wheels (in-use) methane emissions. Using reference case assumptions reflecting currently available data, we find that converting heavy-duty truck fleets leads to damages to the climate for several decades: around 70-90 years for the SI cases, and 50 years for the more efficient HPDI. Our range of results indicates that these fuel switches have the potential to produce climate benefits on all time frames, but combinations of significant well-to-wheels methane emissions reductions and natural gas vehicle efficiency improvements would be required.

Assessing dengue infection risk in the southern region of Taiwan: implications for control.

PubMed

Liao, C-M; Huang, T-L; Cheng, Y-H; Chen, W-Y; Hsieh, N-H; Chen, S-C; Chio, C-P

2015-04-01

Dengue, one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases, is a major international public health concern. This study aimed to assess potential dengue infection risk from Aedes aegypti in Kaohsiung and the implications for vector control. Here we investigated the impact of dengue transmission on human infection risk using a well-established dengue-mosquito-human transmission dynamics model. A basic reproduction number (R 0)-based probabilistic risk model was also developed to estimate dengue infection risk. Our findings confirm that the effect of biting rate plays a crucial role in shaping R 0 estimates. We demonstrated that there was 50% risk probability for increased dengue incidence rates exceeding 0.5-0.8 wk-1 for temperatures ranging from 26°C to 32°C. We further demonstrated that the weekly increased dengue incidence rate can be decreased to zero if vector control efficiencies reach 30-80% at temperatures of 19-32°C. We conclude that our analysis on dengue infection risk and control implications in Kaohsiung provide crucial information for policy-making on disease control.

Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

PubMed

Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

2017-08-01

To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

Post-2020 climate agreements in the major economies assessed in the light of global models

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

Tavoni, Massimo; Kriegler, Elmar; Riahi, Keywan

2014-12-15

Integrated assessment models can help in quantifying the implications of international climate agreements and regional climate action. This paper reviews scenario results from model intercomparison projects to explore different possible outcomes of post-2020 climate negotiations, recently announced pledges and their relation to the 2°C target. We provide key information for all the major economies, such as the year of emission peaking, regional carbon budgets and emissions allowances. We highlight the distributional consequences of climate policies, and discuss the role of carbon markets for financing clean energy investments, and achieving efficiency and equity.

Implications of sampling design and sample size for national carbon accounting systems.

PubMed

Köhl, Michael; Lister, Andrew; Scott, Charles T; Baldauf, Thomas; Plugge, Daniel

2011-11-08

Countries willing to adopt a REDD regime need to establish a national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system that provides information on forest carbon stocks and carbon stock changes. Due to the extensive areas covered by forests the information is generally obtained by sample based surveys. Most operational sampling approaches utilize a combination of earth-observation data and in-situ field assessments as data sources. We compared the cost-efficiency of four different sampling design alternatives (simple random sampling, regression estimators, stratified sampling, 2-phase sampling with regression estimators) that have been proposed in the scope of REDD. Three of the design alternatives provide for a combination of in-situ and earth-observation data. Under different settings of remote sensing coverage, cost per field plot, cost of remote sensing imagery, correlation between attributes quantified in remote sensing and field data, as well as population variability and the percent standard error over total survey cost was calculated. The cost-efficiency of forest carbon stock assessments is driven by the sampling design chosen. Our results indicate that the cost of remote sensing imagery is decisive for the cost-efficiency of a sampling design. The variability of the sample population impairs cost-efficiency, but does not reverse the pattern of cost-efficiency of the individual design alternatives. Our results clearly indicate that it is important to consider cost-efficiency in the development of forest carbon stock assessments and the selection of remote sensing techniques. The development of MRV-systems for REDD need to be based on a sound optimization process that compares different data sources and sampling designs with respect to their cost-efficiency. This helps to reduce the uncertainties related with the quantification of carbon stocks and to increase the financial benefits from adopting a REDD regime.

Introduction to energy sources. [Monograph

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

Not Available

1978-01-01

Energy resources are reviewed in lay terms in an effort to increase the public's awareness of energy issues. Summaries of the principal sources of energy describe availability, technological requirements, and environmental impacts. The emphasis is placed on making energy use more efficient and the implications of shifting to centralized power plants, with more reliance on electricity. The purpose of this monograph is to demonstrate that energy issues can be examined and assessed by non-experts.

A comparison of forward and concurrent chaining strategies in teaching laundromat skills to students with severe handicaps.

PubMed

McDonnell, J; McFarland, S

1988-01-01

This study compared the relative efficiency of forward and concurrent chaining strategies in teaching the use of a commercial washing machine and laundry soap dispenser to four high school students with severe handicaps. Acquisition and maintenance of the laundromat skills were assessed through a multielement, alternating treatment within subject design. Results indicated that the concurrent chaining strategy was more efficient than forward chaining in facilitating acquisition of the activities. Four week and eight week follow-up probes indicated that concurrent chaining resulted in better maintenance of the activities. The implications of these results for teaching community activities and future research in building complex chains are discussed.

Solar power from satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, P. E.

1977-01-01

Microwave beaming of satellite-collected solar energy to earth for conversion to useful industrial power is evaluated for feasibility, with attention given to system efficiencies and costs, ecological impact, hardware to be employed, available options for energy conversion and transmission, and orbiting and assembly. Advantages of such a power generation and conversion system are listed, plausible techniques for conversion of solar energy (thermionic, thermal electric, photovoltaic) and transmission to earth (lasers, arrays of mirrors, microwave beams) are compared. Structural fatigue likely to result from brief daily eclipses, 55% system efficiency at the present state of the art, present projections of system costs, and projected economic implications of the technology are assessed. Two-stage orbiting and assembly plans are described.

Assessing the Total Factor Productivity of Cotton Production in Egypt

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Xosé A.; Elasraag, Yahia H.

2015-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to decompose the productivity growth of Egyptian cotton production. We employ the stochastic frontier approach and decompose the changes in total factor productivity (CTFP) growth into four components: technical progress (TP), changes in scale component (CSC), changes in allocative efficiency (CAE), and changes in technical efficiency (CTE). Considering a situation of scarce statistical information, we propose four alternative empirical models, with the purpose of looking for convergence in the results. The results provide evidence that in this production system total productivity does not increase, which is mainly due to the negative average contributions of CAE and TP. Policy implications are offered in light of the results. PMID:25625318

Assessing the total factor productivity of cotton production in Egypt.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Xosé A; Elasraag, Yahia H

2015-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to decompose the productivity growth of Egyptian cotton production. We employ the stochastic frontier approach and decompose the changes in total factor productivity (CTFP) growth into four components: technical progress (TP), changes in scale component (CSC), changes in allocative efficiency (CAE), and changes in technical efficiency (CTE). Considering a situation of scarce statistical information, we propose four alternative empirical models, with the purpose of looking for convergence in the results. The results provide evidence that in this production system total productivity does not increase, which is mainly due to the negative average contributions of CAE and TP. Policy implications are offered in light of the results.

Hospital employee job resourcefulness: an empirical study and implications for health care marketing.

PubMed

Harris, Eric G; Artis, Andrew B; Fogliasso, Chris; Fleming, David E

2007-01-01

In today's competitive hospital marketing environment, it is imperative that administrators ensure that their hospitals are operating as efficiently and as effectively as possible. "Doing more with less" has become a mandate for hospital administrators and employees. The current research replicates and extends previous work devoted to this topic by examining the job resourcefulness construct in a hospital setting. Job resourcefulness, an individual difference variable, assesses the degree to which employees are able to overcome resource constraints in the pursuit of job-related goals. The work builds upon previous work and contributes to the hospital marketing literature by examining the relationships between resourcefulness, personality influencers, role stressors, and job tenure. Research implications and suggestions for future work in the area are presented.

Clinical Decision Making Following Disasters: Efficient Identification of PTSD Risk in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Danielson, Carla Kmett; Cohen, Joseph; Adams, Zachary; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Soltis, Kathryn; Amstadter, Ananda B.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

The present study aimed to utilize a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) approach in order to improve clinical decision-making for adolescents at risk for the development of psychopathology in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Specifically we assessed theoretically-driven individual, interpersonal, and event-related vulnerability factors to determine which indices were most accurate in forecasting PTSD. Furthermore, we aimed to translate these etiological findings by identifying clinical cut-off recommendations for relevant vulnerability factors. Our study consisted of structured phone-based clinical interviews with 2,000 adolescent-parent dyads living within a 5-mile radius of tornados that devastated Joplin, MO, and northern Alabama in Spring 2011. Demographics, tornado incident characteristics, prior trauma, mental health, and family support and conflict were assessed. A subset of youth completed two behavioral assessment tasks online to assess distress tolerance and risk taking behavior. ROC analyses indicated four variables that significantly improved PTSD diagnostic efficiency: Lifetime depression (AUC=.90), trauma history (AUC=.76), social support (AUC=.70), and family conflict (AUC=.72). Youth were 2–3 times more likely to have PTSD if they had elevated scores on any of these variables. Of note, event-related characteristics (e.g., property damage) were not related to PTSD diagnostic status. The present study adds to the literature by making specific recommendations for empirically-based, efficient disaster-related PTSD assessment for adolescents following a natural disaster. Implications for practice and future trauma-related developmental psychopathology research are discussed. PMID:27103002

Clinical Decision-Making Following Disasters: Efficient Identification of PTSD Risk in Adolescents.

PubMed

Danielson, Carla Kmett; Cohen, Joseph R; Adams, Zachary W; Youngstrom, Eric A; Soltis, Kathryn; Amstadter, Ananda B; Ruggiero, Kenneth J

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to utilize a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) approach in order to improve clinical decision-making for adolescents at risk for the development of psychopathology in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Specifically we assessed theoretically-driven individual, interpersonal, and event-related vulnerability factors to determine which indices were most accurate in forecasting PTSD. Furthermore, we aimed to translate these etiological findings by identifying clinical cut-off recommendations for relevant vulnerability factors. Our study consisted of structured phone-based clinical interviews with 2000 adolescent-parent dyads living within a 5-mile radius of tornados that devastated Joplin, MO, and northern Alabama in Spring 2011. Demographics, tornado incident characteristics, prior trauma, mental health, and family support and conflict were assessed. A subset of youth completed two behavioral assessment tasks online to assess distress tolerance and risk-taking behavior. ROC analyses indicated four variables that significantly improved PTSD diagnostic efficiency: Lifetime depression (AUC = .90), trauma history (AUC = .76), social support (AUC = .70), and family conflict (AUC = .72). Youth were 2-3 times more likely to have PTSD if they had elevated scores on any of these variables. Of note, event-related characteristics (e.g., property damage) were not related to PTSD diagnostic status. The present study adds to the literature by making specific recommendations for empirically-based, efficient disaster-related PTSD assessment for adolescents following a natural disaster. Implications for practice and future trauma-related developmental psychopathology research are discussed.

What basic number processing measures in kindergarten explain unique variability in first-grade arithmetic proficiency?

PubMed

Bartelet, Dimona; Vaessen, Anniek; Blomert, Leo; Ansari, Daniel

2014-01-01

Relations between children's mathematics achievement and their basic number processing skills have been reported in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Yet, some key questions are currently unresolved, including which kindergarten skills uniquely predict children's arithmetic fluency during the first year of formal schooling and the degree to which predictors are contingent on children's level of arithmetic proficiency. The current study assessed kindergarteners' non-symbolic and symbolic number processing efficiency. In addition, the contribution of children's underlying magnitude representations to differences in arithmetic achievement was assessed. Subsequently, in January of Grade 1, their arithmetic proficiency was assessed. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that children's efficiency to compare digits, count, and estimate numerosities uniquely predicted arithmetic differences above and beyond the non-numerical factors included. Moreover, quantile regression analysis indicated that symbolic number processing efficiency was consistently a significant predictor of arithmetic achievement scores regardless of children's level of arithmetic proficiency, whereas their non-symbolic number processing efficiency was not. Finally, none of the task-specific effects indexing children's representational precision was significantly associated with arithmetic fluency. The implications of the results are 2-fold. First, the findings indicate that children's efficiency to process symbols is important for the development of their arithmetic fluency in Grade 1 above and beyond the influence of non-numerical factors. Second, the impact of children's non-symbolic number processing skills does not depend on their arithmetic achievement level given that they are selected from a nonclinical population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Removal of Antibiotics in Biological Wastewater Treatment Systems-A Critical Assessment Using the Activated Sludge Modeling Framework for Xenobiotics (ASM-X).

PubMed

Polesel, Fabio; Andersen, Henrik R; Trapp, Stefan; Plósz, Benedek Gy

2016-10-04

Many scientific studies present removal efficiencies for pharmaceuticals in laboratory-, pilot-, and full-scale wastewater treatment plants, based on observations that may be impacted by theoretical and methodological approaches used. In this Critical Review, we evaluated factors influencing observed removal efficiencies of three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline) in pilot- and full-scale biological treatment systems. Factors assessed include (i) retransformation to parent pharmaceuticals from e.g., conjugated metabolites and analogues, (ii) solid retention time (SRT), (iii) fractions sorbed onto solids, and (iv) dynamics in influent and effluent loading. A recently developed methodology was used, relying on the comparison of removal efficiency predictions (obtained with the Activated Sludge Model for Xenobiotics (ASM-X)) with representative measured data from literature. By applying this methodology, we demonstrated that (a) the elimination of sulfamethoxazole may be significantly underestimated when not considering retransformation from conjugated metabolites, depending on the type (urban or hospital) and size of upstream catchments; (b) operation at extended SRT may enhance antibiotic removal, as shown for sulfamethoxazole; (c) not accounting for fractions sorbed in influent and effluent solids may cause slight underestimation of ciprofloxacin removal efficiency. Using tetracycline as example substance, we ultimately evaluated implications of effluent dynamics and retransformation on environmental exposure and risk prediction.

Coordinating Demand-Side Efficiency Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Among Western States: Options for Documenting Energy and Non-Energy Impacts for the Power Sector

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

Schiller, Steven R.; Schwartz, Lisa C.

Demand-side energy efficiency (efficiency) represents a low-cost opportunity to reduce electricity consumption and demand and provide a wide range of non-energy benefits, including avoiding air pollution. Efficiency-related energy and non-energy impacts are determined and documented by implementing evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) systems. This technical brief describes efficiency EM&V coordination strategies that Western states can consider taking on together, outlines EM&V-related products that might be appropriate for multistate coordination, and identifies some implications of coordination. Coordinating efficiency EM&V activities can save both time and costs for state agencies and stakeholders engaged in efficiency activities and can be particularly beneficial formore » multiple states served by the same utility. First, the brief summarizes basic information on efficiency, its myriad potential benefits and EM&V for assessing those benefits. Second, the brief introduces the concept of multistate EM&V coordination in the context of assessing such benefits, including achievement of state and federal goals to reduce air pollutants.1 Next, the brief presents three coordination strategy options for efficiency EM&V: information clearinghouse/exchange, EM&V product development, and a regional energy efficiency tracking system platform. The brief then describes five regional EM&V products that could be developed on a multistate basis: EM&V reporting formats, database of consistent deemed electricity savings values, glossary of definitions and concepts, efficiency EM&V methodologies, and EM&V professional standards or accreditation processes. Finally, the brief discusses options for next steps that Western states can take to consider multistate coordination on efficiency EM&V. Appendices provide background information on efficiency and EM&V, as well as definitions and suggested resources on the covered topics. This brief is intended to inform state public utility commissions, boards for public and consumer-owned utilities, state energy offices and air agencies, and other organizations involved in discussions about the use of efficiency EM&V.« less

Geographic Clustering of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Metropolitan Centres in France and Australia

PubMed Central

Paquet, Catherine; Chaix, Basile; Howard, Natasha J.; Coffee, Neil T.; Adams, Robert J.; Taylor, Anne W.; Thomas, Frédérique; Daniel, Mark

2016-01-01

Understanding how health outcomes are spatially distributed represents a first step in investigating the scale and nature of environmental influences on health and has important implications for statistical power and analytic efficiency. Using Australian and French cohort data, this study aimed to describe and compare the extent of geographic variation, and the implications for analytic efficiency, across geographic units, countries and a range of cardiometabolic parameters (Body Mass Index (BMI) waist circumference, blood pressure, resting heart rate, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, HbA1c). Geographic clustering was assessed using Intra-Class Correlation (ICC) coefficients in biomedical cohorts from Adelaide (Australia, n = 3893) and Paris (France, n = 6430) for eight geographic administrative units. The median ICC was 0.01 suggesting 1% of risk factor variance attributable to variation between geographic units. Clustering differed by cardiometabolic parameters, administrative units and countries and was greatest for BMI and resting heart rate in the French sample, HbA1c in the Australian sample, and for smaller geographic units. Analytic inefficiency due to clustering was greatest for geographic units in which participants were nested in fewer, larger geographic units. Differences observed in geographic clustering across risk factors have implications for choice of geographic unit in sampling and analysis, and highlight potential cross-country differences in the distribution, or role, of environmental features related to cardiometabolic health. PMID:27213423

Group Additivity in Ligand Binding Affinity: An Alternative Approach to Ligand Efficiency.

PubMed

Reynolds, Charles H; Reynolds, Ryan C

2017-12-26

Group additivity is a concept that has been successfully applied to a variety of thermochemical and kinetic properties. This includes drug discovery, where functional group additivity is often assumed in ligand binding. Ligand efficiency can be recast as a special case of group additivity where ΔG/HA is the group equivalent (HA is the number of non-hydrogen atoms in a ligand). Analysis of a large data set of protein-ligand binding affinities (K i ) for diverse targets shows that in general ligand binding is distinctly nonlinear. It is possible to create a group equivalent scheme for ligand binding, but only in the context of closely related proteins, at least with regard to size. This finding has broad implications for drug design from both experimental and computational points of view. It also offers a path forward for a more general scheme to assess the efficiency of ligand binding.

Scripted and Unscripted Science Lessons for Children with Autism and Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

Knight, Victoria F; Collins, Belva; Spriggs, Amy D; Sartini, Emily; MacDonald, Margaret Janey

2018-02-27

Both scripted lessons and unscripted task analyzed lessons have been used effectively to teach science content to students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. This study evaluated the efficacy, efficiency, and teacher preference of scripted and unscripted task analyzed lesson plans from an elementary science curriculum designed for students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder by evaluating both lesson formats for (a) student outcomes on a science comprehension assessment, (b) sessions to criterion, and (c) average duration of lessons. Findings propose both lesson types were equally effective, but unscripted task analyzed versions may be more efficient and were preferred by teachers to scripted lessons. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Alternate aircraft fuels: Prospects and operational implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witcofski, R. D.

1977-01-01

The potential use of coal-derived aviation fuels was assessed. The studies addressed the prices and thermal efficiencies associated with the production of coal-derived aviation kerosene, liquid methane and liquid hydrogen and the air terminal requirements and subsonic transport performance when utilizing liquid hydrogen. The fuel production studies indicated that liquid methane can be produced at a lower price and with a higher thermal efficiency than aviation kerosene or liquid hydrogen. Ground facilities of liquefaction, storage, distribution and refueling of liquid hydrogen fueled aircraft at airports appear technically feasibile. The aircraft studies indicate modest onboard energy savings for hydrogen compared to conventional fuels. Liquid hydrogen was found to be superior to both aviation kerosene and liquid methane from the standpoint of aircraft engine emissions.

Incorporating genomics into breast and prostate cancer screening: assessing the implications

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Susmita; Dent, Tom; Pashayan, Nora; Hall, Alison; Lyratzopoulos, Georgios; Hallowell, Nina; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul; Burton, Hilary

2013-01-01

Individual risk prediction and stratification based on polygenic profiling may be useful in disease prevention. Risk-stratified population screening based on multiple factors including a polygenic risk profile has the potential to be more efficient than age-stratified screening. In this article, we summarize the implications of personalized screening for breast and prostate cancers. We report the opinions of multidisciplinary international experts who have explored the scientific, ethical, and logistical aspects of stratified screening. We have identified (i) the need to recognize the benefits and harms of personalized screening as compared with existing screening methods, (ii) that the use of genetic data highlights complex ethical issues including discrimination against high-risk individuals by insurers and employers and patient autonomy in relation to genetic testing of minors, (iii) the need for transparency and clear communication about risk scores, about harms and benefits, and about reasons for inclusion and exclusion from the risk-based screening process, and (iv) the need to develop new professional competences and to assess cost-effectiveness and acceptability of stratified screening programs before implementation. We conclude that health professionals and stakeholders need to consider the implications of incorporating genetic information in intervention strategies for health-care planning in the future. Genet Med 2013:15(6):423–432 PMID:23412607

Assessing fitness to stand trial: the utility of the Fitness Interview Test (revised edition).

PubMed

Zapf, P A; Roesch, R; Viljoen, J L

2001-06-01

In Canada most evaluations of fitness to stand trial are conducted on an inpatient basis. This costs time and money, and deprives those defendants remanded for evaluation of liberty. This research assessed the predictive efficiency of the Fitness Interview Test, revised edition (FIT) as a screening instrument for fitness to stand trial. We compared decisions about fitness to stand trial, based on the FIT, with the results of institution-based evaluations for 2 samples of men remanded for inpatient fitness assessments. The FIT demonstrates excellent utility as a screening instrument. The FIT shows good sensitivity and negative predictive power, which suggests that it can reliably screen those individuals who are clearly fit to stand trial, before they are remanded to an inpatient facility for a fitness assessment. We discuss the implications for evaluating fitness to stand trial, particularly in terms of the need for community-based alternatives to traditional forensic assessments.

Identifying and managing inappropriate hospital utilization: a policy synthesis.

PubMed Central

Payne, S M

1987-01-01

Utilization review, the assessment of the appropriateness and efficiency of hospital care through review of the medical record, and utilization management, deliberate action by payers or hospital administrators to influence providers of hospital services to increase the efficiency and effectiveness with which services are provided, are valuable but relatively unfamiliar strategies for containing hospital costs. The purpose of this synthesis is to increase awareness of the scope of and potential for these approaches among health services managers and administrators, third-party payers, policy analysts, and health services researchers. The synthesis will assist the reader to trace the conceptual context and the historical development of utilization review from unstructured methods using individual physicians' professional judgment to structured methods using explicit criteria; to establish the context of utilization review and clarify its uses; to understand the concepts and tools used in assessing the efficiency of hospital use; and to select, design, and evaluate utilization review and utilization management programs. The extent of inappropriate (medical unnecessary) hospital utilization and the factors associated with it are described. Implications for managers, providers, and third-party payers in targeting utilization review and in designing and evaluating utilization management programs are discussed. PMID:3121538

The mitonuclear compatibility hypothesis of sexual selection

PubMed Central

Hill, Geoffrey E.; Johnson, James D.

2013-01-01

Why females assess ornaments when choosing mates remains a central question in evolutionary biology. We hypothesize that the imperative for a choosing female to find a mate with nuclear oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes that are compatible with her mitochondrial OXPHOS genes drives the evolution of ornaments. Indicator traits are proposed to signal the efficiency of OXPHOS function thus enabling females to select mates with nuclear genes that are compatible with maternal mitochondrial genes in the formation of OXPHOS complexes. Species-typical pattern of ornamentation is proposed to serve as a marker of mitochondrial type ensuring that females assess prospective mates with a shared mitochondrial background. The mitonuclear compatibility hypothesis predicts that the production of ornaments will be closely linked to OXPHOS pathways, and that sexual selection for compatible mates will be strongest when genes for nuclear components of OXPHOS complexes are Z-linked. The implications of this hypothesis are that sexual selection may serve as a driver for the evolution of more efficient cellular respiration. PMID:23945683

Dietary Sodium Suppresses Digestive Efficiency via the Renin-Angiotensin System.

PubMed

Weidemann, Benjamin J; Voong, Susan; Morales-Santiago, Fabiola I; Kahn, Michael Z; Ni, Jonathan; Littlejohn, Nicole K; Claflin, Kristin E; Burnett, Colin M L; Pearson, Nicole A; Lutter, Michael L; Grobe, Justin L

2015-06-11

Dietary fats and sodium are both palatable and are hypothesized to synergistically contribute to ingestive behavior and thereby obesity. Contrary to this hypothesis, C57BL/6J mice fed a 45% high fat diet exhibited weight gain that was inhibited by increased dietary sodium content. This suppressive effect of dietary sodium upon weight gain was mediated specifically through a reduction in digestive efficiency, with no effects on food intake behavior, physical activity, or resting metabolism. Replacement of circulating angiotensin II levels reversed the effects of high dietary sodium to suppress digestive efficiency. While the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan had no effect in mice fed low sodium, the AT2 receptor antagonist PD-123,319 suppressed digestive efficiency. Correspondingly, genetic deletion of the AT2 receptor in FVB/NCrl mice resulted in suppressed digestive efficiency even on a standard chow diet. Together these data underscore the importance of digestive efficiency in the pathogenesis of obesity, and implicate dietary sodium, the renin-angiotensin system, and the AT2 receptor in the control of digestive efficiency regardless of mouse strain or macronutrient composition of the diet. These findings highlight the need for greater understanding of nutrient absorption control physiology, and prompt more uniform assessment of digestive efficiency in animal studies of energy balance.

Climate Change Impacts on Rivers and Implications for Electricity Generation in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miara, A.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Macknick, J.; Corsi, F.; Cohen, S. M.; Tidwell, V. C.; Newmark, R. L.; Prousevitch, A.

2015-12-01

The contemporary power sector in the United States is heavily reliant on water resources to provide cooling water for thermoelectric generation. Efficient thermoelectric plant operations require large volumes of water at sufficiently cool temperatures for their cooling process. The total amount of water that is withdrawn or consumed for cooling and any potential declines in efficiencies are determined by the sector's fuel mix and cooling technologies. As such, the impact of climate change, and the extent of impact, on the power sector is shaped by the choice of electricity generation technologies that will be built over the coming decades. In this study, we model potential changes in river discharge and temperature in the contiguous US under a set of climate scenarios to year 2050 using the Water Balance Model-Thermoelectric Power and Thermal Pollution Model (WBM-TP2M). Together, these models quantify, in high-resolution (3-min), river temperatures, discharge and power plant efficiency losses associated with changes in available cooling water that incorporates climate, hydrology, river network dynamics and multi-plant impacts, on both single power plant and regional scales. Results are used to assess the aptness and vulnerability of contemporary and alternative electricity generation pathways to changes in climate and water availability for cooling purposes, and the concomitant impacts on power plant operating efficiencies. We assess the potential impacts by comparing six regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Great Plains, Southwest, Northwest as in the National Climate Assessment (2014)) across the US. These experiments allow us to assess tradeoffs among electricity-water-climate to provide useful insight for decision-makers managing regional power production and aquatic environments.

Conditioned pain modulation: a predictor for development and treatment of neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Granovsky, Yelena

2013-09-01

Psychophysical evaluation of endogenous pain inhibition via conditioned pain modulation (CPM) represents a new generation of laboratory tests for pain assessment. In this review we discuss recent findings on CPM in neuropathic pain and refer to psychophysical, neurophysiological, and methodological aspects of its clinical implications. Typically, chronic neuropathic pain patients express less efficient CPM, to the extent that incidence of acquiring neuropathic pain (e.g. post-surgery) and its intensity can be predicted by a pre-surgery CPM assessment. Moreover, pre-treatment CPM evaluation may assist in the correct choice of serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor analgesic agents for individual patients. Evaluation of pain modulation capabilities can serve as a step forward in individualizing pain medicine.

The role of affordances in children's learning performance and efficiency when using virtual manipulative mathematics touch-screen apps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Bullock, Emma K.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Tucker, Stephen I.; Watts, Christina M.; Westenskow, Arla; Anderson-Pence, Katie L.; Maahs-Fladung, Cathy; Boyer-Thurgood, Jennifer; Gulkilik, Hilal; Jordan, Kerry

2016-03-01

This paper focuses on understanding the role that affordances played in children's learning performance and efficiency during clinical interviews of their interactions with mathematics apps on touch-screen devices. One hundred children, ages 3 to 8, each used six different virtual manipulative mathematics apps during 30-40-min interviews. The study used a convergent mixed methods design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently to answer the research questions (Creswell and Plano Clark 2011). Videos were used to capture each child's interactions with the virtual manipulative mathematics apps, document learning performance and efficiency, and record children's interactions with the affordances within the apps. Quantitized video data answered the research question on differences in children's learning performance and efficiency between pre- and post-assessments. A Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test was used to explore these data. Qualitative video data was used to identify affordance access by children when using each app, identifying 95 potential helping and hindering affordances among the 18 apps. The results showed that there were changes in children's learning performance and efficiency when children accessed a helping or a hindering affordance. Helping affordances were more likely to be accessed by children who progressed between the pre- and post-assessments, and the same affordances had helping and hindering effects for different children. These results have important implications for the design of virtual manipulative mathematics learning apps.

Repeat participation in annual cross-sectional surveys of drug users and its implications for analysis.

PubMed

Agius, P A; Aitken, C K; Breen, C; Dietze, P M

2018-06-04

We sought to establish the extent of repeat participation in a large annual cross-sectional survey of people who inject drugs and assess its implications for analysis. We used "porn star names" (the name of each participant's first pet followed by the name of the first street in which they lived) to identify repeat participation in three Australian Illicit Drug Reporting System surveys. Over 2013-2015, 2468 porn star names (96.2%) appeared only once, 88 (3.4%) twice, and nine (0.4%) in all 3 years. We measured design effects, based on the between-cluster variability for selected estimates, of 1.01-1.07 for seven key variables. These values indicate that the complex sample is (e.g.) 7% less efficient in estimating prevalence of heroin use (ever) than a simple random sample, and 1% less efficient in estimating number of heroin overdoses (ever). Porn star names are a useful means of tracking research participants longitudinally while maintaining their anonymity. Repeat participation in the Australian Illicit Drug Reporting System is low (less than 5% per annum), meaning point-prevalence and effect estimation without correction for the lack of independence in observations is unlikely to seriously affect population inference.

Endocytotic potential governs magnetic particle loading in dividing neural cells: studying modes of particle inheritance

PubMed Central

Tickle, Jacqueline A; Jenkins, Stuart I; Polyak, Boris; Pickard, Mark R; Chari, Divya M

2016-01-01

Aim: To achieve high and sustained magnetic particle loading in a proliferative and endocytotically active neural transplant population (astrocytes) through tailored magnetite content in polymeric iron oxide particles. Materials & methods: MPs of varying magnetite content were applied to primary-derived rat cortical astrocytes ± static/oscillating magnetic fields to assess labeling efficiency and safety. Results: Higher magnetite content particles display high but safe accumulation in astrocytes, with longer-term label retention versus lower/no magnetite content particles. Magnetic fields enhanced loading extent. Dynamic live cell imaging of dividing labeled astrocytes demonstrated that particle distribution into daughter cells is predominantly ‘asymmetric’. Conclusion: These findings could inform protocols to achieve efficient MP loading into neural transplant cells, with significant implications for post-transplantation tracking/localization. PMID:26785794

Test Methods for Robot Agility in Manufacturing

PubMed Central

Downs, Anthony; Harrison, William; Schlenoff, Craig

2017-01-01

Purpose The paper aims to define and describe test methods and metrics to assess industrial robot system agility in both simulation and in reality. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes test methods and associated quantitative and qualitative metrics for assessing robot system efficiency and effectiveness which can then be used for the assessment of system agility. Findings The paper describes how the test methods were implemented in a simulation environment and real world environment. It also shows how the metrics are measured and assessed as they would be in a future competition. Practical Implications The test methods described in this paper will push forward the state of the art in software agility for manufacturing robots, allowing small and medium manufacturers to better utilize robotic systems. Originality / value The paper fulfills the identified need for standard test methods to measure and allow for improvement in software agility for manufacturing robots. PMID:28203034

Gauging the Impact of Various Definitions of Low- and Moderate-Income Communities on Possible Electricity Savings From Weatherization

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

Hoffman, Ian M.

With rising interest in lowering energy costs for low- and moderate-income households, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asked Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to assess the implications of pursuing energy efficiency neighborhood-by-neighborhood where those households are most prevalent. DOE provided certain scenarios for qualifying geographic areas as “low- and moderate-income communities,” and LBNL used data on demographics, housing types and recent savings from low-income retrofits or weatherization to provide rough electricity savings estimates under those scenarios.

Computerized Adaptive Assessment of Personality Disorder: Introducing the CAT-PD Project

PubMed Central

Simms, Leonard J.; Goldberg, Lewis R.; Roberts, John E.; Watson, David; Welte, John; Rotterman, Jane H.

2011-01-01

Assessment of personality disorders (PD) has been hindered by reliance on the problematic categorical model embodied in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Model of Mental Disorders (DSM), lack of consensus among alternative dimensional models, and inefficient measurement methods. This article describes the rationale for and early results from an NIMH-funded, multi-year study designed to develop an integrative and comprehensive model and efficient measure of PD trait dimensions. To accomplish these goals, we are in the midst of a five-phase project to develop and validate the model and measure. The results of Phase 1 of the project—which was focused on developing the PD traits to be assessed and the initial item pool—resulted in a candidate list of 59 PD traits and an initial item pool of 2,589 items. Data collection and structural analyses in community and patient samples will inform the ultimate structure of the measure, and computerized adaptive testing (CAT) will permit efficient measurement of the resultant traits. The resultant Computerized Adaptive Test of Personality Disorder (CAT-PD) will be well positioned as a measure of the proposed DSM-5 PD traits. Implications for both applied and basic personality research are discussed. PMID:22804677

Performance analysis of CO(2) emissions and energy efficiency of metal industries in China.

PubMed

Shao, Chaofeng; Guan, Yang; Wan, Zheng; Chu, Chunli; Ju, Meiting

2014-02-15

Nonferrous metal industries play an important role in China's national economy and are some of the country's largest energy consumers. To better understand the nature of CO(2) emissions from these industries and to further move towards low-carbon development in this industry sector, this study investigates the CO(2) emissions of 12 nonferrous metal industries from 2003 to 2010 based on their life-cycle assessments. It then classifies these industries into four "emission-efficiency" types through cluster analysis. The results show that (1) the industrial economy and energy consumption of China's nonferrous metal industries have grown rapidly, although their recent energy consumption rate shows a declining trend. (2) The copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, and magnesium industries, classified as high-emission industries, are the main contributors of CO(2) emissions. The results have implications for policy decisions that aim to enhance energy efficiency, particularly for promoting the transformation of low-efficiency industries to high-efficiency ones. The study also highlights the important role of policy development in technological innovations, optimization, and upgrades, the reduction of coal proportion in energy consumption, and the advancement of new energy sources. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of a new breast feeding assessment tool and the relationship with breast feeding self-efficacy

PubMed Central

Ingram, Jenny; Johnson, Debbie; Copeland, Marion; Churchill, Cathy; Taylor, Hazel

2015-01-01

Objective to develop a breast feeding assessment tool to facilitate improved targeting of optimum positioning and attachment advice and to describe the changes seen following the release of a tongue-tie. Design development and validation of the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) and correlation with breast feeding self-efficacy. Setting maternity hospital in South West England. Participants 218 breast feeds (160 mother–infant dyads); seven midwife assessors. Findings the tool has more explanation than other tools to remind those supporting breast-feeding women about the components of an efficient breast feed. There was good internal reliability for the final 4-item BBAT (Cronbach׳s alpha=0.668) and the midwives who used it showed a high correlation in the consistency of its use (ICC=0.782). Midwives were able to score a breast feed consistently using the BBAT and felt that it helped them with advice to mothers about improving positioning and attachment to make breast feeding less painful, particularly with a tongue-tied infant. The tool showed strong correlation with breast feeding self-efficacy, indicating that more efficient breast feeding technique is associated with increased confidence in breast feeding an infant. Conclusions the BBAT is a concise breast feeding assessment tool facilitating accurate, rapid breast feeding appraisal, and targeting breast feeding advice to mothers acquiring early breast feeding skills or for those experiencing problems with an older infant. Accurate assessment is essential to ensure enhanced breast feeding efficiency and increased maternal self-confidence. Implications for practice the BBAT could be used both clinically and in research to target advice to improve breast feeding efficacy. Further research is needed to establish its wider usefulness. PMID:25061006

Antimicrobial breakpoint estimation accounting for variability in pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Bi, Goue Denis Gohore; Li, Jun; Nekka, Fahima

2009-06-26

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) indices are increasingly being used in the microbiological field to assess the efficacy of a dosing regimen. In contrast to methods using MIC, PK/PD-based methods reflect in vivo conditions and are more predictive of efficacy. Unfortunately, they entail the use of one PK-derived value such as AUC or Cmax and may thus lead to biased efficiency information when the variability is large. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment by adjusting classical breakpoint estimation methods to the situation of variable PK profiles. We propose a logical generalisation of the usual AUC methods by introducing the concept of "efficiency" for a PK profile, which involves the efficacy function as a weight. We formulated these methods for both classes of concentration- and time-dependent antibiotics. Using drug models and in silico approaches, we provide a theoretical basis for characterizing the efficiency of a PK profile under in vivo conditions. We also used the particular case of variable drug intake to assess the effect of the variable PK profiles generated and to analyse the implications for breakpoint estimation. Compared to traditional methods, our weighted AUC approach gives a more powerful PK/PD link and reveals, through examples, interesting issues about the uniqueness of therapeutic outcome indices and antibiotic resistance problems.

Essays on electricity transmission investment and financial transmission rights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Wenzhuo

The U.S. electric power industry has been going through fundamental restructuring and realignment since the 1990's. Many issues and problems have emerged during the transition, and both economists and engineers have been looking for the solutions fervently. In this dissertation, which consists primarily of three essays, we apply economics theory and techniques to the power industry and address two related issues, transmission investment and financial transmission rights (FTRs). The first essay takes the decentralized perspective and investigates the efficiency attribute of market-based transmission investment under perfect competition. We clarify, for the first time, the nature of the externality created by loop flows that causes transmission investment to be inefficient. Our findings have important implications for better understanding of transmission market design and creating incentives for efficient transmission investment. In the second essay, we define several rules for allocating transmission investment cost within the framework of cooperative game theory. These rules provide fair, stable or efficient cost allocations in theory and are good benchmarks against which the allocation mechanism in practice can be compared and improved upon. In the last essay, we make exploratory efforts in analyzing and assessing empirically the performance of the Midwest independent system operator (MISO) FTR auction market. We reveal some stylized facts about this young market and find that it is not efficient under the risk-neutrality assumption. We also point out and correct the drawbacks in previous related work and suggest about more complete empirical work in future. In all, this dissertation makes both theoretic and empirical analysis of the two hot issues related to the power industry and comes up with findings that have important implications for the development of this industry.

Mental representation for action in the elderly: implications for movement efficiency and injury risk.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl

2015-04-01

Recent research findings indicate that with older adulthood, there are functional decrements in spatial cognition and more specially, in the ability to mentally represent and effectively plan motor actions. A typical finding is a significant over- or underestimation of one's actual physical abilities with movement planning-planning that has implications for movement efficiency and physical safety. A practical, daily life example is estimation of reachability--a situation that for the elderly may be linked with fall incidence. A strategy used to mentally represent action is the use of motor imagery--an ability that also declines with advancing older age. This brief review highlights research findings on mental representation and motor imagery in the elderly and addresses the implications for improving movement efficiency and lowering the risk of movement-related injury. © The Author(s) 2013.

Markets for hospital services in Zambia.

PubMed

Nakamba, Pamela; Hanson, Kara; McPake, Barbara

2002-01-01

Hospital reforms involving the introduction of measures to increase competition in hospital markets are being implemented in a range of low and middle-income countries. However, little is understood about the operation of hospital markets outside the USA and the UK. This paper assesses the degree of competition for hospital services in two hospital markets in Zambia (Copperbelt and Midlands), and the implications for prices, quality and efficiency. We found substantial differences among different hospital types in prices, costs and quality, suggesting that the hospital service market is a segmented market. The two markets differ significantly in their degree of competition, with the high cost inpatient services market in Copperbelt relatively more competitive than that in the Midlands market. The implications of these differences are discussed in terms of the potential for competition to improve hospital performance, the impact of market structure on equity of access, and how the government should address the problem of the mine hospitals.

Differences between students' estimated and attained grades in a first-year introductory psychology course as a function of identity development.

PubMed

Lange, Clare; Byrd, Mark

2002-01-01

Two hundred sixty-eight first-year university students were surveyed about the state of their identity development and their perceptions regarding chances for academic success in an introductory psychology course. In general, it was found that students who had an adult identity had a more accurate assessment of their chances for success in the course and also used more efficient study strategies. Students who had not completely formed an adult identity, however, were more inaccurate in estimates of their final grades and also seemed to use less productive study strategies. It was concluded that those who have formulated an adult identity might have also developed a more complete understanding of both themselves and their situation. Implications of the findings for further research regarding the effects of identity development on university life, as well as the implications for academic intervention programs, are discussed.

Assessment of systems for paying health care providers in Vietnam: implications for equity, efficiency and expanding effective health coverage.

PubMed

Phuong, Nguyen Khanh; Oanh, Tran Thi Mai; Phuong, Hoang Thi; Tien, Tran Van; Cashin, Cheryl

2015-01-01

Provider payment arrangements are currently a core concern for Vietnam's health sector and a key lever for expanding effective coverage and improving the efficiency and equity of the health system. This study describes how different provider payment systems are designed and implemented in practice across a sample of provinces and districts in Vietnam. Key informant interviews were conducted with over 100 health policy-makers, purchasers and providers using a structured interview guide. The results of the different payment methods were scored by respondents and assessed against a set of health system performance criteria. Overall, the public health insurance agency, Vietnam Social Security (VSS), is focused on managing expenditures through a complicated set of reimbursement policies and caps, but the incentives for providers are unclear and do not consistently support Vietnam's health system objectives. The results of this study are being used by the Ministry of Health and VSS to reform the provider payment systems to be more consistent with international definitions and good practices and to better support Vietnam's health system objectives.

Systems approaches evaluating the perturbation of xenobiotic metabolism in response to cigarette smoke exposure in nasal and bronchial tissues.

PubMed

Iskandar, Anita R; Martin, Florian; Talikka, Marja; Schlage, Walter K; Kostadinova, Radina; Mathis, Carole; Hoeng, Julia; Peitsch, Manuel C

2013-01-01

Capturing the effects of exposure in a specific target organ is a major challenge in risk assessment. Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) implicates the field of tissue injury in the lung as well as nasal and airway epithelia. Xenobiotic metabolism in particular becomes an attractive tool for chemical risk assessment because of its responsiveness against toxic compounds, including those present in CS. This study describes an efficient integration from transcriptomic data to quantitative measures, which reflect the responses against xenobiotics that are captured in a biological network model. We show here that our novel systems approach can quantify the perturbation in the network model of xenobiotic metabolism. We further show that this approach efficiently compares the perturbation upon CS exposure in bronchial and nasal epithelial cells in vivo samples obtained from smokers. Our observation suggests the xenobiotic responses in the bronchial and nasal epithelial cells of smokers were similar to those observed in their respective organotypic models exposed to CS. Furthermore, the results suggest that nasal tissue is a reliable surrogate to measure xenobiotic responses in bronchial tissue.

Systems Approaches Evaluating the Perturbation of Xenobiotic Metabolism in Response to Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Nasal and Bronchial Tissues

PubMed Central

Iskandar, Anita R.; Martin, Florian; Talikka, Marja; Schlage, Walter K.; Mathis, Carole; Hoeng, Julia; Peitsch, Manuel C.

2013-01-01

Capturing the effects of exposure in a specific target organ is a major challenge in risk assessment. Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) implicates the field of tissue injury in the lung as well as nasal and airway epithelia. Xenobiotic metabolism in particular becomes an attractive tool for chemical risk assessment because of its responsiveness against toxic compounds, including those present in CS. This study describes an efficient integration from transcriptomic data to quantitative measures, which reflect the responses against xenobiotics that are captured in a biological network model. We show here that our novel systems approach can quantify the perturbation in the network model of xenobiotic metabolism. We further show that this approach efficiently compares the perturbation upon CS exposure in bronchial and nasal epithelial cells in vivo samples obtained from smokers. Our observation suggests the xenobiotic responses in the bronchial and nasal epithelial cells of smokers were similar to those observed in their respective organotypic models exposed to CS. Furthermore, the results suggest that nasal tissue is a reliable surrogate to measure xenobiotic responses in bronchial tissue. PMID:24224167

Cognitive Difficulties in Struggling Comprehenders and their Relation to Reading Comprehension: A Comparison of Group Selection and Regression-Based Models

PubMed Central

Barnes, Marcia A.; Stuebing, Karla; Fletcher, Jack M.; Barth, Amy; Francis, David

2016-01-01

Difficulties suppressing previously encountered, but currently irrelevant information from working memory characterize less skilled comprehenders in studies in which they are matched to skilled comprehenders on word decoding and nonverbal IQ. These “extreme” group designs are associated with several methodological issues. When sample size permits, regression approaches permit a more accurate estimation of effects. Using data for students in grades 6 to 12 (n = 766), regression techniques assessed the significance and size of the relation of suppression to reading comprehension across the distribution of comprehension skill. After accounting for decoding efficiency and nonverbal IQ, suppression, measured by performance on a verbal proactive interference task, accounted for a small amount of significant unique variance in comprehension (less than 1%). A comparison of suppression in less skilled comprehenders matched to more skilled comprehenders (48 per group) on age, word reading efficiency and nonverbal IQ did not show significant group differences in suppression. The implications of the findings for theories of reading comprehension and for informing comprehension assessment and intervention are discussed. PMID:27175222

Drug Pricing in South Korea.

PubMed

Kwon, Hye-Young; Godman, Brian

2017-08-01

Between 2000 and 2013, spending on medicines in Korea increased by 275.3%. In order to curb this trend, several pricing policies and measures were introduced. This study reviews these policies and their implications based on pricing regulations as well as a literature review. New medicines now undergo both a reimbursement assessment and price negotiations. The reimbursement of new medicines is based on their cost effectiveness. The prices of new medicines are subsequently fixed through negotiations between the payer, the National Health Insurance Service, and the relevant manufacturer. Generic drugs are automatically priced via a new standard methodology. Repricing mechanisms were complicated and now redundant. Simple and efficient measures rather than complex and inefficient measures are needed to maintain the value-for-money principle for new medicines as well as achieve financial efficiency through price competition among generic drugs.

Thin-film photovoltaic power generation offers decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing environmental co-benefits in the long term.

PubMed

Bergesen, Joseph D; Heath, Garvin A; Gibon, Thomas; Suh, Sangwon

2014-08-19

Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies have improved significantly recently, and similar improvements are projected into the future, warranting reevaluation of the environmental implications of PV to update and inform policy decisions. By conducting a hybrid life cycle assessment using the most recent manufacturing data and technology roadmaps, we compare present and projected environmental, human health, and natural resource implications of electricity generated from two common thin-film PV technologies-copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe)-in the United States (U.S.) to those of the current U.S. electricity mix. We evaluate how the impacts of thin films can be reduced by likely cost-reducing technological changes: (1) module efficiency increases, (2) module dematerialization, (3) changes in upstream energy and materials production, and (4) end-of-life recycling of balance of system (BOS). Results show comparable environmental and resource impacts for CdTe and CIGS. Compared to the U.S. electricity mix in 2010, both perform at least 90% better in 7 of 12 and at least 50% better in 3 of 12 impact categories, with comparable land use, and increased metal depletion unless BOS recycling is ensured. Technological changes, particularly efficiency increases, contribute to 35-80% reductions in all impacts by 2030.

The science of trail surveys: Recreation ecology provides new tools for managing wilderness trails

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marion, Jeffrey L.; Wimpey, Jeremy F.; Park, Logan O.

2011-01-01

Recreation ecology examines the effects of recreation on protected area ecosystems. One core focus of recreation ecology research is trail science, including the development of efficient protocols to assess and monitor the type and severity of resource impacts, analyses to improve knowledge of factors that influence trail conditions, and studies to assist land managers in improving trail design, maintenance, and visitor management. This article reviews alternative trail survey methodologies most useful for the management of wilderness and backcountry trail networks. Illustrations and implications from survey data for trail planning, design, and management are included.

Modelling of environmental impacts of solid waste landfilling within the life-cycle analysis program EASEWASTE.

PubMed

Kirkeby, Janus T; Birgisdottir, Harpa; Bhander, Gurbakash Singh; Hauschild, Michael; Christensen, Thomas H

2007-01-01

A new computer-based life-cycle assessment model (EASEWASTE) has been developed to evaluate resource and environmental consequences of solid waste management systems. This paper describes the landfilling sub-model used in the life-cycle assessment program EASEWASTE, and examines some of the implications of this sub-model. All quantities and concentrations of leachate and landfill gas can be modified by the user in order to bring them in agreement with the actual landfill that is assessed by the model. All emissions, except the generation of landfill gas, are process specific. The landfill gas generation is calculated on the basis of organic matter in the landfilled waste. A landfill assessment example is provided. For this example, the normalised environmental effects of landfill gas on global warming and photochemical smog are much greater than the environmental effects for landfill leachate or for landfill construction. A sensitivity analysis for this example indicates that the overall environmental impact is sensitive to the gas collection efficiency and the use of the gas, but not to the amount of leachate generated, or the amount of soil or liner material used in construction. The landfill model can be used for evaluating different technologies with different liners, gas and leachate collection efficiencies, and to compare the environmental consequences of landfilling with alternative waste treatment options such as incineration or anaerobic digestion.

Some difficulties in the assessment of electric arc welding fume.

PubMed

Hewitt, P J; Gray, C N

1983-10-01

During electric arc welding of metals, particulate fume in a variety of chemical compositions and physical forms is produced with consequent complex solution chemistry. Mechanisms of fume formation include condensation of vaporized metals to produce submicron diameter chains, and spatter of larger particles with subsequent oxidation to yield mixed metal oxide fumes in the respirable range. Complete dissolution of certain constituent metals such as chromium, can be achieved by fusion with potassium hydrogen sulphate. Extraction of hexavalent chromium by sodium carbonate/hydroxide solution is efficient and rapid, while some other extractants give erroneous results. Investigations show that constituent metals are released from the fume at different rates both in vitro and in vivo. The implications arising from the complex nature of welding fume for industrial hygiene assessment are discussed.

Effects of particulate carbonaceous matter on the bioavailability of benzo[a]pyrene and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl to the clam, Macoma balthica

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLeod, Pamela B.; van den Heuvel-Greve, Martine J.; Allen-King, Richelle M.; Luoma, Samuel N.; Luthy, Richard G.

2004-01-01

We investigated the bioavailability via diet of spiked benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB-52) from different carbonaceous (non-carbonate, carbon containing) particle types to clams (Macoma balthica) collected from San Francisco Bay. Our results reveal significant differences in absorption efficiency between compounds and among carbonaceous particle types. Absorption efficiency for PCB-52 was always greater than that for BaP bound to a given particle type. Among particles, absorption efficiency was highest from wood and diatoms and lowest from activated carbon. Large differences in absorption efficiency could not be simply explained by comparatively small differences in the particles' total organic carbon content. BaP and PCB-52 bound to activated carbon exhibited less than 2% absorption efficiency and were up to 60 times less available to clams than the same contaminants associated with other types of carbonaceous matter. These results suggest that variations in the amount and type of sediment particulate carbonaceous matter, whether naturally occurring or added as an amendment, will have a strong influence on the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants. This has important implications for environmental risk assessment, sediment management, and development of novel remediation techniques.

Effects of particulate carbonaceous matter on the bioavailability of benzo[a]pyrene and 2,2'5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl to the clam, Macoma balthica

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLeod, Pamela B.; van den Heuvel-Greve, Martine J.; Allen-King, Richelle M.; Luoma, Samuel N.; Luthy, Richard G.

2004-01-01

We investigated the bioavailability via diet of spiked benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB-52) from different carbonaceous (non-carbonate, carbon containing) particle types to clams (Macoma balthica) collected from San Francisco Bay. Our results reveal significant differences in absorption efficiency between compounds and among carbonaceous particle types. Absorption efficiency for PCB-52 was always greater than that for BaP bound to a given particle type. Among particles, absorption efficiency was highest from wood and diatoms and lowest from activated carbon. Large differences in absorption efficiency could not be simply explained by comparatively small differences in the particles' total organic carbon content. BaP and PCB-52 bound to activated carbon exhibited less than 2% absorption efficiency and were up to 60 times less available to clams than the same contaminants associated with other types of carbonaceous matter. These results suggest that variations in the amount and type of sediment particulate carbonaceous matter, whether naturally occurring or added as an amendment, will have a strong influence on the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants. This has important implications for environmental risk assessment, sediment management, and development of novel remediation techniques.

Using Conditional Percentages During Free-Operant Stimulus Preference Assessments to Predict the Effects of Preferred Items on Stereotypy: Preliminary Findings.

PubMed

Frewing, Tyla M; Rapp, John T; Pastrana, Sarah J

2015-09-01

To date, researchers have not identified an efficient methodology for selecting items that will compete with automatically reinforced behavior. In the present study, we identified high preference, high stereotypy (HP-HS), high preference, low stereotypy (HP-LS), low preference, high stereotypy (LP-HS), and low preference, low stereotypy (LP-LS) items based on response allocation to items and engagement in stereotypy during one to three, 30-min free-operant competing stimulus assessments (CSAs). The results showed that access to HP-LS items decreased stereotypy for all four participants; however, the results for other items were only predictive for one participant. Reanalysis of the CSA results revealed that the HP-LS item was typically identified by (a) the combined results of the first 10 min of the three 30-min assessments or (b) the results of one 30-min assessment. The clinical implications for the use of this method, as well as future directions for research, are briefly discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Antimicrobial breakpoint estimation accounting for variability in pharmacokinetics

PubMed Central

Bi, Goue Denis Gohore; Li, Jun; Nekka, Fahima

2009-01-01

Background Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) indices are increasingly being used in the microbiological field to assess the efficacy of a dosing regimen. In contrast to methods using MIC, PK/PD-based methods reflect in vivo conditions and are more predictive of efficacy. Unfortunately, they entail the use of one PK-derived value such as AUC or Cmax and may thus lead to biased efficiency information when the variability is large. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment by adjusting classical breakpoint estimation methods to the situation of variable PK profiles. Methods and results We propose a logical generalisation of the usual AUC methods by introducing the concept of "efficiency" for a PK profile, which involves the efficacy function as a weight. We formulated these methods for both classes of concentration- and time-dependent antibiotics. Using drug models and in silico approaches, we provide a theoretical basis for characterizing the efficiency of a PK profile under in vivo conditions. We also used the particular case of variable drug intake to assess the effect of the variable PK profiles generated and to analyse the implications for breakpoint estimation. Conclusion Compared to traditional methods, our weighted AUC approach gives a more powerful PK/PD link and reveals, through examples, interesting issues about the uniqueness of therapeutic outcome indices and antibiotic resistance problems. PMID:19558679

Transition to Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Fuel: Effects on Prices and Supply, The

EIA Publications

2001-01-01

This report discusses the implications of the new regulations for vehicle fuel efficiency and examines the technology, production, distribution, and cost implications of supplying diesel fuel to meet the new standards.

Current On-Campus Attitudes toward Energy Usage, Efficiency, and Emerging Technologies

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

Lennon, Liz; Sintov, Nicole; Orosz, Michael

Context & Background for Energy Survey Methods & Survey Overview Respondent Demographics Results Demand Response Current Environmental Comfort Perceptions Smart Meters Perceived Smart Meter Benefits Motivators of Energy Efficient Practices Summary & Implications

Air transportation energy efficiency - Alternatives and implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.

1976-01-01

Results from recent studies of air transportation energy efficiency alternatives are discussed, along with some of the implications of these alternatives. The fuel-saving alternatives considered include aircraft operation, aircraft modification, derivative aircraft, and new aircraft. In the near-term, energy efficiency improvements should be possible through small improvements in fuel-saving flight procedures, higher density seating, and higher load factors. Additional small near-term improvements could be obtained through aircraft modifications, such as the relatively inexpensive drag reduction modifications. Derivatives of existing aircraft could meet the requirements for new aircraft and provide energy improvements until advanced technology is available to justify the cost of a completely new design. In order to obtain significant improvements in energy efficiency, new aircraft must truly exploit advanced technology in such areas as aerodynamics, composite structures, active controls, and advanced propulsion.

Network robustness assessed within a dual connectivity framework: joint dynamics of the Active and Idle Networks.

PubMed

Tejedor, Alejandro; Longjas, Anthony; Zaliapin, Ilya; Ambroj, Samuel; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi

2017-08-17

Network robustness against attacks has been widely studied in fields as diverse as the Internet, power grids and human societies. But current definition of robustness is only accounting for half of the story: the connectivity of the nodes unaffected by the attack. Here we propose a new framework to assess network robustness, wherein the connectivity of the affected nodes is also taken into consideration, acknowledging that it plays a crucial role in properly evaluating the overall network robustness in terms of its future recovery from the attack. Specifically, we propose a dual perspective approach wherein at any instant in the network evolution under attack, two distinct networks are defined: (i) the Active Network (AN) composed of the unaffected nodes and (ii) the Idle Network (IN) composed of the affected nodes. The proposed robustness metric considers both the efficiency of destroying the AN and that of building-up the IN. We show, via analysis of well-known prototype networks and real world data, that trade-offs between the efficiency of Active and Idle Network dynamics give rise to surprising robustness crossovers and re-rankings, which can have significant implications for decision making.

Structural relationships between work environment and service quality perceptions as a function of customer contact intensity: implications for human service strategy.

PubMed

Scotti, Dennis J; Harmon, Joel; Behson, Scott J

2009-01-01

This study assesses the importance of customer-contact intensity at the service encounter level as a determinant of service quality assessments. Using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it shows that performance-driven human resources practices play an important role as determinants of employee customer orientation and service capability in both high-contact (outpatient healthcare) and low-contact (benefits claim processing) human service contexts. However, there existed significant differences across service delivery settings in the salience of customer orientation and the congruence between employee and customer perceptions of service quality, depending on the intensity of customer contact. In both contexts, managerial attention to high-performance work systems and customer-orientation has the potential to favorably impact perceptions of service quality, amplify consumer satisfaction, and enhance operational efficiency.

Extracting Forest Canopy Characteristics from Remote Sensing Imagery: Implications for Sentinel-2 Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholizadeh, Asa; Kopaekova, Veronika; Rogass, Christian; Mielke, Christian; Misurec, Jan

2016-08-01

Systematic quantification and monitoring of forest biophysical and biochemical variables is required to assess the response of ecosystems to climate change. Remote sensing has been introduced as a time and cost- efficient way to carry out large scale monitoring of vegetation parameters. Red-Edge Position (REP) is a hyperspectrally detectable parameter which is sensitive to vegetation Chl. In the current study, REP was modelled for the Norway spruce forest canopy resampled to HyMap and Sentinel-2 spectral resolution as well as calculated from the real HyMap and Sentinel-2 simulated data. Different REP extraction methods (4PLI, PF, LE, 4PLIH and 4PLIS) were assessed. The study showed the way for effective utilization of the forthcoming hyper and superspectral remote sensing sensors from orbit to monitor vegetation attributes.

Feeding method and health outcomes of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Rogers, Brian

2004-08-01

Disorders of feeding and swallowing are common in children with cerebral palsy. Feeding and swallowing disorders have significant implications for development, growth and nutrition, respiratory health, gastrointestinal function, parent-child interaction, and overall family life. Assessments need to be comprehensive in scope and centered around the medical home. Oral feeding interventions for children with cerebral palsy may be effective in promoting oral motor function, but have not been shown to be effective in promoting feeding efficiency or weight gain. Feeding gastrostomy tubes are a reasonable alternative for children with severe feeding and swallowing problems who have had poor weight gain. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.

Moral reasoning and personality traits.

PubMed

Mudrack, Peter E

2006-06-01

Moral reasoning should not be clearly associated with measures of personality traits. Although this assumption pervades the moral reasoning literature, it may not always be true. This paper provides evidence that moral reasoning, as assessed with P scores of the Defining Issues Test, is indeed positively associated with five traits from the California Psychological Inventory: Achievement via Independence, Intellectual Efficiency, Tolerance, Responsibility, and Capacity for Status. Such relationships make conceptual sense, shed light on the meaning and implications of moral reasoning, call into question prevailing assumptions in the literature, and may encourage investigators to broaden the types of research questions asked in the context of moral reasoning.

Housing strain, mortgage foreclosure, and health.

PubMed

Cannuscio, Carolyn C; Alley, Dawn E; Pagán, José A; Soldo, Beth; Krasny, Sarah; Shardell, Michelle; Asch, David A; Lipman, Terri H

2012-01-01

Foreclosure rates have risen rapidly since 2005, reaching historically high levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the health implications of the current housing crisis. We conducted a cross-sectional online consumer panel survey including residents of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida (n = 798) to determine the feasibility of contacting distressed homeowners via the Internet and to assess mental and physical health among respondents across the spectrum from those having no housing strain to those in loan default or home foreclosure. Homeowners in default or foreclosure exhibited poorer mental health and more physical symptoms than renters, homeowners with moderate strain, and homeowners with no strainöfollowing a gradient that was consistent across multiple health indicators. Internet panel sampling was an efficient method of contacting distressed homeowners. Record-high foreclosure rates may have broad implications for nursing and public health. Homeowners in default or foreclosure represent an identifiable high-risk group that may benefit from coordinated, affordable health and social services. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Blind calibration of radio interferometric arrays using sparsity constraints and its implications for self-calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiarucci, Simone; Wijnholds, Stefan J.

2018-02-01

Blind calibration, i.e. calibration without a priori knowledge of the source model, is robust to the presence of unknown sources such as transient phenomena or (low-power) broad-band radio frequency interference that escaped detection. In this paper, we present a novel method for blind calibration of a radio interferometric array assuming that the observed field only contains a small number of discrete point sources. We show the huge computational advantage over previous blind calibration methods and we assess its statistical efficiency and robustness to noise and the quality of the initial estimate. We demonstrate the method on actual data from a Low-Frequency Array low-band antenna station showing that our blind calibration is able to recover the same gain solutions as the regular calibration approach, as expected from theory and simulations. We also discuss the implications of our findings for the robustness of regular self-calibration to poor starting models.

Organizational Impact of the Introduction of a New Portable Syringe Pump for Iloprost Therapy in Italian Hospital Settings

PubMed Central

Restelli, Umberto; Faggioli, Paola; Scolari, Francesca; Gussoni, Gualberto; Valerio, Antonella; Sciascera, Alba; Croce, Davide; Mazzone, Antonino

2015-01-01

Purpose: The study aims at assessing the organizational and economic impact related to the use of a new portable syringe pump (Pompa Infonde®, Italfarmaco S.p.A., Cinisello Balsamo, Italy) at a hospital level. Methodology: Based on the HTA approach, the analysis assessed the organizational and economic impact of the new device at hospital level, using the traditional methods of Iloprost infusion as comparator. After a pilot evaluation, the organizational impact was assessed within 24 Italian hospitals. Structured interviews were conducted with clinicians and nurses. According to the Hospital-Based HTA approach, a questionnaire assessed the impact on human resources, training activities, internal meetings, spaces needed, facilities, clinical practice implications. Using Activity Based Costing approach, the economic evaluation was performed within the pilot center “Ospedale Civile” of Legnano, Italy. Findings: The new device leads to a positive managerial impact, with a substantial reduction of time to monitor patients by nurses. This resulted in a better management of human resources and in a reduction in nursing cost. Although a mild negative impact on training time for personnel, the structured interviews allowed the identification of three main areas of positive impact: (i) efficiency of internal processes, (ii) clinical pathways, (iii) synergies between wards. Originality: The organizational impact of Pompa Infonde®, showed that it is an efficient alternative to traditional methods, with benefits in the management of patients administered with Iloprost.

Mass absorption efficiency of elemental carbon over Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal, India: Temporal variability and implications to estimates of black carbon radiative forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samiksha, S.; Raman, R. S.; Singh, A.

2016-12-01

It is now well recognized that black carbon (a component of aerosols that is similar but not identical to elemental carbon) is an important contributor to global warming, second only to CO2.However, the most popular methods for estimation of black carbon rely on accurate estimates of its mass absorption efficiency (MAE) to convert optical attenuation measurements to black carbon concentrations. Often a constant manufacturer specified MAE is used for this purposes. Recent literature has unequivocally established that MAE shows large spatio-temporal heterogeneities. This is so because MAE depends on emission sources, chemical composition, and mixing state of aerosols. In this study, ambient PM2.5 samples were collected over an ecologically sensitive zone (Van Vihar National Park) in Bhopal, Central India for two years (01 January, 2012 to 31 December, 2013). Samples were collected on Teflon, Nylon, and Tissue quartz filter substrates. Punches of quartz fibre filter were analysed for organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC) by a thermal-optical-transmittance/reflectance (TOT-TOR) analyser operating with a 632 nm laser diode. Teflon filters were also used to interdependently measure PM2.5 attenuation (at 370 nm and 800 nm) by transmissometry. Site-specific mass absorption efficiency (MAE) for elemental carbon over the study site will be derived using a combination of measurements from the TOT/TOR analyser and transmissometer. An assessment of site-specific MAE values, its temporal variability and implications to black carbon radiative forcing will be discussed. It is now well recognized that black carbon (a component of aerosols that is similar but not identical to elemental carbon) is an important contributor to global warming, second only to CO2. However, the most popular methods for estimation of black carbon rely on accurate estimates of its mass absorption efficiency (MAE) to convert optical attenuation measurements to black carbon concentrations. Often a constant manufacturer specified MAE is used for this purposes. Recent literature has unequivocally established that MAE shows large spatio-temporal heterogeneities. This is so because MAE depends on emission sources, chemical composition, and mixing state of aerosols. In this study, ambient PM2.5 samples were collected over an ecologically sensitive zone (Van Vihar National Park) in Bhopal, Central India for two years (01 January, 2012 to 31 December, 2013). Samples were collected on Teflon, Nylon, and Tissue quartz filter substrates. Punches of quartz fibre filter were analysed for organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC) by a thermal-optical-transmittance/reflectance (TOT-TOR) analyser operating with a 632 nm laser diode. Teflon filters were also used to interdependently measure PM2.5 attenuation (at 370 nm and 800 nm) by transmissometry. Site-specific mass absorption efficiency (MAE) for elemental carbon over the study site will be derived using a combination of measurements from the TOT/TOR analyser and transmissometer. An assessment of site-specific MAE values, its temporal variability and implications to black carbon radiative forcing will be discussed.

Recent Trends in Higher Education: Accountability, Efficiency, Technology, and Governance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahey, John L.; Griffith, Janice C.

2002-01-01

Discusses the impact of trends in higher education regarding increasing demands for accountability, greater financial efficiency, increasing use of technology, and changes in organization and governance. Discusses the implications for law schools. (EV)

Organizational rationality, performance, and social responsibility: results from the hospital industry.

PubMed

Becker, Edmund R; Potter, Sharyn J

2002-01-01

Drawing on stakeholder theory and Weber's distinction between formal and substantive rationality, we posit that: (1) for-profit organizations manage stakeholders in ways that result in the organization being more efficient and less socially responsible than organizations that are not as profit oriented, and (2) organizations with major corporate relationships that are not local manage stakeholders in a manner that results in the organization being more efficient and less socially responsible than organizations without such arrangements. We test these hypotheses with 1994 data on 4,705 of the nation's short-term general hospitals using two measures of hospital efficiency and four measures of social responsibility. Results confirm that for-profit hospitals and hospitals lacking local ties are managing stakeholder relationships in ways that increases the efficiency of these hospitals but decreases their social responsiveness. We conclude by speculating that organizational efficiency and social responsibility may be inversely related and then summarize some of the academic, managerial, and policy implications, with emphasis on the implications for stakeholder theory.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in drinking water supply system and human health risk implication.

PubMed

Wee, Sze Yee; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin

2017-09-01

To date, experimental and epidemiological evidence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) adversely affecting human and animal populations has been widely debated. Notably, human health risk assessment is required for risk mitigation. The lack of human health risk assessment and management may thus unreliably regulate the quality of water resources and efficiency of treatment processes. Therefore, drinking water supply systems (DWSSs) may be still unwarranted in assuring safe access to potable drinking water. Drinking water supply, such as tap water, is an additional and crucial route of human exposure to the health risks associated with EDCs. A holistic system, incorporating continuous research in DWSS monitoring and management using multi-barrier approach, is proposed as a preventive measure to reduce human exposure to the risks associated with EDCs through drinking water consumption. The occurrence of EDCs in DWSSs and corresponding human health risk implications are analyzed using the Needs, Approaches, Benefits, and Challenges (NABC) method. Therefore, this review may act as a supportive tool in protecting human health and environmental quality from EDCs, which is essential for decision-making regarding environmental monitoring and management purposes. Subsequently, the public could have sustainable access to safer and more reliable drinking water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increasing consolidation in healthcare markets: what are the antitrust policy implications?

PubMed Central

Haas-Wilson, D; Gaynor, M

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the implications of the rapid transformation of the healthcare financing and delivery system for competition, social welfare, and antitrust policy. PRINCIPAL FINDING: Horizontal and vertical consolidations can enhance efficiency but can also be anticompetitive in markets characterized by entry barriers. RECOMMENDATION: Active enforcement of the antitrust laws is essential to ensure that competition in healthcare markets will lead to procompetitive, rather than anticompetitive effects. However, healthcare antitrust enforcement policy must be flexible enough to allow efficient new forms of organization and practice to emerge. PMID:9865226

Removal of helminth eggs by centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment plants in South Africa and Lesotho: health implications for direct and indirect exposure to the effluents.

PubMed

Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Reddy, Poovendhree; Seidu, Razak; Stenström, Thor Axel

2018-05-01

Wastewater may contain contaminants harmful to human health; hence, there is the need for treatment before discharge. Centralized wastewater treatment systems are the favored treatment options globally, but these are not necessarily superior in reduction of pathogens as compared to decentralized wastewater treatment systems (collectively called DEWATS). This study was therefore undertaken to assess the soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and Taenia sp. egg reduction efficiency of selected anaerobic baffled reactors and planted gravel filters compared to centralized wastewater treatment plants in South Africa and Lesotho. The risk of ascariasis with exposure to effluents from the centralized wastewater treatment plants was also assessed using the quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach. Eggs of Ascaris spp., hookworm, Trichuris spp., Taenia spp., and Toxocara spp. were commonly detected in the untreated wastewater. The DEWATS plants removed between 95 and 100% of the STH and Taenia sp. eggs, with centralized plants removing between 67 and 100%. Helminth egg concentrations in the final effluents from the centralized wastewater treatment plants were consistently higher than those in the WHO recommended guideline (≤ 1 helminth egg/L) for agricultural use resulting in higher risk of ascariasis. Therefore, in conclusion, DEWATS plants may be more efficient in reducing the concentration of helminth eggs in wastewater, resulting in lower risks of STH infections upon exposure.

Efficiency of using solid wood fuels in maple syrup evaporators

Treesearch

Lawrence D. Garrett

1981-01-01

A study of commercial, wood-fired evaporators revealed that normal expected thermal efficiencies are between 35 and 50 percent. The moisture content and quality of wood fuels used and the design and method of firing the evaporator are critical in determining evaporator efficiency and the economic implications of using wood.

Physical design correlates of efficiency and safety in emergency departments: a qualitative examination.

PubMed

Pati, Debajyoti; Harvey, Thomas E; Pati, Sipra

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore and identify physical design correlates of safety and efficiency in emergency department (ED) operations. This study adopted an exploratory, multimeasure approach to (1) examine the interactions between ED operations and physical design at 4 sites and (2) identify domains of physical design decision-making that potentially influence efficiency and safety. Multidisciplinary gaming and semistructured interviews were conducted with stakeholders at each site. Study data suggest that 16 domains of physical design decisions influence safety, efficiency, or both. These include (1) entrance and patient waiting, (2) traffic management, (3) subwaiting or internal waiting areas, (4) triage, (5) examination/treatment area configuration, (6) examination/treatment area centralization versus decentralization, (7) examination/treatment room standardization, (8) adequate space, (9) nurse work space, (10) physician work space, (11) adjacencies and access, (12) equipment room, (13) psych room, (14) staff de-stressing room, (15) hallway width, and (16) results waiting area. Safety and efficiency from a physical environment perspective in ED design are mutually reinforcing concepts--enhancing efficiency bears positive implications for safety. Furthermore, safety and security emerged as correlated concepts, with security issues bearing implications for safety, thereby suggesting important associations between safety, security, and efficiency.

Enzymatic and viability RT-qPCR assays for evaluation of enterovirus, hepatitis A virus and norovirus inactivation: Implications for public health risk assessment.

PubMed

Monteiro, S; Santos, R

2018-04-01

To assess the potential of a viability dye and an enzymatic reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) pretreatment to discriminate between infectious and noninfectious enteric viruses. Enterovirus (EntV), norovirus (NoV) GII.4 and hepatitis A virus (HAV) were inactivated at 95°C for 10 min, and four methods were used to compare the efficiency of inactivation: (i) cell culture plaque assay for HAV and EntV, (ii) RT-qPCR alone, (iii) RT-qPCR assay preceded by RNase treatment, and (iv) pretreatment with a viability dye (reagent D (RD)) followed by RT-qPCR. In addition, heat-inactivated NoV was treated with RD coupled with surfactants to increase the efficiency of the viability dye. No treatment was able to completely discriminate infectious from noninfectious viruses. RD-RT-qPCR reduced more efficiently the detection of noninfectious viruses with little to no removal observed with RNase. RD-RT-qPCR method was the closest to cell culture assay. The combination of surfactants and RD did not show relevant improvements on the removal of inactivated viruses signal compared with viability RT-qPCR, with the exception of Triton X-100. The use of surfactant/RD-RT-qPCR, although not being able to completely remove the signal from noninfectious viral particles, yielded a better estimation of viral infectivity. Surfactant/RD-RT-qPCR may be an advantageous tool for a better detection of infectious viruses with potential significant impact in the risk assessment of the presence of enteric viruses. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Assessment of microbiome changes after rumen transfaunation: implications on improving feed efficiency in beef cattle.

PubMed

Zhou, Mi; Peng, Yong-Jia; Chen, Yanhong; Klinger, Christen M; Oba, Masahito; Liu, Jian-Xin; Guan, Le Luo

2018-03-27

Understanding the host impact on its symbiotic microbiota is important in redirecting the rumen microbiota and thus improving animal performance. The current study aimed to understand how rumen microbiota were altered and re-established after being emptied and receiving content from donor, thus to understand the impact of such process on rumen microbial fermentation and to explore the microbial phylotypes with higher manipulation potentials. Individual animal had strong effect on the re-establishment of the bacterial community according to the observed profiles detected by both fingerprinting and pyrosequencing. Most of the bacterial profile recovery patterns and extents at genus level varied among steers; and each identified bacterial genus responded to transfaunation differently within each host. Coriobacteriaceae, Coprococcus, and Lactobacillus were found to be the most responsive and tunable genera by exchanging rumen content. Besides, the association of 18 bacterial phylotypes with host fermentation parameters suggest that these phylotypes should also be considered as the regulating targets in improving host feed efficiency. In addition, the archaeal community had different re-establishment patterns for each host as determined by fingerprint profiling: it was altered after receiving non-native microbiome in some animals, while it resumed its original status after the adaptation period in the other ones. The highly individualized microbial re-establishment process suggested the importance of considering host genetics, microbial functional genomics, and host fermentation/performance assessment when developing effective and selective microbial manipulation methods for improving animal feed efficiency.

Policies to Enhance Prescribing Efficiency in Europe: Findings and Future Implications

PubMed Central

Godman, Brian; Shrank, William; Andersen, Morten; Berg, Christian; Bishop, Iain; Burkhardt, Thomas; Garuoliene, Kristina; Herholz, Harald; Joppi, Roberta; Kalaba, Marija; Laius, Ott; Lonsdale, Julie; Malmström, Rickard E.; Martikainen, Jaana E.; Samaluk, Vita; Sermet, Catherine; Schwabe, Ulrich; Teixeira, Inês; Tilson, Lesley; Tulunay, F. Cankat; Vlahović-Palčevski, Vera; Wendykowska, Kamila; Wettermark, Bjorn; Zara, Corinne; Gustafsson, Lars L.

2010-01-01

Introduction: European countries need to learn from each other to address unsustainable increases in pharmaceutical expenditures. Objective: To assess the influence of the many supply and demand-side initiatives introduced across Europe to enhance prescribing efficiency in ambulatory care. As a result provide future guidance to countries. Methods: Cross national retrospective observational study of utilization (DDDs – defined daily doses) and expenditure (Euros and local currency) of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and statins among 19 European countries and regions principally from 2001 to 2007. Demand-side measures categorized under the “4Es” – education engineering, economics, and enforcement. Results: Instigating supply side initiatives to lower the price of generics combined with demand-side measures to enhance their prescribing is important to maximize prescribing efficiency. Just addressing one component will limit potential efficiency gains. The influence of demand-side reforms appears additive, with multiple initiatives typically having a greater influence on increasing prescribing efficiency than single measures apart from potentially “enforcement.” There are also appreciable differences in expenditure (€/1000 inhabitants/year) between countries. Countries that have not introduced multiple demand side measures to counteract commercial pressures to enhance the prescribing of generics have seen considerably higher expenditures than those that have instigated a range of measures. Conclusions: There are considerable opportunities for European countries to enhance their prescribing efficiency, with countries already learning from each other. The 4E methodology allows European countries to concisely capture the range of current demand-side measures and plan for the future knowing that initiatives can be additive to further enhance their prescribing efficiency. PMID:21833180

Video-task assessment of learning and memory in Macaques (Macaca mulatta) - Effects of stimulus movement on performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washburn, David A.; Hopkins, William D.; Rumbaugh, Duane M.

1989-01-01

Effects of stimulus movement on learning, transfer, matching, and short-term memory performance were assessed with 2 monkeys using a video-task paradigm in which the animals responded to computer-generated images by manipulating a joystick. Performance on tests of learning set, transfer index, matching to sample, and delayed matching to sample in the video-task paradigm was comparable to that obtained in previous investigations using the Wisconsin General Testing Apparatus. Additionally, learning, transfer, and matching were reliably and significantly better when the stimuli or discriminanda moved than when the stimuli were stationary. External manipulations such as stimulus movement may increase attention to the demands of a task, which in turn should increase the efficiency of learning. These findings have implications for the investigation of learning in other populations, as well as for the application of the video-task paradigm to comparative study.

Life Cycle Assessment of Coal-fired Power Production

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

Spath, P. L.; Mann, M. K.; Kerr, D. R.

1999-09-01

Coal has the largest share of utility power generation in the US, accounting for approximately 56% of all utility-produced electricity (US DOE, 1998). Therefore, understanding the environmental implications of producing electricity from coal is an important component of any plan to reduce total emissions and resource consumption. A life cycle assessment (LCA) on the production of electricity from coal was performed in order to examine the environmental aspects of current and future pulverized coal boiler systems. Three systems were examined: (1) a plant that represents the average emissions and efficiency of currently operating coal-fired power plants in the US (thismore » tells us about the status quo), (2) a new coal-fired power plant that meets the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and (3) a highly advanced coal-fired power plant utilizing a low emission boiler system (LEBS).« less

Relationships among attention networks and physiological responding to threat.

PubMed

Sarapas, Casey; Weinberg, Anna; Langenecker, Scott A; Shankman, Stewart A

2017-02-01

Although researchers have long hypothesized a relationship between attention and anxiety, theoretical and empirical accounts of this relationship have conflicted. We attempted to resolve these conflicts by examining relationships of attentional abilities with responding to predictable and unpredictable threat - related but distinct motivational process implicated in a number of anxiety disorders. Eighty-one individuals completed a behavioral task assessing efficiency of three components of attention - alerting, orienting, and executive control (Attention Network Test - Revised). We also assessed startle responding during anticipation of both predictable, imminent threat (of mild electric shock) and unpredictable contextual threat. Faster alerting and slower disengaging from non-emotional attention cues were related to heightened responding to unpredictable threat, whereas poorer executive control of attention was related to heightened responding to predictable threat. This double dissociation helps to integrate models of attention and anxiety and may be informative for treatment development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships Among Attention Networks and Physiological Responding to Threat

PubMed Central

Sarapas, Casey; Weinberg, Anna; Langenecker, Scott A.

2016-01-01

Although researchers have long hypothesized a relationship between attention and anxiety, theoretical and empirical accounts of this relationship have conflicted. We attempted to resolve these conflicts by examining relationships of attentional abilities with responding to predictable and unpredictable threat, related but distinct motivational process implicated in a number of anxiety disorders. Eighty-one individuals completed a behavioral task assessing efficiency of three components of attention – alerting, orienting, and executive control (Attention Network Test - Revised). We also assessed startle responding during anticipation of both predictable, imminent threat (of mild electric shock) and unpredictable contextual threat. Faster alerting and slower disengaging from non-emotional attention cues were related to heightened responding to unpredictable threat, whereas poorer executive control of attention was related to heightened responding to predictable threat. This double dissociation helps to integrate models of attention and anxiety and may be informative for treatment development. PMID:27816781

Plasticity in physiological traits in conifers: implications for response to climate change in the western U.S.

PubMed

Grulke, N E

2010-06-01

Population variation in ecophysiological traits of four co-occurring montane conifers was measured on a large latitudinal gradient to quantitatively assess their potential for response to environmental change. White fir (Abies concolor) had the highest variability, gross photosynthetic rate (Pg), and foliar carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content. Despite low water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal conductance (gs) of fir was the most responsive to unfavorable environmental conditions. Pinus lambertiana exhibited the least variability in Pg and WUE, and is likely to be the most vulnerable to environmental changes. Pinus ponderosa had an intermediate level of variability, and high needle growth at its higher elevational limits. Pinus Jeffreyi also had intermediate variability, but high needle growth at its southern latitudinal and lower elevational limits. The attributes used to assess tree vigor were effective in predicting population vulnerability to abiotic (drought) and biotic (herbivore) stresses. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A multilevel modeling approach to examining individual differences in skill acquisition for a computer-based task.

PubMed

Nair, Sankaran N; Czaja, Sara J; Sharit, Joseph

2007-06-01

This article explores the role of age, cognitive abilities, prior experience, and knowledge in skill acquisition for a computer-based simulated customer service task. Fifty-two participants aged 50-80 performed the task over 4 consecutive days following training. They also completed a battery that assessed prior computer experience and cognitive abilities. The data indicated that overall quality and efficiency of performance improved with practice. The predictors of initial level of performance and rate of change in performance varied according to the performance parameter assessed. Age and fluid intelligence predicted initial level and rate of improvement in overall quality, whereas crystallized intelligence and age predicted initial e-mail processing time, and crystallized intelligence predicted rate of change in e-mail processing time over days. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design of intervention strategies.

Language Learning as Linguistic Entrepreneurship: Implications for Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Costa, Peter; Park, Joseph; Wee, Lionel

2016-01-01

The growing emphasis on accountability, competitiveness, efficiency, and profit demonstrates how language education has been impacted by neoliberalism. To bring out the implications of neoliberalism on language education, we explore how language learning is increasingly constructed as a form of linguistic entrepreneurship, or "an act of…

Assessing Withering Syndrome Resistance in California Black Abalone: Implications for Conservation and Restoration

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-29

worldwide. California Sea Grant College Program UC San Diego Title: Assessing withering syndrome resistance in California black abalone : Implications...Hunter S.(2009). Assessing withering syndrome resistance in California black abalone : Implications for conservation and restoration. UC San Diego...California Sea Grant College Program. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7c39q78n Keywords: black abalone , Haliotis cracherodii, captive breeding

Improved Safety and Efficiency of Protected/Permitted Right-Turns in Oregon

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-05-01

This research aimed to develop an understanding of the safety and operational implications of using the flashing yellow arrow (FYA) in permitted and protected/permitted right turn (PPRT) operations to maximize safety and efficiency. This report inclu...

Some implications of the technology assessment function for the effective public decision-making process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayo, L. H.

1971-01-01

A preliminary provisional assessment of the prospects for the establishment of an adequate technology assessment function and the implications of the assessment function for the public decision process are presented. Effects of the technology assessment function on each phase of the public decision process and briefly explored. Significant implications during the next decade are projected with respect to the following phases: invention and development of alternative means (technological configurations); evaluation, selection and promotion of preferred courses of action; and modification of statutory scheme or social action program as an outcome of continuing monitoring and appraisal.

Transpiration efficiency of three Mediterranean annual pasture species and wheat.

PubMed

Bolger, T P; Turner, N C

1998-06-01

Attempts to improve water use efficiency in regions with Mediterranean climates generally focus on increasing plant transpiration relative to evaporation from the soil and increasing transpiration efficiency. Our aim was to determine if transpiration efficiency differs among key species occurring in annual pastures in southern Australia. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted with three key pasture species, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), capeweed [Arctotheca calendula (L.) Levyns] and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Transpiration efficiency was assessed at the levels of␣whole-plant biomass and water use (W), leaf gas exchange measurements of the ratio of CO 2 assimilation to leaf conductance to water vapour (A/g), and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) in leaf tissue. In addition, Δ was measured on shoots of the three pasture species growing together in the field. In the glasshouse studies, annual ryegrass had a consistently higher transpiration efficiency than subterranean clover or capeweed by all methods of measurement. Subterranean clover and capeweed had similar transpiration efficiencies by all three methods of measurement. Wheat had W values similar to ryegrass but A/g and Δ values similar to subterranean clover or capeweed. The high W of annual ryegrass seems to be related to a conservative leaf gas exchange behaviour, with lower assimilation and conductance but higher A/g than for the other species. In contrast to the glasshouse results, the three pasture species had similar Δ values when growing together in mixed-species swards in the field. Reasons for these differing responses between glasshouse and field-grown plants are discussed in terms of the implications for improving the transpiration efficiency of mixed-species annual pasture communities in the field.

A Model of Carbon Capture and Storage with Demonstration of Global Warming Potential and Fossil Fuel Resource Use Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suebsiri, Jitsopa

Increasing greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere influences global climate change even though the level of impact is still unclear. Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly seen as an important component of broadly based greenhouse gas reduction measures. Although the other greenhouse gases are more potent, the sheer volume of CO 2 makes it dominant in term of its effect in the atmosphere. To understand the implications, CCS activities should be studied from a full life cycle perspective. This thesis outlines the successful achievement of the objectives of this study in conducting life cycle assessment (LCA), reviewing the carbon dioxide implications only, combining two energy systems, coal-fired electrical generations and CO2 used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). LCA is the primary approach used in this study to create a tool for CCS environmental evaluation. The Boundary Dam Power Station (BDPS) and the Weyburn-Midale CO 2 EOR Project in Saskatchewan, Canada, are studied and adopted as case scenarios to find the potential for effective application of CCS in both energy systems. This study demonstrates two levels of retrofitting of the BDPS, retrofit of unit 3 or retrofit of all units, combined with three options for CO 2 geological storage: deep saline aquifer, CO2 EOR, and a combination of deep saline aquifer storage and CO2 EOR. Energy output is considered the product of combining these two energy resources (coal and oil). Gigajoules (GJ) are used as the fundamental unit of measurement in comparing the combined energy types. The application of this tool effectively demonstrates the results of application of a CCS system concerning global warming potential (GWP) and fossil fuel resource use efficiency. Other environmental impacts could be analyzed with this tool as well. In addition, the results demonstrate that the GWP reduction is directly related to resource use efficiency. This means the lower the GWP of CCS, the lower resource use efficiency as well. Three processes, coal mining, power production including CO2 capture unit operation, and crude oil usage, must be included when the GWP of CCS is calculated. Moreover, the results from the sensitivity analysis of power generation efficiency present not only a significant reduction of GWP, but also a competitive solution for improving or at least preventing the decrease of fossil fuel resource use efficiency when CCS is applied.

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

Not Available

The goals and accomplishments of the Energy Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory are described in this annual progress report for Fiscal Year (FY) 1988. The Energy Division is a multidisciplinary research organization committed to (1) increasing the knowledge and understanding of the way society makes choices in energy use and energy-using technologies, (2) improving society's understanding of the environmental implications of changes in energy technology, and (3) improving and developing new energy-efficient technologies. The Energy Division's programmatic activities focus on four major areas: (1) analysis and assessment, (2) transportation and decision systems research, (3) technology research and development formore » improving the efficiency of energy and end-use technologies, and (4) electric power systems. The Division's total expenditures in FY 1988 were $44.3 million. The work is supported by the US Department of Energy, US Department of Defense, many other federal agencies, and some private organizations. Disciplines of the 139 staff members include engineering, social sciences, physical and life sciences, and mathematics and statistics.« less

Micronized copper wood preservatives: an efficiency and potential health risk assessment for copper-based nanoparticles.

PubMed

Civardi, Chiara; Schwarze, Francis W M R; Wick, Peter

2015-05-01

Copper (Cu) is an essential biocide for wood protection, but fails to protect wood against Cu-tolerant wood-destroying fungi. Recently Cu particles (size range: 1 nm-25 μm) were introduced to the wood preservation market. The new generation of preservatives with Cu-based nanoparticles (Cu-based NPs) is reputedly more efficient against wood-destroying fungi than conventional formulations. Therefore, it has the potential to become one of the largest end uses for wood products worldwide. However, during decomposition of treated wood Cu-based NPs and/or their derivate may accumulate in the mycelium of Cu-tolerant fungi and end up in their spores that are dispersed into the environment. Inhaled Cu-loaded spores can cause harm and could become a potential risk for human health. We collected evidence and discuss the implications of the release of Cu-based NPs by wood-destroying fungi and highlight the exposure pathways and subsequent magnitude of health impact. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lipid-based colloidal carriers for peptide and protein delivery – liposomes versus lipid nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Martins, Susana; Sarmento, Bruno; Ferreira, Domingos C; Souto, Eliana B

2007-01-01

This paper highlights the importance of lipid-based colloidal carriers and their pharmaceutical implications in the delivery of peptides and proteins for oral and parenteral administration. There are several examples of biomacromolecules used nowadays in the therapeutics, which are promising candidates to be delivered by means of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles, such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). Several production procedures can be applied to achieve a high association efficiency between the bioactives and the carrier, depending on the physicochemical properties of both, as well as on the production procedure applied. Generally, this can lead to improved bioavailability, or in case of oral administration a more consistent temporal profile of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Advantages and drawbacks of such colloidal carriers are also pointed out. This article describes strategies used for formulation of peptides and proteins, methods used for assessment of association efficiency and practical considerations regarding the toxicological concerns. PMID:18203427

Yoga therapy for developing emotional intelligence in mid-life managers.

PubMed

Ganpat, Tikhe Sham; Nagendra, H R

2011-01-01

Business executives' lives have become a never-ending race against time, technology, and targets. This race creates tension, which leads to dissatisfaction and frustration and eventually manifests itself as psychological and physiological stress with mental and emotional drain. This modern lifestyle intensifies the stress leading to "excessive tension" and consequent deterioration in "executive efficiency". To assess emotional intelligent quotient (EQ) in managers undergoing yoga-based Self Management of Excessive Tension (SMET) program. 72 managers participated in this study which is of "single group pre-post design." The EQ test developed by Prof N. K. Chadha from University of Delhi was administered as pre and post the 5 days of SMET program. Means, standard deviations, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze the data. The data analysis showed 72.02% significant increase (P<0.001) in EQ. The results suggest that participation in a SMET program was associated with improvement in EQ and may have implications for "executive efficiency."

Development of a Computer Adaptive Test for Depression Based on the Dutch-Flemish Version of the PROMIS Item Bank.

PubMed

Flens, Gerard; Smits, Niels; Terwee, Caroline B; Dekker, Joost; Huijbrechts, Irma; de Beurs, Edwin

2017-03-01

We developed a Dutch-Flemish version of the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) adult V1.0 item bank for depression as input for computerized adaptive testing (CAT). As item bank, we used the Dutch-Flemish translation of the original PROMIS item bank (28 items) and additionally translated 28 U.S. depression items that failed to make the final U.S. item bank. Through psychometric analysis of a combined clinical and general population sample ( N = 2,010), 8 added items were removed. With the final item bank, we performed several CAT simulations to assess the efficiency of the extended (48 items) and the original item bank (28 items), using various stopping rules. Both item banks resulted in highly efficient and precise measurement of depression and showed high similarity between the CAT simulation scores and the full item bank scores. We discuss the implications of using each item bank and stopping rule for further CAT development.

Nurse staffing patterns and hospital efficiency in the United States.

PubMed

Bloom, J R; Alexander, J A; Nuchols, B A

1997-01-01

The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the effects of four nurse staffing patterns on the efficiency of patient care delivery in the hospital: registered nurses (RNs) from temporary agencies; part-time career RNs; RN rich skill mix; and organizationally experienced RNs. Using Transaction Cost Analysis, four regression models were specified to consider the effect of these staffing plans on personnel and benefit costs and on non-personnel operating costs. A number of additional variables were also included in the models to control for the effect of other organization and environmental determinants of hospital costs. Use of career part-time RNs and experienced staff reduced both personnel and benefit costs, as well as total non-personnel operating costs, while the use of temporary agencies for RNs increased non-personnel operating costs. An RN rich skill mix was not related to either measure of hospital costs. These findings provide partial support of the theory. Implications of our findings for future research on hospital management are discussed.

Study of fault-tolerant software technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slivinski, T.; Broglio, C.; Wild, C.; Goldberg, J.; Levitt, K.; Hitt, E.; Webb, J.

1984-01-01

Presented is an overview of the current state of the art of fault-tolerant software and an analysis of quantitative techniques and models developed to assess its impact. It examines research efforts as well as experience gained from commercial application of these techniques. The paper also addresses the computer architecture and design implications on hardware, operating systems and programming languages (including Ada) of using fault-tolerant software in real-time aerospace applications. It concludes that fault-tolerant software has progressed beyond the pure research state. The paper also finds that, although not perfectly matched, newer architectural and language capabilities provide many of the notations and functions needed to effectively and efficiently implement software fault-tolerance.

Stroop-like effects in a new-code learning task: A cognitive load theory perspective.

PubMed

Hazan-Liran, Batel; Miller, Paul

2017-09-01

To determine whether and how learning is biased by competing task-irrelevant information that creates extraneous cognitive load, we assessed the efficiency of university students with a learning paradigm in two experiments. The paradigm asked participants to learn associations between eight words and eight digits. We manipulated congruity of the digits' ink colour with the words' semantics. In Experiment 1 word stimuli were colour words (e.g., blue, yellow) and in Experiment 2 colour-related word concepts (e.g., sky, banana). Marked benefits and costs on learning due to variation in extraneous cognitive load originating from processing task-irrelevant information were evident. Implications for cognitive load theory and schooling are discussed.

Rubella Deaf-Blind Child: Implications of Psychological Assessment. Proceedings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rouin, Carole

Presented are proceedings of a conference involving authorities in testing and evaluating the blind, deaf, and deaf-blind. In a paper titled "Psychological Implications of Assessing the Deaf", C. Goetzinger discusses references used in audiology, anatomy and physiology of the ear, degrees of hearing impairment, and implications of the various…

Harmless nectar source or deadly trap: Nepenthes pitchers are activated by rain, condensation and nectar

PubMed Central

Bauer, Ulrike; Bohn, Holger F; Federle, Walter

2007-01-01

The leaves of Nepenthes pitcher plants are specialized pitfall traps which capture and digest arthropod prey. In many species, insects become trapped by ‘aquaplaning’ on the wet pitcher rim (peristome). Here we investigate the ecological implications of this capture mechanism in Nepenthes rafflesiana var. typica. We combine meteorological data and continuous field measurements of peristome wetness using electrical conductance with experimental assessments of the pitchers' capture efficiency. Our results demonstrate that pitchers can be highly effective traps with capture rates as high as 80% but completely ineffective at other times. These dramatic changes are due to the wetting condition of the peristome. Variation of peristome wetness and capture efficiency was perfectly synchronous, and caused by rain, condensation and nectar secreted from peristome nectaries. The presence of nectar on the peristome increased surface wetness mainly indirectly by its hygroscopic properties. Experiments confirmed that pitchers with removed peristome nectaries remained generally drier and captured prey less efficiently than untreated controls. This role of nectar in prey capture represents a novel function of plant nectar. We propose that the intermittent and unpredictable activation of Nepenthes pitcher traps facilitates ant recruitment and constitutes a strategy to maximize prey capture. PMID:18048280

Harmless nectar source or deadly trap: Nepenthes pitchers are activated by rain, condensation and nectar.

PubMed

Bauer, Ulrike; Bohn, Holger F; Federle, Walter

2008-02-07

The leaves of Nepenthes pitcher plants are specialized pitfall traps which capture and digest arthropod prey. In many species, insects become trapped by 'aquaplaning' on the wet pitcher rim (peristome). Here we investigate the ecological implications of this capture mechanism in Nepenthes rafflesiana var. typica. We combine meteorological data and continuous field measurements of peristome wetness using electrical conductance with experimental assessments of the pitchers' capture efficiency. Our results demonstrate that pitchers can be highly effective traps with capture rates as high as 80% but completely ineffective at other times. These dramatic changes are due to the wetting condition of the peristome. Variation of peristome wetness and capture efficiency was perfectly synchronous, and caused by rain, condensation and nectar secreted from peristome nectaries. The presence of nectar on the peristome increased surface wetness mainly indirectly by its hygroscopic properties. Experiments confirmed that pitchers with removed peristome nectaries remained generally drier and captured prey less efficiently than untreated controls. This role of nectar in prey capture represents a novel function of plant nectar. We propose that the intermittent and unpredictable activation of Nepenthes pitcher traps facilitates ant recruitment and constitutes a strategy to maximize prey capture.

Stumbling at the First Step: Efficiency Implications of Poor Performance in the Foundational First Five Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crouch, Luis; Merseth, Katherine A.

2017-01-01

This paper highlights patterns in school enrollment indicators that affect the efficiency and effectiveness of education systems in a set of low-income countries: those that have expanded access quickly in the last decade or two, but have not yet absorbed that expansion efficiently. Although the patterns in these indicators are observable in the…

[Benefit assessment of operative interventions from the perspective of surgical research].

PubMed

Hüttner, F J; Ulrich, A; Mihaljevic, A L; Probst, P; Rossion, I; Diener, Markus K

2015-03-01

The benefit assessment of surgical procedures serves as the basis for the concept of evidence-based surgery. However, especially in the field of surgery, many interventions are lacking assessment in high-quality clinical trials. Therefore, a well-structured benefit assessment of surgical interventions in the future is imperative. Considering the different perspectives, e.g. of the patients, surgeons, industry or health care investors, the implications of the benefits and risks of a procedure can differ significantly. Researchers have to abide by different regulations, depending on the type of intervention being evaluated in a surgical trial. Furthermore, the benefit assessment of surgical procedures poses specific challenges, from the choice of a relevant endpoint to issues concerning the standardization of the interventions and the impact of learning curves. The IDEAL concept, which was established by a group of international experts in 2009, serves as a framework for the future development and assessment of innovations in the field of surgery. For example, the SDGC (Study Center of the German Society of Surgery) and CHIR-Net (Surgical Studies Network) indicate that such collaborations of clinicians and methodologists can lead to the creation of a qualified structure for the effective benefit assessment of surgical procedures. In the future, the aforementioned evidence gaps must be eliminated and innovations evaluated efficiently by the work of such networks.

The genome projects: implications for dental practice and education.

PubMed

Wright, J T; Hart, T C

2002-05-01

Information from the Human Genome Project (HGP) and the integration of information from related areas of study and technology will dramatically change health care for the craniofacial complex. Approaches to risk assessment and diagnosis, prevention, early intervention, and management of craniofacial conditions are and will continue to evolve through the application of this new knowledge. While this information will advance our health care abilities, it is clear that the dental profession will face challenges regarding the acquisition, application, transfer, and effective and efficient use of this knowledge with regards to dental research, dental education, and clinical practice. Unraveling the human genomic sequence now allows accurate diagnosis of numerous craniofacial conditions. However, the greatest oral disease burden results from dental caries and periodontal disease that are complex disorders having both hereditary and environmental factors determining disease risk, progression, and course. Disease risk assessment, prevention, and therapy, based on knowledge from the HGP, will likely vary markedly for the different complex conditions affecting the head and neck. Integration of Information from the human genome, comparative and microbial genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, and related technologies will provide the basis for proactive prevention and intervention and novel and more efficient treatment approaches. Oral health care practitioners will increasingly require knowledge of human genetics and the application of new molecular-based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

Factors Controlling Sediment Load in The Central Anatolia Region of Turkey: Ankara River Basin.

PubMed

Duru, Umit; Wohl, Ellen; Ahmadi, Mehdi

2017-05-01

Better understanding of the factors controlling sediment load at a catchment scale can facilitate estimation of soil erosion and sediment transport rates. The research summarized here enhances understanding of correlations between potential control variables on suspended sediment loads. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to simulate flow and sediment at the Ankara River basin. Multivariable regression analysis and principal component analysis were then performed between sediment load and controlling variables. The physical variables were either directly derived from a Digital Elevation Model or from field maps or computed using established equations. Mean observed sediment rate is 6697 ton/year and mean sediment yield is 21 ton/y/km² from the gage. Soil and Water Assessment Tool satisfactorily simulated observed sediment load with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, relative error, and coefficient of determination (R²) values of 0.81, -1.55, and 0.93, respectively in the catchment. Therefore, parameter values from the physically based model were applied to the multivariable regression analysis as well as principal component analysis. The results indicate that stream flow, drainage area, and channel width explain most of the variability in sediment load among the catchments. The implications of the results, efficient siltation management practices in the catchment should be performed to stream flow, drainage area, and channel width.

Factors Controlling Sediment Load in The Central Anatolia Region of Turkey: Ankara River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, Umit; Wohl, Ellen; Ahmadi, Mehdi

2017-05-01

Better understanding of the factors controlling sediment load at a catchment scale can facilitate estimation of soil erosion and sediment transport rates. The research summarized here enhances understanding of correlations between potential control variables on suspended sediment loads. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to simulate flow and sediment at the Ankara River basin. Multivariable regression analysis and principal component analysis were then performed between sediment load and controlling variables. The physical variables were either directly derived from a Digital Elevation Model or from field maps or computed using established equations. Mean observed sediment rate is 6697 ton/year and mean sediment yield is 21 ton/y/km² from the gage. Soil and Water Assessment Tool satisfactorily simulated observed sediment load with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, relative error, and coefficient of determination ( R²) values of 0.81, -1.55, and 0.93, respectively in the catchment. Therefore, parameter values from the physically based model were applied to the multivariable regression analysis as well as principal component analysis. The results indicate that stream flow, drainage area, and channel width explain most of the variability in sediment load among the catchments. The implications of the results, efficient siltation management practices in the catchment should be performed to stream flow, drainage area, and channel width.

Space industrialization. Volume 3: World and domestic implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The status of worldwide space industralization activities is assessed as well as the benefits to be anticipated from enhanced activities. Methods for stimulating space industralization growth are discussed with emphasis on foreign and international activities, national and world impact assessments, industry/government interfaces, legal implications, institutional implications, economics and capitalization, and implementation issues and recommendations.

Financing Education: Overcoming Inefficiency and Inequity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Walter W., Ed.; Geske, Terry G., Ed.

Fiscal inefficiency in education is addressed in this book and ideas for achieving increased efficiency while more effectively using resources to maintain reasonable equality of opportunity in higher education are examined. Fourteen articles and authors that consider social efficiency, equity, and policy implications are as follows: "Efficiency…

IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE PRODUCTION FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

PubMed

Facey, Karen; Henshall, Chris; Sampietro-Colom, Laura; Thomas, Sarah

2015-01-01

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) needs to address the challenges posed by high cost, effective technologies, expedited regulatory approaches, and the opportunities provided by collaborative real-world evaluation of technologies. The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Policy Forum met to consider these issues and the implications for evidence production to inform HTA. This paper shares their discussion to stimulate further debate. A background paper, presentations, group discussions, and stakeholder role play at the 2015 HTAi Policy Forum meeting informed this paper. HTA has an important role to play in helping improve evidence production and ensuring that the health service is ready to adopt effective technologies. It needs to move from simply informing health system decisions to also working actively to align stakeholder expectations about realistic evidence requirements. Processes to support dialogue over the health technology life cycle need to be developed that are mindful of limited resources, operate across jurisdictions and learn from past processes. Collaborations between health technology developers and health systems in different countries should be encouraged to develop evidence that will inform decision making. New analytical techniques emerging for real-world data should be harnessed to support modeling for HTA. A paradigm shift (to "Health Innovation System 2.0") is suggested where HTA adopts a more central, proactive role to support alignment within and amongst stakeholders over the whole life cycle of the technology. This could help ensure that evidence production is better aligned with patient and health system needs and so is more effective and efficient.

A comparative assessment of the financial costs and carbon benefits of REDD+ strategies in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Victoria; Laurance, Susan G.; Grech, Alana; McGregor, Andrew; Venter, Oscar

2016-11-01

REDD+ holds potential for mitigating emissions from tropical forest loss by providing financial incentives for carbon stored in forests, but its economic viability is under scrutiny. The primary narrative raised in the literature is that REDD+ will be of limited utility for reducing forest carbon loss in Southeast Asia, while the level of finance committed falls short of profits from alternative land-use activities in the region, including large-scale timber and oil palm operations. Here we assess the financial costs and carbon benefits of various REDD+ strategies deployed in the region. We find the cost of reducing emissions ranges from 9 to 75 per tonne of avoided carbon emissions. The strategies focused on reducing forest degradation and promoting forest regrowth are the most cost-effective ways of reducing emissions and used in over 60% of REDD+ projects. By comparing the financial costs and carbon benefits of a broader range of strategies than previously assessed, we highlight the variation between different strategies and draw attention to opportunities where REDD+ can achieve maximum carbon benefits cost-effectively. These findings have broad policy implications for Southeast Asia. Until carbon finance escalates, emissions reductions can be maximized from reforestation, reduced-impact logging and investing in improved management of protected areas. Targeting cost-efficient opportunities for REDD+ is important to improve the efficiency of national REDD+ policy, which in-turn fosters greater financial and political support for the scheme.

Emissions from prescribed fire in temperate forest in south-east Australia: implications for carbon accounting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Possell, M.; Jenkins, M.; Bell, T. L.; Adams, M. A.

2014-09-01

We estimated of emissions of carbon, as CO2-equivalents, from planned fire in four sites in a south-eastern Australian forest. Emission estimates were calculated using measurements of fuel load and carbon content of different fuel types, before and after burning, and determination of fuel-specific emission factors. Median estimates of emissions for the four sites ranged from 20 to 139 T CO2-e ha-1. Variability in estimates was a consequence of different burning efficiencies of each fuel type from the four sites. Higher emissions resulted from more fine fuel (twigs, decomposing matter, near-surface live and leaf litter) or coarse woody debris (CWD; > 25 mm diameter) being consumed. In order to assess the effect of estimating emissions when only a few fuel variables are known, Monte-Carlo simulations were used to create seven scenarios where input parameters values were replaced by probability density functions. Calculation methods were: (1) all measured data were constrained between measured maximum and minimum values for each variable, (2) as for (1) except the proportion of carbon within a fuel type was constrained between 0 and 1, (3) as for (2) but losses of mass caused by fire were replaced with burning efficiency factors constrained between 0 and 1; and (4) emissions were calculated using default values in the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA), National Inventory Report 2011, as appropriate for our sites. Effects of including CWD in calculations were assessed for calculation Method 1, 2 and 3 but not for Method 4 as the NGA does not consider this fuel type. Simulations demonstrate that the probability of estimating true median emissions declines strongly as the amount of information available declines. Including CWD in scenarios increased uncertainty in calculations because CWD is the most variable contributor to fuel load. Inclusion of CWD in scenarios generally increased the amount of carbon lost. We discuss implications of these simulations and how emissions from prescribed burns in temperate Australian forests could be improved.

Ratings of Everyday Executive Functioning (REEF): A parent-report measure of preschoolers' executive functioning skills.

PubMed

Nilsen, Elizabeth S; Huyder, Vanessa; McAuley, Tara; Liebermann, Dana

2017-01-01

Executive functioning (EF) facilitates the development of academic, cognitive, and social-emotional skills and deficits in EF are implicated in a broad range of child psychopathologies. Although EF has clear implications for early development, the few questionnaires that assess EF in preschoolers tend to ask parents for global judgments of executive dysfunction and thus do not cover the full range of EF within the preschool age group. Here we present a new measure of preschoolers' EF-the Ratings of Everyday Executive Functioning (REEF)-that capitalizes on parents' observations of their preschoolers' (i.e., 3- to 5-year-olds) behavior in specific, everyday contexts. Over 4 studies, items comprising the REEF were refined and the measure's reliability and validity were evaluated. Factor analysis of the REEF yielded 1 factor, with items showing strong internal reliability. More important, children's scores on the REEF related to both laboratory measures of EF and another parent-report EF questionnaire. Moreover, reflecting divergent validity, the REEF was more strongly related to measures of EF as opposed to measures of affective styles. The REEF also captured differences in children's executive skills across the preschool years, and norms at 6-month intervals are reported. In summary, the REEF is a new parent-report measure that provides researchers with an efficient, valid, and reliable means of assessing preschoolers' executive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Training Implications of Manpower Productivity Agreements. Information Paper Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chemical and Allied Products Industry Training Board, Staines (England).

This paper is concerned with the training implications of productivity agreements which seek the achievement of high stable earnings through the improved use of manpower leading to efficient low cost production, by making changes which could not be achieved by traditional wage negotiations. Consideration is given to the training problems arising…

Habitability as a Tier One Criterion in Exploration Mission and Vehicle Design. Part 1; Habitability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Constance M.; McCurdy, Matthew Riegel

1999-01-01

Habitability and human factors are necessary criteria to include in the iterative process of Tier I mission design. Bringing these criteria in at the first, conceptual stage of design for exploration and other human-rated missions can greatly reduce mission development costs, raise the level of efficiency and viability, and improve the chances of success. In offering a rationale for this argument, the authors give an example of how the habitability expert can contribute to early mission and vehicle architecture by defining the formal implications of a habitable vehicle, assessing the viability of units already proposed for exploration missions on the basis of these criteria, and finally, by offering an optimal set of solutions for an example mission. In this, the first of three papers, we summarize the basic factors associated with habitability, delineate their formal implications for crew accommodations in a long-duration environment, and show examples of how these principles have been applied in two projects at NASA's Johnson Space Center: the BIO-Plex test facility, and TransHab.

Question structure impacts efficiency and performance in an interactive guessing game: implications for strategy engagement and executive functioning.

PubMed

Longenecker, Julia; Liu, Kristy; Chen, Eric Y H

2012-12-30

In an interactive guessing game, controls had higher performance and efficiency than patients with schizophrenia in correct trials. Patients' difficulties generating efficient questions suggest an increased taxation of working memory and an inability to engage an appropriate strategy, leading to impulsive behavior and reduced success. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-time assessment of hybridization between wolves and dogs: combining noninvasive samples with ancestry informative markers.

PubMed

Godinho, Raquel; López-Bao, José Vicente; Castro, Diana; Llaneza, Luís; Lopes, Susana; Silva, Pedro; Ferrand, Nuno

2015-03-01

Wolves and dogs provide a paradigmatic example of the ecological and conservation implications of hybridization events between wild and domesticated forms. However, our understanding of such implications has been traditionally hampered by both high genetic similarity and the difficulties in obtaining tissue samples (TS), which limit our ability to assess ongoing hybridization events. To assess the occurrence and extension of hybridization in a pack of wolf-dog hybrids in northwestern Iberia, we compared the power of 52 nuclear markers implemented on TS with a subset of 13 ancestry informative markers (AIMs) typed in noninvasive samples (NIS). We demonstrate that the 13 AIMs are as accurate as the 52 markers that were chosen without regard to the power to differentiate between wolves and dogs, also having the advantage of being rapidly screened on NIS. The efficiency of AIMs significantly outperformed ten random sets of similar size and an additional commercial set of 18 markers. Bayesian clustering analysis implemented on AIMs and NIS identified nine hybrids, two wolves and two dogs. Four hybrids were unambiguously assigned to F1xWolf backcrosses. Our approach (AIMs + NIS) overcomes previous difficulties related to sample availability and informative power of markers, allowing a quick identification of wolf-dog hybrids in the first phases of hybridization episodes. This provides managers with a reliable tool to evaluate hybridization and estimate the success of their actions. This approach may be easily adapted for other pairs of wild/domesticated species, thus improving our understanding of the introgression of domestication genes into natural populations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A reduced-form approach for representing the impacts of wind and solar PV deployment on the structure and operation of the electricity system

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

Johnson, Nils; Strubegger, Manfred; McPherson, Madeleine

In many climate change mitigation scenarios, integrated assessment models of the energy and climate systems rely heavily on renewable energy technologies with variable and uncertain generation, such as wind and solar PV, to achieve substantial decarbonization of the electricity sector. However, these models often include very little temporal resolution and thus have difficulty in representing the integration costs that arise from mismatches between electricity supply and demand. The global integrated assessment model, MESSAGE, has been updated to explicitly model the trade-offs between variable renewable energy (VRE) deployment and its impacts on the electricity system, including the implications for electricity curtailment,more » backup capacity, and system flexibility. These impacts have been parameterized using a reduced-form approach, which allows VRE integration impacts to be quantified on a regional basis. In addition, thermoelectric technologies were updated to include two modes of operation, baseload and flexible, to better account for the cost, efficiency, and availability penalties associated with flexible operation. In this paper, the modeling approach used in MESSAGE is explained and the implications for VRE deployment in mitigation scenarios are assessed. Three important stylized facts associated with integrating high VRE shares are successfully reproduced by our modeling approach: (1) the significant reduction in the utilization of non-VRE power plants; (2) the diminishing role for traditional baseload generators, such as nuclear and coal, and the transition to more flexible technologies; and (3) the importance of electricity storage and hydrogen electrolysis in facilitating the deployment of VRE.« less

Seasonal and within-canopy variation in shoot-scale resource-use efficiency trade-offs in a Norway spruce stand.

PubMed

Tarvainen, Lasse; Räntfors, Mats; Wallin, Göran

2015-11-01

Previous leaf-scale studies of carbon assimilation describe short-term resource-use efficiency (RUE) trade-offs where high use efficiency of one resource requires low RUE of another. However, varying resource availabilities may cause long-term RUE trade-offs to differ from the short-term patterns. This may have important implications for understanding canopy-scale resource use and allocation. We used continuous gas exchange measurements collected at five levels within a Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) karst., canopy over 3 years to assess seasonal differences in the interactions between shoot-scale resource availability (light, water and nitrogen), net photosynthesis (An ) and the use efficiencies of light (LUE), water (WUE) and nitrogen (NUE) for carbon assimilation. The continuous data set was used to develop and evaluate multiple regression models for predicting monthly shoot-scale An . These models showed that shoot-scale An was strongly dependent on light availability and was generally well described with simple one- or two-parameter models. WUE peaked in spring, NUE in summer and LUE in autumn. However, the relative importance of LUE for carbon assimilation increased with canopy depth at all times. Our results suggest that accounting for seasonal and within-canopy trade-offs may be important for RUE-based modelling of canopy carbon uptake. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implications of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles on Ride Quality and Passenger Acceptance : Workshop Proceedings, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, September 6-8, 1978

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-08-01

Four workshops were conducted under the auspices of the Transportation Research Board. The topics of discussion included ride quality and passenger acceptance problems associated with enhanced fuel efficiency of automobiles (Group A) and aircraft (Gr...

National plan to enhance aviation safety through human factors improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foushee, Clay

1990-01-01

The purpose of this section of the plan is to establish a development and implementation strategy plan for improving safety and efficiency in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. These improvements will be achieved through the proper applications of human factors considerations to the present and future systems. The program will have four basic goals: (1) prepare for the future system through proper hiring and training; (2) develop a controller work station team concept (managing human errors); (3) understand and address the human factors implications of negative system results; and (4) define the proper division of responsibilities and interactions between the human and the machine in ATC systems. This plan addresses six program elements which together address the overall purpose. The six program elements are: (1) determine principles of human-centered automation that will enhance aviation safety and the efficiency of the air traffic controller; (2) provide new and/or enhanced methods and techniques to measure, assess, and improve human performance in the ATC environment; (3) determine system needs and methods for information transfer between and within controller teams and between controller teams and the cockpit; (4) determine how new controller work station technology can optimally be applied and integrated to enhance safety and efficiency; (5) assess training needs and develop improved techniques and strategies for selection, training, and evaluation of controllers; and (6) develop standards, methods, and procedures for the certification and validation of human engineering in the design, testing, and implementation of any hardware or software system element which affects information flow to or from the human.

Cytopathology whole slide images and adaptive tutorials for postgraduate pathology trainees: a randomized crossover trial.

PubMed

Van Es, Simone L; Kumar, Rakesh K; Pryor, Wendy M; Salisbury, Elizabeth L; Velan, Gary M

2015-09-01

To determine whether cytopathology whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials aid learning by postgraduate trainees, we designed a randomized crossover trial to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative impact of whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials compared with traditional glass slide and textbook methods of learning cytopathology. Forty-three anatomical pathology registrars were recruited from Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Online assessments were used to determine efficacy, whereas user experience and perceptions of efficiency were evaluated using online Likert scales and open-ended questions. Outcomes of online assessments indicated that, with respect to performance, learning with whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials was equivalent to using traditional methods. High-impact learning, efficiency, and equity of learning from virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials were strong themes identified in open-ended responses. Participants raised concern about the lack of z-axis capability in the cytopathology whole slide images, suggesting that delivery of z-stacked whole slide images online may be important for future educational development. In this trial, learning cytopathology with whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials was found to be as effective as and perceived as more efficient than learning from glass slides and textbooks. The use of whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials has the potential to provide equitable access to effective learning from teaching material of consistently high quality. It also has broader implications for continuing professional development and maintenance of competence and quality assurance in specialist practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pollutant Emissions and Energy Efficiency under Controlled Conditions for Household Biomass Cookstoves and Implications for Metrics Useful in Setting International Test Standards

EPA Science Inventory

Realistic metrics and methods for testing household biomass cookstoves are required to develop standards needed by international policy makers, donors, and investors. Application of consistent test practices allows emissions and energy efficiency performance to be benchmarked and...

Influence of mitochondrial efficiency on beef lean color stability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Loss of electrons in the electron transport chain has been implicated as a source of variation in feed efficiency of meat producing animals. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of electron loss during electron transport on beef lean color stability. Beef carcasses (n = 91) were...

Deformability Assessment of Waterborne Protozoa Using a Microfluidic-Enabled Force Microscopy Probe

PubMed Central

Seddon, James R. T.; Lai, Stanley C. S.; Lemay, Serge G.; Bridle, Helen L.

2016-01-01

Many modern filtration technologies are incapable of the complete removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts from drinking-water. Consequently, Cryptosporidium-contaminated drinking-water supplies can severely implicate both water utilities and consumers. Existing methods for the detection of Cryptosporidium in drinking-water do not discern between non-pathogenic and pathogenic species, nor between viable and non-viable oocysts. Using FluidFM, a novel force spectroscopy method employing microchannelled cantilevers for single-cell level manipulation, we assessed the size and deformability properties of two species of Cryptosporidium that pose varying levels of risk to human health. A comparison of such characteristics demonstrated the ability of FluidFM to discern between Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium parvum with 86% efficiency, whilst using a measurement throughput which exceeded 50 discrete oocysts per hour. In addition, we measured the deformability properties for untreated and temperature-inactivated oocysts of the highly infective, human pathogenic C. parvum to assess whether deformability may be a marker of viability. Our results indicate that untreated and temperature-inactivated C. parvum oocysts had overlapping but significantly different deformability distributions. PMID:26938220

The Financial Assessment of Colleges and Universities and Its Implication for State Policy. [Working] Papers in Education Finance, No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minter, W. John

Important issues and technical problems related to assessing the financial health of colleges and universities are described, along with implications of financial health assessment for state policy-making. It is proposed that a distinction be made between the assessments of financial health and program success. Other issues that should be…

In vitro methods for hazard assessment of industrial chemicals – opportunities and challenges

PubMed Central

Wong, Chin Lin; Ghassabian, Sussan; Smith, Maree T.; Lam, Ai-Leen

2015-01-01

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a delayed-type hypersensitivity immune reaction mediated by T-lymphocytes as a result of repeated exposure of an allergen primarily on skin. ACD accounts for up to 95% of occupational skin diseases, with epoxy resins implicated as one of the most common causes of ACD. Efficient high-throughput in vitro screening for accurate identification of compounds and materials that may pose hazardous risks in the workplace is crucial. At present, the murine local lymph node assay is the ‘method of choice’ for predicting the sensitizing potency of contact allergens. As the 3Rs principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement in animal testing has gained political and economic momentum, several in vitro screening methods have been developed for identifying potential contact allergens. To date, these latter methods have been utilized primarily to assess the skin sensitizing potential of the chemical components of cosmetic products with scant research attention as to the applicability of these methods to industrial chemicals, particularly epoxy resins. Herein we review the currently utilized in vitro methods and identify the knowledge gaps with regard to assessing the generalizability of in vitro screening methods for assessing the skin sensitizing potential of industrial chemicals. PMID:25999858

In vitro methods for hazard assessment of industrial chemicals - opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Wong, Chin Lin; Ghassabian, Sussan; Smith, Maree T; Lam, Ai-Leen

2015-01-01

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a delayed-type hypersensitivity immune reaction mediated by T-lymphocytes as a result of repeated exposure of an allergen primarily on skin. ACD accounts for up to 95% of occupational skin diseases, with epoxy resins implicated as one of the most common causes of ACD. Efficient high-throughput in vitro screening for accurate identification of compounds and materials that may pose hazardous risks in the workplace is crucial. At present, the murine local lymph node assay is the 'method of choice' for predicting the sensitizing potency of contact allergens. As the 3Rs principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement in animal testing has gained political and economic momentum, several in vitro screening methods have been developed for identifying potential contact allergens. To date, these latter methods have been utilized primarily to assess the skin sensitizing potential of the chemical components of cosmetic products with scant research attention as to the applicability of these methods to industrial chemicals, particularly epoxy resins. Herein we review the currently utilized in vitro methods and identify the knowledge gaps with regard to assessing the generalizability of in vitro screening methods for assessing the skin sensitizing potential of industrial chemicals.

Relationship Between Forage Allowance and Grazing Efficiency in the Great Plains: Implications for Managing Rangelands for Both Livestock Production and Desired Ecosystem Goods and Services

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Emergence of desired ecosystem goods and services from rangelands as a societal benefit and a potential income source for land managers has implications regarding the management of plant communities traditionally used primarily for livestock production. Contemporary decision-making on rangelands in ...

Systematic Review of Medical Informatics-Supported Medication Decision Making.

PubMed

Melton, Brittany L

2017-01-01

This systematic review sought to assess the applications and implications of current medical informatics-based decision support systems related to medication prescribing and use. Studies published between January 2006 and July 2016 which were indexed in PubMed and written in English were reviewed, and 39 studies were ultimately included. Most of the studies looked at computerized provider order entry or clinical decision support systems. Most studies examined decision support systems as a means of reducing errors or risk, particularly associated with medication prescribing, whereas a few studies evaluated the impact medical informatics-based decision support systems have on workflow or operations efficiency. Most studies identified benefits associated with decision support systems, but some indicate there is room for improvement.

Conjunctive visual search in individuals with and without mental retardation.

PubMed

Carlin, Michael; Chrysler, Christina; Sullivan, Kate

2007-01-01

A comprehensive understanding of the basic visual and cognitive abilities of individuals with mental retardation is critical for understanding the basis of mental retardation and for the design of remediation programs. We assessed visual search abilities in individuals with mild mental retardation and in MA- and CA-matched comparison groups. Our goal was to determine the effect of decreasing target-distracter disparities on visual search efficiency. Results showed that search rates for the group with mental retardation and the MA-matched comparisons were more negatively affected by decreasing disparities than were those of the CA-matched group. The group with mental retardation and the MA-matched group performed similarly on all tasks. Implications for theory and application are discussed.

Conformational Control of Ultrafast Molecular Rotor Property: Tuning Viscosity Sensing Efficiency by Twist Angle Variation.

PubMed

Ghosh, Rajib; Kushwaha, Archana; Das, Dipanwita

2017-09-21

Fluorescent molecular rotors find widespread application in sensing and imaging of microscopic viscosity in complex chemical and biological media. Development of viscosity-sensitive ultrafast molecular rotor (UMR) relies upon the understanding of the excited-state dynamics and their implications for viscosity-dependent fluorescence signaling. Unraveling the structure-property relationship of UMR behavior is of significance toward development of an ultrasensitive fluorescence microviscosity sensor. Herein we show that the ground-state equilibrium conformation has an important role in the ultrafast twisting dynamics of UMRs and consequent viscosity sensing efficiency. Synthesis, photophysics, and ultrafast spectroscopic experiments in conjunction with quantum chemical calculation of a series of UMRs based on dimethylaniline donor and benzimidazolium acceptor with predefined ground-state torsion angle led us to unravel that the ultrafast torsional dynamics around the bond connecting donor and acceptor groups profoundly influences the molecular rotor efficiency. This is the first experimental demonstration of conformational control of small-molecule-based UMR efficiencies which can have wider implication toward development of fluorescence sensors based on the UMR principle. Conformation-controlled UMR efficiency has been shown to exhibit commensurate fluorescence enhancement upon DNA binding.

Effects of regional temperature on electric vehicle efficiency, range, and emissions in the United States.

PubMed

Yuksel, Tugce; Michalek, Jeremy J

2015-03-17

We characterize the effect of regional temperature differences on battery electric vehicle (BEV) efficiency, range, and use-phase power plant CO2 emissions in the U.S. The efficiency of a BEV varies with ambient temperature due to battery efficiency and cabin climate control. We find that annual energy consumption of BEVs can increase by an average of 15% in the Upper Midwest or in the Southwest compared to the Pacific Coast due to temperature differences. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from BEVs vary primarily with marginal regional grid mix, which has three times the GHG intensity in the Upper Midwest as on the Pacific Coast. However, even within a grid region, BEV emissions vary by up to 22% due to spatial and temporal ambient temperature variation and its implications for vehicle efficiency and charging duration and timing. Cold climate regions also encounter days with substantial reduction in EV range: the average range of a Nissan Leaf on the coldest day of the year drops from 70 miles on the Pacific Coast to less than 45 miles in the Upper Midwest. These regional differences are large enough to affect adoption patterns and energy and environmental implications of BEVs relative to alternatives.

Church ownership and hospital efficiency.

PubMed

White, K R; Ozcan, Y A

1996-01-01

Using a sample of California hospitals, the effect of church ownership was examined as it relates to nonprofit hospital efficiency. Efficiency scores were computed using a nonparametric method called data envelopment analysis (DEA). Controlling for hospital size, location, system membership, and type of church ownership, church-owned hospitals were found to be more frequently in the efficient category than their secular nonprofit counterparts. The outcomes have policy implications for reducing healthcare expenditures by focusing on increasing outputs or decreasing inputs, as appropriate, and bolstering the case for church-sponsored hospitals to retain the tax-exempt status due to their ability to manage their resources as efficiently as (or more efficiently than) secular hospitals.

A Quantum Measurement Paradigm for Educational Predicates: Implications for Validity in Educational Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantley, Ian

2017-01-01

The outcomes of educational assessments undoubtedly have real implications for students, teachers, schools and education in the widest sense. Assessment results are, for example, used to award qualifications that determine future educational or vocational pathways of students. The results obtained by students in assessments are also used to gauge…

Assessing Threats of School Violence: Implications for Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Jeffrey A.

2002-01-01

The author describes important considerations when assessing students' threats made at schools. In a recent article, M. Reddy et al. (2001) presented 4 approaches to assessing the risk of school violence. They submitted important issues and problems with 3 commonly used approaches and suggested a 4th approach as an alternative. Implications for…

The National Assessment of Citizenship: Implications for Social Studies Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Karen F. A.

In this paper the National Assessment of citizenship's objectives, procedures, exercises, and findings are considered as a source of implications for further research in the area of social studies. First, the methodology of National Assessment can be used as a model for developing objectives, and for devising exercises to measure attainment of…

Microbiology and evisceration efficiency of broiler carcasses slaughtered and held up to 8 hours postmortem prior to scalding and defeathering

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The implementation of on farm slaughter could eliminate potential animal welfare issues associated with cooping, transport, dumping, and shackling live broilers. This research evaluated evisceration efficiency and the microbiological implications of delaying scalding and defeathering for up to 8 h a...

Semipermeability Evolution of Wakkanai Mudstones During Isotropic Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, M.; Manaka, M.

2015-12-01

Precise identification of major processes that influence groundwater flow system is of fundamental importance for the performance assessment of waste disposal in subsurface. In the characterization of groundwater flow system, gravity- and pressure-driven flows have been conventionally assumed as dominant processes. However, recent studies have suggested that argillites can act as semipermeable membranes and they can cause chemically driven flow, i.e., chemical osmosis, under salinity gradients, which may generate erratic pore pressures in argillaceous formations. In order to identify the possibility that chemical osmosis is involved in erratic pore pressure generations in argillaceous formations, it is essential to measure the semipermeability of formation media; however, in the measurements of semipermeability, little consideration has been given to the stresses that the formation media would have experienced in past geologic processes. This study investigates the influence of stress history on the semipermeability of an argillite by an experimental approach. A series of chemical osmosis experiments were performed on Wakkanai mudstones to measure the evolution of semipermeability during loading and unloading confining pressure cycles. The osmotic efficiency, which represents the semipermeability, was estimated at each confining pressure. The results show that the osmotic efficiency increases almost linearly with increasing confining pressure; however, the increased osmotic efficiency does not recover during unloading unless the confining pressure is almost relieved. The observed unrecoverable change in osmotic efficiency may have an important implication on the evaluation of chemical osmosis in argillaceous formations that have been exposed to large stresses in past geologic processes. If the osmotic efficiency increased by the past stress can remain unchanged to date, the osmotic efficiency should be measured at the past highest stress rather than the current in-situ stress. Otherwise, the effect of chemical osmosis on the pore pressure generation would be underestimated.

Implications of Perioperative Team Setups for Operating Room Management Decisions.

PubMed

Doll, Dietrich; Kauf, Peter; Wieferich, Katharina; Schiffer, Ralf; Luedi, Markus M

2017-01-01

Team performance has been studied extensively in the perioperative setting, but the managerial impact of interprofessional team performance remains unclear. We hypothesized that the interplay between anesthesiologists and surgeons would affect operating room turnaround times, and teams that worked together over time would become more efficient. We analyzed 13,632 surgical cases at our hospital that involved 64 surgeons and 48 anesthesiologists. We detrended and adjusted the data for potential confounders including age, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, and surgical list (scheduled cases of specific surgical specialties). The surgical lists were categorized as ear, nose, and throat surgery; trauma surgery; general surgery; and gynecology. We assessed the relationship between turnaround times and assignment of different anesthesiologists to specific surgeons using a Monte Carlo simulation. We found significant differences in team performances among the different surgical lists but no team learning. We constructed managerial decision tables for the assignment of anesthesiologists to specific surgeons at our hospital. We defined a decision algorithm based on these tables. Our analysis indicated that had this algorithm been used in staffing the operating room for the surgical cases represented in our data, median turnaround times would have a reduction potential of 6.8% (95% confidence interval 6.3% to 7.1%). A surgeon is usually predefined for scheduled surgeries (surgical list). Allocation of the right anesthesiologist to a list and to a surgeon can affect the team performance; thus, this assignment has managerial implications regarding the operating room efficiency affecting turnaround times and thus potentially overutilized time of a list at our hospital.

Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating Program -- Market Research

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

McCabe, Molly J.; Wang, Na

2012-04-19

Under contract to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, HaydenTanner, LLC conducted an in-depth analysis of the potential market value of a commercial building energy asset rating program for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The market research objectives were to: (1) Evaluate market interest and need for a program and tool to offer asset rating and rapidly identify potential energy efficiency measures for the commercial building sector. (2) Identify key input variables and asset rating outputs that would facilitate increased investment in energy efficiency. (3) Assess best practices and lessons learned from existing nationalmore » and international energy rating programs. (4) Identify core messaging to motivate owners, investors, financiers, and others in the real estate sector to adopt a voluntary asset rating program and, as a consequence, deploy high-performance strategies and technologies across new and existing buildings. (5) Identify leverage factors and incentives that facilitate increased investment in these buildings. To meet these objectives, work consisted of a review of the relevant literature, examination of existing and emergent asset and operational rating systems, interviews with industry stakeholders, and an evaluation of the value implication of an asset label on asset valuation. This report documents the analysis methodology and findings, conclusion, and recommendations. Its intent is to support and inform the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on the market need and potential value impacts of an asset labeling and diagnostic tool to encourage high-performance new buildings and building efficiency retrofit projects.« less

[The new law on strengthening the rights of victims of sexual abuse and its implications for the forensic-psychiatric assessment of sexual offenders].

PubMed

Bumb, Jan Malte; Foerster, Klaus; Dressing, Harald

2014-07-01

Highlighting practical implications and research aspects of forensic-psychiatric assessments in the context of the new law on strengthening the rights of victims of sexual abuse. Based on a clinical case we report implications for the forensic-psychiatric assessment. The new law now requires an expert to evaluate the necessity and the subject's motivation to receive a given treatment. Up to now, the majority of sexual offenders were assumed to be responsible for their actions and in most cases a forensic-psychiatric assessment was not required. For this reason, guidelines for forensic-psychiatric assessments are urgently needed. The number of forensic-psychiatric assessments is likely to increase substantially and a relevant-case law is still lacking. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A historical perspective of Global Warming Potential from Municipal Solid Waste Management.

PubMed

Habib, Komal; Schmidt, Jannick H; Christensen, Per

2013-09-01

The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) sector has developed considerably during the past century, paving the way for maximum resource (materials and energy) recovery and minimising environmental impacts such as global warming associated with it. The current study is assessing the historical development of MSWM in the municipality of Aalborg, Denmark throughout the period of 1970 to 2010, and its implications regarding Global Warming Potential (GWP(100)), using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Historical data regarding MSW composition, and different treatment technologies such as incineration, recycling and composting has been used in order to perform the analysis. The LCA results show a continuous improvement in environmental performance of MSWM from 1970 to 2010 mainly due to the changes in treatment options, improved efficiency of various treatment technologies and increasing focus on recycling, resulting in a shift from net emission of 618 kg CO(2)-eq.tonne(-1) to net saving of 670 kg CO(2)-eq.tonne(-1) of MSWM. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the use and feasibility of video to supplement the genetic counseling process: a cancer genetic counseling perspective.

PubMed

Axilbund, J E; Hamby, L A; Thompson, D B; Olsen, S J; Griffin, C A

2005-06-01

Cancer genetic counselors use a variety of teaching modalities for patient education. This survey of cancer genetic counselors assessed their use of educational videos and their recommendations for content of future videos. Thirty percent of respondents use videos for patient education. Cited benefits included reinforcement of information for clients and increased counselor efficiency. Of the 70% who do not use videos, predominant barriers included the perceived lack of an appropriate video, lack of space and/or equipment, and concern that videos are impersonal. Most respondents desired a video that is representative of the genetic counseling session, but emphasized the importance of using broad information. Content considered critical included the pros and cons of genetic testing, associated psychosocial implications, and genetic discrimination. The results of this exploratory study provide data relevant for the development of a cancer genetics video for patient education, and suggestions are made based on aspects of information processing and communication theories.

Tone-deafness – a new disconnection syndrome?

PubMed Central

Loui, Psyche; Alsop, David; Schlaug, Gottfried

2009-01-01

Communicating with one’s environment requires efficient neural interaction between action and perception. Neural substrates ofsound perception and production are connected by the arcuate fasciculus (AF). While AF is known to be involved in language, its roles in non-linguistic functions are unexplored. Here we show that tone-deaf people, with impaired sound perception and production, have reduced AF connectivity. Diffusion tensor tractography and psychophysics were assessed in tone-deaf individuals and matched controls. Abnormally-reduced AF connectivity was observed in the tone-deaf. Furthermore, we observed relationships between AF and auditory-motor behavior: superior and inferior AF branches predict psychophysically-assessed pitch-discrimination and sound production-perception abilities respectively. This neural abnormality suggests that tone-deafness leads to a reduction in connectivity resulting in pitch-related impairments. Results support a dual-stream anatomy of sound production and perception implicated in vocal communications. By identifying white-matter differences and their psychophysical correlates, results contribute to our understanding of how neural connectivity subserves behavior. PMID:19692596

What separates outstanding from average leaders? A study identifies leadership competencies and implications for professional development.

PubMed

Nygren, D J; Ukeritis, M D

1992-11-01

As the healthcare crisis mounts, healthcare organizations must be managed by especially competent leaders. It is important for executives to assess and develop the competencies necessary to become "outstanding" leaders. In our study of leadership competencies among leaders of religious orders, we found that outstanding and average leaders appear to share characteristics such as the ability to articulate their group's mission, the ability to act efficiently, and the tendency to avoid impulsive behavior or excessive emotional expression. Outstanding leaders, however, differed from average leaders in seemingly small but significant ways. For instance, nearly three times as often as average leaders, outstanding leaders expressed a desire to perform tasks well--or better than they had been performed in the past. The study also assessed how members of religious orders perceived their leaders. In general, they tended to rate leaders of their religious institutes as transformational leaders--leaders who welcomed doing things in a new way and inspiring their own staffs to search out new ways to provide services.

Fabrication, appraisal, and transdermal permeation of sildenafil citrate-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers versus solid lipid nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Elnaggar, Yosra SR; El-Massik, Magda A; Abdallah, Ossama Y

2011-01-01

Although sildenafil citrate (SC) is used extensively for erectile dysfunction, oral delivery of SC encounters many obstacles. Furthermore, the physicochemical characteristics of this amphoteric drug are challenging for delivery system formulation and transdermal permeation. This article concerns the assessment of the potential of nanomedicine for improving SC delivery and transdermal permeation. SC-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were fabricated using a modified high-shear homogenization technique. Nanoparticle optimization steps included particle size analysis, entrapment efficiency (EE) determination, freeze-drying and reconstitution, differential scanning calorimetry, in vitro release, stability study and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Transdermal permeation of the nanocarriers compared with SC suspension across human skin was assessed using a modified Franz diffusion cell assembly. Results revealed that SLNs and NLCs could be optimized in the nanometric range (180 and 100 nm, respectively) with excellent EE (96.7% and 97.5%, respectively). Nanoparticles have significantly enhanced in vitro release and transdermal permeation of SC compared with its suspensions. Furthermore, transdermal permeation of SC exhibited higher initial release from both SLN and NLC formulations followed by controlled release, with promising implications for faster onset and longer drug duration. Nanomedicines prepared exhibited excellent physical stability for the study period. Solid nanoparticles optimized in this study successfully improved SC characteristics, paving the way for an efficient topical Viagra® product. PMID:22238508

A Scaled Framework for CRISPR Editing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Study Psychiatric Disease.

PubMed

Hazelbaker, Dane Z; Beccard, Amanda; Bara, Anne M; Dabkowski, Nicole; Messana, Angelica; Mazzucato, Patrizia; Lam, Daisy; Manning, Danielle; Eggan, Kevin; Barrett, Lindy E

2017-10-10

Scaling of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represents an important step for modeling complex disease and developing drug screens in human cells. However, variables affecting the scaling efficiency of gene editing in hPSCs remain poorly understood. Here, we report a standardized CRISPR-Cas9 approach, with robust benchmarking at each step, to successfully target and genotype a set of psychiatric disease-implicated genes in hPSCs and provide a resource of edited hPSC lines for six of these genes. We found that transcriptional state and nucleosome positioning around targeted loci was not correlated with editing efficiency. However, editing frequencies varied between different hPSC lines and correlated with genomic stability, underscoring the need for careful cell line selection and unbiased assessments of genomic integrity. Together, our step-by-step quantification and in-depth analyses provide an experimental roadmap for scaling Cas9-mediated editing in hPSCs to study psychiatric disease, with broader applicability for other polygenic diseases. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Situation exploration in a persistent surveillance system with multidimensional data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habibi, Mohammad S.

2013-03-01

There is an emerging need for fusing hard and soft sensor data in an efficient surveillance system to provide accurate estimation of situation awareness. These mostly abstract, multi-dimensional and multi-sensor data pose a great challenge to the user in performing analysis of multi-threaded events efficiently and cohesively. To address this concern an interactive Visual Analytics (VA) application is developed for rapid assessment and evaluation of different hypotheses based on context-sensitive ontology spawn from taxonomies describing human/human and human/vehicle/object interactions. A methodology is described here for generating relevant ontology in a Persistent Surveillance System (PSS) and demonstrates how they can be utilized in the context of PSS to track and identify group activities pertaining to potential threats. The proposed VA system allows for visual analysis of raw data as well as metadata that have spatiotemporal representation and content-based implications. Additionally in this paper, a technique for rapid search of tagged information contingent to ranking and confidence is explained for analysis of multi-dimensional data. Lastly the issue of uncertainty associated with processing and interpretation of heterogeneous data is also addressed.

Can Creativity Be Assessed? Towards an Evidence-Informed Framework for Assessing and Planning Progress in Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blamires, Mike; Peterson, Andrew

2014-01-01

This article considers the role of constructions of creativity in the classroom and their consequences for learning and, in particular, for the assessment of creativity. Definitions of creativity are examined to identify key implications for supporting the development of children's creativity within the classroom. The implications of assessing…

The Multiple-Use of Accountability Assessments: Implications for the Process of Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koch, Martha J.

2014-01-01

Implications of the multiple-use of accountability assessments for the process of validation are examined. Multiple-use refers to the simultaneous use of results from a single administration of an assessment for its intended use and for one or more additional uses. A theoretical discussion of the issues for validation which emerge from…

Efficient and sustainable deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in mitigation pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, E.; Moriyama, R.; Kurosawa, A.

2016-12-01

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is a key component of mitigation strategies in future socio-economic scenarios that aim to keep mean global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial, which would require net negative carbon emissions at the end of the 21st century. Also, in the Paris agreement from COP21, it is denoted "a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century" which could require large scale deployment of negative emissions technologies later in this century. Because of the additional requirement for land, developing sustainable low-carbon scenarios requires careful consideration of the land-use implications of large-scale BECCS. In this study, we present possible development strategies of low carbon scenarios that consider interaction of economically efficient deployment of bioenergy and/or BECCS technologies, biophysical limit of bioenergy productivity, and food production. In the evaluations, detailed bioenergy representations, including bioenergy feedstocks and conversion technologies with and without CCS, are implemented in an integrated assessment model GRAPE. Also, to overcome a general discrepancy about yield development between 'top-down' integrate assessment models and 'bottom-up' estimates, we applied yields changes of food and bioenergy crops consistent with process-based biophysical models; PRYSBI-2 (Process-Based Regional-Scale Yield Simulator with Bayesian Inference) for food crops, and SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) for bioenergy crops in changing climate conditions. Using the framework, economically viable strategy for implementing sustainable BECCS are evaluated.

Environmental and resource implications of phosphorus recovery from waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Sørensen, Birgitte Lilholt; Dall, Ole Leinikka; Habib, Komal

2015-11-01

Phosphorus is an essential mineral resource for the growth of crops and thus necessary to feed the ever increasing global population. The essentiality and irreplaceability of phosphorus in food production has raised the concerns regarding the long-term phosphorus availability and the resulting food supply issues in the future. Hence, the recovery of phosphorus from waste activated sludge and other waste streams is getting huge attention as a viable solution to tackle the potential availability issues of phosphorus in the future. This study explores the environmental implications of phosphorus recovery from waste activated sludge in Denmark and further elaborates on the potential availability or scarcity issue of phosphorus today and 2050. Life cycle assessment is used to assess the possibility of phosphorus recovery with little or no environmental impacts compared to the conventional mining. The phosphorus recovery method assessed in this study consists of drying process, and thermal gasification of the waste activated sludge followed by extraction of phosphorus from the ashes. Our results indicate that the environmental impacts of phosphorus recovery in an energy efficient process are comparable to the environmental effects from the re-use of waste activated sludge applied directly on farmland. Moreover, our findings conclude that the general recommendation according to the waste hierarchy, where re-use of the waste sludge on farmland is preferable to material and energy recovery, is wrong in this case. Especially when phosphorus is a critical resource due to its life threatening necessity, lack of substitution options and potential future supply risk originating due to the high level of global supply concentration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ISS Payload Operations: The Need for and Benefit of Responsive Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nahay, Ed; Boster, Mandee

2000-01-01

International Space Station (ISS) payload operations are controlled through implementation of a payload operations plan. This plan, which represents the defined approach to payload operations in general, can vary in terms of level of definition. The detailed plan provides the specific sequence and timing of each component of a payload's operations. Such an approach to planning was implemented in the Spacelab program. The responsive plan provides a flexible approach to payload operations through generalization. A responsive approach to planning was implemented in the NASA/Mir Phase 1 program, and was identified as a need during the Skylab program. The current approach to ISS payload operations planning and control tends toward detailed planning, rather than responsive planning. The use of detailed plans provides for the efficient use of limited resources onboard the ISS. It restricts flexibility in payload operations, which is inconsistent with the dynamic nature of the ISS science program, and it restricts crew desires for flexibility and autonomy. Also, detailed planning is manpower intensive. The development and implementation of a responsive plan provides for a more dynamic, more accommodating, and less manpower intensive approach to planning. The science program becomes more dynamic and responsive as the plan provides flexibility to accommodate real-time science accomplishments. Communications limitations and the crew desire for flexibility and autonomy in plan implementation are readily accommodated with responsive planning. Manpower efficiencies are accomplished through a reduction in requirements collection and coordination, plan development, and maintenance. Through examples and assessments, this paper identifies the need to transition from detailed to responsive plans for ISS payload operations. Examples depict specific characteristics of the plans. Assessments identify the following: the means by which responsive plans accommodate the dynamic nature of science programs and the crew desire for flexibility; the means by which responsive plans readily accommodate ISS communications constraints; manpower efficiencies to be achieved through use of responsive plans; and the implications of responsive planning relative to resource utilization efficiency.

Longitudinal and Temporal Associations Between Daily Pain and Sleep Patterns After Major Pediatric Surgery.

PubMed

Rabbitts, Jennifer A; Zhou, Chuan; Narayanan, Arthi; Palermo, Tonya M

2017-06-01

Approximately 20% of children develop persistent pain after major surgery. Sleep disruption has been implicated as a predictor of children's acute postsurgical pain. However, perioperative sleep patterns have not been longitudinally assessed, and the role of sleep in persistence of postsurgical pain has not been explored. We aimed to examine sleep patterns over 4 months in children having major surgery, and temporal relationships between daily sleep and pain. Sixty children age 10 to 18 (mean = 14.7) years having major surgery completed 7 days of actigraphy sleep monitoring (sleep duration, efficiency), twice daily electronic diaries (sleep quality, pain intensity, medication use), and validated questionnaires at presurgery, 2 weeks, and 4 months postsurgery. Generalized linear models, controlling for age, sex, naps, and medication, showed sleep quality (β [B] = -.88, P < .001) and efficiency (B = -1.50, P = .036) were significantly reduced at 2 weeks compared with presurgery, and returned to baseline by 4 months. Poorer night-time sleep quality was significantly associated with greater next day pain intensity (B = -.15, P = .005). Sleep duration and efficiency were not associated with subsequent pain; daytime pain was not associated with subsequent sleep. Findings suggest sleep quality may be an important target for intervention after surgery in children; research is needed to understand how other sleep parameters may relate to recovery. This study assessed longitudinal sleep patterns over 4 months after major pediatric surgery using actigraphy, diaries, and validated measures. Sleep quality and efficiency were significantly reduced at 2 weeks. Poorer sleep quality was associated with greater next day pain intensity suggesting that sleep quality may be an important target for intervention. Copyright © 2017 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation experiments to elucidate variable fluorescence as a potential proxy for bulk microalgal viability from natural water, sediments and biofilms: Implication in ships ballast water management.

PubMed

Patil, Jagadish S; Anil, Arga Chandrashekar

2018-05-30

The variable fluorescence fluorometry measuring microalgal biomass (initial fluorescence - F 0 , a chl-a proxy) and photosynthetic efficiency (F v /F m ) has been suggested as a potential tool in ballast-water assessment. In ballast tank, microalgae can be found in contiguous compartments i.e., in water, sediment, and biofilms. Therefore the utility of F 0 and F v /F m depends upon proper background corrections, which is straightforward for water samples but not for sediment and biofilms. This study proposes procedures for correcting F 0 values from sediment and biofilms. Irrespective of the saturation flash protocol used on any sample types the outcome of the results from viable and non-viable microalgae will remain same. Stress experiments (continuous darkness and biocide treatments) confirm that variable fluorescence (F v ) can be used as a potential proxy for viable cells as the values were negligible for non-viable cells and increased with an increase in abundance. Through this study, the utility of F v and σ PSII (functional-absorption-cross-section of photosystem II) along with F 0 and F v /F m in providing additional information on cell-viability and algal-size group during assessment is discussed. The findings will have implications not only from the perspective of ballast water but also in testing/assays of specific interest (e.g. toxicity, water treatments, antifouling) and ecological studies involving microalgae. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Irrigation efficiency and water-policy implications for river-basin resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, C. A.; Vicuña, S.; Blanco-Gutiérrez, I.; Meza, F.; Varela-Ortega, C.

2013-07-01

Rising demand for food, fiber, and biofuels drives expanding irrigation withdrawals from surface- and groundwater. Irrigation efficiency and water savings have become watchwords in response to climate-induced hydrological variability, increasing freshwater demand for other uses including ecosystem water needs, and low economic productivity of irrigation compared to most other uses. We identify three classes of unintended consequences, presented here as paradoxes. Ever-tighter cycling of water has been shown to increase resource use, an example of the efficiency paradox. In the absence of effective policy to constrain irrigated-area expansion using "saved water", efficiency can aggravate scarcity, deteriorate resource quality, and impair river-basin resilience through loss of flexibility and redundancy. Water scarcity and salinity effects in the lower reaches of basins (symptomatic of the scale paradox) may partly be offset over the short-term through groundwater pumping or increasing surface water storage capacity. However, declining ecological flows and increasing salinity have important implications for riparian and estuarine ecosystems and for non-irrigation human uses of water including urban supply and energy generation, examples of the sectoral paradox. This paper briefly examines policy frameworks in three regional contexts with broadly similar climatic and water-resource conditions - central Chile, southwestern US, and south-central Spain - where irrigation efficiency directly influences basin resilience. The comparison leads to more generic insights on water policy in relation to irrigation efficiency and emerging or overdue needs for environmental protection.

Irrigation efficiency and water-policy implications for river basin resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, C. A.; Vicuña, S.; Blanco-Gutiérrez, I.; Meza, F.; Varela-Ortega, C.

2014-04-01

Rising demand for food, fiber, and biofuels drives expanding irrigation withdrawals from surface water and groundwater. Irrigation efficiency and water savings have become watchwords in response to climate-induced hydrological variability, increasing freshwater demand for other uses including ecosystem water needs, and low economic productivity of irrigation compared to most other uses. We identify three classes of unintended consequences, presented here as paradoxes. Ever-tighter cycling of water has been shown to increase resource use, an example of the efficiency paradox. In the absence of effective policy to constrain irrigated-area expansion using "saved water", efficiency can aggravate scarcity, deteriorate resource quality, and impair river basin resilience through loss of flexibility and redundancy. Water scarcity and salinity effects in the lower reaches of basins (symptomatic of the scale paradox) may partly be offset over the short-term through groundwater pumping or increasing surface water storage capacity. However, declining ecological flows and increasing salinity have important implications for riparian and estuarine ecosystems and for non-irrigation human uses of water including urban supply and energy generation, examples of the sectoral paradox. This paper briefly considers three regional contexts with broadly similar climatic and water-resource conditions - central Chile, southwestern US, and south-central Spain - where irrigation efficiency directly influences basin resilience. The comparison leads to more generic insights on water policy in relation to irrigation efficiency and emerging or overdue needs for environmental protection.

The African disability scooter: efficiency testing in paediatric amputees in Malawi

PubMed Central

Beckles, Verona; McCahill, Jennifer L.; Stebbins, Julie; Mkandawire, Nyengo; Church, John C. T.; Lavy, Chris

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: The African Disability Scooter (ADS) was developed for lower limb amputees, to improve mobility and provide access to different terrains. The aim of this study was to test the efficiency of the ADS in Africa over different terrains. Method: Eight subjects with a mean age of 12 years participated. Energy expenditure and speed were calculated over different terrains using the ADS, a prosthetic limb, and crutches. Repeated testing was completed on different days to assess learning effect. Results: Speed was significantly faster with the ADS on a level surface compared to crutch walking. This difference was maintained when using the scooter on rough terrain. Oxygen cost was halved with the scooter on level ground compared to crutch walking. There were no significant differences in oxygen consumption or heart rate. There were significant differences in oxygen cost and speed between days using the scooter over level ground, suggesting the presence of a learning effect. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the ADS is faster and more energy efficient than crutch walking in young individuals with amputations, and should be considered as an alternative to a prosthesis where this is not available. The presence of a learning effect suggests supervision and training is required when the scooter is first issued.Implications for RehabilitationThe African Disability Scooter:is faster than crutch walking in amputees;is more energy efficient than walking with crutches;supervised use is needed when learning to use the device;is a good alternative/adjunct for mobility. PMID:25316033

Global financial crisis and weak-form efficiency of Islamic sectoral stock markets: An MF-DFA analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensi, Walid; Tiwari, Aviral Kumar; Yoon, Seong-Min

2017-04-01

This paper estimates the weak-form efficiency of Islamic stock markets using 10 sectoral stock indices (basic materials, consumer services, consumer goods, energy, financials, health care, industrials, technology, telecommunication, and utilities). The results based on the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) approach show time-varying efficiency for the sectoral stock markets. Moreover, we find that they tend to show high efficiency in the long term but moderate efficiency in the short term, and that these markets become less efficient after the onset of the global financial crisis. These results have several significant implications in terms of asset allocation for investors dealing with Islamic markets.

Trade-offs in parasitism efficiency and brood size mediate parasitoid coexistence, with implications for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Parasitoids often are selected for use as biological control agents because of their high host specificity, yet such host specificity can result in strong interspecific competition. However, few studies have examined if and how various extrinsic factors (such as parasitism efficiency) influence the ...

Assessing DRG cost accounting with respect to resource allocation and tariff calculation: the case of Germany

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the German diagnosis related groups (G-DRG) cost accounting scheme by assessing its resource allocation at hospital level and its tariff calculation at national level. First, the paper reviews and assesses the three steps in the G-DRG resource allocation scheme at hospital level: (1) the groundwork; (2) cost-center accounting; and (3) patient-level costing. Second, the paper reviews and assesses the three steps in G-DRG national tariff calculation: (1) plausibility checks; (2) inlier calculation; and (3) the “one hospital” approach. The assessment is based on the two main goals of G-DRG introduction: improving transparency and efficiency. A further empirical assessment attests high costing quality. The G-DRG cost accounting scheme shows high system quality in resource allocation at hospital level, with limitations concerning a managerially relevant full cost approach and limitations in terms of advanced activity-based costing at patient-level. However, the scheme has serious flaws in national tariff calculation: inlier calculation is normative, and the “one hospital” model causes cost bias, adjustment and representativeness issues. The G-DRG system was designed for reimbursement calculation, but developed to a standard with strategic management implications, generalized by the idea of adapting a hospital’s cost structures to DRG revenues. This combination causes problems in actual hospital financing, although resource allocation is advanced at hospital level. PMID:22935314

Assessing DRG cost accounting with respect to resource allocation and tariff calculation: the case of Germany.

PubMed

Vogl, Matthias

2012-08-30

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the German diagnosis related groups (G-DRG) cost accounting scheme by assessing its resource allocation at hospital level and its tariff calculation at national level. First, the paper reviews and assesses the three steps in the G-DRG resource allocation scheme at hospital level: (1) the groundwork; (2) cost-center accounting; and (3) patient-level costing. Second, the paper reviews and assesses the three steps in G-DRG national tariff calculation: (1) plausibility checks; (2) inlier calculation; and (3) the "one hospital" approach. The assessment is based on the two main goals of G-DRG introduction: improving transparency and efficiency. A further empirical assessment attests high costing quality. The G-DRG cost accounting scheme shows high system quality in resource allocation at hospital level, with limitations concerning a managerially relevant full cost approach and limitations in terms of advanced activity-based costing at patient-level. However, the scheme has serious flaws in national tariff calculation: inlier calculation is normative, and the "one hospital" model causes cost bias, adjustment and representativeness issues. The G-DRG system was designed for reimbursement calculation, but developed to a standard with strategic management implications, generalized by the idea of adapting a hospital's cost structures to DRG revenues. This combination causes problems in actual hospital financing, although resource allocation is advanced at hospital level.

The assessment of personality disorders: implications for cognitive and behavior therapy.

PubMed

Van Velzen, C J; Emmelkamp, P M

1996-08-01

This article reviews the comorbidity of personality disorders (PDs) and Axis I disorders and discusses implications for assessment and treatment. Pros and cons of various assessment methods are discussed. The co-occurrence of PDs with Axis I disorders is considerable; roughly half of patients with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders or eating disorders received a PD diagnosis. Comorbidity models are discussed and implications for assessment and treatment are provided. Regarding the impact of PDs on cognitive-behavioral treatment outcome for Axis I disorders, conflicting results are found due to differences in assessment methods, treatment strategies, and patient samples. It is argued that additional Axis I pathology should be taken into account when studying the impact of PDs on treatment outcome for the target Axis I disorders. Finally, it is argued that the interpersonal behavior of the PD patient and the therapeutic relationship deserve more attention in the assessment and treatment of patients with PDs.

Using Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and random forests to analyze attrition: Results from two simulations.

PubMed

Hayes, Timothy; Usami, Satoshi; Jacobucci, Ross; McArdle, John J

2015-12-01

In this article, we describe a recent development in the analysis of attrition: using classification and regression trees (CART) and random forest methods to generate inverse sampling weights. These flexible machine learning techniques have the potential to capture complex nonlinear, interactive selection models, yet to our knowledge, their performance in the missing data analysis context has never been evaluated. To assess the potential benefits of these methods, we compare their performance with commonly employed multiple imputation and complete case techniques in 2 simulations. These initial results suggest that weights computed from pruned CART analyses performed well in terms of both bias and efficiency when compared with other methods. We discuss the implications of these findings for applied researchers. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Individual differences in conflict detection during reasoning.

PubMed

Frey, Darren; Johnson, Eric D; De Neys, Wim

2018-05-01

Decades of reasoning and decision-making research have established that human judgment is often biased by intuitive heuristics. Recent "error" or bias detection studies have focused on reasoners' abilities to detect whether their heuristic answer conflicts with logical or probabilistic principles. A key open question is whether there are individual differences in this bias detection efficiency. Here we present three studies in which co-registration of different error detection measures (confidence, response time and confidence response time) allowed us to assess bias detection sensitivity at the individual participant level in a range of reasoning tasks. The results indicate that although most individuals show robust bias detection, as indexed by increased latencies and decreased confidence, there is a subgroup of reasoners who consistently fail to do so. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for the field.

Production of extremely low volatile organic compounds from biogenic emissions: Measured yields and atmospheric implications

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

Jokinen, Tuija; Berndt, Torsten; Makkonen, Risto

2015-06-09

Extremely low volatility organic compounds (ELVOC) are suggested to promote aerosol particle formation and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) production in the atmosphere. We show that the capability of biogenic VOC (BVOC) to produce ELVOC depends strongly on their chemical structure and relative oxidant levels. BVOC with an endocyclic double bond, representative emissions from, e.g., boreal forests, efficiently produce ELVOC from ozonolysis. Compounds with exocyclic double bonds or acyclic compounds including isoprene, emission representative of the tropics, produce minor quantities of ELVOC, and the role of OH radical oxidation is relatively larger. Implementing these findings into a global modeling framework showsmore » that detailed assessment of ELVOC production pathways is crucial for understanding biogenic secondary organic aerosol and atmospheric CCN formation.« less

A Global Perspective on Vaccine Safety and Public Health: The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety

PubMed Central

Folb, Peter I.; Bernatowska, Ewa; Chen, Robert; Clemens, John; Dodoo, Alex N. O.; Ellenberg, Susan S.; Farrington, C. Patrick; John, T. Jacob; Lambert, Paul-Henri; MacDonald, Noni E.; Miller, Elizabeth; Salisbury, David; Schmitt, Heinz-J.; Siegrist, Claire-Anne; Wimalaratne, Omala

2004-01-01

Established in 1999, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine-related safety issues and enables WHO to respond promptly, efficiently, and with scientific rigor to issues of vaccine safety with potential global importance. The committee also assesses the implications of vaccine safety for practice worldwide and for WHO policies. We describe the principles on which the committee was established, its modus operandi, and the scope of the work undertaken, both present and future. We highlight its recent recommendations on major issues, including the purported link between the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine and autism and the safety of the mumps, influenza, yellow fever, BCG, and smallpox vaccines as well as that of thiomersal-containing vaccines. PMID:15514229

Using Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Random Forests to Analyze Attrition: Results From Two Simulations

PubMed Central

Hayes, Timothy; Usami, Satoshi; Jacobucci, Ross; McArdle, John J.

2016-01-01

In this article, we describe a recent development in the analysis of attrition: using classification and regression trees (CART) and random forest methods to generate inverse sampling weights. These flexible machine learning techniques have the potential to capture complex nonlinear, interactive selection models, yet to our knowledge, their performance in the missing data analysis context has never been evaluated. To assess the potential benefits of these methods, we compare their performance with commonly employed multiple imputation and complete case techniques in 2 simulations. These initial results suggest that weights computed from pruned CART analyses performed well in terms of both bias and efficiency when compared with other methods. We discuss the implications of these findings for applied researchers. PMID:26389526

Life cycle environmental implications of residential swimming pools.

PubMed

Forrest, Nigel; Williams, Eric

2010-07-15

Ownership of private swimming pools in the U.S. grew 2 to 4% per annum from 1997 to 2007. The environmental implications of pool ownership are analyzed by hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) for nine U.S. cities. An operational model is constructed estimating consumption of chemicals, water, and energy for a typical residential pool. The model incorporates geographical climatic variations and upstream water and energy use from electricity and water supply networks. Results vary considerably by city: a factor of 5-6 for both water and energy use. Water use is driven by aridness and length of the swimming season, while energy use is mainly driven by length of the swimming season. Water and energy impacts of pools are significant, particularly in arid climates. In Phoenix for example pools account for 22% and 13% of a household's electricity and water use, respectively. Measures to reduce water and energy use in pools such as optimizing the pump schedule and covering the pool in winter can realize greater savings than many common household efficiency improvements. Private versus community pools are also compared. Community pools in Phoenix use 60% less swimming pool water and energy per household than subdivisions without community pools.

Threat Assessment and Targeted Violence at Institutions of Higher Education: Implications for Policy and Practice Including Unique Considerations for Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Laura; Bates, Michael

2015-01-01

This article provides an overview of the research on targeted violence, including campus violence, and the implications for policy and practice at institutions of higher education. Unique challenges of threat assessment in the community college setting are explored, and an overview of an effective threat assessment policy and team at William…

Energy efficiency standards and innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, Geoff

2015-01-01

Van Buskirk et al (2014 Environ. Res. Lett. 9 114010) demonstrate that the purchase price, lifecycle cost and price of improving efficiency (i.e. the incremental price of efficiency gain) decline at an accelerated rate following the adoption of the first energy efficiency standards for five consumer products. The authors show these trends using an experience curve framework (i.e. price/cost versus cumulative production). While the paper does not draw a causal link between standards and declining prices, they provide suggestive evidence using markets in the US and Europe. Below, I discuss the potential implications of the work.

Lymphohematopoietic Cancers Induced by Chemicals and Other Agents: Overview and Implications for Risk Assessment (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the release of the final report, Lymphohematopoietic Cancers Induced by Chemicals and Other Agents: Overview and Implications for Risk Assessment . This report provides an overview of the types of mechanisms underlying the lymphohematopoietic cancers induc...

Neurocognitive Effects of HIV Infection on Young Children: Implications for Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Kris; Smith, Tina

1998-01-01

Describes the various direct and indirect effects of HIV and AIDS on children's development and the implications for early intervention assessment. HIV and AIDS effects include disorganization during the neonatal period, failure to thrive, motor difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, expressive language behavior, attention problems, and…

Applying a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective to Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Implications for Schools.

PubMed

Tyler, Patrick M; White, Stuart F; Thompson, Ronald W; Blair, R J R

2018-02-12

A cognitive neuroscience perspective seeks to understand behavior, in this case disruptive behavior disorders (DBD), in terms of dysfunction in cognitive processes underpinned by neural processes. While this type of approach has clear implications for clinical mental health practice, it also has implications for school-based assessment and intervention with children and adolescents who have disruptive behavior and aggression. This review articulates a cognitive neuroscience account of DBD by discussing the neurocognitive dysfunction related to emotional empathy, threat sensitivity, reinforcement-based decision-making, and response inhibition. The potential implications for current and future classroom-based assessments and interventions for students with these deficits are discussed.

Separating intentional inhibition of prepotent responses and resistance to proactive interference in alcohol-dependent individuals.

PubMed

Noël, Xavier; Van der Linden, Martial; Brevers, Damien; Campanella, Salvatore; Verbanck, Paul; Hanak, Catherine; Kornreich, Charles; Verbruggen, Frederick

2013-03-01

Impulsivity is a hallmark of addictive behaviors. Addicts' weakened inhibition of irrelevant prepotent responses is commonly thought to explain this association. However, inhibition is not a unitary mechanism. This study investigated the efficiency of overcoming competition due to irrelevant responses (i.e., inhibition of a prepotent response) and overcoming competition in memory (i.e., resistance to proactive interference) in sober and recently detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals. Three cognitive tasks assessing the inhibition of a prepotent response (Hayling task, anti-saccade task and Stroop task) and two tasks tapping into the capacity to resist proactive interference (cued recall, Brown-Peterson variant) were administered to 30 non-amnesic recently detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals and 30 matched healthy participants without alcohol dependency. In addition, possible confounds such as verbal updating in working memory was assessed. Alcohol-dependent subjects performed worse than healthy participants on the three cognitive tasks assessing the inhibition of irrelevant prepotent responses but group performance was similar in the tasks assessing overcoming proactive interference in memory, updating of working memory and abstract reasoning. These findings suggest that alcohol-dependence is mainly associated with impaired capacity to intentionally suppress irrelevant prepotent response information. Control of proactive interference from memory is preserved. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

OZONE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND NOX DEPLETION IN AN URBAN PLUME: INTERPRETATION OF FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EVALUATING O3-NOX-VOC SENSITIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Ozone production efficiency (OPE) can be defined as the number of ozone (O3) molecules photochemically produced by a molecule of NOx (NO + NO2) before it is lost from the NOx - O3 cycle. Here, we consider observational and modeling techniques to evaluate various operational defi...

Commentary on "Finance, Management, and Costs of Public and Private Schools in Indonesia" and "Do Local Contributions Affect the Efficiency of Public Primary Schools?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berger, Mark C.

1996-01-01

Studies on Indonesia and the Philippines in this special issue examine how local financial control affects costs of providing primary schooling. In both countries, schools with greater financial decentralization operated more efficiently. These results have important implications for U.S. schools, where decentralization reforms in Kentucky and…

Validating alcohol use measures among male Drinkers in Goa: Implications for research on alcohol, sexual risk, and HIV in India

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Thomas K.; Nayak, Madhabika B.; Bond, Jason; Patel, Vikram; Trocki, Karen; Pillai, Aravind

2010-01-01

Assessment of heavy drinking patterns is vital for HIV/AIDs studies in India and developing countries. A population survey in northern Goa included urban and rural male drinkers (n = 743) who completed a new Fractional Graduated Frequencies (F-GF) alcohol patterns measure assessing 7 beverage types and drink sizes for the largest daily amount, then drinking frequencies at fractional amounts. The new measure was compared to a simpler quantity-frequency (QF) summary and in a validity subsample of hazardous drinkers (n=56), 28-day diaries of drinking events. Approximately 56% of total volume came from peak drinking (averaging 60 g ethanol/day). For AUDIT-based Hazardous Drinkers, QF and F-GF volumes (drinks/day) were not significantly different from diary volume (correlations .65 and .57, respectively). F-GF well captured the profile of daily amounts in drinking event data. In addition, the F-GF showed evidence of better predicting any sexual risk behavior or partner violence perpetration than the QF measure. Summary drinking pattern measures, especially the new F-GF, are more cost efficient than intensive event records, and appear valid when carefully assessing quantities with local beverage types and drink ethanol content. PMID:20567894

Three-dimensional CT Venography: A Diagnostic Modality for the Preoperative Assessment of Patients with Varicose Veins

PubMed Central

Sato, Katsutoshi; Orihashi, Kazumasa; Takahashi, Shinya; Takasaki, Taiichi; Kurosaki, Tatsuya; Imai, Katsuhiko; Ishifuro, Minoru; Sueda, Taijiro

2011-01-01

Objective: We preoperatively assessed varicose veins by means of computed tomography (CT) with contrast injection in the veins of the lower extremity (CT venography). This paper reports the procedures, results and implications of CT venography from the surgical aspect. Methods: A total of 48 legs in 39 patients were examined. Contrast medium was diluted ten-fold and injected into the lower extremity veins, often using a dual route of injection. The images were reconstructed with the volume-rendering method. Results: CT venography clearly visualized the veins with a small amount of contrast medium and facilitated the identification of anatomy that was not suitable for passing the stripper. In addition, CT venography helped identify unusual types of varicose veins or uncommon sites of inflow of small saphenous veins. Such information was helpful for avoiding unexpected vascular injury or for minimizing skin incision. Dual-route injection was beneficial to minimize the blind zones. Doppler ultrasound could be more focused on hemodynamic assessment and determination of incision sites. Conclusions: CT Venography is feasible in all cases of varicose veins. When performed in conjunction with ultrasonography, it appears to facilitate the safe and efficient treatment of various types of varicose veins. PMID:23555458

Policy Impact of PISA on Mathematics Education: The Case of Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nortvedt, Guri A.

2018-01-01

This article addresses the policy implications of participation in international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), particularly the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the ways in which such implications might influence mathematics education. Taking Norway as a special case, this discussion focuses on insights into teaching,…

POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS OF GENOMICS FOR REGULATORY AND RISK ASSESSMENT APPLICATIONS AT EPA

EPA Science Inventory

Benson, W.H., K. Gallagher and K. Dearfield. In press. Potential Implications of Genomics for Regulatory and Risk Assessment Applications at EPA (Abstract). To be presented at the SETAC Fourth World Congress, 14-18 November 2004, Portland, OR. 1 p. (ERL,GB R1002).

Advance...

Toxicokinetics to identify nonlinearities in dose-response and implications for risk assessment

EPA Science Inventory

For presentation at the 45th Annual Symposium of the Society of Toxicology of Canada. The meeting will be held on 4-5 December 2013 at the Ottawa Convention Centre. Toxicokinetics to identify nonlinearities in dose-response and implications for risk assessment. Rory Conolly, Offi...

Eastern Kentuckians View Their Quality of Life: Implications for Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coughenour, C. Milton; Coleman, A. Lee

Data from 1961, 1971, and 1973 surveys of households and community "knowledgeables" focused on the subjective assesssments of the quality of life (QOL) of residents of Harlan, Perry, Whitley, and Wolfe counties in Eastern Kentucky, and assessed policy implications. Overall, residents assessed their counties favorably. They rated wages…

Culture and Early Language Development: Implications for Assessment and Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parada, Patricia M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study--"Culture and Early Language Development: Implications for Assessment and Intervention"--was to explore and describe the perceptions and beliefs of Salvadoran mothers of low socioeconomic status regarding the language development of their young children in order to identify cultural variations in…

Webinar Presentation: Assessing the Combined Effects of Environmental and Social Stress: A Review of the Evidence and Implications for Research

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation, Assessing the Combined Effects of Environmental and Social Stress: A Review of the Evidence and Implications for Research, was given at the NIEHS/EPA Children's Centers 2016 Webinar Series: Exposome held on May 11, 2016.

Early outgrowth cells versus endothelial colony forming cells functions in platelet aggregation.

PubMed

Bou Khzam, Lara; Bouchereau, Olivier; Boulahya, Rahma; Hachem, Ahmed; Zaid, Younes; Abou-Saleh, Haissam; Merhi, Yahye

2015-11-09

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been implicated in neoangiogenesis, endothelial repair and cell-based therapies for cardiovascular diseases. We have previously shown that the recruitment of EPCs to sites of vascular lesions is facilitated by platelets where EPCs, in turn, modulate platelet function and thrombosis. However, EPCs encompass a heterogeneous population of progenitor cells that may exert different effects on platelet function. Recent evidence suggests the existence of two EPC subtypes: early outgrowth cells (EOCs) and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). We aimed at characterizing these two EPC subtypes and at identifying their role in platelet aggregation. EOCs and ECFCs were generated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) seeded in conditioned media on fibronectin and collagen, respectively. The morphological, phenotypical and functional characteristics of EOCs and ECFCs were assessed by optical and confocal laser scanning microscopes, cell surface markers expression, and Matrigel tube formation. The impact of EOCs and ECFCs on platelet aggregation was monitored in collagen-induced optical aggregometry and compared with PBMCs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The levels of the anti-platelet agents' nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) released from cultured cells as well as the expression of their respective producing enzymes NO synthases (NOS) and cyclooxygenases (COX) were also assessed. We showed that EOCs display a monocytic-like phenotype whereas ECFCs have an endothelial-like phenotype. We demonstrated that both EOCs and ECFCs and their supernatants inhibited platelet aggregation; however ECFCs were more efficient than EOCs. This could be related to the release of significantly higher amounts of NO and PGI2 from ECFCs, in comparison to EOCs. Indeed, ECFCs, like HUVECs, constitutively express the endothelial (eNOS)-and inducible (iNOS)-NOS isoforms, and COX-1 and weakly express COX-2, whereas EOCs do not constitutively express these NO and PGI2 producing enzymes. The different morphological, phenotypic and more importantly the release of the anti-aggregating agents PGI2 and NO in each EPC subtype are implicated in their respective roles in platelet function and thus, may be linked to the increased efficiency of ECFCs in inhibiting platelet aggregation as compared to EOCs.

Emissions from prescribed fires in temperate forest in south-east Australia: implications for carbon accounting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Possell, M.; Jenkins, M.; Bell, T. L.; Adams, M. A.

2015-01-01

We estimated emissions of carbon, as equivalent CO2 (CO2e), from planned fires in four sites in a south-eastern Australian forest. Emission estimates were calculated using measurements of fuel load and carbon content of different fuel types, before and after burning, and determination of fuel-specific emission factors. Median estimates of emissions for the four sites ranged from 20 to 139 Mg CO2e ha-1. Variability in estimates was a consequence of different burning efficiencies of each fuel type from the four sites. Higher emissions resulted from more fine fuel (twigs, decomposing matter, near-surface live and leaf litter) or coarse woody debris (CWD; > 25 mm diameter) being consumed. In order to assess the effect of declining information quantity and the inclusion of coarse woody debris when estimating emissions, Monte Carlo simulations were used to create seven scenarios where input parameters values were replaced by probability density functions. Calculation methods were (1) all measured data were constrained between measured maximum and minimum values for each variable; (2) as in (1) except the proportion of carbon within a fuel type was constrained between 0 and 1; (3) as in (2) but losses of mass caused by fire were replaced with burning efficiency factors constrained between 0 and 1; and (4) emissions were calculated using default values in the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA), National Inventory Report 2011, as appropriate for our sites. Effects of including CWD in calculations were assessed for calculation Method 1, 2 and 3 but not for Method 4 as the NGA does not consider this fuel type. Simulations demonstrate that the probability of estimating true median emissions declines strongly as the amount of information available declines. Including CWD in scenarios increased uncertainty in calculations because CWD is the most variable contributor to fuel load. Inclusion of CWD in scenarios generally increased the amount of carbon lost. We discuss implications of these simulations and how emissions from prescribed burns in temperate Australian forests could be improved.

Microbiological Implications of Periurban Agriculture and Water Reuse in Mexico City

PubMed Central

Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Ponce-de-León, Sergio; López-Vidal, Yolanda; Islas-Macías, Pilar; Amieva-Fernández, Rosa Isabel; Quiñones-Falconi, Francisco

2008-01-01

Background Recycled treated or untreated wastewater represents an important health challenge in developing countries due to potential water related microbiological exposure. Our aim was to assess water quality and health implications in a Mexico City periurban agricultural area. Methodology/Principal Findings A longitudinal study in the Xochimilco wetland area was conducted, and 42 sites were randomly selected from 211, including irrigation water canals and effluents of treatment plants. Sample collection took place during rainy and dry seasons (2000–2001). Microbiological parameters (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, streptococci/enterococci, and bacteria other than Vibrio grown on TCBS), Helicobacter pylori, and physicochemical parameters including trihalomethanes (THM) were determined. Fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci are appropriate indicators of human or animal fecal contamination. Fecal coliform counts surpass Mexican and World Health Organization irrigation water guidelines. Identified microorganisms associated with various pathologies in humans and domestic animals comprise Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Salmonella spp., Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., and Pseudomonas spp; H. pylori was also present in the water. An environmental characteristic of the canal system showed high Total Organic Carbon content and relatively low dissolved oxygen concentration; residual chlorine as a disinfection control is not efficient, but THMs do not represent a problem. During the rainy season, temperature and conductivity were higher; in contrast, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and residual chlorine were lower. This is related with the continuous load of feces from human and animal sources, and to the aquatic systems, which vary seasonally and exhibit evidence of lower water quality in effluents from treatment plants. Conclusions/Significance There is a need for improvement of wastewater treatment systems, as well as more efficient monitoring, regulation, and enforcement procedures for wastewater disposal into bodies of water. PMID:18509453

Microbiological implications of periurban agriculture and water reuse in Mexico City.

PubMed

Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Ponce-de-León, Sergio; López-Vidal, Yolanda; Islas-Macías, Pilar; Amieva-Fernández, Rosa Isabel; Quiñones-Falconi, Francisco

2008-05-28

Recycled treated or untreated wastewater represents an important health challenge in developing countries due to potential water related microbiological exposure. Our aim was to assess water quality and health implications in a Mexico City periurban agricultural area. A longitudinal study in the Xochimilco wetland area was conducted, and 42 sites were randomly selected from 211, including irrigation water canals and effluents of treatment plants. Sample collection took place during rainy and dry seasons (2000-2001). Microbiological parameters (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, streptococci/enterococci, and bacteria other than Vibrio grown on TCBS), Helicobacter pylori, and physicochemical parameters including trihalomethanes (THM) were determined. Fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci are appropriate indicators of human or animal fecal contamination. Fecal coliform counts surpass Mexican and World Health Organization irrigation water guidelines. Identified microorganisms associated with various pathologies in humans and domestic animals comprise Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Salmonella spp., Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., and Pseudomonas spp; H. pylori was also present in the water. An environmental characteristic of the canal system showed high Total Organic Carbon content and relatively low dissolved oxygen concentration; residual chlorine as a disinfection control is not efficient, but THMs do not represent a problem. During the rainy season, temperature and conductivity were higher; in contrast, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and residual chlorine were lower. This is related with the continuous load of feces from human and animal sources, and to the aquatic systems, which vary seasonally and exhibit evidence of lower water quality in effluents from treatment plants. There is a need for improvement of wastewater treatment systems, as well as more efficient monitoring, regulation, and enforcement procedures for wastewater disposal into bodies of water.

The effect of a third party observer and trait anxiety on neuropsychological performance: the Attentional Control Theory (ACT) perspective.

PubMed

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Hosseini Ramaghani, Nasrin Alsadat; Fazio, Rachel L

2017-04-01

Studies have reported that the presence of a third party observer (TPO) during neuropsychological assessments negatively affects the test performance of the examinee. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a TPO and trait anxiety on neuropsychological performance according to Attentional Control Theory (ACT). A sample of college students was recruited (n = 318) and then 80 participants were selected to represent the high and low trait anxiety groups. Participants of each of group were randomly assigned to either the NTPO (non-TPO) or TPO conditions. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait measure (STAI-T), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST-64), Stroop test, and Rating Scale for Mental Effort (RSME) were administered to both groups. To analyze the data, univariate ANOVAs were conducted. The results indicated that under the conditions without a TPO the group with high trait anxiety had poorer processing efficiency, but under the conditions with a TPO they had poorer processing efficiency and poorer performance effectiveness than the group with low trait anxiety. In addition, the group with low trait anxiety showed poorer processing efficiency in the TPO compared to non-TPO condition. These findings provide support for the hypotheses of ACT regarding the relation between observer presence and poorer performance on neuropsychological tests, with individuals with higher trait anxiety showing greater negative effects. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Choline but not its derivative betaine blocks slow vacuolar channels in the halophyte Chenopodium quinoa: implications for salinity stress responses.

PubMed

Pottosin, Igor; Bonales-Alatorre, Edgar; Shabala, Sergey

2014-11-03

Activity of tonoplast slow vacuolar (SV, or TPC1) channels has to be under a tight control, to avoid undesirable leak of cations stored in the vacuole. This is particularly important for salt-grown plants, to ensure efficient vacuolar Na(+) sequestration. In this study we show that choline, a cationic precursor of glycine betaine, efficiently blocks SV channels in leaf and root vacuoles of the two chenopods, Chenopodium quinoa (halophyte) and Beta vulgaris (glycophyte). At the same time, betaine and proline, two major cytosolic organic osmolytes, have no significant effect on SV channel activity. Physiological implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health dynamics: implications for efficiency and equity in priority setting.

PubMed

Hauck, Katharina; Tsuchiya, Aki

2011-01-01

Health dynamics are intertemporal fluctuations in health status of an individual or a group of individuals. It has been found in empirical studies of health inequalities that health dynamics can differ systematically across subgroups, even if prevalence measured at one point in time is the same. We explore the relevance of the concept of health dynamics in the context of cost-effectiveness analysis. Although economic evaluation takes health dynamics into account where they matter in terms of efficiency, we find that it fails to take into account the equity dimensions of health dynamics. In addition, the political implications of health dynamics may influence resource allocation decisions, possibly in opposing directions. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

China-Africa Health Development Initiatives: Benefits and Implications for Shaping Innovative and Evidence-informed National Health Policies and Programs in Sub-saharan African Countries

PubMed Central

Tambo, Ernest; Ugwu, Chidiebere E.; Guan, Yayi; Wei, Ding; Xiao-Ning; Xiao-Nong, Zhou

2016-01-01

Background and Introduction: This review paper examines the growing implications of China’s engagement in shaping innovative national initiatives against infectious diseases and poverty control and elimination in African countries. It seeks to understand the factors and enhancers that can promote mutual and innovative health development initiatives, and those that are necessary in generating reliable and quality data for evidence-based contextual policy, priorities and programs. Methods: We examined the China-Africa health cooperation in supporting global health agenda on infectious diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, Ebola, TB, HIV/AIDS, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) prevention, control and elimination spanning a period of 10 years. We reviewed referenced publications, global support data, and extensive sources related to and other emerging epidemics and infectious diseases of poverty, programs and interventions, health systems development issues, challenges, opportunities and investments. Published literature in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Books and web-based peer-reviewed journal articles, government annual reports were assessed from the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November 2006 to December 2015 Third Ministerial conferences. Results: Our findings highlight current shared public health challenges and emphasize the need to nurture, develop and establish effective, functional and sustainable health systems capacity to detect and respond to all public health threats and epidemic burdens, evidence-based programs and quality care outcomes. China’s significant health diplomacy emphasizes the importance of health financing in establishing health development commitment and investment in improving the gains and opportunities, importantly efficiency and value health priorities and planning. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: Strengthening China-Africa health development agenda towards collective commitment and investment in quality care delivery, effective programs coverage and efficiency, preparedness and emergency response is needed in transforming African health information systems, and local health governance structures and management in emerging epidemics. Furthermore, innovative evidence of operational joint solutions and strategies are critical in advancing healthcare delivery, and further enhancing Universal Health Care, and Sustainable Development Goals to attain global health improvements and economic prosperity. PMID:28058199

Strategies in identifying individuals in a segregant population of common bean and implications of genotype x environment interaction in the success of selection.

PubMed

Mendes, M P; Ramalho, M A P; Abreu, A F B

2012-04-10

The objective of this study was to compare the BLUP selection method with different selection strategies in F(2:4) and assess the efficiency of this method on the early choice of the best common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) lines. Fifty-one F(2:4) progenies were produced from a cross between the CVIII8511 x RP-26 lines. A randomized block design was used with 20 replications and one-plant field plots. Character data on plant architecture and grain yield were obtained and then the sum of the standardized variables was estimated for simultaneous selection of both traits. Analysis was carried out by mixed models (BLUP) and the least squares method to compare different selection strategies, like mass selection, stratified mass selection and between and within progeny selection. The progenies selected by BLUP were assessed in advanced generations, always selecting the greatest and smallest sum of the standardized variables. Analyses by the least squares method and BLUP procedure ranked the progenies in the same way. The coincidence of the individuals identified by BLUP and between and within progeny selection was high and of the greatest magnitude when BLUP was compared with mass selection. Although BLUP is the best estimator of genotypic value, its efficiency in the response to long term selection is not different from any of the other methods, because it is also unable to predict the future effect of the progenies x environments interaction. It was inferred that selection success will always depend on the most accurate possible progeny assessment and using alternatives to reduce the progenies x environments interaction effect.

The development of an observational screening tool to assess safe, effective and appropriate walking aid use in people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Eitzen, Abby; Finlayson, Marcia; Carolan-Laing, Leanne; Nacionales, Arthur Junn; Walker, Christie; O'Connor, Josephine; Asano, Miho; Coote, Susan

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify potential items for an observational screening tool to assess safe, effective and appropriate walking aid use among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Such a tool is needed because of the association between fall risk and mobility aid use in this population. Four individuals with MS were videotaped using a one or two straight canes, crutches or a rollator in different settings. Seventeen health care professionals from Canada, Ireland and the United States were recruited, and viewed the videos, and were then interviewed about the use of the devices by the individuals in the videos. Interview questions addressed safety, effectiveness and appropriateness of the device in the setting. Data were analyzed qualitatively. Coding consistency across raters was evaluated and confirmed. Nineteen codes were identified as possible items for the screening tool. The most frequent issues raised regardless of setting and device were "device used for duration/abandoned", "appropriate device", "balance and stability", "device technique", "environmental modification" and "hands free." With the identification of a number of potential tool items, researchers can now move forward with the development of the tool. This will involve consultation with both healthcare professionals and people with MS. Implications for rehabilitation Falls among people with multiple sclerosis are associated with mobility device use and use of multiple devices is associated with greater falls risk. The ability to assess for safe, effective and efficient use of walking aids is therefore important, no tools currently exist for this purpose. The codes arising from this study will be used to develop a screening tool for safe, effective and efficient walking aid use with the aim of reducing falls risk.

Assessing Regional Emissions Reductions from Travel Efficiency: Applying the Travel Efficiency Assessment Method

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation from the 2016 TRB Summer Conference on Transportation Planning and Air Quality summarizes the application of the Travel Efficiency Assessment Method (TEAM) which analyzed selected transportation emission reduction strategies in three case

Tourism impacts of Three Mile Island and other adverse events: Implications for Lincoln County and other rural counties bisected by radioactive wastes intended for Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Himmelberger, Jeffery J.; Baughman, Mike; Ogneva-Himmelberger, Yelena A.

1995-11-01

Whether the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository system will adversely impact tourism in southern Nevada is an open question of particular importance to visitor-oriented rural counties bisected by planned waste transportatin corridors (highway or rail). As part of one such county's repository impact assessment program, tourism implications of Three Mile Island (TMI) and other major hazard events have beem revisited to inform ongoing county-wide socioeconomic assessments and contingency planning efforts. This paper summarizes key research implications of such research as applied to Lincoln County, Nevada. Implications for other rural counties are discussed in light of the research findings.

The Implications of Learners' Goal Orientation in a Prior Learning Assessment Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClintock, Patricia

2013-01-01

This mixed methods sequential explanatory study was designed to investigate students' persistence in an online Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program by researching the implications of goal orientation and other academic, institutional, and student-related factors of non-traditional students enrolled in such a program at the University of St.…

Epilogue: Reading Comprehension Is Not a Single Ability--Implications for Assessment and Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamhi, Alan G.; Catts, Hugh W.

2017-01-01

Purpose: In this epilogue, we review the 4 response articles and highlight the implications of a multidimensional view of reading for the assessment and instruction of reading comprehension. Method: We reiterate the problems with standardized tests of reading comprehension and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of recently developed…

Internet-Based Self-Help Career Assessments and Interventions: Challenges and Implications for Evidence-Based Career Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gati, Itamar; Asulin-Peretz, Lisa

2011-01-01

A major characteristic of the 21st century with significant implications on career decision making is the growing prevalence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Challenges involving ICT-based self-assessment and self-help interventions aimed at facilitating career decision making are discussed. Specifically, this article focuses…

Visitor's knowledge of federal wilderness: implications for wilderness user research and management

Treesearch

Karen S. Hockett; Troy E. Hall

2000-01-01

Earlier research using interviews of backcountry hikers in Shenandoah National Park raised concerns that visitors may not know much about federal wilderness. This lack of knowledge has implications for research on wilderness experience and for support for wilderness management policies. In this study, self-assessed knowledge of wilderness, researcher-assessed knowledge...

Resource-use efficiencies of three indigenous tree species planted in resource islands created by shrubs: implications for reforestation of subtropical degraded shrublands

Treesearch

Nan Liu; Qinfeng Guo

2012-01-01

Shrub resource islands are characterized by resources accumulated shrubby areas surrounded by relative barren soils. This research aims to determine resource-use efficiency of native trees species planted on shrub resource islands, and to determine how the planted trees may influence the resource islands in degraded shrublands in South China. Shrub (Rhodomyrtus...

Governance and performance: the performance of Dutch hospitals explained by governance characteristics.

PubMed

Blank, Jos L T; van Hulst, Bart Laurents

2011-10-01

This paper describes the efficiency of Dutch hospitals using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method with bootstrapping. In particular, the analysis focuses on accounting for cost inefficiency measures on the part of hospital corporate governance. We use bootstrap techniques, as introduced by Simar and Wilson (J. Econom. 136(1):31-64, 2007), in order to obtain more efficient estimates of the effects of governance on the efficiency. The results show that part of the cost efficiency can be explained with governance. In particular we find that a higher remuneration of the board as well as a higher remuneration of the supervisory board does not implicate better performance.

Electrophysiological indices of visual food cue-reactivity. Differences in obese, overweight and normal weight women.

PubMed

Hume, David John; Howells, Fleur Margaret; Rauch, H G Laurie; Kroff, Jacolene; Lambert, Estelle Victoria

2015-02-01

Heightened food cue-reactivity in overweight and obese individuals has been related to aberrant functioning of neural circuitry implicated in motivational behaviours and reward-seeking. Here we explore the neurophysiology of visual food cue-reactivity in overweight and obese women, as compared with normal weight women, by assessing differences in cortical arousal and attentional processing elicited by food and neutral image inserts in a Stroop task with record of EEG spectral band power and ERP responses. Results show excess right frontal (F8) and left central (C3) relative beta band activity in overweight women during food task performance (indicative of pronounced early visual cue-reactivity) and blunted prefrontal (Fp1 and Fp2) theta band activity in obese women during office task performance (suggestive of executive dysfunction). Moreover, as compared to normal weight women, food images elicited greater right parietal (P4) ERP P200 amplitude in overweight women (denoting pronounced early attentional processing) and shorter right parietal (P4) ERP P300 latency in obese women (signifying enhanced and efficient maintained attentional processing). Differential measures of cortical arousal and attentional processing showed significant correlations with self-reported eating behaviour and body shape dissatisfaction, as well as with objectively assessed percent fat mass. The findings of the present study suggest that heightened food cue-reactivity can be neurophysiologically measured, that different neural circuits are implicated in the pathogenesis of overweight and obesity, and that EEG techniques may serve useful in the identification of endophenotypic markers associated with an increased risk of externally mediated food consumption. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Environmental Assessment Framework for Landscape-Based, Temporal Analysis of Wetland Change in Urban Environments.

PubMed

Sizo, Anton; Noble, Bram F; Bell, Scott

2016-03-01

This paper presents and demonstrates a spatial framework for the application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in the context of change analysis for urban wetland environments. The proposed framework is focused on two key stages of the SEA process: scoping and environmental baseline assessment. These stages are arguably the most information-intense phases of SEA and have a significant effect on the quality of the SEA results. The study aims to meet the needs for proactive frameworks to assess and protect wetland habitat and services more efficiently, toward the goal of advancing more intelligent urban planning and development design. The proposed framework, adopting geographic information system and remote sensing tools and applications, supports the temporal evaluation of wetland change and sustainability assessment based on landscape indicator analysis. The framework was applied to a rapidly developing urban environment in the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, analyzing wetland change and land-use pressures from 1985 to 2011. The SEA spatial scale was rescaled from administrative urban planning units to an ecologically meaningful area. Landscape change assessed was based on a suite of indicators that were subsequently rolled up into a single, multi-dimensional, and easy to understand and communicate index to examine the implications of land-use change for wetland sustainability. The results show that despite the recent extremely wet period in the Canadian prairie region, land-use change contributed to increasing threats to wetland sustainability.

Strategic Environmental Assessment Framework for Landscape-Based, Temporal Analysis of Wetland Change in Urban Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sizo, Anton; Noble, Bram F.; Bell, Scott

2016-03-01

This paper presents and demonstrates a spatial framework for the application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in the context of change analysis for urban wetland environments. The proposed framework is focused on two key stages of the SEA process: scoping and environmental baseline assessment. These stages are arguably the most information-intense phases of SEA and have a significant effect on the quality of the SEA results. The study aims to meet the needs for proactive frameworks to assess and protect wetland habitat and services more efficiently, toward the goal of advancing more intelligent urban planning and development design. The proposed framework, adopting geographic information system and remote sensing tools and applications, supports the temporal evaluation of wetland change and sustainability assessment based on landscape indicator analysis. The framework was applied to a rapidly developing urban environment in the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, analyzing wetland change and land-use pressures from 1985 to 2011. The SEA spatial scale was rescaled from administrative urban planning units to an ecologically meaningful area. Landscape change assessed was based on a suite of indicators that were subsequently rolled up into a single, multi-dimensional, and easy to understand and communicate index to examine the implications of land-use change for wetland sustainability. The results show that despite the recent extremely wet period in the Canadian prairie region, land-use change contributed to increasing threats to wetland sustainability.

Validity and reliability of the multidimensional assessment of fatigue scale in Iranian patients with relapsing-remitting subtype of multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Behrangrad, Shabnam; Kordi Yoosefinejad, Amin

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale (MAFS) in an Iranian population with multiple sclerosis. A self-reported survey on fatigue including the MAFS, Fatigue Impact Scale and demographic measures was completed by 130 patients with multiple sclerosis and 60 healthy persons sampled with a convenience method. Test-retest reliability and validity were evaluated 3 days apart. Construct validity of the MAFS was assessed with the Fatigue Impact Scale. The MAFS had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.9) and 3-d test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.99). Correlation between the Fatigue Impact Scale and MAFS was high (r = 0.99). Correlation between MAFS scores and the Expanded Disability Status Scale was also strong (r = 0.85). Questionnaire items showed acceptable item-scale correlation (0.968-0.993). The Persian version of the MAFS appears to be a valid and reliable questionnaire. It is an appropriate short multidimensional instrument to assess fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis in clinical practice and research. Implications for Rehabilitation The Persian version of Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment and monitoring the fatigue in Persian-language patients with multiple sclerosis. It is very easy to administer and a time efficient scale in comparison to other instruments evaluating fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Implications of the method of capital cost payment on the weighted average cost of capital.

PubMed Central

Boles, K E

1986-01-01

The author develops a theoretical and mathematical model, based on published financial management literature, to describe the cost of capital structure for health care delivery entities. This model is then used to generate the implications of changing the capital cost reimbursement mechanism from a cost basis to a prospective basis. The implications are that the cost of capital is increased substantially, the use of debt must be restricted, interest rates for borrowed funds will increase, and, initially, firms utilizing debt efficiently under cost-basis reimbursement will be restricted to the generation of funds from equity only under a prospective system. PMID:3525468

Assessment of Energy Efficient and Model Based Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-15

ARL-TR-8042 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Assessment of Energy -Efficient and Model- Based Control by Craig Lennon...originator. ARL-TR-8042 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Assessment of Energy -Efficient and Model- Based Control by Craig...

Quantity, Quality, and Availability of Waste Heat from United States Thermal Power Generation.

PubMed

Gingerich, Daniel B; Mauter, Meagan S

2015-07-21

Secondary application of unconverted heat produced during electric power generation has the potential to improve the life-cycle fuel efficiency of the electric power industry and the sectors it serves. This work quantifies the residual heat (also known as waste heat) generated by U.S. thermal power plants and assesses the intermittency and transport issues that must be considered when planning to utilize this heat. Combining Energy Information Administration plant-level data with literature-reported process efficiency data, we develop estimates of the unconverted heat flux from individual U.S. thermal power plants in 2012. Together these power plants discharged an estimated 18.9 billion GJ(th) of residual heat in 2012, 4% of which was discharged at temperatures greater than 90 °C. We also characterize the temperature, spatial distribution, and temporal availability of this residual heat at the plant level and model the implications for the technical and economic feasibility of its end use. Increased implementation of flue gas desulfurization technologies at coal-fired facilities and the higher quality heat generated in the exhaust of natural gas fuel cycles are expected to increase the availability of residual heat generated by 10.6% in 2040.

The Policy Implications of College and Career Assessment Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenning, Oscar T.

This paper considers social policy and institutional practice policy implications of findings reported by Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini concerning student career choice and economic benefits of college. Sixteen social policy implications are identified. These include: beating the Japanese; overcoming the "pipeline mentality"; revising…

Feigning combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder on the personality assessment inventory.

PubMed

Calhoun, P S; Earnst, K S; Tucker, D D; Kirby, A C; Beckham, J C

2000-10-01

This study examined whether individuals who were instructed on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could feign PTSD on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991). The study also investigated whether PAI indexes of symptom exaggeration, the Negative Impression Management (NIM) scale and the Malingering index, could identify individuals feigning PTSD. The diagnostic rule for PTSD (Morey, 1991, 1996) was applied to the profiles of a group of 23 veterans with combat-related PTSD and 23 male undergraduates instructed to malinger PTSD. Seventy percent of the student malingerers produced profiles that received diagnostic consideration for PTSD. The NIM cutting score (> or = 8) was highly effective in detecting simulation of PTSD but resulted in the misclassification of a large number of true PTSD cases. There were no significant differences in the overall efficiency of the test with various validity criteria. We discuss the implications of these findings for the use of the PAI in the diagnosis of combat-related PTSD.

Psychometric properties of a suicide screen for adjudicated youth in residential care.

PubMed

Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Hudson, Kenneth; Lamis, Dorian A; Carr, Nicole

2012-04-01

There is a need to efficiently and effectively screen adjudicated youth residing within the juvenile justice system for suicide proneness. Accordingly, in the current study, the psychometric properties of the Life Attitude Schedule: Short Form (LAS:S), a 24-item risk assessment for suicide proneness, were assessed using data from adjudicated youth residing in an alternative sentencing facility (n = 130). As predicted, statistically significant correlations were obtained between total LAS:S suicide proneness scores and reports of recent suicide ideation and hopelessness. Contrary to expectation, the previously reported 2-factor model for the LAS:S, with Factor 1 representing physical unhealthiness and Factor 2 representing psychological death, poorly fit the data. In adjudicated youth, we found that a single factor model derived from the 4 LAS:S subscales produced a better fit to the data than the 2-factor model. The death-related, self-related, injury-related, and negative health-related behaviors contained on the LAS:S shared common variance in these youth. A clinical implication is that practitioners can effectively use the total LAS:S score when screening adjudicated youth for suicide proneness.

Introducing a methodology for estimating duration of surgery in health services research.

PubMed

Redelmeier, Donald A; Thiruchelvam, Deva; Daneman, Nick

2008-09-01

The duration of surgery is an indicator for the quality, risks, and efficiency of surgical procedures. We introduce a new methodology for assessing the duration of surgery based on anesthesiology billing records, along with reviewing its fundamental logic and limitations. The validity of the methodology was assessed through a population-based cohort of patients (n=480,986) undergoing elective operations in 246 Ontario hospitals with 1,084 anesthesiologists between April 1, 1992 and March 31, 2002 (10 years). The weaknesses of the methodology relate to missing data, self-serving exaggerations by providers, imprecisions from clinical diversity, upper limits due to accounting regulations, fluctuations from updates over the years, national differences in reimbursement schedules, and the general failings of claims base analyses. The strengths of the methodology are in providing data that match clinical experiences, correspond to chart review, are consistent over time, can detect differences where differences would be anticipated, and might have implications for examining patient outcomes after long surgical times. We suggest that an understanding and application of large studies of surgical duration may help scientists explore selected questions concerning postoperative complications.

The role of sustained attention and display medium in reading comprehension among adolescents with ADHD and without it.

PubMed

Stern, Pnina; Shalev, Lilach

2013-01-01

Difficulties in reading comprehension are common in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The current study aimed at investigating the relation between sustained attention and reading comprehension among adolescents with and without ADHD. Another goal was to examine the impact of two manipulations of the text on the efficiency of reading comprehension: Spacing (standard- vs. double-spacing) and Type of presentation (computer screen vs. hard copy). Reading comprehension of two groups of adolescents (participants with ADHD and normal controls) was assessed and compared in four different conditions (standard printed, spaced printed, standard on computer screen, spaced on computer screen). In addition, participants completed a visual sustained attention task. Significant differences in reading comprehension and in sustained attention were obtained between the two groups. Also, a significant correlation was obtained between sustained attention and reading comprehension. Moreover, a significant interaction was revealed between presentation-type, spacing and level of sustained attention on reading comprehension. Implications for reading intervention and the importance of early assessment of attention functioning are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do different case-mix measures affect assessments of provider efficiency? Lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PubMed

Rosen, Amy K; Loveland, Susan A; Rakovski, Carter C; Christiansen, Cindy L; Berlowitz, Dan R

2003-01-01

Although case-mix adjustment is critical for provider profiling, little is known regarding whether different case-mix measures affect assessments of provider efficiency. We examine whether two case-mix measures, Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACGs) and Diagnostic Cost Groups (DCGs), result in different assessments of efficiency across service networks within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Three profiling indicators examine variation in resource use. Although results from the ACGs and DCGs generally agree on which networks have greater or lesser efficiency than average, assessments of individual network efficiency vary depending upon the case-mix measure used. This suggests that caution should be used so that providers are not misclassified based on reported efficiency.

The Implications of Assessment for Learning in Physical Education and Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolgfors, Bjorn; Öhman, Marie

2016-01-01

This article deals with the implications of assessment for learning (AfL) in upper secondary physical education and health (PEH). Inspired by the research field that emanates from the concept of governmentality, the study is concerned with how AfL guides teachers' and students' actions in certain directions. Based on teachers' descriptions of how…

Portfolio assessment and evaluation: implications and guidelines for clinical nursing education.

PubMed

Chabeli, M M

2002-08-01

With the advent of Outcomes-Based Education in South Africa, the quality of nursing education is debatable, especially with regard to the assessment and evaluation of clinical nursing education, which is complex and renders the validity and reliability of the methods used questionable. This paper seeks to explore and describe the use of portfolio assessment and evaluation, its implications and guidelines for its effective use in nursing education. Firstly, the concepts of assessment, evaluation, portfolio and alternative methods of evaluation are defined. Secondly, a comparison of the characteristics of the old (traditional) methods and the new alternative methods of evaluation is made. Thirdly, through deductive analysis, synthesis and inference, implications and guidelines for the effective use of portfolio assessment and evaluation are described. In view of the qualitative, descriptive and exploratory nature of the study, a focus group interview with twenty students following a post-basic degree at a university in Gauteng regarding their perceptions on the use of portfolio assessment and evaluation method in clinical nursing education was used. A descriptive method of qualitative data analysis of open coding in accordance with Tesch's protocol (in Creswell 1994:155) was used. Resultant implications and guidelines were conceptualised and described within the existing theoretical framework. Principles of trustworthiness were maintained as described by (Lincoln & Guba 1985:290-327). Ethical considerations were in accordance with DENOSA's standards of research (1998:7).

Three essays on energy efficiency and environmental policies in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamtessa, Samuel Faye

This thesis is organized into five Chapters. In Chapter 1, we provide an introduction. In Chapter 2, we present a study on residential energy-efficiency retrofits in Canada. We describe the EnerGuide for Houses data and model household decisions to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits. Our results show that government financial incentives have important positive effects. The decision to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits is positively related to potential energy cost savings and negatively related to the costs of the retrofits. We find that household characteristics such as the age composition of household members are important factors. All else remaining constant, low income households are more likely to undertake energy-efficiency retrofits. In the third Chapter, we present our study on price-induced energy efficiency improvements in Canadian manufacturing. Our study employs a new approach to the estimation of price-induced energy efficiency improvements and the results have important empirical and policy implications. In the fourth chapter, we present our study on the implications of the “shale gas revolution” on Alberta greenhouse gas emission abatement strategy. Given that the strategy is centered on deployment of CCS technologies, we analyze the effects of the declines in natural gas price on CCS deployment in the electricity sector. We use the CIMS simulation model to simulate various policy scenarios under high and low natural gas price assumptions. Comparison of the results shows that CCS market penetration in the electricity sector is very minimal in the low natural gas price scenario even when a 50% cost subsidy is applied. Accordingly, there is little gain from subsidizing CCS given the “shale gas revolution.” We provide a few concluding remarks in Chapter 5.

Three Essays on Energy Efficiency and Environmental Policies in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamtessa, Samuel

2011-09-01

This thesis is organized into five Chapters. In Chapter 1, we provide an introduction. In Chapter 2, we present a study on residential energy-efficiency retrofits in Canada. We describe the EnerGuide for Houses data and model household decisions to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits. Our results show that government financial incentives have important positive effects. The decision to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits is positively related to potential energy cost savings and negatively related to the costs of the retrofits. We find that household characteristics such as the age composition of household members are important factors. All else remaining constant, low income households are more likely to undertake energy-efficiency retrofits. In the third Chapter, we present our study on price-induced energy efficiency improvements in Canadian manufacturing. Our study employs a new approach to the estimation of price-induced energy efficiency improvements and the results have important empirical and policy implications. In the fourth chapter, we present our study on the implications of the "shale gas revolution" on Alberta greenhouse gas emission abatement strategy. Given that the strategy is centered on deployment of CCS technologies, we analyze the effects of the declines in natural gas price on CCS deployment in the electricity sector. We use the CIMS simulation model to simulate various policy scenarios under high and low natural gas price assumptions. Comparison of the results shows that CCS market penetration in the electricity sector is very minimal in the low natural gas price scenario even when a 50% cost subsidy is applied. Accordingly, there is little gain from subsidizing CCS given the "shale gas revolution." We provide a few concluding remarks in Chapter 5.

Cost Efficiency Implications of International Cooperation (Implications de rentabilite de la cooperation internationale)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

CZECH REPUBLIC Col. Zdenek Petras Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies University of Defence Kounicova 156/65 66210 Brno Email...military systems in order to reduce costs. Nine Nations are cooperating with Lockheed Martin to develop and produce the next generation fighter jets...is led by the technologically first-tier Nation, the US, where Lockheed Martin is the managing authority on the supply side and the US F-35 Joint

Implications of Dual Practice among Health Workers: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

MOGHRI, Javad; RASHIDIAN, Arash; ARAB, Mohammad; AKBARI SARI, Ali

2017-01-01

Background: Mixed health care systems to work simultaneously on both public and private facilities, is common today. This phenomenon referred to as dual practice (DP), has potential implications for access, quality, cost and equity of health services. This paper aimed to review systematically studies that assess the implications of DP among health workers. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and The Cochrane library were searched for obtaining published literature between Feb 1990 and May 2014. Google and Google Scholars, organizational websites, and reference lists of relevant papers searched to get grey literature. Only studies concentrated on consequences and impacts of DP among health professionals and conducted using “randomized controlled trials”, “non-randomized controlled trials”, “controlled before and after studies”, or “interrupted time series” were eligible for inclusion. Results: From 3242 records, we focused on 19 studies, which aimed to assess effects and impacts of dual practice. After that, the current understanding of DP positive and negative implications was categorized and discussed based on two perspectives. Conclusion: There has been a propensity to over-reliance on theoretical methods in predicting the implications of this phenomenon. Almost all of the mentioned implications are based on theoretical predictions undermined in the broader literature. Furthermore, assessing the current literature showed positive and negative impacts of DP on different parts of the health system and various dimensions of service delivery. These implications are contexted specific and may vary from system to system. PMID:28451549

Privacy Implications Arising From Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-12-08

INTELLIGENT VEHICLE-HIGHWAY SYSTEMS, ("IVHS") INVOLVE ELECTRONIC MONITORING AND SOMETIMES IDENTIFICATION OF AND COMMUNICATION WITH MOTOR VEHICLES OPERATING ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND CONVENIENCE. IV...

Data envelopment analysis for estimating efficiency of intensive care units: a case study in Iran.

PubMed

Bahrami, Mohammad Amin; Rafiei, Sima; Abedi, Mahdieh; Askari, Roohollah

2018-05-14

Purpose As hospitals are the most costly service providers in every healthcare systems, special attention should be given to their performance in terms of resource allocation and consumption. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate technical, allocative and economic efficiency in intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals affiliated by Yazd University of Medical Sciences (YUMS) in 2015. Design/methodology/approach This was a descriptive, analytical study conducted in ICUs of seven training hospitals affiliated by YUMS using data envelopment analysis (DEA) in 2015. The number of physicians, nurses, active beds and equipment were regarded as input variables and bed occupancy rate, the number of discharged patients, economic information such as bed price and physicians' fees were mentioned as output variables of the study. Available data from study variables were retrospectively gathered and analyzed through the Deap 2.1 software using the variable returns to scale methodology. Findings The study findings revealed the average scores of allocative, economic, technical, managerial and scale efficiency to be relatively 0.956, 0.866, 0.883, 0.89 and 0.913. Regarding to latter three types of efficiency, five hospitals had desirable performance. Practical implications Given that additional costs due to an extra number of manpower or unnecessary capital resources impose economic pressure on hospitals also the fact that reduction of surplus production plays a major role in reducing such expenditures in hospitals, it is suggested that departments with low efficiency reduce their input surpluses to achieve the optimal level of performance. Originality/value The authors applied a DEA approach to measure allocative, economic, technical, managerial and scale efficiency of under-study hospitals. This is a helpful linear programming method which acts as a powerful and understandable approach for comparative performance assessment in healthcare settings and a guidance for healthcare managers to improve their departments' performance.

Disparity Implications of the Medicare MTM Eligibility Criteria: A Literature Review

PubMed Central

Munshi, Kiraat D.; Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Brown, Lawrence M.; Dagogo-Jack, Samuel; Wan, Jim Y.; Wang, Junling

2013-01-01

Summary The emphasis on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care has received national attention, with various policy initiatives addressing this problem and proposing solutions. However, in the current economic era requiring tight monetary constraints, emphasis is increasingly being placed on economic efficiency, which often conflicts with the equality doctrine upon which many policies have been framed. Our review aims to highlight the disparity implications of one such policy provision—the predominantly utilization-based eligibility criteria for medication therapy management (MTM) services under Medicare Part D—by identifying studies that have documented racial and ethnic disparities in health status and the use of and spending on prescription medications. Future design and evaluation of various regulations and legislations employing utilization-based eligibility criteria must use caution in order to strike an equity-efficiency balance. PMID:23570431

Assessing Energy Efficiency Opportunities in US Industrial and Commercial Building Motor Systems

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

Rao, Prakash; Sheaffer, Paul; McKane, Aimee

2015-09-01

In 2002, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) published an energy efficiency assessment of U.S. industrial sector motor systems titled United States Industrial Electric Motor Systems Market Opportunities Assessment. The assessment advanced motor system efficiency by providing a greater understanding of the energy consumption, use characteristics, and energy efficiency improvement potential of industrial sector motor systems in the U.S. Since 2002, regulations such as Minimum Energy Performance Standards, cost reductions for motor system components such as variable frequency drives, system-integrated motor-driven equipment, and awareness programs for motor system energy efficiency have changed the landscape of U.S. motor system energymore » consumption. To capture the new landscape, the USDOE has initiated a three-year Motor System Market Assessment (MSMA), led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The MSMA will assess the energy consumption, operational and maintenance characteristics, and efficiency improvement opportunity of U.S. industrial sector and commercial building motor systems. As part of the MSMA, a significant effort is currently underway to conduct field assessments of motor systems from a sample of facilities representative of U.S. commercial and industrial motor system energy consumption. The Field Assessment Plan used for these assessments builds on recent LBNL research presented at EEMODS 2011 and EEMODS 2013 using methods for characterizing and determining regional motor system energy efficiency opportunities. This paper provides an update on the development and progress of the MSMA, focusing on the Field Assessment Plan and the framework for assessing the global supply chain for emerging motors and drive technologies.« less

Benefits and Costs of Aggressive Energy Efficiency Programs and the Impacts of Alternative Sources of Funding: Case Study of Massachusetts

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

Cappers, Peter; Satchwell, Andrew; Goldman, Charles

2010-08-06

Increased interest by state (and federal) policymakers and regulatory agencies in pursuing aggressive energy efficiency efforts could deliver significant utility bill savings for customers while having long-term implications for ratepayers (e.g. potential rate impacts). Equity and distributional concerns associated with the authorized recovery of energy efficiency program costs may necessitate the pursuit of alternative program funding approaches. In 2008, Massachusetts passed the Green Communities Act which directed its energy efficiency (EE) program administrators to obtain all cost-effective EE resources. This goal has translated into achieving annual electric energy savings equivalent to a 2.4% reduction in retail sales from energy efficiencymore » programs in 2012. Representatives of electricity consumer groups supported the new portfolio of EE programs (and the projected bill savings) but raised concerns about the potential rate impacts associated with achieving such aggressive EE goals, leading policymakers to seek out alternative funding sources which can potentially mitigate these effects. Utility administrators have also raised concerns about under-recovery of fixed costs when aggressive energy efficiency programs are pursued and have proposed ratemaking policies (e.g. decoupling) and business models that better align the utility's financial interests with the state's energy efficiency public policy goals. Quantifying these concerns and identifying ways they can be addressed are crucial steps in gaining the support of major stakeholder groups - lessons that can apply to other states looking to significantly increase savings targets that can be achieved from their own ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs. We use a pro-forma utility financial model to quantify the bill and rate impacts on electricity customers when very aggressive annual energy efficiency savings goals ({approx}2.4%) are achieved over the long-term and also assess the impact of different cost recovery approaches that integrate alternative revenue sources. We also analyze alternative lost fixed cost recovery approaches to better understand how to mitigate the erosion of utility shareholder returns in states that have adopted (and achieved) very aggressive savings targets.« less

South-Africa (Goodstart III) trial: community-based maternal and newborn care economic analysis.

PubMed

Daviaud, Emmanuelle; Nkonki, Lungiswa; Ijumba, Petrida; Doherty, Tanya; Lawn, Joy E; Owen, Helen; Jackson, Debra; Tomlinson, Mark

2017-10-01

In light of South Africa's generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic coupled with high infant mortality, we undertook a cluster Randomized Control Trial (2008-10) assessing the effect of Community Health Worker (CHW) antenatal and postnatal home visits on, amongst other indicators, levels of HIV-free survival, and exclusive and appropriate infant feeding at 12 weeks. Cost and time implications were calculated, by assessing the 15 participating CHWs, using financial records, mHealth and interviews. Sustainability and scalability were assessed, enabling identification of health system issues. The majority (96%) of women in the community received an average of 4.1 visits (target seven). The paid, single purpose CHWs spent 13 h/week on the programme. The financial cost per mother amounted to $94 ($23 per home visit). Modelling target coverage (95% mothers, seven visits) and increased efficiency showed that if CHWs spent 25 h/week on the programme, the number of CHWs required would decrease from 15 to 12. The intervention almost doubled exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 12 weeks and showed a 6% relative increase in EBF with each additional CHW visit. Home visit programmes improve access and prevention but are not an inexpensive alternative: the observed cost per home visit is twice that of a clinic visit and in target/efficiency scenario decreases to 70% of the cost of a clinic visit. Ensuring sustainability requires optimizing the design of programmes and deployment of human resources, whilst maintaining impact. However, low remuneration of CHWs leads to shorter working hours, low motivation and sub-optimal coverage even in a situation with well-resourced supervision. The community-based care programme in South-Africa is based on multi-purpose CHWs, its cost and impact should be compared with results from this study. Quality of support for multi-purpose CHWs may be the biggest challenge to address to achieving higher efficiency of community-based services. ISRCTN41046462. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multifractality, efficiency analysis of Chinese stock market and its cross-correlation with WTI crude oil price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Xiaoyang; Wei, Yu; Ma, Feng

2015-07-01

In this paper, the multifractality and efficiency degrees of ten important Chinese sectoral indices are evaluated using the methods of MF-DFA and generalized Hurst exponents. The study also scrutinizes the dynamics of the efficiency of Chinese sectoral stock market by the rolling window approach. The overall empirical findings revealed that all the sectoral indices of Chinese stock market exist different degrees of multifractality. The results of different efficiency measures have agreed on that the 300 Materials index is the least efficient index. However, they have a slight diffidence on the most efficient one. The 300 Information Technology, 300 Telecommunication Services and 300 Health Care indices are comparatively efficient. We also investigate the cross-correlations between the ten sectoral indices and WTI crude oil price based on Multifractal Detrended Cross-correlation Analysis. At last, some relevant discussions and implications of the empirical results are presented.

Imaging of acute cervical spine injuries: review and outlook.

PubMed

Tins, B J; Cassar-Pullicino, V N

2004-10-01

Advances in imaging technology have been successfully applied in the emergency trauma setting with great benefit providing early, accurate and efficient diagnoses. Gaps in the knowledge of imaging acute spinal injury remain, despite a vast wealth of useful research and publications on the role of CT and MRI. This article reviews in a balanced manner the main questions that still face the attending radiologist by embracing the current and evolving concepts to help define and provide answers to the following; Imaging techniques -- strengths and weaknesses; what are the implications of a missed cervical spine injury?; who should be imaged?; how should they be imaged?; spinal immobilisation -- help or hazard?; residual open questions; what does all this mean?; and what are the implications for the radiologist? Although there are many helpful guidelines, the residual gaps in the knowledge base result in incomplete answers to the questions posed. The identification of these gaps in knowledge however should act as the initiating stimulus for further research. All too often there is a danger that the performance and productivity of the imaging modalities is the main research focus and not enough attention is given to the two fundamental prerequisites to the assessment of any imaging technology -- the clinical selection criteria for imaging and the level of expertise of the appropriate clinician interpreting the images.

Trade in health services.

PubMed Central

Chanda, Rupa

2002-01-01

In light of the increasing globalization of the health sector, this article examines ways in which health services can be traded, using the mode-wise characterization of trade defined in the General Agreement on Trade in Services. The trade modes include cross- border delivery of health services via physical and electronic means, and cross-border movement of consumers, professionals, and capital. An examination of the positive and negative implications of trade in health services for equity, efficiency, quality, and access to health care indicates that health services trade has brought mixed benefits and that there is a clear role for policy measures to mitigate the adverse consequences and facilitate the gains. Some policy measures and priority areas for action are outlined, including steps to address the "brain drain"; increasing investment in the health sector and prioritizing this investment better; and promoting linkages between private and public health care services to ensure equity. Data collection, measures, and studies on health services trade all need to be improved, to assess better the magnitude and potential implications of this trade. In this context, the potential costs and benefits of trade in health services are shaped by the underlying structural conditions and existing regulatory, policy, and infrastructure in the health sector. Thus, appropriate policies and safeguard measures are required to take advantage of globalization in health services. PMID:11953795

Functional connectivity correlates of response inhibition impairment in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Collantoni, Enrico; Michelon, Silvia; Tenconi, Elena; Degortes, Daniela; Titton, Francesca; Manara, Renzo; Clementi, Maurizio; Pinato, Claudia; Forzan, Monica; Cassina, Matteo; Santonastaso, Paolo; Favaro, Angela

2016-01-30

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a disorder characterized by high levels of cognitive control and behavioral perseveration. The present study aims at exploring inhibitory control abilities and their functional connectivity correlates in patients with AN. Inhibitory control - an executive function that allows the realization of adaptive behavior according to environmental contingencies - has been assessed by means of the Stop-Signal paradigm. The study involved 155 patients with lifetime AN and 102 healthy women. A subsample underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and was genotyped for COMT and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. AN patients showed an impaired response inhibition and a disruption of the functional connectivity of the ventral attention circuit, a neural network implicated in behavioral response when a stimulus occurs unexpected. The 5-HTTLPR genotype appears to significantly interact with the functional connectivity of ventral attention network in explaining task performance in both patients and controls, suggesting a role of the serotoninergic system in mechanisms of response selection. The disruption of the ventral attention network in patients with AN suggests lower efficiency of bottom-up signal filtering, which might be involved in difficulties to adapt behavioral responses to environmental needs. Our findings deserve further research to confirm their scientific and therapeutic implications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Policy Implications of the Cost Structure of Home Health Agencies

PubMed Central

Mukamel, Dana B; Fortinsky, Richard H; White, Alan; Harrington, Charlene; White, Laura M; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine the cost structure of home health agencies by estimating an empirical cost function for those that are Medicare-certified, ten years following the implementation of prospective payment. Design and Methods 2010 national Medicare cost report data for certified home health agencies were merged with case-mix information from the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). We estimated a fully interacted (by tax status) hybrid cost function for 7,064 agencies and calculated marginal costs as percent of total costs for all variables. Results The home health industry is dominated by for-profit agencies, which tend to be newer than the non-profit agencies and to have higher average costs per patient but lower costs per visit. For-profit agencies tend to have smaller scale operations and different cost structures, and are less likely to be affiliated with chains. Our estimates suggest diseconomies of scale, zero marginal cost for contracting with therapy workers, and a positive marginal cost for contracting with nurses, when controlling for quality. Implications Our findings suggest that efficiencies may be achieved by promoting non-profit, smaller agencies, with fewer contract nursing staff. This conclusion should be tested further in future studies that address some of the limitations of our study. PMID:24949224

[Network clusters of symptoms as elementary syndromes of psychopathology: implications for clinical practice].

PubMed

Goekoop, R; Goekoop, J G

2016-01-01

In a recent publication we reported the existence of around 11 (to 15) 'elementary syndromes' that may combine in various ways, rather like 'building blocks', to explain the wide range of psychiatric symptoms. 'Bridge symptoms' seem to be responsible both for combining large sets of symptoms into elementary syndromes and for combining the various elementary syndromes to form one globally connected network structure. To discuss the implication of these findings for clinical practice. We performed a network analysis of symptom scores. Elementary syndromes provide a massive simplification of the description of psychiatric disease. Instead of the more than 300 categories in DSM-5, we now need to consider only a handful of elementary syndromes and personality domains. This modular representation of psychiatric illnesses allows us to make a complete, systematic and efficient assessment of patients and a systematic review of treatment options. Clinicians, patients, managerial staff and insurance companies can verify whether symptom reduction is taking place in the most important domains of psychopathology. Unlike classic multidimensional methods of disease description, network models of psychopathology can be used to explain comorbidity patterns, predict the clinical course of psychopathology and to designate primary targets for therapeutic interventions. A network view on psychopathology could significantly improve everyday clinical practice.

The Impact of Policies Influencing the Demography of Age-Structured Populations: Lessons from Academies of Sciences

PubMed Central

Riosmena, Fernando; Winkler-Dworak, Maria; Prskawetz, Alexia; Feichtinger, Gustav

2013-01-01

In this paper, we assess the role of policies aimed at regulating the number and age structure of elections on the size and age structure of five European Academies of Sciences. We show the recent pace of ageing and the degree of variation in policies across them and discuss the implications of different policies on the size and age structure of academies. We also illustrate the potential effect of different election regimes (fixed vs. linked) and age structures of election (younger vs. older) by contrasting the steady-state dynamics of different projections of Full Members in each academy into 2070 and measuring the size and age-compositional effect of changing a given policy relative to a status quo policy scenario. Our findings suggest that academies with linked intake (i.e., where the size of the academy below a certain age is fixed and the number of elections is set to the number of members becoming that age) may be a more efficient approach to curb growth without suffering any ageing trade-offs relative to the faster growth of academies electing a fixed number of members per year. We further discuss the implications of our results in the context of stable populations open to migration. PMID:23843677

EXPOSURE TO INTERMITTENT AIR POLLUTION AND CHANGES IN SEMEN QUALITY: EVIDENCE FOR AN ASSOCIATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR REPRODUCTIVE RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to Intermittent Air Pollution and Changes in Semen Quality:
Evidence for an Association and Implications for Reproductive Risk Assessment.

S. D. Perreault1, S.G. Selevan2, J. Rubes3, D. Zudova3, and D.P. Evenson4
1US EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Research Triangle Pa...

Writing and Pseudo-Writing from Internet-Based Sources: Implications for Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skaar, Håvard

2015-01-01

In recent years, plagiarism has been on the increase across the Western world. This article identifies Internet access as a contributory cause of this trend and addresses the implications of readily available Internet sources for the teaching and assessment of writing in schools. The basis for the article is a previous study showing a wide…

Matching Impedances and Modes in Acoustic Levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.

1985-01-01

Temperature differences accommodated with tunable coupler. Report discusses schemes for coupling sound efficiently from cool outside atmosphere into hot acoustic-levitation chamber. Theoretical studies have practical implications for material-processing systems that employ acoustic levitation.

Assessment of emissions and removal of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) at start-up periods in a hazardous waste incinerator.

PubMed

Karademir, Aykan; Korucu, M Kemal

2013-07-01

A study was conducted to observe the changes in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) levels and congener profiles in the flue gas of a hazardous waste incinerator during two start-up periods. Flue gas samplings were performed simultaneously through Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) (including boiler outlet, electrostatic precipitator (ESP) outlet, wet scrubbers (WS) outlet, and activated carbon (AC) filter outlet) in different combustion temperatures during a planned cold (long) start-up and an unplanned warm (short) start-up. The results showed that PCDD/F concentrations could be elevated during the start-up periods up to levels 3-4 times higher than those observed in the normal operation. Especially lower combustion temperatures in the short start-ups may cause high PCDD/F concentrations in the raw flue gas. Assessment of combustion temperatures and Furans/Dioxins values indicated that surface-catalyzed de novo synthesis was the dominant pathway in the formation of PCDD/Fs in the combustion units. PCDD/F removal efficiencies of Air Pollution Control Devices suggested that formation by de novo synthesis existed in ESP also when in operation, leading to increase of gaseous phase PCDD/Fs in ESP Particle-bound PCDD/Fs were removed mainly by ESP and WS, while gaseous phase PCDD/Fs were removed by WS, and more efficiently by AC filter. This paper evaluates PCDD/F emissions and removal performances of APCDs (ESP, wet scrubbers, and activated carbon) during two start-up periods in an incinerator. The main implications are the following: (1) start-up periods increase PCDD/F emissions up to 2-3 times in the incinerator; (2) low combustion temperatures in start-ups cause high PCDD/F emissions in raw gas; (3) formation of PCDD/Fs by de novo synthesis occurs in ESP; (4) AC is efficient in removing gaseous PCDD/Fs, but may increase particle-bound ones; and (5) scrubbers remove both gaseous and particle-bound PCDD/Fs efficiently.

Location of residence associated with the likelihood of patient visit to the preoperative assessment clinic

PubMed Central

Seidel, Judy E; Beck, Cynthia A; Pocobelli, Gaia; Lemaire, Jane B; Bugar, Jennifer M; Quan, Hude; Ghali, William A

2006-01-01

Background Outpatient preoperative assessment clinics were developed to provide an efficient assessment of surgical patients prior to surgery, and have demonstrated benefits to patients and the health care system. However, the centralization of preoperative assessment clinics may introduce geographical barriers to utilization that are dependent on where a patient lives with respect to the location of the preoperative assessment clinic. Methods The association between geographical distance from a patient's place of residence to the preoperative assessment clinic, and the likelihood of a patient visit to the clinic prior to surgery, was assessed for all patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary health care centre in a major Canadian city. The odds of attending the preoperative clinic were adjusted for patient characteristics and clinical factors. Results Patients were less likely to visit the preoperative assessment clinic prior to surgery as distance from the patient's place of residence to the clinic increased (adjusted OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.44–0.63 for distances between 50–100 km, and OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.21–0.31 for distances greater than 250 km). This 'distance decay' effect was remarkable for all surgical specialties. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that the likelihood of a patient visiting the preoperative assessment clinic appears to depend on the geographical location of patients' residences. Patients who live closest to the clinic tend to be seen more often than patients who live in rural and remote areas. This observation may have implications for achieving the goals of equitable access, and optimal patient care and resource utilization in a single universal insurer health care system. PMID:16504058

Hospital nurse staffing and public health emergency preparedness: implications for policy.

PubMed

McHugh, Matthew D

2010-01-01

Hospital restructuring policies and an impending nursing workforce shortage have threatened the nation's emergency preparedness. Current emergency response plans rely on sources of nurses that are limited and overestimated. A national investment in nursing education and workforce infrastructure, as well as incentives for hospitals to efficiently maximize nurse staffing, are needed to ensure emergency preparedness in the United States. This review highlights the challenges of maintaining hospital nursing surge capacity and policy implications of a nursing shortage.

Hospital Nurse Staffing and Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Implications for Policy

PubMed Central

McHugh, Matthew D.

2010-01-01

Hospital restructuring policies and an impending nursing workforce shortage have threatened the nation’s emergency preparedness. Current emergency response plans rely on sources of nurses that are limited and overestimated. A national investment in nursing education and workforce infrastructure, as well as incentives for hospitals to efficiently maximize nurse staffing, are needed to ensure emergency preparedness in the United States. This review highlights the challenges of maintaining hospital nursing surge capacity and policy implications of a nursing shortage. PMID:20840714

Band tailing and efficiency limitation in kesterite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gokmen, Tayfun; Gunawan, Oki; Todorov, Teodor K.; Mitzi, David B.

2013-09-01

We demonstrate that a fundamental performance bottleneck for hydrazine processed kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells with efficiencies reaching above 11% can be the formation of band-edge tail states, which quantum efficiency and photoluminescence data indicate is roughly twice as severe as in higher-performing Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 devices. Low temperature time-resolved photoluminescence data suggest that the enhanced tailing arises primarily from electrostatic potential fluctuations induced by strong compensation and facilitated by a lower CZTSSe dielectric constant. We discuss the implications of the band tails for the voltage deficit in these devices.

Time-varying long term memory in the European Union stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sensoy, Ahmet; Tabak, Benjamin M.

2015-10-01

This paper proposes a new efficiency index to model time-varying inefficiency in stock markets. We focus on European stock markets and show that they have different degrees of time-varying efficiency. We observe that the 2008 global financial crisis has an adverse effect on almost all EU stock markets. However, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis has a significant adverse effect only on the markets in France, Spain and Greece. For the late members, joining EU does not have a uniform effect on stock market efficiency. Our results have important implications for policy makers, investors, risk managers and academics.

Ethical and legal challenges for health telematics in a global world: telehealth and the technological imperative.

PubMed

Kluge, Eike-Henner W

2011-02-01

Telehealth is one of the more recent applications of ICT to health care. It promises to be both cost-effective and efficient. However, there lies a danger that focusing mainly on pragmatic considerations will ignore fundamental ethical issues with legal implications that could undermine its success. Implicated here are, among others, changes in the nature of the health care professional patient relationship and informed consent, etc. The position of health informatics professionals as well as hard- and software providers is also affected. A further complicating factor is outsourcing. This paper identifies relevant issues and outlines some of their implications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tourism impacts of Three Mile Island and other adverse events: Implications for Lincoln County and other rural counties bisected by radioactive wastes intended for Yucca Mountain

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

Himmelberger, J.J.; Ogneva-Himmelberger, Y.A.; Baughman, M.

Whether the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository system will adversely impact tourism in southern Nevada is an open question of particular importance to visitor-oriented rural counties bisected by planned waste transportation corridors (highway or rail). As part of one such county`s repository impact assessment program, tourism implications of Three Mile Island (TMI) and other major hazard events have been revisited to inform ongoing county-wide socioeconomic assessments and contingency planning efforts. This paper summarizes key research implications of such research as applied to Lincoln County, Nevada. Implications for other rural counties are discussed in light of the research findings. 29more » refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

A computable expression of closure to efficient causation.

PubMed

Mossio, Matteo; Longo, Giuseppe; Stewart, John

2009-04-07

In this paper, we propose a mathematical expression of closure to efficient causation in terms of lambda-calculus; we argue that this opens up the perspective of developing principled computer simulations of systems closed to efficient causation in an appropriate programming language. An important implication of our formulation is that, by exhibiting an expression in lambda-calculus, which is a paradigmatic formalism for computability and programming, we show that there are no conceptual or principled problems in realizing a computer simulation or model of closure to efficient causation. We conclude with a brief discussion of the question whether closure to efficient causation captures all relevant properties of living systems. We suggest that it might not be the case, and that more complex definitions could indeed create crucial some obstacles to computability.

High efficiency carrier multiplication in PbSe nanocrystals: implications for solar energy conversion.

PubMed

Schaller, R D; Klimov, V I

2004-05-07

We demonstrate for the first time that impact ionization (II) (the inverse of Auger recombination) occurs with very high efficiency in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). Interband optical excitation of PbSe NCs at low pump intensities, for which less than one exciton is initially generated per NC on average, results in the formation of two or more excitons (carrier multiplication) when pump photon energies are more than 3 times the NC band gap energy. The generation of multiexcitons from a single photon absorption event is observed to take place on an ultrafast (picosecond) time scale and occurs with up to 100% efficiency depending upon the excess energy of the absorbed photon. Efficient II in NCs can be used to considerably increase the power conversion efficiency of NC-based solar cells.

EPA’s Travel Efficiency Method (TEAM) AMPO Presentation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation describes EPA’s Travel Efficiency Assessment Method (TEAM) assessing potential travel efficiency strategies for reducing travel activity and emissions, includes reduction estimates in Vehicle Miles Traveled in four different geographic areas.

Assessment of owner-directed aggressive behavioural tendencies of dogs in situations of possession and manipulation.

PubMed

Bálint, Anna; Rieger, Gabriella; Miklósi, Ádám; Pongrácz, Péter

2017-10-01

Excessive aggression is a common behaviour problem in dogs that can have various destructive effects on the affected people and the implicated dog. Aggressive behaviour directed towards the owner or other family members is one of the most frequently occurring aggressive phenotypes. Here, we examine the reliability of a short questionnaire assessing aggressive behaviours by two, contextually different behavioural tests: 'take away bone' and 'roll over'. Based on dogs' behaviour in the tests, we sorted dogs ( N  = 93) in two groups for each test, namely a less and a more disobedient/resistant group. The two principal components obtained in our questionnaire-'obedient' and 'aggressive towards owner'-showed significant differences between the behaviour groups. While dogs in the less disobedient/resistant groups had significantly higher 'obedient' and significantly lower 'aggressive towards owner' scores, dogs in the more disobedient/resistant groups had significantly higher 'aggressive towards owner' and significantly lower 'obedient' scores. Dogs' age, sex and neuter/spay status expressed their effect through interactions. Males, young dogs and intact dogs were less 'obedient' than older ones, while resistant spayed/neutered dogs were more aggressive towards the owner. The questionnaire used is a safe, easy to deploy and time-efficient tool to reliably assess certain owner-directed aggressive tendencies of family dogs.

Accounting for ecosystem assets using remote sensing in the Colombian Orinoco River Basin lowlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, Leonardo; Hein, Lars; Remme, Roy P.

2017-04-01

Worldwide, ecosystem change compromises the supply of ecosystem services (ES). Better managing ecosystems requires detailed information on these changes and their implications for ES supply. Ecosystem accounting has been developed as an environmental-economic accounting system using concepts aligned with the System of National Accounts. Ecosystem accounting requires spatial information from a local to national scale. The objective of this paper is to explore how remote sensing can be used to analyze ecosystems using an accounting approach in the Orinoco River Basin. We assessed ecosystem assets in terms of extent, condition, and capacity to supply ES. We focus on four specific ES: grasslands grazed by cattle, timber harvesting, oil palm fresh fruit bunches harvesting, and carbon sequestration. We link ES with six ecosystem assets: savannahs, woody grasslands, mixed agroecosystems, very dense forests, dense forest, and oil palm plantations. We used remote sensing vegetation and productivity indexes to measure ecosystem assets. We found that remote sensing is a powerful tool to estimate ecosystem extent. The enhanced vegetation index can be used to assess ecosystems condition, and net primary productivity can be used for the assessment of ecosystem assets capacity to supply ES. Integrating remote sensing and ecological information facilitates efficient monitoring of ecosystem assets.

Methodological problems in the method used by IQWiG within early benefit assessment of new pharmaceuticals in Germany.

PubMed

Herpers, Matthias; Dintsios, Charalabos-Markos

2018-04-25

The decision matrix applied by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) for the quantification of added benefit within the early benefit assessment of new pharmaceuticals in Germany with its nine fields is quite complex and could be simplified. Furthermore, the method used by IQWiG is subject to manifold criticism: (1) it is implicitly weighting endpoints differently in its assessments favoring overall survival and, thereby, drug interventions in fatal diseases, (2) it is assuming that two pivotal trials are available when assessing the dossiers submitted by the pharmaceutical manufacturers, leading to far-reaching implications with respect to the quantification of added benefit, and, (3) it is basing the evaluation primarily on dichotomous endpoints and consequently leading to an information loss of usable evidence. To investigate if criticism is justified and to propose methodological adaptations. Analysis of the available dossiers up to the end of 2016 using statistical tests and multinomial logistic regression and simulations. It was shown that due to power losses, the method does not ensure that results are statistically valid and outcomes of the early benefit assessment may be compromised, though evidence on favoring overall survival remains unclear. Modifications, however, of the IQWiG method are possible to address the identified problems. By converging with the approach of approval authorities for confirmatory endpoints, the decision matrix could be simplified and the analysis method could be improved, to put the results on a more valid statistical basis.

Environmental assessment of microwaves and the effect of European energy efficiency and waste management legislation.

PubMed

Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Mendoza, Joan Manuel F; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-03-15

More than 130 million microwaves are affected by European Union (EU) legislation which is aimed at reducing the consumption of electricity in the standby mode ('Standby Regulation') and at more sustainable management of end-of-life electrical and electronic waste ('WEEE Directive'). While legislation focuses on these two life cycle stages, there is little information on the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of microwaves. To address this gap, this paper presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment of microwaves and assesses the environmental implications of the Standby Regulation and the WEEE Directive at the EU level. The impacts are first considered at the level of individual appliances and then at the EU level, with the aim of evaluating the potential environmental implications of the full implementation of the above two EU regulations by 2020. The effects of the electricity decarbonisation and the expected increase in the number of microwaves in use have also been considered. The results suggest that implementation of the EU regulation by 2020 will reduce the environmental impacts considered by 4%-9% compared to the current situation. The majority of these reductions is due to the Standby Regulation, with the contribution of the WEEE Directive being small (~0.3%). However, the expected decarbonisation of electricity will result in much higher reductions (6%-24%) for most impact categories. The results also show that the materials used to manufacture the microwaves, the manufacturing process and end-of-life disposal are environmental hot-spots for several impacts, including depletion of abiotic elements. Therefore, efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of a future electricity mix should be combined with the development of specific eco-design regulations for microwaves that stipulate optimisation of resource consumption. Possible future trends, such as shorter lifetimes and limited availability of some resources, make the development of such product regulations more critical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Will you swim into my parlour? In situ observations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) interactions with baited pots, with implications for gear design

PubMed Central

Walsh, Philip; Favaro, Brett

2017-01-01

Pots (also known as traps) are baited fishing gears widely used in commercial fisheries, and are being considered as a tool for harvesting Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Pots produce lower environmental impacts than many other fishing gears, but they will only be a viable fishing strategy if they are efficient and selective at catching their target species. To study the behaviour of cod in and around pots, and how those behaviours affect pot efficiency, we used long-duration underwater video cameras to assess two models of cod pot deployed in the nearshore waters of Fogo Island, NL. We examined the number of cod that approached the pot, the number and proportion that successfully completed entries into the pot openings, and the number that exited, and related these factors to the direction of water movement. We observed very few entry attempts relative to the number of approaches by cod, and only 22% of all entry attempts were successful. We observed that 50% of approaches, 70% of entry attempts, and 73% of successful entrances occurred against the current, and 25% of cod were able to exit the pot following capture. Based on our observations, we suggest that future cod pots should have a greater number of entrances, or a mechanism to ensure that entrances rotate in line with the current, in order to maximize their catch efficiency for cod. PMID:28194312

Network Robustness: the whole story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longjas, A.; Tejedor, A.; Zaliapin, I. V.; Ambroj, S.; Foufoula-Georgiou, E.

2014-12-01

A multitude of actual processes operating on hydrological networks may exhibit binary outcomes such as clean streams in a river network that may become contaminated. These binary outcomes can be modeled by node removal processes (attacks) acting in a network. Network robustness against attacks has been widely studied in fields as diverse as the Internet, power grids and human societies. However, the current definition of robustness is only accounting for the connectivity of the nodes unaffected by the attack. Here, we put forward the idea that the connectivity of the affected nodes can play a crucial role in proper evaluation of the overall network robustness and its future recovery from the attack. Specifically, we propose a dual perspective approach wherein at any instant in the network evolution under attack, two distinct networks are defined: (i) the Active Network (AN) composed of the unaffected nodes and (ii) the Idle Network (IN) composed of the affected nodes. The proposed robustness metric considers both the efficiency of destroying the AN and the efficiency of building-up the IN. This approach is motivated by concrete applied problems, since, for example, if we study the dynamics of contamination in river systems, it is necessary to know both the connectivity of the healthy and contaminated parts of the river to assess its ecological functionality. We show that trade-offs between the efficiency of the Active and Idle network dynamics give rise to surprising crossovers and re-ranking of different attack strategies, pointing to significant implications for decision making.

Will you swim into my parlour? In situ observations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) interactions with baited pots, with implications for gear design.

PubMed

Meintzer, Phillip; Walsh, Philip; Favaro, Brett

2017-01-01

Pots (also known as traps) are baited fishing gears widely used in commercial fisheries, and are being considered as a tool for harvesting Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Pots produce lower environmental impacts than many other fishing gears, but they will only be a viable fishing strategy if they are efficient and selective at catching their target species. To study the behaviour of cod in and around pots, and how those behaviours affect pot efficiency, we used long-duration underwater video cameras to assess two models of cod pot deployed in the nearshore waters of Fogo Island, NL. We examined the number of cod that approached the pot, the number and proportion that successfully completed entries into the pot openings, and the number that exited, and related these factors to the direction of water movement. We observed very few entry attempts relative to the number of approaches by cod, and only 22% of all entry attempts were successful. We observed that 50% of approaches, 70% of entry attempts, and 73% of successful entrances occurred against the current, and 25% of cod were able to exit the pot following capture. Based on our observations, we suggest that future cod pots should have a greater number of entrances, or a mechanism to ensure that entrances rotate in line with the current, in order to maximize their catch efficiency for cod.

Object Recognition in Mental Representations: Directions for Exploring Diagnostic Features through Visual Mental Imagery.

PubMed

Roldan, Stephanie M

2017-01-01

One of the fundamental goals of object recognition research is to understand how a cognitive representation produced from the output of filtered and transformed sensory information facilitates efficient viewer behavior. Given that mental imagery strongly resembles perceptual processes in both cortical regions and subjective visual qualities, it is reasonable to question whether mental imagery facilitates cognition in a manner similar to that of perceptual viewing: via the detection and recognition of distinguishing features. Categorizing the feature content of mental imagery holds potential as a reverse pathway by which to identify the components of a visual stimulus which are most critical for the creation and retrieval of a visual representation. This review will examine the likelihood that the information represented in visual mental imagery reflects distinctive object features thought to facilitate efficient object categorization and recognition during perceptual viewing. If it is the case that these representational features resemble their sensory counterparts in both spatial and semantic qualities, they may well be accessible through mental imagery as evaluated through current investigative techniques. In this review, methods applied to mental imagery research and their findings are reviewed and evaluated for their efficiency in accessing internal representations, and implications for identifying diagnostic features are discussed. An argument is made for the benefits of combining mental imagery assessment methods with diagnostic feature research to advance the understanding of visual perceptive processes, with suggestions for avenues of future investigation.

Object Recognition in Mental Representations: Directions for Exploring Diagnostic Features through Visual Mental Imagery

PubMed Central

Roldan, Stephanie M.

2017-01-01

One of the fundamental goals of object recognition research is to understand how a cognitive representation produced from the output of filtered and transformed sensory information facilitates efficient viewer behavior. Given that mental imagery strongly resembles perceptual processes in both cortical regions and subjective visual qualities, it is reasonable to question whether mental imagery facilitates cognition in a manner similar to that of perceptual viewing: via the detection and recognition of distinguishing features. Categorizing the feature content of mental imagery holds potential as a reverse pathway by which to identify the components of a visual stimulus which are most critical for the creation and retrieval of a visual representation. This review will examine the likelihood that the information represented in visual mental imagery reflects distinctive object features thought to facilitate efficient object categorization and recognition during perceptual viewing. If it is the case that these representational features resemble their sensory counterparts in both spatial and semantic qualities, they may well be accessible through mental imagery as evaluated through current investigative techniques. In this review, methods applied to mental imagery research and their findings are reviewed and evaluated for their efficiency in accessing internal representations, and implications for identifying diagnostic features are discussed. An argument is made for the benefits of combining mental imagery assessment methods with diagnostic feature research to advance the understanding of visual perceptive processes, with suggestions for avenues of future investigation. PMID:28588538

Rinne revisited: steel versus aluminum tuning forks.

PubMed

MacKechnie, Cheryl A; Greenberg, Jesse J; Gerkin, Richard C; McCall, Andrew A; Hirsch, Barry E; Durrant, John D; Raz, Yael

2013-12-01

(1) Determine whether tuning fork material (aluminum vs stainless steel) affects Rinne testing in the clinical assessment of conductive hearing loss (CHL). (2) Determine the relative acoustic and mechanical outputs of 512-Hz tuning forks made of aluminum and stainless steel. Prospective, observational. Outpatient otology clinic. Fifty subjects presenting May 2011 to May 2012 with negative or equivocal Rinne in at least 1 ear and same-day audiometry. Rinne test results using aluminum and steel forks were compared and correlated with the audiometric air-bone gap. Bench top measurements using sound-level meter, microphone, and artificial mastoid. Patients with CHL were more likely to produce a negative Rinne test with a steel fork than with an aluminum fork. Logistic regression revealed that the probability of a negative Rinne reached 50% at a 19 dB air-bone gap for stainless steel versus 27 dB with aluminum. Bench top testing revealed that steel forks demonstrate, in effect, more comparable air and bone conduction efficiencies while aluminum forks have relatively lower bone conduction efficiency. We have found that steel tuning forks can detect a lesser air-bone gap compared to aluminum tuning forks. This is substantiated by observations of clear differences in the relative acoustic versus mechanical outputs of steel and aluminum forks, reflecting underlying inevitable differences in acoustic versus mechanical impedances of these devices, and thus efficiency of coupling sound/vibratory energy to the auditory system. These findings have clinical implications for using tuning forks to determine candidacy for stapes surgery.

Neuropsychological assessment of executive functions following pediatric traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Gaines, K Drorit; Soper, Henry V

2018-01-01

Assessment of executive functions in the adult is best captured at the stage where full maturation of brain development occurs. Assessment of executive functions of children, however, is considerably more complicated. First, assessment of executive functioning in children represents a snapshot of these developing functions at a particular time linked stage, which may have implications for further development. Second, neuropsychological measures available to assess executive functions in children are limited in number and scope and may not be sensitive to the gradual developmental changes. The present article provides an overview of the salient neurodevelopmental stages of executive functioning and discusses the utilization of recently developed neuropsychological measures to assess these stages. Comments on clinical implications of these findings regarding Traumatic Brain Injury will be provided.

Hydrogen flammability limits and implications on fire safety of transportation vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

The recent establishment of the National University Transportation Center at MST under the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users," expands the research and education activities to include alternative tr...

On the efficacy of a computer-based program to teach visual Braille reading.

PubMed

Scheithauer, Mindy C; Tiger, Jeffrey H; Miller, Sarah J

2013-01-01

Scheithauer and Tiger (2012) created an efficient computerized program that taught 4 sighted college students to select text letters when presented with visual depictions of Braille alphabetic characters and resulted in the emergence of some braille reading. The current study extended these results to a larger sample (n = 81) and compared the efficacy and efficiency of the instructional program using 2 different response modalities. One variation of the program required a response in a multiple-choice format, and the other variation required a keyed response. Both instructional programs resulted in increased braille letter identification and braille reading. These skills were maintained at a follow-up session 7 to 14 days later. The mean time needed to complete the program was 22.8 min across participants. Implications of these results for future research, as well as practical implications for teaching the braille alphabet, are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Enhanced transcription and translation in clay hydrogel and implications for early life evolution

PubMed Central

Yang, Dayong; Peng, Songming; Hartman, Mark R.; Gupton-Campolongo, Tiffany; Rice, Edward J.; Chang, Anna Kathryn; Gu, Zi; Lu, G. Q. (Max); Luo, Dan

2013-01-01

In most contemporary life forms, the confinement of cell membranes provides localized concentration and protection for biomolecules, leading to efficient biochemical reactions. Similarly, confinement may have also played an important role for prebiotic compartmentalization in early life evolution when the cell membrane had not yet formed. It remains an open question how biochemical reactions developed without the confinement of cell membranes. Here we mimic the confinement function of cells by creating a hydrogel made from geological clay minerals, which provides an efficient confinement environment for biomolecules. We also show that nucleic acids were concentrated in the clay hydrogel and were protected against nuclease, and that transcription and translation reactions were consistently enhanced. Taken together, our results support the importance of localized concentration and protection of biomolecules in early life evolution, and also implicate a clay hydrogel environment for biochemical reactions during early life evolution. PMID:24196527

Implications of global climate change for the assessment and management of human health risks of chemicals in the natural environment.

PubMed

Balbus, John M; Boxall, Alistair B A; Fenske, Richard A; McKone, Thomas E; Zeise, Lauren

2013-01-01

Global climate change (GCC) is likely to alter the degree of human exposure to pollutants and the response of human populations to these exposures, meaning that risks of pollutants could change in the future. The present study, therefore, explores how GCC might affect the different steps in the pathway from a chemical source in the environment through to impacts on human health and evaluates the implications for existing risk-assessment and management practices. In certain parts of the world, GCC is predicted to increase the level of exposure of many environmental pollutants due to direct and indirect effects on the use patterns and transport and fate of chemicals. Changes in human behavior will also affect how humans come into contact with contaminated air, water, and food. Dietary changes, psychosocial stress, and coexposure to stressors such as high temperatures are likely to increase the vulnerability of humans to chemicals. These changes are likely to have significant implications for current practices for chemical assessment. Assumptions used in current exposure-assessment models may no longer apply, and existing monitoring methods may not be robust enough to detect adverse episodic changes in exposures. Organizations responsible for the assessment and management of health risks of chemicals therefore need to be more proactive and consider the implications of GCC for their procedures and processes. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Clinicians' perception of the preventability of inpatient mortality.

PubMed

Nash, Robert; Srinivasan, Ramya; Kenway, Bruno; Quinn, James

2018-03-12

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess whether clinicians have an accurate perception of the preventability of their patients' mortality. Case note review estimates that approximately 5 percent of inpatient deaths are preventable. Design/methodology/approach The design involved in the study is a prospective audit of inpatient mortality in a single NHS hospital trust. The case study includes 979 inpatient mortalities. A number of outcome measures were recorded, including a Likert scale of the preventability of death- and NCEPOD-based grading of care quality. Findings Clinicians assessed only 1.4 percent of deaths as likely to be preventable. This is significantly lower than previously published values ( p<0.0001). Clinicians were also more likely to rate the quality of care as "good," and less likely to identify areas of substandard clinical or organizational management. Research limitations/implications The implications of objective assessment of the preventability of mortality are essential to drive quality improvement in this area. Practical implications There is a wide disparity between independent case note review and clinicians assessing the care of their own patients. This may be due to a "knowledge gap" between reviewers and treating clinicians, or an "objectivity gap" meaning clinicians may not recognize preventability of death of patients under their care. Social implications This study gives some insight into deficiencies in clinical governance processes. Originality/value No similar study has been performed. This has significant implications for the idea of the preventability of mortality.

Soccer science and the Bayes community: exploring the cognitive implications of modern scientific communication.

PubMed

Shrager, Jeff; Billman, Dorrit; Convertino, Gregorio; Massar, J P; Pirolli, Peter

2010-01-01

Science is a form of distributed analysis involving both individual work that produces new knowledge and collaborative work to exchange information with the larger community. There are many particular ways in which individual and community can interact in science, and it is difficult to assess how efficient these are, and what the best way might be to support them. This paper reports on a series of experiments in this area and a prototype implementation using a research platform called CACHE. CACHE both supports experimentation with different structures of interaction between individual and community cognition and serves as a prototype for computational support for those structures. We particularly focus on CACHE-BC, the Bayes community version of CACHE, within which the community can break up analytical tasks into "mind-sized" units and use provenance tracking to keep track of the relationship between these units. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Interior ice/mineral/water interface dynamics (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rempel, A. W.

2009-12-01

The search for life begins with the search for liquid water. In our solar system, persistent water reservoirs are invariably found together with ice. On Earth, organisms have evolved to thrive at sub-zero temperatures in ice-bound habitats that have numerous analogues throughout our solar system and beyond. To assess the potential for life requires a thorough investigation of the dynamic interactions within these deposits. Well-established thermodynamic principles govern the stable coexistence of premelted liquid at the interface between ice and other minerals. Foreign constituents are efficiently rejected from the ice crystal lattice and are concentrated in residual liquid regions instead. This gains added importance with the recognition that the most fundamental requirements for survival include a food source and the removal of waste. This talk reviews the astrobiological implications of the availability, behavior, and properties of liquid water in association with the interiors of icy bodies and ice-mineral interfacial regions.

Enhanced tactile encoding and memory recognition in congenital blindness.

PubMed

D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Waraich, Paul

2002-06-01

Several behavioural studies have shown that early-blind persons possess superior tactile skills. Since neurophysiological data show that early-blind persons recruit visual as well as somatosensory cortex to carry out tactile processing (cross-modal plasticity), blind persons' sharper tactile skills may be related to cortical re-organisation resulting from loss of vision early in their life. To examine the nature of blind individuals' tactile superiority and its implications for cross-modal plasticity, we compared the tactile performance of congenitally totally blind, low-vision and sighted children on raised-line picture identification test and re-test, assessing effects of task familiarity, exploratory strategy and memory recognition. What distinguished the blind from the other children was higher memory recognition and higher tactile encoding associated with efficient exploration. These results suggest that enhanced perceptual encoding and recognition memory may be two cognitive correlates of cross-modal plasticity in congenital blindness.

The Influence of Higher-Order Epistasis on Biological Fitness Landscape Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinreich, Daniel M.; Lan, Yinghong; Jaffe, Jacob; Heckendorn, Robert B.

2018-07-01

The effect of a mutation on the organism often depends on what other mutations are already present in its genome. Geneticists refer to such mutational interactions as epistasis. Pairwise epistatic effects have been recognized for over a century, and their evolutionary implications have received theoretical attention for nearly as long. However, pairwise epistatic interactions themselves can vary with genomic background. This is called higher-order epistasis, and its consequences for evolution are much less well understood. Here, we assess the influence that higher-order epistasis has on the topography of 16 published, biological fitness landscapes. We find that on average, their effects on fitness landscape declines with order, and suggest that notable exceptions to this trend may deserve experimental scrutiny. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for further theoretical and experimental work dissecting the influence that epistasis of all orders has on fitness landscape topography and on the efficiency of evolution by natural selection.

Effective intervention programming: improving maternal adjustment through parent education.

PubMed

Farris, Jaelyn R; Bert, Shannon S Carothers; Nicholson, Jody S; Glass, Kerrie; Borkowski, John G

2013-05-01

This study assessed the secondary effects of a parent training intervention program on maternal adjustment, with a focus on understanding ways in which program efficacy differed for participants as a function of whether or not their children had behavior problems. Mothers (N = 99) of toddlers (2-3 years of age) were randomly assigned to receive one of three levels of intervention: (1) informational booklet (2) booklet + face-to-face parent training sessions, or (3) booklet + web-based parent training sessions. Findings indicated that all levels of intervention were associated with increases in maternal well-being for participants with typically developing children. Mothers of toddlers with behavior problems, however, did not benefit from receiving only the booklet but significantly benefitted from receiving either the face-to-face or web-based interventions. Findings are discussed in terms of efficient and efficacious program dissemination and the resulting implications for public policy.

The Influence of Higher-Order Epistasis on Biological Fitness Landscape Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinreich, Daniel M.; Lan, Yinghong; Jaffe, Jacob; Heckendorn, Robert B.

2018-02-01

The effect of a mutation on the organism often depends on what other mutations are already present in its genome. Geneticists refer to such mutational interactions as epistasis. Pairwise epistatic effects have been recognized for over a century, and their evolutionary implications have received theoretical attention for nearly as long. However, pairwise epistatic interactions themselves can vary with genomic background. This is called higher-order epistasis, and its consequences for evolution are much less well understood. Here, we assess the influence that higher-order epistasis has on the topography of 16 published, biological fitness landscapes. We find that on average, their effects on fitness landscape declines with order, and suggest that notable exceptions to this trend may deserve experimental scrutiny. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for further theoretical and experimental work dissecting the influence that epistasis of all orders has on fitness landscape topography and on the efficiency of evolution by natural selection.

Monte Carlo estimation of total variation distance of Markov chains on large spaces, with application to phylogenetics.

PubMed

Herbei, Radu; Kubatko, Laura

2013-03-26

Markov chains are widely used for modeling in many areas of molecular biology and genetics. As the complexity of such models advances, it becomes increasingly important to assess the rate at which a Markov chain converges to its stationary distribution in order to carry out accurate inference. A common measure of convergence to the stationary distribution is the total variation distance, but this measure can be difficult to compute when the state space of the chain is large. We propose a Monte Carlo method to estimate the total variation distance that can be applied in this situation, and we demonstrate how the method can be efficiently implemented by taking advantage of GPU computing techniques. We apply the method to two Markov chains on the space of phylogenetic trees, and discuss the implications of our findings for the development of algorithms for phylogenetic inference.

Strategy difficulty effects in young and older adults' episodic memory are modulated by inter-stimulus intervals and executive control processes.

PubMed

Burger, Lucile; Uittenhove, Kim; Lemaire, Patrick; Taconnat, Laurence

2017-04-01

Efficient execution of strategies is crucial to memory performance and to age-related differences in this performance. Relative strategy complexity influences memory performance and aging effects on memory. Here, we aimed to further our understanding of the effects of relative strategy complexity by looking at the role of cognitive control functions and the time-course of the effects of relative strategy complexity. Thus, we manipulated inter-stimulus intervals (ISI) and assessed executive functions. Results showed that (a) performance as a function of the relative strategy difficulty of the current and previous trial was modulated by ISI, (b) these effects were modulated by inhibition capacities, and (c) significant age differences were found in the way ISI modulates relative strategy difficulty. These findings have important implications for understanding the relationships between aging, executive control, and strategy execution in episodic memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scientific and social landscapes: New frameworks and forums for water management and sustainability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, Christine; Karl, Herman A.

2001-01-01

The Two Decades of Water Law and Policy Reform conference examines the agenda for reforming and improving water law that has developed during the past two decades in the West, assesses what has (and has not) been accomplished by pursuing these reforms, and explores lessons and implications for future water law and policy. The papers and discussion provide analysis and lessons that can guide the new administration, Congress, federal agencies, state governments, and communities as they seek to find policy solutions to the challenges posed by the tremendous economic and demographic changes occurring in the West, in order to ensure the sustainability of the region’s unique environment. Specific sessions focus on reforms such as improving the scientific and technical basis for water management, water conservation and efficiency, protecting environmental values in meeting water demands, and creating new models of governance for water issues.

Energy effects associated with e-commerce: a case-study concerning online sales of personal computers in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Reijnders, L; Hoogeveen, M J

2001-07-01

The introduction of e-commerce is changing purchase and distribution patterns dramatically. One of the observed effects is that logistics become more efficient as products are directly shipped from a manufacturer or wholesaler to an end-user. Another effect is that market transparency increases, which has a downward pressure on prices of many products sold via the Internet. This article addresses the energy implications of e-commerce at the micro level. This is done by quantifying the transport related energy savings in the case of a Dutch online computer reseller and by assessing the extra energy expenditure associated with increased buying power of online buyers. It is found that energy use per article sold by the online computer reseller is lower. However, taking into account indirect effects such as increased consumer buying power, there are scenarios that lead to an overall increase in energy use.

Turning Potential Flexibility Into Flexible Performance: Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy and Use of Flexible Cognition

PubMed Central

Liu, Ru-De; Wang, Jia; Star, Jon R.; Zhen, Rui; Jiang, Rong-Huan; Fu, Xin-Chen

2018-01-01

This study examined the relationship between two types of mathematical flexibility – potential flexibility, which indicates individuals’ knowledge of multiple strategies and strategy efficiency, and practical flexibility, which refers to individuals’ flexible performances when solving math problems. Both types of flexibility were assessed in the domain of linear equation solving. Furthermore, two types of beliefs – self-efficacy and use of flexible cognition (UFC) – were investigated as potential moderators between potential and practical flexibility. 121 8th grade students from China took part in this study. Results indicate that potential flexibility positively predicted practical flexibility. Additionally, self-efficacy and UFC might moderate the relationship between these two types of flexibility, suggesting that potential flexibility may lead to different degrees of practical flexibility depending on different levels of beliefs. Implications of these findings for research on mathematical flexibility and for educational practice are discussed. PMID:29780344

Feeding Ecology of Two Plecopterans in Low Order Andean-Patagonian Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albariño, Ricardo J.; Díaz Villanueva, Verónica

2006-05-01

Feeding plasticity of the Andean plecopteran Klapopteryx kuscheli and Notoperla archiplatae larvae was assessed through a field experiment using enclosures. K. kuscheli has previously been described as a shredder and N. archiplatae as a scraper. Further information on gut contents from different populations supported those results. In the experiment, larvae of both species were exposed to contrasting food items: leaf litter and periphyton. Consumption, growth and the efficiency of food conversion were measured. K. kuscheli was able to feed on periphyton, though it did not grow. N. archiplatae failed to feed on leaf litter. While K. kuscheli might be considered a facultative shredder, N. archiplatae functions as a specialist scraper. The natural distribution and seasonal abundance in two small streams showed contrasting habitat use of both species. N. archiplatae inhabited high velocity runs and riffles underneath large substrates while K. kuscheli presented a higher habitat plasticity. Implications of those results for ecosystem function are discussed.

Old, New, and Emerging Immunohistochemical Markers in Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

PubMed

Cheung, Veronica K Y; Gill, Anthony J; Chou, Angela

2018-05-19

The evolution of genetic research over the past two decades has greatly improved the understanding of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. It is now accepted that more than one third of pheochromocytoma and paragangliomas arise in the context of syndromic disease, usually hereditary. The genetic profile of these tumors also has important prognostic implications which may help guide treatment. Accompanying the changing molecular landscape is the development of new immunohistochemical markers. Initially used in assisting with diagnosis, immunohistochemical markers have now become an important adjunct to screening programs for inherited conditions and subsequently as prognostic markers. The accessibility and efficiency of immunohistochemistry bring pathologists to the forefront in triaging patients based on tumor genotype-phenotype. In this review, we provide an update on the role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, as an adjunct to assessment for hereditary disease and finally as a potential tool to assist risk stratification.

Regional comparisons of on-site solar potential in the residential and industrial sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatzke, A. E.; Skewes-Cox, A. O.

1980-10-01

Regional and subregional differences in the potential development of decentralized solar technologies are studied. Two sectors of the economy were selected for intensive analysis: the residential and industrial sectors. The sequence of analysis follows the same general steps: (1) selection of appropriate prototypes within each land use sector disaggregated by census region; (2) characterization of the end-use energy demand of each prototype in order to match an appropriate decentralized solar technology to the energy demand; (3) assessment of the energy conservation potential within each prototype limited by land use patterns, technology efficiency, and variation in solar insolation; and (4) evaluation of the regional and subregional differences in the land use implications of decentralized energy supply technologies that result from the combination of energy demand, energy supply potential, and the subsequent addition of increasingly more restrictive policies to increase the percent contribution of on-site solar energy.

Implications of non-sustainable agricultural water policies for the water-food nexus in large-scale irrigation systems: A remote sensing approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Zayed, Islam Sabry; Elagib, Nadir Ahmed

2017-12-01

This study proposes a novel monitoring tool based on Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) data to examine the status of water distribution and Water Use Efficiency (WUE) under changing water policies in large-scale and complex irrigation schemes. The aim is to improve our understanding of the water-food nexus in such schemes. With a special reference to the Gezira Irrigation Scheme (GeIS) in Sudan during the period 2000-2014, the tool devised herein is well suited for cases where validation data are absent. First, it introduces an index, referred to as the Crop Water Consumption Index (CWCI), to assess the efficiency of water policies. The index is defined as the ratio of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) over agricultural areas to total ETa for the whole scheme where ETa is estimated using the Simplified Surface Energy Balance model (SSEB). Second, the tool uses integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (iNDVI), as a proxy for crop productivity, and ETa to assess the WUE. Third, the tool uses SSEB ETa and NDVI in an attempt to detect wastage of water. Four key results emerged from this research as follows: 1) the WUE has not improved despite the changing agricultural and water policies, 2) the seasonal ETa can be used to detect the drier areas of GeIS, i.e. areas with poor irrigation water supply, 3) the decreasing trends of CWCI, slope of iNDVI-ETa linear regression and iNDVI are indicative of inefficient utilization of irrigation water in the scheme, and 4) it is possible to use SSEB ETa and NDVI to identify channels with spillover problems and detect wastage of rainwater that is not used as a source for irrigation. In conclusion, the innovative tool developed herein has provided important information on the efficiency of a large-scale irrigation scheme to help rationalize laborious water management processes and increase productivity.

Quantifying Oldowan Stone Tool Production at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Reti, Jay S.

2016-01-01

Recent research suggests that variation exists among and between Oldowan stone tool assemblages. Oldowan variation might represent differential constraints on raw materials used to produce these stone implements. Alternatively, variation among Oldowan assemblages could represent different methods that Oldowan producing hominins utilized to produce these lithic implements. Identifying differential patterns of stone tool production within the Oldowan has implications for assessing how stone tool technology evolved, how traditions of lithic production might have been culturally transmitted, and for defining the timing and scope of these evolutionary events. At present there is no null model to predict what morphological variation in the Oldowan should look like. Without such a model, quantifying whether Oldowan assemblages vary due to raw material constraints or whether they vary due to differences in production technique is not possible. This research establishes a null model for Oldowan lithic artifact morphological variation. To establish these expectations this research 1) models the expected range of variation through large scale reduction experiments, 2) develops an algorithm to categorize archaeological flakes based on how they are produced, and 3) statistically assesses the methods of production behavior used by Oldowan producing hominins at the site of DK from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania via the experimental model. Results indicate that a subset of quartzite flakes deviate from the null expectations in a manner that demonstrates efficiency in flake manufacture, while some basalt flakes deviate from null expectations in a manner that demonstrates inefficiency in flake manufacture. The simultaneous presence of efficiency in stone tool production for one raw material (quartzite) and inefficiency in stone tool production for another raw material (basalt) suggests that Oldowan producing hominins at DK were able to mediate the economic costs associated with stone tool procurement by utilizing high-cost materials more efficiently than is expected and low-cost materials in an inefficient manner. PMID:26808429

Life cycle environmental evaluation of kettles: Recommendations for the development of eco-design regulations in the European Union.

PubMed

Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Jeswani, Harish Kumar; Mendoza, Joan Manuel F; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-06-01

Between 117 and 200 million kettles are used in the European Union (EU) every year. However, the full environmental impacts of kettles remain largely unknown. This paper presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment of conventional plastic and metallic kettles in comparison with eco-kettles. The results show that the use stage contributes 80% to the impacts. For this reason, the eco-kettle has over 30% lower environmental impacts due to a greater water efficiency and related lower energy consumption. These results have been extrapolated to the EU level to consider the implications for proposed eco-design regulations. For these purposes, the effects on the impacts of durability of kettles and improvements in their energy and water efficiency have been assessed as they have been identified as two key parameters in the proposed regulations. The results suggest that increasing the current average durability from 4.4 to seven years would reduce the impacts by less than 5%. Thus, improving durability is not a key issue for improving the environmental performance of kettles and does not justify the need for an eco-design regulation based exclusively on it. However, improvements in water and energy efficiency through eco-design can bring relevant environmental savings. Boiling the exact amount of water needed would reduce the impacts by around a third and using water temperature control by further 2%-5%. The study has also considered the effects of reducing significantly the number of kettles in use after the UK (large user of kettles) leaves the EU and reducing the excess water typically boiled by the consumer. Even under these circumstances, the environmental savings justify the development of a specific EU eco-design regulation for kettles. However, consumer engagement will be key to the implementation and achievement of the expected environmental benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The international implications of national and local coordination on building energy codes: Case studies in six cities

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

Evans, Meredydd; Yu, Sha; Staniszewski, Aaron

Building energy efficiency is an important strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, 55 countries have included building energy efficiency in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This research uses building energy code implementation in six cities across different continents as case studies to assess what it may take for countries to implement the ambitions of their energy efficiency goals. Specifically, we look at the cases of Bogota, Colombia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Eskisehir, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; Rajkot, India; and Tshwane, South Africa, all of which are “deep dive” cities under the Sustainable Energy formore » All's Building Efficiency Accelerator. The research focuses on understanding the baseline with existing gaps in implementation and coordination. The methodology used a combination of surveys on code status and interviews with stakeholders at the local and national level, as well as review of published documents. We looked at code development, implementation, and evaluation. The cities are all working to improve implementation, however, the challenges they currently face include gaps in resources, capacity, tools, and institutions to check for compliance. Better coordination between national and local governments could help improve implementation, but that coordination is not yet well established. For example, all six of the cities reported that there was little to no involvement of local stakeholders in development of the national code; only one city reported that it had access to national funding to support code implementation. More robust coordination could better link cities with capacity building and funding for compliance, and ensure that the code reflects local priorities. By understanding gaps in implementation, it can also help in designing more targeted interventions to scale up energy savings.« less

Factor structure and diagnostic efficiency of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for avoidant personality disorder in Hispanic men and women with substance use disorders.

PubMed

Becker, Daniel F; Añez, Luis Miguel; Paris, Manuel; Bedregal, Luis; Grilo, Carlos M

2009-01-01

This study examined the internal consistency, factor structure, and diagnostic efficiency of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), criteria for avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) and the extent to which these metrics may be affected by sex. Subjects were 130 monolingual Hispanic adults (90 men, 40 women) who had been admitted to a specialty clinic that provides psychiatric and substance abuse services to Spanish-speaking patients. All were reliably assessed with the Spanish-Language Version of the Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. The AVPD diagnosis was determined by the best-estimate method. After evaluating internal consistency of the AVPD criterion set, an exploratory factor analysis was performed using principal components extraction. Afterward, diagnostic efficiency indices were calculated for all AVPD criteria. Subsequent analyses examined men and women separately. For the overall group, internal consistency of AVPD criteria was good. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 1-factor solution (accounting for 70% of the variance), supporting the unidimensionality of the AVPD criterion set. The best inclusion criterion was "reluctance to take risks," whereas "interpersonally inhibited" was the best exclusion criterion and the best predictor overall. When men and women were examined separately, similar results were obtained for both internal consistency and factor structure, with slight variations noted between sexes in the patterning of diagnostic efficiency indices. These psychometric findings, which were similar for men and women, support the construct validity of the DSM-IV criteria for AVPD and may also have implications for the treatment of this particular clinical population.

Color vision predicts processing modes of goal activation during action cascading.

PubMed

Jongkees, Bryant J; Steenbergen, Laura; Colzato, Lorenza S

2017-09-01

One of the most important functions of cognitive control is action cascading: the ability to cope with multiple response options when confronted with various task goals. A recent study implicates a key role for dopamine (DA) in this process, suggesting higher D1 efficiency shifts the action cascading strategy toward a more serial processing mode, whereas higher D2 efficiency promotes a shift in the opposite direction by inducing a more parallel processing mode (Stock, Arning, Epplen, & Beste, 2014). Given that DA is found in high concentration in the retina and modulation of retinal DA release displays characteristics of D2-receptors (Peters, Schweibold, Przuntek, & Müller, 2000), color vision discrimination might serve as an index of D2 efficiency. We used color discrimination, assessed with the Lanthony Desaturated Panel D-15 test, to predict individual differences (N = 85) in a stop-change paradigm that provides a well-established measure of action cascading. In this task it is possible to calculate an individual slope value for each participant that estimates the degree of overlap in task goal activation. When the stopping process of a previous task goal has not finished at the time the change process toward a new task goal is initiated (parallel processing), the slope value becomes steeper. In case of less overlap (more serial processing), the slope value becomes flatter. As expected, participants showing better color vision were more prone to activate goals in a parallel manner as indicated by a steeper slope. Our findings suggest that color vision might represent a predictor of D2 efficiency and the predisposed processing mode of goal activation during action cascading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The international implications of national and local coordination on building energy codes: Case studies in six cities

DOE PAGES

Evans, Meredydd; Yu, Sha; Staniszewski, Aaron; ...

2018-04-17

Building energy efficiency is an important strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, 55 countries have included building energy efficiency in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This research uses building energy code implementation in six cities across different continents as case studies to assess what it may take for countries to implement the ambitions of their energy efficiency goals. Specifically, we look at the cases of Bogota, Colombia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Eskisehir, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; Rajkot, India; and Tshwane, South Africa, all of which are “deep dive” cities under the Sustainable Energy formore » All's Building Efficiency Accelerator. The research focuses on understanding the baseline with existing gaps in implementation and coordination. The methodology used a combination of surveys on code status and interviews with stakeholders at the local and national level, as well as review of published documents. We looked at code development, implementation, and evaluation. The cities are all working to improve implementation, however, the challenges they currently face include gaps in resources, capacity, tools, and institutions to check for compliance. Better coordination between national and local governments could help improve implementation, but that coordination is not yet well established. For example, all six of the cities reported that there was little to no involvement of local stakeholders in development of the national code; only one city reported that it had access to national funding to support code implementation. More robust coordination could better link cities with capacity building and funding for compliance, and ensure that the code reflects local priorities. By understanding gaps in implementation, it can also help in designing more targeted interventions to scale up energy savings.« less

The “Resus:Station”: The use of clinical simulations in a randomised crossover study to evaluate a novel resuscitation trolley☆

PubMed Central

Walker, Susanna T.; Brett, Stephen J.; McKay, Anthony; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Vincent, Charles

2012-01-01

Background and aim Inadequately designed equipment has been implicated in poor efficiency and critical incidents associated with resuscitation. A novel resuscitation trolley (Resus:Station) was designed and evaluated for impact on team efficiency, user opinion, and teamwork, compared with the standard trolley, in simulated cardiac arrest scenarios. Methods Fifteen experienced cardiac arrest teams were recruited (45 participants). Teams performed recorded resuscitation simulations using new and conventional trolleys, with order of use randomised. After each simulation, efficiency (“time to drugs”, un-locatable equipment, unnecessary drawer opening) and team performance (OSCAR) were assessed from the video recordings and participants were asked to complete questionnaires scoring various aspects of the trolley on a Likert scale. Results Time to locate the drugs was significantly faster (p = 0.001) when using the Resus:Station (mean 5.19 s (SD 3.34)) than when using the standard trolley (26.81 s (SD16.05)). There were no reports of missing equipment when using the Resus:Station. However, during four of the fifteen study sessions using the standard trolley participants were unable to find equipment, with an average of 6.75 unnecessary drawer openings per simulation. User feedback results clearly indicated a highly significant preference for the newly designed Resus:Station for all aspects. Teams performed equally well for all dimensions of team performance using both trolleys, despite it being their first exposure to the Resus:Station. Conclusion We conclude that in this simulated environment, the new design of trolley is safe to use, and has the potential to improve efficiency at a resuscitation attempt. PMID:22796405

Fusiform Gyrus Dysfunction is Associated with Perceptual Processing Efficiency to Emotional Faces in Adolescent Depression: A Model-Based Approach.

PubMed

Ho, Tiffany C; Zhang, Shunan; Sacchet, Matthew D; Weng, Helen; Connolly, Colm G; Henje Blom, Eva; Han, Laura K M; Mobayed, Nisreen O; Yang, Tony T

2016-01-01

While the extant literature has focused on major depressive disorder (MDD) as being characterized by abnormalities in processing affective stimuli (e.g., facial expressions), little is known regarding which specific aspects of cognition influence the evaluation of affective stimuli, and what are the underlying neural correlates. To investigate these issues, we assessed 26 adolescents diagnosed with MDD and 37 well-matched healthy controls (HCL) who completed an emotion identification task of dynamically morphing faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We analyzed the behavioral data using a sequential sampling model of response time (RT) commonly used to elucidate aspects of cognition in binary perceptual decision making tasks: the Linear Ballistic Accumulator (LBA) model. Using a hierarchical Bayesian estimation method, we obtained group-level and individual-level estimates of LBA parameters on the facial emotion identification task. While the MDD and HCL groups did not differ in mean RT, accuracy, or group-level estimates of perceptual processing efficiency (i.e., drift rate parameter of the LBA), the MDD group showed significantly reduced responses in left fusiform gyrus compared to the HCL group during the facial emotion identification task. Furthermore, within the MDD group, fMRI signal in the left fusiform gyrus during affective face processing was significantly associated with greater individual-level estimates of perceptual processing efficiency. Our results therefore suggest that affective processing biases in adolescents with MDD are characterized by greater perceptual processing efficiency of affective visual information in sensory brain regions responsible for the early processing of visual information. The theoretical, methodological, and clinical implications of our results are discussed.

Fusiform Gyrus Dysfunction is Associated with Perceptual Processing Efficiency to Emotional Faces in Adolescent Depression: A Model-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Ho, Tiffany C.; Zhang, Shunan; Sacchet, Matthew D.; Weng, Helen; Connolly, Colm G.; Henje Blom, Eva; Han, Laura K. M.; Mobayed, Nisreen O.; Yang, Tony T.

2016-01-01

While the extant literature has focused on major depressive disorder (MDD) as being characterized by abnormalities in processing affective stimuli (e.g., facial expressions), little is known regarding which specific aspects of cognition influence the evaluation of affective stimuli, and what are the underlying neural correlates. To investigate these issues, we assessed 26 adolescents diagnosed with MDD and 37 well-matched healthy controls (HCL) who completed an emotion identification task of dynamically morphing faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We analyzed the behavioral data using a sequential sampling model of response time (RT) commonly used to elucidate aspects of cognition in binary perceptual decision making tasks: the Linear Ballistic Accumulator (LBA) model. Using a hierarchical Bayesian estimation method, we obtained group-level and individual-level estimates of LBA parameters on the facial emotion identification task. While the MDD and HCL groups did not differ in mean RT, accuracy, or group-level estimates of perceptual processing efficiency (i.e., drift rate parameter of the LBA), the MDD group showed significantly reduced responses in left fusiform gyrus compared to the HCL group during the facial emotion identification task. Furthermore, within the MDD group, fMRI signal in the left fusiform gyrus during affective face processing was significantly associated with greater individual-level estimates of perceptual processing efficiency. Our results therefore suggest that affective processing biases in adolescents with MDD are characterized by greater perceptual processing efficiency of affective visual information in sensory brain regions responsible for the early processing of visual information. The theoretical, methodological, and clinical implications of our results are discussed. PMID:26869950

Nitrogen Balance and Use Efficiency in the Calapooia River ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Reducing nitrogen (N) release into the environment through greater N use efficiencies (NUE) is a current challenge in watershed management. Examining N sources and sinks at local scales allows for better watershed-scale N use, for example when considering the tradeoffs between the uses of animal waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) as a resource compared with the use of synthetic fertilizers. We use data on land-use, CAFOs, N deposition, stream chemistry, and crop-level and county-level fertilizer use to assess the N inputs, exports and retention in the Calapooia River Watershed (CRW). The CRW is influenced by intensive agricultural activities, mostly in grass seed crops. We determined that at the CRW scale, annual TN export is 25% of the inputs. Nearly 48% of the total area has a net TN input of 100-200 kg N ha-1 yr-1, dominated by agricultural land. About 41% has an input of 200 kg N ha-1 yr-1. Almost 50% of the annual hydrologic N yield occurs during wet winter and reaches 50 kg ha-1. The minimum TN yield as low as <1 kg ha-1 happens in dry summer. The effect of crop type on NUE is estimated based on N retention calculation and land use data. A manure-distribution model will be built to help improve manure NUE and prevent excess fertilizer application. Information on N balances will also be combined with local groundwater and drinking water nitrate level to assess the implications of N release for water quality an

Is self-generated thought a means of social problem solving?

PubMed Central

Ruby, Florence J. M.; Smallwood, Jonathan; Sackur, Jerome; Singer, Tania

2013-01-01

Appropriate social problem solving constitutes a critical skill for individuals and may rely on processes important for self-generated thought (SGT). The aim of the current study was to investigate the link between SGT and social problem solving. Using the Means-End Problem Solving task (MEPS), we assessed participants' abilities to resolve daily social problems in terms of overall efficiency and number of relevant means they provided to reach the given solution. Participants also performed a non-demanding choice reaction time task (CRT) and a moderately-demanding working memory task (WM) as a context in which to measure their SGT (assessed via thought sampling). We found that although overall SGT was associated with lower MEPS efficiency, it was also associated with higher relevant means, perhaps because both depend on the capacity to generate cognition that is independent from the hear and now. The specific content of SGT did not differentially predict individual differences in social problem solving, suggesting that the relationship may depend on SGT regardless of its content. In addition, we also found that performance at the WM but not the CRT was linked to overall better MEPS performance, suggesting that individuals good at social processing are also distinguished by their capacity to constrain attention to an external task. Our results provide novel evidence that the capacity for SGT is implicated in the process by which solutions to social problems are generated, although optimal problem solving may be achieved by individuals who display a suitable balance between SGT and cognition derived from perceptual input. PMID:24391621

Detailed assessment of global transport-energy models’ structures and projections

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

Yeh, Sonia; Mishra, Gouri Shankar; Fulton, Lew

This paper focuses on comparing the frameworks and projections from four major global transportation models with considerable transportation technology and behavioral detail. We analyze and compare the modeling frameworks, underlying data, assumptions, intermediate parameters, and projections to identify the sources of divergence or consistency, as well as key knowledge gaps. We find that there are significant differences in the base-year data and key parameters for future projections, especially for developing countries. These include passenger and freight activity, mode shares, vehicle ownership rates, and even energy consumption by mode, particularly for shipping, aviation and trucking. This may be due in partmore » to a lack of previous efforts to do such consistency-checking and “bench-marking.” We find that the four models differ in terms of the relative roles of various mitigation strategies to achieve a 2°C / 450 ppm CO2e target: the economics-based integrated assessment models favor the use of low carbon fuels as the primary mitigation option followed by efficiency improvements, whereas transport-only and expert-based models favor efficiency improvements of vehicles followed by mode shifts. We offer recommendations for future modeling improvements focusing on (1) reducing data gaps; (2) translating the findings from this study into relevant policy implications such as feasibility of current policy goals, additional policy targets needed, regional vs. global reductions, etc.; (3) modeling strata of demographic groups to improve understanding of vehicle ownership levels, travel behavior, and urban vs. rural considerations; and (4) conducting coordinated efforts in aligning input assumptions and historical data, policy analysis, and modeling insights.« less

Impact of Medicare Advantage penetration and hospital competition on technical efficiency of nursing care in US intensive care units.

PubMed

Min, Ari; Scott, Linda D; Park, Chang; Vincent, Catherine; Ryan, Catherine J; Lee, Taewha

2018-04-10

This study aimed to evaluate technical efficiency of US intensive care units and determine the effects of environmental factors on technical efficiency in providing quality of nursing care. Data were obtained from the 2014 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Data envelopment analysis was used to estimate technical efficiency for each intensive care unit. Multilevel modeling was used to determine the effects of environmental factors on technical efficiency. Overall, Medicare Advantage penetration and hospital competition in a market did not create pressure for intensive care units to become more efficient by reducing their inputs. However, these 2 environmental factors showed positive influences on technical efficiency in intensive care units with certain levels of technical efficiency. The implications of the study results for management strategies and health policy may vary according to the levels of technical efficiency in intensive care units. Further studies are needed to examine why and how intensive care units with particular levels of technical efficiency are differently affected by certain environmental factors. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Expertise and biodiversity: the environmental impact assessment in the context of Natura 2000 network].

PubMed

Makowiak, Jessica

2014-03-01

Natura 2000 network, established by the Habitats directive, states that "any plan or project likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 site, shall undergo an appropriate assessment to determine its implications for the site". The safeguards set out in this article are triggered not by a certainty but by a likelihood of significant effects. The paradox clearly appears: the significant implications of a project can be assessed only through an impact assessment process. So the administration and the judge are asked, inevitably, to participate to the building of the definition of practical aspect of expertise.

Dysfunctional Implications of Narrow Window Theory: Variability in the Intuitive Assessment of Correlation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahan, Sorel; Mor, Yaniv

2007-01-01

Narrow Window theory, suggested by Y. Kareev ten years ago, has so far focused on one central implication of the limited capacity of working memory on intuitive correlation estimation, namely, overestimation of the distal population correlation. This paper points to additional and perhaps more dramatic implications due to the large dispersion of…

Feed characteristics alter growth efficiency of cutthroat trout

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The shift in commercial Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss diet formulations toward formulations with more plant ingredient inclusion, and specifically increased soy product inclusion, may have negative implications for less domesticated trout species fed these modern diets. Therefore, the objective ...

Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Site Assessment: San Juan National Forest - Dolores Ranger District, Colorado

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

Kandt, Alicen J.; Kiatreungwattana, Kosol

This report summarizes the results from an energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy site assessment of the Dolores Ranger District in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado. A team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted the assessment with United States Forest Service (USFS) personnel on August 16-17, 2016, as part of ongoing efforts by USFS to reduce energy and water use and implement renewable energy technologies. The assessment is approximately an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Level 2 audit and meets Energy Independence and Security Act requirements.

An Assessment of FY2016 Locally Developed Questions from the DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey: Recommendations and Potential Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-11

1 An Assessment of FY2016 Locally Developed Questions from the DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey : Recommendations and Potential Implications...Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS). The top 15 questions were ranked across a total of 180,797...Department of Equal Opportunity Management Institute Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) for fiscal year 2016 by commanders across the Department

Effects of consistent food presentation on efficiency of eating and nutritive value of food consumed by children with severe neurological impairment.

PubMed

Pinnington, L; Hegarty, J

1999-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine what implications consistent presentation of food, delivered by an assistive feeding device at a position regarded as optimal, would have for the maintenance of food intake, duration of meals, and efficiency of eating. The trial employed an AB within-subjects design and extended over a 9-month period. Twenty children, aged 7 to 17 years, with severe neurological impairment and associated eating difficulties, were studied. The effects of the intervention were compared by examination of diaries recording the sizes and composition of meals consumed during designated periods and by precautionary measures of growth and weight. Although no statistically significant changes in weight were recorded overall, meals presented consistently were consumed less efficiently and sometimes more slowly than were standard ones, where food was presented by hand. However, no change occurred in the amount of energy and protein consumed, which suggested that the children's ability to thrive was neither improved nor further compromised by participation in the study. The findings have implications for the way in which children are assisted during mealtimes by their caregivers.

Situated lifestyles: I. How lifestyles change along with the level of urbanization and what the greenhouse gas implications are—a study of Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinonen, Jukka; Jalas, Mikko; Juntunen, Jouni K.; Ala-Mantila, Sanna; Junnila, Seppo

2013-06-01

An extensive body of literature demonstrates how higher density leads to more efficient energy use and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport and housing. However, our current understanding seems to be limited on the relationships between the urban form and the GHG emissions, namely how the urban form affects the lifestyles and thus the GHGs on a much wider scale than traditionally assumed. The urban form affects housing types, commuting distances, availability of different goods and services, social contacts and emulation, and the alternatives for pastimes, meaning that lifestyles are actually situated instead of personal projects. As almost all consumption, be it services or products, involves GHG emissions, looking at the emissions from transport and housing may not be sufficient to define whether one form would be more desirable than another. In the paper we analyze the urban form-lifestyle relationships in Finland together with the resulting GHG implications, employing both monetary expenditure and time use data to portray lifestyles in different basic urban forms: metropolitan, urban, semi-urban and rural. The GHG implications are assessed with a life cycle assessment (LCA) method that takes into account the GHG emissions embedded in different goods and services. The paper depicts that, while the direct emissions from transportation and housing energy slightly decrease with higher density, the reductions can be easily overridden by sources of indirect emissions. We also highlight that the indirect emissions actually seem to have strong structural determinants, often undermined in studies concerning sustainable urban forms. Further, we introduce a concept of ‘parallel consumption’ to explain how the lifestyles especially in more urbanized areas lead to multiplication of consumption outside of the limits of time budget and the living environment. This is also part I of a two-stage study. In part II we will depict how various other contextual and socioeconomic variables are actually also very important to take into account, and how diverse GHG mitigation strategies would be needed for different types of area in different locations towards a low-carbon future.

Improvements in cloning efficiencies may be possible by increasing uniformity in recipient oocytes and donor cells.

PubMed

Miyoshi, Kazuchika; Rzucidlo, S Jacek; Pratt, Scott L; Stice, Steven L

2003-04-01

The low efficiency of somatic cell cloning is the major obstacle to widespread use of this technology. Incomplete nuclear reprogramming following the transfer of donor nuclei into recipient oocytes has been implicated as a primary reason for the low efficiency of the cloning procedure. The mechanisms and factors that affect the progression of the nuclear reprogramming process have not been completely elucidated, but the identification of these factors and their subsequent manipulation would increase cloning efficiency. At present, many groups are studying donor nucleus reprogramming. Here, we present an approach in which the efficiency of producing viable offspring is improved by selecting recipient oocytes and donor cells that will produce cloned embryos with functionally reprogrammed nuclei. This approach will produce information useful in future studies aimed at further deciphering the nuclear reprogramming process.

Temperament and dominance relate to feeding behaviour and activity in beef cattle: implications for performance and methane emissions.

PubMed

Llonch, P; Somarriba, M; Duthie, C A; Troy, S; Roehe, R; Rooke, J; Haskell, M J; Turner, S P

2018-04-02

In beef cattle, feeding behaviour and activity are associated with feed efficiency and methane (CH4) emissions. This study aimed to understand the underlying traits responsible for the contribution of cattle behaviour to individual differences in feed efficiency, performance and CH4 emissions. A total of 84 steers (530±114 kg BW) of two different breeds (crossbreed Charolais and Luing) were used. The experiment was a 2×2×3 factorial design with breed, basal diets (concentrate v. mixed) and dietary treatments (no additive, calcium nitrate or rapeseed cake) as the main factors. The individual dry matter intake (DMI; kg) was recorded daily and the BW was measured weekly over a 56-day period. Ultrasound fat depth was measured on day 56. Based on the previous data, the indexes average daily gain, food conversion and residual feed intake (RFI) were calculated. The frequency of meals, the duration per visit and the time spent feeding per day were taken as feeding behaviour measures. Daily activity was measured using the number of steps, the number of standing bouts and the time standing per day. Agonistic interactions (including the number of contacts, aggressive interactions, and displacements per day) between steers at the feeders were assessed as indicators of dominance. Temperament was assessed using the crush score test (which measures restlessness when restrained) and the flight speed on release from restraint. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate regression models. Steers that spent more time eating showed better feed efficiency (P=0.039), which can be due to greater secretion of saliva. Feeding time was longer with the mixed diet (P<0.001), Luings (P=0.009) and dominant steers (P=0.032). Higher activity (more steps) in the pen was associated with poorer RFI, possibly because of higher energy expenditure for muscle activity. Frequent meals contributed to a reduction in CH4 emissions per kg DMI. The meal frequency was higher with a mixed diet (P<0.001) and increased in more temperamental (P=0.003) and dominant (P=0.017) steers. In addition, feed intake was lower (P=0.032) in more temperamental steers. This study reveals that efficiency increases with a longer feeding time and CH4 emissions decrease with more frequent meals. As dominant steers eat more frequently and for longer, a reduction in competition at the feeder would improve both feed efficiency and CH4 emissions. Feed efficiency can also be improved through a reduction in activity. Selection for calmer cattle would reduce activity and increase feed intake, which may improve feed efficiency and promote growth, respectively.

Effect of trial-to-trial variability on optimal event-related fMRI design: Implications for Beta-series correlation and multi-voxel pattern analysis

PubMed Central

Abdulrahman, Hunar; Henson, Richard N.

2016-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies typically employ rapid, event-related designs for behavioral reasons and for reasons associated with statistical efficiency. Efficiency is calculated from the precision of the parameters (Betas) estimated from a General Linear Model (GLM) in which trial onsets are convolved with a Hemodynamic Response Function (HRF). However, previous calculations of efficiency have ignored likely variability in the neural response from trial to trial, for example due to attentional fluctuations, or different stimuli across trials. Here we compare three GLMs in their efficiency for estimating average and individual Betas across trials as a function of trial variability, scan noise and Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA): “Least Squares All” (LSA), “Least Squares Separate” (LSS) and “Least Squares Unitary” (LSU). Estimation of responses to individual trials in particular is important for both functional connectivity using “Beta-series correlation” and “multi-voxel pattern analysis” (MVPA). Our simulations show that the ratio of trial-to-trial variability to scan noise impacts both the optimal SOA and optimal GLM, especially for short SOAs < 5 s: LSA is better when this ratio is high, whereas LSS and LSU are better when the ratio is low. For MVPA, the consistency across voxels of trial variability and of scan noise is also critical. These findings not only have important implications for design of experiments using Beta-series regression and MVPA, but also statistical parametric mapping studies that seek only efficient estimation of the mean response across trials. PMID:26549299

National Cost Implications of a Potentional Perchlorate Regulation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In this study, a screening level cost assessment was conducted to evaluate the national cost implications of five potential regulatory levels for perchlorate in drinking water 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 ?g/L.

Transportation planning implications of automated/connected vehicles on Texas highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

This research project was focused on the transportation planning implications of automated/connected : vehicles (AV/CVs) on Texas highways. The research assessed how these potentially transformative : technologies can be included in transportation pl...

Vulnerability to heatwaves and implications for public health interventions - A scoping review.

PubMed

Mayrhuber, Elisabeth Anne-Sophie; Dückers, Michel L A; Wallner, Peter; Arnberger, Arne; Allex, Brigitte; Wiesböck, Laura; Wanka, Anna; Kolland, Franz; Eder, Renate; Hutter, Hans-Peter; Kutalek, Ruth

2018-05-31

Heatwaves form a serious public health threat, especially for vulnerable groups. Interventions such as active outreach programs, exposure reduction measures and monitoring and mapping of at-risk groups are increasingly implemented across the world but little is known about their effect. To assess how vulnerable groups are identified and reached in heat health interventions, to understand the effectiveness and efficiency of those interventions, and to identify research gaps in existing literature. We performed a literature search in relevant scientific literature databases and searched with a four element search model for articles published from 1995 onward. We extracted data on intervention measures, target group and evaluation of effectiveness and efficiency. We identified 23 eligible studies. Patterns exist in type of interventions 1) to detect and 2) to influence extrinsic and intrinsic risk and protective factors. Results showed several intervention barriers related to the variety and intersection of these factors, as well as the self-perception of vulnerable groups, and misconceptions and unfavorable attitudes towards intervention benefits. While modest indications for the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions were found, efficiency remains unclear. Interventions entailed logical combinations of measures, subsumed as packages. Evidence for effective and efficient intervention is limited by the difficulty to determine effects and because single measures are mutually dependent. Interventions prioritized promoting behavioral change and were based on behavioral assumptions that remain untested and mechanisms not worked out explicitly. Multifaceted efforts are needed to tailor interventions, compiled in heat health warning systems and action plans for exposure reduction and protection of vulnerable populations, to fit the social, economic and geographical context. Besides adequately addressing relevant risk and protective factors, the challenge is to integrate perspectives of vulnerable groups. Future research should focus on intervention barriers and improving the methods of effectiveness and efficiency evaluation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficient air pollution regulation of coal-fired power in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Therese

This dissertation evaluates monetary external costs of electricity generation in the People's Republic of China and implications for efficient pollution control policy. It presents an integrated assessment of environmental damages of air emissions of a representative new coal-fired plant in urban areas of north and south China. The simulation evaluates the nature and magnitude of damages in China, transboundary effects in Japan and Korea, and global greenhouse gas warming impacts. The valuation is used to identify efficient abatement policy for Chinese plants over time; evaluate benefits of differentiated policies; and consider the importance of dynamic policy. Potential annual damages of operating a 600-MW power plant without controls in China today would be 43-45 million (U.S. 1995). Annual local damages of 37-40 million far exceed transboundary or greenhouse gas damages (1.4 million and $4.6 million respectively). The largest component of damages is the risk of human mortality and chronic morbidity from long-term exposure to fine particles. Efficient pollution control minimizes the sum of abatement costs and residual unabated damages. Because monetary damages reflect sufferers' willingness to pay to avoid environmental risks, the choice of efficient controls is fundamentally tied to societal values and preferences. The optimal path for Chinese abatement moves from modest dispersion measures at present to combined dispersion and emission controls approaching those of current-day United States, by 2050. The inclusion of transboundary and greenhouse damages does not substantively alter local policies. Welfare benefits are gained by differentiating abatement policy by pollutant, meteorological parameters, and by population density. An analysis of optimal one-time investment in abatement for a plant in a growing economy suggests that some investment is optimal at all incomes but no single level of abatement is suitable for all economies. Forward-looking policy anticipates higher future values for environmental services and provides distinct welfare advantages over time compared to myopic or static policies-such as the imposition of developed country standards-especially if aggregate capacity growth is considered.

The within-match patterns of locomotor efficiency during professional soccer match play: Implications for injury risk?

PubMed

Barrett, Steve; Midgley, Adrian; Reeves, Matt; Joel, Tom; Franklin, Ed; Heyworth, Rob; Garrett, Andrew; Lovell, Ric

2016-10-01

The principle aim of the current study was to examine within-match patterns of locomotor efficiency in professional soccer, determined as the ratio between tri-axial accelerometer data (PlayerLoad™) and locomotor activities. Between match variability and determinants of PlayerLoad™ during match play were also assessed. A single cohort, observational study. Tri-axial accelerometer data (PlayerLoad™) was recorded during 86 competitive soccer matches in 63 English championship players (574 match observations). Accelerometer data accumulated (PlayerLoad Vector Magnitude [PLVM]) from the individual-component planes of PlayerLoad™ (anterior-posterior PlayerLoad™ [PLAP], medial-lateral PlayerLoad™ [PLML] and vertical PlayerLoad™ [PLV]), together with locomotor activity (Total Distance Covered [TDC]) were determined in 15-min segments. Locomotor efficiency was calculated using the ratio of PLVM and TDC (PlayerLoad™ per metre). The proportion of variance explaining the within-match trends in PLVM, PLAP, APML, APv, and TDC was determined owing to matches, individual players, and positional role. PLVM, PLAP, APML, APv and TDC reduced after the initial 15-min match period (p=0.001; η(2)=0.22-0.43, large effects). PL:TDC increased in the last 15min of each half (p=0.001; η(2)=0.25, large effect). The variance in PLVM during soccer match-play was explained by individual players (63.9%; p=0.001) and between-match variation (21.6%; p=0.001), but not positional role (14.1%; p=0.364). Locomotor efficiency is lower during the latter stages of each half of competitive soccer match-play, a trend synonymous with observations of increased injury incidence and fatigue in these periods. Locomotor efficiency may be a valuable metric to identify fatigue and heightened injury risk during soccer training and match-play. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The International Database of Efficient Appliances (IDEA): A New Resource for Global Efficiency Policy

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

Gerke, Brian F; McNeil, Michael A; Tu, Thomas

A major barrier to effective appliance efficiency program design and evaluation is a lack of data for determination of market baselines and cost-effective energy savings potential. The data gap is particularly acute in developing countries, which may have the greatest savings potential per unit GDP. To address this need, we are developing the International Database of Efficient Appliances (IDEA), which automatically compiles data from a wide variety of online sources to create a unified repository of information on efficiency, price, and features for a wide range of energy-consuming products across global markets. This paper summarizes the database framework and demonstratesmore » the power of IDEA as a resource for appliance efficiency research and policy development. Using IDEA data for refrigerators in China and India, we develop robust cost-effectiveness indicators that allow rapid determination of savings potential within each market, as well as comparison of that potential across markets and appliance types. We discuss implications for future energy efficiency policy development.« less

Density Functional Theory Calculations of the Role of Defects in Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johlin, Eric; Wagner, Lucas; Buonassisi, Tonio; Grossman, Jeffrey C.

2010-03-01

Amorphous silicon holds promise as a cheap and efficient material for thin-film photovoltaic devices. However, current device efficiencies are severely limited by the low mobility of holes in the bulk amorphous silicon material, the cause of which is not yet fully understood. This work employs a statistical analysis of density functional theory calculations to uncover the implications of a range of defects (including internal strain and substitution impurities) on the trapping and mobility of holes, and thereby also on the total conversion efficiency. We investigate the root causes of this low mobility and attempt to provide suggestions for simple methods of improving this property.

Industrial Assessment Center Helps Boost Efficiency for Small and Medium Manufacturers

ScienceCinema

Johnson, Mark; Friedman, David

2018-06-12

The Industrial Assessment Center program helps small and medium manufacturers boost efficiency and save energy. It pairs companies with universities as students perform energy assessments and provide recommendations to improve their facilities.

Industrial Assessment Center Helps Boost Efficiency for Small and Medium Manufacturers

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

Johnson, Mark; Friedman, David

The Industrial Assessment Center program helps small and medium manufacturers boost efficiency and save energy. It pairs companies with universities as students perform energy assessments and provide recommendations to improve their facilities.

Water use efficiency of China’s terrestrial ecosystems and responses to drought

PubMed Central

Liu, Yibo; Xiao, Jingfeng; Ju, Weimin; Zhou, Yanlian; Wang, Shaoqiang; Wu, Xiaocui

2015-01-01

Water use efficiency (WUE) measures the trade-off between carbon gain and water loss of terrestrial ecosystems, and better understanding its dynamics and controlling factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. We assessed the magnitude, spatial patterns, and trends of WUE of China’s terrestrial ecosystems and its responses to drought using a process-based ecosystem model. During the period from 2000 to 2011, the national average annual WUE (net primary productivity (NPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)) of China was 0.79 g C kg−1 H2O. Annual WUE decreased in the southern regions because of the decrease in NPP and the increase in ET and increased in most northern regions mainly because of the increase in NPP. Droughts usually increased annual WUE in Northeast China and central Inner Mongolia but decreased annual WUE in central China. “Turning-points” were observed for southern China where moderate and extreme droughts reduced annual WUE and severe drought slightly increased annual WUE. The cumulative lagged effect of drought on monthly WUE varied by region. Our findings have implications for ecosystem management and climate policy making. WUE is expected to continue to change under future climate change particularly as drought is projected to increase in both frequency and severity. PMID:26347998

Water use efficiency of China's terrestrial ecosystems and responses to drought.

PubMed

Liu, Yibo; Xiao, Jingfeng; Ju, Weimin; Zhou, Yanlian; Wang, Shaoqiang; Wu, Xiaocui

2015-09-08

Water use efficiency (WUE) measures the trade-off between carbon gain and water loss of terrestrial ecosystems, and better understanding its dynamics and controlling factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. We assessed the magnitude, spatial patterns, and trends of WUE of China's terrestrial ecosystems and its responses to drought using a process-based ecosystem model. During the period from 2000 to 2011, the national average annual WUE (net primary productivity (NPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)) of China was 0.79 g C kg(-1) H2O. Annual WUE decreased in the southern regions because of the decrease in NPP and the increase in ET and increased in most northern regions mainly because of the increase in NPP. Droughts usually increased annual WUE in Northeast China and central Inner Mongolia but decreased annual WUE in central China. "Turning-points" were observed for southern China where moderate and extreme droughts reduced annual WUE and severe drought slightly increased annual WUE. The cumulative lagged effect of drought on monthly WUE varied by region. Our findings have implications for ecosystem management and climate policy making. WUE is expected to continue to change under future climate change particularly as drought is projected to increase in both frequency and severity.

The role of private non-profit healthcare organizations in NHS systems: Implications for the Portuguese hospital devolution program.

PubMed

Almeida, Álvaro S

2017-06-01

The national health services (NHS) of England, Portugal, Finland and other single-payer universalist systems financed by general taxation, are based on the theoretical principle of an integrated public sector payer-provider. However, in practice one can find different forms of participation of non-public healthcare providers in those NHS, including private for profit providers, but also third sector non-profit organizations (NPO). This paper reviews the role of non-public non-profit healthcare organizations in NHS systems. By crossing a literature review on privatization of national health services with a literature review on the comparative performance of non-profit and for-profit healthcare organizations, this paper assesses the impact of contracting private non-profit healthcare organizations on the efficiency, quality and responsiveness of services, in public universal health care systems. The results of the review were then compared to the existing evidence on the Portuguese hospital devolution to NPO program. The evidence in this paper suggests that NHS health system reforms that transfer some public-sector hospitals to NPO should deliver improvements to the health system with minimal downside risks. The very limited existing evidence on the Portuguese hospital devolution program suggests it improved efficiency and access, without sacrificing quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance indicators: healthcare professionals' views.

PubMed

Gu, Xiuzhu; Itoh, Kenji

2016-08-08

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to capture factors behind professional views of indicator usefulness as a common structure for assessing healthcare performance and their important characteristics to design limited key performance indicators (PIs) for holistic hospital management. Design/methodology/approach - Two surveys were conducted using self-administered questionnaires, in which hospital manager/staff respondents were asked to rate the 52 PIs' usefulness. In total, 228 manager and 894 staff responses were collected. Findings - Eight factors were elicited from manager and staff responses as performance measures with 72 percent cumulative variance accounted for. Hospital managers and staff showed similar performance measure perceptions: high-utility acknowledgment on safety, operational efficiency and patient/employee satisfaction but relatively low-employee development concerns. Manager indicator usefulness perceptions were rather homogeneous and significantly higher than staff for almost all performance measures. Practical implications - Homogeneous manager views mean that a single key PI set for hospital management may be established regardless of hospital attributes. The following aspects may be measures that should be managed in a healthcare organization based on their key PIs: patient/employee safety, operational efficiency, financial effectiveness and patient/employee satisfaction. Originality/value - This is a pilot study on hospital management PIs in Japan. The eight-dimensional factor structure and findings about healthcare provider perceptions may be useful for healthcare management.

Some Implications for Afro-American Culture: Rationalism and Western Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Ortiz M.

1973-01-01

Will the computer or instruments powered by electrical energy become the most efficient means by which to produce Western music, replacing the live performer? If so, what will be the effects of electronic, mechanical music on society? (Author/RJ)

An Information Processing View of Field Dependence-Independence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, J. Kent; Cochran, Kathryn F.

1989-01-01

Discusses field dependence-independence from an information processing perspective. Topics discussed include field dependence theory, stages of information processing, developmental issues and implications, and future directions. The information reviewed indicates that field-independent individuals are more efficient than field-dependent…

Protocols for second-generation business satellites systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, B. G.; Coakley, F. P.; El Amin, M. H. M.

The paper discusses the nature and mix of traffic in business satellite systems and describes the limitations on the protocol imposed by the differing impairments of speech, video, and data. A simple TDMA system protocol is presented which meets the requirements of mixed-service operation. The efficiency of the protocol together with implications for allocation, scheduling and synchronisation are discussed. Future-generation satellites will probably use on-board processing. Some initial work on protocols that make use of on-board processing and the implications for satellite and earth-station equipment are presented.

Efficiency of wipe sampling on hard surfaces for pesticides and PCB residues in dust.

PubMed

Cettier, Joane; Bayle, Marie-Laure; Béranger, Rémi; Billoir, Elise; Nuckols, John R; Combourieu, Bruno; Fervers, Béatrice

2015-02-01

Pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are commonly found in house dust and have been described as a valuable matrix to assess indoor pesticide and PCB contamination. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency and precision of cellulose wipe for collecting 48 pesticides, eight PCBs, and one synergist at environmental concentrations. First, the efficiency and repeatability of wipe collection were determined for pesticide and PCB residues that were directly spiked onto three types of household floors (tile, laminate, and hardwood). Second, synthetic dust was used to assess the capacity of the wipe to collect dust. Third, we assessed the efficiency and repeatability of wipe collection of pesticides and PCB residues that was spiked onto synthetic dust and then applied to tile. In the first experiment, the overall collection efficiency was highest on tile (38%) and laminate (40%) compared to hardwood (34%), p<0.001. The second experiment confirmed that cellulose wipes can efficiently collect dust (82% collection efficiency). The third experiment showed that the overall collection efficiency was higher in the presence of dust (72% vs. 38% without dust, p<0.001). Furthermore, the mean repeatability also improved when compounds were spiked onto dust (<30% for the majority of compounds). To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the efficiency of wipes as a sampling method using a large number of compounds at environmental concentrations and synthetic dust. Cellulose wipes appear to be efficient to sample the pesticides and PCBs that adsorb onto dust on smooth and hard surfaces. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN HEALTH RISKS OF CHEMICALS IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

PubMed Central

Balbus, John M; Boxall, Alistair BA; Fenske, Richard A; McKone, Thomas E; Zeise, Lauren

2013-01-01

Global climate change (GCC) is likely to alter the degree of human exposure to pollutants and the response of human populations to these exposures, meaning that risks of pollutants could change in the future. The present study, therefore, explores how GCC might affect the different steps in the pathway from a chemical source in the environment through to impacts on human health and evaluates the implications for existing risk-assessment and management practices. In certain parts of the world, GCC is predicted to increase the level of exposure of many environmental pollutants due to direct and indirect effects on the use patterns and transport and fate of chemicals. Changes in human behavior will also affect how humans come into contact with contaminated air, water, and food. Dietary changes, psychosocial stress, and coexposure to stressors such as high temperatures are likely to increase the vulnerability of humans to chemicals. These changes are likely to have significant implications for current practices for chemical assessment. Assumptions used in current exposure-assessment models may no longer apply, and existing monitoring methods may not be robust enough to detect adverse episodic changes in exposures. Organizations responsible for the assessment and management of health risks of chemicals therefore need to be more proactive and consider the implications of GCC for their procedures and processes. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:62–78. © 2012 SETAC PMID:23147420

Age, Race, and Childrens Living Arrangements: Implications for TANF Reauthorization. Assessing the New Federalism: An Urban Institute Program To Assess Changing Social Policies. Series B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mincy, Ronald B.; Oliver, Helen

This brief presents new information on the variations in family structure or living arrangements of poor children, by age and race, and analyzes the implications for current policy decisions. Data from the 1999 NSAF indicate that about half of poor children have two highly involved parents. This is the norm for poor infants but is less likely to…

Measuring and explaining eco-efficiencies of wastewater treatment plants in China: An uncertainty analysis perspective.

PubMed

Dong, Xin; Zhang, Xinyi; Zeng, Siyu

2017-04-01

In the context of sustainable development, there has been an increasing requirement for an eco-efficiency assessment of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Data envelopment analysis (DEA), a technique that is widely applied for relative efficiency assessment, is used in combination with the tolerances approach to handle WWTPs' multiple inputs and outputs as well as their uncertainty. The economic cost, energy consumption, contaminant removal, and global warming effect during the treatment processes are integrated to interpret the eco-efficiency of WWTPs. A total of 736 sample plants from across China are assessed, and large sensitivities to variations in inputs and outputs are observed for most samples, with only three WWTPs identified as being stably efficient. Size of plant, overcapacity, climate type, and influent characteristics are proven to have a significant influence on both the mean efficiency and performance sensitivity of WWTPs, while no clear relationships were found between eco-efficiency and technology under the framework of uncertainty analysis. The incorporation of uncertainty quantification and environmental impact consideration has improved the liability and applicability of the assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A sensitivity analysis of central flat-plate photovoltaic systems and implications for national photovoltaics program planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crosetti, M. R.

1985-01-01

The sensitivity of the National Photovoltaic Research Program goals to changes in individual photovoltaic system parameters is explored. Using the relationship between lifetime cost and system performance parameters, tests were made to see how overall photovoltaic system energy costs are affected by changes in the goals set for module cost and efficiency, system component costs and efficiencies, operation and maintenance costs, and indirect costs. The results are presented in tables and figures for easy reference.

Smart Buildings: An Introduction to the Library of the Future.

PubMed

Hoy, Matthew B

2016-01-01

Advances in building technologies are combining energy efficiency, networked sensors, and data recording in exciting ways. Modern facilities can adjust lighting, heating, and cooling outputs to maximize efficiency, provide better physical security, improve wayfinding for occupants, and provide detailed reports of building use. This column will briefly explore the idea of "smart buildings," describe some of the technologies that are being developed for these buildings, and explore their implications for libraries. A brief listing of selected smart building technologies is also provided.

Spatial orientation perception and reflexive eye movements--a perspective, an overview, and some clinical implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guedry, F. E.; Paloski, W. F. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

When head motion includes a linear velocity component, eye velocity required to track an earth-fixed target depends upon: a) angular and linear head velocity, b) target distance, and c) direction of gaze relative to the motion trajectory. Recent research indicates that eye movements (LVOR), presumably otolith-mediated, partially compensate for linear velocity in small head excursions on small devices. Canal-mediated eye velocity (AVOR), otolith-mediated eye velocity (LVOR), and Ocular Torsion (OT) can be measured, one by one, on small devices. However, response dynamics that depend upon the ratio of linear to angular velocity in the motion trajectory and on subject orientation relative to the trajectory are present in a centrifuge paradigm. With this paradigm, two 3-min runs yields measures of: LVOR differentially modulated by different subject orientations in the two runs; OT dynamics in four conditions; two directions of "steady-state" OT, and two directions of AVOR. Efficient assessment of the dynamics (and of the underlying central integrative processes) may require a centrifuge radius of 1.0 meters or more. Clinical assessment of the spatial orientation system should include evaluation of central integrative processes that determine the dynamics of these responses.

Applying usability heuristics to radiotherapy systems.

PubMed

Chan, Alvita J; Islam, Mohammad K; Rosewall, Tara; Jaffray, David A; Easty, Anthony C; Cafazzo, Joseph A

2012-01-01

Heuristic evaluations have been used to evaluate safety of medical devices by identifying and assessing usability issues. Since radiotherapy treatment delivery systems often consist of multiple complex user-interfaces, a heuristic evaluation was conducted to assess the potential safety issues of such a system. A heuristic evaluation was conducted to evaluate the treatment delivery system at Princess Margaret Hospital (Toronto, Canada). Two independent evaluators identified usability issues with the user-interfaces and rated the severity of each issue. The evaluators identified 75 usability issues in total. Eighteen of them were rated as high severity, indicating the potential to have a major impact on patient safety. A majority of issues were found on the record and verify system, and many were associated with the patient setup process. While the hospital has processes in place to ensure patient safety, recommendations were developed to further mitigate the risks of potential consequences. Heuristic evaluation is an efficient and inexpensive method that can be successfully applied to radiotherapy delivery systems to identify usability issues and improve patient safety. Although this study was conducted only at one site, the findings may have broad implications for the design of these systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing the dynamic performance of wastewater treatment systems: A metafrontier Malmquist productivity index approach.

PubMed

Molinos-Senante, María; Hernández-Sancho, Francesc; Sala-Garrido, Ramón

2015-09-15

The assessment of productivity change of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is essential to improve the performance over time of the facilities evaluated. This study assessed and compared the productivity growth of WWTPs operating with non-homogeneous technologies. The metafrontier Malmquist productivity index (MMPI) was computed for a sample of 99 WWTPs encompassing 4 alternative technologies: activated sludge (AS), aerated lagoon (AL), trickling filter (TF) and rotating biological contactor (BD). The results indicated that, on average, WWTPs with AS and BD exhibited better performance over time than WWTPs with AL and TF. The MMPI indicates that, over the period 2007-2009, the productivity rose by 0.9% and 0.3% for AS and BD technologies, respectively, whilst for the AL and TF processes, the productivity decreased by 0.5% and 2.2%, respectively. The decomposition of the MMPI into efficiency change (EC) and technical change (TC) illustrated that EC was a positive driver of productivity change for WWTPs that use AS, whilst TC contributed positively to the productivity growth of WWTPs using AL and BD. Several policy implications to help managers make informed decisions were drawn from our empirical analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Assessment of Disease-Associated Regulatory Variants In Vivo Using a Versatile Dual Colour Transgenesis Strategy in Zebrafish

PubMed Central

Bhatia, Shipra; Gordon, Christopher T.; Foster, Robert G.; Melin, Lucie; Abadie, Véronique; Baujat, Geneviève; Vazquez, Marie-Paule; Amiel, Jeanne; Lyonnet, Stanislas; van Heyningen, Veronica; Kleinjan, Dirk A.

2015-01-01

Disruption of gene regulation by sequence variation in non-coding regions of the genome is now recognised as a significant cause of human disease and disease susceptibility. Sequence variants in cis-regulatory elements (CREs), the primary determinants of spatio-temporal gene regulation, can alter transcription factor binding sites. While technological advances have led to easy identification of disease-associated CRE variants, robust methods for discerning functional CRE variants from background variation are lacking. Here we describe an efficient dual-colour reporter transgenesis approach in zebrafish, simultaneously allowing detailed in vivo comparison of spatio-temporal differences in regulatory activity between putative CRE variants and assessment of altered transcription factor binding potential of the variant. We validate the method on known disease-associated elements regulating SHH, PAX6 and IRF6 and subsequently characterise novel, ultra-long-range SOX9 enhancers implicated in the craniofacial abnormality Pierre Robin Sequence. The method provides a highly cost-effective, fast and robust approach for simultaneously unravelling in a single assay whether, where and when in embryonic development a disease-associated CRE-variant is affecting its regulatory function. PMID:26030420

The Concept of Directly Connected Impervious Areas and Its Implication on Sustainable Development in Urban Catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Yongwon; Hwang, Junsik; Choi, Hyun Il

2017-04-01

The concept of directly connected impervious area (DCIA) or efficient impervious areas (EIA) refers to a subset of impervious cover, which is directly connected to a drainage system or a water body via continuous impervious surfaces. The concept of DCIA is important in that it is regarded as a better predictor of stream ecosystem health than the total impervious area (TIA). DCIA is a key concept for a better assessment of green infrastructures introduced in urban catchments. Green infrastructure can help restore water cycle; it improves water quality, manages stormwater, provides recreational environment even at lower cost compared to conventional alternatives. In this study, we evaluated several methods to obtain the DCIA based on a GIS database and showed the importance of the accurate measurement of DCIA in terms of resulting hydrographs. We also evaluated several potential green infrastructure scenarios and showed how the spatial planning of green infrastruesture affects the shape of hydrographs and reduction of peak flows. These results imply that well-planned green infrastructure can be introduced to urban catchments for flood risk managements and quantitative assessment of spatial distribution of DCIA is crucial for sustainable development in urban environment.

Recovery and identification of bacterial DNA from illicit drugs.

PubMed

Cho, Kaymann T; Richardson, Michelle M; Kirkbride, K Paul; McNevin, Dennis; Nelson, Michelle; Pianca, Dennis; Roffey, Paul; Gahan, Michelle E

2014-02-01

Bacterial infections, including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), are a common risk associated with illicit drug use, particularly among injecting drug users. There is, therefore, an urgent need to survey illicit drugs used for injection for the presence of bacteria and provide valuable information to health and forensic authorities. The objectives of this study were to develop a method for the extraction of bacterial DNA from illicit drugs and conduct a metagenomic survey of heroin and methamphetamine seized in the Australian Capital Territory during 2002-2011 for the presence of pathogens. Trends or patterns in drug contamination and their health implications for injecting drug users were also investigated. Methods based on the ChargeSwitch(®)gDNA mini kit (Invitrogen), QIAamp DNA extraction mini kit (QIAGEN) with and without bead-beating, and an organic phenol/chloroform extraction with ethanol precipitation were assessed for the recovery efficiency of both free and cellular bacterial DNA. Bacteria were identified using polymerase chain reaction and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS). An isopropanol pre-wash to remove traces of the drug and diluents, followed by a modified ChargeSwitch(®) method, was found to efficiently lyse cells and extract free and cellular DNA from Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in heroin and methamphetamine which could then be identified by PCR/ESI-MS. Analysis of 12 heroin samples revealed the presence of DNA from species of Comamonas, Weissella, Bacillus, Streptococcus and Arthrobacter. No organisms were detected in the nine methamphetamine samples analysed. This study develops a method to extract and identify Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from illicit drugs and demonstrates the presence of a range of bacterial pathogens in seized drug samples. These results will prove valuable for future work investigating trends or patterns in drug contamination and their health implications for injecting drug users as well as enabling forensic links between seizures to be examined. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

China-Africa Health Development Initiatives: Benefits and Implications for Shaping Innovative and Evidence-informed National Health Policies and Programs in Sub-saharan African Countries.

PubMed

Tambo, Ernest; Ugwu, Chidiebere E; Guan, Yayi; Wei, Ding; Xiao-Ning; Xiao-Nong, Zhou

2016-01-01

This review paper examines the growing implications of China's engagement in shaping innovative national initiatives against infectious diseases and poverty control and elimination in African countries. It seeks to understand the factors and enhancers that can promote mutual and innovative health development initiatives, and those that are necessary in generating reliable and quality data for evidence-based contextual policy, priorities and programs. We examined the China-Africa health cooperation in supporting global health agenda on infectious diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, Ebola, TB, HIV/AIDS, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) prevention, control and elimination spanning a period of 10 years. We reviewed referenced publications, global support data, and extensive sources related to and other emerging epidemics and infectious diseases of poverty, programs and interventions, health systems development issues, challenges, opportunities and investments. Published literature in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Books and web-based peer-reviewed journal articles, government annual reports were assessed from the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November 2006 to December 2015 Third Ministerial conferences. Our findings highlight current shared public health challenges and emphasize the need to nurture, develop and establish effective, functional and sustainable health systems capacity to detect and respond to all public health threats and epidemic burdens, evidence-based programs and quality care outcomes. China's significant health diplomacy emphasizes the importance of health financing in establishing health development commitment and investment in improving the gains and opportunities, importantly efficiency and value health priorities and planning. Strengthening China-Africa health development agenda towards collective commitment and investment in quality care delivery, effective programs coverage and efficiency, preparedness and emergency response is needed in transforming African health information systems, and local health governance structures and management in emerging epidemics. Furthermore, innovative evidence of operational joint solutions and strategies are critical in advancing healthcare delivery, and further enhancing Universal Health Care, and Sustainable Development Goals to attain global health improvements and economic prosperity.

Rivastigmine for Alzheimer's disease: Canadian interpretation of intermediate outcome measures and cost implications.

PubMed

Baladi, J F; Bailey, P A; Black, S; Bouchard, R W; Farcnik, K D; Gauthier, S; Kertesz, A; Mohr, E; Robillard, A

2000-12-01

Clinical studies have shown that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who are treated with rivastigmine have statistically significantly better scores on 5 scales used to assess AD than control patients receiving placebo. However, the clinical meaning and cost implications of these differences are not clear. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical meaning and cost implications of statistically significant results obtained in clinical trials of rivastigmine for the treatment of AD. Potential cost implications for the health care system, caregivers, and society are considered. Data on clinical effects of rivastigmine were obtained from published North American and European clinical studies of patients with mild to moderately severe AD receiving rivastigmine 6 to 12 mg/d (n = 828) or placebo (n = 647). Differences in scores on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Function, Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change with both clinical and caregiver information considered, Progressive Deterioration Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Global Deterioration Scale were assessed. A convenience panel of 9 Canadian specialists experienced in the treatment of AD provided their opinions on the clinical importance of the trial results. Chart review was performed to identify specific behaviors that improved, and cost implications of improvements were assessed. The panel determined that statistically significant differences in scores on all scales except the MMSE were likely associated with functional or cognitive differences that were clinically relevant for patients, reflecting stabilization that would have beneficial consequences for caregivers and health care resource use. Subsequent chart review showed that improvement on specific scale items confirmed the physician panel's opinion. Analysis of possible cost implications to society indicated that medication expenditures would be offset largely by delays in the need for paid home care and institutionalization, positive effects on caregiver health, and less time lost from work for the caregiver. From the perspective of a Canadian specialist panel, rivastigmine treatment for AD produces clinically relevant effects for patients that are beneficial to caregivers. These effects suggest decreased use of caregiver resources and delays in the need for institutionalization, both of which reduce societal costs.

Socio-hydrological implications of water management in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upeksha Gamage, Isurun; Arachchige Hemachandra Jayasena, Hetti

2018-06-01

Water management plays a vital role in the agricultural economy and living conditions of people in Sri Lanka. Though government and non-government organizations have been readily contributing to water management, it is still inefficient, especially in terms of water allocation, consumption and conservation. To identify factors which could be used to implement integrated water resources management (IWRM), a socio-hydrological study was performed in five areas within the dry zone in Sri Lanka. The study covers a comprehensive analysis of how the household income, demography and education level correlating to water usage, purification and disposal methods. The average household income ranges from LKR 2500 to 15 000 per month. The results show that the average daily usage for drinking, cooking, washing, toiletries and bathing are 3, 5, 10, 7, and 85 L per person, respectively. Majority of the families use dug wells and pipe-borne water as the primary source. Correlation coefficients suggest that higher household income or level of education leads to increased water consumption (R = 0.91, 0.94). There is no linear relationship between the level of education with the good practices of water purification and disposal. Though these results indicate preliminary assessments based on the dry zone practices, efficient water management could be enhanced by strong socio-hydrological implications through educating people on conservation, usage, disposal practices and health concerns.

The functions of assessment: implications for selection and development of devices for assessing repertoires in clinical, educational, and other settings.

PubMed Central

Hawkins, R P

1979-01-01

An attempt is made to identify the many different functions that assessment of an individual's repertoire can serve. Implications of these functions for the character of and evidence about assessment devices are suggested. The functions fall into two general groups, those which influence decisions regarding an individual learner, and those which influence policy, program development, and scientific knowledge. The first group of functions is presented in a rough chronological sequence such that they form a "behavioral assessment funnel," beginning with functions involving broad-band assessment to identify likely persons and skill areas, and narrowing to the precise pinpointing, monitoring, and follow-up functions. The contribution of behavior analysis and behavior therapy to assessment methodology in this sequence is identified as well as the areas where more traditionally conceived methods are still useful. The second group of functions and behavioral contributions to it are then discussed. PMID:541308

Physicians' perspectives of managing tensions around dimensions of effective communication in the emergency department.

PubMed

Dean, Marleah; Oetzel, John G

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore emergency department (ED) physicians' perspectives of guidelines for effective communication. More specifically, the ways in which physicians manage the tensions among effective communication dimensions framed by relational dialectics theory are examined. This study used in-depth interviews with 17 ED physicians and 70 hours of observations to identify five dimensions of effective communication: efficiency, clarity/accuracy, relevance, comprehension, and rapport. Two communication tensions resulted from these dimensions: efficiency versus rapport and efficiency versus comprehension. In almost all instances, physicians chose efficient communication at the expense of comprehension or rapport. In addition, there was a tension between patient and physician perspectives of clarity and relevance that physicians tended to resolve by emphasizing what was relevant and clear from their own perspective. Implications for managing tensions in terms of efficiency and a physician-centered approach are discussed.

Improving Sensitivity to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive Load Dual-Task Gait Speed Assessment.

PubMed

MacAulay, Rebecca K; Wagner, Mark T; Szeles, Dana; Milano, Nicholas J

2017-07-01

Longitudinal research indicates that cognitive load dual-task gait assessment is predictive of cognitive decline and thus might provide a sensitive measure to screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, research among older adults being clinically evaluated for cognitive concerns, a defining feature of MCI, is lacking. The present study investigated the effect of performing a cognitive task on normal walking speed in patients presenting to a memory clinic with cognitive complaints. Sixty-one patients with a mean age of 68 years underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, clinical interview, and gait speed (simple- and dual-task conditions) assessments. Thirty-four of the 61 patients met criteria for MCI. Repeated measure analyses of covariance revealed that greater age and MCI both significantly associated with slower gait speed, ps<.05. Follow-up analysis indicated that the MCI group had significantly slower dual-task gait speed but did not differ in simple-gait speed. Multivariate linear regression across groups found that executive attention performance accounted for 27.4% of the variance in dual-task gait speed beyond relevant demographic and health risk factors. The present study increases the external validity of dual-task gait assessment of MCI. Differences in dual-task gait speed appears to be largely attributable to executive attention processes. These findings have clinical implications as they demonstrate expected patterns of gait-brain behavior relationships in response to a cognitive dual task within a clinically representative population. Cognitive load dual-task gait assessment may provide a cost efficient and sensitive measure to detect older adults at high risk of a dementia disorder. (JINS, 2017, 23, 493-501).

Examination of efficacious, efficient, and socially valid error-correction procedures to teach sight words and prepositions to children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Kodak, Tiffany; Campbell, Vincent; Bergmann, Samantha; LeBlanc, Brittany; Kurtz-Nelson, Eva; Cariveau, Tom; Haq, Shaji; Zemantic, Patricia; Mahon, Jacob

2016-09-01

Prior research shows that learners have idiosyncratic responses to error-correction procedures during instruction. Thus, assessments that identify error-correction strategies to include in instruction can aid practitioners in selecting individualized, efficacious, and efficient interventions. The current investigation conducted an assessment to compare 5 error-correction procedures that have been evaluated in the extant literature and are common in instructional practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results showed that the assessment identified efficacious and efficient error-correction procedures for all participants, and 1 procedure was efficient for 4 of the 5 participants. To examine the social validity of error-correction procedures, participants selected among efficacious and efficient interventions in a concurrent-chains assessment. We discuss the results in relation to prior research on error-correction procedures and current instructional practices for learners with ASD. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Power inequalities in the assessment of nursing competency within the workplace: implications for nursing management.

PubMed

Cusack, Lynette; Smith, Morgan

2010-09-01

This article explores the power implications of implementing competency-based assessments within the nursing work environment from a manager's perspective. It discusses how the implementation of competency-based assessments for continuing education may affect workplace culture, in particular, the use of power, within the nursing team. The term "managers" for the purpose of this article is defined as "nurses in senior administrative and educational positions within a health care facility." This article adds to the discourse on competency-based models by emphasizing the effect of the nursing work environment on the competency-based assessment process. It concludes by identifying strategies that can be used by nursing management when designing and implementing an effective and fair competency-based assessment for the nursing workplace. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

U.S. power generation, water stress, and climate change: using science to understand "water-smart" electricity-sector decision making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, J. H.; Frumhoff, P. C.; Averyt, K.; Newmark, R. L.

2012-12-01

In 2011, nearly 90 percent of U.S. electricity came from thermoelectric (steam-producing) power plants that use water for cooling. These water demands can tax rivers and aquifers, threaten fish and wildlife, and spark conflicts between power plants and other water users. Climate change, driven by in large part by emissions from fossil fuel-based electricity generation, is adding to the strain. Higher temperatures raise electricity demand and lower cooling-system efficiency, while drought and changes in precipitation patterns may make freshwater supplies less reliable. Here we report new findings on the impacts, present and projected, of power-plant water use on local water stress across the United States, and its implications for understanding what constitutes "water-smart" energy decision making. This work was carried out under the auspices of the Energy and Water in a Warming World initiative (EW3), a research and outreach collaboration designed to inform and motivate U.S. public awareness and science-based public policy at the energy-water nexus. The research has involved cataloguing the water use characteristics of virtually every U.S. power generator in the nation to develop a robust assessment of the water resource implications of cooling the nation's power plants. By analyzing local water supply and demand conditions across the nation, we identified water basins where current power plant water use appears to contribute strongly to local water supply stress, and where water-intensive electricity choices could substantially exacerbate water stress. We also identified other potential approaches to considering stress, particularly related to water temperature. The research has also involved analyzing the water implications of different electricity pathways in the United States over the next 40 years. We used a high-resolution electricity model to generate a range of electricity mixes, particularly in the context of a carbon budget, and assessed the water implications of the mixes at water-relevant scales. We then examined how the different scenarios fared under changing water conditions, particular in the face of droughts and increases in water temperature. Our findings help enhance understanding within the general public, electricity-sector decision makers, and elected officials, and provide science-based information to inform decisions about new power plants, plant retirements, and cooling technology choices. We discuss the results of outreach to date around these findings, and opportunities to inform and motivate a more sustainable energy, water, and climate future.

ESR study of a biological assay on whole blood: antioxidant efficiency of various vitamins.

PubMed

Stocker, Pierre; Lesgards, Jean-François; Vidal, Nicolas; Chalier, Florence; Prost, Michel

2003-04-07

This study deals with the activity of various vitamins against the radical-mediated oxidative damage in human whole blood. We have used a biological method that allows both the evaluation of plasma and that of red blood cell resistance against the free radicals induced by 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH). Spin trapping measures using mainly 5-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-5-methyl-1-pyrolline N-oxide nitrone (DEPMPO) were carried out under several conditions to identify the free radicals implicated in this test. Only the oxygenated-centred radical generated from AAPH was found highly reactive to initiate red blood cell lysis. With DEPMPO only alkoxyl radicals were observed and no evidence was found for alkylperoxyl radicals. The antioxidant activity of several lipid- and water-soluble vitamins has been assessed by the biological assay and through two chemical methods. We have noticed high antioxidant activities for tocopherols (in the order delta>gamma>alpha) in the biological test but not through chemical methods. At 1 microM, the delta-tocopherol efficiency in inhibiting radical-induced red blood cell hemolysis was three times as high as the alpha-tocopherol efficiency. For beta-carotene no significant activity even in whole blood was shown. Highly surprising antioxidant activities were observed for acid folic and pyridoxine, compared to ascorbic acid. At 10 microM, the effectiveness of folic acid was almost three times as high as vitamin C. The biological test seems clinically more relevant than most other common assays because it can detect several classes of antioxidants.

A comparative cost analysis of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying in highland Kenya.

PubMed

Guyatt, H L; Kinnear, J; Burini, M; Snow, R W

2002-06-01

The relative cost of indoor residual house-spraying (IRS) versus insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) forms part of decisions regarding selective malaria prevention. This paper presents a cost comparison of these two approaches as recently implemented by Merlin, a UK emergency relief organization funded through international donor support and working in the highland districts of Gucha and Kisii in Kenya. The financial costs (cash expenditures) and the economic costs (including the opportunity costs of using existing staff and volunteers, and an annualized cost for capital items) were assessed. The financial cost for IRS was US dollars 0.86 per person protected, compared with 4.21 dollars for ITNs (reducing to 3.42 dollars to the provider assuming cost recovery). The economic cost per person protected for IRS was 0.88 dollars, compared with 2.34 dollars for ITNs. The costs for ITNs were sensitive to the number of nets sold per community group ('efficiency'), as the delivery costs constituted upwards of 40% of the total cost. However, even marked increases in efficiency of these groups could not reduce the costs of ITNs to that comparable with IRS, except if more than one cycle of IRS was needed. The implications of predicted reductions in the cost of insecticide for both IRS and ITNs are also explored. The provision of itemized cost data allows predictions to be made on changes in the design of these programmes. Under almost all design scenarios, IRS would appear to be a more cost-efficient means of vector control in the Kenyan highlands.

Growth and physiological responses of isohydric and anisohydric poplars to drought

DOE PAGES

Attia, Ziv; Domec, Jean-Christophe; Oren, Ram; ...

2015-05-07

Understanding how different plants prioritize carbon gain and drought vulnerability under a variable water supply is important for predicting which trees will maximize woody biomass production under different environmental conditions. Here, Populus balsamifera (BS, isohydric genotype), P. simonii (SI, previously uncharacterized stomatal behaviour), and their cross, P. balsamifera x simonii (BSxSI, anisohydric genotype) were studied to assess the physiological basis for biomass accumulation and water-use efficiency across a range of water availabilities. Under ample water, whole plant stomatal conductance (g s), transpiration (E), and growth rates were higher in anisohydric genotypes (SI and BSxSI) than in isohydric poplars (BS). Undermore » drought, all genotypes regulated the leaf to stem water potential gradient via changes in gs, synchronizing leaf hydraulic conductance (K leaf) and E: isohydric plants reduced K leaf, g s, and E, whereas anisohydric genotypes maintained high K leaf and E, which reduced both leaf and stem water potentials. Nevertheless, SI poplars reduced their plant hydraulic conductance (K plant) during water stress and, unlike, BSxSI plants, recovered rapidly from drought. Low gs of the isohydric BS under drought reduced CO 2 assimilation rates and biomass potential under moderate water stress. While anisohydric genotypes had the fastest growth under ample water and higher photosynthetic rates under increasing water stress, isohydric poplars had higher water-use efficiency. Overall, the results indicate three strategies for how closely related biomass species deal with water stress: survival-isohydric (BS), sensitive-anisohydric (BSxSI), and resilience-anisohydric (SI). Lastly, we discuss implications for woody biomass growth, water-use efficiency, and survival under variable environmental conditions.« less

Electrolysis of lunar soil to produce oxygen and metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colson, Russell O.; Haskin, Larry A.; Keller, R.

1991-01-01

The discussion of melt electrolysis consists of three sections. The implications of the chemistry and physics of fluxed and raw melts on melt electrolysis are discussed first. This includes discussion of the factor that influence melt resistivity, melt viscosity, oxygen production efficiency, and the theoretical energy required to produce oxygen. Second, the implications of phase equilibria and solubilities in silicate melts on the selection of materials for container and electrodes are discussed. The implications of proposed container and electrode materials on melt composition and how this effects expected resistivities, viscosities, as outlined in the first section are discussed. Finally, a general discussion of the basic features of both the fluxed and unfluxed melt electrolysis is given, including their advantages and disadvantages and how they compare with alternative processes.

Security Implications of Physical Design Attributes in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Pati, Debajyoti; Pati, Sipra; Harvey, Thomas E

2016-07-01

Security, a subset of safety, is equally important in the efficient delivery of patient care. The emergency department (ED) is susceptible to violence creating concerns for the safety and security of patients, staff, and visitors and for the safe and efficient delivery of care. Although there is an implicit and growing recognition of the role of the physical environment, interventions typically have been at the microlevel. The objective of this study was to identify physical design attributes that potentially influence safety and efficiency of ED operations. An exploratory, qualitative research design was adopted to examine the efficiency and safety correlates of ED physical design attributes. The study comprised a multimeasure approach involving multidisciplinary gaming, semistructured interviews, and touring interviews of frontline staff in four EDs at three hospital systems across three states. Five macro physical design attributes (issues that need to be addressed at the design stage and expensive to rectify once built) emerged from the data as factors substantially associated with security issues. They are design issues pertaining to (a) the entry zone, (b) traffic management, (c) patient room clustering, (d) centralization versus decentralization, and (e) provisions for special populations. Data from this study suggest that ED security concerns are generally associated with three sources: (a) gang-related violence, (b) dissatisfied patients, and (c) behavioral health patients. Study data show that physical design has an important role in addressing the above-mentioned concerns. Implications for ED design are outlined in the article. © The Author(s) 2016.

ISSUES IN ASSESSING LOW LEVEL IONIZABLE CONTAMINANT PARTITIONING IN SOILS AND SEDIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Solubilization has profound implications for such diverse risk assessment activities as assessing sediment contaminant porewater exposures to benthic fauna, determining half lives of refractory toxicants in natural soils and sediments, and assessing the fate and transport of th...

Ecological assessment of nano-enabled supercapacitors for automotive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weil, M.; Dura, H.; Shimon, B.; Baumann, M.; Zimmermann, B.; Ziemann, S.; Lei, C.; Markoulidis, F.; Lekakou, T.; Decker, M.

2012-09-01

New materials on nano scale have the potential to overcome existing technical barriers and are one of the most promising key technologies to enable the decoupling of economic growth and resource consumption. Developing these innovative materials for industrial applications means facing a complex quality profile, which includes among others technical, economic, and ecological aspects. So far the two latter aspects are not sufficiently included in technology development, especially from a life cycle point of view. Supercapacitors are considered a promising option for electric energy storage in hybrid and full electric cars. In comparison with presently used lithium based electro chemical storage systems supercapacitors possess a high specific power, but a relatively low specific energy. Therefore, the goal of ongoing research is to develop a new generation of supercapacitors with high specific power and high specific energy. To reach this goal particularly nano materials are developed and tested on cell level. In the presented study the ecological implications (regarding known environmental effects) of carbon based nano materials are analysed using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Major attention is paid to efficiency gains of nano particle production due to scaling up of such processes from laboratory to industrial production scales. Furthermore, a developed approach will be displayed, how to assess the environmental impact of nano materials on an automotive system level over the whole life cycle.

Understanding visual search patterns of dermatologists assessing pigmented skin lesions before and after online training.

PubMed

Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Chao, Joseph; Hofmann-Wellenhof, Rainer; Morrison, Lynne; Curiel-Lewandrowski, Clara

2014-12-01

The goal of this investigation was to explore the feasibility of characterizing the visual search characteristics of dermatologists evaluating images corresponding to single pigmented skin lesions (PSLs) (close-ups and dermoscopy) as a venue to improve training programs for dermoscopy. Two Board-certified dermatologists and two dermatology residents participated in a phased study. In phase I, they viewed a series of 20 PSL cases ranging from benign nevi to melanoma. The close-up and dermoscopy images of the PSL were evaluated sequentially and rated individually as benign or malignant, while eye position was recorded. Subsequently, the participating subjects completed an online dermoscopy training module that included a pre- and post-test assessing their dermoscopy skills (phase 2). Three months later, the subjects repeated their assessment on the 20 PSLs presented during phase I of the study. Significant differences in viewing time and eye-position parameters were observed as a function of level of expertise. Dermatologists overall have more efficient search than residents generating fewer fixations with shorter dwells. Fixations and dwells associated with decisions changing from benign to malignant or vice versa from photo to dermatoscopic viewing were longer than any other decision, indicating increased visual processing for those decisions. These differences in visual search may have implications for developing tools to teach dermatologists and residents about how to better utilize dermoscopy in clinical practice.

Energy use and carbon footprints differ dramatically for diverse wastewater-derived carbonaceous substrates: An integrated exploration of biokinetics and life-cycle assessment.

PubMed

Li, Yanbo; Wang, Xu; Butler, David; Liu, Junxin; Qu, Jiuhui

2017-03-21

Energy neutrality and reduction of carbon emissions are significant challenges to the enhanced sustainability of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Harvesting energy from wastewater carbonaceous substrates can offset energy demands and enable net power generation; yet, there is limited research about how carbonaceous substrates influence energy and carbon implications of WWTPs with integrated energy recovery at systems-level. Consequently, this research uses biokinetics modelling and life cycle assessment philology to explore this notion, by tracing and assessing the quantitative flows of energy embodied or captured, and by exploring the carbon footprint throughout an energy-intensive activated sludge process with integrated energy recovery facilities. The results indicate that energy use and carbon footprint per cubic meter of wastewater treated, varies markedly with the carbon substrate. Compared with systems driven with proteins, carbohydrates or other short-chain fatty acids, systems fed with acetic acid realized energy neutrality with maximal net gain of power from methane combustion (0.198 kWh) and incineration of residual biosolids (0.153 kWh); and also achieved a negative carbon footprint (72.6 g CO 2 ). The findings from this work help us to better understand and develop new technical schemes for improving the energy efficiency of WWTPs by repurposing the stream of carbon substrates across systems.

Assessment of owner-directed aggressive behavioural tendencies of dogs in situations of possession and manipulation

PubMed Central

Bálint, Anna; Rieger, Gabriella; Miklósi, Ádám

2017-01-01

Excessive aggression is a common behaviour problem in dogs that can have various destructive effects on the affected people and the implicated dog. Aggressive behaviour directed towards the owner or other family members is one of the most frequently occurring aggressive phenotypes. Here, we examine the reliability of a short questionnaire assessing aggressive behaviours by two, contextually different behavioural tests: ‘take away bone’ and ‘roll over’. Based on dogs' behaviour in the tests, we sorted dogs (N = 93) in two groups for each test, namely a less and a more disobedient/resistant group. The two principal components obtained in our questionnaire—‘obedient’ and ‘aggressive towards owner’—showed significant differences between the behaviour groups. While dogs in the less disobedient/resistant groups had significantly higher ‘obedient’ and significantly lower ‘aggressive towards owner’ scores, dogs in the more disobedient/resistant groups had significantly higher ‘aggressive towards owner’ and significantly lower ‘obedient’ scores. Dogs' age, sex and neuter/spay status expressed their effect through interactions. Males, young dogs and intact dogs were less ‘obedient’ than older ones, while resistant spayed/neutered dogs were more aggressive towards the owner. The questionnaire used is a safe, easy to deploy and time-efficient tool to reliably assess certain owner-directed aggressive tendencies of family dogs. PMID:29134099

Impact of environmental production conditions on productivity and efficiency: a case study of wheat farmers in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rahman, Sanzidur; Hasan, M Kamrul

2008-09-01

Environmental conditions significantly affect production, but are often ignored in studies analysing productivity and efficiency leading to biased results. In this study, we examine the influence of selected environmental factors on productivity and efficiency in wheat farming in Bangladesh. Results reveal that environmental production conditions significantly affect the parameters of the production function and technical efficiency, as well as correlates of inefficiency. Controlling for environmental production conditions improves technical efficiency by 4 points (p<0.01) from 86% to 90%. Large farms are more efficient relative to small and medium sized farms (p<0.01 and 0.05), with no variation among regions. Policy implications include soil fertility improvement through soil conservation and crop rotation, improvement in managerial practices through extension services and adoption of modern technologies, promotion of education, strengthening the research-extension link, and development of new varieties that have higher yield potential and are also suitable for marginal areas.

Data envelopment analysis with upper bound on output to measure efficiency performance of departments in Malaikulsaleh University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Dahlan; Suwilo, Saib; Tulus; Mawengkang, Herman; Efendi, Syahril

2017-09-01

The higher education system in Indonesia can be considered not only as an important source of developing knowledge in the country, but also could create positive living conditions for the country. Therefore it is not surprising that enrollments in higher education continue to expand. However, the implication of this situation, the Indonesian government is necessarily to support more funds. In the interest of accountability, it is essential to measure the efficiency for this higher institution. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a method to evaluate the technical efficiency of production units which have multiple input and output. The higher learning institution considered in this paper is Malikussaleh University located in Lhokseumawe, a city in Aceh province of Indonesia. This paper develops a method to evaluate efficiency for all departments in Malikussaleh University using DEA with bounded output. Accordingly, we present some important differences in efficiency of those departments. Finally we discuss the effort should be done by these departments in order to become efficient.

The Public Stake in Independent Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Lawrence

The importance of higher education in providing the skilled labor force needed to respond to changing technologies; the cost-efficiency of independent higher education; and implications for government, industry, and independent higher education are considered. The most readily changing technologies include computers and electronics, satellite…

Differential programming of p53-deficient embryonic cells during rotenone block

EPA Science Inventory

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in chemical toxicities. The present study used an in vitro model to investigate the differential expression of metabolic pathways during cellular stress in p53- efficient embryonic fibroblasts compared to p53-deficient cells. These c...

Redox behavior of uranium at the nanoporous aluminum oxide-water interface: implications for uranium remediation.

PubMed

Jung, Hun Bok; Boyanov, Maxim I; Konishi, Hiromi; Sun, Yubing; Mishra, Bhoopesh; Kemner, Kenneth M; Roden, Eric E; Xu, Huifang

2012-07-03

Sorption-desorption experiments show that the majority (ca. 80-90%) of U(VI) presorbed to mesoporous and nanoporous alumina could not be released by extended (2 week) extraction with 50 mM NaHCO(3) in contrast with non-nanoporous α alumina. The extent of reduction of U(VI) presorbed to aluminum oxides was semiquantitatively estimated by comparing the percentages of uranium desorbed by anoxic sodium bicarbonate between AH(2)DS-reacted and unreacted control samples. X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed that U(VI) presorbed to non-nanoporous alumina was rapidly and completely reduced to nanoparticulate uraninite by AH(2)DS, whereas reduction of U(VI) presorbed to nanoporous alumina was slow and incomplete (<5% reduction after 1 week). The observed nanopore size-dependent redox behavior of U has important implications in developing efficient remediation techniques for the subsurface uranium contamination because the efficiency of in situ bioremediation depends on how effectively and rapidly U(VI) bound to sediment or soil can be converted to an immobile phase.

Assessment in Business Education. National Business Education Association Yearbook, No. 38.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rucker, Jim, Ed.

This yearbook examines the implications of assessment, assessment design, and multiple assessment tools. The five sections of the book are designed for developing and implementing assessment strategies for the business education curriculum, and several of the 14 chapters contain examples of assessment. The chapters cover the following topics: (1)…

Language Assessment Literacy: Implications for Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giraldo, Frank

2018-01-01

Recently, the applied linguistics field has examined the knowledge, skills, and principles needed for assessment, defined as language assessment literacy. Two major issues in language assessment literacy have been addressed but not fully resolved--what exactly language assessment literacy is and how it differs among stakeholders (e.g., students…

Student's perception about innovative teaching learning practices in Forensic Medicine.

PubMed

Gupta, Sanjay; Parekh, Utsav N; Ganjiwale, Jaishree D

2017-11-01

Since decades, Forensic Medicine is mainly taught by didactic methods but in last couple of years some other teachinglearning and assessment methods are also introduced at some places which also lacks uniformity. Feedback from learners is most fundamental aspect to assess effectiveness of applied methods, but is not implemented in practice at most medical schools in India. Unfortunately, medical students are deprived of this practical empowerment and thus may not be efficient enough to contribute potentially to the justice system during their professional life. In order to improve their efficiency in the field, we introduced few innovative teaching-learning methods and documented their perceptions. This pilot study was carried out with students who had completed their second professional year (5th semester) of medical curriculum. Students were exposed to few innovative teaching-learning and assessment approaches in addition to conventional methods during their Forensic Medicine term. These approaches were interactivity in large group lecturing, small group activities, student led objective tutorial, court visit in real scenario, practical records book, surprise tests, structured theory question papers, model answers, objective structured practical examinations and structured oral viva. Their perceptions were documented later through structured questionnaire. Students reported all methods as 'interesting' except 'surprise tests'. Court visits were rated highest for generating interest (98%). Clarity of concept was experienced through all methods (range of 71-95%). Interactive large group lectures reported highest (by 95%students) for clarifying concepts, although this is not a typical characteristic of large group teaching. Enhanced learning experience was reported in 75-92.5% for different methods. Student Led Objective Tutorials seemed to facilitate enhance learning most (92.5%). Innovations in teaching-learning are need of hour especially in subject like Forensic Medicine which has direct implications to add into administration of justice in the court of law. This pilot study has given us ideas for making teaching-learning and assessment more student centric considering emerging societal needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Inversion Of Jacobian Matrix For Robot Manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fijany, Amir; Bejczy, Antal K.

1989-01-01

Report discusses inversion of Jacobian matrix for class of six-degree-of-freedom arms with spherical wrist, i.e., with last three joints intersecting. Shows by taking advantage of simple geometry of such arms, closed-form solution of Q=J-1X, which represents linear transformation from task space to joint space, obtained efficiently. Presents solutions for PUMA arm, JPL/Stanford arm, and six-revolute-joint coplanar arm along with all singular points. Main contribution of paper shows simple geometry of this type of arms exploited in performing inverse transformation without any need to compute Jacobian or its inverse explicitly. Implication of this computational efficiency advanced task-space control schemes for spherical-wrist arms implemented more efficiently.

Generalized Hurst exponent approach to efficiency in MENA markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sensoy, A.

2013-10-01

We study the time-varying efficiency of 15 Middle East and North African (MENA) stock markets by generalized Hurst exponent analysis of daily data with a rolling window technique. The study covers a time period of six years from January 2007 to December 2012. The results reveal that all MENA stock markets exhibit different degrees of long-range dependence varying over time and that the Arab Spring has had a negative effect on market efficiency in the region. The least inefficient market is found to be Turkey, followed by Israel, while the most inefficient markets are Iran, Tunisia, and UAE. Turkey and Israel show characteristics of developed financial markets. Reasons and implications are discussed.

What impact do prescription drug charges have on efficiency and equity? Evidence from high-income countries

PubMed Central

Gemmill, Marin C; Thomson, Sarah; Mossialos, Elias

2008-01-01

As pharmaceutical expenditure continues to rise, third-party payers in most high-income countries have increasingly shifted the burden of payment for prescription drugs to patients. A large body of literature has examined the relationship between prescription charges and outcomes such as expenditure, use, and health, but few reviews explicitly link cost sharing for prescription drugs to efficiency and equity. This article reviews 173 studies from 15 high-income countries and discusses their implications for important issues sometimes ignored in the literature; in particular, the extent to which prescription charges contain health care costs and enhance efficiency without lowering equity of access to care. PMID:18454849

An efficient microwave-assisted extraction process of stevioside and rebaudioside-A from Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni).

PubMed

Jaitak, Vikas; Bikram Singh, Bandna; Kaul, V K

2009-01-01

Stevioside and rebaudioside-A are major low-calorie diterpene steviol glycosides in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. They are widely used as natural sweeteners for diabetic patients, but the long extraction procedures required and the optimisation of product yield present challenging problems. To develop a rapid and effective methodology for the extraction of stevioside and rebaudioside-A from S. rebaudiana leaves and to compare yields using different extraction techniques. Dried and powdered leaves of S. rebaudiana were extracted by conventional, ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction techniques using methanol, ethanol and water as single solvents as well as in binary mixtures. Conventional cold extraction was performed at 25 degrees C for 12 h while ultrasound extraction was carried out at temperature of 35 +/- 5 degrees C for 30 min. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was carried out at a power level of 80 W for 1 min at 50 degrees C. MAE yielded 8.64 and 2.34% of stevioside and rebaudioside-A, respectively, while conventional and ultrasound techniques yielded 6.54 and 1.20%, and 4.20 and 1.98% of stevioside and rebaudioside-A, respectively. A rapid and efficient method has been developed for the extraction of stevioside and rebaudioside-A in optimum yields using MAE procedure. This method has the advantage of rapid extraction and fast screening of a large number of S. rebaudiana samples for assessment of planting material. MAE saves considerable time, energy and has implications in the quality assessment of stevioside and rebaudioside-A prior to their industrial production from the leaves of S. rebaudiana. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Transformer Efficiency Assessment - Okinawa, Japan

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

Thomas L. Baldwin; Robert J. Turk; Kurt S. Myers

The US Army Engineering & Support Center, Huntsville (USAESCH), and the US Marine Corps Base (MCB), Okinawa, Japan retained Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to conduct a Transformer Efficiency Assessment of “key” transformers located at multiple military bases in Okinawa, Japan. The purpose of this assessment is to support the Marine Corps Base, Okinawa in evaluating medium voltage distribution transformers for potential efficiency upgrades. The original scope of work included the MCB providing actual transformer nameplate data, manufacturer’s factory test sheets, electrical system data (kWh), demand data (kWd), power factor data, and electricity cost data. Unfortunately, the MCB’s actual data ismore » not available and therefore making it necessary to de-scope the original assessment. Note: Any similar nameplate data, photos of similar transformer nameplates, and basic electrical details from one-line drawings (provided by MCB) are not a replacement for actual load loss test data. It is recommended that load measurements are performed on the high and low sides of transformers to better quantify actual load losses, demand data, and power factor data. We also recommend that actual data, when available, be inserted by MCB Okinawa where assumptions have been made and then the LCC analysis updated. This report covers a generalized assessment of modern U.S. transformers in a three level efficiency category, Low-Level efficiency, Medium-Level efficiency, and High-Level efficiency.« less

Transformer Efficiency Assessment - Okinawa, Japan

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

Thomas L. Baldwin; Robert J. Turk; Kurt S. Myers

2012-05-01

The US Army Engineering & Support Center, Huntsville (USAESCH), and the US Marine Corps Base (MCB), Okinawa, Japan retained Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to conduct a Transformer Efficiency Assessment of “key” transformers located at multiple military bases in Okinawa, Japan. The purpose of this assessment is to support the Marine Corps Base, Okinawa in evaluating medium voltage distribution transformers for potential efficiency upgrades. The original scope of work included the MCB providing actual transformer nameplate data, manufacturer’s factory test sheets, electrical system data (kWh), demand data (kWd), power factor data, and electricity cost data. Unfortunately, the MCB’s actual data ismore » not available and therefore making it necessary to de-scope the original assessment. Note: Any similar nameplate data, photos of similar transformer nameplates, and basic electrical details from one-line drawings (provided by MCB) are not a replacement for actual load loss test data. It is recommended that load measurements are performed on the high and low sides of transformers to better quantify actual load losses, demand data, and power factor data. We also recommend that actual data, when available, be inserted by MCB Okinawa where assumptions have been made and then the LCC analysis updated. This report covers a generalized assessment of modern U.S. transformers in a three level efficiency category, Low-Level efficiency, Medium-Level efficiency, and High-Level efficiency.« less

A general theory of evolution based on energy efficiency: its implications for diseases.

PubMed

Yun, Anthony J; Lee, Patrick Y; Doux, John D; Conley, Buford R

2006-01-01

We propose a general theory of evolution based on energy efficiency. Life represents an emergent property of energy. The earth receives energy from cosmic sources such as the sun. Biologic life can be characterized by the conversion of available energy into complex systems. Direct energy converters such as photosynthetic microorganisms and plants transform light energy into high-energy phosphate bonds that fuel biochemical work. Indirect converters such as herbivores and carnivores predominantly feed off the food chain supplied by these direct converters. Improving energy efficiency confers competitive advantage in the contest among organisms for energy. We introduce a term, return on energy (ROE), as a measure of energy efficiency. We define ROE as a ratio of the amount of energy acquired by a system to the amount of energy consumed to generate that gain. Life-death cycling represents a tactic to sample the environment for innovations that allow increases in ROE to develop over generations rather than an individual lifespan. However, the variation-selection strategem of Darwinian evolution may define a particular tactic rather than an overarching biological paradigm. A theory of evolution based on competition for energy and driven by improvements in ROE both encompasses prior notions of evolution and portends post-Darwinian mechanisms. Such processes may involve the exchange of non-genetic traits that improve ROE, as exemplified by cognitive adaptations or memes. Under these circumstances, indefinite persistence may become favored over life-death cycling, as increases in ROE may then occur more efficiently within a single lifespan rather than over multiple generations. The key to this transition may involve novel methods to address the promotion of health and cognitive plasticity. We describe the implications of this theory for human diseases.

The Implications of Ecologically Based Assessment for Primary Prevention with Indigenous Youth Populations

PubMed Central

Okamoto, Scott K.; LeCroy, Craig Winston; Tann, Sheila S.; Rayle, Andrea Dixon; Kulis, Stephen; Dustman, Patricia; Berceli, David

2011-01-01

This paper describes a five-stage approach toward conducting an ecologically based assessment with Indigenous youth populations, and the implications of this approach for the development and implementation of culturally grounded prevention interventions. A description of a pilot study funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA) focused on drug use and American Indian youth is presented as one model for operationalizing ecologically based assessment with Indigenous youth populations, and issues related to translating the pilot study into a prevention intervention are discussed. This paper suggests that ecologically based assessment can serve as a foundation for culturally grounded prevention interventions, promoting the social and ecological validity of those interventions. PMID:16534658

The influence of leaf anatomy on the internal light environment and photosynthetic electron transport rate: exploration with a new leaf ray tracing model

PubMed Central

Xiao, Yi; Tholen, Danny; Zhu, Xin-Guang

2016-01-01

Leaf photosynthesis is determined by biochemical properties and anatomical features. Here we developed a three-dimensional leaf model that can be used to evaluate the internal light environment of a leaf and its implications for whole-leaf electron transport rates (J). This model includes (i) the basic components of a leaf, such as the epidermis, palisade and spongy tissues, as well as the physical dimensions and arrangements of cell walls, vacuoles and chloroplasts; and (ii) an efficient forward ray-tracing algorithm, predicting the internal light environment for light of wavelengths between 400 and 2500nm. We studied the influence of leaf anatomy and ambient light on internal light conditions and J. The results show that (i) different chloroplasts can experience drastically different light conditions, even when they are located at the same distance from the leaf surface; (ii) bundle sheath extensions, which are strips of parenchyma, collenchyma or sclerenchyma cells connecting the vascular bundles with the epidermis, can influence photosynthetic light-use efficiency of leaves; and (iii) chloroplast positioning can also influence the light-use efficiency of leaves. Mechanisms underlying leaf internal light heterogeneity and implications of the heterogeneity for photoprotection and for the convexity of the light response curves are discussed. PMID:27702991

Technology assessment and citizen action

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mottur, E. R.

1975-01-01

Citizen participation in the nation's total social, political, economic decisionmaking processes was studied. Impediments are discussed which prevent citizens from taking effective assessment action; these include finance, organization and motivation, and information. The proposal for establishing citizens assessment associations is considered along with implications of citizen assessment action.

Face-Recognition Memory: Implications for Children's Eyewitness Testimony.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chance, June E.; Goldstein, Alvin G.

1984-01-01

Reviews studies of face-recognition memory and considers implications for assessing the dependability of children's performances as eyewitnesses. Considers personal factors (age, intellectual differences, and gender) and situational factors (familiarity of face, retention interval, and others). Also identifies developmental questions for future…

The 1997 IDEA Amendments: Implications for School Principals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Brenda T.; Katsiyannis, Antonis

1998-01-01

Discusses implications of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments for local policy and practice. Secondary principals should understand new requirements for locating and evaluating eligible students with disabilities, including disabled students in state and districtwide assessment programs, involving regular teachers in…

Integrins in bone metastasis formation and potential therapeutic implications.

PubMed

Clëzardin, P

2009-11-01

Integrins constitute a family of cell surface receptors that are heterodimers composed of noncovalently associated alpha and beta subunits. Integrins bind to extracellular matrix proteins and immunogobulin superfamily molecules. They exert a stringent control on cell migration, survival and proliferation. However, their expression and functions are often deregulated in cancer, and many lines of evidence implicate them as key regulators during progression from primary tumor growth to metastasis. Here, we review the role of integrins in bone metastasis formation and present evidence that the use of integrin-targeted therapeutic agents may be an efficient strategy to block tumor metastasis.

e-Health promises and challenges: some ethical considerations.

PubMed

Kluge, Eike-Henner W

2011-01-01

eHealth is a cost-effective and efficient way of providing health care to patients who would otherwise be excluded or underserviced. However, eHealth also presents a series of ethical and legal challenges which, if not met before its implementation, can undermine its success. Among other things, privacy, consent and liability are implicated, as are changes in the health care professional-patient relationship and in the role of health informatics professionals. Legacy systems and interoperability present further challenges, and outsourcing may pose special problems. This paper highlights some of these issues and outlines their implications.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Model in Operation Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, Meilisa; Efendi, Syahril; Zarlis, Muhammad

2018-01-01

Quality management is an effective system in operation management to develops, maintains, and improves quality from groups of companies that allow marketing, production, and service at the most economycal level as well as ensuring customer satisfication. Many companies are practicing quality management to improve their bussiness performance. One of performance measurement is through measurement of efficiency. One of the tools can be used to assess efficiency of companies performance is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The aim of this paper is using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to assess efficiency of quality management. In this paper will be explained CCR, BCC, and SBM models to assess efficiency of quality management.

Efficient method for assessing channel instability near bridges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Bret A.; Thompson, R.E.

1993-01-01

Efficient methods for data collection and processing are required to complete channel-instability assessments at 5,600 bridge sites in Indiana at an affordable cost and within a reasonable time frame while maintaining the quality of the assessments. To provide this needed efficiency and quality control, a data-collection form was developed that specifies the data to be collected and the order of data collection. This form represents a modification of previous forms that grouped variables according to type rather than by order of collection. Assessments completed during two field seasons showed that greater efficiency was achieved by using a fill-in-the-blank form that organizes the data to be recorded in a specified order: in the vehicle, from the roadway, in the upstream channel, under the bridge, and in the downstream channel.

Understanding and Improving Knowledge Transactions in Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

implications for the development of tools to facilitate efficient and effectiv and knowledge exchange. Cognitive task analysis (CTA) in support...makers]?” *quotes taken from K-web cognitive task analysis , Global 2000 and Global 2001 War Games, interviews with Carl Vinson K-Web users following

Stunning and scalding techniques, implications for yield and processing efficiency

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In most countries, humane slaughter of poultry includes the use of various stunning systems, each of which offers advantages and disadvantages (engineering challenges). The effects of the different stun and stun-to-kill methods will be reviewed, along with research study results evaluating bird welf...

Role of Friction in Materials Selection for Automotive Applications

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

Blau, Peter Julian

This is an invited article for a special issue of the ASM International monthly magazine that concerns "Automotive Materials and Applications." The article itself overviews frictional considerations in material selection for automobiles. It discusses implications for energy efficiency (engine friction) and safety (brakes) among other topics.

Online Literacies at Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Searle, Jean

1999-01-01

Uses examples drawn from research across several sites in tourism and hospitality in which employees are required to interact with technology, in order to highlight issues relating to new online literacies that are now required for efficient work practices and to discuss implications for practice. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy…

Education Finance: Legal Bombshells in West Virginia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meckley, Richard

1983-01-01

Discusses the history, legal arguments, decision, and fiscal implications of "Pauley v. Bailey," in which a West Virginia circuit court judge's ruling gave explicit and detailed descriptions of a thorough and efficient K-12 education system. Briefly reviews two West Virginia supreme court decisions concerning property assessment…

Travel Efficiency Assessment Method: Three Case Studies

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This slide presentation summarizes three case studies EPA conducted in partnership with Boston, Kansas City, and Tucson, to assess the potential benefits of employing travel efficiency strategies in these areas.

When seconds count: A study of communication variables in the opening segment of emergency calls.

PubMed

Penn, Claire; Koole, Tom; Nattrass, Rhona

2017-09-01

The opening sequence of an emergency call influences the efficiency of the ambulance dispatch time. The greeting sequences in 105 calls to a South African emergency service were analysed. Initial results suggested the advantage of a specific two-part opening sequence. An on-site experiment aimed at improving call efficiency was conducted during one shift (1100 calls). Results indicated reduced conversational repairs and a significant reduction of 4 seconds in mean call length. Implications for systems and training are derived.

Electrical properties of III-Nitride LEDs: Recombination-based injection model and theoretical limits to electrical efficiency and electroluminescent cooling

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

David, Aurelien, E-mail: adavid@soraa.com; Hurni, Christophe A.; Young, Nathan G.

The current-voltage characteristic and ideality factor of III-Nitride quantum well light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on bulk GaN substrates are investigated. At operating temperature, these electrical properties exhibit a simple behavior. A model in which only active-region recombinations have a contribution to the LED current is found to account for experimental results. The limit of LED electrical efficiency is discussed based on the model and on thermodynamic arguments, and implications for electroluminescent cooling are examined.

Gene delivery for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Zhang, Teng

2014-01-01

Gene therapy has potential in the treatment of human cancers. However, its clinical implication has only achieved little success due to the lack of an efficient gene delivery system. A major hurdle in the current available approaches is in the ability to transduce target tissues at very high efficiencies that ultimately lead to therapeutic levels of transgene expression. This review outlines the characteristics and utilities of several available gene delivery systems, including their advantages and drawbacks in the context of cancer treatment. A perspective of existing challenges and future directions is also included.

Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Optimized body composition provides a competitive advantage in a variety of sports. Weight reduction is common among athletes aiming to improve their strength-to-mass ratio, locomotive efficiency, or aesthetic appearance. Energy restriction is accompanied by changes in circulating hormones, mitochondrial efficiency, and energy expenditure that serve to minimize the energy deficit, attenuate weight loss, and promote weight regain. The current article reviews the metabolic adaptations observed with weight reduction and provides recommendations for successful weight reduction and long term reduced-weight maintenance in athletes. PMID:24571926

A study of design trade (OFFS) using a computer model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coughlin, S.

1975-01-01

The interaction between the efficiency of the structural design and the cost of the structure used was studied. It is shown that future effort is best directed at producing a low cost structure of medium efficiency, but with the ability to withstand normal service wear. The trade-off between aerodynamic drag and structure weight in selecting a length to diameter ratio for the hull is evaluated along with the implications of power plan type and fuel cost on the economics of the airship. The choice of lifting gas is considered.

Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Site Assessment: Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

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

Kiatreungwattana, Kosol; Salasovich, James; Kandt, Alicen

As part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to reduce energy use and incorporate renewable energy technologies into its facilities, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory performed an energy efficiency and renewable energy site assessment of the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. This report documents the findings of this assessment, and provides site-specific information for the implementation of energy and water conservation measures, and renewable energy measures.

Effects of ethanol on vehicle energy efficiency and implications on ethanol life-cycle greenhouse gas analysis.

PubMed

Yan, Xiaoyu; Inderwildi, Oliver R; King, David A; Boies, Adam M

2013-06-04

Bioethanol is the world's largest-produced alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels due to its compatibility within existing spark-ignition engines and its relatively mature production technology. Despite its success, questions remain over the greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of fuel ethanol use with many studies showing significant impacts of differences in land use, feedstock, and refinery operation. While most efforts to quantify life-cycle GHG impacts have focused on the production stage, a few recent studies have acknowledged the effect of ethanol on engine performance and incorporated these effects into the fuel life cycle. These studies have broadly asserted that vehicle efficiency increases with ethanol use to justify reducing the GHG impact of ethanol. These results seem to conflict with the general notion that ethanol decreases the fuel efficiency (or increases the fuel consumption) of vehicles due to the lower volumetric energy content of ethanol when compared to gasoline. Here we argue that due to the increased emphasis on alternative fuels with drastically differing energy densities, vehicle efficiency should be evaluated based on energy rather than volume. When done so, we show that efficiency of existing vehicles can be affected by ethanol content, but these impacts can serve to have both positive and negative effects and are highly uncertain (ranging from -15% to +24%). As a result, uncertainties in the net GHG effect of ethanol, particularly when used in a low-level blend with gasoline, are considerably larger than previously estimated (standard deviations increase by >10% and >200% when used in high and low blends, respectively). Technical options exist to improve vehicle efficiency through smarter use of ethanol though changes to the vehicle fleets and fuel infrastructure would be required. Future biofuel policies should promote synergies between the vehicle and fuel industries in order to maximize the society-wise benefits or minimize the risks of adverse impacts of ethanol.

Dynamic Assessment and Its Implications for RTI Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Richard K.; Compton, Donald L.

2011-01-01

Dynamic assessment refers to assessment that combines elements of instruction for the purpose of learning something about an individual that cannot be learned as easily or at all from conventional assessment. The origins of dynamic assessment can be traced to Thorndike (1924), Rey (1934), and Vygotsky (1962), who shared three basic assumptions.…

An Inquiry into the Efficiency of WhatsApp for Self- and Peer-Assessments of Oral Language Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samaie, Mahmoud; Mansouri Nejad, Ali; Qaracholloo, Mahmoud

2018-01-01

Social networking applications such as WhatsApp have been extensively used for language research; however, they have rarely been applied for language assessment purposes. To explore the efficiency of WhatsApp for assessment purposes, 30 Iranian English learners doing self- and peer-assessments on WhatsApp are studied. The changes and the reasons…

Assessing the efficiency of hospital pharmacy services in Thai public district hospitals.

PubMed

Rattanachotphanit, Thananan; Limwattananon, Chulaporn; Limwattananon, Supon; Johns, Jeff R; Schommer, Jon C; Brown, Lawrence M

2008-07-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency of hospital pharmacy services and to determine the environmental factors affecting pharmacy service efficiency. The technical efficiency of a hospital pharmacy was assessed to evaluate the hospital's ability to use pharmacy manpower in order to produce the maximum output of the pharmacy service. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used as an efficiency measurement. The two labor inputs were pharmacists and support personnel and the ten outputs were from four pharmacy activities: drug dispensing, drug purchasing and inventory control, patient-oriented activities, and health consumer protection services. This was used to estimate technical efficiency. A Tobit regression model was used to determine the effect of the hospital size, location, input mix of pharmacy staff, working experience of pharmacists at the study hospitals, and use of technology on the pharmacy service efficiency. Data for pharmacy service input and output quantities were obtained from 155 respondents. Nineteen percent were found to have full efficiency with a technical efficiency score of 1.00. Thirty-six percent had a technical efficiency score of 0.80 or above and 27% had a low technical efficiency score (< 0.60). The average TE score increased in respect to the hospital size (0.60, 0.71, 0.75, and 0.83 in 10, 30, 60, and 90-120 bed hospitals, respectively). Hospital size and geographic location were significantly associated with pharmacy service efficiency.

Assessing the Research Efficiency of Higher Education Institutions in Chile: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, David Andres

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the research efficiency of the Chilean higher education institutions (HEIs). As it has been argued in the literature, universities in Chile are far from being considered research-oriented institutions. Current governmental reforms have put pressures on the efficient use of public resources,…

Early numeracy skills in preschool-aged children: a review of neurocognitive findings and implications for assessment and intervention.

PubMed

Raghubar, Kimberly P; Barnes, Marcia A

2017-02-01

The goals are to (1) provide a review of the typical and atypical development of early numeracy; (2) present what is known about the neurocognitive underpinnings of early numeracy; and (3) discuss the implications for early assessment and intervention. Studies on the development of typical and atypical early numeracy are reviewed with a particular focus on longitudinal findings including those from our work on spina bifida myelomeningocele. Implications of this research for assessment are presented. The paper ends with a discussion of early math interventions. Learning to count, identify numbers, and compare and manipulate quantities are key early numeracy skills. These are powerful predictors of school-age mathematical learning and performance. General neurocognitive abilities such as working memory and language, are also important for the development of early numeracy. It is recommended that early assessment for risk of mathematical learning difficulties include tests of both early number knowledge and key neurocognitive abilities. Math-specific interventions are most effective for improving early numeracy. There is currently little evidence that training of general cognitive functions transfers to mathematical learning. Understanding the development of early numeracy skills and their neurocognitive predictors offer important insights into early assessment and intervention for children at risk for or with mathematical learning difficulties.

Oocyte cryopreservation beyond cancer: tools for ethical reflection.

PubMed

Linkeviciute, Alma; Peccatori, Fedro A; Sanchini, Virginia; Boniolo, Giovanni

2015-08-01

This article offers physicians a tool for structured ethical reflection on challenging situations surrounding oocyte cryopreservation in young healthy women. A systematic literature review offers a comprehensive overview of the ethical debate surrounding the practice. Ethical Counseling Methodology (ECM) offers a practical approach for addressing ethical uncertainties. ECM consists of seven steps: (i) case presentation; (ii) analysis of possible implications; (iii) presentation of ethical question(s); (iv) explanation of ethical terms; (v) presentation of the ethical arguments in favor of and against the procedure; (vi) examination of the individual patient's beliefs and wishes; and (vii) conclusive summary. The most problematic aspects in the ethical debate include the distinction between medical and non-medical use of oocyte cryopreservation, safety and efficiency of the procedure, and marketing practices aimed at healthy women. Female empowerment and enhanced reproductive choices (granted oocyte cryopreservation is a safe and efficient technique) are presented as ethical arguments supporting the practice, while ethical reservations towards oocyte cryopreservation are based on concerns about maternal and fetal safety and wider societal implications. Oocyte cryopreservation is gaining popularity among healthy reproductive age women. However, despite promised benefits it also involves risks that are not always properly communicated in commercialized settings. ECM offers clinicians a tool for structured ethical analysis taking into consideration a wide range of implications, various ethical standpoints, and patients' perceptions and beliefs.

The Implications of Programme Assessment Patterns for Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jessop, Tansy; Tomas, Carmen

2017-01-01

Evidence from 73 programmes in 14 U.K universities sheds light on the typical student experience of assessment over a three-year undergraduate degree. A previous small-scale study in three universities characterised programme assessment environments using a similar method. The current study analyses data about assessment patterns using descriptive…

Toward Assessment Leadership: Study of Assessment Practices among School and Classroom Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Carrie Elizabeth Eubank

2017-01-01

Traditionally, models of instructional leadership espouse data-informed decision making in response to student assessment outcomes as one of the core school leader behaviors. In recent years, rising expectations from accountability policies and related assessment practices have myriad implications for school districts, specifically in the areas of…

Formative Assessment: A Cybernetic Viewpoint

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roos, Bertil; Hamilton, David

2005-01-01

This paper considers alternative assessment, feedback and cybernetics. For more than 30 years, debates about the bi-polarity of formative and summative assessment have served as surrogates for discussions about the workings of the mind, the social implications of assessment and, as important, the role of instruction in the advancement of learning.…

Authentic Assessment: A Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Kay, Ed.

The essays in this collection consider the meaning of authentic assessment and the implications of its use. "Section 1: Assessing Assessment" includes the following essays: (1) "The Nation's Report Card Goes Home: Good News and Bad about Trends in Achievement" (Robert L. Linn and Stephen B. Dunbar); (2) "Budgets, Politics, and Testing" (Chris…

Measures of Searcher Performance: A Psychometric Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildemuth, Barbara M.; And Others

1993-01-01

Describes a study of medical students that was conducted to evaluate measures of performance on factual searches of INQUIRER, a full-text database in microbiology. Measures relating to recall, precision, search term overlap, and efficiency are discussed; reliability and construct validity are considered; and implications for future research are…

The Incomplete Completion Agenda: Implications for Academe and the Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoades, Gary

2012-01-01

From one state to another, boards of trustees, legislatures, and governors are implementing policies designed to increase output and efficiency in public colleges and universities. Many such policies reflect the agenda of the National Governors Association's Complete to Compete initiative, which seeks to increase completion rates without…

Results from Federal Emissions Tests on Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Their Implications for the Environment and Public Health

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-06-17

The FHWA is charged with meeting the Nation's need for the safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transport of people and goods. This ambitious goal can be broadly divided into efforts toward the dissemination of innovative technology, safer high...

The Learning of Difficult Visual Discriminations by the Moderately and Severely Retarded

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gold, Marc W.; Barclay, Craig R.

2015-01-01

A procedure to effectively and efficiently train moderately and severely retarded individuals to make fine visual discriminations is described. Results suggest that expectancies for such individuals are in need of examination. Implications for sheltered workshops, work activity centers and classrooms are discussed. [This article appeared…

Interface Architecture for Testing in Foreign Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laborda, Jesus Garcia

2009-01-01

The implications of new learning environments have been far-reaching and pervasive (Plass, 1998), at least in the field of interface design both in traditional computer and mobile devices (Fallahkhair, Pemberton, & Griffiths, 2007). Given the current status of efficient models, educators need the unproven unification of interfaces and working…

Building an Innovation Ecosystem: Process, Culture and Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kenneth R.

2006-01-01

For almost three decades we have optimized our organizations for efficiency and quality. We now look to innovation as the source of competitive advantage--for individuals, for organizations and for society. This paper examines the three components of an innovation ecosystem and their implications for corporations, universities and public policy.…

Future Changes: Implications for Arizona's Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Roger L.

One of the working papers in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness, this document focuses (in Part I) on the summary, conclusions, and recommendations of future changes and their relationship to the Arizona Universities; and, (in Part II) provides background materials for…

Implications for Veterinary Medical Education: Preprofessional and Professional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, J. T.

1980-01-01

The need to boost the productivity curve for production of animal protein and the demand for specialists in all areas of animal agriculture are discussed. Legislative action and academic priorities must be initiated to assume the responsibility for the control of disease, promotion of health, and efficiency of production. (MLW)

Inseminating fresh or cryopreserved semen for maximum efficiency: implications for gene banks and industry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Developing germplasm collections in gene banks for animal genetic resources requires establishing germplasm collection goals, that consider capturing the genetic diversity of the population in question and the amount of germplasm required for reconstitution of the population or for other purposes. C...

Response-Additional Implications of Perennial Bioenergy Crops: Hydrology and Climate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This is a response to a letter submitted in response to the Science article "Increasing Food and Ecosystem Security via Perennial Grains" written by Glover, et al. It details the balance of "precipitation use efficiency" in agroecosystems with the needs of sustainable food production and resiliency ...

Private Secondary Education in Uganda: Implications for Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, W. James; Holsinger, Donald B.; Mugimu, Christopher B.

2008-01-01

Purpose of Study: A fundamental question for educational planners and policy makers is which secondary school providers are most efficient in raising student learning for the most youth, given an available level of resources. Considerable attention has been devoted in recent years to the proposition that private providers offer efficient…

Teachers' Views on Performance-Based Assessments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Bruce

1991-01-01

Provides personal perspectives from teachers about the prospects and problems illuminated by Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project. Teacher remarks address the portfolio development process, assessment centers, implications for national board certification for teachers, personal thoughts and perspectives on teaching, and the future of…

Synthesis of public water supply use in the United States: Spatio-temporal patterns and socio-economic controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankarasubramanian, A.; Sabo, J. L.; Larson, K. L.; Seo, S. B.; Sinha, T.; Bhowmik, R.; Vidal, A. Ruhi; Kunkel, K.; Mahinthakumar, G.; Berglund, E. Z.; Kominoski, J.

2017-07-01

Recent U.S. Geological Survey water-use report suggests that increasing water-use efficiency could mitigate the supply-and-demand imbalance arising from changing climate and growing population. However, this rich data have neither analyzed to understand the underlying patterns, nor have been investigated to identify the factors contributing to this increased efficiency. A national-scale synthesis of public supply withdrawals ("withdrawals") reveals a strong North-south gradient in public supply water use with the increasing population in the South contributing to increased withdrawal. Contrastingly, a reverse South-north gradient exists in per capita withdrawals ("efficiency"), with northern states consistently improving the efficiency, while the southern states' efficiency declined. Our analyses of spatial patterns of per capita withdrawals further demonstrate that urban counties exhibit improved efficiency over rural counties. Improved efficiency is also demonstrated over high-income and well-educated counties. Given the potential implications of the findings in developing long-term water conservation measures (i.e., increasing block rates), we argue the need for frequent updates, perhaps monthly to annual, of water-use data for identifying effective strategies that control the water-use efficiency in various geographic settings under a changing climate.

The effects of violent media on adolescent inkblot responses: implications for clinical and forensic assessments.

PubMed

Hess, T H; Hess, K D; Hess, A K

1999-04-01

Two experiments were conducted to assess the degree to which violent media stimulate violent fantasy as depicted on inkblot responses. In Experiment I, 41 gifted high school students were exposed to a bucolic or violent film clip and then were asked to produce inkblot responses. In Experiment II, a second sample of 43 additional students were exposed to a verbal description of the bucolic or violent scene to assess whether the "hot" or "cooler" media (McLuhan, 1964) had different effects on the inkblot responses. In both experiments, the media exposure led to increased levels of violent responses, and in both cases males produced more violent responses. There was no sex by media interaction effect. Implications for clinical and forensic assessments are presented.

The relationship between bilingualism and selective attention in young adults: Evidence from an ambiguous figures task.

PubMed

Chung-Fat-Yim, Ashley; Sorge, Geoff B; Bialystok, Ellen

2017-03-01

Previous research has shown that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on a variety of tasks that have been described as involving executive functioning, but the precise mechanism for those effects or a clear definition for "executive function" is unknown. This uncertainty has led to a number of studies for which no performance difference between monolingual and bilingual adults has been detected. One approach to clarifying these issues comes from research with children showing that bilinguals were more able than their monolingual peers to perceive both interpretations of an ambiguous figure, an ability that is more tied to a conception of selective attention than to specific components of executive function. The present study extends this notion to adults by assessing their ability to see the alternative image in an ambiguous figure. Bilinguals performed this task more efficiently than monolinguals by requiring fewer cues to identify the second image. This finding has implications for the role of selective attention in performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals.

Informal trail monitoring protocols: Denali National Park and Preserve. Final Report, October 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marion, Jeffrey L.; Wimpey, Jeremy F.

2011-01-01

Managers at Alaska?s Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) sponsored this research to assess and monitor visitor-created informal trails (ITs). DENA is located in south-central Alaska and managed as a six million acre wilderness park. This program of research was guided by the following objectives: (1) Investigate alternative methods for monitoring the spatial distribution, aggregate lineal extent, and tread conditions of informal (visitor-created) trails within the park. (2) In consultation with park staff, develop, pilot test, and refine cost-effective and scientifically defensible trail monitoring procedures that are fully integrated with the park?s Geographic Information System. (3) Prepare a technical report that compiles and presents research results and their management implications. This report presents the protocol development and field testing process, illustrates the types of data produced by their application, and provides guidance for their application and use. The protocols described provide managers with an efficient means to document and monitor IT conditions in settings ranging from pristine to intensively visited.

The Scientific Competitiveness of Nations.

PubMed

Cimini, Giulio; Gabrielli, Andrea; Sylos Labini, Francesco

2014-01-01

We use citation data of scientific articles produced by individual nations in different scientific domains to determine the structure and efficiency of national research systems. We characterize the scientific fitness of each nation-that is, the competitiveness of its research system-and the complexity of each scientific domain by means of a non-linear iterative algorithm able to assess quantitatively the advantage of scientific diversification. We find that technological leading nations, beyond having the largest production of scientific papers and the largest number of citations, do not specialize in a few scientific domains. Rather, they diversify as much as possible their research system. On the other side, less developed nations are competitive only in scientific domains where also many other nations are present. Diversification thus represents the key element that correlates with scientific and technological competitiveness. A remarkable implication of this structure of the scientific competition is that the scientific domains playing the role of "markers" of national scientific competitiveness are those not necessarily of high technological requirements, but rather addressing the most "sophisticated" needs of the society.

Development of heuristic bias detection in elementary school.

PubMed

De Neys, Wim; Feremans, Vicky

2013-02-01

Although human reasoning is often biased by intuitive heuristics, recent studies have shown that adults and adolescents detect the biased nature of their judgments. The present study focused on the development of this critical bias sensitivity by examining the detection skills of young children in elementary school. Third and 6th graders were presented with child-friendly versions of classic base-rate problems in which a cued heuristic response could be inconsistent or consistent with the base rates. After each problem children were asked to indicate their subjective response confidence to assess their bias detection skills. Results indicated that 6th graders showed a clear confidence decrease when they gave a heuristic response that conflicted with the base rates. However, this confidence decrease was not observed for 3rd graders, suggesting that they did not yet acknowledge that their judgment was not fully warranted. Implications for the development of efficient training programs and the debate on human rationality are discussed. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Research in dental practice: a 'SWOT' analysis.

PubMed

Burke, F J T; Crisp, R J; McCord, J F

2002-03-01

Most dental treatment, in most countries, is carried out in general dental practice. There is therefore a potential wealth of research material, although clinical evaluations have generally been carried out on hospital-based patients. Many types of research, such as clinical evaluations and assessments of new materials, may be appropriate to dental practice. Principal problems are that dental practices are established to treat patients efficiently and to provide an income for the staff of the practice. Time spent on research therefore cannot be used for patient treatment, so there are cost implications. Critics of practice-based research have commented on the lack of calibration of operative diagnoses and other variables; however, this variability is the stuff of dental practice, the real-world situation. Many of the difficulties in carrying out research in dental practice may be overcome. For the enlightened, it may be possible to turn observations based on the volume of treatment carried out in practice into robust, clinically related and relevant research projects based in the real world of dental practice.

Fate of Engineered Nanoparticles: Implications in the ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The increased flux of the engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in consumer and commercial products has become a viable threat, particularly if their release affects the environment. The aim of this paper is to review the recent literature results pertaining to the underlying mechanisms initiating the transformations of ENPs for both, the biotic and abiotic processes. The transformation of ENPs is necessarily interrelated to multiple environmental aspects and many concepts overlap. Physicochemical, macromolecular, and biological pathways contribute to assessing the impact of the altered activities of ENPs on the surrounding environmental matrices. Transformations involving both organic and inorganic ligands are vital in soil and water systems. Energy-efficient biocatalytic pathways can easily facilitate biotransformation involving enzymatic reactions and biomolecules. The relationship between physicochemical and biological parameters triggers transformation, greatly affecting the bioavailability and aging of ENPs to various extents. Therefore, the interaction of ENPs in environmental matrices is significant in understanding the risk of potential exposure and/or uptake by biota. Submitted to Elsevier journal, Coordination Chemistry Reviews

Modification of land-atmosphere interactions by CO2 effects: Implications for summer dryness and heat wave amplitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemordant, Léo.; Gentine, Pierre; Stéfanon, Marc; Drobinski, Philippe; Fatichi, Simone

2016-10-01

Plant stomata couple the energy, water, and carbon cycles. We use the framework of Regional Climate Modeling to simulate the 2003 European heat wave and assess how higher levels of surface CO2 may affect such an extreme event through land-atmosphere interactions. Increased CO2 modifies the seasonality of the water cycle through stomatal regulation and increased leaf area. As a result, the water saved during the growing season through higher water use efficiency mitigates summer dryness and the heat wave impact. Land-atmosphere interactions and CO2 fertilization together synergistically contribute to increased summer transpiration. This, in turn, alters the surface energy budget and decreases sensible heat flux, mitigating air temperature rise. Accurate representation of the response to higher CO2 levels and of the coupling between the carbon and water cycles is therefore critical to forecasting seasonal climate, water cycle dynamics, and to enhance the accuracy of extreme event prediction under future climate.

Experimental Evaluation of a Planning Language Suitable for Formal Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Rick W.; Munoz, Cesar A.; Siminiceanu, Radu I.

2008-01-01

The marriage of model checking and planning faces two seemingly diverging alternatives: the need for a planning language expressive enough to capture the complexity of real-life applications, as opposed to a language simple, yet robust enough to be amenable to exhaustive verification and validation techniques. In an attempt to reconcile these differences, we have designed an abstract plan description language, ANMLite, inspired from the Action Notation Modeling Language (ANML) [17]. We present the basic concepts of the ANMLite language as well as an automatic translator from ANMLite to the model checker SAL (Symbolic Analysis Laboratory) [7]. We discuss various aspects of specifying a plan in terms of constraints and explore the implications of choosing a robust logic behind the specification of constraints, rather than simply propose a new planning language. Additionally, we provide an initial assessment of the efficiency of model checking to search for solutions of planning problems. To this end, we design a basic test benchmark and study the scalability of the generated SAL models in terms of plan complexity.

Engineering cells for cell culture bioprocessing--physiological fundamentals.

PubMed

Seth, Gargi; Hossler, Patrick; Yee, Joon Chong; Hu, Wei-Shou

2006-01-01

In the past decade, we have witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of mammalian cell-derived therapeutic proteins with clinical applications. The success of making these life-saving biologics available to the public is partly due to engineering efforts to enhance process efficiency. To further improve productivity, much effort has been devoted to developing metabolically engineered producing cells, which possess characteristics favorable for large-scale bioprocessing. In this article we discuss the fundamental physiological basis for cell engineering. Different facets of cellular mechanisms, including metabolism, protein processing, and the balancing pathways of cell growth and apoptosis, contribute to the complex traits of favorable growth and production characteristics. We present our assessment of the current state of the art by surveying efforts that have already been undertaken in engineering cells for a more robust process. The concept of physiological homeostasis as a key determinant and its implications on cell engineering is emphasized. Integrating the physiological perspective with cell culture engineering will facilitate attainment of dream cells with superlative characteristics.

Barrett's oesophagus: epidemiology, cancer risk and implications for management.

PubMed

de Jonge, Pieter Jan F; van Blankenstein, Mark; Grady, William M; Kuipers, Ernst J

2014-01-01

Although endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett's oesophagus has been widely implemented, its effectiveness is debateable. The recently reported low annual oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk in population studies, the failure to identify most Barrett's patients at risk of disease progression, the poor adherence to surveillance and biopsy protocols, and the significant risk of misclassification of dysplasia all tend to undermine the effectiveness of current management, in particular, endoscopic surveillance programmes, to prevent or improve the outcomes of patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The ongoing increase in incidence of Barrett's oesophagus and consequent growth of the surveillance population, together with the associated discomfort and costs of endoscopic surveillance, demand improved techniques for accurately determining individual risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. More accurate techniques are needed to run efficient surveillance programmes in the coming decades. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge on the epidemiology of Barrett's oesophagus, and the challenging epidemiological dilemmas that need to be addressed when assessing the current screening and surveillance strategies.

Role of the registered nurse in primary health care: meeting health care needs in the 21st century.

PubMed

Smolowitz, Janice; Speakman, Elizabeth; Wojnar, Danuta; Whelan, Ellen-Marie; Ulrich, Suzan; Hayes, Carolyn; Wood, Laura

2015-01-01

There is widespread interest in the redesign of primary health care practice models to increase access to quality health care. Registered nurses (RNs) are well positioned to assume direct care and leadership roles based on their understanding of patient, family, and system priorities. This project identified 16 exemplar primary health care practices that used RNs to the full extent of their scope of practice in team-based care. Interviews were conducted with practice representatives. RN activities were performed within three general contexts: episodic and preventive care, chronic disease management, and practice operations. RNs performed nine general functions in these contexts including telephone triage, assessment and documentation of health status, chronic illness case management, hospital transition management, delegated care for episodic illness, health coaching, medication reconciliation, staff supervision, and quality improvement leadership. These functions improved quality and efficiency and decreased cost. Implications for policy, practice, and RN education are considered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dissecting fragment-based lead discovery at the von Hippel-Lindau protein:hypoxia inducible factor 1α protein-protein interface.

PubMed

Van Molle, Inge; Thomann, Andreas; Buckley, Dennis L; So, Ernest C; Lang, Steffen; Crews, Craig M; Ciulli, Alessio

2012-10-26

Fragment screening is widely used to identify attractive starting points for drug design. However, its potential and limitations to assess the tractability of often challenging protein:protein interfaces have been underexplored. Here, we address this question by means of a systematic deconstruction of lead-like inhibitors of the pVHL:HIF-1α interaction into their component fragments. Using biophysical techniques commonly employed for screening, we could only detect binding of fragments that violate the Rule of Three, are more complex than those typically screened against classical druggable targets, and occupy two adjacent binding subsites at the interface rather than just one. Analyses based on ligand and group lipophilicity efficiency of anchored fragments were applied to dissect the individual subsites and probe for binding hot spots. The implications of our findings for targeting protein interfaces by fragment-based approaches are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of adaptive working memory training and mindfulness meditation training on processing efficiency and worry in high worriers.

PubMed

Course-Choi, Jenna; Saville, Harry; Derakshan, Nazanin

2017-02-01

Worry is the principle characteristic of generalised anxiety disorder, and has been linked to deficient attentional control, a main function of working memory (WM). Adaptive WM training and mindfulness meditation practice (MMP) have both shown potential to increase attentional control. The present study hence investigates the individual and combined effects of MMP and a dual adaptive n-back task on a non-clinical, randomised sample of high worriers. 60 participants were tested before and after seven days of training. Assessment included self-report questionnaires, as well as performance tasks measuring attentional control and working memory capacity. Combined training resulted in continued reduction in worry in the week after training, highlighting the potential of utilising n-back training as an adjunct to established clinical treatment. Engagement with WM training correlated with immediate improvements in attentional control and resilience, with worry decreasing over time. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Qualitative Comparison of Susceptibility and Behavior in Recreational and Occupational Risk Environments: Implications for Promoting Health and Safety.

PubMed

Haas, Emily Joy; Mattson, Marifran

2016-06-01

Although internal factors that influence risk are frequently studied to understand human behavior, external factors, including social, cultural, and institutional factors, should be better utilized to inform ways to efficiently target, tailor, and promote safety messaging to at-risk populations. Semi-structured interviews obtained data from 37 motorcyclists and 18 mineworkers about their risk perceptions and behaviors within their respective dynamic environments. A comparative thematic analysis revealed information about external factors that influence risk perceptions and behaviors. Results support the importance of qualitative approaches for assessing and targeting individuals' risk perceptions and behaviors. In addition, segmenting at-risk subgroups within target populations and tailoring messages for these at-risk groups is critical for safety behavior modification. Practitioners should utilize strategic, culture-centric risk communication that takes into account external factors when determining when, who, and what to communicate via health promotion activities to more accurately disseminate valid, empathetic, and engaging communication with a higher level of fidelity.

Topology of genetic associations between regional gray matter volume and intellectual ability: Evidence for a high capacity network.

PubMed

Bohlken, Marc M; Brouwer, Rachel M; Mandl, René C W; Hedman, Anna M; van den Heuvel, Martijn P; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Kahn, René S; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E

2016-01-01

Intelligence is associated with a network of distributed gray matter areas including the frontal and parietal higher association cortices and primary processing areas of the temporal and occipital lobes. Efficient information transfer between gray matter regions implicated in intelligence is thought to be critical for this trait to emerge. Genetic factors implicated in intelligence and gray matter may promote a high capacity for information transfer. Whether these genetic factors act globally or on local gray matter areas separately is not known. Brain maps of phenotypic and genetic associations between gray matter volume and intelligence were made using structural equation modeling of 3T MRI T1-weighted scans acquired in 167 adult twins of the newly acquired U-TWIN cohort. Subsequently, structural connectivity analyses (DTI) were performed to test the hypothesis that gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability form a densely connected core. Gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability were situated in the right prefrontal, bilateral temporal, bilateral parietal, right occipital and subcortical regions. Regions implicated in intelligence had high structural connectivity density compared to 10,000 reference networks (p=0.031). The genetic association with intelligence was for 39% explained by a genetic source unique to these regions (independent of total brain volume), this source specifically implicated the right supramarginal gyrus. Using a twin design, we show that intelligence is genetically represented in a spatially distributed and densely connected network of gray matter regions providing a high capacity infrastructure. Although genes for intelligence have overlap with those for total brain volume, we present evidence that there are genes for intelligence that act specifically on the subset of brain areas that form an efficient brain network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing overall, technical, and scale efficiency among home health care agencies.

PubMed

Valdmanis, Vivian G; Rosko, Michael D; Leleu, Hervé; Mukamel, Dana B

2017-06-01

While home health care agencies (HHAs) play a vital role in the production of health, little research has been performed gauging their efficiency. Employing a robust approach to data envelopment analysis (DEA) we assessed overall, technical, and scale efficiency on a nationwide sample of HHAs. After deriving the three efficiency measures, we regressed these scores on a variety of environmental factors. We found that HHAs, on average, could proportionally reduce inputs by 28 % (overall efficiency), 23 % (technical efficiency) and 6 % (scale efficiency). For-profit ownership was positively associated with improvements in overall efficiency and technical efficiency and chain ownership was positively associated with global efficiency. There were also state-by-state variations on all the efficiency measures. As home health becomes an increasingly important player in the health care system, and its share of national health expenditures increases, it has become important to understand the cost structure of the industry and the potential for efficiencies. Therefore, further research is recommended as this sector continues to grow.

State Energy Efficiency Benefits and Opportunities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Describes the benefits of energy efficiency and how to assess its potential for your state. Also, find details on energy efficiency policies, programs, and resources available for furthering energy efficiency goals.

Total Quality Management: Implications for Educational Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rankin, Stuart C.

1992-01-01

Deming's "System of Profound Knowledge" is even more fundamental than his 14-principle system transformation guide and is based on 4 elements: systems theory, statistical variation, a theory of knowledge, and psychology. Management should revamp total system processes so that quality of product is continually improved. Implications for…

ARSENIC UPTAKE PROCESSES IN REDUCING ENVIRONMENTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ACTIVE REMEDIATION AND NATURAL ATTENUATION

EPA Science Inventory

Reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydr(oxides) and release of adsorbed or coprecipitated arsenic is often implicated as a key process that controls the mobility and bioavailability of arsenic in anoxic environments. Yet a complete assessment of arsenic transport and fate requires...

Investigation of the environmental implications of the CNT switch through its life cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlben, Lindsay Johanna

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are unique allotropes of carbon that have high tensile strength, a high Young's modulus, good thermal conductivity, and depending on the CNT chirality can be metallic or semiconducting. These mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties make CNTs an attractive element in electronic applications such as conductive films, photovoltaics, non-volatile memory devices, batteries, sensors, and displays. Although commercialization of CNT-enabled products is increasing, there remains a significant lack of information regarding the health effects and environmental impacts of CNTs. Some studies have even shown that the behavior, toxicity, and persistence of CNTs may differ from bulk heterogeneous carbon. Given these uncertainties, it is prudent to assess the environmental attributes of CNT products and processes now to discover and potentially prevent adverse effects. This study investigates the environmental implications of a non-volatile bi-stable electromechanical CNT switch through its life cycle. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used to track the environmental impacts of the CNT switch through its fabrication and expected use and end-of-life (EOL) stages. Process parameters, energy consumption, input materials, output emissions, and yield efficiencies are determined for the laboratory and full-scale manufacture environments. The Ecoinvent(TM) inventory database and Eco-indicator 1999(TM) method are utilized for the impact assessment. Results for the fabrication stage are reported for highest contributions to environmental impact such as airborne inorganics, land use, and fossil fuels due to Au refining processes and electricity consumption. Extension of the LCA scope is evaluated for the potential replacement of CNT switches to current field-effect transistors (FETs) in flash memory for a cellular phone application. First-order predictions are made for the functionality and performance of the CNT switch during the use stage through an environmental perspective. Existing cellular phone EOL management options including recycling and direct disposal to landfill and incineration are evaluated for potential limitations, concerns, and environmental releases that may occur from the assimilation of CNT switch-enabled phones into the waste stream. In this manner, potential environmental effects of the CNT switch throughout its life cycle stages can be addressed alongside its technological development to ensure safe, sustainable, and successful CNT products.

The Army Communications Objectives Measurement System (ACOMS): Annual Report, School Year 86/87

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

assessments of advertising program effectiveness, assessments of advertising strategy efficiencies, management of the advertising program, and planning...market. ACOMS is being used for Army assessments of advertising program effectiveness, assessments of advertising strategy efficiencies, management of... advertising strategy and effectiveness and to begin the construction of an integrated model of the role of the Army’s advertising in the enlistment decision

A study on technical efficiency of a DMU (review of literature)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkateswarlu, B.; Mahaboob, B.; Subbarami Reddy, C.; Sankar, J. Ravi

2017-11-01

In this research paper the concept of technical efficiency (due to Farell) [1] of a decision making unit (DMU) has been introduced and the measure of technical and cost efficiencies are derived. Timmer’s [2] deterministic approach to estimate the Cobb-Douglas production frontier has been proposed. The idea of extension of Timmer’s [2] method to any production frontier which is linear in parameters has been presented here. The estimation of parameters of Cobb-Douglas production frontier by linear programming approach has been discussed in this paper. Mark et al. [3] proposed a non-parametric method to assess efficiency. Nuti et al. [4] investigated the relationships among technical efficiency scores, weighted per capita cost and overall performance Gahe Zing Samuel Yank et al. [5] used Data envelopment analysis to assess technical assessment in banking sectors.

Calculation of Disease Dynamics in a Population of Households

PubMed Central

Ross, Joshua V.; House, Thomas; Keeling, Matt J.

2010-01-01

Early mathematical representations of infectious disease dynamics assumed a single, large, homogeneously mixing population. Over the past decade there has been growing interest in models consisting of multiple smaller subpopulations (households, workplaces, schools, communities), with the natural assumption of strong homogeneous mixing within each subpopulation, and weaker transmission between subpopulations. Here we consider a model of SIRS (susceptible-infectious-recovered-susceptible) infection dynamics in a very large (assumed infinite) population of households, with the simplifying assumption that each household is of the same size (although all methods may be extended to a population with a heterogeneous distribution of household sizes). For this households model we present efficient methods for studying several quantities of epidemiological interest: (i) the threshold for invasion; (ii) the early growth rate; (iii) the household offspring distribution; (iv) the endemic prevalence of infection; and (v) the transient dynamics of the process. We utilize these methods to explore a wide region of parameter space appropriate for human infectious diseases. We then extend these results to consider the effects of more realistic gamma-distributed infectious periods. We discuss how all these results differ from standard homogeneous-mixing models and assess the implications for the invasion, transmission and persistence of infection. The computational efficiency of the methodology presented here will hopefully aid in the parameterisation of structured models and in the evaluation of appropriate responses for future disease outbreaks. PMID:20305791

Nipah virus transmission in a hamster model.

PubMed

de Wit, Emmie; Bushmaker, Trenton; Scott, Dana; Feldmann, Heinz; Munster, Vincent J

2011-12-01

Based on epidemiological data, it is believed that human-to-human transmission plays an important role in Nipah virus outbreaks. No experimental data are currently available on the potential routes of human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus. In a first dose-finding experiment in Syrian hamsters, it was shown that Nipah virus was predominantly shed via the respiratory tract within nasal and oropharyngeal secretions. Although Nipah viral RNA was detected in urogenital and rectal swabs, no infectious virus was recovered from these samples, suggesting no viable virus was shed via these routes. In addition, hamsters inoculated with high doses shed significantly higher amounts of viable Nipah virus particles in comparison with hamsters infected with lower inoculum doses. Using the highest inoculum dose, three potential routes of Nipah virus transmission were investigated in the hamster model: transmission via fomites, transmission via direct contact and transmission via aerosols. It was demonstrated that Nipah virus is transmitted efficiently via direct contact and inefficiently via fomites, but not via aerosols. These findings are in line with epidemiological data which suggest that direct contact with nasal and oropharyngeal secretions of Nipah virus infected individuals resulted in greater risk of Nipah virus infection. The data provide new and much-needed insights into the modes and efficiency of Nipah virus transmission and have important public health implications with regards to the risk assessment and management of future Nipah virus outbreaks.

Nipah Virus Transmission in a Hamster Model

PubMed Central

de Wit, Emmie; Bushmaker, Trenton; Scott, Dana; Feldmann, Heinz; Munster, Vincent J.

2011-01-01

Based on epidemiological data, it is believed that human-to-human transmission plays an important role in Nipah virus outbreaks. No experimental data are currently available on the potential routes of human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus. In a first dose-finding experiment in Syrian hamsters, it was shown that Nipah virus was predominantly shed via the respiratory tract within nasal and oropharyngeal secretions. Although Nipah viral RNA was detected in urogenital and rectal swabs, no infectious virus was recovered from these samples, suggesting no viable virus was shed via these routes. In addition, hamsters inoculated with high doses shed significantly higher amounts of viable Nipah virus particles in comparison with hamsters infected with lower inoculum doses. Using the highest inoculum dose, three potential routes of Nipah virus transmission were investigated in the hamster model: transmission via fomites, transmission via direct contact and transmission via aerosols. It was demonstrated that Nipah virus is transmitted efficiently via direct contact and inefficiently via fomites, but not via aerosols. These findings are in line with epidemiological data which suggest that direct contact with nasal and oropharyngeal secretions of Nipah virus infected individuals resulted in greater risk of Nipah virus infection. The data provide new and much-needed insights into the modes and efficiency of Nipah virus transmission and have important public health implications with regards to the risk assessment and management of future Nipah virus outbreaks. PMID:22180802

Understanding the effectiveness of precursor reductions in lowering 8-hr ozone concentrations--Part II. The eastern United States.

PubMed

Reynolds, Steven D; Blanchard, Charles L; Ziman, Stephen D

2004-11-01

Analyses of ozone (O3) measurements in conjunction with photochemical modeling were used to assess the feasibility of attaining the federal 8-hr O3 standard in the eastern United States. Various combinations of volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission reductions were effective in lowering modeled peak 1-hr O3 concentrations. VOC emissions reductions alone had only a modest impact on modeled peak 8-hr O3 concentrations. Anthropogenic NOx emissions reductions of 46-86% of 1996 base case values were needed to reach the level of the 8-hr standard in some areas. As NOx emissions are reduced, O3 production efficiency increases, which accounts for the less than proportional response of calculated 8-hr O3 levels. Such increases in O3 production efficiency also were noted in previous modeling work for central California. O3 production in some urban core areas, such as New York City and Chicago, IL, was found to be VOC-limited. In these areas, moderate NOx emissions reductions may be accompanied by increases in peak 8-hr O3 levels. The findings help to explain differences in historical trends in 1- and 8-hr O3 levels and have serious implications for the feasibility of attaining the 8-hr O3 standard in several areas of the eastern United States.

Perfluoroalkyl Amines: A New Class of Long-Lived Greenhouse Gases?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, C. J.; Mabury, S. A.

2008-12-01

Polyfluorinated compounds have the potential to act as potent greenhouse gases, due to absorption of the carbon-fluorine bond in the atmospheric window. Perfluoroalkyl amines are a class of thermally and chemically stable compounds marketed for use in numerous applications, including electronic testing and heat transfer. To assess the potential for climate impact, the radiative efficiency and atmospheric lifetime of perfluorotributyl amine (PFBAm) were determined. PFBAm was shown to have a radiative efficiency of 0.86 W m-2 ppb-1, which is higher than any compound yet detected in the atmosphere. The lifetime of this compound is likely limited by photolysis in the mesosphere, on the timescale of 800 years. The potential for perfluoroalkyl amines to behave as greenhouse gases is only realized if they are present in the atmosphere. The perfluorotripropyl and perfluorotrihexyl amine congeners are listed as high-production chemicals, with production in the range of hundreds of tonnes between 1986 and 2002 (1). An air sampling, extraction and analysis method employing thermal desorption, cryofocusing and GC-MS with negative chemical ionization has been developed to detect perfluoroalkyl amines in the atmosphere. Results and implications of the air sampling study will be discussed. (1)Howard, P. H.; Meylan, W. "EPA Great Lakes Study for Identification of PBTs to Develop Analytical Methods: Selection of Additional PBTs - Interim Report," EPA Contract No. EP-W-04-019, 2007.

Assessing efficiency of software production for NASA-SEL data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonmayrhauser, Anneliese; Roeseler, Armin

1993-01-01

This paper uses production models to identify and quantify efficient allocation of resources and key drivers of software productivity for project data in the NASA-SEL database. While analysis allows identification of efficient projects, many of the metrics that could have provided a more detailed analysis are not at a level of measurement to allow production model analysis. Production models must be used with proper parameterization to be successful. This may mean a new look at which metrics are helpful for efficiency assessment.

Assessment Planning within the Context of University English Language Teaching (ELT) in China: Implications for Teacher Assessment Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Yueting

2016-01-01

Teacher assessment literacy (AL) is a concern for both educational assessment and teacher education research. As part of teacher AL, teacher competency of assessment planning has remained underexplored. To address this gap, this study explored how a group of 20 contest-winning university English teachers in China planned for assessment through…

Eco-efficiency improvements in industrial water-service systems: assessing options with stakeholders.

PubMed

Levidow, Les; Lindgaard-Jørgensen, Palle; Nilsson, Asa; Skenhall, Sara Alongi; Assimacopoulos, Dionysis

2014-01-01

The well-known eco-efficiency concept helps to assess the economic value and resource burdens of potential improvements by comparison with the baseline situation. But eco-efficiency assessments have generally focused on a specific site, while neglecting wider effects, for example, through interactions between water users and wastewater treatment (WWT) providers. To address the methodological gap, the EcoWater project has developed a method and online tools for meso-level analysis of the entire water-service value chain. This study investigated improvement options in two large manufacturing companies which have significant potential for eco-efficiency gains. They have been considering investment in extra processes which can lower resource burdens from inputs and wastewater, as well as internalising WWT processes. In developing its methodology, the EcoWater project obtained the necessary information from many agents, involved them in the meso-level assessment and facilitated their discussion on alternative options. Prior discussions with stakeholders stimulated their attendance at a workshop to discuss a comparative eco-efficiency assessment for whole-system improvement. Stakeholders expressed interest in jointly extending the EcoWater method to more options and in discussing investment strategies. In such ways, optimal solutions will depend on stakeholders overcoming fragmentation by sharing responsibility and knowledge.

A performance assessment method for hospitals: the case of municipal hospitals in Angola.

PubMed

Kirigia, Joses M; Emrouznejad, Ali; Cassoma, Basilio; Asbu, Eyob Zere; Barry, Saidou

2008-12-01

Over 60% of the recurrent budget of the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Angola is spent on the operations of the fixed health care facilities (health centres plus hospitals). However, to date, no study has been attempted to investigate how efficiently those resources are used to produce health services. Therefore the objectives of this study were to assess the technical efficiency of public municipal hospitals in Angola; assess changes in productivity over time with a view to analyzing changes in efficiency and technology; and demonstrate how the results can be used in the pursuit of the public health objective of promoting efficiency in the use of health resources. The analysis was based on a 3-year panel data from all the 28 public municipal hospitals in Angola Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric linear programming approach, was employed to assess the technical and scale efficiency and productivity change over time using Malmquist index. The results show that on average, productivity of municipal hospitals in Angola increased by 4.5% over the period 2000-2002; that growth was due to improvements in efficiency rather than innovation.

Analysis of transport eco-efficiency scenarios to support sustainability assessment: a study on Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Iqbal, Asif; Allan, Andrew; Afroze, Shirina

2017-08-01

The study focused to assess the level of efficiency (of both emissions and service quality) that can be achieved for the transport system in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. The assessment technique attempted to quantify the extent of eco-efficiency achievable for the system modifications due to planning or strategy. The eco-efficiency analysis was facilitated with a detailed survey data on Dhaka City transport system, which was conducted for 9 months in 2012-2013. Line source modelling (CALINE4) was incorporated to estimate the on-road emission concentration. The eco-efficiency of the transport systems was assessed with the 'multi-criteria analysis' (MCA) technique that enabled the valuation of systems' qualitative and quantitative parameters. As per the analysis, driving indiscipline on road can alone promise about 47% reductions in emissions, which along with the number of private vehicles were the important stressors that restrict achieving eco-efficiency in Dhaka City. Detailed analysis of the transport system together with the potential transport system scenarios can offer a checklist to the policy makers enabling to identify the possible actions needed that can offer greater services to the dwellers against lesser emissions, which in turn can bring sustainability of the system.

Parental representations and dimensions of personality: empirical relations and assessment implications.

PubMed

Pincus, A L; Ruiz, M A

1997-04-01

Research on the relations between parental representations, personality traits, and psychopathology was discussed with reference to their integration for clinical personality assessment. Empirical results linking parental representations assessed by the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior and the Five-Factor Model of personality traits in a young adult population supported the position that parental representations significantly relate to adult personality. Individuals whose parental representations were generally affiliative described themselves as less prone to emotional distress (lower neuroticism); more interpersonally oriented and experiencing of positive emotions (higher extraversion); more peaceable and trustworthy (higher agreeableness); and more dutiful, resourceful, and dependable (higher conscientiousness). Parental representations colored by autonomy granting and autonomy taking were related to higher levels of openness to experience but lower levels of conscientiousness and extraversion in self-descriptions. Assessment implications and an integrative assessment strategy were presented along with a clinical case example.

Quality Control of RNA Preservation and Extraction from Paraffin-Embedded Tissue: Implications for RT-PCR and Microarray Analysis

PubMed Central

Pichler, Martin; Zatloukal, Kurt

2013-01-01

Analysis of RNA isolated from fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues is widely used in biomedical research and molecular pathological diagnostics. We have performed a comprehensive and systematic investigation of the impact of factors in the pre-analytical workflow, such as different fixatives, fixation time, RNA extraction method and storage of tissues in paraffin blocks, on several downstream reactions including complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and microarray hybridization. We compared the effects of routine formalin fixation with the non-crosslinking, alcohol-based Tissue Tek Xpress Molecular Fixative (TTXMF, Sakura Finetek), and cryopreservation as gold standard for molecular analyses. Formalin fixation introduced major changes into microarray gene expression data and led to marked gene-to-gene variations in delta-ct values of qRT-PCR. We found that qRT-PCR efficiency and gene-to-gene variations were mainly attributed to differences in the efficiency of cDNA synthesis as the most sensitive step. These differences could not be reliably detected by quality assessment of total RNA isolated from formalin-fixed tissues by electrophoresis or spectrophotometry. Although RNA from TTXMF fixed samples was as fragmented as RNA from formalin fixed samples, much higher cDNA yield and lower ct-values were obtained in qRT-PCR underlining the negative impact of crosslinking by formalin. In order to better estimate the impact of pre-analytical procedures such as fixation on the reliability of downstream analysis, we applied a qRT-PCR-based assay using amplicons of different length and an assay measuring the efficiency of cDNA generation. Together these two assays allowed better quality assessment of RNA extracted from fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues and should be used to supplement quality scores derived from automated electrophoresis. A better standardization of the pre-analytical workflow, application of additional quality controls and detailed sample information would markedly improve the comparability and reliability of molecular studies based on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples. PMID:23936242

Incorporating concepts of inequality and inequity into health benefits analysis

PubMed Central

Levy, Jonathan I; Chemerynski, Susan M; Tuchmann, Jessica L

2006-01-01

Background Although environmental policy decisions are often based in part on both risk assessment information and environmental justice concerns, formalized approaches for addressing inequality or inequity when estimating the health benefits of pollution control have been lacking. Inequality indicators that fulfill basic axioms and agree with relevant definitions and concepts in health benefits analysis and environmental justice analysis can allow for quantitative examination of efficiency-equality tradeoffs in pollution control policies. Methods To develop appropriate inequality indicators for health benefits analysis, we provide relevant definitions from the fields of risk assessment and environmental justice and consider the implications. We evaluate axioms proposed in past studies of inequality indicators and develop additional axioms relevant to this context. We survey the literature on previous applications of inequality indicators and evaluate five candidate indicators in reference to our proposed axioms. We present an illustrative pollution control example to determine whether our selected indicators provide interpretable information. Results and Conclusions We conclude that an inequality indicator for health benefits analysis should not decrease when risk is transferred from a low-risk to high-risk person, and that it should decrease when risk is transferred from a high-risk to low-risk person (Pigou-Dalton transfer principle), and that it should be able to have total inequality divided into its constituent parts (subgroup decomposability). We additionally propose that an ideal indicator should avoid value judgments about the relative importance of transfers at different percentiles of the risk distribution, incorporate health risk with evidence about differential susceptibility, include baseline distributions of risk, use appropriate geographic resolution and scope, and consider multiple competing policy alternatives. Given these criteria, we select the Atkinson index as the single indicator most appropriate for health benefits analysis, with other indicators useful for sensitivity analysis. Our illustrative pollution control example demonstrates how these indices can help a policy maker determine control strategies that are dominated from an efficiency and equality standpoint, those that are dominated for some but not all societal viewpoints on inequality averseness, and those that are on the optimal efficiency-equality frontier, allowing for more informed pollution control policies. PMID:16569243

Alcoa Lafayette Operations Energy Efficiency Assessment

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

None, None

2001-01-01

The energy efficiency assessment performed at Alcoa's Lafayette Operations aluminum extrusion plant identified potential annual savings of $1,974,300 in eight high-energy-use areas with an estimated initial capital requirement of $2,308,500.

Academic Workload Implications of Assessing Student Learning in Work-Integrated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilgin, Ayse A.; Rowe, Anna D.; Clark, Lindie

2017-01-01

Assessment of student learning is a crucial part of quality work—integrated learning (WIL), yet presents some significant challenges for WIL practitioners. Assessment of WIL differs to assessment in classroom based courses because of the complexities of assessing the more holistic nature of learning in WIL, as well as (in many cases)…

Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment and Counseling (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

Cancer.gov

Cancer genetics risk assessment and genetic counseling includes family history, psychosocial assessments, and education on hereditary cancer syndromes, testing, and risk. Get more information including the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic testing in this summary for clinicians.

NATIONAL HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT SURVEY (NHEXAS): OPPORTUNITIES AND LESSONS LEARNED

EPA Science Inventory

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) in its fullest sense is a conceptual design, which upon implementation, will have long-term implications to exposure research and assessment. The ultimate goal is to document national distribution of human exposure to pote...

Using game authoring platforms to develop screen-based simulated functional assessments in persons with executive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Martínez-Pernía, David; Núñez-Huasaf, Javier; Del Blanco, Ángel; Ruiz-Tagle, Amparo; Velásquez, Juan; Gomez, Mariela; Robert Blesius, Carl; Ibañez, Agustin; Fernández-Manjón, Baltasar; Slachevsky, Andrea

2017-10-01

The assessment of functional status is a critical component of clinical neuropsychological evaluations used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in patients with cognitive brain disorders. There are, however, no widely adopted neuropsychological tests that are both ecologically valid and easily administered in daily clinical practice. This discrepancy is a roadblock to the widespread adoption of functional assessments. In this paper, we propose a novel approach using a serious game authoring platform (eAdventure) for creating screen-based simulated functional assessments. We created a naturalistic functional task that consisted of preparing a cup of tea (SBS-COT) and applied the assessment in a convenience sample of eight dyads of therapists/patients with mild executive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury. We had three main aims. First, we performed a comprehensive review of executive function assessment in activities of daily living. Second, we were interested in measuring the feasibility of this technology with respect to staffing, economic and technical requirements. Third, a serious game was administered to patients to study the feasibility of this technology in the clinical context (pre-screening test). In addition, quantitative (Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaires) and qualitative (semistructured interviews) evaluations were applied to obtain user input. Our results suggest that the staffing, economic and technical requirements of the SBS-COT are feasible. The outcomes of the pre-screening test provide evidence that this technology is useful in the functional assessment of patients with executive dysfunction. In relation to subjective data, the TAM questionnaire showed good user acceptability from a professional perspective. Interview analyses with professionals and patients showed positive experiences related to the use of the SBS-COT. Our work indicates that the use of these types of authoring platforms could have positive long-term implications for neuropsychological research, opening the door to more reproducible, cooperative and efficient research by allowing the facilitated production, reuse and sharing of neuropsychological assessment tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2010 Northwest Federal Market Assessment Report

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

Scanlon, Tim; Sandusky, William F.

The primary intent of this market assessment is to provide insights on the effectiveness of current energy efficiency and renewable energy program offerings available to Federal sites in the region. The level of detail, quality and currency of the data used in this market assessment varies significantly by Federal agency and energy efficiency service provider. Limited access to some Federal sites, limited availability of key points of contact, time/resource constraints, and other considerations limited the total number of Federal agencies and energy efficiency service providers participating in the survey.

Process-based organization design and hospital efficiency.

PubMed

Vera, Antonio; Kuntz, Ludwig

2007-01-01

The central idea of process-based organization design is that organizing a firm around core business processes leads to cost reductions and quality improvements. We investigated theoretically and empirically whether the implementation of a process-based organization design is advisable in hospitals. The data came from a database compiled by the Statistical Office of the German federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz and from a written questionnaire, which was sent to the chief executive officers (CEOs) of all 92 hospitals in this federal state. We used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure hospital efficiency, and factor analysis and regression analysis to test our hypothesis. Our principal finding is that a high degree of process-based organization has a moderate but significant positive effect on the efficiency of hospitals. The main implication is that hospitals should implement a process-based organization to improve their efficiency. However, to actually achieve positive effects on efficiency, it is of paramount importance to observe some implementation rules, in particular to mobilize physician participation and to create an adequate organizational culture.

Intraday return inefficiency and long memory in the volatilities of forex markets and the role of trading volume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain; Hernandez, Jose Areola; Hanif, Waqas; Kayani, Ghulam Mujtaba

2018-09-01

We investigate the dynamics of efficiency and long memory, and the impact of trading volume on the efficiency of returns and volatilities of four major traded currencies, namely, the EUR, GBP, CHF and JPY. We do so by implementing full sample and rolling window multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) and a quantile-on-quantile (QQ) approach. This paper sheds new light by employing high frequency (5-min interval) data spanning from Jan 1, 2007 to Dec 31, 2016. Realized volatilities are estimated using Andersen et al.'s (2001) measure, while the QQ method employed is drawn from Sim and Zhou (2015). We find evidence of higher efficiency levels in the JPY and CHF currency markets. The impact of trading volume on efficiency is only significant for the JPY and CHF currencies. The GBP currency appears to be the least efficient, followed by the EUR. Implications of the results are discussed.

High-efficiency L-band T/R Module: Development Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelstein, Wendy N.; Andricos, Constantine; Wang, Feiyu; Rutled, David B.

2005-01-01

Future interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) systems require electronically scanned phased-array antennas, where the transmit/receive (T/R) module is a key component. The T/R module efficiency is a critical figure of merit and has direct implications on the power dissipation and power generation requirements of the system. Significant improvements in the efficiency of the T/R module will make SAR missions more feasible and affordable. The results of two high-efficiency T/R modules are presented, each based on different power amplifier technologies. One module uses a 30W GaAs Class-AlB power amplifier and the second module uses a 70W LD-MOS Class-ElF power amplifier, where both modules use a common low power section. Each module operates over an 80MHz bandwidth at L-band (1.2GHz) with an overall module efficiency greater than 58%. We will present the results of these two T/R modules that have been designed, built and tested.

Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" Address: Implications for the Present.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, George

1988-01-01

Evaluates the "Iron Curtain" speech made by Winston Churchill in 1946, discussing its relevance and implications for the present. Examines Churchill's predictions for the future and his assessment of the USSR. Reviews world developments since the speech and proposes foreign policy goals for the next 40 years. (GEA)

The Psychology of Writing Development--And Its Implications for Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camp, Heather

2012-01-01

This article reviews key developmental theories that have been adopted by writing development researchers over the last fifty years. It describes how researchers have translated these theories into definitions of writing development capable of influencing curricular design and interpretations of student writing and explores the implications for…

Accountability: Its Implications for Provincial and State Governments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolesar, H.

This paper examines the implications of the accountability concept for provincial or State authorities. Accountability is defined as a concomitant of an agreement between two parties. The author suggests that, in education, agreements between parties have lacked preciseness and clarity, making it extremely difficult to assess performance and to…

What Nurses Say They Do and Need: Implications for the Educational Preparation of Nurses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Julianne; Jones, Jacqueline

2003-01-01

In-depth descriptions of practice of 38 Australian nurses in 17 settings were derived from interviews. Cross-case comparisons yielded themes with implications for nursing education: flexibility and adaptability, competence in interacting with diverse people, assessment abilities, communication and leadership skills, and coping with challenges…

The Relationship between Mathematical Induction, Proposition Functions, and Implication Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrew, Lane

2010-01-01

In this study, I explored the relationship between mathematical induction ability and proposition and implication functions through a mixed methods approach. Students from three universities (N = 78) and 6 classrooms completed a written assessment testing their conceptual and procedural capabilities with induction and functions. In addition, I…

Better evidence for earlier assessment and surgical intervention for refractory epilepsy (The BEST study): a mixed methods study protocol.

PubMed

Rapport, Frances; Shih, Patti; Mitchell, Rebecca; Nikpour, Armin; Bleasel, Andrew; Herkes, Geoffrey; Vagholkar, Sanjyot; Mumford, Virginia

2017-08-21

One-third of patients with refractory epilepsy may be candidates for resective surgery, which can lead to positive clinical outcomes if efficiently managed. In Australia, there is currently between a 6-month and 2-year delay for patients who are candidates for respective epilepsy surgery from the point of referral for surgical assessment to the eventual surgical intervention. This is a major challenge for implementation of effective treatment for individuals who could potentially benefit from surgery. This study examines implications of delays following the point of eligibility for surgery, in the assessment and treatment of patients, and the factors causing treatment delays. Mixed methods design: Observations of qualitative consultations, patient and healthcare professional interviews, and health-related quality of life assessments for a group of 10 patients and six healthcare professionals (group 1); quantitative retrospective medical records' reviews examining longitudinal outcomes for 50 patients assessed for, or undergoing, resective surgery between 2014 and 2016 (group 2); retrospective epidemiological study of all individuals hospitalised with a diagnosis of epilepsy in New South Wales (NSW) in the last 5 years (2012-2016; approximately 11 000 hospitalisations per year, total 55 000), examining health services' use and treatment for individuals with epilepsy, including refractory surgery outcomes (group 3). Ethical approval has been granted by the North Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/17/HAWKE/22) and the NSW Population & Health Services Research Ethics Committee (HREC/16/CIPHS/1). Results will be disseminated through publications, reports and conference presentations to patients and families, health professionals and researchers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Sex/Gender Differences in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Evidence-Based Assessment.

PubMed

Evans, Spencer C; Boan, Andrea D; Bradley, Catherine; Carpenter, Laura A

2018-03-30

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed more often in boys than in girls; however, little is known about the nature of this sex/gender discrepancy or how it relates to diagnostic assessment practices. This study examined the performance of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in screening for ASD among boys and girls. Data were drawn from the South Carolina Children's Educational Surveillance Study, a population-based study of ASD prevalence among children 8-10 years of age. Analyses were conducted using SCQ data from 3,520 children, with direct assessment data from 272 with elevated SCQ scores. A bifactor model based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders's (5th ed.) two ASD symptom domains fit the data well and performed slightly better for girls. In the general population sample, girls exhibited fewer social communication/interaction and restricted-repetitive behavior symptoms than boys. In the direct assessment sample, however, girls with ASD showed greater impairment in social communication/interaction than boys with ASD. Items pertaining to social communication/interaction problems at ages 4-5 were among the most diagnostically efficient overall and particularly for girls. Similarly, receiver operating characteristic analyses suggested that the SCQ performs adequately among boys and well among girls. Results support the use of the SCQ in screening for ASD but do not indicate sex/gender-specific cutoffs. Girls with ASD may exhibit pronounced intraindividual deficits in social communication/interaction compared to male peers with ASD and female peers without ASD. Although more research is needed, careful attention to social communication/interaction deficits around 4-5 years of age may be especially useful for assessing ASD in girls.

Assessing Agreement Between Salivary Alpha Amylase Levels Collected by Passive Drool and Eluted Filter Paper in Adolescents With Cancer

PubMed Central

Ameringer, Suzanne; Munro, Cindy; Elswick, R.K.

2014-01-01

Purpose/Objectives To assess the validity of filter paper (FP) against the gold standard of passive drool (PD) for collecting salivary alpha amylase as a surrogate biomarker of psychological stress in adolescents with cancer. Design Part of a longitudinal, descriptive study of symptoms in adolescents with cancer during chemotherapy. Setting A pediatric hematology/oncology treatment center. Sample 33 saliva sample pairs from nine adolescents with cancer, aged 13–18 years. Methods Salivary alpha amylase was collected by PD and FP at four time points during a cycle of chemotherapy: days 1 (time 1) and 2 (time 2) of chemotherapy, day 7–10 (time 3), and day 1 of the next cycle (time 4). A random effects regression was used to assess the correlation between PD and FP values, and a Bland Altman analysis was conducted to assess agreement between the values. Main Research Variables Salivary alpha amylase. Findings The estimated correlation between PD and FP values was r = 0.91, p < 0.001. Regression results were also used to rescale FP values to the levels of the PD values because the FP values were on a different scale than the PD values. The Bland Altman analysis revealed that the agreement between the rescaled FP values and PD values was not satisfactory. Conclusions Eluted FP may not be a valid method for collecting salivary alpha amylase in adolescents with cancer. Implications for Nursing Psychological stress in adolescents with cancer may be linked to negative outcomes, such as greater symptom severity and post-traumatic stress disorder. Nurses need valid, efficient, biobehavioral measures to assess psychological stress in the clinical setting. PMID:22750901

What does the new breed of decision-making methodologies mean for choices and norms in hydrological science?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wikman-Svahn, Per

2013-04-01

Hydrological sciences are increasingly utilized in decision-making contexts that need to manage deep uncertainty, changing conditions and very long-lead times and lifetimes. Traditional optimizing approaches become problematic in such situations. For example, optimizing approaches may underestimate the importance of low probability outcomes, or very uncertain outcomes. Alternative decision-making strategies are therefore increasingly used in hydrological applications, including "bottom-up/top-down", "context-first", "decision-scaling", "assess risk of policy", "robust", "resilient" or "flexible" approaches. These kinds of strategies are typically designed to handle very uncertain and diverse outcomes, and often start from the particular decision-making context, in contrast to more traditional "predict-then-act" or "science first" approaches. Contemporary research in philosophy of science stress the influence of value judgments and norms in scientific assessments. In particular, this literature points out that implicit anticipated applications often influence choices made in scientific assessments. Furthermore, this literature also emphasize that choices made at within scientific assessments have consequences for decision-making later on. One reason is that it is often difficult for decision-makers to see what choices are made and the implications of these choices. Another reason is that information that could be of use for decision-makers are lost at an early stage. For example, the choice to focus on central estimates and not providing assessments on more unlikely outcomes is a choice that has consequences for what outcomes are taken into account in the decision-making process. This paper develops this argument and then analyzes the implications of these new developments for hydrological science. One implication of the increasing use of the new breed of planning strategies is that a broader range of uncertainty in scientific assessments becomes desirable in order to fully benefit from the power of the new decision-making strategies. Another implication is that bayesian probability assessments become more important. Finally, advantages and risks involved in changing scientific assessments in order to anticipate the new decision-making strategies are discussed.

Environmental and natural resource implications of sustainable urban infrastructure systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergesen, Joseph D.; Suh, Sangwon; Baynes, Timothy M.; Kaviti Musango, Josephine

2017-12-01

As cities grow, their environmental and natural resource footprints also tend to grow to keep up with the increasing demand on essential urban services such as passenger transportation, commercial space, and thermal comfort. The urban infrastructure systems, or socio-technical systems providing these services are the major conduits through which natural resources are consumed and environmental impacts are generated. This paper aims to gauge the potential reductions in environmental and resources footprints through urban transformation, including the deployment of resource-efficient socio-technical systems and strategic densification. Using hybrid life cycle assessment approach combined with scenarios, we analyzed the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, metal consumption and land use of selected socio-technical systems in 84 cities from the present to 2050. The socio-technical systems analyzed are: (1) bus rapid transit with electric buses, (2) green commercial buildings, and (3) district energy. We developed a baseline model for each city considering gross domestic product, population density, and climate conditions. Then, we overlaid three scenarios on top of the baseline model: (1) decarbonization of electricity, (2) aggressive deployment of resource-efficient socio-technical systems, and (3) strategic urban densification scenarios to each city and quantified their potentials in reducing the environmental and resource impacts of cities by 2050. The results show that, under the baseline scenario, the environmental and natural resource footprints of all 84 cities combined would increase 58%-116% by 2050. The resource-efficient scenario along with strategic densification, however, has the potential to curve down GHG emissions to 17% below the 2010 level in 2050. Such transformation can also limit the increase in all resource footprints to less than 23% relative to 2010. This analysis suggests that resource-efficient urban infrastructure and decarbonization of electricity coupled with strategic densification have a potential to mitigate resources and environmental footprints of growing cities.

Performance measures to assess resiliency and efficiency of transit systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

Transit agencies are interested in assessing the short-, mid-, and long-term performance of their infrastructure with the : objective of enhancing resiliency and efficiency. This report addresses three distinct aspects of New Jerseys Transit Syste...

EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN U.S. HOSPITALS.

PubMed

Dong, Gang Nathan

2016-01-01

This paper examines the hospital management practices of manipulating financial earnings within the bounds of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We conduct regression analyses that relate earnings management to hospital characteristics to assess the economic determinants of hospital earnings management behavior. From the CMS Cost Reports we collected hospital financial data of all U.S. hospitals that request reimbursement from the federal government for treating Medicare patients, and regress discretionary accruals on hospital size, profitability, asset liquidity, operating efficiency, labor cost, and ownership. Hospitals with higher profit margin, current ratio, working capital, days of patient receivables outstanding and total wage are associated with more earnings management, whereas those with larger size and higher debt level, asset turnover, days cash on hand, fixed asset age are associated with lower level of earnings manipulation. Additionally, managers of non-profit hospitals are more likely to undertake some form of window-dressing by manipulating accounting accruals without changing business models or pricing strategies than their public hospital counterparts. We provide direct evidence of the use of discretionary accruals to manage financial earnings among U.S. hospitals and the finding has profound policy implications in terms of assessing the pervasiveness of accounting manipulation and the overall integrity of financial reporting in this very special public and quasi-public service sector.

Polar bears from space: assessing satellite imagery as a tool to track Arctic wildlife.

PubMed

Stapleton, Seth; LaRue, Michelle; Lecomte, Nicolas; Atkinson, Stephen; Garshelis, David; Porter, Claire; Atwood, Todd

2014-01-01

Development of efficient techniques for monitoring wildlife is a priority in the Arctic, where the impacts of climate change are acute and remoteness and logistical constraints hinder access. We evaluated high resolution satellite imagery as a tool to track the distribution and abundance of polar bears. We examined satellite images of a small island in Foxe Basin, Canada, occupied by a high density of bears during the summer ice-free season. Bears were distinguished from other light-colored spots by comparing images collected on different dates. A sample of ground-truthed points demonstrated that we accurately classified bears. Independent observers reviewed images and a population estimate was obtained using mark-recapture models. This estimate (N: 94; 95% Confidence Interval: 92-105) was remarkably similar to an abundance estimate derived from a line transect aerial survey conducted a few days earlier (N: 102; 95% CI: 69-152). Our findings suggest that satellite imagery is a promising tool for monitoring polar bears on land, with implications for use with other Arctic wildlife. Large scale applications may require development of automated detection processes to expedite review and analysis. Future research should assess the utility of multi-spectral imagery and examine sites with different environmental characteristics.

Polar Bears from Space: Assessing Satellite Imagery as a Tool to Track Arctic Wildlife

PubMed Central

Stapleton, Seth; LaRue, Michelle; Lecomte, Nicolas; Atkinson, Stephen; Garshelis, David; Porter, Claire; Atwood, Todd

2014-01-01

Development of efficient techniques for monitoring wildlife is a priority in the Arctic, where the impacts of climate change are acute and remoteness and logistical constraints hinder access. We evaluated high resolution satellite imagery as a tool to track the distribution and abundance of polar bears. We examined satellite images of a small island in Foxe Basin, Canada, occupied by a high density of bears during the summer ice-free season. Bears were distinguished from other light-colored spots by comparing images collected on different dates. A sample of ground-truthed points demonstrated that we accurately classified bears. Independent observers reviewed images and a population estimate was obtained using mark–recapture models. This estimate (: 94; 95% Confidence Interval: 92–105) was remarkably similar to an abundance estimate derived from a line transect aerial survey conducted a few days earlier (: 102; 95% CI: 69–152). Our findings suggest that satellite imagery is a promising tool for monitoring polar bears on land, with implications for use with other Arctic wildlife. Large scale applications may require development of automated detection processes to expedite review and analysis. Future research should assess the utility of multi-spectral imagery and examine sites with different environmental characteristics. PMID:25006979

An Alternative Methodological Approach for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Making in Genomic Medicine.

PubMed

Fragoulakis, Vasilios; Mitropoulou, Christina; van Schaik, Ron H; Maniadakis, Nikolaos; Patrinos, George P

2016-05-01

Genomic Medicine aims to improve therapeutic interventions and diagnostics, the quality of life of patients, but also to rationalize healthcare costs. To reach this goal, careful assessment and identification of evidence gaps for public health genomics priorities are required so that a more efficient healthcare environment is created. Here, we propose a public health genomics-driven approach to adjust the classical healthcare decision making process with an alternative methodological approach of cost-effectiveness analysis, which is particularly helpful for genomic medicine interventions. By combining classical cost-effectiveness analysis with budget constraints, social preferences, and patient ethics, we demonstrate the application of this model, the Genome Economics Model (GEM), based on a previously reported genome-guided intervention from a developing country environment. The model and the attendant rationale provide a practical guide by which all major healthcare stakeholders could ensure the sustainability of funding for genome-guided interventions, their adoption and coverage by health insurance funds, and prioritization of Genomic Medicine research, development, and innovation, given the restriction of budgets, particularly in developing countries and low-income healthcare settings in developed countries. The implications of the GEM for the policy makers interested in Genomic Medicine and new health technology and innovation assessment are also discussed.

Membrane transporters as mediators of synaptic dopamine dynamics: implications for disease

PubMed Central

Lohr, Kelly M.; Masoud, Shababa T.; Salahpour, Ali; Miller, Gary W.

2016-01-01

Dopamine was first identified as a neurotransmitter localized to the midbrain over 50 years ago. The dopamine transporter (DAT; SLC6A3) and the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2; SLC18A2) are two regulators of dopamine homeostasis in the presynaptic neuron. DAT transports dopamine from the extracellular space into the cytosol of the presynaptic terminal. VMAT2 then packages this cytosolic dopamine into vesicular compartments for subsequent release upon neurotransmission. Thus, DAT and VMAT2 act in concert to move transmitter efficiently throughout the neuron. The accumulation of dopamine in the neuronal cytosol can trigger oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, suggesting that the proper compartmentalization of dopamine is critical for neuron function and risk of disease. For decades, studies have examined the effects of reduced transporter function in mice (e.g. DAT-KO, VMAT2-KO, VMAT2-deficient). However, we have only recently been able to assess the effects of elevated transporter expression using BAC transgenic methods (DAT-tg, VMAT2-HI mice). Complemented with in vitro work and neurochemical techniques to assess dopamine compartmentalization, a new focus on the importance of transporter proteins as both models of human disease and potential drug targets has emerged. Here we review the importance of DAT and VMAT2 function in the delicate balance of neuronal dopamine. PMID:27520881

Geographic variation in Northwest Atlantic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) song: implications for stock structure assessment.

PubMed

Delarue, Julien; Todd, Sean K; Van Parijs, Sofie M; Di Iorio, Lucia

2009-03-01

Passive acoustic data are increasingly being used as a tool for helping to define marine mammal populations and stocks. Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) songs present a unique opportunity to determine interstock differences. Their highly stereotyped interpulse interval has been shown to vary between geographic areas and to remain stable over time in some areas. In this study the structure of songs recorded at two geographically close feeding aggregations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and Gulf of Maine (GoM) was compared. Recordings were made from September 2005 through February 2006 in the GSL and intermittently between January 2006 and September 2007 at two locations in the GoM. 6257 pulse intervals corresponding to 19 GSL and 29 GoM songs were measured to characterize songs from both areas. Classification trees showed that GSL songs differ significantly from those in the GoM. The results are consistent with those derived from other stock structure assessment methodologies, such as chemical signature and photoidentification analysis, suggesting that fin whales in these areas may form separate management stocks. Song structure analysis could therefore provide a useful and cost-efficient tool for defining conservation units over temporal and geographical scales relevant to management objectives in fin whales.

Perceptual Load Affects Eyewitness Accuracy and Susceptibility to Leading Questions.

PubMed

Murphy, Gillian; Greene, Ciara M

2016-01-01

Load Theory (Lavie, 1995, 2005) states that the level of perceptual load in a task (i.e., the amount of information involved in processing task-relevant stimuli) determines the efficiency of selective attention. There is evidence that perceptual load affects distractor processing, with increased inattentional blindness under high load. Given that high load can result in individuals failing to report seeing obvious objects, it is conceivable that load may also impair memory for the scene. The current study is the first to assess the effect of perceptual load on eyewitness memory. Across three experiments (two video-based and one in a driving simulator), the effect of perceptual load on eyewitness memory was assessed. The results showed that eyewitnesses were less accurate under high load, in particular for peripheral details. For example, memory for the central character in the video was not affected by load but memory for a witness who passed by the window at the edge of the scene was significantly worse under high load. High load memories were also more open to suggestion, showing increased susceptibility to leading questions. High visual perceptual load also affected recall for auditory information, illustrating a possible cross-modal perceptual load effect on memory accuracy. These results have implications for eyewitness memory researchers and forensic professionals.

Perceptual Load Affects Eyewitness Accuracy and Susceptibility to Leading Questions

PubMed Central

Murphy, Gillian; Greene, Ciara M.

2016-01-01

Load Theory (Lavie, 1995, 2005) states that the level of perceptual load in a task (i.e., the amount of information involved in processing task-relevant stimuli) determines the efficiency of selective attention. There is evidence that perceptual load affects distractor processing, with increased inattentional blindness under high load. Given that high load can result in individuals failing to report seeing obvious objects, it is conceivable that load may also impair memory for the scene. The current study is the first to assess the effect of perceptual load on eyewitness memory. Across three experiments (two video-based and one in a driving simulator), the effect of perceptual load on eyewitness memory was assessed. The results showed that eyewitnesses were less accurate under high load, in particular for peripheral details. For example, memory for the central character in the video was not affected by load but memory for a witness who passed by the window at the edge of the scene was significantly worse under high load. High load memories were also more open to suggestion, showing increased susceptibility to leading questions. High visual perceptual load also affected recall for auditory information, illustrating a possible cross-modal perceptual load effect on memory accuracy. These results have implications for eyewitness memory researchers and forensic professionals. PMID:27625628

Using Co-production to Enhance Co-production: Cultivating institutional capacity through exchange between climate science, social science, and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalafatis, S.

2015-12-01

Many climate scientists and boundary organizations have accumulated years of experience providing decision support for climate adaptation related to landscape change. The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments (GLISA) is one such organization that has developed a reputation for providing stakeholders with climate change decision support throughout the Great Lakes region of North America. After five years of applied outreach, GLISA climate scientists working with practitioners identified three common limitations across projects that were slowing down the use of information, describing them as mismatched terminology, unrealistic expectations, and disordered integration. Discussions with GLISA-affiliated social scientists revealed compelling parallels between these observations and the existing social science literature on the persistent "usability gap" in information use as well as opportunities to preemptively overcome these barriers. The discovery of these overlaps between the climate scientists' experience of barriers and the social science literature as well as strategies to systematically address them demonstrate the potential for boundary organizations to act as incubators of more and more efficient co-production over time. To help illustrate these findings, this presentation also provides an example of decision-making for adaptation in the face of landscape change in which GLISA scientists assisted Isle Royale National Park with assessing the implications of future ecological transitions for current wildlife management efforts.

Polar bears from space: Assessing satellite imagery as a tool to track Arctic wildlife

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapleton, Seth P.; LaRue, Michelle A.; Lecomte, Nicolas; Atkinson, Stephen N.; Garshelis, David L.; Porter, Claire; Atwood, Todd C.

2014-01-01

Development of efficient techniques for monitoring wildlife is a priority in the Arctic, where the impacts of climate change are acute and remoteness and logistical constraints hinder access. We evaluated high resolution satellite imagery as a tool to track the distribution and abundance of polar bears. We examined satellite images of a small island in Foxe Basin, Canada, occupied by a high density of bears during the summer ice-free season. Bears were distinguished from other light-colored spots by comparing images collected on different dates. A sample of ground-truthed points demonstrated that we accurately classified bears. Independent observers reviewed images and a population estimate was obtained using mark- recapture models. This estimate (N: 94; 95% Confidence Interval: 92-105) was remarkably similar to an abundance estimate derived from a line transect aerial survey conducted a few days earlier (N: 102; 95% CI: 69-152). Our findings suggest that satellite imagery is a promising tool for monitoring polar bears on land, with implications for use with other Arctic wildlife. Large scale applications may require development of automated detection processes to expedite review and analysis. Future research should assess the utility of multi-spectral imagery and examine sites with different environmental characteristics.

Special Issue: Using Drama to Improve Person-Centred Dementia Care

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Gail J.; Mistry, Bhavnita; Ballon, Bruce

2013-01-01

Background Person-centred dementia care guidelines emphasize the assessment of individual needs, and, where appropriate, the use of non-pharmacological interventions before resorting to pharmacological management. Yet dementia care is not consistent with these guidelines suggesting conceptual limitations and reliance on passive knowledge translation strategies. Aims and Objectives We implemented a 12-week drama-based educational intervention to introduce to dementia practitioners person-centred care that emphasizes the notion of embodied selfhood (defined as non-verbal self-expression). Design and Methods Focus groups and semi-structured interviews with practitioners (n=24) in two nursing homes in central Canada were undertaken to assess the effectiveness of the drama-based components of the intervention. Results Our findings suggest that drama was effective as an educational modality, and helped implement the person-centred approach into practice. Significant practice outcomes included: new awareness that residents’ body movements and dispositions convey meaning; seeking biographical information from families; increased time efficiency; and supporting residents’ independence. Conclusions Our findings make an important contribution to person-centred dementia care by broadening the notion of personhood, and by facilitating implementation using drama. Implications for Practice As an enhancement of person-centered care, the support of embodied selfhood may significantly improve residents’ quality of life, quality of care, and practitioners’ caregiving experience. PMID:20925717

An automated approach to measuring child movement and location in the early childhood classroom.

PubMed

Irvin, Dwight W; Crutchfield, Stephen A; Greenwood, Charles R; Kearns, William D; Buzhardt, Jay

2018-06-01

Children's movement is an important issue in child development and outcome in early childhood research, intervention, and practice. Digital sensor technologies offer improvements in naturalistic movement measurement and analysis. We conducted validity and feasibility testing of a real-time, indoor mapping and location system (Ubisense, Inc.) within a preschool classroom. Real-time indoor mapping has several implications with respect to efficiently and conveniently: (a) determining the activity areas where children are spending the most and least time per day (e.g., music); and (b) mapping a focal child's atypical real-time movements (e.g., lapping behavior). We calibrated the accuracy of Ubisense point-by-point location estimates (i.e., X and Y coordinates) against laser rangefinder measurements using several stationary points and atypical movement patterns as reference standards. Our results indicate that activity areas occupied and atypical movement patterns could be plotted with an accuracy of 30.48 cm (1 ft) using a Ubisense transponder tag attached to the participating child's shirt. The accuracy parallels findings of other researchers employing Ubisense to study atypical movement patterns in individuals at risk for dementia in an assisted living facility. The feasibility of Ubisense was tested in an approximately 90-min assessment of two children, one typically developing and one with Down syndrome, during natural classroom activities, and the results proved positive. Implications for employing Ubisense in early childhood classrooms as a data-based decision-making tool to support children's development and its potential integration with other wearable sensor technologies are discussed.

A Developmental Perspective on Assessment of Infants with Clefts and Related Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Hallie E.; And Others

1994-01-01

This article presents a rationale for comprehensive developmental assessment for infants with cleft palates/lips and related disorders. The assessment model is based on risk factors influencing early development and on clinical research on developmental outcomes. Implications on the clinical assessment process and early intervention are discussed.…

Wrinkles in Time and Place: Using Performance Assessments to Understand the Knowledge of History Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Suzanne M.; Wineburg, Samuel S.

1993-01-01

Responses of two high school history teachers on three performance assessments of teaching, part of the Stanford University Teacher Assessment Project, were analyzed. Differences that emerged in teacher attitudes and knowledge level illustrate what performance assessment can reveal about pedagogical knowledge and the implications for educational…

"Straitjacket" or "Springboard for Sustainable Learning"? The Implications of Formative Assessment Practices in Vocational Learning Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Jenifer; Ecclestone, Kathryn

2008-01-01

In contrast to theoretical and empirical insights from research into formative assessment in compulsory schooling, understanding the relationship between formative assessment, motivation and learning in vocational education has been a topic neglected by researchers. The Improving Formative Assessment project (IFA) addresses this gap, using a…

Quality Issues in Judging Portfolios: Implications for Organizing Teaching Portfolio Assessment Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tigelaar, Dineke E. H.; Dolmans, Diana H. J. M.; Wolfhagen, Ineke H. A. P.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

2005-01-01

This article addresses the choice of the most appropriate procedure for the assessment of portfolios used in teacher and lecturer assessment. A characteristic of modern assessment modes, including portfolios, is that the information they provide is often qualitative and derived from different contexts. Unambiguous, objective rating of portfolios…

Gender, Assessment and Students' Literacy Learning: Implications for Formative Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Patricia; Ivinson, Gabrielle

2005-01-01

Formative assessment is intended to develop students' capacity to learn and increase the effectiveness of teaching. However, the extent to which formative assessment can meet these aims depends on the relationship between its conception and current conceptions of learning. In recent years concern about sex group differences in achievement has led…